top prospect at every position

Today with no Twins game I thought it would be fun to say a all twins prospect team and see what everybody thinks.

C- Wilson Ramos- It is probably a no brainer because Ramos does everything well. He can hit for average and hit for power. He has a rocket for an arm and calls a very good game. It will be interesting to see if the Twins challenge him at AA or start him at A for a month or so.

1b- Chris Parmalee- This was a interesting battle between Parmalee and Jonathan Waltenbury. Waltenbury has the size and strength to be a very good first baseman. The reason I picked Parmalee is his unbelieveable power. He has a chance to hit 30 homeruns a year. His defense is not great and he strikes out alot, but in a organization without a lot of power He is the future DH in a few years. I look for him to start at 1st base at Fort Myers this year.

2nd base- Steve Singelton- Now this was a tough position to pick because you have good secondbaseman at every level. From Steve Tolleson, and Brian Dinkelman. Steve is a very good glove and a good hitter. He is getting his arm strength back so you could argue that he is a shortstop, but for these purposes I have him at second and I look for him to play at Fort Myers all year and really show what he can do.

SS- Trevor Plouffe- Shortstop is a position with not alot of depth in it. Plouffe is the best by far and is a quality hitter and good fielder. Sometimes his arm gets away from him, but I think he is the shortstop of the future. This year I think he will spend the season manning shortstop for Rochester and have a good season.

3b- Danny Valencia- Danny is on a collision course for starting for the Twins when they open Target Field next season. Valencia beat out Deibinson Romero, but I am still big on Romero who I feel will bounce back this year and be highly thought of again. Valencia is solid defensively and boy can he hit. He will hit for average and also be a 20+ homerun hitter eventually. I look for Valencia to spend half the season in New Britain and then at the All-Star break get the move up to Rochester.

LF- Angel Morales- I am putting him in LF because I wanted to put the best 3 outfielders on the team. Morales was phenomenal at E-town last year. Both offensively and defensively. Based on the other talent in the organization he will likely have to move to left or right at some point. Morales hit 15 homeruns in only 54 games with a very good .301 average. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts but I expect him to be manning centerfield for Beloit this year.

CF- Aaron Hicks- the Twins first round pick last year did not disappoint in his first professional season. He hit .318 with 18 xtra base hits and 12 stolen bases in only 45 games. He has all the tools in Arm, Speed, hit for average, hit for power, and accuracy throwing. The interesting thing is he throws 97 miles per hour also and many teams looked him as a pitcher. Hicks should start the season in extended spring training and spend his summer manning centerfield for E-town and impressing there.

RF- Ben Revere- Revere was a 2007 first round pick by the Twins and the plan was to be cautious with him and then a couple injuries happened so they moved him up to Beloit for a little while. He didn't look back flirting with .400 all summer and finishing at .379 with 28 xtra base hits and 44 stolen Bases. His only weakness is arm strength in the outfield. He is not blessed with a very strong arm so he might have to move to either the infield or DH. I look for him to be manning centerfield for Fort Myers.

DH- Erik Lis- Erik is a doubles machine at New Britain with 36 doubles to lead the attack. He is not very good defensively, but man can he hit. I look for him to spend the season at New Britain being the primary DH for the Rock Cats

Bench
Drew Butera
Joe Benson
Steve Tolleson
Evan Bigley

Pitching
1. Kevin Mulvey
2. Deolis Guerra
3. Anthony Swarzak
4. Tyler Robertson
5. Mike Mccardell

Relievers
Closer Rob Delaney
Anthony Slama
Armando Gabino
Jose Mijares
Ryan mullins
Zack Ward
Kyle Aselton

Prospects 41-50

Today I will be concluding my top 50 Twins prospects with prospects 41-50. I will be doing another one during the All-Star Break and Another after the season.

41. Evan Bigley- Evan was a 10th round pick of the Twins last summer and put up a good impression for E-town in his short time there. Impressively he hit .300 with 14 homeruns in a short season is awesome. I am surprised he is not talked about more, but since it was only a short season he needs to do it again and if he can do that I look for him to sky rocket up the charts. I look for him to get a new challenge this season in Beloit and see how he does.
2009: Outfielder for Beloit

42. Alex Soto- Another good catching prospect that the Twins are developing. He was signed by the Twins as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2005. He put up solid numbers at E-town last year hitting .276 with 10 homeruns when the playing time was divided pretty good. I think he needs to step it up because he has been slow developing and being 23 and only in rookie ball and needs to move quickly or won't be known as a prospect.
2009: Primary Catcher at Beloit

43. Steve Hirschfeld- He had a solid year between the starting rotation and the bullpen for Beloit last year. He won 10 games for the Snappers with a very respectable 3.30 era. He is 23 so he is old for his level and needs to make the Twins move him up in levels to keep prospect status. I look for him to move up to Fort Myers this year and be a swing guy for them just like he was for Beloit.
2009: Starter for Fort Myers

44. Philip Humber- Philip has yet to live up to the promise that the Mets thought they were getting when they drafted him 3rd overall in the 2005 draft. He was on his way until Arm Surgery cost him a year. He is out of options so I think he will be the long man for the Twins this year, but I wouldn't expect him to be much more than a fringe major leaguer.
2009: Reliever for the Twins

45. Mitire Garcia- He is a interesting prospect who I do not know a whole lot about. I know he is only 19 years old and is a long way away. However, he was very good in the GCL last year. He went 2-2 with a 2.91era so the talent is there. I want to see how he builds off last year and see how long till he builds on what he did last year and becomes a more consistant pitcher.
2009: Starter for E-town

46. Edward Ovalle- He was very solid for Fort Myers last year. He doesn't do alot of things exceptional, but he does most things very well. Last year he hit .284 with 7 homeruns. He is a very versatile outfielder playing all 3 positions. I view him as a utility outfielder in the future.
2009: Outfielder for Fort Myers

47. Ryan Mullins- He was probably the most consistant pitcher for New Britain last year. He went 9-9 with a 4.31 era. My view of him is his future is as a lefthanded specialist. He did a good job against lefty's last year. I think he will be a starter for New Britain again and also do some relieving for the Rock Cats
2009: 4th year with New Britain

48. Tyler Ladendorf- He was a high draft pick by the Twins last year and really struggled. The Twins drafted him 2nd round last year out of Howard College. They liked his frame and athleticism. However, those qualities did not really show up last year as he hit only .204 with 1 homerun. He has all the tools and could be a good player for a long time. I'm curious how he will respond to probably his first adversity he has ever had on a baseball field.
2009: Shortstop for the GCL Twins

49. Santos Arias- He put up some pretty good numbers for Beloit last year. He started as a starter but I think he found his true calling as a closer. He has very good stuff and was much more effective coming out of the bullpen. I look for the Snappers to use him as their closer again and for him to take off in that role.
2009: Closer for Beloit

50. Zack Ward- Zack came over in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds and impressed for half the season until he ran out of gas at the end. The first 3/4 of the season he was really filthy and put up good numbers for New Britain. I look for him to continue to do what he did and only improve on it.
2009: Reliever for New Britain

Tuesday, March 17th

Today the Twins faced the Red Sox in the usual St. Patricks Day game. The Red Sox got the better of the Twins 9-5 as our pitchers continue to struggle lately. There were some good things and a few things that they need to improve on.

• Alexi Casilla and Denard Span continue to hit the cover off the ball. Casilla went 4-4 to raise his average to .438 this spring and appears ready for the season. Denard Span had 2 more hits along with his 1st homerun of the spring. He has had 4 hits the last 2 days and appears to be shaking off a slow start this spring.
• Justin Mourneau and Joe Crede continue to struggle at the plate as they combined to go 0-7 at the plate. I'm not that worried about either guy. Mourneau because you know what your going to get out of him. With Crede everyone acts like the sky is falling because he has not had a good spring. I totally disagree because he appears healthy and you have to remember that he missed the 2nd half last year so its going to take time to get his timing down.
• Scott Baker and Matt Guerrier got shelled giving up a combined 4 homeruns. With Baker im not worried at all because like Bert Blyleven Baker gives up alot of homeruns. Look at last year he gave up 20 homeruns in 173 innings. He is battling through a dead arm period and will pick it up. Im a little more concerned with Guerrier considering how he finished last year. When he is right he is a very solid pitcher, but when he is off a little bit he is meat. Overall I am happy with the spring the Twins pitchers have had.
• Brian Duensing threw 2 shutout innings in relief and has only given up 1 run all spring. I am going to start lobbying for the Twins to keep him as the second lefty along with Craig Breslow.
• Tommorrow the Twins travel to Bradenton to take on the Pirates with Francisco Liriano getting the start for the Twins. Gametime is at 12:05 with the Twins hoping to get back on track

Continued prospects 31-40

38. Yohan Pino- He is another guy who is a high effort guy who does not have alot of upside. He is a solid AA starter, but I think when he gets challenged at AAA he will really struggle. Last year at AA 7-7 with a 4.54era. The real problem for Yohan last year was injuries when he was hurt on 2 different occasions. The test for him this year is staying healthy to make 30+ starts and see what happens.
2009: Starter/Reliever for New Britain

39. Jonathon Waltenbury- I was really impressed with him at E-town last year. He hit 10 homeruns and hit .319. He has very good extrabase power and could develop really good power because he is only 21 years old. I look for him to be challenged at Beloit this season.
2009: 1st baseman for Beloit

40. Brock Peterson- Basically what you see is what your going to get with Brock. He is a very solid prospect that like Brian Duensing is a AAAA player. He is probably ready for a bench spot with the Twins just not really ready for that yet. Last year in between AA and AAA he hit 16 homeruns. Will spend another season in Rochester this year and if injury could make debut with Twins this year.
2009: 1st baseman for Rochester

Prospects 31-40

I will be continuing my top 50 prospects today with prospects 31-40. Let me know what you think.

31. Brian Duensing- I really like him as a prospect. He probably does not have as big of an upside as other prospects. With Brian it is what you see is what you get. He is a solid prospect who really is a AAAA prospect. Probably ready for the challenge of the Major Leagues, but probably not ready for it. Last year he went 5-11 with a 4.28era, but he was better than that he just had a bad inning in most starts.
2009: Starter for Rochester

32. Steve Tolleson- Steve is a very interesting prospect because he does everything pretty well, but none of them exceptional. He can play many different positions including short,third,2nd and the outfield. He hit .300 with 28 doubles and stole 12 bases. I think he has a chance to be a utility guy for the Twins in the future, but I wouldn't look for him to be a starter.
2009: Starter at Short in AA and then move up to AAA after a month or so.

33. Steve Singelton- Steve is a very good prospect that alot like Steve Tolleson has a chance to be a utility guy for the Twins in a few years. Last year Steve split the season between Beloit and Fort Myers. He put up good numbers at both spots last year. He hit .295 with 18 extra base hits. I look for him to spend the year playing 2nd base for Fort Myers.
2009: 2nd base for Fort Myers

34. Daniel Ortiz- He is another young prospect we do not have a very big sample size of yet. He was a 4th round draft pick last year out of Puerto Rico. He is termed a "5 tool prospect". Last year he hit .272 with 11 doubles and 2 homerun. Of course its too early to tell how good he is going to be, but he is worth keeping yoru eye on.
2009: Start in extended spring training and then spend year in Elizabethton.

35. Cole Devries- If you base it on results Cole would be much higher on the prospect list. The reason he is lower is he does not have a very big ceiling. What you see from Cole is what your going to get I don't see alot of improvement out of him. Last year he put up very good numbers at Fort Myers going 10-9 with a 2.93 era. He is a high effort guy and probably an overacheiver who when he sees better competition will start to struggle.
2009: Starter for New Britain

36. Jay Rainville- Jay is the opposite of Cole Devries in that he has a high ceiling that really underacheived last year. He started in AA and got demoted to Fort Myers for a while before going back up to New Britain. He has all the tools, but he really did not put it together last year. If he can get some of his velocity back and be more consistant he could skyrocket up the prospect list.
2009: Starter for New Britain

37. Juan Portes- I don't really know what to say about Juan. He has talent, but he really doesn't do anything exceptional. He is a solid prospect without a position. He played outfield and 3rd base primarily last year. He hit .270 with 12 homeruns and 54 last year in his 2nd consecutive year at Fort Myers. It will be interesting to see how he does against better competition.
2009: outfielder for New Britain.

Prospects 21-30

I will be continuing my top 50 prospect list with prospects 21-30. Let me know what you think.

21. Jose Mijares- He has all the talent in the world. He did not start off on the right foot by showing up to spring training out of shape. I think he will start the season in AAA but by the beginning of may will be up to stay and by the end of year will be dominant.
2009: start season in AAA and move up to Twins in May.

22. David Winfree- I know there are some doubters because of the high strikeout totals and low batting average. However, the thing that you can't deny is he drives in runs at a high rate. Last year he drove in 87 runs and hit 19 homeruns. He is 23 years old so now is the time for him to cut down on the strikeouts and pick the average up.
2009: Start season in AA and get promoted to AAA midseason.

23. Rob Delaney- He really took a big step up last year and made people think that he is the closer of the Future for the Twins. Joe Nathan has 3 years left on his contract and when thats up it might be time for Delaney to take his spot. In the meantime I think he will start the season closing for New Britain, then at midseason go up to Rochester and be a September callup for the Twins.
2009: Start out in AA, then AAA, and finally the Twins

24. Anthony Slama- Another guy that I think has huge upside in the Twins bullpen. The only downside to him is he is a little old for his level. Slama is 25 years old and never been above high A. I look for him to start the year in Fort Myers and move up to New Britain when Delaney moves to Rochester. He will be a good setup guy for the Twins next year.
2009: Start off in AA and move up to AAA midseason

25. David Bromberg- He has a big time arm who struggled a bit last year with Beloit going 9-10 with a 4.44 era. The reason people are so excited about him is he struck out a organization record 169 batters in only 150 innings. If he can keep striking out batters and get better command he will fly up the charts.
2009: Starter for Fort Myers

26. Erik Lis- Basically he is a hitting machine. He really doesn't have a position so he grades out as a DH. He hit 36 doubles last year along with 11 homeruns. He hit .277 so he needs to keep hitting to put up with the no position.
2009: DH at New Britain

27. Alex Burnett- I was really impressed with the season that Alex put up at Fort Myers last year. Going into the season I was not real impressed with him and I have to admit he outdid my expectations. He went 8-6 with a 3.77 era for Fort Myers. I don't think he has huge upside but he is a decent prospect.
2009: Starter for Fort Myers

28. Jason Pridie- He is in the wrong organization. Jason put up solid numbers in AAA but with all the outfield depth he probably will never get the chance he deserves. Last year Jason hit .303 for the season and is a very good defensive outfielder. To get the chance he will probably have to do it elsewhere.
2009: Centerfielder for Rochester

29. Dan Osterbrook- He was very impressive last year at Elizabethton. He was named Appalacian league pitcher of the year. He doesn't throw hard but gets alot of strikeouts. He is ready for a new challenge so i think he will start the season at Beloit.
2009: Starter for Beloit

30. Brian Dinkelman- I really like this kid I think he has alot of upside. He put together a very good first half at Fort Myers and then got promoted to New Britain and struggled. I was not really surprised by it, because its a big adjustment. Towards the end of the year he got better and theres no reason to believe that he can't have a big year for the Rockcats this year.
2009: 2nd base for New Britain

Prospects 11-20

I am going to do my prospects 11-20 today and for review I will list my 1-10 for review.

1. Aaron Hicks- He has all the tools that you look for in a prospect. He truly is a 5 tool prospect and with a little seasoning will be patrolling an outfield spot for the twins by 2012.2009 outlook: Centerfielder for Elizabethton

2. Ben Revere- It was a close one between Hicks and Revere for that top spot. Ben Revere is the most accomplished hitter in the whole twins organization. He reminds me of a young Kenny Lofton. His only real weakness is he does not have a very strong throwing arm and that could hold him back a bit. If it was up to me i would move him to 2nd base where you could appreciate his hitting skills and not have to worry about his throwing arm.2009 outlook: Centerfielder for Fort Myers

3. Wilson Ramos- Every year Ramos seems to be getting better and better. He calls a great game with a good arm along with being a good hitter with some power. His only problem is Joe Mauer blocking his way to the majors. However, just like with all good players the Twins will find a place for him to get his bat in the lineup. I am very high on him and think he will be the DH in 2 to 3 years and be a very good hitter for years to come.2009 outlook: Starting catcher at New Britain

4. Danny Valencia- Danny really came on last year to catch the eye of many scouts. He is now the 3rd baseman of the future and the future could happen as early as September if not sooner. He is a very accomplished hitter who will hit for some power with a very good glove. I think the Twins search for a 3rd baseman since Gary Gaetti has ended and Danny Valencia will be the 3rd Baseman when Target Field opens and beyond.2009 outlook: Start the season in New Britain and get a promotion in May to Rochester and will be one of the September callups for the Twins.

5. Angel Morales- I am very excited about Morales I think he has the biggest upside of anybody in the organization. I think he will be the centerfielder for the Twins in 2012. He is another 5 tool player much like Hicks but with more power as evidenced by his 17 homeruns in Elizabethton last year. The only thing about him is he is so young you don't know how he is going to develop and how long he will take but he is definatley someone to keep your eye on because I believe he will be a keeper.2009 outlook: Centerfielder for Beloit

6. Deolis Guerra- I know a lot of people have soured on him because of last year, but I still expect big things out of him. You need to remember he is one of the youngest players on Fort Myers and the Mets pushed him to much and screwed up his mechanics. I would rather take a step back like he did last year and fix his mechanics then have him go the same way and break down in a couple years. I expect him to be the comeback kid in the organization this year. I think you will see why we wanted him so bad in the Santana trade and will find out why people think he will be the ace of the staff in a couple years2009 outlook: I think he will start out in Fort Myers and get a callup to New Britain at the all star break.

7. Kevin Mulvey- I think Kevin is a very solid prospect who doesn't get the due he deserves. He is as steady as they come and last year was about as consistant a starter as the Red Wings had. He reminds me of a young Kevin Tapani and he will be the first pitcher called up in case of injury and won't dissapoint.2009 outlook: Will be the Ace for Rochester and sometime during the year will join the Twins.

8. Carlos Gutierrez- I am pretty high on Carlos as a pitcher. With his sinkerball I think in a year he will have hitters pounding the ball into the ground at Target Field. The only thing about him is he better as a Starter or as a reliever. I believe you could go either way and it would not be a problem but i like him more as a starter because their is more value there. Either way I think Twins Fans will know him very soon.2009 outlook: Start the season in Fort Myers and get called up to New Britain at the all star break.

9. Shooter Hunt- I think Shooter could be very good for the Twins. He has dominant stuff when he has everything going. The only problem is his control because in the Twins organization if you walk people you won't be with us long. However, I do think he will get that under control and don't fool yourself when he doesn't walk batters he is one of the most dominant pitchers in the whole organization.2009 outlook: Starter for Beloit10.

Jeff Manship- I really like what he does as a pitcher. I think all he needs as innings to show how good of a pitcher he is. He adjusts well when given new challenges. Like when he got promoted to AA he struggled right away and then he adjusted and did very well. He has 3 very good pitches and I think he has a future with the Twins.2009 outlook: Start the season in New Britain and finish the season in Rochester.

11. Trevor Plouffe- He is someone that needs to take the next step in the organization. He is starting to be looked at as the dreaded utility infielder instead of the shortstop of the future. He had an up and down year between New Britain and Rochester. He needs to step it up this season as the everyday shortstop for Rochester. If not we need to look outside the organization because we don't have a lot of quality shortstops in the organization. 2009 outlook: Starting shortstop for Rochester.

12. Dustin Martin- He has really raised eyebrows after a good season in the AFL he has put together a very good spring. Honestly, he plays the wrong position because as good as he is he is blocked ahead and their are better players coming from the back. However, if something were to happen to an outfielder this year I think he would get the first callup. 2009: Start in Left Field for Rochester and be up with the Twins sometime during the year.

13. Chris Parmalee- I am pretty high on him because he has something not a lot of prospects have and that is power. I don't think he will ever be a .300 hitter but he will hit homeruns and that is what makes him special and will allow him to continue to rise in the organization. 2009: I think he will play the season in Fort Myers playing first base and some outfield.

14. Luke Hughes- He really showed me something by showing a power swing. I don't think his defense is good enough to be an everyday player, but I think by the end of this year he will be with the Twins.
2009: Start at 3rd base for Rochester then get callup to Twins in June.

15. Rene Tosoni- He is a very talented outfielder and if he wouldnt of gotten hurt he would of put up pretty impressive numbers. 2009: Start season playing right field for Fort Myers get midseason promotion to New Britain.

16. Anthony Swarzak- He really struggled last year at New Britain and then in August he got promoted to Rochester and took off. In 7 starts for Rochester he went 5-0 with a 1.80 era. After going 3-8 with a 5.67 era in AA. My only excuse for him is maybe he needed a new challenge. If he can continue what he did last year this year he might challenge for a roster spot with the Twins.
2009: Start all year for Rochester

17. Tyler Robertson- I don't know what to make out of Tyler he has Ace stuff but he can't seem to stay healthy. Last year for Fort Myers he went 5-3 with a 2.72era. If he could of stayed healthy he would of put up good numbers. The key is if he stays healthy he could take off in the organization.
2009: First half in Fort Myers and then promotion to New Britain.

18. Joe Benson- He is another one who has alot of talent but just cant seem to stay healthy. Last year in Beloit he hit only .248 but had 17 stolen bases. He has all the talent but he needs to put it together.
2009: Center Field for Beloit

19. Deibinson Romero- Another guy that needs to rebound from an injury riddled season to try to be the prospect he can be. He needs to reclaim his high prospect status.
2009: Start at 3b in Beloit

20. Mike Mccardell- He really came on after coming off the disabled list to be the Ace for Beloit. I think he will keep climbing and climbing charts for the Twins.
2009: Starter for Fort Myers

Position Battles

The Twins are pretty much set on who is going to come north with the team come April 6th. However, there is a few battles that everyone should keep their eye on the last couple weeks of spring training.

1. Who is going to be the Opening Day Catcher

1. Joe Mauer- of course if he is ready to go it will be him but its looking more and more like he won't be ready to go opening day. As today he is in Baltimore getting a second opinion.

2. Mike Redmond- He will probably start opening day but he is not a starter at his point in his career. I look for him to play more than he did last year but not starter amount.

3. Jose Morales- In my mind the most likely starter at catcher to start the season. He is adequte defense and a pretty good hitter to replace Mauer's bat.

4. Drew Butera- He is a longshot, but if they decide they want more defense he could be the guy because he is a very good defensive catcher. He is not a great hitter but defensively he is very good.

Last Bench Spot: Brian Buscher vs Matt Tolbert

1. I think its Buscher because he will be a very good bat off the bench. I think Brenden Harris can be the utility guy. I think the only way Tolbert goes north is if they only keep 11 pitchers and i dont see that happening.

Last 2 bullpen spots:

1. Jose Mijares has really taken himself out of the competion being out of shape, walking batters and having a hard time getting hitters out.

2. I think Philip Humber if he does even an ok job the rest of the spring will make it because he is out of options.

3. The last spot is interesting with the Twins having to decide if they want a second lefty or if they want to bring Jason Jones or RA Dickey up north. If they go with a second lefty they have Mike Gosling, Sean Henn, and Brian Duensing to pick from. I think Gosling and Henn are journeymen that wouldn't really help so I think I would go with Jason Jones. It wouldn't surprise me that they would keep Gosling or Henn to take the load off Craig Breslow. Whatever the case I think Jose Mijares will be back up with the Twins by the middle of May and be dominant when he gets into shape.

Everyone let me know what you think

Thursday, March 12th

Yesterday the Twins finally got their hitting going accumilating 17 hits against the Orioles in a 4-3 win. Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel each had 3 hits. Joe Crede finally had his first grapefruit league hits going 2-4. The Twins pitchers continue to get ready for the season as Glen Perkins got the start. Perk went 3 innings and gave up 2 runs and wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the 3rd inning. Nick Blackburn came in relief and pitched a clean 4th inning. Blackburn will make his return to the starting staff on Sunday against the Marlins. Joe Nathan struggled a bit giving up a run in his one inning of work.

• The Twins got some good news on Joe Mauer front. It was revealed that he has inflammation in his back. The good news is this has nothing to do with his kidney surgery. The plan is they are intensifying his anti-inflammatory medicine hoping to get the inflammation out. If the medicine work he might be ready for opening day. My feeling is take care of it and if it takes 2 weeks great. If it takes a month thats fine too just take care of it so we won't have to worry about it in July and August.

• Today the Twins bring in their 10-3 spring record to Bradenton to take on the Pirates. Scott Baker gets the start for the Twins. Gametime is at 12:05pm this afternoon.

Mauer backup plans

Joe Mauer is having an MRI today to determine why he is still having back discomfort more than 3 months after surgery for a kidney obstruction. I am not going to pretend like I know what a kindney obstruction is but everything I have heard says he should be close to returning by now and he really is not. I read the Star Tribune this morning and it said the only time he has pain is when he runs so they don't think its real serious. However, there is a big chance that he will have to start the season on the DL and if that is the case I think the Twins have 3 choices what to do with the catching situation.

1. They could sign Ivan Rodriguez to a 1 year contract and that way they would have a veteran who can hit on a regular basis. He has not been very good the last couple years and I don't think it is a good idea to sign him for maybe a month. So when Mauer comes back in a few weeks what do you do with Rodriguez he will not be happy being a backup. With all the info I think I would pass on Pudge.
2. They could make Mike Redmond the starter and bring either Jose Morales or Drew Butera north as the backup. I think Redmond could do a fine job as the starter, but I am not sure how his body would react from going from 2 games a week to 4-5 games a week. You need to remember Reddog is 38 years old and the last thing you need is to get him hurt.
3. The third and final option is what I would do. I would bring up Jose Morales and make him the starter on Opening day. I would not do it like they did it last year where Mauer played 4 games and sat 2. I would have Morales play 3 games and Redmond play 3 games. You could keep both catchers fresh and you could get good production out of the catcher position until Mauer gets back.

The Twins had yesterday off and kept their spring record at a very good 9-3 on the spring. Today the Twins continue grapefruit league play as they take on Baltimore in Fort Lauderdale. Glen Perkins will get the start as he tries to continue his strong spring. In good news Nick Blackburn will come in relief today in his first work since having to be skipped because of knee soreness. Gametime is at 12:05 between the Twins and the Orioles.

• Justin Mourneau, Jesse Crain, and Nick Punto will be returning to camp after Canada and Italy were eliminated from WBC competition. It will be good to have them back and get them ready for the season.
• Anybody watch that Netherlands-Dominican Republic game last night. All I can say is wow the intensity of the game was amazing. It was almost like a playoff game. When it started I was not a big fan of the WBC, but I have to admit I have changed my mind and really enjoy it. The drama between the US and Canada was awesome. Nothing though was as intense as last nights game. After the game Harold Reynolds said it was it was the biggest upset in Baseball history. I really can't argue with him looking at the all-star roster of the Dominican compared to the kids on the Netherlands. All I know is I will be rooting for the Netherlands in the next round.

What is it going to cost to sign Joe Mauer

I think it is pretty obvious that the Twins need to do everything in their power to sign Joe Mauer to a long term contract. The question is how much and for how many years. I don't think its clearcut I would not give him a 7 or 8 year contract because honestly we need to face the facts that he has been hurt 3 times if you count this kidney thing. He has 2 years and 23 million left on his contract he signed 2 years ago. Another problem is do you want to set a precident with Justin Mourneau because Mauer is going to want more money than the Twins gave Justin Mourneau. The Twins are going to have to decide if it will cause friction between the two if Mauer makes more than Mourneau even though Mourneau hits more homeruns and drives in more runs. I think the Twins will decide that yes because Joe Mauer does so much for the team. He is probably one of best pure hitters in baseball and defensively he doesn't have a rival. I think the right course of action would be to give Mauer a 4 year extension on top of the 2 years he already is signed for. It would be 6 years and 83 million total which is not much more than the total value of Mourneau's contract. Here is how I would do it.

• 2009: 10.5 mil
• 2010: 12.5 mil
• 2011: 15.0 mil
• 2012: 15.0 mil
• 2013: 15.0 mil
• 2014: 15.0 mil
• 2015: 20.0 mil team option

Sunday, March 8th

Yesterday the Twins were brought down to earth with a beatdown by the hands of the Pirates. They lost the game 8-1 and really wasn't even that close. There were a few positives, but many more concerns than good things from yesterday.

• Scott Baker after signing his new contract pitched 4 good innings and only giving up a solo homerun to Adam Laroche in 4 innings of work. From then on the only pitchers that pitched good was RA Dickey who pitched a shutout inning and Mike Gosling with 2/3 of a inning. Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares, Ben Julianel, and Rob Delaney had outings they would like to forget.
• The Twins continue to struggle at the plate only getting 5 hits. Alexi Casilla finally got going with 2 hits in 3 at bats. Michael Cuddyer had a triple and scored on a sacrafice fly by Brian Buscher. Joe Crede continues to slump going 0-3 and now is 1-15 on the spring. Im not worried yet but he needs to get going.
• Today, the Twins travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on the Orioles at noon. Francisco Liriano gets his 3rd spring start today for the Twins. In good news Joe Nathan is expected to pitch in relief for the Twins. Hopefully, that will put to rest concerns about his shoulder.
• More good news for the Twins is the Twins could soon be getting back some of their WBC players. Today Canada with Justin Mourneau and Jesse Crain take on Italy with Nick Punto with the loser going home. Probably both countries will be eliminated by Monday and they can get back to spring training.

Beloit Snappers

Today I will have my final installment of my projected team rosters. Today I will be doing the Beloit Snappers who are looking for a better season this year.

C- Danny Lehman
1b- Jonathon Waltenbury
2b- Dominic De la Osa
SS- Esterlin De Los Santos
3b- Deibinson Romero
LF- Angel Morales
CF- Joe Benson
RF- Evan Bigley
DH- Michael Harrington

Bench
Drew Thompson
Nick Romero
Andrew Schmeising
Greg Yersich


Pitching
1. Carlos Gutierrez
2. Shooter Hunt
3. Dan Osterbrock
4. Bobby Lanigan
5. Brad Tippett

Bullpen
Closer- Michael Allen
Michael Tarsi
Santos Arias
Henry Reyes
Chris Anderson
Joe Testa
Curtis Leavitt

Twins Sign Baker

The Twins made a huge move to solidify their pitching staff for years to come yesterday when they inked Scott Baker to a 4 year 15.25 million dollar deal with a team option for the 5th season. This is how it breaks down:

• 2009: 750,000
• 2010: 3.0 million
• 2011: 5.0 million
• 2012: 6.5 million
• 2013: 9.25 million team option no buyout

I think its a no-brainer because if they had taken the arbitration rout i guarantee you he would of made more money and they can have him for his first free agency year at a cheap salary compared to what he will probably accomplish the last 5 years. All in all a good move by the Twins. It made me think who would I approach next if anyone about a long term contract.

1. Joe Mauer- another no brainer but I think its going to be a long process because they need to consider if it will hurt the team to pay Mauer more than Mourneau. However, I think it will end up getting done because I believe both sides want it to get done. However, I wouldn't expect it till next winter.

2. Jason Kubel- They signed him to a 2 year extension and I think that is plenty because they bought out 1 free agency year so i think thats ok.

3. Justin Mourneau- he signed 6 year deal last year so he is good.

4. Alexi Casilla- I need to see more out of him before I would even consider it. Make sure last year was not a fluke. If he has another good year I would definatly consider signing him long term.

5. Nick Punto- they signed him for 3 years so he is good.

6. Joe Crede- My gut feeling says no matter how he does he is a one and done player for the Twins with Danny Valencia just about ready to take over. It will be interesting the outcry if he had a all-star season and the Twins let him go. Honestly, I don't see the Twins signing him long term no matter how he does this year.

7. Delmon Young- I need to see alot more to suggest signing him long term. I would probably need to see 2 good years in a row before i would pursue it.

8. Carlos Gomez- Same as Delmon Young

9. Michael Cuddyer- He is signed for 3 years and thats good enough for me.

10. Denard Span- Same as Alexi Casilla I need to see some more to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

11. Francisco Liriano- Honestly, I dont know that you can sign him long term because of his injury history. I think I would need atleast 2 year injury free years before i would consider it and even then your taking on a risk.

12. Kevin Slowey- I am almost ready to go after him but i need one more year because whats the hurry he only has 1 year of service time so if he has another good season I would sign him next winter.

13. Glen Perkins- I have no interest in signing him long term right now. He needs to improve to hang onto his rotation spot with Mulvey, Swarzak, and Duensing on his heels so no interest.

14. Nick Blackburn- same as Perkins

15. Joe Nathan- Signed for 3 more seasons so im fine with that.

16. Pat Neshek- I was ready to sign him but now the surgery changes all that like Liriano I need atleast 2 healthy seasons before i would consider extending him.

17. Jesse Crain- He is signed for 2 years and im happy with that because he needs to improve to keep job.

18. Matt Guerrier- He has 2 years left before he becomes a free agent and i think i would let him become one and see how he does.

19. Luis Ayala- He is one if he has a good year I could see the Twins extending him durning the season.

Thats all the players that I would even consider it let me know what you think.

Saturday, March 7th

Yesterday, the Twins continued their winning ways beating the Reds by a 3-0 score. I know this is redundent but the pitching continues to impress as they only gave up 4 hits.

• Glen Perkins got the start and went 4 innings and continues to impress only giving up 1 hit. In 9 innings this spring he has not allowed a run. I really think Perk is going to be the starter to make the biggest jump and compete with the top 3 for best pitchers this year.
• The bullpen really pitched good with Kevin Mulvey continues to make a case to make the team. Craig Breslow looks like he is ready for the season to start and has a roster spot locked up.
• The Twins didn't do much on offense again only scratching 3 runs again. Jason Kubel had an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st to get the team off to a good start. I would really like the Twins to get going offensively because right now we are really struggling with the bat.
• Got some good news though Joe Nathan threw batting practice yesterday and reported no discomfort and is scheduled to pitch on Sunday against Baltimore in Fort Lauderdale. Nick Blackburn reported his knee is feeling better so that is also good news for the Twins. Joe Mauer continues to plug along after having a minor setback so things are good on the injury front.
• Today, the Twins continue grapefruit league play as they host the Pittsburgh Pirates to Fort Myers. Scott Baker will get the start for the Twins. Also scheduled to pitch are RA Dickey and Matt Guerrier. Gametiem is at 12:05 in Fort Myers

Fort Myers Miracle

Here is the latest projections for the minor league rosters. Take a look at my Twins, Rochester, and New Britain rosters and let me know what you think.

C- Wilson Ramos
1st- Chris Parmalee
2nd- Steve Singelton
SS- Yancarlos Ortiz
3b- Garrett Olson
Lf- Yangervis Solarte
CF- Ben Revere
RF- Rene Tosoni
DH- Rene Leveret

Bench
Jair Fernandez
Paul Kelly
Chris Cates
Mark Dolenc


Pitching
1. Tyler Robertson
2. Deolis Guerra
3. Mike Mccardell
4. Alex Burnett
5. David Bromberg

Bullpen
Closer Danny Hernandez
Kyle Waldrop
Charles Nolte
Blake Martin
Steve Hirschfeld
Henry Arias
Danny Santiestian

Friday, March 6th

Yesterday the Twins improved their spring record to a very impressive 6-2 on the season. The pitching continues to impress as the pitching staff came within 4 outs of a combined no-hitter. However, the hitting continues to be a problem because the Twins had only 3 hits until the 7th inning. It's way early to be concerned about the hitting, but you would like to see some progress as the spring continues.

• Kevin Slowey was impressive again for the Twins going 3 perfect inning with 2 strikeouts. I was not high on him going into last season, but he has really proved me wrong. You could make an argument that he truly is the Twins ace right now and you wouldn't get a lot of argument from me. So there you go I admit I was wrong about Slowey. This spring he has pitched 5 shutout innings and looks like he is in midseason form already.
• The hitting was another story as the starters only contributed 3 hits. Thats not to say there wasn't some good hitting performances. Dustin Martin continues to impress this spring with 2 more hits to lead the Twins. Toby Gardenhire put the Twins ahead to stay with a rbi single in the 7th inning.
• Talk about a bad line for a pitcher. Dutch reliever Berry Van Driel faced 5 hitters and gave up 4 hits and walked a batter and gave up 3 runs.
• Today, the Twins host the Cincinnati Reds as they get back into grapefruit league play. Glen Perkins tries to build on his solid spring thus far. Also expected to pitch are Jason Jones, Kevin Mulvey, Anthony Swarzak, Brian Duensing, and Craig Breslow. Gametime is at 12:05 in Fort Myers as the Twins try to build on their very good 6-2 spring record.

New Britain Rock Cats

I am going to project who I think will be on the New Britain roster to start the season. I wasn't sure about the catching situation as you could tell by my Rochester projections. Everyone let me know what you think of this.

C- Drew Butera
1st- Whit Robbins
2nd- Brian Dinkelman
SS- Steve Tolleson
3b- Danny Valencia
LF- Juan Portes
CF- Brandon Roberts
RF- David Winfree
DH- Erik Lis

Bench
Matt Moses
Toby Gardenhire
Edward Ovalle
Allan De san Miguel

Pitching
1. Jeff Manship
2. Jay Rainville
3. Oswaldo Sosa
4. Yohan Pino
5. Cole Devries

Bullpen
Closer- Anthony Slama
Zach Ward
Kyle Aselton
Blair Erikson
Matt Fox
Bobby Keppel
Spencer Steedley

Thursday, March 5th

Yesterday the Twins played Pittsburgh in grapefruit action and lost a tough 2-1 outing to the Pirates. There were a lot of good things that happened and a few things to be concerned about.

• Francisco Liriano really bounced back in his second start after struggling a bit his first start. He pitched 3 shutout innings with 2 strikeouts. Liriano may not have the explosive stuff anymore, but I think he will be consistantly good for the season and really thats all you can ask for from a pitcher.
• The Twins were only able to put 4 hits together so I want to talk about is what they are going to do in the outfield. Yesterday the Twins played all 4 outfielders with Cuddyer at DH and Young in Left, Gomez in Center and Span in Right. If not done right there could be hard feelings and the chemistry could be hurt. However, as my colleague first suggested they can do a rotation where you play 4 games out of 6 a week so that everyone gets their playing time. Also, I know some people disagree with me but Jason Kubel in my opinion can not hit lefthanded pitching on a consistant basis so you sit him against left handers.
• I am not real concerned about Joe Mauer's recovery from offseason kidney surgery, however I am more concerned than I was after reading Joe Christensen's article about Mauer taking a step back in his recovery. So my question is if for some reason Mauer has to start the season on the disabled list who becomes backup catcher with Mike Redmond taking over the starters job. Is it going to be Jose Morales or Drew Butera. I know its not a big deal because they wouldn't play much but if Butera would get the call what does that say about Morales being skipped by Butera. I know that is a long way down the road and Mauer probably will be fine, however we should think about a plan B in case.
• Today, the Twins take on the Netherlands WBC team led by pitching coach Bert Blyleven. Kevin Slowey gets the start for the Twins today. Joe Crede is expected to play third base today so it will be interesting to see how he does. Gametime is at 1:00pm in Fort Myers.

Rochester Red Wings

I am going to project who i think will be the starting lineup for Rochester. I'm not real sure about the bench because i am not sure who was brought back as minor league free agents, but I will do my best and if i missed anyone let me know.

C- Jose Morales
1b- Brock Peterson
2b- Matt Macri
SS- Trevor Plouffe
3b- Luke Hughes
Lf- Luis Matos
CF- Jason Pridie
RF- Dustin Martin
DH- Alejandro Machado

Bench
Steve Tolleson
Tommy Watkins
Joe Gaetti
Jeff Christy

Pitchers
1. Brian Duensing
2. Anthony Swarzak
3. Kevin Mulvey
4. RA Dickey
5. Jason Jones

Bullpen
Closer- Ben Julianel
Rob Delaney
Mike Gosling
Armando Gabino
Tim Lahey
Sean Henn
Ryan Mullins

Wednesday, March, 4th

Yesterday the Twins played the Puerto Rican World Baseball Classic team in Fort Myers and defeated them 3-2. There are several notes from the game that I thought that were noteworthy.

• The Twins pitchers continue to impress this spring as Scott Baker bounced back from a tough first start by throwing 3 shutout innings. I was also impressed with Kevin Mulvey, who I think has a shot at the last bullpen job if Philip Humber were to falter, pitched a good inning. The only one that was not very impressive was Anthony Swarzak who gave up 2 runs in his only inning of work and if it not for a wonderful defensive play by Danny Valencia would of given up more so that is a little disappointing.
• Joe Crede got his first hit and first rbi's as a member of the Twins. Jason Kubel seems ready for the season going 3-3 at the plate for the Twins.
• The real only concern was Carlos Gutierrez getting roughed up for the Puerto Rican team. If you didn't know Gutierrez is a Twins prospect playing for Puerto Rico in the WBC. He only lasted 2/3 of an inning and gave up 2 runs and 3 hits. Even though it was a rough outing it was a good test for Gutierrez because most of the starters were still in the game so he can go back and see what he needs to work on. I expect him to start the season in Fort Myers, but could move quickly.
• Today, the Twins travel to Bradenton to take on the Pirates. I would not expect the Twins to take very many starters today considering its a nice bus trip up there. Francisco Liriano makes his 2nd spring start and tries to rebound from a tough first start. RA Dickey, Craig Breslow, Jose Mijares, and Bobby Keppel are scheduled to pitch in relief today. Gametime is at 12:05pm.

Mock Draft 4.0

1. Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
2. St. Louis Rams- Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
3. Kansas City Chiefs- Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
4. Seattle Seahawks- Jason Smith OT Baylor
5. Cleveland Browns- Brian Orakpo LB Texas
6. Cincinnati Bengals- Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
7. Oakland Raiders- Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri
8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
9. Green Bay Packers- BJ Raji DT Boston College
10. San Francisco 49ers- Vontae Davis CB Illinois
11. Buffalo Bills- Everette Brown DE Penn State
12. Denver Broncos- Mark Sanchez QB USC
13. Washington Redskins- Andre Smith OT Alabama
14. New Orleans Saints- Rey Maualuga LB USC
15. Houston Texans- Darius Butler Cb Connecticut
16. San Diego Chargers- Chris Wells RB Ohio State
17. New York Jets- Knowshawn Moreno RB Georgia
18. Chicago Bears- Hakeem Nicks WR North Carolina
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Michael Johnson LB Georgia Tech
20. Detroit Lions- Brian Cushing LB USC
21. Philadelphia Eagles- Darius Heyward-Bey WR Maryland
22. Minnesota Vikings- Michael Oher OT Ole Miss
23. New England Patriots- James Laurinitis LB Ohio State
24. Atlanta Falcons- Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma St
25. Miami Dolphins- Brian Robieske WR Ohio State
26. Baltimore Ravens- Clay Matthews LB USC
27. Indianapolis Colts- Terrence Cody DT Alabama
28. Philadelpia Eagles- William Moore S Missouri
29. New York Giants- Percy Harvin WR Florida
30. Tennessee Titans- Peria Jerry DT Ole Miss
31. Arizona Cardinals- Lesean Mccoy RB Pittsburgh
32. Pittsburgh Steelers- Ciron Black OT LSU

weekend update

The Twins had a solid weekend going 1-1 to bring their spring record to 4-1.

• Saturday the Twins defeated the Yankees 7-3 for their 4th straight win this spring.
• Francisco Liriano got the start and wasn't very sharp giving up 3 runs in 2 innings against the Yankees A lineup. I am not putting too much into it since it was his first start of the season and something to work on. I look for him to improve every start and will be ready to go April 7th.
• Brian Buscher and Delmon Young continued their strong start to spring training. Buscher had 2 hits and 2 rbi's while Young was 3-3 to improve to 6-7 this spring.
• The Bullpen really pitched well pitching 7 shutout innings in relief of Liriano and looked good.

• Yesterday the Twins suffered their first defeat of the spring dropping a tough 2-1 defeat to the Red Sox to even their series at 1-1 in the battle for the Mayor's cup in Fort Myers.
• Kevin Slowey got his first start of the spring and was very impressive going 2 hitless innings puncuated by a strikeout of David Ortiz.
• Glen Perkins came in for Slowey and pitched 3 shutout innings and was very impressive himself. Thus far this spring he has pitched 5 shutout innings and I look for Perkins to make the biggest jump of any starter this season. I am very high on Glen and expect big things for him and the Twins.
• In a game where there wasn't much hitting the bright spot was a rbi single by Deibinson Romero in the 8th inning. I look for him to rebound himself this year after a injury plagued season and some doubts about how high of a ceiling he really has.
• The Twins have today off and the next few days they have games against a couple teams from the World Baseball Clinic.

The Twins got a scare this weekend with Joe Nathan pulling out of the WBC because of shoulder soreness. It appears that he will be ok, but it is something that is worth keeping an eye on because we really don't have a replacement if Nathan has to miss any regular season time. They would probably have to move Jesse Crain or Luis Ayala into the closer role and that definatly a drop off. He might pitch on wednesday against The Netherlands WBC team, so it is something to keep track of because he is probably the most indespensible player on the whole team.

Saturday, Febuary 28th

Twins 5 Yankees 4

Twins 3-0

• Scott Baker made his first start of the season and was not very impressive giving up 3 runs in 2 innings of work. I am not concerned at all about the start because it was his first game of the year and he is just getting into form. He will be ready to go on April 6th.
• Jason Kubel hit his first homerun of the spring yesterday. I really think Kubel is just coming into his own at the plate and will be a big contributer this season.
• Danny Valencia had an up and down day for the Twins. He had 2 more hits, but had a key error that got the Yankees within 1, however he finished the game with a nice play on a slow grounder to finish the Twins win. I think Valencia will hit no matter where he plays the key is how good his defense is because the Twins don't put up with a lot of errors. I think he will be fine, but its something to keep track of.
• Today the Twins travel to Tampa to take on the Yankees in the home and home series. Francisco "The Francise" Liriano gets his first spring start against the yankees. Joba Chamberlain gets the start for the Yankees. Gametime is at noon, however I wouldn't look for the twins to bring very many starters to the game so it should be interesting to see how the prospects do today

Opening day Roster

Here is my projection for the opening day roster. I expect that they are going to keep 12 pitchers and 13 position players. There is a possibility that they could keep 11 pitchers and 14 position players but i really don't expect it.

C- Joe Mauer- If he stays healthy probably will win 3rd batting title.
1b- Justin Mourneau- will try to get his homerun total back over 30
2b- Alexi Casilla- will try to show last year was not a fluke
SS- Nick Punto- will try to hit enough to keep his defense in the game
3b- Joe Crede- if healthy will hit enough to help the team
Lf- Denard Span- hoping to avoid the sophmore slump
CF- Carlos Gomez- needs to improve plate discipline to improve
RF- Michael Cuddyer- needs to stay healthy
DH- Jason Kubel- hopes to build on best year of career last season

Reserves
Mike Redmond- one of best backup catchers in the game
Delmon Young- will play alot and hoping he improves his power numbers.
Brenden Harris- will be utility guy who can play 2nd,3rd, and short
Brian Buscher- big bat off bench who will be backup at 3rd and 1st.


Pitchers
1. Scott Baker- needs to stay healthy whole year and could win 15 games
2. Francisco Liriano- sky is the limit for him if he stays healthy
3. Kevin Slowey- I was wrong about him he will be most consistant
4. Glen Perkins- I look for him to make the biggest jump
5. Nick Blackburn- Mr. Consistancy that needs to keep ball down

Bullpen
Joe Nathan- Best closer in game needs to rebound from tough second half last year.
Luis Ayala- I really think he will rebound this year and be top setup guy.
Jesse Crain- will be inconsistant like usual
Matt Guerrier- will be good if not used to much
Jose Mijares- I look for him to be the late inning lefty and be dominant
Craig Breslow- very solid and will contribute just like last year.
Philip Humber- very tenuous at best but probably will make it cause he is out of options.

If Twins keep 11 pitchers Matt Tolbert makes the team either Jose Mijares or Philip Humber does not make the team. However, I would be very surprised if they don't keep 12 pitchers. Let me know what you think

2009 top ten prospects

Spring Training has started so its time to get back in the groove of blogging. I plan on giving my top 50 twins prospects and start with 1-10 today. Hope you all enjoy

1. Aaron Hicks- He has all the tools that you look for in a prospect. He truly is a 5 tool prospect and with a little seasoning will be patrolling an outfield spot for the twins by 2012.

2009 outlook: Centerfielder for Elizabethton

2. Ben Revere- It was a close one between Hicks and Revere for that top spot. Ben Revere is the most accomplished hitter in the whole twins organization. He reminds me of a young Kenny Lofton. His only real weakness is he does not have a very strong throwing arm and that could hold him back a bit. If it was up to me i would move him to 2nd base where you could appreciate his hitting skills and not have to worry about his throwing arm.

2009 outlook: Centerfielder for Fort Myers

3. Wilson Ramos- Every year Ramos seems to be getting better and better. He calls a great game with a good arm along with being a good hitter with some power. His only problem is Joe Mauer blocking his way to the majors. However, just like with all good players the Twins will find a place for him to get his bat in the lineup. I am very high on him and think he will be the DH in 2 to 3 years and be a very good hitter for years to come.

2009 outlook: Starting catcher at New Britain

4. Danny Valencia- Danny really came on last year to catch the eye of many scouts. He is now the 3rd baseman of the future and the future could happen as early as September if not sooner. He is a very accomplished hitter who will hit for some power with a very good glove. I think the Twins search for a 3rd baseman since Gary Gaetti has ended and Danny Valencia will be the 3rd Baseman when Target Field opens and beyond.

2009 outlook: Start the season in New Britain and get a promotion in May to Rochester and will be one of the September callups for the Twins.

5. Angel Morales- I am very excited about Morales I think he has the biggest upside of anybody in the organization. I think he will be the centerfielder for the Twins in 2012. He is another 5 tool player much like Hicks but with more power as evidenced by his 17 homeruns in Elizabethton last year. The only thing about him is he is so young you don't know how he is going to develop and how long he will take but he is definatley someone to keep your eye on because I believe he will be a keeper.

2009 outlook: Centerfielder for Beloit

6. Deolis Guerra- I know a lot of people have soured on him because of last year, but I still expect big things out of him. You need to remember he is one of the youngest players on Fort Myers and the Mets pushed him to much and screwed up his mechanics. I would rather take a step back like he did last year and fix his mechanics then have him go the same way and break down in a couple years. I expect him to be the comeback kid in the organization this year. I think you will see why we wanted him so bad in the Santana trade and will find out why people think he will be the ace of the staff in a couple years

2009 outlook: I think he will start out in Fort Myers and get a callup to New Britain at the all star break.

7. Kevin Mulvey- I think Kevin is a very solid prospect who doesn't get the due he deserves. He is as steady as they come and last year was about as consistant a starter as the Red Wings had. He reminds me of a young Kevin Tapani and he will be the first pitcher called up in case of injury and won't dissapoint.

2009 outlook: Will be the Ace for Rochester and sometime during the year will join the Twins.

8. Carlos Gutierrez- I am pretty high on Carlos as a pitcher. With his sinkerball I think in a year he will have hitters pounding the ball into the ground at Target Field. The only thing about him is he better as a Starter or as a reliever. I believe you could go either way and it would not be a problem but i like him more as a starter because their is more value there. Either way I think Twins Fans will know him very soon.

2009 outlook: Start the season in Fort Myers and get called up to New Britain at the all star break.

9. Shooter Hunt- I think Shooter could be very good for the Twins. He has dominant stuff when he has everything going. The only problem is his control because in the Twins organization if you walk people you won't be with us long. However, I do think he will get that under control and don't fool yourself when he doesn't walk batters he is one of the most dominant pitchers in the whole organization.

2009 outlook: Starter for Beloit

10. Jeff Manship- I really like what he does as a pitcher. I think all he needs as innings to show how good of a pitcher he is. He adjusts well when given new challenges. Like when he got promoted to AA he struggled right away and then he adjusted and did very well. He has 3 very good pitches and I think he has a future with the Twins.

2009 outlook: Start the season in New Britain and finish the season in Rochester.

2009 Mock Draft 4.0

Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford QB Georgia- Lions need to start over at QB and he is the best overall and when you get a chance at a franchise QB you have to pull the trigger.

Mock Draft 3.0

1. Detroit Lions- Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma



2. St. Louis Rams- Andre Smith OT Alabama



3. Kansas City Chiefs- Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech



4. Seattle Seahawks- Michael Oher OT Ole Miss



5. Cleveland Browns- Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest



6. Cincinnati Bengals- Greg Hardy DE Ole Miss



7. Oakland Raiders- James Laurinitis LB Ohio State



8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Eugene Monroe OT Virginia



9. Green Bay Packers- Terrence Cody DT Alabama



10. San Francisco 49ers- Matheew Stafford QB Georgia



11. Buffalo Bills- Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State


12. Denver Broncos- Rey Mauluga LB USC


13. Washington Redskins- Jason Smith OT Baylor


14. New Orleans Saints- Sean Mays S USC


15. Houston Texans- William Moore S Missouri


16. New York Jets- Mark Sanchez QB USC


17. Chicago Bears- Percy Harvin WR Florida


18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Knowshawn Moreno RB Georgia


19. Detroit Lions- Ciron Black OT LSU


20. New England Patriots- Vontae Davis CB Illinois


21. Minnesota Vikings- Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri


22. Atlanta Falcons- Peria Jerry DT Ole Miss


23. Miami Dolphins- Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Missouri


24. Indianapolis Colts- Brandon Spikes LB Florida


25. Arizona Cardinals- Chris Wells RB Ohio St


26. San Diego Chargers- Duke Robinson OG OKlahoma


27. Philadelphia Eagles- Ebin Britton OT Arizona


28. Baltimore Ravens- Sen'derrick Marks DT Auburn


29. Pittsburgh Steelers- Everette Brown LB Florida St



30. New York Giants- Brian Cushing LB USC


31. Tennessee Titans- Jermaine Grisham TE Oklahoma


32. Carolina Panthers- Myron Rolle S Florida State

Mock Draft 2.0

Here is my latest mock draft for the 2009 NFL draft now that we have a good idea where teams will be drafting. I will be projecting underclassmen who i think will come out.

1. Detroit Lions- Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

2. St. Louis Rams- Andre Smith OT Alabama

3. Kansas City Chiefs- Michael Oher OT Ole Miss

4. Seattle Seahawks- Matthew Stafford QB Georgia

5. Cleveland Browns- Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest

6. Cincinnatti Bengals- Eugene Monroe OT Virginia

7. Oakland Raiders- Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech

8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Terrence Cody DT Alabama

9. Green Bay Packers- Michael Johnson DE Georgia Tech

10. San Francisco 49ers- Mark Sanchez QB USC

11. Buffalo Bills- Greg Hardy DE Ole Miss

12. Denver Broncos- James Laurinitis LB Ohio St.

13. Washington Redskins- Jason Smith OT Baylor

14. New Orleans Saints- Taylor Mays S USC

15. Houston Texans- Malcolm Jenkins Ohio St.

16. San Diego Chargers- Rey Maualuga LB USC

17. New York Jets- William Moore S Missouri

18. Chicago Bears- Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Knowshawn Moreno RB Georgia

20. Detroit (Dallas)- Ciron Black OT LSU

21. Arizona Cardinals- Chris Wells RB Ohio St

22. Philadelphia Eagles- Jermaine Grisham TE Oklahoma

23. Minnesota Vikings- Percy Harvin WR Florida

24. New England Patriots- Vontae Davis CB Illinois

25. Atlanta Falcons- Peria Jerry DT Ole Miss

26. Miami Dolphins- Brandon Spikes LB Florida

27. Baltimore Ravens- Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Maryland

28. Philadelphia Eagles(Carolina)- Ebin Britton OT Arizona

29. Indianapolis Colts- Sen'Derrick Marks DT Auburn

30. Pittsburgh Steelers- Duke Robinson OG Oklahoma

31. Tennessee Titans- Everette Brown LB Florida St

32. New York Giants- Brian Cushing LB USC

Twins thoughts

I have been doing some thinking the last couple days about the Twins and thought it was a good time to write about it to see what all of my readers think about this.

This morning I was going through my prospect list and when I think they will be ready to help the Twins. I admit I was being shortsighted when it came to Casey Blake. To sign him to a 3 year deal with an option is really stupid and I was the one who was all for it. The reason is Danny Valencia everything I have read and heard from him that have seen him live tells me that by signing Casey Blake we would be blocking the top infield prospect in the whole organization from taking his rightful spot at 3rd base for the Twins. I really believe Valencia is going to be ready to take over 3rd base for the Twins on opening day 2010 when the Twins move into Target Field. I really think it is a blessing that the Dodgers overpaid for Blake because with Valencia's talent he would of found a way to get onto the field and we would be stuck with a 6 million a year utility guy. Teams like the Yankees and Red Sox can afford that but not the Twins we will always be somewhat limited in payroll so we cant afford it. I really believe that Valencia is the future for the Twins and they should not block him. However, if the Twins can find a 1 year option at 3rd base by all means i would do it. I would go back to Seattle to see if they are any more serious about trading Adrian Beltre because he would be perfect because he is a very good player and after the season they can let Beltre go and get the 2 draft picks. I would only look at 3rd basemen that are free agents after 09 because after that the future will be now for Danny Valencia.

Am I the only one who thinks that now is the time to start locking up some of these players long term before they can even sniff free agency. I have heard the names of Baker, Kubel, Liriano, Slowey and such but the guy that I really believe that we need to get signed before he can even think about free agency and that player is Joe Mauer. He is the most indispensible player on the team. I know he has 2 years left on his contract, but if you wait until next year at this team he may decide he will want to wait and become a free agent. I think you can argue that Joe Mauer is the best player in the game with 2 batting titles already in the bank and teams like the Yankees and Boston starving for a phenom at catcher. So if im the Twins I dont let him even think about leaving Minnesota I would lock him up for 6 more years. By doing that you have one less thing to worry about and you guarantee the 1-2 punch of mauer and mourneau for atleast the next 5 seasons and that totally makes sense. Don't get me wrong I would also try to lock up Scott Baker and Jason Kubel also. I would wait on Liriano for another year to see if we are looking at the Franchise or just a good Francisco Liriano. I would also like to see another year of Kevin Slowey to prove last year was not a fluke.

Lastly, looking at the farm system and who we have at the major league level we need to start thinking about the future of our outfield. We have quite a few outfielders taht I think are going to be ready by then and there are only 3 positions so we need to decide what to do with them. Look at the names that are projected as starters in the big leagues.

Denard Span
Delmon Young
Carlos Gomez
Michael Cuddyer
Aaron Hicks
Ben Revere
Angel Morales
Jason Kubel

That is 8 outfielders for 4 spots and yeah i know some of those guys will not be ready for a few years so you dont have to worry about it quite yet. However, eventually the Twins are going to have to deal with the situation. My view is probably trade Delmon Young because for whatever reason Gardy is not a fan of Delmon Young and it will just cause problems in the clubhouse. When Michael Cuddyer's contract expires after the 2010 season i would let him leave. I may be in the minority here but i view Carlos Gomez as a future star for the Twins who will learn better plate discipline. I think Aaron Hicks will be the crown jewel of the organization in a couple years I look for him to supplant Gomez in Center in 2011 and move Gomez to left field. I see Angel Morales as a star also that will be running right field beginning in 2011. I really believe with his bat and speed and being that he has played there before i see sooner or later Ben Revere to return to 2nd base for the Twins and Alexi Casilla moving to short. When it comes to Denard Span if he has another good year this year I would keep him until Hicks and Morales are ready to join the Twins then trade him. In retrospect I see our starting lineup in 2011 as

C Joe Mauer
1st Justin Mourneau
2nd Ben Revere
SS Alexi Casilla
3b Danny Valencia
LF Carlos Gomez
CF Aaron Hicks
RF Angel Morales
DH Jason Kubel

Everyone let me know what you think on this