Seth Stohs

Yahoo: https://sports.yahoo.com/twins-outfielder-max-kepler-apologizes-for-controversial-photo-amid-george-floyd-protests-230841299.html Max Kepler apologized for posting a photo of himself wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask. In his apology, he said, To be completely fair to Kepler, I wouldn't have known what the blue line meant. Knowing Kepler, I fully believe that he didn't know what the mask meant and certainly wouldn't have posted a photo with it if he did. Not really Twins news at this point, but I just don't want to hide from posting topics just because they aren't positive, or in this case aren't really even baseball related. It's obviously just really unfortunate timing with the events in Minneapolis this week.

Rooker is going to strike out, a lot... but when he puts the ball in play, he does damage. Doubles, homers.

Yeah, those all came out about an hour after the Twins announced it.

On Friday, news broke that the Minnesota Twins will not be making any minor league roster transactions at this time. Instead, they have committed to paying all of their minor leaguers $400 per week through the end of August.On Thursday, news began to leak that major league organizations were releasing dozens of players in recent days. The Seattle Mariners were said to have released over 30 minor leaguers. The Atlanta Braves reportedly released over 50 players. Some estimates noted that over 1000 minor leaguers would be released this week. The Twins went in completely the opposite direction. They will continue to pay their minor leaguers the same $400 per week through the end of August. Normally the minor league seasons go through Labor Day, so they are essentially paying their players for the full season, including insurance, through a season that is unlikely to be played. (Note, if there is a minor league season, it's back to "business as normal" and there could be releases, based on making rosters and such.) Click here to view the article

Correct... In watching that season, to my eye, Morneau was the MVP. Mauer was amazing. Santana was elite. This was definitely my favorite Twins team to watch, probably.

In the Prospects Live show last month, I picked Foscue with the 27th pick. You can see more on that at the 1:36 point in here with some comments. More of a safe, sure-thing pick. If you want to see the 2nd round pick, go to the 2:49 mark. They liked that pick better. https://twitter.com/ProspectsLive/status/1256379162920488960

I would be shocked if he ever starts over 110 games behind the plate in a 162 game season. The Twins front office, coaching staff and even Garver believes in keeping those legs rested and strong.

We all want baseball to be played in 2020. There are hurdles to be figured out and negotiated between the players and the owners, but June 10th is coming soon. NFL and NBA facilities have started opening up. Maybe baseball is in the near future. So, let’s think 2020 Twins and play a quick game of 10 Questions. It’s a variation of the popular 20 Questions game. It’s about half as good, but it’s still fun.I’ve got ten questions about players for you to consider. I’m not going to talk about the team topics like will the Twins win the World Series? The odds certainly favor the L.A. Dodgers to win the 2020 World Series, but the Twins should in no way feel intimidated. For them to reach that lofty goal, the offense will have to remain a strength. Today’s ten questions will relate to an offense that set the MLB record for home runs in 2019, and then added Josh Donaldson. Question #1: How will Mitch Garver perform after his breakout, Silver Slugging 2019 season? With his approach and eye at the plate, his still stance and his quick bat and elite power, Garver should continue to put up strong numbers with the bat. Question #2: If there is an 82 game season, how many games will Garver catch? In 2019, Garver caught 82 games despite missing about three weeks with an injury. He probably would have caught about ten of the 16 games played during that stretch.So, that about 92 games caught had he stayed healthy. Garver and the Twins front office supported the plan for rest. At that same pace, he would catch about 46 games of an 82-game season. However, you have to wonder if, because of the potentially shortened season, if he won’t get a few extra starts, maybe 50 or 55? Question #3: How will Miguel Sano transition defensively to first base? Listen, we all know he’s not going to be Joe Mauer over there. He won’t immediately look like Doug Mientkiewicz or Kent Hrbek or even Justin Morneau at first base. But expect that he will be adequate. We will find ourselves shaking our head, wondering what he was thinking, but those types of plays will be more about lack of playing time at the position. More important, Rocco Baldelli went out of his way during spring training to credit Sano for the work that he was putting in and the effort he was giving to be a good defensive first baseman. Question #4: Can Luis Arraez avoid a sophomore slump? So, if you’re expecting Arraez to his .330 and consider anything less than that a sophomore slump than the odds would tell us that you will probably be disappointed. Arraez has a great eye at the plate, and an approach that isn’t passive. He’s got great bat control. All those things create the comparisons to players like Rod Carew and Tony Gwynn. So expectations are high, and we need to temper them, but Arraez will always have the potential to hit over .300. Question #5: Will Jorge Polanco get to another All-Star Game in 2020? Well, there probably won’t be an All-Star Game in 2020, so the answer to this one is easy. No. But at the end of the season, will Polanco be a Top 3 shortstop in the American League? Will he be a strong candidate to start another ASG in 2021? Truthfully, it’s going to be tough, even if Polanco remains as good as he was in 2019, or even improves a little. Francisco Lindor is the definition of an All-Star. Xander Boegaerts is a star for the Red Sox. Marcus Semien of the A’s finished third in MVP voting in the AL last year. The Yankees are moving Gleyber Torres to shortstop from second base. Carlos Correa is a star. Tim Anderson doesn’t like to walk, but he won the AL batting title in 2019. Bo Bichette has incredible potential and had a strong showing in 2019. Adalberto Mondesi is very talented. Niko Goodrum will get a lot more playing time at shortstop in 2020. In short, Jorge Polanco is going to have to be really, really good to maintain All-Star status. That said, he’s got the talent to fit into that group just fine. Question #6: Can Eddie Rosario take another step forward as a player? For all his faults, and they have been written about over and over and over again, Rosario is an immensely talented player. You can’t be a bad player and still end the year hitting 32 home runs and driving in 109 RBI. He has his mental lapses at times, but he’s also capable of a game-winning strike from the Green Monster to home plate. Add in the fact that he played most of the second half of 2019 with an injured ankle and there is potential for Rosario to be even better in 2020 and going forward. Any improvement in his plate discipline and he could be great. Question #7: Can Byron Buxton stay healthy? I don’t know. None of us know. No one wants the “Injury Prone” tag attached to him, and all of Buxton’s injuries have been through playing the game. But it is important because he is a difference-maker when he is in the lineup. Obviously he is an elite defender. We all know that. But when his 2019 season ended, he had an OPS over .800. At the All-Star break, many argued that he was the most valuable Twins player, on a roster filled with immense talent. Question #8: What can Max Kepler do for an encore to his 2019 breakout? After three seasons of hitting between .230 and .240 with 18-20 home runs, Kepler signed an extension and went out and proved the Twins were wise. He still didn’t hit for average, but despite not hitting over the season’s final three weeks, he hit 36 home runs. There were some mechanical and technical adjustments that he made to his swing and his approach. Maybe it was hitting in the leadoff position. Kepler’s demeanor and personality would indicate that the improvements should stick. Question #9: Can Nelson Cruz continue to kick Father Time’s butt? On July 1st, shortly before the 2020 season could potentially begin, Nelson Cruz will celebrate his 40th birthday. A week before that, we will learn if he won the 2020 Mohammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the ESPYs. In 2019, at 39 years old, Cruz put together, arguably, the best season of his career. He hit .311/.392/.639 (1.031) with 26 doubles and 41 homers in just 120 games. This spring, he was 10-for-23 with two doubles and three home runs. He also overcame a complete tear of a ligament in his wrist. Forget Father Time, Cruz is beating the fathers of medical science. Then again, Father Time is ultimately undefeated. Question #10: Will Josh Donaldson continue to crush pitches at Target Field? In 22 career games at Target Field, Donaldson has hit .373/.464/.819 (1.283) with seven doubles and 10 home runs. In 43 total games against the Twins, he has hit .395/.487/.852 (1.339) with 17 doubles and 19 home runs. The 19 homers are the most he’s hit against any team, four more than against any other team, despite playing in the AL East! The 2015 AL MVP is just a flat-out great overall hitter. He doesn’t swing outside the strike zone often and his approach is basically to crush any strikes, and he’s certainly done that. Some of his success at Target Field could be credited to him liking the batter’s eye in center field, and certainly some of it can be credited to getting to hit off of Twins pitchers. There you have it. Ten Questions about ten Twins hitters. How would you answer each of them? Click here to view the article

I was really going back and forth about whether or not to have Celestino on the taxi squad. After reading this, I might. He's easily the #2 defensive CF in the organization. I don't know that he would hit at all... but that's the kind of guy that you really want to keep getting ABs for too. So, I might go Celestino too.

Normally I agree, and in my comment above, I started with that premise as well because I do think they have to think long-term for the healthy of the organization. That said, they are also definitely in win now mode, and they should be. While I don't think that means Rheinheimer, I do think there is a place for a lefty-reliever who hits 94-95 and has a really good breaking ball...

I think one question might be whether what happened in the original spring training matters at all or not. In Thorpe's case ,he was an obvious choice to send down, and he was sent down early, with the first group because he missed ten days and then had to almost restart. There was a dozen pitchers ahead of him at that time. Is all that just forgotten now and they use the very short proposed spring training 2 for trying out? I think they want to keep him extended, to make starts, so I think he's a taxi squad guy initially and kept building. I would think a guy like Poppen, or as I had guerrin, or as Nick had Garton, etc would be more likely a 16th or 17th pitcher. But, 40-man issues will need to be cleared up so that guys can be moved up and down. It could be confusing.

This is such an interesting topic. I had actually gone through this exercise a couple of nights ago for a possible article... I assumed a 29-man active roster, in part because that's what we've heard in the past, however, also because that is the number of players that the Twins kept on their active roster when they made their final demotions before leaving Ft. Myers. I also don't know how big a taxi squad would be. It could be 20 players, but then simulated games are more likely than any sort of games. If there are going to be games of some sort, maybe 25 or 30. But service time and injuries all factor in. So, here's what I had: Active: Pitchers: Bailey, Berrios, Maeda, Odorizzi, Hill (IL) Duffey, Clippard, Littell, May, Rogers, Romo, Stashak, Wisler, Dobnak, Smeltzer, Chacin (16 + Hill) Hitters: Garver, Avila, Astudillo, Sano, Arraez, Donaldson, Polanco, Adrianza, Rosario, Gonzalez, Buxton, Cave, Kepler, Cruz (14) I think two things need to be considered: 1.) what if there is an injury, who would capably fill the need best, and 2.) do you keep top prospects to keep them developing or keep veterans that can certainly help now. So, if there's a limit, I start with the top prospects that are closest to MLB ready (40 man or not): That's Jeffers, Blankenhorn, Gordon, Larnach, Lewis, Kirilloff, Wade, Rooker, Poppen, Alcala, Colina, Thorpe, Duran, Chalmers (14) I think that all of them could be close enough to MLB ready to be a fine fall back. For instance, if they need a shortstop, would it be better to keep Royce Lewis of Jack Reinheimer? Well, first, Adrianza can play there. Second, Nick Gordon is pretty much at the point where it's make or break.If you need to go one level further, Lewis is going to be close and in a month or two might be ready. You can play that game with each of those 13 players. Now if you've got 7 spots left, what do you need to fill injury concerns? Well, arms are always good, and you have to have plenty of coverage. 6 more spots: I add one more catcher, probably Tomas Telis over Juan Graterol or Ben Rortvedt). I think I'd include Ryan Garton, Cory Gearrin and Caleb Thielbar, and I'd put Jake Reed there too. One more spot goes to..Jordan Balazovic. Why? Hey, he fits the 'prospect' status, for sure. He reached AA for a playoff start last year, and who knows, maybe the Twins will have a need in October, like Graterol was in 2019.

The honors just keep piling up for Minnesota Twins Designated Hitter Nelson Cruz. Last month, he was named a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. Tonight at the ESPYs, he was named the winner. (Story updated from the original to remind people of many of the good things that Nelson Cruz has done in the Dominican Republic and throughout the cities that he has played in.)The below is from the article in May when Cruz was named a finalist for the Ali Humanitarian Award. At Twins Daily, we congratulate Cruz on this great honor! The Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measured positive impact on their community through sports. Muhammad Ali was well known for his core principals including confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and respect. Candidates for this award embody those principals as well. There are a couple of other Twin Cities connections among the nominees this year. Former Timberwolves All Star Kevin Love, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is a nominee. So is former Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore. The other nominees are Devin and Jason McCourty of the New England Patriots and Titus O’Neil of WWE fame. By being a nominee for this award, Cruz’s Boomstick23 Foundation will receive a $25,000 grant. The winner, which will be announced July 21st at The 2020 ESPYs, will have $100,000 grant awarded to his or her charity. Each of the nominees will be featured on ESPN studio shows the week of June 15th. Roots in Giving Back Where did Nelson Cruz learn or develop the will to give back? The slugger said, "I think everything starts with my dad. He's the one who taught me the importance of giving back." Growing up in the Dominican, not everyone is able to give back financially to their communities, but Cruz's father, Nelson Cruz, Sr., was able to show his drive to help his community in other ways. "He wasn't able to give back (monetarily), but he was involved in any activities in the community."He continued, "My dad was always working with groups to develop the community. He created the first basketball tournament. He created the first community party. We saw him going to meetings just to create better atmosphere for kids and families and the community." In addition, as he grew as a ballplayer, signed and eventually became a big leaguer, he was able to work with several current and former players from the Dominican Republic on giving back. "We have a lot of good players that are doing a lot of great things for our country." He specifically mentioned players like Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Robinson Cano as players that were leading the way in developing foundations to give back in their country. Going Forward When baseball starts again, there will be many requirements and restrictions for players on the field and in the clubhouse due to COVID-19. Things like social distancing and safe practices will also affect how work in the community will be going forward. "It's going to be difficult, but I think at this time more than ever, people need other people. So we will have to deal with that, the distance and how we take care of each other. But definitely, some way or another, we will have to go out there and be with kids, be with fans. You have to reach those people because they need joy. They need to see their heroes. They need to see the players, and need something to be happy about. I don't know how we'll do it, but we will come up with some ideas and we will get it done." In the short-term, he wants to make sure the clinics in the Dominican are getting what they need to help fight the Corona Virus, including needed tests. He wants to help in providing gloves, masks and other necessities for safety. He also wants to make sure doctors and nurses are provided with all the tools and equipment they may need. Join us in congratulating Nelson Cruz on being a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. Click here to view the article

https://www.twincities.com/2020/05/15/if-theres-a-season-rehabbing-twins-pitcher-rich-hill-believes-hell-be-ready/ Betsy Helfand from the Pioneer Press chatted with Twins lefty Rich Hill recently. He has been continuing his rehab from his home near Boston, and he has been throwing while on Zoom with the Twins manager, trainer and others. He thinks that if the season starts in July, he will be ready to go.

https://www.startribune.com/twins-kent-hrbek-was-first-pro-athlete-to-make-seven-figures-in-a-season/570356401/ Nolan Ryan was the first baseball player to earn $1 million in a season. Dave Winfield got a big 10-year, $23 million from the Yankees... Kent Hrbek became the first Minnesota athlete to earn a seven-figure salary. Find out more in the above article from LaVelle Neal.

Can you repeat the part about the stuff? Ha!! But yes, there will be a lot of risks involved.

https://www.skornorth.com/2020/05/zulgad-you-cant-be-serious-is-mlb-really-going-to-make-return-about-dollars-and-cents/ The owners have made their proposal to the players. The players association will now have to vote. The owners want to introduce a form of revenue sharing and a sort of salary cap. The players won't (and shouldn't) like that. Millionaires fighting against billionaires will be the story for many, but should the players just give in at this point? How might that play out when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires? There are plenty of reasons for the players to be nervous about getting back on the field that are related to the pandemic...

If there is an MLB season in 2020, and the proposal that 14 teams (7 from each league) would make the playoffs, it would take a monumental collapse for the Twins not to make the playoffs. https://www.startribune.com/twins-could-be-virtual-playoff-locks-with-expanded-playoffs-short-schedule/570436672/

https://www.startribune.com/who-are-the-most-iconic-athletes-in-minnesota-sports-history/570460021/ There certainly have been some iconic Twins over the year... Iconic moments: Kirby Puckett in Game 6 Iconic games: Jack Morris, Game 7 Iconic players: Puckett, Carew, Mauer, Killebrew... who else fits in that category? Hrbek? But which players in Twins history have been the most iconic. Check out the article and post your choices here.

https://www.startribune.com/can-baseball-keep-catchers-safe-at-home-in-an-outbreak/570451492/ Patrick Reusse asks a legit question during this time... The key to any return of baseball is being able to keep the players safe. He talked to catchers such as Dan and Eli Wilson, Mike Redmond and others, including Joe Mauer who said,

We come to the end of our review of the history of the Minnesota Twins by looking at All-Decade teams today by posting the Pitchers of the 2010s. It was a tough decade for the Twins overall, but there were still really strong pitching performances as well.The 2010s were a rough decade for the Minnesota Twins overall, though they have some fair seasons and a couple of playoff appearances. The final season of the decade was a 102-win season that gives fans hope for the coming decade of baseball. Pitching continued to be a huge question mark for the Twins throughout the decade. However, they did draft and develop Jose Berrios who, at 25, has already pitched in two All-Star Games. With Derek Falvey in charge, the hope is that he will help the organization develop pitching the same way he did in Cleveland. For now, take a look at the choices for five starting pitchers and five relief pitchers of the Twins decade. SP - Ervin Santana (2015-2018) 85 games, 85 starts, 30-25 with 0 saves and a 3.68 ERA in 525 1/3 innings. 414 K. 159 BB. The Twins signed Santana in December 2014 after ten MLB seasons, eight with the Angels. He got a four year, $55 million deal. However, before the 2015 season, he was suspended for 80 games. He pitched the second half of that season and made 30 starts in 2016. Though he went just 7-11, his 3.38 ERA was 25% better than league average. He got off to a great start in 2017 and earned his second career All- Star appearance. Overall, he went 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA (35% better than league average). He led the league with five complete games and three shutouts. He hurt a finger late in the season and it just didn’t heal in 2018. He tried to come back but it didn’t work. SP - Kyle Gibson (2013-2019) 193 games, 188 starts, 67-68 with 0 saves and a 4.52 ERA in 1,087 innings. 845 K. 392 BB. Gibson was the Twins first-round pick in 2009 out of Missouri. In 2010, he pitched at Ft. Myers, New Britain and Rochester. He was on his way to debuting in 2010, but his elbow didn’t agree. He had Tommy John and returned late in 2012. He made his debut in June 2013 and spent the rest of the decade in a Twins uniform. Gibson remained mostly healthy and provided over 1000 innings. He fit into a category of “generally kept his team in the game” and because of that, he finished with a record right around .500. He won 10 or more games in five of his six full seasons, winning 13 games in 2014 and 2019. His best season was in 2018 when he went just 10-13 but had a 3.62 ERA, 18% better than league average. He fought with ulcerative colitis in 2019, but he took the mound whenever asked. After a dozen years in the Twins organization, Gibson signed a three-year deal with the Rangers in the offseason. SP - Jose Berrios (2016-2019) 104 games, 103 starts, 43-34 with 0 saves and a 4.21 ERA in 596 2/3 innings. 585 K. 195 BB. Berrios was the 32nd-overall pick in the 2012, draft out of Puerto Rico. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in both 2014 and 2015. At just 21, he made his MLB debut in April 2016. He really struggled in his rookie season, posting an ERA over 8 in 14 starts. In 2017, he went 14-8 with a 3.89 ERA. He made his first All-Star appearance in 2018 when he went 12-11 with a 3.84 ERA in 32 starts. Last season, he returned to the All-Star Game. In 32 starts, he went 14-8 with a 3.68 ERA. He reached 200 innings for the first time in his career. He was set to be the Twins Opening Day starting pitcher again in 2020. SP - Phil Hughes (2014-2018) 92 games, 79 starts, 32-29 with 0 saves and a 4.43 ERA in 489 2/3 innings. 360 K. 63 BB. Hughes was the 23rd overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft. After parts of seven seasons with the Yankees, he signed a three-year deal with the Twins about a week before they signed Santana. He put together an incredible 2014 season. He went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA. In 209 2/3 innings, he walked just 16 batters. His 0.7 BB/9 and 11.63 K/BB led the league. The latter was an MLB record. Just one out from reaching 210 innings, and a big incentive, his final start ended when there was a rain delay. The Twins ripped up his three-year deal and made it a five-year deal. He went 11-9 with a 4.40 ERA in 27 games in 2015. After that, he struggled with his shoulder and had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. He was unable to pitch consistently from 2016 until he was traded to the Padres early in the 2018 season. SP - Scott Baker (2010-11) 52 games, 50 starts, 20-15 with 0 saves and a 3.90 ERA in 305 innings. 271 K. 75 BB. While Baker’s best season was in 2009, he was still quite productive the first two years of the next decade. In 2010, he went 12-9 with a 4.49 ERA in 29 starts. In 2011, he went 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 21 starts before his season came to an end. He ended up needing Tommy John surgery and missed the 2012 season. Between 2013 and 2015, he pitched for the Cubs, Rangers and Dodgers. RP - Glen Perkins (2010-2017) 342 games, 1 start, 17-14 with 120 saves and a 3.18 ERA in 342 2/3 innings. 359 K. 84 BB. The Twins drafted Gopher great Glen Perkins with the 22nd overall pick of the 2004 draft. He came up through the minor league system as a starter and debuted late in 2006. He was a starter (and went 12-4 with a 4.41 ERA) in 2008. By 2010, he made the move to the bullpen. He took off in 2011. He posted ERAs of 2.48, 2.56 and 2.30 over the next three years, becoming one of the top left-handed relievers in the game. He became the closer midway through the 2012 season. He was an All-Star in 2013, 2014, and 2015, compiling 102 of his 120 saves in those three seasons. RP - Taylor Rogers (2016-2019) 258 games, 0 starts, 13-10 with 32 saves and a 3.04 ERA in 254 1/3 innings. 278 K. 64 BB. Rogers was the Twins 11th-round pick in 2012 out of the University of Kentucky. He climbed the Twins ladder as a starting pitcher. However, early in 2016, Glen Perkins was hurt and Rogers was called up to work out of the bullpen. He’s been there since, and he has continued to get better as his role has gained leverage. In 2017, he posted a 3.07 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. In 2018, he had a 2.63 ERA anda 0.95 WHIP. Last season, he had a 2.61 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. His strikeout rate over the last three seasons has gone from 7.5 K/9 to 9.9 K/9 to 11.7 K/9 in 2019. He began the 2019 season being used in any late-inning, high-leverage situation. As other options struggled, he began getting more opportunities in the closer’s role. He often worked multiple-innings to record saves. He was also named an all-pro after the season. RP - Brian Duensing (2010-2015) 330 games, 52 starts, 36-35 with 2 saves and a 4.20 ERA in 565 1/3 innings. 375 K. 177 BB. Duensing was the Twins third-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Nebraska. He made his MLB debut in 2009. In 2010, he went 10-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 53 games and 130 2/3 innings. He moved into the starting rotation for the 2011 season, and struggled. By mid-2012, he moved to the bullpen full time and became a reliable left-handed option for the next three seasons. He was called upon to get one out, pitch an inning or even pitch a couple of innings at a time. He left after the 2015 season and pitched one season with the Orioles before pitching in the Cubs bullpen in 2017 and 2018. RP - Ryan Pressly (2013-2018) 281 games, 0 starts, 17-16 with 1 save and a 3.75 ERA in 317 innings. 282 K. 108 BB. Pressly was a starting pitching prospect with the Red Sox when the Twins picked him with their Rule 5 selection in December of 2012. He impressed in spring training 2013 and made the team. He had a 3.87 ERA in 49 games that season. He was able to be sent to Rochester the next year and split the season between AAA and the big leagues. By 2016, he was an oft-used reliever in the Twins bullpen. He continued to show great stuff so as he worked more, he became a high strikeout pitcher. He was traded to the Astros at the July deadline in 2018 and became even more dominant. Before the trade, he had 69 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings. He was an All-Star in 2019. RP - Casey Fien (2012-2016) 257 games, 0 starts, 17-15 with 1 save and a 4.21 ERA in 237 1/3 innings. 209 K. 42 BB. Fien pitched in 11 games for the Tigers between 2009 and 2010. He spent 2011 in the minor leagues. The Twins signed him to a minor league deal before the 2012 season. He began in Rochester, but something clicked for him midway through the season, and he took off and earned a call to the Twins where he finished the season posting a 2.06 ERA in 35 games. He spent three seasons as a reliable reliever for the Twins. He struggled early in 2016 and was claimed by the Dodgers. He pitched for Seattle and Philadelphia in 2018. For more from this series, see below. Previous Installments Twins All-Decade Team, the '60s (The Hitters) Twins All-Decade Team, the '60s (The Pitchers) Episode 15: Get t o Know the 1960s Twins (with Dave Mona) Twins All-Decade Team, the '70s (The Hitters) Twins All-Decade Team, the '70s (The Pitchers) Episode 16: Get to Know the 1970s Twins (with Patrick Reusse) Twins All-Decade Team: the '80s (The Hitters) Twins All-Decade Team: the '80s (The Pitchers) Episode 17: Get to know the 1980s Twins (with Howard Sinker) Twins All-Decade Team: the '90s (The Hitters) Twins All-Decade Team: the '90s (The Pitchers) Twins All-Decade Team: the '00s (The Hitters) Twins All-Decade Team: the '00s (The Pitchers) Twins All-Decade Team, the '10s (The Hitters) Click here to view the article