Guerrier's 2013 season was ended by a significant injury -- his flexor muscle had to be reattached to the bone -- and spring training opens at the beginning of the end of his rehab. Rehab is supposed to be six to eight months, and it will have been six months since the surgery.
So there's a lot unknown about his condition or ability at this point. What we do know is that he's 35 and wasn't as effective in the National League the past three years as he generally was with the Twins.
It's a low risk, low reward signing. I don't see Guerrier, even if he makes the club, playing a major role in the bullpen, and I doubt he'll make the club. My expectation is that the final spot will still come down to Ryan Pressly vs. Michael Tonkin vs. an out-of-options starter.
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More prospect rankings: Keith Law of ESPN released his Top 100 list Wednesday. I can't comment intelligently about his opinions, since I don't pay for ESPN's content (I reserve my financial support on such things for entities not part of the Death Star of sports journalism).
But I do know that the Twins on his list are:
- OF Byron Buxton, No. 1
- 3B Miguel Sano, No. 8
- 2B/OF Eddie Rosario, No. 49
- RHP Alex Meyer, No. 62
- RHP Kohl Stewart, No. 76
Law has Meyer and Stewart considerably lower than other rankers do. I don't object to that; both had some physical issues last year.
I saw that Meyer said in a TwinsFest interview that his shoulder soreness is gone and that his most recent MRI is cleaner than when he was drafted. That latter is ... let's say I'm skeptical that two years of pitching pro ball hasn't done something to the shoulder.
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The Andrew Albers-to-Korea deal is now official. The lefty gets a nice payday, and the Twins get an open roster spot, which they will probably need this spring, if not before. (Guerrier, signed to a minor league deal, does not count against the 40-man roster; neither do Jason Bartlett or Jason Kubel.)
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