Nick Nelson

"As cliche as it sounds, Gardy's late-tenure groups really didn't seem to have much fight in them."

And in a close race, Mauer gets the wild card last spot, because, he has been clutch this year, more than any player besides Sano. And that’s objective, not subjective. If you don’t recognize it, maybe that’s on you. I mean, the flip side of his big numbers with runners on that is he hit .227/.282/.335 with nobody on, and had more than twice as many plate appearances with the bases empty. The fact that he was so nonfunctional as a table setter while hitting at the top of the lineup certainly offsets the value of his clutch hitting to a large degree. I don't think WPA fully encapsulates that. How can you acknowledge at one point in the article that Escobar has the second-highest OPS on the team as a shortstop, yet have him below Mauer and Hunter on your ballot?

This season for the Twins started on just about the flattest note possible. The club's prized free agency acquisition was nailed for steroids and suspended for half the year three days before the opener, then the team went 1-6 in its first week of games, getting outscored 45-16 by division rivals in the process. Few would have guessed that almost six months later, the Twins would be angling for a playoff spot with a win total in the 80s.The Twins are enjoying their best season in half a decade and hanging with the big boys even though their roster doesn't exactly stack up to the teams they're racing against. The Astros are led by likely Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel and Rookie of the Year shoe-in Carlos Correa. They're a Top 5 American League offense in OPS and they lead the league in team ERA. The Angels, while less impressive on paper than Houston, are anchored by two-time reigning MVP Mike Trout and have gotten 38 homers from Albert Pujols. Their rotation features an assortment of youthful standouts such as Garrett Richards, Hector Santiago and Andrew Heaney. The Twins, meanwhile, have gotten subpar production from nearly all of their highest-paid players, haven't had a significantly above-average starter in the rotation (excepting Tyler Duffey's late-season performance) and have endured instability in the bullpen all year. Yet they're going to finish in the top half of the AL in wins, and they're still clinging to legitimate postseason hopes with six games remaining. I don't know how to quantify or explain it, but the resiliency that this Twins team has shown again and again has been a defining factor in their success. It started with the rebound from that horrible start. Following the 1-6 run to open the year, the Twins won three straight and 31 of their next 46 to move 11 games above .500 by early June. It was a remarkable turnaround and there have been several tribulations in the months since then that they have been able to overcome. Remember that deflating four-game series in Kansas City back in early July where the Twins – within four games of first place at the time – had a chance to sweep but instead took two losses on 10th-inning walk-offs? Maybe not, because they immediately bounced back to take six of seven at home against the Orioles and Tigers. How about that heartbreaking sweep at Yankee Stadium in August that included a gut-punch grand slam from A-Rod? The Twins followed that series by winning six straight games and four straight series. More recently, there was the five-game slide at Target Field in mid-September that seemingly sucked every trace of wind from the team's sails. All they did was take six of their next eight to climb right back into the playoff picture. Even on an individual level, we've seen this propensity for overcoming adversity. There are plenty of examples within the past few weeks alone. Glen Perkins, amidst a brutal stretch and coming off perhaps his low point in Detroit, entered with a two-run lead against Cleveland on Monday night and gave up a hard-hit leadoff single on an 0-2 count, creating a "Here we go again" type of feeling. Then he struck out two straight hitters and escaped the inning unscathed. Phil Hughes, battling back issues and decreased velocity, followed up his worst start as a Twin with a huge performance last week against the Indians, navigating his way through five scoreless innings. And Tommy Milone, who was needed to replace an ill Hughes as emergency starter in a crucial game on Monday, shook off two rotten outings to deliver a strong performance and pick up a win. The resilient quality that we have consistently seen from this year's Twins team really differentiates them in my mind from Ron Gardenhire's squads over the past four years. During that era, bad losses turned into losing streaks, and losing streaks turned into extended spells of misery. If you want to see how those teams reacted to getting knocked down, take a look at their records in August and September. As cliche as it sounds, Gardy's late-tenure groups really didn't seem to have much fight in them. Regardless of what happens over the next five days, no one will be able to say that about the 2015 Twins, and to me, that's an extremely encouraging sign for a youth-led team overseen by a first-year manager. Click here to view the article

For the Indians, it's an opportunity to leapfrog Minnesota in the AL Central standings and make a late push for a longshot playoff berth. For the Twins, it's a chance to remain within striking distance of the Angels and Astros, setting up a potentially crucial series at home against the Royals this weekend. Whichever side you're viewing it from, the four-game series that gets underway in Cleveland on Monday night carries huge implications.State of the Indians In their third year under manager Terry Francona, the Indians have basically been as expected, pairing great pitching and defense with an occasionally suspect offense. In Kansas City on Sunday, they didn't manage to get a hit on the board until Francisco Lindor bunted for a single in the seventh inning. Prior to that, Cleveland had won three straight contests. They have played a whopping 22 consecutive games against AL Central opponents, and their 13-9 record during that stretch has enabled them to climb back into the race. As you'll see in the pitching match-up breakdowns, they've got some starters that are rolling along nicely at this point. Rookie Rumble Some years, Eddie Rosario's numbers would make him a Rookie of the Year front-runner. But not in 2015, the Year of the Rookie. Rosario will finish behind his teammate, Miguel Sano, in the voting, and both will likely end up below the Indians shortstop Lindor. The eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Lindor has developed just as Cleveland had hoped, rapidly ascending the minors and debuting in the majors at age 21. He has flashed his dynamic athleticism in all phases of the game, batting .320/.358/.485 with 10 homers, 21 doubles, four triples and nine steals on 11 attempts. He's pesky. Manship Sailing Along In the first six seasons of his big-league career, including four with Minnesota, Jeff Manship posted a 6.46 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. But now he has found new life in the Indians bullpen. The righty has allowed only 20 hits in 37 innings of work, and owns a 0.97 ERA. He hasn't given up a run since August 22nd. No Place Like Home? The Indians have home field advantage this week, but that hasn't really been much of an advantage for them this year. They are 35-38 with a 4.12 team ERA at Progressive Field, compared to 42-39 and 3.39 on the road. The Twins, conversely, have played much better at home but have won three straight series on the road. PITCHING MATCH-UPS Monday, 6:10 PM: Phil Hughes vs. Corey Kluber These two faced off last Wednesday, in a game that the Twins won after ambushing Kluber for four runs in the fourth inning. Hughes was at his best in that game, making up for diminished velocity by consistently hitting his spots and peppering the fringes of the strike zone. The reigning AL Cy Young winner, Kluber is enjoying another excellent season, but he hasn't looked particularly sharp in either of his outings since returning from a two-week absence due to a hamstring strain. Tuesday, 6:10 PM: Kyle Gibson vs. Cody Anderson Gibson did not rise to the challenge in his biggest start of the year last week, coughing up six runs in 2 2/3 innings, but now he'll get another shot. He had a 2.75 ERA with zero homers allowed in his previous six starts, so he'll need to rediscover that form. Anderson has had a very nice month of September, with a 4-0 record and 1.69 ERA. He held the Twins to one run over 6 2/3 innings last Thursday, though he flirted with trouble by allowing 10 hits. The rookie has allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his 14 starts for Cleveland. Wednesday, 6:10 PM: Mike Pelfrey vs. Carlos Carrasco This match-up is a scary one for the Twins. Pelfrey came up big in his last start, holding the Tigers to one run over five innings in Detroit, but in general he's been terrible on the road this year, with a 5.60 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. Pelf was shelled in his last start at Cleveland back in early August, surrendering seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings Carrasco has quietly emerged as one of the best starting pitchers in the American League. His numbers (180 IP, 14-10, 3.44 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 211/41 K/BB) ought to put him in the Cy Young conversation. He's coming off the best start of his career, a one-hit shutout over the Royals in which he tallied 15 strikeouts. Thursday, 6:10 PM: Tyler Duffey vs. Josh Tomlin Tomlin joined the Indians rotation in mid-August and has picked up wins in six of his nine starts since, registering a 3.03 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. Duffey has had a similarly dramatic impact on the Twins' rotation since stepping in around the same time, notching victories in five of his nine starts. Their formulas are quite different – Tomlin a control artist who leans heavily on his fastball and cutter, Duffey unleashing his big curveball at an MLB-leading 37.8 percent clip – but their results have been similar. This should be a good tilt, and depending on what happens in the three games preceding it, the stakes could be very high. Click here to view the article

That quote to Berardino seems like Dozier is subtly hinting that something is physically wrong.

Over the first half of the season, Glen Perkins was about as close to being the Twins' team MVP as you could possibly expect from a reliever relegated to pitching a few innings a week. Since the All-Star break, it's been a different story entirely. How much can Paul Molitor trust his longtime closer as the season winds down and every game carries enormous weight?Up until he successfully closed out a victory for the American League in the Midsummer Classic, Perkins had essentially been perfect in his ninth-inning role for the Twins. He converted all 28 of his save chances, held opponents to a .188 batting average, and allowed only four total extra-base hits in 37 innings of work. During Minnesota's 20-win month of May, which put them into position to contend into the late days of September, Perkins was a constant force, closing out 14 of the Twins' 20 victories and picking up saves in 13 of his 15 appearances. As good as he was that month, he only got better afterward. From the end of May through the All-Star break, he rattled off 13 straight scoreless appearances, allowing only three hits and two walks total. Perk's last two outings of the first half were the model of excellence and efficiency: he retired all six batters he faced on a total of 14 pitches. Then, something went very wrong, and very suddenly. Ever since he pitched the final inning in the All-Star Game, Perkins just hasn't been the same guy. He blew his first save of the year in his first outing after the break, and since then he hasn't been able to string together three consecutive appearances without allowing a run. In 18 second-half trips to the mound, the lefty has posted a 7.16 ERA while opponents have raked him to the tune of .356/.382/.658. Wednesday night was just the latest example of Perkins' new found shakiness. He came in with a four-run lead in the ninth and let the Indians back into the game, coughing up two runs and allowing the tying run into the on-deck circle before finally retiring Yan Gomes on a pop-up to end it. This is a level of struggle we haven't seen from the three-time All Star since he became closer, and it's clearly been tied to his health to some degree. But it leaves us to wonder: Can the Twins trust their most talented reliever here in the stretch run as they pursue the final wild-card spot in the American League? Based on his numbers and his ongoing troubles on the mound, the obvious answer is no. But I'm not ready to go that far. First, I would point out that one night prior to his scare on Wednesday, Perkins relieved Ervin Santana with two on and nobody out in the eighth inning. He retired three straight batters -- including All Star Jason Kipnis and Rookie of the Year contender Francisco Lindor -- to protect a two-run lead. It might have been the biggest relief appearance the Twins have had all year. And in general, even though things haven't exactly been smooth for Perkins lately, he has looked better, providing indications that his achy back is on the upswing. His velocity is basically in line with where it's been all year and he's still getting strikeouts while avoiding walks. In 10 2/3 innings over his last 12 appearances dating back to August 7th, he has 11 strikeouts and two walks. His .326 opponents' batting average and 5.06 ERA during that span can largely be tied to an egregious .394 batting average on balls in play. That simply won't sustain. This also seems like a good opportunity to direct some credit to the Twins' manager and general manager. Paul Molitor has altered his usage of Perkins in response to the reliever's lessened effectiveness, keeping him out of tight save situations and often inserting him in lower-leverage spots. As a result, the Twins have gone 10-2 in Perk's last 12 appearances in spite of his struggles. Molitor's flexibility in this regard has been made possible by Terry Ryan's deadline acquisition of Kevin Jepsen, who provided another legitimate late-inning arm capable of stepping in and closing. The presence of Jepsen means that the Twins don't need to lean quite as hard on Perkins, but there's no doubt that they'll need him pitching well if they're going to make a run at this thing. Do you trust him? Click here to view the article

While a top Twins pitching prospect dominated multiple levels of the minors this summer, fans hoped that he might be able to join the big-league club late in the season to make an impact during a race for the playoffs. That is exactly what has happened. It's just not the guy we thought it would be.Jose Berrios was the most buzzworthy arm in Minnesota's system this year, and with good reason. He was named Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year by Twins Daily and will surely receive the official nod for a second time in a row when it's announced by the Twins soon. Berrios might be the most talented pitcher in the organization, and in spring training many felt that he had better stuff than anyone slated for the MLB rotation. So pressure built for a call-up over the course of the season while the young righty dominated Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 2.87 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while averaging more than a strikeout per inning. With the Twins emerging as surprise contenders, many fans hoped to see the electric hurler promoted to help during the stretch push in some capacity. That didn't happen. Berrios finished up his year at Rochester and the front office elected to shut him down. However, another pitching prospect has entered the fold and has given the team as much of a boost as the Twins could have possibly hoped to receive from Berrios. On Sunday, Tyler Duffey picked up a win in what could be framed as a season-saving victory. With the team having dropped the first three games of a four-game set, and in danger of falling behind the Angels in the wild-card race with another loss, Duffey played the role of stopper, firing seven shutout innings to end a five-game losing streak. As we all remember, Duffey was shelled in his first start for the Twins, coughing up six runs in two innings, but that was pretty easy to excuse given that it was his major-league debut in the league's toughest current pitching environment. Since that outing, the right-hander has been nothing short of spectacular, going 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA and 43-to-16 K/BB ratio in 43 2/3 innings. Leaning heavily on a standout curveball, Duffey has largely had his way with big-league hitters, who have been unable to adjust. The 24-year-old's last three starts have been his most impressive; he has pitched at least into the seventh every time out, allowing a total of three runs on 16 hits in 20 innings with 22 strikeouts and four walks. And this at a time where the Twins are in dire need of quality outings. Duffey's calling card in the minors was his ability to keep the ball in yard. Prior to his call-up, he had allowed just one home run in 22 starts between Chattanooga and Rochester. This strength has been on display in the majors as well. Since giving up two bombs against the dominating Jays lineup in his first start, Duffey has allowed only one homer in seven turns. His current HR/9 rate with the Twins (0.6) is identical to his mark over 477 innings on the farm. He has also been missing bats, averaging nearly a strikeout per inning overall (8.7 K/9) with the big club. The combination of piling up strikeouts while limiting home runs is a promising one, as you can see based on this list: Qualified MLB Starters With >8.0 K/9 & Tyson Ross, SD: 3.18 ERA Jake Arrieta, CHC: 1.96 ERA Gio Gonzalez, WAS: 3.83 ERA Gerrit Cole, PIT: 2.64 ERA Zack Greinke, LAD: 1.64 ERA Clayton Kershaw, LAD: 2.18 ERA Carlos Martinez, STL: 3.01 ERA Dallas Keuchel, HOU, 2.51 ERA David Price, DET: 2.34 ERA Francisco Liriano, PIT: 3.41 ERA Lance Lynn, STL: 3.28 ERA Madison Bumgarner, SF: 2.84 ERA Chris Archer, TB: 2.92 ERA Jon Lester, CHC: 3.46 ERA Jacob deGrom, NYM: 2.64 ERA Corey Kluber, CLE: 3.44 ERA Carlos Carrasco, CLE: 3.62 ERA Cole Hamels, TEX: 3.67 ERA Matt Harvey, NYM: 2.80 ERA Chris Sale, CWS: 3.47 ERA Those are some of the biggest names among starting pitchers in the game, and almost without exception, they're all having excellent years. Obviously, their success and their commonality in the K and HR categories are not coincidentally tied – these are foundational components of good pitching. It remains to be seen whether Duffey can maintain his effectiveness in both regards. In particular, his strikeout rate is a bit out of line with his track record, although given the sheer beauty of his hook and the way he has continually elevated his game as a pro, it's not that hard to buy. Back before he debuted, I wrote about how the former college closer and fifth round pick was proving to be a draft gem for the Twins, and that only rings more true in light of his resounding initial success at the highest level. What his future holds is difficult to say at this point, but for now he's proving to be a vital cog in the rotation. Duffey is going to be an interesting piece in an upcoming offseason where Minnesota must make some decisions on a rotation that is shaping up to be a bit overcrowded heading into 2016. Click here to view the article

Yep, you're right, I missed that news. Probably a positive development for anyone thinking about attending Sunday's game.

A debate began stirring last week surrounding the National League MVP race, spurred by a column from Jon Morosi of FOX Sports arguing that Yoenis Cespedes deserves consideration for the honor despite spending more than half of the season in the AL. It's a rather ludicrous take, considering Bryce Harper's unparalleled body of work this season, but it does raise an interesting question -- how should we weigh the impact of tremendous production over a short span against a full season's worth of output? With the Angels coming into town for a showdown between two of the game's best young power hitters, it's a relevant subject.The Harper vs. Cespedes argument can be mirrored, in some ways, on the AL side by Mike Trout and Miguel Sano. Trout is by no means the runaway candidate that Harper is, but he has a good shot at capturing his second straight MVP. He's hitting .292/.393/.572 and his next home run (No. 37) will surpass his 2014 total and set a career high. Trout's main drawback, right or wrong, might be the state of his team. At 73-72, the Angels trail both Minnesota and Houston in the race for the second wild-card, and unless they can do some major damage at Target Field this week, they'll be extreme longshots for the postseason. Making it to October has often been a decisive factor in close MVP races of the past. Now, to be clear, I don't expect Sano to gather any real MVP steam. Although his power has revitalized the Twins lineup, his impact can't even be compared to Cespedes, whose unbelievable performance since arriving in New York has coincided with a complete turnaround of the Mets' once hapless offense. However, if he can help push the Twins to their first playoff berth in five years, I would be curious to see if Sano receives any down-ballot votes. And I'd also be very curious to see if it would enable him to edge Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor in the Rookie of the Year race. A big series this weekend would do much to help his case. Power Couple Fans at Target Field this week will be witness to a rare display of young power-hitting talent. Dating back to his rookie year in 2012, the 24-year-old Trout ranks fifth in all of baseball with 129 home runs. Meanwhile, Sano has the most home runs through 63 games for any player in Minnesota history, and his .571 slugging percentage is seventh-highest in the majors among players with 250 or more plate appearances. These kids are both going to hit a lot of homers over the next decade. How many will they hit in this crucial four-game set? Let's take a look at the hurlers they'll be going up against. PITCHING MATCH-UPS Thursday, 7:10 PM: LHP Hector Santiago vs. LHP Tommy Milone Coming off a pair of tremendous outings to start the month of September, Milone was once again cruising his last time out, holding the White Sox scoreless through the first three innings. Then, everything fell apart. Six straight batters reached to open the fourth and by the time all was said and done, Milone was charged with seven runs (four earned) and the Twins were blown out. He'll be looking to rebound, and fortunately his chances to do so are good, as Milone has a 2.66 ERA in his last seven turns at Target Field. He'll have a tough opponent in Santiago, who has been one of the league's more underrated starters this season with a 3.21 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 148-to-59 K/BB ratio over 165 innings. The good news is that the lefty has been struggling since the All-Star break (4.89 ERA, 11 homers allowed) and has more walks than strikeouts in his last five starts. His current innings total represents a career-high workload so it's possible Santiago is wearing down. Friday, 7:10 PM: LHP Andrew Heaney vs. RHP Kyle Gibson Heaney was taken by the Marlins with the ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft and he's already switched places twice since, first heading to the Dodgers in last December's Dan Haren deal before immediately being flipped to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. He's enjoying an excellent rookie year, with a 3.32 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 15 starts. Like Santiago, though, Heaney has scuffled in recent weeks. He started his MLB career with six straight quality starts but has just three in nine tries since. Gibson is a guy the Twins are going to be leaning on heavily in this tight wild-card race. They need him to bring it every time he takes the mound, and he certainly delivered last time, taking a shutout into the eighth in Chicago. Gibson hasn't given up a home run in a calendar month (five starts) but he'll need to tread carefully with the likes of Trout and Albert Pujols, who are tied for fourth in the AL with 35 jacks apiece. Saturday, 6:10 PM: RHP Garrett Richards vs. RHP Mike Pelfrey Pelfrey is the weak link in the Minnesota rotation at this point, with the lowest K-rate and the highest WHIP among Twins starters. He has failed to complete six innings in any of his past five starts. The hitters are going to need to bring it against the hard-throwing Richards, who has been solid yet inconsistent for the Halos following a breakout 2014 campaign. Richards leads the majors in wild pitches after doing the same last year, so that's worth keeping an eye on. Sunday, 1:10 PM: RHP Matt Shoemaker vs. RHP Phil Hughes Shoemaker's seven starts since the break: 7/21 vs. MIN: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 10 K 7/30 @ HOU: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 7 K 8/4 vs. CLE: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 10 K 8/10 @ CWS: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 K 8/15 @ KC: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 0 K 8/27 @ DET: 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 K 9/1 @ OAK: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 5 K When he's been on – and that's been frequent lately – he's been nearly unhittable. But both of his duds during that span came on the road against AL Central opponents. And as you can see, he hasn't pitched since September 1st due to a forearm strain, so it's tough to know what to expect. Right now it looks like he'll be facing another starter freshly returned from injury hiatus. Hughes wasn't terribly effective in his first start off the DL on Wednesday, requiring 65 pitches to get through three innings, but the hope is that he'll be stronger and sharper as he regains his groove. The Twins need him to do so badly right now. Paul Molitor has left open the possibility that Tyler Duffey could pitch this game as well, though his workload is becoming a consideration. Click here to view the article

Shortly before ending his lengthy tenure as Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig made a controversial change to the foundational setup of the game's playoff format. The 2012 season became the first in which a second wild-card team was added for both leagues, pushing the number of postseason entrants from eight to 10.It was no surprise that there was widespread backlash to this major reconfiguration. More than most, baseball is a sport that is resistant to change. The difficulty of achieving a postseason berth at the end of a 162-game marathon was one of MLB's differentiators, with the NFL sending 12 teams to the playoffs and the NBA letting in more than half of its squads. Traditionalists had a hard enough time accepting the idea of a single wild-card team when Selig oversaw its implementation back in 1995. Now another one was being added, with the wrinkle that the two wild-card winners would face off in a single game that decided which club would move on. It sort of flew in the face of the league's underlying mechanics. "This change increases the rewards of a division championship and allows two additional markets to experience playoff baseball each year," Selig stated when he initially announced the creation of the Wild Card Round. Whether you like the change or not, you can't deny that both those things are true, and as fans in Minnesota are now learning, the benefits of this new format stretch even further. Because while the Twins may or may not overcome the Astros (or Rangers) and earn a chance to participate in the wild-card play-in, we're still getting to experience the excitement of contention in September, adding a level of drama that previously would have been missing. If not for this new setup, the Twins – who obviously have no shot at winning the division – would currently be trailing the Yankees by four games for the American League's lone wild-card opening, with the Astros also standing in front of them and with 18 games remaining and no head-to-head match-ups against either. That's not an impossible hill to climb but it's an awfully steep one. Instead, Minnesota is within a game and a half of Houston, and at this juncture in mid-September every game carries huge significance. That's a level of late-season drama that we haven't had around here in a long time. On Tuesday night, I found myself flipping the channel frequently from Fox Sports North to ESPN, where the Rangers/Astros game was being nationally televised. Scoreboard watching! Hypothesizing about playoff rotations! The highs and lows attached to individual victories and losses that can dramatically alter the playoff picture! We've missed these exercises and emotions over the last four years – at least I know I have. So I'm awfully glad that the new format enables us to have them now. Then again, I've never had a problem with the added wild-card teams, nor with interleague play, nor the All Star Game dictating home field for the World Series, nor instant replay, nor any of the innovations that took place under Selig. I'll always harbor some resentment for the man over that whole contraction fiasco, but in general I believe that he did a lot of good for the game, and now I'm getting to appreciate one of the final touches of his legacy first-hand, along with my fellow Twins fans. I'm curious to hear the viewpoints of some readers on this topic. Do you like the new playoff structure? Has your opinion shifted now that you're experiencing its perks? What alterations would you make to the setup, if any? Click here to view the article

These are all reasons that the cost to obtain Storen figures to be much lower than you'd normally expect for a player with his ability. It's a risk worth taking IMO. Also, for all the people concerned that Storen will be pouty and ineffective if he's not in the closer role... he's been operating as a setup man for the Nats for the past three years (behind Soriano and Clippard) and has posted a 2.79 ERA during that span.

Whether you believe he should be or not, he is. I assure you of that. Also, Perkins' numbers are good across the board, going well beyond saves. The late-season physical breakdowns in two straight years are perturbing though, which is a big part of the season I feel they need to go get another top-tier late-inning arm if they have true championship aspirations next year.

Last Wednesday, while the Twins were entangled in a 12-inning thriller with the Royals, the Mets and Nationals were facing off in a key NL East battle in Washington. With the score tied 2-2 late in a must-win for the Nats, Drew Storen gave up a two-run homer to the red-hot Yoenis Cespedes. We learned over the weekend that after that inning, Storen went to the clubhouse, slammed his locker and broke his thumb, ending his season.It was a sadly fitting end to what's been a tremendously frustrating year for the right-hander. He lost his hold on the closer role when the Nationals acquired Jonathan Papelbon from the Phillies in late July, despite the fact that Storen had been extremely effective, converting 29 of 31 save chances with a 1.73 ERA and 44-to-9 K/BB ratio in 36 innings. One can hardly blame Nats GM Mike Rizzo for upgrading the back end of his bullpen with an elite power arm, but it was a raw deal for Storen. He publicly voiced his displeasure following the trade, and also started to pitch very poorly, allowing multiple runs in four straight outings at one point in mid-August. You have to believe that Wednesday's incident was in some way triggered by pent-up frustration. The string of unfortunate events has dropped the 28-year-old Storen's stock to an all-time low entering an offseason where his alienated ballclub was already expected to shop him heavily. This presents an intriguing opportunity for teams that are on the lookout for bullpen help, and especially for the Twins. Minnesota has been known to have had interest in Storen in the past. In 2011, the Twins and Nats were rumored to be working on a deal involving the righty and Denard Span, though nothing materialized. Storen would be an excellent fit based on the Twins' current needs. With Casey Fien and Blaine Boyer both likely to depart, and the remaining right-handed relievers – such as Ryan Pressly, Michael Tonkin, J.R. Graham and A.J. Achter – looking suspect to varying degrees, this bullpen needs another impact late-inning arm to complement Kevin Jepsen, and one more established than Trevor May (who should be given another chance to start anyway). You could hardly ask for a better candidate than Storen, who has spent his entire career pitching well in high-leverage situations, the last few weeks notwithstanding. Of course, the biggest potential snag in such a scenario is that Storen clearly wants to close, and there will be no such opening here with Glen Perkins entrenched. But Storen may just have to come to terms with the reality of his situation. He's not going to get the ninth inning next year in Washington, with Papelbon still under contract, and it's doubtful that the Nats will allow him to dictate where he ends up in a trade. Storen is due for free agency following the 2016 season, so he might have to bear down, do his thing in a setup role and hope to gain interest as a closer on the open market. That would be a nice coup for the Twins, as they'd get a top-tier relief arm and also an ideal contingency plan behind Perkins, who has had health problems in two straight seasons and will be 33. What do you think? Does Storen make sense as a target for the Twins? And what would you give up to acquire him? Click here to view the article

The Padres also got Derek Norris, who was coming off an All-Star season with the A's, for two good-not-great pitching prospects. I think it's logical to assume that a quality catcher is extremely difficult to pry away in a trade, but reality hasn't necessarily backed that up.

Roller coasters can be scary. No moment in Wednesday night's roller coaster 12-inning victory against the Royals was scarier than in the 10th when Kurt Suzuki reached up the third base line to catch a wayward toss from Blaine Boyer and got railed by incoming speedster Jarrod Dyson, who was attempting the score the winning run. Suzuki caught the ball, got the out, and then struggled to stand up as he grasped his knee in pain. He needed to be helped off the field. Twins fans watched it all go down with a feeling of dread -- not only over Suzuki's well being, but also over the thought of trying to chase down a wild card spot without a major-league caliber player available at one of the field's most important positions.Thankfully, Suzuki was diagnosed with only a bruised knee and he's not expected to miss extended time. But the scare highlights a grim reality: this organization is bereft of catching talent. If Suzuki's injury were serious, the Twins would be forced to rely on a combination of Chris Herrmann and Eric Fryer, two players that have proven through numerous opportunities that they simply don't belong in the big leagues. Herrmann is a mediocre defender with a .185/.250/.286 career slash line in the majors, and he's the better of the two, which tells you all you need to know. There's no help in the minors. Josmil Pinto, who at one time appeared to be Suzuki's successor, has endured a brutal season in Rochester marred by concussion issues, likely removing him from the discussion permanently in light of the questions that already existed about his defensive aptitude behind the plate. Meanwhile, young hopefuls Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver have fallen off the map offensively at Double-A and Single-A after promising 2014 campaigns. They are looking more like suspects than prospects at this point, although the Twins are sending both to the Arizona Fall League with hopes of turning them around. In any case, there's no short-term help available, which is an ominous fact in light of Suzuki's injury and especially in the scope of the coming season. As the Twins look ahead to all-out contention efforts in 2016, they've got a backup-caliber starter locked in behind the plate and nothing much behind him on the depth chart. It's clear that this position is going to be Priority No. 1, by a longshot, entering the offseason. We'll cover all the possibilities for addressing it -- via free agency, trade and otherwise -- both here on the site and in our annual Offseason Handbook, which you'll be hearing more about as October approaches. Click here to view the article

On Saturday night, the Minnesota Twins debuted an outfield alignment that figures to be quite common in the coming years: Eddie Rosario in left, Byron Buxton in center, Aaron Hicks in right. With all three possessing excellent range and arm strength, it has the potential to become one of the best defensive units in the majors. So it's only fitting that Saturday's game ended with Buxton making a great running catch with the bases loaded and two outs to salvage a victory.Kevin Jepsen, who was awarded a save after narrowly protecting the ninth-inning lead in that game, was certainly grateful to Buxton for bailing him out. And that's a feeling that will be shared by many Twins pitchers going forward. Run prevention has been a sizable issue for Minnesota over the past several seasons, and lousy outfield defense has been an overlooked culprit in that equation. Sure, it doesn't help when your pitchers are allowing the opposition to put everything in play, but that weakness is magnified substantially when nobody's tracking anything down in the vast green expanses that comprise the outfields in major-league parks. Last year, trudgers Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia were the primary recipients of playing time in the outfield corners for a Twins team whose pitchers allowed the fifth-highest percentage of fly balls in baseball. It should come as no surprise that Minnesota converted batted balls into outs at a lower rate than any other MLB team. They entered this season with Arcia and Torii Hunter in the corners, representing a minimal upgrade if any. But over the course of the season, Arcia has banished himself to the minors and Hunter has shown his age. Meanwhile, a new wave of youngsters has entered (or in one case reentered) the picture. Defense enthusiasts have long anticipated a day where Rosario, Buxton and Hicks would all share the same outfield. It was an eventuality delayed by injuries, first to Hicks and then to Buxton, but it finally became reality on Saturday night. Coincidentally, Ervin Santana was the starting pitcher for the Twins in that game. The Twins signed Santana to a four-year deal during the offseason, locking him up through 2018. Eleven days later, they signed Phil Hughes to a three-year extension, committing to him through 2019. Those two starters are now the most deeply entrenched members of the rotation going forward. And fortunately, they figure to benefit as much as anyone from this outstanding group of outfielders. Santana and Hughes don't have a ton of commonalities as pitchers, but they do have this one: both tend to give up a lot of fly balls and line drives. This can manifest in bad ways, as we've seen this year; the pair has combined to give up 39 home runs in 35 starts. For fly ball pitchers, the long balls can come in sporadic bunches, often attributable to bad luck as much as anything, but the high volume of balls hit in the air to the outfield is inherently constant. Hurlers like Santana and Hughes rely heavily on the players behind them to prevent baseballs from dropping onto the grass, and that's what made the idea of an Arcia/Robinson/Hunter trio so groan-inducing at the outset. An alignment of Rosario, Buxton and Hicks essentially gives the Twins three center fielders ranging around out there. It's not an exaggeration to suggest that each has a realistic shot at being an elite fielder at his respective position. We've already seen all three players make countless game-changing plays with their gloves and arms. Hopefully they can all do enough with their bats to keep themselves in the lineup for a long time, because watching them play in the same outfield is a treat, and if you want evidence of how valuable a top-tier defensive outfield can be, look no further than the team the Twins are currently facing in Kansas City. Click here to view the article