Over the Baggy

There is no shortage in interest of Miguel Sano among Minnesota Twins fans.

Last weekend, extended lines stretched around the Dome of people waiting to secure an autograph of a player who is still several years away from making his big league debut. This week, MLB.com announced their Top 100 prospects and labeled Sano the best third base prospect in baseball as well as the 12th overall in the game. He’s all the rage.

Rarely do I field any question more from Twins fans ...

Tags: miguel sano, minnesota twins, scouting

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The Minnesota Twins front office should feel somewhat vindicated by all of the recent draft picks, international signings and savvy trades which have brought the organization closer to sustainable relevancy – at least by MLB.com’s standards. On Tuesday night, MLB.com revealed their Top 100 prospects and six Twins prospects graced the list.

Joining front-running Miguel Sano (12th), Minnesota sent 2012 draftee Byron Buxton (19th), recently acquired Alex Meyer ...

Tags: aaron hicks, alex meyer, baseball america, dave st. peter, eddie rosario, jim callis, kyle gibson, miguel sano, minnesota twins, mlb.com

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Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Phillies signed former Twin Delmon Young to an interesting one-year deal. The Phillies set parameters within the deal that stated Young needed to maintain a certain weight in order to have incentives kick in.

As baseball observers may have noticed, over the years, Young’s weight would ebb and flow.

For instance, when the Twins acquired him from the Rays, he had slimmed down to a healthy 215 thanks to a hard ...

Tags: delmon young, kent hrbek, minnesota twins, philadelphia phillies, weight clause

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Yesterday, the Minnesota Twins and catcher Drew Butera avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year, $700,000 contract, an almost assured sign that Butera will be on the roster as the team’s third backstop.

Why, you ask, might the Twins invest almost a million dollars in a player who is completely expendable as the epitome of a replacement level player?

Consider this: Over the past three years Butera’s OPS (.497 OPS) has been the worst in the ...

Tags: catching, drew butera, minnesota twins, pitch f/x

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You only have two choices: will he be better or worse in 2013?

2012 Recap
There are two things you won’t find in Minnesota: A liquor store that will sell you booze on Sundays and consistency at the shortstop position.

The Twins were hoping that the latter problem would be solved by Brian Dozier. Dozier, a shortstop drafted by the organization (another rarity), was given the opportunity a month into the season to claim the role as his own. ...

Tags: brian dozier, for better or worse, minnesota twins, roster

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For a significant portion of the year, Josh Willingham fueled the Twins offense and gave the fans something to watch while the team sank deeper in the standings.

He proved that Target Field was not resistant to home team home runs. In fact, his 21 home runs at home easily trumped long-standing fan-favorite Michael Cuddyer’s 17 hit in his two years at Target Field (2010-2011). Jim Thome managed to swat 21 home runs as well but needed 14 more plate appearances ...

Tags: jim thome, josh willingham, michael cuddyer, stats, target field

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In yet another Geek-less installment of Gleeman and the Geek, joining Aaron Gleeman on this week’s GATG podcast is Twins Daily’s Parker Hageman -- who fills in for the globetrotting John Bonnes.

Podcasting live from Panino Brothers in Eden Prairie, the pair discuss the Twins’ involvement in sabermetrics, projecting the Opening Day roster, why no one wants Kyle Lohse, Shaun Marcum and the best of the remaining free agent pitchers, saying something nice about ...

Tags: aaron gleeman, kyle lohse, parker hageman, podcast, sabermetrics, samuel deduno, shaun marcum, votewashington

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When asked how he feels that the outsider perception of the Twins’ use of statistical analysis is behind the rest of the game, Jack Goin, the team’s Manager of Major League Administration and Baseball Research, simply replied “That’s fine.”

Goin cites the St. Louis Cardinals as an example of how he wants his operations to be viewed. Whereas teams like Tampa, Cleveland, Boston and New York have been well-known and forthright about their endeavors into the ...

Tags: minnesota twins, pitch fx, statistical analysis

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The Minnesota Twins continue to stockpile arms for what could be an interesting competition for a rotation spot this spring.

First reported by the Star Tribune’s LeVelle Neal yesterday, the Twins moved quickly and signed right-handed starter Rich Harden to a minor league deal to include a spring training invite.

Harden, 31, missed all of 2012 after a shoulder strain necessitated rotator cuff surgery.

Interestingly enough, the injury’s ...

Tags: minnesota twins, pitchers, rich harden, rotator cuff, rumors, strikeouts

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When Jack Hannahan signed with the Cincinnati Reds last week, this took yet another potential third base option off the board for the Minnesota Twins.

Hannahan, a local product with above-average defensive prowess and a mediocre platoon bat from the left-side, appeared to be a given to land in Minnesota. With Terry Ryan’s statements that the team was going to push their incumbent, Trevor Plouffe, Hannahan’s left-handedness and superior defense felt like ...

Tags: defense, los angeles dodgers, minnesota twins, revised zone rating, third base, trevor plouffe

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The Minnesota Twins’ offseason has been interesting to say the least.

With the team trading away not one but two of their major league ready center fielders, the writing on the wall at 1 Twins Way appears to read that the focus is on the future. Outwardly, the Twins are sending the message that they are doing what they can to build a competitive team in 2013 but also taking measures to fortify the club for the coming years. Behind closed doors however, the ...

Tags: jon daniels, josh hamilton, justin morneau, los angeles angels, minnesota twins, terry ryan, texas rangers, trade rumors

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When the Minnesota Twins traded Ben Revere to the Phillies, they acquired one pitcher to help them in the present (Vance Worley) and one for the future (Trevor May).

In Worley, the Twins landed a somewhat seasoned middle-of-the-rotation starter who has above-average movement. But Worley had recent elbow issues, necessitating the addition of the Phillies’ top prospect, May.

May’s pedigree is strong. His velocity ranges up to 95 complimented with ...

Tags: minnesota twins, pitching, prospects, trevor may

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When the Minnesota Twins traded Ben Revere to the Philadelphia Phillies, they acquired one pitcher who can help the team immediately, Vance Worley, and another who is expected to contribute in the future in Trevor May.

Because Worley is the known commodity who will be a member the starting rotation right away, let’s focus on him first and breakdown May next week.

Affectionately known as “Vanimal” to the Phillie fan base, the 25-year-old Worley ...

Tags: ben revere, mechanics, minnesota twins, scouting, trevor may, vance worley, video breakdown

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After a session with the team’s brass, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire emerged from their war room (war not WAR) at the Nashville hotel and, following the trade of Denard Span, told the MLB Network that they were “trading my whole damn team.”

While it could be just a tongue-in-cheek response from the manager who is known to add some snark, because of the team’s current status of a bottom-dwelling squad without a rotation, the sentiment should be true.
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