Minnesota Twins Daily Clips. Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, March 22, 2017 Souhan: About to turn 34, Mauer comes to a career crossroad. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 1 Twins lose to Phillies 9-5; Gibson yields one run in five innings. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 2 Vogelsong has been released by Twins. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 3 Ryan O'Rourke likely headed to DL with elbow injury. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 4 For Twins Ervin Santana, WBC experience mixed family, national pride. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4 Twins ready to finalize plan for rehabbing Glen Perkins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 May set for Tommy John surgery. MLB (Bollinger) p. 7 'Comfortable' Park putting past behind him. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8 Gibson sharp; Twins score 5 in the 8th vs. Phils. MLB (Zolecki & Bollinger) p. 9 Vogelsong requests, gets release. MLB (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins will put O'Rourke on DL to start season. MLB (Bollinger) p. 10 Pipeline report: Prospects in Twins' camp. MLB (Mayo) p. 10 Twins release pitcher Ryan Vogelsong. ESPN 1500 (Coller) p. 11 Twins pitchers Duffey, Mejia battle Berrios for No. 5 spot. FOX Sports (Lund) p. 12 Top 10 MLB Catcher Prospects for the 2017 season. FOX Sports (Chase) p. 13 Twins Notes: Perkins, Park, Vargas. MLB Trade Rumors (Polishuk) p. 13 Minnesota Twins Install Eaton s Advanced LED Lighting and Controls System at Target Field for the 2017 Season. MilTech (Staff) p. 13 Souhan: About to turn 34, Mauer comes to a career crossroad Jim Souhan Star Tribune March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, FLA. Once a surefire Hall of Famer whose every twitch attracted attention, Joe Mauer is gliding through the quietest spring of his career. Eight years removed from his last batting title and seven years after signing the contract that would define and test him, Mauer faces newly lowered expectations. Once revered as a player who could hit.300 while blindfolded, Mauer batted a career-low.261 last season while the Twins lost 103 games, also the worst mark of Mauer s tenure. Not long ago every Mauer wince elicited blanket coverage; he admitted Wednesday that no one had asked him this spring about lingering concussion symptoms. Less than a month away from his 34th birthday, Mauer is about to start the next-to-last season on his $184 million contract. Traditionally a No. 3 hitter, he likely will be used as a leadoff or in the second spot to capitalize on his remaining statistical strength on-base percentage. Given his struggles against lefthanders last year, he could be rested or moved lower in the order this season against them. He hasn t batted.300 since At that point, even given his injuries and the incorrectly stated bilateral leg weakness amateur diagnosis that tainted his career, Mauer remained on pace to finish his career as one of the greatest-hitting catchers in baseball history. He ll enter the 2017 season as a light-hitting first baseman with a tenuous role on a bad team with, perhaps, the end of his career in sight. Asked whether he feels he can return to the ranks of.300 hitters this season, Mauer said, I do. Last season there were some bad things that happened, but there were also some good things. There were stretches where I was feeling pretty good and putting up the numbers I normally do. For me keeping myself healthy is the key, and I think if I do that, everything else will take care of itself.

2 Mauer hit.321 last April. He hit.253,.223 and.250 in the next three months but found his stroke in August, batting.337. Few noticed, because few were watching Twins baseball by that point of the season. On Aug. 16, Mauer was batting.284 with a respectable.801 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) for the season. He wouldn t need to improve either number much to be a valuable player. That day, trying to score from first in a game at Atlanta, he strained a quadriceps muscle. He would hit.111 in September and October. If you want to believe Mauer can resurrect his career, you can point to the injury and its aftermath as the cause of his swoon. If you believe Mauer will never again be an impact player, you can note that Mauer has spent the past six seasons facing physical impediments. Other than his manager, Paul Molitor, few players have ever become healthier and more durable late in their careers. For me, last season, there were other things going on, Mauer said. I strained my quad and ever since that happened, things started to get worse. But I m looking forward to this year, and I feel good and I want to keep it that way. I just tried to play through it and it led to other things, too. Throughout the course of the year, you deal with a lot of nicks and things here and there. I always say, going back to the root of the problem last year was a very specific injury. This winter, No. 1 was to make sure I was healthy before I got into my normal routine. I took some time. Once I did that, I was able to make some good gains heading into the spring. Molitor has been one of Mauer s most vocal supporters, in part because he respects the art of the quality at-bat, and perhaps in part because Mauer s salary makes him immovable and the franchise has failed to produce players good enough to take Mauer s job. This spring, Molitor has hinted that Mauer s role could change. I ve had some conversations with him as well as some other people, particularly top-of-the-lineup contenders, that you re going to see yourself in some different roles as we try to put together somewhat of a plan, Molitor said. Chances are it s going to have flexibility and moving parts as we go along. I ve spent a lot of time on the lineup the last four or five days in my mind and on paper, consulting with some people, trying to figure out how to shape it. We kind of know how it s trending, and we re going to have to make decisions accordingly. Mauer said he s happy to bat anywhere in the lineup and believes his struggles against lefthanders were an aberration. Asked if he enters 2017 with real optimism, Mauer nodded and said, Yeah. He paused, and seemed to be considering further explanation, before nodding again and saying, Yeah. Absolutely. Twins lose to Phillies 9-5; Gibson yields one run in five innings La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, FLA. Righthander Kyle Gibson has fallen into a pretty good groove. I think I m getting a little bit more used to going five, six innings every five days, he said. The Twins probably won t make him stop there. Seven innings? Eight? How about a complete game now and then? On Tuesday, Gibson demonstrated what he can do when his mechanics are sharp and his pitches are moving. While the Twins eventually lost 9-5 to Philadelphia, Gibson gave up one run over five innings for his latest solid outing. Over his past three starts, Gibson has a 1.93 ERA. His offseason goal of refining his delivery is yielding the desired results. Efficiency, that s what I m trying to be in the delivery, he said. Throwing pitches, trying to attack and trying to take some stress off the arm, lower back and other parts of my body that shouldn t be stressed. His only mistake Tuesday was a solo home run by Freddy Galvis in the fifth inning. 2

3 The game got out of hand long after Gibson had left. Philadelphia scored twice in the eighth to take a 3-0 lead when the Twins rallied. Ehire Adrianza homered to right, Benji Gonzalez hit an RBI double and Eddy Rodriguez scored on a groundout by J.B. Shuck to tie the score at 3-3. With Gonzalez on third, Travis Harrison the 50th overall pick by the Twins in 2011 sent a line drive into the berm in left to give the Twins a 5-3 lead. The lead didn t last long. Lefthander Buddy Boshers, who s trying to win a spot in the bullpen, began the ninth. It was ugly as he was rocked for five runs in two-thirds of an inning. His spring ERA soared to Etc. Twins officials want to meet with lefthander Glen Perkins about advancing his rehabilitation schedule. Perkins has not been throwing with 100 percent effort yet as he works his way back from shoulder surgery last year. The team reassigned righthanders Jake Reed and Raul Fernandez to the minor league camp. On deck The Twins hit the road again Wednesday when Phil Hughes faces the Astros at West Palm Beach. Dallas Keuchel will start for Houston. Vogelsong has been released by Twins La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune March 21, 2017 After meeting with the club this morning, righthander Ryan Vogelsong has asked for, and has received, his release from the Twins. The Twins had hoped that Vogelsong's experience would help a pitching staff with several young arms. But he posted a 7.27 ERA in five appearances. He was given a chance to make two starts over the last week, but gave up five earned runs over that period. Despite being a hit with teammates, his production wasn't good enough to be the clubhouse savant. "We talked with Ryan this morning," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It was one of those hard conversations to have. After the discussion and different things we talked about, we gave him some time to think about it. He's asked for his release and we are going to grant that. "Can't say enough about what he brought to the camp. Had multiple players come in here and say being around him and Belisle and some of these people have really made their camp." Some with the club felt Vogelsong could best serve the team as a long reliever. After coming out of the bullpen three times this spring, Vogelsong preferred starting. Indications are that might have been where the sides did not share the same vision. Arm strength - Vogelsong was touching 89 mph on the gun here - was also a concern. With Vogelsong gone, the Twins now have Tyler Duffey, Adalberto Mejia, Nick Tepesch, Justin Haley and Jose Berrios in camp who could land in the No. 5 starter's role. Berrios has been with Team Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, which hasn't helped his cause. Mejia has pitched well but gave up back-to-back home runs on Monday. Duffey fired five shutout innings on Monday. Tepesch will start Thursday in Vogelsong's place and be followed by Haley, a Rule 5 pick. "We felt that right now we had a few people who were in front of him, in terms of that rotation situation," Molitor said. "Out of fairness to him we gave him time to see what else is out there, other clubs, opportunities, those type of things." The Twins also reassigned righthanders Jake Reed and Raul Fernandez to the minor league camp. 3

4 Ryan O'Rourke likely headed to DL with elbow injury La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune March 21, 2017 Some injury news as the Twins prepare to face the Phillies today. Lefthander Ryan O'Rourke had a MRI on his elbow yesterday after reporting symptoms following his outing on Thursday against the Cardinals. The good news is that the area is structurally sound. The bad news is that he does have a strain of the flexor pronator mass near his elbow and will be shut down from throwing for seven to 10 days. The flexor pronator mass, located in the forearm near the elbow, helps stabilize the elbow during actions like throwing. Twins GM Thad Levine said that O'Rourke likely will start the season on the disabled list. FYI, the 15-day DL has been replaced by the 10-day DL. Two things to keep in mind about O'Rourke's injury. One, he's been trying to perfect a forkball this spring, which puts strain on the forearm/elbow. Two, he's been working out with weighted balls since the offseason. He reported to camp in excellent shape. This is a noteworthy development in the race to make the Twins bullpen as a lefthanded reliever. O'Rourke was in a battle with Craig Breslow, Buddy Boshers and Taylor Rogers for two spots. Many believe that Rogers has a leg up in the battle and it's down to the other three for the second spot. O'Rourke has been a hammer against lefthanded hitters but has been nailed by righthanders, which is likely the reason he was working on a forkball. There is a report that Breslow has been placed on the 40-man roster today, but Levine would neither confirm nor deny that. The way things are headed, the Twins will have to add at least three players to the 40-man before they break camp. Two spots will be made by placing Glen Perkins and Trevor May on the 60-day DL. And they might have to expose a couple players to waivers to get them off the 40-man so they add someone like Ryan Vogelsong, ByungHo Park, Chris Gimenez or Nick Tepesch to the roster. Levin also confirmed that Robbie Grossman will miss five to seven days with a strained right hamstring. Also, the Twins want to plot a new course of action for Perkins as he continues his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery. Levine said there will be discussions with the staff about how to get the former All-Star closer to the next level. I reported a few days ago that Perkins topped out at 76 mph during a recent bullpen session. Keep in mind that he's hasn't let it 100% yet and has to get over that hurdle. And when Joe Nathan had shoulder surgery with the Giants, he began throwing 81 mph before building back up to 95. It's a process that starts out ugly. For Twins Ervin Santana, WBC experience mixed family, national pride Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. Ervin Santana sat at his locker early Tuesday morning, telling stories. Gathered around, listening intently to his tales from the World Baseball Classic, were Twins teammates and fellow Dominicans Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco and Danny Santana. Sano leaned forward in his chair and asked questions, no doubt preparing for his own likely opportunity to represent his homeland four years from now. After several minutes, it was time for everyone to get back to work, leaving Santana with a satisfied smile. Back to normal, the veteran right-hander said. Back to reality. Having flown back from San Diego on Monday night, the Twins Opening Day starter planned to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday in preparation for his next Grapefruit League start Friday at Hammond Stadium. It all figured to feel quite different from what he lived through last Saturday night at Petco Park, where he could be seen taking deep breaths on the mound between pitches as he faced Team USA in an eventual 6-3 loss. It was a lot of adrenaline, he said. It was different. It was a good experience. It put me around a lot of good players. It was very nice. After believing for most of the winter that circumstances would not enable him to make his WBC debut, Santana jumped into the fray a week before one of the most eagerly anticipated starts of a professional career that dates to

5 Fellow right-hander Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants might have taken the ball instead, but his father was ill back in the Dominican, leaving Santana to step in on short notice. After meeting the Dominican team in Miami for the long flight west, Santana sat with reliever Jumbo Diaz and infielder Jean Segura, his former Los Angeles Angels teammate, as his wife Amy and their two children made new friends on the family charter. From the moment he headed out to the bullpen for pregame warm-ups, Santana could tell this would be a memorable assignment. He figured it would be that way from how the first round went at Marlins Park. It was like a playoff, said the veteran of eight postseason appearances and one all-star outing. I watched every single game leading up to that, and I saw the energy. It was intense. A raucous crowd waved U.S. and Dominican flags in the stands, pushing the decibel levels higher as the evening progressed and the Dominican team staked Santana to an early 2-0 lead. It felt like it was in the Dominican, he said. All the fans were real loud. I mean, it was loud. I liked it. Infielders had to shout at the top of their lungs just to get Santana s attention on the mound. You could not hear anybody, he said. There was music and everybody was loud and they had the horns blowing. Here he imitated the sound coming from all those noisemakers. Suddenly, it was New Year s Eve in his corner of the clubhouse. His fastball was humming in the mid-90s. Even his change-up was coming in at 88 mph, probably 5 mph faster than normal, as he spread his fingers a little wider and got hard-split action that had lefty batters flailing helplessly. Was that due to the adrenaline? I don t know, but I liked it, said Santana, who was working on a whopping eight days rest. I didn t know it was that hard until you just told me that. I need to probably keep it like that. He left a two-seam fastball up to Christian Yelich, who ripped the game-tying double in the third. After retiring the first two batters in the fourth, Santana gave up a single to Brandon Crawford, followed by another two-seamer that Giancarlo Stanton blasted out to left for a two-run homer. The ball left Stanton s bat at mph, according to Statcast s tracking system, and the Western Metal Supply building appeared to shake upon its arrival. He s a strong guy, Santana said with a shrug and a smile. Anything he puts contact on is going to be hit hard. Good thing it wasn t at me. That ended Santana s night after 68 pitches, seven shy of his limit. As Dominican manager Tony Pena came out to take the ball, he thanked Santana for his effort. He said, Nice job. You did the best you could to keep us in the game, Santana said. They played better than us. That s the only thing I can say. Despite a 1-for-11 showing with runners in scoring position for the Dominican offense, Santana had no regrets about losing the elimination game for the defending champions. Anything can happen, he said. We had a positive attitude coming into the game. It was not disappointing at all because it was a good experience. After it was over, Jonathan Santana, the pitcher s young son, told his dad how much he enjoyed his first WBC, where he played in the stands with the children of Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana. He was very happy because he d never been in that type of environment, Ervin Santana said of his son. He had fun a lot of fun. So did his dad. 5

6 Twins ready to finalize plan for rehabbing Glen Perkins Mike Berardino Pioneer Press March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. The in-season plan for rehabbing Twins closer Glen Perkins should come into focus by the end of this week once the training and coaching staff huddle. I think that s something that s a priority for us to sit down with him and really define what the next few phases of this process are, Twins general manager Thad Levine said Tuesday. While Perkins remains optimistic he ll be ready to contribute well before June 1, the Twins have yet to circle any calendar dates for his potential return. Expected to open the season on the disabled list, the 34-year-old left-hander from Stillwater could be moved back onto the 60-day disabled list in order to open up another 40-man roster spot for one of several impressive veterans in camp on minor-league deals. Stints on the 60-day DL cannot be backdated into the final week of spring training, so the soonest Perkins could be activated would be June 1 should that option be used. Under the collective bargaining agreement, players must consent to both being placed on the DL and the type of list used. I think we ve been consistent throughout saying once he comes back we re hopeful that it s entirely in the rearview mirror and he can be 100 percent moving forward, Levine said. That wouldn t be your first choice, but we also really are much more attentive to how he s pitching in September than to how he s pitching in April or May. Perkins, who has yet to progress beyond 20-pitch bullpen sessions every fourth day this spring, is working back from June 23, 2016 shoulder surgery that repaired a torn labrum. He last faced hitters a week into the 2016 regular season. Levine said he was unaware of radar-gun readings on Perkins sessions to this point. The GM has watched Perkins throw from his Hammond Stadium office but hasn t gone down to the bullpen for a closer look. That s not out of disrespect for him, Levine said. It s kind of where he is in the cycle and not to over- or underevaluate what s going on at this juncture. VOGELSONG RELEASED Veteran right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, still struggling to push his fastball past 88 mph, asked for and was granted his release on Tuesday. The 39-year-old, a two-time World Series champion with the San Francisco Giants, was losing ground in his bid to wrest the final rotation spot from the younger trio of Tyler Duffey, Adalberto Mejia and Jose Berrios. In five spring outings covering 8 2/3 innings, Vogelsong posted a 7.27 earned-run average and allowed 12 hits. I can t say enough about what he brought to the camp, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I had multiple players come in here and tell me being around him really made their camp. He did a lot of good things here, but out of respect for him we wanted to give him some time to potentially see what else is out there with other clubs. Signed to a minor-league deal in January, Vogelsong would have been paid $1 million if added to the 40-man roster. The Twins could have held onto him until March 28 without paying a $100,000 retention bonus, but they will instead split up Vogelsong s next start between veteran righty Nick Tepesch and Rule 5 pick Justin Haley. Vogelsong, who came back from a harrowing beaning last May in which he feared losing his left eye, thanked the Twins for the opportunity. He was gracious, Molitor said. He was very professional about it. O ROURKE S INJURY Lefty reliever Ryan O Rourke is expected to open the season on the new 10-day disabled list after being diagnosed with a strained flexor pronator mass in his throwing forearm. A magnetic resonance imaging exam on Monday showed no issues with the ligament whatsoever, Levine said, but as a precaution O Rourke will go a week to 10 days without throwing. 6

7 O Rourke, 28, posted a 5.69 earned-run average in seven outings this spring. He allowed eight hits, including three home runs, in 6 1/3 innings; his last appearance came March 16 in Jupiter against the St. Louis Cardinals. Like starter Kyle Gibson, O Rourke had been working with weighted balls in his throwing program. Levine said he wouldn t make a connection between O Rourke s use of weighted balls and his arm strain. O Rourke has made 54 outings in the majors for the Twins the past two seasons, posting a 4.98 ERA with just over a strikeout per inning. BRESLOW PLAN Levine denied a Boston radio report that veteran lefty reliever Craig Breslow had been added to the 40-man roster, but the move appeared imminent in the wake of Monday s opt-out clause. Teams typically have up to 72 hours to determine whether to add or release a player. Breslow, 36, has issued eight walks along with eight strikeouts in eight innings this spring, but he had allowed just one earned run and five hits since adopting a lower arm slot during the offseason. He is scheduled to pitch Wednesday on a back field against Class A hitters so he can work on his change-up against lefty batters and his breaking ball against righties. His contract becomes guaranteed at $1.25 million (plus about $1 million more through incentives) once he is added to the 40-man roster. BRIEFLY Right-hander Trevor May announced on his Twitter account that he will undergo Tommy John surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. May received a second opinion from Keith Meister, team physician for the Texas Rangers, on Tuesday. Outfielder Robbie Grossman, who strained his right groin attempting a diving catch on Sunday, won t resume baseball activities until this weekend at the soonest. His issue last September was with his oblique, and he said he d never had any major groin issues in the past. Closer Brandon Kintzler and veteran reliever Matt Belisle faced Tampa Bay Rays minor-league hitters on Tuesday at the Twins complex. Kintzler got five outs and gave up three hits and a walk while fanning two. Belisle tossed two scoreless innings on two hits while striking out two. Back-to-back outings for relievers are due to start on March 27 once spring training enters its final week. Relievers Jake Reed (9.00 ERA) and Raul Fernandez (14.73) were reassigned to minor-league camp after Tuesday s game. May set for Tommy John surgery Rhett Bollinger MLB March 21, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins right-hander Trevor May will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Wednesday, he announced via Twitter on Thursday night. May, who suffered the injury while throwing a curveball against Team USA's Andrew McCutchen in an exhibition game at Hammond Stadium on March 8, saw Rangers team physician Keith Meister for a second opinion in Arlington on Tuesday. May was advised to undergo the seasonending surgery, and he'll have a tendon from his knee removed and used to reconstruct the UCL. The rehab process generally takes 12 months, which means he could be ready for Opening Day Tomorrow is the day. My replacement is coming from my knee, so I'm going to look like I got hit by a bus in about 24 hours. May, 27, had pitched well enough this spring to become the front-runner for the fifth spot in the rotation. He had worked to refine and shorten his delivery to alleviate stress on his back, which had been an issue for him the last two seasons. May has a career 5.14 ERA with 214 strikeouts and 65 walks in 203 innings with the Twins since being traded from the Phillies for Ben Revere before the 2013 season. He moved to relief during the '15 season and remained there last year. May, who is active on social media and partnered with an esports company this spring, has said that he plans to keep fans updated on his rehab process throughout the year. 7

8 'Comfortable' Park putting past behind him Rhett Bollinger MLB March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As a youngster trying to justify himself as a first-round pick of his hometown LG Twins in Seoul, ByungHo Park would often take batting practice until his hands bled, according to reporters who covered him in South Korea. Park had to compete with several other players for playing time on the LG Twins, the equivalent of the Yankees in Korea. But it didn't pan out for Park, who never hit higher than.218 or hit more than nine homers in five years with LG. It wasn't until a trade to the small-market Nexen Heroes that Park really took off. Executives from his new team simply told Park to relax and that first base was his, easing some of the pressure he was putting on himself. Park immediately produced and became one of the best players in the Korean Baseball Organization over the next six seasons, being named the league's MVP twice. He smacked a combined 105 homers over his final two years before signing with the Twins last offseason on a four-year $12 million deal after a $12.85 million posting fee. But that self-induced pressure returned in his first year in the Majors, as he'd often be seen taking extra batting practice long after his teammates during Spring Training and during the season as he tried to adapt to hitting Major League pitching. Park saw some early success in the Majors, homering nine times in his first 29 games, but it all started to fall apart in mid-may before a demotion to the Minors. That extra work took its toll, as Park suffered a wrist injury that he downplayed throughout the season -- including his stint at Triple-A Rochester -- until it was ultimately repaired via season-ending surgery in August. This year, Park made it a point to come to camp with a clear head and a smarter way to prepare despite being designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster shortly before camp. "As in quantity, it's less, but in terms of quality, it's better," Park said through a translator. "It's been great. In terms of my body, I feel no pain in my wrist." It's certainly working for Park this spring, as he's been Minnesota's best hitter, batting.394 with four homers and eight RBIs, including a monster two-run shot off Toronto's Francisco Liriano on Monday. Notably, Park has had success against mid-90s fastballs, which was his issue last year, when he went 1-for-20 on pitches 95 mph or higher. "The main thing is just getting an early timing at the plate," Park said. "It's been executed really well. I worked hard at that in the offseason." But his teammates believe it's more than Park simply adapting to the higher velocity in the Majors, as he downplayed the hand injury that was clearly affecting his approach. "I know his wrist was really hurting last year," Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. "When you do that as a hitter, you try to cheat to pitches instead of attacking balls because you're overcompensating. But he's healthy and now you see that tremendous bat speed." That bat speed leads to legitimate power, even last year, as evidenced by Statcast. He had an average exit velocity of 97.2 mph on fly balls and line drives that ranked as the 10th-best mark in the Majors, and he ranked second to the Yankees' Gary Sanchez in percent of balls categorized as "barreled" by Statcast. Park also struck out 80 times in 215 at-bats, but has fared better this spring, striking out nine times in 33 at-bats. "You watch him and he looks comfortable," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He's swinging at a lot of strikes." Molitor, though, wouldn't commit to Park being on the Opening Day roster just yet, as he's still competing with Kennys Vargas for the everyday designated hitter role. But the club petitioned for and was granted another option year on Vargas, potentially clearing the way for Park to be added to the 40 and 25-man rosters as the DH, with Vargas being optioned to Triple-A Rochester. But it's clear what players in the clubhouse want to see happen after Park's breakout spring. "He's going to help us tremendously this year and I just want him to know that," Dozier said. "Everybody in here, we want him on this team." 8

9 Gibson sharp; Twins score 5 in the 8th vs. Phils Todd Zolecki & Rhett Bollinger MLB March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Right-hander Jake Thompson threw three scoreless innings, Freddy Galvis hit his first homer of the spring and the Phillies rallied late with a go-ahead RBI single from center fielder Odubel Herrera in the ninth in a 9-5 win over the Twins on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium. After the Twins scored five runs in the eighth, Philadelphia came back with six runs in the ninth against reliever Buddy Boshers, including a solo homer from Aaron Altherr, a game-tying double from Roman Quinn and Herrera's second RBI of the game. Tommy Joseph capped the scoring with a two-run double after an RBI single from Tyler Goeddel. The Twins trailed by three entering the eighth, but scored five runs, keyed by a solo homer from backup infield candidate Ehire Adrianza and a go-ahead two-run homer from Minor League outfielder Travis Harrison. Benji Gonzalez also had an RBI double and J.B. Shuck added an RBI groundout. The Phillies otherwise had solid pitching as Thompson and Adam Morgan both threw three scoreless innings. Thompson, slated to head to Triple-A barring an injury to one of Philadelphia's five starters, gave up two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. He pitched out of a basesloaded jam in the third, striking out Miguel Sano looking to end the inning. "Just trying to gain a little control after I lost it for a little bit," Thompson said. "That's going to happen during the season at times. It's good to face that now and not be shocked when it comes in April." Gibson was efficient, surrendering one run on five hits over five innings with two strikeouts. It helped him lower his ERA to 2.01 in six starts. The lone run he allowed came on a solo shot from Galvis in the fifth on a 2-1 fastball. It was the first home run this spring for Galvis, who hit a career-high 20 homers last season. "I felt pretty consistent," Gibson said. "Physically, I actually felt really good. The changeup felt better. The breaking stuff was a little inconsistent, but overall I was pretty happy with it." Morgan, competing for the final spot in the bullpen, was impressive, giving up one hit and a walk over three scoreless frames. He has a 2.19 ERA this spring. The Phillies tacked on two runs in the eighth on a two-out RBI double from Herrera and an RBI single from Michael Saunders that hit off the first-base bag. Both runs were charged to J.T. Chargois, who saw his chances of making the roster take a dent with an 8.64 ERA this spring. Phillies Up Next: After playing their last two Grapefruit League games in Port Charlotte and Fort Myers, the Phillies host the Yankees at 1:05 p.m. ET Wednesday at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, in a game available on MLB.TV. Right-hander Vince Velasquez (1-0, 1.00 ERA) gets the start. He did not allow a hit in 3 2/3 innings last week against the Orioles, although he also threw 76 pitches. Twins Up Next: Right-hander Phil Hughes starts for the Twins, as they travel across the state to play the Astros in Palm Beach on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. CT, in a game available on MLB.TV. Other pitchers scheduled to see action include Michael Tonkin, Alex Wimmers and Drew Rucinski. Vogelsong requests, gets release Rhett Bollinger MLB March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Veteran right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who was competing for the fifth spot in the Twins' rotation, asked for and was granted his release on Tuesday, manager Paul Molitor said. Additionally, the Twins sent relievers Jake Reed and Raul Fernandez to Minor League camp, leaving 45 players -- including 22 pitchers -- in Major League camp. Vogelsong, 39, met with Molitor before the game Tuesday -- a 9-5 loss to the Phillies -- to discuss his status on the team, as he's made it clear he'd like to start instead of pitch in relief this season. But once it became clear that starters such as Jose Berrios, Adalberto Mejia and Tyler Duffey were ahead of him in that competition, Vogelsong asked for and was granted his release. "We talked with Ryan this morning and it was one of those hard conversations to have," Molitor said. "I can't say enough about what he brought to the camp. I've had multiple players come in here and tell me about how guys like him and [Matt] Belisle made their camp." The Twins are expected to have a 40-man roster spot open once right-hander Trevor May is placed on the 60-day disabled list, but the Twins are 9

10 still waiting to hear back about the second opinion May got from Dr. Keith Meister. Instead, that roster spot is expected to go to veteran lefty reliever Craig Breslow, although general manager Thad Levine said Breslow hasn't been officially added yet. Vogelsong, a two-time World Series champion with the Giants, has a career 4.48 ERA in 289 appearances, including 179 starts in parts of 12 seasons in the Majors. "We felt like we had a few people in front of him in terms of that rotation situation," Molitor said. "Out of respect to him, we wanted to give him time to see what else is out there with other clubs in terms of opportunities." Twins will put O'Rourke on DL to start season Rhett Bollinger MLB March 21, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Twins left-handed reliever Ryan O'Rourke was diagnosed with a strained left flexor pronator mass in his forearm near his elbow, and he will open the season on the 10-day disabled list, general manager Thad Levine said Tuesday. O'Rourke reported discomfort after his outing on Thursday against the Cardinals, and he underwent an MRI exam that revealed the strain. But there is no ligament damage, and O'Rourke is expected to take seven to 10 days off before starting a throwing program. The DL move can be backdated to March 30, which would allow him to be activated on April 9. "All things being considered, we viewed that as a good report from the MRI," Levine said. "But such as it is, it'll take him out of competition to make the 25-man roster. The good news was that the injury was related to the muscle and not the ligament." O'Rourke was competing for a spot in the bullpen, allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings this spring. He had a 3.96 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings with Minnesota last year. He becomes the second Twins lefty reliever expected to open the year on the disabled list, as closer Glen Perkins hasn't progressed past throwing 20-pitch bullpen sessions every four days. Levine said the organization plans to have a conversation with pitching coach Neil Allen and the medical staff about Perkins this week. He also wouldn't rule out Perkins being placed on the 60-day disabled list, which would open a 40-man spot. "It wouldn't be our first choice," Levine said. "But we're also going to be attentive to how he'd be pitching in September than how he's pitching in April or May. So we'll be reliant on what Neil Allen and the medical staff feel is best for him to put him in position to be strong as possible for the second half." Pipeline report: Prospects in Twins' camp Jonathan Mayo MLB March 21, 2017 Every Spring Training, prospects get a chance to show what they can do as they prepare for the season ahead. Some are competing for jobs in big league camps, others are prepping for the season as they vie for spots at Minor League affiliates up and down a team's system. MLBPipeline.com will be visiting all 30 camps this spring. Today, we check in on the Minnesota Twins. FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Imagine if, as a farm director, you could pick the brains of front office executives from two other outside organizations to come up with the best player development plan imaginable. That's exactly what Twins director of player development Brad Steil feels about his current situation. Chief baseball officer Derek Falvey came from the World Series runner-up Indians and general manager Thad Levine came from the Rangers, the first changing of the guard at the top in Minnesota in some time. Steil, a hold-over from the former regime, has been happy to compare notes leading up into the 2017 season. "I think there have been some changes," Steil said. "I think it's been good, with Thad and Derek coming from different organizations, it's been good to kind of collaborate and share all of our ideas on the ways our three organizations have done things, what we think has worked well and where we think we need to improve. "Obviously, they arrived kind of late in the fall last year, so we were behind schedule a little bit in the offseason. We're still going through the 10

11 process of evaluating the organization. I think there are some things we're doing with development plans, from a process standpoint or organizational structure standpoint that are going to help us and will be good tools for us." These developmental tools will be helped to usher along a system that was hit a bit by graduations to the big leagues last year. Gone from prospect lists are Byron Buxton, Jose Berrios and Max Kepler, three of the reasons Minnesota had a top 10 farm system a year ago. Steil feels that while it's true there aren't the elite names topping their list, the Twins' system is still plenty strong. "I think we still have a good group here," Steil said. "I think you could argue that it's a little underrated according to the publications, but that's fair. We don't pay a whole lot of attention to that. I think the goal is to get guys up there. We're focused on the players we have in the Minor Leagues and trying to develop them as quickly as we can so they can get up there and help those other guys. We're just trying to get better." There is more help on the way. Nick Gordon and Stephen Gonsalves just recently returned from time in big league camp, and there are many power relief arms who could be called upon to help out in The Twins are preparing for exactly what the farm system should do: provide talent to the big league club so that it can turn things around from a last-place finish a year ago. Besides, given that the recently graduated are still so young, looking beyond the official prospect status guidelines might be a better way to evaluate the entire organization. "The prospect thing can be a little misleading at times," Steil said. "If someone did a ranking of, say, 25-and-under players by organization, that might give you a little more perspective on where teams are at with their youth. When you have guys like Miguel Sano, Buxton, Kepler and Berrios, who are all under control for another five years, that's valuable. They're still young and there's still a lot of growth that's in front of them." Camp standout Twins scouts obviously thought Wander Javier had a lot of talent. Otherwise, the decision to sign him for $4 million in July 2015 would never have been made. But the young shortstop didn't really get to show what he was capable of last summer during his Dominican Summer League debut, as hamstring issues kept him out of all but nine games. Now healthy, the 18-year-old infielder's skills have been on full display and have been the talk of camp. "He has been fun to watch," Steil said. "He's certainly shown the tools that our scouts saw before we signed him. We're excited about him. I think some of the rankings I've seen with Javier, I think that will change by the end of the season, but I understand, too, that he hasn't done much on the field yet." Javier is currently No. 17 on the Twins' Top 30 on MLBPipeline.com. Breakout candidate The Twins have amassed a strong set of relief-pitching prospects in the system, starting with J.T. Chargois at No. 11 on the Top 30 and including Nick Burdi, Trevor Hildenberger and Jake Reed in the top 20. John Curtiss could be ready to join that group. A fifth-round pick in 2014, Curtiss toyed with starting for a while before moving to the bullpen full-time in July He started to take off in the new role in 2016 in the Florida State League, then pitched extremely well in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 18 in 12 2/3 innings. The Twins think he's ready to take that experience with him into the 2017 season. "His pitches are improving, his command is improving," Steil said. "His mound presence, confidence and aggressiveness, he continues to improve in those areas. Just the experience of being in the Fall League, pitching against some of the top prospects in the game and having success, some of that will carry over to this year. "I expect he'll start the season in Double-A and I think he has the chance to move more toward that group of Reed, Hildenberger and Burdi and put himself with them. " Twins release pitcher Ryan Vogelsong Matthew Coller ESPN 1500 March 22, 2017 The Ryan Vogelsong era is over before it started. The veteran pitcher asked for, and was granted, his release Tuesday after he gave up seven runs in 8.2 innings this spring. We talked with Ryan this morning and it was one of those hard conversations to have. I can t say enough about what he brought to the camp. 11

12 I ve had multiple players come in here and tell me about how guys like him and [Matt] Belisle made their camp, Molitor said via MLB.com. At 39 and coming off a season in which he posted a 4.81 ERA, it might be a challenge for the ex-giant and Pirate to find a spot in another team s starting rotation. We felt like we had a few people in front of him in terms of that rotation situation. Out of respect to him, we wanted to give him time to see what else is out there with other clubs in terms of opportunities, Molitor said. Twins pitchers Duffey, Mejia battle Berrios for No. 5 spot Ryan Lund FOX Sports March 21, 2017 Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson and Hector Santiago are locked in, but the competition for the final spot in the Minnesota Twins starting rotation is heating up. With Trevor May lost for the season and Jose Berrios competing for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, Tyler Duffey and Adalberto Mejia have manager Paul Molitor s full attention. So far, they ve both made a strong case. Mejia shined last week in 3 2/3 innings of work, working his fastball, slider, sinker and change-up to the tune of eight strikeouts against a St. Louis Cardinals lineup that featured four major leaguers. Duffey responded with a strong outing Monday, throwing five scoreless innings against a fully-loaded Toronto Blue Jays lineup. Naturally, Mejia entered the game in relief. He allowed just three hits in four innings of work two of which were solo home runs and now has a 1.88 ERA this spring through 14 1/3 innings. The two are pushing hard for Berrios spot in the lineup after the talked-about prospect struggled to acclimate in his rookie season, posting an 8.02 ERA in 58 1/3 innings. The Twins acquired Mejia then Baseball America s No. 91-ranked prospect from the San Francisco Giants last season as part of the Eduardo Nunez deal. He made just one appearance for the Twins following the trade, facing 11 batters and allowing five hits and two earned runs through 2 1/3 innings of work. A fifth-round pick of the Twins back in 2012, Duffey is an old hand in the Twins organization by comparison. He had a promising rookie season in 2015, going 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA and a WHIP in 10 starts, but struggled in his sophomore campaign, as his ERA ballooned to Berrios has pitched in one game for Puerto Rico, winning his lone start while allowing three runs on two hits in five innings, with one walk and six strikeouts. Another potential option, Ryan Vogelsong, asked for and received his release Tuesday, perhaps sensing that the end was nigh after posting a 7.27 ERA in 8 /23 innings. The 39 year old was attempting a comeback with the Twins after signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. 12

13 Top 10 MLB Catcher Prospects for the 2017 season Benjamin Chase FOX Sports March 21, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article: 9. Mitch Garver, Minnesota Twins There were three things I heard from people who were present at the Arizona Fall League about catching first, that the defense by most catchers in the AFL was rough, to say the least. Second, that the ones that did field didn t seem to know how to swing a bat. Last, that Mitch Garver fit into neither of those two categories. Garver has been underrated since the Twins took him with a ninth round selection in 2013, assumed to be a senior selection for cheap to help pay for the rest of their draft, the catcher out of New Mexico just went about displacing higher-regarded catchers along the way. This offseason, the Twins allowed former third round selection in that same 2013 draft, Stuart Turner, to be available in the rule 5 draft while protecting Garver. Garver s got an excellent reputation as a framer, and he has a very strong arm as well, giving him an excellent skill base behind the plate. Add in his solid power bat when at the plate, and you can see why there are some in Minnesota that think Garver could supplant offseason signee Jason Castro as soon as the middle of Twins Notes: Perkins, Park, Vargas Mark Polishuk MLB Trade Rumors March 21, Glen Perkins will meet with Twins trainers and coaches later this week to determine the next step of his rehab from shoulder surgery, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, and a 60-day DL stint is a possibility. Perkins would have to give his consent to be placed on the disabled list, as per the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. That placement would allow Minnesota to open up a 40-man roster spot for another player, though Perkins wouldn t be able to return until June 1 at the earliest. The veteran lefty has been limited to 20-pitch bullpen sessions every four days during Spring Training, and will start the season on at least the 10-day DL, though he is hopeful of being able to pitch much earlier than June 1. -Byung Ho Park was outrighted off the Twins 40-man roster last month, but the first baseman is trying to work himself back into the club s immediate plans with a big Spring Training, MLB.com s Rhett Bollinger writes. Park has recovered from a wrist injury that hampered him during his rookie season, and he also seems generally more relaxed now that he is more used to MLB pitching. According to South Korean reporters who followed Park in the KBO League, Bollinger writes that Park similarly put a lot of pressure on himself early in his career before settling in and becoming a major star for Nexen Heroes. Since Kennys Vargas has one more option year remaining, Minnesota has the flexibility to send Vargas to Triple-A if Park impresses enough to win the DH job. Minnesota Twins Install Eaton s Advanced LED Lighting and Controls System at Target Field for the 2017 Season Staff MilTech March 21, 2017 SYRACUSE, N.Y. (BUSINESS WIRE) Power management company Eaton today announced that its advanced Ephesus sports lighting lightemitting diode (LED) and controls system is being installed at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, for the 2017 season. Featuring industry-leading control functions, the LED system enhances the viewing experience for spectators while reducing energy use by as much as 75 percent. The Twins will become one of five Major League Baseball (MLB) teams playing its home games under the Ephesus LED sports lighting solution this season. With more than 25 professional sports teams adopting the industry-leading LED and controls technology in just the past few years, it has quickly become the preferred lighting solution for sports venues of all sizes. We look to continue providing our players with the best stage on which to play and enhancing the experience of seeing a game at Target Field for our guests, said Gary Glawe, senior director of Ballpark Systems for the Minnesota Twins. We compared three of the leading LED lighting options and the Ephesus solution proved to be the best fit for our needs. The system being installed at Target Field features Eaton s Ephesus Stadium Pro fixtures to illuminate the playing field, plus color accent lighting under the perimeter of the seating area canopy. The innovative system is available with 100 percent dimming capabilities, tunable light temperature and advanced control capabilities within each fixture. 13