Late-round pick off to quick start

La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

Clubs often draft a player with no immediate plans of signing him. Because they hold the rights to the player for a year, they can put off contract decisions while monitoring him in college. These are called draft-and-follow picks, usually taken during the later rounds of the 50-round draft.

Outfielder Danny Santiesteban was selected in the 39th round of last year's draft out of Palm Beach Community College, but the Twins waited until this year to sign him. And it was worth the wait. Santiesteban entered the weekend batting .328 with six homers and 23 RBI for the Twins' rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. He leads the league in RBI and is second in homers.

The organization is excited that it may have a top outfield prospect.

"He's doing all right," said Twins scouting director Mike Radcliff, who recently saw Santiesteban in Fort Myers, Fla. "He's got some adjustments he has to make with his swing, but he's playing hard and he's doing well."

Rob Antony, the Twins director of operations, watched Santiesteban recently and was impressed with how he doesn't accept failure.

"He's a real aggressive, real intense player," Antony said. "A little more outwardly emotional and intense."

Santiesteban, 6-4 and 180 pounds, had a .721 slugging percentage as of Friday. His on-base percentage was only .377 because of just five walks in 61 at-bats.

Pitchers move

The Twins have high hopes for their pitching class from the 2004 draft. So far, they have little reason to worry.

The club on Friday promoted righthander Jay Rainville, a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds, to Class A Fort Myers from Class A Beloit. Rainville was 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 16 starts for Beloit.

They also promoted righthander Eduardo Morlan, a third-round pick, from rookie league Elizabethton to Beloit. Morlan, with a fastball and slider similar to Twins reliever Juan Rincon, was 2-0, 0.82 through four starts at Elizabethton.

Also this season lefthander Glen Perkins, a first-round pick, has been promoted to Class AA New Britain, and righthander Anthony Swarzak, a second-round pick, has moved to Fort Myers.

Etc.

Righthander J.D. Durbin is on the disabled list at Class AAA Rochester because of a sore shoulder. Durbin was supposed to start Sunday after missing a couple starts, but he felt some discomfort during a bullpen session. He's 3-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 16 starts.

First baseman Henry Sanchez, who signed with the Twins on Friday, will report to rookie league Fort Myers, where he will team up with Santiesteban and outfielder Richard Sojo, who was batting .413 through 14 games.