Top prospects Sano, Meyer, Rosario on 40-man roster
Wheeler also added; Adam, Gilmartin among players who could go in Rule 5 Draft
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins added four players to their 40-man roster Thursday, including top prospects Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer and Eddie Rosario, to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December.
Sano, Meyer and Rosario were all considered locks to be added before Thursday's 10:59 p.m. CT deadline, but the addition of left-hander Jason Wheeler is a considered a minor surprise. With the four roster additions, Minnesota's 40-man roster is full.
Sano, the Twins' No. 2 prospect and baseball's No. 7 overall prospect according to MLB.com, missed the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in March. But the 21-year-old will be ready for Spring Training and is likely to make his long-awaited Major League debut next season. He was originally signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2009.
Meyer, ranked as Minnesota's No. 5 prospect and baseball's No. 27 overall prospect by MLB.com, posted a 3.52 ERA with 153 strikeouts and 64 walks in 130 1/3 innings at Triple-A Rochester last year. Meyer, 24, was a candidate to be added to the roster as a September callup, but dealt with shoulder inflammation late in the Minor League season. Meyer was drafted by the Nationals in the first round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft before being traded for Denard Span before the '13 season.
Rosario, 23, struggled in 79 games at Double-A New Britain following a 50-game suspension to open the year, but bounced back with an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League. Rosario, who has moved back to the outfield after converting to second base, is ranked as the club's No. 10 prospect by MLB.com. Rosario, a Puerto Rico native, was taken by the Twins in the fourth round of the '10 Draft.
Video: PER@SRR: Rosario hits a solo blast deep to right
Wheeler, 24, posted a 2.67 ERA in 158 1/3 innings across Class A Advanced Fort Myers, Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester last year. He made 13 starts with a 2.51 ERA at Fort Myers before he was promoted to Double-A in late June. Wheeler had a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts at New Britain and also made a spot start with Rochester in late July, giving up two runs in five innings.
Wheeler has a career 3.26 ERA in three professional seasons since being selected by the Twins in the eighth round of the '11 Draft. But he's also struck out just 321 in 458 1/3 innings for a career strikeout rate of 6.3 batters per nine innings.
Notable Twins Minor Leaguers who were not added to the 40-man roster and are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft include pitchers Jason Adam and Sean Gilmartin and infielders Levi Michael and Niko Goodrum.