Seth Stohs

On Thursday night, Brent Rooker received The Call that every ballplayer dreams about. Twins minor league director Alex Hassan was on the phone. He was busy at the time, but seeing Hassan’s name made everything else not terribly important. https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1302043993061064712 News broke shortly before 11:00 on Friday morning that Max Kepler was heading to the Injured List and Rooker’s contract was being selected. Soon after, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was asked about Rooker. https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/1301920956148056068 https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/1301924919064829956 In Game 1, Rooker batted seventh and played left field. Eddie Rosario got the game off against southpaw Matthew Boyd. In his first plate appearance, Rooker swung at the first two pitches. A couple of pitches later, he was hit by a pitch. The last Twins player to be hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance? LaMonte Wade in 2019. Before that, you have to go back to Brian Dinkelman in 2006. Rooker came to the plate again in the fifth inning and hit a 102 mph line drive right at the shortstop. He was removed from the game for defensive purposes. In Game 2, the manager put Rooker into the cleanup spot in the Twins lineup. With a runner on in the first inning, he struck out. However, he came up again in the top of the third inning with runners on first and second base and two outs. On the first pitch, he drilled a line drive to left field at 112 mph for a single. Jorge Polanco came around to score the first run of the game. Rooker was able to record his first hit and his first RBI in the same at bat. He flew out to right field in his third at bat of that game. Willians Astudillo pinch hit for him in the seventh inning. All in all, a nice debut for the Twins slugger. ---------------------------------------------------------- Twins fans have been excited to see Rooker debut. When the Twins drafted him with the 35th overall pick in 2017 after a Triple Crown-winning performance at Mississippi State, it was the second year in a row that the team drafted him. A year earlier, they took him in the 38th round, but he bet on himself and it paid off. Just for fun, here were his stats from that Triple Crown season. In 67 games, Rooker hit .387/.495/.810 (1.306) with 30 doubles, 23 homers and 82 RBI. He was the first player to post a Triple Crown season in the SEC since Rafael Palmiero in the early 1980s. He signed quickly and went to Elizabethton just to get back into the swing of things after time off after the college season. In 22 games, he hit .282 with five doubles and seven homers. He then skipped Low-A ball, jumping straight to High-A Ft. Myers where he hit 11 more homers in 40 more games. His 18 home runs were the most by a Twins minor league player in his draft season in 27 years. At Double-A Chattanooga in 2018, he hit .254 with 32 doubles and 22 homers in 130 games. He spent the 2019 season at Triple-A Rochester where he hit .281 with 16 doubles and 14 home runs in 65 games. He missed most of the season’s second half with an injury. However, he got healthy and was able to represent Team USA in the WSBC Premier 12 where he was a teammate with Caleb Thielbar. For the second straight season, he received an invitation to big-league spring training in 2020. When Summer Camp began, Rooker saw quite a bit of time playing in preseason intra-squad games. He has been working at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul, until today when he got that call. Scouting Report Rooker has good size, and he is quite strong. At spring training a couple of years ago, a national baseball writer asked me to point out Rooker. When I did, he told me that he was surprised by how athletic Rooker was. Because of his power numbers, the assumption was that he was big and burly and slow and unathletic. Rooker is long and lean. He’s not fast, but he is a good athlete. In high school, he was the quarterback on the football team, a top scorer on the basketball team and obviously a great player on the baseball team. All three teams went to state championship games. Rooker has a very strong approach and mentality at the plate. He is built for power and he has built his swing to provide a lot of power. That showed in 2019 when, after really struggling through his first month in Triple-A, he hit .302/.432/.558 (.990) with 14 doubles and 10 homers in 49 games. Like Miguel Sano, Rooker has the ability and the power to hit the ball very hard and a very long way. Like Miguel Sano, Rooker also strikes out a lot. But as you can see from his minor league numbers, he takes a good at bat and is willing to walk. Defensively, well, no, he won’t be a Gold Glove winner, but he can play both corner outfield positions. He’s not Eddie Rosario in left field. He’s certainly not Max Kepler in right field. But he will make the routine plays. He can also play an adequate first base if needed. Rooker is also very smart. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He comes from a good family that was supportive of him. Rooker also is a student of the game. He has embraced video. He has embraced the analytics of the game. He understands himself as a player, his strengths and his weaknesses. He’s also shown an ability to make adjustments over the course of a season. More Background Rooker is certainly a player that has been talked about and written about at Twins Daily a lot since the draft. Take a look back at these past articles on Rooker. Interview with Twins Second Pick Brent Rooker (June 2017) Rooker Promotion: Aggressive, or No? (July 2017) Rooker Chasing Russo (Get to know Paul Russo) (August 2017) Episode 2: Seth’s Twins Talk (with Brent Rooker, Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff (Jan 2018) Twins Daily 2018 Top Prospects: #7 Brent Rooker (February 2018) Rooker Getting into the Swing of Spring (March 2018) Twins Daily 2019 Top Prospects: #6 Brent Rooker (February 2019) Episode 2: Get to Know Pat Dean and Brent Rooker (March 2019) Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #9 Brent Rooker (February 2020) 5 Questions with Twins Prospect Brent Rooker (March 2020) Brent Rooker is ‘Ready to Go’ for a “Big” Year (May 2020) Should Brent Rooker Get First Crack at First Base? (July 2020) https://twitter.com/twinsdaily/status/975406420911800320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E975406420911800320%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwinsdaily.com%2Farticles.html%2F_%2Fminnesota-twins-news%2Freport-from-the-fort-2018%2Freport-from-the-fort-rooker-getting-into-the-swing-of-spring-r6526

Blyleven posted a two-part note to Twins fans saying that tonight will be his final game. https://twitter.com/BertBlyleven28/status/1301240371280777219 https://twitter.com/BertBlyleven28/status/1301241679895298051 The 69-year old Dutchman was the Twins 3rd round draft pick in 1969 out of his California High School. The next spring, he was a 19-year-old big leaguer. He spent parts of 11 seasons in a Twins uniform and became the best pitcher in the organization's history. He returned to the Twins late in the 1985 season and was a key member of the 1987 Twins World Series championship team. He is a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. After spending 23 years in the big leagues, he joined the Twins broadcast team in 1996 and became one of the more popular color analysts to work alongside Dick Bremer. Twins fans today seem to either really enjoy his analysis or not, but I think as Twins fans, we all wish Bert the best as he and his wife Gayle live in Florida. It's good to read that he will now "transition from the broadcast booth into a Special Assistant position within the organization." According to the team's press reliever, Blyleven’s duties will "include engaging with fans and partners by making special appearances on behalf of the organization throughout the year. In addition, Blyleven will continue to serve as an on-field instructor for the Twins during Spring Training." Twins President Dave St. Peter said the following in the team's press release. In case you missed it, here are some highlights from Bert's final Twins broadcast:

This year, the expectation was that there would be few meaningful trades just due to timing and also because of not being able to see prospects play this year. While there haven’t been any real big names traded (yet), there have been quite a few mid-level trades. And there are definitely rumors that some big-name players could be dealt by today’s 3:00 deadline. So what does that mean for the Twins? Again, until recently, the thought was that the Twins had a strong offense, solid starting pitchers and a well-above-average bullpen, with depth in each of those areas. Right now, the Twins are on a five-game losing streak and with a plethora of injuries and under-performance, that depth is being far overused. Instead of leading the division, the Twins find themselves in third place in the American League Central division. AL Central Standings Chicago 21-13 Cleveland 21-13 Minnesota 20-15 (-1.5) Detroit 16-16 (-4.0) Kansas City 13-21 (-8.0) Following a sweep in Detroit at the hands of the Tigers, the Twins now head back to Target Field, but they get to play the red-hot Chicago White Sox. The Twins will not only face the White Sox young, powerful offense, but on Monday night they will face Lucas Giolito in his first start since throwing a no-hitter. On Tuesday, Michael Pineda will return from his suspension and start against Dallas Keuchel. The Twins have really struggled against left-handers. Twins Daily Trade Deadline Articles Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of trade deadline coverage. Here are the articles for you to peruse this morning. This Trade Deadline if Going to be a Mess Dylan Bundy Could be the Perfect Target at the Trade Deadline The One Player Minnesota Shouldn’t Trade For The Only Starting Pitcher the Twins Should Trade For Twins Most Impactful Roster Additions Will Likely Come from St. Paul Three Right-Handed Batters the Twins Should Target This Week Three Former Twins That Could Return to Minnesota This Trade Deadline Twins Daily 2020 Trade Deadline Preview MLB Trade Deadline: Three More Bats Twins Should Target The Case for Lance Lynn Four Left-Handed Relievers the Twins Should Target Before the Trade Deadline Four Right-Handed Relievers the Twins Should Target Before the Trade Deadline Identifying the Twins Most Tradable Assets The Potential Trade for a Relief Ace Nobody is Talking About Completed Trades To this point, I think we would have to say that we are pleasantly surprised with how active teams have been leading up to the trade deadline. The names to this point have not been big names, relievers and role players. Will there be bigger names and more impactful players dealt on Monday? The San Diego Padres acquired Catcher Austin Nola and RH relievers Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla in exchange for OF Taylor Trammell, iF Ty France, catcher Luis Torrens and pitcher Andres Torres. Nola will be the Padres #2 catcher as they also acquired Jason Castro from the Angels in exchange for RH RP Gerardo Reyes. The Rockies traded minor league infielders Tyler Nevin and Terrin Vavra to the Orioles in exchange for RH RP Mychal Givens. Nevin is the son of former Twins DH Phil Nevin and Vavra is the son of former Twins coach (and current Tigers hitting coach) Joe Vavra. The Padres acquired 1B Mitch Moreland from the Red Sox in exchange for Jeisson Rosario and Hudson Potts. The Cubs acquired DH Jose Martinez from the Rays in exchange for two Players to be Named Later. The Orioles traded former Twins lefty Tommy Milone to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for two Players to be Named Later. A day earlier, the Padres traded outfield prospect Edward Olivares and a Player to be Named Later to the Royals for RH RP Trevor Rosenthal. The A’s acquired infielder Tommy LaStella from the Angels for infielder Franklin Borreta. Players Rumored to be Shopped Mike Clevinger - He’s really good. Cleveland just apparently got tired of him doing and saying dumb things, so they’re mkaing him available. They should get a ton for him, and it is very likely he will be dealt. Joey Gallo - the powerful Rangers slugger might be available in the right deal. Josh Hader - The Brewers have struggled, and Hader has been one of the top relievers in baseball the last few years. He’s got years remaining on his contract which makes him very attractive. Dylan Bundy - Once a top prospect, Bundy has thrived in 2020 with the Angels. The Twins have been linked to him, but so have a lot of teams. Austin Hedges/Francisco Mejia - The Padres went out and got both Jason Castro and Austin Nola which might make Hedges and Mejia available. Both have options so they don’t have to trade either as well. Daniel Norris - forever a pitching prospect, Norris has become a solid reliever and could attract some attention. Starling Marte - Diamondbacks outfielder is right-handed. The Twins need right-handed bats and power. Marte does those things. Kevin Pillar - Another right-handed bat, Pillar is can play around the outfield. Could fit the Twins roster well because of his right-handedness and ability to play center field. Archie Bradley - He has been very good since moving to the bullpens, especially the last year or so. Jackie Bradley, Jr. - A defensive wizard, and he switch-hits. Lance Lynn - He was clearly upset about settling for a one-year deal with the Twins in 2018 and it showed. However, he got the three year deal from Texas last offseason and has been one of baseball’s best starters since. Mike Minor - Hey, if the Rangers are making Lynn available, might as well ask about Minor as well. Robbie Ray - The Twins were connected to Ray in the offseason though the asking price was very high. Caleb Smith/Elieser Hernandez - The Twins were reportedly interested and may have even had discussions regarding these Marlins starters in the offseason. As has been pointed out, the Twins often have acquired lesser known players, especially relief pitchers, and turned them into very reliable contributors. So, will the Twins make a trade?? Should they?? Consider or Discuss these questions: What is the goal for the season? Even with the struggles of late and the AL Central competition,the goal remains the playoffs and a deep run with the ultimate goal of the World Series. What are the Twins biggest needs? Right-handed hitting? Any hitting? Starters of Relievers? How do injured players fit into the plans over the final 25 games and into the playoffs? It is likely that Cleveland and Chicago could be active at the trade deadline. Is it necessary for the Twins to try to match them? Keep up with the rumors throughout the day in the comments below and share your thoughts on how the Twins need to handle the deadline. (If the Twins do make a trade or three, we will be sure to include a new article for each transaction. Stop by Twins Daily throughout the day.) Monday Updates: https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1300415776936153088 https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1300417556679974912 https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/1300427913263755266 https://twitter.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1300451494576164866 https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1300456278838456322 https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1300470977353179142 https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1300492418081533958 https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1300507377632980992 https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1300509876884512768 https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1300509368706887680 https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1300515729645752321 https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1300517633037676546 https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1300521127387828224

"As long as our players are empowered and able to speak their minds, then we're doing something right." Rocco Baldelli, Minnesota Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli said that his team has had several meaningful discussions over the past 24 hours about what is going on in the country. There have been individual conversations, discussions in small groups and later in the day, the group assembled. One player stood up first, and said, "I don't think we should play today." Baldelli said that player was Taylor Rogers. He was followed by Nelson Cruz and Trevor May in voicing their similar thoughts to the team. The manager said, "It was a very powerful gathering. The players were in solidarity in the decision. We ultimately formally raised our hands and unanimously voted not to play out of respect for all. I'm very proud of the way it was handled by our group, respectfully and thoroughly." Baldelli said that he had several discussions with Tigers manager (and former Twins manager) Ron Gardenhire before this and that the Tigers also held emotion-filled meetings and voted the same way. 2020 has been a difficult year on so many fronts. Baldelli continues to lead by encouraging and facilitates open communications, "This goes back to when we were all home and the only thing we could do was meet on Zoom calls and we would talk. We talked about a lot of things that we've never gotten into, a lot of topics that we've literally never broached in baseball. In my 20 years of baseball, I've never seen any of these types of discussions live and in person. We've had more discussions about inequality and how people are feeling and how it's affecting them at the field, away from the field, how it affects loved ones, and so many aspects of this that have long been something that people have kept to themselves, and that's not healthy." Baldelli noted that the focus so much has been about what is happening today, but he also understands that the important discussion also has to be What is Next? "How this affects tomorrow exactly, I don't know if anyone can answer that question. I think it's something that a lot off people are thinking about. I know that I don't have the answer for that. I just know that what we decided to do today was most definitely the right thing to do for our group, and we feel very good leaving the ballpark today about the way it was handled and the message it sends to everyone inside our clubhouse and outside our clubhouse." He continued, "I think that the impact of what has been going on it sports is going to be felt throughout... If it wasn't meaningful. If it wasn't something that we thought was sending not only the right message but something that can push us toward getting more of the result of what people are looking for, which is the acknowledgement of all the different inequalities that continue to exist in our country and not ignoring these things." The Twins have a lot of players from all around the world, some of whom don't know the country's history or follow current events. Baldelli said that's OK, but they do have a very key role on the team. "What they are responsible for is to always been there for their teammates, and to always be willing to listen to their teammates. That is something we have been very very able to do from the beginning of this that has allowed us to get to this point to allow us to have the discussions we had today." He continued by saying something that should resonate with all of us, "And if you have an open ear and an open heart for the people around you, you're going to be in good shape, and that's what our guys have done." Baldelli added, "I'm actually really happy that I'm in baseball right now, to be experiencing everything that's going on. Baseball is a wonderful game. We all love showing up at the ballpark every day. We all love being able to focus on our jobs. We all love being able to step out there on the field and be out there on the grass watching guys do great things on the field. But I'm also really happy to be spending this moment with our group, going through everything that we're going through, experiencing it all, and feeling like we are doing something very positive, not just for baseball but for the country and for all people. On Friday, the Twins will be back on the field for two games. https://twitter.com/morsecode/status/1299100858257477632 Press release from the Twins::