Nick Nelson

The Twins have finally made their first splash, with just a couple hours remaining until the 3:00 PM non-waiver trade deadline. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Minnesota has acquired right-hander Kevin Jepsen from the Tampa Bay Rays. Image courtesy of Kim Klement, USA Today The Twins have finally made their first splash, with just a couple hours remaining until the 3:00 PM non-waiver trade deadline. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Minnesota has acquired right-hander Kevin Jepsen from the Tampa Bay Rays. Jepsen, 31, has posted a 2.81 ERA and 1.30 WHIP for Tampa this year after being picked up from the Angels in exchange for Matt Joyce during the offseason. Jepsen is earning a $3 million this season (about a million of that commitment remains) and will be eligible for arbitration for a final time in 2016. There is no word yet on what the Twins gave up to get him, although we'll update this column as soon as we know. UPDATE: The Twins sent minor-leaguers RHP Chih-Wei Hu and RHP Alexis Tapia to Tampa Bay in the deal. Jepsen is hardly a top-flight relief arm, sporting a career 3.80 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, but he has been quite effective over the past couple seasons. He was a strikeout machine last year with the Angels, averaging 10.4 K/9, but has seen that number drop to 7.3 this season while his walks have gone up. His average fastball velocity of 94.4 MPH will stand out in the Twins bullpen, although it is his lowest since 2011. Despite some downward trends, Jepsen is almost certainly an upgrade over Casey Fien and Blaine Boyer, and will most likely take over as Paul Molitor's top eighth-inning option. Stay tuned for more analysis of this move, as well as any others that the Twins might have in store before this afternoon's deadline. View full article

Whoops! That's not a nitpick, that's a key detail. Fixed, thanks.

Deadline day is here. At 3:00 PM Central Time, MLB teams will no longer be able to complete trades without going through the waiver process. It is widely expected that the Twins will make some sort of move(s) today, so we'll have up-to-the-second updates on all the latest rumors and happenings in this article. Stay tuned! Image courtesy of Jake Roth, USA Today Deadline day is here. At 3:00 PM Central Time, MLB teams will no longer be able to complete trades without going through the waiver process. It is widely expected that the Twins will make some sort of move(s) today, so we'll have up-to-the-second updates on all the latest rumors and happenings in this article. Stay tuned! 3:00 PM: We've reached the deadline, and there is no word of any other movements from the Twins. Looks like Jepsen is it for today, although we'll update here if anything else trickles in. Just a reminder: relievers are frequently traded in August. 12:55 PM: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Twins have acquired right-hander Kevin Jepsen from the Rays. Click here for our story on the move. 12:30 PM: Longtime Rays beat writer Marc Topkin pointed to Kevin Jepsen as the reliever most likely to be traded by Tampa, and specifically called out the Twins as a likely destination. Jepsen, 31, is a right-hander with a 2.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP dating back to the start of 2013, and 2016 will be his final season of arbitration eligibility. 10:50 AM: La Velle E. Neal III adds another name that he's been hearing in addition to Benoit -- Tampa Bay reliever Jake McGee. The 28-year-old lefty has a 1.46 ERA and 34-to-3 K/BB ratio in 24 2/3 innings this year. 10:30 AM: Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish cites "multiple sources" saying that the Padres and Twins have been talking, adding that one rumor has San Diego taking on Ricky Nolasco's contract as part of the deal (possibly in return for the Twins taking on James Shields?). Mike Berardino adds that the Padres are not among the three teams on Nolasco's no-trade clause. Friday Morning Rumors * Mike Berardino tweeted on Thursday that the Twins are not interested in Red Sox relievers Junichi Tazawa or Craig Breslow, citing the lack of team control going forward as a primary reason. Sounds like the Twins want someone who will stick around, which narrows the field quite a bit. * Berardino also said Thursday that the "buzz/hope" around the Twins' clubhouse is that the team will acquire Padres reliever Joaquin Benoit today. * Terry Ryan insisted that action is on the way before the deadline. As Phil Miller wrote, Ryan told reporters on Thursday, "I think there might be a little bit of a flurry tomorrow," adding that he has "every intention of trying to improve this club and find a piece here and a piece there." Other Resources to Check Out * Seth looked at the Twins' history at the trade deadline and examined several possible moves in our Official Deadline Day thread. * Seth also took an in-depth look at all of Minnesota's most logical trade chips. * Jeremy discussed the ongoing dialogue between the Twins and likely trade partner San Diego, and speculated on a possible James Shields trade. View full article

I'm a big May fan, and agree with y'all that trading him would be extremely tough, BUT you almost have to give up pitching to land a major piece, and I'd be more inclined to include him than Berrios or Gibson. If you don't believe the Twins should be looking to land a major piece right now, I wouldn't necessarily disagree, but if losing May meant they could land a young catcher or SS?

The Twins open a four-game series with the Mariners at Target Field on Thursday evening, and the non-waiver trade deadline will arrive the following afternoon. While Minnesota is not expected to pull off blockbuster moves on the level of fellow postseason contenders like Kansas City, Houston and Toronto, Terry Ryan has certainly been active in talks and there's a pretty good chance we'll see at least one or two new players in Twins uniforms this weekend. Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski, USA Today The Twins open a four-game series with the Mariners at Target Field on Thursday evening, and the non-waiver trade deadline will arrive the following afternoon. While Minnesota is not expected to pull off blockbuster moves on the level of fellow postseason contenders like Kansas City, Houston and Toronto, Terry Ryan has certainly been active in talks and there's a pretty good chance we'll see at least one or two new players in Twins uniforms this weekend. The Twins, 52-48, and maintaining a slim lead for the second wild-card spot, are in a fairly different place from the Mariners, who at 46-56 are on the outside looking in. But the two clubs share a commonality in that they are future-focused and in no position to act as aggressive buyers with a championship mindset. With that in mind, let's take a look at the five most likely players in both organizations to be gone before 3:00 PM on Friday, with notes on potential matches between the two teams: Top 5 Most Likely Mariners To Be Traded: 1) Hisashi Iwakuma, SP His name has been mentioned most often in trade rumors among Seattle players. Iwakuma is in the final season of his contract with the M's and although his 5.10 ERA might not pop out, his peripherals are mostly in line with the ones he posted over the past three years, during which he has gone 38-20 with a 3.07 ERA. He is scheduled to pitch on Sunday, but we'll see if he's still around. 2) Fernando Rodney, RP Here's an interesting case. Rodney led the American League with 48 saves as Seattle's closer last year, and opened this season back in the same role, but lost his hold on it after a terrible first two months. The veteran reliever has continued to deliver uneven performances but his velocity is there. The Mariners reportedly believe he's been tipping his pitches, which seems correctable. Could another team – like, say, the Twins – take a shot at trying to straighten him out? The impending free agent wouldn't theoretically cost a ton. 3) Austin Jackson, CF Jackson has been an ineffective player ever since coming over to the Mariners at the deadline a year ago in the three-team blockbuster that sent David Price to Detroit. He'll be eligible for free agency this winter and Seattle probably doesn't have a lot of interest in keeping him around. Given his past success, he might be viewed as a guy who could benefit from a change of scenery, and plenty of teams could use a two-way outfielder. 4) J.A. Happ, SP Another hurler on the verge of free agency, Happ has been struggling lately after performing decently over the first two months. He doesn't boast a ton of value but could interest some club as a fifth starter, and the Mariners would take what they can get. Happ is slated to start against Phil Hughes in the series opener on Thursday. 5) Jesus Montero, DH The Mariners hoped to be getting a cornerstone offensive piece when they acquired Montero from the Yankees for Michael Pinedo back in 2012. He played in 135 games for Seattle as a 22-year-old that year, batting .260 with 15 homers. Since then, he has played only 40 total games in the majors. It seems odd the team so hungry for offense would be so opposed to giving a talented young bat a more extensive chance, but as things stand, Montero will be out of options next year and remains trapped in Triple-A. Top 5 Most Likely Twins To Be Traded: 1) Oswaldo Arcia, OF Arcia is currently stuck in limbo. He's a major-league caliber hitter but there's no room for him in the Twins outfield with Eddie Rosario, Aaron Hicks and Torii Hunter entrenched. This isn't exactly the ideal time to move Arcia, given that he hasn't played in the bigs since getting hurt back in early May and his Triple-A numbers aren't overwhelming. Still, he's been one of the best hitters for his age in the majors over the past couple years, and I believe his raw hitting ability is highly respected across the league. He'll be out of options next year, so if he isn't in the Twins plans they might see if they can flip him and help themselves out this year. An offense-needy team like the Mariners could make sense. 2) Aaron Hicks, OF Another outfielder who will be out of options next year is Hicks, and while dealing him doesn't seem to make sense given that he appears to be turning a corner, that also might be why it makes the most sense. With everything he's been showing since his latest call-up, I have to imagine that his value is as high as it has ever been, and while he's looking like he'd be a fine right fielder for the Twins next year, he might have more value to another team in center. 3) Mike Pelfrey, SP There's little question that the Twins would like to move Pelfrey, given their logjam in the rotation and his status as the only starter who is not under team control after this year. The question is whether they can flip him for anything of value. His dreadful run over the past month, combined with a mediocre long-term track record, aren't particularly appealing. But there's a chance some contender that misses out on other options might settle for him as a plug-in at the back of the rotation. 4) Jorge Polanco, SS Losing Polanco would be tough, since the Twins obviously have a hole at shortstop, but no one seems fully convinced he can play there in the majors, and with his combination of age, excellent minor-league numbers and MLB experience make him a valuable chip. 5) Trevor May, SP May is a much more attractive target than Pelfrey. He has shown he can strike out big-league hitters and he has many years of inexpensive team control ahead. He's also currently miscast in a relief role. Ryan will be rightfully reluctant to part with him, but May is the kind of piece that would need to be included if the Twins want to make a substantial acquisition – like, say, a young catcher. View full article

This week's short series against the Pirates at Target Field has a little bit of everything: a rarely seen interleague opponent with one of the game's biggest stars, an old friend taking the hill on Wednesday, and plenty of drama as two teams in the thick of the wild card race face off with the trade deadline bearing down. Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire, USA Today This week's short series against the Pirates at Target Field has a little bit of everything: a rarely seen interleague opponent with one of the game's biggest stars, an old friend taking the hill on Wednesday, and plenty of drama as two teams in the thick of the wild card race face off with the trade deadline bearing down. Proving Grounds The Twins have a lot to prove this week. With a record that is six games above .500, they're still very much in the wild card mix, but ever since their magical run in May, they haven't shown the ability to overcome quality opponents. If you count the home-and-away with the Cardinals – where the Twins lost two in St. Louis and then took two at Target Field – as a split, Minnesota has won only three series since the start of June. Those have come against the last-place White Sox, and the Orioles and Tigers – two reeling clubs that are now weighing the idea of selling and packing it in for 2015. With the Pirates coming to town, the Twins have a chance to erase the bad taste from that brutal setback against the Yankees over the weekend and score some big wins against a high-end team. Steel Curtain At 57-41, the Pirates have the second-best record in the National League and third-best in baseball. They largely owe their success to some truly splendid work on the mound. Pittsburgh's 3.05 team ERA ranks second in the majors, trailing only St. Louis' ridiculous 2.65 mark. This is a very difficult team to score against, which won't play in favor of a Twins offense that has been held to three or fewer runs in six of nine contests since the break. Center Stage Byron Buxton is gearing up to start a rehab stint after losing more than a month to a thumb injury, and it's not clear what Minnesota's plan will be with the young outfielder when he's ready. However, fans at Target Field this week will get to catch a glimpse of the kind of player that we're all hoping Buxton eventually develops into. Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen appeared in his fifth straight All-Star Game earlier this month. He has placed among the Top 3 vote-getters for the NL MVP in each of the last three seasons, winning the award in 2013. Although he may have trouble breaking into that conversation this year, with sluggers like Bryce Harper and Paul Goldschmidt leading the pack, McCutchen is enjoying another excellent season. He's sporting a .292/.388/.488 slash line to go along with 25 doubles, 13 homers and five steals. McCutchen is a special talent and a guy who's worth the price admission to see, especially in light of how rarely the opportunity arises. This is his first ever trip to Target Field and he probably won't be back soon. Containing the Cutch will be a primary imperative for Twins pitchers in these two games. Speaking of pitchers, let's take a look at the starters that will be facing off. PITCHING MATCH-UPS Tuesday, 7:10 PM: RHP Charlie Morton vs. RHP Mike Pelfrey This is a compelling tilt from numerous angles. On the one end, you've got a beatable opponent in Morton. His 4.59 ERA ranks as the worst of the Pirates starters and he has allowed nine runs over 12 2/3 innings in his two starts since the break. On the other end, you've got Pelfrey, who might be pitching for his job. Pelf has gone 0-5 with a 6.87 ERA in his past seven starts and it's tough to imagine the Twins putting up with that kind of output much longer, especially with Trevor May and Jose Berrios standing by. If you want to see some runs scored, this game is your best bet. Forecast (via Weather.com): Chance of storms early, high of 86 Wednesday, 12:10 PM: LHP Francisco Liriano vs. RHP Ervin Santana Liriano is enjoying a third straight fantastic season in Pittsburgh, where he has recaptured the dominance that flashed so sporadically in his early career. He had his worst start of the year against Minnesota back in mid-May, when the Twins jumped all over him for seven runs in two innings, but since then he has gone 5-2 with a 2.10 ERA, .192 opponents' average and 84-to-21 K/BB ratio in 73 innings. He's really good. Of course, Santana has also been really good since returning from his suspension, putting up a 2.60 ERA in four starts while holding the opposition to a .196 average. When they're on their game, both Liriano and Santana feature wipe-out sliders, so life could be pretty tough in the batter's box on Wednesday afternoon. Fans of a good pitching duel ought to enjoy this one. Forecast: Sunny, high of 83 View full article

Escobar played 98 games at SS last year. Committed 5 errors. Rated well by UZR. Looked pretty good to my eyes. (shrug) The Twins also did not view JJ Hardy as a strong defensive SS. I don't view their opinion on these matters as gospel.

Zero range?? Did you see the grounder he got to in the hole last night? Would have been one of the best infield plays the Twins have made all year if Mauer could've scooped the (admittedly tough) short hop.

See, I don't get that at all. Escobar's a very solid defensive shortstop, albeit not a Gold Glover. What don't you like about his game?

With the trade deadline less than 10 days away, our coverage of potential targets at positions of need has been ramping up here at Twins Daily. Recently we looked at relievers and catchers. Yesterday, Seth eyed the shortstop market and Jeremy wrote about a long-shot deal for Troy Tulowitzki. Personally, I see shortstop as a much less urgent need than the other two positions mentioned. For one thing, there are legit prospects in the system, namely Jorge Polanco and Nick Gordon, and that isn't true at catcher. Secondly, they have a decent option at shortstop on the roster right now. He just hasn't been playing much, inexplicably. Image courtesy of Robert Stanton, USA Today With the trade deadline less than 10 days away, our coverage of potential targets at positions of need has been ramping up here at Twins Daily. Recently we looked at relievers and catchers. Yesterday, Seth eyed the shortstop market and Jeremy wrote about a long-shot deal for Troy Tulowitzki. Personally, I see shortstop as a much less urgent need than the other two positions mentioned. For one thing, there are legit prospects in the system, namely Jorge Polanco and Nick Gordon, and that isn't true at catcher. Secondly, they have a decent option at shortstop on the roster right now. He just hasn't been playing much, inexplicably. When the Twins optioned Danny Santana to Triple-A in early June, they were making a commitment to Eduardo Escobar at shortstop. Escobar was a very productive starter at the position for Minnesota in 2014, and Paul Molitor had shown a clear affinity for the 26-year-old infielder over the first two months of 2015, regularly inserting him into the lineup as left fielder or even DH with no openings available in the infield. Swapping out Santana for Escobar looked like a win-win, providing a moderate upgrade at short while also allowing Molitor to use more offensive-oriented options in the spots where he'd previously been plugging Escobar. And the switch worked well. Escobar, who had struggled with the stick in April and May, started to find a groove, batting .303/.343/.485 in his first seven games after Santana's demotion. Slashing liners all over the field, Escobar flashed the kind of ability that he had in 2014, beginning to validate the immense faith Molitor had shown in his bat early on. The hot streak helped raise Escobar's OPS to where it currently sits at .684; while that might not seem at all impressive on the surface, it is above the average mark for a major-league shortstop, and more than 100 points higher than the player he replaced. Yet, when Byron Buxton went down with an injury in late June, Santana was recalled and immediately handed the reins at short despite Escobar's success as a fill-in. Since stepping back in, Santana has continued to hit poorly – .236/.263/.364 with 14 strikeouts and one unintentional walk in 18 games – and even more perturbingly, he has been sloppy defensively. The 24-year-old has committed 15 errors this year, more than all but three MLB shortstops (and those three have all played about 30 more games). Even when he hasn't been charged with errors, there have been countless miscues and hiccups. While Santana clearly has all the physical tools to be a good shortstop, he is far too prone to mistakes, backing up the reputation that came along with him from the minors. Nevertheless, he has continued to play over the more sure-handed Escobar, who has started only five of Minnesota's 16 games in July. Escobar was back in the lineup on Tuesday night, making just his second start at shortstop since the fourth of July. The smart money is on him sticking there, especially after what we saw from Santana in Oakland over the weekend. View full article

Mike Berardino has a column in the Pioneer Press today listing targets that the Twins have been "closely monitoring." He mentions two players covered in this piece, Lucroy and Norris: http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_28511974/do-twins-need-hitting-catcher-complement-kurt-suzuki

It's odd for me to see so many people down on Arcia. He's had a tough season, and the defensive issues are problematic, but few players in the entire league have had as much offensive success at such a young age. These "bust" comments are going to look silly in a few years.

This is about more than this season, though. This is a major long-term need for the club. They will have potential internal answers in the bullpen and at SS down the line, maybe even later this year. Nothing at catcher.

OK. Do you have an alternative package that might get it done? It may take different players but I'm not sure it takes a whole lot more, given the bar that has recently been set for Norris' trade value and his lack of production this year.

I didn't suggest any specific trades in this article, so I'm not sure what you're referring to. I asked if people thought Arcia & Meyer might be enough to get Norris. Otherwise, I said Milwaukee would be unlikely to give up Lucroy without getting back one of Buxton/Sano/Berrios and said the Giants would need to be "blown away" to give up Susac. So. Yeah. "Absurdly cheap," eh? The Padres acquired Norris in December for Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez, a minor-league starter and reliever, neither of whom were ranked as Top 100 prospects. Now Norris has a 684 OPS through his first half-season with them. I'm going to need you to elaborate on this viewpoint. It might not be enough, I don't know, that's why I was genuinely asking for feedback... but "absurd"? Nah. If I'm the offense-needy Padres, I'd love to get my hands on a young hitter of Arcia's caliber. The notion that anyone views him as a "bust" at age 24, as someone posited earlier on this thread, is what's absurd.

With the trade deadline approaching and the Twins firmly in the mix, much talk has surrounded the need for bullpen upgrades, and rightfully so. Recently we looked at some potentially available relievers that could help that unit. However, if the Twins want to address their greatest weakness, both now and going forward, they're going to have to make a bolder and more aggressive move. Image courtesy of Benny Sieu, USA Today With the trade deadline approaching and the Twins firmly in the mix, much talk has surrounded the need for bullpen upgrades, and rightfully so. Recently we looked at some potentially available relievers that could help that unit. However, if the Twins want to address their greatest weakness, both now and going forward, they're going to have to make a bolder and more aggressive move. After going 0-for-8 this weekend against the A's, Kurt Suzuki is hitting .227/.283/.303 for a .585 OPS that ranks 14th out of 15 MLB catchers with 250+ plate appearances. The only lower mark belongs to Mike Zunino, who at least offers some upside as a 24-year-old former top draft pick with big minor league numbers. There's no such hidden promise with Suzuki. He is what he is: a very competent backup catcher who has been holding onto a starting role, based on a good first half in 2014, and a lack of viable alternatives. That lack of alternatives is the deep issue at play here. Because while the Twins don't desperately need to replace Suzuki at this moment – he can be hidden at the bottom of the lineup and mostly holds his own defensively – it's a clear spot where they need to get better going forward. And unlike shortstop, where Danny Santana's struggles are rendered less perturbing by the presence of names like Jorge Polanco and Nick Gordon in the system, the cupboard here is bare. The organization's depth at catcher is dreadfully thin. The Twins have tried Chris Herrmann and Eric Fryer as backups for Suzuki this year. Both are fringe major-league talents. Josmil Pinto, who was a hopeful successor behind the plate, lacks strong receiving skills and now has been battling concussion symptoms for most of the season, so he's basically out of the mix. Looking deeper into the system, you won't find much. Stuart Turner, who at No. 17 was the only backstop to rank among our Top 20 Twins prospects before the season, has a .577 OPS at Double-A. Mitch Garver, who showed some good signs in Cedar Rapids last year, has stalled out at Ft. Myers. The Twins need a long-term answer at the position and they're not going to find it from within, at least not for several years, so trading for a quality young catcher with some team control makes an awful lot of sense. It is something that could be addressed during the offseason, but pulling off a deal now would have the obvious added bonus of boosting their chances down the stretch this year. The problem is that acquiring such a player is a pricy proposition, particularly under the seller-friendly circumstances of the trade deadline. Young catchers with two-way skills are highly valued, with good reason. They are hard to find and they are major assets. Still, here are three players that I would target: Jonathan Lucroy - Brewers He's very appealing, for many reasons. He's under 30. He's a very good hitter who can be slotted into the middle of the lineup when healthy. He is considered strong defensively and is rated very highly by pitch-framing metrics. And best of all, he is under team control for 2016 and 2017 for less than $10 million – a tremendous value. Of course, for all those reasons and especially the latter, the Brewers will be very reluctant to trade Lucroy even though they're hopelessly out of contention. If he could be pried away for any prospect package that doesn't include Buxton, Sano or Berrios, Terry Ryan would have to pull the trigger. However, I'm doubtful that Milwaukee will be amenable, especially since they lack an MLB-ready replacement for Lucroy. Derek Norris - Padres Like Lucroy, Norris is a fairly young catcher with some offensive chops who could stick around for a while. Just 26, he is not eligible for free agency until 2018. San Diego might be a little more open to dealing, however, since they have a potential successor in place. Austin Hedges is one of their top prospects and is already up in the majors backing up Norris. Would a package built around, say, Oswaldo Arcia and Alex Meyer do the trick? Andrew Susac - Giants Here's a sneaky option. Susac is presently Buster Posey's backup in San Francisco, but many believe he has the stuff to start. A former second-round draft pick, he was rated as a Top 100 prospect prior to this year by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, has smashed Double-A and Triple-A pitching, and has an impressive .752 OPS in 218 big-league plate appearances. The Giants might have their own plans for Susac – no one expects Posey to stay at catcher forever – but if they were blown away by an offer they'd have to consider it. None of these three players would be easy to land. It would surely mean parting with multiple high-end young talents, and that's a tough pill for a rebuilding team to swallow. But if the Twins want to make the leap to the next level, sooner or later they'll need to address their situation behind the plate. View full article

Concerns swirled around Glen Perkins at the end of the 2014 season. After dominating consistently for the first five months, the Minnesota closer fell apart in September, allowing eight earned runs and four home runs in six appearances, with only one strikeout. It was uncharacteristic to say the least, based on what we've seen from Perkins as a reliever. Fresh off extending his contract through 2017, the shocking struggles led some to wonder whether the 31-year-old was beginning to break down. The answer, it turns out, is a resounding no. Image courtesy of Tim Fuller, USA Today Concerns swirled around Glen Perkins at the end of the 2014 season. After dominating consistently for the first five months, the Minnesota closer fell apart in September, allowing eight earned runs and four home runs in six appearances, with only one strikeout. It was uncharacteristic to say the least, based on what we've seen from Perkins as a reliever. Fresh off extending his contract through 2017, the shocking struggles led some to wonder whether the 31-year-old was beginning to break down. The answer, it turns out, is a resounding no. Perkins has been about as good as anyone could ask this year, converting all 28 of his save chances with a 1.21 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. For a team with as little margin for error as the Twins, he has been beyond crucial. Perkins leads all AL relievers in Win Probability Added at 2.80, and even that seems to understate his impact. We saw over the weekend how demoralizing it can be to see a victory turn into a defeat in the final inning. The Twins jumped on Joakim Soria to rally back from a 6-2 deficit on Friday night, and it's hard to imagine that the devastation from that loss didn't feed into Detroit's flat efforts on Saturday and Sunday. Perkins has avoided any such meltdowns. Hell, he has mostly been able to avoid any hot water. He has faced 104 batters in save situations and allowed 18 hits, just two of them for extra-bases. Rarely have opponents even been able to muster a threat. Now the question is whether he can keep it going. Last September's arm fatigue was somewhat ominous and Perk's usage this year has been almost the same (he has 38 appearances, compared to 39 at the break a year ago). Yet, the savvy and self-analytical closer has always been extremely adept at managing his body – this piece from Jim Souhan in the Star Tribune on his workout routine, which involves no weight lifting, was quite interesting – so I have faith in his ability to stay away from a repeat. Still, it's something that should be kept in mind when people start complaining every time Perkins isn't used in a close game outside of a save situation. Reducing wear on his arm is more important than a statistic, even if that's not the main motivation. And when it comes to that statistic, Perkins is potentially headed toward rarified air. He's on pace for 51 saves, which would break Joe Nathan's franchise record of 47, set back in 2009. His 28 consecutive conversions this year represent his entire running total (he blew his final save chance in 2014), so he's got a long way to go in order to reach Eric Gagne's incredible MLB record of 84. However, Perkins could become the first closer to convert every save chance in a season since Jose Valverde went 49-for-49 back in 2011. Valverde finished fifth in the Cy Young voting and his Tigers won 95 games en route to the AL Championship Series. The last to accomplish the feat before that was Brad Lidge, who nailed down all 41 of his opportunities and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting while the Phillies cruised to a World Series victory. Clearly, the recent track record for baseball teams with closers who convert every save is very, very good. And that's not exactly a coincidence. When you've got a guy who legitimately turns games into eight-inning affairs, it makes things a whole lot easier. The Twins were lucky enough to have that luxury for many years under Joe Nathan, who had one of the greatest stretches for a closer in baseball history from 2004 through 2009 and ranks seventh all-time in saves. Now, in Perkins, they have a successor who is somehow just as effective as Nathan in his prime. He's also a Minnesota native, closing out games for the same team he grew up watching. You could hardly write it up more perfectly. How much history can Perkins make before his remarkable 2015 campaign reaches an end? View full article