New Look Organizational Rankings

For the last two years, I've put together Organizational Rankings posts (they were linked on the right side of the page, but my messing around has temporarily removed them). Unfortunately, this year I never got around to getting the relief pitcher post up (if you're clever, you can get to the page that has about 1/4 of the players listed, but I never activated the link because it was never completed). Equally unfortunately, the idea suffered from my inability to determine exactly what information I wanted to convey on the pages. On the one hand, the lists have been put together in the order of my rankings -- which is great if you want to see who I valued going into each season. At the same time, however, I've been trying to use those pages as a player transactions database. While there is a LOT of information on the players in the organization available on the web, some basic information is widely scattered and requires some actual digging to get at.

I legitimately want to service both of the goals mentioned above -- I enjoy ranking players, but at the same time I think its nice to be able to go to one site to see transaction information, rather than trying to track it down from multiple sources. As a result, I've decided to change the way that I present the information.

First up, in January I will be unveiling my new "Organizational Database." No, it will not be a true database. It will not be searchable in the way a true database is -- it'll just be like one of my long "Organizational Rankings" posts, but it will be organized by last name rather than by my rankings so that it will be significantly easier to find the player you're looking for. No more guessing whether Nick Punto is listed as a 2B, SS, or 3B if you want to see info on him. More than likely, I'll put the data into 4 or 5 separate posts broken down in some fashion like "A-E, F-K," and so on.

Here's the kicker: my goal is to keep the Database as up-to-date as possible. I will include a link to a page (probably The Baseball Cube) where you can easily see historical stats. I will include all the basic vital information. Most importantly, however, I'm going to do my absolute best to give you information like what year the player will become Rule 5 eligible, how many options years the player has used, and so on. I will also make an effort to regularly update all transactions for all players at the Rookie League level and above. This is all information that I keep track of anyway, but other than a half-hearted effort to track transactions I generally haven't made it available on the site. I might as well try, and see if anyone finds it useful.

As for the Organizational Rankings, they will survive in a different format. Starting in early February I will begin putting out the rankings using some of the same rules as I've used in the past, such as deciding which one position a player belongs in and not changing the rankings during the year. The posts will be much more in the nature of a simple list than they have previously been, however, and more than likely will include only a paragraph or two of explanation at the bottom to give some insight into why I ranked Player A higher than Player B, and so on.

I sincerely hope that once I get these two projects up and running that those of you who visit this site will find them to be useful. In any case, they should be much more user-friendly (and informative) than they have been in the past.

A Comment on Rankings

Folks, I just ran across a great post over at Granny Baseball -- a website that I had not been aware of until it's proprietor posted a comment here. The post essentially is a reminder that most prospect rankings that appear on blogs -- such as my Organizational Rankings -- are being produced by people with zero input aside from stats and a few rumblings we've seen or heard about those players from news sources or, if you have a few connections like Seth, a few more reliable comments coming directly from people involved with the organization. Further, we have nothing to lose if we're wrong.

These are fantastic points, and I wholeheartedly endorse them. I unashamedly accept the position that I don't know anything about the organization that couldn't be figured out by anyone who is willing to put in a little bit of internet research. Why, then, do I bother?

When I started the Organizational Rankings last year, the posts were a natural outgrowth of work that I was doing to help me -- I was compiling all sorts of basic information on prospects anyway, and I wanted to do something with it (or most of it -- I still don't post my counts on option years outside of mentions in specific posts, for instance, because that usually requires tracking down a lot of transaction information and I never quite know if I'm right). All of the information that I compiled was available somewhere online, but in some cases it took some serious detective work to figure out what was going on with a player (and in some cases, I couldn't find what I was looking for at all).

So, since I had this information in one place, I decided to share most of it. I didn't just want to give an alphabetical list of players, however. Who was going to read that, or care? And I didn't just want to post a list of stats -- those are generally easy to find, and people can draw their own conclusions. Instead, since I enjoy projecting and predicting things, I decided to create my own very subjective list of Organizational Rankings by position. This divided the players up into natural segments, and it gave me something interesting to think about and post about.

I enjoy compiling the rankings largely because it gives me a chance to figure out how everyone did the year before (I often simply can't keep track of everyone over the course of the summer), and it also helps me decide what to pay attention to in the year ahead. Can a player like Ben Revere continue performing as well as he did in his first year? Can Henry Sanchez finally stay healthy and deliver on the promise of being a #1 pick? And so on down the line. It also gives me my first chance to really think about what the minor league teams are going to look like in the upcoming year.

I present this information as a "ranking" because that's fun to do. Nonetheless, I strongly encourage people to disagree with where I rank players and to think about where they would rank players precisely because I have no inside information, and my rankings are based largely on past performance. As the post at Granny Baseball that I linked to above points out, this is very often wrong -- it can lead people like me to "project . . . Torii Hunter as a 'slap hitter' while he was in the minor leagues because his power had yet to show itself." This is completely true (look at the hit that I put on Joe Benson, a highly touted outfield prospect, for instance!).

So, in case this wasn't already clear -- you shouldn't take my rankings too seriously, because they're largely for entertainment purposes only. If you want the real scoop, listen to the pros. Until then, keep those Top 10 lists and prospect rankings coming; they're good for discussion, even if in 3 years they'll look like the work of a first grader who was pointing at names on a master list and picking the players at random.

An Update on Organizational Rankings

Early this month, I completed my first set of organizational rankings. This post is to let you know how the organizational rankings will be used by me to track roster changes over the course of the season.

First, I have no intention of updating the actual ranking within each position, or of moving a player from one list to another in the middle of the season. So, for example, a player used primarily as a reliever last year who is primarily starting this season will remain on the reliever list until I update the rankings next February. I thought about doing a mid-season ranking update, and I might still change my mind on this, but for now I'm planning on leaving the rankings themselves in place until next season.

I will, however, be making some changes to the posts. For one thing, players who are released or otherwise removed from the organization will not be removed from the ranking, but their entry will be in red and the fact that they've been released will be indicated next to their name. Also, as players are assigned to minor league teams, I'll be updating the information next to their name to reflect that fact. Players who are signed or otherwise acquired by the Twins will be added to the appropriate ranking page at the bottom of the list.

The organizational rankings can be find at the bottom of the right sidebar. I encourage anyone to leave comments on the rankings themselves, and to let me know if I've left anyone off the list who should have been included, or if I've messed up biographical information on a player.

Organizational Rankings: Relief Pitchers

These archived Organizational Rankings were originally put together in February 2007. There are a few things to keep in mind when browsing through them:

1.) This is a subjective ranking -- please feel free to dispute where I've ranked players, but keep in mind that nothing happening in the 2007 season went into the decision on where to rank a player.

2.) A player's actual team assignment will be listed following the player's name. When my original projection of where a player would start out was wrong, I've listed that projection in parentheses and blue text behind the player's actual assignment.

3.) Each player is listed in only one of these posts. The determination of where to list a player was made based on where that player played most often in 2006, and I won't be moving players during the season.

4.) Players who are no longer with the team will remain on the list, but will be listed in red along with the method by which that player left the team.

5.) Players added to the team will be added at the bottom of the rankings, and will be ranked along with everybody else in the February 2008 update of the rankings.

Rank - Name - Likely 2007 Destination

#1 - Joe Nathan - Minnesota Twins
We all know that Nathan is one of the best closers in the game. As such, he's the leader of the bullpen, and easily deserves the #1 spot in this ranking. Since this post is designed to familiarize you with the Twins minor league system, I'm going to fly through the Major Leaguers pretty quickly . . .

#2 - Juan Rincon - Minnesota Twins
The Twins setup man continues to be consistently solid, with three straight seasons of 75 or more games pitched and sub-3.00 ERA's.

#3 - Pat Neshek - Minnesota Twins
Neshek exploded onto the scene last year by posting a 2.19 ERA in 37 innings and putting up an amazing 53-6 K-BB ratio. Placing him above some more experienced pitchers in the bullpen may be somewhat controversial, but with his stuff it seems appropriate.

#4 - Jesse Crain - Minnesota Twins
Crain was just rewarded with a 3-year contract, and if he can pitch like he did in 2005 (or at the end of 2006), it will prove to be a solid signing. Crain has the ability to be a top-flight member of the bullpen, but his early season struggles last season had to cause some concern. Nevertheless, he finished up with a 3.52 ERA in 76.2 innings and a 60-18 K-BB ratio, so it wasn't exactly a lost season.

#5 - Dennys Reyes - Minnesota Twins
If you would have said at the start of last season that Reyes would still be in the organization, let alone under a two-year contract and after a phenomenal 2006 season, I probably would have said you were crazy. Nevertheless, Reyes brings a solid veteran lefty presence to the Twins bullpen, and he deserves this high ranking.

#6 - Matt Guerrier - Minnesota Twins
Guerrier entered spring training in 2005 out of options. The Twins gave him a roster spot to keep him around, and he proceeded to post a 3.39 ERA in 71.2 innings and 43 appearances. Last season, despite missing some time with an injury, he posted a very similar 3.36 ERA in 69.2 games. That kind of consistency is a plus, and Guerrier no longer has to worry about whether he has a roster spot or not - he's a legitimate part of the Twins 'pen.

#7 - Mike Venafro - Traded to Toronto (c. 5/14/07)
Venafro, who made his Major League debut with Texas back in 1999, is being given a chance to win a bullpen spot with the Twins. Like Reyes last year, there is a very good chance that he'll actually start the season in Rochester. Also like Reyes, there is also a very good chance that he'll find himself at the Major League level within 45 days or so. Venafro is 33, and is a sidearmer who occasionally will throw a pitch from over the top just to change things up. The last time he got more than 19 innings of work at the Major League level was in 2002 with Oakland - but that could very well change this year.

#8 - Randy Choate - Elected Free Agency (3/24/07)
Choate's fate is inextricably tied up with Mike Venafro's. First, it looks like Venafro is going to finish the spring higher than Choate on the depth chart. If that results in Venafro making the Major League roster, it seems likely the Twins will offer Choate a spot with the Red Wings to guard against injury. If Venafro is sent to AAA to start the season, however, then Choate's position with the team will probably be imperiled. Choate is another sidearming lefty, 31-years-old, and he's pitched with Arizona for the past few seasons. He made 30 appearances last season (and just 16 innings), posting a 3.94 ERA. Whether he gets a chance to improve on those numbers with the Twins this season should be settled in the next few weeks.

#9 - Yohan Pino - Ft. Myers Miracle
Pino is a 23-year-old righty out of Venezuela who has demonstrated his great potential over his first two seasons with in the Twins organization. Last season, Pino pitched in Beloit, going 14-2 with a 1.91 ERA in 42 games (7 starts) over 94 innings while striking out 99 and walking just 20. Pino's future in the organization is probably as a starter, but either way he looks like a very promising prospect who has a legitimate shot of making it to the Majors sometime in the next 3 years or so.

#10 - Julio DePaula - Rochester Red Wings (Roc/NB)
DePaula is a 24-year-old righty who the Twins signed out of the Dominican Republic back in 1999. He would have become a minor league free agent this off-season, so the Twins added him to the 40-man roster to prevent that from happening. DePaula has not had a bad season in the organization (although the second half of 2002, with Elizabethton, was rough). Last year, he was 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 66.2 innings for New Britain. That probably means that he'll find himself in Rochester this year, but it's possible that the Twins could start him off in New Britain since he hasn't pitched a full season there yet.

#11 - J.P. Martinez - Rule 5 (Minor) - Baltimore (12/06/07)
Martinez is a 24-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 9th round of the 2004 draft out of the University of New Orleans. He had an outstanding 2005 season in Beloit, going 5-2/1.83/92-31 K-BB. That was followed up with a solid 2006 in Ft. Myers, where he went 4-4/2.91/88-44. The next step, to AA, is often considered to be the hardest a minor league can take - so we'll see how he pitches for the Rock Cats this season.

#12 - Jay Sawatski - New Britain Rock Cats [Rochester]
Sawatski is a 24-year-old lefty who was drafted by the Twins in the 8th round of the 2004 draft out of the University of Arkansas. He's been consistently excellent since joining the organization, and last year was no exception. He spent the majority of the season in New Britain, where he went 4-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 75.1 innings while osting a 69-22 K-BB ratio. Those numbers should easily be good enough to move Sawatski up to Rochester this season, where he'll get a chance to conintue to prove himself. Sawatski did make a couple of starts last season, but if he plays in Rochester this year, there is very little chance that he'll do so again.

#13 - Alex Smit - WAIVED -- Claimed by Cincinnati (7/12/07)
Smit was signed by the Twins in 2002 out of the Netherlands, and the 21-year-old lefty has pitched well enough in his 4 minor league seasons to find his way onto the 40-man roster. The Twins added him to the roster in November in order to keep Smit away from the Rule 5 Draft, and so now the 3 year option countdown gets underway. Smit will probably be used more as a starter than as a reliever this year, but last season he made 34 appearances while starting just 13, and hence his classification as a reliever. Smit pitched very well in Beloit last year, going 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA in 108.1 innings and a 141-53 K-BB ratio.

#14 - Dan Leatherman - Beloit Snappers
This is an awfully high ranking for a guy who just entered the Twins system last season after finishing up his college career. Nevertheless, I think he demonstrated a lot of talent in his first season in the organization, and I'm betting that he'll continue to make solid strides this year. Leatherman is a 21-year-old righty out of the University of West Virginia who started off in the Gulf Coast League after being picked up by the Twins last year. He pitched in just three games (9 inning) there before the Twins bumped him up to Elizabethton. Five games at the High Rookie level had him 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA and a 14-1 K-BB ratio. That was enough for the Twins, who moved him up to Beloit to finish his first season. He went 0-1/2.45/25-8 with the Snappers, proving that he was capable of competing at that level already. He'll probably start the season back with Beloit, because he has just 22 innings of experience there. However, there is a very good chance that by the end of the year he'll be pitching with the Miracle.

#15 - Jose Mijares - New Britain Rock Cats
Mijares is a 22-year-old lefty out of Venezuela who was signed by the Twins in 2002. He was added to the roster in November 2005 to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so he's already used up one option year, and this will be year number two. Mijares went 3-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 63 innings while striking out 77 and walking 27 with the Miracle last season, and that should be plenty to move him up to the AA level for this season. Just today, the Twins said that Mijares appeared to be on a mission coming into spring training, having dropped about 25 pounds and looking very focused. Unfortunately, he will also be coping with the tragic death of his brother in a shooting accident in Venezuela shortly after spring training started. If necessary, Mijares can be used as a starter (he started five games with the Miracle last year), but he'll get most of his playing time out of the bullpen.

#16 - Tristan Crawford - Minor League Free Agent (c. 11/02/07)
Crawford is a 24-year-old righty who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Twins back in 2000. It took him awhile to develop, as the Twins left him in the Gulf Coast League for his first three seasons before moving him up to Quad Cities for 2003 and 2004. His 2004 season was a breakthrough, as he posted a 2.79 ERA in 48.1 innings with a K-BB ratio of 43-9. He spent 2005 in Ft. Myers, and was in New Britain last season. His 6-5 record and 3.66 ERA, along with his still very solid 97-33 K-BB ratio, should easily be enough to earn him another promotion this season. Crawford got an invite to spring training this year as a non-roster player, and if he plays well this season he should end up on the 40-man roster in October to prevent his becoming a minor league free agent or to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

#17 - Ricky Barrett - Rochester Red Wings
Barrett is a 26-year-old lefty who was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round of the 2002 draft out of the University of San Diego. Other than his second half of 2005 (when he first made it to AAA and got ROCKED), Barrett has always been rock solid, rising through the system fiarly quickly. Last season, he was 5-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 47.1 innings while posting a 49-26 K-BB ratio. He pitched well enough that the Twins added him to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so his 3 option years will start ticking off in April.

#18 - Daniel Powers - RELEASED (c. 10/25/07)
Powers is a 24-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 8th round of the 2005 draft out of Central Missouri State University. He started off his Twins career in Elizabethton, where he went 3-3 with a 2.53 ERA and a 47-20 K-BB ratio in 2005. Last season, he started off in Beloit and dominated, going 1-0 with a 0.43 ERA in 21 innings while striking out 20 and walking just 4. The Twins recognized that he was stronger than the competition, and moved him up to Ft. Myers, where he went 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 58 innings while posting a 61-18 K-BB ratio. Those numbers may be good enough to get him promoted to New Britain (and probably should be), but there is at least a chance that he starts off in Ft. Myers.

#19 - Danny Vais - Beloit Snappers [Ft. Myers]
Vais is a 22-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 17th round of the 2003 draft out of Seward County Community College. He spent his first season in the Gulf Coast League, where he went 0-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 22 innings and a 15-5 K-BB ratio. He moved up to Elizabethton in 2005, and struggled a bit, going 6-1 with a 4.95 ERA in 40 innings, but his 30-5 K-BB ratio was still very nice. Last season, he got his first taste of full season action, playing in Beloit, and he responded with a 3-4 record and a 2.12 ERA in 80.2 innings with a 78-26 K-BB ratio, boosting him into the top 20 relief prospects in the organization. Ft. Myers and the Florida State League awaits him this season.

#20 - Bobby Korecky - Rochester Red Wings
Korecky is a 27-year-old righty who was drafted by the Phillies in the 19th round of the 2002 draft. He was traded to the Twins as the last part of the deal that sent Eric Milton to Philadelphia in exchange for Carlos Silva and Nick Punto in 2003. His first year in the Twins organization saw him pitching for New Britain, where he pitched effectively. Unfortunately, he missed almost all of the 2005 season with injury. Last year, he was back, going 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 25 innings with New Britain before being promoted to Rochester, where he went 5-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 51.1 innings. His K-BB ratio (28-16) is not particularly thrilling, but at least he seems to get outs. He's getting close to minor league free agency, so a good season could find him on the 40-man roster after the 2007 season is completed.

#21 - Ryan Callahan - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Callahan is a 26-year-old lefty who was signed by the Giants in 2004 as an undrafted free agent. The Janesville, Wisconsin native spent a couple of seasons in the Giants organization, but San Fran decided they didn't want him anymore and released him. The Twins signed him before last season and assigned him to Ft. Myers, where he posted a solid 3-5/3.79/57-27 effort. That should be enough to get Callahan a promotion to New Britain. Could it be the Giants made yet another foolish decision that's going to benefit the Twins? (Apparently not, since he's now been released).

#22 - Carmen Cali - Rochester Red Wings
Cali is a 28-year-old lefty who was drafted in the 10th round of the 2000 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent and invited to spring training, where he still has an (extremely) outside shot at making the Major League roster. Far more likely, however, is that Cali will start out in Rochester, where he'll try to become the #1 lefty option in case the team needs to call somebody up. His career 4.31 minor league ERA isn't that bad, but he'll have to establish himself quickly to stay above some of the other lefties in the organization on the depth chart. Recalled to Minnesota 7/5/07; optioned to Rochester 7/8/07

#23 - Brian Forystek - RELEASED (6/18/07)
Yet another minor league free agent, Forystek is a 28-year-old lefty who was drafted in the 14th round of the 2000 draft out of Illinois State University. Forystek made it to AAA back in 2004, but posted a 5.58 ERA and hasn't made it back sense. Last season at AA, he went 6-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 70.2 innings with a 64-32 K-BB ratio. Will that be good enough to get him a spot in the crowded Rochester bullpen? I doubt it - expect to see him in New Britain.

#24 - Brad Baker - Minor League Free Agent (c. 11/02/07)
Another minor league free agent, Baker is a 26-year-old righty who was drafted in the 1st round of the 1999 draft by the Red Sox. Tell me again where all of these minor league free agents are going to play?? Anyway, Baker struggled last year with Pawtucket in the Red Sox AAA system, going 2-4 with a 6.02 ERA in 46.1 innings. He has one phenomenal season under his belt, in 2004 with Mobile (AA with San Diego), where he went 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 57.1 innings. It's nice to have another 1st round pick in the organization, but I'm scratching my head a little bit here - hopefully he establishes himself with the Red Wings this summer. Promoted to Rochester 7/06/07

#25 - Chris Schutt - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Schutt is a 25-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round of the 2003 draft out of Cornell University. He started off with a bang at Elizabethton, posting a 1.98 ERA in 54.2 innings while putting up a 72-21 K-BB ratio. He than had a so-so season in Quad Cities as a starter (4.03 ERA in 143 innings) before switching back to the bullpen in 2005 with Ft. Myers. Last season, he started off in Ft. Myers, and went 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings before earning a promotion to New Britain. The results weren't so good - a 10.12 ERA in 10.2 innings and a woeful 7-10 K-BB ratio. Nevertheless, that should be where Schutt starts out 2007, as he tries to demonstrate that the sub-3.00 ERA in early 2006 was no fluke.

#26 - Jason Miller - Rochester Red Wings
Miller is a 24-year-old lefty who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2000 draft by the Twins out of Sarasota High School in Sarasota, FL. I imagine he's on the verge of becoming a minor league free agent, so 2007 will be an important year for Miller. Last season, he split his time almost evenly between starting and coming out of the bullpen - 32 games, 15 starts - but that just gets him on the list this year as a reliever. Considering the guys who should be starting for the Red Wings this year, I'll doubt he'll be getting many chances to start in 2007. Last season, he went 3-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 99.1 innings, striking out 87 and walking just 36. He's never had a full season that could be called "bad," as evidenced by his career 3.34 ERA in 517.2 innings. Unfortunately for Miller, there are a lot of new guys who probably slot in a bit ahead of him. A good year, however, should earn him a spot on the 40-man roster and a chance to make the bullpen in 2008.

#27 - Colby Miller - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Colby is a soon-to-be 25-year-old who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2000 draft by the Twins out of Weatherford High School in Weatherford, OK. He's been primarily a starter for most of his career, but last season he made just 7 starts in 25 appearances between Ft. Myers and New Britain. His K-BB ratio was not very good last year, but back in 2003 he had a 114-43 K-BB, so he has the capability to get strikeouts. He's been stalled out in the High A/AA level since 2003, and it looks like he'll be starting in New Britain again this year. Maybe he'll pitch well enough to get to AAA next year, but he should be a minor league free agent very soon.

#28 - Angel Garcia - Minor League Free Agent (c. 11/02/07)
Garcia is a 23-year-old righty who the Twins drafted in the 4th round of the 2001 draft out of Nicolas Sevilla High School in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. He's put together a few decent years, but his innings pitched totals are very low - he hasn't pitched more than 37.1 innings in a season since 2002, and for the most part has been in the 15-25 innings range. Last season, he posted a 2.93 ERA, but in just 15.1 innings. It seems somewhat unrealistic to expect him to start pitching 50 innings a year, but if he doesn't soon, he probably won't be with the team for much longer.

#29 - Jose Cordero - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Cordero is a 23-year-old righty who was drafted in the 44th round of the 2005 draft by the Twins out of the University of Miami. From here on down through the end of the list, you'll notice that the names aren't as flashy and the stats aren't as guady. In his two years in the organization, Cordero has made his way up to Beloit, where last year he went 3-2 with a 4.24 ERA in 51 innings with a 50-24 K-BB ratio. He's old enough that a social promotion to Ft. Myers might be in order, just to see if he can handle it at that level.

#30 - Armando Gabino - Ft. Myers Miracle [Beloit]
Gabino is a 23-year-old righty out of the Dominican Republic. He had a terrible 2005 in Elizabethton, going 1-2 with an ugly 8.10 ERA in 30 innings. Last year, however, Gabino went 1-0 with an 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings with the E-Twins before being promoted to Beloit, where he went 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 30.1 innings while posting a 20-5 K-BB ratio. He should start off in Beloit this year.

#31 - Josh Hill - Rule 5 (minor) -- drafted by Pittsburgh (12/06/07)
Hill is a soon-to-be 24-year-old Australian righty who spent last season with Ft. Myers. He posted a 6-6 record with a 4.88 ERA while striking out 80 and walking 42. Hill is a typical middle relief / emergency starter type, having made 33 appearances and 13 starts last season. He should get a chance to continue in the same role this season, once again with the Miracle.

#32 - Tim Lahey - Rule 5 (Major) - drafted by Tampa (12/06/07)
Lahey is a 25-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 20th round of the 2004 draft out of Princeton University. He started off in the organization as a catcher, but his .202 batting average for Elizabethton in 2004 must have been enough to convince the Twins that a future behind the plate wasn't in the cards. Lahey returned to Elizabethton in 2005, this time as a reliever, and went 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 25.1 innings, striking out 30 while walking just 8. Last season, he jumped all the way up to Ft. Myers, skipping the intermediate stop in Beloit, and went 7-1 with a 4.33 ERA in 72.2 innings with a 57-27 K-BB ratio. That ERA is good enough that it might get Lahey an immediate promotion to New Britain, but I'm guessing he'll start things out in Ft. Myers.

#33 - Jose Lugo - Beloit Snappers
Lugo is a soon-to-be 23-year-old lefty out of the Dominican Republic who was signed by the A's back in 2002. The Twins selected him in the minor league Rule 5 Draft in December of 2005, and he started last season in Elizabethton. His numbers were solid - 8-4/3.56/70-21 - and he was promoted to Beloit fairly quickly. While Lugo had started every game he played with Elizabethton, he was used exclusively in relief for the Snappers, where he went 1-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 28.1 innings with a 32-13 K-BB ratio. That should put him in line to start the season in Beloit, probably as a reliever. If the Snappers find themselves in need of a starter later in the season, he could very well be called upon to fill that role.

#34 - Frank Mata - Ft. Myers Miracle [FtM/Bel]
Mata is a soon-t0-be 23-year-old righty out of Venezuela who was signed by the Twins in 2002. He first pitched in 2004, with the E-Twins, where he went 2-2 with a 3.73 ERA in 31.1 innings with a 39-6 K-BB ratio. He missed the entire 2005 season, but returned in 2006 and spent the entire season with Beloit. His numbers were solid - 5-3/4.22/30-18 - but he may be left in Beloit at the start of the season just due to the way rosters are likely to shake out. I wouldn't be that surprised to see him starting of in Ft. Myers, though.

#35 - Justin Olson - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Olson is a soon-to-be 27-year-old righty who was drafted in the 44th round of the 1998 draft by the Cubs out of the University of Illinois. He ended up playing in the Frontier league in 2003, and the Twins picked him up from there. In 2003 and 2004, he was a solid prospect, with sub 3.00 ERA's. Since then, he's put up two pretty mediocre seasons in New Britain. He can be used either as a starter or a reliever, as evidenced by last seasons 32 appearances with 9 starts. His K-BB numbers are solid - 102-40 last season - but his 5.09 ERA in 88.1 innings shows that he's eminently hittable. Time is probably running out for Olson to impress the Twins enough to stay around the organization.

#36 - David Shinskie - Ft. Myers Miracle
Shinskie is a 22-year-old righty who the Twins drafted in the 4th round of the 2003 draft out of Mount Carmel Area High School in Mount Carmel, PA. After a disastrous 2003 season in the GCL, he nonetheless earned a promotion to Elizabethton in 2004 and had a solid year. His 2005 season with Beloit was horrible (7.22 ERA in 77.1 innings), but in 2006 he shifted completely into a relief role and went 6-7 with a 2.13 ERA in 76 innings with a 61-15 K-BB ratio. Unfortunately, his season was marred by an 11 game stint in New Britain, where he posted an 8.44 ERA. This season should find Shinskie in Ft. Myers, where he'll try to prove that his Beloit numbers from 2006 were no fluke.

#37 - Jon (Justin) Staatz - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Staatz is a 23-year-old righty who entered the Twins organization last year and played with both the GCL and Elizabethton Twins. His GCL numbers (3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings with a 20-3 K-BB ratio) were good enough to get him reassigned upwards, and he went 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA and a 17-10 K-BB ratio in 21.2 innings for the E-Twins. I'm predicting that will be good enough to get Staatz to Beloit to start the season, largely due to his age and presumed experience.

#38 - Matthew Fox - Beloit Snappers
Fox is a 24-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round of the 2004 draft out of the University of Central Florida. He spent his 2004 season in Elizabethton, posting a mediocre 5.40 ERA in 26.2 innings with a 32-8 K-BB ratio. Presumably due to injury, he missed the entire 2005 season, and so returned to Elizabethton last year, where he put up a more impressive record of 4-0 with a 3.79 ERA in 40.1 innings while striking out 46 and walking just 13. That should earn Fox a ticket to Beloit for the 2007 season, and he tries to regain the luster that comes with being a former #1 pick.

#39 - Danny Hernandez - Beloit Snappers
Hernandez is a 21-year-old righty out of Venezuela who was signed by the Twins in 2003. He pitched in the GCL in 2005, and despite lackluster numbers (1-1/5.48/19-17), he was promoted to Elizabethton for the 2006 season. His 3.81 ERA in 28.1 innings, to go along with his solid 40-9 K-BB ratio, should make him a legitimate contender for a roster spot in Beloit.

#40 - Patrick Bryant - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Bryant is a 21-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2004 draft out of Pensacola Catholic High School in Pensacola, FL. He spent his first two seasons in the organization with the GCL Twins, and despite a 6.44 ERA in 36.1 innings in 2005, he was promoted to Elizabethton last season. Unfortunately, he didn't do any better there, going 0-1 with a 6.61 ERA in 32.2 innings. I would normally guess that Bryant would be sent to the E-Twins for another year, but four years at the rookie level seems excessive, and the Twins might send him to Beloit on a sink-or-swim assignment.

#41 - Matthew Williams - Beloit Snappers [Beloit]
Williams is a 20-year-old righty out of Australia who was signed by the Twins in 2004. He made an extremely impressive debut in the GCL, going 3-2 with a 1.93 ERA in 37.1 innings and a 42-13 K-BB ratio in 2005. He moved up to Elizabethton in 2006, and continued to pitch well, going 4-2 with a 3.89 ERA in 39.1 innings and a 41-10 K-BB ratio. Williams should easily end up in Beloit this season. Promoted from Elizabethton to Beloit (6/29/07)

#42 - Aaron Craig - Beloit Snappers [Bel/Eliz]
From here on, the list primarily consists of players with more limited rookie league playing time (or less than limited, as in nonexistent). Craig is a soon-to-be 21-year-old righty who was drafted by the Twins in the 28th round of the 2004 draft out of Grayson County Junior College (he's a Rochester, Minnesota native). Craig put up solid numbers in the GCL in 2005 (1-3/3.97/23-7), earning himself a promotion to Elizabethton for last season. His 5.11 ERA in 24.2 innings and his unimpressive 17-15 K-BB ratio probably means he's bound for another season in Elizabethton, but a trip to Beloit is at least possible.

#43 - Carlos Garcia - Dominican Summer League [Eliz]
Garcia is a soon-to-be 20-year old lefty out of the Dominican Republic. He made his organizational debut last season in the GCL, going 3-0 with a 3.68 ERA and an unimpressive 16-15 K-BB ratio. That should be good enough for a promotion to Elizabethton, but not much more.

#44 - Robert Delaney - Ft. Myers Miracle [Bel/Eliz]
Delaney is a 22-year-old righty who ended up with the Twins after playing for St. John's University. He went 1-3 with a 4.64 ERA in 33 innings and a remarkable 27-1 K-BB ratio for the GCL Twins last season. He also played 3 games in Ft. Myers, but his 5.40 ERA in 5 innings would seem to indicate that skipping two levels was probably a bit much. I would look for him in Elizabethton this year, but his K-BB ratio may indicate that he has pretty good stuff and impeccable control, so he could end up finding himself playing for the Snappers.

#45 - Bradley Tippett - Elizabethton Twins
Tippett is a 19-year-old Australian righty who had a strong GCL season last year (3-5/2.53 in 21.1 innings/18-5 K-BB). He's still young enough that there is no reason to rush him, and he seems to be a perfect candidate for time in extended spring training with a trip to Elizabethton once the short season starts in June.

#46 - Luis Carreras - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Carreras is a 23-year-old righty from Covina (presumably California) who pitched in 14 games for the GCL Twins last season. His 3.34 ERA and 23-5 K-BB ratio indicates that he has some potential, so expect to see him in Elizabethton this season. His age is a consideration, however - he'll have to pan out sooner rather than later, or risk being let go.

#47 - Adam Revelette - RELEASED (c. 5/08/07)
Revelette is a 22-year-old lefty out of the University of Kentucky who went 2-1 with a 4.78 ERA in 26.1 innings and an 18-3 K-BB ratio for the GCL Twins last season. His age would seem to indicate that a promotion to Elizabethton is in order, but his mediocre ERA might militate towards a return trip through the GCL.

#48 - Jose Acosta - RELEASED (c. 10/25/07)
Acosta is a 20-year-old righty out of Venezuela who made four appearances (pitching 6 innings) with the GCL Twins last season. Not much else to say, really.

#49 - Jakub Toufar - GCL Twins
Toufar is a soon-to-be 20-year-old righty out of the Czech Republic (yes, THAT Czech Republic) who made 10 appearances (15.1 innings) for the GCL Twins last season. Undoubtedly, he will return there in 2007.

#50 - Bruno Sanchez - Venezuelan Summer League [GCL]
Sanchez is a 20-year-old righty out of Venezuela who posted an 8.31 ERA in 11 games (17.1 innings) with the GCL Twins in 2006.

#51 - Thomas Wright - GCL Twins
Wright is a 19-year-old righty who was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2006 draft by the Twins out of McGavock High School in Nashville, TN. He was overmatched in his first professional season, posting an 11.74 ERA in 7.2 innings to go along with a horrendous 3-9 K-BB ratio. A return trip to the GCL would seem to be in order.

#52 - Joan Ortiz - UNASSIGNED [GCL Twins]
Ortiz is an 18-year-old righty who was drafted in the 41st round of the 2006 draft by the Twins out of Ponce de Leon High School in Ponce de Leon, FL. He made 1 appearance for the GCL Twins last year, going 2.1 innings and giving up 1 ER. He'll be back with the team this year, likely in a more significant capacity.

#53 - Chris Anderson - UNASSIGNED [Eliz/GCL]
And now we get to those miscellaneous pitchers who haven't pitched in the organization. Anderson was the Twins 18th round pick in last years draft, and the soon-to-be 21-year-old lefty out of Northern Essex Community College should start off his career with one of the short-season teams, after a proper evaluation during extended spring training. CONTRACT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN VOIDED, AS NOTED BY A COMMENTER BELOW.

#54 - Matt Ryan - UNASSIGNED [Eliz/GCL]
Ryan is a soon-to-be 21-year-old Australian lefty who has played first base in the Angels system for the last couple of seasons. The Twins have signed him to try to turn him into a pitcher, so extended spring training and one of the rookie teams are an extremely likely destination for him.

#55 - Domingo Reyes - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
Reyes is 22, and was drafted a couple of years ago by the Pirates. He hasn't played since then, and there's no record of what he's been up to in the interim.

#56 - Rodney Gessmann - GCL Twins
A 19-year-old righty from Germany who can also play in the outfield.

#57 - Jarrad Eacott - GCL Twins
A 17- or 18-year-old, probably right handed, Australian.

#58 - James Beresford - GCL Twins
Another Aussie, Beresford was signed as 16, and has now finished secondary school. He can also supposedly play in the infield.

#59 - Tom Stuifbergen - GCL Twins
A 17- or 18-year-old righty from the Netherlands.

#60 - Nikolay Lobanov - GCL Twins
A left-handed Russian who is just 17 (maybe 18 by now).

#61 - Jesus Carnevales - RELEASED (c. 10/25/07)
A lefty from Puerto Rico of indeterminate age who appears to have gone 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA in a Puerto Rican league.

NR - Ian Mopas - UNASSIGNED [Eliz/GCL]
Mopas was the Twins 30th round selection in the 2006 draft, and signed shortly before the cut-off around the end of May, 2007. He's a lefty from Hawaii who was drafted out of high school and then spent his spring playing in Junior College before signing with the Twins. He was born on December 23, 1987.

NR - Anthony Slama - Beloit Snappers [Eliz/GCL]
Slama was drafted by the Twins in the 39th round of the 2006 draft, and was signed this spring at the end of May as the draft and follow deadline (the last one ever) approached. He was born on January 6, 1984.

NR - Daniel Berlind - GCL Twins [Eliz/GCL]
Berlind was the Twins 7th round pick in the 2007 draft, coming out of Pierce Junior College in California. He's a very tall righty -- 6'7" -- and supposedly has a nasty slider. He was born on December 3, 1987, and signed with the Twins on June 12.

NR - Steven Hirschfeld - Elizabethton Twins
Hirschfeld was the Twins 9th round pick in the 2007 draft, coming out of San Diego State University. Baseball America has rather unflatteringly characterized him as a guy with an average fastball and not much else, so I'm sure he'll be motivated to prove them wrong. The righty was born on September 8, 1985, and signed with the Twins on June 12.

NR - Daniel Latham - Elizabethton Twins
Latham was the Twins 15th round pick in the 2007 draft, coming out of Tulane University in Louisiana. He was a closer at Tulane, and a pretty good one at that, ranking 6th all time in NCAA saves. Latham is a 6'3" righty who weighs in at 185, and was born on September 5, 1984. He signed with the Twins on June 12.

NR - Lee Martin - GCL Twins [Eliz/GCL]
Martin was the Twins 18th round pick in the 2007 draft, coming out the University of Southern Arkansas. He's a 6'0" righty who was born on May 28, 1986, and he signed on June 12.

NR - Henry Reyes - Elizabethton Twins [No Prediction]
Reyes is a graduate of the Twins Dominican Summer League team, where he went 6-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 77.1 innings last season. Reyes also had an excellent .168 batting average against, and a 71-33 K-BB ratio. He was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic on 5/07/1985, and throws from the left side.

NR - Michael Rogers - RELEASED (c. 10/25/07)
Well, this one threw me for a loop a little bit, I confess. I finally dug up the fact that Rogers was a 16th round pick of the Twins in 2003 out of Del City High School in Oklahoma. I have no reason to believe that this isn't the same Rogers, but I have no idea what happened to him since 2003. My guess is he pitched somewhere, but I really don't know where. I do know that he was spotted pitching this spring in Extended Spring Training, so he's been with the Twins for awhile at leasts. Heck, for all I know, he's been with the Twins since 2003 but has been injured. either way, he was born on 6/11/85, and throws from the left side.

NR - Michael Tarsi - Elizabethton Twins [No Prediction]
This one is interesting -- Tarsi was the Twins 12th round pick in the 2007 draft, but to this point no official mention of his signing has been made. That makes things a little strange, since he's been placed on an Elizabethton roster. I can only assume that in the last 8 days, the Twins have signed some players without announcing those signings. Tarsi was born on August 11, 1986, and is a lefty. He comes out of the University of Connecticut.

NR - Santos Arias - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Arias is a graduate of the Twins Dominican Summer League team, having put together a phenomenal 2006 season there. He went 10-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 95 innings, allowing just a .160 batting average against, and striking out 62 to just 17 walks. He was born on 3/17/1987, and throws from the right side.

NR - Liam Hendriks - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Hendriks is an Australian who was signed by the Twins in March. He's an 18-year-old right hander out of Perth, Australia (born on 2/10/1989), and throws from the right side.

NR - Winston Marquez - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Marquez is a graduate of the Twins Venezuelan Summer League team, where he went 1-5 with a 4.82 ERA in 65.1 innings in 2006. He's a young lefty (born 8/19/1987) out of Tovar, Venezuela.

NR - Danny Rondon - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Rondon is a graduate of the Twins Dominican Summer League team, where he went 4-4 with a 1.48 ERA in 67 innings in 2006. He was born in Valencia, Valenzuela on 6/21/1987, and throws from the right side.

NR - Charles Nolte - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Nolte was the Twins 24th round selection in the 2007 draft. He's a righty out of San Diego State University who was also born in San Diego on 3/19/86.

NR - Mark Hamburger - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Hamburger was signed by the Twins on 6/20/07 after attending an open tryout, and was assigned to the GCL. The 20-year-old righty (born 2/05/87) was attending Mesabi Range Community & Technical College before being signed.

NR - Blair Erickson - Unassigned [No Prediction]
Erickson was drafted in the 10th round of the 2007 draft out of UC-Irvine. The 23-year-old righthander pitched primarily in relief in college, and will presumably continue in that capacity when he starts pitching in the Twins organization.

NR - Nelvin Fuentes - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Fuentes was drafted in the 16th round of the 2007 draft out of a Puerto Rican baseball academy. He'll turn 19 on April 7th. He's a lefty who made his GCL appearances in relief.

NR - Dominique Rodgers - GCL Twins [No Prediction]
Rodgers was drafted by the Twins in the 36th round out of Kent State University. The righty will turn 23 on January 21. He pitched out of relief in the GCL during his first season of professional baseball.

NR - Andrey Lobanov - No Assignment [No Prediction]
Not to be confused with fellow Russian Nikolay Lobanov, Andrey is a young (17-ish) pitcher who was one of the Twins summer international signings. I've been able to find very little information on him to this point, but will try to find more prior to compiling my 2008 Organizational Rankings in February. I do know he's a lefty.

NR - Casey Daigle - No Assignment [No Prediction]
Daigle is a 26-year-old righty (he turns 27 on April 4) out of Lake Charles, Louisiana who was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent on 12/03/07. Prior to joining the Twins, Daigle had spent his entire professional career in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He spent parts of 2004 and 2006 at the big league level with the D-backs, posting a career major league ERA of 6.46 in 61.1 innings. In 2007, he started 16 games and made 26 relief appearances.

NR - Mariano Gomez - No Assignment [No Prediction]
Gomez was a minor league free agent signing for the Twins out of the Indians organization. He was signed out of Honduras in 1999 and made his minor league debut in rookie ball at age 17. The left-handed Gomez, born on September 12, 1982, has a career minor-league ERA of 4.15 in 558 career innings along with a reasonably acceptable 1.41 career WHIP, over a 2-1 K-BB ratio, and a 7.00 K/9. While Gomez has at times been used as a starter, he's been primarily a reliever since 2003. In early January, he was extended an invitation to spring training.

Organizational Rankings: Starting Pitchers

These archived Organizational Rankings were originally put together in February 2007. There are a few things to keep in mind when browsing through them:

1.) This is a subjective ranking -- please feel free to dispute where I've ranked players, but keep in mind that nothing happening in the 2007 season went into the decision on where to rank a player.

2.) A player's actual team assignment will be listed following the player's name. When my original projection of where a player would start out was wrong, I'll list that projection in parentheses and blue text behind the player's actual assignment.

3.) Each player is listed in only one of these posts. The determination of where to list a player was made based on where that player played most often in 2006, and I won't be moving players during the season.

4.) Players who are no longer with the team will remain on the list, but will be listed in red along with the method by which that player left the team.

5.) Players added to the team will be added at the bottom of the rankings, and will be ranked along with everybody else in the February 2008 version of the rankings.

Rank - Name - Likely 2007 Destination

#1 - Johan Santana - Minnesota Twins
Not really any other choice here, is there.

#2 - Francisco Liriano - Minnesota Twins
Twins fans all know that Liriano won't be around this season, which is unfortunate. Looking on the upside of things, he should still be a great young pitcher in 2008 when he returns (although the Twins will need to worry about arbitration at the end of that season, and that could be painful). Still and all, there doesn't seem to me to be any reason to doubt that Liriano is the second best pitcher in the organization. Let's hope I can still say that after he comes back.

#3 - Matt Garza - TRADED to Tampa Bay (11/28/07)
It's possible that Garza will make the Twins out of spring training as the fifth starter, but I'm guessing that isn't going to happen - simple math dictates that several deserving candidates aren't going to get a spot. I think the Twins would like to take a breather with Garza anyway - he was rushed to the Major Leagues last season more quickly than the Twins probably would have preferred, and the results were pretty mediocre. Another spring, and some more chances to work on his pitch selection at AAA to start the season, are probably just what is needed for Garza. For those who didn't pay attention last year, Garza was the Twins first-round pick in the 2005 draft, and the 23-year-old Garza has rocketed through the system (he pitched at 4 levels last year! FOUR!). With just 5 starts at the AAA level, there is certainly more learning that can be done there - but man, what an upside.

#4 - Boof Bonser - Minnesota Twins
The story of how the Twins acquired Bonser is old news now, but in case you haven't heard it I'll just mention that Bonser was thrown into the deal that sent A.J. Pierzynski to San Francisco in exchange for Joe Nathan and some fella named Francisco Liriano. Until last year, Bonser was viewed (at least outside the organization) as a middling prospect - someone who may or may not become a legitimate major leaguer at some point. Last year, the 25-year-old Bonser put it all together, pitching well enough at AAA to get a chance in the bigs after Scott Baker couldn't hold down the fifth spot in the rotation. After struggling early, Bonser found his rhythym down the stretch, and was one of the most important pitchers in the rotation. This season, he's virtually assured of landing a spot (probably as the #2 starter) in the Twins rotation, and it will be interesting to see if he can continue to pitch effectively. Based on what we saw late last season, there doesn't seem to be any reason to say no.

#5 - Glen Perkins - Minnesota Twins (Roc/Min)
Perkins is a left-handed version of Matt Garza, not in terms of pitching style but in terms of career arc. Perkins was also an college starter who was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (a year before Garza, in 2004). Perkins also has moved through the organization quickly, pitching at 3 levels last year (although, to be fair, he spent almost the entire season in New Britain). Still, when he made it to the Twins, he was fantastic - showing clearly that he will be a Major League starter sometime soon. Like Garza, the soon-to-be 24-year-old (from Stillwater, Minnesota) could conceivably make the team out of spring training, but starting out in Rochester makes more sense. By next season, he should be in line to earn a spot in the rotation.

#6 - Kevin Slowey - Rochester Red Wings
The 2005 draft was a humdinger for the Twins, as they picked up Slowey the round after Matt Garza. Slowey is a 22-year-old who was drafted out of Winthrop University, and like Garza and Perkins he has quickly moved through the system. Last season, Slowey was absolutely great in Ft. Myers (1.01 ERA/99-9 K-BB/89.1 innings), earning a promotion to New Britain. He was still very good there (3.19/52-13/59.1 innings), and that should be enough to earn him a place in the Rochester rotation. It is possible (although so unlikely that I'm not even listing him as being on a cut-point) that he could spend the first month or so in New Britain - but that seems unlikely. The right-handed Slowey is mentioned as a Brad Radke type, a control pitcher who is never going to blow people away but who could still be very effective. I would say that there's a 75% chance that he makes his Major League debut this season (probably in September). Optioned to Rochester 7/5/07

#7 - Carlos Silva - FREE AGENT (c. 10/29/07)
I really wasn't sure where to put Silva. On the one hand, he's a proven Major League starter. On the other - he was terrible last season. The 27-year-old (28 in April) finally landed here because I think he can continue to be a #3 or 4 starter at the Major League level for several more years, and many of the guys below him on this list are really just unproven prospects. If Silva doesn't perform early this year, however, there is a very good chance that he will lose his job with the Twins - and assuming that the young guys in Rochester develop as expected, there is very little likelihood that he'd be returning to the Twins next season.

#8 - Ramon Ortiz - TRADED to Colorado (8/15/07)
Same story as Silva, listed above. I didn't really know where to put him, so I'm putting him up here based on his Major League experience. Like Silva, he almost certainly will not be back next season - but let's hope he pitches well enough this year to justify the $3 million + the Twins spent on him. Incidentally, Ortiz is 30, and will turn 31 in May.

#9 - Scott Baker - Minnesota Twins (Rochester)
Twins fans should be familiar with Baker, who has spent significant parts of 2005 and 2006 with the Twins. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old has never quite put it together at the big league level, with a career record of 8-11 and an ERA of 5.19. On the plus side, his K-BB ratio of 94-30 is solid, and indicates that he can get people out - he just hasn't done it consistently enough. Baker was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft, and is essentially entering his last chance year with the Twins - if he spends any time in the minors this year, it will use up his third and final option. As with several of the young guns mentioned above, it's possible that he could pitch himself onto the team at the start of the season, but he seems much more likely to start out in Rochester, where he'll continue to battle with his teammates to determine who will get the first call-up. I like Baker - and the way he handled the Yankees last year indicates that the dude can flat out pitch - but I'm not convinced that he can do it consistently well at the big league level. He's got one year left as a Twin to prove that he can.

#10 - J.D. Durbin - Waived (Claimed by Arizona Diamondbacks)
Ah, J.D. Durbin. The Real Deal. The soon-to-be 25-year-old was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2000 draft, and it's been a long, slow slog through the system since that time. Actually, it didn't start off too slowly - he pitched well in 2001 with Elizabethton, and was good in Quad Cities back in 2002. By 2004 he was all the way up in New Britain to start the season, and a solid season there earned him a promotion to Rochester, where he went 3-2/4.54/38-16 in 35.2 innings. He also made his Major League debut that year, posting a 7.36 ERA in 7.1 innings. He hasn't been back up since. It looked like 2006 was going to be a bounce-back year for Durbin, and he posted numbers of 4-3/2.33/81-50 in 89.0 innings before having to shut things down due to a nerve problem in his arm. Durbin is now out of options, which means he has to make the Twins or be exposed to waivers - and with his upside, someone will pick him up. My money is on Durbin making the team, either as the fifth starter (unlikely), or as the 7th arm out of the bullpen. That's all dependent on Durbin regaining his arm strength this spring and being able to pitch - but I hope he makes it.

#11 - Eduardo Morlan - TRADED to Tampa Bay (11/28/07)
Morlan, who will turn 21 on March 1, was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2004 draft. The righty was assigned to the GCL Twins, where he went 1-2 with a 2.84 ERA and a 28-10 K-BB ratio in 25.1 innings. He split 2005 between Elizabethton and Beloit, posting great numbers in 4 starts with the E-Twins, and ok numbers (4.38/55-31 in 51.1 innings) with Beloit. Last season, in a full year with the Snappers, he went 5-5 with a 2.29 ERA and a 125-38 K-BB ratio in 106.1 innings. That seems to have been a great step forward for Morlan, and should earn him a promotion to the Miracle this year, where he will continue to try to move on up through the system. With so many great pitchers in the system above him, I don't expect him to receive a mid-season promotion - but if he's great with the Miracle, it certainly could happen.

#12 - Oswaldo Sosa - New Britain Rock Cats (NB/FtM)
Sosa is 21, and was signed in 2002 as an undrafted player out of Venezuela. The righty started off his Twins career in the GCL in 2004, and was with Elizabethton in 2005. He pitched well enough there to move on to Beloit last season, where he went 9-7 with a 2.75 ERA and a 95-36 K-BB ratio in 117.2 innings before being promoted to Ft. Myers to finish up the season. He only made 6 starts for the Miracle, but his 4-1 record and 2.08 ERA may be enough to earn him a promotion to New Britain to start the season; it's also entirely possible, however, that Sosa could start off in Ft. Myers to get a bit more seasoning before being promoted. Either way, he's established himself as a solid starting prospect for the organization.

#13 - Dave Gassner - Minor League Free Agent (c. 11/02/07)
The Twins have removed the left-handed Gassner from their 40-man roster, but he remains a potential spoiler to return to the Major Leagues. Gassner is 28, and has put together a solid minor league career with Toronto and Minnesota, with a 53-34 record and a 3.52 ERA. His sole big-league experience was in 2005 with the Twins, when he went 1-0 with a 5.87 ERA in 7.2 innings. Gassner will more than likely have enough service time to become a minor league free agent at the end of the year if he isn't on the 40-man roster by that point, and would also be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft if he wasn't added. If he is added, and is assigned to the minor leagues, he'll use up his last option. In other words, this is a make-it-or-break-it year for Gassner in the Twins organization. While I like him, I suspect his Twins career is entering its final stretch.

#14 - Sidney Ponson - RELEASED (c. 5/13/07)
Too high? Too low? I see him as more of a risk than Silva or Ortiz (that may very well be a poor assumption), and so ranked him fairly low for a guy who is in line to make the Major League team. I'm not going to say much about the 30-year-old, other than that he has Major League talent - you don't go 14-6 with a 3.77 ERA if you can't pitch in the big leagues - but he certainly hasn't shown it over the past few seasons. If he has a reasonable spring, he'll break camp as the Twins fifth starter. If he doesn't - I suspect he'll be released. Expect him to make at least a few starts in April for the Twins.

#15 - Anthony Swarzak - New Britain Rock Cats
Swarzak was the Twins 2nd round selection in the 2004 draft. The 21-year-old righty started off his Twins career that year in the GCL, where he had a 2.63 ERA in 48 innings. He skipped Elizabethton, heading right to Beloit for the start of the 2005 season, where he went 9-5 with a 4.04 ERA and a 101-32 K-BB ratio in 91.1 innings before being promoted to Ft. Myers, where he continued to pitch well. He stayed in Ft. Myers for a full season last year, and had a 3.27 ERA and a 131-60 K-BB ratio - certainly good enough to be given another promotion for this season. Most of the Twins top pitching prospects are guys who were drafted out of college - Swarzak was a high school pick. It makes sense, then, that he's not as far along as fellow 2004 draftee Glen Perkins - but he's moving along at a good, solid pace, and he could be making his Major League debut in a few years if he continues to develop.

#16 - Kyle Aselton - Ft. Myers Miracle [New Britain]
Aselton, who turns 24 on February 28, was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2004 draft out of Oregon State University. The lefty was assigned to Elizabethton in 2004, and went 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA in 37.2 innings. He spent 2005 in Beloit, putting up the best numbers of his professional career (6-2/2.49/113-61 K-BB), mostly in relief. Last year, Aselton was promoted to Ft. Myers, and spent his time exclusively as a starter, going 9-5 with a respectable 3.79 ERA and a 90-54 K-BB ratio in 97.1 innings. Aselton should be promoted yet again this year, continuing his steady climb through the organization.

#17 - Kyle Waldrop - New Britain Rock Cats (FtM/NB)
Waldrop is a 21-year-old righty who was drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 draft out of Farragut High School in Knoxville, TN. He started off his Twins career in the GCL, and dominated hitters through 7 games (3-2/1.42 ERA/30-4 K-BB in 38 innings) before being promoted in the middle of the season to Elizabethton, where he continued to pitch well (3.24 ERA). He spent his entire 2005 season in Beloit, and struggled a bit, going 6-11 with a 4.98 ERA and a still great 108-23 K-BB ratio in 151.2 innings. That season wasn't good enough to get him promoted, so he started 2006 back in Beloit, where he went 6-3 with a 3.85 ERA before being promoted to Ft. Myers in midseason. His 3-2 record was complimented by a 3.57 ERA. I'm guessing that Waldrop will start this season in Ft. Myers, but there is a chance that he could be moved up to New Britain right from the start.

#18 - Brian Duensing - Rochester Red Wings [New Britain]
Duensing, who turned 24 today, was the Twins 3rd round selection in the 2005 draft out of the University of Nebraska. The lefty pitched with Elizabethton in 2005, going 4-3 with a 2.32 ERA in 50.1 innings. His promotion to Beloit to start the 2006 season was therefore assured, and Duensing didn't disappoint, going 2-3 with a 2.94 ERA and a 55-14 K-BB ratio in 70.1 innings before being promoted to Ft. Myers. While he wasn't dominant there, his 4.24 ERA in 40.1 innings earned him another promotion, this time to New Britain, and he once again looked very good (3.65 ERA/30-18 K-BB). With so many solid starters at Rochester, there wouldn't be room there for Duensing just yet even if the Twins wanted to promote him. He should start the season in New Britain, and I would be surprised if he didn't spend the entire season there.

#19 - Jeremy Cummings - RELEASED (c. 7/05/07)
Cummings is a 30-year-old who was picked up as a minor league free agent, coming out of the Phillies organization. The righty is essentially a man without a spot right now, as the Twins have a log-jam of starters at the AAA level, and there doesn't seem to be room for a 30-year-old minor league lifer. Cummings has posted some solid numbers at the AAA level - he has a 3.86 lifetime ERA in 890 innings, and has a K-BB ratio of 671-227. Cummings was invited to Spring Training, so he'll be auditioning for a spot somewhere in the organization during the spring (theoretically, he's probably even being given a shot to win the fifth starters job, although it's unlikely he would succeed). My guess is that Cummings will either be cut before the end of camp, or will go to Rochester to be used primarily as a reliever and as insurance in case of an injury to one of the regular starters.

#20 - Ryan Mullins - New Britain Rock Cats [Ft. Myers]
Mullins is a 23-year-old lefty who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft out of Vanderbilt University. He was assigned to Elizabethton, and proceeded to go 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA and a 60-13 K-BB ratio in 53.2 innings. Last season, he started for Beloit, going 5-8 with a 3.86 ERA in 139-53 K-BB ratio in 156.1 innings. There is no reason to think that he won't be promoted to Ft. Myers for this season.

#21 - Jeff Manship - Ft. Myers Miracle (Ft.M / Bel)
Manship is a 22-year-old righty who was drafted in the 14th round of the 2006 draft out of Notre Dame. He pitched in just six games last year, two with the GCL Twins and four with Ft. Myers, but in that time he put up a 1.28 ERA and a 22-3 K-BB ratio in 14.1 innings. That impressive performance, and his collegiate experience (which was pretty sucessful, and includes a 9-2 2006 season in which he had a 3.26 ERA and a 111-28 K-BB ratio) indicate to me that he's most likely to stay in Ft. Myers this season. It's possible that the Twins could decide to be a little more cautious with Manship and move him down to Beloit for the start of the season, but I doubt that that is going to happen. If Manship puts up a great season, he'll rocket up this chart, probably into the top 12.

#22 - Errol Simonitsch - New Britain Rock Cats
Simonitsch, who is on the Twins 40-man roster, is a 24-year-old lefty drafted in the 6th round of the 2003 draft out of Gonzaga University. After a great start to his career in Elizabethton, Simonitsch had a brilliant 2004 season in Quad Cities, posting a 6-2 record with a 2.56 ERA and a 107-36 K-BB ratio in 109 innings. He started off equally strong at Ft. Myers in 2005, earning himself a mid-season promotion to New Britain, where he levelled off a bit (as evidenced by an ERA of 4.12 and a lower, 52-28 K-BB ratio). Last season, Simonitsch stayed in New Britain, and had his most disappointing season so far, going 8-14 with a 4.48 ERA and an 89-39 K-BB ratio in 148.2 innings. Whether Simonitsch is going to turn out to be the prospect who earned himself a spot on the 40-man roster with his solid early pitching, or the prospect who washed out in AA, remains to be seen. He'll get another shot in New Britain again this year, consuming his second option year.

#23 - Nick Blackburn - Rochester Red Wings (New Britain)
Blackburn, who will turn 25 in two days, was a 29th round pick in the 2001 draft out of Seminole State College. The righty started off his career in Elizabethton, and has played at every level of the organization (other than low Rookie in the GCL), making it up to AAA for 3 games in 2005. His 2006 season was spent entirely in New Britain, where he went 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA and an 81-37 K-BB ratio in 132.1 innings. With the roadblock in front of him, he should once again by in New Britain this season.

#24 - Jay Rainville - Ft. Myers Miracle
Rainville is a 21-year-old righty who was drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 draft out of Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, RI. He missed all of 2006 after undergoing shoulder surgery to fix a nerve problem before last season started, and I would probably list him as higher on this list if he hadn't suffered that injury. Until we see him pitch, however, there is some doubt as to how he'll look when he comes back. Rainville started his Twins career in 2004 with the GCL Twins, where he went 3-2 with a 1.83 ERA and a 38-3 K-BB ratio in 34.1 innings. In 2005, he started off in Beloit, and went 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA and a 77-27 K-BB ratio in 88.1 innings before being promoted to Ft. Myers, where he continued to pitch very well (4-3/2.67/35-6 K-BB in 54 innings). Hopefully, Rainville can return to form this year, but it could take awhile to get him back into regular shape as a starter, and there's a chance I suppose that he could even start his comeback out of the bullpen.

#25 - Zach Ward - Ft. Myers Miracle [Beloit]
Ward is a 23-year-old righty who was drafted by the Reds in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He was traded to the Twins last season in exchange for Kyle Lohse, and at the time of the trade it looked like another steal pulled off by Terry Ryan - Ward was 7-0 with a 2.29 ERA and a 95-37 K-BB ratio in 114 innings at Dayton (A-ball). Unfortunately, Ward struggled once he joined the Snappers in Beloit, posting a 1-4 record with a 5.93 ERA and a 23-11 K-BB ratio in 30.1 innings. I like Ward, and think he's going to regain his form from Dayton this season - but I'm hedging my bets by placing him 25th on this list instead of higher.

#26 - Brad Voyles - RELEASED (c. 3/30/07)
If Jeremy Cummings is in a tough spot, Voyles is even more pinched. Like Cummings, Voyles is 30 - unlike Cummings, Voyles has some Major League experience, but his career 6.59 ERA in 40 Major League games is not inspiring. If Voyles remains with the team once the season starts, he'll almost certainly be a reliever. His minor league numbers are actually better than Cummings are - 2.99/449-207 K-BB - but by far most of his appearances historically have come out of the bullpen. He's on the starters list because in the past couple of years he's primarily been used as a starter - but I expect that to change this year. There's just no room for Voyles to start for Rochester.

#27 - Jose Castillo - RELEASED (c. 10/25/07)
Castillo is a 22-year-old who has pitched well in two seasons of Rookie ball - 2005 with the GCL Twins (4-4/3.00/27-19 K-BB in 48 innings), and 2006 with Elizabethton (4-3/3.17/56-23 K-BB in 71 innings). This season, he should finally get a chance to pitch in a full-season league at Beloit.

#28 - Jesse Floyd - RELEASED (c. 10/25/07)
Floyd was selected by the Twins in the AAA portion of the Rule 5 Draft this last December. He is a 26-year-old righty who was signed as a nondrafted free agent by the Giants back in 2003. His 2006 season was solid (4.00 ERA, and a 100-38 K-BB - but a 4-14 record didn't look so flashy), but compared to guys like Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey, he just doesn't measure up. As a result, I would expect him to end up in New Britain.

#29 - Alex Burnett - Beloit Snappers
Burnett is a 19-year-old righty who was drafted in the 12th round of the 2005 draft out of Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, CA. He started off his Twins career in the GCL in 2005, going 4-2 with a 4.10 ERA and a 33-14 K-BB ratio in 48.1 innings. Last season, Burnett pitched in Elizabethton, and went 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA and a very nice 71-13 K-BB ratio in 71.1 innings. He should continue his orderly march through the organization by pitching in Beloit this season.

#30 - Adam Hawes - Ft. Myers Miracle
Hawes is a 23-year-old righty who was drafted in the 40th round of the 2003 draft out of Connors State College. His first appearance for the Twins wasn't until 2005 for Elizabethton, where he went 4-0 with a 1.53 ERA and a 68-16 K-BB ratio in 59 innings. Last season, Hawes pitched for Beloit, putting up a 4-4 record with a 4.02 ERA and a 65-37 K-BB ratio in 87.1 innings. Those aren't great numbers, but they should be good enough for Hawes to be promoted to Ft. Myers this season.

#31 - Ludovicus Van Mil - Elizabethton Twins
The 7'1" Van Mil (who apparently also goes by "Loek") is a bit of a project, but his first season was generally a success, as the Dutchman went 1-2 with a 3.30 ERA and a 24-17 K-BB ratio in 43.2 innings and 8 starts in 10 appearances. I'm anticipating that Van Mil will get a promotion to Elizabethton this year, where he will continue to develop. Every team should have a 7'+ pitcher in the organization somewhere . . .

#32 - David Bromberg - Elizabethton Twins
Bromber is a 19-year-old righty who was drafted in the 32nd round of the 2005 draft out of Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, CA. 2006 was his first season in the organization, and he went 3-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 50.2 innings for the GCL Twins. That should definitely be good enough to earn him a promotion to the higher rookie league team, and possibly even all the way up to Beloit (where I count only 4 starters on the roster).

#33 - Jeff Schoenbachler - UNASSIGNED (Elizabethton)
Schoenbachler is a 21-year-old lefty who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft out of Reno High School in Reno, NV. Since that time, he's spent three years in the GCL (although, to be fair, he must have been injured last year because he appeared in just 1 game for 1 inning). Why Schoenbachler hasn't advanced is a mystery, because his 3.92 and 3.97 ERA's in 2004 and 2005 would normally have been good enough for a promotion. I'm predicting that his promotion will come this year, because four years in the GCL just seems a bit ridiculous . . .

#34 - Sean Land - Beloit Snappers
Land was a 9th round pick in the 2006 draft out of the University of Kansas, where he was a middling starter (his best ERA was 4.62 in 2005). He started off for the Twins in Elizabethton, where he went 3-5 with a 4.45 ERA and a 57-27 K-BB ratio in 60.2 innings. Those aren't great numbers, but the Snappers need starters and Land will likely be promoted for the 2007 season.

#35 - Tyler Robertson - Beloit Snappers (Elizabethton)
Robertson is a 19-year-old lefty who was selected in the 3rd round of the 2006 pick out of Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks, CA. His first season with the Twins was spent in the GCL, where he went 4-2 with a 4.25 ERA and a 54-15 K-BB in 48.2 innings. Those are good enough numbers to earn a promotion to Elizabethton in 2007.

#36 - Omar Alcala - Elizabethton Twins
Alcala is a 20-year-old lefty who pitched in the GCL last season, going 3-1 with a 4.02 ERA in 53.2 innings. Like Robertson, those numbers are solid enough to earn a promotion to Elizabethton - where there are likely to be a lot of guys competing for starts. That could mean a few appearances out of the bullpen for Alcala.

#37 - Brian Kirwan - Beloit Snappers (Eliz/Bel)
Kirwan is a 19-year-old righty who was drafted in the 11th round of the 2005 draft out of Santa Fe Christian High School in Solana Beach, CA. His first season as a Twin was in 2006 with Elizabethton, where he wasn't great - 5-5/5.63/58-23 in 64 innings. Nevertheless, because Beloit needs starters, I think Kirwan will get a promotion and an early chance to pitch from the start of the season. There are a lot of guys who would love to claim that rotation spot for the Snappers, however, so somebody might step up and jump past Kirwan and into that spot.

#38 - Michael Allen - Elizabethton Twins (GCL/Eliz)
Allen is a 19-year-old righty who was drafted in the 13th round of the 2005 draft out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, FL. Last season was his first in the Twins organization, and he pitched in the GCL, going 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA and a 22-8 K-BB ratio in 22 innings. Whether that's enough experience to get a promotion to Elizabethton might be doubtful, and I would guess that he'll start the season with the GCL Twins rather than with Elizabethton.

#39 - Curtis Leavitt - Elizabethton Twins (GCL/Eliz)
Leavitt is a 20-year-old righty who was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2005 draft out of Vasquez High School in Acton, CA. Last season was his first in the organization, and he pitched with the GCL Twins, going 0-2 with a 7.59 ERA in 32 innings. His 33-16 K-BB ratio was the only semi-promising thing about his performance, and unless he makes significant strides in extended spring training, he'll be back in the GCL for 2007.

#40 - Cole DeVries - Beloit Snappers (GCL/Eliz/Bel)
DeVries was signed in August, and the former University of Minnesota starter could end up at any of three levels, depending on what the Twins think of him. His NCAA experience makes a start with the Snappers a posibility (and his 7-3/2.42 numbers with the Gophers in 2006 indicate that he might be able to make that leap). However, I suspect that he'll start out with Elizabethton. We'll know in a month and a half or so.

NR - Brian Bass (40-Man) - Rochester Red Wings
Bass was drafted in the 6th round of the 2000 draft by the Kansas City Royals. The 25-year-old righty had a great 2003 season in High A Wilmington, posting a 2.84 ERA in 152.1 innings, but since them he's struggled a little bit. Last season, he pitched reasonably well in 27 innings for AA Wichita, posting a 4.00 ERA; however, he really struggled once he was promoted to AAA Omaha, going 1-5 with a 7.59 ERA in 32 innings. Considering the number of pitchers the Twins have at AAA, and the struggles Bass has had at that level, it seems likely that he'll be starting off in New Britain this year. Bass became a minor league free agent in early November 2007, but was brought back into the fold by the Twins on November 28 and added to the 40-man roster.

NR - Mike McCardell - GCL Twins [Elizabethton]
McCardell was drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 draft by the Twins out of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, where he struck out 79 and walked just 10 in 59 innings of work. Apparently, he can also hit pretty well -- and played in the infield for Kutztown on occasion when he wasn't pitching. The 6'5", 220 lb. righty was born on April 13, 1985.

NR - R.A. Dickey - Rule 5 (Major) - drafted by Seattle (12/06/07)
Dickey is a 33-year-old righthander who has spent parts of five seasons at the big league level in between minor league stints. The Twins signed him as a minor league free agent on November 28, and extended him an invitation to spring training 2008.

NR - Kyle Edlich - Unassigned [No Prediction]
Edlich is an an Australian who last pitched in the Twins system back in 2005 in the GCL. He appeared on a transaction list during the season, so my assumption is that he's still hanging around. He will turn 22 in March, so assuming that he's still capable of pitching, there's still a chance that he could find his way onto an active roster.

NR - Landon Jacobsen - Unassigned [No Prediction]
Jacobsen, born on May 4, 1979, is a righty out of Mitchell, SD who was drafted in the 50th round of the 1999 draft by the Pirates. He spent 2000-2006 in the Pirates organization before crossing Pennsylvania and joining the Phillies organization for 2007. While Jacobsen has a career minor league ERA of 3.46, he struggled in 2007. The bulk of his season was spent in AA, where he posted a 4.61 ERA in 93.2 innings to go along with a 1.38 WHIP and a 45-35 K-BB ratio. He also pitched 69.1 innings in AAA, posting a 4.80 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP with a 38-31 K-BB ratio. He joined the Twins as a minor league free agent sometime around January 4.

NR - Heath Totten - Unassigned [No Prediction]
Totten, born on September 30, 1978, is a righty out of Port Arthur, TX who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2000 draft by the Dodgers. He spent 2000-2006 in the Dodgers organization before joining the Phillies organization for 2007. Totten has a career minor league ERA of 4.33. In 2007, he split his time between AA and AAA, with drastically different results. In AA, he put up a 3.38 ERA in 56 innings of work along with a 1.32 WHIP and a 31-13 K-BB ratio. Unfortunately, his time in AAA didn't treat him nearly as well, as he posted a 7.09 ERA in 33 innings along with a 1.73 WHIP and an 11-8 K-BB ratio. He joined the Twins as a minor league free agent sometime around January 4.

NR - Zach Day - Unassigned [No Prediction]
Day was brought into the Twins organization as a minor league free agent with an invite to spring training 2008 in early January. Day is a 29-year-old righty out of Cincinnati, Ohio who was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th round of the 1996 draft. Day made his Major League debut with the Expos in 2002, and besides those two teams Day has pitched in the Indians, Nationals, Rockies, and Royals organizations. In 372.2 career innings, Day has a 4.66 career ERA and a 189-172 K-BB ratio.

NR - Randy Keisler - No Assignment [No Prediction]
Keisler is a soon-to-be 32-year-old lefty (b. 2/24/76) out of Texas who was drafted by the Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1998 draft out of LSU. After moving up through the minors, Keisler made his Major League debut in Yankee pinstripes in 2000. Since then, he's bounced around a lot, playing in the Rangers, Astros, Padres, Mets, Reds, A's, and Cardinals organizations. All in all he's pitched 55 games in the Major Leagues, compiling a rather sloppy 6.63 ERA in those appearances.