How much cash do the Twins really have?

With the Mauer negotiations starting to take shape it makes you wonder how much the Twins really have to spend. With the talks of possibly signing Felipe Lopez or Orlando Hudson it makes you wonder if the Twins have the flexibility to sign those guys to a multiyear contract. I am basing it on the most logical figures that Joe Mauer will sign a 7 year deal worth 150 million which is 21.4 million per. I am also basing it on a 95 million dollar payroll and a 100 million dollar payroll in 2011. But really I have no idea what the Twins payroll is going to be that just seems logical so I am going to base my figures on those totals. I am going to break down on those figures how much cash they have left. Here is the 2011 salaries with some arbitration estimates so we can see if there is room left over for Lopez and Hudson to get theirs.

Joe Mauer: 21 million

Justin Morneau: 14 million

Joe Nathan: 11.25 million

Michael Cuddyer: 10.5 million

J.J. Hardy: 8 million arbitration estimate

Jason Kubel: 5.25 million

Scott Baker: 5 million

Delmon Young 4 million arbitration estimate

Clay Condrey: 900,000 arbitration estimate

Brendan Harris: 2.0 million arbitration estimate

Nick Blackburn: 1.5 million arbitration estimate

Pat Neshek 1.5 million arbitration estimate

Kevin Slowey: 1.5 million arbitration estimate

Denard Span: 750,000 arbitration estimate

Francisco Liriano 2.0 million arbitration estimate

Alexi Casilla: 750,000 arbitration estimate

Jose Mijares: 750,000 arbitration estimate

Jose Morales: 450,000 arbitration estimate

Total: 91 million

That leaves Nick Punto, Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, and Carl Pavano as free agents. With the 100 million dollar payroll that leaves 9 million dollars to sign your own free agents along with guys to finish your 25 man roster. If the payroll is around 100 million there is no way in my mind that they can pay any 2nd baseman or 3rd baseman 4-5 million in 2011. Like it or not Twins fans the starting 3rd baseman in 2011 for the Twins will be Danny Valencia. The starting 2nd baseman will be from a group of Steve Singleton, Steve Tolleson, Brian Dinkelman, Trevor Plouffe, or Nick Punto if he is willing to take a discount to return at 2nd base. If their payroll is 105-110 then that is a different story, but everything the Twins have said about not wanting to offer more than a one year contract makes it likely they will be looking around 100 million. I welcome your thoughts on this issue if you disagree on this or agree on it let me know. Also of those 5 free agents which ones would you like to see the Twins resign and which would you like to see the Twins let go. You can either leave your comments in the comment box or send me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com.

Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast

I would like to invite everyone to join me tonight for the Travis Talks Weekly Minnesota Sport Podcast tonight at 10 pm. Tonight, I will be joined by the Twins Geek John Bonnes and we will talk about the Twins, the Vikings playoff tilt this weekend, The Gopher Basketball team, the Timberwolves, and even a little talk about the Wild. So I invite everyone to join us tonight at 10 for the Travis Talks Weekly Minnesota Sports Podcast. Thanks and have a great day.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/travistwinstalk

Twins All-Decade team

With little in the way of news with the Twins lately that I find interesting. With the new decade beginning I thought it would be interesting to look back at the last ten years with some of the good things and also some bad things. Hope you all enjoy and will leave your comments in the comment box if you agree or disagree or you can shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com

• Positives

1. Twins win 5 division titles in 10 years which is most of any team in the division.



2. Twins after many years of trying accomplish the impossible and gain funding for Target Field.



3. Twins have 3 batting champions, 2 MVP's, and 2 Cy Young awards in the decade most awards by any one team in baseball.



4. Twins with the first pick in the draft acquire some local boy from Cretin-Durham Hall and turn him into the best player in the game.

• Negatives

1. The Polaids tired of trying for a new stadium try to sell the Twins to major league baseball so they can be contracted.



2. With 5 playoff appearances the Twins are only able to win one playoff series.



3. Losing the likes of Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, AJ Pierzynski, Luis Castillo to big market teams.

• Without any further adieu it is time for the Travis Talks all decade team from 2000-2009. I hope this will create some discussion and hopefully not everyone will agree with my picks.

Catcher-Joe Mauer- Easy choice as he won 3 batting titles, 3 gold gloves and an MVP in the decade

Average season with Twins during decade: .327 avg 17 hr 92 rbi .408/.483/.891 split

1st base: Justin Morneau- Another easy choice as Morneau won the 2006 MVP award and shown the durability Twins fans have been waiting for.

Average season with Twins during decade: .280 avg 30 hr 116 rbi .350/.501/.851

2nd base: Luis Castillo- To be quite nice the Twins have struggled at 2nd base since Chuck Knoblauch left the Twins in the mid 90's. Castillo was only a Twin for a year and a half, but he led the Twins to a division championship in 2006 when he hit .296.

Average season with Twins during decade: .300 avg 2 hr 34 rbi 17 sb .357/.361/.718 split

Shortstop: Christian Guzman- Guzy came over from the Yankees in the Chuck Knoblauch trade and played a steady shortstop. He was with the Twins for six years and appeared in three postseasons for the Twins along with an all star appearance.

Average Season as Twin during decade: .265 avg 6 homeruns 48 rbi's 17 sb .303/.379/.682 split

Third Base: Corey Koskie- Corey Koskie proved to be better than most Twins fans thought he was going to be by looking at him. Played a very good 3rd base and had some big hits for the Twins along with some good seasons as he helped the Twins get back on the map. If not for injuries he may have had a very good career, but anyways he had a solid career that he can look back on with pride.

Average Season as Twin during decade: .280 avg 14 hr 62 rbi's .375/.465/.840 split

Designated Hitter: Jason Kubel: Jason Kubel came up as a can't miss prospect as an outfielder and that all changed on an afternoon in Arizona. That is when he tore his knee up and ended his days as an everyday outfielder. He made the best out of that situation by embracing a job as a designated hitter. It took him a while to get his stroke back, but the last couple of years he has been as good a offensive power hitter in the Twins lineup as they could of dreamed.

Average Season as Twin during decade: .278 avg 23 hr 88 rbi's .339/.474/.813 split

Left Field: Shannon Stewart- I know all you Jacque Jones fans are going to be what about him and the biggest reason I went with Stewart is the fact that when he arrived in Minneapolis the Twins were floundering and coupled with his energy and skill he found a way to help the Twins to the division title. He was only a Twin for 3 and a half years but he was a part of 3 division champion teams even though in 2006 he only played in 44 games due to injury. His impact was enormous and that is why he made this team.

Average Season as Twin during decade: .298 avg 7 hr 35 rbi's .359/.418/.777 split

Center Field: Torii Hunter- Torii Hunter will go down as one of the greatest centerfielders in Twins history. He was one of the key cogs in the Twins rejuvenation in the early 2000's. With his stellar defense and power hitting the Twins always had a chance. If he wasn't getting rug burns from stealing basehits he was stealing homeruns. He never got the credit he deserved for his hitting ability. He had his negatives as he was a free swinger and would swing at his share of pitches in the dirt, but he would also hit his fair share of homeruns and be the clubhouse leader.

Average Season as Twin during decade: .271 avg 21 hr 79 rbi's 14 sb .324/.463/.787 split

Right Field: Michael Cuddyer- Cuddyer started out the decade playing all over from 3rd base to 2nd base to first base before finding a home in Right Field. When he found that home he took off and showed everyone why the Twins thought so highly of him. Cuddyer has it all he has a great arm in right field and can hit for average, hit for power and drive in runs.

Average Season as Twin during decade: .270 avg 21 hr 82 rbi's 7 sb .344/.457/.801 split

• Bench

Utility Infielder: Nick Punto- Nick Punto has done a good job when he has been asked to be the utility infielder. The problem is the Twins often have asked him to do things that he is just not capable of doing. He is not an everyday player and the Twins have often asked him to be one. If you look at his stats when he is coming off the bench and when he is expected to be the starter they are much better when not much is expected. So for this team I felt like he would be the perfect utility infielder for this team.

Average Season as Twin this decade: .250 avg 2 hr 32 rbi's 15 sb .325/.329/.654 split

Extra Outfielder: Jacque Jones- Jacque Jones was a solid competitor for the Twins in their hayday in the early 2000's. His career took a detour after leaving the Twins, but when he was a Twin he was a good outfielder that combined solid defense with a solid bat. He was not spectacular, but put up solid numbers. He was also very versatile as he played all three outfield positions when he was with the Twins. The memory I have of Jacque Jones was the first game of the 2002 season after the Twins were almost contracted against the Kansas City Royals when he hit the first pitch of the season out of the park. It just showed the mental toughness that the Twins showed in the decade as they would not give in whether it was contraction or a big deficit in the division.

Average season as Twin during decade: .278 avg 21 hr 72 rbi's 11sb .327/.453/.780 split

Backup Catcher: Mike Redmond- Mike Redmond was a good guy to have on the team. He kept the whole team loose and when called upon was a very good offensive catcher. He defense was never great, but it was adequate. However, his value to the team was more than hitting .300 every year and hitting those bleeders to right field. His true value to the Twins was that he was the heart and soul for some very good Twins teams. He was the one that would take the bullet on bad days and the one who would do the naked streaks through the lockeroom to keep everyone loose. Mike Redmond's value can't be judged by numbers as his true value was that he found a way to help the team win no matter the circumstances.

Average season as Twin during decade: .294 avg 0 hr 21 rbi's .336/.356/.692 split

Utility Infielder: Doug Mientkiewicz- In the early 2000's Doug Mientkiewicz was a key cog on three division champion teams for the Twins. With his stellar defense at first base he kept the Twins in some games. His hitting was sporatic, but his defense was the best in baseball at first base. During those years he was the heart and soul of the Twins and would sit on the dugout floor cheering on his teammates. That was his biggest contribution was how he kept the team together and that is not saying how he saved error after error at first base. His contributions will never be forgotten in Twins fans hearts that appreciate everything he did for the Twins.

Average season as Twin during decade: .278 avg 10 hr 57 rbi's .371/.417/.788 split

• Pitching Staff

Starter # 1: Johan Santana- Johan Santana turned out to be one of the best starting pitchers in Twins history. His combination of power as he threw 93-94 with a very good slider, but when he developed his killer changeup he developed into a great Twins pitcher. He won two cy youngs during the decade and showed how good he was as a Twins pitcher. Long after he is gone Johan Santana will be known as the greatest pitcher in Twins history.

Average season as Twin during decade: 15-7 2.94 era 197 innings 215 strikeouts 1.05 whip

Starter # 2: Brad Radke- Brad Radke was the epitomy of the overachieving Twins. By looking at him there was nothing special and his minor league numbers. With his great changeup he found ways to get hitters out. He was an awesome big game pitcher who got the job done when they really needed him. The memory I have of Brad Radke was pitching for weeks with a broken shoulder to keep the Twins in the pennant race. He is the epitomy of someone that you hope you can see again with the Twins. He was all guts and would not give in no matter the circumstance.

Average season as Twin during decade: 12-10 4.21 era 195 innings 115 strikeouts 1.25 whip

Starter # 3 Eric Milton- Eric Milton had a solid career with the Twins. He may not have lived up to the promise that we all thought he would be, but he did have a solid career with the Twins. He helped the Twins to the 2002 AL Central division championship. He also pitched a no hitter when the Twins were not very good. He had good stuff with a nice curveball and is one of the keys to the Twins turnaround in the early 2000's.

Average season as Twin during decade: 14-9 4.67 era 197 innings 146 strikeouts 1.24 whip

Starter # 4: Kyle Lohse- Most Twins fans really did not appreciate how good his stuff was as a member of the Twins. His inconsistancy led to his departure in the mid 2000's along with the incident where he punched a hole in Gardy's office door. However, he was one of the most consistant pitchers on the staff. Got as high as the number 3 pitcher in the 2004 playoffs. Even though he never lived up to his promise he was still a solid pitcher for the Twins and someone that Twins fans should remember.

Average season as Twin during decade: 9-10 5.19 era 130 innings 80 strikeouts 1.26 whip

Starter # 5: Scott Baker- Scott Baker got off to a rough start for the Twins as he was up and down in his early years with the Twins. Even though he had some good minor league numbers he just could not transfer it to the big leagues. However, the last couple years he has been the staff ace for the Twins which got him a nice 4 year contract with the Twins. If he can continue what he is doing and improve a little bit he will be higher on the list for the next decade.

Average season as Twin during decade: 9-7 4.36 era 131 innings 100 strikeouts 1.28 whip

• Relievers

Closer: Joe Nathan- When Joe Nathan arrived in the AJ Pierzynski trade in 2004 we had no idea how good of a pitcher he was. He had injury problems with the Giants so no one knew how good he could really be. Looking at him now we now know he is the best closer in Twins history. He has the Twins record for saves in a year with 47 and when he is all done he will hold the career record for saves. Not only is he the relief pitcher of the decade he would likely be the closer of the franchise.

Average season as Twin during decade: 4-2 1.87 era 41 saves 70 inn 86 strikeouts 0.93 whip

Reliever: Eddie Guardado- "Everyday Eddie" really came on in the decade after being basically a lefthanded specialist in the 90's to being one of the top closers in team history. He had a bulldog mentality that the fans enjoyed so much. With that being said it doesn't give him credit for the stuff he did have with that sweeping breaking pitch that many waved at. Eddie always made things interesting, but at the end of the day he got the job done and that is all that is important.

Average season as Twin during decade: 5-3 3.32 era 27 saves 66inn 62 strikeouts 1.10 whip

Reliever: Jesse Crain- Many Twins fans may not agree with Crain being on the team. However, all Twins fans have to admit that he was the most consistant relief pitchers during the decade for the Twins. He may not have lived up what most Twins fans were expecting going into the season, but in my mind he has been one of the most consistant pitchers in the bullpen during the decade.

Average season as Twin during decade: 6-4 3.30 era 57 games 60 inn 38 strikeouts 1.26 whip

Reliever: Latroy Hawkins: Even though Latroy Hawkins was not a very good closer he turned out to be a perfect set-up guy. For a 2-3 period he was absolutely dominating out of the Twins bullpen as he set-up Eddie Guardado. During those years if you were behind going into the 8th inning it was over. I don't think the Hawk gets the credit that he deserves for being as good of a set-up guy as he was.

Average season as Twin during decade: 5-3 3.34 era 67 games 74 inn 58 strikeouts 1.33 whip

Reliever: Dennys Reyes- Reyes was another guy that did not receive the credit he deserved. "Big Sweat" was one of the most consistant relief pitchers on some good Twins teams. He consistantly got big leftys out in the 7th and 8th innings. You could always count that Reyes would find a way to get the job done.

Average season as Twin during decade: 3-0 2.40 era 64 games 42 inn 36 strikeouts 1.35 whip

Reliever: Matt Guerrier- Matt Guerrier saw his role change through the decade. He started the decade as the long reliever that did not pitch very much. He then took on a middle innings role, and finally took on the 8th inning role the last couple years and has done a good job. I know he does not get the credit he deserves because he ran out of gas in 2008 and the fact that he doesn't throw 95 so people think he is not that good. However, the bottom line is Matt Guerrier might be the most consistant pitcher in the Twins bullpen this decade no matter what role you put him in.

Average season as Twin during decade: 3-3 3.33 era 62 games 76 inn 51 strikeouts 1.27 whip

Reliever: Francisco Liriano- Even though he did not spend a lot of time in the bullpen for the Twins he has made such an impace with the Twins I felt he needed to make the team. His 2006 season is one of the best rookie performances in team history. If he can get back to where he was he will be an ace for the future and even if he doesn't quite get to that level he has a promising future ahead of him.

Average season as Twin during decade: 8-7 3.96 era 24 games 111 inn 111 strikeouts 1.31 whip

Twins projected 2010 payroll

With the Twins headed into Target field in 2010 I thought it would be interesting to see where their payroll is projected to be right now. If the Twins have a projected 90 million dollar payroll going into 2010 how much the Twins really have to sign Free Agents. If anyone disagrees with the payroll i have projected just leave a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com.

• Joe Mauer- 12.5 million That is what he is scheduled and I project that they will put his extension on top of his 2010 contract.
• Justin Morneau- 14.0 million
• Nick Punto- 4.0 million
• J.J. Hardy- 6.0 million *
• Joe Crede- 1.5 million **
• Delmon Young- 2.0 million *
• Denard Span- 450,000 ***
• Michael Cuddyer- 8.5 million
• Jason Kubel- 4.1 million
• Jose Morales- 410,000 ***
• Jason Pridie- 400,000 ***
• Brendan Harris- 1.5 million *
• Alexi Casilla- 450,000 ***
• Carl Pavano- 8.0 Million
• Jarrod Washburn- 6.0 million
• Scott Baker- 3.0 million
• Kevin Slowey- 475,000 ***
• Nick Blackburn- 475,000 ***
• Joe Nathan- 11.25 million
• Jon Rauch- 2.9 million
• Jesse Crain- 2.5 million *
• Matt Guerrier 2.5 million *
• Francisco Liriano 1.5 million *
• Brian Duensing - 410,000***
• Jose Mijares- 410,000 ***

Total: 95 million

*: arbitration estimate

**: guess at signing

***: less than 3 years service time

• What does this all mean is the question. 95 million is a little high for the Twins to be spending. You need to look at Joe Mauer and if his 2010 salary is 18-20 million like many have suggested that puts the Twins over 100 million and I can't see that happening. Therefore I can't see the Twins giving 14 million dollars to Carl Pavano and Jarrod Washburn. So after looking at the numbers no matter what you hear I think a Jarrod Washburn signing is unlikely and really any signing that is more than a million or 2 is probably unlikely too. That probably puts Felipe Lopez, Orlando Hudson, Miguel Tejada, and Mike Lowell out of the Twins price range.

Jarrod Washburn a future Twin?

I saw something that I found mighty interesting yesterday over at www.mlbtraderumors.com. They are reporting that the Twins have made an offer to free agent pitcher Jarrod Washburn in the 6-7 million range. Most Twins fans myself including thought when Carl Pavano accepted arbitration that would put an end to the Twins pursuit of a veteran pitcher. The thought was with young pitchers like Francisco Liriano who is only 26 years old, and Brian Duensing at only 26 who each have major league experience. Then you have guys like Jeff Manship and Anthony Swarzak who got a taste of the major leagues last season. However, with that being said Jarrod Washburn is a solid major league pitcher who has a proven track record. Here are a few of important stats on Washburn for those that don't know much about him.

• Jarrod Washburn career stats: 107-109 record with a 4.10 era in 312 games including 300 starts. Those are ok numbers and that is what he has always been is a average pitcher. He will have some great starts, but he will also have some starts where he gets lit up. His velocity is down so he has to get by on guile and guts. His best season came in 2002 when he led the Anaheim Angels to a world series championship when he went 18-6 with a 3.15 era. But, since then his numbers have continually gone down hill until last season. He had his best season in many years in 2009 splitting his season between Seattle and Detroit.

• In 2009 Washburn went 9-9 with a 3.78 era in 28 starts before going down with a knee injury that would prematurely end his season. He pitched 176 innings and walked 49 while striking out 100. You could split his 2009 season into the BKI and AKI as in Before Knee Injury and After Knee Injury. In 20 starts before his knee injury Washburn went 8-6 with a very good 2.64 era along with 33 walks and 79 strikeouts. Then after the knee injury he went 1-3 with a 7.33 era in 8 starts. The bottom line with him is look at his stats in July as in 6 starts he went 4-1 with a 1.44 era. Jarrod Washburn is a workhorse that will give you close to 200 innings every year and will keep you in the game most times. At this point of his career he is a backend starter who will give you some quality innings, but the question is it the right decision to not go with young guys instead go with a veteran. In years past decisions like this have blown up in the Twins faces. With the likes of Livan Hernandez, Ramon Ortiz, and Sidney Ponson those decisions have not worked out. I may be the only one out there that thinks Jarrod Washburn has life still in his arm. His 2.64 era in those 20 starts tells me there is some life still in his arm. I think he has the ability to be a good contributer to the Twins if they get the contract done. I really think it would be a good move for the Twins going forward.

• In a little surprising move the Twins released Bobby Keppel from the 40 man roster. Keppel was not expected to make the 25 man roster out of spring training, but most felt he would be released in spring training. The only logical reason for them to do this now is they are planning on replacing him on the 40 man roster soon. That could mean a Jarrod Washburn signing or it could be a Mike Lowell trade. Should be interesting month of January as the Twins likely finalize their team and hopefully get a contract extension with Joe Mauer done so it should be interesting.

NFL non playoff teams draft order

With the end of the regular season yesterday we now know who will be picking where in the first round of the NFL draft. The playoff teams order will be determined by how everyone does in the playoffs, but the non playoff teams are decided.

1. St. Louis Rams
2. Detroit Lions
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Washington Redskins
6. Seattle Seahawks
7. Cleveland Browns
8. Oakland Raiders
9. Buffalo Bills
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Chicago Bears
12. Miami Dolphins
13. San Francisco 49ers
14. Denver Broncos
15. Carolina Panthers
16. New York Giants
17. Tennessee Titans
18. Houston Texans
19. Atlanta Falcons
20. Pittsburgh Steelers

A few of the tiebreakers will be determined by coin flip so some of the spots will be changed a little bit but that is somewhat of the order.

Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast

I will be bringing you another edition of the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast tonight at 10 pm. I will have a special guest on the show this week as I will be joined by Chris Gates of http://www.dailynorseman.com a very good Minnesota Vikings blog. We will talk about his blog and the Vikings in general. We will also talk about the Twins, Gopher football, Gopher basketball, the Timberwolves, and even the Wild. So i invite everyone to join me tonight at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/travistwinstalk for the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast tonight at 10 pm.

Projected Major and Minor league rosters for 2010

I thought it would be fun to project where I think everyone will be playing at this summer. With it just becoming 2010 there are still quite a few unanswered questions about free agent signings and trades yet to come. However, I thought it would be fun to speculate on how I think it will end up being with not only the Twins roster, but also all the Twins affiliates. You can keep track if you like and see how close I am to getting these right. If you want to let me know how many I got wrong you can email me at travis_aune@yahoo.com.

• Minnesota Twins Roster Bench

C- Joe Mauer

1b- Justin Morneau

2b- Nick Punto

ss- J.J. Hardy

3b- Joe Crede

Lf- Delmon Young

Cf- Denard Span

Rf- Michael Cuddyer

DH- Jason Kubel

Bench

Jose Morales

Rob Quinlin

Brendan Harris

Jason Pridie

Pitching Staff Bullpen

1. Scott Baker

2. Kevin Slowey

3. Nick Blackburn

4. Carl Pavano

5. Jarrod Washburn

Bullpen

Joe Nathan

Matt Guerrier

Jesse Crain

Francisco Liriano

Jose Mijares

Jon Rauch

Bobby Keppel

Batting Order

1. Denard Span CF

2. JJ Hardy SS

3. Joe Mauer C

4. Justin Morneau 1b

5. Michael Cuddyer Rf

6. Jason Kubel Dh

7. Joe Crede 3b

8. Delmon Young Lf

9. Nick Punto 2b

• Rochester Red Wings

C- Drew Butera

1b- Brock Peterson

2b- Steve Tolleson

SS- Trevor Plouffe

3b- Danny Valencia

Lf- Brian Dinkelman

Cf- Brandon Roberts

Rf- Dustin Martin

Dh- Luke Hughes

Bench

Danny Lehman

Matt Tolbert

Erik Lis

Matt Macri

Pitching

1. Brian Duensing

2. Jeff Manship

3. Anthony Swarzak

4. Jason Jones

5. Matt Fox

Bullpen

Cole Devries

Tim Lahey

Anthony Slama

Rob Delaney

Jose Lugo

Chris Province

Ryan Mullins

Lineup

1. Brandon Roberts Cf

2. Brian Dinkelman LF

3. Danny Valencia 3b

4. Luke Hughes Dh

5. Brock Peterson 1b

6. Steve Tolleson 2b

7. Trevor Plouffe SS

8. Drew Butera C

9. Dustin Martin RF

• New Britain Rockcats

C- Wilson Ramos

1b- Chris Parmelee

2b- Steve Singleton

SS- Estarlin De Los Santos

3b- Whit Robbins

Lf- Juan Portes

Cf- Ben Revere

Rf- Rene Tosoni

Dh- Rene Leveret

Bench

Allan De San Miguel

Toby Gardenhire

Mark Dolenc

Yancarlos Ortiz

Pitching

1. Mike Mccardell

2. Deolis Guerra

3. Tyler Robertson

4. David Bromberg

5. Carlos Gutierrez

Bullpen

Alex Burnett

Loek Van Mil

Spencer Steedley

Kyle Waldrop

Blair Erickson

Santos Arias

Steve Hirschfeld

Batting Order

1. Ben Revere Cf

2. Steve Singleton 2b

3. Rene Tosoni Rf

4. Wilson Ramos C

5. Chris Parmelee 1b

6. Whit Robbins 3b

7. Juan Portes Lf

8. Rene Leveret Dh

9. Estarlin De Los Santos SS

• Fort Myers Miracle

C- Jair Fernandez

1b- Jon Waltenbury

2b- Ramon Santana

SS- James Beresford

3b- Deibinson Romero

Lf- Evan Bigley

Cf- Joe Benson

Rf- Angel Morales

DH- Michael Harrington

Bench

Alex Soto

Chris Cates

Nick Romero

Dominic De La Osa

Pitching

1. Kyle Gibson

2. Bobby Lanigan

3. Brad Tippett

4. Michael Tarsi

5. Dan Osterbrock

Bullpen

Pat Neshek

Billy Bullock

Joe Testa

Matt Williams

Steve Blevins

Dan Berlind

Bruce Pugh

Batting Order

1. James Beresford SS

2. Ramon Santana 2b

3. Joe Benson CF

4. Jon Waltenbury 1b

5. Deibinson Romero 3b

6. Angel Morales RF

7. Michael Harrington DH

8. Evan Bigley LF

9. Jair Fernandez C

• Beloit Snappers

C- Danny Rams

1b- Michael Gonzalez

2b- Derek Mccallum

SS- Brian Dozier

3b- Anderson Hidalgo

LF- Steve Liddle

Cf- Aaron Hicks

Rf- Jon Goncalves

Dh- Josmil Pinto

Bench

Nathan Hansen

Chris Hermann

Tobias Streich

Reggie Williams

Pitching

1. Liam Hendricks

2. Tom Stuifbergen

3. Edgar Ibarra

4. Miguel Munoz

5. Brad Stillings

Bullpen

Kyle Carr

Zach See

Dakota Watts

Matt Tone

Kane Holbrooks

Ben Tootle

Tony Davis

Batting Lineup

1. Aaron Hicks CF

2. Derek Mccallum 2b

3. Brian Dozier SS

4. Danny Rams C

5. Josmil Pinto DH

6. Anderson Hidalgo 3b

7. Michael Gonzalez 1b

8. Dan Rohlfing Lf

9. Jon Goncalves RF

• Elizabethton Twins

C- Buddy Munroe

1b- Kenny Vargas

2b- Daniel Santana

SS- Jairo Perez

3b- Rory Rhodes

Lf- Matej Hejma

Cf- Oswaldo Arcia

RF- Daniel Ortiz

DH- Hyeon-roc Choi

Bench

Trayvone Johnson

Wang-Lei Lin

Fred Hanvi

Jhonatan Arias

Dan Rohlfing

Paul-Michael KLingsburg

Pitching

1. BJ Hermsen

2. Adrian Salcedo

3. Michael Tonkin

4. Blayne Weller

5. Shooter Hunt

Bullpen

Andrei Lobanov

Brian Kirwan

Jose Gonzalez

Peter Kennely

Matire Garcia

Jhon Garcia

Nelvin Fuentes

Everyone let me know what you think if you agree or disagree with my picks. Sorry about the Bold I just thought it would work better for names so they stuck out. If you like this or don't like this just let me know. You can either leave me a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com. Thanks and have a good one.

Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast

I had a new edition of the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast last night. I thought it went very well as I was joined by Seth of http://sethspeaks.net and we talked all about Minnesota Sports from the Twins, the Vikings, the Gophers, the Wolves, and even a little talk about the Wild. I really enjoyed having him on the show so i welcome everyone that did not listen to the show last night to download it and listen to it at your leisure. You can listen to it at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/travistwinstalk/2009/12/31/travistalks-minnesota-sports-podcast. Also I welcome you to listen to Jack's year end podcast as it was his normal night, but I had to go on Wednesday due to unforseen occurences. I will be returning to my normal podcast time and night. I will be back on Monday night at 10pm for the next edition of the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast.

Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast Tonight at 9

There will be another edition of the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast tonight. I will be joined by Seth from http://SethSpeaks.net to talk about the Twins, Vikings, Gophers, and Timberwolves. We will take your questions or comments in the chat room or you can call us and give us your opinion. So don't forget at 9pm tonight I will be having a one time only Wednesday version of the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast. To listen to the Podcast just go here. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/travistwinstalk. See you all at 9 tonight.

Twins prospect list: 5-1

I will be finishing my look at the top 50 prospects in the Twins organization. Today, I will look at prospects 5-1. I hope all have enjoyed my look at the Twins top 50 prospect lists. Of course there can be arguments for some guys that did not make the list and that should not be thought of as less of a prospect. I only had 50 spots so I could not include everyone that is a good player. If you have any comments or questions you can either leave me a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading and happy holidays.

• 5. Ben Revere OF (5/3/1988) 21

2009 stats: .311 avg 2 homeruns 48 rbi's along with 13 doubles and 4 triples in 121 games. Walked 40 times while striking out 34 times along with 45 stolen bases in 466 at bats. Had a .372/.369/.741 split.

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle

• Ben Revere could not have asked for a better start to his career. After hitting .379 in his 2008 rookie year he followed that up by hitting .311 in his sophmore year in a much better pitching league. Ben Revere showed just that he is probably the best pure hitter in the organization. In 2009, Revere had another good season hitting .311 with 2 homeruns and 48 rbi's. Another good part of his game is his speed as he stole another 45 bases and in two years he has stolen 89 bases. Ben Revere is as close to a sure thing there is in the Twins organization. He has a combination of mind dumbing speed, he has a great eye at the plate as his 34 strikeouts show in 466 at bats. With that being said there are some things that Revere needs to work on to reach his potential. First, as someone that is a singles hitter as his only 19 extra base hits would allude to, he needs to walk more. He only walked 34 times in 466 at bats. With his ability to hit the ball if you could add better plate discipline you would have something. He had a .372 on base percentage but if you added some walks to the equation it would be over .400 which is awesome. Another thing that he needs to work on is his stolen base proficiency. Revere was thrown out 17 times in 2009 which is way to often to be thrown out. Finally he needs to get better in centerfield, his defense was better in 2009 than it was in 2008. That is not saying much as he still needs to improve in centerfield gong forward. Ben Revere is the most ready outfield prospect in the organization and it would not surprise me to see him with the Twins sometime in 2010 as he is a hitting machine who at age 21 looks to be a future all star if he keeps improving. Which I think he will and everyone will know who Ben Revere is in a year or two.


• 2010 projection: Spend season playing outfield in New Britain


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 4. Wilson Ramos C (8/10/1987) 22

2009 stats: .317 avg 7 homeruns and 35 rbi's along with 17 doubles and a triple in 59 games. Walked 6 times while striking out 23 times in 224 at bats. Had a .339/.496/.835 split

2009 teams: New Britain Rockcats

• Wilson Ramos had an interesting year in 2009 for the Rockcats. It was injury riddled, but when he was healthy he hit the ball awesomly. Wilson Ramos has proved without a shadow of a doubt that he is the top catching prospect in the organization and when he is healthy he just might be the top prospect at any position. In 2009 Ramos suffered through hamstring and wrist problems that only let him play in 59 games. However, when the playoffs came along he was almost impossible to get out. In 59 games Ramos hit .317 with 7 homeruns and 35 rbi's along with 17 doubles and a triple. It is so hard to judge his season based on the fact that he only got 224 at bats. He followed that up this winter by playing some winter ball in Venezuela. He has been absolutely dominant this winter as he is hitting .332 with 12 homeruns and 49 rbi's along with 14 doubles and a triple in 54 games. It is hard to do but if you put his 2009 season with his Winter ball numbers together you have quite the numbers. In 113 games he is hitting .325 with 19 homeruns and 78 rbi's along with 31 doubles and one triple in 432 at bats. If he can put those type of numbers together for a full year he will have quite a year. Wilson Ramos has developed it all he can hit for average, can hit for power, good eye at the plate, calls a good game, good strong throwing arm. The big thing for Ramos is he needs to find a way to stay healthy, because when he is healthy he is a dominant prospect. He will be ready to join the Twins late in 2010 and for good in 2011. I could see a way where he would serve as the DH for a year while getting alot of playing time at catcher to give Joe Mauer more games at DH. However, Wilson Ramos is going to be a starting catcher at the major league level so the Twins are going to have to do something eventually because Wilson Ramos' future is really bright and he will be a major league starting catcher mark my words.


• 2010 projection: split season catching between New Britain and Rochester.\


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 3. Kyle Gibson P (10/23/1987) 22

2009 draft: 1st round pick/ 18th overall signed to contract with 1.85 mil bonus

2009 teams: Missouri Tigers

• Kyle Gibson was the Twins first round pick, the 18th overall, in the 2009 MLB Draft out of the University of Missouri. After weeks of tough negotiations the Twins were able to sign the phenom at the last second. It was too late for him to play any minor league ball in 2009 for Gibson and he had a broken forearm that he was nursing so he wouldn't of pitched anyway. If it had not been for the injury there is no doubt that Gibson would have been a top ten pick so the Twins were very very fortunate to nab him at 18. Really this kid has it all as he has the size at 6 foot 6 inches and 208 lbs. He has a low 90's fastball that he can spot all day long. To go with that he has a very good slider and changeup that he can control. How good can Kyle Gibson be and that is so hard to tell because he has not even thrown a pitch in the minor leagues, but from everything I have read and heard about him he can be a solid number two at the major leagues. That is something different than the Twins have in the organization because most of our pitching prospects are number 3's or 4's in a big league rotation. Gibson has way more upside than that he is a solid number 2 and if he can develop his changeup better he has the ability to possibly be a number 1. The big thing for him is have the ability to spot all his pitches. If he can continue to do that I think he will race through the system and be pitching for the Twins sooner than everyone thinks. He is definately someone you should keep an eye on.
• 2010 projection: Split season pitching between Fort Myers and New Britain
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2012

• 2. Miguel Sano SS (5/11/1993) 16

2009 stats: Signed as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic for 3.15 million bonus.

• There is not a lot known about Miguel Sano, but everything you hear is stunning. There were questions about his date of birth and if he is really 16. Those questions must have been answered to the Twins liking because the Twins really stepped up on this one. They signed Sano for a contract with a Twins record 3.15 million dollar bonus. For the Twins to give that amount of money to a 16 year old you know there is quite a bit of promise. At 6 foot 3 189 lbs already he is a freak of nature. He can already turn on the inside fastball and has suberb arm strength. He has everything you are looking for in a prospect in that he has the ability to do it all. I have heard comparisions to him and a young Alex Rodriguez or a young Miguel Cabrera. That is saying a lot and odds are he won't ever get to that standard because there are only one of those guys. However, this signing puts the Twins on a whole new level as he is an elite talent and the Twins were willing to do what it took to get it done. Sano will likely start his career in the GCL and with his age take it one level at a time to start out with atleast. The reason it is so hard to say about him is he is 6 promotions away from getting to the Twins. Who is to say how good he is going to be, but atleast the Twins are giving themselves a chance to put the 3rd amigo on the roster to go with Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Sano may end up at 3rd base if he continues to grow the way he is. But he has the ability to be a power hitting 3rd baseman with great defense. I will take that every day of the week and I think any Twins fan has to be excited about the promise that Miguel Sano has a chance to deliver.
• 2010 projection: Starting shortstop for the GCL Twins
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2016

• 1. Aaron Hicks OF (10/2/1989) 20

2009 stats: .251 avg 4 homeruns and 29 rbi's along with 15 doubles and 3 triples in 67 games. Walked 40 times while striking out 55 times along with 10 stolen bases in 251 at bats. Had a .353/.382/.735 split

2009 teams: Beloit Snappers

• Aaron Hicks was the Twins first round draft pick, 14th overall, in the 2008 MLB draft out of high school in California. After putting up an impressive season in 2008 with the GCL Twins, Hicks joined the Beloit Snappers right before the short seasons were starting. He did a solid job in 2009 with the Snappers. Hicks hit .251 with 4 homeruns and 29 rbi's along with 15 doubles and 3 triples in 67 games. The most impressive stat was his 40 walks in 251 at bats. That led to a very good .353 on base percentage which is very hard to do when you only hit .251. Quite simply Aaron Hicks can do it all on the baseball field. He is a true 5 tool player in that he can hit for average, hit for power, patient at the plate, steal bases, play good defense, strong arm, and good accuracy. To go with that if the outfield thing does not work out he was clocked throwing 97 so he could have a future as a pitcher. However, I think the outfield thing is going to work out just fine for him going forward. I really think he is going to break out this year and everyone will not only know that he has all the tools, but he will show it on the field. The big thing for Hicks is just to keep getting better every day. If he can do that he will be just fine as there is nothing he can't do on a baseball field. At only age 20 he is still young for his level and I look for him to at some point in 2009 be in Fort Myers before his 21st birthday. There is really nothing in particular that stands out over everything else for Aaron Hicks. If he can just keep getting better at every facet of his game he will be awesome. Aaron Hicks has the ability to be special and when I mean special I mean an All-Star caliber player that will man centerfield for the Twins for many years. When you look at the Twins farm system the next 4-5 years the conversation has to start with Hicks because he has the ability to be that special as a player.
• 2010 projection: Split season between Beloit and Fort Myers playing centerfield
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2013

12/28 Podcast Cancelled

Due to unforseen occurences transpiring today I will not be having the usual Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast tonight. Have no fear though for one night only I will be hosting the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports Podcast on Wednesday night at 9pm. Thanks for your understanding and I will talk to you Wednesday. In the meantime check out my Twins top 50 prospect list right here at travistwinstalk.blogspot.com.

Twins prospect list: 10-6

I will be continuing my look at the top 50 prospects in the Twins organization. Today, I will be looking at prospects 10-6 as I work my way down all the way to number one. I hope all enjoy and check out my other lists of 50-46, 45-41, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, 25-21, 20-16, and 15-11. If you have any comments or questions you can either leave me a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com. Thanks and happy holidays.

• 10. BJ Hermsen P (12/1/1989) 20

2009 stats: 6-2 1.35 era in 10 starts including 1 complete game. Worked 53.1 innings while walking 4 batters and striking out 42. Held opponents to .171 batting average.

2009 teams: GCL Twins

• BJ Hermsen was a 6th round draft pick by the Twins in the 2008 draft out of high school in Manchester, Iowa. The 6'6 230 lb right hander was a 1st or 2nd round talent, but he had a scholarship to Oregon St. and most thought he would go to college. The Twins gave him a very substantial bonus of 650,000 in order to sign. That should tell you how much the Twins thought of him. His 2009 did nothing to temper hopes that the Twins had for him when they drafted him in 2008. Hermsen started 10 games for the Twins and went 6-2 with an awesome 1.35 era. He worked 53.1 innings while walking only 4 batters and striking out a very good 42. The question becomes how much weight do you put in numbers at GCL. I think you put some weight into the numbers, but I don't put a lot of weight in numbers till he gets to Beloit which is a couple promotions away. BJ Hermsen is a big guy at 6 foot 6 inches and has a solid low 90's fastball. He also has a solid curveball and a changeup. His upside is huge as he just turned 20 years old and he possibly could get more velocity and his breaking pitches will likely get better. The big thing going forward for Hermsen is just to keep improving day by day. He has the ability to be a huge prospect and time will tell how good he can be. BJ Hermsen is definately a guy that all Twins fans should keep an eye on as he moves forward.


• 2010 projection: Starting pitcher at Elizabethton


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2015

• 9. Adrian Salcedo P (4/24/1991) 18

2009 stats: 3-2 1.46 era in 11 games including 10 starts. Worked 61.2 innings and only gave up 10 earned runs. Walked only 3 batters while striking out 58 in his 61.2 innings of work. Held opponents to a .241 batting average.

2009 teams: GCL Twins

• Since this is the first time that Adrian Salcedo has made my list I want to start with a little overview of how he got to be where he is today. Adrian Salcedo was a free agent signed by the Twins on December, 13th 2007 out of the Dominican Republic at the age of 16 years old. Salcedo spent the 2008 season playing in the Dominican Summer League and posted a 4-4 record with a 1.65 era in 12 starts. Salcedo moved over to the United States for the 2009 season and spent the season with the GCL Twins at age 18. He put up just as impressive of numbers as he did with the DSL in the GCL. In 10 starts he went 3-2 with an impressive 1.46 era in 61.2 innings of work. Most impressive stats to me was he only walked 3 batters in 61.2 innings, but also struck out 58. His whip was an impressive 1.01 and had a 8.5 k's per 9 innings. So the question is what to make of all these numbers and like I said about BJ Hermsen you can't get too excited about these numbers until he gets to Beloit which will be a couple years away. However, in talking to some people that know a lot about him they all rave about his potential. They say he can be a staff ace in the future and is the top pitching prospect in the organization. I don't think his body of work is enough to put him that high yet and the key word is yet because if he continues to put up numbers I won't have any choice to rank him much higher. On the mound Salcedo has a great mound presence at 6 foot 4 inches and all he does is throw strikes. He pitches to contact as he just does not walk people, which is what the Twins like out of their pitching prospects. However, he can also strikeout some guys with his 8.5 k's per 9 innings. He will not overpower you, but he throws hard enough and hits his spots that he is very hard to hit. Going forward he just needs to keep improving and showing that he is willing to put in the work every day to be the prospect we all think he is going to be. At the end of the day Adrian Salcedo is worth keeping track of because his ceiling is through the roof.


• 2010 projection: EST and then starting staff at Elizabethton


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2015

• 8. Danny Valencia 3b (9/19/1984) 25

2009 stats: .285 avg 14 homeruns 70 rbi's along with 38 doubles and 4 triples in 128 games. Walked 39 times while striking out 77 times in 487 at bats. Had a .337/.466/.803 split

2009 teams: New Britain Rockcats and Rochester Red Wings

• Danny Valencia had a pretty good 2009 season that has put him on the cusp of great things. As he is on the verge of getting his shot with the Twins, whether its this spring or sometime in 2010 there is no doubt that Danny Valencia will make his Twins debut in 2010. All I have to say about that is its about time as his hard work and determination will be rewarded. Danny started the 2009 season in New Britain after finishing the 2008 season there. In 57 games with the Rockcats Valencia hit .284 with 7 homeruns and 29 rbi's along with 14 doubles and 4 triples in 218 at bats. He also had a very impressive .373 on base percentage in New Britain. Those good numbers got him a promotion to AAA Rochester and one step closer to the big leagues. In 71 games with Rochester Valencia hit .286 with 7 homeruns and 41 rbi's along with 24 doubles in 269 at bats with the Wings. Overall, Danny Valencia is a very steady player that does multiple things good, but not really anything great. With the trouble the Twins have had at 3rd base the last 4-5 years the Twins could use a steady guy over there. At the major league level I believe Valencia could hit between .270-.280 with 15-20 homeruns and 70-80 rbi's. Those are not phenomenal numbers, but they are steady and with the Mauer's, the Morneau's, the Cuddyer's and the Kubel's you don't need spectacular. What you need is someone that is steady over at third who will give you good at bats just about every time he comes up and that is exactly what Danny Valencia brings to the table. With that being said there are some things Valencia needs to work on. First, his defense is not terrible, but it is also not great as he committed 20 errors in his 128 games at 3rd. His defense is probably the weakest part of his game and something that he needs to continue to work on as his offense will be fine, but something that if he commits a lot of errors he won't be up long with the Twins. I still think it is decent, but it needs to be fine tuned going forward. The other is his attitude as Danny Valencia is a very confident guy who believes that he is the best player on the field and sometimes that can be misconstrued as arrogance. From everyone I have talked to about him he is not an arrogent person and is sometimes misinterpreted. Overall, Danny Valencia is the top 3rd baseman prospect in the organization and I hope he is given an opprotunity this spring to win the job and show everyone that the third base worries for the Twins are over.


• 2010 projection: Split season between Rochester and the Twins


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2010

• 7. David Bromberg P (9/14/1987) 22

2009 stats: 13-4 2.70 era in 27 games including 26 starts and 1 complete game. Worked 153.1 innings while walking 63 and striking out 148 batters. Held opponents to a .224 batting average

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle

• David Bromberg really established himself in 2009 after a somewhat disappointing 2008 as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization. After going through some growing pains in 2008 David Bromberg really showed what kind of pitcher he is and developed into the ace on the Fort Myers staff and vaulted himself into top prospect status in doing that he was named the Twins 2009 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. After going 9-10 with a 4.44 era in 27 starts. In 150 innings he walked 54 and struck out a organization high 177. There were some good things, but there were also some things that he needed to improve if he was going to be a top prospect and boy did he fix those issues. In 2009 Bromberg made 26 starts and went 13-4 with a very good 2.70 era. In a career high 153.1 innings of work he walked 63 batters and struck out 148. David Bromberg brings to the mound a very intimidating prescence at 6 foot 5 inches tall and 241 lbs. With that he throws a low to mid 90's fastball with a good curveball and an ever improving changeup. He is a strikeout machine that took almost 2 runs off his era in 2009. He seems to be getting better every time out there last year with the Miracle. It will be interesting to see how he does in 2010 as he likely will move up to New Britain and face better hitters than he did in Fort Myers. As good of a year as he had in 2009 there are a few things that he needs to keep getting better at. First, is the walks as he walked 54 batters in 2008 and increased it to 63 in 2009 in only 3 more innings. That walk total is a little bit too high for a pitcher as he is currently about 3 walks per 9 innings and I know the Twins would like to lower that to the two range as he moves forward. Other than that there really aren't a lot of things that he doesn't do well. It will be just a matter of continuing to improve on a daily basis and step up to the challenge that he will face in 2010 at New Britain. My money says David Bromberg is going to be a future and someone that the Twins will look at as a quality pitcher for the Twins for many years.
• 2010 projection: Starting pitcher for New Britain
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2012

• 6. Angel Morales OF (11/24/1989) 20

2009 stats: .266 avg 13 homeruns and 62 rbi's along with 22 doubles and 5 triples in 115 games. Walked 30 times and struck out 104 times along with 19 stolen bases in 376 at bats. Had a .329/.455/.784 split

2009 teams: Beloit Snappers

• Angel Morales 2009 season could be broke down into two seasons as he was terrible in the first half and good in the second half. The main reason that he is so high on the prospect list is he just turned 20 years old and will probably be in Fort Myers this year which is way ahead of schedule. In the first half of the 2009 season Morales was not very good. In the second half though he turned it on and put up the numbers that will get him to Fort Myers this year. In 2009 Morales hit .266 with 13 homeruns and 62 rbi's which is pretty good for how he started off the season. He accumulated 40 extra base hits which is very good. He has all the tools in that he can hit for average, hit for power, run, steal bases, strong arm, accurate arm. There are though a few things that he needs to work on as he goes forward if he is going to reach his potential. First, his strikeout and walk totals as he struck out 104 times in 376 at bats which is way too many. Being that he will likely be a middle of the order guy you can expect some strikeouts, but he likely will have to cut his strikeouts in half going forward. The other is the walks as he only had 30 walks and that just needs to improve. Eventually, teams will realize he will swing at everything and not give him anything good to hit so he needs to learn to take a walk. The other thing he needs to work on is getting off to a better start. Morales was so dreadful in April and May that it took him the rest of the summer to pull himself out of it. I think part of it is the weather as its pretty cold in Beloit, but going forward the weather in April and May are not great in New Britain, Rochester, or most importantly Minnesota. So he needs to figure that out or he will be in trouble. Overall, though Angel Morales is a gifted player that is just learning how good he can be. If he continues to develop his game the sky is the limit. He has the ability to be a 30-30 type of guy at the major league level it is just up to him to make it happen for the Twins.
• 2010 projection: Outfield for Fort Myers
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2013

Travis Talks Weekly Minnesota Sports Podcast

I would like to welcome everyone to join me for another edition of the Travis Talks Weekly Sports Podcast Monday night at 10pm. For this week I will be joined by Seth from SethSpeaks.net. As most of you know I have been a semi regular guest on Seth's podcast so he is doing me the favor of joining my podcast tommorrow night. We will discuss the Twins, The Vikings, The Gophers, and the Timberwolves. So join us tommorrow night at 10pm for the Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/travistwinstalk.

Twins prospect list: 15-11

I will be continuing my look at the top 50 prospects in the Twins organization. Today, I will be looking at prospects 15-11 as I work my way down to number one. As we are at prospects 15-11 we are starting to look at four or five star prospects with huge upside so don't be surprised to see these guys in a Twins uniform in the next few years. I hope all enjoy and check out my other lists of 50-46, 45-41, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, 25-21, and 20-16. If you have any comments or questions you can either leave me a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com. Thanks and happy holidays.

• 15. Jeff Manship P (1/16/1985) 24

2009 Minor League Stats: 10-6 3.86 era in 21 starts. Worked 126 innings while walking 37 batters and striking out 75. Held opponents to a .260 batting average.

2009 Major League Stats: 1-1 5.68 era in 11 games including 5 starts. Worked 31.2 innings while walking 15 batters and striking out 21. Held opponents to a .310 batting average.

2009 teams: New Britain Rockcats, Rochester Red Wings, Minnesota Twins

• Jeff Manship had a very good 2009 season as he established himself as a major league quality pitcher who it would not surprise me if he makes the team out of spring training this spring. Manship had to use his frequent flier miles as he made three stops in 2009. Manship started in AA New Britain where he made 13 starts where he went 6-4 with a 4.28 era. In 75.2 innings he walked 20 and struck out 45 for the Rockcats. He then received a promotion to AAA Rochester where he pitched much better than he had at New Britain. In 8 starts at Rochester, Manship went 4-2 with a very good 3.22 era. In 50.1 innings Jeff walked 17 while striking out 30. With those good numbers and the injury bug hitting the Twins, Manship got his shot with the Twins and did decently for his debut. In 11 games with the Twins including 5 starts, Manship went 1-1 with a 5.68 era. In 31.2 innings of work Jeff walked 15 while striking out 21. Jeff may not have been quite ready to make big starts for the Twins, but it is good experience for when Jeff returns to the starting rotation for the Twins and trust me he will be back. Jeff Manship's 2009 season should give him a lot of confidence going into 2010 as he is on the 40 man roster now and the Twins thought enough of him to have him make big starts for them last year. Going forward Jeff is one of the top pitching prospects in the organization. He has a good low 90's fastball with one of the best curveball's in the organization. He has command of all his pitches and when he is on he can paint the corners and hit his spots. The main thing that he needs to work on as he moves forward is his control. His control was not bad, but he walked 52 batters in just over 150 innings. That is 3 walks per 9 innings which is not terrible, but being the fact that he does not strikeout very many he can't get away with walking many. Overall, Jeff Manship is a quality prospect that will get a serious look this spring with the Twins and with a good spring he might find himself in the starting rotation with the Twins.


• 2010 projection: Split season between Rochester and the Twins


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2010

• 14. Anthony Swarzak P (9/10/1985) 24

2009 Minor League Stats: 4-5 3.28 era in 13 starts. Worked 79.2 innings while walking 21 and striking out 45. Held opponents to a .261 batting average.

2009 Major League Stats: 3-7 6.25 era in 12 starts. Worked 59 innings while walking 20 and striking out 34. Held opponents to a .311 batting average.

• Anthony Swarzak basically had a tale of two halves last year. At the beginning of the year he dominated AAA which led to a promotion to the Twins. He started out very good with the Twins and I don't know if he hit the wall or Major League hitters caught up to him. However, he got to a point and got drilled after that which led his demotion back to AAA. When he returned to AAA his confidence was not where it was when he left the first time as his 2nd round in AAA he got drilled. Swarzak started the 2009 season in Rochester where he dominated the competition. In 10 starts before his promotion Swarzak went 4-4 with a 2.26 era. That led to a promotion to the Twins and did good to start with as in July he went 1-1 with a 3.52 era. However, he fell apart in August as in four starts he went 0-4 with a 14.85 era. That led to his demotion to Rochester and his luck was not much better returning to Rochester. In three starts back with Rochester he gave up 12 runs in just over 14 innings. To put Anthony Swarzak's year in perspective he made his major league debut in 2009 and for a time held his own and that can't be viewed as anything but a positive. Swarzak showed that he compete at the major league level. All that happened in my opinion is when the hitters made their adjustments Swarzak lost some confidence and that ruined the rest of his year. It should not take away from the season he had though, because he had a very good 2009 season. Anthony Swarzak has a low 90's fastball with a very good curveball which he has good command over. The big thing he needs to work on is command because when he quit hitting his spots he got drilled because he is not overpowering. Going forward Anthony Swarzak had a very successful 2009 and he with Jeff Manship will be battling Brian Duensing and Francisco Liriano for the 5th starter job. Don't be surprised to see Anthony Swarzak come out on top because he has major league quality stuff and has the ability to make the Twins.


• 2010 projection: Split season between Rochester and the Twins


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2010

• 13. Tyler Robertson P (12/23/1987) 22

2009 stats: 8-8 3.33 era in 26 starts. Worked 143.1 innings while walking 51 batters and striking out 103. Held opponents to a .259 average.

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle

• Tyler Robertson had a solid if not spectacular 2009 season. After missing time in 2008 with an arm injury the big thing for Tyler in 2009 was to stay healthy and make all his starts. He did just that and put together a very solid season. Tyler made 26 starts for the Miracle in 2009 compared to only 15 starts in 2008 due to injury. He worked 143.1 innings compared to only 82.2 innings in 2008. Tyler Robertson has a lot of upside in that he has a good fastball in the low 90's and good breaking pitches that are getting better every year. When he is on he hits his spots that create ground balls which is important for someone that does not get a lot of strikeouts. The thing about it with Tyler Robertson is his upside is off the charts. As he continues to stay healthy I look for his numbers to go through the roof. I believe he has the most upside of any pitcher in the whole organization. He has the ablility to be an ace if he can continue to improve and get better as he moves through the system. There are a few things that he needs to work on as he continues to reach his potential. First, his 51 walks are too many for someone that does not strike out very many. He needs to probably cut them down to 30-35 going forward. Also he nibbles a little too much which gets his pitch count up. His average innings per start was just 5.5 innings a start which is too short for a starter. He needs to start getting into the 7th inning on more starts. Overall, the potential for Tyler Robertson is off the charts and there is no doubt in my mind that he will make it big. I look for Tyler Robertson to be leading a good Twins rotation in a few years.
• 2010 projection: Starting staff at New Britain
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2012

• 12. Deolis Guerra P (4/17/1989) 20

2009 stats: 12-11 4.89 era in 28 games including 26 starts and 1 complete game. Worked 149 innings with 42 walks and 106 strkeouts. Held opponents to a .270 batting average.

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle and New Britain Rockcats

• Deolis Guerra had an up and down sophmore season in the Twins organization. He made it to AA in 2009 and cut his walk total down. However, he also got hit a little bit more than you would think a pitcher with his talent would. Guerra started 2009 back with the Fort Myers Miracle and made 15 starts for the Miracle. He went 6-8 with a 4.69 era with 25 walks and 57 strikeouts. That led to a promotion to AA New Britain where he did alright for the Rockcats. In 11 starts Guerra went 6-3 with a 5.17 era with 17 walks and 59 strikeouts. After walking 71 batters in 130 innings in 2008, Guerra improved those totals to 42 walks in 149 innings. Guerra brings a high 80's-low 90's fastball with an ever improving changeup and a good slider. Quite honestly the biggest thing going for Deolis Guerra right now is his age. He is 20 right now and will only be 21 during the season which is way young for AA. Even if he spent 2 full seasons in New Britain he would still be young at 22 years old to be going to AAA. It is way too early to be given up on him as he has too much talent and most guys struggle when they are 19-20 years old. You would like him to finally break out and show his promise, but right now it is way to early to give up on him as he is going to be a phenomenal pitcher. He needs to cut down on the walks even more because right now he is not striking out a lot of hitters so his walk total should be in the low 30's. Plus like Tyler Robertson he nibbles too much so he can't stay in games into the 6th to 7th inning. With Deolis Guerra you can just see the talent ooze out of him and I don't know if it is going to be this year, next year or when, but he is going to break out. When he breaks out he is going to turn dominant and the ones that doubted him will look very dumb. At only 20 years old Twins fans should not give up on him because I promise you when he turns that corner you are going to be glad you did not give up on him. When he does turn that corner all I can say is watch out!!!
• 2010 projection: Starting pitcher at New Britain
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2013

• 11. Rene Tosoni OF (7/2/1986) 23

2009 stats: .271 avg 15 homeruns and 71 rbi's along with 25 doubles and 4 triples in 122 games. Walked 45 times and struck out 98 times along with 8 stolen bases in 425 at bats. Had a .360/.454/.814 split

2009 teams: New Britain Rockcats

• We talk about seasons all the time that changes the way that people view certain prospects and 2009 was that type of season for Rene Tosoni. After having a injury riddled 2008 at Fort Myers, Tosoni really turned it on in 2009 at New Britain to have one of the best seasons by a position player in the whole organization. After missing most of 2008 due to injury there was some doubt if Tosoni was ready for AA and he sure proved that he was. In 122 games in 2009 he hit .271 with 15 homeruns and 71 rbi's showing everyone that he is a run producer. His numbers would of been better if not that he left the team early to participate in the World Cup for Canada. He produced an impressive 44 extra base hits in his 425 at bats. Showed the type of power the Twins have been looking for and played a very good rightfield and got some play in center. His .360 OBP was quite impressive for someone that also hit 15 homeruns. He is very patient at the plate as he walked 45 times as well. With that being said there are a few things that he needs to work on going forward for him to be the prospect we all think he can be. First, his strikeout total of 98 is way too much. He struck out almost 25% of the time in 2009 which is totally not acceptable for any hitter. He needs to cut his strikeout total in half going forward to be the hitter we know he can be. Next, he needs to work on hitting better against left handed pitching. If he doesn't improve on that he can't be an everyday player because teams will just throw left handed pitching against him and the team will have any choice but to pinch hit for him. Overall, Rene Tosoni is a huge prospect that is only going to get better. At age 23 he is on the verge of being a member of the Twins and be a fixture in the lineup for years to come. Rene Tosoni is definately a player all Twins players should keep an eye on for the future.
• 2010 projection: Split season between New Britain and Rochester playing outfield
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

Twins prospect list: 20-16

I will be continuing my look at the top 50 prospects in the Twins organization. Today, I will look at prospects 20-16 as I work my way all the way down to number one. I hope all enjoy and it will create a discussion if you agree or disagree with me. Check out my previous lists of 50-46, 45-41, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, and 25-21. If you have any comments or questions you can either leave a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com. Hope everyone is having a great Christmas and God Bless.

• 20. Trevor Plouffe SS (6/15/1986) 23

2009 stats: .260 avg 10 homeruns 60 rbi's along with 23 doubles and 5 triples in 118 games. Walked 34 times while stiking out 68 times in 430 at bats along with 3 stolen bases. Had a .313/.407/.720 split.

2009 teams: Rochester Red Wings

• Trevor Plouffe had a solid, but not spectacular 2009 season for the Red Wings. After getting off to a very slow start with the Wings he really picked it up in the second half. After hitting .247 in the first half with the Wings he really picked it up in the second half by hitting .290. His OPS improved from .673 in the first half to a very good .818 in the second half. He also contributed 38 xtra base hits and 3 stolen bases. Trevor Plouffe has made a career out of getting off to slow starts and then coming out like a gangbuster in the second half. However his great second half is often overshadowed by his bad first half. There are some that question how bad he wants to be a Twin because as a California kid he has a laid back personality and that rubs some people the wrong way. He doesn't get too excited and some people take it as he doesn't care. Trevor Plouffe has all the talent in the world as he has good size, a good arm, speed, quickness, extra base power and someone that should be the starting shortstop for the Twins. There are two main reasons why he is not in the majors with the Twins and there are serious concerns about his future. First, is his defense as it continues to be a problem. In 2009 Trevor Plouffe had 26 errors which is two times what he had in 2008. That is not going to get it done and his error totals have increased the last two years. The other problem is his OBP as he only had a .313 and that is not good enough for someone that won't hit a lot of homeruns. 2010 is a big year for Trevor Plouffe as the Twins need to figure out if he is the shortstop of the future with JJ Hardy under contract for two years so the Twins need to find out if Plouffe is the future shortstop. He can accomplish that by getting off to a better start and cutting the errors in half because all the tools are there.


• 2010 projection: Starting shortstop for Rochester


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 19. Blayne Weller P (1/30/1990) 19

2009 stats: 5-1 1.58 era in 11 games including 10 starts. Worked 57 innings while walking 8 and striking out 49. Held opponents to a very good .216 batting average.

2009 teams: GCL Twins

• After being a 14th round draft pick out of high school in Key West, Florida Weller had a successful first year. After paying him a nice bonus to sign instead of going to college the Twins did not really know what they were getting out of Weller and that had to be quite impressed. Weller showed a good fastball with great breaking pitches to have the kind of season in 2009 that get you noticed. In 10 starts for GCL Weller only gave up 10 runs in 57 innings which led to a 1.58 era. The most impressive stat to me was he only walked 8 batters while striking out 49. Weller is a typical Twins minor league pitcher in that he does not walk many and pitches to contact so he does not get a lot of strikeout. He is definately someone that Twins fans should keep track of as he moves up to Elizabethton this year. Weller just needs to keep improving as he moves further through the organization. It was a quality first year for Weller, but in the grand scheme of things his 2009 will not mean much if he struggles in 2010. However, it was a good start and it is something that he can build on for the future.


• 2010 projection: Starting pitcher for Elizabethton


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2015

• 18. Luke Hughes 3b (8/2/1984) 25

2009 stats: .254 avg 12 homeruns 64 rbi's along with 23 doubles and 5 triples in 97 games. Walked 41 times while striking out 77 times in 346 at bats along with 3 stolen bases. Had a .335/.454/.789

2009 teams: Rochester Red Wings and New Britain Rockcats

• After showing some promise in 2008 Luke Hughes had a rough year in 2009. If it was not struggling with his defense, then it was struggling with injuries. After coming back from the injury he had to spend the rest of the year in New Britain because of the emergence of Danny Valencia in AAA. Luke Hughes started the season in Rochester and did alright there in 37 games he hit .259 with 6 homeruns and 28 rbi's. He also contributed eight doubles and two triples. After missing much of the season with a hamstring injury he came back to New Britain and played in 56 games there. In those 56 games he hit .250 with 6 homeruns and 36 rbi's. He also contributed fifteen doubles and three triples. The bottom line is Luke Hughes can hit the ball as his 40 xtra base hits in 346 at bats which is a very high percentage. Luke Hughes will never hit for a high average, but if he can continue to hit extra base hits and show the power that he has the last couple years he is good enough to play in the big leagues. He has speed, strength, quickness, a strong arm which help him be a solid utility player in the big leagues. There are two main reasons why there is some question about his future in the organization. First, is his defense as he committed 19 errors in 97 games which is way to many. He has proven that he does not have the glove to play third base as he has 31 errors the last two years. The other has something to do with the former is that he does not have a position. His bat is good enough to play just about anywhere, but his defense is a detriment no matter where you put him. At the end of the day he is a utility guy that will hit 15-20 homeruns and have some good offensive numbers, but not someone you can put out there on a every day basis. Overall, Luke Hughes has a future with the Twins as a pinch hitter and utility player as he can play 3rd, 2nd, and the outfield. There is a market for that with the Twins so that is why I see him as a future Twin.
• 2010 projection: Utility player for Rochester
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 17. Chris Parmelee 1b/OF (2/24/1988) 21

2009 stats: .258 avg 16 homeruns 73 rbi's along with 27 doubles and a triple in 123 games. Walked 65 times and struck out an unbelievable 109 times along with 2 stolen bases in 422 at bats. Had a .359/.441/.800 split

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle

• After his three years in the minor leagues it is pretty clear what Chris Parmelee is good and bad. He will show good power, extra base power, and will walk a lot. However, with every good there is a bad as he had an incredible 109 strikeouts in 422 at bats. Parmelee hit .258 for the season and that is pretty normal for him as I don't think he will hit much better than that, but also won't hit much worse than that. The 16 homeruns in a pitcher's league was very impressive as FSL parks are known to be much bigger than other league's parks. The most impressive part of his season is two fold in that one he had 65 walks which is a very high total. Next, his .359 on base percentage is very good for a slugger of his capability. The bottom line is I think we have a very good idea of what he is going to be as he moves forward through the organization. He is a poor man's Adam Dunn who will hit 20-25 homeruns per year and have a very high OBP. There is nothing wrong with that as he could be a lot worse than being like Adam Dunn. There are two negatives that he is need to have to work on going forward. One, is his strikeouts as 109 strikeouts in 422 at bats is terrible. That is approximately 1 strikeout for every 4 at bats. With the better pitching going forward he needs to cut that down because his other numbers will go down if he doesn't cut down on the strikeouts. He will never be a low strikeout guy, but if he could get it down to 70-80 per year I think the Twins could live with that. His other problem is where is he going to play. Last year he played some outfield and some at first base, but was not very good at either one. When he is ready for the Twins I look at him as a DH who can play right field and first base. His future is bright because the Twins don't have another guy in the organization right now with his kind of power so if he can cut down on the strikeouts he has a bright future.
• 2010 projection: play 1b/rf for New Britain
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2012

• 16. Joe Benson OF (3/5/1988) 21

2009 stats: .284 avg 5 homeruns 29 rbi's along with 10 doubles and 3 triples in 82 games. Walked 48 times while striking out 74 times along with 15 stolen bases in 268 at bats. Had a .414/.399/.813 split

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle

• There is no doubt that Joe Benson has all the tools. As a five star prospect he has the chance to be a great player and a multi time all-star at the big league level. However, his 2009 season can be wrapped into two words, The Wall. All the hard work he put into his 2009 season in the offseason and the hardwork he put in after he came back were all for naught because in a rage one day he punched a wall and broke his hand that forced him to miss over half the season. He was off to such a good start that it makes a person wonder what would of happened to his 2009 if in a fit of anger he hadn't punched the wall. We will never know and because of that he is a step behind probably where he would of been had he played a full year in Fort Myers. With that said when he was on the field he was very good for the Miracle. Benson hit a very good .284 which is quite an improvement compared to 2008. Showed good power and speed as he had 10 homeruns and 15 stolen bases in limited at bats. Had a very solid 18 extra base hits in 268 at bats. He brings it all good defense, strong and accurate arm, hit for average, hit for power, steal bases. However, he needs to work on his strikeout total as he struck out 74 times in only 268 at bats. He just gets on base by his .414 on base percentage would tell you. 2010 is a big year for Joe Benson as he hopes to reestablish himself after a rough 2009 in more ways than one. Because of missing all that time in 2009 he will likely start the season back in Fort Myers while he would of likely been in New Britain had he played full year. However, I look for him to be up in New Britain before the year is up and be back up in the prospect lists because I expect a big year in 2010 out of Joe Benson. 2010 is going to be the year that Joe Benson goes from having all the tools to being the prospect that puts the numbers on the field.
• 2010 projection: Start season in Fort Myers and join New Britain midseason
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2013

Twins prospect list 25-21

I will be continuing my look at the top 50 prospects in the Twins organization. Today, I will look at prospects 25-21 as I work my way down all the way to number one. I hope all enjoy and it will create a discussion if you agree or disagree with me. Check out my previous lists of 50-46, 45-41, 40-36, 35-31, and 30-26. If you have any comments or questions you can either leave a comment in the comment box or shoot me an email at travis_aune@yahoo.com. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

• 25. Steve Singleton 2b/ss (9/12/1985) 24

2009 stats: .277 avg 6 homeruns 57 rbi's along with 26 doubles, 11 triples and 7 stolen bases in 126 games. Walked 30 times while striking out 49 times in 455 at bats. Had a .326/.422/.748 split.

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle and New Britain Rockcats

• Steve Singleton got off to a slow start in 2009, but overall had a very good 2009 season in the Twins organization. Singleton started out at Fort Myers and in 80 games he hit .269 with 5 homeruns and 39 rbi's along with 15 doubles and 8 triples. That led to a late season promotion to New Britain where he put up the same type of numbers. In 46 games Singleton hit .291 with 1 homerun and 18 rbi's along with 11 doubles and 3 triples. I thought Singleton had an up and down 2009 season as he did some very good things, but at the same time struggled with other things. On a positive Singleton had 43 xtra base hits which is very impressive. Which is up from the 40 he had in 2008 as some of his singles are now becoming doubles and triples. He also had a very impressive 11 triples which is a very high number as he only had 4 in 2008. His defense also seems to improving as his throwing arm is getting stronger and stronger after gong through shoulder surgery a couple years ago. The fact that he played some shortstop in 2009 just shows you how good his arm is feeling now and how much arm strengh he is getting back. There are two things that Singleton has going against them with one of them and one there is nothing he can do about. First, Singelton had a career worst .326 on base percentage in 2009. Steve Singleton is not a homerun hitter so he needs his on base percentage to be in the .350 range. He is too good of a hitter to not be in that range and I really expect him to be back at that range again. Secondly, he is 24 years old and just getting to AA and if he doesn't get to AAA this year he will be known as old. His age is not a problem right now, but if he doesn't get to AAA it will be a problem. Overall, Steve Singleton has established himself as the top 2nd base prospect in the organization and if he can improve his OBP and continue to gain arm strength he could be a future 2nd baseman for the Twins.



• 2010 projection: Spend season playing 2nd base at New Britain



• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 24. Alex Burnett RP (7/26/1987) 22

2009 stats: 3-3 1.85 era in 58 games including 13 saves. Worked 78 innings while walking 26 batters and struck out 78. Held opponents to a .183 average.

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle and New Britain Rockcats

• There was no prospect in the whole Twins organization that had a bigger 2009 than Alex Burnett. Going into 2009 Burnett was known as an alright starting pitcher who usually ended being the ace of every staff he was on. He was a middling prospect because there are a lot of guys just like him in the organization as a starter. However, the Twins had other plans for Burnett in 2009 as they turned him into a reliever and later he became the top closing prospect in the Organization. Burnett began his breakout season in Fort Myers with the Miracle. Alex worked in 18 games and went 2-1 with an excellent 1.99 era along with four saves as he worked on transitioning to a relief pitcher. After doing excellent with the Miracle he moved up to New Britain and that is where he took off. In 40 appearances with the Rockcats, Burnett went 1-2 with a miniscule 1.79 era along with 9 saves. He worked 55.1 innings for the Rockcats mostly as the setup man to Anthony Slama. When Slama moved up to Rochester, Burnett became the closer and did not disappoint. It is quite amazing to me seeing the change in Burnett as you always knew he had the stuff to be a good pitcher, you just did not know he could be this good. There are times in prospects where they just figure it out and take off. I believe we saw that out of Alex Burnett as he took on a relief job and did not pout about not starting, but embraced the relief role and flourished in it. Going forward Burnett can not get complacent because there are other quality closing prospects in the organization so he needs to keep working hard. If he can keep getting better he will be just fine. Burnett has a good low 90's fastball and excellent breaking pitches. Burnett improved his strikeout total as he was able to record 78 strikeouts in 78 innings so 9 strikeouts per 9 innings which was big for him because at the lower levels he did not record many strikeouts. He continued to not walk batters which is a big thing as he only walked 26 batters in 78 innings of work. The bottom line at age 22 Alex Burnett has all the tools and if he can just keep improving he has a future in the bullpen for the Twins for years to come.


• 2010 projection: Start season in New Britain and then join Rochester mid season.


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 23. Carlos Gutierrez P (9/22/1986) 23

2009 stats: 3-6 3.70 era in 33 games including 16 starts. Worked 107 innings along with 46 walks and 65 strikeouts. Held opponents to a .248 batting average.

2009 teams: Fort Myers Miracle and New Britain Rockcats

• Carlos Gutierrez had a tale of two seasons in 2009 as he was totally dominant in Fort Myers and really bad in New Britain. In his first full season in the organization Gutierrez put up phenomenal numbers at Fort Myers. In 11 games including 10 starts Gutierrez went 2-3 with a miniscule 1.32 era. In 54.2 innings Carlos walked 22 while striking out 33. With those numbers it earned him a promotion to AA New Britain and it did not work very well. Gutierrez went 1-3 with a terrible 6.19 era in 22 games including 6 starts as they tried to limit his innings in New Britain as it was his first full season as a professional. The problem at New Britain had some to do with running out of gas after pitching more than he had before. It was also just not some good pitching and sometimes you have to call a spade a spade and he didn't get the job done. Going forward the question has to be asked is Carlos Gutierrez the dominant starting pitcher he was in Fort Myers or was it the hittable Gutierrez they saw in New Britain. The question also needs to be asked about whether Gutierrez is a starting pitcher or a reliever. When he is right he is a ground ball machine who in a 7 inning game will get 16-17 out of 21 outs on the ground. His future probably is in the bullpen as he was a closer his last year at Miami and first season with Fort Myers. He has a quality sinker, but he has not developed a quality second pitch and you can get away with that in the bullpen. However, in the rotation you will get drilled without that second pitch as he found out at New Britain. Something else he needs to work on is his walk totals as he walked 46 batters in 107 innings of work which is way too much. Which is just over 4 walks per 9 innings which will not get it done. Overall, Gutierrez has a lot of talent and if he can get the walk total under control and find his niche in the bullpen he has a promising future. 2010 is going to be a big year for Gutierrez as he tries to establish himself as a top prospect and I think he can do it.


• 2010 projection: work out of the bullpen for New Britain


• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

• 22. Danny Rams C/DH (12/19/1988) 21

2009 stats: .264 avg 13 homeruns 49 rbi's in 69 games along with 23 doubles and a triple. Walked only 27 times and struck out an incredible 102 times in 250 at bats.

2009 teams: Elizabethton Twins, Beloit Snappers, and Fort Myers Miracle

• Danny Rams had an up and down 2009 season for the Twins as he did some very good things, but there are also some things that he is going to need to correct if he is going to become a bigger prospect. Danny started out in Elizabethton and in a word dominated the league. In 16 games Rams hit .355 with 6 homeruns and 23 rbi's in 62 at bats. He moved on to Beloit and really struggled there. In 48 games with the Snappers Rams hit .229 with 7 homeruns and 23 rbi's. The positives about Danny Rams year was he hit 13 homeruns in 250 at bats which was a very solid number over a full season of at bats. Also he had 37 xtra base hits which were also very good. The bottom line though if he doesn't fix one thing he is not going to have a very long career. In 250 at bats he struck out a whopping 102 times which is over half his at bats. If he doesn't correct that it doesn't matter what else he does that is good it won't matter. He is too good of a hitter to strike out at that rate. I really believe he can change that about his game. He probably needs to cut it in half to be in the range that the Twins need him to be. Another problem is he really does not have a position as his catching abilities are not good enough to be an every day player at Catcher. Going forward he will probably be a DH and that is ok if he continues to hit and cuts his strikeouts down. Danny Rams has a good future as long as he cuts down his strikeout total. If he doesn't he will have a short career. 2010 will be a big year for Rams to see if he can make the changes that are necessary for him to move up in the organization.
• 2010 projection: C/1b/DH for Beloit
• Estimated Time of Arrival: 2015

• 21. Max Keppler OF (2/10/1993) 16

2009 stats: none (played in Germany)

2009 teams: played in Germany

• I don't know much about Max Keppler except that the Twins gave him 800,000 to sign and that is quite a chunk of change for the Twins to give up. That tells me that he must be a pretty good prospect. At age 16 it is very hard to figure out if he is going to be a top prospect. All I know is they are saying he is the top prospect to every come out of Europe. I don't know how much that means, but it is impressive non the least. He will start off in the GCL as a centerfielder and it will be interesting to see how he does. Twins fans should not get to excited either way if he has a good season or a bad season in 2010 as he has many years many promotions before we know what he is all about. He is definately someone that we should all keep an eye on going forward.
• 2010 projection: playing centerfield for the GCL Twins
• Estimated Time of Arrival: Hard to Say