Twins loaded up for arms race

Editor's Note: The Twins on Nov. 28 traded right-handers Matt Garza and Eduardo Morlan along with shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Rays for outfielders Delmon Young and Jason Pridie and infielder Brendan Harris.

Coming into the 2007 season, we discussed the Twins' remarkable pitching depth. If possible, they now seem to be deeper than ever. This will be especially comforting news to Minnesota fans if the club does ultimately follow through on a rumored trade of perennial Cy Young Award contender Johan Santana.

Even if they deal Santana, however, the Twins still have plenty of young arms coming off impressive campaigns. Matt Garza, the 2006 MiLB.com Starting Pitcher of the Year, and Kevin Slowey, who may have been the best starter in the Minors over the last two years, will be expected to make even bigger strides in 2008. Southpaws Glen Perkins and Francisco Liriano both missed all or part of last year due to injuries, but are expected back in '08. Add in names like relief ace Pat Neshek and second-year hurlers Scott Baker and Boof Bonser, and you're talking about a deep staff.

Now, throw in some of the other young arms who emerged to join that group of pitchers this year, like Nick Blackburn, Jeff Manship, Brian Duensing and Robert Delaney, who was arguably the top closer in the Minors in '07.

That brings us back to the only downside we can foresee with all this depth: Finding that fine line between having all of your pitching prospects competing at the right level with a promising future, and creating a logjam.

It's a nice challenge to have.

In 2007, the Twins' farm teams combined for a .554 winning percentage, fourth among the 30 organizations, with five of six clubs finishing above .500. The only team to finish with a losing record was Double-A New Britain, and the Rock Cats weren't far off at 69-72. Class A Short-Season Elizabethton (50-18, .735) won the Appalachian League crown while Class A Beloit also made it to the finals in the Midwest League.

Organizational Players of the Year

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

Alexi Casilla, 2B/SS: Acquired from the Angels prior to the 2006 season for pitcher J.C. Romero, Casilla split the '07 campaign between the Minors and Minnesota. He hit .269 with 24 steals at Triple-A Rochester and .222 in 56 games for the Twins, mostly after second baseman Luis Castillo was traded to the Mets last summer. None of Castillo's potential replacements did much offensively, so Casilla should be in the mix for the job in '08. The good news is he had a combined .306 average in four seasons coming into the year, so the low average is not indicative of his potential. He is an excellent defensive second baseman with good speed and was the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2006, when he swiped 50 bags between Class A Advanced Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain.
Audio: Casilla rips an RBI double

Kevin Slowey, RHP: Edged out for last year's organizational Pitcher of the Year award by Garza, Slowey actually improved on many of his numbers in 2007, lowering his ERA to an International League-best 1.89 at Rochester. He walked only 18 in 134 innings, striking out 107 en route to IL Pitcher of the Year honors. He also tossed 67 innings with the Twins to use up his rookie eligibility for '08. His game features extraordinary command, rather than overpowering stuff. Once he's had enough big-league time to start getting the borderline calls, Slowey's numbers should translate at the next level in a hurry.
Audio: Slowey gets his ninth K

POSTSEASON SELECTIONS
As chosen by the author, not the organization

Garrett Guzman, OF: The 10th-round pick from 2001 is not the top prospect in the system, but he had the best year of any up-and-comer on the offensive side. Still just 24 after being drafted out of high school, Guzman led all full-season hitters in the Twins system with a .312 average to go with 14 homers and 88 RBIs at New Britain. The left-handed hitter missed all of 2005 when he broke his neck in a car crash, so his success has some feel-good elements to it. He batted .284 over five pro seasons coming into the summer.
Audio: Guzman goes deep
Video: Guzman delivers in 12th

Kevin Slowey: See preseason predictions.

Climbed the Ladder

Jeff Manship, RHP: In his first full season, the 2006 14th-round pick out of Notre Dame began the summer at Class A Beloit, posting a 1.51 ERA and walking nine while striking out 77 in as many innings. His ERA rose to 3.15 upon his promotion to Class A Advanced Fort Myers. He combined to go 15-6 with a 2.30 ERA, 136 strikeouts and 34 walks in 149 innings last summer. Manship's out pitch is a plus-curveball.
Audio: Manship fans eight

Nick Blackburn, RHP: Perhaps the biggest breakthrough player in the system, Blackburn made his pro debut in 2002 as a 2001 draft-and-follow pick out of junior college. He went 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA at New Britain in 2006. Throwing a fastball and a cutter, Blackburn went 10-4 with a 2.36 ERA with only 19 walks in 148 2/3 innings between New Britain and Rochester last year. At Rochester, he posted a 2.11 ERA, pitched three complete games and, during June, strung together a run of 44 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. He continued that success in the Arizona Fall League, where he was 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA for the champion Phoenix Desert Dogs. Blackburn allowed a run over six innings to pick up the win in the title game.
Audio: Blackburn whiffs his sixth

Robert Delaney, RHP: In his first full season after signing as a non-drafted free agent out of St. John's last season, Delaney posted an 0.77 ERA and a club-record 28 saves at Beloit before the end of June. Promoted to Fort Myers, he continued his success, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA and collecting seven saves in as many opportunities to finish tied for second in the Minors in that category with 35.
Audio: Delaney saves another

Trevor Plouffe, SS: Plouffe, the Twins' first-round pick in 2004, had struggled at the plate overall in 2006, hitting .246 with four homers and 45 RBIs at Fort Myers. But he came on down the stretch and in instructional league action, so the club's hopes for him remained high. He hit .274 with nine homers and 50 RBIs at New Britain.
Audio: Plouffe pounds a homer

Oswaldo Sosa, RHP: Sosa, who just turned 22, posted a 2.94 ERA between Fort Myers and New Britain, including a 2.23 ERA in 19 starts with the Miracle. His fastball is in the low 90s.
Audio: Sosa carries no-hitter through five

Eduardo Morlan, RHP: The club's third-round pick in 2004 out of high school, the Cuban-born Morlan had seen time starting and relieving, but was moved to the back of the bullpen in 2007. He combined for 18 saves between Fort Myers and New Britain, striking out 92 and walking just 17 in 65 2/3 innings while posting a 3.15 ERA. Morlan added 12 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in the Arizona Fall League.
Audio: Morlan closes the door

Erik Lis, 1B: We had Lis on our "Under the Radar" list coming into the season after he won the Midwest League batting title with a .326 average at Beloit in his first full year. He's definitely on the radar now after leading the organization with 18 homers and 97 RBIs. He batted .274 at Fort Myers.
Audio: Lis launches one

Danny Valencia 3B: In his full-season debut, the 2006 19th-round pick hit .297 with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs between Beloit and Fort Myers, finishing second in the organization in homers. He batted .311 with eight homers at Elizabethton during his '06 debut.
Audio: Valencia drills go-ahead three-run homer

Kept Their Footing

Matt Garza, RHP: It would have been hard to climb the ladder given Garza's status coming into the season. The 2005 first-rounder out of Fresno State fell short of making the big club out of Spring Training, heading instead to Rochester, where he was 4-6 with a 3.62 ERA. He finished with a 3.69 ERA in 83 innings with the Twins after his promotion. Garza throws a mid-90s fastball and hard slider.
Audio: Garza strikes out nine

Denard Span, OF: The club's first-rounder in 2002 finished third in the organization with 25 steals, hitting .267 with 55 RBIs in his first full season at Rochester. A leadoff-type hitter with speed, Span batted .285 at New Britain in 2006. He is also a good defensive outfielder.
Video: Span strokes a two-run double

Chris Parmelee, OF: The club's top pick in 2006 was one of the top high school power prospects in his draft, and hit .279 with eight homers and 32 RBIs during his debut in the Gulf Coast League that summer. At Beloit for his full-season debut last season, Pamelee hit 15 homers -- good for fourth in the system -- and drove in 70 runs, but hit just .239 and struck out 137 times in 128 games.

Slipped a Rung

Matt Moses 3B: A first-round pick in 2003, Moses has not come around with the bat yet. He hit .249 with a career-high 15 homers at New Britain in 2006, but batted just .224 in 48 games with Rochester last year before hitting .263 with four homers and 44 RBIs after returning to the Rock Cats.

David Winfree, 1B/3B: A 13th-rounder in 2003, Winfree enjoyed a huge breakthrough season in 2005, when he hit .294 with 16 homers and 101 RBIs at Beloit. His numbers have dropped steadily since. He hit .276 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs at Fort Myers in 2006 and .267 with 12 homers and 51 RBIs at New Britain this past season.

On the Radar

Jay Rainville, RHP: A first-round pick in 2004, the former high school hockey star from Rhode Island lost all of 2006 to arm surgery, but re-emerged this season, posting a 3.29 ERA at Fort Myers. He also impressed by logging 142 innings for the Miracle.
Audio: Rainville gets his sixth K

Estarlin De Los Santos, SS: De Los Santos' calling card is his dazzling defense, but the 20-year-old also led the organization with 27 steals at Elizabethton, where he hit .264 for the Appy League champions.
Audio: De Los Santos slaps a triple

Brian Duensing, LHP: A third-round pick in 2005 out of Nebraska, Duensing combined to go 15-6 with a 3.07 ERA between New Britain and Rochester. He walked 34 in 167 1/3 innings and the Twins love his makeup.
Audio: Duensing fans four

Tyler Robertson LHP: A third-round pick last year, the 19-year-old Robertson started the summer at extended Spring Training. Once he got to Beloit, however, he rang up a 2.23 ERA and 123 strikeouts in just 102 innings, walking only 33.
Audio: Robertson racks up 10 Ks

Loek Van Mil RHP: Hard for this right-hander not to be on the radar screen since he stands at 7-foot-1. The Netherlands native posted a 2.63 ERA at Elizabethton, striking out 23 and walking 17 in 24 innings while limiting Appy League hitters to a .171 average with his low 90s fastball. Van Mil was sidelined the last few weeks of the season with a sore elbow.
Audio: Van Mil strikes out the side

Deibinson Romero, 3B: Romero is a gap hitter who finished second in the Appy League with a .316 average and nine homers. He also collected 52 RBIs. Romero may transition out of third base down the road, but his bat will be what carries him to the Majors.
Audio: Romero hits three homers

Bradley Tippett, RHP: Signed out of Australia in 2006, Tippett used his plus-curveball to post a 7-1 record and 0.93 ERA out of the Elizabethton bullpen. He walked just four and struck out 51 while ranking among the Minor League leaders with a .155 average against.
Audio: Tippett strikes out the side

Dustin Martin, OF: Acquired from the New York Mets in the mid-season deal that sent Luis Castillo to New York, Martin was a 26th-round pick last summer out of Sam Houston State. The center fielder hit .288 with eight homers, 71 RBIs and 26 steals between Class A Advanced St. Lucie and Fort Myers.
Audio: Martin rips walk-off single

2007 Draft Recap

Ben Revere, OF: The Twins surprised some with their pick of Revere with the 28th overall selection, but the high school speedster lived up to the honor, hitting .325 with 21 steals in the Gulf Coast League. At 5-foot-9, the left-handed batter has great makeup.

Daniel Rams, C: The Twins took Rams with their second-round pick and sent him to the Gulf Coast League, where the high schooler hit .258 with 13 RBIs.

Angel Morales, OF: Taken in the third round out of high school in Puerto Rico, Morales hit .236 with two homers, 15 RBIs and 11 steals during his pro debut in the Gulf Coast League.

OTHERS OF NOTE: OF Ozzie Lewis (21), drafted out of Fresno State, won Appalachian League MVP honors, hitting .323 with nine homers and 30 RBIs at Elizabethton. ... RHP Daniel Berlind (7) out of Cal Poly was 6-2 with a 1.93 ERA in the Gulf Coast League. The 6-foot-7 right-hander limited batters to a .186 average. ... RHP Michael McCardell (6) out of Kutztown State was 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA at Elizabethton, limiting hitters to a .179 average.