Twins to Add Six to 40 Man Roster

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I learned tonight that the Twins will be adding six players to their 40 man roster before Friday’s deadline for that decision. What I don’t know is who was removed from the 40 man roster. If the Twins don’t sign any of their internal free agents (Crede, Pavano, Cabrera, Redmond, Cabrera) before 11:00 tonight, they would still need to take at least one player off of their current 40 man roster to get to 40. If they want to have 39 or even 38 on their roster at this stage, it would mean that more would need to be removed.

Out of respect to the player or players that are removed from the 40 man roster, those that weren’t added, and to the Twins, I won’t post the names… but I would welcome your thoughts and comments. Please scroll down the page and check out my thoughts on Monday… I can tell you this. One player that the Twins will add to the 40 man roster was not even mentioned by me in that article.

To be honest, I’m not sure when I’m going to post the names (so be sure to check back from time to time). Maybe later tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning. Maybe I will wait until the Twins send out their press release. I’m really going back and forth in my mind about whether I should sooner, or if I should even post this. I can tell you that they will be adding four pitchers and two infielders. Obviously as soon as I am able, I will provide a little analysis.

UPDATE – Please note that if the Twins sign free agents or make trades, the 40 man roster can still be changed. One important thing to remember is that if a player is added to the 40 man roster, he can’t be removed for a period of time (I want to say six months). Also, I still do not know which player(s) have been removed from the 40 man roster, so I will update that at a later time.

 

Danny Valencia – The 25 year old 3B was an easy choice.

Alex Burnett – With what Burnett did in his first year as a relief pitcher at Ft. Myers and New Britain, he was also an easy selection.

Deolis Guerra – 20 years old and very talented. Another easy addition.

Rob Delaney – The reliever has been so dominant since he was signed. He too would certainly be selected in the Rule 5.

Loek Van Mil – He’s 7-1 and throws 97 mph. He had a very good year once he started pitching this year. He still needs more development time, but he has a chance to be quite good.

 Alright, those five were actually the five that I would have ranked the highest in terms of likelihood to be protected. The final one added to the 40 man roster was someone that I am more than a little bit surprised by.

Estarlin de Los Santos – The SS from the Dominican Republic is very talented. He just has not been able to stay in the lineup the last two years. He’s a flashy SS with good speed and lots of doubles and triples. I was actually going to call him a sleeper candidate in the 2010 Twins Prospect Handbook, but if he’s on the 40 man roster, he’s not much of a sleeper anymore. I just can’t imagine a scenario in which he would remain on a team’s big league roster for the entire 2010 season.

 So, who was left off? Who could be lost in the Rule 5 draft?

 According to my rankings of those available, here are a few that could be lost:

Steve Singleton – He can play three infield positions, hit for average, get on base and has good pop for a middle infielder. His success at AA late in the season says that he could make a big league roster and stick.

Brian Dinkelman – Dinkelman had a very strong season at New Britain. He hits the gaps for a lot of doubles. He’s an ideal #2 hitter in a lineup. As a four year college guy, he’s a little bit older, but he could definitely be ready to be a major league regular, either at 2B or as an infield/outfield utility type as he played quite a bit of LF in 2009 as well.

Santos Arias – Young pitcher from the Dominican. Very good fastball. Very good changeup. Still has a long way to go on a curveball/slider. He’s tiny, but he has been very durable. He could be worth a flyer for a team under development.

 Send me an e-mail, or leave your Comments here.

What Would You Do? 40 Man Roster Decisions

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Over the next week to ten days, the Twins will have to make some final decisions on their 40 man roster. There will be some tough decisions.

But before we get started, I should point out that it appears that Juan Morillo will now come off of the Twins 40 man roster as he has signed with a team in Japan. I wrote about that possibility here last week when I could come up with only one reason for his addition to the Twins 40 man roster. It appears that the Twins should have temporarily kept Justin Huber on the 40 man roster too as he is close to signing in Japan as well and the Twins may have got some money for him as well.

Technically the Twins have 40 players on their 40 man roster. However, the Twins five internal free agents will come off of the roster unless the Twins decide to sign one of them quickly. There are (too many) rumors about the Twins talking to Orlando Cabrera about playing 2B. That would be horrible, so we can assume that won’t happen. Right? There is also talk of conversations with Scott Boras regarding Joe Crede. Again, I understand some think that would be a good thing. Personally, I am just not a fan of that idea. Carl Pavano would be a solid #4 type of pitcher and the Twins should consider the idea of bringing him back, if the price is right. However, the assumption is that there will be several teams interested in his services, and hence, he probably would not sign quickly. Ron Mahay would make sense if the Twins didn’t have several other left-handers who could either start or be a second lefty reliever. Mike Redmond is a good guy and a good teammate, but bringing him back makes no sense.

So, I will work under the assumption that all five will be off of the 40 man roster, which would put the Twins at 35.

If you checked out the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook (which is still available as an e-book or a print version), there was an article on the 40 man roster called “Nine to Note.” Information was given on nine players that the Twins should consider adding to the 40 man roster. Of those nine players to consider, two of them (David Winfree and Brock Peterson) were not added to the 40 man roster and can become free agents. The Twins can bring them back if they want, but they will not be added to the 40 man roster. And to this point, the only player added to the Twins 40 man roster was Juan Morillo, who was not even considered among the nine. And now I don’t look quite so dumb!

So, let’s get back to this week. Again, the Twins are likely going to be at 35 players on the 40 man roster. If that is the case, there are four spots available. However, are there others that can be removed from the 40 man roster? Last week, Justin Huber was removed. The Twins tried to take Armando Gabino off of the 40 man roster, but in doing so, he was claimed by the Orioles. So as the Twins make these decisions, they will have to consider a couple of things. If the Twins take the player off of the 40 man roster, would they be lost to another organization? Is the player that would be added better (or a better fit for need) than the one who would be removed? 

With that, let’s take a look at a few guys that the Twins could consider removing from the 40 man roster:

• Bobby Keppel – in 2009, the Twins saw what Keppel can be. They saw the very good and the saw the very bad, all within his three month stint with the team. Since he is out of options, he would have to make the Twins roster and stay on it, or potentially be lost. With Morillo and Bonser also out of options, and Pat Neshek likely coming back at some point, what are the chances of Keppel making the Twins roster?
• Boof Bonser, Jesse Crain and Pat Neshek – All three are arbitration eligible this year. All three have had injuries and missed time in the last couple of years. All three have experienced big league success. And, I am pretty sure that if taken off the 40 man roster, all three of them would be gone.
• Glen Perkins – It’s hard to imagine that he will be back with the Twins, but can he be traded?
• Drew Butera – Can’t hit. Led International League in Passed Balls, but still known to do a good job of calling games and throwing. Can’t hit. At all. There are a lot of backup catchers around who can throw runners out who will play for $750,000, if the Twins even needed that.
• Alexi Casilla, Matt Tolbert, Steve Tolleson, Nick Punto, Trevor Plouffe – They’re all the same. Play a little defense. Play a couple of positions. Hit once in a while, but not necessarily well. How many backup infielders are needed? Obviously Punto and his $4 million deal aren’t going anywhere. Casilla is out of options. Plouffe is at least young. He is probably the only player who would be lost if left unprotected. He would certainly be claimed.
• Deibinson Romero – He’s all about the tools, apparently. He’s a big guy, strong. And, the reality is that he hasn’t actually produced much since he was in the rookie leagues. He’s 23 already. The tools are all there. The effort has been questioned.
• Luke Hughes – I keep hearing people say that he could be removed. If he is, he would be claimed by the first team who could. He’s not going anywhere.
• Jason Pridie – very good defense. Left-handed bat who refuses to walk. Has some pop in his bat. With Carlos Gomez now gone, the Twins need a 5^th outfielder who can play all three outfielders, including centerfield. Other option would be to let him go and sign a veteran outfielder who could pinch hit. Pridie does have one more option year left.

OK, so we started at 35. Will the Twins sign any of those five internal free agents before the 40 man roster is set? How many from the current 40 man roster would you remove?

Now let’s consider the players who would have to be added to the 40 man roster or left subject to the Rule 5 draft. Note that if they are not selected in the Rule 5 draft, they would stay in the organization unless they are six year minor league free agents. 

The Obvious Additions:

• Danny Valencia – Whether everyone considers him the 3B of 2010, or the 3B of the Future, or a possible 3B, he has experienced success at each level including AAA. If left unprotected, he would be gone.
• Deolis Guerra – He’s 20. He showed much improved control in 2009. He’s got three potentially big league pitches. He’s had success in AA. Again, this is an easy choice as his potential alone makes him a target for some Rule 5 team.
• Alex Burnett – The Rule 5 is about finding players with either high upside and can be hidden on a roster, or about guys who can contribute to any degree with the big league club. Burnett fits into both categories as he could already contribute to a big league team’s bullpen and he has tremendous upside in a bullpen.

Must Strongly Consider:

• Loek Van Mil – He’s 7-1, and he throws 95-97. He should probably be in the obvious category too. His strikeout numbers don’t shout out at you, but the stuff does. Tall pitchers take a little longer to develop because they need to find their release point. As an international player, you can assume a longer learning curve too. Adding him to the 40 man roster gives three more years to develop. But again, his pitching angle and the velocity make Van Mil a likely choice.
• Rob Delaney – since being signed as a non-drafted free agent out of college in 2006, Delaney has dominated the minor leagues. He gets strikeouts and he walks very few. He struggled some in Rochester, but I think his track record makes him an easy choice. The fact that he could help a big league bullpen today makes him an easy choice. How many bullpen guys will they put on the roster? That’s the only question.
• Steve Singleton – Good glove. Can play 2B, 3B and SS. Can hit 2^nd in a batting order, or at the bottom of the order. Can hit for average. Is best when he is patient. Has good power for a middle infielder. Lots of doubles and triples. Can play very good defense.
• Brian Dinkelman – Put up terrific numbers in New Britain. Doubles machine. He is two years older than Singleton. Played a lot of LF once Singleton promoted to AA. That gives him a better chance of being added. Defense is not spectacular either place, but he does make almost all the plays.

Should at least think about:

• Santos Arias – The Dominican righty had a very good year in 2009 in Ft. Myers. Good fastball. Durable. Very good changeup. Has a lot of room to grow.
• Winston Marquez – Left-handed. Young. Throws hard. Good slider. Missed 2008 with injury and Twins were patient with him in 2009.
• Matt Fox – Again, he could pitch in the big leagues, in the back of a bullpen. He could handle it well mentally. And the former #1 pick has been able to get stronger and better each year since coming back from Tommy John surgery. Also, his cutter is very tough on lefties.

Others that are eligible include Juan Portes, Kyle Waldrop, Estarlin de Los Santos, Dustin Martin, Whit Robbins, Ramon Santana, Matt Williams, Brandon Roberts, Ryan Mullins, Frank Mata, Mark Dolenc, Rene Leveret, Jair Fernandez, and Alexander Soto.

Also, Rene Tosoni, David Bromberg and Anthony Slama do not need to be added to the 40 man roster at this time, so they will not be added.

Again, you’re starting at 35 players. You can take a few more off of the 40 man roster. You could quickly sign some of your internal free agents. You will want to add a bunch. Do you want to fill all 40 roster spots, or do you keep one or two open so that you can take a pick or two in the Rule 5 draft. What do you think? What would you do? Send me an e-mail, or leave your Comments here.

Last Day in Arizona

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Football picks – be sure to check out our panel’s Week 10 football picks here.

Thanks as always for stopping by the site. As you know, I went to the Phoenix Municipal Stadium this afternoon to watch the Phoenix Desert Dogs (the team the Twins players played on last year) and the Mesa Solar Sox (the team the Twins prospects player for this year).  The Mesa Stadium was about 13 miles from Downtown Phoenix. The cab ride out there… $35.00! And of course, they wouldn’t take any credit card, so I was at the Arizona Fall League game with $14.00. I had to get a program/media guide thing for $2.00. Oh, and the ticket itself was $6.00 (which is really a great deal!) So, I was down to $6.00. Fortunately, I was watching some of baseball’s top prospects in Arizona where it was 71 degrees, comfortable and exciting. I forgot the fact that I hadn’t eaten the entire time because I figured I should keep $6.00 for just in case.

I got to the stadium about an hour before the gates even opened. There were about six people there. They were all standing around outside the stadium, waiting for the Mesa team bus to arrive so that they could collect autographs. They were standing around talking baseball issues. One guy insisted Roger Maris was a Hall of Famer. Others said Kirby Puckett shouldn’t be. There was discussion of steroids in baseball and Pete Rose. They talked about collecting autographs and much more. It was entertaining. When the Mesa bus finally got there, that group went active. But most of the team just walked in the stadium.

One hour before game time (11:35), the gates opened. The autograph hounds went to the area by the Mesa dugout. Some members of players’ families to seats around the stadium. Scouts from major league organizations trickled in, sitting directly behind home plate. Me? I went in and just observed. I watched Alex Burnett, Spencer Steedley and Steve Hirschfeld play catch in the outfield grass. I sat by the dugout, just taking in the stadium and all that was going on. Mesa players would come out of the dugout and start out to stretch in the outfield, but each would quickly go over to the autograph seekers and sign for a couple of minutes. 

The game started and all three Twins hitters were in the lineup. Rene Tosoni was batting third and playing in right field. Chris Parmelee was batting fifth and playing 1B. Steve Singleton was at 2B and batting seventh. Since Hirschfeld started last night, he wouldn’t pitch, but I was hoping to see Spencer Steedley and Alex Burnett.

• 1^st inning – With Bryan Peterson on 3B and one out, Rene Tosoni dropped a soft line drive into left field for an RBI single. Chris Parmelee struck out swinging on a curveball in the dirt. In the bottom of the inning, with runners on 1^st and 2^nd, Grant Desme singled into right field, Tosoni charged and made a strong throw right to the cutoff man, holding the lead runner at 3B.
• 2^nd inning –  With Ryan Kalish on 1B, Steve Singleton lined a single to left field between the SS and 3B. He later scored from 2B on a single to RF by Bryan Peterson. Rene Tosoni popped up to 1B.
• 3^rd inning – Chris Parmelee drilled a line drive single up the middle to lead off the inning. Ryan Kalish got on with an infield single. Then Steve Singleton fell behind 0-2 before getting a fastball which he hit well over the right field wall. Rene Tosoni grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning. (Note – I’ve got video of the Singleton HR, a Tosoni RBI single and a bunch of pictures on my facebook page, which you can find here.)
• 4^th inning – Chris Parmelee hit a long fly ball to the CF warning track, just in front of the 410 sign. Steve Singleton struck out on a curveball to end the inning.
• 5^th inning – Spencer Steedley came into the game. It didn’t start out well. The first batter doubled down the right field line. Brad Emaus singled him to 3B. But then Steedley got lefty Matt Angle to strike out on a good fastball. Next, Darin Mastroianni grounded to Jose Iglesias who fed the ball to Steve Singleton who turned a very quick double play to get out of the inning.
• 6^th inning – Rene Tosoni was called out on strikes. In the bottom of the inning, Steedley got a groundout to start the inning. Danny Espinosa singled on a perfect bunt down the 3B line. Then came a very strange play. Corey Brown grounded to 3B Casey Kelly. He threw to Singleton at 2B who stayed in strong against the sliding base runner, threw to 1B where the runner was called safe. But the runner was also called safe at 2B, and I wish I had a replay. My guess is that Singleton had one foot on each side of 2B. I truly don’t know. But Singleton was charged with a “missed catch errors” which makes no sense either. Wouldn’t it be a fielder’s choice instead? Anyway, with one out, Grant Desme flew out to Tosoni in RF. The lead runner forgot how many outs there were and Tosoni got a nice, easy assist.
• 7^th inning – Chris Parmelee led off with a double down the left field line, the third ball he has hit very well since the strike out. With one out, Steve Singleton flew out to medium deep right field. Parmelee tagged up and went to 3^rd. However, the Dogs appealed to 2B and Parmelee was called out. Again, from the angle I was sitting at, it appeared that Parmelee tagged up legally. Steedley came out of the game. Singleton made two nice defensive plays in the bottom of the inning.
• 8^th inning – in the bottom of the inning, Singleton made a nice running grab on a pop up in foul territory. After a single, Jemile Weeks uncoiled on a long home run that essentially ended the game.
• 9^th inning – Tosoni struck out swinging. The game ended when Parmelee grounded weakly to 1B.

OK, so there is the game information… here are just some more observational things on the players. 

• Rene Tosoni – With the bat, Tosoni is solid. He does a good job of working the count. He has a quick bat and a good eye. He runs alright. He expects himself to get on base. He is confident. He isn’t real big, but he looks like a ballplayer. That said, he can’t hit left-handed pitching at all. I mean, even when he gets out against right-handers, they are solid at bats. Against lefties, he looks clueless. Fortunately, he still stays patient, so that gives hope that over time, he could get better. Defensively, he just looks like an outfielder. Good speed, but seems very good with the glove, and again, a strong and accurate arm.
• Chris Parmelee – He is a big guy; bigger than I would have thought, and not necessarily in a good way. But he is very strong. When he makes contact, it is solid contact. Today, he had a single up the middle, a deep fly ball to right CF and a double down the left field line. That’s a good sign that he uses the whole field. And, he is typically patient at the plate too. Defensively, he looked pretty bad on a pop up behind him near the 1B line, but other than that, he did a nice job of scooping balls.
• Steve Singleton – Seems to do better when he takes a couple of pitches, even if he falls behind. He will use the whole field. He’s not big, but he’s got a very strong swing. He has very quick hands. He can certainly hit a good fastball, but he can get out in front of offspeed pitched if mixed up well. Defensively, he had two errors in this game, but one was a ridiculous call by the umpire and shouldn’t have been called an error, and the other was a tough play to his backhand side. He has as quick a turn on a double play as I’ve seen since Luis Rivas. He holds his own at 2B on the pivot. He is very smooth defensively.
• Spencer Steedley – he’s a little guy, left-handed. Surprising that he’s able to hit 91-92 on the fastball based on his size, but now I can better understand why he does record quite a few strikeouts. Has a decent offspeed pitch .Today he threw strikes and was successful, but walks have really hurt him this fall. He looks like he can be a big league LOOGY if necessary.

There are certain players that just look like ball players, and I think that Tosoni and Singleton look like ball players. Parmelee looks Adam Dunn . Doesn’t look like a great athlete, but could have a ton of power. Here are some others that I think are worth watching:

• Bryan Peterson – Florida Marlins – OF – Wow!! This guy has some talent. Defensively, he is excellent. I saw him cover some serious ground in Centerfield today. He also made about three or four throws that showed off a tremendously strong and accurate arm. Offensively, he takes pitches and rips shots. Line drives, but he has some pop in his bat too. And he is very fast. He had two triples in today’s game.
• Danny Espinosa – Washington Nationals – SS – excellent glove, strong arm, good range. Good top of the order hitter who hits a lot of line drives and can bunt well.
• Nevin Ashley – Tampa Bay Rays – C – terrific catch-and-release, strong and accurate arm. And, he’s been hitting well in Arizona. Of course, he’s 25 and spent the full season in Hi-A ball, but seems to be some talent.
• Josh Bell – Baltimore Orioles – 3B – He is 6-3 and 235 pounds and he hits everything hard. That said, he appears to be a dead pull hitter.
• Grant Desme – Oakland A’s – OF – The power appears to be legit. He hit a home run today and hit some deep fly balls. The old saying is that the ball just sounds different coming off of his bat, and that is the case with Desme.
• Casey Kelly – Boston Red Sox – 3B/P – Kelly is 6-3 and listed at 194, but he looks a little bigger than that. Pretty solid glove at 3B. He’s so young and has a lot to improve upon, but again, he looks like a ball player. Obviously he’s got a very strong arm.
• Jose Iglesius – Boston Red Sox – SS – The Cuban defector signed a nice $8.3 million deal with the Sox. He is the 2^nd youngest player, still just 19 years old. He looks very young. He’s listed at 5-11 and 175 pounds, but he’s not that big. Next to Kelly, he’s tiny. Swings at everything. Decent speed, and just looks good out on defense.
• Starlin Castro – Chicago Cubs – SS/2B – He is the youngest player in the league, almost three months younger than Iglesius. He looked pretty smooth at 2B on Thursday night. He had to go to the dentist today though.

Finally, one other quick Twins related note. I learned the Mike McCardell was dropped from the Solar Sox roster at the end of October. He got some bone chips removed from his elbow. He is down in Florida rehabbing and doing very well.

I will be up early on Saturday morning and heading back to Minnesota. Getting away is great, but there’s nothing better than going home.  

What do you think? Send me an e-mail, or leave your Comments here.

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

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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.

Weekend in Arizona; Singleton Plays Hero

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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.

Minor League Awards

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On Thursday, the Twins announced their Minor League award winners. David Bromberg was the choice for the Jim Rantz Award for top minor league pitcher in the Twins system. For the second straight year, Ben Revere was named the recipient of the Sherry Robertson Award for the organization’s top hitter.

David Bromberg had another terrific season, and although there were several very good pitchers in the Twins system in 2009, this was really an easy choice. Bromberg went 13-4 with a 2.70 ERA. In 153.3 innings this year, he struck out 148 batters, which was the most in the organization. In 2008, Bromberg led all minor league pitchers with 177 strikeouts while pitching for the Beloit Snappers. He was named, by Baseball America, the top pitching prospect in the Florida State League. Bromberg spent the entire 2009 season at the age of 21 and is clearly a Top 10 Twins prospect.

Here are some others who were likely considered:

• In 51 games at AA New Britain, Anthony Slama struck out 93 in 65.1 innings. He was 4-2 with 25 saves and a 2.48 ERA. He pitched in 11 games at AAA Rochester. He was 0-2 with four saves and a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 19 in 15.2 innings. He gave up five of those six runs in one outing. Overall, he was 4-4 with 29 saves, a 2.67 ERA, and 112 strikeouts (with 40 walks) in 81 innings.
• Alex Burnett was moved from being a starter and into the bullpen. In 18 games in Ft. Myers, he went 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA. Then in 40 games after being promoted to New Britain he was 1-2 with a 1.79 ERA. Overall, he was 3-3 with a 1.85 ERA. In 78 innings, he had 78 strikeouts and just 26 walks.
• Steve Hirschfeld went 7-7 with a 2.2 ERA. He pitched in 15 games out of the bullpen before making 17 starts.
• Santos Arias was 6-3 with a 2.15 ERA in 100.2 innings. He made 29 relief appearances before ending the season with nine starts.
• Joe Testa spent the first half of the season pitching in Beloit. In 25 games, he was 0-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 45. 2 innings. Then in Ft. Myers, he was 5-0 with a 1.22 ERA in 21 games, and 37 innings. Altogether, in 82.2 innings, he struck out 116, and walked 41.
• Adrian Salcedo (3-2, 1.46 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3 BB, 58 K in 61.2 IP), Blayne Weller (5-1, 1.58 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 8 BB, 49 K in 57 IP), BJ Hermsen (6-2, 1.35 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 4 BB, 42 K in 53.1 IP) and Andrei Lobanov (2-1, 0.82 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 1 BB, 35 K in 22 IP) all had strong showing for the short-season GCL Twins.

The choice for hitter of the year was much more difficult, so it is hard to argue the selection of Ben Revere for winning for the second straight season. Revere finished second in the Florida State League in batting average in 2009 with a .311 average. He was on base 37.2% of the time and had 19 extra base hits. He also stole 45 bases in 62 attempts. Something I like to see in a top of the order hitter, he walked 40 times with just 34 strikeouts. No question, Revere has proven a lot of critics wrong through his first two full minor league seasons.

There are several other hitters who warranted strong consideration:

• After a strong showing during big league spring training, Danny Valencia started his season back where he ended the 2008 season, in New Britain. There, he hit .284/.373/.482 with 14 homers, four triples and seven homers. That earned him a promotion to AAA where he got off to a fast start before tailing off late. He hit .286/.305/.454 with 24 doubles and seven home runs. All together, he his .285/.337/.466 with 38 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs.
• Brian Dinkelman spent the entire 2009 season at New Britain. He played primarily in 2B, but in the 2^nd half of the season, he played several games in LF as well. With the bat, he had a very strong season. He hit .296/.383/.440 with 38 doubles, two triples and eight home runs.
• Rene Tosoni hit .271/.360/.454 with 25 doubles, four triples and 15 home runs for the New Britain Rockcats.
• Also at AA was Erik Lis for the second straight full season. He hit .283/.353/.462 with 29 doubles and 17 home runs.
• Chris Parmelee hit .258/.359/.441 with 27 doubles and 16 home runs for the Ft. Myers Miracle.
• Ramon Santana spent most of the season at Beloit for the third season. There he hit .296/.384/.453 with 25 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. He went 4-15 in four games at AA New Britain at the end of the season.
• In short season Elizabethton, Josmil Pinto hit .332/.387/.610 with 14 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs in just 53 games. Brian Dozier hit .353/.417/.431 with 17 doubles.

There were several very good performances in the Twins minor league system, some that I didn’t mention here. It’s hard to argue with either of the Twins choices. So, congratulations to both David Bromberg and Ben Revere. If you would like to share your thoughts, please click here.

Arizona Fall League Update – Yesterday, the Mesa Solar Sox lost 12-5 to Surprise. Rene Tosoni was 0-4 with a walk. Chris Parmelee went 0-3 with a walk. Steve Singleton went 1-4 with his second double in two games.

Solar Sox Win!

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The Arizona Fall League is upon us. Seven Twins minor leaguers are participating in the illustrious league of prospects. On Tuesday afternoon, they played their first game of the year for the Mesa Solar Sox. They beat the Phoenix Desert Dogs 10-6. The game really wasn’t as close as the score indicates.

Right from the start, the Solar Sox jumped out to a lead. Twins OF prospect, Rene Tosoni, led off the game with a solo home run. Here is how the Twins prospects did on the day:

• Rene Tosoni – Left Field – Leadoff – He went 1-4 with two walks and the home run.
• Chris Parmelee – 1B – Batted 6^th – He went 0-4 with a walk.
• Steve Singleton – 2B – Batted 8^th – He went 2-5 with a double.
• Steve Hirschfeld – RHP – He pitched the 5^th inning. He struck out three hitters. He also gave up a solo home run to another.
• Spencer Steedley – LHP – He came in with a runner on and two outs in the 6^th inning. He walked one, threw a wild pitch, walked another but then got out of that inning without a run scoring. He came out for the 7^th inning. He issued another walk, gave up a single, loaded the bases with a walk, and gave up a two run single before being replaced. No additional runs scored, so he gave up two runs on four walks and two hits in 0.1 innings.
• Alex Burnett – RHP – Did not pitch.
• Michael McCardell – RHP – Did not pitch. He will be starting on Wednesday.

I just found out that I will be in Phoenix for work for a couple of days in November, so I am hoping to get to a game or two. That is one of those things every baseball fan should experience, and I hope I can cross that off of my list. Any thoughts on the Arizona Fall League, the Twins players selected to go, or any other comments, please click here.

Friday Notes and Week 3 Picks

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Good Morning, and Happy Friday to you!

SethSpeaks.net NIGHTLY Minnesota Twins podcast

• On last night’s podcast, I spent the first part of the show updating on the World Cup, and dissected the weekend pitching matchups. Then John Bonnes, The Twins Geek, came on and we talked about various Twins topics. Next, Lee Warren, of the Royals blog Royals Reflections, came on and gave us a few things to watch for this weekend.
• Finally, Twins relief pitching prospect Alex Burnett called in and we had a great discussion. He talked about his transition from starting to being a reliever, from the Florida State League to the Eastern League, the difference between pitching in the 8^th inning and the 9^th inning, the Arizona Fall League and more.  
• Again tonight, I will be hosting another new episode at 10:00 central time.

Twins / Royals, Tigers / White Sox

The Tigers beat/swept Cleveland with a 6-5 win for Justin Verlander. That puts the Twins three games behind the Tigers with ten games left, four against the Tigers. Here are the pitching matchups for the weekend series:

Friday

• Carl Pavano versus Robinson Tejeda. Pavano has been as good as we could have expected when he was acquired from Cleveland. But he has not been good against the Royals this year. In five starts, he has gone 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA, and Royals hitters have hit .306 against him. Tejeda has been incredible this year. He is 4-1 with a 2.94 ERA on the season. However, he only recently was put into the Royals starting staff. Check out these September numbers. In four starts, he is 3-0 with a 0.81 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, and hitters have hit .117 off of him. In August, hitters hit .087. Right handed hitters this year, are hitting .103 against him.
• Eddie Bonine versus Jake Peavy. Bonine will be making his third start for the Tigers this year (9^th appearance). Peavy will be making his second start for the White Sox.

Saturday

• Scott Baker versus Lenny DiNardo. Baker has been the Twins best starter this year. However, he has gone a combined ten innings over his last start, and hasn’t made it through the sixth inning. He will need to step it up over his final two starts of the year. DiNardo came to the Royals this year after being let go by the A’s. He has made just three starts, and is 0-1 with an 8.22 ERA. However, he is left-handed, and the Twins haven’t seen much of him, so who knows what to expect.
• Nate Robertson versus Freddy Garcia. Robertson has been awful this year for the Tigers (exception, his start last week against the Twins). Garcia will be making his eighth start for the White Sox this year. He has gone six or more innings in his past six starts. His last start went eight innings against the Royals.  

Sunday      

• Francisco Liriano versus Zach Greinke. Not a good matchup for the Twins. The Twins are going to just try to piece together a pitching performance. They can hope to get three decent innings from Liriano, but then the entire bullpen will likely be ready to come in. Don’t be surprised if we see a lot of Jeff Manship and Armando Gabino in this game if it doesn’t start out well. Greinke, simply put, has been the best pitcher  in baseball all year. He is 15-8 with a 2.08 ERA. In 216.1 innings, he has struck out 229 and walked just 47. Inexplicably, this will be his first start against the Twins this season. All due respect to Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez, but Greinke should be the AL Cy Young Award winner.
• Edwin Jackson versus Daniel Hudson. Jackson is 13-7 with a 3.25 ERA. He went seven shutout innings in his last start. Hudson got the loss in his first big league start last week, against the Twins. Hopefully his different delivery will keep the Tigers bats off balance.

 World Cup Update

• Team USA beat Cuba 5-3. Trevor Plouffe went 1-4 with a walk. Terry Tiffee was 1-4 with his fourth homer and two RBI.
• Puerto Rico beat Chinese Taipei 8-2.
• Canada beat The Netherlands 11-5. Rene Tosoni went 1-4 with a walk.
• Venezuela beat Australia 11-5. James Beresford and Luke Hughes were each 1-5.
• On Saturday the fourth place teams in the two pools play (for 7^th place), the third place teams in each pool play (for 5^th place), and the second place team in each pool play (for third place).
• Finally on Sunday, the first place teams in each pool will play for the World Cup championship.

 If you have any opinions, comments or updates, please leave them in the Comments section. 

NFL “Expert” Picks (Week 3)

The Twins will be playing the Royals this weekend. The Tigers are playing the White Sox in Chicago. It’s a big baseball weekend! The NFL is looking to Week 3 of its schedule. Below you will find our panel’s picks for this week’s games. Again, at any point you would like know more about our panelists or take a look at the standings, click on our FB Picks ’09 page.

I understand that posting the picks on this main page has created a situation where the formatting of this page is compromised. So I have posted the picks on the Archive page, which you can see here.

SethSpeaks.net Live Twins Game Chat at 7!

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First of all, Happy Birthday to the easy choice for Twins minor league pitcher of the year (all due respect to Alex Burnett) David Bromberg!

There will be no SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast tonight. Instead I will host a Live Game Chat at 7:00.

I will open up the chat room 15-20 minutes early, and I encourage your questions on the Twins, Twins minor league, Vikings, whatever you would like to ask about. To sign up for an e-mail reminder, to join the chat live, or to read the transcript later, Click Here.

Should be a lot of fun, so get your questions answered!

NFL “Expert” Picks – 2009 (Week 1)

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

The NFL season starts tonight with one game. That means one thing… it is time to start up this year’s version of the NFL “Expert” Picks at SethSpeaks.net. There are a few changes to the panel this year. A few new bloggers and media types join the panel. There are also several other Twins minor leaguers who have joined this panel. That is exciting, especially since all of the players from last year returned. With the promotion of Jeff Manship to the big leagues, we now have two Minnesota Twins players making picks each week. The goal will be for us to get these posted in time for you to review them before you need to turn in your office pool picks. So, with a game tonight, here are our picks for this week. If there are just games on Sunday and Monday, I will attempt to post them by Friday morning.

The format will be a little bit different in an attempt to try to make it a little more concise. We will try it out, but if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. We are now over 30 panelists, so it will be a bit of work. I will try to update the Standings in a timely manner each week.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me or leave some Comments here. If you want, post your picks.

The Panel

Before getting to the picks, I would like to introduce this year’s panel:

Seth Stohs – It’s me… you can find me here, or at TalkinTwinsBB.wordpress.com. I also write a weekly blog for the Star Tribune Your Voices blog. Monday nights, you can hear the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast at 9:00 central time. Last fall, I wrote the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook – 2009 (Which is now on sale!), and in July, I joined the TwinsCentric group and helped write the TwinsCentric July Trade Deadline Primer.

Kevin Slowey – Kevin is back for his fifth year on the panel.The loyal Steelers follower, Slowey will not only make the picks each week, but he will tell us how many points the Steelers will win by! Slowey had a very solid first half with the Twins, but wrist problems cost Slowey the second half of this season. He had wrist surgery and looks to come back in 2010 where he left off.

Jeff Manship – Jeff is in his third year on this panel. He was the Twins 14^th round draft pick in 2006 out of Notre Dame. He started the 2009 season back in New Britain. He was promoted to Rochester at the midpoint of the season. He pitched very well with the Red Wings and when there was a need with the Twins, Manship was promoted to the big league club. He was recently moved into the starting rotation and done well.

Kyle Waldrop – Kyle won this league championship three seasons ago. He has also had the best record of Twins players the past two years as well. After missing the 2008 season, Kyle came back with a very strong 2009 season. He pitched in the Ft. Myers bullpen for the first half of the season. He was promoted to New Britain where he was even better. In 31 games (and 55.2 innings), he had a 1.46 ERA.

Joe Benson – Joe is also in his third season on the NFL “Expert” Picks panel. The Twins 2006 2^nd round pick spent two years in Beloit. This year, he moved up to Ft. Myers and re-established himself as a top prospect.

Steve Singleton – Steve is now in his second season on the panel. He got off to a slow start in his return to Ft. Myers. He received a promotion to New Britain and he took off from there with the bat. He also got playing time at his preferred position, SS. Recently, he earned a spot in the Arizona Fall League.

Alex Burnett – Alex joins the panel for the first time. The Twins 12^th round pick in 2005 out of his California high school, Burnett would be his team’s top starting pitcher at each level. So it was a surprise when he was sent back to Ft. Myers this April and put into the bullpen. That decision proved to be a wise one as he dominated the Florida State League. He earned a promotion to AA New Britain where he was even better (1.79 ERA in AA, 1.99 ERA in FM).

Matt Fox – Matt was a supplemental first round pick of the Twins in 2004 out of Central Florida. He had surgery in 2005, and since then he has gradually regained arm strength as he has moved up one level each year. This year, he was arguably the best pitcher at AA New Britain. He went 9-9 with a 3.58 ERA in over 150 innings pitched. His numbers would be even better without a rough July. He should move up to Rochester in 2010, and we may see him with the Twins next year as well. This is the first year on this panel.

Mike McCardell – Mike was the Twins 6^th round pick in 2007 out of Kutztown University. He has been very good ever since. He began this season with Ft. Myers where he made 17 starts. He was promoted to New Britain where, after a rough first start, he has been one of their better pitchers. This is his first year on the panel.

David Bromberg – Coming off of a season in which he was named the Florida State League’s Pitcher of the Year, Bromberg joins this panel for the first time this year. In 2008, he led all Minor League Baseball in strikeouts. He was the Twins 32^nd round pick in 2005 but went to Junior College before signing as a Draft and Follow in 2006. Bromberg is arguably the Twins best pitching prospect.

Dan Osterbrock – Osterbrock was the Twins 7^th round pick in 2008 out of the University of Cincinnati. He was named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year in 2008. He moved up to Beloit this year. He ended this season strong, being named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week after giving up just two runs in 13 innings over two starts. This is his first year on this panel.

Steve Blevins – Blevins is also on the panel for the first time. The Snappers’ reliever was the Twins 21^st round pick in 2008 out of Marshall. This year, he went 3-5 with a 3.52 ERA. Opponents hit just .262 off of his this season. He showed improvement from the first half to the second half of the season and hopes to build on that for 2010.

Shooter Hunt – Shooter Hunt was the Twins supplemental first round pick in 2008. He was drafted out of Tulane, and is a huge football fan. This is his first year on the NFL “Expert” Picks panel.

Kyle Gibson – Kyle was the Twins 1^st round pick just this June, 22^nd overall, out of the University of Missouri. He fell to the Twins due to a fracture in his forearm that has since healed. He signed shortly before the August 17^th deadline and has reported to Ft. Myers. He will officially join the Twins in Instructional Leagues and make his debut next spring. Gibson is on the panel for the first time.

Dan Slowey –Dan is the man behind a very interesting website called Blogonoscopy. This is his second year in the panel.

John Bonnes – John has been involved in the world of Twins blogging longer than anyone else. He is The Twins Geek,. He is also one of the TwinsCentric group.

Stick & Ball Guy – SBG is the creator of The World’s Greatest Online Magazine, one of the top blogs you’ll find on the Twins, but he also is active in discussions surrounding the Timberwolves, Vikings and much, much more.

Nick Nelson – Nick is another long-time Twins blogger who has been part of this panel for a few years now. He is the lasting author of the Nick’s Twins blog. He is also a writer in the TwinsCentric bunch.

Josh Johnson – Josh has been writing at Josh’s Thoughts, a very good Twins blog. Josh recently headed back to college, so hopefully that homework stuff doesn’t get in his way too much! He is on the panel for the third year.

Parker Hageman –Parker is the author of the excellent Over the Baggy blog, a very thought-provoking Twins blog. Parker is another member of the TwinsCentric group. This is his second year on this panel.

Andrew Kneeland –Andrew is in his second year on the panel. He writes about the Twins blog where you can get your Twins Fix. He also writes at times for The Bleacher Report. 

Travis Aune – Travis writes the Twins blog Travis Talks. He focuses a lot on the minor league system. He has been a frequent guest on the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast. This will be his first year on the panel.

John Meyer – John is another very busy individual. He’s got new businesses in the works to go with the great job he does as the Twins Most Valuable Blogger. This is his first year on the panel.

Brian Pietrzak – Brian is on the panel for the first time this year. He writes the Minnesota Twins page for Examiner.com.

LaVelle E. Neal III – LaVelle has been on this panel for several years now. He is a Twins beat writer for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune which includes the blog Twins Insider. He also frequently appears on KFAN radio. He’s always a strong competitor in this competition.

Howard Sinker – Howard provides Twins fans with A Fan’s View from Section 220. The former Twins beat writer (1982-1987) is still working at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Phil Mackey – P-Mac is a regular contributor to many of the shows on KFAN. He is the voice behind Twins Weekly. His personal blog can be found at www.PhilMackey.com. He is also heavily involved in  MNPokerMag.com. He is one of the busiest sports media types in the Twin Cities, and this is his first year on the panel.  

Darren “Doogie” Wolfson – Speaking of busy Twin Cities media types, Doogie can be found everywhere. He has a Star Tribune Your Voices blog, writes for gopherhole.com and works for cbssports.com… among other things. His radio background has allowed him to be a guest on several local radio shows. He is joining the panel for the first time too.

Jonathan Mayo – Jonathan has been on the panel three other years. He did take a year off to write a book, Facing Clemens. He is a senior writer for MLB.com and MiLB.com where he blogs on the Minors and the Draft.

Jack Michaels – Jack competes in this panel for the second straight year. He is the host of The Jack Michaels Show on ESPN 710 The Fan in Bismarck, ND, and has been gracious enough to let me be on his show from time to time. He was the original radio play-by-play guy of the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks where he teamed with former Dodgers great Maury Wills.

Cory Hepola – Cory is currently a sports anchor for WROC-TV in Rochester, New York. You can find much more about him on his personal blog that includes postings and videos and much more.

Vic Quick – Vic has been on this panel for a long time. He is currently a sports reporter/anchor for KOTA-TV in Rapid City, South Dakota, and proclaims himself the biggest Texas Rangers fan in South Dakota. The Dallas native is also likely the biggest Cowboys fan in the state too! My former college roommate definitely knows his football, at least anything about Emmitt Smith or Troy Aikman, well, and the Concordia Cobbers!

Roger Dehring – Roger is one of the more knowledgeable people you can meet when it comes to the Twins minor league system. He writes a Weekly Minor League Report for the Twinkie Town website.

Blake Meyer – Blake is the originator of an incredible Twins website, Twins Cards. If you go there, you can see Twins baseball cards back to the team’s inception. You can find autographs and memorabilia and much more. Blake provides us an international flavor to the panel!

Michael Brasel – Long time friend (closer to 30 years than either of us want to admit), Mike was listed among the best players I have played ball with. He was one of the original panelists.

WEEK 1 Picks

Alright, here are our picks for the first week of the season:

To see our Week 1 picks, you will need to go to SethSpeaks.net.