Minnesota Twins Daily Clips. Saturday, February 11, 2017

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, February 11, 2017 Twins' perfect season more than wins, losses. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 1 Byung Ho Park holds onto dream despite humbling times in baseball. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 2 Reusse: Twins' Pressly looks to keep gaining importance, weight. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 4 Five key spring questions for Minnesota Twins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Wetmore s 2017 Twins outlook: Brian Dozier s approach makes the most of what he s got. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 6 Spring training preview: Spotlight on Twins pitchers. Associated Press p. 7 Twins' perfect season more than wins, losses Rhett Bollinger MLB.com February 10, 2017 After losing a franchise-worst 103 games in 2016, the Twins know that a perfect 2017 season is about much more than where they finish in the standings. Projection systems such as Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA provide some optimism for the Twins, projecting 79 wins and a second-place finish in the American League Central, but the long-term success of the organization will be determined by more than wins and losses. The Twins have talent on their roster, but many of their players are young and inexperienced, so the growth of potential stars such as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Jose Berrios is critical. The Twins essentially know what they'll get from veterans such as Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer, but the 23-year-old Buxton is the club's most important player, as he's a true five-tool talent who could boost the fortunes of the franchise if he can build on his impressive September that saw him hit.287 with nine homers over his final 29 games. He's been hyped as a potential superstar since his time in the Minor Leagues, and if he can reach that ceiling, he's the kind of cornerstone player a franchise can be built around. But players such as Sano and Kepler have high ceilings as well, as Sano has as much power as anyone in baseball, while Kepler is an all-around talent like Buxton. A perfect year would see Sano cut down on his strikeouts and reach at least 30 homers, while Kepler would continue to make adjustments at the plate to fare better against lefties and raise his overall batting average. The pitching, however, is Minnesota's biggest concern this season, and a perfect year would see the rotation make strides after the Twins posted the second-worst ERA in the Majors in The rotation features several ifs, as much of it hinges on whether Ervin Santana can repeat his impressive '16, Phil Hughes can return from thoracic outlet syndrome, Kyle Gibson can bounce back after a down year and Hector Santiago can cut down on his walks and homers. So while those veterans will have a major say on how the rotation fares in '17, the long-term outlook will be affected more by the performances of prospects such as Berrios, Stephen Gonsalves, Tyler Jay, Kohl Stewart, Adalberto Mejia and Fernando Romero. A perfect year would see all of them healthy and taking a step forward to reaching the big leagues with pitchers such as Berrios, Mejia and Gonsalves making an impact with the Twins. Berrios has the potential to be a frontline starter, but posted an 8.02 ERA in 14 starts last year, so regaining his form and translating his success to the Majors will be key for the Twins. As for the bullpen, a perfect year would see closer Glen Perkins be healthy after his labrum surgery, while he'd be flanked by rising stars Ryan Pressly and Taylor Rogers as well as veterans such as Brandon Kintzler, Matt Belisle and Craig Breslow.

2 The Twins would also love to see young relievers such as J.T. Chargois, Nick Burdi, Mason Melotakis and Trevor Hildenberger make an impact, which would bode well for the future of the bullpen. It's also a reason why the Twins brought in veterans such as catcher Jason Castro, Belisle and Breslow, as their impact will also be felt in terms of the leadership and mentorship they provide to young pitchers. So much of 2017 will be about continuing the youth movement for the Twins, and a perfect year would set them up for long-term success, which has been the stated goal of the new front office led by chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine. Byung Ho Park holds onto dream despite humbling times in baseball Patrick Reusse Star Tribune February 10, 2017 Byung Ho Park was 26 and had emerged as the most valuable player in the Korea Baseball Organization in The unofficial roster for South Korea s team for the 2013 World Baseball Classic was revealed later in the year, and Park was left off in favor of other first basemen: Dae-ho Lee, Tae-kyun Kim and Seung-yeop Lee, a KBO legend who was 36 and being honored for past accomplishments. Park responded to this snub by winning the MVP award again in And then he led the KBO with 52 home runs in 2014 and 53 home runs in South Korea announced its provisional roster for the 2017 WBC last November. Again, Park was not on the list. Those rosters became official on Wednesday and South Korea s first basemen were Lee and Kim. Park arrived at the Twins Florida complex on Sunday and started working out on Monday. He finished a workout that included batting practice on Thursday morning. He was asked if not being on South Korea s WBC roster was partially his decision a reflection of a desire to have a full spring training with the Twins? Park looked at interpreter Jae Han to fully understand the question, answered in Korean, and then Han said: He would have liked to play for the Korean team. He says there was a better player than him for first base. Park was a 29-year-old rookie with the Twins in 2016 and wound up getting sent back to Class AAA Rochester. The massive Dae-ho Lee, known as Big Boy in Korea, was a 34-year-old rookie for Seattle and batted.300 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI. Also: Kim batted.359 in the KBO last season and is the highest-paid player in the league, so he was locked in as a member of the team. Park s comment on the World Baseball Classic was more instructive about him than the strength of South Korean baseball. The interviewer had offered up an excuse Park preferred to be here to try to establish himself with the Twins and he waved it off: Park wanted to play in the WBC and there were better players to fill first base for South Korea. Simple as that. He came off as a humble person with a dream of major league success on arrival here for 2016 spring training. A year later, he has endured several humbling things in his career, and the top of the list came last week: The Twins took Park of the 40-player big-league roster. He cleared waivers on Thursday and was placed on the Rochester roster. He will be in spring training with the Twins, but as a considerable underdog to Kennys Vargas (among others) to open the season as the team s designated hitter. Park was asked about the roster demotion, answered in Korean, and Han said: Derek Falvey called him and explained the decision. He said don t pay too much attention to the media, which probably will say the Twins now have everything planned for him (to be in the minor leagues). Falvey said he still is in the picture to make the team, and to have a good spring training. 2

3 Terry Ryan was the general manager who signed off on the Twins investment in Park after the 2015 season: a $12.85 million posting fee that went to the Nexen Heroes, his KBO team, and then a four-year contract that guaranteed $12 million for Park. Ryan was fired last summer and Falvey was hired with the title of chief baseball officer in October. The Twins dropped Park from the 40-man roster knowing that he would clear waivers with $9.25 million still due. Perhaps, if Park lights it up this spring, he could open as a right-handed option for Vargas (much better lefthanded) at DH and Joe Mauer at first base. Then again, the Twins tried to sign Mike Napoli, and there are rumors of interest in Pedro Alvarez, which means Falvey is looking for a DH option that isn t Park or Vargas. Park was the Twins regular DH through the first three months of the 2016 season. He played in 62 games and started 60 of the Twins first 76 games. He was showing power and hanging in as a hitter during his first 32 games. He hit two home runs in Cleveland on May 13; three days later, he was batting.257 with nine home runs and 15 RBI, and 38 strikeouts in 109 at-bats. And then Park lost it or the scouts and analysts by then had found the formula to turn him into a big-league out. Park played in 30 games from May 17 to June 28. He batted.123, with three home runs and nine RBI, and 42 strikeouts in 106 at-bats. The Twins sent him to Rochester after a five-game stretch when he was 0-for-16 with 10 strikeouts. He was asked several questions on Thursday about trying to hit in the big leagues. As he talked to Han, the English word timing was interspersed several times. It was clear in his answers that Park s main concern when he arrived here a year ago was to be able to catch up to the fastball. That was also the storyline from the get-go: Could a power hitter who struck out often while feasting on 88 miles per hour fastballs in Korea make contact with 94-mph fastballs in North America? When I came here, I tried to adjust to the major league fastball, Park said. Did the pitchers see him starting a bit early and making him vulnerable to a breaking ball off the plate? Park shrugged and said: Timing the fastball. That is what I had to adjust to. That is what I am trying to do. Park was optioned to Rochester at the end of June. He injured a wrist in the middle of July, kept playing for a time, and wound up having minor surgery in September. He played 31 games in Class AAA and hit 10 home runs, but with a.224 average. He hit some bombs, said Stew Cliburn, the pitching coach at Rochester. And his attitude couldn t have been better. He s a great young man; very positive. He s nice to everyone teammates, the guys in the clubhouse and around the ballpark, and the fans. There was nothing even close to pouting from Byung Ho when he came to our club. He worked hard with the idea that he was going to have success and get back to the big leagues. The wrist thing kind of messed that up for him. I was talking with Park and Han outside the Twins minor league clubhouse at noon Thursday, when Cliburn walked past. I said to Park, That man is a fan of yours. Park understood and said through Han: This is the path I have chosen. I am going to work hard and stay positive. That is why I am here early. Maybe that is why the pitching coach, Stew Cliburn, said good things. I have my dream, to succeed in major league baseball. 3

4 Reusse: Twins' Pressly looks to keep gaining importance, weight Patrick Reusse Star Tribune February 10, 2017 Ryan Pressly was in his 10th professional season and his fourth with the Twins in 2016, when he found a vital and full-time role in the bullpen for the first time. Then, he went home to the Dallas area and gained 20 pounds during the offseason. There have been instances with Twins prospects of less experience when they also experienced weight gain in an offseason, and it left the organization frustrated. The 20 pounds that Pressly gained this winter all parties are pleased, including the righthanded reliever. I always lose weight during the season, Pressly said. Last year, I was 207 at the start and around 190 at the end. Why does this happen? I think it s because of my medicine, he said. Pressly was officially diagnosed with what s now referred to as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a fifth-grader. I would get started on something and five minutes later, I was doing something else, Pressly said. It was definitely chaotic. Pressly was put on medication and was able to find focus in his life. Things became normal, he said. One place where the medication can be a problem is high-level sports competition. Adderall and other meds used to treat ADHD can show up as amphetamines in drug testing by professional sports leagues. Pressly was drafted in the 11th round by the Boston Red in 2007 and elected to sign rather than take his scholarship to Texas Tech. I remember my mother [Jan] being on the phone with baseball officials explaining to them that I had been taking the medicine since the fifth grade, Pressly said. She must have been on the phone for three hours, saying, He needs it; we have the medical records to prove it. Pressly was approved to continue using the drug. Which he needs, but how does he keep on weight on his 6-foot-3 frame during a season of heavy bullpen use? I eat a little junk food, but nutritionists in Dallas and here with the Twins have me eating healthy stuff that puts on weight, Pressly said. Pressly is 28 and hasn t yet experienced the riches of what s starting to look like a successful major league career. He was arbitration-eligible for the first time during this offseason and agreed to a $1.175 million contract. Those checks aren t rolling in yet. That s why the truck that Pressly drove from Texas to Fort Myers isn t new, just different. I can t believe what a good truck costs, he said. This one has over 50,000 miles. They told me the price and I said, What? A 28-year-old single guy from Texas, though he s got to drive a truck, and there s generally a well-used Bible. There s a very important note in Pressly s Bible, from his father, Tom, who died of kidney cancer at age 63 on Nov. 1, Tom and the family knew he was terminal early that year, when Ryan was getting ready to go to his first big-league camp as a Rule 5 draftee of the Twins. He wrote a note to his son with an inspirational Biblical passage, and added that Ryan should throw his fastball for strikes and then hammer hitters with the curve. I always have the note with me during the season, Pressly said. I must read it a hundred times during a season. Keeps me pumped up. Pressly went to high school at American Heritage Academy, a private school in Carrollton, Texas. There was speculation the small school would be closing at the start of Pressly s senior year in He had played football as a receiver and safety. Now he had the baseball commitment from Texas Tech. 4

5 It made sense not to play football that fall, Pressly said. But I played anyway. Those guys were my buddies and felt an obligation to be with them for a last season. I tore an ACL in my left knee in the sixth game of the season. Now, he had a bad knee and the possibility of no baseball season if the small school closed. He transferred to Marcus High School, a large, public school, and pitched that spring with a left leg that he could hardly bend. He wound up paying his way to a showcase event, the radar readings were 95 miles per hour, and he was drafted in the 11th round by the Red Sox. I was shocked, he said. I had heard I would be drafted maybe in the low 20s, possibly 30th [round]. But 11th round? I signed. He had good stretches, then poor ones, during five summers as a starter in the Red Sox organization. Pressly said: I remember a game against a Twins farm club, when Mike Gonzales and Josmil Pinto went back-to-back with long home runs, and thinking, How am I ever going to make it to the big leagues with pitches like that? The Red Sox put him in the bullpen halfway through the 2012 season. He moved up from Class A to Class AA, then was invited to the Arizona Fall League. That s where the Twins took a strong interest and made him the fourth selection in the Rule 5 draft. That enabled him to stay in the big leagues as a rookie in 2013, a triumph for his father who was getting closer to death in Texas. Too bad Tom Pressly wasn t here to see his son throwing fastballs for strikes and hammering with the curveball in his breakthrough 2016 season: A 3.70 ERA in 72 games, with 75⅓ innings and 67 strikeouts. Actually, I d like to throw more strikes, Pressly said. That s the big thing for me in That, and figuring out a way to keep on weight. We all hate that one. Five key spring questions for Minnesota Twins Mike Berardino Pioneer Press February 10, 2017 Coming off the worst season in Twin Cities franchise history, the Twins are eager to right the ship. The only other 100-loss season in club annals was followed up with a 10-win improvement in Just a year removed from an 83-win season in 2015, this year s Twins will set their sights higher with the expected benefits of better health and regression to the mean. New hope has arrived in the baseball-operations duo of chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine. Their stamp will be on everything, from the way the franchise collects and analyzes data to selection of the 25-man roster that heads north to start the 57th season of Minnesota big-league baseball. As always, a fresh spring brings with it a new set of questions. Here are five key areas in which the Twins will seek answers over the next seven weeks: WHO CLOSES? Three-time all-star Glen Perkins is working back from June 23 surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Perkins, who turns 34 on March 2, has hit all his rehab markers along the way but the Twins will be careful not to rush him back into his old role. Whether Perkins starts the year on the new 10-day disabled list or not, journeyman Brandon Kintzler is the likely choice to start out as the closer. He nailed down 17 of 20 save chances last season after taking over for Kevin Jepsen in early June. Another step forward from hard-throwing right-hander Ryan Pressly, 28, could give the Twins something to think about, as well. 5

6 WHO LEADS OFF? Slugging second baseman Brian Dozier (yes, he s still here) spent 73 games in the leadoff spot last year, cranking 27 of his 42 home runs from that vantage point. That s the main reason he failed to reach 100 runs batted in despite 82 extra-base hits. In all, 30 of Dozier s homers came with the bases empty, so manager Paul Molitor would love to get Dozier back down into the No. 3 hole in the batting order. Candidates to replace him include speedster Byron Buxton, coming off a huge September, and switch-hitting shortstop Jorge Polanco, who seems to have the plate discipline the job requires. And don t forget Joe Mauer and his.391 career on-base percentage. Falvey s Cleveland Indians regularly used plodding first baseman Carlos Santana in the leadoff spot on their way to an American League pennant last season. WHAT S THE ROTATION? Aside from Ervin Santana, on track for a second straight Opening Day start, the Twins had a hard time getting quality from the rest of their rotation last season. A healthy Phil Hughes, back from surgery to remedy thoracic outlet syndrome, would go a long way toward stabilizing things, as would a bounce-back year from right-hander Kyle Gibson, 29. Veteran lefty Hector Santiago, acquired in the Ricky Nolasco trade last August, will earn $8 million and be counted on to contribute his usual 180 solid innings. The fifth spot figures to feature an open competition among Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Adalberto Mejia and non-roster invitees Ryan Vogelsong and Nick Tepesch. Berrios, despite an 8.02 ERA as a rookie, would seem to be the early favorite, although his desire to pitch for a second time in the World Baseball Classic could complicate matters. CAN SANO RESPOND? Back full time at third base, and down about 15 pounds after rigorous offseason workouts, young phenom Miguel Sano is looking to put the frustrations of 2016 behind him. Still two full seasons away from his first crack at salary arbitration, Sano has struck out nearly 36 percent of the time through his first season and a half in the majors. With the help of new hitting coach James Rowson, Sano knows he must reclaim the plate discipline he showed as a rookie, which should only add to the power production (.489 career slugging percentage) shown so far. WHAT S CASTRO S IMPACT? eteran catcher Jason Castro, signed to a three-year, $24.5 million deal that was the richest the Twins have given an outside free agent position player, arrives from the Houston Astros with sterling credentials in the areas of game-calling and pitch framing. How quickly Castro is able to learn a new pitching staff will go a long way toward determining how many borderline strikes he can grab for the Twins from the outset. Toward that end, Castro declined an invitation to represent Team Mexico at the WBC. Wetmore s 2017 Twins outlook: Brian Dozier s approach makes the most of what he s got Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 February 10, 2017 The Twins haven t been very good since Brian Dozier became an MLB star. And so in a weird way, despite how much you hear about the team s best player locally, Dozier is probably underappreciated nationally. He s a great example to hold up for young baseball players when they re learning to get the most out of the physical abilities they have. Similar to players like Dustin Pedroia and Jose Altuve, Dozier might be the ultimate example of maximizing his physical abilities and unearthing nearly 6

7 unbelievable production. He hit 42 home runs last season, which is a staggering number for a second baseman, even in a year where power numbers went up across the league. There s no doubt that he s the most powerful second baseman in the game right now. Over the past three seasons, Dozier has crushed 93 home runs. That s 26% more than second-place Robinson Cano s total (74). It s 50% more than third-place Neil Walker s total (62)! And if for some reason you don t like actual home runs as an indication of power, Dozier s Isolated Power over those three seasons is best by a wide margin among second basemen (.221 and then next best is Rougned Odor s.199 ISO). ESPN lists Dozier at 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds. He s muscular but he s not Barry Bonds. Speaking of Bonds, the home run king hit 73 home runs in 2001, an incredible rate of one blast for every 9 plate appearances, roughly. In August, Dozier hit one out every 10 trips to the plate and in September/October he did it every 12 trips. So he s not Bonds in stature and he won t his 73 of them this year, but Dozier s power numbers last year were a remarkable feat that got overlooked because his team was bad. I wrote earlier this offseason about the reasons for and against trading Dozier this winter. I concluded that if the Twins want to trade Dozier, this winter would be the best time to do it. The Twins didn t trade him, though, and so now the most likely scenario has him entering the season as their second baseman and key offensive weapon. I remember chuckling when manager Paul Molitor described Dozier s home-run hitting abilities as a power vector out to left field. It was true at the time, and since then, he s doubled down on that approach. There may not be a more talented pull hitter against fastballs than Brian Dozier. Dozier led MLB last year in the percentage of balls he pulled (56.4%), which was actually down from his league-leading pull percentage in 2015 (60.2%). You d better believe that every pitcher in the world knows Dozier is going to the plate looking for a fastball he can pull into the left field bleachers. And yet he continues to do damage at an incredible rate. Will he continue to see more than 18% of his fly balls clear the fence? I don t know, maybe. Some will argue probably not. It s quite a bit higher than his career HR/FB% of 12.7%. But then again, 33 players topped his 2016 mark last year and he s right in spitting distance of guys like Mike Trout, Kris Bryant and Todd Frazier. Is it crazy to think that s the company Dozier keeps? Spring training preview: Spotlight on Twins pitchers Associated Press February 10, 2017 The first step toward fortifying the fallen Minnesota Twins was a change in leadership, with chief baseball officer Derek Falvey plucked from Cleveland s front office and general manager Thad Levine hired from Texas. The revamp stopped there, though, during an inaugural offseason for the new regime that was more methodical than it was a makeover. There are some great people here, some great players here. We never had any intention to come in here with a bulldozer and risk losing great players, great people, by making short-sighted, rash decisions, Levine said. Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Miguel Sano form the under-25 core of a lineup that ranked sixth in total bases in the American League in 2016 despite a club-record 103 losses. Second baseman Brian Dozier returns from a 42-home run season after trade talks fizzled. You can t really dwell on youth anymore, and I think that s going to be a huge factor moving forward, Dozier said, adding: You ve got to recognize you re playing with the big boys up here and you can t make the same mistakes you made last year that cost you ballgames. Here are some key angles to follow as the Twins start spring training, with pitchers and catchers reporting on Monday: NOT-SO-NEW LOOK 7

8 The only major roster move this winter was the signing of catcher Jason Castro to a three-year, $24.5 million contract to replace Kurt Suzuki. Castro batted only.215 over the last three seasons combined for Houston, but the 29-year-old has been lauded for his work behind the plate with pitch calling and framing. YOUNGSTER TO WATCH The awkward experiment with Sano in right field was scrapped at midseason after he missed a month because of a strained left hamstring. He still hit 25 homers despite the distraction, the injury and playing overweight. Now he can settle in at third base. The Twins remain bullish on Sano s ability to replicate the.916 on-base-plus-slugging percentage he posted as a rookie (rather than his.781 mark last year) as well as his defensive potential. Still going to be some growing pains there as he settles in, and we ve got to see how he will respond to potentially playing that position a high number of games, manager Paul Molitor said. Just a guy you want to try to find a way to keep on the field. YOUNGSTER TO WATCH II Buxton was sent back to Triple-A twice last season for relief from his hitting struggles, but his return in September from the second demotion yielded a tantalizing performance by the fleet-footed center fielder: six doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 22 RBIs and a.357 on-base percentage over his final 29 games. We haven t given up on the ceiling that has been created for him, Molitor said. Good athletes have a way of figuring things out, and I don t think there are many better athletes in the game. THEY RE SET With Buxton, Dozier, Kepler and Sano in place, production from Castro and first baseman Joe Mauer, the three-time batting champion who has hit just.267 over the last three years, will be a bonus. Ervin Santana is the one sure bet in the rotation. Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Pressly, Taylor Rogers and newcomer Matt Belisle form the backbone of the bullpen, with three-time All-Star closer Glen Perkins coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum that ruined his THEY RE NOT The spotlight this spring will be on pitchers Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey, Kyle Gibson, Phil Hughes and Hector Santiago. They made a combined 87 starts last season, with an abysmal cumulative 6.02 ERA. Hughes was the only one who wasn t healthy. Trevor May could displace one of them in his transition back from middle relief, and 39-year-old Ryan Vogelsong is in camp on a minor-league contract as another option. Jorge Polanco must improve defensively to be trusted as the regular shortstop, with the reliable Eduardo Escobar at the ready if he doesn t. Eddie Rosario (left field) and Kennys Vargas (designated hitter) will again have chances to be everyday players. MINNESOTA TWINS CAPSULE Manager: Paul Molitor (third season). 2016: , fifth place. Training Town: Fort Myers, Florida. Park: Hammond Stadium at CenturyLink Sports Complex. First Workout: Feb. 14/19. He s Here: C Jason Castro, RHP Matt Belisle, RHP Ryan Vogelsong, SS Ehire Adrianza, OF Drew Stubbs. He s Outta Here: 3B Trevor Plouffe, C Kurt Suzuki, LHP Tommy Milone, RHP Pat Light. Going campin : After the club compiled its most losses since the franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961, the Twins are starting fresh, but they re 8

9 not starting over. New baseball chief Derek Falvey, with new GM Thad Levine as his top lieutenant, has been using a measured, patient approach with his attempt to turn around a team that hasn t reached the postseason in seven years. With still-budding young talent in the lineup like 3B Miguel Sano, CF Byron Buxton and RF Max Kepler, and the return of 2B Brian Dozier after trade talks didn t yield enough for Falvey and Levine s liking, significant run-scoring potential remains. The Twins ranked a respectable sixth in the AL in total bases and eighth in OPS despite their abysmal record. The focus in Fort Myers will again be on the mound, with a downtrodden rotation seeking candidates to join steady RHP Ervin Santana. RHPs Jose Berrios (8.02 ERA in 14 starts), Tyler Duffey (6.43 ERA in 26 starts), Kyle Gibson (5.07 ERA in 25 starts), Phil Hughes (broken leg, shoulder surgery) and RHP Hector Santiago (5.58 ERA in 11 starts) will get the chance to bounce back. RHP Trevor May will try to convert back to starting after his bullpen assignment contributed to a lingering back injury. 9