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Thus far in 2018, the Minnesota Twins have played seven baseball games. They've had to deal with frigid temperatures, some snow, and even a postponement in the early going. What they have yet to need due to the circumstances, is a fifth starter. That leash could soon be coming to an end however, and Rule 5 draft pick Tyler Kinley could be caught up in the heart of the shuffle. Through the seven games, Minnesota has won three times by at least four runs, and they were beaten recently by the Seattle Mariners to the tune of a seven run deficit. Despite what would seem like a few opportunities, Paul Molitor has only inserted Minnesota's Rule 5 pick into one game. Kinley got an inning of mop-up work during the blowout loss to the Mariners. He threw 22 pitches over one inning and gave up a hit, run, and walk while tallying two strikeouts. During his inning of work, it was ever apparent as to why the Twins both wanted to grab the former Miami Marlins prospect, and why they were able to. He topped out at 96 mph, reaching that velocity on nine of his 22 pitches. There was also three sweeping sliders at 88 mph that were offered to Mariners hitters. Just 50% of his pitches were in the strike zone however, and there were more than a couple that appeared simply non-competitive. Velocity and lack of command isn't a new blueprint, and it's one that many Rule 5 draftees possess. In being held back until this moment however, it seems widely apparent that manager Paul Molitor doesn't see the training wheels coming off any time soon. This is where things begin to get a bit hairy for both the Twins and Kinley. With Ervin Santana still on the shelf (and frankly not looking like he'll be back before June), Phil Hughes is looking like the most likely candidate to be inserted into the Minnesota rotation. He could be needed as soon as Friday, and the expected move would be that reliever Gabriel Moya would be sent to the minors. In 2.1 IP thus far, Moya has allowed 2 ER on 1 HR and 2 H. It's a small sample size, and the numbers don't suggest much. While he has dominated in the minors, and looks the part of a big league reliever, he has the unfortunate burden of carrying options. What this does for Minnesota though, could be described as suboptimal. In sending out Moya, Minnesota decreases their relief arms by two. Molitor already isn't using Kinley (for fair reasons), and Moya is no longer at his disposal. Coupled with the fact that Trevor Hildenberger simply has not looked right since spring training commenced and Zach Duke has been effectively (but equally ineffective) wild out of the gate with his new team, the Twins relief corps finds themselves immediately stretched. There's little denying that Alan Busenitz couldn't be helping the big league club, but right now there's just no avenue to make it happen. While sorting this all out, Derek Falvey is also faced with a reality that could end up being somewhat of an "egg on face" situation. Sure, Kinley's velocity was intriguing enough to take a flier on, but he really didn't make sense for the Twins given the other options. During the roster shuffle surrounding the Rule 5 draft and beyond, Minnesota lost Luke Bard, Nick Burdi, and J.T. Chargois. Burdi wasn't going to factor into the plans this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, but both of the other two are on big league rosters and showing nicely. As a Rule 5 pick, Bard has the same stipulations as Kinley does. During spring training with the Los Angeles Angels, Bard never appeared in jeopardy of missing out on the 25 man roster however. He's backed up the vote of confidence by turning in a 1.42 ERA across his first 6.1 IP this season. The eight strikeouts have equated to an 11.4 K/9, though he does have an ugly five walks in that same span as well. Chargois was a waiver claim by the Dodgers, and despite that suggesting he nearly passed through unclaimed, one of the best teams in baseball saw and avenue to improve their pen. He's rewarded them with 3.1 scoreless IP giving up just 2 H, striking out three, and working around 95 mph with his fastball. Now is too late to boo-hoo over the loss of players that could have been capable of providing value in the Twins pen. What's going to be tough to stomach however is if Minnesota is forced to give up on Kinley after a matter of weeks, or even a month, and watch their alternative options thrive. At some point soon though, Paul Molitor and the Twins brain trust is going to face a crossroads that determines how they move forward. A team with Postseason aspirations can't have unusable assets out in the pen, and with guys scuffling out of the gate, there has to be more trustworthy options available sooner rather than later. We shouldn't have to wait much longer to see how this situation plays itself out, and hopefully, the sting won't be too bad when all is said and done. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

See updates below...The Twins lost two players in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft and added a right-handed pitcher. In the minor league Rule 5, they added two players without losing anyone. On Thursday morning, the 2017 Winter Meetings will come to a close with the annual Rule 5 draft. Last month, the Minnesota added three players to their 40-man roster, but they left several very talented players unprotected. The Twins could potentially lose a couple of players (at least tentatively) to the Rule 5. However, they currently have just 37 players on their 40-man roster, so in theory, they could make a Rule 5 pick (or three!). Below you'll find a brief preview of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but as the draft takes place, this article will continue to be updated if the Twins lose or gain players. So be sure to check back often. The draft starts at 8:00 a.m. central time.8:15 Update: A computer glitch delayed the inevitable, but with the 3rd overall pick in the Rule 5 draft, the Phillies selected Nick Burdi from the Twins. It was expected. Reports from Orlando indicate that he will be traded. 8:18 Update: Angels selected Luke Bard. 8:19 Update: The Twins selected right-handed pitcher Tyler Kinley from the Miami Marlins (more to come after draft). Tyler Kinley was the 16th round pick of the Miami Marlins in the 2013 draft out of Barry Universityl in Miami Shores, Florida. He spent the 2017 between High-A Jupiter and AA Jacksonville. Combined, he threw 53.1 innings in 50 outings. He walked 22 and struck out 72. He had a 1.98 ERA in High-A, and a 5.19 ERA in AA. He will turn 27 in January. The Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft is complete. The Twins add Tyler Kinley and lose Nick Burdi and Luke Bard. The Minor League portion of the draft is starting. 8:51 Update: The Phillies traded Nick Burdi to the Pirates for international slot money. 8:37 Update: The Twins select RH Yancarlos Baez from the Yankees roster in the AAA Rule 5. Baez was signed by the Yankees as a shortstop, but in 2017, he transitioned to pitching in the GCL. Interesting gamble. 8:43 Update: The Twins selected Sandy Lugo, a 22-year-old RHP from the Dominican, and from the Reds organization. In 2017, he split the year before Low-A Dayton (2 games) and High-A Daytona (4-6, 5.32 ERA in 42 relief games). In 64 innings, he had 40 walks but he struck out 82. 8:51 Update: Nick Burdi was traded to the Pirates in exchange for international bonus pool money. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Below we're going to start with the basics. Who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft? Who could the Twins lose in the Rule 5 draft, and who could they select if they do make a pick? Also, check back often during the 8:00 hour as I'll be updating this article if (or when) they lose a player or add a pick. The Basics Let's start with who is eligible. Players who were 18-years-old when they signed as an international free agent or draft pick signed in 2013. This group includes players such as Kohl Stewart and Lewin Diaz.College players selected in the 2014 Draft. This category includes the likes of Nick Burdi and Jake Reed.Players who are not yet minor league free agents and have been eligible in previous seasons. Luke Bard and Ryan Eades are two from this group.For much more on the players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft, with the exception of the three players added to the 40-man roster, click here. To make an MLB selection, a team must pay $100,000. That player needs to be on the drafting team’s 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the original team for $50,000. The other option is that the teams can work out a trade. The Twins have examples of what can happen with their five most recent picks. Scott Diamond – Twins selected him from the Braves. He did not make the opening day roster, but the Twins and Braves were able to work out a trade. Diamond was taken off of the 40-man roster and the Twins sent RHP Billy Bullock to Atlanta.Terry Doyle – The Twins selected Doyle from the White Sox organization. He was returned to Chicago late in spring training.Ryan Pressly – The Twins drafted Pressly from the Red Sox organization. He remained on the Twins roster the entire 2013 season. He was able to be sent back to AAA during the 2014 season and pitched well enough to be called up during the season’s second half.JR Graham - The Twins selected Graham from the Atlanta organization. He spent an entire season on the Twins roster in 2015 only to be DFAd less than two months into the 2016 season.Justin Haley - The Twins selected Miguel Diaz from the Brewers organization with the top pick in the 2016 Rule 5. They traded down and got starter Justin Haley. He made the roster and made a few appearances. He spent a couple of stints on the DL before the Twins sent him back to the Red Sox.Who The Twins Could Lose Throughout the week, we have heard from several sources that Nick Burdi is very likely be be selected. The flame-thrower had Tommy John surgery in June and will likely miss much of the 2018 season. If he does, the requirement of staying on a team's active roster will carry into the 2019 season.Jake Reed and Luke Bard are two other relievers that I feel have a chance at least to be selected. They are both hard-throwing relievers who finished 2017 in AAA. They both get a lot of movement. They could be stashed on an MLB roster, but they are also guys who could contribute in 2018.Lewin Diaz is less likely to be selected due to his proximity and his lack of position flexibility.Ryan Eades had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League and did have a couple of appearances in AAA late in the season.Kohl Stewart was the Twins top pick in 2014 out of high school in Houston. He's put up strong ERAs (until 2017), but he's never put up the strikeout numbers that the front office might hope for.Who The Twins Could Pick I don't know if the Twins will make a pick. My general theory is that a team should almost always take a Rule 5 pick and see how it goes. The Twins have three open spots on the roster, so they could take three players. They won't, but they could take one. Here are two good sources for lists of who might be available. Baseball America- 91 namesMLB.comThe Twins have the 20th pick in the Rule 5 draft (as they will next June in the Rule 4 draft). However, several teams ahead of them have full 40-man rosters so they won't be able to make a pick. Some teams may pass. Minor League Rule 5 Draft Shortly after the Major League Rule 5 draft, the Minor League (AAA) portion will start. We'll also update you on any players the Twins gain or lose in that draft. Feel free to discuss the Rule 5 draft before, during and after... Click here to view the article

In echoing the thoughts of others throughout the winter, it’s extremely difficult to be disappointed as a Twins fan this off-season. The team has added six pitchers, including a necessary starting pitching addition in Jake Odorizzi. Minnesota has added established bullpen arms (Reed) and others with either upside (Rodney), or bounce back potential (Duke). While we can bemoan the Twins inability to land a marquee arm like Yu Darvish, the Twins have established themselves a platform for being competitive in a weak division. Solid rotation, good bullpen, excellent lineup.The Falvey and Levine regime, let’s call them The Falvgime, deserves credit for the rapidity of their organizational overhaul. After a year of assessment and modest additions in 2017, they have added exciting, progressive coaching voices such as James Rowson and Garvin Alston. They have beefed up their research and analytics department both quantitatively and qualitatively, adding reputable names such as Josh Kalk, John Manuel and Daniel Adler. (If you haven’t listened to Adler’s recent appearance on Ben Lindbergh’s Effectively Wild podcast, you’re doing yourself an injustice). It’s easy to be swept up into The Falvgime hype train, but what are the mistakes they have made along the way so far? Are there any opportunities missed which may end up as organizational regrets? Let’s rewind a few years to June 4th 2012. The 2012 amateur player draft will forever be remembered by Twins fans as the draft that landed them Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios. If both Buxton and Berrios continue their respective careers at their current trajectories, this draft would be remembered as monumentally successful. The 2012 Draft also marked a trend of the Twins drafting an increasing number of high velocity arms, adding Luke Bard with the 42nd pick, Mason Melotakis with the 63rd pick, and J.T. Chargois with the 72nd pick. More on those three shortly. The 2012 draft also netted the Twins Tyler Duffey at 160th overall, and Taylor Rogers at 340th overall, both of whom have become significant role players in the Twins’ bullpen. Of the three 2012 draft arms, only Melotakis remains. The 27-year-old Bard was claimed by the Angels in the Rule 5 draft, after amassing a 2.76 ERA over 65 innings between Chattanooga and Rochester in 2017. Bard managed a 13.6 SO/9 in those innings. Chargois was claimed by the 104-win LA Dodgers last week after being placed on waivers to make extra space available on the Twins 40-man roster. Chargois, also 27, has been plagued by injuries, but is intriguing as the Twins former top relief prospect and one of only five Twins pitchers to throw a pitch 99mph or higher since 2008. Reaction to Chargois being claimed has been mixed, with most cautioning against a snap reaction until the Twins fill the final spot on their 40-man roster. Thad Levine indicated some regret in the Twins’ loss, telling Twin Cities’ media "we were 29/30ths of the way there." The Dodgers are certainly an interesting team to claim Chargois, having put together the fourth best bullpen ERA in 2017, the third best strikeout total, and the second best batting average against in MLB. Melotakis successfully passed through waivers during the 2017, much to the ire of Twins fans, who struggled to understand the rationale of placing a former top (left-handed) relief pitching product who was having an excellent season at risk. All three of the Bard, Melo, and Chargois triumvirate had struggled throughout their minor league careers with injuries, and that may well be a decisive factor in the front office’s decision-making process. It does, however, seem that the organization has let significant arm talent slip from its grasp in Bard and Chargois, right when they appeared ready to make a more significant major league contribution. Rewind again to 2014. Nick Gordon was selected fifth overall by the Twins. Minnesota proceeded to select an entire bullpen after him, including several more high velocity arms such as Nick Burdi (second round), Jake Reed (fifth round) and John Curtiss (sixth round). It’s easy to pretend as if the old Twins regime did nothing about the teams’ bullpen struggles year after year, but it was a problem which was recognized and drafted toward several years before Derrick Falvey and Thad Levine took over the organization. Burdi fits the familiar pattern of the Twins 2012 drafted relief pitchers. He has a massive arm with the ability to hit triple digits. In 104 MiLB innings, he has managed 142 K's. Burdi seemed to be putting it all together at AA in 2017, giving up just one earned run in 17 IP until Tommy John surgery derailed his season. Burdi was selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft before being traded to the Pirates. John Curtiss and Jake Reed are the two remaining arms from the 2014 draft who have made the steadiest progress towards the major league team, Curtiss making, and struggling in, his MLB debut last year. Curtiss dominated minor league competition to the tune of 68 K's in 48.1 IP and a miserly .135 avg. Reed spent 2017 split between Chattanooga and Rochester, turning it up at AAA and giving up a 2.05 ERA whilst striking out 25 in 30 innings. Both are strong contenders to contribute at the major league level this year. Looking through the Twins current top 30 prospects as a whole (MLB Pipeline list), there’s still some depth at reliever. The names featured are Tyler Jay (8th), John Curtiss (20th), and Jake Reed (26th). The recently departed Chargois was listed at 21. While this may be in no way indicative of how much help the Twins bullpen may receive from the minor leagues in 2018, it raises an interesting question. Did "The Falvgime" completely press the reset button on Twins relief pitching prospects when they took over the organization? While this seems counter-intuitive the front office has certainly been more aggressive at exposing relief pitching options via waivers and the Rule 5 draft than we might have expected. The common denominator surrounding high-end relief pitching prospects the Twins have lost is a history of significant injuries. It seems likely that on a team with several necessary areas of improvement (between the rotation and the bullpen) Falvey and Levine have been careful not to pin their hopes to prospects who have struggled to stay healthy, perhaps recognizing that they are entering a window of contention with the Tigers and Royals entering rebuilds and the White Sox in the midst of one. They have taken some gambles with exposing these players, some seemingly paying off, others have not. What do y’all think? Has "The Falvgime" made mistakes in how they have handled Twins’ relief pitching prospects? Do you think they should have prioritized keeping Bard and Burdi? Will they regret losing Chargois? Click here to view the article

In echoing the thoughts of others throughout the winter, it’s extremely difficult to be disappointed as a Twins fan this off-season. The team has added six pitchers, including a necessary starting pitching addition in Jake Odorizzi. Minnesota has added established bullpen arms (Reed) and others with either upside (Rodney), or bounce back potential (Duke). While we can bemoan the Twins inability to land a marquee arm like Yu Darvish, the Twins have established themselves a platform for being competitive in a weak division. Solid rotation, good bullpen, excellent lineup. The Falvey and Levine regime, let’s call them ‘The Falvgime’, deserves credit for the rapidity of their organizational overhaul. After a year of assessment and modest additions in 2017, they have added exciting, progressive coaching voices such as James Rowson and Garvin Alston. They have beefed up their research and analytics department both quantitatively and qualitatively, adding reputable names such as Josh Kalk, John Manuel, and Daniel Adler. (If you haven’t listened to Adler’s recent appearance on Ben Lindbergh’s Effectively Wild podcast, you’re doing yourself an injustice). It’s easy to be swept up into The Falvgime hype train, but what are the mistakes they have made along the way so far? Are there any opportunities missed which may end up as organizational regrets? Let’s rewind a few years to June 4th 2012. The 2012 amateur player draft will forever be remembered by Twins fans as the draft that landed them Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios. If both Buxton and Berrios continue their respective careers at their current trajectories, this draft would be remembered as monumentally successful. 2012 also marked a trend of the Twins drafting an increasing number of high velocity arms, adding Luke Bard with the 42nd pick, Mason Melotakis with the 63rd pick, and J.T. Chargois with the 72nd pick. More on those three shortly. The 2012 draft also netted the Twins Tyler Duffey at 160th overall, and Tyler Rogers at 340th overall, both of whom have become significant role players in the Twins’ bullpen. Of the three 2012 draft arms, only Melotakis remains. The 27 year old Bard was claimed by the Angels in the Rule 5 draft, after amassing a 2.76 ERA over 65 innings between Chattanooga and Rochester in 2017. Bard managed a 13.6 SO/9 in those innings. Chargois was claimed by the 104 win LA Dodgers last week after being placed on waivers to make extra space available on the Twins 40 man roster. Chargois, also 27, has been plagued by injuries, but is intriguing as the Twins former top relief prospect and one of only five Twins pitchers to throw a pitch 99mph or higher since 2008. Reaction to Chargois being claimed has been mixed, with most cautioning against a snap reaction until the Twins fill the final spot on their 40 man roster. Thad Levine indicated some regret in the Twins’ loss, telling Twin Cities’ media ‘we were 29/30ths of the way there’. The Dodgers are certainly an interesting team to claim Chargois, having put together the fourth best bullpen ERA in 2017, the third best strikeout total, and the second best batting average against in MLB. Melotakis successfully passed through waivers during the 2017, much to the ire of Twins fans, who struggled to understand the rationale of placing a former top (left-handed) relief pitching product who was having an excellent season at risk. All three of the Bard, Melo, and Chargois triumvirate had struggled throughout their minor league careers with injuries, and that may well be a decisive factor in the front office’s decision making process. It does however, seem that the organization has let significant arm talent slip from its grasp in Bard and Chargois, right when they appeared ready to make a more significant major league contribution. Rewind again to 2014. Nick Gordon was selected 5th overall by the Twins. Minnesota proceeded to select an entire bullpen after him, including several more high velocity arms such as Nick Burdi (2nd round), Jake Reed (5th round) and John Curtiss (6th round). It’s easy to pretend as if the old Twins regime did nothing about the teams’ bullpen struggles year after year, but it was a problem which was recognized and drafted towards several years before Derrick Falvey and Thad Levine took over the organization. Burdi fits the familiar pattern of the Twins 2012 drafted relief pitchers. He has a massive arm with the ability to hit triple digits. In 104 MiLB innings, he has managed 142 Ks. Burdi seemed to be putting it all together at AA in 2017, giving up just one earned run in 17 IP until Tommy John surgery derailed his season. Burdi was selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft before being traded to the Pirates. John Curtiss and Jake Reed are the two remaining arms from the 2014 draft who have made the steadiest progress towards the major league team, Curtiss making, and struggling in his MLB debut last year. Curtiss dominated minor league competition to the tune of 68Ks in 48.1 IP and a miserly .135 avg. Reed spent 2017 split between Chattanooga and Rochester, turning it up at AAA and giving up a 2.05 ERA whilst striking out 25 in 30 innings. Both are strong contenders to contribute at the major league level this year. Looking through the Twins current top 30 prospects as a whole (MLB list), there’s still some depth at reliever. The names featured are Tyler Jay (8th), John Curtiss (20th), and Jake Reed (26th). The recently departed Chargois was listed at 21. While this may be in no way indicative of how much help the Twins bullpen may receive from the minor leagues in 2018, it raises an interesting question. Did ‘The Falvgime’ completely press the reset button on Twins relief pitching prospects when they took over the organization? While this seems counter intuitive the front office has certainly been more aggressive at exposing relief pitching options via waivers and the Rule 5 draft than we might have expected. The common denominator surrounding high end relief pitching prospects the Twins have lost is a history of significant injuries. It seems likely that in a team with several necessary areas of improvement (between the rotation and the bullpen) Falvey and Levine have been careful not to pin their hopes to prospects who have struggled to stay healthy, perhaps recognizing that they are entering a window of contention with the Tigers and Royals entering rebuilds and the White Sox in the midst of one. They have taken some gambles with exposing these players, some seemingly paying off, others have not. What do y’all think? Has ‘The Falvgime’ made mistakes in how they have handled Twins’ relief pitching prospects? Do you think they should have prioritized keeping Bard and Burdi? Will they regret losing Chargois?

As we await the end of the World Series, as well as the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook being available for download, I thought it would be fun to start on my preliminary 2018 Minnesota Twins Top 50 prospect list. As Cody mentioned in his article tonight, he and I, along with Tom and Jeremy, are diving heavily into the 2018 Twins Prospect Handbook. I like to do this preliminary ranking and then see how it changes after doing a ton of research and talking to several people.So tonight is the first installment. Here are my choices for Twins prospects 41-50. Be sure to ask questions and share your thoughts in the comments after you’ve had a chance to read through this list. #50 LHP Jovani Moran The 20-year-old southpaw was the Twins seventh-round draft pick in 2015 out of Puerto Rico. He missed the 2016 season due to bone spurs in his elbow, but he had those cleaned up and went to Elizabethton in 2017. He was named the Twins Daily Short-Season Pitcher of the Year. In 24.2 innings, he walked six and struck out 45 (16.4 K/9). That didn’t include the playoffs where he starred for the Appy League champs. Will he remain in the bullpen? That’s to be determined. As E-Twins manager Ray Smith told Twins Daily, ““We didn’t want to force anything with Jovani due to his arm issues last year. I’ve never seen him being utilized in a starting role, but with this ‘stuff’ being so good, it might turn out to be his role once it’s decided that his arm will continue to be 100%”” #49 LHP Andrew Vasquez Vasquez was the Twins 32nd-round pick in 2015 out of Division III Westmost College where he teamed with Hector Lujan. The left-hander split his 2017 season between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He combined to post a 2.02 ERA. In his 58 innings, he walked 20 and struck out 85 batters. While he works in the low-90s, he’s got a lot of movement on his fastball and has a terrific slider that gets a lot of swings and misses. (Get to know Andrew Vasquez) #48 Alex Robinson There are a lot of quality relief pitcher prospects in the Twins system, and when it comes to pure ceiling, Robinson might be right at the top. The left-hander consistently hits 97-98 mph with his fastball and has a devastating slider. He was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2015 out of Maryland, but he really fought his control. He spent 2015 and 2016 in Elizabethton where he struck out 67 batters in 45 innings, but he also walked 50! He began 2017 in Cedar Rapids and struck out 51 and walked 15 and struck out 51. He moved up to Ft. Myers and in 17.1 innings, he walked 13 and struck out 27. He turned 23 in August, so it is wise for the Twins to be as patient as necessary to maximize his immense talent. #47 Tom Hackimer Hackimer was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2016 out of St. Johns. The side-winding right-hander profiles pretty similarly to Twins rookie of the year Trevor Hildenberger. He began 2017 in Cedar Rapids where he posted a 1.50 ERA and a miniscule 0.58 WHIP in 24 innings. He then worked 37.1 innings in Ft. Myers where he posted a 1.93 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Combined, he walked 22 and struck out 71 batters in 61.1 innings. He is now pitching the Arizona Fall League. (Get to know Tom Hackimer, and from last week, Catch Up with him in Arizona) #46 OF Jaylin Davis Jaylin Davis was the Twins 24th-round pick in 2015 out of Appalachian State. He ended the 2016 season with 52 games in Cedar Rapids. That’s where he began his 2017 season as well. In 66 games for the Kernels, he hit .267/.316/.486 (.802) with 13 doubles and 12 home runs. After helping the team to a first half playoff berth, he was promoted up to Ft. Myers where he played in 59 games. He struggled, hitting just .237 with three home runs. But his power is legit. He’s a good athlete who took to playing right field in 2017. (Get to know Jaylin) #45 JT Chargois If you were like me, you were hoping that the 2012 second-round pick would not be on this list. In fact, I had hopes that he would be the Twins closer by midseason. Instead, he fought elbow issues throughout the entire season and did not pitch outside of two games in late April in Rochester. His mid-to-upper 90s fastball, slider, and performance last September make him incredibly intriguing, and he should probably be higher on this list. He’ll turn 27 in December. (Get to know JT.) #44 Luke Bard Bard was the Twins second supplemental first-round pick in 2012 out of Georgia Tech. He has really only been healthy the last two seasons. In 2016, he was known to have one of the top spin rates in the Twins system. In 2017, he was a strikeout machine. In 52.1 innings at Chattanooga, he walked 20 and struck out 78 (13.4 K/9). He moved up to Rochester where he walked four and struck out 21 batters in 13 innings (14.5 K/9). He does struggle with control and command at times, but the soon-to-be-27-year-old should be considered for a 40-man roster spot in November. #43 OF Jean-Carlos Arias Arias returned to the GCL in 2017 after posting a mere .531 OPS there in 2016. He broke out, hitting .298/.359/.476 (.835) with seven doubles, four triples and five home runs. He also stole ten bases. Arias has a lot of tools. He’s got speed and a strong arm. He has the potential to hit for some average, but he also has the potential to grow and add more power. Arias will turn 20 in January and should move up to Elizabethton in 2018. #42 Trey Cabbage Cabbage was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2015 out of high school in Tennessee. He’s missed some time the last couple of years with injury. He returned to Elizabethton to start the Appy League season, but after just 13 games, he was promoted to the Kernels where he played left field and third base. A left-hander with a smooth swing, the 20-year-old is a terrific athlete, big and strong, with a lot of power potential. He’ll have to work to put the ball in play more, but as he grows, the talent is there to be quite good. (Get to know Trey, and Catch Up with him) #41 RHP Tyler Benninghoff 20-year-old Benninghoff was the Twins 11th-round pick in 2016 out of high school in Missouri. Almost immediately after signing, he underwent Tommy John surgery. He worked hard to rehab and returned to the GCL mound for his professional debut. He worked four innings in four outings. Benninghoff likely would have been a second or third round pick had he been healthy. He’s blessed with a strong arm and good offspeed pitches. So this ranking is fully based on projection. Hopefully he’ll be fully recovered and be able to get on the mound consistently in 2018. (Get to know Tyler) So there you have the first installment of my Top 50 Twins Prospects. That was prospects 41-50. In the coming days, the countdown will continue. Feel free to leave any questions or comments that you may have. By the way, there is a complete Organizational Depth chart in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, along with much more. To pre-order your copy, click on the banner below. (And as a reminder, there's no reason to not download it since you get to name your price.) Click here to view the article

It’s hard to believe that the baseball season is already nearly three months complete. The calendar has turned to July, and it is again time to hand out some awards. Today we start with the relief pitchers. Over the next few days, we’ll also post our top starting pitchers and hitters in the Twins minor leagues in June. There have been several transactions in recent days, and that will likely continue. Ironically, this was a terrific month for minor league relievers in the Twins system. Most important, several of those strong bullpen performances came from the upper levels of the system, AAA and AA. It was hard to cut down the honorable mention group, but it had to be done. If you missed any of the Twins Daily minor league awards to this point, check them out here: Hitter of the Month - Zack Granite, Rochester Red WingsStarting Pitcher of the Month - Stephen Gonsalves, Chattanooga LookoutsBefore we share our Twins Daily Minor League Top 5 Relievers for June, here are some terrific bullpen performances that just missed the cut. HONORABLE MENTION Nick Anderson - Chattanooga - 7 G, 1.64 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 12 KDJ Baxendale - Rochester - 6 G, 2.77 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 13.0 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 8 KMax Cordy - Cedar Rapids - 7 G, 2 GS, 1.13 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 16.0 IP, 9 H, 13 BB, 14 KColton Davis - Cedar Rapids - 9 G, 1 GS, 2.57 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 13 KTom Hackimer - Ft. Myers - 7 G, 1.64 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 9 H, 6 BB, 8 KJake Reed - Chattanooga/Rochester - 8 G, 1.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 7 H, 6 BB, 12 KMichael Tonkin - Rochester - 8 G, 3.18 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 11.1 IP, 7 H, 5 BB, 18 KTodd Van Steensel - Chattanooga - 7 G, 1.64 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 6 BB, 8 KTHE TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS #5 - Sam Clay - Ft. Myers - 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 10 K This spring, much was made of the Twins decision to move lefties Randy Rosario and Tyler Jay to the bullpen. Clay made 24 starts a year ago between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He was the starting pitcher in the Midwest League All-Star Game last year. However, he has made the transition to the bullpen appear effortless. Clay gave up six earned runs in ⅔ of an inning in his first appearance this year. Since then, he has given up just two runs over 39 innings. He went 24.1 innings without giving up a run. He gave up a single run in two straight games, and is now on a run of 13.2 innings without giving up a run. In June, opponents hit just .194/.293/.222 (.515) off of him. #4 - Hector Lujan - Cedar Rapids - 8 G, 1.04 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 8 K Lujan was the Twins 35th-round pick in 2015 out of Westmost College. While he moved slowly initially, he has always had a big fastball. He now sits between 93 and 96 mph, and as his pitching coach JP Martinez told us last night, he has developed a cutter that is now a weapon. This year, he joined the Kernels very early in the season. While they were looking for a guy to close games, Lujan just continued to get outs. He got an opportunity to be the closer, and he has taken advantage of it. In the month, batters hit just .172/.194/.276 (.469) off him. He had four saves in the month and now has eight since taking the job. #3 - Andrew Vasquez - Ft. Myers - 6 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 18 K Vasquez was the Twins 32nd-round draft pick in 2015 out of Westmont College (yes, the same small college that Lujan was selected from, three rounds later). The southpaw has some tremendous stuff. Vasquez throws hard and gets a lot of movement. He joined Cedar Rapids late last year and became a threat in the bullpen. That’s where he began this year, but after a strong first two months, he was moved up to Ft. Myers where he has continued to impress. For the month, not only did he not give up runs (or many base runners), opponents hit just .152/.222/.182 (.404) off of him. He struck out nearly two batters per inning. He has yet to allow a run in 11.1 innings in Ft. Myers. It’s been a combined 18 innings since he’s given up a run. #2 - Luke Bard - Chattanooga - 7 G, 0.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 15 K Bard was a supplemental first-round pick for the Twins in 2012. He found himself on the disabled list a lot for the first four years of his career. 2016 was first healthy season, and he sat 93-96, touching 97. He’s been healthy again this year, and he’s been pitching really well. Overall, he has thrown 36 innings this season and has 59 strikeouts with just 13 walks. In June, opponents have hit just .167/.268/.250 (.518). Again, nearly two strikeouts per innings pitched. Bard was touted last season for having a very high spin rate which helps make his fastball jump on hitters and his breaking pitches very sharp. At 26, he should move up to AAA soon. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Chattanooga Lookouts and Rochester Red Wings – RHP John Curtiss - 8 G, 1.54 ERA, 0.43 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 15 K Through April and May John Curtiss gave up zero earned runs. Yet, for whatever reason, he was not the choice for Twins Daily relief pitcher of the month. In June, he finally gave up a run. In fact, he had one game in which he gave up two runs. And yet, this month he is our choice for relief pitcher of the month. Why? Well, he didn’t give up hits. He didn’t issue walks. He continued striking out well over a batter per inning. Opponents hit just .054/.125/.081 (.206). While he had probably earned a promotion much earlier, he finally got that call in mid-June, and he’s been very good so far in Rochester. I mean, he’s given up one hit and one walk in 5.1 innings for the Red Wings. Curtiss was the Twins 6th-round pick in 2014 out of Texas. He had already gone through thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and Tommy John surgery. He tried his luck as a starter in 2015, but he missed time with a concussion. In 2016, he moved to the bullpen, and has been dominant since. He was invited to the Arizona Fall League and pitched well. The 24-year-old could see time as early as this season in the Twins bullpen. There were a lot of very strong relief pitcher performances in June throughout the Twins minor league system. It’s encouraging that several of them are in the upper levels as well. We’ve seen Alan Busenitz and Trevor Hildenberger already. My sense is that we will see several more before the season is over. Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like, but congratulations to each of these individuals on an excellent first month to their seasons. Congratulations to the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for June 2017, John Curtiss. Click here to view the article

I know. I know. Nick Nelson writes the Three-Bagger articles from time to time, so I couldn’t steal that title. So, I’m one-upping him with a Four-Bagger today. Today, there are just a few topics that may not have larger articles, but each deserves to be discussed.The other difference is that these topics will mostly be minor league related. Let’s get to them. FELIX JORGE TO MAKE MLB DEBUT Felix Jorge was supposed to make a start for the Chattanooga Lookouts on Thursday night. Instead, he was replaced by Kohl Stewart who has spent nearly two months on the disabled list. But the situation was bigger than that. Moments before the Twins game at Fenway Park on Thursday, Mariana Guzman who writes and tweets at Twins Latinos, posted the following: Several minutes later, Mike Berardino tweeted that Jorge would start one of the games of Saturday’s doubleheader in Kansas City. Most likely, Jorge will be added as the 26th man and then return to Chattanooga the next day. Just two days ago, I wrote about three Lookouts starters who have really been pitching well of late. Stephen Gonsalves, Fernando Romero and Felix Jorge were all discussed. Jorge is 8-1 with a 3.26 ERA so far this year. In 85.2 innings, the-23-year-old has walked 22 and struck out 61. He’s got a solid three-pitch mix. He likes to attack the bottom of the strike zone with a fastball that sits 90-92, but can touch 94 too. It’s exciting and fun to watch big league debuts. No question, Jorge will be nervous, so it’s really hard to know how he’ll do. We will be watching! NICK GORDON TO PLAY IN FUTURES GAME On Wednesday afternoon, we learned that Nick Gordon would represent the Minnesota Twins on Team USA in the Futures Game next weekend in Miami. He is the lone Twins minor leaguer on the roster. If the Twins were just going to get one representative, clearly Gordon was the right person. The game is about top prospects, for the most part, and Gordon is certainly that for the Twins. He is having a great season with the bat for the Chattanooga Lookouts. In 70 games this year in the Southern League, he has hit .306/.375/.481 (.856) with 21 doubles, six triples and six home runs. His stats are starting to match his prospect status, which is very exciting. Who was snubbed? Well, a quick look at the other Twins top prospects shows that maybe one was the right number. Stephen Gonsalves probably hasn’t pitched enough this year. Felix Jorge probably isn’t the big prospect nationally. Same with a Mitch Garver. Alex Kirilloff and Tyler Jay are hurt. I think Fernando Romero would have been a strong case to pitch for the World Team, but it seems that Twins fans have a higher sense of his potential than the national people. It’s been a big year for Gordon. After a solid season in Ft. Myers last year, he was invited to play in the Arizona Fall League where he played quite well. He was invited to big league spring training where he didn’t get a lot of game time but said he gained a lot of confidence from the experience. He was chosen a Southern League All-Star recently. He has gained patience at the plate, and he has increased his power output. GARVER QUIETLY PLAYING GREAT On Wednesday, Drew Rucinski and Zack Granite were named International League All-Stars. Granite is the talk of Twins Territory right now as he has a batting average near .370. He has an 11-game hitting streak and has hit in 28 of his last 29 games. Wednesday afternoon, Mitch Garver went 2-5. On the season, he is now hitting .278/.387/.486 (.873) with 16 doubles and seven homers. He now has a 14-game hitting streak. He caught on Wednesday, but he has also played five games at first base and now six games in left field. With Jason Castro signed for three years, and Chris Gimenez playing more than expected, Garver becoming more versatile can only make him more valuable to the team. BULLPEN OPTIONS The Twins bullpen has been a big topic all season. Brandon Kintzler’s put in a performance worthy of All-Star consideration in the first half. Taylor Rogers has certainly taken another step forward in his development and reliability. Tyler Duffey has generally been good too. After that, lots of questions. In the last couple of weeks, the Twins have finally promoted Alan Busenitz and Trevor Hildenberger. They’re both 26 and were dominating AAA But there is more there. First, Ryan Pressly has pitched better down there and may be ready to come back to the Twins in the near future. Michael Tonkin was DFAd and outrighted in mid-May, but since then he has been good most of the time. Those are two names who we have seen quite a bit in person, or at least on FSN. There are a couple others who are not in the big leagues yet, but they are trying to make the decision difficult. Jake Reed strained his side on the final day of spring training. After several games in Chattanooga, he moved up to Rochester recently. John Curtiss put up silly numbers in Chattanooga during the first three months of the season. He has been dominant with the Red Wings after giving up two runs (both in one game) during the first 2 ½ months of the season. These two have to be close. Twins Twitter and the Twins Daily forums were not happy when the Twins DFAd Mason Melotakis. On Wednesday, we learned that he cleared waivers. While it’s telling that 29 other teams passed on him, Melotakis seems to still have some upside. Reports of a sub-90 mph fastball certainly is discouraging, but maybe he’s still coming back from his Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile we saw Randy Rosario promoted directly from Chattanooga. Luke Bard is also with the Lookouts and he has 57 strikeouts in 34.2 innings and a K/9 of 14.9. QUICK HITS OF Brent Rooker, the Twins compensation pick between the first and second rounds, has missed three straight games in Elizabethton. On Thursday night, he was in Los Angeles for the Golden Spike Awards, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country each year. Brendan McKay was the winner, but Rooker - with his SEC Triple Crown - was a finalist.1500ESPN’s Jake Depue asked manager Paul Molitor before the game on Thursday about Zack Granite and Stephen Gonsalves.Miguel Sano will participate in the home run derby in Miami. This weekend, we’ll find out if he or Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez will be the starting third baseman for the American League in the All-Star game. Whoever is not chosen the starter should be chosen as a reserve.Byungho Park is now hitting .245 in Rochester after going 2-5 on Thursday. That may not sound great (it’s not), but it’s a big improvement over where he was. Following an 0-4 game on June 14, Park was hitting .189/.262/.326 (.588) in 34 games. However, in his last 15 games, he is hitting .375. So, there appears that some adjustments have been made.Similarly, Kernels catcher Ben Rortvedt is hitting .210/.291/.295 (.586) in 52 games after a 2-5 game on Thursday. Not earth-shattering, but consider that through his first 23 games this year, he was hitting .108/.169/.145 (.313). In 27 games since then, he has hit .297 (28-94). The 2016 second-round pick has come a long way with the bat in the last five or six weeks. He deserves a lot of credit, but Tommy Watkins and the Twins minor league personnel deserve a lot of credit for sticking with him and continuing to play him a lot rather than just send him to extended spring training.Infielder Andre Jernigan was just promoted to Cedar Rapids on Thursday. He was a 2016 Twins draft pick after a strong career at Xavier University. Did you know that he is the nephew of former NBA player Bonzi Wells? (That's the kind of fun information you can find in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2016.)Finally, on Thursday night, I joined Travis Aune and Seth Toupal on their Minnesota Sports Weekly podcast. We talked about Twins for quite a while, and I even shared some thoughts (knowledge, if you will...) on the Vikings and Timberwolves too. Listen here.So there is your four-bagger, with some bonus material. Please feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

With the May player of the month awards handed out a week ago, it’s time to get back into the Twins minor league leaderboard. A few things have changed in these lists. A few players have slowed down, and others have taken off again. It’s fun to see which players, prospect or not, are found in multiple categories below. With that, let’s find out who is leading the Twins minor leagues in a variety of statistics, and then feel free to discuss. But first, let’s take a quick look at how the Twins’ affiliates currently stack up in their leagues. First-half playoff spots are out there for at least one of the teams. Rochester is 27-30. The Red Wings are 11.5 games back in the International League North Division leading Lehigh Valley. They’re in fifth place in the division. It’s been a tough last 3 weeks for the Red Wings as the Twins have reached down and plucked several players from them.In the first half, Chattanooga is 35-27. That puts them in second place, 1/2 game behind Tennessee in the Southern League’s North division.Jake Mauer’s got this team playing some very good baseball.Ft. Myers has won seven straight games and is 28-33. They had a nice stretch, but Doug Mientkiewicz’s club has gone 5-13 in their last 18 games. They are in fifth place in the Florida State League’s South division, 9.5 games back. They have officially been eliminated from a first-half playoff spot.Cedar Rapids is 36-26 this season. That gives them a two-game lead over Kane County in the Midwest League’s Western Division. Tommy Watkins’ squad could lock up a playoff berth as early as this upcoming week.With that, let’s look at the minor league statistical leaderboard (through games on Saturday, June 10). THE HITTERS (Rate numbers- minimum 144 plate appearances) Chris Paul still finds his name on the leader board, but last week, he had surgery to fix a broken hamate bone. It is likely he will be out between six to eight weeks. Plate Appearances - Nick Gordon (261), Max Murphy (251), Travis Blankenhorn (245), Lewin Diaz (244), Jermaine Palacios (241), LaMonte Wade (237), Jaylin Davis (236). Batting Average - Chris Paul (.351), Jermaine Palacios (.327), Zack Granite (.320), Nick Gordon (.309), Edgar Corcino (.300), Aaron Whitefield (.291), Lewin Diaz (.286). On-Base Percentage - LaMonte Wade (.409), Chris Paul (.402), Mitch Garver (.396), Nick Gordon (.379), Ryan Walker (.376), Zack Granite (.370), Jermaine Palacios (.369). Slugging Percentage - Jermaine Palacios (.566), Jaylin Davis (.507), Chris Paul (.495), Nick Gordon (.489), Lewin Diaz (.482), Aaron Whitefield/Zander Wiel (.460). OPS - Jermaine Palacios (.936), Chris Paul (.897), Nick Gordon (.869), Mitch Garver (.843), Jaylin Davis (.825), Zack Granite (.814), Lewin Diaz (.810), Aaron Whitefield (.800). Hits - Jermaine Palacios (74), Nick Gordon (72), Chris Paul (66), Lewin Diaz (64), Max Murphy (63), Edgar Corcino (61), Jaylin Davis/Matt Hague (58), Aaron Whitefield (55). Doubles - Lewin Diaz (21), NIck Gordon (17), Chris Paul (16), Tommy Field (15), Niko Goodrum (14), Zander Wiel/Mitchell Kranson (13), Jermaine Palacios/Max Murphy/Travis Harrison (12). Triples - Jermaine Palacios (6), Nick Gordon/Zander Wiel (5), Zack Granite/Rafael Valera (4), 5 tied with 3. Home Runs - Jaylin Davis (12), Jermaine Palacios (10), Daniel Palka (8), Travis Blankenhorn/Lewin Diaz (7), Zander Wiel/Aaron Whitefield (6), 5 tied with 5. Runs Scored - Jermaine Palacios (46), Max Murphy (37), Nick Gordon (35), Jaylin Davis (34), Travis Blankenhorn/LaMonte Wade (33), Aaron Whitefield (32). RBI - Jaylin Davis (37), Jermaine Palacios/Lewin Diaz (35), Nick Gordon/Travis Blankenhorn (34), Zander Wiel (30), Chris Paul (28). SB - Aaron Whitefield (14), Zack Granite (13), Tanner English (9), Jermaine Palacios (8), Jaylin Davis/Max Murphy/Ryan Walker (6), 5 tied with 5. THE STARTING PITCHERS (Rate number - minimum 44.0 innings) Innings Pitched: Clark Beeker (70.2), Sean Poppen (68.1), Dereck Rodriguez (68.0), Aaron Slegers (66.0), Felix Jorge (65.0), Fernando Romero (64.2). ERA: Tyler Wells/Nik Turley (2.05), Dereck Rodriguez (2.51), Sean Poppen (2.63), Clark Beeker (70.2), Felix Jorge (3.32), David Hurlbut (3.44), Ryan Eades/Fernando Romero (3.48) WHIP: Nik Turley (0.91), Tyler Wells (0.96), Clark Beeker (0.96), Dereck Rodriguez (1.03), Sean Poppen (1.08), Ryan Eades (1.14), Lachlan Wells (1.20) K/9: Nik Turley (14.4), Tyler Wells (12.7), Eduardo Del Rosario (9.1), Fernando Romero (8.8), Sean Poppen (8.3), David Fischer (8.0), Dereck Rodriguez (7.8) BB/9: Clark Beeker (1.1), Dereck Rodriguez (1.5), Brady Anderson (1.6), Sean Poppen (1.8), Aaron Slegers/Lachlan Wells (1.9), David Hurlbut (2.0) K: Nik Turley (84), Sean Poppen/Fernando Romero/Eduardo Del Rosario (63), Tyler Wells (62), Dereck Rodriguez (59), Matt Tracy (51), Clark Beeker (49). THE RELIEF PITCHERS (Rate numbers - minimum 21.0 innings, and less than 2 starts) Innings Pitched: Sam Clay (31.0), Anthony McIver (30.0), Luke Bard (29.2), Williams Ramirez/DJ Baxendale (29.1), Tom Hackimer (29.0), Michael Theofanopoulos (28.1). ERA: John Curtiss (0.00), Nick Anderson/Andrew Vasquez (1.37), Randy Rosario (1.65), Colton Davis (1.67), Tom Hackimer (1.86), Alex Muren (1.88), Trevor Hildenberger/Todd Van Steensel (1.96). WHIP: Alan Busenitz (0.80), Randy Rosario (0.81), Drew Rucinski (0.857), Tom Hackimer (0.862), Nick Anderson (0.87), John Curtiss (0.955), Mason Melotakis (0.958), Hector Lujan (0.99). K/9: Luke Bard (14.6), Andrew Vasquez (13.3), John Curtiss (13.1), Alex Robinson (12.4), Trevor Hildenberger/Todd Van Steensel (10.6), Logan Lombana (10.2), Alan Busenitz/Sam Clay (9.9). BB/9: Hector Lujan (1.1), Drew Rucinski (1.2), Randy Rosario (2.0), Jonny Drozd/Nick Anderson (2.1), Tom Hackimer (2.5), Alan Busenitz/Trevor Hildenberger/Luke Bard (2.7). K: Luke Bard (48), Andrew Vasquez (39), Alex Robinson/Sam Clay (34), John Curtiss/Williams Ramirez (32), Tom Hackimer (31), Alan Busenitz/Williams Ramirez (29). Saves: John Curtiss (12), Tom Hackimer (6), Mason Melotakis/Alex Wimmers/Hector Lujan(4), Trevor Hildenberger/Jonny Drozd/Max Cordy (3). Feel free to ask questions about any of the players or teams. Click here to view the article

Happy Minor League Opening Day! Unfortunately, two of the four Minnesota Twins full-season affiliates had weather that wiped out their games and forced them to be postponed. For the two teams that played, the bats might have been left in Ft. Myers, though they did get a solid start from one of their top pitching prospects. Read on for our first Twins Minor League Report of 2017. The will be one every day, at least until Labor Day. And then we'll follow the Twins affiliates in the playoffs.Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Thursday, even if it is abbreviated. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester , Syracuse Box Score Bad weather in Syracuse not only postponed Thursday’s game, but the forecast pushed their Opening Day game to Saturday. They will play one on Saturday and two games on Sunday. Jose Berrios will start the game on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the team announced that Zack Granite had been placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He later told me that he suffered the injury on the last day of spring training camp though he doesn’t expect to be sidelined for too long. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Mobile 2 Box Score Kohl Stewart was given the Opening Day nod by Lookouts manager Jake Mauer. The right-hander gave the team six innings and was charged only with an unearned run. The stat line looks familiar for the 2013 first-round pick. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out just one. He needed 86 pitches, and 52 of them were strikes. He had five ground outs and eight fly outs. In the seventh inning, Stewart was replaced by Mason Melotakis. The lefty walked one and struck out two in a scoreless inning. “Melo” turned things over to Luke Bard. Bard walked one and struck one out in a scoreless eighth innings. He struck out the side, kind of, in the ninth inning. However, he also gave up a one-out solo homer that pushed the deficit to 2-0. The Lookouts were just unable to muster any offense in the game. In the first inning, Edgar Corcino and Travis Harrison each singled, but the team had just one more hit (another Corcino single) the rest of the game. Corcino went 2-4, and Harrison was 1-3 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Jupiter 4 Box Score The Miracle were able to get some hits, even some extra base hits. They just were not able to turn them into an runs. Chris Paul went 2-4. Alex Perez was 2-4 with a double. Sean Miller had a double. Luis Arraez hit a two-out triple, but he was stranded too. In the ninth inning, they got two base runners on before the final out. Dereck Rodriguez was pretty solid through the first four innings. He had given up just one run. However, he ran into trouble in the fifth inning. His final line? He was charged with four runs on seven hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. He struck out four. Randy Rosario came on in relief and got two outs right away to get out of the fifth inning without any further damage. In the 6th inning, a batter reached by error and then next batter was hit by a pitch. However Rosario was able to get the next three out to keep the game at 4-0. Lachlan Wells came on and gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids, Beloit Box Score The weather in Beloit was also poor, forcing the postponement of the Snappers/Kernels Opening Night game. The teams will play two games on Friday, starting at 4:30. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Kohl Stewart, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alex Perez, Ft. Myers Miracle FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse - Friday game postponed. Teams will play on Saturday. Mobile @ Chattanooga - (6:15 CST) - LHP Matt Tracy Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:30) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (DH @ 4:30 CST) – RHP Eddie Del Rosario, RHP Tyler Wells Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's Opening Day games. Click here to view the article

On Thursday morning in Nashville, baseball’s Winter Meetings will formally conclude with the Rule 5 draft. Teams with fewer than 40 players on their 40-man roster are able to make selections. The Twins have 40 on their roster (at this time) so they will not be able to make a selection in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft without a move. However, it is possible that they could lose a player or two to another team in the draft.The Twins have the 17th pick in the Rule 5 draft based on their finish in the standings during the 2015 season. It’s really impossible to know which players will have already been taken, and Terry Ryan has said that most likely they would not take anyone. The Twins have been pretty clear that they are looking for left-handed relievers and a fourth outfielder in free agency and in trades, so if they do clear room and make a pick, those would be the two areas that they could consider. The Twins have been pretty active in the Rule 5 Draft in recent years, selecting pitchers like JR Graham, Ryan Pressly, Scott Diamond and Terry Doyle. Who typically gets selected in the Rule 5 draft? Here is a rundown of the past five MLB Rule 5 drafts? 2014 – 14 selections – 5 RHP, 4 LHP, 3 Infielders, 1 outfielder, 1 catcher 2013 – 9 selections – 4 RHP, 3 LHP, 1 infielder, 0 outfielders, 1 catcher 2012 – 15 selections – 5 RHP, 3 LHP, 5 infielders, 2 outfielders, 0 catchers 2011 – 12 selections – 5 RHP, 3 LHP, 3 infielders, 1 outfielder, 0 catchers 2010 – 19 selections – 12 RHP, 4 LHP, 3 infielders, 0 outfielders, 0 catchers 5 year – 69 selections – 31 RHP, 17 LHP, 15 infielders, 4 outfielders, 2 catchers. Of course, five years is far too small of a sample size to make any strong opinions. Pitchers accounted for 70% of Rule 5 selections over the last five years. That’s no surprise. Of the selections, nearly half of them were returned to their previous team, and another large group stayed with the drafting team after a trade. Briefly, following the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft, the AAA and AA portions of the draft will take place. The public is not able to see who is on the Rochester or Chattanooga rosters, so it’s impossible to know who might be lost or made available. There’s no way to know who the Twins could add. I’m kind of pathetic, so I’ve already made a 2016 roster projection for all of the Twins affiliates. Frankly, after the Twins re-signed James Beresford and signed infielder Buck Britton, there aren’t any obvious needs in the minor leagues. Maybe a starting pitcher who could pitch in AA or AAA. Maybe another AAA outfield type, similar to Joe Benson. So, let’s take a look again at who the Twins could possibly lose in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft. We’ll look at the above categories. Catchers Eligible: Juan Centeno, Carlos Paulino, Michael Quesada, Jairo Rodriguez It’s quite unlikely that any of these guys will be selected. Outfielders Eligible: Travis Harrison, Edgar Corcino, Joe Benson Look again at the list above. Few outfielders are left unprotected. Harrison is still just 23-years-old. He was a supplemental first-round pick in 2013. Corcino is a great athlete who spent last season in Cedar Rapids, but again, these players are unlikely to be selected. Infielders Eligible: James Beresford, Levi Michael, Buck Britton, Niko Goodrum, Bryan Haar, Dalton Hicks, Aderlin Mejia, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Logan Wade, Stephen Wickens The name to be most concerned about losing is likely Levi Michael. The former first-round pick has endured more than his fair share of injuries. However, when he has been healthy the last two years, he has been productive offensively. He’s played mostly second base, with some shortstop, so could a team stash him in the big leagues as a utility infielder? It’s possible. Niko Goodrum is young and very athletic and there are a lot of people who still believe he will grow more into his frame. His value is that he can play shortstop, and the last couple of seasons, he has played a lot of third base and center field as well as some second base. A team could take a flyer on him developing late. That team would need to be willing to keep him all year. The assumption is, and should be, that James Beresford and Buck Britton will not be taken. However, the Twins have a history of signing a guy to a minor league contract and a week later losing him to the Rule 5 draft. That was R.A. Dickey in an an unusual situation. A team looking for a utility infielder could take one of these guys too. Left-Handed Pitchers Eligible: Corey Williams, David Hurlbut, Brett Lee, Jason Wheeler, Aaron Thompson All four of these guys ended last season with a championship in Chattanooga. Wheeler was the MVP of the championship series. Hurlbut, Lee and Wheeler all were part of a terrific starting rotation. Wheeler was added to the 40-man roster last year but struggled in AAA. Williams is fully healthy and he may be a guy teams are interested in as a long-term lefty bullpen guy. Right-Handed Pitchers Zack Jones, Felix Jorge, Alex Wimmers, Luke Bard, DJ Baxendale, Alex Muren, Dereck Rodriguez, Loek Van Mil, Jose Abreu, Jason Adam, Nick Anderson, Omar Bencomo, Sam Gibbons, Miguel Gonzalez, Cole Johnson, Kuo-Hua Lo, Greg Peavey, Tim Shibuya, Matt Summers, Todd Van Steensel Everyone is talking about Zack Jones, and I would say there is a decent chance that he is selected. If anyone will does get selected, it will be the hard-throwing right-hander. Alex Wimmers and Luke Bard are former first-round picks who are available. Wimmers is already 27 and was average in the Lookouts bullpen. Bard finally was healthy in the second half of 2015 and pitched well in Cedar Rapids. He is a guy who could move fast next year. Felix Jorge is one to watch as well. He has good stuff. He’s young. He was remarkably consistent last year with Cedar Rapids. Could a team stash him in the back of a bullpen, and how would a year in the bullpen affect him long-term? Sam Gibbons was good in the second half for Cedar Rapids as well, but the Australian is probably behind Jorge in the pecking order. Could a team take a flyer on the potential of Dereck Rodriguez who has only two years on the mound under his belt? Loek Van Mil signed back with the Twins late last year. Suddenly, the 7-1, 31-year-old was throwing in the upper-90s. Could be a guy that could contribute right away. Alex Muren isn’t a name that comes up a lot when people talk about bullpen options in the Twins system. However, he is a groundball machine, and last year, he was hitting 95-97 mph with a fastball. DJ Baxendale is a guy someone could take a flyer on as a future bullpen guy. He’s got a nice slider, and the two-pitch mix could make him an effective reliever. Cole Johnson has a unique delivery. The former low-round pick had some success at the AAA level. SUMMARY A team like the Milwaukee Brewers, who have just 35 players on their 40 man roster right now, could take a couple of players. As a team that isn’t likely to win in 2016, they would be OK with using up a couple of roster spots on Rule 5 picks. Other teams that may not plan to truly compete in 2016 could stash players. So, depending upon the team and the situation, the Twins do have a handful of guys that could be taken. Below is how I would rank the top five players who could be taken tomorrow morning: 1.) Zack Jones – I’d put it at about 50-50 2.) Levi Michael – maybe 30% 3.) Corey Williams – maybe 25% 4.) Felix Jorge – maybe 25% 5.) Luke Bard – maybe 20% Of course, these are just guesses. There is really no rhyme or reason to the Rule 5 draft. It will be entertaining to listen to, and I’m sure there will be plenty of discussion with the results. Click here to view the article

The Twins were on the road again on Saturday. They made the trip to Bradenton to play the Pirates and got a win. I spent the full day over at the minor league practice. In fact, if you follow Twins Daily on Twitter or “Like” Twins Daily on Facebook, you can see that a LOT of pictures (probably 500) were taken of minor league players whom you have seen in box scores or the Twins Daily minor league reports each day through the season, but now you can put a face to them. I’ve been asked on numerous occasions what happens in a day at minor league camp. They definitely put in some work. Here is an approximation of a daily schedule as well as some of my observations. I included a few minor league notes at the end as well.There are 55 rooms in the new dormitory at the Twins complex, with two players in each room. Most of the younger players stay there. Some of the more veteran players or some of the guys who think they’ll play for the Miracle this season will find a place to live off-site. At the dorms, they are able to eat breakfast. At about 9 a.m., they will generally have a meeting to discuss the day’s practice. Before Friday’s first official practice, all of the minor leaguers and staff met in the new auditorium to go through things they would need to know. At around 9:30, the players will come out onto the fields. The pitchers will all go to one field and the hitters will go to the area that includes Perry’s Hill. The strength and conditioning coordinators go through a series of stretching exercises as well as some short jogging, just to loosen up. They have weights and stretchy bands as well as some devices that are essentially shake weights. They definitely get a full body stretch and a small workout to get everything ready for a full day of practice. When they’re done, the players split into four work groups. Work Group 1 is the most veteran group with a lot of players who will spend the season at AA or AAA. Work Group 4 is a lot of the guy who will likely begin the season in extended spring training. The hitters go to a field and usually start with some base running work. They’ll run from home to first, through the bag. They’ll start at first and work on their cross-over steps to steal second. They’ll go first to third. Finally they’ll go second to home. They’ll maybe do each thing a couple of times. At that point, the infielders break into ground ball drills. They put them through every situation imaginable, throwing to first and throwing to second. They’ll spend 10 minutes just working on backhands. The middle infielders will work with each other on flips, or giving each other a good target for a double play. You will see a coach with a fungo standing by third base, hitting line drives and one or two hoppers at the first basemen so that they can work on stretching and scooping baseballs. Pitchers will get ground balls shot out of a pitching machine to work on their reactions and hands. They make it a competition to keep it enjoyable. On their days, pitchers will throw their bullpens. They’ll work from the windup and from the stretch. As the spring wears on, those bullpen sessions will likely become more intense and pitchers will be working on more things. At the end of each pitcher’s bullpen, he and his catcher will meet in the middle, shake hands and talk for a minute about what they saw. Outfielders may be in the batting cages taking swings. At some point in the morning, they get that pitching machine and launch fly balls from it positioned near the left field line to the outfielders who are standing in centerfield. They will make them come forward or go backwards. It’s all about repetition and getting to see the ball in the air. Pitchers fielding practice (PFP) is something that we hear about all of the time. On Friday, the pitchers worked on it on all three fields. Infielders will help with it as well. The pitchers need to do a variety of things in preparation for what could happen during the season: Covering first base on a grounder to the first baseman.Fielding a bunt to each the first or third base line.Fielding grounders straight back to them.Communicating with the first baseman on grounders that way that maybe the pitcher can field.Finding a ball that is near the mound and calmly throwing to first base.Getting a ground ball and throwing to second base for a force out, or maybe even a double play.Fielding a bunt down the third base line and throwing to third.Pick off throws to first, second or even third base. I’m certain that I left out some of the scenarios. They go through some I hadn’t even thought of and yet that scenario may come up during the course of the season. In fact, on Saturday, they worked on where to go to back up a play if they have picked off a runner from one of the bases, starting with how to run toward them and make the runner commit to a base. It’s really amazing to watch the precision of a minor league practice with four work groups on five fields. They have stations. They have certain things that they need to do and they get them done. On Saturday before lunch, all of the pitchers had to do the shuttle run. Mini-cones were placed 25 yards from each other. A group of six to eight pitchers will get on the line and do six down and backs, about 300 yards. They are timed and the times are recorded. Most finish between 53 and 60 seconds. A few get between 61 and 65. And then after each of the groups does it once, they get to do it a second time. A few of them maintain their mid-50s time, but most are closer to 60 the second time and a few more trickle to just above 60 seconds. It’s actually kind of impressive. The players generally have lunch for about 30 to 45 minutes. At that point, the hitters come out and they take batting practice on three fields. They get a lot of swings. There was even a bunting station on each field where three or four guys would rotate just to work on bunting. It is an impressive showing of efficient use of the field. Pitchers generally will be shagging fly balls throughout this time. On Friday, they hit until about 2:00. At that point, the hitters went over to the area to do their two shuttle runs. You can tell the catchers, but again, the times were typically between 55 and 60 seconds. There were several that trickled over 60 seconds, but for the most part, they did well. When you watch it, the players are generally doing something. However, in the Florida heat, I also think they do a good job of mixing coaching with executing. In other words, not only do they take ground balls or work on different plays, but they will spend a lot of time huddling in a group to discuss what they will be doing and why. If a coach sees something that a guy should work on, he'll work with him right away, or hit him another ground ball so that he can continue to learn. They are encouraged to get water frequently. The players are on the field from basically 9:30 until 2:30 with a 30 to 45 minute lunch, but they are well taken care of and each field has one athletic trainer around in case there is a need. If you get a chance to spend a day watching a full Twins minor league practice during spring training, I would encourage it. Again, I am amazed by the efficiency. They are able to keep somewhere around 140 baseball players busy, but more important, they are coaching them up at every opportunity. I'm certain that I didn't cover it all. There is so much going on. Here are a couple of quick notes: I talked to Luke Bard for a little while. As you know, he had surgery last May and it is expected to be a 12 month recovery. As I’ve written before, once they found the issue, they were amazed that he was able to throw at all. As he said, a lot of really good doctors missed it. Bard said he feels good and is on track to this point. He’s such a good person that you want to see him get healthy and see what he can do. Reports from teammates when he was able to pitch were that he had some really nasty stuff.I also talked to David Hurlbut, a left-handed starting pitcher who was named to the Florida State League All-Star team in 2014. He didn’t pitch from that point forward and was rehabbing throughout the offseason. He told me that he kept having bullpens and thinking he was good and then he wouldn’t be able to pitch again for a couple of weeks. He did say that the last couple of weeks, he has felt very good. He’s now doing bullpens and involved in all activities with the hope to be ready for opening day.Jason Kanzler shaved the mustache for photo day. I actually felt bad. I was chatting with outfielder Zach Granite between fields, and Kanzler walked by on his way to another field. I had to do a double take. We chatted later and Kanzler said, “Yeah, didn’t think you knew it was me.” I agreed and said that I had to do a double-take just to believe that it was him.There is a belief that flame-thrower Brandon Poulson has a chance to be really good, dominating someday as a pitcher. Though he is 25 years old, he hasn’t played a lot of baseball. He’s 6-4, 240 pounds and as Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press wrote today, he has just 8% body fat. Right now, he has trouble with this control, and the Twins will be patient with him. Why? Because he has little problem hitting 98 mph with his fastball. If it takes him a couple of years to gather his control and maybe a second or third pitch, and he could get to the big leagues at 28 years old with a 98 to 101 mph fastball, then it’s all worth it. I know you were wondering the same thing I was, but they were able to get THEOFANOPOULUS on the back of a Twins jersey. Three guys to keep an eye on for years down the road, possibly, are outfielders Roberto Gonzalez, Tyree Davis and Edgar Corcino. All three fit the profile of athlete. They are all very fast. They all have good strength and they’re all baseball guys. Obviously they’re all young and a long way from big league ready, but if you’re looking for some names of sleepers in the low levels, those guys could be very interesting.One thing I’ve noticed in watching so many bullpens the last couple of days: The Twins have a lot of pitchers that throw pretty hard. I know they’re not completely airing it out in the first bullpen sessions, and I’m not necessarily seeing their best secondary pitches either, but it’s very clear that there is more velocity.On Saturday, the Twins are on the road again, this time across the state in Jupiter, so I’ll be at the minor league facilities again. As you can see, I really enjoy this and I hope that passion comes through when you read me write about the Twins minor league system and the players in it. There really is a lot of talent. Then consider that some of their top prospects are still over in the major league camp and that talent pool just continues to grow. Nick Nelson will be arriving in Ft. Myers later this afternoon, so look forward to his terrific writing the next week or so. He and I will both cover the Twins on Sunday, so be sure to check back often. Click here to view the article

After weeks of writing about the MLB Draft, today is the day. Sometime shortly after 6:00 central time, the Houston Astros will make the first pick of the draft. The Twins will pick soon after. By night’s end, 73 picks will have been made. The Minnesota Twins will make two selections. By the end of Saturday, the Twins will have made 40. Over 1,200 players will have been drafted. That will be a lot of draft day stories, and that’s what this article is about. Below, you will find the draft day stories, in their words, of several players at various levels of the Twins' farm system. I asked two questions. What was their draft day like, and when they found they had been drafted by the Twins, what was their reaction?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Niko Goodrum, Cedar Rapids Kernels, 2nd Round, 2010 I remember my computer freezing up, so I decided to go to my room and relax. While it was frozen, I had been selected in the second round, 71st overall. I received a phone call from my scout, Jack Powell, telling me Congrats. I asked him, “For what?” He said, “We gotchya man! We drafted you!” So, I sprinted back to my computer, and it had unfrozen perfectly to be playing my highlight video. It was a great day for me and my family. Words couldn’t express the amount of joy and happiness that went through my body. Dalton Hicks, Cedar Rapids Kernels, 17th Round, 2012 It obviously was great seeing my name, specifically called by the Twins. They were the team I wanted to get drafted by after hearing so many good things about the organization. Draft day, for me, was just another day. We had end-of-the-year meetings with our college coaches. I was on campus, about to meet with my coaches, when I got the call from my family. The first thing I did was go to the mall and buy a shirt that said “Big League Swag” on it. I saw it a month before and said, when I get drafted, I’m getting this shirt. I still have it hanging up! Alex Wimmers, New Britain Rock Cats, 1st Round, 2010 I remember when I was drafted, there were so many happy emotions going through my mind. I always wanted to play professional baseball, and in the big leagues. And, on that day, my dream came true. I couldn’t be happier that all my hard work and dedication paid off. As far as getting drafted by the Twins, I was super excited to be a part of a wonderful organization that has the reputation of not only winning, but winning the right way. It’s such an honor and a great feeling knowing how much they believe in me to help out and carry on the tradition. Tyler Duffey, Ft. Myers Miracle, 5th Round, 2012 I really had no expectations. I had heard from maybe one or two teams. I was actually taking a makeup test at school and heard my name come up. I was beyond exciting just to be picked, let alone in the 5th round, and I couldn’t wait to get started. (It was) definitely an emotional day, to say the least. Oh, and I hadn’t really heard from the Twins much, but I knew that had taken (JT) Chargois in the 2nd round. Matt Hauser, New Britain Rock Cats, 7th Round, 2010 Well I was actually still in San Diego packing my stuff up after finishing my senior baseball season. We had gotten back from the ASU regional, and I was hanging out with a lot of my teammates I wouldn't really be seeing much of. We had a good amount of guys that we knew were getting drafted. I think it turned out to be 10 or 11 my senior year. So we were just kind of hanging out, thinking about the last couple years, how close we all got, and how much life was about to change for most of us. I had a pretty good idea I was getting drafted in the 6 or 7 round by a couple of teams. So I was basically just waiting for those rounds to come along. But nothing really prepares you to hearing your name on the draft board. It's a pretty amazing experience. The Twins called me earlier in the 7th round and asked if I was ready to get my pro career started. I told them, of course. And once my name got called, it was just pretty crazy. All my buddies started yelling. It wasn't really real until that point. The Twins called me back. I talked to them. They told me they would call back in a couple of days, and to enjoy the next couple of days with my family. I talked to my mom, dad and had a lot of texts and calls from my buddies. It was just exciting. I had always wanted to play professional baseball. I was just happy to be able to have a shot at one day playing in the big leagues. Not many guys get that opportunity. It's a special feeling. It still is. Luke Bard, Cedar Rapids Kernels, 1st Round, 2012 The draft was a really exciting time and something I will never forget. It was great to be able to spend that special moment with the people closest to me. I was thrilled when I heard the Twins call my name. I had heard nothing but great things about the Twins, and could not wait to begin my professional career with such a great organization. Kyle Gibson, Rochester Red Wings, 1st Round, 2009 My draft day was a lot of fun! Had a lot of people over at the house just grilling out and having a good time hanging out with friends and family. With my arm injury still a recent happening, it offered a bit of uncertainty with what was going to happen during the draft. 2) As each pick went by it was creating more and more anxiousness at the party, but as soon as Mr. Selig announced my name, there was a loud cheering and yelling that still gives me chills thinking about today. For more from when Gibson was drafted by the Twins, Gibson joined me on a podcast in early July. Click here (and then fast forward to about the 3 minute mark). And, you may recall, he also called into my podcast less than 90 minutes before the signing deadline, right before he signed with Twins. Thanks again to those players for their thoughtful responses. Best wishes to all of the players that get selected. Good luck the Twins whose scouts have been working tirelessly in an attempt to find the best players and the diamonds in the rough. To the cross-checkers, and to Deron Johnson. Draft day is a fun day, and Twins Daily will be covering it extensively, as we have the past few weeks. Please feel free to comment. View full article