SethSpeaks.net Live Twins Chat at 11 Today!

 

At 11:00 a.m. today, I will be live chatting on the Twins or any other topics you’d like. To sign up for an e-mail reminder, watch the live event or read the transcript later, Click Here.

Also, if you would like to see our NFL “Expert” Picks for Week 8, click here.

Bullet Point Blog

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

I am really trying to figure out a manageable schedule for me and for SethSpeaks.net over the postseason. One thing that I think it is very important to do is link to other Twins blogs. I remember in May or June of 2003 when I started, I would get 10, maybe 20, hits a day. Then The Twins Geek and Aaron Gleeman linked to me, and the numbers would jump up. Their support helped this site gain some readership and I greatly appreciate it. There are a ton of really good Twins bloggers. I appreciate you reading my site each day, but I hope I can also send you to other blogs and sites that discuss the Twins. So for today, I am going to have a bullet point blog with updates on this site, links to Twins blogs, and other notes. I hope that I am able to provide you with information that you find worthwhile. Please feel free to comment here.

SITE UPDATES

• My intention is still to post something each day at SethSpeaks.net. I’m sure there will be times that it just won’t work. I mean, I do have a regular job too and sometimes, I just can’t justify it. I hope to provide notes on the goings-on with the Twins. If they make transactions or statements, I’ll be sure to take a look at those decisions. I hope to do a Q&A almost every week, if at all possible. The NFL “Expert” Picks will remain.
• The SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast is going to move to Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m. central time. During the second half of the season, I moved it to Monday nights, but now that the Twins season is done, I would guess my ratings might suffer going against Monday night football. I have not had a podcast since the Twins season came to an end. After three weeks of podcasting every single night, it has been a nice break. But again, starting next Tuesday, the Twins podcast will be back. I hope to have at least one Twins player (or minor league player) each week, probably a Twins blogger and of course welcome your questions in the chat room, or calling in to the show. During the Winter Meetings, we may have to have a nightly podcast, but that will be determined.
• I will try to have a Live Chat about every week. Those are always fun, so continue to check here for when they will occur. It is possible that I could do one-hour chats during my lunch hour as well.
• I am supposed to post one article a week on my Star Tribune Your Voices blog. I’m always looking for topics to discuss, so if you ever have any ideas, please let me know. The topics are supposed to be somewhat local/Minnesota related.

TWINSCENTRIC

• As you know, it was a little over two weeks ago that the Twins season ended. That night the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook was released. Sales to this point have been at least as good as expected, and we certainly thank all of you who have purchased your copy of the electronic book. Many of you got your Free Sample, which was almost half of the book, and we hope that you found it entertaining and informative, and if you would like to step it up to the full copy, you can do so at www.TwinsCentric.com. Here are a couple more updates:
  • We have been asked several times about a hard copy, a print version of the Offseason GM Handbook. We had hoped to have it available at the same time as the electronic copy, but we are self-publishing it and ran into a couple of snags. The best update I can give you right now is that the print version will likely be available within the next two weeks.
  • Yes, the entire transcript of the Bill Smith interview has been sent to those of you who purchased the electronic book. If you buy a copy from this point forward, it will be included. Also, it will be included in the print version.
  • Finally, be sure to head back to TwinsCentric.com, bookmark it, and be sure to check out the new Twins GM Contest. We are looking at a couple of different prizes for the winner, but the concept of the contest is simple. Now that you’ve reviewed everything in the Offseason GM Handbook, we want to know what you think. The contest is for you to pick who you think will be on the Twins Opening Day roster in 2010, and to pick the Opening Day payroll. There is also an area for you to comment on how you came to that roster. What trades would you make? What free agents would you sign and for how much? What other decisions would you make? On Opening Day, we will go through all of the submissions and whichever is closest to the actual roster and payroll will win. So, head over the TwinsCentric.com and submit your roster!

WORLD SERIES

Who will win the World Series? Before tonight, I would have said Phillies in SIX Games. After watching Cliff Lee dominate the Yankees last night, I may have to change that to Phillies in FIVE. What do you think?

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

I have done a very poor job of updating what is going on in the Arizona Fall League this year. So, here is a quick update on the Twins prospects that are participating:

• Steve Singleton – With a 1-4 (with a double) day on Wednesday, he is hitting .303/.314/.485 with three doubles and a home run. He is 10-33 with one walk and three strikeouts.
• Chris Parmelee – He started the season by going 0-10. Since then he is 9-24 (.375). Overall, he is hitting .265/.366/.618 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 11 RBI. He has walked five times and struck out nine times.
• Rene Tosoni – Like Parmelee, Tosoni is 9-34 on the AFL season. He is hitting .265/.359/.471 with two triples and a home run. He has five walks and nine strikeouts.
• Mike McCardell – In three starts, he has gone 0-0 with a 7.27 ERA. In 8.2 innings, he has given up nine hits, five walks and struck out 11. Of course, the ERA is thrown off by his third start in which he gave up five runs in 3.2 innings.
• Spencer Steedley – He has pitched five innings in five games. He has given up six hits, walked nine and struck out three. He is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA.
• Alex Burnett – After a scoreless inning of relief Wednesday, he has now thrown 4.2 innings in his five games. He has given up four hits, walked five and struck out four. All three of the runs he allowed came in one outing that lasted just 2/3 of an inning.
• Steve Hirschfeld – Hirschfeld is 0-1 with a 20.77 ERA. He has thrown 4.1 innings in five appearances. He has given up ten runs on ten hits (3 home runs). He has walked two and struck out seven. Again, the ERA is what it is primarily because of an outing in which he gave up six runs on five hits and a walk in just 1/3 of an inning.  

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Several Twins players are playing in the Caribbean this winter. Here is a quick update on the Twins prospects that are participating:

• Wilson Ramos – Ramos is certainly the Twins minor leaguer who is making the most noise. He is 23-58 (.397/.463/.793) with six doubles, a triple, five homers and 21 RBI. He has walked seven times (2 intentional) and struck out 12 times.
• Dustin Martin – Martin has gone 11-46 (.239/.368/.391) with a double and two home runs .He has walked ten times (3 intentional) and struck out 12 times.
• Justin Huber – Huber is 12-42 (.286/.388/.357) with three doubles.
• Frank Mata – Mata is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six outings. In 9.1 innings, he has give up 13 hits, walked four and struck out four.
• Pedro Guerra – Guerra has also pitched in six games. He is 0-1 with a 6.48 ERA. In 8.1 innings, he has given up 11 hits, walked four and struck out eight.
• Jason Jones – Jones has started four gaems. He is 0-0 with a  5.00 ERA. In 8 innings, he has given up 21 hits, walked four and struck out eight.
• Winston Marquez – The lefty has made three starts and is 0-0 with a 4.73 ERA. In 13.1 innings, he has given up 13 hits, walked 10, and struck out seven.
• Others playing in Venezuela – Jonathan Goncalves, Edgar Ibarra, Miguel Munoz and Oswaldo Sosa.
• Playing in Dominican Republic – Estarlin de Los Santos (7-27), Juan Portes (1 game), Jose Lugo and Juan Morillo.

TWINS BLOG SPOTTING

Here is a quick sampling of some of the many Twins bloggers:

• In The Polanco Crush, the Twins Geek discussed the Tigers free agent 2B who has made a career out of not striking out and getting all kinds of big bloop hits against the Twins.
• Nick Nelson (Nick’s Twins Blog) makes the case for Ron Gardenhire for Manager of the Year.
• Parker Hageman (Over the Baggy) has been doing a series, 2009 Pitcher Appraisal. His recent appraisals have been on Glen Perkins, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, and Nick Blackburn.
• Over the weekend, Josh Johnson (Josh’s Thoughts) continued his offseason blueprint by looking at the Orlando Cabrera decision.
• Granny Baseball ranked the Rule 5-Eligible Twins Prospects.
• After ‘retiring’ from the blogging world in February, Josh Taylor (Taylor’s Twins Talk) is back!! That is a very good thing for Twins fans!
• Twinkie Town has a ton of terrific topics. But as usual I have to highlight the work of. He’s actually doing two projects there these days. Each and every week, Roger provides us with his Minor League Report. Here is last weekend’s. He is also providing a great organizational review. His most recent was his review of Third Base.
• Stab329’s blog, Don’t Tell Me About the Game, is new and talks Twins and all things baseball.
• Be sure to bookmark Fanatic Jack Talks Twins. Not only does he do a nice job on his blog, but he and Curve for a Strike’s Topper Anton started another Twins podcast, Step Up to the Plate, on Wednesday night’s at 10:00 central time. Nick Nelson joined them on last night’s show.
• Speaking of Curve for a Strike, on Monday, Topper wrote about a Player the Twins Should Trade? I have to admit that the name surprised me.
• Voice of Twins Territory is doing a very nice job of giving an Offseason Outlook.  

WOMEN’S OIL WRESTLING?

Judd Spicer is a terrific guy, and he’s a terrific writer for the sports pages of City Pages. What kind of wrestler is he? Well, we can find out on Friday night! Check out the below press release:

For immediate release–

This Friday, October 30th, City Pages sportswriter Judd Spicer will be participating in an evening of women’s oil wrestling, battling for the universal pride of those who cover sports for a living.  Spicer’s aim is to “dispel the notion that sportswriters are tubby, hot-dog-eating, booze-hounds that write about sport instead of participating in the field of battle.”

His opponent in the exhibition match: The tenacious Amanda Hansen, former contestant on ABC’s “Big Brother” and current finalist for 93x’s “Ultimate Xgirl” competition.  To learn more about Amanda and her Xgirl quest, please visit and vote for her here:  http://www.93x.com/Article.asp?id=1505566

The Event: An Evening of Women’s Oil Wrestling, sponsored in part by “Seconds Out Boxing Promotions” 

Start Time:	Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Location:	Robert Bar in Mounds View
Street:	2400 County Road H2

Tickets: $15 for General Admission

Special Guest Judge: “Golden” Caleb Truax
Get your pre sale tickets at www.vitalculture.com

Spicer vs. HanseN

Never Question The Power of the Pen

Did anything stand out? What do you think? Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

SethSpeaks Prospect History

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Last Friday, I completed my Top 50 Twins Prospects list by posting my choices for the Top 10 Twins prospects. In looking back at my Archives, I have been doing Top 50 lists since right after the 2005 season. Following the 2004 season, my first attempt was just a Top 25. I have been right on a few of them. I have been wrong on a few more. Of course, when you rank and recognize 50 prospects, it’s a given that not all of them will pan out. But it is fun to do. And it is fun to look back at. Last night, I looked back at all of my Top 50 lists and put together the below list of all of the players who have shown up on one of my post-season prospect lists. (eventually, I may add my mid-season Top 50 rankings to the chart as well). This posting is really just for fun and a nice look back to some names from the past.

	Post-2009	Post-2008	Post-2007	Post 2006	Post-2005	Post-2004 (25)
Arcia, Oswaldo	27	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Arias, Santos	33	51	NR	NR	NR	NR
Aselton, Kyle	NR	NR	NR	NR	34	NR
Baker, Scott	NR	NR	NR	NR	2	2b
Barrett, Ricky	NR	NR	NR	NR	44	22
Bartlett, Jason	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	9
Benson, Joe	11	17	9	20	NR	NR
Beresford, James	46	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Berlind, Dan	NR	NR	45	NR	NR	NR
Bigley, Evan	44	43	NR	NR	NR	NR
Blackburn, Nick	NR	NR	27	NR	12	NR
Bonser, Boof	NR	NR	NR	NR	17	14
Bowyer, Travis	NR	NR	NR	NR	11	NR
Bromberg, David	6	25	21	NR	NR	NR
Bullock, Billy	31	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Burnett, Alex	21	30	8	32	NR	NR
Burns, Deacon	NR	NR	NR	NR	39	NR
Buscher, Brian	NR	NR	41	NR	NR	NR
Casilla, Alexi	NR	NR	NR	3	NR	NR
Crain, Jesse	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	3
Crawford, Tristan	NR	NR	NR	45	NR	NR
De Los Santos, Estarlin	NR	49	NR	NR	NR	NR
Deeds, Doug	NR	NR	NR	30	24	NR
Delaney, Rob	37	24	NR	NR	NR	NR
Devries, Cole	NR	34	42	NR	NR	NR
Dinkelman, Brian	28	33	20	35	NR	NR
Dozier, Brian	41	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Duensing, Brian	NR	20	4	13	35	NR
Duguay, Steven	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	13
Durbin, JD	NR	NR	NR	NR	22	2a
Gabino, Armando	NR	NR	50	NR	NR	NR
Garcia, Martire	NR	38	NR	NR	NR	NR
Garza, Matt	NR	NR	NR	1	18	NR
Gassner, Dave	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	21
Gibson, Kyle	5	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Guerra, Deolis	14	12	NR	NR	NR	NR
Gutierrez, Carlos	23	10	NR	NR	NR	NR
Guzman, Garrett	NR	NR	22	21	NR	NR
Harben, Adam	NR	NR	NR	NR	10	8
Hawes, Adam	NR	NR	NR	48	43	NR
Hendriks, Liam	42	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Hermsen, BJ	13	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Herrmann, Chris	40	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Hicks, Aaron	1	1	NR	NR	NR	NR
Hirschfeld, Steve	39	44	NR	NR	NR	NR
Hughes, Luke	20	9	NR	NR	NR	NR
Humber, Philip	NR	36	NR	NR	NR	NR
Hunt, Shooter	51	16	NR	NR	NR	NR
Jones, Garrett	NR	NR	NR	36	25	5
Jones, Justin	NR	NR	NR	43	15	NR
Kelly, Paul	NR	NR	NR	23	31	NR
Kepler, Max	29	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Kirwan, Brian	NR	NR	44	34	NR	NR
Kubel, Jason	NR	NR	NR	NR	3	1
Ladendorf, Tyler	NR	50	NR	NR	NR	NR
Lahey, Tim	NR	NR	51	NR	NR	NR
Leatherman, Dan	NR	NR	NR	50	NR	NR
Leveret, Rene	NR	NR	29	NR	NR	NR
Lewis, Ozzie	NR	NR	33	NR	NR	NR
Liriano, Francisco	NR	NR	NR	NR	1	4
Lis, Erik	NR	26	10	27	46	NR
Lobanov, Andrei	35	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Macri, Matt	NR	NR	49	NR	NR	NR
Manship, Jeff	15	14	5	NR	NR	NR
Marquez, Winston	47	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Martin, Dustin	NR	21	25	NR	NR	NR
Matienzo, Danny	NR	NR	NR	NR	36	NR
Maza, Luis	NR	NR	NR	NR	29	19
McCallum, Derek	43	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
McCardell, Mike	25	18	36	NR	NR	NR
Mijares, Jose	NR	22	35	NR	30	NR
Miller, Colby	NR	NR	NR	NR	42	NR
Miller, Jason	NR	NR	NR	NR	38	NR
Molina, Felix	NR	NR	NR	41	NR	NR
Moore, Caleb	NR	NR	NR	49	NR	NR
Morales, Angel	2	3	32	NR	NR	NR
Morales, Jose	NR	NR	43	NR	NR	NR
Morlan, Eduardo	NR	NR	11	6	21	NR
Moses, Matt	NR	NR	40	15	5	10
Mullins, Ryan	NR	48	15	NR	23	NR
Mulvey, Kevin	NR	8	NR	NR	NR	NR
Neshek, Pat	NR	NR	NR	NR	26	NR
Oeltjen, Trent	NR	NR	48	9	27	25
Olson, Garrett	NR	NR	NR	33	NR	NR
Olson, Justin	NR	NR	NR	NR	48	NR
Ortiz, Daniel	NR	29	NR	NR	NR	NR
Osterbrock, Dan	NR	32	NR	NR	NR	NR
Ovalle, Edward	NR	46	NR	NR	NR	NR
Parmelee, Chris	12	13	6	11	NR	NR
Perkins, Glen	NR	NR	NR	5	14	6
Peterson, Brock	NR	42	18	17	47	NR
Pino, Yohan	NR	40	23	28	NR	NR
Pinto, Josmil	26	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Plouffe, Trevor	16	11	3	19	13	11
Portes, Juan	NR	37	16	44	19	NR
Pridie, Jason	NR	31	NR	NR	NR	NR
Rabe, Josh	NR	NR	NR	NR	50	NR
Rainville, Jay	NR	35	19	18	6	24
Ramos, Wilson	3	7	31	NR	NR	NR
Rams, Danny	17	NR	28	NR	NR	NR
Revere, Ben	7	2	13	NR	NR	NR
Robbins, Whit	NR	47	NR	22	NR	NR
Roberts, Brandon	NR	NR	39	14	NR	NR
Robertson, Tyler	18	6	1	47	NR	NR
Romero, Alex	NR	NR	NR	10	7	17
Romero, Deibinson	45	39	24	NR	NR	NR
Salcedo, Adrian	10	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Sanchez, Henry	NR	NR	NR	NR	33	NR
Sano, Miguel	8	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Santana, Ramon	38	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Santiesteban, Danny	NR	NR	NR	29	NR	NR
Sawatski, Jay	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	23
Simonitsch, Errol	NR	NR	NR	39	28	NR
Singleton, Steve	24	28	NR	46	NR	NR
Slama, Anthony	22	27	NR	NR	NR	NR
Slowey, Kevin	NR	NR	NR	2	9	NR
Smit, Alexander	NR	NR	NR	8	32	20
Sosa, Oswaldo	NR	NR	12	26	NR	NR
Soto, Alexander	NR	45	NR	NR	NR	NR
Span, Denard	NR	NR	30	12	8	16
Stuifbergen, Tom	30	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Swarzak, Anthony	NR	5	2	4	4	NR
Taylor, JR	NR	NR	NR	NR	49	NR
Testa, Joe	50	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Thompson, Drew	NR	NR	NR	31	37	NR
Tiffee, Terry	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	12
Tintor, Eli	NR	NR	NR	25	NR	NR
Tippett, Brad	48	NR	47	NR	NR	NR
Tolbert, Matt	NR	NR	34	38	NR	NR
Tolleson, Steve	32	19	37	NR	NR	NR
Tonkin, Michael	34	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Tosoni, Rene	9	15	26	NR	NR	NR
Tyler, Scott	NR	NR	NR	NR	45	15
Valencia, Danny	4	4	7	24	NR	NR
Van Mil, Loek	NR	NR	NR	42	NR	NR
Waldrop, Kyle	NR	NR	17	16	16	7
Waltenbury, Jon	NR	41	NR	NR	NR	NR
Ward, Zach	NR	NR	38	40	NR	NR
Weller, Blayne	19	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
West, Kevin	NR	NR	NR	NR	40	18
Williams, Reggie	49	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Winfree, David	36	23	14	7	20	NR
Woodard, Johnny	NR	NR	NR	NR	41	NR
Yersich, Greg	NR	NR	46	37	NR	NR

Did anything stand out? What do you think? Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Long-Term Option?

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

As I was reading through the transcript of the TwinsCentric interview with Twins GM Bill Smith, there were several issues and topics that came up in the 30 minute, 14 page interview. Yesterday, I wrote about the Twins aggressiveness in the international markets. John Bonnes wrote about what happens at the Twins organizational meetings in Ft. Myers. Nick Nelson discussed Smith’s comment on the Joe Mauer situation and how comfortable Smith would be if the Twins and Mauer did not come to an agreement. After re-reading the transcript, several times, there was one other topic that I wanted to discuss.

The topic of Michael Cuddyer and his 2011 club option came up, and this exchange occurred with a typically elusive answer from Bill Smith:

TWINSCENTRIC: You have an option on the 2011 season on Cuddyer’s contract. Have you guys made a decision on that?

SMITH: We’ll let you know.

TWINSCENTRIC: So that hasn’t been announced?

SMITH: No, nothing’s been determined or announced.

TWINSCENTRIC: Does that have to be decided soon?

Smith: After the World Series.

Five days after the conclusion of the World Series, the Twins will have to determine whether to pick up the 2011 option on his contract. The Twins brass must decide whether to pay Cuddyer $10.5 million in 2011 or buy out that contract for $1 million.

Is there really any question that the Twins will pick up the options? I mean, in 2009, Cuddyer hit .276/.344/.520 with 34 doubles, 32 home runs and 95 RBI. He made just $6.75 million. Fangraphs.com indicates that Cuddyer was worth $9.2 million in 2009. In 2010, Cuddyer’s salary will increase to $8.5 million. Michael Cuddyer represents Twins baseball. I realize this is cliché, but it is also accurate. Cuddyer’s intangibles make this an easy decision. But if you look at the FanGraphs, Cuddyer earned $11.3 million in 2006. He earned $8.7 million. In 2008, Cuddyer was hurt. Cuddyer, when healthy, has been a consistent contributor to the Twins. So Cuddyer’s contract should be picked up for several reasons.

So, why not just come out and say that? I mean, what can Cuddyer do to improve or negate his value in the next week or two? What has he done since the Twins season ended?

I can come up with just one reason.

It is possible that the Twins representatives are meeting with Cuddyer and his representatives about the idea of extending his career as a Minnesota Twins player. It is possible that they are working on a deal which would essentially tear up his current contract and work on keeping him around longer, maybe even at a lesser annual salary. Again, Cuddyer is set to make $8.5 million in 2010 with an option at $10.5 million in 2011. He is guaranteed, due to the one million buyout, just $9.5 million.

What if they declined the option year at $10.5 million, but then offered him three more years beyond 2010? Maybe he could make $9 million in 2011, $9.5 million in 2012 and $10 million in 2013? If the Twins could get a deal like this signed in early November, they could add a signing bonus ($3 million?) and pay it now. The Twins have one of their leaders, a right-handed power bat, a perfect representative of Twins baseball through the first several years at Target Field. From Cuddyer’s perspective? Well, instead of being guaranteed just $9.5 million (or even $19 million assuming the option where picked up), he would be guaranteed $37 million and know that he will remain with the only organization that he has known since they drafted him in the first round in 1998.

Now that makes a ton of sense for both sides. That sounds like a Win-Win for all.

What do you think? Does this idea make sense, or am I completely off my rocker? Leave your Comments here.  

And, if you would like to read more of the TwinsCentric interview with Twins GM Bill Smith, it is found in the appendix of the Offseason GM Handbook, which is currently available at TwinsCentric.com. A portion of the interview is included with the free sample which you can find at the same site.

 (Just an quick point for those of you who have already purchased the pdf of the Handbook: we are sending out the new version with the appendix attached. And for those of you who have received the free one-third book, we’re sending you a new version too, with a subset of the interview included. That’s also the version available at TwinsCentric.com right now as a FREE download. Several of you have asked about the availability of the Handbook in a print version. We are working on that and hope to make it available in the next couple of weeks. The Bill Smith interview will be included in the print version.)

Twins Are International Players

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

“We want to be aggressive. We want to get good players internationally.”

Those are the words of Twins General Manager Bill Smith in an interview with TwinsCentric last week. Smith agreed to an interview with TwinsCentric for an appendix to the Offseason GM Handbook, which is currently available at TwinsCentric.com. In a 30-minute, 14-page transcribed interview, he revealed several details about offseason planning and the Twins future, including:

• That Smith is very comfortable going into spring training without Joe Mauer signed to a long-term extension, provided he feels like Mauer would like to stay long-term.  Nick Nelson talks more about this at www.NicksTwinsBlog.com.
• The Twins finished their organizational meetings in Ft. Myers last week, and if you think the 137 page TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook is full of information on the Twins offseason, imagine how much information that Twins themselves have. John Bonnes discusses this even more at www.TwinsGeek.com.   

(Just an quick point for those of you who have already purchased the pdf of the Handbook: we are sending out the new version with the appendix attached. And for those of you who have received the free one-third book, we’re sending you a new version too, with a subset of the interview included. That’s also the version available at TwinsCentric.com right now as a FREE download.)

It has been a tremendous year for the Twins as it relates to international signings. First, the Twins signed 16 year old German Max Kepler, generally considered the top player to come out of Europe, arguably ever, to an $800,000 signing bonus. Secondly, the Twins spent another $750,000 on Jorge Polanco, a 16 year old shortstop from the Dominican Republic. Finally, during the final week of the regular season, the Twins were able to sign the top player from the Dominican Republic, Miguel Angel Sano, to a $3.15 million bonus. The 16 year old SS is already 6-3 and over 200 pounds and frequently compared to the likes of Hanley Ramirez, or even Alex Rodriguez.

“We have tried to become more aggressive internationally. It has been a ten-year initiative. There’s a lot you have to build up. You have to build up your staff. You have to get your staff ready to be making evaluations. We have worked very hard to get more aggressive internationally And this was a big year for us.”

But how does a team become more competitive scouting, specifically internationally? The first step? According to Smith, “ownership has been wonderfully supportive of these efforts, and being more competitive in the international market.”  

The owners have to give approval to spend more money on scouts, facilities, equipments, camps and more. There has to be patience. Ten years makes a lot of sense. The Twins now have a presence all over the globe. As we know, the Twins have strong ties in Australia. A look at the GCL Twins roster showed players from the United States, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Russia, Czech Republic, France, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia. The Twins also have players in the organization from Aruba, Brazil, Canada, The Netherlands, Saint Maarten and South Africa.

In January, 2007, I have a Q&A with Mike Radcliff, the Twins Director of Player Personnel (he was the Twins Director of Scouting at the time). I asked if there were any untapped areas that the Twins were looking at. He said, “The untapped market many teams are looking at is China. With the next Olympic Games in Beijing, the development of the game is going to progress rapidly in that country. We are establishing ourselves now in preparation for a future plethora of talent in China.”

Signing top talent will require a lot of work, and potentially a lot of dollars. “If we can find them cheap, we’ll find them cheap, but we want to get good players on the international market.”

The signings of Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano are big for the Twins now, and could prove to be even bigger in years to come. In signing this type of talent, the Twins have done several things that can have long-term ramifications:

1.)    Player Acquisitions – Obviously the key to player development is signing good players.

2.)    Credibility – Signing top talent in various markets is noticed by future top players and their agents. Hopefully these signings can lead to more signings of top players in international markets.

3.)    Fan Perception – Although the Twins will never (and should never) be in the running for the top free agents at the major league level, Twins fans should appreciate the organization’s willingness to spend significant money in player acquisitions in this market.

If you have any feedback, comments, opinions or suggestions, please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

SethSpeaks.net Live Twins Chat at Noon!

With the Twins season complete and the World Series nearly having both of its contestants, and the completion of the SethSpeaks.net Top 50 Twins Prospects series, I thought it would be a good time to have another Live Twins Chat. So today at noon central time, I will answer your questions for an hour. So, if you are interested in participating, want an e-mail reminder, or want to view the transcript later, Click Here.

It’s always a lot of fun, and there is a lot to talk about; Twins Prospects, the Twins Offseason (and the Offseason GM Handbook), the playoffs, and more.

By the way, speaking of the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook, you can still get your free sample by going to TwinsCentric.com. Also, if you are on Twitter, you can Follow @twinscentric, and there is a contest going now for a free PDF of the entire book. So, check that out. There will be more exciting news regarding the book next week as well, so be sure to check that out. Thanks!

(Also, the SethSpeaks.net NFL “Expert” Picks will be available shortly)

SethSpeaks.net Top Ten Twins Prospects

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

On Monday, I posted my choices for Twins Prospects 36-50. Wednesday, Twins prospects 21-35 were presented. Yesterday, I found that I had completely forgotten one of my top 20 prospects, so he had to be added, and that means that I presented Twins prospects 11-21. That brings us to the topic that I’m sure most of you look forward to in any prospect lists. Here are the SethSpeaks.net Top 10 Minnesota Twins Prospects. You’ve done a great job in the comments section throughout the week, so be sure to Click Here to leave your Comments or Questions.

(To read the player profiles and more, be sure to go to www.SethSpeaks.net)

The SethSpeaks.net Top Ten Minnesota Twins Prospects

#10 – Adrian Salcedo – RHP – 18 (4/24/91)

 

#9 – Rene Tosoni – OF – 23 (7/2/86)

 

#8 – Miguel Sano – SS – 16 (5/8/93)

 

#7 – Ben Revere – OF – 21 (5/3/88)

 

#6 – David Bromberg – RHP – 22 (9/14/87)

 

#5 – Kyle Gibson – RHP – 22 (10/23/87)

 

#4 – Danny Valencia – 3B – 25 (9/19/84)

#3 – Wilson Ramos – C – 22 (8/10/87)

#2 – Angel Morales – OF – 19 (11/24/89)

#1 – Aaron Hicks – OF – 21 (10/2/89)

So there you have it, the SethSpeaks.net Top Ten Twins Prospects. If you have any feedback, comments, opinions or suggestions, please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

SethSpeaks.net Top 50 Twins Prospects: Part 3 (11-21)

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

On Monday, I posted my choices for Twins Prospects 36-50. Tuesday, I presented my choices for Twins prospects 21-35. Today, we will see my choices for Twins prospects 11-21. Yes, that is correct, 11-21. I’ll just admit it. One of the prospects in this 11-21 range, I just completely missed, forgot as I was making my list. Just an oversight, but as we get into the Top 20, that would be a lot more difficult to hide. It would be noticed. So anyway, today we are profiling prospects 11-21, and if you want to, you can move each of the prospects I ranked between 21 and 50 down one spot. Anyway, as always, I welcome your comments. I hope you enjoy this and again, please feel free to comment.

#21 – Alex Burnett – RH RP – 22 (7/26/87)

 

#20 – Luke Hughes – 3B – 25 (8/2/84)

 

#19 – Blayne Weller – RHP – 19 (1/30/90)

 

#18 – Tyler Robertson – LHP – 21 (12/23/87)

 

#17 – Danny Rams – C/DH – 20 (12/19/88)

#16 – Trevor Plouffe – SS – 23 (6/15/86)

 

#15 – Jeff Manship – RHP – 24 (1/16/85)

 

#14 – Deolis Guerra – RHP – 20 (4/17/89)

 

#13 – BJ Hermsen – RHP – 19 (12/1/89)

#12 – Chris Parmelee – 1B/RF – 21 (2/24/88)

#11 – Joe Benson – OF – 21 (3/5/88)

 So there you have it, my selections for Twins prospects 11-21. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my choices for my Top 10 Twins Prospects. If you have any feedback, comments, opinions or suggestions, please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

SethSpeaks.net Top 50 Twins Prospects: Part 2 (21-35)

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

On Monday, I posted my choices for Twins Prospects 36-50. Today, I’m back with my choices for Twins prospects 21-35. I welcome your comments. I hope you enjoy this and again, please feel free to comment.

 (For a reminder of #s 36-50, and for much more detail on 21-35, please go to www.SethSpeaks.net)  

#35 – David Winfree – OF – 24 (8/5/85)

 

#34 – Andrei Lobanov – LHP – 19 (1/25/90)

 

#33 – Michael Tonkin – RHP – 20 (11/19/89) 

#32 – Santos Arias – RHP – 22 (3/17/87)

 

#31 – Steve Tolleson – IF/OF – 26 (11/1/83)

 

#30 – Billy Bullock – RH RP – 21 (2/27/88)

 

#29 – Tom Stuifbergen – RHP – 21 (9/26/88)

#28 – Max Kepler-Rozycki – C/OF – 16 (2/10/93)

 

#27 – Brian Dinkelman – 2B – 26 (11/10/83)

 

#26 – Oswaldo Arcia – OF – 18 (5/1/91)

 

#25 – Josmil Pinto – C/DH – 20 (3/31/89)

 

#24 – Michael McCardell – RHP – 24 (4/13/85)

 

#23 – Steve Singleton – 2B – 24 (9/12/85)

#22 – Carlos Gutierrez – RHP – 22 (9/22/86)

#21 – Anthony Slama – RH RP – 25 (1/6/84)

So there you have it, my selections for Twins prospects 21-35. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my choices for #11-20, and later in the week, you will also get my Top 10. If you have any feedback, comments, opinions or suggestions, please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Weekend in Arizona; Singleton Plays Hero

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Real briefly, I thought it would be good to catch up on what happened for the Twins minor leaguers down in Arizona, in the Fall League, this weekend.

On Friday, the Mesa Solar Sox lost to Surprise 7-3. Rene Tosoni started in LF and was the leadoff hitter. He went 1-4. Chris Parmelee hit fifth and played 1B. He went 0-3 with a walk and is still looking for his first hit. Spencer Steedley came in threw 34 pitches, 17 for strikes. In 1.2 innings, he gave up no runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out two. Steve Hirschfeld came in to pitch the 6^th inning and struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning.

On Saturday night, the Solar Sox played the Peoria Saguaros. They were down 4-1 going into the bottom of the 7^th. A two-run homer cut the lead to 4-3. Two walks later, Steve Singleton came to the plate and hit a long, three run homer to right field to give Mesa a 6-3 lead. Alex Burnett came in an struck out two in a scoreless 8^th inning, and they held on for win. Singleton batted second and played 2B. He was 2-5 in the game.

It’s always fun to see how the Twins prospect perform in the Arizona Fall League, playing against many of baseball’s top prospects. Singleton is certainly off to a strong start. So far, he is 5-14 with two doubles and a home run. If you would like to share your thoughts, please click here.