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Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- Yesterday, in the first part of this series, I suggested that the Twins trade Danny Santana, Mike Tonkin and Jake Reed to the Oakland Athletics for Ben Zorbrist and Tyler Clippard; and to promote Jorge Polanco as their starting shortstop. This will address the shortstop and right hand set up positions. They Twins would need to address their Catcher deficiency and they need another lefty in the pen to complement Brian Duensing, who has been u
As the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline quickly approaches, the Twins are in position to be buyers for the first time since at least 2010. With 50 wins under their belt, the next handful of games will go help to determine just how aggressive the Twins should be, and where they need help the most. With three glaring holes, the Twins have a couple of options to consider. I'd still make the argument that bullpen help is the Twins biggest need, and it should undoubtedly come with the lowest acqui
The Twins had the day off on Monday as they travel down the west coast of California from Oakland to Los Angeles to face the Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday. Kyle Gibson will make the start and look to get Minnesota back in the win column after the drubbing yesterday. But in the minors on Monday, it was a full slate of games with each affiliate in action. There were several strong starting pitching performances including a late bid for a combined-no-hitter, a big home run from a familiar name in
As we approach the non-waiver trade deadline, many commenters have discussed the logjam that we are facing in the roster decisions that will need to be made this off-season. While we search for potential catchers, relief pitchers, and other assorted pieces of the puzzle (both this year and next), it would help me greatly if someone could list the names of those we need to add to the roster this offseason or risk losing to Rule 5 or minor league free agency. Whether this is in the form of a p
Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- A couple days after the All Star game, the Twins find themselves nine games above .500, and in the midst of a competing season. The fact that the Twins are competing, might be a surprise to some, but from what I have seen in Spring Training, this team had all the making of a competing team, and I even compared it to the 1987 team. Like the 1987 team, which would not have won if not addressing them, the 2015 Twins have some glaring weaknesse
One of the luxuries of being nine games over .500 at the All-Star break is the chance to take a closer look at some of the often-ignored corners of the roster for upgrades. Building a bench that can make a difference late in a ballgame is tough, and in fact most teams in baseball have struggled to do so in recent years, but no team has struggled to quite the extent that the Twins have. Let’s start by taking a look at how American League pinch-hitters have fared over the last five years: 2011: .2
The Twins system is entering a new era as the youth movement is now officially underway. Players like May and Rosario have graduated already. Some players like Sano and Buxton will be leaving this list due to graduation in the coming months. It is important to get a glimpse of the state of the system going forward as the Twins are now entering a time of contention (and hopefully victory) over the next few years. The system is still rich, but clearly there are areas of concern already present.
Again, I've been derelict in my duty--though I was out of the country and away from reliable internets for a while there. Still were back with another nerdy English-Class style recap of the last month (plus) in Twins Territory Chapter 3: June to the All-Star Break Plot Summary: So great was the joy among fans after a shockingly strong June, that the Twins could, to many eyes, have appeared better than they actually were. So it was only slightly surprising that the team stumbled badly in
-SHTICKBALL- In a stunning turn of events, I Puig My Pants Manager Bill Woods has been relieved of his duties. The announcement was made today via the message board on Yahoo Fantasy Baseball, and raised eyebrows all around the Bi-lateral Leg Weakness Baseball League. The announcement came from an entity calling himself W. James Woods, Owner of the I Puig My Pants franchise. While it’s unclear at this point if the I Puig My Pants GM William Woods was involved in the situation, it’s interestin
One final day off for the Minnesota Twins before they are back in action to begin the second half of the season. With no Major League Baseball, the Minor Leagues take center stage. RED WINGS REPORT Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs. Rochester Red Wings Box Score Thanks to nine shutout innings from the Red Wings pitching staff, Rochester dealt Lehigh Valley's Aaron Nola his first AAA loss of the season. The Red Wings rode another strong Tyler Duffey (4-4) start to victory. Duffey went six innings g
The Minnesota Twins can arguably be looked at as the most surprising team in baseball through the first half of the season. With most projections suggesting another 90 loss campaign as far more likely than a playoff run, the Twins have taken the majors by storm. Now at 49-40, with the second best record in the American League, does Minnesota sink or swim? Having had a poor month (to put it lightly) under their belt already, the Twins have proven they can handle adversity. If they are going to re
It is time for part 2 of my mid-season prospect list. Here are the top 30 position player prospects in the Twins system: 1. Byron Buxton (1): CF, 12-18-93 2015 status: Buxton is basically done with minor league baseball. He got injured again, but should be back with the Twins in September. ETA: already arrived. 2. Miguel Sano (2): 3B, 5-3-93 2015 status: Has obliterated the baseball after his promotion to the Twins. He is also done with minor league baseball. Sano will be used as the DH prim
Generally, lights out relievers are hard to come by. While you can put together a makeshift bullpen in hopes of finding things that work, the really good ones often get hung onto. With the emergence of closer importance for teams, seeing the Craig Kimbrel's and Aroldis Chapman's of the big leagues dealt on a yearly basis often doesn't happen. On July 18, 2014, it did happen though. A guy with a 2.78 career ERA, 299 saves, and a 9.0 K/9 was sent packing. Not only are those great numbers for a b
Aaron Hicks is only 25. Entering the All-Star Break he has yet to have his 700th plate appearance, and he’s played in just over 180 games. And yet, he’s already dropped switch-hitting for a brief time period, has been called out by former manager Ron Gardenhire and assistant general manager Rob Antony for showing up to the ballpark and not knowing who the starting pitcher was that day, and after not making the team out of spring training this year the Star Tribune reported that he might not get
What a week, and what a night. Brian Dozier sent walkoff blasts into the stands for the Twins. He had hopes of winning the Final Vote. He was beat out by a Royal, and then, he was the only one that mattered. Following his 8th inning blast, the Twins Dozier was the only second basemen in the All Star Game to record a hit. As great as those events have all been, Dozier's next accolade is in a different category altogether. As the second half kicks off, Dozier and the Twins have their eyes on anoth
One of my favorite people to follow on twitter for baseball news and analysis is Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated. He used to write for Baseball Prospectus and while there he developed a metric Jaffe War Score System. The baseball fan’s favorite website Baseball Reference explains Jaffe’s metric. “JAWS measures a player’s Hall of Fame worthiness by comparing him to the players at his position who are already enshrined, using advanced metrics to account for the wide variations in offensive levels
We're hosting a contest for anyone who wants to write a few words about the Vikings and their upcoming season. The best entries will win a spot on our party bus heading down to Mankato on July 25th. Interested? Check out the details courtesy of Bo Mitchell: http://vikingsjournal.com/_/minnesota-vikings-news/minnesota-vikings/vikings-journal-kickoff-party-in-mankato-r616
A year ago, on a rainy night in downtown Minneapolis, some of the biggest sluggers took center stage for the 2014 Home Run Derby. While the Minnesota twins and Target Field were no doubt excited to play host to All Star week, there's no doubt that the playing conditions were going to be adverse on this night. When the dust settled, Yoenis Cespedes reigned supreme, and massive shots were hit, but the event still felt stale. Forget the fact that inclement weather pushed the action back, or that
You can download the new Talk to Contact (<a href="https://twitter.com/talktocontact">@TalkToContact</a>) episode via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/talk-to-contact-podcast-about/id556784825?mt=2">iTunes</a> or by clicking <a href="http://talk2contact.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-09T18_33_51-07_00" target="_blank">here</a>, and if you want to add the show to your non-iTunes podcast player, <a href="http://talk2contact.podomatic.com/rss2.xml">
When a team plays drastically better from one year to the next, it usually means one of a couple things. With some teams, it means a number of key offseason acquisitions have paid off. For others, especially if the roster is largely intact from a season ago, it suggests that some guys — usually younger players — have taken a step forward and elevated their game to a new level. Considering the complexion of this current Twins roster, the latter seems far more likely. Sure, players from the outs
We have officially hit the All Star Break in Major League Baseball, and while the stretch run is where the pretenders and contenders are sorted out, the Twins are currently one of the best teams in baseball. It feels odd to say, given what expectations were, and what results have been, but it rings absolutely true. At the break, Minnesota owns the second best record in the American League, and their own best mark since 2008. It's no longer too early to suggest the playoffs are in sight. 44, 40,
Kyle Gibson continued his breakout campaign against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon, helping the Twins complete a series win against their division rival heading into the All Star Break. Miguel Sano also delivered his second career home run, avoiding the silent treatment in the dugout for the first of many more times. Oh, and news flash: The Twins Have the Second Best Record in the American League! In the minors on Sunday, there was one game that had a ton of offense, and a bunch more
I'm jumping the gun by a day, but the Twins are approaching the All-Star break and they certainly qualify as contenders. After beating Detroit today, they are tied for the second best record in the league at eight games over .500. One can't help but be a little optimistic about the Twins chances for the last 74 games. Today was a high point, not only hammering Detroit's starting pitcher, but also the mid-game announcement that Brian Dozier would indeed make the 2015 All-Star team, all on the hee
Deuces were wild for Mendez on Wednesday in Vegas. In his Triple-A debut, the 22-year-old slugger went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and two RBI.
I am not a follower of Donald Trump. I have participated in several no kings rallies and am disgusted with what he and his followers have done to our country and the world. I would like to know what most Brazilians feel about the United States now and about the folks our citizens have elected to represent us.
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hello Seth......you'll wanna correct the date in headline of today's minor league report. :-) Brad· 0 replies
I am not a follower of Donald Trump. I have participated in several no kings rallies and am disgusted with what he and his followers have done to our country and the world. I would like to know what most Brazilians feel about the United States now and about the folks our citizens have elected to represent us.· 1 reply
