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Twins Sign Dominican Shortstop

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, the Twins have signed Dominican shortstop Javier Pimentel to a $575,000 signing bonus. In July, the 17 year old was ranked as the #10 prospect to come out of the Dominican Republic this year. The Twins continued their trend of spending internationally. Last week, they ‘won’ the rights to negotiate with Japanese middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka by posting a bid of $5.3 million. Last year, they signed the #1 prospect from the Dominican Republic, Miguel Sano, to a $3.15 million signing bonus. They also signed Dominican shortstop Jorge Polanco for approximately $750,000. They also signed Max Kepler, believed to be the best prospect ever to come out of Europe, for about $750,000.

Last year, Twins GM Bill Smith told John Bonnes of TwinsCentric (in the 2009/10 Offseason GM Handbook) that the Twins have spent the past decade focusing on the international scouting and now in the last year, they are really seeing the benefits of those efforts. It takes time to penetrate a new market. The Twins clearly have a much better name now in the Dominican Republic. They now have a name in Japan and the Far East. They have been strong in Australia.

What do I know about Javier Pimentel? Pretty much nothing other than what Blake Bentley wrote at MLB Trade Rumors in early July which was, “A wide-shouldered shortstop with a solid bat and plenty of room for improvement.” Sounds like a very talented kid, with power potential, who is very raw and has a long way to go. He may be in the GCL next year, or the Twins may have him spend the summer in the Dominican Summer League before coming to the States.

It’s exciting to be a Twins fan thanks to Target Field. I mean, it’s always exciting for me to be a Twins fan, but the opportunities that are open to the Twins now that were not options just two or three years ago can’t be ignored!   

Any thoughts?  Please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.

A Look Back: Twins Prospect Lists

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Is there a more inexact science that baseball prospect rankings? Mark Prior was supposed to be as sure of a thing as ever, and injuries derailed his career. Stephen Strasburg has already had Tommy John surgery. Albert Pujols was a mid-round draft pick who flew through the minor leagues like no one could have expected. When the Twins drafted Matt Moses, he was supposed to be a very pure high school hitter. Ryan Mills was such a good college pitcher with perfect mechanics, and he never got above AAA. BJ Garbe? Well, that was probably a bad pick. But for every missed first-round pick, the Twins have had successes later in the draft and with non-draft free agents. Now the efforts internationally are starting to pay dividends as well.

I have been following the Twins minor league system pretty much daily for the last six seasons. I have been trying to figure out patterns and strategies over that time. I made my first real top prospect list following the 2004 minor league season. Early on, the rankings were based mostly on numbers and things I’d read. In recent years, I have been able to gain a lot more contacts, so rankings are based on scouting as much as stats. The funny thing is that no matter how much more information goes into prospect rankings, they remain a completely inexact science.

So why post this blog? It can only make me look dumb! Well, many of you probably agree that I do a decent job of that already, so why not? I think historical prospect lists are fun to look at for a couple of reasons. First, it is fun to see which sleepers you picked. Second, it’s fun to see which players you were completely wrong about. And finally, it’s just fun to see the names and think back. Do you remember when Deacon Burns was compared to Kirby Puckett? Do you recall  when I was excited about “Three Rockcats with Bats.” They were Kevin West, Doug Deeds and Luis Maza. The Real Deal? Really?

With that, let’s take a look back at the rankings:

2005 Top 20 Twins Prospects:

1.) Jason Kubel, 2a.) JD Durbin, 2b.) Scott Baker, 3.) Jesse Crain, 4.) Francisco Liriano, 5.) Garrett Jones, 6.) Glen Perkins, 7.) Kyle Waldrop, 8.) Adam Harben, 9.) Jason Bartlett, 10.) Matt Moses, 11.) Trevor Plouffe, 12.) Terry Tiffee, 13.) Steven Duguay, 14.) Boof Bonser, 15.) Scott Tyler, 16.) Denard Span, 17.) Alex Romero, 18.) Kevin West, 19.) Luis Maza, 20.) Alexander Smit.

2006 Top 20 Twins Prospects:

1.) Francisco Liriano, 2.) Scott Baker, 3.) Jason Kubel, 4.) Anthony Swarzak, 5.) Matt Moses, 6.) Jay Rainville, 7.) Alex Romero, 8.) Denard Span, 9.) Kevin Slowey, 10.) Adam Harben, 11.) Travis Bower, 12.) Nick Blackburn, 13.) Trevor Plouffe, 14.) Glen Perkins, 15.) Justin Jones, 16.) Kyle Waldrop, 17.) Boof Bonser, 18.) Matt Garza, 19.) Juan Portes, 20.) David Winfree.

2007 Top 20 Twins Prospects:

1.) Matt Garza, 2.) Kevin Slowey, 3.) Alexi Casilla, 4.) Anthony Swarzak, 5.) Glen Perkins, 6.) Eduardo Morlan, 7.) David Winfree, 8.) Alexander Smit, 9.) Trent Oeltjen, 10.) Alex Romero, 11.) Chris Parmelee, 12.) Denard Span, 13.) Brian Duensing, 14.) Brandon Roberts, 15.) Matt Moses, 16.) Kyle Waldrop, 17.) Brock Peterson, 18.) Jay Rainville, 19.) Trevor Plouffe, 20.) Joe Benson.

2008 Top 20 Twins Prospects:

1.) Deolis Guerra, 2.) Tyler Robertson, 3.) Anthony Swarzak, 4.) Kevin Mulvey, 5.) Trevor Plouffe, 6.) Ben Revere, 7.) Philip Humber, 8.) Jeff Manship, 9.) Joe Benson, 10.) Brian Duensing, 11.) Danny Valencia, 12.) Alex Burnett, 13.) Oswaldo Sosa, 14.) Wilson Ramos, 15.) Chris Parmelee, 16.) Jason Pridie, 17.) Erik Lis, 18.) Deibinson Romero, 19.) Nick Blackburn, 20.) Jay Rainville.

2009 Top 20 Twins Prospects: 

1.) Aaron Hicks, 2.) Ben Revere, 3.) Angel Morales, 4.) Danny Valencia, 5.) Wilson Ramos, 6.) Anthony Swarzak, 7.) Tyler Robertson, 8.) Kevin Mulvey, 9.) Luke Hughes, 10.) Carlos Gutierrez, 11.) Trevor Plouffe, 12.) Deolis Guerra, 13.) Chris Parmelee, 14.) Jeff Manship, 15.) Rene Tosoni, 16.) Shooter Hunt, 17.) Joe Benson, 18.) Mike McCardell, 19.) Steve Tolleson, 20.) Brian Duensing.

2010 Top 20 Twins Prospects:

1.) Aaron Hicks, 2.) Wilson Ramos, 3.) Miguel Sano, 4.) Angel Morales, 5.) Kyle Gibson, 6.) Ben Revere, 7.) Danny Valencia, 8.) David Bromberg, 9.) Rene Tosoni, 10.) Adrian Salcedo, 11.) Deolis Guerra, 12.) Joe Benson, 13.) BJ Hermsen, 14.) Chris Parmelee, 15.) Carlos Gutierrez, 16.) Jeff Manship, 17.) Tyler Robertson, 18.) Alex Burnett, 19.) Blayne Weller, 20.) Billy Bullock.

Preliminary 2011 Top 20 Twins Prospects:

1.) Kyle Gibson, 2.) Aaron Hicks, 3.) Miguel Sano, 4.) Joe Benson, 5.) Alex Wimmers, 6.) Ben Revere, 7.) Liam Hendriks, 8.) Angel Morales, 9.) Oswaldo Arcia, 10.) David Bromberg, 11.) Adrian Salcedo, 12.) Chris Parmelee, 13.) Eddie Rosario, 14.) Max Kepler, 15.) Manuel Soliman, 16.) Danny Ortiz, 17.) BJ Hermsen, 18.) Trevor Plouffe, 19.) Carlos Gutierrez, 20.) Martire Garcia/Niko Goodrum.

Any thoughts?

Crain Train Leaving Minneapolis?

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Late on Sunday afternoon, the legendary Peter Gammons, who is now working for MLB.com and MLB Network, tweeted, “Jesse Crain may be the hottest Rel. w/Benoit signed. TB, Col, LAD, Arizona, Sea, Balt, Cubs, Wash, Tor already in. Makes sense for Bos and LAA.”

When Jesse Crain was drafted by the Twins in the 2^nd round of the 2002 draft out of the University of Houston, he was fast tracked to the big leagues. He had been the starting shortstop for Houston, but he would enter games as the team’s closer. He pitched in nine games for Elizabethton before pitching nine games for Quad Cities (Twins previous Midwest League affiliate). In 2003, he started at Ft. Myers, and after ten games he was promoted to New Britain. In 22 games there, he was 1-1 with nine saves, a 0.69 ERA and a 0.59 WHIP. He moved up to Rochester and went 3-1 with a 3.12 ERA and ten saves for the Red Wings. Combined in 2003, he struck out 114 in 84 innings. Eddie Guardado left as a free agent following the 2003 season and as you would expect, I was touting Crain to be the Twins next closer. Instead, they gave the job to some lanky right-hander who had just one career save and had shoulder surgery less than two years earlier. (I guess that Joe Nathan guy turned out alright too.) Instead, Crain went back to AAA where he went 3-2 with 19 saves. In 50.2 innings, he walked 17 and struck out 64.

On August 5, 2004, Jesse Crain made his big league debut. In 22 games with the Twins, he went 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 27 innings. In 2005, he went 12-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 79.2 innings. In 2006, he was 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 76.2 innings.  Then after 16.1 innings in 2007, Crain’s season came to an end early and he needed a surgery to fix a tear in his labrum and a hole in his rotator cuff. He returned in 2008, and the idea was to bring him back slowly. But it wasn’t long before Crain was working a lot of innings again, and he pitched pretty well. He went 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 62.2 innings. 2009 was a forgettable year for Crain, and it resulted in a mid-season option to Rochester where he worked on a few things. When he came back, he was tremendous. His 2010 started out slowly. Many went with one of the worst nicknames I’ve ever heard, “Crain Wreck,” nearly everyone was calling for him to be Designated for Assignment. Admittedly, I was probably the last one to agree with that thought, but in mid-May, I did finally agree. And from that date forward, Crain was as good as any relief pitcher not named Joaquin Benoit for the rest of the 2010 season. He started working differently. He relied on a devastating, sharp slider, and by doing that, somehow he gained more control of his fastball and his slow curve.

We have to mention Benoit because he was a free agent as well, and his amazing season with the Rays. In 63 games, he was 1-2 with a 1.34 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP. He had missed all of the 2009 season and some in 2008. From 2001 through 2008, he had two seasons with an ERA under 4. So, as a 33 year old, he had an amazing, career year, and the Detroit Tigers gave him a three year, $16.5 million contract. That’s awesome for Benoit. It makes for a great story.

But it did a lot for the market of Jesse Crain. Remember, Crain has a significantly better track record than Beloit does. Crain had surgery in 2007. Benoit missed all of 2009. Benoit was a little better in 2009, but he will turn 34 during the 2011 season, right about the same time that Crain turns 30. So, if Benoit can get three years, Crain should be able to ask for four. If Benoit can get $5.5 million per season, there is no reason that Crain can’t get $4.5 to $5 million a year. There is no reason that Jesse Crain and his agent should not be asking for four years and $18-19 million.

Grant Balfour is still available too, but Crain is a Type B whereas Balfour is a Type A. Crain will not cost the signing team a draft pick. All those Blue Jays relievers (Downs, Frasor, Gregg) are available as well.  

If Gammons is correct, and there are nine teams negotiating with Crain and his representatives now, and there are several others who will be, it becomes more and more likely that Crain can get the numbers I mentioned above. And if he is able to, good for him. He deserves it. He earned it. He flipped a switch in 2010 that took him into the upper echelon of big league relievers. What it also means is that the Twins will likely not be his team in 2011 and beyond. As much as I would love to see Crain pitching key spots in the late innings for the Twins, they can’t really afford to be giving him the $4.5-5 million that he should get. In my blueprint in the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook, I suggested that the Twins sign Crain to a three year, $10.5 million. It is now looking like that will be woefully low. And I don’t think that the Twins should extend themselves beyond that. Unfortunately, with Joe Nathan and Matt Capps already eating up somewhere between $18-20 million, it’s hard to justify another $5 million for one more bullpen arm, even if he is the best of them.

So, where will the Crain Train be taking off for? I would assume that we will know within the next week. By the way, if you’re interested, check out the Q&A with Jesse Crain from March.  

Here are a few other notes from over the weekend:

• As you heard on Friday, the Twins posted the highest bid (estimated $5.3 million) for middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Chiba Lotte accepted it. The Twins now have about four weeks to negotiate a contract with Nishioka. For my thoughts on the news, click here.
• The Twins also announced last week that Estarlin de Los Santos was removed from their 40 man roster. He went unclaimed by the rest of the league and was put on the Rochester roster. That means he could be drafted in the Major League Rule 5 draft, but could not be lost in the minor league portions. Of course, the fact that he was just made available to all the teams for nothing and not taken likely means that no team would spend $50,000 to draft him in the Rule 5 draft. It’s cool that he stays in the organization for just in case something clicks in 2011, but the reality that is isn’t very good at baseball and all reports I’ve heard indicate that he doesn’t exactly work hard, it doesn’t appear too likely.
• According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Red Sox are interested in Matt Guerrier. I’d love to see the Twins bring back Guerrier at a lesser contract, but it’s also great to see that other teams could be interested. I hope he goes out and gets a big contract. He has been an unsung hero for the Twins for the last half-decade, pitching well in whatever role the Twins have put him in. He has been used more than any other reliever and never complained about overuse, even when he fought through some struggles.

So, what are your thoughts on Crain and specifically, where will he wind up playing the next three to four years? Could the Twins sign him, and how much would you be willing to sign him for?  Please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.

Twins Win Right to Negotiate with Tsuyoshi Nishioka

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On Thanksgiving Day, we found out that the Chiba Lotte team would hold a press conference to announce whether they would accept the high bid from MLB for the services of middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Later last evening, we heard that they were accepting the bid, but that Major League Baseball would be announcing the ‘winner’ today. Well, just minutes ago, we learned that the Minnesota Twins won the right to negotiate with the speedy Japanese infielder thanks to a bid estimated to be $5.3 million. The Twins now have 30 days to negotiate a contract with the player and his representatives. If they reach an agreement, Chiba Lotte will receive $5.3 million from the Twins. If not, the Twins will get the money back.

But since it is much more fun to think positively, let’s for a minute assume that the Twins and Nishioka are able to come to terms. What does it mean? Based on the estimated posting fee, and previous rumors, it is believed that the contract of the 26 year old will be in the neighborhood of $2-3 million for a few years. There was an assumption that if the Twins were awarded Nishioka that JJ Hardy would be gone, but if the actual value of his contract will be just a few million, and Hardy could agree to a deal worth something around $6 million, it is possible that the Twins can keep the still-young, excellent defensive shortstop and keep Alexi Casilla in a utility role. That is important if reports from some indicate the Nishioka is more questionable as a shortstop than as a second baseman. That said, the Twins would be wise to see what the market is for Hardy. It would make no sense to non-tender him since he would instantly become the top shortstop on the market. They should be able to accumulate a few quality prospects for Hardy.

How does an infield of Valencia, Hardy, Nishioka and Morneau sound? I like it!

What do we know about Nishioka? He led the Japanese League in batting average by hitting .346. He was on base over 42% of the time. He has a little bit of power, but the switch-hitter profiles perfectly as a #2 hitter. Twins fans need to caution themselves, however. Nishioka is not Ichiro. He’s not Hideki Matsui in terms of power. But he can do all the things you want a player to do? I think so. I mean, he has shown an ability to hit for average, get on base, have good pop in his bat for a middle infielder, play good defense, has speed. The question now is how does that translate to the Major Leagues. And frankly, no one knows. No one can answer that with 100% certainty. He is just 26. Most players that come over from Japan are nearly 30, so he should be given a little time.

As I mentioned when we heard that the Twins placed a bid on Iwakuma earlier this month, having a presence in Japan is a big deal. If the Twins can negotiate with Nishioka and bring him in, it makes the Twins a name in Japan, and among young players in Japan and all around Asia. Think about how many Twins jerseys with Nishioka or Mauer on the back will be found in Japan? Think about the scouts who have been toiling in Asia, trying to find the diamonds in the rough, who can now go to top level Asian talent and say, “Hi, I represent the Minnesota Twins. Do you have a minute?”

What does it mean for other Twins players? Again, it certainly makes any decisions on JJ Hardy difficult, although there is still no way that non-tendering him makes any sense. Alexi Casilla is still waiting in the wings, wondering if he will be a starting shortstop or a utility infielder again. What about Trevor Plouffe and Luke Hughes? Both were thought to be potentially competing with Casilla for a job, now both likely are competing for a backup infield spot and right-handed bat off the bench. What about someone like Steve Singleton, who has the pop to play but has been left off the 40 man roster each of the last two years? I can only hope, for him, that he is taken by a team in the Rule 5 draft and given a real opportunity for a big league job.

The Twins had just 38 players on their 40 man roster after their decisions last week. If they can get Nishioka signed before the Winter Meetings (starting Dec. 3), they will be at 39 and still have room to work.

I do have to say this for the Twins front office. They have been true to their word. When the team played in Metrodome and had basically no revenues, they made a promise to fans that if there was a new stadium, the payroll would increase with the revenues. Since the announcement of the new stadium, the Twins have gone above and beyond what was previously deemed possible. They locked up Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan to long-term deals. They kept Joe Mauer by extending his contract by eight years and $184 million. They went well over slot to sign Kyle Gibson. They gave $3.15 million to Miguel Sano. And now, they have bid an estimated $5.3 million just to negotiate with a very talented middle infielder from Japan. These are no longer your, ummm… older brother’s Twins!! And how much fun is this?!

But today was only the start. As I said earlier, the Twins and Nishioka’s representatives now have 30 days to work out an agreement. If they are unable to, then this excitement was all of nothing.

So what do you think? Many Twins fans who don’t pay as much attention will wonder about this player they have never heard of. Many of you will be incredibly excited. Where do you stand on this? What are the next steps for the Twins?  Please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.

NFL “Expert” Picks – Week 12

With three games set for Thanksgiving Thursday, here are the picks for our panel for Week 12. (As I receive more picks from others, I will try to add them quickly) If you would like to see the Standings through Week 11, click here.

Roger’s 2010 Twins Minor League All Stars

also available (with pictures) at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Before we dive into Roger’s All-Stars, a couple of quick notes:

• Last night’s SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast was one of my favorites. Baseball America posted its Twins Top Ten Prospects yesterday, and John Manuel came on to talk about his choices and other Twins prospects. Then Danny Valencia came on and talked about his 2011 Twins season for a good 15 minutes. He hadn’t been on a podcast since spring training, so it was great to catch up with him after such a memorable season.  
• Yesterday on the TwinsCentric blog at StarTribune.com, I wrote about the Twins arbitration decisions. They had to decide whether to offer arbitration to their six Type A and Type B free agents. During the podcast, the Twins announced their decisions. They offered arbitration to Carl Pavano, Jesse Crain and Orlando Hudson. They decline offering arbitration to Matt Guerrier, Brian Fuentes and Jon Rauch. The three that were offered arbitration have until next Tuesday to decide whether or not they will accept. If none of three accept, the Twins will gain four draft picks next June. If the three accept, then it could cost the Twins an extra $19-21 million in 2011.
• Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! Blogging and podcasting and all this writing can be a lot of fun, but a huge part of what makes it fun is the interaction with the readers. I definitely appreciate all of you for coming to SethSpeaks.net daily, and hope that you will continue to find it worth your time.

With that, those that are interesting in the Twins minor leagues know about Roger Dehring. He has written here before, but he writes a weekly Twins Minor League Report for Twinkie Town. He is very detailed and does a great job. He has even developed a very interesting prospect ranking in which he considers performance, age, level of competition and many other factors. We are trying to make it a tradition to include his Twins Minor League All Stars every year around Thanksgiving. By the way, thank you to Twins Cards for the pictures of the autographed cards you see below. Here are his 2010 Twins All Stars:

2010 Twins Organization All-Stars

Thanksgiving is the time each year when Seth provides me the opportunity to post my annual Twins Organization All-Star Team on his site.   

This year’s Team will include the best players at each position, including a designated hitter.  There will be six pitchers; the top right and left handed starters, a long reliever, right and left handed set-up men and a closer.  As with all all-star teams, some very good players are left out.  One of those is Liam Hendriks who was my second ranked pitcher.  Unfortunately, my top ranked pitcher, Kyle Gibson, is also a right handed starter leaving Hendriks out in the cold.  Same holds for Brandon Roberts, who was my fifth ranked player.  Unfortunately, all five of the top ranked players on my list were outfielders so he also has been left off this team.

Looking back at the previous teams, it was somewhat surprising that this will be the sixth year we have done this.  It was also interesting seeing which players made it and many others who had great seasons and are no longer in the organization.  What the future holds for this group remains to be seen. They all had special years this past season, including four of the six pitchers who were selected by the Twins in the 2009 draft. 

 Following are this year’s All-Stars, including my year-end ranking which ranks position players and pitchers separately:

Danny Rams  (18)                   Catcher                                                                                                     

Chris Parmelee  (9)                  First Base                                                                                     

Steve Singleton  (15)              Second Base                                                                                  

Trevor Plouffe  (6)                  Shortstop                                                                              

Anderson Hidalgo  (25)          Third Base                                                                                           

Ben Revere  (2)                       Left Field                                                                                          

Aaron Hicks  (3)                     Center Field                                                                                          

Joe Benson  (1)                       Right Field                                                                                                  

Oswaldo Arcia  (4)                 Designated Hitter                                                                          

Kyle Gibson  (1)                   Right Handed Starter                                                                      

Dan Osterbrock  (8)               Left Handed Starter                                                                   

Kyle Waldrop  (3)                 Long Relief                                                                                        

Kane Holbrooks  (4)              Right Handed set-up                                                                                                                                                       Tony Davis  (16)                   Left Handed set-up                                                                          

Billy Bullock  (11)                Closer

Danny Rams was a player who was recognized as having a powerful bat when drafted in the second round in 2007.  Rams didn’t hit as expected his first two years, then gained notice when he hit .355 average in 62 at bats in Elizabethton in 2009.  Rams had another slow start this year, hitting for only a .217 average before the all-star break.  Rams would hit for a .266 average following the break to finish at .238/.302/.439 in 421 at bats.  More important, Rams hit 4 triples and a team best 28 doubles and 16 home runs so that nearly half (48 of 100) of his hits would be for extra bases.  Rams has developed the power expected of him when drafted.  The one area of his game he must improve is that like many young power hitters, he strikes out to often (154 times or 36.5%).  If he can cut down on his strikeouts as he moves through the organization, he will have an exciting future with the Twins. 

Chris Parmelee is a former first round pick who saw his star become a bit tarnished with a slow start at AA New Britain.  Parmelee would be sent back to Ft. Myers in May where he would hit .338/.430/.463 in 80 at bats.  He would return to New Britain as a different hitter, going on to hit .275/.341/.389 in 411 at bats.  When drafted, Parmelee was considered the best high school power hitter in the 2006 draft.  Although he hit 25 doubles; he wouldn’t hit many home runs (6) at New Britain.  After striking out more than 25% each year since joining the Twins, he would reduce his strikeout ratio to 16.5%.  Parmelee joined the Peoria Saguaros in the AFL where he hit .339/.405/.477, in 109 at bats while tying for the most doubles (11) in the league.  He walked twelve times while striking out seventeen times for a strikeout ratio of 15.6%.  Parmelee, who began his career alternating between first base and right field, played about two-thirds of his games at first base and appears poised to move up to Rochester in the spring. 

Steve Singleton returned to New Britain this spring for a second season.  He would go on to hit .267/.325/.410 in 502 at bats with a team best 68 runs scored and 134 hits.  His 43 doubles were the most in the organization and tied for the most in the Eastern League.  A solid defensive second baseman, Singleton is often overlooked when discussing the top prospects in the organization.  The Twins are high on his abilities as evidenced by their inviting him to spring training.  A solid number two hitter who struck out only 57 times in 502 at bats, Singleton could move up to Rochester next spring.

This past spring Trevor Plouffe returned to Rochester for the third straight season, yet, on opening day he was only 23 years old.  Should he return to Rochester next spring for a fourth year, he will still be about two years younger than the average player in the International League.  Plouffe hit .244/.300/.430 in 402 at bats which at first glance isn’t impressive.  He did, however, improve his power numbers with 22 doubles, 4 triples and 15 home runs.  What may be most promising, he reduced his errors from 26 in 2009 to 12 this season.  Plouffe also made a couple trips to Minnesota where he had his first exposure to the major leagues.  While with the Twins he hit only .146/.143/.317 in 41 at bats, however, did hit two home runs.  Plouffe has a role in the Twins future plans.  It just isn’t known whether he will go north with the Twins out of spring training or join them later in the year.  

After being one of the top hitters in 2008/2009 with the GCL Twins and Elizabethton, Anderson Hidalgo was the Beloit Snappers leading hitter in 2010.  When he suffered a season ending injury in late July, Hidalgo was one of the league’s leading hitters and had he had enough at bats he would have finished second in the league.  In 81 games (282 at bats), Hidalgo hit a team best .316 average with a .375 on base percentage and .443 slugging percentage.  He would finish his shortened season with 25 doubles which trailed Rams by three with 125 less at bats.  Hidalgo isn’t your typical power hitting third baseman, however, with Danny Valencia moving up to the Twins he is the organization’s best third baseman.

Ben Revere likely is the organization’s best leadoff man.  He spent this year at AA New Britain where he seemed to be out of the lineup every few weeks with five different injuries.  When he suffered a broken orbital bone when hit in the face with a pitch in early August, it was thought that his season was over.  We would learn that this young man is a quick healer and his season was far from over.  Revere returned from his injury to play in the last few games of the Rock Cat season, finishing with the Eastern League’s third most stolen bases (36) and tied for the second highest batting average (.305).  Revere’s play at New Britain earned a spot for him in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.  But before heading to Arizona, the Twins had a big surprise for Revere as they added him to their 40-man roster and called him up in September.  Revere’s play with the Twins was limited as he hit only .179 average (5-28).  After the Twins season ended, Revere reported to the Peoria Saguaros where he was one of the hottest hitters in the league before cooling the last two weeks.  He finished his AFL season hitting .295/.358/.330 in 112 at bats with a league best thirteen stolen bases without being thrown out.  He also demonstrated great patience at the plate as he struck out only twelve times while taking eleven walks.           

Aaron Hicks has been thought by many to have the highest ceiling of anyone in the organization.  He is a player who would blossom into that special player who a future championship Twins team could be built around.  Thus, when Hicks returned to Beloit for a second season it was a surprise to most fans.  Most assumed that Hicks stay in Beloit would be a short one and he would move on to Ft. Myers where his star would continue to brighten.  That progress was not to be as Hicks spent his entire season in Beloit, hitting .279/.401/.428 in 423 at bats with 27 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs and a team best 21 stolen bases.  Hicks would improve throughout the year, hitting for a .308 average following the all-star break.  Hicks continued to strike out to much (112 times), however, he also took an amazing 88 walks.  Following the season, Baseball America ranked Hicks the fifth best prospect in the Midwestern League.

Joe Benson was the Twins second round pick in 2006 who has often been compared to Torii Hunter who also was a highly recruited football player out of high school.  Although Benson began his season in a slump and returned to Ft. Myers with Parmelee in May, he certainly had his break-out season this year.  Benson finished his Rock Cat season hitting .251/.336/.527 in 374 at bats.  He had 20 doubles, 7 triples, 14 stolen bases and 23 home runs, which were the fourth most in the league although he had 135 less at bats than the leader who had 33.  Benson’s 27 home runs at New Britain and Ft. Myers led the organization with his eight triples second most.  Benson finished his year playing in the AFL where he got off to a slow start and would go on to hit .236/.300/.400 in only 55 at bats with six doubles and one home run.

            We all remember players who put up eye popping numbers in the Appalachian League, but none had years like nineteen year old Oswaldo Arcia had this year.  Arcia led the Appalachian League (his closest competitor and their age is listed in parenthesis) with a .375 batting average (Ramon Morla/20, .323), .424 on base percentage (Marcus Nidiffer/23, .393), .672 slugging percentage (Morla, .610), 259 at bats (Drew Lee/22, 255), 97 hits (Morla, 81), and 51 runs batted in (Morla, 49).  Arcia also tied for the league’s second most triples (7) and home runs (14) while hitting the third most doubles (21).  Arcia didn’t make a single error this year, playing centerfield in more than half his games although his bat is ideally suited for a corner outfield spot in a future Twins lineup.  Following the season, Baseball America named Arcia the third best prospect in the Appy League this season. 

Kyle Gibson began his professional career a year ago in the Twins Fall Instructional League.  The few people to comment about him glowed as to what we could expect in the future.  In a move unusual for the Twins, Gibson began his career in the Florida State League.  After posting a 4-1 record with a 1.87 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in seven starts (43.1 innings), Gibson moved on to New Britain where he would be voted an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star.  While with the Rock Cats, Gibson pitched so well that he earned recognition from Baseball America as their seventh ranked Eastern League prospect.  On a team that was one of the worst in franchise history, Gibson posted a 7-5 record with a 3.68 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 16 starts (93.0 innings).  The Twins kept Gibson on a fast track as he finished his first professional season in Rochester where he had an excellent 1.72 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in three starts (15.2 innings).  Gibson is not the hard thrower that many fans would like to see at the front of the Twins rotation.  He is however, an excellent pitcher who just may have the ability to be the front of the rotation Ace the Twins are looking for.

            Daniel Osterbrock had an awesome rookie season in 2008 following his being drafted out of the University of Cincinnati in the seventh round.  After posting a 7-2 record and 3.00 ERA at Elizabethton in 2008, Osterbrock would struggle some at Beloit last year where he had a 7-9 record and 5.19 ERA.  Osterbrock would return to Beloit this spring, but not for very long.  After making only five starts, He got the call to move up to the Florida State League after pitching a 7.0 inning complete game no hitter and being selected the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for two consecutive weeks.  He left Beloit after posting a 2-1 record with a 2.30 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.  Osterbrock moved up to Ft. Myers where he would lead the Miracle in innings pitched (112.0) while posting a 7-8 record with a league best 2.73 ERA and league fourth best 1.13 WHIP.  With his break-out season behind him, Osterbrock should move up to New Britain next spring where if successful he will be one step away from joining the Twins.

            Kyle Waldrop was a 2004 first round pick who missed all of the 2008 season following shoulder surgery.  A former starter who had been on the fast track, Waldrop returned in 2009 when the Twins put him in the bullpen at Ft. Myers.  He earned a mid-season promotion to New Britain where he would have a 1.46 ERA in 55.2 innings.  He spent all of this season at Rochester where he had a first half as good as anyone in the International League, a first half that included one month in which he didn’t allow a single earned run.  Waldrop would tire the last few months, yet, he finished with an excellent 2.57 ERA with a 5-3 record on a team that was within a few losses of being the worst season in their 100+ year history.  Waldrop continued his reputation as one of the better control pitchers in the organization as he walked only 20 batters in 87.2 innings while ringing up 60 strikeouts.  Waldrop was assigned to this fall’s Arizona Fall League where his numbers weren’t good.  In a hitter’s league, Kyle had a 1-0 record with a 16.05 ERA in only 12.1 innings.

            Kane Holbrooks wasn’t high on any team’s prospect lists when selected by the Twins in the twenty-first round of the 2009 draft.  After an ordinary first exposure to professional ball at Elizabethton in 2009, no one expected the year Holbrooks would have this season.  He began as Beloit’s closer where he posted a 5-3 record with 9 saves, a 1.67 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 71 strikeouts in 54.0 innings (11.8/9 innings).  After earning a spot on the Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star Team, Holbrooks moved up to Ft. Myers where after one relief appearance he was converted to a starter.  Holbrooks would post a 3-3 record with an excellent 2.27 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 43.1 innings.  He didn’t strike out as many (36) which may have been the result of his moving to the starting rotation or perhaps because he was pitching to hitters at a higher level.  The Twins were so impressed with his work at Ft. Myers however, that they gave him a late season promotion to AA where he made one start, allowing three earned runs in 5.0 innings.  With a logjam of starters ahead of him, look for Holbrooks to begin next spring back at Ft. Myers with an early season promotion likely.

            Tony Davis was selected in the twelfth round of the 2009 draft out of the University of Florida.  Like Holbrooks, his 5.35 ERA in 35.1 innings in his professional debut was not an indication of what he would accomplish this season.  The Twins would assign him to Ft. Myers this spring, skipping Beloit.  He would become one of their best set-up men, pitching 31.1 innings with a 2.87 ERA.  That performance would earn him a mid-season promotion to New Britain where he was even better, pitching 37.0 innings with a 2.68 ERA.  The one concern that may limit his progress is a low strikeout ratio (45 strikeouts in 68.1 innings) and a relatively high number of walks (46).  Davis overcame this concern by holding hitters to a .203 average.  What was surprising was that right handed hitters hit for a lower average (.194) than did left handed hitters (.214).  In an organization with few lefty relievers in the upper levels, look for Davis to return to New Britain next spring where he will attempt to prove that he still has the magic to get nearly 80% of the hitters facing him out when the ball is put in play.

            The Twins selected Billy Bullock, a hard throwing closer out of the University of Florida, in the second round of the 2009 draft.  After opening his professional career with the Elizabethton Twins, Bullock moved up to Beloit where he had a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings with eight saves.  This past spring, Bullock reported to Ft. Myers where he would become a Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star before moving on to New Britain.  Bullock had a 0-4 record with the Miracle with 14 saves, a 3.63 ERA, 45 strikeouts and 19 walks in 37.1 innings.  Bullock would move up to AA where he had a 0-2 record with 13 saves, a 3.44 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 24 walks in 36.2 innings.  There is no question that 43 walks in 74.0 innings are more than the Twins like to see, however, nearly fifteen strikeouts per nine innings in AA is an indication that Bullock may have what it takes to become a closer on the big stage a few years from now.  There were higher ranked closers, such as fifth ranked Anthony Slama, however, Bullock is my all-star closer based on his leading the organization with 27 saves. 

Of course, I’m certain Roger would love to hear your feedback. I want to thank him for putting this together. It’s another great look at the 2010 Minor league season and some of the guys who deserve to be recognized. As always, please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.

Monday Morning Meanderings

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

I am going to be busy the next week, trying to write and finalize over 140 prospect profiles of Twins minor leaguers for my 2011 Twins Prospect Handbook. It’s a lot of fun doing some research and reading through a lot of scouting reports I’ve accumulated, but it is rather time-consuming, so bear with me… Here are a few quick notes, followed by a bunch of other Twins blogs for you to peruse:

• On Friday, the Twins announced that they were adding four players to their 40 man roster. RHP David Bromberg, Outfielders Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni, and 1B Chris Parmelee were added. I think there is a reasonable chance that RH RP Kyle Waldrop is selected by some team, but I think that the player the Twins would miss the most if they lose him would be 2B Steve Singleton, who I think has the type of pop in his bat that we have not seen from Twins second baseman.
• If you are a fan of the Twins minor leagues, you’ll want to check out Friday night’s special edition of Twins Minor League Weekly. Travis Aune and I co-hosted the 100 minute show. We interviewed David Bromberg, and then talked about the 40 man roster decisions, the minor league signings, the Arizona Fall League, Twins prospects in the Winter Leagues, some Twins topics, and we each gave our current Top 10 Twins Prospect lists. It was a lot of fun, and didn’t see like it was that long.
• On Saturday morning, I joined Fanatic Jack on the Dez Says Twins Podcast. As you can imagine, Jack and I have an ability to get on each other’s nerves and put together some quality arguments on various Twins topics. It was a lot of fun though, for sure. Also, Adam Foster from Project Prospect called in and talked about Twins Prospects for a good 20 minutes.
• Speaking of podcasts, the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast on Tuesday night should be very entertaining. Baseball America’s John Manuel will be one guest to talk about his/BA’s Top Ten Twins Prospects. Their list will be posted on Tuesday morning. You’ll definitely want to get your questions in for him. And, then Danny Valencia will be on the podcast again. We haven’t had him on a podcast since the beginning of spring training, so it will be great to catch up and ask him about his impressive rookie campaign which saw him finish 3^rd in Rookie of the Year voting. We’ll try to have time for Twins topics and rumors, as well. So, if you’re able, be sure to check out this week’s podcast.
• And, finally, on Wednesday, I’ll be posting an annual Thanksgiving blog. Our good friend and Twinkie Town’s minor league guru, Roger Dehring, has sent me his 2010 Twins minor league all-star team with his thoughts. I’ll add some of my notes and comments to his blog and then let people enjoy.
• Finally, Aaron Gleeman tweeted on Sunday morning that the Twins have signed Minnesotan Andy Baldwin to a minor league contract. The 27 year old was the 5^th round pick of the Phillies in 2004, but he has been in the Mariners system since 2006. Baldwin has spent the past three season with the Mariners AAA-affiliate in Tacoma where he has gone 25-23 with a 4.73 ERA. He can be a starter or pitch out of the bullpen, and he continues the Twins efforts to bring more veterans to the AAA roster.
• Aaron Gleeman posted several Twins Topics today.
• Over the Baggy posted a lot of Twins Topics too.
• Erin from Twinkie Talk asks, “Who Needs Dan Uggla when we’ve got Luke Hughes?”
• K-Bro has several notes from the weekend as well.
• Andrew from Off the Mark asks if anyone Still thinks that the Twins are cheap?
• He’s also baffled by the Twins decision not to add Kyle Waldrop to the 40 man roster.
• Sean from Hitting the Foul Pole asks Who is Tsuyoshi Nishioka and discusses the posting process, what it might take and more.
• Knuckleballs looks at Shortstop and compares/contrasts JJ Hardy and Tsuyoshi Nishioka.
• And, I would certainly hope that everyone has bookmarked NoDak Twins Fan Blog. Lots of updates. Lots of links.
• Nick Nelson asks if the Twins should consider Brandon Webb.

As always, please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.

Twins Add Four to 40 Man Roster

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Minutes ago, the Twins announced additions to their 40 man roster. RHP David Bromberg, OF Joe Benson, 1B Chris Parmelee, and OF Rene Tosoni were the four players added at this time. The Twins are at 38 players on their 40 man roster, leaving room for a free agent signing, maybe a Japanese import, and/or a Rule 5 pick.

Also, Eric Hacker, who Joe Christensen wrote about a couple of weeks ago, was officially added to the 40 man roster. According to Christensen, the team also re-signed Justin Huber to a minor league contract. He is playing in the Australian Baseball League after spending the 2010 season in Japan. 

If you want to see my thoughts on these guys or others that I thought should be considered, just scroll down the page. I would guess that there is a good chance that Kyle Waldrop, who was re-signed to a minor league deal last week, has a good chance of being selected by someone in the Rule 5 draft because he could stick in the big leagues. I also think that Steve Singleton is nearly big-league ready as well, and I think that he could be selected, although again, he wasn’t last year.

For more on the Twins 40 man roster, all the Minor League signings, what is going on with Twins prospects in the Winter Leagues, a final look at the Arizona Fall League and much more, please tune in to a special edition of the Twins Minor League Weekly podcast live tonight at 9:30. David Bromberg will be one of the guests. Tune in and learn lots!! 

As always, please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.

40 Man Roster Decisions

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

The Twins, and every other organization, have to announce their 40 man rosters by November 20^th. I would guess that the Twins will make their announcement today, probably in the early afternoon.

Please note that much of today’s blog comes from the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook (which is still available and still a great resource as the Hot Stove League is just getting started). I have updated it and added to it since the Twins have made a couple of moves since this was written. For instance, Eric Hacker was added to the 40 man roster. The Twins have no signed any other free agents to 40 man roster spots. In other words, the Twins could choose to add quite a few players to their 40 man roster. Anyway, here is the updated 40 man roster decisions article:  

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By tomorrow, the Twins will need to set their 40-man roster in preparation for the Rule 5 draft. This is one of the bigger events of the offseason, at least for me. This season will be particularly interesting. Free agents, such as Orlando Hudson, Jim Thome, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Brian Fuentes, Jon Rauch, and  Carl Pavano, have all been taken off the 40 man roster. Three players ended the season on the 60 Day Disabled List, so they needed to be included in the 40. It is possible that a player or two will be removed from the 40 man roster so that minor leaguers that will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft can be protected. You will need to factor in a couple of things when making these decisions:

1. If a player is not added to the 40 man roster, would he be lost to another team?  Along with being drafted, will the player be able to remain on his selecting team’s roster throughout the season?
2. How much depth at any particular position is there? If a player were lost, are there other options at that position?
3. Do you want to protect 40 players, or maybe 39 or even 38 players? If they are below 40, they can add free agents (without removing anyone) and/or make a Rule 5 pick.
The Twins have not had a player selected in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft since Jose Lugo in 2008. In 2007, Tim Lahey was the first overall pick in the Rule 5 draft. In each case, they went to the drafting team only to eventually be returned to the Twins because they could not stick with a big league club. The Twins have had some success drafting in the Rule 5. Everyone knows that the Twins acquired Johan Santana through the Rule 5 draft (and a pre-planned trade with the Marlins). The Twins acquired Shane Mack in the Rule 5 draft as well. (That Dan Uggla guy was a pretty nice Rule 5 pick for the Marlins.)

Who Must be Added? Players who signed when they were less than 19 in 2006 must be protected or potentially lost. Players that were signed when they were 19 or older in 2007 also have to be added. Typically, this means that high school players drafted in 2006 are eligible, and college players drafted in 2007. The Twins added Anthony Slama and Ben Revere to their 40 man roster during the 2010 season. They would have had to add them after the season had they not already added them. Revere was drafted out of high school in 2007, but he turned 19 before he signed.  Ben Revere and Anthony Slama would have had to be added to the 40 man roster following the season, so there are two less names to consider. 

Here are Nine to Note, players that will have to be considered for the 40 man roster, starting with the easy choices. I think it is likely that the Twins will add five or six of these players. (UPDATED NOTE – I have broken these into the Givens, and the Question Marks, and tried to explain why I think that the player may be a Question Mark.)

THE GIVENS
There is no question in my mind that these guys will be added to the 40 man roster.
David Bromberg, P, 23, Throws: Right
The Twins drafted  Bromberg in the 32nd round of the 2005 draft out of high school, but instead of signing, he went to Junior College for a year and signed as a draft-and-follow in 2006. He led the Appalachian League in strikeouts in 2007. In 2008, he led all of minor league baseball in strikeouts. In 2009, he led the Florida State League in strikeouts. He began the 2010 season in New Britain, and he pitched well enough there to earn a promotion to Triple-A Rochester where he more than held his own. Bromberg has a very strong mix of pitches and throws hard enough to be a strong prospect. Adding Bromberg to the 40-man roster is an easy choice. 
Joe Benson, OF, 22, Bats: Right, Throws: Right
The Twins used their second round pick in 2006 on a toolsy catcher with great speed and a strong arm. In 2010, those tools started coming together for Joe Benson and he was named the 2010 recipient of the Sherry Robertson Twins Minor League Player of the Year. He his .259/.343/.538 with 31 doubles, eight triples and an organization-leading 27 home runs between Ft. Myers and New Britain (he hit 23 in AA). He stole 19 bases. He is a good defender with plenty of speed for center field and an arm, strong enough for right field. Adding Joe Benson is another given.
Chris Parmelee, 1B/OF, 22, Bats: Left
Parmelee was the Twins first round draft pick in 2006 out of high school in California. In his first three full seasons, he struggled to hit for average, but he did a very good job of taking walks (getting on base) and hitting home runs (slugging percentage). He began the 2010 campaign in Double-A New Britain, but like Joe Benson, he was sent back to Ft. Myers where he regained his hitting skill and his confidence. He returned to the Rockcats and after the All-Star break he hit .316/.397/.428. The power was down but he has the size and potential to become a huge power threat making him an easy choice to add to the 40 man roster.
SUMMARY/UPDATE: There isn’t much to add to this. All three would be lost if they were left unprotected. They would be selected and the drafting team would find a way to keep them on the roster.
THE QUESTION MARKS
Kyle Waldrop, RHP, 24, Throws: Right
Waldrop was the Twins third first round pick in the 2004 draft out of high school. His first year of Rule 5 eligibility was 2008, but he had just missed the entire season after arm surgery. He was able to stay healthy throughout the 2006 season and got back to Double-A where he pitched out of the bullpen. He was invited to big league spring training and made a strong impression. He pitched in the Rochester bullpen. Through June, he had an ERA of just 1.02 in 53 innings. If he were left unprotected, I believe Waldrop would be selected and be able to stay with the drafting team. Therefore, I believe that the Twins will likely add Waldrop to the roster following the World Series (because he would be a six year minor league free agent five days after the World Series ends).
Rene Tosoni, OF, 24, Bats: Left
The Twins drafted Tosoni in the 34th round of the 2004 draft, then after a year in junior college, the Twins drafted him  in the 36th round of the 2005 draft. He went back to junior college and signed before the 2006 season. Visa problems kept him from playing until the 2007 season. The Twins had to wait, but Tosoni has been a solid, all-around contributor. He can hit for average, hit for power, is a very good defender and has a very strong arm. It was the arm, however, that caused trouble in 2010. Finally, in mid-June, his season came to an end due to shoulder surgery. If not for that, Tosoni would be an automatic add to the 40 man roster.
Steve Singleton, 2B, 25, Bats: Left
Singleton was eligible for the Rule 5 draft last year and was not selected. Although he hit just .267/.325/.410, how many second baseman have the extra base hitting potential of Singleton? The 25 year old hit an organization-leading 43 doubles, added four triples and seven home runs. He is also a solid defender, capable of playing three infield positions adequately. Like a year ago, expect that Singleton not be selected, but if he were, he could contribute at the big league level.
Tyler Robertson, LHP, 22, Throws: Left
The Twins third round pick in the 2006 draft out of his California high school, Robertson was one of the Twins top prospects following a 2007 season in which he went 9-5 with a 2.29 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 102.1 innings at Beloit. He was 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 15 starts at Ft. Myers before being shut down with an arm injury. He remained healthy in 2009 at Ft. Myers and was moved up to New Britain for the 2010 season. A 4-13 record with a 5.41 ERA certainly does not breathe confidence, but the 22 year old still has plenty of potential. The question that must be asked is would he be able to remain on a big league roster if he was drafted?
SUMMARY/UPDATE: Despite his struggles in the Arizona Fall League, I think that Waldrop would be lost to some team. The 24 year old has been terrific the last two years, has a great sinker, is a good fielder and he is still young. He is either big league ready or close enough to big league ready, so I think there is a high likelihood that he would be lost, possibly even one of the first picks. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins a couple weeks ago, but the Twins would still have to protect him to keep him from being eligible for the draft. A year ago, Tosoni would have been a given, but his injury makes it a question mark. He can do pretty much everything, and he is clearly close to being able to play in the big leagues, at least in a platoon role where he would hit only against right-handers. Robertson is a tough one. He is left-handed. His numbers had been at least solid until this year in Double-A, but at 22, his struggles should not be unexpected. I just don’t think that a team would be willing to keep him on their big league roster the full season. I know I am higher on Singleton than most, but 43 doubles, 54 extra base hits, as many walks as strikeouts and solid defense, he could play in the big leagues now, at least in a role. That said, I thought he should have been protected last year and he wasn’t. The Twins may try to sneak him through one more time. If I had to rank them in terms of likelihood of being protected, see the above. I wouldn’t be surprised if any or all of these guys are added. I also wouldn’t be shocked if any of them is not added.  
UNLIKELY
James Beresford, SS/2B, 21, Bats: Left
The Twins signed the Australian as a 16 year old to a Kepler-esque signing bonus. He has slowly worked his way up the Twins ladder. In 2010, he hit .297/.349/.363 with 19 doubles, five triples and a home run. For the second straight year, he was named the MVP of the Beloit Snappers team. In the offseasons, he has played for Australia in international competition. Defensively, Beresford is very good, and he takes charge of the infield. He has the ability to reach the big leagues, however, he will need to gain some weight and strength. He likely would not be drafted in the Rule 5 as he would need to get bigger to last on a big league roster.
Miguel Munoz, RHP, 22, Throw: Right
There are not a lot of real hard throwers in the Twins farm system. Munoz throws a little harder than most Twins pitching prospects, up to 94 with the fastball. In 2010, he made 21 starts for Beloit before moving into the bullpen. By season’s end, he was the closer. Overall, he went 12-7 with a 4.37 ERA.
SUMMARY/UPDATE: I like these two and think each has big league potential depending upon their development (of course). I just don’t think that either would be able to remain on a 40 man roster for an entire season. I would be surprised if either is added. As for the “Others to Consider”, that is where Estarlin de Los Santos was for me last year, and he was added. So, I don’t claim to know anything, just my speculation. But it will be fun to find out who gets added.
Others To Consider – Eliecer Cardenas, Jair Fernandez, Anderson Hidalgo, Steve Hirschfeld, Edgar Ibarra, Danny Lehmann, Josmil Pinto, Chris Province, Yangervis Solarte, .

Others Who Are Eligible – Dustin Martin, Matt Williams, Brandon Roberts, Ryan Mullins, Mark Dolenc, Alexander Soto, Chris Cates, Jonathan Goncalves, Michael McCardell, Jairo Perez, Spencer Steedley, Michael Tarsi, Brad Tippett, Brian Dinkelman.

Alright, there is a lot of information there today. I’d love to hear your thoughts about who you think could or should be added to the 40 man roster today. Check back later today as I hope to be able to post who is actually added to the 40 man roster here. As always, please feel free to e-mail me or leave your comments here.