Twins

The St. Paul Saints might be the deepest pitching staff that a Minnesota Twins affiliate has had in some time, but the lineup is hardly something to overlook. Whether prospect or veteran focused, there is something at every spot with this group.

In one of the weaker free agent classes in recent memory, the Twins lok toward a number of high quality talents in Korea and Japan’s major leagues.

The soft-spoken kid from Georgia's ascent to the major leagues was as blisteringly fast as his foot speed. His adaptation to the highest level, however, has been anything but.

Byron Buxton still hasn't figured things out. He doesn't appear close to doing so. And it's becoming worrisome.

Last week, I considered what a potential long-term extension might look like for All Star Brian Dozier. Today, I want to do a little digging on what a potential long-term deal might be for Byron Buxton.

Buxton will not be arbitration-eligible until after the 2018 season. He will have three years of arbitration before becoming a free agent (both sentences assuming that he is done with the minor leagues). While the Twins certainly should not feel like they have to sign him now, this might be the best time to get him at a reasonable cost.

It wasn't all bad.

Yes, the Twins' 2018 season was a huge letdown, with alarming developments on multiple fronts, but amidst the wreckage there were some genuinely uplifting stories playing out.

Today we highlight six important ones that brighten the franchise's future outlook.

The Twins bounced back from a crushing sweep in Kansas City with surprising vigor, taking all three contests in Toronto and then the first at Fenway.

Unfortunately, it all proved to be too little, too late. The front office was already in talks with trade partners for deadline 'sell' moves, and pulled the trigger on deals to send out Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Pressly in exchange for prospects.

The Twins haven't won a game since Escobar's exit was announced on Friday afternoon.

When it rains, it pours. That seems to be a theme for the Twins this season. The Twins have been good in one-run games, but when one gets out of hand, the Twins typically haven't found a way to stop the bleeding. Well, until Chris Gimenez comes in. At least on Tuesday night in Boston, that didn't need to happen.

The Twins fell to 39-36 and remain a half game behind Cleveland in the AL Central.

After losing the first two games of this four-game series in Boston, the Twins really needed to play well on Wednesday night if only to get the taste from an ugly Tuesday night loss out of their mouth. As always, it starts with pitching. Maybe he was helped by being given a first-inning lead, but Adalberto Mejia got the job done. He threw 5.2 scoreless innings. The bullpen came through in a big way too, and Max Kepler added a blast as the Twins found a way to come back from a rough one to get the win.

In this week’s AL Central Division update we see the consistency of play across the division that may go unmatched the rest of the way. Four of five teams are 5-5 over their last 10 with the Guardians being just 4-6. Minnesota still leads the division as we look to close out the second month of the season.

Ahead of Tuesday's deadline to protect minor-leaguers from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Twins added two of their top 10 prospects to the 40-man roster, starting the clock on their major-league arrivals. 

A few other intriguing eligible players were left unprotected, meaning Minnesota will be at risk of losing them from the system next month.

Marco Raya might be the most exciting pitching prospect to come through the Twins organization since Jose Berrios. His stock is significantly rising after a tremendous professional debut.

Former Cy Young award winner Dallas Keuchel made his Minnesota organization debut for the Saints today, and C.J. Culpepper dazzled on the mound for Fort Myers. There were a few standout performances worth checking into.