Hi, all... for those of you who would be willing to indulge me in a baseball simulation question (simulation games consider both offensive and defensive skills)... I have the Minnesota Twins organization in an APBA keeper league, and get to protect three minor leaguers per year so I will own them when they become major leaguers. This year I am struggling on my picks...

First, just a couple of the ground rules...

1. I try to protect mostly guys who have a shot at being impact players.

2. Players way down in the minors who have no chance at being brought up in 2009 are not likely going to be my targets unless they are Joe Mauer-type prospects.

3. I can lose players if they get traded by the Twins before I protect them (not nearly the worry in this organization that guys have when they own the Yankees or other teams who trade prospects for "win now" type players).

4. Players who get about 50 AB or 20 IP usually are considered to have "graduated" and become major leaguers, so if they only get a short cuppa coffee in the fall, I won't likely lose them..

the guys I am considering protecting this year are:

1. Wilson Ramos... has a chance to be a decent regular I think (likely with a different organization, but that doesn't matter) and is at AA, so may well graduate to a Twins backup role before the end of this year if injuries occur.

2. Ben Revere... a top prospect, and if he has a solid season there is an outside chance he could get a long enough look in September to be considered a major leaguer... don't want to take the chance that I could lose him, so he is being covered for sure.

3. Jose Mijares (relievers aren't usually my thing, but...)

4. Danny Valencia... does he really have a chance to be a good 3B?

5. Aaron Hicks... the best upside in the org but no chance he gets traded or brought to the majors in 2009, so I will wait until next year to protect him.

6. Carlos Gutierrez... great start, but does he have what it takes to be a mid-rotation starter? I saw the earlier thread on him and some folks who saw him say he doesn't have enough secondary pitches, nor a good enough fastball.

7. Shooter Hunt... terrible start this year, and not looking like a candidate for the big club at least in 2009, so I'm not likely to cover him.

The question really is whether Valencia is promising enough to push Mijares out of my list. Mijares will almost certainly get enough mlb time to graduate this year, so if I don't cover him he will go into the draft, but I ill only protect him if he has real promise as a top-flight reliever... is he JC Romero (enough strong seasons that he may be worth protecting) or is he Rich Garces (talent and some good stats but flamed out due to over-eating and lack of discipline)? If both Valencia and Mijares are likely to be bums, who is worth covering? I have already protected Swarzak, Plouffe and Moses (yes, I know...). Is somebody I haven't mentioned a favorite that you think I should consider? Would you think McCardell, Robertson, Parmelee or somebody else be in the conversation? Maybe I should just put Hicks in the #3 spot and forget the rest?

Twins watchers, I am looking for you! Thanks in advance.

I'm interested in how people see (in comparative terms) the careers of the following three pitchers unfolding: Homer Bailey, Clay Buchholz, Joba Chamberlain.

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I had literally never heard of the man until he was called up by the Twins last week to play third base. Reading Nate Stephens on Rotoworld this week, I thought I must have been living in a cave because he sounded like he has been a prospect for the past few years.

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Hi, guys... I notice that BBA and Kevin Goldstein of BB Prospectus both listed 3B Angel Villalona as the #3 prospect in the Giants' farm system, but John makes no mention of him in the book and a search of this site showed no results. He apparently signed with the Giants in August 2006 just after his 16th birthday.

John, can you make any comments about whether this was an intentional omission or whether Angel just slipped under the radar? I know from your comments in the Top Twenty lists that you have little faith in the Giants' ability to develop hitters. Maybe the combination of that and Villalona's tender age caused you to wait and see?

Thanks.