This will be the final installment of the review of the top players in the organization on a position basis.  Historically, the Twins have had a dominant bullpen.  That all changed in 2008 when Pat Neshek was lost to injury and the Twin's strength became a glaring weakness.  There haven't been any top relievers coming up from the minors during this time of need, however, that appears to be changing.  The Twins again have several strong bullpen arms who will be ready later next year if not out of spring training. 

The Tenth ranked reliever is a young man who was the Twins second first round pick in 2008, Carlos Gutierrez.  In an unusual move for the Twins, Guttierez reported straight to the Ft. Myers Miracle following the draft.  The Twins have stated that they would like to convert the former U of Miami closer to a starter, yet, all 16 of his appearances in 2008 were out of the Miracle bullpen.  Gutierrez had a 3-1 record, 2.10 ERA and 19K/7BB in 25.2 innings to rank as the 11th best pitcher in 2008.  This season Gutierrez returned to Ft. Myers as a starter, where he was excellent in 11 games (54.2 innings) with a 2-3 record, 1.32ERA and 33K/22BB earning a mid-season promotion to New Britain.  While at New Britain, the innings began to wear on Gutierrez who had arm surgery while in college.  He made six starts before moving to the Rock Cat bullpen, appearing in 22 games (52.1 innings) with a 1-3 record, 6.19ERA and 32K/24BB.  Based on his performance at Ft. Myers, Gutierrez would have been rated amongst the top five pitchers in the organization.  Although it is unknown how much of his problems at New Britain were related to the quality of hitters in AA, it is safe to assume that the bigger problem was the number of innings pitched coming off surgery a few years ago.  After moving to the New Britain bullpen, Gutierrez did not allow a run in eight of his last ten appearances during which time he had an excellent 2.25ERA.  Unfortunately, one cannot discount the games that he started at New Britain, thus, Gutierrez finished as my 17th ranked pitcher.  It is likely that the Twins will return him to a starting role again next spring, however, to date he has been more effective as a reliever during his brief time with the organization.  

The ninth ranked reliever is a young man from Moscow, Russia who signed with the organization in August, 2007.  Andrey Lobanov began his career with the GCL Twins in 2008 where he had a 3-1 record and 3.54ERA in 9 games (20.1 innings) with 17K/3BB.  The young lefty also made one shutout appearance with the Miracle when he struck out three and walked one in 2.0 innings to finish his rookie season in North America as my 44th ranked pitcher.  This season the 19 year old Lobanov returned to the GCL Twins where he had numbers that were nearly unbelievable.  In 15 games (22.0 innings), Lobanov had a 2-1 record, 7 saves, 0.82ERA, 0.68WHIP and 35 strikeouts with only one walk.  No matter how you look at it:  35 strikeouts in 22.0 innings (1.59K/inning), a 35:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 1 walk in 35 innings (0.26 walks/9 innings), or an unbelievable 2.333 Dominance Ratio (Strikeouts/hits+walks)...Lobanov was virtually unhittable.  His dominance of GCL hitters put him as my 16th ranked pitcher, which means that three of the organization's top 20 pitchers were with the GCL Twins.  Can Lobanov continue to dominate hitters at higher levels beginning next year?  Only time will tell!

Early this season the Twins picked up hard throwing right handed reliever Juan Morillo from the Colorado Rockies.  Morillo pitched briefly with the Twins, appearing in 3 games (2.0 innings) with 1K/3BB and a 22.50ERA.  Morillo, who is capable of throwing a fastball approaching 100mph, has struggled throughout his career with control.  There are indications that he made some progress at Rochester where he struck out 87 in 67.0 innings with 51 walks.  The Twins were recently forced to make a decision on Morillo who would have become a minor league free agent had they not added him to their 40-man roster last week.  That decision means Morillo will again be with the team next spring, yet, he is out of options and the Twins will need to keep him on their 25-man roster or again risk losing him through waivers.  Morillo finished his season in Rochester with a 6-6 record and 3.90ERA as the 15th ranked pitcher and eighth ranked reliever in the organization.

Robert Delaney is the seventh ranked reliever and fourteenth ranked pitcher.  Delaney had a remarkable 2008 season, when he was named the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year and also ranked as my top pitcher in the organization.  Delaney began his award winning season in Ft. Myers where he appeared in 23 games (31.2 innings) with a 1-2 record, 13 saves, 1.42ERA and 34K/4BB.  He moved up to New Britain mid-season where he appeared in another 23 games (34.1 innings) with a 2-1 record, 5 saves, 1.05ERA, 0.79WHIP and 38K/7BB.  Delaney began this season back at New Britain where he was again excellent, appearing in 22 games (36.0 innings) with a 1-1 record, 2.00ERA and 40K/6BB.  Delaney moved up to AAA Rochester where he appeared in 36 games (47.2 innings) with a 7-3 record, 7 saves, 4.53ERA and 38K/15BB.  Delaney finished his season with 78 strikeouts in 73.2 innings and a 0.813 Dominance Ratio.  Although his numbers weren't anything like his 2008 season, Delaney was excellent this year in the highest levels of the minor leagues to finish as my 14th ranked pitcher.

The sixth ranked reliever is a young lefty who was a 25th round pick in 2007, Spencer Steedley.  Steedley began his 2008 season at Beloit where he had a 2.14ERA and 5-3 record in 31 games (46.1 innings) with 8 saves and 59K/17BB.  That performance earned Steedley a promotion to Ft. Myers where he appeared in 15 games, including four starts for 28.2 innings.  Steedley had a 1-4 record, 1 save, 6.59ERA and 19K/19BB for the Miracle to finish 2008 as the 52nd ranked pitcher.  Steedley returned to Ft. Myers this spring where he had a 4-0 record and 6 saves in 35 games (50.1 innings) with a 1.79ERA and 46K/18BB.  He again earned a mid-season promotion to New Britain where he was very good, picking up a 2-1 record in 20 games (18.2 innings) with a 3.38ERA and 16K/10BB.  Steedley's performance this season ranked him as my 12th ranked pitcher and earned him an assignment from the Twins to the Arizona Fall League.

Santos Arias is another young man who keeps moving in and out of the starting rotation.  Arias spent 2008 with the Beloit Snappers where he appeared in 30 games (15 starts for 110.0 innings), with a 5-6 record, 4 saves, 3.27ERA and 91K/29BB to finish as my 26th ranked pitcher.  This season Arias moved up to Ft. Myers where he spent most of his season working out of their bullpen.  Arias, who started in 9 of his 38 games, finished his 2009 season with a 6-3 record, 3 saves, 2.15ERA and 72K/27BB in 100.2 innings.  My tenth best pitcher and fifth ranked reliever, Steedley missed qualifying for the FSL lead in several categories by only a handful of innings.  Had he qualified, Arias would have had the league's second best ERA and tied with teammate Steven Hirschfield for the best WHIP (1.06).  Look for Arias to move up to New Britain next year, however, their is some risk that this young man from the Dominican Republic could be lost in the Rule V draft if not added to the Twins 40-man roster.        

The fourth ranked reliever is former first round pick, Kyle Waldrop.  We all know about his career which saw him move quickly through the organization, arriving in Ft. Myers in his third season following his draft out of high school.  Unfortunately, Waldrop began to have arm problems and missed all of 2008 with a right shoulder injury.  He returned this season, putting in time at both Ft. Myers and New Britain.  Waldrop appeared in 20 games for the Miracle with a 3-2 record, 3.09ERA and 20K/7BB in 35.0 innings.  Waldrop finished his season at New Britain where he was one of the more reliable relievers in the league.  He had a 2-3 record with a 1.46ERA in 31 games (55.2 innings) with 30K/18BB to rank as the 7th best pitcher in the organization.  Waldrop had always been a starter prior to his injury and it remains to be seen if the Twins will return him to a starting rotation next year.  That is if he is with the Twins.  Will the Twins add Waldrop to their 40-man roster?  If not, he will be eligible to be a minor league free-agent.  Will he sign with the Twins if not added to the 40-man roster?

The third ranked reliever is a wonderful story of a young man who the Twins signed as a non-drafted free agent in June, 2008.  Joe Testa had a good rookie season with the Twins pitching for their GCL team where he had a 2-0 record and 1.32ERA in 7 games (11.0 innings) with 17K/1BB.  Testa was fortunate to have the opportunity to move across the parking lot to help out the Miracle bullpen where he appeared in four games (2 starts for 14.2 innings) with a 1-0 record, 4.91ERA and 13K/7BB.....to rank as the 23rd best pitcher in the organization.  Testa began this season at Beloit where he pitched so well that he was the Snapper's lone all-star.  Testa appeared in 25 games for Beloit (1 start and 45.2 innings) with a 0-2 record, 2.56ERA and 63K/23BB.  Testa moved up to Ft. Myers following the all-star game where he pitched better than during the first half.  Testa appeared in 21 games (37.0 innings) out of the Miracle bullpen with a 5-0 record, 1 save, 1.22ERA, 1.27WHIP and 53K/18BB.  Testa finished his season with 116 strikeouts in 82.2 innings and a 1.208 Dominance Ratio which is higher than any other pitcher in the organization playing higher than rookie ball and good for a ranking as the sixth best pitcher in the organization.   

The second ranked reliever is Anthony Slama who the Twins drafted out of the University of San Diego in the 39th round of the 2006 draft.  Slama had a year every bit as good as Delaney last year, appearing in 51 games (71.0 innings) for the Miracle with a 4-1 record, an organization high 25 saves, 1.01ERA, 0.94WHIP and 110K/24BB.  Slama, who ranked as my third best pitcher in 2008, moved up to New Britain this spring where he appeared in 51 games (65.1 innings) with a 4-2 record, 2.48ERA, 1.19WHIP and 93K/32BB.  With some wondering why Slama wasn't being called up by the Twins, he was promoted late in the season to Rochester where he appeard in 11 games (15.2 innings) with a 0-2 record, 4 saves, 3.45ERA, 19K/8BB and combined 1.155 Dominance Ratio.  Slama again led the organization with 29 saves and his 25 saves for New Britain led the Eastern League even though he spent nearly the last month of his season in AAA.  Slama's ERA at Rochester is a bit misleading as he didn't allow an earned run in nine of his eleven games with five of his six earned runs coming in one game shortly after his promotion.  Slama is the fifth ranked pitcher in the organization and a young man who should see his first duty with the Twins sometime next summer.

The top ranked reliever and top ranked pitcher is a young man who was an excellent starter until this past spring.  Alex Burnett, who was a 12th round pick in the 2005 draft, was only 20 when he began the 2008 season in the Ft. Myers starting rotation.  Burnett, who was one of the Miracle's best starters throughout the season, finished with a 8-6 record, 3.76ERA and 84K/36BB in 143.2 innings to rank as the 25th best pitcher.  Something the Twins saw in Burnett caused them to move him to the bullpen this year and he began his season back at Ft. Myers as a short reliever.  Burnett had a fantastic beginning to his season, appearing in 18 games (22.2 innings) with a 2-1 record, 4 saves, 1.99ERA, 0.93WHIP and 26K/7BB.  Burnett earned a promotion to New Britain where he was the team's primary closer once Anthony Slama moved up to Rochester.  So many pitchers hit a wall when promoted to AA, but not Burnett.  Rather, he was as good if not better than at Ft. Myers, appearing in 40 games (55.1 innings) with a 1-2 record, 9 saves, 1.79ERA, 0.99WHIP and 52K/19BB.  There are several short relievers who will likely begin their season at Rochester which may cause the Twins to return Burnett to New Britain to start next season.  But don't expect him to stay there long as Alex Burnett may be the best of all the excellent short relievers working to achieve that final dream and pull on a Twins jersey for the first time.