Nick Nelson

He wasn't the sexiest pickup in everyone's eyes, but from all available evidence, Dyson was the high-caliber reinforcement this bullpen required at a minimum. He's been a mostly consistent performer at the back end of MLB bullpens for the past five years and was enjoying an excellent season as setup man for San Francisco, ranking among the league's leading relievers in Win Probability Added. Against this backdrop, Dyson's immediate collapse for the Twins was a total shock to the system. He completely imploded in his debut, blowing a three-run save against the Marlins in an eventual loss, which carried the added negative of burning a Taylor Rogers appearance. The following night, he came back out against a similarly bad Royals offense and looked similarly terrible, coughing up three runs on four hits while recording only two outs, endangering a blowout victory. In both games, the performance matched the results. Dyson didn't look as bad as the assortment of Quad-A relief arms who've briefly passed through Minnesota this year – he looked worse. The right-hander's execution was nonexistent as he consistently missed targets and fell behind in counts before serving up beach balls. When news surfaced on Sunday that Dyson was battling biceps tendinitis and would be heading to the injured list, the revelation wasn't surprising, but it was upsetting. And the details we've seen bleed out in the days since cast an ominous cloud over the entire ordeal. To recap... Dyson told reporters on Monday he's been dealing with "an issue" in his shoulder that dates back to around two weeks before he was traded, adding that he was "just grinding through it the whole time" while costing the Twins dearly in his two appearances. https://twitter.com/DaneMizutani/status/1158501551805206530 By all accounts, the Giants were not explicitly aware of Dyson's ailment. Although La Velle doesn't sound entirely convinced in his tweet here: https://twitter.com/LaVelleNeal/status/1158863783265284097 As I see it, there are three possible explanations for what happened here. 1: The Giants did in fact know, or suspect, that Dyson was playing hurt before they traded him, and failed to inform the Twins of it. Not unprecedented, but this would be grounds for Minnesota to seek recourse through the league office, and there've been no rumblings of such. 2: The Giants knew or suspected that he was hurt and made it known to the Twins, who traded for him anyway. This isn't unthinkable, because the ailment affecting Dyson – if it's indeed only a routine bout of tendinitis – isn't all that uncommon or concerning on its face. But I find this hard to believe. Is a front office that's known for fiercely protecting its minor-league assets going to trade three prospects for a guy with an aching arm? And even if so, are they going to throw him into a game right off the plane with said bum wing? Then AGAIN the next day after he looked horrendous in his debut?! I find it impossible to believe the Twins were aware of this affliction until after his second appearance. Which leads us to our third and most likely scenario... 3: Dyson did not tell the Giants he was hurting, and also gave the Twins no indications of it until he'd been walloped in two straight outings. This would be fairly typical for a professional ballplayer – gutting it out in the name of "toughness" while hurting yourself and your team in the process. It's a toxic mindset, and one that this new Twins front office has admirably rooted out. The 2019 Twins have largely avoided lengthy absences and setbacks because they seem to foster an open, honest environment where players are forthright about nagging pains and noticeable discomfort. Minnesota's strategy of playing it cautiously at almost every turn has worked out well. So if this is indeed what happened, Dyson is bringing an immediate culture clash that is far more problematic to me than a couple of rough pitching performances. That I can handle. But taking the mound in important spots for a contending team when you know something's wrong (and this wasn't exactly minor; he claims he could feel it when "picking a plate up in the kitchen or putting [his] (expletive) clothes on")? Pretty inexcusable in my eyes. A terrible first impression from a guy who was too stubbornly focused on creating the opposite. Having said all that, I have a hard time letting Derek Falvey and Thad Levine off the hook entirely, even if they weren't made aware of this arm problem. I remarked in my Week in Review column on Sunday, published before Dyson revealed that the issue had been affecting him for half a month, that his "issue actually appears to date back a ways; in his last four appearances with the Giants, he got only one swing-and-miss on 42 pitches after inducing 18 in his first eight July outings (15% rate)." In my mind, when a pitcher who's accustomed to missing bats suddenly stops doing so in such stark fashion, it's one of the clearest indicators something is wrong. One swinging strike on 42 pitches is egregious; by comparison, Ehire Adrianza got two swinging strikes on 14 pitches when he threw an inning against the Mets in July. Now, after pitching twice for the Twins, Dyson has induced two whiffs on his last 80 pitches. He's broken. He was starting to break before he got here. But because he failed to report it and the Twins failed to notice it, he yielded two costly meltdowns on the hill, and is unavailable for the most pivotal stretch of the season. Hopefully the bullpen can get by without him, and a little rest serves as the fix he needs. But for now, this is looking like one of the biggest deadline duds in memory, and a fiasco that – unlike most of Byron Buxton's bad breaks – could've and should've been avoided.

It's understandable enough that fans see Buxton — who is without a doubt one of this club's most essential players — barreling into outfield walls, and envision simple coaching fixes that might remedy the problem. The truth is unfortunately a lot more complicated. Let's review the various incidents that have landed Buxton on the disabled/injured list over the past two seasons: April 18, 2018: Placed on DL due to migraines May 20, 2018: Placed on DL due to fracture in left toe (suffered on foul ball during rehab stint) July 14, 2018: Placed on DL at AAA due to left wrist strain (suffered swinging the bat) August 1, 2018: Placed on DL at AAA due to lingering issues with left wrist June 18, 2019: Placed on IL due to right wrist contusion (suffered on HBP) July 16, 2019: Placed on IL due to concussion-like symptoms (suffered on impact with ground on diving catch) August 3, 2019: Placed on IL due to left shoulder subluxation (suffered in collision with OF wall) So there you have it. Seven different stints in the past two years, and only ONE was actually the result of crashing into the wall. Even in that case, if you watch the replay, I think it's pretty tough to make a case he was playing with reckless abandon; Buxton was chasing a ball in the gap, came up short, and stumbled into a wall that was closer than he expected in an unfamiliar outfield. It's simply the kind of risk you run when you're the fastest player in the game. Similarly, the play in Cleveland coming out of the All-Star break where he hit his head on the ground was not some crazy over-the-top effort. It was a ball he should've caught, and did catch, helping the Twins seal up a big victory. Outside of those two plays, none of these mishaps can be attributed to Buxton's style of play. They are bad-luck breaks, which have unfortunately been plentiful in his young career. It's fine to be frustrated or disappointed with this pattern — I know I am — but let's ease up on the armchair coaching directives, and insinuations that Buxton is somehow at fault for playing the game hard. In reality, he has come away from countless diving plays and run-ins with the wall over these past two seasons without major injury. And in the process, he has made numerous game-changing catches, helping him establish a reputation as the most valuable defender in baseball when on the field. By asking him to fundamentally change the way he plays, and "throttle down" based on game situations (a rather absurd request for a multitude of reasons, frankly), you're reducing his positive impact and taking away the very thing that makes him such an asset. Meanwhile, evidence suggests this course of action is not really preventing many, if any, of the costly injuries. So, if you're amongst the crowd advocating for such measures, I urge you to take a look at the facts and exercise some perspective. There ARE feasible steps that can be taken to reduce injury risks and keep Buxton on the field, such as having him play deeper in the outfield and equipping him with an oven-mitt contraption to protect his fingers while sliding on the bases. These have already been implemented. But telling a player who is the greatest center fielder in baseball, and one of the best athletes in the world, to take it down a notch when his level of effort and drive are exactly what earns him those designations? It's just silly. Unfortunately, we're all going to have to live with the fact that Buxton carries a uniquely high level of injury risk, and there's no fixing that. It's the nature of the beast. There's no black-and-white adjustment to be made like tweaking Miguel Sano's swing or altering Jorge Polanco's throwing mechanics. The best thing the Twins can do for Buxton is carry quality CF depth (which they have), control what they can control, continue to give him the best recovery support possible, and hope for a little better luck going forward.

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/29 through Sun, 8/4 *** Record Last Week: 5-1 (Overall: 69-42) Run Differential Last Week: +16 (Overall: +141) Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (3.0 GA) Willians Watch: Out Indefinitely As the trade deadline counted down to zero on Wednesday afternoon, Twins fans were momentarily led to believe their team had come up empty in its pursuit of upgrades. Minutes after the 3:00PM, however, we got word that they did indeed make another impact addition to the bullpen: https://twitter.com/DanHayesMLB/status/1156660084610613249 Sam Dyson arrived in the clubhouse midway through Thursday's game in Miami, and was called upon to close out a 4-1 victory in the ninth. It... did not go well. In fact it went about as poorly as one could possibly imagine. And sadly things hardly improved in his second Twins appearance. By the time he landed on the injured list with biceps tendinitis on Sunday, Dyson had allowed six runs on six hits and two walks while recording just two outs for Minnesota. Obviously it's a terrible first impression, and not the best look for the front office to be acquiring a guy who was apparently damaged goods. But if you're looking for a silver lining, at least his arm injury – the severity of which is being downplayed by the Twins – may help explain the stark deviation from a strong and consistent track record. Dyson has thrown 38 pitches as a Twin and induced only one swinging strike. This issue actually appears to date back a ways; in his last four appearances with the Giants, he got only one swing-and-miss on 42 pitches after inducing 18 in his first eight July outings (15% rate). The timing here is awful, for multiple reasons, but hopefully a little rest will help Dyson return to his usual form, which is excellent. He has posted an ERA+ of 142 or better in four the past five seasons, and was at 170 this year with the Giants. Dating back to 2014, he has a 3.19 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with just 26 homers allowed in 364 innings. He has experience as a closer and has pitched (well) in the postseason. Importantly, the Twins didn't give up a whole lot to acquire him. Jaylin Davis, who was spotlighted in our "Down on the Farm" report here two weeks ago thanks to his unbelievable power surge at Triple-A, was the headliner, along with lower-tier prospects Prelander Berroa and Kai-Wei Teng. As was the case with Lewin Diaz, traded days earlier to the Marlins for Sergio Romo, it was bittersweet to see Davis leave. Like Diaz, the 25-year-old outfielder was enjoying a breakout season in the minors, but he was hopelessly crowded out of the big-league picture. In San Francisco, he'll have a much clearer path, and could very well be up in the majors before year's end. Adding Dyson and Romo, following the recent subtractions of Blake Parker, Matt Magill, Mike Morin and Adalberto Mejia, equates to a significant upgrade for this wobbly unit. It wasn't the blockbuster shakeup many fans were hoping for – as reflected by a rather inordinate amount of rancor on social media and local radio airwaves – but it was in fact one of the boldest retoolings made by a contender last week. Outside of the Astros, who clearly won the deadline with their bombshell addition of Zack Greinke, few teams made emphatic moves – with both the Yankees and Red Sox among those who conspicuously froze up despite having clear, potentially crippling weaknesses. https://twitter.com/NickNelsonMN/status/1157093910977634307 In my mind, Twins fans should be feeling good about the club's actions. Maybe not great, but the front office did what it needed to do. And with the former August waiver trade period eliminated, these contending rosters are pretty much locked in, so now it's crunch time. Personally, I feel pretty good about the squad Rocco Baldelli is bringing to battle, especially after the way they played over the past week. But in the coming days, they're going to be shorthanded, having placed several important contributors on the shelf: Dyson, as mentioned, was placed on the IL with right biceps tendinitis. Devin Smeltzer was called up to take his spot, and made a start on Sunday, looking very good as usual. Zack Littell was also recalled over the weekend. It doesn't sound like the team expects Dyson to miss much more than his requisite 10 days. Lewis Thorpe and Sean Poppen were optioned to the minors amidst the roster juggling. The biggest gut-punch of the week (and maybe the season) was the placement of Byron Buxton on IL with what's being portrayed as a fairly long-term injury. He partially dislocated his shoulder in a Thursday collision with the outfield wall, and is likely to miss most or all of August. On the bright side, Jake Cave will get an extended opportunity to substantiate his monster production at Triple-A, where he was slashing .352/.393/.592 in 48 games. But there's no replacing what Buxton brings to the field. That much has become painfully obvious. C.J. Cron was activated from the IL and homered in his first game back on Saturday. HIGHLIGHTS When the deadline came and went on Wednesday, there was no Greinke for the Twins. No Madison Bumgarner or Noah Syndergaard, either. What most of us suspected all along is now set in stone: Jose Berrios is going to have to shoulder the load as this team's No. 1 starter down the stretch and – if they get there – its Game 1 starter in the playoffs. He has mostly locked up the part this year, and certainly did in his latest start on Tuesday night. Granted, it was against a miserable Marlins lineup, but Berrios was electric, striking out 11 while cruising through seven shutout innings on just 81 pitches. He walked none and allowed only two singles, tying the Opening Day gem against Cleveland for his top Game Score posted this year (84). Berrios hasn't missed a start, and has pitched at least into the seventh in more than half (14 of 22). He ranks 10th among all MLB starters in innings pitched. The guy's an absolute workhorse. The question, going forward, is how things will shake out behind him. The rest of Minnesota's rotation has been generally healthy and effective (all five Twins starters rank among the AL's top 25 in WAR, which is pretty amazing), but they haven't followed the leader's model of stability. Michael Pineda, on the upswing with a 3.12 ERA since the start of June, is probably the most credible choice as No. 2 starter right now. He reasserted his case on Thursday, holding Miami to one run over six innings after producing seven innings of one-run ball in Chicago the week before. Pineda has issued one or zero walks in 15 of his 20 starts this year, and more than three only once. As a result of this and the coaching staff's careful workload management, the big righty has exceeded 100 pitches only once all year, boding well for his enduring value down the stretch. On that note, the Twins placed Pineda on the IL Sunday, citing a triceps strain, but one wonders if Minnesota isn't just trying to get him a break. That seemed to be the case when they shut him down for a couple weeks at the end of May, and Pineda came back much stronger in that instance. As was the case then, he might only miss one start this time around. Efficiency hasn't been such a strength for Jake Odorizzi, who got back on track with his 12th win on Monday but failed to complete six innings for a seventh consecutive start. His continuing lack of length is an underrated factor in the bullpen's stress test over the past month. But this was nonetheless an encouraging outing for the righty, who managed to keep the ball in the yard after surrendering 10 homers in his previous seven turns. Kyle Gibson also took care of business, holding Kansas City to three runs (two earned) over 6 2/3 innings on Saturday. He struck out six and induced 17 swinging strikes – his highest total since June 8th in Detroit. Meanwhile, Smeltzer continues to make his case for a solidified role with the big-league club. He was absolutely brilliant on Sunday, blanking the Royals over six two-hit innings and lowering his ERA as an MLB pitcher to 2.28. Solid pitching last week was matched by quality work from the Twins lineup, with the ageless Cruz taking control. He turned 39 just over a month ago, on July 1st, and has since launched 14 home runs in 26 games. On Saturday, the DH delivered his second three-homer game in 10 days, and his second straight five-RBI effort. The previous night, he'd gone deep while adding a pair of doubles. Incredibly, Cruz drove in 10 runs in a week that saw him start only three games, having sat out the Miami series. In his past 15 contests Cruz is slugging 1.154 with a dozen home runs and 24 RBIs. It's a remarkable streak even before you factor in his age, which makes it unprecedented. https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1157849112877785089 By adding four more tallies to the ledger last week, Cruz not only extends his run of 30-HR seasons to six (fourth-highest among active players) but sets a new record for home runs by a Twins DH. What a slam-dunk signing. https://twitter.com/morsecode/status/1157851242527436801 Other offensive standouts for the week included Max Kepler (7-for-21 with two homers, three doubles and six walks), Eddie Rosario (8-for-20 with six RBIs), and Buxton (4-for-12 with a homer, two doubles and a steal in three games before getting hurt). LOWLIGHTS Last time the Twins went through a difficult patch in their schedule, they were without Buxton, and his absence was felt during a tumultuous skid against the Mets, Athletics, and Yankees. Now, they're facing down a very similar scenario. Minnesota will again be missing Buxton for what could very well be a season-defining gauntlet against the Braves, Indians, Brewers and Rangers. The Twins really need Cave to show something here. As mentioned earlier, he was torching Triple-A pitching, and he had an impressive rookie showing at the plate as a rookie. But this year he's been unable to find it with the Twins, slashing .198/.320/.302 in 37 games after going 1-for-3 in his return on Sunday. If Cave can't get rolling, the Twins do have the luxury of Marwin Gonzalez as an option in right field, but he too has quietly fallen into a lull at the plate. Last week he was just 2-for-16, dropping his OPS to its lowest point (.716) since early June. Beyond Dyson's catastrophic debut, the pitching lowlight of last week came from Martin Perez, who was the only rotation member to drop a dud against the lowly Miami and KC offenses. On Friday night, he coughed up three homers and five runs in five innings against the Royals. Keeping the ball in the yard has generally been a strength this year for the groundballer Perez, even when he's scuffled, but of late that's ceased to be the case: In his past four turns, the lefty has surrendered eight homers – one more than in his first 15 starts combined. The downward turn for Perez, who owns a 5.53 ERA in 10 starts dating back to the beginning of June, in combination with another phenomenal performance from Smeltzer two days later is understandably generating some fan sentiment for a swap. I don't think we're quite there yet, especially with Pineda temporarily sidelined, but it's something to keep an eye on. And one way another, the Twins need to keep Smeltzer around. This kid continues to look like he belongs in the majors. TRENDING STORYLINE What's going on with Trevor May? The Twins were going to need him for high-leverage innings in the second half and (hopefully) postseason, regardless of who they acquired at the trade deadline. With their biggest pickup on the shelf for upcoming showdowns against dangerous offenses, that's all the more true. But for now, Baldelli appears to be giving his hard-throwing righty a mental or physical break. Last week, May threw just one pitch, retiring Hunter Dozier on a fly ball to end the seventh inning on Saturday. The previous week, he threw only five pitches, completing a quick inning against the White Sox with Minnesota down 4-1. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1157493222014365696 Since his brutal stretch of three outings in mid-July where he allowed seven very costly runs over 3 2/3 innings, May has pitched only twice in 14 days, throwing six pitches total, with neither appearance coming at a crucial juncture. The Twins will need him to get back on the horse this week, no doubt. May will be well rested. Can he get back into the zone he was in for several weeks before the meltdown? The club's fortunes could greatly hinge on it. DOWN ON THE FARM Some excellent news on the prospect front: Brusdar Graterol is back. The organization's most promising young arm missed more than two months with a shoulder impingement, but returned to the mound last week with a pair of scoreless appearances in the Gulf Coast League. To say he was dominant against these overwhelmed rookie-level hitters would be an understatement. With his customary triple-digit heat back on display, Graterol should work back up to Double-A quickly, at which point he becomes an intriguing late-season bullpen candidate for Minnesota. The 20-year-old has the makings of a difference-maker, and his lengthy time on the shelf this summer has kept his innings in check, which could make the idea of him pitching into October more palatable. In order to have him eligible for the playoffs, the Twins would need to call up Graterol before September 1st. LOOKING AHEAD The Twins have 25 games remaining against teams with records above .500. Thirteen of them come in the next two weeks. This is easily the most difficult remaining stretch of their schedule, and Cleveland will surely be looking to take advantage. The Twins will hope to fend off a very good Braves team at home before welcoming the Indians for a HUGE four-game series. The Twins will be playing at home, and have both of their All-Star starters going twice. They have an opportunity to press the foot down on Cleveland's throat. Can they capitalize? MONDAY, 8/5: BRAVES @ TWINS – RHP Mike Soroka v. RHP Jake Odorizzi TUESDAY, 8/6: BRAVES @ TWINS – LHP Max Fried v. RHP Jose Berrios WEDNESDAY, 8/7: BRAVES @ TWINS – RHP Kevin Gausman v. LHP Martin Perez THURSDAY, 8/8: INDIANS @ TWINS – RHP Adam Plutko v. RHP Kyle Gibson FRIDAY, 8/9: INDIANS @ TWINS – RHP Shane Bieber v. LHP Devin Smeltzer SATURDAY, 8/10: INDIANS @ TWINS – TBD v. RHP Jake Odorizzi SUNDAY, 8/11: INDIANS @ TWINS – RHP Zach Plesac v. RHP Jose Berrios Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 106 | MIN 2, MIA 1: Pitchers Stifle Marlins Bats, Twins Come Out on Top Game 107 | MIN 7, MIA 4: Berrios Throws Gem as Bombas Fly Game 108 | MIA 5, MIN 4: Dyson Implodes In Twins Debut Game 109 | MIN 11, KC 9: Cruz Powers Twins to Another Close Win Over the Royals Game 110 | MIN 11, KC 3: Delayed Start Didn’t Cool Off the Minnesota Offense Game 111 | MIN 3, KC 0: Twins Cap Off The Sweep - Smeltzer Style

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/22 through Sun, 7/28 *** Record Last Week: 4-3 (Overall: 64-41) Run Differential Last Week: +14 (Overall: +125) Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (2.0 GA) Willians Watch: Out Indefinitely We'll start with the leading headline: Minnesota made a move to address its battered bullpen on Saturday, acquiring 36-year-old right-hander Sergio Romo from the Marlins, along with minor-league pitcher Chris Vallimont and a player to be named later, in exchange for Double-A first baseman Lewin Diaz. There's no knocking this deal. Diaz has enjoyed a breakout year, regaining his wayward prospect status, but he'll be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason if not added to the 40-man roster, and it's nearly impossible to see him fitting into Minnesota's near-term plans. Meanwhile, he fills a big need in Miami's system and now has a much clearer path to the majors, so good for him. https://twitter.com/Marlins/status/1155296079644123138 Romo is not a dominant arm, nor the kind of late-inning difference-maker who will significantly ease Taylor Rogers' burden, but he's a quality reliever and seasoned addition to a unit that was increasingly lacking for MLB experience. He doesn't throw hard, with a fastball that averages just 86.5 MPH, but has always been effective despite his soft-tossing profile, thanks in part to a quality slider he leans on heavily. He'll be a very helpful piece in a bullpen that needs all the help it can get. Romo essentially serves as the veteran righty replacement for Blake Parker, who was the latest (and most surprising) to be designated for assignment following his brutal outing against New York on Tuesday. While warranted, the move is somewhat startling because Parker was, 1) Minnesota's only major bullpen acquisition during the offseason, and 2) getting solid results for the most part despite troublesome underlying indicators. It's good to see the front office overlooking those caveats and making a decisive move on a clearly declining player. A quick rundown of other transactions last week: On the same day they DFA'ed Parker, the Twins optioned Kohl Stewart back to Triple-A. Replacing them in the bullpen were Devin Smeltzer (who had an outstanding outing against the Yankees on Wednesday before he being sent back down himself in exchange for the fresher arm of Sean Poppen) and veteran journeyman Carlos Torres. Torres, who never ended up making an appearance for the Twins, was designated over the weekend to make room for Romo. Jake Cave was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday, with Byron Buxton ready to return from his stint on the Injured List. Buxton was in center field for all four games against the White Sox. Back at the beginning of the week (feels like a century ago, doesn't it?), Lewis Thorpe and Cody Stashak joined the bullpen, with Zack Littell heading down and C.J. Cron landing back on IL due to a nagging thumb issue. Stashak and Thorpe combined to allow two runs over 7 2/3 innings, providing the pen with a much-needed boost. HIGHLIGHTS The offense reawakened, marching past the 200-homer mark with a barrage of blasts against New York and Chicago. The latest long-ball frenzy was fueled by the likes of: Nelson Cruz, who homered an astounding eight times on the week – including three in Thursday's series opener versus the White Sox. In seven games, he drove in 13 runs in. When he missed most of May with a wrist injury, it seemed as though Cruz would have a tough time reaching his customary total of ~40 home runs, but he's gotten himself right back on track by going deep 19 times in 43 games since returning on June 4th. C. Miguel Sano continues to show sensational power and added four more bombs to the ledger last week. His second one against the Yankees on Tuesday – a go-ahead two-run blast after Minnesota had given up a lead – would've been one of the season's top highlights if not for Rogers blowing the save soon after. Sano has homered 18 times in just 56 games, and sports a .579 slugging percentage – highest on the team after Cruz and this next guy. There's no slowing down for Mitch Garver. He went deep twice in Minnesota's lone victory over New York, pushing his homer total to seven in July and 19 on the season. He's tied for second among MLB catchers, despite playing in far fewer games than anyone nearby him on the leaderboard. Plenty of others contributed to the run-scoring bonanza as the Twins pushed 55 runs across in seven games. Jorge Polanco was 9-for-30 with three homers, two doubles and seven RBIs. Max Kepler chipped in four homers and a double while driving in eight. Luis Arraez continued to be an on-base machine, reaching via walk or hit in 11 of his 27 plate appearances and scoring six times. Buxton returned with authority, collecting six hits (four of them doubles) against Chicago. With 205 home runs in the books through week's end, the 2019 Twins are already fourth in franchise history and closing in fast on the record of 225, set back in 1963. At their current pace of 1.9 HR/G, they'll surpass that mark within two weeks, and then they can set their sights on the major-league record of 266, set by last year's Yankees. The Twins could very plausibly eclipse that figure by the end of August. Bonkers. LOWLIGHTS The Twins' pitching staff did not fare so well against the Yankees. As the offense kept piling up runs to keep the games tight, Minnesota's arms could not manage to suppress a relentless Yankees lineup. To an extent this is excusable – New York does have one of the league's best offenses – but the nature of these struggles and the continuation of some frustrating trends made the lapses a bit tough to take. Martin Perez was aided by a triple play in the first inning of the week, and the Twins offense supported him with seven runs through four frames, but he still couldn't record a single out in the fifth, setting the stage for a straining series on the bullpen. While recording 12 outs, Perez allowed seven hits (three homers) and four walks. Ugly. He did bounce back with a decent start on Saturday, allowing three runs over six innings against the Sox. Kyle Gibson was relatively effective the following day, yielding five runs over five innings. It was a serviceable start but not the kind that's going to build confidence in him facing a top lineup in October (Gibson had nearly identical results in his first start against the Yankees this year, back in early May). He fared much better in his second outing of the week, holding the White Sox to one run over six frames, but no one's really doubting his ability to handle a lower-tier offense like that. The big dud of the entire week was Jake Odorizzi's complete unraveling on Wednesday. The Twins were leaning hard on their All-Star to give them some innings after New York wore out the relief corps on Monday and Tuesday, but – in what's becoming a recurring theme – he failed to answer the call. Odorizzi was only able to get through four innings, marking the sixth straight turn in which he failed to complete six. In three of those starts he hasn't even pitched into the fifth. Despite logging only four innings, Odorizzi still managed to give up nine earned runs, digging a hole the Twins offense couldn't escape. His total meltdown stood in stark contrast to Smeltzer, who came on in relief and promptly shut the Yanks down for five innings. Odorizzi's ERA, which stood at 1.92 on June 15th, is now up to 3.84. An interesting question presents itself: If the Twins are able to make a big splash and acquire a frontline starter to bolster their rotation, who is the odd man out? There are no obvious answers, but if we're being honest, Odorizzi is probably the most logical choice for a bullpen assignment. That sounds a little crazy for a guy who was at the All-Star Game earlier this month, but he's been struggling for about six weeks and the lack of length is a real issue. Something tells me this decision wouldn't go over well with Odorizzi, who was brilliant in the first half and is an impending free agent. But that's where we are. Speaking of odd men out, could Jonathan Schoop be heading in that direction? He was one of the few laggards in a strong week for the offense, going just 4-for-20 with a homer, three singles, zero walks and six strikeouts in his five starts. Per his MO, Schoop's highlight of the week – a two-run homer on Sunday with the Twins leading 7-0 – came in what amounts to garbage time. Since the start of June, he has a .274 on-base percentage with 40 strikeouts and only three unintentional walks in 146 plate appearances. The quality of at-bats is consistently poor; he's always seemingly hoping to run into a mistake. Even though his OPS is ninth-best among MLB second-basemen, Schoop's Win Probability Added ranks 10th-worst out of all qualified big-leaguers. He hasn't been terrible by any means, but his play has been generally uninspiring and that puts him in a tough position. Arraez, Sano, and Marwin Gonzalez are all clearly higher lineup priorities than Schoop. One can argue that even Ehire Adrianza is ahead in the pecking order, especially given his greater likelihood to be a factor for the Twins beyond this year. So, when Cron comes back, if everyone's healthy... how do they really justify keeping Schoop around? TRENDING STORYLINE The trade deadline is nearly upon is. The action is sure to heat up over the next few days ahead of the cutoff, which falls on Wednesday at 3:00 PM. Minnesota has been connected to a variety of big-name targets, from Noah Syndergaard (YAY!) to Lance Lynn (NAY!) and beyond. I'm confident the Twins will add at least one more impactful reliever, and less confident about a starter. But we've never seen this front office as a bona fide front-running contender, so there's not much precedent to go off. The long-awaited winning window is clearly upon us, so a major move would certainly be warranted. Stay tuned to Twins Daily over the next days as we cover every substantive rumor and rumbling in real-time leading up to the deadline. Prospect hounds will be sweating over the organization's top talents, whose names are gonna keep bouncing around in speculative discussions. It seems just about anyone could be on the table, though I highly doubt the guy we'll be talking about next is going anywhere. DOWN ON THE FARM On the surface, Royce Lewis has had a bit of a disappointing season. Through Saturday, he was batting just .238 with a .665 OPS at Fort Myers. He homered twice for the Miracle last week, but otherwise went just 1-for-19 with zero walks. Despite the scant production, Lewis featured in the Futures Games during All-Star Week, and clearly the Twins aren't too deterred by his performance, because they announced on Sunday he joined the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Double-A. It's a bold move, to be sure. Lewis just turned 20 on June 5th. Only one younger player has taken an at-bat in the Southern League this year (Luis Vazquez, a 19-year-old defensive specialist in the Cubs system). While he's had some very nice flashes, Lewis certainly wasn't exhibiting mastery of the Florida State League. But given his maturity, makeup and talent, I don't somehow don't think he'll be overwhelmed or intimidated by the challenge. A challenge it will be. The average pitcher in his new league is about four years older than he is. Just two years after joining the professional ranks, he'll be facing some of the best arms in the minors, while also working to refine his raw-but-promising skills at shortstop. In his Pensacola debut on Sunday, Lewis batted leadoff ahead of Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach, finishing 2-for-5 with a double. LOOKING AHEAD Two weeks ago in this space I wrote that Cleveland was facing a critical juncture. The Twins had just extended their lead to 7.5 games with a series victory coming out of the break, but were embarking on a far more challenging road ahead. Well, the Indians have since done their part, taking full advantage. They've gone 11-3 against the lowly Tigers, Royals and Blue Jays, shaving 5 1/2 games off their deficit to draw within striking distance. Now, the dynamic flips. Cleveland's schedule is about to get MUCH tougher – their next 20 games all come against teams above .500, with a four-gamer at Target Field mixed in. The Twins have a much easier remaining slate, and so now it's their turn to take advantage if they want to reassert themselves in the Central. They'll want to start this week by demonstrating their superiority against two utterly terrible teams. TUESDAY, 7/30: TWINS @ MARLINS – RHP Jake Odorizzi v. RHP Zac Gallen WEDNESDAY, 7/31: TWINS @ MARLINS – RHP Jose Berrios v. RHP Sandy Alcantara THURSDAY, 8/1: TWINS @ MARLINS – RHP Michael Pineda v. RHP Jordan Yamamoto FRIDAY, 8/2: ROYALS @ TWINS – RHP Glenn Sparkman v. LHP Martin Perez SATURDAY, 8/3: ROYALS @ TWINS – LHP Danny Duffy v. RHP Kyle Gibson SUNDAY, 8/4: ROYALS @ TWINS – RHP Brad Keller v. RHP Jake Odorizzi Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 99 | MIN 8, NYY 6: Twins Turn Triple Play, Mitch Garver Homers Twice in Win Over Yankees Game 100 | NYY 14, MIN 12: Twins Fall Short to Yankees in Game of the Year Game 101 | NYY 10, MIN 7: Twins Drop Series in Another Slugfest With Yankees Game 102 | MIN 10, CWS 3: Bomba Squad Cruz to Win Game 103 | MIN 6, CWS 2: Pineda Fuels Twins Easy Win In Chicago Game 104 | CWS 5, MIN 1: Nova Nixes Twins Chances Game 105 | MIN 11, CWS 1: Bats Bounce Back Behind Gibson’s Strong Outing