Nash Walker

Rain interrupted a couple games down on the farm but it didn’t stop the heart of the DSL Twins’ lineup from raking. Let’s get you caught up! TRANSACTIONS - RHP Jake Jewell claimed off waivers, assigned to Triple-A St.Paul - FCL Twins activated OF Reynaldo Madrigal from the 7-day injured list - C Nate Baez assigned to Low-A Fort Myers - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels transferred 2B Jorel Ortega from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels released C LaRon Smith. - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated RHP A.J. Labas from the 60-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL The game between the St.Paul Saints and the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 3, Drillers 7 Box Score The Wind Surge were quiet offensively until the late innings, as Drillers’ starter Nick Nastrini took a no-hitter into the seventh. Aaron Sabato hit a solo homer to right center to break it up. Sabato’s home run is his second is as many days, as he walked off the game last night with a grand slam. It was a slow start for Sabato at Double-A but it’s possible he’s starting to hit his stride. Brent Headrick started for the Surge and struck out 10 over five innings. Headrick gave up a three-run homer in the fifth but otherwise was fantastic. Cole Sturgeon drove in two runs in the ninth on a single but it wasn't enough. The Surge are 62-48 and lead the Double-A Central by 1.5 games over the Drillers. This is a big weekend. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 1, Timber Rattlers 0 Box Score Four Kernels pitchers combined to shutout the Timber Rattlers in a 1-0 victory Thursday. Tyler Palm started and pitched three scoreless innings, giving way to six more outstanding innings from Jon Olsen, Matthew Swain, and Bradley Hanner. The Kernels allowed only three hits and three walks. Mikey Perez broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer in the fifth, his first of the season. Stunningly, it was the Kernels only hit of the night. They went 1-for-25 and won the game! On the whole, both offenses went 4-for-54. What a game. It was over in two hours and two minutes. The Kernels improved to 66-45. It's been a great year in Cedar Rapids. MUSSEL MATTERS Mussels 2, Cardinals 1 (Game suspended in in third) Box Score The Mighty Mussels will resume this game Friday and lead 2-1. Ben Ross hit a solo homer in the first, his second of the season. Alec Sayre drove in Kala’i Rosario on a sacrifice fly in the second. Rosario doubled for the 19th time this season. Mike Paredes gave up one run on a solo homer and struck out three. Paredes has a 2.92 ERA on the season. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Orioles 3 Box Score The FCL Twins rode a strong fifth inning to their 24th victory of the season. Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, the Twins scored four runs on an RBI single from Ishmael Pérez and three bases-loaded walks. The Twins held on thanks to two scoreless innings from Miguelangel Boadas. Making his fourth start on the year, José Olivares gave up two runs on a homer and an RBI single in three innings of work. Olivares struck out five and walked only two. He has a 4.01 ERA. The Twins are working back toward .500 and improved to 24-27 with this win over a scuffling FCL Orioles squad (12-38). DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Rockies 6 Box Score The middle of the Twins’ order continued their excellence in a tight, one-run victory Thursday. It was another banner day for José Rodríguez, who went 3-for-5 with two homers and 5 RBI. Rodríguez's second homer was a three-run shot that gave the Twins the lead. Rodríguez owns a .989 OPS with 13 homers in 52 games. Bryan Acuña went 3-for-5 with a double, bringing his season line up to .313/.415/.403. Isaac Peña also notched a multi-hit game, including a double. Peña is hitting .364/.455/.458. The Twins are crushing the ball. On the mound, the Twins did just enough to win while striking out seven. The Twins are 32-24 and continue to wow with their lineup. TWINS MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Minor League Hitter of the Day - José Rodríguez: 3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Tyler Palm: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 3 K PROSPECT SUMMARY #4 Austin Martin - 1-for-4, R #14 Edouard Julien - 0-for-3, BB #20 Kala’i Rosario - 1-for-1, 2B, R FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Saints - TBD (7:07 p.m.) Surge - RHP Daniel Gossett (7:05 p.m.) Kernels - TBD (6:35 p.m.) Mussels - RHP Pierson Ohl (5:30 p.m.) FCL Twins - TBD (10:00 a.m.) DSL Twins - TBD (11:00 a.m.) Questions or comments? Leave them below! View full article

A drubbing by the Dodgers in L.A. felt like enough to wipe away the positive vibes for the Twins after a competitive split with the Blue Jays at Target Field. It wasn’t just the two-game set at Dodger Stadium that brought us here, though. This low point has been building for weeks. On May 24th, the Twins defeated the Tigers 2-0 in a seven-inning masterpiece from Sonny Gray. The Twins won their sixth straight game and nine of their last 11. They opened up a 5.5 game lead in the division and had 10 straight games against the Royals and Tigers to boot. Things started to unravel the next day. Trevor Megill gave up a game-winning two-run homer to Jeimer Candelario in the 10th and the Twins lost 4-2. Unfortunately, that was more of a foreshadow than an anomaly. Since that day, the Twins have given up 93 homers, tied for the third-most in baseball. The Twins are 30-37 since Gray’s 10-strikeout, shutout gem. They have a team ERA of 4.59 in that span, the fifth-highest in baseball. Their team Win Probability Added of negative-5.44 is the second-lowest in the majors. The pitching staff has been a borderline disaster, evidenced by Joe Ryan’s 5.33 ERA in his last 10 starts. Recognizing these major holes, the Twins’ braintrust went out and got three good pitchers in Jorge López, Tyler Mahle, and Michael Fulmer. A shaky staff now looks more stable, at least on paper. Of course, the guys need to perform on the field. López has already blown a save, Mahle gave up three homers in his Twins’ debut, and Fulmer gave up a critical homer to Chris Taylor in Wednesday’s loss. Beyond them, Griffin Jax has been anything but his solid self from the first half. Jax now has a 4.03 ERA in 42 appearances, thanks to three blowups in his last 10 outings. Add in the inconsistent playing time of Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa’s struggles, and myriad injuries, and it’s not difficult to see why the Twins have scuffled. The good news? The season doesn’t end today. If it did, the Twins wouldn’t make the playoffs. Max Kepler isn't hitting, Correa hasn't hit since May, and Alex Kirilloff's wrist injury evaporated some much-needed left-handed upside in the lineup. Even then, the Twins are tied with Houston for the 8th-highest team wOBA (.326) since May 25th. They're tied with the Cardinals for the seventh-highest Weighted Runs Created Plus (113) in that span. While sometimes inconsistent, the offense has mostly done its part. The worst of the six division winners in 2022 will certainly come out of the American League Central. It's unlikely the Twins, White Sox, or Guardians would make a run in October. Even then, it's absolutely worth the excitement of ending the treacherous 18-game Postseason losing streak. Playoff games at Target Field is the goal. So What’s Next? If this is truly the low point for the 2022 Twins, that’s good news. They have 52 games remaining, including 17 against the Guardians and White Sox (33%). 16 of the Twins’ next 19 games are against teams currently below .500, with 13 of those at Target Field. The Twins have 28 games, or roughly 54% of their schedule, against teams currently below .500. Of the Twins’ final 26 games, 14 are against the White Sox or Guardians. There’s plenty of opportunites to make up ground. For as rough as the Twins have looked, no one remembers what the standings were on August 11th. Of the 16 games in September/October that aren’t against their two divisional threats, 12 are against the Royals, Tigers, and Angels. The other four are at Yankee Stadium. The Twins have the 10th-easiest remaining schedule entering play Thursday. They need to perform. The Twins have the most head-to-head games remaining among the three contenders in the Central, which ultimately gives them an advantage. They control their own destiny here. Will they seize the moment? Comment your thoughts below! View full article

The Wichita Wind Surge blasted two key homers in a win while much of the system lost Thursday. Let's get you caught up. TRANSACTIONS - 1B Aaron Sabato promoted to Double-A Wichita - SS Will Holland promoted to Double-A Wichita - C Chris Williams promoted to Triple-A St. Paul - 3B Andrew Bechtold promoted to Triple-A St. Paul And in the "Rest of the 2022 Draft Picks Got Assigned" portion of the Transactions: - RHP Kyle Jones assigned to FCL Twins. - RHP Zebby Matthews assigned to FCL Twins. - SS Ben Ross assigned to FCL Twins. - C Andrew Cossetti assigned to FCL Twins. - RHP Cory Lewis assigned to FCL Twins. - RHP Andrew Morris assigned to FCL Twins. - SS Dalton Shuffield assigned to FCL Twins. - RHP C.J. Culpepper assigned to FCL Twins. - LHP Zachary Veen assigned to FCL Twins. - LHP Connor Prielipp assigned to FCL Twins. - RHP Ben Ethridge assigned to FCL Twins. - SS Jankel Ortiz assigned to FCL Twins. - OF Alec Sayre assigned to FCL Twins. - C Nate Baez assigned to FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL Saints 6, Columbus 8 Box Score The Saints’ bullpen leaked in a loss to the Clippers Thursday. Jordan Balazovic started and pitched four innings. Balazovic allowed four hits and two runs, with two walks and one strikeout. Balazovic gave up his 16th homer of the season. Matt Wallner walked twice and hit his second Triple-A homer in the seventh, a two-run shot. Michael Helman went 2-for-5 with an RBI double and Caleb Hamilton added a two-run double out of the cleanup spot. Guardians’ top-5 prospect Gabriel Arias hit two home runs for the Clippers. Former Guardians centerfielder Oscar Mercado hit a two-run homer in the win. The Saints are 52-54. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 8, Hooks 5 Box Score The Wind Surge jumped out to an early lead thanks to a homer from Anthony Prato and an RBI single from Leobaldo Cabrera in the second. Will Holland gave the Surge a 3-1 lead with a single in the third while tallying three hits on the night. Alex Isola also had three hits, including a double. Edouard Julien entered tonight hitting .306/.432/.536 (.968) since June 1st. He blasted another homer Thursday. Julien has 14 homers on the season and has crushed since the summer months kicked off. Simeon Woods Richardson struck out five over four innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. Woods Richardson has a 3.02 ERA on the season. The Wind Surge are now 10 games above .500 at 57-47. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 1, River Bandits 6 Box Score The curse of the Quad City River Bandits continued for the Kernels Thursday night. Losing their third game in a row to the Bandits, the Kernels had trouble getting their offense going outside of a solo homer from Kyler Fedko. Fedko put the Kernels on the board in the ninth, his seventh of the season. Matt Mullenbach pitched two scoreless innings in relief, lowering his Kernels ERA to 0.84. It was a tough go for starter Travis Adams, who gave up five runs in five innings. Adams struck out seven. The Kernels have had an awesome year and will look to get back in the win column Friday. The Kernels are 61-44. MUSSEL MATTERS Mighty Mussels 1, Hammerheads 10 Box Score The Mussels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an error. Unfortunately, that would be it for their scoring. The Hammerheads scored 10 unanswered runs on 15 hits. Mussels pitchers walked seven and struck out eight. Misael Urbina had a two-hit night and continues to thrive. Urbina is hitting .305/.352/.547 since joining the Mussels. Keoni Cavaco doubled and stole a base after a walk. The Mussels had eight hits despite the lopsided final score. The Mussels have an opportunity to bounce back immediately Friday and still sit 11 games over .500. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Rays 7 Box Score The powerhouse FCL Rays improved to 33-12 with a 7-2 drubbing of the FCL Twins Thursday. The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the third on a Náte Baez RBI double. That lead held for one commercial break, as the Rays quickly tied things up and took the lead in the top of the fourth. José Olivares started for the Twins and pitched three innings. Olivares allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks. Olivares struck out two and now has 35 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings this year. Danny De Andrade posted a multi-hit game and drove in a run on an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. De Andrade has a .335 on-base percentage with eight doubles, a triple and two homers on the season. The FCL Twins are 21-25. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 4, DSL Cleveland Blue 2 Box Score The Yasser Mercedes show continued with another two-hit game for the 17-year-old outfielder. Mercedes is hitting .351/.416/.573 in 35 games. Bryan Acuña went 3-for-4 with an RBI double, a key hit in a three-run rally for the Twins in the seventh. Anderson Nova added two hits in the win and is batting .347 with a .934 OPS. Anthony Narváez was terrific on the mound for the Twins, spinning four scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Narváez has a 2.18 ERA in 20 ⅔ innings. Juan Mercedes and Jeferson López added scoreless innings in relief. The DSL Twins have a very talented offense and a pitching staff to boot. They are 28-21 after the win over Cleveland. Twins fans would love to see the entire organization continue to beat Cleveland’s various teams. MINOR LEAGUE HITTER OF THE DAY - Bryan Acuna: 3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB MINOR LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE DAY - Anthony Narvaez: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 6 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4 #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) -4 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, BB, 5 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB #11 - Jordan Balazovic (St.Paul) - 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-for-5 #20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, BB Comment your thoughts/questions below! View full article

It was a mixed bag for the Twins’ system Thursday. There was some good, some bad, and some in-between. Let’s get you caught up. SAINTS SENTINEL Saints 3, Storm Chasers 9 Box Score The Saints had trouble offensively in Thursday’s loss to the Storm Chasers. They struck out 15 times and recorded seven hits, two of which came from the new Saint Nash Knight. Elliott Soto homered in the fifth, his fifth of the season. Caleb Hamilton also went deep in the eighth, his 11th long-ball of the year. Jordan Balazovic started and gave up five runs on six hits in three innings. Balazovic walked two and struck out four. His ERA is 10.75 in 37 ⅔ innings for the Saints. Ronny Henriquez struggled in relief, allowing four runs in four innings. Henriquez walked one and struck out six. The Saints had won four straight and six of their last seven. They fell to 49-51 with the loss on their trek to .500. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 4, Missions 3 Box Score The Wind Surge, after giving up their lead in the ninth, won the game in the 10th on an RBI single from Anthony Prato and a scoreless outing from Steven Cruz. Cruz entered the game with a runner at third and one out in the bottom of the 10th. He got a key strikeout and forced a flyout to end the game. Louie Varland started for the Surge and pitched six scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Varland has a 3.34 ERA on the season, his follow-up from an outstanding Minor League Pitcher of the Year season in 2021. Andrew Bechtold had a two-hit, two-walk night, including his 14th homer of the season. Prato, the hero in the top of the 10th, notched two hits on the night and drew a walk. He’s hitting .308 with an .808 OPS in 49 games for the Surge. Edouard Julien hit his 13th homer, continuing a scorching hot streak. Wichita is 52-46. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 4, Sky Carp 5 Box Score The Kernels scored their first two runs on wild pitches in the first and second innings, jumping to an early lead. Seth Gray made it a 3-1 game with a double in the fifth, his 12th double and 51st RBI of the season. Gray went 2-for-4 on the day. Orlando Rodríguez started for the Kernels and pitched well. Rodríguez struck out six of the 13 batters he faced, allowing three hits and one run in 3 2/3 innings. The Kernels blew the lead in the sixth, giving up a game-tying two-run homer and a two-run single. The Kernels battled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles to pull within one run. They had the tying run on third and the winning run on second but couldn’t cash in. The Kernels are 59-40. They’ve lost three straight to Beloit and five of their last six. MUSSEL MATTERS Mighty Mussels 7, Marauders 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels built a 7-0 lead behind a tremendous start from Jordan Carr. Carr pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts and zero walks. Misael Urbina and Rubel Cespedes each hit solo homers to give the Mussels a 2-0 lead. Urbina entered the game hitting .290/.333/.548 with 11 extra-base hits over his last 69 plate appearances. Daniel Ozoria added an RBI double in the fourth, his fourth on the season. Cespedes and Urbina had multi-hit nights, as did Noah Cardenas. Nelson Roberto added a double and came around to score. The Mussels gave up four runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but Jackson Hicks ultimately shut the door to secure the win. The Mussels are 55-40. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 8, FCL Pirates 5 Box Score Brooks Lee made his much-anticipated debut Thursday, leading off and playing shortstop for the FCL Twins. Lee went 1-for-4 with his first professional hit, a single to left. Lee, the Twins’ first-round pick mere weeks ago, should be fun to watch down the stretch. Brayan Medina started for the Twins and pitched four solid innings, allowing just one run with five strikeouts and one walk. It was a massive day for Rafael Cruz, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer, and five RBI. Dennis Ortega notched two hits as he rehabs on route back to Wichita. The FCL Twins are inching back toward .500, improving to 20-21 with the win. They’ll face the FCL Red Sox Friday morning in Fort Myers at the historic JetBlue Park. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 6, DSL Dodgers 2 Box Score The DSL Twins took down the DSL Dodgers Thursday, thanks to stellar performances from Yasser Mercedes, José Rodríguez, and the pitching staff. Mercedes went 3-for-4 with a double, and Rodríguez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, his 10th of the season. Both Mercedes and Rodríguez have crushed DSL pitching this summer. Anthony Narváez struck out seven over his three-inning start, allowing only one run and walking none. Orlando Rubio and Bianger Liedo combined to allow zero earned runs over four innings, locking down the victory. It was a strong day. The DSL Twins improved to 27-18 with the win and will return to play the DSL Tigers Friday at 10 a.m. CT. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Minor League Hitter of the Day - José Rodríguez (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Louie Varland (6 IP, 7 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #7 Jordan Balazovic - 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K #11 Louie Varland - 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K #12 Matt Wallner - 1-for-4, 2B #14 Ronny Henríquez - 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R/ER, BB, 6 K View full article

The Twins’ bullpen has leaked runs and caused headaches all year long, motivating the front office to improve it at the deadline. They filled the holes with a bang, and now the arm barn looks like a real strength. Despite all the issues and the 19 crippling blown saves, the Twins had one advantage in their bullpen: a young, terrific weapon in Jhoan Durán, who’s carried the late-innings all year. Griffin Jax, another first-year reliever, has been more than serviceable with a 3.49 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 43 innings. It’s Durán, though, who made fixing the bullpen woes at the deadline easier than it appeared. Durán is tied with Guardians’ generational closer Emmanuel Clase for the most Win Probability Added among relievers in the American League (2.80). He owns a sterling 2.15 ERA in 46 innings, striking out 58 and walking only 10. Durán’s emergence is a primary reason why the Twins are in first place. It’s hard to imagine where they’d be without him. Durán’s excellence allowed the Twins to flip the bullpen picture completely. They already had one outstanding right-handed reliever and then traded for another. Jorge Lopez, who now has a 1.64 ERA in nearly 50 innings, completes one of the more overwhelming duos in baseball. López and Durán have combined for a 1.87 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 96 ⅓ innings. While Durán wows with one of the hardest four-seam fastballs in baseball, López induces chopper after chopper with a turbo sinker at 98-100 mph. It’s a deadly combo for opposing hitters. The late innings will primarily belong to the two flamethrowers, but Michael Fulmer is an under-the-radar pickup for the Twins. Fulmer shuts down right-handed hitters, holding them to a .136 batting average and zero homers in 102 plate appearances. Fulmer has given up one extra-base hit to a righty all season, a double from his new teammate Gio Urshela on July 24th. No righty has barreled Fulmer this season. In a division and league loaded with right-handed talent, he should continue to thrive in those matchups. Fulmer and Jax both have elite sliders, holding opponents to a combined .170 batting average. Depth is as important as the stars, and Trevor Megill has filled in wonderfully. Megill has a sub-2 ERA in 19 outings, regularly reaching 100 with his fastball while showing good command. Megill, Durán, and López all average over 97 mph with their primary fastballs. When’s the last time the Twins had three high-velocity arms in their bullpen? Caleb Thielbar hasn’t shined in the ERA department, but his 3.09 Fielding Independent Pitching shows he’s been unlucky. Thielbar has a 1.38 ERA over his last 13 innings and a 2.90 ERA over his last 34 outings. He’s a reliable lefty and has held left-handed hitters to a .180/.281/.260 line. Even Emilio Pagán, who the Twins demoted to a lower-leverage role, has a 3.18 ERA and 2.23 FIP with 21 strikeouts over his last 12 outings. This bullpen picture gets even brighter if he can fill a vital sixth-inning role. Pagán could redeem some of his value with a solid final two months. It’s impossible to ignore the bullpen’s issues up to this point. Pagán and Tyler Duffey have allowed 40 earned runs in 79 ⅓ innings. Joe Smith, while excellent early, was so poor that the Twins DFA’ed him despite being the largest bullpen acquisition of the offseason. Even with the much-improved outlook, there’s still hope and depth outside the 26-man roster. If Jorge Alcalá can return, he’d provide Rocco Baldelli with another high-octane option for the late innings. Alcalá posted a 0.82 ERA with 27 strikeouts over his final 22 innings of 2021. Jovani Moran, who the Twins optioned Wednesday, has a 1.93 ERA in 20 outings with the Twins this year. Kenta Maeda, a relief ace for the Dodgers in the past, is working to return for the stretch run in the Twins’ bullpen. They still have to play the games and stay healthy, but this group looks excellent. The Twins have seldom had this many reliable relievers in one bullpen, and they’ve never had a duo with the weaponry of Durán and López. If the Twins win the division and make a run into October, the bullpen will be a crucial reason why. What do you think of the Twins’ revamped bullpen? Comment below! View full article

The Twins took a risk by trading three rising prospects for Tyler Mahle, who owns a 4.40 ERA in 104 1/3 innings for the Reds this year. Mahle, 27, is under team control through 2023 and has some intriguing qualities about his arsenal. Let's break down this deal. View full video

The Yankees, Astros, Red Sox, and White Sox all made moves a day before the deadline. The pressure is turning up on the Twins as time runs out. Let’s get you caught up. Take a look at the trades made on Monday. How many are of interest to Twins fans? Several former Twins players were traded to new teams. Several players the Twins may have had some interest in (or at least some fans did) were also dealt. PRELLER STRIKES AGAIN Padres receive: LHP Josh Hader Brewers receive: LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Dinelson Lamet, LHP Robert Gasser, OF Esteury Ruiz (Read more on this trade at Brewer Fanatic) WOW! Pre-deadline day began with a blockbuster involving one of the best relievers in baseball. The Padres sent former Twin Taylor Rogers, fire-breathing right-hander Dinelson Lamet and two prospects for Josh Hader, who’s tied with Edwin Díaz for the second-most reliever fWAR since his rookie season in 2017. Rogers will join the Brewers bullpen, carrying a 4.35 ERA to Milwaukee. Rogers was terrific out of the gate for the Padres but has struggled to an 8.14 ERA over his last 22 appearances. He had just lost his closer role. Padres’ POBO AJ Preller is known to get crazy in trades and free agency; this deal is his latest example. Hader hasn’t been himself lately but is undoubtedly a dominant force when he’s right. He’s under team control through 2023. Could the Twins have made an offer here? MONTAS TO THE BRONX Yankees receive: RHP Frankie Montas Athletics receive: LHP Ken Waldichuk, LHP J.P. Sears, RHP Luis Medina, 2B Cooper Bowman With Luis Severino hurt and the Yankees searching for their first World Series title since 2009, the Bronx Bombers made a big move for one of the best starters on the market. Montas, 29, owns a 3.18 ERA in 104 2/3 innings for the Athletics this season. According to MLB Pipeline, the Yankees shipped out their best pitching prospect in Waldichuk. In addition, the Athletics received the Yankees’ fourth-best pitching prospect in Medina and their Nos. 20 and 21 prospects in Sears and Bowman. The Twins liked Montas dating back to March but ultimately fell short in their offer. Montas was one of three controllable starters said to be available. Luis Castillo was another, and the Reds dealt him to the Mariners next week. Tyler Mahle is still available as of Monday night. In February, Keith Law ranked the Yankees’ system as the 22nd best in baseball. He ranked the Twins at No. 18, but that was before injuries and ineffectiveness plagued the top of their pitching pipeline. Either way, it feels like the Twins missed out here. ASTROS BEEF UP Astros receive: 1B/OF Trey Mancini, RHP Jayden Murray Orioles receive: RHP Seth Johnson, RHP Chayce McDermott Rays receive: CF José Siri While the Yankees filled a starting pitcher need, the Astros improved their lineup with two additions. First, they acquired Trey Mancini in a three-team deal involving the Tampa Bay Rays. Mancini, 30, is hitting .268/.347/.404 with 16 doubles, a triple, and ten homers in 92 games for the Orioles. AND THEY WEREN’T DONE THERE… Astros receive: C Christian Vázquez Red Sox receive: IF Emmanuel Valdez, OF Wilyer Abreu Identifying a lack of offense at the catcher position, the Astros acquired one of the better hitting backstops in baseball. Vázquez, 31, is hitting .282/.327/.432 and is a free agent following this season. According to MLB Pipeline, Valdez and Abreu were the 28th and 29th best prospects in the Astros system. While Ryan Jeffers recovers from a fractured thumb and Gary Sánchez scuffles at the plate, Vázquez felt like a strong and viable target and didn’t exactly break the prospect bank. WHITE SOX ADD LEFTY WITH GREAT STUFF White Sox receive: LHP Jake Diekman Red Sox receive: C Reese McGuire The White Sox are missing their best left-handed reliever in Aaron Bummer (lat strain), and he isn’t expected back particularly soon. They made a move for Jake Diekman to fill the hole, sending Major League catcher Reese McGuire back to Boston in the deal. Diekman, 35, has a 4.23 ERA in 38 ⅓ innings. He’s walked 30 and struck out 51, relying on a mid-90s fastball and a hard, high-spin slider. Diekman has shut down lefties (.566 OPS) but struggled against righties (.842 OPS). He fills a significant hole for the White Sox in their quest to catch the Twins in the Central. Diekman signed a two-year, $8 million contract in the winter and is under team control in 2023. If the White Sox can help him reign in his control, he’ll be a solid middle-innings option for them. The Red Sox got the White Sox’s third-string catcher in return. CARDINALS BOLSTER ROTATION Cardinals receive: LHP José Quintana, RHP Chris Stratton Pirates receive: RHP Johan Oviedo, 1B/3B Malcom Nuñez With rumors swirling about Juan Soto’s future, the Cardinals made a lower-wattage move by trading for former frontline starter José Quintana. Now pitching well for the Pirates, Quintana is enjoying a resurgence at 33. Quintana owns a solid 3.50 ERA in 103 innings for Pittsburgh while holding opponents to a .679 OPS, his lowest mark since 2017 (.659). Quintana is having one of the best years of his career, with his lowest strikeout rate (21%) since 2019. Quintana should provide some rotational stability for the Cardinals while their ace Jack Flaherty recovers from a shoulder problem. Quintana is a free agent after the season. In return, the Cardinals received 6-foot-5 righty Johan Oviedo and Malcom Nuñez, who was the Cardinals' ninth best prospect in 2021. The Twins could’ve used Quintana as a quality innings-eater. ODO TO THE SOUTH Braves receive: RHP Jake Odorizzi Astros receive: LHP Will Smith In a rare deal between two playoff teams, the Braves and Astros matched up on a one-for-one pitching trade Monday night. Jake Odorizzi spun seven scoreless innings against the Mariners Saturday, striking out eight and lowering his ERA to a solid 3.75 on the season. Odorizzi remains a serviceable mid-rotation starter and will pitch in the National League for the first time in his career. Way back in 2019, many Twins fans were hoping the team would make a run at Will Smith, an excellent reliever who shined in 2.5 years with the Giants. Smith instead signed a three-year deal with Atlanta and now switches leagues for the first time to join the Astros. Smith, 33, isn't as good as he once was, but he was excellent last year in the playoffs. Smith didn't allow a run in 11 postseason innings. Houston is hoping he deepens an already great bullpen. It's hard to say if the Twins would've had a chance to land the reliable lefty. They don't have any expendable starters and couldn't afford to give away any pitching from the big league roster. MORE DEADLINE MAGIC? Braves receive: OF Robbie Grossman Tigers receive: LHP Kris Anglin One year ago, the Braves traded for Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Soler. All three worked out wonderfully and the Braves won the World Series. They're hoping Robbie Grossman offers a similar punch this time around. Grossman, 32, is having a brutal season. He hit 23 homers and posted a 114 OPS+ in 2021 but hasn't translated that success in 2022. It's an interesting, pretty low-risk move for the Braves. Grossman, despite all of his struggles, is hitting .364/.479/.520 against lefties. He'll likely assume a platoon role in Atlanta with Rosario. The Braves recently lost Adam Duvall to a season-ending wrist injury, so Grossman assumes that spot through the rest of the season, after which he'll enter free agency. I was quietly wondering if the Twins would get involved for their old friend here. Their outfield is extremely banged up and Grossman simply isn't this bad. We'll see if the Twins target any corner bats as the deadline nears. So What's Next? The pressure is turned up on the Twins. They must improve this roster if they hope to hold on in the division and have a chance in October. Montas, Castillo, and Quintana are no longer options. Mahle is likely to move, as is Noah Syndergaard. The jury is out on Carlos Rodón and Nathan Eovaldi. Then there's the bullpen. Mychal Givens and David Robertson are still out there. Standout reliever Daniel Bard signed an extension with the Rockies, while the Yankees snagged Scott Effross from the Cubs. The market should take more shape Tuesday. The implications of this deadline are straightforward. The Twins are in first place with clear holes and a one-year, $35.3 million superstar at shortstop. The division is weak and the time is now. Will they do enough to supplement the team? Will they do anything? Once thing is for sure, this front office has surprised us before. Can they do it again? View full article

Tim Beckham walked it off for the Saints and the Kernels just kept winning in Thursday's Minor League action! TRANSACTIONS Cedar Rapids Kernels place RHP John Stankiewicz on 7-day IL RHP Travis Adams promoted to Cedar Rapids Kernels SAINTS SENTINEL Saints 5, Cubs 4 Box Score Tim Beckham continues to crush Triple-A pitching, walking off the Iowa Cubs Thursday night. Beckham, now hitting .416 with a 1.070 OPS for the Saints, singled home Spencer Steer on a grounder up the middle to ice the game. The Saints trailed all night despite a José Godoy homer and a one-run rally in the sixth. Brandon Bishop's RBI groundout pulled the Saints within one, and Jermaine Palacios tied the game on a solo homer in the eighth. Steer, Jake Cave, Beckham, and Palacios all recorded multi-hit games. Palacios went 3-for-4 with the game-tying swing, Cave went 2-for-4 with a double, Steer went 2-for-5, and Beckham added two hits, including the game winner. It was an impressive night from the top of the lineup. Ronny Henriquez was excellent in relief, pitching four scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Henriquez owns a 3.11 ERA with 29 strikeouts over his last 26 innings. The Saints are 45-49. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 10, Naturals 2 Box Score The Wind Surge put on a power clinic in their 10-2 win over the Naturals Thursday. Trailing 2-0 early, Andrew Bechtold put the Surge on the board with a solo shot in the second. One inning later, Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a majestic three-run homer to center, giving the Surge a 4-2 lead. Kyle Schmidt singled home a run in the sixth before Chris Williams drove in another on a walk. Edouard Julien hit his 10th homer of the season, a three-run blast in the seventh. Julien entered Thursday hitting .310/.440/.563 with five doubles, a triple, and five homers over his last 16 games. The Surge weren't done yet. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled in a run in the eighth, completing the eight-run rout. Sawyer Gipson-Long was absolutely terrific on the mound, going seven innings and allowing only two runs. Gipson-Long struck out six and walked none. It was his longest (and arguably best) outing of the year. The Wind Surge improved to 49-43 with the victory. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 6, Timber Rattlers 2 Box Score The Kernels improved to 23 games over .500 with another win Thursday. They drew eight walks, including three from the leadoff man Kyler Fedko. Wander Javier drove in two on a single in the first, and Will Holland followed it up with a ground-rule double, scoring Pat Winkel. The Kernels were up 4-0 before Aaron Rozek took the mound. Rozek, a Minnesota native, and Minnesota State-Mankato alum, gave up two runs on three walks and six hits. Rozek struck out six and passed the game off to Bradley Hanner, who picked up the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Bobby Milacki added two scoreless innings, dropping his ERA to 2.08 on the season. Yunior Severino, already hitting .321/.457/.661 in July, kept it rolling with a solo homer in the eighth. Severino has six homers this month and a .937 OPS on the season. The Kernels are a sterling 58-35. MUSSEL MATTERS Mussels 3, Tarpons 5 Box Score The Mighty Mussels suffered a tough loss Thursday to the Tampa Tarpons. Marco Raya started and threw five strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The Mussels had trouble scoring all night, trailing 2-0 until a two-run eighth tied the game. Misael Urbina got the Mussels on the board with a sacrifice fly, and Noah Miller followed it up with one of his own. With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth, the Tarpons got a big swing from Kyle Battle, who blasted a three-run homer to take a 5-2 lead. The Mussels battled in the bottom of the inning, but could only muster one more run on an RBI single from Daniel Ozoria. The Mussels posted seven hits, including a double from Kala'i Rosario, his 15th of the season. Urbina and Luis Báez each stole a bag in the loss. The Mussels are back in action Friday with Steve Hajjar toeing in the rubber. The Mussels have lost four in a row to the Tarpons but still boast a 51-38 record. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 0, FCL Braves 6 Box Score The FCL Twins were shutout by the FCL Braves Thursday, mustering only three hits. Develson Aria started for the Twins and gave them three solid innings. He gave up one run on a solo homer and struck out one. The Twins' offense went 3-for-30 with 10 strikeouts. The Twins' lone extra-base hit was a double from Ricardo Olivar, his 10th of the season. The Braves scored three unearned runs on two Twins errors. It wasn't a pretty day, but there's always tomorrow. The Twins will host the FCL Red Sox Friday. DOMINICAN DAILIES DID NOT PLAY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top-20 performed: #6 Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, R #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-2, BB, RBI #9 Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 2 K #12 Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 3 K #14 Ronny Henriquez (St.Paul) - 4 IP, 5 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K #15 Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB #16 Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB #20 Sawyer Gipson-Long (Wichita) - 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 K FRIDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS - A Loaded Slate! Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - Jordan Balazovic NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - Louie Varland Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40PM CST) - Cade Povich Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - Steve Hajjar Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

An X factor is “a variable in any given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome.” Who fits that description for the Twins in the second half? It’s common knowledge that the Twins will have to make significant additions at the trade deadline if they want to contend down the stretch and into October. The offense, which ranks top-5 in MLB in Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), needs help from the pitching staff. The holes are apparent and reasonably wide. Even then, the Twins won’t go anywhere without solid performances from players on the roster. In other words, who has the most upside? 3. Sonny Gray Before the lockout, the Twins were to rely on a pair of rookies (and Dylan Bundy) to lead the rotation. They had confidence in Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, who have pitched pretty well when healthy this year but the rotation required a high-performing veteran who could anchor the group. The Twins made Sonny Gray that anchor, trading their 2021 first-round pick in Chase Petty to acquire him. Gray has made 14 starts and thrown 69 innings, a limited amount due to injuries. He’s posted a 3.52 ERA and 0.9 bWAR. It’d be fair to label his season as lukewarm, at least to this point. From 2019 to 2021, Gray was 35% better than the league average in terms of ERA. His 3.57 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) ranked 18th among 79 starters who started at least 50 games. Gray followed up a similarly-mediocre first half of 2019 with a tremendous second half, posting a 2.12 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 85 innings. The Twins need pitching help, but the frontline starter version of Gray would be massive. He’s off to a good start, allowing just one run in six strong innings with seven strikeouts in Detroit on Sunday. 2. Carlos Correa Correa finished fifth in MVP voting in 2021 with 7.2 WAR in 148 games. He’s on pace for ~4 WAR in 122 games this year. There’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll eclipse that number. Correa got off to a plodding start, thanks to the lockout and an even-shorter spring training. Correa also missed 24 of the Twins’ first 96 games due to COVID and a finger injury. Offensively, Correa is posting nearly identical numbers to his outstanding 2021 season. He’s hitting .280 compared to .279 in 2021, and his OPS+ of 131 is the same. His season has been different defensively, where FanGraphs says he’s saved only two runs compared to a whopping 20 a year ago. Correa is a superstar, and Twins fans have seen flashes of him to this point. It’d be hard to argue he’s been the MVP-caliber player, primarily for reasons out of his control. He’s now healthy and geared up to produce at a very high level in the second half. If the Twins can hold off the Guardians and White Sox for the divisional crown, they’ll get to exploit a primary reason for acquiring Correa. He’s driven in 59 runs in 79 playoff games, already one of the best postseason performers ever. 1. Byron Buxton Buxton’s age-28 season has been unique. He’s hit 23 homers and produced 2.8 WAR, but he’s been in and out of the lineup with right knee problems, contributing to prolonged slumps. Buxton has started only 43 games in centerfield and recently received a PRP injection to help heal. Having confidence in Buxton remaining healthy enough to perform in the second half is difficult. He’s unlikely to reach 100% for the rest of the campaign. Buxton is also an undeniable talent, capable of changing games (and seasons) with his world-class defense and newfound power. A relatively healthy Buxton alters the scope of the Twins. This has remained true in 2022, even through his difficult stretches. Despite logging less than 400 innings in center, Buxton is tied for the league lead with seven Outs Above Average. Buxton has saved five runs, good for 5th in the AL among those who’ve spent 350+ innings in center. He's been incredible, as usual. One could argue that a healthy Buxton is the ultimate X factor in MLB. Since 2019, the Twins are 143-97 (96-win pace) when Buxton starts and 119-121 (80-win pace) when he doesn’t. That’s evidence enough to give the electric All-Star the top spot. What do you think about these rankings? Is there another X factor you feel was missing? Comment below! View full article

The Twins will need to make outside additions at the trade deadline, but who on the roster is the biggest X factor for the second half? Who could vault them into and through October? Here are the top three! View full video

The Twins’ bullpen troubles are well-documented, and if they hope to contend in the second half and into the postseason, they’ll need to add at least one high-leverage reliever. Their best option resides in Colorado. Daniel Bard’s journey back to the big leagues is an incredible one. Once a first-round pick and heralded as a top relief prospect, Bard ceased throwing strikes in 2012, and his career looked to be over by the time he was 28. Seven years later, Bard, now 37, returned to the majors two years after he announced his retirement. Bard was solid for the Rockies in the Covid season, posting a 3.65 ERA while striking out 27 in 24 2/3 innings. Bard struggled to follow up his strong year in 2021, as walk issues re-surfaced and his ERA ballooned to 5.21. This season, he’s posting the best numbers of his career outside of his breakout campaign in 2010. Bard has a sterling 2.02 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. He’s striking out nearly 30% of the batters he faces and ranks fourth among qualified relievers in opponent’s average (.143). He ranks in the 99th percentile in both expected batting average and slugging percentage. He’s an elite barrel avoider and has converted 20 of 22 saves for Colorado. Like most standout relievers, Bard works with an upper-90s fastball. It’s a turbo sinker that averages 98 mph, and he pairs it with an elite high-spin slider. Right-handed batters are hitting .113/.250/.208 (.458 OPS) against Bard, with one homer in 64 plate appearances. Lefties haven’t fared much better, hitting .167/.268/.278 in 82 plate appearances. When Bard’s not striking guys out, they’re usually grounding out. He has a top-15 groundball rate among qualified relievers (56.6%). If added to the Twins’ bullpen, they’d boast two relievers with some of the best power repertoires in baseball. Bard’s stuff is electric, but his walk issues of the past aren’t entirely gone. Bard is still walking 12% of batters, and his spotty command is one reason his FIP is 1.51 runs higher than his ERA. The other is that he has the sixth lowest BABIP of any qualified reliever (.185). He gets incredible movement on his mostly two-pitch toolbox, but he doesn’t always get the ball over the plate. Bard is a rental reliever, meaning he’ll be a free agent following this season. The Twins are much more likely to pursue a rental than a controllable reliever, given their tendency to invest less in the bullpen and more in other areas. The cost shouldn’t be exorbitant. There’s more than one intriguing reliever available on the market, but when you combine Bard’s stuff with his results in 2022, it’s easy to get excited about his potential fit. He can either set up for Duran or close himself and would probably do both as a Twin. Let’s set up a mock bullpen scenario with Bard in the picture. Joe Ryan goes six strong, allowing three runs, and leaves with a 4-3 lead. The Twins turn to Griffin Jax or Caleb Thielbar in the seventh (depending on matchups), Bard in the eighth, and Duran in the ninth. That sounds a lot better than the current situation. What do you think about Rockies' closer Daniel Bard? Comment below! View full article

The Minnesota Twins are in need of bullpen help, to the knowledge of many. Rockies' closer Daniel Bard could provide some much-needed punch back there with Jhoan Duran. Let's dive in. View full video