Minnesota Twins Daily Clips. Saturday, March 21, 2015

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, March 21, 2015 Twins day at camp: Gibson OK, save for walks. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Two top pitching prospects fail to make cut. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 Reusse: Vavra's experience helps him as Molitor's right- hand man. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 3 MLB, players union updating domestic violence policy. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4 Twins option Alex Meyer, Michael Tonkin to Triple- A Rochester. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Twins farmhand ready to retire, then Twins called. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Twinsights: Twins Latino players impress union chief Tony Clark. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Twinsights: Tony Clark on delayed service time, Pete Rose, Paul Molitor. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Perkins ready to make Grapefruit League debut. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 8 Dozier comfortable hitting anywhere in top 3 spots. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 8 Gibson allows two blasts in otherwise solid outing. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins option Tonkin to Triple- A Rochester. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins' young talent goes beyond big names. MLB.com (Rogers) p. 9 Breaking down the Twins' 2015 Top 30 Prospects. MLB.com (Mayo) p. 11 Gibson working on polishing changeup to righties. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12 Meyer optioned to Triple- A to work on command. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 13 Wetmore: Will David Price starting impact Twins opening day lineup? 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13 Twins option Alex Meyer to Triple- A Rochester. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 14 Cervelli homers twice off Gibson as Twins fall to Pirates. Associated Press p. 14 Twins option reliever Michael Tonkin to Triple- A Rochester. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 15 Sano needs work on defense, but hopes to make Twins debut in Fox Sports North (Mason) p. 15 Twins option pitching prospect Meyer to Triple- A. Fox Sports North (Mason) p. 16 Twins day at camp: Gibson OK, save for walks Phil Miller Star Tribune March 20, 2015 Kyle Gibson looked sharp, giving up only four hits in 4⅔ innings Friday. Unfortunately, two of them were home runs to Pittsburgh catcher Francisco Cervelli, and they were enough to carry the Pirates to a 4-2 exhibition victory over the Twins, their fourth loss in three days, at Hammond Stadium. Gibson struck out four but walked three, including one free pass to Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole, misfires that disappointed him more than Cervelli s home runs. Without the walks, I think I m pretty satisfied, said Gibson, whose spring ERA jumped to Kurt [Suzuki, his catcher] made a good point: I ll live with one- run innings all day long.

2 Cervelli blasted a changeup onto the left- field berm in the third inning, then rifled a sinker onto the center field deck in the fifth. That s the danger of a changeup to righties it ends up being a [batting- practice] fastball, Gibson said. He was ready for the inside pitch both times and hit it well. The Twins were limited to two runs by Cole and four relievers. Shane Robinson drove in one run with a third- inning double, and an inning later, Eduardo Escobar followed a Suzuki triple with an RBI single. Who s at first? Tom Kelly s first- base academy added an interesting new undergraduate this week: the Twins third baseman. At manager Paul Molitor s request, Trevor Plouffe has spent the past two days taking ground balls, and instruction, across the diamond from his normal position. It s part of Molitor s determination to have flexibility with his roster. We talked about a few different scenarios that might come up during the year, rare as they might be. [Molitor] said, Look, this could happen, how would you feel about this? Plouffe said. I told him, I m a baseball player, man. Whatever you want me to do, I m fine with it. Turns out, he s a natural, too. Plouffe had seven games of professional experience at first base, back in 2011 in the minors, but he could certainly go over there and he d be fine, said Kelly, the former Twins manager who works on first base defense every spring. I wouldn t worry about it at all. Plouffe expects to play first base in a couple of spring games and knows Kelly will be watching. He wants your undivided attention, and he wants things perfect, Plouffe said. I like that. Not concerned Joe Mauer went 0- for- 3 with a strikeout in Friday s loss, dropping his spring batting average to.158. But his manager called the former MVP a good example of why spring statistics don t mean much. Mauer has appeared in only half of the Twins games. I ve been protecting him and Torii [Hunter] a little bit here, but we ll start seeing him a little more frequently, Molitor said. He s been fine at first base. His at- bats are OK. He s not getting a lot of results right now, but he s seeing the ball fine. On deck The Twins split- squad day sends half the team to Port Charlotte to face the Rays, with Trevor May getting the start, while the other half remains in Hammond Stadium to take on the Orioles with Tommy Milone on the mound. Two top pitching prospects fail to make cut Phil Miller Star Tribune March 21, 2015 FORT MYERS, FLA. With their mid- 90s fastballs, Alex Meyer and Michael Tonkin still project as a possible staff ace and a potential shut- down closer. But for now, they remain Rochester Red Wings. The Twins optioned both hard throwers to Class AAA Rochester on Friday, explaining to each that having the pitches of a big- leaguer isn t enough. In Meyer s case, said manager Paul Molitor, he needs polish. Tonkin, the manager said, gets pretty predictable at times. It s a disappointment for each, since they came to camp determined to earn a job in the majors. But both were outpitched by fellow job- seekers. We all know there are guys that, it takes a little more time than others, General Manager Terry Ryan said. Meyer, perhaps the Twins best pitching prospect, pitched only 5⅔ innings this spring. He gave up one run and four hits, while striking out six. But he walked seven batters, four of them in a shaky two- inning appearance against the Rays on Thursday, and he sounded discouraged by his inability to throw strikes. I m searching right now, said Meyer, who has battled control problems his entire career. I feel like there s something mechanically going on. So do the Twins at 6-10, Meyer has a long delivery, and it s easy to get out of sync. But there s more to it than the strike zone, Molitor said. My impression is [that] he puts a lot of pressure on himself. I feel like whenever he goes out there, he s always got the weight of the world on him, Molitor said. I told him today, he just has to be himself. 2

3 Once the 2011 first- round pick, acquired in November 2012 from Washington for outfielder Denard Span, develops more confidence, Molitor said, his results will better match his raw talent. I don t think anyone likes to face him. He has to start understanding he can take command of those situations, Molitor said. It s going to be more about confidence for him. Ryan, too, believes Meyer s problems are fixable. You ve seen the pitches, Ryan said. There s reason to think once he throws them over and once he has confidence with those type of pitches, it s tough to argue against him. Meyer led the International League by striking out 153 batters in 130 innings at Rochester last season, but his 64 walks were the second- most in the league. He opened spring training as one of five pitchers vying to become the Twins fifth starter this year, a competition that has been whittled, with Meyer s departure and Tim Stauffer s move to the bullpen, down to three: Mike Pelfrey, Tommy Milone and Trevor May. For Tonkin, who has pitched for Rochester the past two seasons, Friday s two- hit, one- run inning was a continuation of his problems this spring; he was scored upon in three of his four appearances. His trouble is that people can look for that fastball and pretty much know they re going to get one at some point, Molitor said. His secondary pitches have to be more efficient, not only to get ahead or get back in [a count] but to finish. Both pitchers are 25, old for top prospects. Yet Meyer has not appeared in a major league game, and Tonkin has only 30 innings of experience. But Molitor said that s not a concern, noting that Kyle Gibson, who started Friday s 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh at Hammond Stadium, also debuted at that age, with fans growing impatient for his promotion just as they have with Meyer. Different people [develop] at different rates, Molitor said. We see where [Gibson] is at now. Alex, we hope, will follow suit. Vavra s experience helps him as Molitor s right-hand man Phil Miller Star Tribune March 21, 2015 FORT MYERS, FLA. The 36 pitchers and catchers among the Twins participants in spring training had a first formal workout on Feb. 23. They were joined officially by the 25 position players on Feb. 28. The Twins will play the last of 33 exhibitions (counting the Gophers) on April 4, then head to the airport for the flight to Detroit and the start of the season. Those are 41 days from the official start of Florida preparation to departure, and there was one scheduled day off: last Monday, March 16. The players, manager, coaches, field support staff and office employees refer to it as the Day Off, as if it was a national holiday. Everybody involved with the big- league club stays away from the ballpark on the Day Off. Almost. I was walking to the minor league fields early Monday afternoon, and Joe Vavra was walking in the opposite direction. He was in his uniform pants and a T- shirt, and aimed toward the major league clubhouse. What are you doing here, Joe? My sons are both working out with their teams over there, Vavra said. I wanted to watch them. And, I have to check the schedules again for this week, with the cuts we made the last two days. Tanner Vavra, 25, is an infielder entering his third season with the Twins organization. He was drafted in the 30th round in 2013 is targeted for high- A Fort Myers this season. Treysen Vavra, 23, is a first baseman drafted in the 36th round last summer and figures to play for low- A Cedar Rapids. Tanner and Trey are good ballplayers, Vavra said. The Twins didn t draft them because I work here. They wouldn t do that. There was considerable sentiment that Vavra s time with the Twins at least his nine- season run on the big- league staff was over when manager Ron Gardenhire was fired on Sept. 29. Paul Molitor was named manager on Nov. 3. Tom Brunansky s return as hitting coach was announced three days later. 3

4 The Twins added four more coaches over the next three weeks: Gene Glynn, Eddie Guardado, Rudy Hernandez and Neil Allen. This left spots for bench and first- base coaches. There had been wild speculation early that Molitor might try to get Cito Gaston, his former manager in Toronto, as a bench coach. This was based on the idea that Molitor, a first- year manager, needed a Don Zimmer type whispering in his ear during games. That failed to take into account Molitor, 58, has been making strategic decisions in his own head for four decades, including during the 2,700 big- league games in which he played. It became public on Nov. 25 that Joe Vavra would be Molitor s bench coach. The seven- coach staff was completed a week later with Butch Davis, a former big- league outfielder. The public reaction to Vavra s hiring was highly critical. I joined in taking shots, based on the same antiquated view as most civilians on what a bench coach should be: An old guy with a comically round face sitting at Joe Torre s shoulder in the Yankees dugout on a cold October night. All of our bashing was wrong. An old- timer nodding his approval to use the wheel play to defend a bunt is not a big- league bench coach not in I m standing behind Paul in the dugout, Vavra said. He has Neil Allen for pitching decisions. He has Gene Glynn positioning the infield defense and Butch Davis the outfield defense. I m there with any information Paul needs. I m there for a reminder when a game starts moving fast. There can be a lot going on at once late in a close game and I m there to make sure Paul takes everything into account. We had a game like that the other day when five things were happening at once. I said to Paul, We need eight more games like this before we leave here. New staff. We need the wheels turning. Vavra is much more than Molitor s shadow in the dugout in Florida. This is his third year as the man who makes the schedule in spring training who has made sure all 61 players (now 43, after early cuts) are at the fields they are supposed to be, and on time. It s the task that Rick Stelmaszek performed for 26 years for Tom Kelly and Gardenhire. Joe s here way early, stays late and then he gets home at night and does more work on the computer, Molitor said. And once we got out on the fields, every time I turned around, he was working with one of the seven catchers we had here. He s good at that, too. I keep piling more work on him, and he takes it on. Joe Vavra has been a godsend for me. MLB, players union updating domestic violence policy Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Earlier this spring, Twins players attended an hour- long meeting on the topic of domestic violence. Those meetings were conducted by Futures Without Violence with the approval of Major League Baseball and the players' association. With first- year commissioner Rob Manfred recently advocating specific penalties for those who run afoul of the game's current domestic- violence policy, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark was asked for an update on those talks. "We already have a policy in place," Clark said Friday after addressing the Twins on his annual spring training tour. "As you might expect, in the climate that we are in, I think it has everyone evaluating whether or not the policy can be better." Clark said over the past four months, there has been an "ongoing dialogue" between the union and the commissioner's office along those lines. The two sides, he added, have been "work(ing) through whether or not improvements can be made, and if so in what areas." "A big piece of that puzzle is the education and awareness and support," Clark said. "Preventive dialogue, so guys are aware of not only the climate that they're in but the decisions that they're making for themselves and their families. "With respect to penalties or any other considerations there, it's an ongoing dialogue." Manfred has been quoted saying he would like to see an updated penalty process forged in time for Opening Day. Clark said the union is "hopeful that perhaps we can find some common ground, but in the event that we don't, we'll have a policy in place that we've had in place before (and) will continue to provide the kind of support and understanding and appreciation for that topic in general." 4

5 Twins option Alex Meyer, Michael Tonkin to Triple-A Rochester Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Hours after sending Alex Meyer back to Triple- A Rochester, Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked if it would help the high- level pitching prospect to cultivate some in- game swagger. "Confidence on the mound, body language and all those things - - I know as a hitter guys that were out there and they were hoping more than thinking they had a real chance," Molitor said. "It's hard to have swagger if you're overthinking everything, right?" The Twins also optioned reliever Michael Tonkin back to Triple- A after Friday's 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh. That leaves the Twins with 43 players in big- league camp. After walking seven batters in 5 2/3 spring innings, Meyer needs to improve his fastball command and tighten up his mechanics, Molitor said. He also would benefit from going right at hitters and "develop that little more mound presence and confidence." That should come with further exposure to Triple- A pitching coach Marty Mason and minor league pitching coordinator Eric Rasmussen. "I don't think anybody likes to face him; he has to start understanding that," Molitor said of Meyer. "He can take command of those situations. It's going to be more about confidence for him to develop that presence. " At 25, Meyer is admittedly "searching" for ways to make his delivery more reliable. "He's got kind of a complicated delivery for being a big guy," Molitor said. "He's got a lot of arm action behind his body and compresses a little bit and flies open sometimes. I think the more they can tighten that up - - when you get excited, that's when that stuff is going to break down.... Sometimes different body types take longer to fix issues like that too." Molitor said the 6- foot- 9 Meyer still has plenty of time to figure things out. "He needs polish," the manager said. "He's a high prospect for a reason. He's a gifted young man. My impression is he puts a lot of pressure on himself. He thinks about a lot of things. I'm not sure if he was concerned about rumors about role changes or different scenarios or whatever. "But I feel like when he goes out there he's always got the weight of the world on him right now. I had to let him know today that he just has to be himself. He's always been kind of top dog wherever he's been. And now, up here, the best players in the world are playing, but he's got to still be himself.... He's got a lot of time to be really good." Twins farmhand ready to retire, then Twins called Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 20, 2015 PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - - Terry Ryan could hardly believe what he was hearing. Typically, when the Twins' general manager makes his round of calls to invite non- roster players to big- league spring training, the response falls somewhere between stunned silence and gushing appreciation. Tyler Grimes was different. When Ryan invited the Class A utility man to spring camp, Grimes asked for some time to think it over. "That one caught me off guard," Ryan said. "His mental thoughts at the time were not what I was hoping to hear. He was struggling a little bit. That was odd." Grimes, 24, had spent the past two offseasons doing construction work back home in Wichita, Kan., for a company owned by the father of a boyhood friend. Looking to learn the business from the ground up, the former fifth- round draft pick out of Wichita State tried his hand at roofing and siding installation. He was paid $14 an hour. "It's tough work, but it's a job," he said. "I was making some money." After spending the past four seasons in the Twins' minor league system, including a Florida State League championship last year, Grimes started to question how far he could take his baseball dream. 5

6 He had a girlfriend. He had four younger sisters with sports dreams of their own. His heart was conflicted as he thought about returning for another long, hot summer of minor league ball. "You spend six months out of the year on a bus, in and out of hotel rooms," Grimes said. "There's always that question: What else is out there? In the blink of the eye, I could be 30 and be like, 'What the heck am I doing here?' " Grimes, a Wichita kid through and through, majored in general studies while playing for the Shockers. "Just to have a piece of paper and say I got my degree," Grimes said. "I wasn't that big into school. I majored in baseball. That's what I always cared about." He was one of eight players off that team to be drafted in 2011, but at just 5 feet 11 and 186 pounds, he couldn't help but wonder if he had what it took to reach the majors. Fort Myers Miracle manager Doug Mientkiewicz used him at six positions. Grimes again proved to be a winning ballplayer, despite modest offensive numbers. "There's nothing guaranteed in this game," Grimes said. "You've got to be real with yourself sometimes. I'm a big family guy. I've got four little sisters. I want to be there for them and be a part of their lives and watch them grow up and teach them as they go through sports too." Maci, 21, played college volleyball at the NAIA level in Kansas. Peyton, 16, is already fielding college volleyball offers from Kansas and Kansas State. "She's on her way to success," Grimes said. Madison, 13, seemed to need her big brother's guidance the most. "She's kind of like me," Grimes said. "She's kind of brain dead. She kind of does her own thing. She's not all there in school. She doesn't really care, like me. She's got good athletic ability. Hopefully everything works out for her. We're trying to mold her up right now, teach her the ropes." The youngest is Hayden, who is 6 and feisty as they come. "We call her 'Chucky' - - for the doll," Grimes said, referring to the horror- film series "Child's Play." "We told her we were going to get her a knife for Christmas. You could be a grown man, woman, whatever. She's ready for it all." Grimes wasn't sure he was ready to give baseball another year. He talked it over with his parents: Darin, a mechanic, and Mary, a fertility clinician. "There's just other things out there in life," he said. "This is what I've known my whole life." Eventually he called Ryan back and accepted the invitation to big- league camp. Grimes says it has gone better than he could have imagined. He made it through the first round of roster cuts. He has played in eight spring games, including a stint in left field on Thursday, when he drew his third walk. "He's got a little more ability than he gives himself credit for," Ryan said. "It's all fine now, and I'm glad he's here and so is he, I believe." Grimes smiled as he heard the story of Mike Redmond, another conflicted, college- educated catcher who was ready to give up the game in his mid- 20s before reaching the majors at 27 and enjoying a 13- year career. Five of those seasons came with the Twins. Now managing the Miami Marlins, Redmond will see his old team on Sunday in Jupiter. Grimes hopes to make that six- hour roundtrip bus ride. He plans to find Redmond and introduce himself. 6

7 Twins Latino players impress union chief Tony Clark Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, came away impressed Friday morning with the Twins clubhouse in general and their young Latino players in particular. Just a great group, an engaged group, an educated group, Clark said. The Spanish- speaking players outstanding. The guys were fantastic. You can tell the guys are working on their English. Clark and a crew of his top associates, including St. Paul s Dave Winfield, conducted the 28th informational session in their annual spring tour of major- league camps. Even as much as I may be speaking to them in Spanish, they re responding back to me in English, which is great, Clark said. Clark seemed pleased to hear the Twins are conducting Spanish- language classes for their front office staff as well as helping younger players from Spanish- speaking countries learn English at their newly opened minor- league academy. That is crucial, Clark said of improved communication. Our staff reflects that commitment. The information that we send to the players reflects that commitment. I try to explain to folks, playing our game is difficult. Playing our game at the major league level is extraordinarily difficult. Playing our game at the major league level in a culture you re not familiar with and a language you re not comfortable with, it creates a dynamic that is very challenging. The union believes it s a two- way street for players and teams to make the transition go well. It s a testament to the commitment that s being made, both on the front end and the back end, Clark said, that they re, as players, doing their part to try to get themselves more comfortable with the language while everyone else is doing their partto make sure the lines of communication are open. It s a very important commitment to make. Our game, I think, now is more global than it has ever been, so making sure we give our guys every opportunity to be successful, whether it s on the field or off the field, is very important. Clark was asked if the union advocates the placement of a dedicated Spanish- speaking translator in every big- league clubhouse. In most cases, when prominent baseball players have come to North American from Asia, they have been accompanied by team- hired translators. We want guys to be as comfortable as they can be in offering their analysis of the game or any particular items that they d like to discuss, Clark said. Translating is difficult, so as much as someone may understand Spanish and English and be able to break the commentary down, there s also a baseball commentary that s a little bit different that can lend itself to some challenges there. Providing support is important. Providing the right support is just as important. Tony Clark on delayed service time, Pete Rose, Paul Molitor Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. As Twins fans wait impatiently for the likes of Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Jose Berrios to reach the majors, the specter of their potential free agency and arbitration eligibility provides a subtext to those career paths. After addressing the Twins 40- man roster on Friday morning during his annual spring tour, players union executive director Tony Clark shared the group s official stance on teams that attempt to game the system when it comes to their top prospects: We simply hope that every club is doing or making the decisions toward putting the best team they can on the field, Clark said. We understand there s always difficult decisions to make. We understand there s always a lot of rationale and determinations that become a part of those decisions. But we re simply hoping as an industry and even as a fan that you re always watching the best players play at any given time. Clark also touched on a variety of other topics while meeting with the media after his visit: On Pete Rose s application for reinstatement: We believe there s some consideration we hope is made. We re hopeful at this point that (the commissioner s) consideration is indeed a genuine one. 7

8 On the idea of an international draft being implemented in the next collective bargaining agreement: The idea of all players entering the game the same way in theory sounds nice. It s not that simple. So although it s been a topic of discussion going back to bargaining in 02 and was again in 06 and obviously was again in 2011, we expect it to be a topic that will have to be discussed again in But the idea that it is a simple consideration to make simply isn t accurate. On Twins manager Paul Molitor and his role in the union s growth: He s an important part of our fraternity. I was personally excited to see him get the opportunity he was given and I m hoping everything goes well here in general. I played against Mollie. Having an opportunity to play against a hall of famer lends itself to a certain amount of appreciation, just from that standpoint. When you look at the contributions that he s made along the way, you re excited for him being in that room now, particularly on the heels of the tenure that Gardy had. On Rob Manfred s recent suggestion that defensive shifts might be limited: You are officially the first person that s asked about it. It s a part of the game. It s been a part of the game. I haven t formally polled the players to determine where the group is at. I have heard players talking about how they are going to beat the shift this year in deference to the rhetoric that s out there, so we ll see. But at this point in time it s not anything that s formally on the table. There s a reason it went away. Perkins ready to make Grapefruit League debut Rhett Bollinger MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Twins closer Glen Perkins felt fine after pitching in a Minor League game on Thursday, and he is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday against the Orioles at Hammond Stadium. Perkins, who was out with a mild right oblique strain sustained in early March, tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout and two flyouts against Triple- A Pawtucket on Thursday. It was the first appearance for Perkins since pitching against the University of Minnesota on March 4. "Everything went well," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "I didn't hear anything from anybody today other than that he felt good." Provided he doesn't suffer any setbacks, Perkins - - an All- Star in each of the last two seasons - - is expected to be ready for the start of the season. Dozier comfortable hitting anywhere in top 3 spots Rhett Bollinger MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - The Twins have been experimenting with different spots in the lineup for second baseman Brian Dozier, who served as the club's leadoff hitter on Friday against the Pirates. Dozier has mostly hit second this spring, but he also hit third behind first baseman Joe Mauer on Wednesday. It was the first time Dozier had ever hit directly behind Mauer. But on Friday, Dozier hit two spots ahead of Mauer, as Torii Hunter batted second. Dozier, though, said he's comfortable in any of the top three spots and noted it could vary throughout the season. Danny Santana is expected to be the club's regular leadoff hitter, while Dozier could see time as the No. 2 hitter in front of Mauer, or even hit third behind Mauer given his power. Dozier hit 23 homers last year. Dozier said he's fine with whatever manager Paul Molitor decides, as he's hit in all three spots in the lineup in his career. Dozier has made 143 career starts as the leadoff hitter, 114 as the No. 2 hitter and 20 as the No. 3 hitter. "The past few years I've batted one, two and three and I don't mind three," Dozier said. "There's no extra pressure or anything. But I've never hit behind Joe [in the regular season], so it's different as far as him being on the bases and things like that. He doesn't have the speed like Danny, but he's a smart baserunner. So I'm glad he's experimenting with it down here so we can get a feel for it during the season." Molitor has maintained he still hasn't decided whether Dozier will hit in front of Mauer like last year, or if Dozier will hit third behind Mauer. It's something that could vary depending on matchups, and it also depends on Santana remaining in the leadoff spot after his strong rookie year last season. 8

9 Gibson allows two blasts in otherwise solid outing Rhett Bollinger MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Catcher Francisco Cervelli homered twice to help lead the Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Twins on Friday at Hammond Stadium. Cervelli's two solo homers came against Twins right- hander Kyle Gibson, who lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks. Cervelli's first shot came in the third inning, before he crushed another blast in the fifth to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead. "The first one was just a changeup right over the middle and the second one was just a sinker that did more running than sinking," said Gibson, who struck out four. "He took two good swings. But that's the danger with changeups to righties. It can become a BP fastball at 86. He was ready for the inside pitch both times and hit them well." Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the second inning after Gibson loaded the bases with nobody out. Gibson was able to strike out prospect Austin Meadows and former Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon, but he walked Pirates right- hander Gerrit Cole to bring home a run. Cole was solid on the mound for the Pirates, giving up two runs on four hits over five innings in his longest outing of the spring. The Twins got on the board in the third when Eduardo Nunez singled and stole second base before scoring on a double from Shane Robinson. Minnesota tied it up in the fourth on an RBI single from Eduardo Escobar to bring home Kurt Suuzki, who tripled with two outs on a ball misplayed by Meadows in right field. It gave Escobar his team- leading 10th RBI in Grapefruit League play. The Pirates added an insurance run in the seventh against reliever Michael Tonkin on an RBI single from Josh Harrison, scoring Florimon. Up next: The Twins have their second split- squad action of the spring on Saturday, as they host the Orioles at Hammond Stadium at 12:05 p.m. CT on MLB.TV and also travel to Port Charlotte to face the Rays at 12:05 p.m. CT ongameday Audio. Left- hander Tommy Milone is set to start against Baltimore, while right- hander Trevor May is slated to start vs. Tampa Bay. Closer Glen Perkins, who has been out with a mild right oblique strain, is also set to make his Grapefruit League debut against the Orioles. Twins option Tonkin to Triple-A Rochester Rhett Bollinger MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - The Twins optioned reliever Michael Tonkin to Triple- A Rochester after he gave up a run on two hits against the Pirates on Friday. Tonkin, 25, made four Grapefruit League appearances, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk over four innings. He also tossed two scoreless innings against the University of Minnesota on March 4. Tonkin had a 4.74 ERA in 19 innings with the Twins last year, while also posting a 2.80 ERA and 10 saves in 39 appearances with Rochester. Twins manager Paul Molitor said the key for Tonkin will be to develop his slider to go with his mid- 90s fastball. "He's been a part of this team in various stages over the last few years and has done some good things, but he needs to become more efficient with his secondary pitches," Molitor said. "It seems to me he gets into trouble because people are looking for that fastball pretty much. They're going to get one at some point, so that secondary pitch has to get better to not just get ahead but to finish. He's got enough life on his fastball, but it gets a little predictable at times." Twins young talent goes beyond big names Phil Rogers MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Sure, you hear about Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano all the time. But what about the two 24- year- olds with jersey numbers that tell you they've already arrived? While Sano and Buxton have spent their time in big league camp wearing Nos. 61 and 70, respectively, Kennys Vargas and Danny Santana have claimed Nos. 19 and 39, for at least the next few years - - if not a decade or more. 9

10 All the smart guys say the Twins' farm system is among the best in baseball, but Santana and Vargas are proof that rankings like MLB.com's aren't infallible. Either that, or maybe the Twins just have too much young talent. Yeah, like that's possible. Neither Vargas nor Santana were ever ranked among the Top 100 prospects. Yet when they arrived at Target Field last year - - Santana in May and Vargas in August - - they didn't skip a beat. They staked their claims to spots in the lineup the old- fashioned way: They earned them. The only question for Paul Molitor now is how they fit in. Will Santana beat out Eduardo Escobar to establish himself as the long- term shortstop? Or will he return to center field, knowing another position shift is likely when Buxton is promoted? Will the 6- foot- 5, 290- pound Vargas play some first base? Or will he leave that spot to Joe Mauer, serving almost exclusively as a DH? These are fine- tuning questions. From all accounts, Santana and Vargas have already passed their test to be big league certified. "I think last year Santana and Vargas changed the dynamic of our offense," Molitor said. "Danny's been on people's radar for a long time. Kennys was one of those mystery men. We weren't sure how or if he'd ever figure it out to get here. It shows that [our farm system] goes beyond the big names. You've heard about Buxton and Sano, Alex Meyer, but for [Santana and Vargas] to come up and have the impact they did shows we have a nice core of guys." Molitor throws another name into the conversation: Eddie Rosario. The 23- year- old Puerto Rican was forced to move to the outfield from his natural position, second base, because of the power and all- around play of Brian Dozier, another homegrown Twin. Rosario has been crushing the ball this spring (.586 slugging percentage through 11 games) and is competing against Aaron Hicks, Jordan Schafer and Santana for the center- field job. The competition out there has made this a very encouraging camp for general manager Terry Ryan. "We have flexibility on this team, for the most part," Ryan said. "We're not too locked into too many things here. That's why there are so many guys left in camp, why there is so much competition in camp. We've got some people who have responded, which is good. Coming into this camp, we had numbers - - competition, whatever you want to call it. But people have to respond and perform to get that competition flowing, and we've had quite a bit of that, which is good. There's nobody just eliminating themselves." You can't respond much better than Santana and Vargas did when they got their chances last season. Santana, a natural shortstop, was hitting.268 when he was promoted from Triple- A to replace Hicks, who has yet to make his first- round skill set work against Major League pitching. Santana hit.319 with seven homers and 20 stolen bases. Even if his success was aided by his.405 BABIP, that hardly lessens the impression he made by carrying himself confidently as the highest level. "I don't know if any of us were anticipating he would be able to make that transition from short to center and still be able to produce offensively," Ryan said. "The outfield piece of it, he hadn't played much of it. But he did a reasonable job out there, and we salvaged that position. He hit leadoff, stole bases, drove the baseball." Vargas was old for his league when he hit.267 with 19 home runs at Class A Advanced Fort Myers in 2013, but he made a smooth move to Double- A last season. He was hitting.281 with 17 homers in 97 games at New Britain when he was picked to succeed Kendrys Morales as the DH after Morales was dealt to the Mariners for reliever Stephen Pryor in late July. "We needed a DH to protect [Mauer and Trevor Plouffe] in the middle," Ryan said. "He did a nice job as well." Vargas hit.274 with nine homers and 38 RBIs in 53 games as a Major League neophyte. If he and Santana can repeat the success they had as rookies, it would be huge for the Twins. But the club's real strength remains the depth of its young talent. Not that long ago, Minnesota won the American League Central six times in a nine- year stretch. The foundation for those teams was a core of mostly unsung prospects that included Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, A.J. Pierzynski, Doug Mientkiewicz, Michael Cuddyer, Cristian Guzman and Luis Rivas. And then there were the teams that won the World Series in 1987 and '91, with homegrown stars like Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti and Greg Gagne. Look beyond the Twins' Major League record in recent seasons, and you start to wonder if that history is going to repeat itself over the next decade. "We have a wave coming," Ryan said. "That's a safe assessment. Whether these guys are going to develop [like the stars in the past] is the question. A lot of those guys played 15, 18 years in the big leagues. That's a rarity. A lot of those guys performed at a high level. Some of these guys are certainly capable of doing that, but I think it's premature to start talking about that until they do something up here." 10

11 Fair point, Terry. But it's easy to dream about this team. Breaking down the Twins 2015 Top 30 prospects Jonathan Mayo MLB.com March 20, 2015 Any system with Byron Buxton is going to stand out. Yes, the multitooled outfielder has had some issues with injuries, but he still has the best all- around package of skills in the Minor Leagues. The Twins organization, of course, goes well beyond the center fielder; otherwise its system wouldn't be ranked as the third- best in baseball. Five other players are not only in the Top 100, they're in the top 36. The team's top 10 is rounded out by two hitters who have a chance to impact the big league lineup as everyday players, a left- handed starter with a relatively high ceiling and a future closer obtained in the 2014 Draft. The latter would be Nick Burdi, who joins shortstop Nick Gordon (part of that half- dozen in the Top 100) to leap from last June's Draft into Minnesota's top 10. They are also the only two newcomers to that top group, replacing the graduated Josmil Pinto and Felix Jorge, who have dropped off the list. Biggest jump: Stephen Gonsalves, LHP (2014: : 12); Stuart Turner, C (2014: Unranked 2015: 15) Biggest fall: Felix Jorge, RHP (2014: : Unranked) Best tools Players are graded on a scouting scale for future tools is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and is well above average. Hit: Byron Buxton (70) Power: Miguel Sano (80) Run: Buxton (70) Arm: Buxton (70) Defense: Buxton (70) Fastball: Nick Burdi (80) Curveball: Jose Berrios (55) Slider: Alex Meyer (65) Changeup: Lewis Thorpe (55) Control: Tyler Duffey (55) How they were built Draft: 20 International: 7 Trade: 2 Rule 5: 1 Breakdown by ETA 2015: : : : 4 Breakdown by position C: 1 2B: 1 3B: 1 SS: 2 OF: 7 RHP: 12 LHP: 6 11

12 MLB's Top 10 farm systems Rank Team 1. Cubs 2. Red Sox 3. Twins 4. Pirates 5. Mets 6. Dodgers 7. Texas 8. Astros 9. Braves 10. Blue Jays Gibson working on polishing changeup to righties Rhett Bollinger MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Twins right- hander Kyle Gibson is looking to add a new wrinkle this year, as he's trying to incorporate his changeup more against right- handed hitters. Gibson threw his changeup just 3 percent of the time against right- handed hitters last year, while mixing it in 21 percent of the time against lefties, according to data at Brooksbaseball.net. But he feels like the changeup has advanced enough that he can start to use it to his advantage against righties, and he has been doing just that in Spring Training. Gibson said it's been effective so far, but he did give up a solo shot to Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli on a changeup up in the zone in his fourth start of the spring on Friday. "That was really the first one I've been beat on," Gibson said. "So if it's one out of every seven starts I get beat, I'll be OK with that." Gibson was otherwise solid, giving up three runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings. But he did issue three walks, including one to Pirates right- hander Gerrit Cole with the bases loaded in the second inning to bring in a run. "The walks were frustrating, but that's the same as last year," Gibson said. "But without the walks, I'm pretty satisfied. Kurt [Suzuki] made a good point that we'll live with one- run innings the whole time. So that's something we're working on." 12

13 Meyer optioned to Triple-A to work on command Rhett Bollinger MLB.com March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - A day after struggling with his command, walking four batters in two innings against the Rays, top pitching prospect Alex Meyer was optioned to Triple- A Rochester, the Twins announced Friday. Meyer, ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect in baseball, made three Grapefruit League appearances, posting a 1.59 ERA, but he walked seven batters in 5 2/3 innings and admitted on Friday that he's suffering from issues with his mechanics. With Meyer going to Triple- A, it leaves Tommy Milone,Mike Pelfrey and Trevor May as the three remaining candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation. "He's behind quite a few guys, so that was a piece," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "We want to make sure we get him consistent work, so we're going to send him over. Hopefully, we can get him to settle it down. Yesterday, I was pleased to see him do some damage control, because that could've gotten out of whack. It's obvious he can strike people out, but now it's a matter of not getting into so much trouble." Meyer, 25, did show some positives against Tampa Bay after loading the bases, as he was able to get out of the jam after a sacrifice fly and a pair of strikeouts. Meyer has the stuff to be a frontline starter with a fastball that can reach 100 mph and a solid curveball to go along with a developing changeup, but he has trouble harnessing it. "I think we can fix that," Ryan said. "His mechanics were sped up and he got into some trouble, but he got out of the trouble like he can do. He has pitches he can use to get himself out of trouble." Meyer, who is one of the tallest pitchers in baseball at 6- foot- 9, had a 3.52 ERA in 27 starts with Rochester last year, striking out 153 batters in 130 1/3 innings. But he also walked 64, issuing 4.4 walks per nine innings, which would've been the second- worst mark in the Majors last year. So the Twins remain hopeful he can refine his command at Triple- A before making his highly anticipated big league debut. "With those types of pitches, it's hard to argue against him," Ryan said. "But we all know there are guys where it takes a little more time than others, and he's one of them. Mechanically, he's a big man with a lot of moving parts. I don't want to harp on that too much, though, because he's a pretty good athlete for his size." Will David Price starting impact Twins opening day lineup? Derek Wetmore 1500espn.com March 20, 2015 The Tigers on Friday announced that David Price will be their opening day starter. This impacts the Twins because Minnesota will open the season with a three- game series in Detroit beginning April 6. Justin Verlander had started every opening day for the Tigers since 2007, but there's no question Price was the better pitcher in While this is getting a little granular, it's possible the lefty starting instead of a righty could impact the Twins' opening day lineup. We spend a lot of time in the offseason focusing on who will be in the lineup on opening day. Even if that lineup won't be the same as the lineup that gets the majority of playing time over the course of the season. When I published my final 25- man roster projection before spring training, I had assumed it would be Price on the hill. Now Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has made it official. Why does that matter? Well, the Twins have one candidate to start in center field who has been terrible in his career batting against left- handed pitching. That would be Jordan Schafer. The Twins also have a center field candidate who has been decent against lefties but can't handle righties. That would be Aaron Hicks. Here's a look at their career batting lines in the Majors: Career Aaron Hicks vs. Lefties:.244/.349/.409 Jordan Schafer vs. Lefties:.167/.248/.222 Career Aaron Hicks vs. Righties:.185/.272/

14 Jordan Schafer vs. Righties:.245/.328/ I thought at the time of that projection about a month ago that if Price started on opening day, then Hicks would find himself in the opening day lineup playing center field and probably batting ninth. One thing I didn't write in that projection was how legitimate of a candidate Eddie Rosario appears to be. Even after a good performance in the Arizona Fall League last year, Rosario's 2014 season batting line was not all that impressive. I figured the Twins would send the 23 year old to the minors for some more seasoning. But it appears they're getting a good look at him this spring. Rosario is hitting.276/.267/.586 with two home runs and five RBIs in 34 plate appearances. He's played in the outfield, including center field. If I was forced to guess who will be in center on April 6 against David Price, I'd still say it's Hicks. But that's far from a stone- cold certainty. Twins option Alex Meyer to Triple-A Rochester Derek Wetmore 1500espn.com March 20, 2015 The Twins on Friday optioned hard- throwing righthander Alex Meyer to Triple- A Rochester. He was in competition for a spot in the starting rotation or the Twins bullpen, but he struggled with his control in spring training. In 5 2/3 innings this spring, Meyer struck out six batters but he walked seven. That's been the Achilles' heel for Meyer in his career. Although he has a mid- 90s fastball and a good breaking pitch that helps him rack up strikeouts, he hasn't been able to cut down his walk rate in the minor leagues. Last year in Triple- A Rochester, Meyer averaged more than 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, but he also walked 4.42 batters per nine innings, which would have been equivalent to the second- worst MLB walk rate in Still, some feel Meyer's fastball and breaking ball were among the best in Twins camp. And it's fair to wonder if he should have made the team by virtue of his strikeout ability. Meyer walked four batters in final relief appearance in Major League spring training before he was cut. Meyer is 25, so he's getting old for a prospect who hasn't pitched an inning in the Majors yet. It's certainly not too late for him to develop into a nice starter for the Twins, but the walk rate and the Twins' slow promotion timetable are open questions. If there's a silver lining to his demotion for Meyer, it's that being optioned now means the Twins view his future as a starter. If he was moved to the bullpen to make the 25- man roster, there's a though that Meyer would never be forced to work on his third pitch - - the changeup - - that needs some further development. I talked to Meyer at length about how an organization goes about developing a changeup, especially on a tall power pitcher like Meyer. Cervelli homers twice off Gibson as Twins fall to Pirates Associated Press March 20, 2015 FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Francisco Cervelli homered twice off Kyle Gibson on Friday, leading a Pittsburgh Pirates split squad to a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Three- time AL batting champion Joe Mauer went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. He is batting.158 in 19 spring at- bats. Gibson, slotted in as the Twins' No. 4 starter, walked three, including one to Pirates starter Gerrit Cole with the bases loaded in the third inning. Gibson was pulled at 73 pitches with two outs in the fifth inning. Cervelli, who has 10 career homers in parts of seven big league seasons, doubled in his only regular- season at- bat against Gibson. Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar got his team- leading 10th RBI with a fourth- inning single off Cole, who scattered four hits and walked none in five strong innings. Shane Robinson also drove in a run for the Twins with a double. 14