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Home , John Curtiss (baseball), Michael Cuddyer, Nick Burdi, Nick Tepesch, Odubel Herrera, Tyler Duffey

Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Friday, March 24, 2017

 Souhan: Cuddyer enjoying life as a former player. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 1  WBC hurts Jose Berrios' chances to make Twins roster. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 2  Twins beat Phillies 4-2 as Molitor continues search for pitching candidates. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 3  Today's Twins relievers include one hard throwing prospect. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 3  Well-traveled Nick Tepesch still attacking as he tries to impress the . Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4  Twins’ rotation bid fading for long-absent Jose Berrios. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Mom's advice gave Buxton boost he needed. MLB (Bollinger) p. 6  Field plus defense a winning formula for Twins. MLB (Bollinger) p. 7  Tepesch, Haley stretch out for starter's spot. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8  Twins get four players back from WBC 2017. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8  Projecting the Minnesota Twins Starting Five. FOX Sports (Wessels) p. 8  Twins turn three plays to defeat Phillies. FOX Sports (Associated Press) p. 9  Twins Considering Nine Prospects As First Overall Pick. MLB Trade Rumors (Polishuk) p. 10  Buxton, Kepler Only Twins Untouchables In Trade Talks. MLB Trade Rumors (Polishuk) p. 10

Souhan: Cuddyer enjoying life as a former baseball player Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | March 24, 2017

FORT MYERS, FLA. – The open secret shared by many retired baseball players is that they don’t miss the game. Many of them feel that they can’t admit this publicly.

They appreciate what the game did for them, the clubhouse camaraderie and friendships forged in a rarefied environment, the privileges bestowed on athletic celebrities, but the daily pressure and scrutiny? Life is often better, or at least easier, when the player can brush the tiny hitting or pitching coach off his shoulder for good.

This winter, Michael Cuddyer was elected to the Twins Hall of Fame and became a special assistant to the team’s baseball operations department. Always a friendly presence, Cuddyer this spring is more relaxed than he has ever been in a baseball clubhouse.

“It’s great,” he said of the retired life. Then he laughed and said it again: “It’s great!

“Obviously you’re born and bred as a competitor, so my time playing was unbelievable. But after you’ve had a pretty decent career and a lengthy career — you did it for 20 years — it’s nice to be able to be a fan of baseball again, be able to hang out with my family and do the things I never got to do.”

Last spring he took his family to Atlantis, the resort in the Bahamas. “That was my first spring break,” he said. “Then I had my first Fourth of July outdoor barbecue party I’ve ever had. By no means am I complaining that I had never had that before. But it was nice.”

Many athletes feel obligated to say they love the game and the competition, and that they are unfulfilled without a championship ring. In reality, baseball players live with the fear that one injury or one slump could leave them unemployed at a young age. If they complete a successful career set for life financially, they achieve what most people aspire to.

“Would it be nice to have a ring?” Cuddyer said this week at Twins camp. “Of course. Is it cool to show up at a banquet and have this big thing on your hand? Of course. But it doesn’t define who you are or what your career was. For me, I got to the and that was cool, that was great, but losing it didn’t put a sour taste in my mouth.”

After he retired, Cuddyer, 37, found himself going to sleep at 9:30 instead of midnight. “As a player, you grind through the offseason, you grind in March, you get nervous about who’s pitching or what position you have to play, or that your swing doesn’t feel good,” Cuddyer said. “Your mind never wanders away from those worries, even in the offseason. When you’re done, you exhale. You say, ‘I don’t have to worry about that anymore. It’s nice. I thought I was going to watch more baseball than I did. But I did what my kids were doing and didn’t turn the TV on very often.”

What Cuddyer remembers more than the games are the moments around the games. He carried a camera with him on the road and took photos of other cities and ballparks. He constantly spoke with executives, managers, coaches, players, writers, searching for different perspectives.

“I don’t remember games, or even many moments in games,” he said. “I remember conversations and relationships. I remember walking down city streets, and visiting ballparks. The games were fun and cool, but they weren’t that important to me. I’m not trying to diminish them — I played hard, and I cared. But those weren’t the most meaningful things to me.”

Former players often feel compelled to emphasize their love of the game and their competitiveness. But for many players, baseball is a difficult way to earn a great living.

“I like my role now,” he said. “I like being a resource. I feel I can offer something because I’ve seen a lot. I was always interested in different perspectives. I’d grill scouts, and pitching coaches, and the front office. I wasn’t second-guessing them. I was looking for information I could use later in life, because I was interested.”

WBC hurts Jose Berrios' chances to make Twins roster La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, FLA. – The Twins are expected to meet with righthander Jose Berrios on Friday, when there’s a good chance the 22-year-old will be informed that he won’t break camp with the team.

Berrios has spent more than two weeks pitching for the Puerto Rican team at the World Baseball Classic. The Twins had hoped that Berrios would remain on a progression to build arm strength for the regular season. But he pitched in only two games, posting a 8.10 ERA. After throwing 62 pitches on March 12 against Italy, Berrios threw 40 pitches Wednesday in relief during the 8-0 loss to Team USA in the championship game in Los Angeles.

The Twins will likely be careful with Berrios and make sure his arm is ready for 100 pitches or so.

“Before I would say that,” manager Paul Molitor said. “I would like to talk to him.”

The Twins expect their Puerto Rican contingent from the World Baseball Classic to be available to play on Friday night against Baltimore.

In fact, Molitor plans to have designated hitter Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario in the starting lineup against the Orioles. Opening Day starter Ervin Santana, who left camp for about a week to make a start for the Dominican Republic in the WBC, is scheduled to start Friday. So everything will be back to normal — or as normal as it can be — as the Twins reach the final stretch of camp.

“It helps that they are here,” Molitor said. “I don’t have a specific timetable as to when the 25-man roster will be announced. But I would kind of like to have at least a few days where everyone knows where they are at. We’ll just evaluate and see where these guys are at and make decisions. It’s going to be tough.”

Rotation watch

There’s still time for the Twins to make adjustments, but the rotation currently sets up in the following order: Santana, Hector Santiago, , Phil Hughes, then the winner of the race for the No. 5 spot. Santiago, like Berrios, Rosario and Vargas, played for Puerto Rico in the WBC.

Berrios is in line to pitch the same day as Hughes, so a decision will be made as to who will get to face minor leaguers on Monday.

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“To be determined,” Molitor said.

Etc.

• German media have been following outfielder this week and they view him as potentially the first baseball star from Germany. “We are going to enjoy the next few stages of his development,” Molitor said. Kepler was 0-for-2 with a walk in Thursday’s 4-2 victory over Philadelphia.

• Trey Vavra, son of bench coach Joe Vavra, came along to Clearwater as an extra player and made a diving stop of a hot grounder from Logan Moore to strand two Phillies runners in the eighth. “Play of the game,” Joe Vavra said.

On deck

Santana will start as the Twins play host to Baltimore. Mike Wright will go for Baltimore. The game will be televised on Fox Sports North.

Twins beat Phillies 4-2 as Molitor continues search for pitching candidates La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 23, 2017

Clearwater, Fla. – Circumstances called for the Twins to let righthander Nick Tepesch stretch out Thursday, face more hitters and see if he can help them as a long reliever.

Tepesch survived to have a respectable outing during the Twins’ 4-2 Grapefruit League victory over the . Odubel Herrera tagged him for a two- homer in the first inning, but Tepesch managed to pitch into the fourth without giving up any more runs. He threw 56 pitches, including 37 strikes.

“Just trying to make an adjustment the whole game,” said Tepesch, a nonroster invite to camp. “I finally felt like I got a little more consistent there at the end and felt like it was coming out well at the end.”

Tepesch escaped a bases loaded, one-out jam in the second when Howie Kendrick lined out to Tommy Field. Field saw too far off second base and threw there to complete a double play.

“I was screaming, ‘Home!’ ” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He threw it to second. I was wrong. I didn’t see that guy, peripherally, drift off that much.”

With Ryan Vogelsong asking for his release earlier this week — in reaction to being pulled from consideration for a rotation spot — Tepesch, who has 43 big-league appearances, including 40 starts, with the — could emerge an option as a long reliever in the bullpen. But the 28-year-old did sign with the Twins understanding that he could begin the season at Class AAA Rochester.

“I’m not thinking about that, honestly,” said Tepesch, whose fastball topped out at 90 miles an hour. “Just taking the ball every time I go out there and compete and try to get outs.”

In 3⅔ innings, Tepesch gave up two runs on six hits and two walks and two .

The Twins took a 3-2 lead in the third on a two-run by Field and an RBI single by ByungHo Park. The single was comical; Kendrick, a longtime infielder playing left field for the Phillies, called off Freddy Galvis to catch Park’s fly ball then missed it, enabling a run to score. Ehire Adrianza added an RBI single in the sixth.

Today's Twins relievers include one hard throwing prospect La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 23, 2017

There's an interesting name on the travel roster today as the Twins face the Phillies in Clearwater.

Nick Burdi, the Twins' second round pick in 2014, is on the list. Burdi is a fire-throwing righthander who can touch 100 mph with his fastball but pitched in only three games last season because of a bone bruise in his elbow. He's back this year and could pitch his way to .

Maybe he will be motivated by his younger brother, Zack. is pitching well for the White Sox and could get into the bullpen mix there. 3

While the Twins figure out their major league bullpen, they wait for Burdi and other hard throwing relievers to get in gear. Burdi, Jake Reed, , Randy Rosario and Mason Melotakis either throw hard, have nasty stuff or both. But injuries and struggles have slowed their development and advancement up the ladder.

This is a big year for all of them, as the Twins need big arms in their bullpen like they need air to breathe.

Just because he's on the list doesn't mean he will pitch today. Teams usually travel with more than innings to pitch in.

After Nick Tepesch starts, Buddy Boshers, Justin Haley, Ryan Pressly, Henry Centeno (Juan's brother????), John Curtiss, and Confesor Lara are on the list with Burdi.

Tepesch is making his first start this spring. He's got a shot at a long relief role if he can finish strong. He's a former draft pick of the Rangers and a former teammate of Kyle Gibson at Missouri. His career hit a rough patch in 2015 when he had elbow problems and then needed surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Twins

J.B. Shuck, LF Bengie Gonzalez, 2B Max Kepler, CF ByungHo Park, 1B , SS Matt Hague, DH Ehire Adrianza, 3B John Ryan Murphy, C Tommy Field, RF

Nick Tepesch, RHP

Phillies

Cesar Hernandez, 2B Howie Kendrick, LF Odubel Herrera, CF Maikel Franco, 3B Michael Saunders, RF Tommy Joseph, 1B Cameron Rupp, DH Andrew Knapp, C Freddy Galvis, SS

Aaron Nola, RHP

Well-traveled Nick Tepesch still attacking as he tries to impress the Minnesota Twins Mike Berardino| Pioneer Press | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Two days after releasing Ryan Vogelsong, the Twins sent another right-hander with similar stuff and approach to the mound, Nick Tepesch.

“I think he certainly knows how to pitch,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “It’s kind of in the mold of Vogelsong in that he’s got to set hitters up and use all his pitches and be able to command the ball.”

While Vogelsong, 39, was unable to crack 88 mph with his fastball this spring, Tepesch touched 90 mph just once in Thursday’s 56-pitch start against the Philadelphia Phillies. The difference: Tepesch already has told the Twins he’s willing to open the year at -A Rochester. Coming back from August 2015 surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome in his throwing arm, Tepesch bounced to four different teams in 4 the Pacific Coast League last season, making just one big-league outing with the .

“I felt like each place I went, I pitched fairly well, but this is how the business goes,” Tepesch said. “You get bounced around sometimes. It was good for me to experience that because I’d never really experienced that before. You take everything and learn from it.”

In the minors, he worked 116 innings, posting a 3.96 earned-run average and steadily rebuilding arm strength and his command.

By the time his whirlwind journey concluded, Tepesch was back with Omaha pitching coach Andy Hawkins, his old bullpen coach with the Rangers. Reuniting with Hawkins brought everything full circle for Tepesch, who is a year younger than Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson, his former University of Missouri teammate.

“Bouncing around, you get to work with different philosophies,” Tepesch said. “It can be confusing at times, but I’ve learned to filter out some of the stuff and just take the important things that really resonate with me.”

In 3 2/3 innings against the Phillies, Tepesch allowed a two-run homer to Odubel Herrera in the first as eight of the first 13 batters reached safely. He hardly blinked at Herrera’s celebratory bat flip.

“There was no point,” he said. “If somebody does something like that to me, I’d much rather get them out than waste my time putting them on base.”

Tepesch settled in to retire his last four batters, including a pair of swinging strikeouts on offspeed pitches. After getting rocked for five earned runs last time out, Tepesch left Thursday’s start with a 6.28 spring ERA in 14 1/3 innings.

“I think we’ve seen some encouraging things, and there have been other times when maybe not as much,” Molitor said. “I’m sure knowing the competition and the situation, he’s had to try to find a way to make himself stand out. We’re paying attention.”

On Thursday, Tepesch got strike one on 13 of 17 batters (67.8 percent) and had adhered to his old Mizzou principle of attacking in three pitches 14 times (82.4 percent).

“That was always beaten into our brains from the start,” Tepesch said. “It’s still a really big part of how I approach pitching and I think it’s an important part of pitching.”

The target percentage for A3P, as the Mizzou coaches called it, was 75 percent, he recalled. Asked if he still has a black-and-gold T-shirt with that slogan, Tepesch chuckled.

“I don’t know if we ever got any T-shirts,” he said, “but we’d pitch, and there’d be a piece of paper sitting in our locker the next day with all our numbers and all of that stuff. It was a big part of our game.”

Still is.

Twins’ rotation bid fading for long-absent Jose Berrios Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Now that Puerto Rico’s second straight run to the championship game of the World Baseball Classic is over, the Twins will see their big-league camp grow by four key players.

While Hector Santiago is slated to start Saturday on a back field, Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas are scheduled to go right back into the Twins lineup Friday at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

As for right-hander Jose Berrios, Twins manager Paul Molitor plans to meet with him Friday to discuss the status of his flagging bid for a spot in the starting rotation. It seemed telling that Molitor, facing yet another long bus ride on Thursday morning, didn’t stay up to watch Berrios’ five- out relief outing in an 8-0 loss to Team USA.

Informed that Berrios struck out , Jonathan Lucroy, and on Wednesday night, Molitor smiled.

“He did, huh?” he said. “We’re going to have to figure out what we’re going to do with Jose.” Berrios, who made a five-inning start on March 12 against Italy, threw just 40 pitches under game conditions from that point, all of those 5 coming in the WBC final. He was charged with three earned runs after he left the bases loaded for relievers J.C. Romero (the ex-Twin) and Hiram Burgos.

Berrios, 22, also walked Andrew McCutchen and plunked Eric Hosmer.

After leaving Twins camp on March 6 and flying west for the WBC, Berrios and the other members of Team Puerto Rico will be a welcome sight for Twins teammates and coaching staff. The problem will be getting Berrios stretched out enough to compete with Tyler Duffey and Adalberto Mejia, both of whom will start Saturday, for the final open rotation spot.

With Kyle Gibson starting Sunday at home and Phil Hughes slated to make his final Grapefruit League start on Monday against the Pirates in Bradenton, Berrios could be left to face minor-league hitters on a back field Monday.

Vargas, who went 1 for 13 (.077) before leaving spring camp, played sparingly at the WBC and remains a long shot to unseat ByungHo Park as the Twins’ Opening Day designated hitter.

“It’s been a long haul for those guys to be away,” Molitor said. “They had a nice run. We’ll get them back here in camp and try to piece it together as far as how we feel we’re going to potentially use them.”

BRIEFLY

Third baseman Ehire Adrianza went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI single to push his spring average to .323 after a slow start. He has been working with hitting coaches to better integrate his lower half in his swing. … Park was having his surgically repaired right hand examined in the hallway after the game but Molitor said nothing had been brought to his attention. … Setup man Ryan Pressly was hitting 97 mph with his fastball and 92 mph with his slider. He also flipped in a few curveballs at 83 mph to work out of trouble in a two-hit eighth. … Rule 5 pick Justin Haley recorded eight outs without allowing a run, lowering his spring ERA to 6.08. … Pitching prospects Nick Burdi and John Curtiss each recorded an out while throwing in the mid-90s. … Former closer Tom “Flash” Gordon made the drive over from his home in Orlando to watch son play three innings at shortstop and ground out in his only at-bat.

Mom's advice gave Buxton boost he needed Rhett Bollinger | MLB | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- As learned last year, sometimes the best scouts don't even work in baseball.

Shortly before his September callup to the Twins, his mom, Carrie, told him she had watched video of him, and had diagnosed why the former No. 1 overall prospect had struggled in his first stints in the Majors. "She went back and watched video, but the only thing she focused on was my face," Buxton said. "She was like, 'You need to smile.' And you know what, she was right. That's who I am. I'm happy. My nickname other than Buck has always been Smiley." Buxton, 23, made it a point to stop thinking so much and simply have fun in September, and the results finally came. The five-tool center fielder hit .287/.357/.653 with nine homers and 22 RBIs over his final 29 games.

"If I don't think, I play a whole lot better," Buxton said. "You start thinking too much, you're done. September I was just loose."

Former Twins center fielder gave similar advice to Buxton, saying he felt he was almost too coachable and was listening to too many outside voices on what he needed to do to succeed at the Major League level.

Buxton decided to go back to his pronounced leg kick that worked so well in the Minors, ditching the toe-tap that he had tried to instill in the Majors.

"He was more relaxed and athletic at the plate," Hunter said. "He was more himself. He wasn't caught up in the hype of being the Major Leagues and people telling him to do this or do that. He wants to be coachable, but you start to lose who you are."

Buxton's mentality was to try to hit the ball back up the middle, but it's clear that pulling the ball with authority also led to his success. He pulled the ball 56.3 percent of the time after his September callup, compared to pulling the ball 43.1 percent of the time prior to that. And he hit .556 with six homers on the balls that he pulled.

Statcast™ also shows he was hitting the ball harder, with an average Exit Velocity of 91.9 mph after his callup, which was much higher than his 6 career average of 88.4 mph leading up to it.

It's something manager Paul Molitor noticed last year, and it's carried over into the spring, where Buxton is hitting .235, but with a .500 , including six doubles and a homer -- all of which were pulled.

"He's still trying to figure out who he's going to be at this level," Molitor said. "I have a feeling it's going to be more pull than spray the ball around, which is fine. There's a little bit more juice in that bat."

Molitor has moved Buxton around in the lineup as a result, even hitting him third last week, but he appears primed to be the club's leadoff hitter to take advantage of his elite speed. Strikeouts remain an issue for Buxton, but he's cut down on those this spring as well, striking out seven times in 34 at-bats. Now, even when he strikes out, Buxton is at peace.

"I'm not uptight anymore," Buxton said. "I'm not feeling any pressure. I'm just being myself. I might strike out but I'm going to come back again. That's my mindset."

Field plus defense a winning formula for Twins Rhett Bollinger | MLB | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Baserunning mistakes hampered the Phillies offensive attack, but rebounded in his longest start of the spring in a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at Spectrum Field.

"I felt like I could go longer," Nola said. "I felt like I didn't get tired. I'm looking forward to stretching it out next outing."

Nola pitched better in his 5 2/3 innings than his four earned runs suggest, one of which scored on a misplayed popup between shortstop Freddy Galvis and left fielder Howie Kendrick.

Nola retired the first seven batters he faced -- striking out three in the process -- but allowed hits to the next three batters, the second of which was a two-run long ball off the bat of Tommy Field to tie the game at 2. ByungHo Park added an RBI single on the misplayed popup later in the inning.

"Command of all my pitches felt pretty good today," Nola said. "I felt like the ball was coming out pretty good again. I just made a couple mistakes with my changeup."

Two double plays squelched rallies for Philadelphia in the bottom of the second and third. Catcher Andrew Knapp was caught off second on a Kendrick liner to right with one out, as was Odubel Herrera the following inning when he broke from second on a soft Tommy Joseph lineout to second.

After a Kendrick double to left in the first and a nifty slide into second to evade the tag, Twins starter Nick Tepesch allowed a two-run homer to left by Herrera in the next at-bat, putting the Phillies up early.

The homer, Herrera's first of the spring, came in his 20th at-bat with the team. He spent two weeks with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic and is playing in just his second game back with the Phillies. He was scratched from Wednesday's game for precautionary reasons after dealing with leg cramps.

Twins relievers Nick Burdi, Justin Haley, John Curtiss, Ryan Pressly and Buddy Boshers held the Phillies scoreless after relieving Tepesch in fourth.

Versatile utilityman Ehire Adrianza, claimed near the start of camp, continued his strong spring with a 2-for-3 performance, including an RBI single in the 6th to cap the scoring.

Twins Up Next: Right-hander Ervin Santana will start for the Twins in a night game against the Orioles at Hammond Stadium on Friday at 6:05 CT. Other pitchers scheduled to throw include Michael Tonkin and J.T. Chargois. Both are competing for a spot in the bullpen. Watch the game live on MLB.TV.

Phillies Up Next: Newly anointed Opening Day starter Jeremy Hellickson (0-2, 7.50 ERA) will make his sixth start Friday as the Phillies make the short trip to Tampa to face the Yankees at 1:05 p.m. ET. Watch the game live on MLB.TV.

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Tepesch, Haley stretch out for starter's spot Rhett Bollinger | MLB | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Although they're both on the periphery of the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, Twins right-handers Nick Tepesch and Justin Haley were both stretched out against the Phillies in a 4-2 win on Thursday.

With a strong spring, Adalberto Mejia has emerged as the slight favorite in the race for the fifth spot, although Tyler Duffey has been pitching well of late. Jose Berrios didn't pitch much in the World Baseball Classic, which has hurt his chances.

Tepesch, a non-roster invitee with 40 big league starts with the Rangers and Dodgers, went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, giving up both runs on a two-run shot from Odubel Herrera in the first.

"Tep was up a lot in the first inning," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He was having trouble getting the ball down but he got better as the outing went along."

Molitor also indicated that Tepesch appears amenable to opening the year at Triple-A Rochester as a starter, but when asked about it, Tepesch deflected the question.

"I'm not thinking about that, honestly," Tepesch said. "I'm just taking the ball every time I get and trying to compete."

Haley, a pick, was impressive, throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk with a . Haley still has a solid chance to make the team, but it's more likely to come in a long relief role.

"I thought Haley had a nice day," Molitor said. "He was aggressive and attacked pretty well. I think his fastball plays up for whatever reason. I don't know if it's the crossfire or that little tuck he does, but the ball seems to get on guys."

Twins get four players back from WBC 2017 Rhett Bollinger | MLB | March 23, 2017

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Twins manager Paul Molitor was relieved to see Team Puerto Rico won't be hosting a victory parade back home, as it lost to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic final Wednesday night, meaning Jose Berrios, Hector Santiago, Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario will be back in camp on Friday.

Vargas and Rosario are expected to be in the lineup against the Orioles on Friday, while Santiago will pitch Saturday against Baltimore. Berrios' status is more up in the air, as the right-hander threw 40 pitches on Wednesday, and isn't likely to pitch again until Monday.

"It's been a long haul for those guys to be away," Molitor said. "They had a nice run. They'll be back here in camp and we'll piece it together to see how they feel and how we use them. We had four guys missing for 17 days, so it's been a long stretch."

Santiago is a lock to be in the rotation, and Rosario is the club's starting left fielder, but Vargas and Berrios were hurt by a lack of playing time. Vargas, competing to be the everyday designated hitter with ByungHo Park, received only nine at-bats during the tournament, while Park has been Minnesota's best hitter this spring.

Berrios threw 6 2/3 innings in the tournament, and might not have enough time to get stretched out to make the rotation, which could make Adalberto Mejia the favorite for the fifth spot. Molitor said he plans to talk with Berrios on Friday about his plan going forward.

"We have to figure out what we're going to do with Jose," Molitor said. "We'll have to evaluate these guys and see where they're at. It's going to be tough."

Projecting the Minnesota Twins Starting Five Scott Wessels | FOX Sports | March 23, 2017

Let’s try to peer into the Minnesota Twins front office via a crystal ball to see who will make up this year’s starting five for Opening Day.

The headline gives me a major qualifier: Opening Day. Because everyone who breaks camp as part of the Minnesota Twins‘ starting five will most assuredly not be in the rotation come May 1.

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That’s because this year’s was interrupted by the World Baseball Classic, and two-to-three fifths of the possible starting five were pitching for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

While Ervin Santana was flown in to start just one game – a loss in the semi-final against Team USA – two others may have hurt their chances at making the final 25 when Minnesota breaks camp in less than two weeks.

Both Hector Santiago and Jose Berrios were in the mix to be part of the 2017 Twins’ starting rotation. Santiago, to be sure, was getting a long look based on his previous major league starts. Berrios needed to have a good camp to solidify his spot.

Santiago got shelled in one start before getting pulled in favor of a reliever. In a normal Spring Training game, the team would eschew the chance for a win to make sure the starter got his work in first.

That’s because the priority in Spring Training is to lengthen out each starter’s work day to ready them for the regular season.

Berrios has only been used sparingly in Spring Training by the Twins, pitching just four innings before leaving March 6 for the WBC. He was the second arm out of the pen in last night’s WBC final against the USA squad, allowing three runs in 1.2 innings. Santiago had already hit his pitch limit in relief and wasn’t available for last night’s game.

Either way, Mike Berardino from the Pioneer Press tweeted this yesterday afternoon:

(Tweet) Mike Berardino:

Looks like Santiago will start Saturday at Sarasota for #mntwins with Mejia and Duffey working on minors side that day. Berrios TBD.

Ervin Santana is the team’s ace, after last year’s performance and his outings so far this spring. As long as they can get him back on track days- wise, manager Paul Molitor has already proclaimed Santana as the Opening Day starter.

Kyle Gibson has the number-two spot nailed down after an impressive spring. In his last two starts, totaling 10 innings versus Boston and St. Louis, Gibson has only allowed one run on a homer. He struck out nine batters, versus only one walk, in those two starts.

Phil Hughes has rebounded from the broken leg and Adam’s rib surgery for his thoracic outlet syndrome last season, to an impressive March. He did get shelled yesterday against the Astros, but his spot as the number-three guy is safe.

As for the four and five guys, I think Santiago will get the fourth spot as long as the Twins’ coaching staff sees a good outing from him next time out. The training staff will also need to be apprised of his throwing regimen while he was out of their watchful eyes during the past couple weeks.

The fifth spot may go to Aldaberto Mejia given the scarcity of innings Berrios has thrown so far this spring. He gets the nod over Tyler Duffey for two reasons. One, he’s a left-hander, and two, Duffey has experience in bullpens.

With Trevor May lost for the year with Tommy John surgery, the bullpen is looking for a long-reliever/spot starter. Right now, Duffey would fit the bill, just as did for the Twins in 2016.

Mejia has been as advertised, missing bats and looking explosive at times. Duffey is solid, but the Twins has seen his upside during short stretches over the past couple years. Mejia’s ceiling is higher.

With Berrios waiting in the wings, Duffey would be hard-pressed to pass him either if one of the other four starters comes up lame. But Duffey can stay lengthened out for a spot start if, say, Hughes needs to skip a start without going on the disabled list.

With three righties and two lefties (Santiago also a southpaw), a balanced rotation would help Molitor out in series matchups. Just 12 days til the games count. We’ll see how my prediction shakes out.

Notes: Twins announced that Trevor May’s Tommy John surgery was a success. With the surgery, May was placed on the 60-day DL, opening a spot on the 40-man roster. The Twins filled that spot with the addition of Craig Breslow.

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Twins turn three double plays to defeat Phillies Associated Press | FOX Sports | March 23, 2017

Tommy Field hit a two-run home run and Ehire Adrianza went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Twins starter Nick Tepesch gave up two runs and six hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

For the Phillies, Odubel Herrera went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer and starter Aaron Nola gave up four runs and six hits and a walk, striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.

Twins Considering Nine Prospects As First Overall Pick Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors | March 23, 2017

This year’s amateur draft class is still quite unsettled, though in ’s initial ranking of the Top 100 draft prospects, Hudson Belinsky and John Manuel note that a pair of two-way players are standing out as the potential top two picks. Louisville first baseman/left- handed Brendan McKay is drawing most of his attention as an “elite pure hit tool” batter though “at least one” interested team prefers him on the mound. No right-handed high school pitcher has ever been drafted first overall, though 17-year-old Hunter Greene has an upper-90s fastball and has touched the 102mph mark. This kind of live arm at such a young age has even drawn some Dwight Gooden comparisons, so most evalutors prefer Greene as a pitcher, though he also possesses “top-of-the-scale raw power” as a shortstop. The Twins own the first pick in June’s draft, though McKay and Greene are just two of nine players Minnesota is reportedly considering for the top selection.

Buxton, Kepler Only Twins Untouchables In Trade Talks Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors | March 23, 2017

Byron Buxton and Max Kepler appear to be the only true untouchables on the Twins roster as the team continues its rebuilding process. It’s worth noting that Minnesota only made a couple of minor deals this offseason under the new Derek Falvey/Thad Levine-led front office, despite a lot of rumors surrounding such veterans as Brian Dozier or Ervin Santana.

The following was taken from “Heyman: 30 potential breakout players for 2017”

8. Byron Buxton, Twins CF. His athleticism is off the charts, and he started to show what he could do with his big September. He’s one of two untouchable Twins (more on that in the notes below).

Minnesota Twins

-The Twins are said to be open to dealing just about everyone with a couple notable exceptions. Buxton isn’t going anywhere. They’ve also told folks Max Kepler will be staying. -The loss of Trevor May to Tommy John surgery thinned an already suspect group. -Speaking of Eddie Rosario’s play for Puerto Rico, manager Paul Molitor said, “We all know Rosie loves the big lights.” Nice quote. -Johan Santana still would be interested in a job. He is working out, and hoping to be ready to sign with someone for the second half. -Best to respected veteran Ryan Vogelsong, whose request for a released was granted.

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