2008 Organizational Rankings: Relief Pitchers
Considering how long it's been, I'm giving up on getting these properly organized as "rankings." Instead, the relievers are being organized alphabetically by last name so that I have a better chance of actually getting them posted.
Alcala, Omar (Released c. 7/07/08)
Alcala signed with the Twins back in 2005 out of the Dominican Republic. In 2006, he pitched reasonably well in his debut season in the GCL, but it was downhill from there. A poor performance with Elizabethton in 2007 (7.83 ERA in 23 innings of relief) earned him a return trip in 2008. His performance was equally horrid, and he was quickly released from the organization.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 12/24/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Elizabethton (c. 6/15/08); Released (c. 7/07/08)
Aselton, Kyle
After experimenting with Aselton as a starter in 2006, the Twins moved him almost exclusively back into the bullpen last season in Ft. Myers. Aselton put up a 3.79 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 71.1 innings for the Miracle, earning him a promotion to New Britain for 2008. So far, he's been reasonably successful, with an ERA just over 4.00 and rather high WHIP of 1.71. Most troubling so far, though, is Aselton's 21-24 K-BB ratio. This ranking is higher than it should be, largely because I was basing it on what was a 1.35 ERA and 1.40 WHIP about 3 weeks ago -- but since this post is so late in coming up I'm leaving him here on the list.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 2/23/1983
Drafted: 2004 (11th Round)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08)
Bass, Brian (Traded to Baltimore - 9/05/08)
The Twins signed Bass as a minor league free agent out of the Royals organization prior to the start of the 2007 season, and watched him put together a very solid season in AAA -- 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 80-24 K-BB, 103.1 innings. As a result, the team brought him back by signing him to a Major League contract, which added him to the 40-man roster. So far this season, Bass has been effective in a long relief role, posting a 3.72 ERA and slightly high 1.55 WHIP in 29.0 innings (this was written before his disastrous outing against the Tigers on May 24). At just 26 years old, Bass is still young enough to expand into a more significant role in the bullpen or possibly even a starting role later in his career. For now, I'm sure the Twins would be thrilled if he can continue pitching well in mop-up duty for the rest of this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/6/82
Drafted: 2000 (6th Round)
Status: 9th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Outrighted to Rochester (8/20/08); Accepted Assignment to Rochester (8/21/08); Traded to Baltimore (9/05/08)
Biddle, Elliott (RELEASED c. 6/28/08)
I have no idea when the Twins acquired Biddle, who hadn't appeared on my radar at any point over the last few years. All I know about him is what's available on the minor league baseball website -- he's a slight Australian, at 5'11", 157 lbs, who pitches from the left side. Oh yeah -- he and I share a birthday, although I'm five years older. That's pretty much it.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 11/23/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08); Released (c. 6/28/08)
Crain, Jesse
Crain spent most of the 2007 season on the disabled list, making it into just 18 games. Because of that, his 5.51 ERA is easy to explain away. Unfortunately, so far this season he has yet to return to his 2005-2006 form -- and while his ERA has improved so far this season (it's hovering around 4.00 at the time of this writing), his WHIP is way up in the 1.80 range -- far, far higher than a reliever can hope to get away with. He's also walking nearly as many hitters as he strikes out, which is another point of concern. The Twins had better hope he can improve, because he's still under contract next season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 7/5/81
Drafted: 2002 (2nd Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
Delaney, Robert
Prior to the start of last season, I ranked Delaney 44th. What caused the huge jump? Well, nearly a season and a half of really great baseball, that's what. In fact, I should have looked beyond Delaney's 2006 ERA in the GCL (4.64 for the record) and noticed his 1.15 WHIP and ridiculous 27-1 K-BB ratio. Those numbers foreshadowed a dramatic improvement for Delaney, and indeed that's just what happened. In 2007, Delaney started the season in Beloit and put together a 0.77 ERA and silly 0.66 WHIP while picking up 56 K's against just 6 walks. He kept pitching well following a promotion to Ft. Myers, with a 1.54 ERA and 1.24 WHIP (notice each is about twice as high as his Beloit numbers, yet still are extremely good) along with a 27-10 K-BB ratio. So far in 2008, he's kept it up -- pitching once again with Ft. Myers (for now), he has a 1.48 ERA and 0.82 WHIP along with a 26-3 K-BB ratio. Delaney appears to be a rising relief star -- which is even more remarkable considering that he was a non-drafted free agent. How did that happen?
Bats/Throws: L/R
Birthdate: 9/8/84
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent (2006)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); Promoted to AA New Britain (6/16/08)
DePaula, Julio - Minor League Free Agent (11/10/08)
DePaula, who has been in the Twins organization since 1999, made his US debut back in 2002 with the GCL Twins and was great there before struggling in Elizabethton after a promotion. Since that time, DePaula has worked his way up through the organization one step at a time -- Elizabethton in 2003, Quad Cities (Beloit's Low-A predecessor) in 2004, Ft. Myers in 2005 and briefly in 2006, New Britain for most of 2006, and Rochester in 2007. Of course, DePaula also made his big league debut in 2007, getting into 16 games (and pitching 20.0 innings) for the Twins. It should be noted that DePaula struggled at the big league level (8.55 ERA/2.00 WHIP), and that he has been pretty bad in 2008 with the Red Wings as well (5.94/1.65). Hopefully, DePaula can regain his pre-callup form and make a bid for another stint with the Twins.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/31/1982
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent (1999)
Status: Rule 5 Eligible Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/14/08); Outrighted to Rochester (10/24/08); Granted minor league free agency (11/10/08)
Eacott, Jarrad
Eacott is an Australian signed in 2006. Eacott had a successful professional debut with the GCL Twins in 2007, posting a 2.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 27.2 innings. That virtually assured him of a promotion to Elizabethton in 2008.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 8/02/1988
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (c. 6/15/08); 7-Day DL (c. 7/02/08); Activated from DL (8/23/08)
Fritz, Nathan
Fritz was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent out of Milligan College in Tennessee. After posting an excellent 2007 season in which he went 8-4 with a 1.03 ERA, he fell off a bit last year and posted an ERA of 3.42. Considering that Milligan College is a small school, that was enough to drop him off of draft radar screens.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/05/1986
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Signed (c. 6/30/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (7/01/08)
Guerrier, Matt
Back in 2005, the Twins had to either take Guerrier north after spring training or remove him from the 40-man roster, which likely would have seen him claimed by another team. He pitched well enough in spring training to make the team, and proceeded to put up a 3.39 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 43 relief appearances covering 71.2 innings. Since that time, he's improved every year, posting a 3.36 ERA in 2006 and a 2.35 ERA in 2007, earning himself a place at the top level of the bullpen. Guerrier has not been quite as good in 2008 as in previous years, but with an ERA below 4.00 he still has pitched well enough to justify placing him in the top 3. With an injury to Pat Neshek, Guerrier has a chance to claim the empty setup job if he can perform well.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/2/1978
Drafted: 1999 (10th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
Gutierrez, Carlos
Gutierrez was the somewhat surprising late first round pick by the Twins in the 2008 draft, taken out of the University of Miami where he served as the teams closer. Gutierrez was considered a reach in the first round because he really doesn't have a solid repertoire of pitches -- but the Twins obviously saw something they liked.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/22/1986
Drafted: 2008 (1st Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/05/08); Signed (7/05/08); Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (7/09/08)
Hermsen, B.J.
Hermsen was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2008 draft out of West Delaware High School in Iowa. After finishing his high school season, Hermsen weighed the option of signing with the Twins against the opportunity to attend Oregon State University. In the end, Hermsen signed with the Twins at the deadline, and will beging his professional career in the Twins Instructional League this September.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/01/1989
Drafted: 2008 (6th Round)
Status: Yet to Play
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: Not Assigned
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (8/15/08)
Korecky, Bobby
Credit is due Korecky, who has consistently put up good numbers since being drafted by the Phillies in 2002. He hasn't been spectacular since he was in A-ball, but every year he puts up an ERA somewhere in the 3.00's, with a WHIP around 1.30 (with the exception of a short stint in AA in 2006 when his WHIP was 1.68). That kind of consistency has kept Korecky on the Twins radar while causing him to mostly go unconsidered by Twins fans. Thus, it came as something of a surprise to many when Korecky was added to the Twins 40-man roster in November. His early season numbers in Rochester in 2008 seem to have justified the move -- he's put together a 0.68 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 13.1 innings (note the small sample size). Those numbers were good enough to get Korecky a callup to the big leagues, where he's performed reasonably well in limited action.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/16/79
Drafted: 2002 (19th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/14/08); Recalled to Minnesota (4/25/08); Optioned to AAA Rochester (5/29/08); Recalled to Minnesota (9/02/08)
Mijares, Jose
Mijares is a hard-throwing lefty who was poised to start the 2008 season with Rochester before suffering an elbow injury in a car crash prior to the start of the season. As a result, he missed much of the year before coming back in July. His success in the GCL, Ft. Myers, and New Britain resulted in a surprise September callup to the Twins.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 10/29/1984
Drafted: International Signing (Venezuela)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AA New Britain (3/09/08); 7-Day DL (c. 4/01/08); Activated from DL (7/20/08); Option Transferred to High A Ft. Myers (7/21/08); Option Transferred to AA New Britain (8/05/08); Recalled to Minnesota (9/02/08)
Nathan, Joe
No one is going to argue that one of the best closers in the big leagues should be anywhere else on this list. Now that he's signed a long-term contract, we Twins fans will get a chance to continue to see Nathan ply his trade. I, for one, am delighted.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/22/1974
Drafted: 1995 (6th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Signed contract extension through 2011 with club option for 2012 (3/24/08)
Neshek, Pat
Neshek was struggling a bit in 2008 before seeing his season end due to an arm injury, but he clearly belongs in this spot in the rankings anyway after two seasons in which he posted a sub-3.00 ERA and became an integral part of the Twins bullpen attack. Despite his 4.73 ERA in 2008, he was still clearly the team's setup man, and he is likely to be missed throughout 2008.
Bats/Throws: S/R
Birthdate: 9/4/1980
Drafted: 2002 (6th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: 15-Day DL Retroactive to May 8 (5/10/08); Transferred to 60-Day DL (5/29/08); Activated from Disabled List (10/24/08)
Perkins, Glen
Glen Perkins is on this list because he spent nearly all of the 2007 season either injured or in the Twins bullpen. Nonetheless, he's going to be used as a starter in 2008 barring a major change in the Twins organizational philosophy. That makes it difficult to rank him on this list, since he's not really comparable to the other players on the list. His potential as a big leaguer means he belongs firmly in the top 5 of this list.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 3/2/1983
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/23/08); Recalled to Minnesota (5/10/08)
Reyes, Dennys -- Free Agent (10/30/08)
Reyes had a brilliant 2006 season for the Twins, posting a 0.89 ERA in 50.2 innings and earning himself a multi-year deal with the team. Last year he regressed, posting a 3.99 ERA in 29.1 innings. Now, the pendulum has swung back in Reyes' favor, as he has a 1.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 12.2 innings (that's in 21 games, which is a fairly remarkable stat in itself). Those numbers are good enough for me to place him as the fourth best reliever in the Twins bullpen, which places him fifth overall on this list.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 4/19/77
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Filed for Free Agency (10/30/08)
Rincon, Juan -- Designated for Assignment (6/12/08)
It wasn't all that long ago that Rincon was being discussed as a future closer for the Twins, and he's been an integral part of the bullpen since 2003. Unfortunately, Rincon's 2007 season, in which he posted a 5.13 ERA and 1.56 WHIP firmly took him out of the top tier of the Twins bullpen, and while he's improved his ERA so far this season (it's sitting under 4.00 as of this writing), he has been unable to get key outs and seems to have completely lost the confidence of the Twins coaching staff. Rincon will be a free agent at the end of the season, and considering that the Twins already tried to get rid of him by attempting to include him in the Delmon Young/Matt Garza swap (something the Rays wisely refused to agree to), it seems a foregone conclusion that this will be his final season as a Twin.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/23/79
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: None
2008 Transactions: Designated for Assignment (6/12/08); Rejected Assignment to AAA Rochester (6/13/08)
Shinskie, David
Shinskie has been a successful reliever in the Twins organization since being drafted in the 4th round of the 2003 draft out of Mount Carmel High School in Pennsylvania. His 2007 season, spent entirely in Ft. Myers, was solid (3.36 ERA/1.34 WHIP/64.1 innings) but fell short of the heights he achieved in 2006 with Beloit (2.13 ERA/1.20 WHIP/61-15 K-BB/76.0 innings). Unfortunately, his 2008 season was marred by injury.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/04/1984
Drafted: 2003 (4th Round)
Status: 6th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (c. 4/01/08); 7-Day DL (4/21/08); Assigned to Extended Spring Training (5/08/08); Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (c. 8/9/08); 7-Day DL (c. 8/9/08); Activated from DL (8/16/08)
Tonkin, Michael
Tonkin was drafted by the Twins in the 30th round of the 2008 draft out of Palmdale High School in California.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/19/1989
Drafted: 2008 (30th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/6/08); Signed (8/01/08); Assigned to GCL (8/03/08)
Vais, Danny -- RELEASED (c. 6/05/08)
Vais has alternated strong with mediocre seasons in his time with the Twins organization, starting off strong in 2004 with the GCL Twins (2.86 ERA/15-5 K-BB/22 innings), moving up and struggling a bit in Elizabethton in 2005 (4.95/30-5/40.0), pitching very well in Beloit in 2006 (2.23/78-26/80.2), then mysteriously being left in Beloit in 2007, only to struggle (4.15/69-12/78.0). This year, Vais has stayed true to form -- this is supposed to be an "up" year, and Vais has a 2.76 ERA and 23-12 K-BB ratio in 29.1 innings with the Ft. Myers Miracle. Hopefully Vais can keep up the strong work for the rest of this season, and break through with some odd-year success in 2009.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/21/1984
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent (2004)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); Released (c. 6/05/08)
Van Mil, Ludovicus
Van Mil is a towering Dutchman who pitched sparingly, but well, in 2006 and 2007 with the Twins short-season clubs. The 2008 season saw a promotion to the full season Beloit Snappers, where Van Mil continued to succeed before leaving the club in July to pitch in the Olympics.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/15/1984
Drafted: International Signing (Netherlands)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (c. 4/01/08); Placed on Restricted List (7/20/08); Reinstated from Restricted List (c. 10/01/08)
Weller, Blayne
Weller was drafted by the Twins in the 14th round of the 2008 draft out of Key West High School in Florida. Weller was signed near the deadline, and reported to the GCL where he got into one game to begin his professional career.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/30/1990
Drafted: 2008 (14th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (8/14/08); Assigned to GCL (8/25/08)
Alcala, Omar (Released c. 7/07/08)
Alcala signed with the Twins back in 2005 out of the Dominican Republic. In 2006, he pitched reasonably well in his debut season in the GCL, but it was downhill from there. A poor performance with Elizabethton in 2007 (7.83 ERA in 23 innings of relief) earned him a return trip in 2008. His performance was equally horrid, and he was quickly released from the organization.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 12/24/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Elizabethton (c. 6/15/08); Released (c. 7/07/08)
Aselton, Kyle
After experimenting with Aselton as a starter in 2006, the Twins moved him almost exclusively back into the bullpen last season in Ft. Myers. Aselton put up a 3.79 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 71.1 innings for the Miracle, earning him a promotion to New Britain for 2008. So far, he's been reasonably successful, with an ERA just over 4.00 and rather high WHIP of 1.71. Most troubling so far, though, is Aselton's 21-24 K-BB ratio. This ranking is higher than it should be, largely because I was basing it on what was a 1.35 ERA and 1.40 WHIP about 3 weeks ago -- but since this post is so late in coming up I'm leaving him here on the list.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 2/23/1983
Drafted: 2004 (11th Round)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08)
Bass, Brian (Traded to Baltimore - 9/05/08)
The Twins signed Bass as a minor league free agent out of the Royals organization prior to the start of the 2007 season, and watched him put together a very solid season in AAA -- 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 80-24 K-BB, 103.1 innings. As a result, the team brought him back by signing him to a Major League contract, which added him to the 40-man roster. So far this season, Bass has been effective in a long relief role, posting a 3.72 ERA and slightly high 1.55 WHIP in 29.0 innings (this was written before his disastrous outing against the Tigers on May 24). At just 26 years old, Bass is still young enough to expand into a more significant role in the bullpen or possibly even a starting role later in his career. For now, I'm sure the Twins would be thrilled if he can continue pitching well in mop-up duty for the rest of this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/6/82
Drafted: 2000 (6th Round)
Status: 9th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Outrighted to Rochester (8/20/08); Accepted Assignment to Rochester (8/21/08); Traded to Baltimore (9/05/08)
Biddle, Elliott (RELEASED c. 6/28/08)
I have no idea when the Twins acquired Biddle, who hadn't appeared on my radar at any point over the last few years. All I know about him is what's available on the minor league baseball website -- he's a slight Australian, at 5'11", 157 lbs, who pitches from the left side. Oh yeah -- he and I share a birthday, although I'm five years older. That's pretty much it.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 11/23/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08); Released (c. 6/28/08)
Crain, Jesse
Crain spent most of the 2007 season on the disabled list, making it into just 18 games. Because of that, his 5.51 ERA is easy to explain away. Unfortunately, so far this season he has yet to return to his 2005-2006 form -- and while his ERA has improved so far this season (it's hovering around 4.00 at the time of this writing), his WHIP is way up in the 1.80 range -- far, far higher than a reliever can hope to get away with. He's also walking nearly as many hitters as he strikes out, which is another point of concern. The Twins had better hope he can improve, because he's still under contract next season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 7/5/81
Drafted: 2002 (2nd Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
Delaney, Robert
Prior to the start of last season, I ranked Delaney 44th. What caused the huge jump? Well, nearly a season and a half of really great baseball, that's what. In fact, I should have looked beyond Delaney's 2006 ERA in the GCL (4.64 for the record) and noticed his 1.15 WHIP and ridiculous 27-1 K-BB ratio. Those numbers foreshadowed a dramatic improvement for Delaney, and indeed that's just what happened. In 2007, Delaney started the season in Beloit and put together a 0.77 ERA and silly 0.66 WHIP while picking up 56 K's against just 6 walks. He kept pitching well following a promotion to Ft. Myers, with a 1.54 ERA and 1.24 WHIP (notice each is about twice as high as his Beloit numbers, yet still are extremely good) along with a 27-10 K-BB ratio. So far in 2008, he's kept it up -- pitching once again with Ft. Myers (for now), he has a 1.48 ERA and 0.82 WHIP along with a 26-3 K-BB ratio. Delaney appears to be a rising relief star -- which is even more remarkable considering that he was a non-drafted free agent. How did that happen?
Bats/Throws: L/R
Birthdate: 9/8/84
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent (2006)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); Promoted to AA New Britain (6/16/08)
DePaula, Julio - Minor League Free Agent (11/10/08)
DePaula, who has been in the Twins organization since 1999, made his US debut back in 2002 with the GCL Twins and was great there before struggling in Elizabethton after a promotion. Since that time, DePaula has worked his way up through the organization one step at a time -- Elizabethton in 2003, Quad Cities (Beloit's Low-A predecessor) in 2004, Ft. Myers in 2005 and briefly in 2006, New Britain for most of 2006, and Rochester in 2007. Of course, DePaula also made his big league debut in 2007, getting into 16 games (and pitching 20.0 innings) for the Twins. It should be noted that DePaula struggled at the big league level (8.55 ERA/2.00 WHIP), and that he has been pretty bad in 2008 with the Red Wings as well (5.94/1.65). Hopefully, DePaula can regain his pre-callup form and make a bid for another stint with the Twins.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/31/1982
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent (1999)
Status: Rule 5 Eligible Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/14/08); Outrighted to Rochester (10/24/08); Granted minor league free agency (11/10/08)
Eacott, Jarrad
Eacott is an Australian signed in 2006. Eacott had a successful professional debut with the GCL Twins in 2007, posting a 2.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 27.2 innings. That virtually assured him of a promotion to Elizabethton in 2008.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 8/02/1988
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (c. 6/15/08); 7-Day DL (c. 7/02/08); Activated from DL (8/23/08)
Fritz, Nathan
Fritz was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent out of Milligan College in Tennessee. After posting an excellent 2007 season in which he went 8-4 with a 1.03 ERA, he fell off a bit last year and posted an ERA of 3.42. Considering that Milligan College is a small school, that was enough to drop him off of draft radar screens.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/05/1986
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Signed (c. 6/30/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (7/01/08)
Guerrier, Matt
Back in 2005, the Twins had to either take Guerrier north after spring training or remove him from the 40-man roster, which likely would have seen him claimed by another team. He pitched well enough in spring training to make the team, and proceeded to put up a 3.39 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 43 relief appearances covering 71.2 innings. Since that time, he's improved every year, posting a 3.36 ERA in 2006 and a 2.35 ERA in 2007, earning himself a place at the top level of the bullpen. Guerrier has not been quite as good in 2008 as in previous years, but with an ERA below 4.00 he still has pitched well enough to justify placing him in the top 3. With an injury to Pat Neshek, Guerrier has a chance to claim the empty setup job if he can perform well.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/2/1978
Drafted: 1999 (10th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
Gutierrez, Carlos
Gutierrez was the somewhat surprising late first round pick by the Twins in the 2008 draft, taken out of the University of Miami where he served as the teams closer. Gutierrez was considered a reach in the first round because he really doesn't have a solid repertoire of pitches -- but the Twins obviously saw something they liked.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/22/1986
Drafted: 2008 (1st Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/05/08); Signed (7/05/08); Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (7/09/08)
Hermsen, B.J.
Hermsen was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2008 draft out of West Delaware High School in Iowa. After finishing his high school season, Hermsen weighed the option of signing with the Twins against the opportunity to attend Oregon State University. In the end, Hermsen signed with the Twins at the deadline, and will beging his professional career in the Twins Instructional League this September.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/01/1989
Drafted: 2008 (6th Round)
Status: Yet to Play
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: Not Assigned
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (8/15/08)
Korecky, Bobby
Credit is due Korecky, who has consistently put up good numbers since being drafted by the Phillies in 2002. He hasn't been spectacular since he was in A-ball, but every year he puts up an ERA somewhere in the 3.00's, with a WHIP around 1.30 (with the exception of a short stint in AA in 2006 when his WHIP was 1.68). That kind of consistency has kept Korecky on the Twins radar while causing him to mostly go unconsidered by Twins fans. Thus, it came as something of a surprise to many when Korecky was added to the Twins 40-man roster in November. His early season numbers in Rochester in 2008 seem to have justified the move -- he's put together a 0.68 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 13.1 innings (note the small sample size). Those numbers were good enough to get Korecky a callup to the big leagues, where he's performed reasonably well in limited action.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/16/79
Drafted: 2002 (19th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/14/08); Recalled to Minnesota (4/25/08); Optioned to AAA Rochester (5/29/08); Recalled to Minnesota (9/02/08)
Mijares, Jose
Mijares is a hard-throwing lefty who was poised to start the 2008 season with Rochester before suffering an elbow injury in a car crash prior to the start of the season. As a result, he missed much of the year before coming back in July. His success in the GCL, Ft. Myers, and New Britain resulted in a surprise September callup to the Twins.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 10/29/1984
Drafted: International Signing (Venezuela)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AA New Britain (3/09/08); 7-Day DL (c. 4/01/08); Activated from DL (7/20/08); Option Transferred to High A Ft. Myers (7/21/08); Option Transferred to AA New Britain (8/05/08); Recalled to Minnesota (9/02/08)
Nathan, Joe
No one is going to argue that one of the best closers in the big leagues should be anywhere else on this list. Now that he's signed a long-term contract, we Twins fans will get a chance to continue to see Nathan ply his trade. I, for one, am delighted.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/22/1974
Drafted: 1995 (6th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Signed contract extension through 2011 with club option for 2012 (3/24/08)
Neshek, Pat
Neshek was struggling a bit in 2008 before seeing his season end due to an arm injury, but he clearly belongs in this spot in the rankings anyway after two seasons in which he posted a sub-3.00 ERA and became an integral part of the Twins bullpen attack. Despite his 4.73 ERA in 2008, he was still clearly the team's setup man, and he is likely to be missed throughout 2008.
Bats/Throws: S/R
Birthdate: 9/4/1980
Drafted: 2002 (6th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: 15-Day DL Retroactive to May 8 (5/10/08); Transferred to 60-Day DL (5/29/08); Activated from Disabled List (10/24/08)
Perkins, Glen
Glen Perkins is on this list because he spent nearly all of the 2007 season either injured or in the Twins bullpen. Nonetheless, he's going to be used as a starter in 2008 barring a major change in the Twins organizational philosophy. That makes it difficult to rank him on this list, since he's not really comparable to the other players on the list. His potential as a big leaguer means he belongs firmly in the top 5 of this list.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 3/2/1983
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/23/08); Recalled to Minnesota (5/10/08)
Reyes, Dennys -- Free Agent (10/30/08)
Reyes had a brilliant 2006 season for the Twins, posting a 0.89 ERA in 50.2 innings and earning himself a multi-year deal with the team. Last year he regressed, posting a 3.99 ERA in 29.1 innings. Now, the pendulum has swung back in Reyes' favor, as he has a 1.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 12.2 innings (that's in 21 games, which is a fairly remarkable stat in itself). Those numbers are good enough for me to place him as the fourth best reliever in the Twins bullpen, which places him fifth overall on this list.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 4/19/77
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Filed for Free Agency (10/30/08)
Rincon, Juan -- Designated for Assignment (6/12/08)
It wasn't all that long ago that Rincon was being discussed as a future closer for the Twins, and he's been an integral part of the bullpen since 2003. Unfortunately, Rincon's 2007 season, in which he posted a 5.13 ERA and 1.56 WHIP firmly took him out of the top tier of the Twins bullpen, and while he's improved his ERA so far this season (it's sitting under 4.00 as of this writing), he has been unable to get key outs and seems to have completely lost the confidence of the Twins coaching staff. Rincon will be a free agent at the end of the season, and considering that the Twins already tried to get rid of him by attempting to include him in the Delmon Young/Matt Garza swap (something the Rays wisely refused to agree to), it seems a foregone conclusion that this will be his final season as a Twin.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/23/79
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: None
2008 Transactions: Designated for Assignment (6/12/08); Rejected Assignment to AAA Rochester (6/13/08)
Shinskie, David
Shinskie has been a successful reliever in the Twins organization since being drafted in the 4th round of the 2003 draft out of Mount Carmel High School in Pennsylvania. His 2007 season, spent entirely in Ft. Myers, was solid (3.36 ERA/1.34 WHIP/64.1 innings) but fell short of the heights he achieved in 2006 with Beloit (2.13 ERA/1.20 WHIP/61-15 K-BB/76.0 innings). Unfortunately, his 2008 season was marred by injury.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/04/1984
Drafted: 2003 (4th Round)
Status: 6th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (c. 4/01/08); 7-Day DL (4/21/08); Assigned to Extended Spring Training (5/08/08); Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (c. 8/9/08); 7-Day DL (c. 8/9/08); Activated from DL (8/16/08)
Tonkin, Michael
Tonkin was drafted by the Twins in the 30th round of the 2008 draft out of Palmdale High School in California.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/19/1989
Drafted: 2008 (30th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/6/08); Signed (8/01/08); Assigned to GCL (8/03/08)
Vais, Danny -- RELEASED (c. 6/05/08)
Vais has alternated strong with mediocre seasons in his time with the Twins organization, starting off strong in 2004 with the GCL Twins (2.86 ERA/15-5 K-BB/22 innings), moving up and struggling a bit in Elizabethton in 2005 (4.95/30-5/40.0), pitching very well in Beloit in 2006 (2.23/78-26/80.2), then mysteriously being left in Beloit in 2007, only to struggle (4.15/69-12/78.0). This year, Vais has stayed true to form -- this is supposed to be an "up" year, and Vais has a 2.76 ERA and 23-12 K-BB ratio in 29.1 innings with the Ft. Myers Miracle. Hopefully Vais can keep up the strong work for the rest of this season, and break through with some odd-year success in 2009.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/21/1984
Drafted: Non-Drafted Free Agent (2004)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); Released (c. 6/05/08)
Van Mil, Ludovicus
Van Mil is a towering Dutchman who pitched sparingly, but well, in 2006 and 2007 with the Twins short-season clubs. The 2008 season saw a promotion to the full season Beloit Snappers, where Van Mil continued to succeed before leaving the club in July to pitch in the Olympics.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/15/1984
Drafted: International Signing (Netherlands)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (c. 4/01/08); Placed on Restricted List (7/20/08); Reinstated from Restricted List (c. 10/01/08)
Weller, Blayne
Weller was drafted by the Twins in the 14th round of the 2008 draft out of Key West High School in Florida. Weller was signed near the deadline, and reported to the GCL where he got into one game to begin his professional career.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/30/1990
Drafted: 2008 (14th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (8/14/08); Assigned to GCL (8/25/08)
Labels: 2008 Organizational Rankings
posted by JST @ Saturday, March 01, 2008
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