Twins Rundown: March 31, 2009

• Yesterday, Glen Perkins and the Twins faced an old friend in Ft. Myers as they hosted Matt Garza and the reigning American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays. Perkins edged Garza through 6 shutout innings to give the Twins a 3-0 win. Garza allowed 3 runs on 8 hits in the losing effort. Jose Morales, Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla all drove in a run each.

Perkins has been rock solid this Spring, he now sports a 3-1 record to go along with a 1.73 ERA through 26 innings.

• Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune caught up with Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire after the game. Gardenhire announced that both Delmon Young and Joe Crede will miss a couple days with injuries. Young has a sore shoulder and won't pick up a baseball for a few days while Crede was hit on the hand by a Matt Garza fastball and will miss a few days of action. Dick Bremer reported during the Fox Sports Net telecast of the yesterdays game that Crede broke a blood vessel in his hand, which made his knuckle really swollen. But both players should be fine in a few days.

Gardenhire also announced that the team will make more cuts today. But also mentioned that the battle for the final bench spot will go up until the last day of Spring Training.

• Joe Christensen also gives us a great story about Twins legend Harmon Killebrew and current first baseman Justin Morneau. Killebrew still remains very involved with the Twins and every team could use a presence like him. He's done a lot for the Twins and continues to mentor young players.

• The brass of Twins writers here at Baseball Digest are handing out pre-season hardware to who we think is going to win different awards at the end of the year. Today, the Cy Young Award is given out. We all believe the American League Cy Young winner will come from the American League East.

• Seth Stohs of Seth Speaks (and Baseball Digest) is hosting his Weekly Twins Podcast tonight at 9:00 PM CT. Scheduled to appear are Twins pitching prospect Dan Osterbrock, TwinsBaseball.com's Kelly Thesier and Aaron Gleeman of NBCSports/Rotoworld, MinnPost and AaronGleeman.com. Make sure you tune in!

• Frequent commentor at Howard Sinker's A Fan's View... from Section 220, JimCrikket, gives us a great in-depth look into Spring Training. Catch both of his posts here and here.

This post can also be read at Baseball Digest.com.

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #21 Mike Stanton

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #21 | Mike Stanton | Marlins

Position | Outfield

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | November 8, 1989 (Panorama, California)

School | Notre Dame High School

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 225 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
The Florida Marlins drafted Mike Stanton in the second round of the 2007 draft. Despite having a baseball scholarship to USC and football scholarships to UCLA and UNLV, Stanton decided to turn pro, and it has so-far been the right decision. At just 18-years-old, Stanton was second in all the Minor Leagues last season with 39 home runs and lead the South Atlantic League in categories such as Slugging Percentage, Extra-Base Hits and Total Bases. He has extreme raw power potential but like many power hitters, he strikes out a helluva lot. He has a good arm and plays good enough defense to project as a strong right fielder when he is ready to play for the Marlins. The team probably shouldn't rush him, but with the team in complete rebuild-mode, they could be more aggressive with him.

2008 Statistics

Level    G    PA    AVG    OBP    SLG   XBH    HR    K

A      125   540   .293   .381   .611    68    39  153

2009 Outlook
Stanton will likely be in Advanced-A with the Jupiter Hammerheads. It will be a real test for him playing in the pitching-tough Florida State League after playing in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League in 2008.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2011

How does the outfield "competition" currently stand?

To begin talking about the current state of the Twins outfield, we have to first venture back to December. During a Q&A segment at an Agricultural Trade Show in Fargo on December 3rd, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire suggested what his starting outfield would be come Opening Day 2009.

"Those three guys (Span, Gomez & Cuddyer) need to play every day. Delmon is in the mix. He’s a helluva player, a helluva talent. But to me, those three guys should be your outfield and then you go from there.”

Obviously, this resulted in quite an uproar throughout the Twins blogosphere. It was right before the Manager Meetings in Las Vegas, which obviously churned the trade rumors throughout that week. Despite rumors of Delmong Young being traded to the Phillies, Rays, Mariners and Padres (among other teams), the Twins decided to hang onto Young. Was it because teams were trying to low-ball the Twins? Was it because they really had no intent on trading Young? It's probably something we'll never know, but regardless, Young laced up his cleats with the Twins on the first day of Spring Training.

Yesterday, during the Twins telecast, color commentator Bert Blylevin relayed what Gardenhire had recently told him about the outfield situation.

"Right out of Spring Training, he's going to go with the hot hand, who's hot is going to start."

Is he changing his stance? Obviously this could alter his earlier stance in case one of "those three guys" goes into a slump. And Gardenhire could be facing that dilemma very shortly.

The Twins wrap up Spring Training in less than a week, and the outfield situation looks as if it should be playing itself out. That is if Gardenhire's current stance is the same as what Blylevin mentioned and he doesn't go back to his first statement. But as we've heard throughout Spring Training, Gardenhire isn't worried about the fact that Span is hitting .154/.257/.246 through 65 Spring Training at-bats.

"He's already proven he can play for me, and play up here, you know what I mean? I'm not worried about it."

With a week left to go, here's how the contestants stand in Gardenhire's "Wheel of Outfielders":

Carlos Gomez - Center Field

2009 Spring Training

       G    AB    AVG    OBP    SLG   XBH    HR   BB/K

      18    49   .286   .375   .592     8     3    6/7

Reasons for and against Gomez starting:
Has outstanding potential and although it'd be great to see him grow into the type of hitter he could be, it likely won't happen this season and maybe not even next. He is very raw offensively and will require a lot of ups and downs over the course of his career. The Twins know he is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game and seem willing to handle poor hitting for poor defense so long as his hitting improves. He's hitting the ball well this Spring but still frequently shows his youth.

Michael Cuddyer - Right Field

2009 Spring Training

       G    AB    AVG    OBP    SLG   XBH    HR   BB/K

      17    48   .333   .377   .583     7     2    4/6

Reasons for and against Cuddyer starting:
Cuddyer missed a lot of the 2008 season with injuries and even when he was healthy, he hasn't put up great numbers over the last year-and-a-half. But still, we occasionally see signs of Cuddyer returning to his 2006 form when he hit 24 home runs, drove in 104 runs and had an OPS+ of 124. The Twins value his leadership in the dugout and will want to keep him happy. But we all know that he's one of "Gardy's Boys" and will likely receive most of the starts in right field. He's hitting the ball well, but even if he isn't, he'll still get the upper hand to be penciled in on the lineup card.

Delmon Young - Left/Right Field

2009 Spring Training

       G   AB    AVG    OBP    SLG   XBH    HR   BB/K

      19   58   .293   .317   .517     7     3    0/9

Reasons for and against Young starting:
Young has been hitting great this Spring. Although he isn't getting on base at that high of a clip, he is beginning to pull the ball and more importantly drive the ball which is something Twins fans have expected from Young since he's been a Twin. At 6'3'' and 200 lbs., Young should be able to bash the ball a lot farther than he was doing so last year. His K/BB ratio is alarming, but it's something that he improved on slightly last year and should be something that improves this year.

Denard Span - Left, Center, Right Field

2009 Spring Training

      G    AB    AVG    OBP    SLG   XBH    HR   BB/K

      20   65   .154   .257   .246     6     1   9/10

Reasons for and against Span starting:
Span can play, and we all know it. Although he's fighting it in Spring Training, Span can hit the ball well enough to be the teams best bet at lead-off. His walk-rate is encouraging and it looks like he's at least taking good at-bats and continuing to draw walks. He is extremely valuable as he can play all three outfield spots great and is really the teams best option at lead-off. His hitting line in Spring does raise eyebrows though as many question whether or not his success in 2008 was a fluke or not.

I personally like all three players. It's a shame the Twins cannot find room for all of them. If Cuddyer were as athletic as he was when he first came up through the Minor Leagues, the Twins could use him at second base and this entire competition would be forgotten. But unfortunately the story doesn't work out like that and the team is now faced with a decision.

Although we all know each outfielder will get his fair share of at-bats, we also know that at least one of them will also get stiffed of at-bats while others start much more than them. Although he will probably never say it, Gardenhire knows that both Gomez and Cuddyer will be his everyday center and right fielders from day one. Gardenhire would claim that this "competition" is for all three outfield spots, but we all know that it really only comes down to left field.

Span and Young both possess qualities that the Twins are looking for. Span gets on base at lead-off while Young provides a middle-of-the-order right-handed bat that the team desires. But if Gardenhire is serious about going with "who's hot," then Young deserves the nod at least on Opening Day. And don't let my statements get in the way of the overall picture. I'm not suggesting that Span is bench ridden for the entire season, and I know he needs to get at-bats in order to get out of slumps, but I personally think that he should get his at-bats as long as it doesn't come at the expense of sitting a hot batter. Although a .293 average with zero walks and nine strikeouts is not something that should give him all out immunity, I do think that his improvements at the plate should give him the upper hand in the left field battle.

One thing I'd hate to see is deserving players not get their chance to play due to another player having the "upper hand." We all know that Young is Gardenhire's least favorite of the three other outfielders mentioned (and if we're including Kubel, Young would still rank last), but will he have to suffer? Hopefully not.

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #22 Chris Tillman

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #22 | Chris Tillman | Orioles

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | April 15, 1988 (Anaheim, California)

School | Fountain Valley High School

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 195 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
The Seattle Mariners drafted Chris Tillman in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft. After spending a year-and-a-half in the Mariners system, Tillman was traded along with a slew of prospects to the Baltimore Orioles for southpaw Erik Bedard. In his first season with the Orioles, Tillman impressed scouts with his strong, sinking fastball and power curveball which helped him strike out 154 batters in only 135 2/3 innings. He also has a change-up, but it's definitely his worse pitch of the bunch. In 2008, Tillman left batters on base 77.1% of the time and had a K/9 ratio of 10.22. He is a big pitcher with good mechanics. If he can improve on throwing strikes, he could be the Ace of an improving Orioles bullpen in no time.

2008 Statistics

Level    W    L    ERA     IP     K    BB    WHIP    FIP

AA      11    4   3.18  135.2   154    65    1.33   3.41

2009 Outlook
Tillman will be in Triple-A with the Norfolk Tides of the International League. He will likely make his Orioles debut at some point during the 2009 season.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #23 Lars Anderson

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #23 | Lars Anderson | Red Sox

Position | First Base

Bats/Throws | Left/Left

Born | September 25, 1987 (Oakland, California)

School | Jesuit High School

Height | 6'4''

Weight | 215 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Available




Breakdown
The Red Sox drafted Lars Anderson in the 18th round of the 2006 draft. Through 932 professional at-bats, Anderson is hitting .304/.404/.480 with 29 home runs and good plate discipline. It almost seems unfair, doesn't it? The Red Sox might have the most talent out of any team in all of baseball and it just doesn't seem fair for them to have players in their system such as Anderson. Considering Anderson has drawn comparisons to the Twins' Justin Morneau, it must send shivers down the spines of American League East teams to think that the Red Sox could have a player like Morneau in their already deadly lineup. Anderson shouldn't require much more time in the Minor Leagues and when he is ready, the Red Sox will most likely move Kevin Youkilis to third base despite him being one of the best defensive first basemen in the league. Defensively, Anderson moves well and is above average with his glove. In otherwords, the Red Sox will be fine defensively at first base even if Youkilis isn't there.

2008 Statistics

Level    G    PA    AVG    OBP    SLG   XBH    HR   BB

A       77   358   .317   .408   .513    33    13   46
AA      41   163   .316   .436   .526    18     5   29

2009 Outlook
Anderson will likely be in Triple-A with the Pawtucket Red Sox. He'll likely get his first cup of coffee at the Major League level this season.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Blog Update - - Updated

I'm going to be messing around with the layout/font/etc. today. Sorry if it's annoying. If it all works out, I might have a slightly new layout done by sometime tonight. But we'll see....

Thanks for reading


Subtle Changes:
For those of you that can tell, there are some subtle changes to the layout of the site. But I am still figuring some things out and still not sure whether I like this layout compared to the old layout (which I am aware, they are a lot alike). For some reason, this time has been (a lot) tougher than changing things in the past. When I usually edit things, I just lick on the Font and Colors tab under my Layout tab (For those that are familiar with Blogspot, it's what helps you change simple things such as colors, font, sizes, etc.), which allows me to just simply click on a color to chose, but that's not working so I am having to edit everything through HTML. Thankfully I'm somewhat familiar with HTML, but I'm still trying to work through some things.

Anyways, if you think it sucks, if you love it or have any other kind of feedback, I would love to hear it. I know the changes are subtle, but I do like the layout. Just send me an e-mail with your thoughts/suggestions.

Thank you!

Also, I'm considering making (or finding someone to make) a banner for the top where it says "Josh's Thoughts." I'm not sure how I'm going to go about doing this (I have gimp and can use photoshop at the library), but I'm open to suggestions. If you have any, let me know!

Twins trade Nolte, keep Jones

Jason Jones will be sticking around in the Twins organization.

According to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Twins traded right-handed reliever Charles Nolte to the New York Yankees in exchange for keeping Rule V Draft pick Jason Jones. The move allows the Twins to re-assign Jones to the Twins Triple-A affiliate Rochester Red Wings instead of sending him back to the Yankees.

Jones is a 26-year-old right-handed starter who was competing for a spot in the Twins' bullpen. This move simply suggests that Jones won't be with the Twins, at least for the start of the season. In a sense, that leaves R.A. Dickey, Philip Humber and Brian Duensing for the last one or two bullpen spots (depending on whether the Twins carry 11 or 12 pitchers).

Jones has a 43-41 record in 637 innings with a 3.77 ERA since the Yankees drafted him in the 4th round of the 2004 draft. The Yankees pick of Jones was kind of a question mark considering he never posted very good numbers while he played at Liberty University. Jones will be starting for the Rochester Red Wings and will give the Twins depth in both the rotation and in the bullpen in case of an injury.

Nolte is a 23-year-old reliever who has been a pleasant surprise for the Twins since being drafted in the 24th round of the 2007 draft. Despite not pitching a lot with the San Diego State Aztecs, the Twins still took a chance on the former Tommy John surgery victim. Nolte has since posted a 7-3 record with a 2.01 ERA in 58 relief appearances since being drafted. Nolte has a problem locating the strike zone, but he gets hitters to ground out at an extremely high rate of consistency, which is something every team wants in a pitcher.

Nolte could emerge as a viable relief option within the next couple of years. He'll be heading to the Florida State League to play with the Tampa Yankees. Nolte will face many of his former teammates with the Twins eight times this season.

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #24 Fernando Martinez

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #24 | Fernando Martinez | Mets

Position | Outfield

Bats/Throws | Left/Right

Born | October 10, 1988 (Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'1''

Weight | 190 lbs.

2008 Ranking | 14




Breakdown
Fernando Martinez was signed by the New York Mets in 2005. The New York Mets have a tenancy to rush a lot of their young, raw talent in order to bring up their value in hopes of driving up their trade return. Martinez may be a victim of this, but regardless he has at least held his own throughout the Mets system, despite being incredibly young for his level of play. Martinez will likely be starting at one of the corner outfield spots come 2010, but in 2009 he'll most likely start the 2009 season with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bison. Should the Mets decide to hang onto Martinez, they'll be getting a good player with enormous potential. If they decide to trade him, they should be able to get something valuable in return.

2008 Statistics

Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR     3B

R          4     15    .429    .467    .643       2      0      1
AA        86    365    .287    .340    .432      31      8      4

2009 Outlook
Martinez will start in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bison but he will likely be making his Mets debut at some point this season, despite being only 20-years-old.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #25 Carlos Carrasco

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #25 | Carlos Carrasco | Phillies

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | February 11, 1987 (Barquisimeto, Venezuela)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'3''

Weight | 215 lbs.

2008 Ranking | 38




Breakdown
Despite having what many would call an overall disappointing 2008 season, I still see a lot of promise in Carlos Carrasco. Signed out of Venezuela as a non-drafted free agent on Novermber 25, 2003 by the Phillies, Carrasco has put together a very solid professional career. At the end of the 2007 season and much of 2008, Carrasco spent time with the Reading Phillies in the Eastern League, the Phillies Double-A affiliate. In both stints, he struggled quite a bit, but the Phillies decided to promote him anyways and showed flashes of brilliance in Triple-A, much like he did in Single-A. He has a good arsenal of pitches that project well in the Major Leagues including a low-mid 90's fastball to go along with a great change-up. The Phillies have considered him for the 5th spot in their rotation, but I think that he'd be best suited to start the 2009 season in Triple-A.

2008 Statistics

Level      W      L      ERA      IP      K      BB      WHIP     FIP

AA         7      7     4.32   114.2    109      45      1.34    4.11
AAA        2      2     1.72    36.2     46      13      1.36    2.19

2009 Outlook
Carrasco still has an opportunity to win a rotation spot for the Phillies, but I expect him to start the season in Triple-A. Regardless, he should be making his Phillies debut at some point this season.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball
• Slider
  
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video

Click Here

Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #26 Brian Matusz

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #26 | Brian Matusz | Orioles

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Left/Left

Born | February 11, 1987 (Grand Junction, Colorado)

School | University of San Diego

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 200 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
The Baltimore Baltimore Orioles selected Brian Matusz with the 4th overall pick of the 2008 draft. Matusz wrapped up a prolific collegiate career with a 26-8 record, a 2.87 ERA and 397 strikeouts in 317 innings. He has great control, walking only 98 batters in three seasons. Matusz signed late and didn't get any professional action during the regular season. Instead, the Orioles had to wait and see Matusz pitch in the Arizona Fall League where he had a great 31/7 K/BB ratio in 26.2 innings pitched. He has 4 pitches that he can throw at any time and they are all effective. Matusz won't require a long time in the Minor Leagues and should be near the top of the Orioles rotation within the next two years.

2008 Statistics

Level      W      L      ERA      IP      K      BB      WHIP     FIP

                            Not Available

2009 Outlook
Matusz will likely begin in the Carolina League with the Frederick Keys, the Orioles Advanced-A affiliate. As long as he pitches well, he should move quickly through the system.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball
• Slider
  
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Twins Need Crain to Run Away with Setup Job

The Twins have plenty of arms, but for some reason the bullpen is still an area of concern, but that’s not surprising. After years and years of having one of the best bullpens in baseball, the Twins bullpen really took a beating in 2008, losing 27 games on the season, something many Twins fans are not accustomed to when it comes to their favorite teams bullpen. Despite hoisting a respectable 3.92 ERA, the bullpen proved to be the teams Achilles Heal last season many times blowing close games or even games that looked to be “in the bag.” In their defense, Pat Neshek went down with an injury and reliever Matt Guerrier was from that point on overused and really wore down. The Twins really struggled to find someone who was a consistent performer.

This season, the Twins hope to have their bullpen problems behind them, with a few players already stepping up in Spring Training.

Jesse Crain has impressed both the coaches from Team Canada and more importantly his own coaches with the Minnesota Twins. After striking out all four batters he faced in the World Baseball Classic, Crain has allowed just three hits and a run in 7.1 innings since his return to the Twins. At this point, he looks to be the most logical option to fill the setup-man duties. Yesterday, Kelly Thesier of MLB.com asked manager Ron Gardenhire who has impressed him this Spring (in regards to the setup-man job), Gardenhire responded saying that “Jesse Crain is throwing the living fire out of the ball.” Gardenhire also told Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that “Jesse’s probably the leading candidate” for the setup job.

That is something many Twins fans will be happy to hear considering Crain is only a little under two years-removed from rotator cuff/labrum surgery on his right shoulder. Considering his return from shoulder surgery, many were disappointed in Crain’s 2008 numbers. But the fact is that Crain’s ‘08 campaign was actually promising considering most pitchers never return to pre-labrum surgery form.

Crain appeared in 66 games last season and had a 3.59 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP in 62.2 innings pitched. The numbers were very similar to his 2006 stats when he had a 3.52 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP in 76.2 innings pitched. Perhaps the biggest worry with Crain in 2008 was due to his lack of control. In 162.2 innings in the Minor Leagues, Crain had a solid 3.9 K/BB ratio before reaching the Major Leagues. But since he’s been with the Twins, Crain has a 1.82 K/BB ratio in 262.1 big league innings. While Crain’s strikeout ratio has certainly decline, he has remained consistent in BB/9 from the minors to the majors. In the Minor Leagues, Crain gave up an average of 2.9 walks per 9 innings and in the Major Leagues has given up 3.0 walks per 9 innings.

A very bright spot for Crain was the fact that his 94.1 MPH fastball and 89.2 MPH slider averages both lead the team. Regardless of the type of shoulder surgery, having limited droppoff in velocity in your both your fastball and second best pitch is very encouraging. Another positive for Crain has been the addition of his new pitch the “slurve.” Despite already throwing both a slider and a curveball, Crain introduced his slurve to Italian hitters in the WBC and struck out all four batters he faced with a called third strike, and coincidental, all four pitches used to get the third strikes were slurves.

Crain has always had great potential as a Twins reliever. If the Twins bullpen hopes to rebound after a poor 2008 campaign, they’ll need someone to grab ahold of the 8th inning duties before Joe Nathan and Crain looks like he just could be that guy.

This post can also be seen at BaseballDigest.com.

Twins Rundown: March 25, 2009

• Kevin Slowey carried the Twins to an 8-1 victory over the Florida Marlins yesterday with great work both on the mound and at the plate. The 24-year-old right-hander worked 5 innings of 1-run ball and struck out 5 while giving up two hits. He also went 2-2 with a double and 3 RBI at the plate.

The Twins have an off day today, but will play the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday in Sarasota, Florida.

• Kelly Thesier of TwinsBaseball.com sat down and asked Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire a few questions.

• Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune takes a look at Delmon Young’s new swing. It’s hard not to feel encouraged of what this 23-year can do this season.

• Today, both Josh Johnson of Baseball Digest (and Josh’s Thoughts) and Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (and Twins Now) discuss Jesse Crain and the setup job. For Johnson’s article, click here. For Miller’s article, click here. I’d give my stance on the subject, but obviously I’m a little biased as I wrote one of the articles.

• Parker Hageman of Over the Baggy asks Where Does Nick Blackburn Go From Here? Its a great article and although I like Blackburn, I have to agree with Parker in that former-Twins starter Carlos Silva may be a future indicator for Blackburn’s future with the Twins.

• Today, Nick Nelson of Nick & Nick’s Twins Blog wraps up us his Positional Analysis for the Twins and gives us his thoughts on the bullpen.

• Seth Stohs of Seth Speaks asks readerss What Would You Do? in regards to a few issues the Twins currently have. They include the catcher situation, the backup infielder situation and the bullpen situation. Also, make sure to check out Seth’s Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast that he hosted last night. For guests he had Twins prospect Zach Ward, Wally Fish of Twinkie Talk and Jack Steal of Fanatic Jack Talks Twins. They discussed pretty much every Twins topic imaginable, so make sure to check that out. Both Fish and Steal recently started new Twins blogs and both are worth a look.

• Yesterday, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune gave us a few tidbits from Minor League camp including an impressive home run from Twins prospect Angel Morales.

• Thrylos from The tenth inning stretch gives us his take on the Rochester Red Wings 2009 Roster. If you can look into it, you can basically see who Thrylos is picking to make the Twins 25-man roster out of Spring Training.

• Finally, Alex Halsted of Twins Territory gives us his Twins Roster Projections.

This post can also be found at BaseballDigest.com.

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #27 Yonder Alonso

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #27 | Yonder Alonso | Reds

Position | First Base

Bats/Throws | Left/Right

Born | April 8, 1987 (Havana, Cuba)

School | University of Miami

Height | 6'2''

Weight | 215 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
The Cincinnati Reds drafted Yonder Alonso with the 7th pick in last June's draft. The former Hurricane appeared in just 6 games, but has since impressed both in Hawaii Winter Ball and in Spring Training. Alonso signed at (literally) the last possible minute with the Reds, which allowed him to only get a handful of at-bats in before the end of the season. But still, it's impressive for any player to just come in and make strides while playing in the Florida State League, let alone it being your first stop in the Minor Leagues. Alonso went on to play in the Hawaii Winter League and hit .308/.419/.510 with 4 home runs in 29 games. While with the Reds, Alonso went 2-8 with both hits being for extra bases including a home run. Many expect Alonso to be with the Reds very shortly considering he's well advanced for his age both at the plate and on defense. He's probably never going to win a Gold Glove, but he's at the very least average which is good enough for the Reds. For some reason, when I think of Alonso, I think of Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox. Both have great hitting approaches and although Youkilis is as good as it gets on defense, I think Alonso has enough potential to keep up with him offensively. With Joey Votto currently occupying first base, the Reds are expecting Votto to be in left field in 2010 with Alonso occupying first base.

2008 Statistics

Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR     BB

A+         6     25    .316    .440    .368       1      0      5

2009 Outlook
Alonso will probably be with the Carolina Mudcats in the Southern League this season. He could start off with the Sarasota Reds in the Florida State League, but many expect him to be in Double-A. Regardless, I expect him to be with the Reds sometime by around September of 2009.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Twins Rundown: March 24, 2009

• Yesterday, the Francisco Liriano and the Twins faced Jeremy Guthrie and the Baltimore Orioles. Despite surrendering the most runs of the Spring, Twins hitters backed Liriano with 4 home runs to give the Twins the victory. Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Matt Tolbert all went yard for the Twins on a windy Monday afternoon in Florida. Liriano has been very impressive this season and told La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he’s very close to being ready for the regular season. With a couple more starts to go, that’s all we can ask for.

• Today, the Twins will travel to Jupiter, Florida to face the Marlins. Kevin Slowey will take the mound for the Twins follwed by Philip Humber and R.A. Dickey. Chris Volstad will start for the Marlins.

• Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez has a sore back and will be out until at least Friday. With two road trips and an off day this week, the Twins decided to just keep Gomez out until Friday for precautionary reasons. With Jason Pridie hurt and Denard Span already playing more than expected to help him get out of his Spring slump, the Twins started Matt Tolbert in center field yesterday.

• Denard Span was warned by Major League Baseball for getting caught with his pants being over his cleats. In response to the warning, several players including Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer and Alexi Casilla wore knee-high socks on Saturday.

• Jason Kubel has been getting more looks in the 3-hole of the lineup after hearing Joe Mauer likely won’t be ready to play by opening day. Kubel is probably the best option the Twins have to fill the 3-hole, but Kelly Thesier of MLB.com says that Manager Ron Gardenhire is also considering Michael Cuddyer and Joe Crede for the same spot.

• Yesterday, the Twins cut three more players from Big League camp. Infielders Matt Macri and Luke Hughes along with outfielder Luis Matos were sent to Minor League camp. All three are expected to be with the Rochester Red Wings in 2009. While Matos and Macri failed to impress in camp, the Twins were very impressed with Hughes’ bat. In 21 official at-bats, Hughes went 9-21 with 2 home runs. The Twins hope that he can defensively grasp third base in Rochester this season.

• Don’t miss Parker Hageman’s Twins Player Profile for Doug Corbett

.• Nick Nelson of Nick & Nick’s Twins Blog continues to give us his Position Analysis’ and is now on to the Starting Pitchers.

Uh oh

Over the weekend, Twins catcher Joe Mauer indicated that he will likely miss Opening Day due to lingering back discomfort which has caused Mauer to miss all of Spring Training games up to this point. Mauer has been able to do pretty much everything but run, which at least in that sense is good that he's been able to at least swing a bat on a fairly regular basis.

The Twins don't have an idea of when Mauer will return, but they are hoping that he'll be back in Minnesota at some point in the month of April. Mauer's offense and defense are something that the Twins will miss, but they have a few capable backups that should be able to adequately fill the void that Mauer leaves, so long as it's not for an extended period of time.

Twins veteran Mike Redmond will likely handle the bulk of the starts while Mauer is out, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old does not have enough in his tank to handle everyday duties, so the Twins will have to pick amongst a few capable catchers to back him up.

In September 2007, the Twins called-up (then) 24-year-old catcher Jose Morales to fill in for both Mauer and Redmond who were banged up. Morales went 3-3 with a double in his only 3 Major League at-bats before leaving the game with a sprained ankle. That same ankle injury lingered into last season which cost Morales all but 54 games with the Rochester Red Wings.

Since reaching Triple-A, Morales has turned a corner and has provided the Twins with a reasonable option to fill in should Mauer or Morneau get hurt. Thankfully, the Twins haven't had to dip into the Triple-A level much in the last few seasons at catcher, despite Mauer's "injury prone" lable many have put on him throughout his career.

Another option the Twins are currently looking into is Drew Butera. Butera came to the Twins along with Dustin Martin in a trade with the New York Mets in 2007 in exchange for Luis Castillo. Martin headlined the deal for the Twins, while Butera looked to be a "throw-in" from the Mets standpoint.

Butera has become recognized as one of the best defensive catchers throughout all of the Minor Leagues. Not only do pitchers love having Butera call the games, but he also has a strong arm which allows the pitchers to become more comfortable knowing that Butera can be added insurance if a runner decides to swipe a base. Unfortunately, while his defense may be stellar, Butera's offense is sub-par, to say the least.

While Butera's defense would be much appreciated, I can't see the Twins warrant giving a roster spot to a .215/.302/.323 career hitter. Especially since Redmond's catching skills are also relished by Twins pitchers.

The Twins could very well decide to bring both North to Minnesota, but it doesn't make that much sense to me. Although having a strong defensive catcher is something most teams desire, the Twins can afford the defensive dropoff between Morales and Butera compared to the offensive dropoff. The Twins are locked-and-loaded to have a great potential lineup this season, but with Mauer out of the lineup the Twins have to bring in the best offensive guy they can.

Wilson Ramos is the best offensive catcher behind Mauer in the organization, he has already been cut from Major League camp and belongs in Double-A this season. So with regards to guys still in Big League camp, Morales is our best hitting catcher despite hitting a feeble .176/.188/.188 through 18 official Spring Training at-bats.

With Mauer out, the Twins not only lose their starting catcher, but also their 3rd hitter in the batting lineup. Lately, Jason Kubel has been getting a look in the 3-hole which probably makes the most sense out of anyone on our roster. Besides him, I could see someone make a case for Delmon Young who looks to have improved his swing, but I cannot fathom seeing Young swing at 40% of the balls thrown out of the strike zone (among other reasons) while hitting in the 3rd spot of the lineup.

Kubel had himself a great 2008 season and should only continue to build on his success at the plate from here on out. With that said, the Twins will likely be using this lineup come Opening Day:

1. CF - Denard Span
2. 2B - Alexi Casilla
3. DH - Jason Kubel
4. 1B - Justin Morneau
5. RF - Michael Cuddyer
6. LF - Delmon Young
7. 3B - Brian Buscher
8. C - Mike Redmond
9. SS - Nick Punto
   

While some will probably question my reasonings, I actually believe that the loss of Mauer also could play an effect on Joe Crede being in the lineup. We all know how much manager Ron Gardenhire loves to have a good balance of right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters in his lineup, so if they have 3 left-handers in the first 4 spots in the order, that could force Gardenhire to go with Brian Buscher against a fair number of right-handed pitchers while Mauer is out.

It's entirely possible that the switch-hitting Morales gets the Opening Day start at catcher to help level the left-handed/right-handed batters in the lineup, but at this point, it's widely expected that Redmond will be behind the plate when the Twins face the Mariners on Opening Day.

It's not known whether or not Denard Span or even Michael Cuddyer will start on opening day, but if they do, I could see Buscher getting the nod over Crede as the Twins will likely be facing right-hander Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners on opening day.

If they face a left-handed pitcher such as Erik Bedard, this theory would obviously be moot as the Twins would try to load up on right-handed bats in the lineup anyway.

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #28 Brett Wallace

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #28 | Brett Wallace | Cardinals

Position | Third Base

Bats/Throws | Left/Right

Born | August 26, 1986 (Sonoma, California)

School | Arizona State University

Height | 6'1''

Weight | 245 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Brett Wallace with the 13th pick of the 2008 draft. After 3 very successful years with the Sun Devils at Arizona State, Wallace quickly continued his success in professional baseball, making his way all the way up to Double-A by the end of the season. Wallace's bat is Major League ready right now, but his defense is something that the Cardinals will have to keep a close eye on. He is a stout physically but lacks the range many prefer to play an adequate third base. Wallace has the potential to be a great #3 hitter in any lineup but his defense is likely best suited at first base. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have probably the best all-around player in the game at first base, so the chances of the Cardinals moving Albert Pujols to another position for Wallace seems pretty ridiculous. But with Pujols' future with the Cardinals past 2011 still up in the air, the Cardinals may try holding onto Wallace incase Pujols decides to continue his career elsewhere.

2008 Statistics

Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR    RBI

A         41    177    .327    .418    .490      14      5     25
AA        13     57    .362    .456    .653       8      3     11

2009 Outlook
Brett Wallace will likely be in Triple-A with the Memphis Redbirds for most of the 2009 season.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #29 Justin Smoak

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #29 | Justin Smoak | Rangers

Position | First Base

Bats/Throws | Both/Left

Born | December 5, 1986 (Goose Creek, South Carolina)

School | University of South Carolina

Height | 6'3''

Weight | 200 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
Justin Smoak was drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Texas Rangers. The Rangers nabbed one of the best college players in the country with the 11th pick overall. Smoak combines a great bat with amazing defense at first base. His comparison at the Major League level is Mark Teixeira who also is a switch-hitter with good contact, power and Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base. Smoak was thought to be a lock in the top 10, but just fell out of it to the 11th pick. The Rangers were fortunate enough to grab Smoak, and it comes at a great time. After 2009, the Rangers will likely have a hole at first base with current first baseman Chris Davis likely shifting to full-time Designated Hitter duties. Hank Blalock will likely be the teams DH in 2009, which is why Davis is playing at first base now. Davis' defense has improved, but Smoak's is so good that it will force the Rangers hand to move Davis. Despite only playing 14 games in the Minor Leagues (thus far), he has great fundamentals and showed them in the Arizona Fall League this Fall. With that said, I expect Smoak to be penciled in as the Rangers' starting first baseman by early-mid 2010.

2008 Statistics

Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   K/BB

A         14     62    .304    .355    .518       6      3   5/10

2009 Outlook
Smoak is not far away from Texas, but he'll likely start the season in High-A with the Bakersfield Blaze.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #30 Gordon Beckham

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #30 | Gordon Beckham | White Sox

Position | Shortstop

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | September 16, 1986 (Atlanta, Georgia)

School | University of Georiga

Height | 6'0''

Weight | 190 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
Gordon Beckham was drafted in the 1st round of the 2009 draft by the Chicago White Sox. After a successful career at Georgia, the White Sox took a shortstop despite the fact that 2008 Rookie-of-the-Year runner-up Alexei Ramirez was moving to shortstop from second base. Beckham has a good glove to go along with an outstanding bat. He has legitimate 30 home run potential which is rare for a middle infielder. Beckham improved in nearly every department from year-to-year at Georgia, which includes his patience at the plate. Beckham not only can knock the ball out of the park, he can also draw a walk and hit for a good average which is something teams look for, but rarely ever get. Despite the fact that Ramirez has moved to shortstop for the White Sox, Beckham is believed to be close to Major League ready right now, and likely won't require a lot of time in the Minor Leagues.

2008 Statistics

Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   K/BB

A         14     58    .310    .365    .500       5      3    5/7

2009 Outlook
Beckham is on the fast-track to the Major Leagues but will likely start in Advanced-A with the Winston-Salem Dash. If all goes well, he could very well be with the Chicago White Sox late this season.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #31 Elvis Andrus

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #31 | Elvis Andrus | Rangers

Position | Shortstop

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | August 26, 1988 (Maracy, Venezuela)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'0''

Weight | 185 lbs.

2008 Ranking | 40




Breakdown
Elvis Andrus was signed by the Atlanta Braves as a non-drafted free agent on Janurary 26, 2005 at the young age of 16. Instead of taking a year or two to develop in either the Venezuela League or Dominican League, Andrus began his professional career at 16-years-old and hit .293 with 3 home runs and 23 walks in 184 at-bats between two Rookie Ball Leagues, the Culf Coast League and the Appalachian League. In 2006, instead of heading to extended Spring Training and hitching on with one of the Rookie Ball teams in June, Andrus spent the entire season in the South Atlantic League, hitting .265 with a .684 OPS. Andrus has been moved up a level-per-year since he came to the United States and has gotten better at each stop. During the 2007 season, Andrus was traded along with a slew of top prospects to the Rangers in exchange for first baseman Mark Teixeira. Like most young hitters, Andrus struggles in the K category, but he will start progressing in that area eventually. His greatest assets are his speed and defense. He has the potential to be a good hitter, but to this point, that's yet to be seen. Still, Andrus plays a good shortstop, good enough to make the Rangers move former Gold Glove winner Michael Young from shortstop to third base. Andrus has stolen 124 bases in his career, which makes him such a dangerous player. Many expect him to be the Rangers starting shortstop in 2010, despite the fact that he'll only be 21-years-old.

2008 Statistics

Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR     SB

AA       118    538    .295    .350    .367      25      4     54

2009 Outlook
I suspect Andrus to continue his rise through the Minor League ranks this season. He should be with the Oklahoma City RedHawks but I expect him to get his first cup of coffee in the Majors at some point this season.

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #32 Wade Davis

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #32 | Wade Davis | Rays

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | September 7, 1985 (Lake Wales, Florida)

School | Lake Wales High School

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 220 lbs.

2008 Ranking | 37




Breakdown
The Tampa Bay Rays drafted Wade Davis in the 3rd round of the 2004 draft. After a rough go-around in Rookie Ball, Davis has settled in and has posted good numbers from A-Ball all the way up to Triple-A. Through 110 games (all starts), Davis struts a 40-32 record with a 3.26 ERA. Davis has shown a lack of control throughout his career, even walking 64 batters in 2006 while in the Midwest League with Southwest Michigan. Fortunately, he has a high rate of strikeouts and has a good repertoire to support a successful Major League career. One problem Davis might face when he reaches the Major Leagues is trying to land a spot in a rotation which features a glut of young, successful pitchers. If Davis can improve his command, the Rays shouldn't have a problem finding Davis a home in the rotation. If he doesn't, he could be a considered as a possible closer-replacement for Troy Percival, who many believe will be done after the 2009 season.

2008 Statistics

Level      W      L      ERA      IP      K      BB      WHIP     FIP

AA         9      6     3.85   107.2     81      42      1.36    3.96
AAA        4      2     2.72    53.0     55      24      1.19    3.94

2009 Outlook
Davis will begin the 2009 season in Triple-A Durham but will most likely get his first cup of coffee at the Major League level at some point.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (2 & 4-seam)
• Cutter
  
• Slider
  
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2009

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #33 Michael Ynoa

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #33 | Michael Ynoa | Athletics

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | September 24, 1991 (Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'7''

Weight | 210 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
The Oakland Athletics surprised much of the baseball world last July with the signing of Michael Ynoa. They didn't surprise because of them being active on the international front, they surprised because it took $4.25 million to get Ynoa to come to the Athletics. The usually frugal Athletics 'openened the purse strings' and went out to get the 'crown jewel' of Dominican prospects. Despite being just 16-years-old, Ynoa is listed at 6'7'' and 210 pounds. He has great mechanics and is one of the most developed pitchers for his age that many scouts have ever seen. Ynoa has a mid-90's fastball to go along with a good curveball and good change-up. He believes he can make it to the majors shortly, and although quite a few people wouldn't doubt it, I personally think he shouldn't be rushed in any way, shape, or form. The Athletics are a great organization when it comes to developing pitchers (among other things) and I trust their judgement on Ynoa and trust that they'll do what they believe is best for both he and the franchise.

2008 Statistics

Level      W      L      ERA      IP      K      BB      WHIP     FIP

                            Not Available                   

2009 Outlook
Ynoa will likely begin his first year of professional baseball in 2009. He'll likely begin with the AZL Athletics but could also be with the Vancouver Canadiens in short-season ball.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2012