All Things 2021 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

Donate To GopherHole
Ope3 said:
I wonder if the $12 million will even need to be paid next year if there is a strike/lockout. Lots of unknowns, especially if the entire season gets wiped out such as:
- Would contracts toll/roll over to the next year
- Would players still get credit for a year of service
- Will the years of service time towards Free Agency be reduced or modified to include some/all minor league time
- Salary cap changes, floor implemented and/or luxury tax
- Rule modifications (shifts, pitcher substances et al)

Enjoy the first All Star Game today in 2 years, it may be a while before there is another!
Click to expand...
There will probably be a strike/lock-out, but it won't take out the whole season unless both sides are complete morons. Baseball is not in good shape and a prolonged strike would make things much worse.

I believe players who are to be free agents still would be if no season is played and they would still get service time credit. I suppose all of it is negotiable, but I can't imagine them giving in on that.
 

howeda7 said:
There will probably be a strike/lock-out, but it won't take out the whole season unless both sides are complete morons. Baseball is not in good shape and a prolonged strike would make things much worse.

I believe players who are to be free agents still would be if no season is played and they would still get service time credit. I suppose all of it is negotiable, but I can't imagine them giving in on that.
Click to expand...
After seeing how things played out in 2020 and began this year, I am nearly convinced both sides are just that...complete morons. Put it this way, I don't see any evidence of the contrary.
 

Ope3 said:
After seeing how things played out in 2020 and began this year, I am nearly convinced both sides are just that...complete morons. Put it this way, I don't see any evidence of the contrary.
Click to expand...
Manfred is awful. But I think enough of the owners are in dire shape that they will cave if it drags out very long.
 

Reusse has pretty good contacts in the baseball community. he is convinced that Manfred was hired as commissioner for one purpose - to go after the Players' union and try to swing the balance back toward the owners.

There is resentment toward the players union that goes back to Marvin Miller, and a feeling that the Owners have given away too much power to the players. at this point, if I had to bet my own money, I would bet on no season in 2022. I hope I'm wrong, but this could be the labor dispute to top all labor disputes.

(BTW - there is a book called "The Lords of Baseball" that is a great read on the history of the baseball labor movement and how the owners reacted.)
 

Marvin Miller should be in the HOF.

The players are getting screwed by arbitration and team control. Revenues have gone way up in the last 10 years, but wages haven't. Older players aren't getting paid, and young players barely get paid. You're lucky yo get 1 good free agency contract now.

Teams manipulate service time like crazy too, which screws the players even more.

Moreover, the luxury tax has imposed a salary cap that has really hurt the players.

The 5th playoff team has screwed the fans and teams. That play-in game is a joke and needs to go

The owners are getting screwed by the players by not adopting rules to speed up games.
 


TruthSeeker said:
Marvin Miller should be in the HOF.

The players are getting screwed by arbitration and team control. Revenues have gone way up in the last 10 years, but wages haven't. Older players aren't getting paid, and young players barely get paid. You're lucky yo get 1 good free agency contract now.

Teams manipulate service time like crazy too, which screws the players even more.

Moreover, the luxury tax has imposed a salary cap that has really hurt the players.

The 5th playoff team has screwed the fans and teams. That play-in game is a joke and needs to go

The owners are getting screwed by the players by not adopting rules to speed up games.
Click to expand...
Actually I think the play-in game was a brilliant move, as it makes winning the Division meaningful thus places more importance on the regular season pennant chase. Finish 2nd and a team has to throw it on the line in 1 game and even if they win is at a disadvantage, by potentially burning their ace for the next series.

I HATED the Wild Card previously, now not so much.
 


Ope3 said:
I wonder if the $12 million will even need to be paid next year if there is a strike/lockout. Lots of unknowns, especially if the entire season gets wiped out such as:
- Would contracts toll/roll over to the next year
- Would players still get credit for a year of service
- Will the years of service time towards Free Agency be reduced or modified to include some/all minor league time
- Salary cap changes, floor implemented and/or luxury tax
- Rule modifications (shifts, pitcher substances et al)

Enjoy the first All Star Game today in 2 years, it may be a while before there is another!
Click to expand...

Good post.

I have zero confidence in Manfred's ability to navigate those choppy waters, hopefully there are some of the shaper owners figuring it out for him.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Reusse has pretty good contacts in the baseball community. he is convinced that Manfred was hired as commissioner for one purpose - to go after the Players' union and try to swing the balance back toward the owners.

There is resentment toward the players union that goes back to Marvin Miller, and a feeling that the Owners have given away too much power to the players. at this point, if I had to bet my own money, I would bet on no season in 2022. I hope I'm wrong, but this could be the labor dispute to top all labor disputes.

(BTW - there is a book called "The Lords of Baseball" that is a great read on the history of the baseball labor movement and how the owners reacted.)
Click to expand...
All of this may be true, but baseball is slowly dying and missing an entire season will rapidly accelerate it. I have to to think in a room of 30 billionaires, at least 16 of them will realize it.
 




lol.

Lance Lynn is third in the MLB with a 1.99 ERA

Sixth is Kyle Gibson with a 2.29


But HEY! At least we got Happ and Shoemaker. Maybe next year we'll pick up Hatmaker.
 

MLB minimum salary $570-thousand. Average salary $4.2-million. All contracts fully guaranteed.

player with 3 years experience eligible for salary arbitration.

the top 66 picks in the MLB draft have slot values of over $1-million.

the players have won virtually every battle with the owners for 20 years. and the owners are sick of losing.

compare the MLB players union to the joke that is the NFL players union. the MLB players union is the strongest union in pro sports.

Now - I am NOT arguing that the owners should have the right to screw the players the way the NFL does.

I am just saying that the MLB owners believe they are the one who are getting screwed, and they want to get even.
 




per STrib:

Speculation about the 41-year-old slugger's future intensified at the midseason break, with Cruz the rumored centerpiece of a potential teardown of the underachieving roster. His contract expires in October, as does those of Andrelton Simmons, J.A. Happ, Alexander Colome and Hansel Robles, making them potentially more valuable as trade chips, slight as the return might be, than everyday contributors.

Jose Berrios, Josh Donaldson, Taylor Rogers and even Byron Buxton have reportedly been inquired about as well, transactions that would signal a more serious reset of the team's future.

"I cannot predict the future, but I hope that's not the case," Cruz said. "I hope they keep me around."

Even if a trade meant a return to the postseason and another chance to pursue the championship that has eluded him in his 17 seasons? "That might make a difference," Cruz said after a pause. "But I'm not looking to go anywhere."

www.startribune.com

Twins imagine the best as season resumes, but changes could revamp roster

Sweeping four games against Detroit before the All-Star break gave the Twins a jolt of enthusiasm. But the team's first-half play has buried them in a standings graveyard.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Win Twins!!
 


The Twins should have did what the Angels did and only draft pitchers with every pick.

www.mlb.com

MLB Draft Tracker

The official draft tracker of the Major League Baseball draft including ranking, schools, and draft order.
www.mlb.com www.mlb.com
 


gophersfan said:
Rosenthal: Twins are trying to sign Byron Buxton to a long-term deal
theathletic.com

Rosenthal: Twins are trying to sign Byron Buxton to a long-term deal

Buxton likely will be dealt if he rejects the proposal, if not by the July 30 trade deadline then this offseason.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Buxton, 27, likely will be dealt if he rejects the proposal.
Click to expand...
There's almost no chance they trade him before the trade deadline. It's unlikely he'll even be off the IL by then.

If 7/$70 is anything close to their offer, they're not being serious about keeping him. I have zero faith left in Falvey at this point.
 

As I understand it (assuming the reports are accurate) the $70M is a starting point. Apparently the Twins are talking about a deal with a lot of incentives based on playing time, so if Buxton stays healthy and stays in the lineup, he could make a lot more money. And, if he gets hurt again, the Twins have some financial protection. All depends on whether Buxton and his agents would consider that type of a deal.

FWIW, caught an interview with LaVelle E. Neal III today. His take was that Buxton is more likely to sign with the Twins. Neal thinks that Berrios is going to ask for really big money - a $100M deal or more- and that will be harder for the Twins to meet, so Neal thinks there is a better chance that Berrios gets dealt - maybe not during the season, but possibly after the season.
 

Let's Go Twins -

My irrational forecast for the 2nd half (73 games scheduled) based on nothing more than middle age exhuberance -

48-25
46-27
My dyslexia got the best of me again, what I meant it
27-46

The Twins rate of inherited runners scoring of 55,7% in the first half would easily be the worst in MLB history if it holds - would be fun to know what % of those are due to Shoe and Colome's futility.
 
Last edited:

Watched the Pads blow out the Nats and man do they have a fun lineup to watch. Their second baseman Croenworth ) hit for the cycle and this is his second year in the bigs. Was a 5 or 7th round pick out of Michigan and he looks to be a fixture there for many moons

Tatis is such a smooth athlete - can imagine him being a great PG or WR if he would have played those sports instead.
 
Last edited:

Off to a blazing start in the second half!

The Wussy Wallflower really got the gang fired up.
 

I think I know what the problem is.

was reading about Rocco's wedding - which took place during the All-Star break.

It was described as a very small wedding - Rocco, his bride, the officiant and a witness. And Rocco's dog. the dog was described as a "beauceron."

had to look it up. It's a French herding dog.

that's the problem. Rocco needs a good 'ol American dog like a lab or a retriever. Maybe a pit bull to show his team how to play tough. Instead, he has a French herding dog. No wonder this team has problems.........
 

per STrib:

Jose Berrios has seen reports that say Byron Buxton has been offered a long-term contract by the Twins, "and he deserves it. Everyone knows what a great athlete he is."

But Berrios' assessment of his own contractual status — like Buxton, he's eligible for free agency 15 months from now — offers a clue to the Twins' chances of getting that deal done. To put it bluntly: It might be too late.

"[I will have been] waiting six years, almost seven, to get where every player wants to be — a free agent, able to maximize our value," Berrios said. "So it's different now. We are in a good position, and we'll see what the best deal is going to be."

He's earning $6 million this season, and figures to more than double that through arbitration this winter, since pending free agents can ask for free-agent-market value. So he's no longer a young player looking for life-changing guarantees; he's already got those.
Now it's a matter of seeing if he can get the "best deal," at market price, from the Twins before the other 29 teams enter the bidding. Does he expect that? "Maybe. The Twins can do whatever they want," Berrios said. "If they come to us and make an offer, we'll see what the future has in store. But we waited a long time, worked very hard, to get to this position."

www.startribune.com

Jose Berrios indicates he's aiming for a payday, from Twins or otherwise

Berrios' assessment of his contract status offers a clue to the Twins' chances of getting a deal done with him after the 2022 season when he can be a free agent.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Win Twins!!
 

I'm sure part of the reason that Falvey got the job was the Cleveland organization's track record of developing pitching. The other side of that coin is that they develop pitching, but they ship it away before they have to pay for it. I'd guess that's a big reason why they danced around an extension with Berrios without making him an offer that he couldn't turn down. I'd be very surprised if he's not traded before the deadline (this year or next).
 

Shama: Twins Prez: Little Merit in ‘Standing Still’

The Minnesota Twins, prior to the season considered a World Series favorite, were 11 games under .500 during last week’s MLB All-Star game break in the schedule. “I don’t think there’s a lot of merit in standing still when your team is in the position we’re in,” club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners Friday.

The MLB trade deadline is 3 p.m. Minneapolis time on July 30. St. Peter said as the deadline nears front office leaders are obligated to assess their personnel and listen to what rival clubs are offering. “There’s no mandate from ownership around moving players for the sake of moving players, or saving money. That said, we also want to look for ways to improve our club.”

St. Peter isn’t predicting a fire sale by Minnesota but it sounds like there will be at least minimal change to the roster. “I guess I would be surprised if we didn’t see some movement considering where we’re at and considering the number of good players that we believe we have that other teams certainly have interest in. But it ultimately comes down to what you’re getting in return—so hard to predict how that market will evolve over time.”

Trading high potential young players always prompts anguish for organizations but St. Peter believes it’s wise to consider trades involving all personnel. “I think every player is on the table for discussion,” he said about the Twins.

Speculation is 41-year-old DH Nelson Cruz should keep his suitcase nearby, with a possible landing spot in Tampa Bay with the Rays. Wherever Cruz might go, he is unlikely because of his age to command much in trade return other than lower level prospects with promising potential.

Several other Twins players are part of trade chatter across the country, including pitcher Joe Berrios and center fielder Byron Buxton. Both are cornerstones for having a winning team during the next several seasons but they will be free agents in 2023 and it’s uncertain how long they will be in Minneapolis. Rumors are the Twins are trying to secure them long term but St. Peter declined to talk about contracts. It might take deals of more than $100 million each to retain Berrios and Buxton.


Win Twins!!
 

Great article about prospects coming from the farm. Anyone see Miranda play in person yet?

Thought we could you some cheering up😉😉😉

Twins midseason top prospects update: Rising stocks, graduations and injuries​

theathletic.com

Twins midseason top prospects update: Rising stocks, graduations and injuries

It's been a busy few months for the Twins' farm system, with breakouts from Jose Miranda, Josh Winder, Bailey Ober and more.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Opinions about prospects will often change more rapidly than their big-league counterparts, because even a month of game action for a 20-year-old in the low minors dramatically increases the size of their career track record. Prospects are, almost by definition, less established players with smaller performance samples to evaluate, so it doesn’t take as much to change their perceived value or upside.

That’s especially true now, following the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season due to COVID-19. No prospects got 2020 game action (save for the handful who played in a few major-league games), putting on hold the usual year-to-year or even month-to-month assessments of their potential and progress. Now that the minors are back in full swing and there are nearly three months of play to evaluate, prospect stocks are very much on the move.

It’s roughly midseason in the minors as well, so let’s pause and take a look at how the Twins’ farm system has changed in terms of stocks rising and falling, graduations, departures, arrivals and injuries. It’s been a busy few months.

Graduations and departures​

Six of the Twins’ top-40 prospects coming into the season have exhausted their prospect status by reaching 130 at-bats or 50 innings as major leaguers.

1. Alex Kirilloff, COF/1B
3. Trevor Larnach, COF
6. Ryan Jeffers, C
10. Jorge Alcala, RHP
23. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
27. Cody Stashak, RHP

Fellow preseason top-40 prospects Gilberto Celestino (13), Ben Rortvedt (28), Bailey Ober (29) and Nick Gordon (37) are on the verge of doing so as well.

Kirilloff is still a really good 23-year-old hitter whether or not he’s technically a prospect, so losing that label doesn’t change anyone’s long-term outlook or have any real affect, positive or negative, on the team’s future. It does, however, mean the Twins’ placement in any “farm system” ratings will tumble quite a bit. Such is life when your top prospects start reaching the majors. It’s a good thing.




In addition to the graduations, two other top-40 prospects, Dakota Chalmers (25) and Travis Blankenhorn (32), were dropped from the 40-man roster and claimed off waivers for nothing in return. They were each subsequently placed back on waivers by their new teams and passed through unclaimed, showing the Twins weren’t alone in viewing them as marginal prospects at this point.

(For more on how Kirilloff and Larnach are adjusting to the big leagues, and being pitched like established veterans, click here.)

Arrivals​

For now this section includes only draft picks, although the list will likely grow substantially between now and the July 30 trade deadline when the Twins trade veterans for prospects.

No. 26 pick Chase Petty and No. 36 pick Noah Miller will almost surely find themselves ranked among the Twins’ top-10 prospects going into next season, but for now I’ll hold off on slotting them into specific spots. Most draft classes place a handful of prospects on the next year’s top-40 list, but it’s generally not worth speculating about exactly where until they actually start playing games.




For some context, last year’s first-round pick, Aaron Sabato, ranked No. 8 on this year’s top-40 list, and second-round pick Alerick Soularie ranked No. 19. Given those many graduations noted above, Petty cracking next year’s top five isn’t out of the question if he has a strong pro debut and Miller figures to land somewhere in the 6-12 range.

(For more on Petty and Miller, and why the Twins strayed far from their previous college-heavy draft approach to pick them, click here.)

Injuries​

Much like the major-league roster, the Twins’ farm system has been hit hard by the injury bug this season, with the following top-40 prospects currently on the minor-league injured list:

2. Royce Lewis, SS
4. Jhoan Duran, RHP
7. Matt Canterino, RHP
12. Matt Wallner, COF
17. Blayne Enlow, RHP
18. Edwar Colina, RHP
19. Alerick Soularie, COF
23. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
34. Luis Rijo, RHP

Lewis had season-ending knee surgery at the start of spring training. Enlow had elbow surgery in June, likely knocking him out for most of 2022 as well. Colina (elbow) and Soularie (foot) haven’t played this season. Rijo (forearm) logged all of one inning. Duran (elbow) has been shut down, possibly for the season. Canterino (elbow) and Wallner (wrist) haven’t played since May.

You get the idea.

Injuries are part of the deal with developing prospects, and young pitchers were particularly at risk this season after almost 20 months without any game action, making it even harder than usual to build up workloads. But it’s a long list, and perhaps seems even longer because the lack of a 2020 minor-league season kept anyone from getting hurt last year.

For more on Lewis’ preseason injury and months-long return timetable, click here.)

Rising stocks​

After more than a year spent developing only behind the scenes, these Twins prospects have carried those improvements into game action and raised their profiles considerably during the first half.

Jose Miranda, IF (preseason ranking: No. 30)

Passed over by all 29 other teams after the Twins left him unprotected from the Rule 5 draft this winter, Miranda had one of the biggest first-half breakouts of any prospect in baseball. He came into this season as a career .258 hitter with a .395 slugging percentage in 356 games, all in the low minors, but Miranda has been crushing Double-A and Triple-A pitching for three months now.

In years past, Twins officials often touted Miranda as having more upside than his modest production suggested, pointing to his low strikeout rates and strong swing mechanics as likely to lead to more success eventually. But no one could have seen this much of a leap coming. He’s hit .341/.410/.610 with 18 homers in 61 games, striking out just 37 times while dramatically upping his walk rate.

Twins coaches challenged Miranda to become more selective, believing his elite contact skills actually hurt him at times because he was so able to get his bat on non-strikes. Slightly toning down his aggression has worked wonders, allowing the 2016 second-round pick to unlock his full potential at 23. Miranda plays all over the infield and could take over at third base if Josh Donaldson is traded.




Josh Winder, RHP (preseason ranking: No. 15)

Winder, like, Miranda, impressed the Twins with dramatic improvements last year while working behind the scenes and has carried that over to game action this season. He threw in the low 90s as a seventh-round pick in 2018, but now the 6-foot-5 right-hander’s fastball regularly reaches the mid-90s and he’s fine-tuned his off-speed pitches as well.

Promoted to Triple A recently after 10 dominant Double-A starts to begin the season, Winder has a 2.17 ERA in 62 innings overall, striking out 75, walking 13 and holding opponents to a .197 batting average. Chosen as the Twins’ lone rep for the Futures Game, the 24-year-old’s projected profile has transformed from strike-throwing mid-rotation starter to hard-throwing frontline starter.

Bailey Ober, RHP (preseason ranking: No. 29)

Ober is in the major-league rotation, but he’s still a few starts from graduating out of prospect status and no pitcher at any level of the Twins organization has taken a larger step forward this season. Once an intriguing prospect with video game-like numbers in the minors despite a high-80s fastball, he got into better shape, smoothed out his mechanics and now throws 92-94 mph consistently.

That velocity bump is a game-changer for Ober, who already had elite control and a deep off-speed pitch mix, plus the advantage of higher perceived velocity due to being 6-9. Ober hasn’t topped 100 innings in a season since college way back in 2014, so the Twins will limit his workload for now and try to keep him healthy enough for the raw stuff enhancements to pay off.

Jovani Moran, LHP (preseason ranking: No. 38)

Known previously for his great changeup and inconsistent overall track record, Moran has upped his fastball velocity this season and taken a huge step forward at Double A. Often working two innings at a time, the 24-year-old left-hander has a 1.91 ERA and a jaw-dropping 64 strikeouts in 38 innings of relief, and he’s trimmed his walk rate to a more manageable 3.3 per nine innings.

Moran’s changeup has always been a huge weapon against right-handed hitters, but he often struggled to shut down lefties like a southpaw should. This season he’s held righties to a .082 batting average and lefties to .154, showing the skills to be a high-leverage bullpen option rather than merely a middle reliever. First he’ll need to be tested at Triple A, but Moran is close to the majors.

Louie Varland, RHP (preseason ranking: N/A)

Varland, drafted in the 15th round out of Concordia University in 2019, used the downtime to increase his velocity from 93-95 to 95-97 mph and sharpen his slider. He overpowered Low-A hitters to begin the season, posting a 2.09 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 47 innings, and the 23-year-old right-hander from St. Paul got a well-deserved promotion to High A earlier this week.

Edouard Julien, IF/OF (preseason ranking: N/A)

Julien was known for being a patient hitter at Auburn, but he’s taken his plate discipline to another level. Making his pro debut two years after being picked in the 18th round, Julien leads minor-league baseball with 65 walks and a .474 on-base percentage, including 15 walks in 13 games since a promotion to High A. He’s also hit .285 with 24 steals while bouncing around defensively.

Jordan Gore, RHP (preseason ranking: N/A)

Gore was a switch-hitting college shortstop when the Twins picked him in the 19th round of the 2017 draft, but he slugged just .341 in three seasons. Talked into giving pitching a try, Gore was assigned to the High-A bullpen and racked up 58 strikeouts in 40 innings to earn a Double-A promotion earlier this week. He’s already 26, but Gore has a mid-90s fastball and swing-and-miss splitter.

Spencer Steer, IF (preseason ranking: No. 24)

Steer profiled as a high-contact, low-power utility man coming out of Oregon in 2019, but the Twins drafted him in the third round believing they could tap into more power. Mission accomplished, as Steer has 14 homers (and 40 walks) in 58 games at High A and Double A this season after hitting a grand total of 16 homers in 227 college and pro games from 2017 to 2019.

Yennier Cano, RHP (preseason ranking: N/A)

Cano was initially paired with Moran as the late-inning Double-A relief duo, but the 27-year-old right-hander got a promotion to St. Paul last month while Moran remains in Wichita for now. Cano, who was signed from Cuba in 2019 for $750,000, has a 2.37 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 30 innings between the levels thanks to improved command of a mid-90s fastball and sharp slider.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Great article about prospects coming from the farm. Anyone see Miranda play in person yet?

Thought we could you some cheering up😉😉😉

Twins midseason top prospects update: Rising stocks, graduations and injuries​

theathletic.com

Twins midseason top prospects update: Rising stocks, graduations and injuries

It's been a busy few months for the Twins' farm system, with breakouts from Jose Miranda, Josh Winder, Bailey Ober and more.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Opinions about prospects will often change more rapidly than their big-league counterparts, because even a month of game action for a 20-year-old in the low minors dramatically increases the size of their career track record. Prospects are, almost by definition, less established players with smaller performance samples to evaluate, so it doesn’t take as much to change their perceived value or upside.

That’s especially true now, following the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season due to COVID-19. No prospects got 2020 game action (save for the handful who played in a few major-league games), putting on hold the usual year-to-year or even month-to-month assessments of their potential and progress. Now that the minors are back in full swing and there are nearly three months of play to evaluate, prospect stocks are very much on the move.

It’s roughly midseason in the minors as well, so let’s pause and take a look at how the Twins’ farm system has changed in terms of stocks rising and falling, graduations, departures, arrivals and injuries. It’s been a busy few months.

Graduations and departures​

Six of the Twins’ top-40 prospects coming into the season have exhausted their prospect status by reaching 130 at-bats or 50 innings as major leaguers.

1. Alex Kirilloff, COF/1B
3. Trevor Larnach, COF
6. Ryan Jeffers, C
10. Jorge Alcala, RHP
23. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
27. Cody Stashak, RHP

Fellow preseason top-40 prospects Gilberto Celestino (13), Ben Rortvedt (28), Bailey Ober (29) and Nick Gordon (37) are on the verge of doing so as well.

Kirilloff is still a really good 23-year-old hitter whether or not he’s technically a prospect, so losing that label doesn’t change anyone’s long-term outlook or have any real affect, positive or negative, on the team’s future. It does, however, mean the Twins’ placement in any “farm system” ratings will tumble quite a bit. Such is life when your top prospects start reaching the majors. It’s a good thing.




In addition to the graduations, two other top-40 prospects, Dakota Chalmers (25) and Travis Blankenhorn (32), were dropped from the 40-man roster and claimed off waivers for nothing in return. They were each subsequently placed back on waivers by their new teams and passed through unclaimed, showing the Twins weren’t alone in viewing them as marginal prospects at this point.

(For more on how Kirilloff and Larnach are adjusting to the big leagues, and being pitched like established veterans, click here.)

Arrivals​

For now this section includes only draft picks, although the list will likely grow substantially between now and the July 30 trade deadline when the Twins trade veterans for prospects.

No. 26 pick Chase Petty and No. 36 pick Noah Miller will almost surely find themselves ranked among the Twins’ top-10 prospects going into next season, but for now I’ll hold off on slotting them into specific spots. Most draft classes place a handful of prospects on the next year’s top-40 list, but it’s generally not worth speculating about exactly where until they actually start playing games.




For some context, last year’s first-round pick, Aaron Sabato, ranked No. 8 on this year’s top-40 list, and second-round pick Alerick Soularie ranked No. 19. Given those many graduations noted above, Petty cracking next year’s top five isn’t out of the question if he has a strong pro debut and Miller figures to land somewhere in the 6-12 range.

(For more on Petty and Miller, and why the Twins strayed far from their previous college-heavy draft approach to pick them, click here.)

Injuries​

Much like the major-league roster, the Twins’ farm system has been hit hard by the injury bug this season, with the following top-40 prospects currently on the minor-league injured list:

2. Royce Lewis, SS
4. Jhoan Duran, RHP
7. Matt Canterino, RHP
12. Matt Wallner, COF
17. Blayne Enlow, RHP
18. Edwar Colina, RHP
19. Alerick Soularie, COF
23. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
34. Luis Rijo, RHP

Lewis had season-ending knee surgery at the start of spring training. Enlow had elbow surgery in June, likely knocking him out for most of 2022 as well. Colina (elbow) and Soularie (foot) haven’t played this season. Rijo (forearm) logged all of one inning. Duran (elbow) has been shut down, possibly for the season. Canterino (elbow) and Wallner (wrist) haven’t played since May.

You get the idea.

Injuries are part of the deal with developing prospects, and young pitchers were particularly at risk this season after almost 20 months without any game action, making it even harder than usual to build up workloads. But it’s a long list, and perhaps seems even longer because the lack of a 2020 minor-league season kept anyone from getting hurt last year.

For more on Lewis’ preseason injury and months-long return timetable, click here.)

Rising stocks​

After more than a year spent developing only behind the scenes, these Twins prospects have carried those improvements into game action and raised their profiles considerably during the first half.

Jose Miranda, IF (preseason ranking: No. 30)

Passed over by all 29 other teams after the Twins left him unprotected from the Rule 5 draft this winter, Miranda had one of the biggest first-half breakouts of any prospect in baseball. He came into this season as a career .258 hitter with a .395 slugging percentage in 356 games, all in the low minors, but Miranda has been crushing Double-A and Triple-A pitching for three months now.

In years past, Twins officials often touted Miranda as having more upside than his modest production suggested, pointing to his low strikeout rates and strong swing mechanics as likely to lead to more success eventually. But no one could have seen this much of a leap coming. He’s hit .341/.410/.610 with 18 homers in 61 games, striking out just 37 times while dramatically upping his walk rate.

Twins coaches challenged Miranda to become more selective, believing his elite contact skills actually hurt him at times because he was so able to get his bat on non-strikes. Slightly toning down his aggression has worked wonders, allowing the 2016 second-round pick to unlock his full potential at 23. Miranda plays all over the infield and could take over at third base if Josh Donaldson is traded.




Josh Winder, RHP (preseason ranking: No. 15)

Winder, like, Miranda, impressed the Twins with dramatic improvements last year while working behind the scenes and has carried that over to game action this season. He threw in the low 90s as a seventh-round pick in 2018, but now the 6-foot-5 right-hander’s fastball regularly reaches the mid-90s and he’s fine-tuned his off-speed pitches as well.

Promoted to Triple A recently after 10 dominant Double-A starts to begin the season, Winder has a 2.17 ERA in 62 innings overall, striking out 75, walking 13 and holding opponents to a .197 batting average. Chosen as the Twins’ lone rep for the Futures Game, the 24-year-old’s projected profile has transformed from strike-throwing mid-rotation starter to hard-throwing frontline starter.

Bailey Ober, RHP (preseason ranking: No. 29)

Ober is in the major-league rotation, but he’s still a few starts from graduating out of prospect status and no pitcher at any level of the Twins organization has taken a larger step forward this season. Once an intriguing prospect with video game-like numbers in the minors despite a high-80s fastball, he got into better shape, smoothed out his mechanics and now throws 92-94 mph consistently.

That velocity bump is a game-changer for Ober, who already had elite control and a deep off-speed pitch mix, plus the advantage of higher perceived velocity due to being 6-9. Ober hasn’t topped 100 innings in a season since college way back in 2014, so the Twins will limit his workload for now and try to keep him healthy enough for the raw stuff enhancements to pay off.

Jovani Moran, LHP (preseason ranking: No. 38)

Known previously for his great changeup and inconsistent overall track record, Moran has upped his fastball velocity this season and taken a huge step forward at Double A. Often working two innings at a time, the 24-year-old left-hander has a 1.91 ERA and a jaw-dropping 64 strikeouts in 38 innings of relief, and he’s trimmed his walk rate to a more manageable 3.3 per nine innings.

Moran’s changeup has always been a huge weapon against right-handed hitters, but he often struggled to shut down lefties like a southpaw should. This season he’s held righties to a .082 batting average and lefties to .154, showing the skills to be a high-leverage bullpen option rather than merely a middle reliever. First he’ll need to be tested at Triple A, but Moran is close to the majors.

Louie Varland, RHP (preseason ranking: N/A)

Varland, drafted in the 15th round out of Concordia University in 2019, used the downtime to increase his velocity from 93-95 to 95-97 mph and sharpen his slider. He overpowered Low-A hitters to begin the season, posting a 2.09 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 47 innings, and the 23-year-old right-hander from St. Paul got a well-deserved promotion to High A earlier this week.

Edouard Julien, IF/OF (preseason ranking: N/A)

Julien was known for being a patient hitter at Auburn, but he’s taken his plate discipline to another level. Making his pro debut two years after being picked in the 18th round, Julien leads minor-league baseball with 65 walks and a .474 on-base percentage, including 15 walks in 13 games since a promotion to High A. He’s also hit .285 with 24 steals while bouncing around defensively.

Jordan Gore, RHP (preseason ranking: N/A)

Gore was a switch-hitting college shortstop when the Twins picked him in the 19th round of the 2017 draft, but he slugged just .341 in three seasons. Talked into giving pitching a try, Gore was assigned to the High-A bullpen and racked up 58 strikeouts in 40 innings to earn a Double-A promotion earlier this week. He’s already 26, but Gore has a mid-90s fastball and swing-and-miss splitter.

Spencer Steer, IF (preseason ranking: No. 24)

Steer profiled as a high-contact, low-power utility man coming out of Oregon in 2019, but the Twins drafted him in the third round believing they could tap into more power. Mission accomplished, as Steer has 14 homers (and 40 walks) in 58 games at High A and Double A this season after hitting a grand total of 16 homers in 227 college and pro games from 2017 to 2019.

Yennier Cano, RHP (preseason ranking: N/A)

Cano was initially paired with Moran as the late-inning Double-A relief duo, but the 27-year-old right-hander got a promotion to St. Paul last month while Moran remains in Wichita for now. Cano, who was signed from Cuba in 2019 for $750,000, has a 2.37 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 30 innings between the levels thanks to improved command of a mid-90s fastball and sharp slider.
Click to expand...
Great info!
 

the first nite of the MLB draft, I saw a graphic that someone (maybe Baseball America) had the Twins farm system ranked at #5 overall.

So people who evaluate this stuff for a living think the Twins have some legitimate prospects.

If they can figure out how to keep some of these young pitchers healthy, they could have the nucleus of an interesting staff in a couple of years.

And there are some hitters to watch too - including Cabbage and Wallner.
 

BleedGopher said:
per STrib:

Jose Berrios has seen reports that say Byron Buxton has been offered a long-term contract by the Twins, "and he deserves it. Everyone knows what a great athlete he is."

But Berrios' assessment of his own contractual status — like Buxton, he's eligible for free agency 15 months from now — offers a clue to the Twins' chances of getting that deal done. To put it bluntly: It might be too late.

"[I will have been] waiting six years, almost seven, to get where every player wants to be — a free agent, able to maximize our value," Berrios said. "So it's different now. We are in a good position, and we'll see what the best deal is going to be."

He's earning $6 million this season, and figures to more than double that through arbitration this winter, since pending free agents can ask for free-agent-market value. So he's no longer a young player looking for life-changing guarantees; he's already got those.

Now it's a matter of seeing if he can get the "best deal," at market price, from the Twins before the other 29 teams enter the bidding. Does he expect that? "Maybe. The Twins can do whatever they want," Berrios said. "If they come to us and make an offer, we'll see what the future has in store. But we waited a long time, worked very hard, to get to this position."

www.startribune.com

Jose Berrios indicates he's aiming for a payday, from Twins or otherwise

Berrios' assessment of his contract status offers a clue to the Twins' chances of getting a deal done with him after the 2022 season when he can be a free agent.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Win Twins!!
Click to expand...
He's gone.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom