Spring training is officially underway, and the Minnesota Twins' pitchers and catchers have begun their workouts in Fort Myers, Fla. Position players will soon do the same at Hammond Stadium as the Twins look to put yet another 90-loss season in the rearview mirror. As I prepare to head down to spring training, I answered your questions about the Twins and the 2015 season. Thanks to all of those who submitted questions to the latest edition of the mailbag.
Question: Where do you see Josmil Pinto in the future of this team? I know 2 years ago when he got called up he was really solid hitter but last season with bringing in Kurt Suzuki (and now Kurt is resigned for a few more years) it seems like there isn't the same hype about Josmil anymore. Is he still someone to watch and get excited for or is he going to be a backup with no long-term Twins future? If he is not in the future plans do we have a young catcher that may make an impact in about 2-3 years? -- Adam, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Answer: I still think Josmil Pinto has a chance to be part of the Twins' long-term plans at catcher, but he does have some work to do before that can become a reality. We've seen what Pinto can do with his bat; he's a career .273 hitter in the minor leagues and has 11 home runs in 78 major-league games. However, after an impressive debut in 2013, Pinto struggled at the plate in 2014 and hit just .219 with 50 strikeouts in 169 at-bats. Pinto needs to be more like the hitter he was with the Twins in 2013 than the one we saw last year in order to stick in the majors.
Defensively, Pinto is still very much a work in progress. According to Fangraphs, Pinto ranked as the second-worst defensive catcher in the majors last year among catchers with at least 200 innings; only Adrian Nieto of the White Sox ranked lower. Pinto has continued to work on his game calling, too, which is still not at the level of veteran Kurt Suzuki. As you mentioned, Suzuki -- who earned his first career All-Star appearance in 2014 -- is locked up through the 2016 season. That means that Pinto will, at best, have to settle for being a backup catcher for the next few years. However, he can learn plenty from Suzuki during that time.
Pinto will be battling for the backup catcher job this spring with Chris Herrmann and Eric Fryer. Offensively, Pinto brings more to the plate than either Herrmann or Fryer. Both the latter two catchers are more sound defensively than Pinto, which should make for an interesting race. As for catching prospects who could be up in the future, keep an eye on Stuart Turner. Though his defense and arm are ahead of his bat (he hit .256 in his first two minor-league seasons), the 23-year-old Turner might be the team's top catching prospect. He played all of 2014 with High-A Fort Myers and could see time at Double-A Chattanooga this season.
Q: Will the Twins ask Mauer to re-do his deal? He is a 100 million dollar singles hitter playing a position a team traditionally wants power from. Having come out from behind the plate he no longer impacts the game significantly on defense either. Looking back I'd have rather kept Morneau, who led the NL in batting and continued his Gold Glove play. -- Justin, Worthington, Minn.
A: I understand the angst fans have about Mauer's value now that he's not a catcher, but I don't see any scenario in which Mauer restructures his contract. I think we have to throw out Mauer's 2014 season as an aberration. He set a career low for batting average (.277), and had the second-lowest slugging percentage (.371) and on-base percentage (.361) of his 11-year career. But Mauer didn't forget how to hit. Now that he has a full season at first base under his belt, I fully expect him to bounce back and become closer to the hitter he was before the 2014 season. While he'll likely never replicate the home run power he had during his MVP year in 2009 in which he hit a career-high 28 home runs, Mauer can still be a productive batter who does more than just hit singles.
Q: Every year I go into the season with high hopes for the Twins; not necessarily for a championship season but at least for notable improvement. That hasn't happened recently. What are realistic expectations for the Twins this year? Dare we hope for from worst to first? -- Allen, Bismarck, N.D.
Q: Most analysts say the Twins are at least two years away from contending in the Central Division. Is it blind optimism to think this team could contend this year? -- Aaron, Bowlus, Minn.
A: Both Allen and Aaron had questions about the Twins' expectations for this season, so I'll answer them together. To your point, Aaron, I don't know if I'd call it blind optimism to believe the Twins could contend for a division title this year, but I do think that it might be a bit overambitious. Minnesota does have some nice pieces in place for 2015. That includes the offense, which finished eighth in the majors in runs scored. And Phil Hughes' 2014 season was better than anybody could have hoped for. If he can replicate that success in 2015, he'll once again be the ace of the Twins' pitching staff.
Minnesota's ability to contend hinges largely on the starting pitching, which had the worst ERA in the big leagues last season. Ricky Nolasco's first year with a Twins in 2014 was a big disappointment. If he can bounce back in 2015 to pitch more like he had during his time with the Marlins, it would certainly boost Minnesota's staff. Free-agent acquisition Ervin Santana should also help strengthen the rotation in 2015 and beyond, although to what extent remains to be seen.
The bottom line, though: the Twins' starting pitching needs to be better. If it is, we should see Minnesota take a step forward this season. Whether that means contending in the AL Central, I'm not so sure. But after four straight 90-plus loss seasons, any steps in the right direction are a positive. And I do think the Twins will lose fewer than 90 games in 2015 and climb out of the basement of the AL Central.
Q: Is it time for the prospects to get their chance at the big league level, or will the Twins again play the players that have lost 90+? Wouldn't a few young guys mixed in help them compete now and for the future? I think the fans are running out of patience. -- Dan, Perham, Minn.
Q: Who of the Twins' top prospects will make the biggest impact this year? -- Paul, New Ulm, Minn.
A: I received several questions about the Twins' prospects, so I figured I'd lump them together with one all-encompassing answer. First of all, to answer your question, Dan, I do think we'll see a few more prospects making their debuts this season. Last year it was Danny Santana, Kennys Vargas and Trevor May all debuting with the Twins. If I had to guess, I'd say Alex Meyer may be the first prospect to debut this year. At 25 years old and with a full season of Triple-A experience under his belt, Meyer is ready for the majors. He would instantly become the team's top strikeout pitcher -- he struck out 10.6 batters per nine innings last season with Rochester, which was more than any Twins pitcher in 2014. Meyer has a chance to break camp as the No. 5 starter in the rotation, or he could also start the year in the bullpen before transitioning to a starting role. If he starts 2015 at Triple-A, it likely won't be long before he's up in the majors.
Many people want to know when top prospects Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano will debut with the Twins. Buxton, viewed by many as the top prospect in all of baseball, suffered an injury-plagued 2014 season. Numerous injuries limited him to just 31 total games. He endured a season-ending concussion in his first game at Double-A after he collided with a fellow outfielder. Sano, meanwhile, missed all of 2014 after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Sano played in Double-A in 2013 and could likely start there again in 2015 -- possibly as Buxton's teammate. I still think we'll see Sano in a Twins uniform before Buxton. When that might be is still a big question mark. I wouldn't be shocked if Sano debuts sometime in the middle of the season if all goes well for him at Double-A. Buxton will likely arrive a bit later, perhaps as a September call-up. Otherwise, 2016 is still a possibility if Minnesota is on the cautious side with the 21-year-old Buxton.
One other prospect who could debut this year -- and possibly make an impact -- is right-hander Jose Berrios. The 20-year-old Puerto Rico native ascended to Triple-A Rochester at the end of the 2014 season after starting the year at High-A Fort Myers. In 25 total starts last year, Berrios was 12-8 with an impressive 2.77 ERA and a WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of 1.117. Berrios is behind Meyer's schedule to arrive, but 2015 is a real possibility for Berrios to debut. Eddie Rosario, a second baseman and outfielder, is one other to watch. He played mostly for Double-A New Britain during the 2014 season but he did struggle at the plate, batting just .237 with 36 RBI in 79 games at Double-A.
Q: Please let me know who will be the starting five pitchers in the rotation. -- Mark, Fredericksburg, Va.
A: That's the million-dollar question this spring for the Twins. We know that Phil Hughes is a lock to be in the rotation, and with the money Ricky Nolasco is being paid, he'll be in it, too, despite a disappointing 2014 season. Newly-acquired Ervin Santana, a veteran right-hander, will be in the rotation as well. The No. 4 spot is not quite as solidified, but I'd venture to guess Kyle Gibson has that spot wrapped up after winning 13 games last year and making some strides in his second big league season. The big question mark is the No. 5 spot.
Minnesota will have several different guys battling for that spot. Among them are right-hander Trevor May, left-hander Tommy Milone, former reliever Tim Stauffer, veteran Mike Pelfrey, and prospect Alex Meyer. Of those five, Meyer is the only one without major league experience, but also possesses arguably the best stuff of the group. May debuted last year with mixed results, while Milone -- the only lefty in the bunch -- was acquired in a trade late in the season. Pelfrey missed most of 2014 with an injury and could ultimately wind up in the bullpen.
As of right now it's hard to predict who that No. 5 starter will be. All of this will obviously come down to how these five pitchers perform in spring. While I eventually like Meyer's chances to debut with the Twins this year, I'm guessing he doesn't break camp as the No. 5 starter. Stauffer has started and relieved in his career, but he seems to make more sense in the Twins' bullpen. Pelfrey's health -- and his performance -- has been a big question mark, so the bullpen could also be a landing spot for him. And May was a bit too inconsistent in his short time in the majors last year. For now I'll say Milone wins the job for a few reasons: 1. Minnesota won't otherwise have a left-hander in the rotation, and 2. He pitched well in Oakland last season (6-3, 3.55 ERA) before the trade to the Twins, where be dealt with a neck injury. But again, plenty could change between now and the end of March.
Q: What are the Twins doing this off season to get us back to a championship team? -- Ron, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
A: Minnesota made a few moves this winter that it hopes will move the franchise forward. For starters, that includes a new manager in Paul Molitor. After 13 seasons at the helm, manager Ron Gardenhire was let go following the 2014 season. In steps Molitor, a Hall of Fame player with no managerial experience. Molitor's knowledge of the game is impressive, and his attention to details should rub off on the Twins' roster. Though a manager doesn't often impact wins or losses, the attitude and culture that Molitor hopes to instill in the clubhouse could make a big difference.
On top of the hiring of Molitor, perhaps the biggest acquisition was free agent pitcher Ervin Santana, who was given a four-year, $55 million contract -- the largest given to a free agent in Twins history. In his 10 seasons in the majors, Santana has logged 200 innings five times, and nearly matched that mark last year when he threw 196 innings for Atlanta. In Santana, the Twins hope they have a durable, reliable arm in the middle of the rotation.
And then of course is the addition -- or reunion -- of Torii Hunter in Minnesota. Hunter was drafted by the Twins back in 1993 and debuted with Minnesota in 1997. He spent 11 big league seasons with the Twins before leaving for the Los Angeles Angels, and later the Detroit Tigers. Hunter, now 39, is back with his original organization at the twilight of his career. He was still productive at the plate last year for Detroit, although his defensive isn't the same as it was during his first stint with Minnesota. However, the addition of Hunter could be just as impactful off the field and in the clubhouse, where he should serve as a mentor to the team's younger players -- namely outfielders Aaron Hicks and Byron Buxton.
As I said in previous answers, I'm not saying all these moves will make the Twins a championship team in 2015, but they were all done with the hope of continuing to move the organization in the right direction after four rough seasons.
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