Trip to Cedar Rapids: Kernels 6, Burlington Bees 2

The Kernels program lists five outfielders, at least four of whom would logically be players the organization wants to see get substancial playing time.

All five started at least once in the two games I saw on this trip, with probably the top two -- Trevor Larnach and Akil Baddoo -- starting both games, in right field and centerfield respectively. Trey Cabbage and Gabriel Maciel each started a game in left, and Jacob Pearson was the DH in one game.

A few observations:

Larnach, the Twins' first-round draft pick (20th overall) this year, has split this initial pro season almost evenly between Cedar Rapids and Elizabethton. Neither level should be a great challenge for a college star from a big-time program. Larnach went 0-for-8 in the two games with a walk and a stolen base. He did have three hard-hit outs over the two games to left field. At 21, he is the oldest of the group of five, and the one with the least professional experience.

Baddoo's stat line is intriguing. He's hitting about .240, which isn't impressive, but his on-base percentage is around .350 and his slugging percentage is over .400. He hit leadoff in both games, and like Larnach went hitless (0-for-8 with a walk and two steals). He's quite fast and made a nice catch at the wall Wednesday night. He's also just 19, quite young for the league.

Pearson came to the Twins from the Angels last offseason when Anaheim was scraping up all the international pool money it could for the Shohei Ohtani derby. His skill set appears to be akin to Baddoo, but my sense -- and the stat line supports this -- is that the tools are pitched at a lower level than Baddoo's. He went 1-for-2 in his one start with a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

Cabbage was taken in the fourth round of the 2015 draft as a third baseman. He's now splitting time between left field, right field and first base. He's gotten more playing time this season than in the previous three, and he's hit a little better, but probably not enough to merit being taken serious as a prospect. This is also the first season in which he hasn't been notably young for the level of competition. He went 1-for-4 in the game I saw him play with a double and a run scored.

Maciel was part of the return from Arizona for Eduardo Escobar last month. He really impressed me Wednesday night. He went 3-for-4, which is nice, but what struck me was how he went 3-for-4. First at-bat, hitting left-handed, he pulled a solid single. Second at-bat, still hitting left-handed, he laid down a perfect bunt. Third trip, hitting right-handed against a lefty reliever and facing a sharp shift with a man on second, he was clearly trying to go to right and, after fouling several pitches off to the first base side, grounded one through the vacancy. It was a key piece of a four-run inning that put the Kernels ahead to stay. (He struck out in his final trip.)

Like Baddoo, he's 19. Unlike the other four, who all hit left handed, he's a switch hitter. He made a nice running catch in left, and appears to be fast enough to play center. He hasn't hit for much power in the Midwest League (he played for Kane County before the trade), but that can come. 

This is, of course, low-A ball. None of them are on the cusp of the majors, although Larnach may be on a fast track. They have genuine tools. The challenge is learning to use them.

Notes, quotes and comment

It came down close to the deadline, but the Twins got all of their draft picks from the first 10 rounds signed. The last three, including College World Series hero Trevor Larnach, signed Thursday.

The wait on Larnach was because Oregon State's season went to the maximum; there was never any serious doubt that he would sign. A closer call, at least according to the people who cover the draft and prospects, was Charles Mack.

6th-rder Charles Mack signs w/@Twins for $500k (pick 184 value = $253,700). New York HS, lefty power & hitting ability too, defensive home might be 3B, 2B or C. Clemson recruit. @MLBDraft

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 6, 2018

The other Thursday signing was Cole Sands, who also got a hefty slice over slot:

5th-rder Cole Sands signs w/@Twins for $600k (pick 154 value = $330,400). Florida State RHP, low-90s sinker, solid slider. @MLBDraft

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) June 23, 2018

The Twins appear to have spent pretty much their entire draft allotment.

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Aaron Slegers had a solid start Thursday -- one run in six innings, just 72 pitches. I'm not a big fan of the decision to pull him after just 22 hitters, but Addison Reed only gave up one homer, and the Twins won for once.

I saw no indication that he was returned to Triple A immediately after the game, so perhaps the shuffling in the fifth slot of the rotation is over for now. He could be in line for two more starts before the All-Star break.

This was Sleger's fourth major league start, but they've all been spot starts; he's not gotten a true taste of a major league rotation. Might as well give him a shot.

Of course, if -- as I expect -- the Twins move a veteran starter this month (Lance Lynn, cough, cough), there will be more activity with the rotation.

Feeling a draft, Day 1

For a few minutes Monday evening, it seemed possible that one, or even two, consensus top-five talents in the baseball amateur draft would slip to the Twins' 20th pick.

But a pair of teams with five first-day picks -- and a great deal of financial flexibility as a result -- interceded. Tampa Bay selected prep lefty Matthew Liberatore with the 16th pick and Kansas City claimed University of Florida ace Brady Singer with the 18th pick.

The Twins wound up using their two first-day selections on a pair of college bat-first position players., Oregon State outfielder Trevor Larnach with that No. 20 pick and North Carolina Wilmington catcher Ryan Jeffers at No. 59. (The Twins could have had another first-day pick but surrendered their Competitive Round B pick in the Phil Hughes trade last week,)

The Jeffers pick was, at least to outsiders, a bit of a surprise. Baseball America barely had him in their top 300; MLB.com didn't have him in their top 200. He was, I believe, the one first-round pick for which MLB Network didn't have a highlights package premade.

That this choice wasn't foreseen doesn't make it a mistake. Two possibilities that can combine to make this a savvy choice:

• The Twins think he can develop as a defensive catcher, and really like his bat even if he can't catch in the majors.
• They have the financial parameters in place for a significantly below-slot deal that sets up an above slot selection today. (The Twins forfeit their third-round choice to sign Lance Lynn.)

The Twins reportedly already have an agreement in principle with Larnach, whose team plays the University of Minnesota in a superregional this week.

This is the second draft for the "Falvine" regime (and for scouting director Sean Johnson). It is also the second year in which their first two selections were position players (Royce Lewis and Brant Rooker last year). There is a principle gaining credence these days of "Draft bats, buy arms," the leading example of that being the Chicago Cubs. It's too soon to tell if that's what's going on here with the Twins, or if that's just the way these two first days fell.