Minnesota Twins

2009 Record: 87-76
2010 Prediction: 88-74
Predicted Finish: 2nd

Offensive Projections:
http://www.fan-exchange.com/mlb/teamhittingpredictions.asp?userid=53&franchid=MIN&yearid=2010

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | No. 16 | Deolis Guerra

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | April 17, 1989 (San Felix, Venezuela)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 200 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 12

Breakdown

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #42 | Liam Hendriks

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #43 | Brad Tippett

Over the past week, talks between the Minnesota Twins and left-handed starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn have begun to heat up.

Scott Miller of CBSSports.com  reported on Tuesday that the Twins made an offer to the lefty but the figures of the deal had not yet been disclosed. 

For the 13th straight year, Bert Blyleven failed to gain induction into the Hall of Fame, this time by the slimmest of margins as he received 74.2 percent of the vote (75 percent is necessary for induction). 

Often considered the best pitcher without a plaque in Cooperstown, the right-hander will remain just that for at least another 12 months, and it's not right.

Twins left-handed relief pitcher Jose Mijares has long been a highly-rated prospect, with a low-90s fastball and an excellent slider. He appeared to live up to the hype as a rookie in 2009, posting a 2.34 ERA.

Ah, but wait.

Mijares' FIP was 4.01 last year. His xFIP was even worse at 4.43.

Those numbers suggest that Mijares was one of the luckier pitchers in baseball last year.

So, is Mijares a very good pitcher, or is he just an average pitcher who benefited from good fortune in 2009?

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #48 | Shooter Hunt

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | August 16, 1986 (Westwood, N.J.)

School | Tulane University

Height | 6'3''

Weight | 200 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 8th

While my bio claims that I know about 2000 players currently in affiliated baseball (and I stand by that claim), my knowledge begins to fracture as you get lower and lower in the minors.

I have a decent sense of almost everyone in Triple-A and a good amount of Double-A, but particularly when you get to Low-A and short-season leagues, all I know are top prospects, high draft picks, and A's players.

However, one player in the short-season Appalachian League caught my eye recently: Elizabethton Twins catcher Josmil Pinto.