Puckett's Pond » Winter Meetings

Rule 5 Middle Infielders

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:32:55 +0000

This morning I discussed some players the Twins should consider taking in the Rule 5 draft tomorrow. I concentrated on outfielders, pitchers, and catchers, because I think those might be the Twins’ best positions to fill through the Rule 5 draft.

In response to my last post, TwinsGeek commented that the Twins might be interested in middle infielders as well. The more I thought about it, the more that idea made sense. Minnesota is so thin at the middle infield position that a Rule 5 shortstop or second baseman might make sense. When I looked at who was available, I found quite a few prospects who have hit well in the upper minors. Would it be worthwhile to let one of these guys compete for a roster spot? Maybe.

By the way, it is entirely possible (in fact, it’s almost guaranteed) that I missed some gems on my lists, so if you want to see a complete list of the players available in the draft, you can look here. Let me know if you find any other good ones!

Here are my suggestions. Note: I do not have any firsthand knowledge of the defensive abilities of these players, so the rankings might be skewed by offensive stats.

1. Tyler Kuhn, 2B/SS/3B/LF, White Sox, 23 years old on Opening Day (more…)

Twins Rule 5 Targets

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:08:05 +0000

Aside from the non-stop rumor mill barrage, one of the biggest highlights of the Winter Meetings is the Rule 5 Draft. The draft will happen tomorrow, the last day of the meetings. Usually, you don’t see too many big name prospects change hands, since most of them are protected by the 40 man roster, but there’s always the possibility that your team will select the next Johan Santana (a Rule 5 pick in 2000). Since the Twins have the #2 pick this year, some great prospects will be available when they pick.

The Rule V is best suited for rebuilding teams, because any player picked in the draft has to stay on the Major League roster for an entire season, or else the player goes back to his original team. It’s harder for a contending team to keep a roster spot occupied by a player who is still learning his way around the Majors Leagues. But for other teams, for example teams that just lost 99 games, it’s often worth taking a chance on a young player (if you want to brush up on how the Rule 5 Draft works, check out this post written by Puckett’s Pond’s Paul Pleiss last month).

Below is a list of players the Twins might be interested in this year, but first, let’s discuss the types of players the Twins might be looking for. (more…)

RHP Kevin Slowey traded to Colorado Rockies for Player to Be Named Later

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:59:10 +0000

Kevin Slowey‘s career as a Minnesota Twin is over. Earlier this morning he was traded to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Slowey signed out of Winthrop University in the 2nd round of the 2005 Amateur Player Draft. Slowey debuted for the Twins in 2007 and went 4-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 11 starts. Since then he has been a regular fixture in the Twins starting rotation, but has only managed 27 or more starts twice, including just 16 starts in 2009 and only 8 starts in 2011 to go along with an 0-8 record and a 6.67 ERA.

Slowey’s best year was arguably 2008 when we was 12-11 with a sub-4 ERA including two shutouts. Slowey had a career high in innings pitched and strike outs that year, and recorded three complete games (the only three in his career).

In 2011 Kevin Slowey fell out of favor with the Twins Front Office after being asked to pitch out of the bullpen. Slowey sulked, and never adjusted to life in the bullpen, unable to warm up quickly or pitch on back to back days. Eventually Slowey found himself on the disabled list and pitched a couple of games in Triple-A Rochester before returning to the Minnesota Twins. He had a couple of late season starts but pitched poorly and failed to pick up a victory.

His trade to the Colorado Rockies will likely bring trouble for Kevin Slowey as the thin air in Denver and Slowey’s high fly ball rate will likely result in a spike in the number of home runs he gives up. For the Twins, Slowey’s trade clears a space on the 40-man roster and gives them an extra $3 million to work with. Slowey’s departure signals that the Twins are actively seeking an outside arm to help solidify their starting rotation.

In other hot stove news, Jon Heyman tweeted earlier this morning that the Twins had offered Michael Cuddyer a 3 year $25 million dollar deal, that has not been accepted. If the Twins are unable to sign Cuddyer they will likely shift their efforts to free agent outfielder Josh Willingham.

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