Friday, December 8, 2017

Notes, quotes and comment

Kevin Maitan was the most prominent of the prospects declared free agents by MLB in the Atlanta Braves international investigation, and the 17-year-old shortstop signed with the Angels this week.

LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports that the Twins offered him more, but he chose the Angels because there is less competition in that farm system.

Plausible? Yes. For one thing, he got to keep the Braves bonus, so he's effectively double-dipping. The life-changing aspect of the signing isn't as life-changing.

The Angels system has been notoriously barren for a few years. It's a bit better now, but there is no question that the Twins system, even after graduating a bunch of position players to the majors and even lacking impact position players in the upper levels, is deeper than the Angels.

And that's particularly true at shortstop. The Twins have a 24-year-old major league shortstop in Jorge Polanco. They have a former high first-rounder ticketed for Triple A in Nick Gordon. And at the lower levels -- at the level Maitan played last year and above -- they have Royce Lewis, Wander Javier and Jermaine Palacios, and I'm not sure Maitan is more talented than any of those three.

It would be eminently sensible for Maitan to chose the easier path to the majors.

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The Twins, the first major league team to extend its protective netting a couple years ago, announced that they will further extend (and raise) the netting at Target Field before next season.

As far as I know, this hasn't drawn near the criticism that the original extension did, And it shouldn't. Much of the Target Field lower bowl is notably close to home plate, distractions are everywhere, and making the experience safer has no real drawback.

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Reginatto was in the Twins org last year, hitting .303 at Rochester in part-time play. Stassi got some major league time with the Phillies and didn't produce. Pettit's had parts of five seasons in the majors but never got out of Triple A in 2017.

Presumably all three will get spring training invites. Presumably all three will not make the active roster.

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