More from BA on Twins prospects

The move to the
bullpen agreed with
Deolis Guerra.

Baseball America followed up its Top 10 Twins prospects list with a chat on Friday for subscribers.

A few highlights from John Manuel, the BA co-editor who does the Twins list:

• Alex Wimmers' control problems last spring were rooted in a lack of conditioning. Another high draft pick whose conditioning is an issue is Hudson Boyd, who weighed nearly 280 pounds when he arrived at instructionals. He's supposedly back under 250 now.
• Manuel last year thought the Twins should give up on Deolis Guerra. Now he sees Guerra as just shy of Top 10 status and expects Guerra to pitch in the Twins bullpen this year. 
• If Guerra's stock is up, Jorge Polanco and Angel Morales are down.
• Manuel defends the Twins on their shortage of power arms. The Twins have drafted power arms, he notes, but they've gotten hurt or haven't developed. 
• Manuel is much higher on Joe Benson than on Ben Revere. 
• David Bromberg is not in BA's Top 30 Twins prospects.
• Travis Harrison, drafted as a third baseman, is likely to wind up at first base. Manuel thinks Miguel Sano can stick at third.
• Manuel expects shortstop Niko Goodrum to repeat in the Appy League. 

Conspicuous by their absence

David Bromberg was
the Twins' minor league
pitcher of the year
in 2010.

One might think that 25 non-roster invites would pretty much cover everybody in the Twins organization worth considering, but there are two names not on the list released Tuesday worth noting: David Bromberg and Anthony Slama.

The two right-handers were in camp last spring -- both were then on the 40-man roster -- but had injuries during the season. They were removed from the 40 after the season and passed over during the Rule V draft.

And neither will be in major league camp this spring.

I wasn't surprised when the Twins moved them off the 40, and at least in Bromberg's case I didn't, and still don't, read into it a deeply diminished status for the player. I saw it, in both cases, as a calculated risk. The Twins gambled that other teams wouldn't claim either off waivers or Rule V because of their 2011 injuries, and they were right.

Bromberg, a starter, wasn't reckoned major-league ready entering camp last year, and certainly after a season lost to a fractured forearm (hit by a line drive) he wasn't going to be a serious candidate for the major league roster this spring either.

Anthony Slama has
walked seven men in
his seven major
league innings.

Slama, a reliever, is another matter. He was never as highly regarded (at least by the organization) as Bromberg -- his good minor league numbers written off as the fluky result of a delivery that wouldn't deceive major league hitters -- but by last spring he was as ready to pitch in the majors as he was ever going to be.

But the Twins had other options they liked better, and Slama started experiencing arm problems in spring training. He got a little big-league time in the summer, but was shut down by August with elbow woes. He avoided surgery, but lost his 40-man roster spot. He's been pitching winter ball in Mexico, and reportedly doing well, but ... the Twins still didn't see fit to invite him to camp.

Slama has three seasons of Triple A ball on his record, and an ERA with Rochester of 2.59, but the Twins don't trust his stuff or his command. If they're not going to look at him this spring, with as many holes as they have in the bullpen, they never will.

Ryan Doumit and other roster moves

The Twins had a fairly busy day Friday, even if the lead item isn't official yet.

Ryan Doumit has agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins (this according to his agent), reportedly for $3 million plus performance bonuses. He's got to pass a physical before it becomes official.

I was skeptical to critical of the Jamey Carroll signing. I'm far happier with this move. Doumit is a flawed player. His defense is marginal to poor at any of his three positions, he's made regular trips to the disabled list for a variety of injuries -- including (shudder) concussions. He's a switch hitter, but he's been a markedly better hitter left-handed than right, which doesn't help balance the Twins lineup much.

But he can hit, and the Twins need that. They can deploy him at catcher, at first base, in right field, at DH ...

And that last raises a roster issue. Let us say that Justin Morneau remains primarily a first baseman, that Joe Mauer is indeed a 130-plus game catcher, and that Doumit is the primary designated hitter.

Is Ron Gardenhire willing to do what Jim Leyland did in Detroit last season -- carry two catchers and use one of them as his DH? I doubt it. If Doumit's to be the regular DH, I suspect Gardy will carry Drew Butera so as to have a legitimate catcher available on the bench.

This may well be a moot point. Morneau may be the primary DH in hopes that limiting his activity will avoid a repeat of last summer's season-ending concussion. It's odd, but Butera's chances of remaining on the active roster may hinge on Morneau's health.

---

The Twins also added three players to their 40-man roster from the minors -- outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, right-handed pitcher Carlos Gutierrez and left-handed pitcher Tyler Robertson -- and outrighted RHP David Bromberg to Rochester.

2011 was a largely
lost season for David
Bromberg.

Seth Stohs is unhappy with the Bromberg demotion. I don't think it's as crazy as he thinks it is. Bromberg was added to the 40 last winter, so when he was sent to the minors in spring training they burned his first option. He broke his arm early in the season and wound up with all of 42 innings pitched.

If he wasn't ready for the majors last spring, he's not going to be ready this spring -- and if he remained on the 40, they would have burned his second option when he got sent back to the minors. He cleared waivers, so he's unlikely to get nabbed in the Rule V draft.

Bromberg has reason to be unhappy that the Twins have stopped his option clock, but it hardly means the Twins no longer take him seriously as a prospect. It merely extends their control of his contract.

When the Doumit deal becomes official, the Twins will have 38 players on the 40. Two slots to play with this winter.

Bullpen candidate profile: David Bromberg

David Bromberg was
a 32nd-round pick,
but he's shot up
the ladder.

Pitcher: David Bromberg
Throws: Right
Age: 23
Roster status: 40-man roster, all three options left
Chance to make team: Nil

I hadn't planned on doing a profile on David Bromberg, because I see no reason to believe the Twins would consider him (or Kyle Gibson) for bullpen jobs. They are, and should be, on the starter track -- developed for the rotation, not relief work.

But Seth Stohs last week produced this detailed analysis of Bromberg, which I thought worthy of calling to your attention, and Stohs believes he's a bullpen option for later in 2011.

Bromberg may indeed be on the Matt Guerrier path, but, as Stohs says, the Twins are wise to let him pitch his way off the starter track before shunting him off to the 'pen.

This from LaVelle Neal on Saturday:

Watched David Bromberg throw. He's 6-foot-5 and it seems like his arms and legs are going everywhere when he throws. The key for him is to make sure the ball doesn't go everywhere, as he once threw 16 wild pitches in a minor league season (he has cut down in recent years).
He hit Danny Rams with a pitch. But he also busted Tsuyoshi Nishioka's bat with a pitch too. The Twins like the way he competes. Wouldn't be surprised if he debuts sometime this season.    

It's about the tools

Baseball America's annual "best tools" edition popped up in my mailbox today, and it's not particularly encouraging for Twins fans. (The online version is subscription only.) The magazine polls managers to rank the best players in each league. They do top three in the major leagues and a No. 1 in the minors.

I always have some doubts and quibbles about these lists, but they represent a sort of consensus view from inside the sport and thus are informative.

The Twins problem isn't on the major league team. It's the lack of winners in the minors, particularly in the upper reaches.

Here's the Twins system:

Minnesota (American League): Joe Mauer (above) is best hitter and best defensive catcher. He's also the No.2 guy in strike zone judgment (behind Bobby Abreu of the Angels) and the No. 3 "most exciting player." Pretty good haul.

Justin Morneau is No.1 in best power. Orlando Cabrera is No. 2 hit-and-run artist. Joe Nathan is No. 2 reliever.

And ... just to twist the knife on the much lamented Delmon Young trade ... Jason Bartlett is best defensive shortstop. (What's really impressive to me here is that Elvis Andrus, the Rangers rookie, is No. 2, even though the league had only seen him for about four months when the poll was taken.)

Rochester (Triple A, International League): One winner: Drew Butera is best defensive catcher.

New Britain (Double A, Eastern League): Nobody.

Fort Myers (High A, Florida State League): Ben Revere is best batting prospect, fastest baserunner and most exciting player. David Bromberg is best pitching prospect.

Beloit (Low A, Midwest League): Brad Tippett has the best control.

BA didn't rate the players in the short season leagues.