The Rochester Red Wings have announced that Tom Nieto has been named manager of the Class AAA club. Nieto, who managed Class AA New Britain to a 72-69 record this year, replaces Stan Cliburn, who was let go after the season.

Bobby Cuellar will return as pitching coach. Floyd Rayford will take over as hitting coach. Here’s the Red Wing’s release. 

The Twins are expected to release all their minor league coaching assignments in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, if you want to talk Twins, I’m filling in for the flu-ridden Paul Allen tomorrow from 9-Noon on KFAN. Phil Mackey will join me for awhile to talk about the Twins and Vikings. And there will be other treats as well. Tune in!

The Twins’ annual fall instructional league wrapped up today. For two-plus weeks, Twins prospects worked on their skills at the club’s year-round headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida.

It also marked the professional debut (sort of) of righthander Kyle Gibson, the Twins’ first-round pick who was an injury concern during the draft. The Twins, however, checked him out, determined that his forearm problem was a stress fracture and not a strain (which can lead to elbow ligament problems),  drafted him and signed him for a $1.85 million bonus.

Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said Gibson threw four innings and looked good,

“The last two innings he threw really well,” Johnson said. “Threw strikes. Kept the ball down. Showed his full assortment of pitches. His slider is his money pitch.”

The Twins hope Gibson can start at Class A Fort Myers next year,  which gives him a chance to get on the fast track to the majors.

Johnson also was impressed with German outfielder Max Kepler, who is attending South Fort Myers high school while working out with at the Twins’ facility across the street.

“Looks like he’s going to be good,” Johnson said. “Good body. Good swing. Runs well for his size.”

I was  on the phone with Johnson for just five minutes (he was about to chow down on a Five Guys burger). But he made a point of bringing up sixth-round pick Chris Hermann, who played all 59 games in the outfield for rookie league Elizabethton but is being switched to catcher.

Hermann, Johnson said, looks like he’ll be able to handle the move. It’s an interesting move because Hermann’s bat looks promising. He hit .297 with 7 homers and 30 and was third in the Appalachian League with 33 walks.  

AFL begins

Seven Twins players - infielders Steve Singleton, Chris Parmelee, outfielder Rene Tosoni and pitchers Mike McCardell, Steve Hirschfeld, Alex Burnett and Spencer Steedley are playing with the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League. AFL action  runs until just before Thanksgiving.

Bill Smith & Co. will remain in Fort Myers this week for organizational meetings before returning to the Twin Cities.

I’m still working on my top ten prospects list for 2009. This year has been harder than usual. Part of the reason is the additions of Kyle Gibson, Max Kepler and Miguel Angel Sano. They haven’t played a game as pros, but, if you go on potential, they’re all big prospects.

The other part is, the Twins didn’t have many big seasons. Aaron Hicks, arguably, still is the top prospect but didn’t play well until the end of the Class A season. Wilson Ramos was slowed by injuries.

I’ve swapped e-mails about the Twins farm system with Baseball America’s John Manuel and will include some of his thoughts next week when I finally have the guts to post my list.

Update: Wilson Ramos has jumped into winter ball with a hot bat. He’s batting .393 with 2 homers and 7 RBI in seven games for Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League. You know, he’s going to be the best Venezuelan prospect the Twins have produced, not that there’s a lot of competition.

Joe C. knocked it out of the park the past two weeks as he tracked Twins news while I decompressed and got ready for spring training. I’m sure you’ll hear from both of us this week as camp opens in Fort Myers, Fla.

Word of warning to those who ever need to forward mail for several weeks at a time: Make sure you get the right address. I set up a temporary forwarding address in Fort Myers but got an e-mail on Saturday from my Florida contact telling me the address I received was wrong.

So I was at the airport post office this morning trying to get everything straightened out. The post office worker and I agreed that things are going to be screwed up for about a week down there. I just wonder what the residents at the first address I was given are going to say when a bunch of letters and magazines appear in their mailbox. If you owe me money, hold off on mailing those checks!

I still like my chances of opening my mail down there before the Twins come up with a new third baseman…..

Anyway, here’s a quick peek at the week ahead.

Today: I’m sitting in with KFAN’s Paul Allen in about 5 minutes for the remainder of his show. I think we’re going to open up with the Grammys then move into baseball talk.

Tonight: At 7 p.m., you can click on FSN and watch the replay of the Diamond Awards baseball banquet that raised $268,000 for various research efforts at the U. Keep an eye out for Justin Morneau, who took a playful MVP-related shot at me when he received an award late in the show.

Tuesday: I fly to Fort Myers to get set up for spring training. I’m currently working on juicy profile for Sunday but will swing by the Lee County Sports Complex a few times to see who’s working out early. I spoke with Michael Cuddyer over the weekend, and he’s already there. If fact, a handful of Twins players usually are down there by now.

Thursday: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire arrives. Other Twins officials should be down by then, too.

Sunday: Pitchers and catchers report.

Next Monday: First workout for pitchers and catchers.

That’s all for now. Check back here or on Joe C.’s blog if there’s news….

Third baseman Joe Crede has arrived in Arizona and is set to work out for scouts sometime next week. The Twins are expected to be in attendance.

Why?

1. They have been in contact with Crede’s agent, Scott Boras.

2. Crede is willing to sign a one-year deal.

3. Crede, by all indications, is healthy.

Someone with knowledge of the situation told me that Crede thinks he’s finally licked the back problems that have limited him to 144 games over the previous two seasons. The main problem was a nerve issue in his back that was finally corrected with minor surgery after the season.

Crede’s back apparenty is fine - but he’s going to have to convince people in a hurry that he’s worth signing.

I will point out that one Boras client who was believed to be broken down but ended up producing was this man. The only thing that slowed him that year was a sports hernia.

The Giants reportedly have interest in Crede as well. The Rangers were linked to Crede earlier in the offseason but apparently will move Michael Young to third. Stay tuned on this one….

Eric Gagne update: The Twins have been swapping offers with Boras about reliever Eric Gagne too. Heard a couple days ago that things were heating up, then heard yesterday that things weren’t so hot. But there has been plenty of dialouge and it appears that Gagne remains on the Twins radar. So is Brando Lyon, but he might have a chance to close elsewhere.

Russ Springer??????: Seth Stohs, who offers prolific coverage of Twins prospects, has heard that the Twins are interested in Russ Springer. More power to Seth because I’ve checked and the Twins have shown interest.

But Springer doesn’t solve their problems. He’s put up nice numbers the past two seasons but he’s a seventh-inning, one-or-two-batter guy and the Twins need eighth inning help. That’s why I skipped his name on the list of relievers. Gagne appears to be a better option.

Reporter update: This might be the only post of the day. The Diamond Awards banquet is tonight and there’s a rehearsal this afternoon. If there’s major breaking news, Joe C. will handle it. That’s right, Joe C. is baaack!! 

 Heard from a source today that the Twins aren’t that far apart with righthander Eric Gagne but a second source cautioned that the club is looking at a handful of relievers and nothing was close. But it sounds like the Twins would like to get something done this week. It’s getting close to move-to-Florida time, so there should be a bunch of signings over the next couple of weeks.

Just heard about Joe Mauer’s comments to KMSP (good thing I had an early dinner tonight). Checked with assistant GM Rob Antony (who was still in his office). “Will he be ready to go all out the first day of camp. I wouldn’t say that,” Antony said. “But it won’t be an issue.”

If it was a knee, shoulder, foot or wrist surgery, I would be more concerned. It was a minor kidney surgery. Unfortunately for Mauer, whatever bugged him threw him off his offseason workout plans. I’m guessing he’ll be in the gym  a lot during the first few days of camp,

And wouldn’t it look strange if he was bouncing around camp as if nothing was wrong right after pulling out of the World Baseball Classic? I kind of expected him to ease into camp this year.