Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, March 9, 2018 Inbox
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Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, March 9, 2018 Inbox: Vet showdown for fourth rotation spot? MLB.com (Bollinger) p.1 Fast riser Gabriel Moya is making his case to stay with Twins. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 MLB balks at Twins' no-name road lineups in spring training. Star Tribune (Miller and Neal) p. 3 Twins pitcher Jose Berrios pushes and pushes to get better. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 4 For Twins’ Alan Busenitz, baseball and septic tanks are the family business. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Twins dancing on the line with spring lineups. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 New Twins farm director Jeremy Zoll has impressed every step of the way The Athletic (Hayes) p. 8 Minnesota pro teams working on inclusivity toward the LGBTQ community. Star Triubne (Hine) p. 10 Inbox: Vet showdown for fourth rotation spot? Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | March 8, 2018 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It's exactly three weeks until Opening Day against the Orioles at Camden Yards on March 29, and the Twins have several roster decisions that need to be made in the coming weeks. The final spot in the rotation remains up for grabs, there's a competition for the final bench spot and likely two openings in the bullpen. With that in mind, here's this week's Inbox: Logan West @Logan_Western Who in your mind has a beat shot to be that 4th starter, that is, if the twins do a 4 man rotation early on. Twins manager Paul Molitor said on Wednesday that he still plans on opening with a four-man rotation, adding that there is no current favorite in that race for the final spot. With Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson locks to be the first three starters, the last spot is essentially between Phil Hughes, Anibal Sanchez and Adalberto Mejia. Hughes and Sanchez are both coming off subpar outings, and Hughes will throw in a simulated game on Friday so he can work on his changeup and slider locations without the game results mattering. Sanchez will get his first start on Sunday after giving up six runs over two innings against the Pirates last Sunday. Both right-handers threw in long relief last year and the loser of the rotation battle could be a candidate for that role, along with Tyler Duffey. Mejia has admirably lost 16 pounds since last year, but he still has trouble putting away hitters like last season. He's hurt by the fact he can easily be optioned to Triple-A Rochester to start the year. Hughes will get the longest look because he's owed $26.4 million over the next two seasons, while only $500,000 of Sanchez's $2.5 million deal is guaranteed. Jonas Maurer @sirjonas22 If the @Twins start with a four man rotation do you think they’ll carry an extra bench player or an extra reliever? The Twins are looking at opening with a four-man bench that's expected to be composed of backup catcher Mitch Garver, backup infielder Eduardo Escobar, utility man Ehire Adrianza and a final bench piece that's basically down to a fourth-outfielder competition between Robbie Grossman and Zack Granite. Of course, that could change if Miguel Sano is suspended to open the season, as it could open a spot for non-roster infielder Erick Aybar. It's ultimately going to be up to the Twins to decide if they want a speedy backup outfielder who can play all three positions or a veteran switch- hitter who can get on base but struggles defensively. Grossman is out of options, while Granite can be optioned to Rochester, which could play a factor. As for the bullpen, the eight relievers are likely to be Fernando Rodney, Zach Duke, Addison Reed, Trevor Hildenberger, Taylor Rogers and Ryan Pressly, with two spots open. One could be a long reliever such as Sanchez, Hughes or Duffey, while the other has candidates such as Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Kinley, Alan Busenitz, John Curtiss and Gabriel Moya. James Carlson @MNsportsfan1991 I was just wondering if the Twins have talked with the Marlins about Kinley. I have heard some stuff but nothing major. The Twins are very intrigued by Kinley, who must make the 25-man roster and remain on it all season or be offered back to the Marlins for $50,000. Kinley has a fastball that's reached as high as 99 mph and his slider is sitting 91-92 mph. Kinley has a shot at making the roster, but Minnesota could look to rid him of his Rule 5 Draft status by making a trade with Miami to keep him. They're not at that point yet, but the Twins do like his stuff. bolin @dockendorf_19 Do you think the Twins will offer Dozier an extension? If not, why? At this point, the Twins and Brian Dozier are both prepared to leave Spring Training without an extension being signed. Things can always change, but there has been no movement on that front. Minnesota, though, is open to talking about a possible extension during the season, so there's no firm deadline. As for their rationale, the Twins have plenty of middle-infield depth coming up to join shortstop Jorge Polanco with highly regarded shortstops Nick Gordon, Wander Javier and Royce Lewis in the organization. But it's always tough to move on from a franchise cornerstone, especially one with power and defense at a premium position. So an extension can't be fully ruled out in the future, but as of right now, Minnesota has showed no interest in exploring an extension this spring. Eric Walz @Ewalz85 Who are you most excited about seeing in the low minors this year on taking a big step this season? Right-hander Brusdar Graterol is one to watch, as he has the highest ceiling of any of starting pitcher in the farm system. The 19-year-old is the club's No. 7 prospect and missed the 2016 season after Tommy John surgery, but he returned to Rookie ball last year, showcasing his fastball that can reach 100 mph to go along with his plus slider and plus curveball. Graterol is still a work in progress and is likely to see action at Class A Cedar Rapids this year, but he could shoot up prospect lists with another strong year. Fast riser Gabriel Moya is making his case to stay with Twins Phil Miller | Star Tribune | March 9, 2018 FORT MYERS, FLA. – Time for a little off-day Twins trivia: The team used a franchise-record 28 pitchers in relief at least once last season; almost as remarkably, nearly two-thirds of those relievers are already gone. Only 10 are in training camp with the Twins today, and three of them (Jose Berrios, Phil Hughes and Aaron Slegers) are actually starting pitchers. So here’s the question: Of the remaining seven returning relievers, which one comes armed with the slowest fastball? Who in fact, outside of those pitchers recovering from injuries, might have the least velocity on the entire staff? If you have ever watched him pitch, the answer — Gabriel Moya — might come as a shock. “The way he carries himself, the way he delivers the ball, it’s very hard to read and perceive and react,” said Ivan Arteaga, the pitching coach at Class AA Chattanooga. “His fastball looks like 98, and it’s actually 90 or maybe 91.” Moya is the Venezuelan left-hander who so impressed Arteaga and the Twins after being acquired from Arizona in July for catcher John Ryan Murphy, he was promoted to the major leagues, and into the heat of a playoff race, only a month later. Now, having just turned 23 and with only six big-league innings behind him, Moya is making a strong case that he is ready to come north. Certainly Moya has no doubts. If the adage that “You should dress for the job you want, not the one you have” is true, he feels right at home in a Twins jersey. A changeup pitcher’s best friend is deception, the art of looking more fearsome that you actually are. And that’s not just Moya’s 2 best pitch — it’s his entire personna. “If you watch him around [camp], he acts like he belongs,” manager Paul Molitor said. “He thinks he belongs.” So do the coaches who work with him. “I see [guts] and heart. I see a guy who’s not scared. At a young age, that’s pretty good,” said Eddie Guardado, the Twins bullpen coach and another former lefty reliever who relied on swagger and deception more than velocity. “Half the battle is going out there and believing in your stuff. And he believes in it.” Moya makes believers of hitters, too, even before he unleashes a pitch. Moya bends over to receive the sign, his left arm dangling like a gunslinger. He pulls himself into an exaggerated stretch position, his right leg stretched in front of him, toes pointed at the batter, while he coils his upper body into his chest, like a spring-loaded trap being set. Then, with a sudden jerk, he explodes toward the hitter and fires a pitch that appears launched from a catapult. A pitch that often travels only 80 mph, which produces plenty of awkward swings and weak contact. “When I go on the mound, my goal is to make the batter think I’m going to eat him alive. That this is my territory,” Moya said through a translator.