Nick Nelson

On the flip side, maybe one of these times he won't slump horribly for a month or two, and he'll win an MVP award. His overall trend is upward, not downward. Dozier's power keeps growing while his strikeouts shrink...

Then again: Brian Dozier, career: .244/.319/.432 Jeff Kent through 29 (Dozier's current age): .269/.324/.455 Kent didn't really turn the corner and fulfill his potential until after he turned 30. Granted, it helps that this was when he slid into the same lineup as Barry Bonds. But I liked that comment because it opened my eyes to the idea that Dozier may not be done improving. The fact that he's still trending upwards, cutting down his K's, getting a little bit better at using the whole field offers some promise to that end. As far as Dozier being "part of the problem"... uh, what?

In the entirety of his minor-league career – 365 games and 1,600 plate appearances spanning four seasons – Brian Dozier hit a total of 16 home runs. In the past two calendar months, he has hit 18.Dozier's evolution as a power hitter is one of the most remarkable developments in modern Twins history. He is easily the game's most prolific home run hitter at his position; since 2014, he leads all second basemen, with 16 more than the next closest player (Robinson Cano). Even with his proneness to extended slumps, Dozier has established himself as one of baseball's top offensive middle infielders. His 2016 campaign, which started so poorly, is now on track to become his best. After going deep in a third straight game on Sunday, he's two homers short of his career high (28), set last year. He should approach triple digits in runs scored and batted in. He is striking out at his lowest rate ever (16.7%). If he stays hot the rest of the way, he could sneak onto some MVP ballots. Dozier is also still 29 years old with a contract that covers the next two years for only $15 million. His extension, signed last spring, didn't add any additional team control, but did put the Twins in position to save millions in the event he kept improving. That is just what's happened. In 2017 he'll be an elite second baseman coming off a 30+ homer season and he'll make $6 million. For all of these reasons, Dozier is going to be an extremely appealing trade target in the offseason. Many teams would welcome a slugging second baseman amidst his prime that they could slot into the middle of the lineup. Add in the veteran's impeccable durability and excellent rep as a teammate, and you've got a uniquely valuable piece to float. Of course, Dozier is also extremely valuable to the Twins. Clearly there is no reason to shop him around intently and settle for the best offer. But he's the kind of player that could bring back some serious impact talent. This dynamic might present the key to the entire offseason for Rob Antony or his successor. On the one hand, it's a tough thing to come in and shake up the core of the roster by dealing a staple guy. On the other hand, when you look at the lopsided makeup of this team – a dominant offense and a pitching staff that, many nights, simply can't compete – the logic in swapping Dozier for high-caliber arms is undeniable. The Twins have a very respectable fallback option in Jorge Polanco, who profiles best at second. While the next general manager stands to inherit a number of headaches, having an asset like Dozier on hand presents an enticing opportunity. I'm very curious to see how it's handled. Click here to view the article

Thing is, those guys were bad as starters, or had injury problems as starters. The decisions to move May and Slowey out of the rotation were based on a perceived overabundance of starting depth more so than their own situations.

Turn the clock back with me, for a moment, to the year 2011. Yes, it was a long time ago, tracing to the beginning of this lengthy era of organizational ineptitude. At that time, the Twins were trying to shoehorn a proven starter into a relief role, resulting in all sorts of issues. Sound familiar?Kevin Slowey's 2010 campaign was decent, but not great. Coming back from a major wrist injury that cut short his 2009 season, the righty was bogged down by inconsistency but still managed to finish 13-6 with a respectable 4.45 record and 1.29 WHIP. He put up an impressive 116-to-29 K/BB ratio and stayed mostly healthy. Still only 26 years old, he was poised to become a reliable and cheap staple in Minnesota's rotation. Of course, that is not how things played out. The Twins decided to re-sign 35-year-old Carl Pavano to a two-year deal, crowding Slowey out of the rotation picture. Even though he posted the best numbers of any starter at camp in 2011, Ron Gardenhire and his staff elected to bump Slowey to the bullpen, opting instead for the likes of Brian Duensing and Nick Blackburn. We know how the rest of this story goes. Slowey grumbled publicly. He complained of injuries, which were basically treated by the team and media as imaginary. As you may recall, the people running the club were not especially fond of Slowey, nor were the media members who covered him. He was painted (perhaps accurately) as a smug and smarmy malcontent, and an excuse-maker. You won't see such attributes attached to Trevor May. He's a humble and friendly guy, who has earned the respect of coaches, teammates and reporters alike. Although he was dealt a very similar hand this year to Slowey's in 2011 -- banished to the bullpen despite having spent nearly his entire pro career as a starter, and making a pretty good case as one of the club's five best rotation options -- May did not pout. He chose to be a good organizational soldier and embraced the assignment. Still, the outcome has not been much different, in terms of the physical reaction. May pitched quite well in his relief role over the first month before struggling in the second and hitting the disabled list with back spasms. He returned in July, delivered another month's worth of strong performance, and is now back on the shelf with more back problems. Clearly, there is a better argument for using May as a reliever than Slowey. His stuff plays up much more in short stints, and he has proven to be a dominant force out of the bullpen when healthy. But he, too, seems to have untapped potential as a starter, and it's a laughable notion that this team is too rich in starting pitching depth to give him a try. Moreover, May's health needs to be viewed as a pre-eminent concern. For a pitcher who has followed the same routine for years and years, an abrupt switch can easily cause physical and mechanical issues. When May is suddenly pitching multiple times per week, and going full-bore every time he's on the mound, it takes a toll. According to Phil Miller of the Star Tribune, "changes to (May's) routine caused him to unconsciously lengthen his stride and put more torque on his back." The recurring injuries are a new thing for the 26-year-old. He has rarely missed a start during his pro career up until this season, making the ailments all the more more conspicuous and alarming. Paul Molitor has said only that he will consider the idea of another role switch for May. Hopefully the manager will think long and hard about it. May offers huge upside out of the bullpen but he's useless to the club when he is besieged by health problems that keep him off the mound. Click here to view the article

Well yeah, but he's been in pro ball half as long, and hasn't logged hundreds of plate appearances in the majors. They're at very different places on a development curve, was my point.

Terry Ryan and the Minnesota Twins foresaw the upcoming predicament at catcher. They knew they had only one more season on Kurt Suzuki's contract, with a bare cupboard in the minors. And so they made their move last November, acquiring John Ryan Murphy from the Yankees. Unfortunately, it was essentially their only move, and it has worked out about as poorly as one could imagine. Now, the club is once again scrambling for answers.When they swapped Aaron Hicks for him, the Twins spoke of Murphy's upside with the bat. Indeed, it was his offensive potential that made Murphy a second-round pick out of high school back in 2009, when questions still surrounded his defensive position. At the time of the trade, Murphy was coming off a season in which he posted a .734 OPS over 172 plate appearances as New York's backup catcher. He was also reasonably productive in the minors, so Murphy looked like a safe bet to at least hold his own in the batter's box. At no point since coming over to Minnesota has he even come close to doing so. Murphy endured an awful spring, going 5-for-36 with zero extra- base hits in the Grapefruit League. OK, only exhibition games, no reason for panic. Then, the season started, and he went 3-for-40 over the first month. A bit more concerning, but still a small sample for a guy maybe pressing with his new team. He was sent to Triple-A in early May, and his performance there is what truly saps any sense of enthusiasm surrounding his abilities. In 68 games with Rochester, Murphy owns a horrendous .209/.264/.279 slash line. In 239 plate appearances, he has mustered one homer and 12 doubles. After showing some signs of life in June (.802 OPS) he has gone back in the tank, with a .195 average and .438 OPS since July 1st. Because the Yankees kept Murphy up as their backup catcher for the entirety of 2015, he still has an option left for 2017, meaning the Twins can afford to be patient with him in terms of control. But, in other regards, they really can't. They've watched him flail away as a 25-year-old in the International League for four months now. And this week they promoted Mitch Garver to Rochester. Garver is one of the organization's most legit internal options and needs reps behind the plate, so he figures to get at least an equal timeshare the rest of the way. That leaves Murphy as an aging part-time minor-league catcher -- clearly not any kind of credible solution for next year. So what is Rob Antony, or whoever succeeds him at GM, to do? Kurt Suzuki has no chance at reaching the 465 PA threshold that would have activated his 2017 option, so he's set to become a free agent. If he finishes strong he'll be one of the better options in a thin catching market so he'll likely require another multi-year deal. Going down that road with a 33-year-old who has nearly 10,000 innings logged at the game's most punishing position would be unwise. Going all-out for one of the top free agents like Wilson Ramos or Matt Wieters would be out of character, but perhaps a nice opportunity for the newly arranged front office to make a statement. We'll see about that one. If there's one thing that has played out favorably with Minnesota's dire catching situation this year, it has been the emergence of Juan Centeno. The 26-year-old came up when Murphy was sent down and has shown all the traits of a quality backup. He's a solid receiver, he makes contact at the plate and he's even got a bit of pop. But a backup is not what the Twins are seeking. It's not what they were seeking when they dealt for Murphy. They were hoping to sneakily pluck away a starter from another organization, and sadly that approach fizzled. Now, it's back to the drawing board, with an even greater sense of urgency than they felt a year ago. Click here to view the article

The better question is are you for real right now? No one has asked him to be Ken Griffey Jr, nor has anyone written him off as done. You're responding to non-existent arguments.

But the injuries are part of the deal with Buxton. They have been for three years straight. That's not something you fix by sending him to the minors. If confidence is the concern, we're saying a second demotion to the minors in four months is helpful?

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.With the Twins needing to open a roster spot for Trevor Plouffe's impending return from the disabled list, Buxton was optioned back to Triple-A on Sunday. He was sadly the obvious choice. The center fielder's latest stint in the majors was about as fruitless as all that preceded it. While we have seen brief glimpses of promise at times, they have always proven fleeting. Since the All-Star break, Buxton was 6-for-54 (.130) with one double, three runs scored and 19 strikeouts. His lack of progress at the plate is as obvious from watching him as it is from examining the numbers. After four separate tries with the Twins, and more than 350 plate appearances, Buxton continues to play into the hands of opposing hurlers. He routinely falls behind in counts and is doomed once he gets there. When Buxton is forced to protect the plate, he disintegrates. With the pitcher ahead this year, he has batted .064 and slugged .115. He has been one of the worst hitters in the majors since his debut, and isn't really showing signs of improvement other than a modestly improved contact rate. Now, he'll return to the International League, which he clobbered to the tune of a 1.007 OPS following his last demotion. Given that his confidence-building stretch in Rochester yielded no meaningful improvement at the MLB level, one wonders what might change this time around. On the one hand, you can hardly blame the Twins for choosing Buxton as the odd man out. He looks blatantly overwhelmed by big-league pitching. On the other hand, can we really expect him to make the necessary adjustments against lesser competition? The popular narrative is that Buxton was rushed, and maybe he was, but when he has a .357/.415/.585 hitting line at Triple-A, it's tough to fathom what he has left to gain there. Paul Molitor said after Sunday's game that Buxton would go down to work on "physical, mechanical things," which presumably means that the outfielder will attempt to shorten his swing to become competitive against tough pitches. Yet, when he's not facing a steady diet of tough major-league pitches, the learning experience can only go so far. Ideally, the Twins would keep all of their young pieces on roster and allow them to continue growing alongside one another. Plouffe's return threw a wrench into that blueprint because it essentially meant that one of Buxton, Jorge Polanco, Kennys Vargas or Miguel Sano needed to be removed. There was no argument for the others based on merit, so Buck is the guy. Ostensibly he's going to iron things out in a less pressure-packed environment, but in reality the only way he'll solve his problems is by conquering them here. Unlike others on the roster, there are no questions surrounding Buxton's work ethic, no doubts concerning his commitment to improving. Given the time, he will figure it out. Will this move accelerate or set back that eventuality? Are the Twins truly doing the right thing for their prized prospect's development, or are they simply sending him away to make room for an aging, mediocre veteran who is almost assuredly on his way out? Click here to view the article

The Boston Red Sox are in the thick of the postseason race primarily because of their incredible offense. They have outscored the next-closest American League team by 50 runs, they lead baseball in OPS by a wide margin, and four of their hitters started in the All Star Game. The Red Sox are on pace to score almost 900 runs. Would it surprise you to learn that Minnesota's offense has been better than Boston's over the past couple of months?Plenty of doubts swirled around the Twins pitching staff entering this season, and unfortunately things have played out as many feared (or worse) in that department. Yet, the offense looked like a safe bet to score a ton of runs. The potential power that this group boasted, on paper, led some to wonder if they might approach 200 home runs, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by a Twins team in 50 years. This unit's lacking production over the first leg of the season was by far the most disappointing development among many, in my mind. It's now a distant memory. The Twins have managed to turn things around in a big way when it comes to run-scoring. Here's a comparative look at what the Twins and Red Sox offenses have done since June 1st (not including Thursday's games): Boston: 54 G, 273 R, 70 HR, 28 SB, .276/.343/.449 (.792 OPS) Minnesota: 56 G, 305 R, 76 HR, 39 SB, .271/.336/.466 (.802 OPS) It isn't a huge difference, but the Twins have outhit, outrun and outscored this star-studded Red Sox lineup for two months and running. You can throw many different numbers around but this, to me, really encapsulates the emergence of Minnesota's offense. That 200-HR benchmark that seemed like a pipe dream in May? It's suddenly well within reach. Presently the Twins are on pace to finish with 193, which would be the fourth-highest total in franchise history and the most since 1987. What's truly remarkable about this ongoing offensive tear is that it has come to fruition without much support from the expected (or hopeful) contributors. Miguel Sano missed all of June and has slumped since his return. Byron Buxton still has not turned a corner at the plate. Byung Ho Park posted a .684 OPS before being sent to the minors. Oswaldo Arcia is in another organization. Others have been pulling the weight to make up for these shortcomings. Up and down the lineup, people are getting it done. Brian Dozier, who gained a reputation for falling off in the second half, has been scorching since the break. Kurt Suzuki is amidst a career year. Joe Mauer is coming off a jaw-dropping series in Cleveland, restoring hope that his April wasn't a total fluke. And, of course, Max Kepler is enjoying one of the better power-hitting rookie seasons we've ever seen. For the most part, these performances carry promising future implications. And the outlook for the offensive unit overall is even more encouraging when you consider the untapped potential of guys like Buxton and Sano. The next general manager, whether it's Rob Antony or a newcomer, is going to face some daunting challenges when it comes to rebuilding the pitching staff. But he/she is also going to inherit a talented and dominant young offense, which is now taking the step from potential to proven. Click here to view the article

Good call! Fixed that detail, thanks

Twins fans have endured a lot of tough days this year. There have been long stretches where the performances, the injuries, and the decision-making have led local ball enthusiasts to echo the words of Bryce Harper, in an urgent plea: Please, make baseball fun again. On Monday, baseball was fun again.From the perspective of disenchanted followers of the Twins searching for hope, it was easily the best day of the season thus far. It began with multiple trades that jolted excitement into a hazy Monday afternoon, and ended with one of the best games the team has played all year. For much of this campaign, it has been hard to feel confident that this ship is moving in the right direction. For a glorious 12-hour stretch, it was impossible to feel any other way. Let's run through Monday's developments in (somewhat) chronological order. Twins send RP Fernando Abad to Red Sox for RP Pat Light Things got started around lunchtime, when the Twins announced their first trade of the day. Terry Ryan is gone, but the Abad signing will go down as one of his best final moves. The veteran lefty gave the club four very good months and now yields a decent relief prospect. Light, who can touch 100 with his fastball but often struggles to find the zone, is far from a sure bet to become an effective MLB hurler. We have seen many such erratic fire-ballers come through this system and few have panned out. But he's a solid gamble and certainly a nice return for Abad, who was very much a non-essential piece. When it comes to lefty relievers, the Twins are just as well sticking with the likes of Taylor Rogers and Buddy Boshers. Twins send SP Ricky Nolasco and SP Alex Meyer to Angels for SP Hector Santiago and RP Alan Busenitz. Antony may sit in the GM chair long-term, but if not, he just cleared out one of the biggest headaches that his successor was going to inherit. Somehow, he managed to unload Nolasco. Since 2014, his first season in Minnesota, Nolasco ranks 113th out of 113 qualified MLB starters in ERA (5.44). Injuries marred his first two years with the Twins but this summer he has been healthy and utterly hittable. He hasn't made any case for belonging in a half-decent rotation, and is no more than an expensive innings-eater. Any incoming GM was going to face the unfortunate situation of having to either work around Nolasco on the staff or ask his new bosses to eat $13 million in salary. But Antony, perhaps in efforts to build his own case, has removed that dilemma. In Nolasco's place, the Twins get another established big-league starter who is – by all appearances – a massive upgrade. On the same list of 113 qualified pitchers since 2014, Santiago's ERA (3.68) ranks 60 spots higher, at 53. He's five years younger. He was an All Star last year. And he's coming off a month of July in which he went 6-0 with a 1.78 ERA. Granted, Santiago has his warts, but even when you overlook his blatantly superior play on the field, he gives the Twins newfound flexibility. He's arbitration-eligible for a final time in 2017, so if the team desires, they can simply non-tender and move on. Antony removed the anchor that was Nolasco's contract and flipped it into a team-friendly situation. He did so by capitalizing on the Angels' desperation to infuse any kind of upside into their drab farm system. The other part of the deal involved swapping projects, and I think most would agree that Meyer is a more interesting one than Busenitz. But Meyer is also 26, plagued by constant shoulder problems, utterly unaccomplished in the majors, and out of options next year. This deal looks like a home run. Speaking of home runs... All of this frenzied action unfolded before Monday night's series opener in Cleveland. Major League Baseball made the decision this year to nudge the trade deadline back – to a weekday afternoon, when no games would take place – and Twins fans benefited from the switch. After following the trade news during the day, we were able to devote our full attention to a revelatory ballgame for the local nine. Jose Berrios was making his anticipated return to the big-league mound, while Max Kepler was batting third against All-Star Danny Salazar. Both rookies rose to the challenge. Max Power Kepler has continually surprised with his long-ball proclivity since joining the team for good in June. In this game, he took things to another level entirely. The 23-year-old homered in three of his first four at-bats. After tying for the MLB lead with eight bombs in July, he's now almost halfway to that mark in August after one day. He joins Harmon Killebrew, Justin Morneau, Tony Oliva and Bob Allison as the only hitters in Twins history to go deep three times in a game. Kepler is already achieving legendary status. Berrios bounces back Watching the young righty labor through a tumultuous, 30-pitch first inning in which he coughed up an early lead, it was hard not to think, 'Here we go again.' But Berrios wasn't ready to go down that path. Instead, he went out and retired 14 straight hitters, cruising through five more frames without allowing another run. Shaking off his previous control issues, Berrios threw 62 out of 99 pitches for strikes and didn't issue a walk. That's what I'm talking about. The fun didn't stop... These two performances by future cogs were two highlights of many in a 12-5 bashing of the division leaders. Jorge Polanco hit two triples, including one with the bases juiced. Joe Mauer reached base five times, and took Andrew Miller deep to foil his Cleveland debut. Eddie Rosario homered, and took a walk in an MLB game for the first time since April 15th. Brian Dozier made two insane defensive plays. This game felt like it included more encouraging moments than the first three months combined. Incidentally, it happened on a day where Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano were both out of the lineup. Those two obviously have been going through their struggles but no one can deny their enormous potential impact going forward. Which brings me to my final thought: If one is to disagree with the way Antony and the front office operated during this deadline period, it's because they didn't go all-in on a roster blowout. The Twins have the worst record in the league, the argument goes, and contention in 2017 is a pipe dream. Why not salvage whatever possible value for the likes of Ervin Santana and even someone like Brian Dozier? I personally don't agree with this defeatist attitude. Evidently, neither does the interim GM, because while he certainly acted as a seller, he managed to stay away from any moves with negative impact extending beyond this year. There's a rational case against that approach, but I'm glad it's not being embraced, and if the organization hires a new head of baseball ops, I hope it is not his or her mindset. At some point, this young core is going to turn a corner together. On Monday, that inevitability felt surer and closer than it ever has before. When that happens, it'll be a disservice to waste the opportunity by failing to surround the kids with a capable roster. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins just announced their first deadline day move. They are sending lefty reliever Fernando Abad to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-hander Pat Light. Light, 25, was drafted by the Red Sox 37th overall in 2012. He's a relief prospect that can touch triple digits with his heater.The Twins have some familiarity with the new arrival. Three years before Boston drafted him out of Monmouth University in the first round, Minnesota selected him in the 28th round of his New Jersey high school, though he didn't sign. Light struggled during his first few pro seasons as a starter, but since converting to a relief role last year he has turned himself back into an intriguing prospect with premium velocity. In the last two seasons between Double-A and Triple-A, he has amassed 103 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings (9.9 K/9) though all the whiffs have come along with a whopping 54 walks (5.2 BB/9) Like many other young bullpen arms the Twins have targeted over the past few years, Light is a hard-throwing specimen with control problems and plentiful upside if he can iron them out. He's a nice return for Abad, who signed a minor-league deal during the offseason and went on to post a 2.65 ERA in 39 appearances for Minnesota. Abad's vacated roster spot goes to Jose Berrios, who will start tonight for the Twins in Cleveland. What are your thoughts on the deal? Click here to view the article

Per Jon Heyman, Twins sending Abad to Red Sox.

Rob Antony's first big move was a tough one to criticize. The interim general manager flipped Eduardo Nunez at peak value and got back an impressive pitching prospect in return. It's not clear that Antony will remain in the GM's chair long-term, but he's operating with an acute focus on the organization's No. 1 big-picture priority.The Twins have played 104 games this year. In the first 52, they went 15-37, digging into a hopelessly deep hole. In the second 52, they went 25-27. They're still mired in last place because of that horrendous start, but they have been playing decent ball for two months now. The offensive breakthrough has been a striking component in this improvement. Over the first 52 games, the Twins posted a .686 OPS while averaging 3.7 runs per game. In the latter 52, they posted a .774 OPS and averaged 5.2 runs. Yet, we all know the reason they are still two games under .500 over the past couple months despite their prolific scoring. It's pitching, which is also the reason many fans are understandably skeptical of the club's ability to turn around and contend in 2017. Recognizing this, Antony told reporters last week that he was honing in on starting pitching, noting that "we don't have a lot of guys that are right on the cusp." This is indeed true, and especially problematic with questions swirling around so many players that figure to be in the rotation mix next year. Against this backdrop, the acquisition of Adalberto Mejia from the Giants looks like a master stroke by Antony and the front office. While he's not an ace-in-the-making, Mejia is a big, young, MLB-ready left-hander whose stock is on the rise. The 23-year-old crept onto Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list for the first time last month, appearing at No. 91 on the site's midseason update. With a still-developing slider, he has struck out 24 percent of batters faced between Double-A and Triple-A this season, improving over his previous career mark of 20 percent. At the Futures Game three weeks ago, Twins prospect J.T. Chargois started the top of the ninth for the U.S. team. Mejia started the bottom half for World, closing out a victory with his scoreless frame. He is exactly the kind of arm the Twins needed to add, and they did so while giving up a player that, in my opinion, should have been behind Eduardo Escobar in the shortstop pecking order anyway. This team has given up the most runs in the American League, and is on pace to allow more than any Twins squad since 1996. Obviously, there are many legitimate reasons for concern about the pitching staff's outlook. On offense, the pieces are already in place. Turning this rotation into one that can contend is easily the most pressing task Antony or his replacement will face. But it feels a bit less insurmountable with Mejia joining Jose Berrios, who makes his return to the big-league mound on Monday night, as promising young hurlers that are on right on the cusp. Click here to view the article

The August 1st non-waiver trade deadline is only five days away. Here's a rundown of the relevant rumors and rumblings regarding the Minnesota Twins and interim general manager Rob Antony.* Since dismissing Terry Ryan as GM, Twins ownership has made some remarks that I would generously refer to as "tone deaf." Antony, for his part, seems a bit more interested in saying the right things. During a Q&A with MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger this week (well worth reading), Antony suggested that he will "use advanced statistics as the first tool to evaluate players before relying on the club's scouts." He also talked about the prioritization of bulking up the analytics department. Whether this is lip service or an actual indication of Antony's evolution on the subject remains to be seen. But at least he recognizes the problematic perceptions of the front office regime under his predecessor, and is actively trying to draw a distinction. * Speaking of the general manager search, the Twins announced that they are hiring search firm Korn Ferry to assist with the process. It's good news, ensuring that the they plan to conduct a comprehensive search for their next baseball ops leader. Most recently, Korn Ferry assisted with the GM hirings of David Stearns by the Brewers and Ross Atkins by the Blue Jays. Stearns, 30, became the youngest general manager in the game when Milwaukee fished him away from Houston. For three years, he had been the right-hand man to Jeff Luhnow with the Astros, helping craft one of the league's most talented young rosters. It was a bold hire. In the case of the Blue Jays, Atkins beat out internal candidate Tony LaCava, the other finalist who had been serving in an interim capacity following the departure of Alex Anthopoulos. Atkins came over after spending 15 years in the Indians organization. It's hard to believe this choice wasn't heavily influenced by Toronto's new president Mark Shapiro, who was very familiar with Atkins having brought him up in Cleveland's front office. * Switching to trade rumblings, it sounds like the Twins won't trade Ervin Santana unless they're overwhelmed by an offer. Given the uncertainties surrounding Phil Hughes (health) and Ricky Nolasco (performance), that's a logical approach, if the team does indeed have aspirations of returning to contention in 2017. He threw nine good innings on Tuesday night against the worst lineup in ball, but Santana just isn't the kind of arm that's going to entice someone to give up a haul. * As for Nolasco, based on everything I've been hearing and reading, the front office would happily ship him to any willing recipient, but interest in the veteran right-hander is undoubtedly low. Nolasco's 5.40 ERA ranks as fifth-worst among qualified MLB starters, and he has tallied more walks than strikeouts this month. Even if the Twins are throwing in a wad of cash, why bother? * A source from a contending team told Mike Berardino that the Twins are in "listening mode--at best" on Kyle Gibson. That's probably the right mindset. Gibson is a fairly reliable rotation piece going forward and his value is depressed right now thanks to a poor start and a shoulder injury that cost him a chunk of the season. The righty quietly has posted a 3.03 ERA over his last five starts. * One club that may be expressing interest in Twins pitchers is Miami. In a column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo wrote that the Marlins had scouts at Fenway last week to watch Nolasco and Tommy Milone. Both got shelled, but regardless of how they pitched in those outings, no one was going to form any illusions about either hittable hurler. * Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted on Tuesday that Eduardo Nunez is among options the first-place Indians have evaluated as they seek to bolster their offense. Presumably, they would install Nunez as their regular third baseman. Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis are holding down the middle infield, while Juan Uribe has done little to distinguish himself at the hot corner. This is one worth keeping an eye on. * Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote last week that Minnesota's trade chips drawing the most attention are Nunez, Kurt Suzuki, Fernando Abad and Brandon Kintzler. This list isn't surprising, but sort of encapsulates why it's hard to get too jazzed up about this deadline period. The Twins have assets that are intriguing to contenders, but we're talking about a career bench player (prior to this year), a decent-at-best catcher, and a pair of relievers on minor-league contracts. The only opportunity that Antony has to make a major splash would be a shocking move involving, say, Brian Dozier or one of the kids he feels is expendable. But is the interim GM really going to uproot the long-term roster foundation, not to mention the clubhouse dynamic, by taking such a gamble? Hard to envision. Click here to view the article