AGRI Biz

Originally published at TwinsTarget.com . Not too many years ago, the National League East was one of the more competitive leagues in baseball. For the past decade, the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets have battled for the top position, with the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals (also known as the Montreal Expos before 2005) picking up the scraps. Philadelphia has been incredibly ...

Did the Twins just execute a "perfect" offseason?áJJ Hardy. Carl Pavano. Clay Condrey. Jim Thome. Orlando Hudson. (Joe Mauer?) Talk about a study in a wise allocation of resources.áAfter the 2009 regular season, the Twins had several clear and crucial needs, most notably their nearly empty infield. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were the only two guaranteed starters, while Nick PuntoÆs versatility would allow him to start at any one ...

2009 stats: 1.35 ERA, 53.1 IP, 42/4 K/BB, 0.675 WHIP at GCL (Rook) Last year’s rank: Not ranked Acquired: Sixth round selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 2008 draft   BJ Hermsen exploded onto the scene this past year, his first in professional baseball. The 20-year old-right-hander from Iowa doesn't boast the velocity you'd expect from a 6-foot-6, 230-pound former three-sport athlete. Attending West Delaware High School in ...

2009 stats: .271/.360/.454, 490 PA, 15 HR, 98/45 K/BB at New Britain (AA) Last year’s rank: Not Ranked Acquired: 34th round selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 draft; 36th round selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 2005 draft   Before 2009, Rene Tosoni was simply an average corner outfield prospect who got on base at an above-average clip. Besides his pure hitting ability, there ...

14. Tyler Robertson, LHP, 21 years old á 2009 stats: 3.33 ERA, 143.1 IP, 103/51 K/BB, 1.326 WHIP at Ft. Myers (A+) á Last yearÆs rank: 7 á Acquired: Third-round selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 2006 draft. This past year was Tyler RobertsonÆs second year with the Fort Myers Miracle, and the first in which he managed to stay healthy for a complete season. Robertson has taken a few steps back since ...

The Minnesota Twins are known throughout the league for their deep minor league organization and uncanny ability to supplement established major-league players with young minor-league talent.   This past year has seen some ebb and flow in several aspects of Minnesota’s minor league system. While there are plenty of elite pitching prospects now in the Twins’ system, there is a lack of middle infielders.   Overall, the Twins have a fairly average minor league ...

Much fuss has been made on this blog recently in regards to Minnesota's complete lack of a No. 2 hitter to bat behind Denard Span . I hold to my belief that it is the most important hole that remains to be filled, and should be taken care of before the starting rotation is addressed. This decade, the average on-base-percentage of a No. 2 hitter in the American League is .338. ...

Following the acquisition of JJ Hardy, there are two major needs on this Minnesota team. First, and in my opinion the most important, a No. 2 hitter is needed to bat behind Denard Span. With his new-found power, the Twins desperately need to find a way to get runners on base for Joe Mauer; batting third this past season, Mauer was 103rd in the league in total number of runners on ...