Minnesota Twins Daily Clips. Tuesday, January 31, 2017

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, January 31, 2017 Twins earmarked for more than $13 million in MLB draft. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Joe Blanton, Boone Logan are pitchers on Twins radar. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 2 Minnesota Twins: Jose Berrios looking forward to World Baseball Classic. Pioneer Press (Bernadino) p. 3 Twins could add vet pitcher for depth, leadership. MLB (Bollinger) p. 4 Reports: Twins have their eyes on some of the top relievers left on the market. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 5 Report: Two former Twins remain on team s radar for possible reunion. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 6 AL Central team-by-team top prospects. ESPN (Law) p. 6 Minnesota Twins: Top prospects report. ESPN (Law) p. 7 MLB Rumor Central: Twins targeting several veteran relievers?. ESPN (Ostiller) p prospect rankings: ESPN (Law) p. 8 Who's motivated in 2017 to earn his next contract?. ESPN (Schoenfield) p. 9 Will baseball's eyebrow-raising offseason moves work out?. ESPN (Doolittle) p. 10 All-Time MLB Postseason Team: From Ruth to Ortiz, ranking the best in each position. CBS Sports (Snyder) p. 10 Rod Carew embracing new life after heart and kidney transplant. The Sporting News (Weinstein) p. 11 Twins Rumors: Relievers, Morneau, Napoli, May, Vogelsong. MLB Trade Rumors (Adams & Todd) p. 11 Twins earmarked for more than $13 million in MLB draft Phil Miller Star Tribune January 31, 2017 The Twins 103-loss season might have been painful in 2016, but there s a payoff awaiting in June. The Twins will be allowed to spend almost $13.5 million on their top draft picks this season, according to proposed figures acquired last week by Baseball America, including a suggested $7.4 million on the No. 1 overall pick. The Twins bankroll technically $13,481,500 for their top 11 picks is the biggest of any MLB team (though teams can add additional spending space through trades), and the most money the Twins have been allowed to spend in one year since baseball adopted the draftslotting system in Under that system, each pick in the first 10 rounds is assigned a bonus slot based upon his draft position, and while teams can distribute their bonus money any way they see fit, they face a large penalty, including loss of future draft picks, for exceeding their total spending limits. (Bonuses after the 10th round don t count against the team s total unless they exceed $125,000.) This season s proposed bonuses range from $7.4 million to the first overall pick, which will be made by the Twins at the June 12 draft, to $125,000 for the final pick of the 10th round, No. 315 overall, which is held by the World Series champion Chicago Cubs. Draft order is set in reverse order of MLB standings, so the Twins record last season, the worst by nine games, delivered the No. 1 pick. The Twins will select first in each round, and they also own an extra pick No. 35 overall as a competitive balance pick, designed to help small-market teams. If a draft pick does not sign, the team s spending pool is decreased by the amount of his slot. Baseball America s figures are proposed values, the magazine notes, and subject to change; final figures will be announced by MLB in April. But they make it likely that the Twins will set a franchise record for highest bonus ever paid a draftee. The current club record is held by Byron Buxton, who received $6 million from the Twins as the second overall pick in Joe Mauer, the most recent No. 1 overall pick by the Twins,

2 signed for $5.15 million in Still, this year s $7.4 million limit is significantly lower than the $9.4 million the Phillies were allowed to spend on the overall No. 1 pick in The sport s new collective bargaining agreement, approved earlier in January, raised the draft-slot amounts of most picks in the first two rounds but lowered it for the top pick. Teams are allowed to negotiate lower bonuses, however, in order to use saved money on lower picks. For example, last year s overall No. 1, outfielder Mickey Moniak, signed for $6 million with the Phillies, saving the team $3 million to use on other draftees. The consensus top prospects for the draft are two California high school players, shortstop Royce Lewis and righthanded pitcher Hunter Greene; two Vanderbilt players, outfielder Jeren Kendall and righthanded pitcher Kyle Wright; and University of Florida righthanded pitcher Alex Faedo, a second cousin to former Twins infielder Lenny Faedo. Pitching possibilities The Twins search for pitching help has them looking at a couple of veteran relievers. Righthander Joe Blanton and lefthander Boone Logan both are on the Twins radar, according to a baseball source. Blanton, 36, was 7-2 with a 2.48 ERA in 75 games with the Dodgers last season. He has appeared in 376 games in his career, mostly as a reliever in recent seasons. Logan, 32, was 2-5 with a 3.69 ERA with Colorado last season. All of his 581 appearances have been as a reliever. Joe Blanton, Boone Logan are pitchers on Twins radar La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune January 30, 2017 The Twins search for pitching help has them looking at a couple of veteran relievers. Righthander Joe Blanton and lefthander Boone Logan both are on the Twins radar, according to sources with knowledge of the search. Blanton, 36, was 7-2 with a 2.48 ERA in 75 games with the Dodgers last season. He has appeared in 376 games in his career, mostly as a reliever in recent seasons. Logan, 32, was 2-5, 3.69 with Colorado last season. All of his 581 appearances have been as a reliever. The Twins also would like to add a veteran position player to help with clubhouse leadership - there has been some interest in Mike Napoli - but the indications I received were that they really want to find help for the bullpen. The Twins have several relief prospects on the verge of getting a shot in the majors, but the club doesn't want to rush them along. Also, Ryan Pressly was tied for fourth in the AL in appearances last season, and the club feels he wore down late in the year. It's not clear if the Twins are willing to add a couple relievers and still make a run at Napoli, who is 35 but is coming off of career highs in home runs (35) and RBI (101) last season. It sounds like finding relief help is more of a priority, Keep in mind that Napoli batted just.239 last season, and struck out 194 times. Besides, the Twins have bodies at first base and DH, where Napoli would play. Joe Mauer, Byung Ho Park and Kennys Vargas are 1B/DH types. Miguel Sano will need some starts at DH too. This doesn't make sense unless the Twins can move Park. Here's an example. There have been whispers about the Twins bringing back Justin Morneau. Morneau and the Twins did have a conversation, but the sides realized that there's no room for him on the roster. 2

3 Minnesota Twins: Jose Berrios looking forward to World Baseball Classic Mike Berardino Pioneer Press January 30, 2017 Rosters for the World Baseball Classic won t be set until Feb. 6, but Twins right-hander Jose Berrios has no reason to think he will be asked to skip this year s event for Puerto Rico. Asked this weekend at TwinsFest if he planned to pitch, as he did in 2013, the 22-year-old broke into a big smile. Oh, yeah, I think so, he said. If I go to the WBC, I ll be a starting pitcher, so it would be a normal spring training routine. Berrios, who worked two innings in relief four years ago in the WBC, said he has thrown off a bullpen mound three times already this offseason. Coming off a career-high 31 starts, 14 of them in the majors, Berrios saw his request to pitch in the Puerto Rican Winter League rejected by Twins management, which wants him at full strength in I feel great, Berrios said. Healthy, strong, just like every year at this time. Another offseason of high-intensity workouts under the tutelage of his trainer and life coach, Josue Lionel Rivera, has Berrios in a good place mentally and physically. He would love nothing more than to shine on the world stage for Puerto Rico, which also figures to include fellow Twins Hector Santiago, Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario on its WBC roster. That s my country, that s my colors, Berrios said, but I represent the Minnesota Twins, too, so I have to wait. When (the Twins) say they approve, I m good. VOGELSONG DETAILS Veteran right-hander Ryan Vogelsong will be paid at a rate of $1 million if he s added to the Twins big-league roster at some point this season. Signed recently to a minor-league deal, Vogelsong, 39, stands to earn up to an additional $2.5 million if he makes 30 starts in the big leagues. He also has $1 million worth of incentives should he appear in 55 games, with five different levels of $200,000 payments. There is no in-season opt-out date at this point should Vogelsong not head north with the club out of spring training. As a veteran, he has the typical late March ability to become a free agent if not added to the 40-man roster. He s a smart guy, Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. He s been around, and he wants to be in the major leagues. We were one of the clubs he and his agent targeted because they saw a fit here. Armed with a 2.92 earned-run average in 37 career postseason innings, including seven starts for the San Francisco Giants, Vogelsong worked to a 4.81 ERA in 24 outings (14 starts) for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. I think he s got a little bit of leadership ability, too, Antony said. Partially, it s the way he goes about it, but I think he communicates well with the younger pitchers and tries to help them. From all accounts, he s got really, really good makeup. Like Nick Tepesch, also signed this month to a minor-league deal with a $1 million base salary in the majors, Vogelsong gives the Twins additional pitching depth. Antony cited Kevin Correia, who made 54 starts with a 4.49 ERA for the Twins in , as a reasonable comparison. It s a low-risk thing with a chance for some upside benefit, he said. He could give some of our younger guys more time to develop if they re not ready. CASTRO DECLINES Twins catcher Jason Castro has decided not to participate in the WBC for Team Mexico, citing his responsibilities in learning a new pitching staff after signing a three-year deal as a free agent this offseason. I ve got a lot ahead of me as far as learning these guys, said Castro, who plans to arrive in Fort Myers on Feb. 12, two days before the first onfield workout for pitchers and catchers. Leaving in the middle of that would probably be unfair to everybody. 3

4 Castro s paternal great-grandfather was adopted in Mexico but was a Native American of Cherokee descent. The family doesn t have records of the great-grandfather s birth name but that connection was enough to prompt a WBC invitation. NO NAPOLI Veteran slugger Mike Napoli remains on the open market and has helped both former teams of Derek Falvey (Cleveland Indians) and Thad Levine (Texas Rangers) reach the World Series, so speculation about the Twins has reached several national reports. However, Napoli, who maxed out his incentive-laden deal at $10 million last season in Cleveland and has played in eight of the past 10 postseasons, is expected to sign elsewhere, a person with direct knowledge said. Including the postseason, Napoli hit just.181 with a.586 combined on-base/slugging percentage in his final 60 games last year, a span of 247 plate appearances that began on Aug. 12. He struck out 69 times (27.9 percent) during that slide. RELIEF MARKET Sources indicate the Twins are unlikely to hand out any multiyear deals to relievers as they continue to shop for last-minute bargains. As an organization, they have eschewed multiyear deals to outside relievers, dating at least to their first World Series championship in 1987, and the new regime doesn t seem eager to reverse that trend. The Twins remain in the market for possible bounce-back relievers available on modest one-year deals, with well-traveled lefty Craig Breslow prominent among that group. Twins could add vet pitcher for depth, leadership Rhett Bollinger MLB January 30, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- One of the major takeaways from TwinsFest over the weekend is that the Twins are still looking for outside help via free agency, and they are specifically targeting a veteran leader. Although Minnesota reports for Spring Training in two weeks, it's continuing to monitor the free-agent market, and it has been linked to veterans such as Justin Morneau, Mike Napoli and Craig Breslow. The fits for Morneau and Napoli are questionable, however, given the club's depth at first base and designated hitter with Joe Mauer, Byungho Park and Kennys Vargas on the roster. It appears more likely that the Twins are looking for pitching help based on general manager Thad Levine's comments at TwinsFest on Sunday while talking on stage to 1500 ESPN. "I would expect, in between now and Opening Day, we'll have added at least one or two pitchers to our mix to enhance both the depth and the quality within our 12-man staff," Levine said. Levine had previously said that he expects whoever they add to have leadership qualities, as it's something the Twins believe they lacked last year after the retirement of Torii Hunter. "We've been very consistent in our messaging this offseason that we have a desire to bring in players we feel have leadership skills," Levine said. "It could help accelerate the development of some of our young players. We've been dependent on LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter and Michael Cuddyer to help us identify which players have leadership talent and abilities. I think any moves we make from this point forward will have an eye toward that." Cuddyer said he's been called upon several times this offseason for his advice on veteran players that he both played with and against to help the front office get a better feel. He said he's also been in contact with Morneau, who is actively looking for a job after hitting.261/.303/.429 with six homers and 25 RBIs in 58 games with the White Sox in "He's doing well," Cuddyer said. "He's preparing his body to play. Obviously, there are still a lot of bats out there on the market. He'd like to play, but you've got to find a job." Morneau or Napoli would certainly add veteran leadership to the Twins, and the organization is plenty familiar with both players -- especially given Morneau's history in Minnesota and that Napoli played for both the Indians and Rangers under front offices with chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and Levine, respectively. But given the Twins' crowded corner-infield situation and the fact they're not expected to contend 4

5 coming off a 103-loss season, neither Morneau or Napoli is a perfect fit for Minnesota. But there are plenty of options still out there, especially on the pitching side. Notable starters on the market include Jason Hammel, Colby Lewis and Doug Fister, while there are glut of quality relievers available such as Breslow, Joe Blanton, Sergio Romo, Boone Logan and Fernando Salas. "We feel as if there's a wealth of quality free agents still on the market," Levine said. "For whatever reason, as the calendar turns to February, there are a lot of players without homes. So, we're in active conversations with agents to monitor the market. We're having numerous conversations that I'd consider to be active. But it's hard to handicap what will come to fruition." Reports: Twins have their eyes on some of the top relievers left on the market Derek Wetmore Pioneer Press January 30, 2017 The Twins have their eyes on the relief market. And encouragingly for Twins fans, it appears they have their eyes focused at the top of that market. Minnesota has at least three top-end relievers on its radar, according to various reports. That includes a Star Tribune report that says the team is looking at Joe Blanton and lefty Boone Logan, and a tweet from KSTP s Darren Wolfson that says Jerry Blevins is also being eyed by the Another reliever #MNTwins have had external talks about, I hear: Jerry adds Blanton + Logan in a report today. My two cents is that of the available relievers remaining unsigned, those are some of the best ones. Maybe it wasn t a great market for starting pitching, but the relief market still could bear fruit even all the way into late January or early February. These are guys that should get Major League contracts, and in some cases, multi-year deals. Thad Levine told 1500ESPN on Sunday that he expects the Twins will sign at least one or two pitchers to our mix to enhance both the depth and the quality within our 12-man staff. That will happen before opening day, he said. Joe Blanton Two weeks ago when I was writing a column with my projected opening-day 25-man roster for the Twins, I included Blanton in the bullpen. So that s me disclosing my bais: I don t root for the Twins but I sometimes root for my opinions to be correct. But beyond that I also think it could make great sense for the Twins. Since moving to the bullpen in 2015 on virtually a full-time basis, Blanton has been excellent. He s posted a 2.65 ERA in 156 innings, complete with a 159:42 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the Royals, Pirates and Dodgers. You may remember his postseason meltdowns from 2016, but don t let that overly color your opinion of Blanton as a pitcher. At age 36, Blanton still can bring it. Boone Logan Logan, 32, seems like the kind of guy that should be able to get a multi-year deal, but I can t pretend to know how every team will value him and much less what the market forces will mean for individual pitchers. He s got a couple checks in his favor, though. For one, he s left-handed. He s been great against lefties and not-so-great against righties in recent years. I like Taylor Rogers as a lefty in the bullpen, and for stretches Ryan O Rourke has been fantastic as a specialist against left-handed hitters. But teams can always use reinforcements, and the market appears to have a few out there. Over the past three seasons, Logan has posted a 4.64 ERA with a 133:48 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 106 2/3 innings. That s a lot of strikeouts, a reasonable but not great ERA, and a relatively high number of walks. But the best of those three seasons came last year, when the lefty pitched 46 1/3 innings for the Rockies and posted a 3.69 ERA and a 57:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 5

6 Jerry Blevins Blevins is another lefty and he s 33 years old. Injuries limited him to just 5 innings with the Mets in 2015, but he returned in 2016 and had a really good year. He had a 2.79 ERA in 42 innings in a Mets uniform last season, with a 52:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Depending on the risk tolerance from teams, the value placed on lefty relievers and the free-agent market as a whole, Blevins could get a nice payday even though the calendar is about to flip to February. His rate of strikeouts per 9 innings rated 12th last season among National League relievers who pitched at least 40 innings. His strikeout rate minus his walk rate also ranked 12th in the league (20.8%). Report: Two former Twins remain on team s radar for possible reunion Derek Wetmore Pioneer Press January 30, 2017 Two former members of the Twins could possibly find themselves as the latest leg of the reunion tour, according to a report. The team has interest in bringing back Justin Morneau and Craig Breslow, according to the Pioneer Press. According to the Star Tribune, however, both sides recognized there wouldn t be a roster fit for Morneau with the Twins. GM Thad Levine has made no secret that he expects the team to sign at least one or two more pitchers before opening day. He didn t say whether that would be a reliever or a starter, only that it would be designed to enhance the depth and quality of the 12-man pitching staff. Breslow, 36, would seem to be the better fit, although his stats don t jump off the page in recent years. He s a left-handed reliever, but he was released by the Marlins last year during the season. Over the past three seasons, he s posted a 4.93 ERA with a 90:55 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 133 1/3 innings. Morneau, 35, had a below-average batting line for a corner infielder last season, when he hit.261/.303/.429 while on a one-year contract with the White Sox. If the Twins are looking for veteran leadership, as Levine suggests, Morneau could fit that bill. But in an era and with a manager that appears to appreciate position flexibility of the few bench players on each roster, Morneau s fit is not clear. Morneau had a strong albeit incomplete season at the plate as recently as 2015 with the Rockies. The lefty batted.310/.363/.458 in 182 plate appearances. If the Twins want to commit one bench spot to a part-time DH and platoon partner for Joe Mauer at first base, I would think right-handedhitting Mike Napoli would make more sense in that role. It s worth noting that Morneau told a handful of media members during the 2014 All-Star Game festivities at Target Field that he would be very open to a Twins reunion at some point in his career. AL Central team-by-team top prospects Keith Law ESPN January 31, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article: In a division without a true big-market club, a deep and productive farm system should represent a huge competitive advantage, but right now none of these five teams is running away from the pack. The White Sox, who play in a huge market but don't necessarily carry that kind of payroll, just took their system from the bottom third to the top with two huge trades, pushing them out of a group with Detroit (top-heavy) and Kansas City (thin up top, deep in very young prospects). Meanwhile, Cleveland, for all its trades and winning and things of that nature, still has plenty of talent in the system, and the Twins have these waves of arms that should hit Minnesota any minute now. Here are the top prospects in the AL Central: 6

7 Minnesota Twins For as much talent as the Twins have already graduated to the majors, they have more promising farmhands on the way, including shortstop Nick Gordon. Minnesota Twins: Top prospects report Keith Law ESPN January 31, 2017 The Twins have restocked more gradually than other teams that are in rebuilding mode, with a huge stable of arms, but nobody who looks like he ll pitch near the top of a rotation. They have as many near-in relief prospects as any team, and while they have the reputation for overdrafting raw athletes, their top seven position-player prospects are all polished, less toolsy, more complete hitters. 1. Nick Gordon, SS (Ranked No. 53) 2. Fernando Romero, RHP (Ranked No. 65) 3. Kohl Stewart, RHP (Ranked No. 87) 4. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP (Ranked No. 91) 5. Alex Kirilloff, OF (Ranked No. 97) 6. Tyler Jay, LHP (Just Missed) 7. Adalberto Mejia, LHP 8. Lewis Thorpe, LHP 9. Travis Blankenhorn, 3B 10. Felix Jorge, RHP Non-top 100 guys Adalberto Mejia came over in July s Eduardo Nunez trade with the Giants and could end up in the Twins rotation this spring. He s a four-pitch lefty with nothing plus, above-average control and enough of a changeup to ensure he s a starter, although it s probably his third-best pitch at the moment. Lewis Thorpe missed 2015 after Tommy John surgery, then caught pneumonia last summer when he was just about to start pitching to live batters again, so it ll be two full years off for him by the time he sees a mound again. Prior to the injury he showed three pitches that projected as plus and a delivery that should eventually allow for average command. Travis Blankenhorn is a bat in search of a position, hitting nine homers in 34 games in short-season Elizabethtown at age 19; he s big enough that he may just end up in an outfield corner, but given how quickly the raw power has developed, that might still work out for him. Felix Jorge is a sinkerballer who should miss more bats, like a poor man s Kohl Stewart. He s a three-pitch guy who might have some more velocity coming but for now seems to prefer early contact over strikeouts. First baseman Lewin Diaz (11) is a big kid and is going to have to rake to see the majors, but he has present power and -- despite a huge swing and exaggerated leg kick -- makes a lot of contact. Trevor Hildenberger (12), a 22nd-round pick in 2012, comes from a very low slot nearing sidearm with low 90s sink, and hitters just can t elevate the ball -- he got a 63 percent ground ball rate last year. He throws a ton of strikes, and so far, left-handed hitters haven t done anything against him. J.T. Chargois (13) has hit 100 mph with his fastball, and if he can stay healthy he ll pitch in the majors this year, as will fellow right-hander Jake Reed (14), who throws down around mph but gets great two-seam life on it and generated a 50 percent ground ball rate last year. Catcher Ben Rortvedt (15), their second-round pick in 2016, is a work in progress behind the plate but has a solid swing and could end up a 60 bat without much power; he might be a five-year project on defense, though, and that often slows catchers development as hitters too. The Twins took Juan Miranda (16) with one of their two extra picks after the second round in 2016, and they re already moving the Puerto Rican shortstop to third base, his ideal position. He s filling out well and could end up with a 50 bat and 60 power, but the body change ends any 7

8 chance of him staying at short. Nick Burdi (17) missed 2016 with a bruised elbow; he throws 100 mph when he s on the mound, as well as an upper-80s slider, and should be good to go in March. Outfielder Lamonte Wade (18) was the Twins 2015 ninth-rounder and has already hit well up through high-a with a.409 OBP across all levels; his season ended early due to a bone bruise, and he was already old for his leagues at 22 last year. Lefty Mason Melotakis (19) returned from Tommy John surgery and was throwing mph in the AFL with a hard mid-80s slider; he kills lefties and could be a specialist in the majors right away. Outfielder Daniel Palka (20) has legit power and could end up a fringe regular despite low OBPs, but it s far more likely he ends up a good bench bat because of his all-out approach and trouble making contact. The Twins used their second extra pick after the second round on raw, young Georgia high school outfielder Akil Baddoo (21), a toolsy kid with plus speed and a short swing but a rough approach. He s probably a long-term project who will start 2017 in extended spring. Right-hander Pat Light (22) was awful in a brief call-up for the Twins last year; it s a big and very straight fastball, so he ll have to use his splitter often to keep hitters from just squaring him up impact: The Twins lineup is already young almost everywhere, so barring a Brian Dozier trade they probably won t have any room anywhere on the field for a position player. Chargois, Melotakis, Reed and Light could all log innings in the bullpen, and Mejia should get to fight for a rotation spot this spring. The fallen: The Twins rolled the dice on San Diego State right-hander Michael Cederoth in the third round in 2014, because he had a golden arm, touching 100 mph as a starter despite a violent delivery that pointed to the bullpen, to wildness and to injury risk. He repeated low-a at 23 last year and walked 33 in 47 innings, facing hitters younger than he is. MLB Rumor Central: Twins targeting several veteran relievers?. Nick Ostiller ESPN January 31, 2017 A day after it was reported that the Minnesota Twins are interested in free-agent southpaw Craig Breslow, a slew of new names have hit the team's radar as it pertains to relief pitching. According to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Twins are targeting veterans Joe Blanton and Boone Logan. Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports that Minnesota has also reached out to Jerry Blevins. Blanton, 36, continued to experience a career renaissance with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, posting a 2.48 ERA and 80/26 K/BB ratio across 80 innings. The right-hander pitched to a 2.84 ERA and 79/16 K/BB ratio with the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015, his first full season as a reliever after sitting out 2014 following a previous decade as a starter. Blanton made $4 million last year. Logan, 32, finished 2016 with a 3.69 ERA and 57/20 K/BB ratio in 46 1/3 innings for the Colorado Rockies. The 11-year veteran has always come out of the bullpen and holds a career 4.45 ERA. The left-hander earned $6.25 million last season. Blevins, another southpaw, appeared in 73 games for the New York Mets last season and opponents hit just.229 against him. The 33-year-old finished with a 2.79 ERA and 52/15 K/BB ratio while earning $4 million. While the agents for Blevins and Logan told Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com that they expect their clients to receive deals of at least two years and $12 million, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Twins aren t likely to sign a relief pitcher to a multi-year contract. Minnesota relievers combined to register a 4.63 ERA last season, 26th in the majors prospect rankings: Keith Law ESPN January 31, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article: 97. Alex Kirilloff, OF, Minnesota Twins Age: 19 (11/9/97) B/T: L/L Height: 6-2 Weight: 195 Top level: Rookie 2016: NE 8

9 The Twins' first pick in the 2016 draft (15th overall), Kirilloff might have been a higher selection if he hadn't played his high school games in western Pennsylvania against weak competition. Kirilloff has a very easy, fluid swing, and can drive the ball to all fields, a strong indicator for future plus hit and power tools, although he struggled with pitch selection in his first exposure to pro ball, where the Twins sent him right to the advanced Appalachian League. Kirilloff played center and pitched in high school, but will end up a right fielder by the time he reaches the upper minors, where he's likely to be a plus defender between his range and his arm, although the Twins often move their future corner guys around and let them play some center and even first base. He has more realistic offensive upside than anyone else in their system, which means he has a chance to be the Twins' best prospect in a year, depending on how well he adjusts his approach at the plate. 91. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Minnesota Twins Age: 22 (7/8/94) B/T: L/L Height: 6-5 Weight: 213 Top level: Double-A 2016: NR The Twins have done an outstanding job developing Gonsalves, who came out of high school with a 45 fastball, a plus changeup, and -- no exaggeration -- a 30 breaking ball. I did not see how you could project him to become a major-league starter with no apparent ability to spin the ball, but the Twins saw something I didn't, and he's on the cusp of earning a big-league rotation job. Gonsalves still has a 45 fastball and a plus changeup, although he also has some deception in his delivery for the fastball to play up, but he has added a cutter now that has a chance to end up an average pitch, thrown at mph. It's below average at the moment, but he just started throwing it within the past year, and I would bet on that over the big 72 mph curveball he babies to get it to break correctly. I worry a little about the jump in his walk rate in Double-A, just because he can't start pitching away from contact, but other than that his performance in the minors is irreproachable: 368⅓ pro innings, 396 strikeouts and a 2.13 career ERA. I think he's a fourth starter in the majors, probably not more, but also probably not less, although if that cutter becomes a legitimate third pitch for him, I could still be underestimating the guy -- just as I did in Kohl Stewart, RHP, Minnesota Twins Age: 22 (10/7/94) B/T: R/R Height: 6-3 Weight: 195 Top level: Double-A 2016: 53 Stewart was the fourth overall pick in 2013, but even three years into his pro career, the 22-year-old right-hander is still making the mental transition to full-time pitcher from someone who was mostly a quarterback in high school. Stewart has five pitches, but primarily throws his two-seamer, which generates ground balls percent of all balls he allowed in play in but doesn t miss bats. He s been a strike-thrower before, but without command, and the over-reliance on that one pitch left him struggling against disciplined Double-A hitters who could lay off it out of the zone. I know a lot of teams that are off Stewart because of the low strikeout rates, which is fair, but he has other weapons that should miss bats if he d use them, including a four-seamer he dials up to 97 mph and a hard slider that I thought would end up becoming his best pitch when he was coming out of high school. He s an outstanding athlete, his arm works and he s been healthy the last two years, so it s all untapped potential here. But it s time for him to become a well-rounded pitcher who sets hitters up and uses his whole repertoire so he can reach his ceiling as at least a mid-rotation starter. If not, it s not clear what his role will be, because missing as few bats as h does may not even work in the bullpen. Who's motivated in 2017 to earn his next contract? David Schoenfield ESPN January 31, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article. "I am dead set against free agency. It can ruin baseball." -- George Steinbrenner Free agency didn't ruin baseball. Indeed, this offseason celebrates 40 years of players exercising their free will to sign with another team -- assuming somebody wants them, of course. For 40 years, we've also debated the idea of the "contract year," that players perform better in the season before free agency. 9

10 Do they? Maybe. Here's one study that concludes for hitters "the adjusted OPS of a free-agent hitter in his contract year is expected to be 6.7 percent higher than in non-contract periods." If you look at what happened last season, you'll buy into the contract-year phenomenon: Zack Greinke, Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Upton, David Price, Chris Davis, Alex Gordon, Jason Heyward, Wei-Yin Chen, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija all signed for more than $70 million, and only Cueto and Samardzija had better seasons than the previous year. With the exception of Price, the rest had hugely disappointing seasons. Whether or not players perform better in contract years, it's helpful to know who is in a contract year -- in part because some of these guys become prime trade bait in July. Here's one contract-year guy for each team: Minnesota Twins: Glen Perkins He has a $6.5 million team option for 2018, but must prove he's healthy after shoulder surgery limited him to pitching in just two games in Will baseball's eyebrow-raising offseason moves work out?. Bradford Doolittle ESPN January 28, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article: Intrigue is a funny concept. Off the tongue, to call something intrigue or to say it's intriguing seems like a compliment. But that isn't necessarily the case. It merely means to arouse one's fascination or curiosity. I always think of Spock's raised eyebrow in any number of old Star Trek episodes as the physical manifestation of it. It is by no means a value judgment. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite transactions from the winter, chosen mostly by what they might or might not signify for the months to come. In other words, in no case am I saying a move was for good or bad. These moves all resulted in at least a metaphorical raised eyebrow, which makes them stories worth following during the soon-to-arrive season. The non-moves: Trade bait still on the hook The offseason isn't over. There are some (possibly) impactful free agents left on the market, such as Jason Hammel, Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds, Mike Napoli and Chris Carter. However, there are some particularly interesting names who dangled on the trade market through the winter and, as of now, have not been moved. That will make the fortunes of their current teams interesting early in the season, as these could turn out to be game-changers in this year's playoff races. -- Brian Dozier: His trade value might never be higher, and his personal timeline doesn't seem to fit with the Twins' path toward a return to contention. His most obvious landing spot was the Dodgers, who acquired Logan Forsythe to play second earlier this week. So who will it be: Arizona? St. Louis? All-Time MLB Postseason Team: From Ruth to Ortiz, ranking the best in each position Matt Snyder CBS Sports January 29, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article: Designated hitter Second team: Paul Molitor. The Hall of Famer won the 1993 World Series MVP and in his career hit an absurd.368/.435/.615 with five doubles, three triples, six homers, 22 RBI and 28 runs in 29 games. Starting rotation Third team:.hall of Famer Bert Blyleven wasn't known for a while as a big-time postseason guy, but he did go 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 47 1/3 innings. He won two rings. As noted in the intro, sometimes your memory plays tricks on you. 10

11 Rod Carew embracing new life after heart and kidney transplant Arthur Weinstein The Sporting News January 30, 2017 Six weeks after undergoing 13 hours of surgery for heart and kidney transplants, Rod Carew is loving life again. In a wide-ranging interview Sunday with Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Carew and his wife, Rhonda, shared some of the dark moments of his failing health before the Dec. 16 surgery. With those episodes behind him, he's ready to visit his 54th straight spring training and considering renewing his wedding vows to Rhonda. Quite a change from last year, when blood thinners prescribed for Carew's heart condition caused bleeding on his brain. It caused him to go crazy, off-the-reservation crazy, Rhonda Carew told Rosenthal. The clots were putting pressure on the brain. That causes some swelling and kind of just sends you to a different planet." Carew is still undergoing regular testing to make sure his body doesn't reject his new heart, but the 71-year-old baseball Hall of Famer is embracing life. It s been a long journey, Carew said, but everything just came out right, the way everybody wanted it. The seven-time AL batting champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer has been hailed for his "Heart of 29" campaign, which raised funds for the American Heart Association and spread awareness of heart disease. That 29, of course, is the number Carew wore throughout his 19-year career with the Twins and Angels. In a strange twist, 29 is also the age of the heart donor who gave Carew new life. They found me a 29-year-old heart, Carew joked. You never know, it could be time for a comeback. Rhonda Carew said she wants to meet the man's family. I desperately want to meet them, she said. Rod hasn t focused on it, but I have. I think it would be really a neat thing for the donor s family to have the ability to listen to their son s heartbeat again. Twins Rumors: Relievers, Morneau, Napoli, May, Vogelsong Steve Adams and Jeff Todd MLB Trade Rumors January 30, 2017 The Twins have been said to be on the hunt for bullpen help in recent days, and La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that right-hander Joe Blanton and left-hander Boone Logan are both on the the team s radar. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, meanwhile, tweets that Minnesota has had some talks with Jerry Blevins camp as well. While any of the three veterans would serve as an upgrade to a Twins relief corps that is rife with question marks, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press hears that the Twins aren t likely to sign a reliever to a multiyear deal. If that s the case, it may be difficult for the team to reel in any of the three listed targets from Neal and Wolfson. FOX s Ken Rosenthal recently reported that both Logan and Blevins could very well land two-year deals worth $12MM+, and Blanton remains a candidate for a multiyear deal as well. Berardino does note that the Twins are intrigued by lefty Craig Breslow s recent workout and new arm slot. -While there s been mutual interest reported between the Twins and former cornerstone Justin Morneau, Neal reports within his column that talks between Minnesota and Morneau s camp weren t especially productive, and the sides each came away feeling like there s no current fit on the roster for the 35-year-old former MVP. Neal also suggests that while there s been some interest in Mike Napoli, the bullpen might be a bigger priority right now. Berardino s above-linked column, meanwhile, notes that Napoli is expected to sign elsewhere. -Right-hander Trevor May has spent much of the past two seasons pitching in relief (including all of his injury-shortened 2016 campaign), but the new Twins front office would like to see the once-well-regarded pitching prospect move back to the rotation in 2017, writes Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. May says he feels normal again after dealing with significant back issues in 2016, and believes that pitching with a set routine on regular rest will help him keep it that way. I m not saying I have to have an amazing spring, by any means, May said of earning a spot in the MLB rotation, but I have to show I m ready to go. I have a starter s mind-set that I can throw all my pitches right away. If the health is there, I feel like I can slide in there. -Berardino also provides details on the minor-league deal between the organization and veteran righty Ryan Vogelsong. He ll earn at a $1MM base rate in the majors. And the 39-year-old could take home up to $2.5MM if he earns and keeps a rotation spot for most of the year (30 11

12 starts), or as much as $1MM if he s a stalwart in the pen (55 appearances, available in $200K increments). Though Vogelsong can opt out just before the start of the season, he won t have any later opt-out opportunities if he ends up opening the year in the minors. 12