twins/mlb
Joe Christensen, the Star Tribune's national baseball reporter, has covered the big leagues since 1998. A Faribault native, he graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1996. Before working for the Star Tribune, he spent three years covering the Orioles for the Baltimore Sun. He also covered the Padres and Dodgers for newspapers in Southern California. He'll share his thoughts here on the Twins and all things baseball.
Posts about Farm System
Twins agree to terms with standout International League reliever
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: November 10, 2012 - 8:52 PM
The Twins signed Jared Burton and Casey Fien to minor-league deals last offseason and watched them turn into key members of this year’s bullpen. Maybe Tim Wood will do the same.
The Twins announced Saturday night that they’ve agreed to terms on a minor-league deal for Wood, who was named the International League’s best reliever this year by Baseball America.
Wood, who turns 30 next week, posted a 2.19 ERA and notched 21 saves in 54 appearances for Class AAA Indianapolis (Pirates), averaging 8.2 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per nine innings.
Two years ago, Baseball America’s scouting report on Wood said, “Despite his slender frame and unassuming appearance, Wood can run his fastball up to 94-95 mph with sink.”
He’s battled elbow and shoulder issues in his career but has shown promise when healthy. In 2009, he had a 2.82 ERA in 18 appearances for the Marlins, but over the next two years, he posted a 5.55 ERA in 39 combined appearances for the Marlins and Pirates.
The Twins also agreed to terms on a minor-league deal with catcher Eric Fryer, who batted .204 in 65 games for Class AAA Indianapolis.
Fryer, 27, has batted .267 in 16 career big league games, all with the Pirates. The Twins likely signed him to provide depth at Class AAA Rochester.
Early Election Day treat for Twins; spring training renovations approved
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: November 6, 2012 - 11:55 AM
The Twins got the vote they wanted Tuesday morning, as the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved their renovation plans for their spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Commissioners voted 3-1, with one abstaining, in favor of a plan that will give Hammond Stadium and the surrounding facilities a $42.5 million facelift. Under the agreement, the Twins have agreed to a new 30-year lease that would keep them in Fort Myers through 2045.
Hammond Stadium’s seating capacity will increase from 8,000 to 9,300, with wider concourses, renovated concession stands and restrooms, a 360-degree walkway for fans around the field, and more shaded areas. The outfield wall will be re-designed with the same dimensions the Twins have at Target Field.
The Twins are paying $3.9 million to build an on-site dormitory that will include 55 sleeping rooms for players and staff. The Lee County Sports Complex will feature an additional practice field, a new weight room on the major league side of the complex and add a hydrotherapy area. Besides being used for spring training, the 55 dorm rooms will house the Twins' Class A Florida State League affiliate and rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate, both based in Fort Myers.
Twins fill farm director and head trainer's jobs
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: November 1, 2012 - 5:06 PMThe Twins named Brad Steil their new minor-league director today, removing the interim tag they gave him after Jim Rantz announced his retirement last month. Steil was the team’s director of baseball operations for the previous five seasons.
The Twins also filled their head trainer position, promoting longtime assistant Dave Pruemer into the lead role. Pruemer replaces Rick McWane, who was fired after eight years on the job. Tony Leo was named assistant athletic trainer, and Lanning Tucker was named assistant athletic trainer and rehab coordinator.
Meanwhile, Twins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson has been tabbed to start in Saturday night’s Rising Stars Game in the Arizona Fall League. Twins relief prospect Michael Tonkin also was picked for the game, which will be televised live on MLB Network at 7 p.m.
Twins proposed spring training renovations take shape in Fort Myers
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: October 26, 2012 - 2:15 PMThe Twins spring training home in Fort Myers, Fla., would get a $45.5 million facelift, to renovate Hammond Stadium and enhance the surrounding facilities, with the team agreeing to a new 30-year lease, under a proposal presented today to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners.
Hammond Stadium’s seating capacity would increase from 8,000 to 9,300, with wider concourses, renovated concession stands and rest rooms, a 360-degree walkway for fans around the field, and more shaded areas.
The Twins would pay $13.8 million toward the project, partly through an increase in rent from $300,000 to $500,000 per year, and through the construction of an on-site dormitory that would include 55 sleeping rooms for players and staff. The rest of the tab would be paid through a county bond issue, with the state of Florida kicking in $15 million over the course of the 30-year lease.
The Lee County Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the matter Nov. 6, and a report in the Fort Myers New Press quoted one commissioner who expects the measure to pass 4-to-1.
Bill Smith, the Twins former general manager who now works as a special assistant to the team’s president and GM, has been the Twins point person on the project and played a central role in the planning when the Lee County Sports Complex first opened for the Twins in 1991.
“We’re excited, we’re pleased,” Smith said. “We think there’s a very good package of improvements to the ballpark that will make this thing one of the best in the game.”
The new lease would take effect when the renovation is completed, and Smith said the Twins hope that’s in time for spring training in 2015.
The plans would add an additional practice field, build a new weight room on the major league side of the complex and add a hydrotherapy area.
“We have a great complex now, but it’s 22 years old, and there’s a lot of it that needs to be refreshed and remodeled,” Smith said. “And in addition to that, there’s a lot of things that have changed in the game over the last 22 years.”
Smith said the Tigers and Pirates are among the teams that have on-site dormitories in their spring training facilities.
The Twins want 55 rooms because that is a number they would use throughout the season with their Class A Florida State League affiliate and rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate both based in Fort Myers. During spring training, older minor-league players would still stay in local hotels.
“It’s much more than sleeping rooms,” Smith said. “It’s dining facilities which allow us to improve nutrition across the board in spring training and year-round for rookie players and our instructional league players.
“It’s meeting rooms and classrooms to help us improve education across the board for all players, not just for teaching English to foreign players.”
Twins add Steinbach, Brunansky and Cuellar to big league coaching staff
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: October 22, 2012 - 11:30 AMThe Minnesota Twins today filled their three major league coaching vacancies, naming Terry Steinbach their new bench coach, Tom Brunansky their new hitting coach and Bobby Cuellar their new bullpen coach.
Joe Vavra will remain on Ron Gardenhire’s staff as the third base coach, Scott Ullger will be the first base coach, and as announced earlier this month, Rick Anderson will remain the pitching coach.
Brunansky and Cuellar were expected choices for the Twins, but the one surprise was Steinbach coming back into a coaching role, as it was widely speculated that the Twins would promote Class AAA manager Gene Glynn to their big league staff.
Steinbach, a New Ulm native who caught in the majors from 1986 through 1999, will be the bench coach and catching instructor, Ullger will oversee outfield instruction and Vavra will oversee infield instruction.
Gibson has another strong outing in the Arizona Fall League
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: October 16, 2012 - 5:09 PMTwins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson continues to raise hope in the Arizona desert.
The 2009 first-round draft pick, who had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow on Sept. 7, 2011, had another strong start in the Arizona Fall League on Tuesday, holding the Mesa Solar Sox to one run on six hits over five innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts.
Gibson, who turns 25 next week, is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in two starts, with no walks and 16 strikeouts. Keep in mind, this is usually a hitter friendly league, and typically features baseball's stars of tomorrow. Last year, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper were both in the AFL -- on the same team.
Next year, the Twins will be as careful with Gibson as the Washington Nationals were Stephen Strasburg this year. Not to put those two in the same category, but the Nationals limited Strasburg to 160 innings in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery.
Still, the fact Gibson is back to dominant form, with his fastball reportedly touching 93-miles per hour, is a very encouraging sign for the Twins.
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