Seth Stohs

I think he''s at that point where ,while I'm' sure he still wants to play MLB, there are going to be teams in Korea offering him $1.5-2 million/year for a couple of years. Hes' at the stage where he'll more seriously want to consider those offers.

We have learned a lot about the Opener concept that the Tampa Bay Rays are implementing in the big leagues this season. It is a concept that the Twins have used in the upper levels of their minor league system, and I fully expect that we will see it with the Twins often in 2019. However, as it relates to the Twins big league club, I think they should consider the idea of piggybacking their starting pitchers over the season's final three weeks.Last week one day, I was trying to think of the best way for the Twins to use the starting pitchers on their 40-man roster. (I mean, who doesn't sit around thinking about such things?) First, I think that as long as they are healthy, the Twins should continue with business as normal for Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson. They have been reliable the majority of their 2018 seasons and should both reach 200 innings pitched this year. But that leaves three more rotation spots to fill. Jake Odorizzi will continue to pitch and the fact that they haven't traded him tells me that the front office must see him as a part of their 2019 plans. Right now, the other two rotation spots have been given to (or earned by) Kohl Stewart and Stephen Gonsalves, their first and fourth round picks, respectively, in the 2013 draft. But as September approaches and rosters can expand, there are other starting pitchers that I'm sure the Twins front office and coaching staff would like to get their eyes on. Guys that they would like to see work some big league innings as they will potentially play a bigger role in 2019. Fernando Romero made ten starts for the Twins earlier in the season, and he is likely to finish the season with the big league club. Zack Littell made one start and one relief appearance earlier in the season and is another candidate to get some innings. The forgotten name through much of the season is Michael Pineda. Coming off of midseason 2017 Tommy John surgery, the Twins signed the former All-Star to a two-year, $10 million deal. He is being paid $2 million this year to rehab and will make $8 million next year. After making two rehab starts in Ft. Myers, Pineda tossed four innings for the Red Wings last night. Rehab has been going well with reports of him sitting in the mid-90s. The reported plan is for him to make two more rehab starts for Rochester before joining the Twins. Because the Twins are out of contention, they can afford to give opportunities to several players. For guys like Stewart, Gonsalves, Littell and Romero, there is value in any inning pitched in the big leagues. Experience can teach a lot. All four have had Triple A success and are now ready to test themselves further in the big leagues. Even if they struggle, they will have move data points to explore, and more video to watch during the offseason. I would hope that they would also learn from Garvin Alston and Jeff Pickler as well as Mitch Garver and Bobby Wilson. They should go into the season with a good plan for how to make adjustments and things to work on improving. For Pineda, getting back is just the start, but keeping him progressing and staying healthy through the season is what matters. Get him some innings and get him to the offseason ready to prepare to be a top of the rotation starter in 2019. Getting opportunities, plural, will be important for each of them. They don't have to be six or seven inning appearances. In addition to simply getting opportunities, there is the theory (and the statistics to back it up) that the third time through the lineup can be difficult on a starting pitcher. So, by limiting these guys to three and possibly four innings, you're keeping them from that third time through the lineup. "Piggybacking" just means that someone will start and work three or four innings and then another starter will come in and hope to go another three or four innings. It is different than the Opener concept where a relief pitcher starts the game and works one, or maybe two, innings and turns it over to a starter who tries to provide six or seven innings before turning it over to the rest of the bullpen. On his newest The Scoops podcast, Darren Wolfson again interviewed Twins GM Thad Levine. Asked if any pitchers were on an innings limit, he mentioned only Fernando Romero. "Just because he is getting into the range that he has not achieved before. I think he more than most of these guys in a bona fide candidate for a little more of a limited role, whether than comes in the bullpen or that comes as a piggyback starter. We are going to be attentive to his innings." Levine also said, "We've had a lot of creative discussion with Garvin Alston and with Paul Molitor around the concept of "Do we rotate some of these guys through?". Do we go to a six man rotation? Do we piggyback some of these guys?" It really doesn't matter the order of the match ups that the Twins choose. They could piggyback hard throwers like Romero and Pineda. Or, they could team a hard thrower like Pineda and then send Gonsalves out in relief. What I would like to see is the groupings stick together in such a way that the piggybacker who starts one game would come out of the bullpen the next time. Starters can have routines, so it could be good to expand upon that but at the same time not being completely in a new situation. I believe when I posted that tweet last week, Thorpe had just made (or was about to make) his first AAA start. I think it it fairly unlikely that Lewis Thorpe debuts in 2019. Maybe that spot is taken by Odorizzi. The other reason I would like to see the two piggybacking starters limited to seven combined innings is because the Twins also will have several relievers that they need to evaluate over the season's final month. Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers have been very good most of the season. You kind of know what you have there. But Matt Magill was signed to a minor league contract this past offseason and didn't even get a big league invite. I'm sure they'd like to keep putting him in more high leverage situations. Oliver Drake is on his fifth team, but so far so good since joining the Twins. They'll want to evaluate his pitch repertoire to make sure that split-fingered fastball and his strikeout rate are legit. But the Twins also have decisions to make on 40-man roster guys like Alan Busenitz, Tyler Duffey, and John Curtiss. Hard-throwing Nick Anderson and Jake Reed are guys that they may want to add to the 40-man roster in the offseason and if so there could be value in giving them an opportunity in September. Also, if not added to the 40-man roster, Luke Bard and DJ Baxendale can become minor league free agents. With all those pitchers potentially on the roster, the goal could be for the starter to get through four innings. The piggybacker would know that he will start the fifth inning with the goal of getting through the seventh inning. First, that allows bullpen guys to work the eighth and ninth innings. And if the starter is unable to get through the fourth inning, bullpen guys can bridge that gap, allowing the piggybacker to prepare as he needs to be ready fore fifth. The Rochester season ends on Labor Day. There will be 25 games remaining or (math minor here) five times through the rotation. If they were to use the piggybacking concept for three rotation spots, those starters (six of them) could still get 15 to 18 more innings. Not huge numbers, but a good number for each of them to end the season. To me, piggybacking would be the easiest way to provide opportunities and experience while also being able to control innings for more pitchers. The bullpen will be full, but that's OK. What to you think? Would you be in favor of maintaining a five-man rotation, moving to a six-man rotation, or piggybacking in the rotation after the Triple-A season ends? Share your opinions below. Click here to view the article

I think he could be a 40-man roster add... but he's borderline.

Yes... Yes it should...

Vargas by month: April: .190/.329/.302 (.631) May: .257/.303/.440 (.743) June: .167/.255/.238 (.493) You may say, well,, his May wasn't too awful, but in May, Logan Morrison hit .244/.369/.453 (.822).

Yeah, I don't recall ever seeing an MLB hitter swing and miss by as much as he does so often... but when he does hit it... wow!!

It’s fair to say that The Debut of Stephen Gonsalves didn’t go as well as he would have liked. Debuts rarely do. But for the rest of his life, he can be called a big leaguer. And that’s what every player in the minor leagues dreams of. Monday in the minor leagues, both Rochester and Ft. Myers got a rare day off. But there was some terrific pitching and powerful hitting for Chattanooga. They also added a former big leaguer to their roster. Cedar Rapids scored a dozen and got a great relief appearance. Elizabethton played neighboring Johnson City in a doubleheader. And the GCL Twins got to face first-round pick Matthew Libertore for the third time.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Monday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Chattanooga put RHP Omar Bencomo (foot) and infielder Chris Paul finger) on the disabled list. Catcher Brian Olson was activated. Also, the Twins signed RHP Austin Adams from the Sugar Land Skeeters and placed him on the Lookouts roster. Adams is 31-years-old and pitched in 53 games for Cleveland between 2014 and 2016.RED WINGS REPORTRochester Box Score The Red Wings enjoyed a rare night off to watch the Stephen Gonsalves MLB debut. OK, it was a scheduled off-day, but still… Brian Rapp started and gave up two runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Pedro Garcia came on and did well. He threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings. In the extra innings, both the eighth and the ninth, he was able to leave the bases loaded and keep the game tied. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out four. Casanova led the way. He went 2-3 with a sacrifice fly to give him two of the three RBIs. The other run scored on a pinch-hit single by Chris Williams. Roberto Molina also had two hits. Gilberto Celestino went 1-for-3 with two walks. GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 0, GCL Rays 6 Box Score The Twins again had the opportunity to try to hit against Rays pitching prospect and 2018 first-round pick Matthew Libertore. It is the third time in the last few weeks that the Twins have faced the lefty. On this day, Libertore gave up three hits over five shutout innings. He struck out eight without issuing a walk. In the three starts combined, he has thrown 14 2/3 scoreless innings. He’s given up six hits, walked none and struck out 19. Shane Carrier led the offense with a 2-for-4 game. Erick Rivera added his fourth double. Andriu Marin started. He gave up two runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked one, hit one and struck out five. Dylan Stowell gave up two unearned runs on one hit and two walks in his 1 1/3 innings. He struck out three. Erik Cha recorded the next four outs. He struck out one and didn’t allow a base runner. Niklas Rimmel gave up two runs on four hits over the final two innings. He struck out two. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Gabriel Maciel, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-5, 3B(2), 3 R). Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Johan Quezada, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Minnesota) - 1.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, BB, 2B(5), 3 R, RBI, K #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - Did not play #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - Did not play #9 -Wander Javier - out of for the season #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) - 2-4, 2 RBI, R, K | 1-5, R, 2 K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - Out for the season (wrist) #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, 3 R #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, 2 K, SB(6) #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) - 0-3, BB, R, K #21 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled *Since Wander Javier is out, I’d add #21 to the list. SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST, completion of a suspended game + regularly scheduled game) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-1, 4.26 ERA), RHP Michael Pineda (rehab) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (6:35 CST) - TBD Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker (4-7, 4.73 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (8-5, 3.35 ERA) Greeneville @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - Luis Rijo (4-1, 2.06 ERA) GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Monday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

I can''t imagine anyone (coaches or front office types) that wouldn't like 'lot of sink.'

Hit his first homer today in the 1st inning...

Correct... Now, no one is going to put Stewart and his stuff into the same category as Berrios... but I would say it could be similar to Gibson, and thankfully they've remained patient with him too. Of course, the hope is that they can compete in 2019 (or certainly 2020) and there are lots of possible options, so he'll spend more time in AAA too.

Clearly they haven't been great picks. I also think that it's fair to say that patience can be good. I think giving a guy more than 2 starts is fair. I guess that's not right. But we also have to remember that the business side of the game does matter to the front office, and it should.

this monring, Twins announced: Ervin Santana to the DL. Robbie Grossman activated from the DL. Johnny Field optioned. Alan Busenitz recalled. Also, Stephen Gonsalves will start for the Twins on Monday.

Maybe, but it's clear he's got some good stuff, and he's still just 23. He's got velocity. He's got movement. He's got 4 pitches. He should get more opportunities. If starting doesn't work, maybe he cuts down to 2 pitches (or 3) and moves to the bullpen. He's already well ahead of Appel.

You mean like every other organization? I don't think they're doing anything different than other organizations do. And remember this is Jeremy Zoll's first year as the minor league director, so it's difficult to know what his process is or will be. And, we're in year 2 of Falvine, but the first year of them being sellers at this point in August. Gonsalves is already on the 40-man roster, and arguably doesn't have as much "stuff" as Stewart. Wade isn't on the 40-man roster, has only been off the DL for 10 days or so. And he's left-handed and Field is right-handed and Grossman is a switch-hitter. Wade also is a prospect, so he should play every day.

I'm not 100% sure on Alcala starting on Sunday. He was listed for today, but they went with the bullpen game, probably in part because of the Poppen performance.

It was a very busy Saturday. The Vikings played. The Twins honored Jack Morris pre-game and played the Tigers. All six Twins stateside affiliates played, including two games for Chattanooga and the GCL Twins. Jhoan Duran and Austin Schulfer put together strong starts. Chase De Jong and Sean Poppen were also very good. Byron Buxton hit well. Luis Arraez and Brian Navarreto hit well for Chattanooga. So much happening. Check in on everything that happened in the Twins minor league system.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Saturday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS On Friday night, the Kernels announced that right-hander Calvin Faucher had been placed on the DL with elbow tendinitis. On Saturday afternoon, they announced that right-hander Johan Quezada has been promoted from Elizabethton to the Kernels.Following the Twins game, Paul Molitor announced that Johnny Field would be sent back to Rochester. He will be optioned with, most likely, Robbie Grossman returning from the Disabled List.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 3, Toledo 2 Box Score The Red Wings got some strong pitching and enough offense to get the win in this game. In the first inning, Byron Buxton doubled and scored on a double by Robbie Grossman. Buxton went 2-for-5 in with his sixth and seventh doubles. Grossman went 2-for-4 and is expected to return to Minneapolis on Sunday. Kennys Vargas went 2-for-4 including his 18th home run. Jake Reed was the “opener” for the Red Wings. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk in the first inning. He struck out one. Chase De Jong came on and gave up one run on five hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out four. DJ Baxendale worked a scoreless ninth inning to secure De Jong’s first win in the Twins organization and his first save of the season for the Red Wings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Game 1: Chattanooga 0, Mississippi 1 Box Score Sean Poppen gave the Lookouts exactly what they needed in the first game on Saturday, a complete game. The right-hander from Harvard gave up just one run over six innings. The lone run came on the 16th home run of the season for Mississippi’s cleanup hitter Travis Demeritte. Unfortunately, he only needed to go six innings because the Lookouts were shut out. The team had just five hits. Luis Arraez and Brian Navarreto each had two singles. Game 2: Chattanooga 7, Mississippi 10 Box Score The Lookouts went with an all-lefty bullpen game in Game 2. Andrew Vasquez started and gave up nothing over the first two innings. He struck out three. Sam Clay came on and got just two outs. He gave up four runs on four hits and a walk. Devin Smeltzer came on and got the next four outs, three on strikeouts. However, he was also charged with an unearned run on three hits. Tyler Jay got the final two innings. He gave up five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks. Jaylin Davis led the offense. He went 1-for-3, but he hit his fifth home run, a three-run shot and added a fourth RBI. Brent Rooker was 2-for-5 with his 31st double. Luis Arraez went 3-for-4. It was his third straight multi-hit game. Brian Navarreto was 2-for-3 with a walk. Luke Raley went 1-for-1 with two walks and was also hit by a pitch. Zander Wiel had a single and two walks. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Clearwater 4 Box Score The Miracle bats just were not able to figure out Clearwater’s Mauricio Llovera. Well, except for Taylor Grzelakowski. “Gelly” had three of the team’s four hits. Royce Lewis had a single for the other. Charlie Barnes started and gave up four runs on six hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out two. Colton Davis got the next five outs, three of them on strikeouts. He walked two. Alex Robinson threw two scoreless innings. Adam Bray threw two zeroes on the board as well. Alex Kirilloff went 0-for-3 with a walk. It was his second straight game without a hit. He hadn’t gone back-to-back games without a hit since July 7th and 8th. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Wisconsin 2 Box Score This was quite the pitcher’s duel. Jhoan Duran threw seven innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He struck out a career-high nine batters while not issuing a walk. Unfortunately, the TimberRattlers’ starter, Dylan File, also threw seven innings of one-run ball. Starter Randy Dobnak, whose most recent appearance lasted just one inning before the rains came, worked a scoreless eighth inning. However, an error to lead off the ninth was followed by two strikeouts. Unfortunately, they were followed by two singles which ended the game. Strikeouts were a big part of this game. Kernels pitchers combined to strike out 11. Meanwhile, Kernels batters struck out 13 times. Michael Helman led the way by going 3-for-4 including his first triple with the Kernels. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 3, Bluefield 4 Box Score Big runs in the ninth, but unfortunately Bluefield ended their ninth with one more run and the win. Austin Schulfer started for the Twins and worked five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked three and struck out four. Jacob Blank came on and gave up two runs on four hits over his two innings. He also struck out four. But then came the rain and there was a delay. When the game returned, Zach Neff worked a scoreless eighth inning. Yunior Severino went 2-for-4 with his eighth double. Alex Robles hit his ninth double. But the score was tied 2-2 going into the ninth. Chris Williams, who had a sacrifice fly earlier in the game, blasted his 15th home run to give the E-Twins a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth. However, Neff returned for the ninth inning. He gave up a solo homer to lead off the inning to re-tie the game, this time at three. He gave up a single, and then on a sacrifice bunt, Neff had an error. He was able to coax a double play, but a two-out single ended the game. GCL TWINS TALK Game 1 - GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 4 Box Score This game started on Friday and went four innings before the rains came and the game was suspended. Donny Breek had started and went the first 3 1/3 innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks. He struck out five. Denny Bentley came on and got the next two outs, one on a strikeout. When play resumed on Saturday morning, Landon Leach took the mound. He worked two scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one, hit one and struck out two batters. Petru Balan pitched the final inning. He gave up a hit and a walk, but no runs. Rehabbing Shane Carrier went 2-for-3 with both of the Twins RBIs. Tyler Webb added a double. Austin Hale had a walk and his second double. Game 2 - GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 4 Box Score Kai-Wei Teng gave up three runs in the first inning, but the right-hander from Taiwan went four innings and gave up four total runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four batters. Osiris German struck out the side in the fifth inning, and Junior Navas worked a scoreless inning as well. Victor Tademo led the offense with a 3-for-3 game. Agustin Marte went 2-for-4. Alberoni Nunez hit his first triple. Tyler Webb added his third double. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Luis Arraez, Chattanooga Lookouts (5-7). Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Jhoan Duran, Cedar Rapids Kernels (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-5, RBI, 3K, SB(10) #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, RBI, 2 K #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 0-3, K | 2-5, 2B(31), 2 R, K #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3K #9 -Wander Javier - out of for the season #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-4, K #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, 2 K #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) - 2-4, 2B(8), R, K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - Out for the season (wrist) #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2K #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3 #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) - 2-3 | 3-4 #21 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB *Since Wander Javier is out, I’d add #21 to the list. SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (5:05 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves (9-3, 2.96 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (5:05 CST) - RHP Jorge Alcala (2-5, 3.99 ERA) Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (1:00 CST) - RHP Griffin Jax (3-1, 3.16 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (1:05 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (6-4, 2.55 ERA) Johnson City @ Elizabethton (DH @ 5:00 CST) - TBD, TBD GCL Twins - No Games Scheduled on Sundays Please feel free to ask any questions about Saturday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

That's fair, and he's flown up my rankings even in his "textbook development." But he came up and dominated right away, and then the numbers didn't match that for a few starts. That's not at all unusual, especially for a 20-year-old. He's doing just fine.

Like I wrote a week or two ago, Lewis is well ahead of both Correa and Lindor in their timeline. He's ahead of where Mauer was at this time. They haven't been and won't be slow with Lewis... Or Kirilloff. Lewis is young for his draft class, so he could be a 19 year old in the big leagues. But again, they're going to do what they feel is best for them. I've tweeted a few times that I wanted Lewis to be promoted from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers 6 weeks earlier... However, it was during those six weeks that Lewis added the doubles and home runs, and now he's carried that up to Ft. Myers with him. So, there certainly is a plan. Had Lewis been promoted to the Miracle when I thought he should be, maybe he's not taken the huge step forward that he has.

I don't know what the AGO is, but I have no doubt both will start 2019 in AA. The Twins have never been slow in promoting top bats.

The minor league seasons are reaching into their final two weeks. A couple of teams have a shot at making the playoffs with a strong end to their season. While development is the most important thing in the minor leagues, learning how to win and being in that environment can be a positive thing for the players' development too. It should be a fun couple of weeks following the Twins and their minor league system.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS There were no transactions in the Twins minor leagues before their Friday games. However, after their game, Cedar Rapids announced that RHP Calvin Faucher has been placed on the disabled list with right elbow tendinitis.But, the Midwest League named its postseason All-Star team. Both Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff were named to that team. Lewis was named the league’s top prospect.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 1, Toledo 4 Box Score Things were going well for Red Wings starter Zack Littell through the first five innings. He had yet to give up a run, but he got just two outs in the sixth inning and was charged with four runs (three earned). Nick Anderson gave up just one hit over the final 2 1/3 innings. He struck out three batters. The Red Wings offense wasn’t able to do much. Robbie Grossman, in his second rehab game, went 2-for-3 with a walk. Taylor Motter had a walk and his ninth double. Jeremy Hazelbaker hit his second triple. As per the plan, Byron Buxton is playing every other game as he returns to the Red Wings lineup. He played on Tuesday and Thursday, and he didn’t play on Wednesday and again on Friday night. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga , Mississippi Box Score Game postponed by rain. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Clearwater 2 Box Score In another battle of #1 overall picks, Royce Lewis came up big again. The top pick in 2016 was Mickey Moniak by the Phillies. He hit his fifth home run In this game, his 104th FSL game. Lewis the top pick in the 2017 draft went 2-3 with a walk and his fifth High A home run in just 32 games (14th in 107 total games in 2018). Both young players are likely to be future MLB stars, and they are both kids who played with and against each other in southern California. For the Miracle, the big story was the performance of lefty Bryan Sammons. After pitching very well in Cedar Rapids, Sammons has had some struggles since joining the Miracle. In four appearances (three starts), he had given up 18 runs (16 ER) in 12 2/3 innings. On this night, he was fantastic. He gave up just one run on three hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out six. Following the game, Sammons told Twins Daily, “It definitely felt good to get back in a groove. I was able to get through the order using mostly fastball and change-up the first time through the order, and then mixed in more spin the second and third time through the order. Mostly just trying to get ahead early and make them earn it. The biggest thing that has hurt me here is the walks.” In those 12 2/3 innings before this start, Sammons had walked 11 batters. That is uncharacteristic for him. In his 85 1/3 innings in Cedar Rapids, he had just 22 walks (2.3 BB/9). Jovani Moran came on and picked up his fourth save in his time with the Miracle. He worked the final three innings and gave up just one run on two hits. The run came on Moniak’s home run late in the game. Moran hit a batter and struck out three. Also of note, Alex Kirilloff had played in 14 games in August and had at least one hit in each game. However, on this night, he went 0-for-2. He has now hit in 27 of his last 29 games. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 1 Box Score A four-run sixth inning broke things open for the Kernels in this game. Trey Cabbage hit a three-run homer for the game’s biggest hit. Cabbage went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, as he added another run with an RBI single in the eighth inning. His homer was his eighth of the season. Gabriel Maciel went 3-for-4 with his first triple. Trevor Larnach added his first professional triple. Jordan Balazovic has had some struggles of late, but he was good on this night. The Canadian right-hander gave up one run on two hits. He walked two and hit two, but he also struck out five. Derek Molina got the sixth inning. He walked two, but he also struck out three batters. Jose Martinez racked up his seventh save by throwing three scoreless innings to end the game. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out six. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 1, Bluefield 2 Box Score Andrew Cabezas continues to pitch well. In this game, he provided the Twins with a quality start. In six innings, he gave up one run on four hits. He struck out just three, but he didn’t walk anyone. Tanner Howell came out and pitched the final two innings. He was charged with an unearned run on one hit and an intentional walk. He struck out three. Colton Burns continued to show power. In his 24th game, he had two hits including his sixth home run of the E-Twins season. It was his fourth in his past eight games played. DaShawn Keirsey went 2-for-4 with his seventh double. Yunior Severino also notched his seventh double. GCL TWINS TALK Game 1 - GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 0 Box Score This game started last Saturday, but after three innings, there was no score and the game was tied 0-0. Donny Breek had thrown three scoreless innings for the Twins. Then the rains came and the game was suspended. When it was resumed on Friday, Frandy Torres was on the mound. He struck out five batters over three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one. Casey Crosby continued his rehab and threw two scoreless innings despite giving up a hit, walking one and hitting one). Steven Cruz earned his second save by striking out two in a perfect ninth. Tyler Webb led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with both RBI. He also stole his seventh and eighth bases for the GCL Twins. Shane Carrier continued his rehab. He entered the game as a pinch runner and scored. Later he had a single, stole a base and came around to score the second run. Game 2 - GCL Twins , GCL Red Sox (Suspended in 4th due to rain) Box Score I guess you could say that Donny Breek started both games that the GCL Twins played on Friday. Of course, he started “Game 1” six days earlier and made the regularly scheduled start in this game. On this day, he gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out five. Denny Bentley came on and got two outs. He walked one and struck out one. The Twins had just two hits through the four innings. Tyler Webb had a double. The game will be resumed at a later date. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Trey Cabbage, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-4, HR(8), 4 RBI). Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Bryan Sammons, Ft. Myers Miracle (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-3, BB, HR(5), R, RBI #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch. #4 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 0-3, BB #5 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #6 - Trevor Larnach (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 3B(1) #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - Rained out #8 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - Did not play #9 -Wander Javier - out of for the season #10 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #12 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-4, K #13 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 1-3 #14 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #15 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-2, BB, K #16 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton) - 1-4, 2B(7), 2 K #17 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - Out for the season (wrist) #18 - Ryan Jeffers (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B(9), 2 R #19 - Jacob Pearson (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, BB #20 - Luis Arraez (Chattanooga) - No Game Scheduled. #21 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 *Since Wander Javier is out, I’d add #21 to the list. ATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (6:05 CST) - RHP Chase De Jong (0-2, 4.80 ERA) Chattanooga @ Mississippi (DH at 4:00 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (5-5, 3.72 ERA), Jorge Alcala (2-5, 3.99 ERA) Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (5:00 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (5-5, 2.73 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin - RHP Jhoan Duran (6-5, 4.45 ERA) Elizabethton @ Bluefield (6:05 CST) - RHP Austin Schulfer (2-0, 2.17 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

On July 31, the Twins traded popular second baseman Brian Dozier to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that had been in the works for roughly 20 months. In return, the Twins acquired Double-A prospects Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer. The Dodgers were willing to make the deal but insisted on the Twins taking back second baseman Logan Forsythe, and more important, his salary. Brian Dozier has been a big add for the Dodgers, but Forsythe has returned to his American League form with the Twins.With a 5-for-5 night on Thursday night at Target Field, Logan Forsythe is now 22-for-49, hitting .449/.500/.531 (1.031) with four doubles in his 14 games since joining the Twins. Obviously that is a very small sample. In his 70 games with the Dodgers this year, he had hit just .207/.270/.290 (.560) with ten doubles and two home runs. It appears this will be a trade that could be beneficial to both teams. Brian Dozier has also played in 14 games since joining the Dodgers. He is hitting .255/.400/.532 (.932) with four doubles, three homers and 12 RBI (including a walkoff sacrifice fly in extra innings on Wednesday night in LA. So what should the Twins do as it relates to Logan Forsythe? There really may be three options. Should The Twins Try to Capitalize on Forsythe’s Hot Start by Looking to Trade Him? There is just under two weeks before the August trade deadline. The Twins should try to trade him for something. While they aren’t going to find a GM in baseball willing to overlook his past two seasons because of two really good weeks, the Twins clearly want to continue accumulating talent for the future. They won’t get anything resembling a blue-chip prospect for five weeks of Forsythe, but they might find a suitor remaining for the versatile infielder. Should The Twins Try to Sign Forsythe Right Now to a Contract for 2018? The Twins could decide that Nick Gordon needs more time in AAA next year to continue his development. They may determine that they would like to have a one year stop gap, like Forsythe, to play second base until Gordon is deemed ready. Again, based on his struggles over the last couple of seasons in Los Angeles, and his injuries the last couple of years, he likely is a guy who would get a one-year deal in the neighborhood of $2 million. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine could reach out to Forsythe right now and make him that offer. There would appear to be little reason for Forsythe to accept it, though he could just as easily struggle over the next two or three weeks. Should The Twins Sit Back and Let It Play Out? Or they could just let it play out. Let Forsythe work to continue gain value the rest of the season as he looks to become a free agent at season’s end. From the Twins perspective, they certainly can see his value, especially on a one year, stop gap type of deal. No matter how strong Forsythe finishes the season, his next contract likely will remain a one-year deal at less than $3-4 million. The financial risk of waiting isn’t huge. The risk of him going to one of the other 29 teams if he becomes a free agent might be a little bigger. Truthfully, there isn’t a wrong (or bad) answer in that group. Signing him to a one-year, low-cost deal makes a lot of sense. Forsythe is and has always been a very professional hitter. It’s great to see him playing like he did during much of his time in Tampa. So if the Twins can add another prospect with a chance, that’s not a bad deal for a three week rental. Or the Twins can just let him keep playing and see what happens. Following the game, in an interview with FSN's Audra Martin, Forsythe said (regarding his 5-for-5 night), "Sometimes you get lucky." Maybe in this case, the Twins got a little bit lucky. Is there a best option in your opinion? Share your thoughts below. Click here to view the article