Seth Stohs

Yup, same number of hits in his first four at bats as he had in 33 at bats in August in the GCL. But as I talked to someone in the Twins front office earlier today and was told that the quality of his at bats was terrific.

Isn't that crazy? All on one team! Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero, Jr., and Cavan Biggio. When I went to Cedar Rapids in early May, I got to see Fernando Tatis, Jr. It's fun seeing younger versions of our baseball cards like this... Of course, it also makes me feel old! Ha!

That's a good point... It certainly could be a candidate!!

High Minors: AA and AAA... Low Minors: High-A and Low-A. Rookie Leagues: E-Town and GCL

Yes, the big news of the day was the promotion of #1 overall pick from June, Royce Lewis, to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. I’ll leave just a teaser here. He had an impressive Kernels debut. But there was a lot more happening throughout a busy Saturday in the Twins system. First, you’ll want to see how Dereck Rodriguez performed on a night his Dad’s jersey was retired by the Rangers. He opposed Michael Kopech and matched zeroes with him. Read his thoughts on probably his best performance of the year. Brent Rooker stayed hot, coming up with yet another big hit for the Miracle. Shane Carrier had a huge hit for the Kernels and has been raking for over a month now. And Aaron Slegers was terrific again for the Red Wings, keeping a streak alive. He was helped by another big game from Mitch (#CallHimUp) Garver.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Saturday. Let’s start with the transactions of the day: You might have heard. Royce Lewis, the first overall pick this June, was promoted to Cedar Rapids from the GCL.Aaron Whitefield was also removed from the disabled list for the Kernels. To make room for his return, Hank Morrison was released.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 3, Norfolk 2 Box Score Rochester got yet another strong start from Aaron Slegers, and used some power to take this win. Slegers won his ninth straight decision (10 starts). He gave up just two runs on eight hits over 7.1 innings. He struck out six. Mason Melotakis recorded his first Red Wings save by getting the final five outs, two on strikeouts. Byungho Park put the Red Wings on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with a two-run homer, his 10th of the season. In the sixth, Mitch Garver added his 17th home run to give the team a lead they’d hold on to. Garver added his 27th double later and walked once. Kennys Vargas was 2-4. Zack Granite added a single and a walk. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Birmingham 0 Box Score The Lookouts faced White Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech for the fourth time on Saturday night. In his three previous starts, he had struck out nine, ten and twelve batters. In this game, the flame-throwing righty struck out ten again. Fortunately, Dereck Rodriguez was up to the challenge. On a night when his dad was honored by the Texas Rangers, who retired his number, Dereck Rodriguez was fantastic. He outpitched Kopech, just without the same number of strikeouts. Rodriguez threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out five. He improved to 5-2 on the season with the Lookouts. Rodriguez said that he just had things working tonight. “I was getting ahead of hitters and throwing my pitches for strikes.” That it was opposite a talent like Michael Kopech didn’t faze Rodriguez. “It could have been Nolan Ryan on the mound. Rodriguez continued with a chuckle, “It didn't matter to me... I don't have to face him.” Todd Van Steensel worked out of trouble in the eighth inning. He gave up a hit, walked one and hit a batter, but somehow did not give up a run. Nick Anderson picked up his sixth save with a scoreless ninth frame. The Lookouts scored their run in the seventh inning. Ryan Walker hit his 12th double. Nick Gordon singled, and Walker scored on an error on the play. Jonathan Rodriguez added his 26th double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 9, Dunedin 6 Box Score Brent Rooker stayed hot and gave the Miracle a big lead in the first inning again on Saturday night. He hit a three-run homer, his sixth with the Miracle. And when he’s hit them of late, he’s picked some big moments. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Johnson City 12 Box Score It was a rough night all around for the E-Twins on Saturday. Offensively, they managed just five hits. Jose Miranda hit his first triple. Ariel Montesino added his third double. JJ Robinson drove in two of the team’s runs. Ryley Widell started for the Twins. In 3.1 innings, the left-hander gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits. He walked two, hit two and struck out five. Moises Gomez gave up six runs on three hits and three walks in just one innings. Blair Lakso went two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and three walks. Jose Martinez got the final five outs (two on strikeouts) and gave up just one hit. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 5 Box Score Henry Centeno made another rehab start in the GCL. The right-hander walked one over three, no-hit innings. He struck out three. Matt Jones was next up. The left-hander gave up two unearned runs on three hits and two walks in three innings. He struck out three. Kevin Marnon gave up one run on two hits over two innings. He struck out three.Derek Molina gave up one run on one hit and one walk in his inning. Zach Featherstone came in and got two outs, but gave up an unearned run to take the loss. Victor Tademo led the offense. He went 2-4 with his fourth double. Ricky De La Torre was also 2-4 and drove in two runs. Alex Robles went 2-3. Chris Paul had a double in five at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids Kernels SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - RHP Tim Melville Chattanooga @ Birmingham (3:00 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) - RHP Brady Anderson Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Melvi Acosta GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins have moved prospects up quickly since Brad Steil took over when Jim Rantz retired 3-4 years ago. This is more aggressive than normal, more aggressive than we've seen for any pick in MLB in years. (Courtney Hawkins one example). Mauer, Buxton, Correa... none of them did this.

True... but since I have a huge hangup about spelling names correctly, I don't think I could spell Rooker's name wrong and feel good about myself. Ha!

Of course those "scrap heap" pitchers are big leaguers... something we don't know about prospects. Most of them were big prospects too in the minors. As for Rooker's stat lines... Overall: .259/.337/.512 (.849) ET (22 G): .282/.364/.588 (.952) FM (24 G): .235/.309/.435 (.744)

The Cedar Rapids Kernels announced this morning that #1 overall pick Royce Lewis will join the team on Saturday.The Twins promoting Lewis to the Midwest League is something that hasn't been done in dozens of years, at least. The last #1 overall pick, Joe Mauer, spent the 2001 season (his draft year) with Elizabethton before spending the entire 2002 season in the Midwest League. Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios started their pro careers (2012) in the GCL, as Lewis has, before being promoted to Elizabethton. Back in 2006, Chris Parmelee (first round) and Joe Benson (second round) began their pro careers in the GCL. When that season ended, they were promoted to the Kernels to play in their playoff series. The Kernels will be in the 2017 playoffs thanks to their strong first half. Lewis has been slumping of late, but few question his immense athleticism, talent and baseball acumen. In 36 games in the GCL, 18-year-old Royce Lewis has hit .271/.390/.414 (.803) with six doubles, two triples and three home runs. He also has 15 stolen bases. A month ago, GCL Twins manager Ramon Borrega told Pioneer Press's Mike Berardinothat he thought Lewis should be promoted directly to the Kernels. The timing, however, is interesting. In July, Lewis hit .321/.412/.464 (.877). However, in 33 at-bats so far in August, Lewis has just four hits. He's hit .121/.341/.182 (.523). As you can see, despite the lack of hits, he's still taking walks (9) and getting on base, and once he does that, he has the ability to steal a lot of bases. This is definitely an aggressive move for the Twins, but Lewis seems to have the makeup. It will be fun to watch. This continues an aggressive trend. Supplemental first-round pick Brent Rooker was promoted from Elizabethton to Ft. Myers a few weeks ago. Lewis becomes the fourth member of the 2017 Twins draft to join the Kernels. Fourth-round pick Charlie Barnes and eight-round pick Bryan Sammons, both left-handed pitchers, joined the Kernels in recent weeks. They are both in the Cedar Rapids rotation. Days after, infielder Jordan Gore was also called up to the Kernels. By the way, have we mentioned that Cedar Rapids is just a 4 to 4 1/2 hour drive from the Twin Cities? Also, here is a first look of Kernels infielder Royce Lewis in his #30 uniform... Click here to view the article

No question, that was an incredible catch by Buxton... When it's hit that hard, it moves different, and when it's over your head and tailing, you just kind of have to turn and then figure out what it does after the fact. Such a great catch.

Clark Beeker was back on the mound. Was he able to extend his impressive scoreless inning’s streak? LaMonte Wade and Nick Gordon returned to the Lookouts lineup. The Miracle played two, and Brent Rooker played a big part in one game, and there was a walkoff in the other.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Friday, starting with some business, followed by the transactions. Off the field, there may have been some big news. The Twins have asked the city of Elizabethton to make needed improvements to Joe O’Brien Field. The Player Development contract between the Twins and Elizabethton runs out at the end of the season, and there is a real chance the Twins could go elsewhere. Even with the ballpark changes, it’s possible the Twins could go elsewhere, but this certainly helps. LaMonte Wade was activated from the disabled list. Travis Harrison was placed on the disabled list.Brian Olson ended his rehab stint in the GCL and returned to the Miracle.Cedar Rapids placed Travis Blankenhorn on the 7-day disabled list with a lower back strain.Austin Bizzle was also activated from the GCL’s DL.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Norfolk 7 Box Score Looking at the final score, you might be surprised that this game was tied 0-0 through six innings. Lefty David Hurlbut was fantastic. He did give up a run in the seventh to put the Red Wings down 1-0. Hurlbut began the eighth inning, but he gave up two singles before getting a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Jake Reed came on to try to keep it a one-run game, but that’s not quite what happened. Reed gave up a single, but Daniel Palka came up throwing and got the runner out at the plate for the inning’s second out. Uplifting, but then Reed gave up a walk to load the bases, and they were cleared by a double by Mike Yastrzemski. Yaz’s grandson scored when Paul Janish singled him in. Then the inning mercifully came to an end, but the damage was done. Luke Bard got the ninth inning, and he was charged with two runs on two hits in the inning. He struck out two. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Red Wings had just two hits. In the ninth, Zack Granite scored on Daniel Palka’s ninth double. Palka later scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Hague. But it wasn’t enough, and the Red Wings fell. Mitch Garver hit his 26th double and Kennys Vargas went 2-4. Hurlbut’s final line? He gave up two runs on 10 hits. He struck out eight and didn’t walk a single batter. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Birmingham 2 Box Score Zack Littell made his third start for the Lookouts since coming over from the Yankees organization. He improved to 2-0 thanks to six quality innings. He gave up just one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out three. At 86 pitches, he was removed. Yohan Pino made his first appearance since a long DL stint. He gave up a solo homer in the seventh inning. Ryan Eades pitched two very efficient innings to close out the win. Nick Gordon returned to the lineup after sitting out two games. He went 2-5 with an RBI. LaMonte Wade returned after being out since July 31st. He went 1-3 with two walks and was hit by a pitch. Jonathan Rodriguez walked twice and drove in two runs. Andy Wilkins provided some insurance late with two RBI. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 - Ft. Myers 6, Dunedin 4 Box Score It’s always good to score early… and then hang on. The Miracle got their double- header started with a big, five-run first inning and held on. With two on, Zander Wiel hit a grounder. Because the ball was misplayed, two runs scored. Next, with two runners on, Brent Rooker hit his fifth Miracle home run, a three-run shot, to give the Miracle a 5-0 lead. That gives Rooker 12 homers since signing with the Twins. Randy LeBlanc started and went 4.2 innings. He gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out three. Anthony McIver worked the final 2.1 innings. He gave up four hits, but no runs and struck out one. Brian Olson came off of the DL. He had a broken foot. He’s been rehabbing in the GCL, but this was his first Miracle game. He went 1-3. Game 2 - Ft. Myers 1, Dunedin 0 Box Score Tanner English came to the plate with a runner on third base and less than two outs. His sacrifice fly scored Jaylin Davis. Not exactly exciting normally, but when it’s tied 0-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning of the second game of a doubleheader, it’s a walk-off. The Miracle were able to sweep two games from the Dunedin Blue Jays. As you would expect from a 1-0 game, there wasn’t a lot of excitement, at least until the seventh inning. But first, we should point out that Sean Poppen started and he was fantastic. He threw six shutout innings and gave up just one hit. He walked one and struck out five. Andrew Vasquez came in for the seventh inning. He gave up hits to the first two batters. He then tried a pickoff play and threw the ball away, allowing runners to be at second and third with nobody out. However, he turned it on at the point. He got a ground out to third base, with the runners holding. Then he got a big strikeout for the second out. Another ground ball to third, and the inning was over. That set up the bottom of the seventh. Davis, who had notched his seventh double earlier in the game, started the inning with a single. One out later, he advanced to third on a single by Nelson Molina. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, English stepped to the plate and stepped up with the game-winning sacrifice fly. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 0 Box Score Clark Beeker was on the mound again for the Kernels, and that’s been must-watch pitching his last several outings. It was again on Friday night. The right-hander threw seven more shutout innings.He gave up three hits and walked three without a strikeout. His consecutive scoreless innings streak now sits at 32.2 innings. He has now given up zero runs in four straight starts. On July 23rd, he threw six scoreless innings. He threw a complete game shutout on July 29th. On August 4th, he went 8.2 innings. And now seven more shutout innings. He is now 11-3 with a Midwest League leading 2.03 ERA. For his part, Beeker says he doesn’t think about the streak, though he clearly doesn’t want to give up runs. He told Twins Daily on Friday night, “I don't think about the streak too much, but it's just so happens the streak is runs allowed and not something like hits or walks. But I definitely do bear down and focus more pitch by pitch once those guys get into scoring position. The defense made some great plays behind me tonight that definitely helped us pick up the win. ” His catcher was instrumental in the Kernels win as well. Ben Rortvedt gave the Kernels a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning. It was his fourth homer of the year. In the fourth inning, he added an RBI single. But Rortvedt’s value obviously is felt by his pitching staff as well. According to Beeker, “Ben does a phenomenal job behind the plate. It really is impressive to watch him work and how much he values the defensive side of the game. Obviously his home run and single were huge to get some momentum going early, and he's definitely swung the bat better these last few months. His dedication to being on the same page with the pitchers and taking control of the game at his age and in his first full season is impressive and has been fun to watch, whether I'm a spectator that day or pitching.” The third Kernels run scored on a Lewin Diaz single. Diaz went 2-3 in the game. Christian Cavaness went 1-3 with two walks. Caleb Hamilton was 1-3 with two walks. Beeker’s bullpen helped finish the shutout. Ryan Mason threw a scoreless eighth inning (despite two walks). Colton Davis recorded his third save with a scoreless ninth frame. He gave up one hit and struck one out. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Greeneville 3 Box Score While the E-Twins lost on the field, it appears that they had some positive news off of it that we mentioned up above. The Twins in Elizabethton is such a great tradition, it would be unfortunate if they were unable to maintain the affiliation. On the field, the offense was able to get some chances, but they were unable to cash in often enough. Their lone run in the game came on a solo home run off the bat of Kolton Kendrick who also walked in the game. Andy Cosgrove went 2-4 with a double. Jose Miranda was also 2-4. TJ Dixon added his third double. Bailey Ober made the start for the Twins. He gave up three runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batter in 5.2 innings of work. He struck out five. Rickey Ramirez came on and threw 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out one. Jared Finkel struck out one in his inning. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score The Twins got an early lead, gave it up, and then won in dramatic fashion on a walk off. Austin Bizzle started for the Twins. He gave up two runs on three hits in four innings. He struck out six without a walk. Carlos Suniaga went the next 4.2 innings. He gave up one run on three hits. He walked three and struck out eight. David Gerics came on and got the final out. Ben Rodriguez led the Twins offense. He went 2-4 with his ninth double. In the bottom of the ninth, Taylor Grzelakowski led off with a single. Dane Hutcheon replaced him on the bases. Victor Tademo sacrificed him over to second. Emmanuel Morel had a pinch hit single to advance Hutcheon to third base. Then Humberto Maldonado singled in Hutcheon to win the game. It gave Gerics his first professional win. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Clark Beeker, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ben Rortvedt, Cedar Rapids Kernels FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Chattanooga @ Birmingham (6:30 CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez (vs Michael Kopech) Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) - RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - LHP Anthony Marzi Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00 am) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games. Click here to view the article

Which five pitchers in the minor leagues are better than Enns (for sure)? My sense is that he'll be sent down and Hector Santiago will make the next start, but I would hoe that they wouldn't make many snap judgments on Enns from 2+ innings.

I am not (quite) as old as Bartolo... Not even close... well, depending on your definition of close...

It was a night of debuts. Recently-acquired Dietrich Enns made his major league debut. And down in Rochester, Stephen Gonsalves made his first AAA start. Enns had a couple of highlights, like his first big league hit, despite a short start. Gonsalves was fantastic and looked very comfortable on the Red Wings mound, well, except when he got hit by a line drive at 109 mph. You’ll want to read more about that. Maybe it’s just me. The last time I wrote a Minor League Report, the Twins affiliates all lost. Yesterday, Jeremy got to write the report, and all of the teams won. Well, here I am writing the minor league report on Thursday, so you’ll have to see if these trends continued.Find out everything and more that happened in the Twins system on Thursday. Let’s start with the transaction of the day: Glen Perkins was assigned to Chattanooga as part of his rehab.Chris Paul began his rehab in the GCL. He’s been out since late May with a broken hamate.Tyler Wells was taken off of the Kernels disabled list and assigned to the GCL. My assumption is that they want him to make one more appearance in the GCL before moving back to the Kernels. Or, maybe there’s more going on with the Kernels roster. We shall see.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 4, Norfolk 6 (11) Box Score Stephen Gonsalves made his much-anticipated Red Wings (err… Plates) debut on Thursday night. The left-hander was pretty impressive in this outing. Through three innings, he faced the minimum nine batters. He gave up one run in the fourth inning on three hits. One line drive was painful… and will likely be more painful tomorrow. As Gonsalves told Twins Daily following his outing, likely with a grimace, “That’s going to hurt tomorrow. 109 (mph) to the oblique.” That was the measurement that the Trackman system provided. As impressive, the lefty calmly reached down to grab the ball and throw the batter out at first base. He took a handful of warmup pitches and stayed in the game. One pitch later, with runners on second and third, he got the inning’s final out. He looked comfortable the first three innings, and he looked very comfortable over his final three innings. The lone mistake was falling behind big-league veteran Chris Johnson 3-0. Johnson hit a rocket into the left-field bleachers, but that was about it. In seven innings, Gonsalves gave up two runs on four hits. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. Throwing strikes was the key for the left-hander. In his own words, “All went well. Located all my pitches tonight. Was able to throw slider and curve behind in the count and that never happens. But something clicked in my bullpen in Chattanooga, and I've felt great since. Was able to get first pitch strikes on 18 of 25 (batters) and as along as you can get ahead, that's the name of the game. The guy I got behind was the home run.” Gonsalves left the game with a 4-2 lead and some very good relievers coming in behind him. Michael Tonkin got the eighth inning. He gave up one run on three hits. John Curtiss got the ninth, trying to protect a now-one-run lead. Norfolk tied the game at four when the first three batters reached base. Somehow, Curtiss escaped the ninth inning with the game tied. He pitched a scoreless tenth inning. Drew Rucinski pitched a scoreless 11th inning, but he gave up two runs in the 12th inning to take the loss. The Red Wings had plenty of base runners and plenty of opportunities. However, they stranded 17 players on base. The eight and nine hitters each had two hits. So did the lineup’s first five batters. Zack Granite went 2-6 with a double. Mitch Garver was 2-6 with a walk and his 25th double. Daniel Palka went 2-6 with a walk. Matt Hague went 2-6 with his 24th double. Byungho Park went 2-5 with a walk. JB Shuck went 2-5 with a walk. Leonardo Reginnato went 2-5 with a walk. He had a two-strike, two-out single to give the Red Wings a 4-2 lead. The Rochester Plates promotion was successful. Over 13,000 fans in the stands for the game and the special jersey giveaway. It was so successful, they’re going to do it again… every home game in 2018! Jared Akins went 2-4 with three RBI. He knocked his first professional home run and fourth stolen base. Alex Robles went 2-4 with his sixth stolen base. Ricky De La Torre was 1-2 with two walks. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Rochester Red Wings. Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jimmy Kerrigan, Cedar Rapids Kernels FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) - RHP Zack Littell Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (DH @ 4:00 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc, RHP Sean Poppen Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker Greeneville @ Elizabethton (DH at 4:05 CST) - LHP Ryley Widell GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (11:00 am) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. Click here to view the article

I have to believe this is the case.

I agree with your last sentence. That absolutely should be the focus... But they're there, and they're close now. I don't know if I agree with you on Gee and Enns being better for this year. That very well may be true, and logically, I think it's accurate...But we don't know how good Gee can or will be, and we don't know how Enns will handle tonight (or subsequent starts). Likewise, we don't know how Gonsalves or Romero would handle the big leagues, much less a playoff race either. Could be great. Could be good. Could be bad. No way to know either way. But I think I agree with the logic of the decisions on Gee and Enns. And the front office will adjust the roster accordingly pending results.

No question... this team is flawed, and for all of the positive "could be's' that I mentioned, the exact opposite could happen. But, it just feels like Twins fans have kind of talked themselves out of 2017 hope, and I look at it as Why not keep optimistic as long as possible! And, be excited and hopeful. But I agree that they should also be realistic and not give up the farm for anything either. There's certainly a fine line there somewhere.

I believe this is what we all said about Brandon Kintzler for the last 14-15 months or so. Belisle certainly doesn't profile as an elite closer... but he's a good pitcher. Even if things go well for him down the stretch, he'll blow one or two, like all closers. The key will be how he bounces back from a blown save. He's 3-3 so far...

The Minnesota Twins won their fourth game in a row on Wednesday night when they traveled over to Milwaukee and shut out the Brewers 4-0. The Twins got seven shutout innings from Bartolo Colon followed by a clean eighth inning from Taylor Rogers. Matt Belisle struck out the side in the ninth to maintain the shutout. The win moved the Twins back to the .500 mark, at 56-56, with 50 games to go. It’s been a roller coaster for the Twins the last month. They surprised people and became buyers. Less than a week later, the team became sellers at the trade deadline. The win put the Twins back within 1.5 games of a wild card spot. So, should the Twins be buyers again?There are a number of ways to look at the 2017 Minnesota Twins to try to figure out what they should do here in August. It’s clear that the team, at least not right now, should not sell off any additional players. At least not this week. But should they be buyers? Well, the Twins are now 4.5 games back of Cleveland in the AL Central Division and one game behind the Royals for second place. However, in the wild card race, they find themselves just 1.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners, who would be the second wild card team if the season was to end today. Sure, the Twins still have to pass three teams to get into that second wild card slot, but with 50 games to play, it’s not insurmountable by any means. The Mariners have played three more games and have three more wins already in the bank. The Rays already have two more wins in the bank. But 50 games is a lot of time. The Effect Of The Trade Deadline Brian Dozier spoke out with his thoughts on the decision of the front office to trade lefty Jaime Garcia before the deadline. While the team’s downward slide meant that the voices were a bit quieter when the team traded closer Brandon Kintzler on the deadline day, there’s no doubt that there was some disappointment in the clubhouse. We know that Paul Molitor had a rare team meeting. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during that meeting. I would guess that the message from the manager to his team was clear. Yes, the front office made some decisions, and they traded a couple of players that we could use. I’m guessing that he spoke about how much talent there still was in that locker room. I would assume he mentioned that he was not going to give up on anything, that he believed in the players and he would manage with the goal to win. I’m certain that he challenged the team to prove people wrong. That’s the same thing Brian Dozier has said in a few interviews since the trades. Proving people wrong. That can be a motivator. Where Falvey and Levine Wrong to Trade Garcia and Kintzler? The answer to that question is certainly a matter of opinion, but I still don’t think it was. For the front office, they need to continue thinking big picture. They need to look at things like the team’s run differential and realize that there was a likelihood of a slide. When Cleveland and Kansas City both went on extended winning streaks before the trade deadline and it coincided with the Twins worst stretch of the season, the moves were right. The organization took on payroll. They took the contract of Garcia so that they “only” had to send rookie ball pitcher Huascar Ynoa to Atlanta. But Garcia will be a free agent at the end of the season. They will continue paying Garcia throughout the season, and in doing so, they were able to pick up quality pitching prospects Zack Littell (AA) and Dietrich Enns, who will start for the Twins on Thursday. Trading Kintzler, who also will be a free agent at the end of the year, for a young, left-handed, projectable starting pitcher also made sense. The Twins have a history in the last decade of selling low rather than selling high. I think that the front office did a good job of selling high. Youth Movement Delayed? The team is in contention again, and they need to act accordingly. That means, in my opinion, that they should not call up young players just to give them experience, just to get them big league time. Decisions should again be made with the primary thought being what will help the 2017 Twins. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that young players shouldn’t be called up. If there are young players at AAA, or even AA, that they feel will give them a better chance to win now, call them up. With the injury to Adalberto Mejia, someone will have to take his place in the rotation. For Thursday, that will be Dietrich Enns. But Dillon Gee could be an option this year. So could Tim Melville, or Aaron Slegers, or Stephen Gonsalves, or Fernando Romero. Whoever the Twins brass believes will give them the best chance to win. Talk of getting rid of Bartolo Colon, or DFAing him, really needs to stop. I hope that's clear to everyone. After Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios, Colon has given the Twins a reliable third starter option. Kyle Gibson has been OK of late. Losing Mejia hurts, but it all goes back to someone else stepping up. Maybe that’s Enns. Maybe that’s needing Dillon Gee to eat three to five innings sometimes. And if in a week or so, they feel that Stephen Gonsalves is ready to help them win games, call him up. Should They Be Buyers? I’m curious what you all think. Leave your comments below. But my general thought would be that they can again be looking for pitching. Cleveland added outfielder Jay Bruce, who has 29 homers and 75 RBI this season for the Mets. And they only had to send 22 year old, right-handed relief pitcher Ryder Ryan in return. He was Cleveland’s 30th-round draft pick in 2016 out of North Carolina. In Low-A Lake County, he’s got a 4.79 ERA. In other words, if Jay Bruce could be available for a non-prospect relief pitcher, the cost for the Twins to acquire some relief pitcher help, or even a mid-rotation starter, should not be too high. In my opinion, if the price is right, Falvey and Levine should consider any options to make the team better. Is It OK for Twins fans to get their hopes up? Hey, there are a lot of real positives on this Twins roster. There’s The Core Four. Byron Buxton equals tremendous center field defense, and he’s been improved at the plate. Miguel Sano is in a rough stretch offensively right now, but we know the power he can provide. His defense has also been better than advertised. Max Kepler had slumped, but in recent games, he appears to be figuring some things out at the plate. Defensively, he plays well in right field. Jose Berrios is the pitcher in the group, and he’s been as good as hoped, maybe even a little better. He got off to a great start for the Twins this year, struggled for a few starts and then he’s been better again lately. These four will be a big part of the charge toward a wild card spot. Eddie Rosario and Jorge Polanco are outside of my Twins Core Four, but they are vital to Twins playoff hopes. Rosario has been among the best Twins hitters the last two months. It’d be great if that could continue for a couple more months. Jorge Polanco just had the worst two-month stretch of his career. In the last week, he is coming out of that and hitting like we thought he could. His defense has also slumped, but if he can be an average defender down the stretch, it will be huge for the Twins. The veterans also need to step up. Joe Mauer’s been better this year than in recent years. Fans need to accept what he is now offensively and stop worrying about his contract and such. What he needs to do is continue getting on base (same with Robbie Grossman), and continue to come up big with runners in scoring position as he has his whole career, even in the down years. His ability to play first base so well has saved several errors already, and he should continue to keep extra base runners from getting on. Brian Dozier isn’t having the same season success as he did in 2016, but the last week, he has taken off. Really, since the All-Star Game, he has been very good again. We’ve seen what he can do when he’s hot, so what if he’s got another two-months of being on fire left in him? What would that mean for the Twins? If all of that, or even several of those things, can happen in the final 50 games, then Jason Castro and Chris Gimenez can focus on their defense and working with the pitchers. Any offense will be a bonus from them, so hopefully they can at least work counts and take a lot of pitches. The offense has a chance to come up big through the final two months. But it will obviously be the pitching that needs to step it up for the Twins to have a chance at a playoff berth. We need to hope that Ervin Santana pitches like he did in April and May and not like he did in June. We need to hope the Bartolo Colon has seven or eight more good starts left in his 44-year-old arm. We need to hope that Kyle Gibson can pitch like he did in 2015 for the rest of the season. We need to hope that Adalberto Mejia can come back healthy. And if not, someone will need to step it up, whether that’s Dietrich Enns or Dillon Gee or Stephen Gonsalves or Fernando Romero or some combination of them. And the bullpen will need to find its way to success. There were a lot of struggles early in the season, but Taylor Rogers and Brandon Kintzler were fantastic. Well, with the one-week exception right before the trade deadline. Rogers will need to get back to his dominant self in the eighth innings. Matt Belisle will need to continue “pulling a Kintzler” in the ninth innings. And after that, guys will just have to step it up in their roles. Maybe that means more Trevor Hildenberger in the seventh and eighth innings. Maybe it’s trusting Alan Busenitz. Having a Dillon Gee-like long-relief option could be important, at least until rosters expand in September. Being able to use Buddy Boshers only against left-handers will also be helpful, though when he does face right-handers, he’ll need to find a way to get them out. Listen. A lot of things would have to go right for the Twins to just get that second wild card spot. Is that worth getting excited about? Would you be excited about a one-game playoff game against the New York Yankees? I would be. I am. I just wrote about 2,100 words, trying to show that there are many reasons, and admittedly many What Ifs, to be excited about the Twins. I’m thrilled that we have a team to watch that is competitive. I’m thrilled and excited to see what happens in the final 50 games. If I were a Twins fan (and I have been for at least 36 of my years - I don’t remember the first six years too well), I’d be excited about what could be. But as we’ve seen a couple of times in the last month, in another week, the situation could change completely again. Then they could be sellers again. I look at it like this. The Twins didn’t have Garcia when they put themselves in a position to be buyers. So, trading him is a loss, and yet it put them right where they were a week earlier, roster-wise. Losing Kintzler takes a really good pitcher out of the bullpen rotation. It may hurt. It might. But, had he (or any other key piece of the team) got hurt and went on the DL, it would be similar. Someone would have had to step into those roles. And the phrase “Step it up” applies again. And maybe it took a trade to push some players. They’re major leaguers. They shouldn’t need extra motivation, but if that’s what it was, I’m fine with that. Right now the Twins are a .500 team, but they’re on a four-game winning streak. It’s OK to be excited again. Click here to view the article

Not sure I understand the correlation between Wander Javier and signing indy league free agents.