Seth Stohs

Seemingly a minor note in the Thursday night news that the Twins had traded Eduardo Nunez for Adalberto Mejia was the fact that Jorge Polanco was recalled to the big league roster. But now what? Will Polanco finally get an opportunity to play every day for the Twins?The initial thought when the Twins traded their starting shortstop might be that Polanco, who was named to several Top 100 prospect lists, would take over the job for the Twins the rest of the way. But will it and should it happen. Consider Polanco's playing time by position so far in 2016: In Rochester, he has played: 2B - 64 games, 559.1 innings3B - 2 games, 17 inningsSS - 0 games, 0 inningsIn his brief time with the Twins, he played:2B - 4 games, 34 innings3B - 1 game, 7 inningsSS - 1 game, 8 inningsPolanco was signed in July of 2009 as a slick-fielding shortstop. He moved slowly through the lower levels of the minor leagues ,playing a variety of infield positions. At Cedar Rapids in 2013, he split his time fairly evenly between shortstop and second base. However in 2014 and 2015, the Twins committed to giving Polanco a real opportunity to play shortstop full time. It didn't go well. In 2014, he committed 37 errors at shortstop between Ft. Myers and New Britain. In 2015, he had 28 errors between Chattanooga and Rochester. Reports indicated that he may have been worse than the error numbers indicate as he struggled with even the most routine of plays. The question about Polanco at shortstop has generally been whether or not he had the arm strength to make all of the throws from the position. In spring training, he really struggled at shortstop, particularly with the throws. He frequently short-hopped the first baseman. Sometimes they were scooped. Other times the first baseman didn't have a chance. As spring training ended and he was sent back to minor league camp, he took ground balls at third base and second base. At Rochester this year slick-fielding Wilfredo Tovar has been playing shortstop most every day. As the numbers above show, Polanco hasn't played a single inning at shortstop this year in Rochester. His one game at shortstop this year came with the Twins. So, what do the Twins do with Polanco the rest of this year? First and foremost, they need to play him most every day. He is out of options next season and will have to remain with the big league club or be lost (he would be lost) on waivers. As I see it, they have two options with Polanco. Maybe you have some other ideas. Idea #1: Play Polanco almost every day at shortstop. Brian Dozier is at second base and is back to showing power. Unless Dozier is traded, he will be the Twins second baseman the next couple of years at least. So Polanco will need to find time at shortstop of third base. Well, Miguel Sano factors into the third base decision so he needs to play there often to find out if he can play the hot corner. That leaves shortstop as the position where Polanco has a chance to play. Eduardo Escobar remains in the picture. He was the opening day shortstop after posting great numbers the last two second halves. But, Polanco needs an opportunity. It is a lost season for the Twins. Play him. Idea #2: Play Polanco every day at either SS, 2B, 3B or DH. Maybe even in the outfield? He needs to hit and be in the lineup every day. But with other options, they need to play to. So, Polanco can play all over, find out where he's best and most comfortable. OK, your turn. What do you do with Jorge Polanco the rest of the season? Click here to view the article

Not much we can do about that though. Obviously when there is big breaking news, we are going to try to get an Article out there as quickly as we can, but that takes a few minutes and a little more. When I get the press release, I try to do a little more research. I think merging the forums makes great sense so that none of the comments have been lost. We aren't going to NOT write an article on a big story.

Thank you! I remember reading that so I just typed it wrong. I'll blame my cold! Ha! It's been corrected.

Rob Antony jumped into the trade market after Thursday night’s game by trading All-Star Eduardo Nunez to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Triple-A left-handed pitcher Adalberto Mejia. Jorge Polanco was recalled from Rochester. Polanco and the Red Wings had a strong offensive output on Thursday including a huge game from Byung Ho Park. Find out what Park and his teammates did as well as the rest of the scores and highlights from the Twins affiliates on Thursday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 13, Pawtucket 5 Box Score Byung Ho Park has been on a tear of late. In Thursday morning’s game, he put on a show, and he wasn’t the only one. He went 3-5 and in his last three at bats, he hit home runs and drove in five runs. He now has hit eight home runs in the last ten games. Daniel Palka provided the early offense. He went 3-5 with his sixth double and fifth home run (26th overall) of the season. He drove in three runs. Jorge Polanco went 3-5 with two runs and two RBIs in what will hopefully be his final game with the Red Wings. John Ryan Murphy went 3-4. Logan Schafer was 2-5 with his third Red Wings homer. Jason Wheeler didn’t have his best start, but he did improve to 8-2 with an ERA of 2.70. The lefty went five innings and gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two. Marcus Walden came on and gave up one run on three hits over two innings. He struck out three. Alex Wimmers pitched the eighth inning. He gave up one run on one hit. He walked three and struck out two. Sean Burnett worked a quiet ninth. The Red Wings are now 61-46 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 3 Box Score Tied going into the bottom of the ninth inning, Edgar Corcino led off with his second hit of the game. He advanced to second base on a bunt. A Levi Michael single pushed Corcino to third base. Zach Granite came to the plate and played hero when he singled in Corcino with the game-winning run. The Lookouts improved to 54-49. Levi Michael went 3-3 in the game. Corcino was 2-4 and stole his first base with the Lookouts. Ryan Walker went 2-4 with his seventh double. Mitch Garver was also 2-4. David Hurlbut started for Chattanooga. The lefty gave up two runs on four hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out six batters. Mason Melotakis pitched the eighth inning. He gave up the game-tying run on one hit and one walk . Raul Fernandez got the win thanks to a perfect ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Box Score The Miracle enjoyed a rare off day. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 0 Box Score The Kernels put together a terrific pitching performance on Thursday night and were able to complete the shutout. They improve to 56-46 overall on the season. Australian Sam Gibbons recently returned to the rotation and appears to be showing some glimpses of what Kernels fans saw last year. He threw six shutout innings to improve to 5-3 on the year. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out four. Kuo Hua Lo gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Anthony McIver threw two perfect innings, striking out two, to notch his sixth save. Nelson Molina led the offense. He went 2-3 with a walk and an RBI double. He now has ten doubles on the year. The other run was driven in by a single from Sean Miller. Chris Ibarra went 2-3 with a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Game 1 - Elizabethton 2, Bristol 4 Box Score Ryan Mason provided the E-Twins with something of value. He pitched the complete game, but he fell to 0-2 on the season. The right-hander gave up four runs on seven hits in his six innings. He walked none and struck out four. Caleb Hamilton, a 2016 draft pick from Oregon State, knocked his first professional homer. He was 2-3 in the game. Brandon Lopez went 1-1, added a walk and a sacrifice fly drove in the second run for the Twins. He also stole his second base. There were supposed to be two games. The second game had barely started when the rains came. They postponed Game 2 and will play two seven inning games on Friday. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 0 Box Score It was a well-rounded game for the GCL Twins. Of course, it all starts with pitching. Florida Gulf Coast grad Brady Anderson made another strong start. The right-hander threw six shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out five to improve to 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA. Jordan Balazovic came on for his second appearance and recorded his first professional save. He worked the final three innings. He had two strikeouts and the other seven batters grounded out. Jose Miranda led the offense. He went 2-3 with his fourth double and two RBIs. Jorge Munoz went 2-4 with his fifth double. Heiker Meneses, still rehabbing, went 2-3. Aaron Whitefield went 1-3 with a walk and stole his 16th base. Roni Tapia has just three hits so far this season, but two of them are home runs. The second came in Thursday’s game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Sam Gibbons, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byung Ho Park, Rochester Red Wings FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Pat Dean Tennessee @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) - LHP Sam Clay Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Elizabethton @ Bristol (DH @ 5:00 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen & TBD GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's games. Click here to view the article

Following the Twins 6-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night, the team announced that All Star Shortstop Eduardo Nunez has been traded to the San Francisco Giants. In return, the Twins received left-handed pitcher Adalberto Mejia. He just turned 23 years old. In 18 starts between AA Richmond and AAA Sacramento this year, he is a combined 7-3 with a 2.81 ERA. In 105.2 innings, he has 27 walks and 102 strikeouts. He made 11 starts in AA and has now made seven starts in AAA.The Giants have an All-Star caliber shortstop in Brandon Crawford. Second Baseman Joe Panik is about to come off of the Disabled List. Matt Duffy has been their primary third baseman. Eduardo Nunez will likely play all three positions, and maybe even a little in the outfield. Once considered the heir-apparent to Derek Jeter as the New York Yankees shortstop, Eduardo Nunez never really got that opportunity. Instead, he had to play as a utility infielder. In April of 2014, he was traded to the Twins in exchange for left-handed pitcher Miguel Sulbaran. He played in 72 games for the Twins in 2014 and hit just .250/.271/.381 (.654). In 2015, he finally seemed to really accept the role of a bench player and thrived. He hit .272/.327/.431 (.758). Because of injury, Nunez finally got an opportunity to play every day and he took full advantage. While he has slowed down in the last month, he is still hitting .300/.326/.444 (.771) with 15 doubles, 12 homers, 47 RBI and a league-leading 26 stolen bases. He made - and earned - his first All Star appearance. Popular in the clubhouse, Nunez will likely be missed by teammates. He is considered a leader among the players, particularly the many young players from Latin American countries. However, to get a prospect the caliber of Adalberto Mejia for him is rather impressive. Mejia was suspended 50 games for PEDs following the 2014 season. He missed time at the start of the 2015 season. Since, he he pitched very well. Mejia is listed at 6-3, 195 pounds, but most believe he is at least 20 pounds more than that. However, the southpaw has a fastball that reached to 93-94 mph.He also throws a slider in the mid-80s and a low-80s change up. For Rob Antony's first move as the interim GM, I would think this would go down in the "Pro" column for his candidacy for the full-time job. Mejia's Twins career will begin with the Rochester Red Wings. Jorge Polanco was recalled to the Twins. Click here to view the article

Let's discuss... here's my rankings... what would your look like?

His OPS by month: April: .708 May: .746 June: .728 July: .997

I meant to write about that... I think he threw two shutout innings. It's the second time he's pitched against the GCL Twins in his rehab.

Depends on what happens at the trade deadline and if you think Duffey should make his adjustments at AAA or at the big league level. Either way, Berrios should not make another start for Rochester (in my opinion).

Did Jose Berrios make his final start for the Red Wings on Wednesday night? Could his next start be early next week in a Twins uniform? We shall find out. If so, he ends his Rochester stint with a 10-5 record and a 2.44 ERA after a loss in this game. Will JT Chargois get there first? How about Trevor Hildenberger? And, Mitch Garver is making a strong case for a September (or sooner) call up. In #OldFriend news, Doug Bernier hit for the cycle on Wednesday night for the Round Rock Express.Continue reading for much more information on the scores and highlights from the six Twins minor league affiliates on Wednesday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Pawtucket 3 Box Score For this game, he gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out eight. However, in the fourth inning, he gave up the three runs on two hits and two of the walks. DJ Baxendale came out for the seventh inning. He had started his bullpen stint in Rochester with 10 straight scoreless appearances before giving up two runs in his appearance two days ago. He gave up just one hit - and no runs - over 1.2 innings. He struck out one. Ryan O’Rourke came in and got the final out. The Red Wings hitters combined for just five hits. Adam Brett Walker went 3-4. Tommy Field had two hits in the game. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Tennessee 4 Box Score Though his ERA went up a little bit to 3.38, Kohl Stewart improved to 5-4 on the season. The right-hander gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out two. Zack Jones came on and gave up one run on two hits and a walk in his inning. Jake Reed gave up a hit and walked two, but gave up no runs over two shutout innings. Trevor Hildenberger then worked a perfect ninth inning (to drop his AA ERA to 0.70. Mitch Garver is making a very strong case for a September call up. The catcher/DH has been terrific for the last two months. On Wednesday night, he went 2-4 with his 25th double and tenth home run of the season. His homer gave the Lookouts a 5-3 lead that they never gave up. Edgar Corcino got things going. Batting eighth he went 3-4 including his first AA home run and two runs batted in. Engelb Vielma, batting ninth, went 3-4 with an RBI. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Palm Beach 3 Box Score Randy LeBlanc posted his fourth straight quality start for the Miracle. It helped them to a sweep of Palm Beach. The right-hander went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out two. Luke Westphal came on and was charged with an unearned run in the seventh. He walked two and struck out two. Mike Theofanopoulos got two outs, one on a strikeout. Brian Gilbert gave up a hit but got a strikeout to end the eighth inning. Todd Van Steensel gave up a hit in a scoreless inning. Brian Navarreto went 3-4 with two RBI. LaMonte Wade went 2-3 with his sixth double and an RBI. Trey Vavra hit his 15th double. Daniel Kihle added his second double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 10, Kane County 2 Box Score Through his first nine starts for Cedar Rapids, Dereck Rodriguez was 1-7 with a 7.71 ERA. At the time, manager Jake Mauer said that the young man was going to have to figure things out. Since then, Rodriguez has completed six or more innings in eight straight starts. On this night, he went six innings and gave up one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out six. Over those eight starts, he has a 3.44 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. Max Cordy worked the next two innings. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out five. Michael Cederoth struck out three (and walked one) in a scoreless inning. Rodriguez improved to 3-11. Even in his nice stretch these last eight starts, he is just 2-4. On this night, the Kernels’ hitters gave him plenty of run support. Chris Cavaness had the big hit. With the bases loaded, he hit his second triple. All three runs scored, and on a throwing error, so did Cavaness. Chris Ibarra went 3-6 with his first double with the Kernels. Zander Wiel and Nelson Molina were both 2-3 with two walks. Casey Scoggins had a single and two walks. JJ Fernandez knocked his 20th double. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Pulaski 2 Box Score The E-Twins got strong pitching and several key hits throughout this game. Tyler Wells started. He went the first 4.1 innings and gave up one run. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out five. Austin Tribby came on and threw 2.1 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out two. Johan Quezada gave up a solo home run in 1.1 innings. He had three hits and struck out one. Patrick McGuff picked up his second save for the E-Twins with another scoreless inning. The Twins 36th round pick has now thrown 14.1 innings as a pro without giving up a run. The Twins got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Amaurys Minier hit his fifth home run to give them a 1-0 lead. In the seventh inning, Andre Jernigan hit his second homer of the season to give them a 2-1 lead. Shane Carrier drove in two runs. He was 2-4 with his ninth double. Alex Kirilloff singled in a run. Ariel Montesino went 2-4. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Orioles 3 Box Score Huascar Ynoa fell to 0-4 despite another solid start. His ERA is a respectable 2.96. The right-hander went 5.1 innings and gave up two runs (one earned). He walked one and struck out nine. Zach Strecker came on and gave up one run on one hit and one walk in 1.2 innings. He struck out two. Daniel Martinez gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. The Twins selected shortstop Jose Miranda with one of their supplemental second round picks. On Wednesday, Miranda hit his first professional home run. Aaron Whitefield went 1-3 with a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Chattanooga Lookouts THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (10:05 am CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler Tennessee @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers - No Game Scheduled Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – RHP Sam Gibbons Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST) - RHP Ryan Mason GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

That was Jay's 2nd or 3rd appearance already. It's played out exactly how I figured it would. No sense in calling him up now and especially not for just September.

How would the Angels look if not for their 2009 draft?

Although I'd like to see it, and would have no problem with it, teams just don't do that. And probably shouldn't. Tommy Watkins earned his promotion in that he was playing pretty well, there was an injury and a need and he came up and played almost every day for like 17 games until he got hurt. I'd like to see Beresford get that call. I think we could make a strong argument that he's earned it. Certainly did last year. Jairo? On the field, not so much, and being a good guy and a good teammate just doesn't get you to the big leagues. But... it can get a story on Twins Daily!!

Maybe in some cases, but the two are very different in terms of willingness to talk and staying away from cliches as much as possible. He's pretty open, while at the same time not completely giving away too much. He's really good.

Here is the tweet on Blankenhorn's "strange" home run situation that I received from his agent during the game.

Updated... thank you for pointing that out.

If I were to ask you which five players have been in the Twins organization the longest continuously, it might take you a couple of minutes. However, you would likely, quickly name the top three; Joe Mauer (2001 - 1st round), Trevor Plouffe (2004 - 1st round) and Glen Perkins (2004 - 1st round). And you’d be right. If I were to ask you who the next two on the list are, would you know? The Twins signed Australian James Beresford in August of 2005. He’s spent the last four seasons in AAA Rochester, having earned an opportunity for a big league call up yet having not received one to this point. Today, I’ll help you get to know the fifth-longest tenured player in the Minnesota Twins organization. It’s catcher Jairo Rodriguez who signed on May 9, 2007, out of Venezuela. That makes 2016 his tenth season in the organization.You probably haven’t read his name in the Twins Daily Minor League reports real often. In his 10 years, Rodriguez has played in 374 games. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, the 27-year-old has played in a total of 72 games. Each season, he has played a little bit less. In 2016, he has played in a total of just six games in Chattanooga. He has spent a lot of time on the disabled list in recent years. As a solid defensive catcher, yet not a top prospect, it is nice to have the depth that he provides for the organization at a position where it is difficult to remain healthy all season. In the minor leagues, the disabled list is a little bit more loose. In other words, the organization needs to list an injury to put them on the disabled list. Some like to call it the “Fake DL.” Last week, when Travis Harrison was placed on Chattanooga’s DL with a concussion (sustained when he was hit by a pitch in the helmet), Jairo Rodriguez was added to the active roster. On that roster, he can catch when Stuart Turner gets a day off, or Mitch Garver gets a day at first base. Since being added to the roster ten days ago, Rodriguez has one at-bat. Rodriguez isn’t what you’d call a prospect. He is what many people call a glue guy, an organizational. He is described as a great teammate, a hard-worker who sets a good example for his teammates. He is said to have a very high baseball IQ and is willing to help teammates, especially catchers with their game. Jairo Rodriguez was born and raised in Acarigua, Venezuela, a city of about 300,000 people a little over 200 miles west of Caracas. He started playing baseball at a very early age. “I was four years old when I first started playing. My brothers and I would play together.” Soon after, he began playing more organized ball. “I played in a league called Incitos. I really enjoyed playing it.” In 2007, he signed with the Twins. “The Twins were the only team that was interested in signing me. That made the decision easy.” He has been a guy that the Twins have felt comfortable placing at any level. He spent one year playing in Venezuela, followed by two years in the Dominican Summer League. He came to the States in 2010 and played in the GCL. He split the 2011 season between the GCL and Elizabethton. In 2012, he played in Beloit for the full season. He traveled quite a bit in 2013. He played for Cedar Rapids, Ft. Myers and even Rochester. In 2014, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He has spent 2015 and 2016 in Chattanooga. It is primarily his attitude, his character and his defensive abilities that have kept him around for a decade. “I like catching. I try to be like Ivan Rodriguez as much as I can. He is who I look up to.” He continued, speaking of what he most enjoys about the catcher position, “I would say blocking balls and helping the pitcher command the game.” Some might get frustrated by the lack of playing time and jumping from affiliate to affiliate over the years. Rodriguez doesn’t seem to mind in the least. “I like doing that because I love baseball and whatever the Twins want me to do, I will do.” His love of the game keeps him playing all year round. In the winters, he doesn’t take too much time off. “I go on a week’s vacation with my family every offseason, and then go play baseball in Venezuela.That’s my favorite.” He plays for Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League. “It’s really cool because a lot of big leaguers play there, and I like playing with those guys.” Rodriguez got the chance to live the big league life for a couple of days before the 2016 season started. Rodriguez was one of a few minor leaguers invited to travel with the Twins to Washington DC and play in the final exhibition games. Though he was the fourth catcher on the traveling squad, it was - even if unspoken - a reward for Rodriguez’s loyalty to the organization. Making the experience even cooler, in the second exhibition game, Rodriguez came in as a pinch hitter. On the first pitch, he lined a solid single to right field. “It felt really good to get a base hit in that game. The big leagues is very different because there are a lot of superstars up there that you watch on TV.” Rodriguez is proud to have remained in the Twins organization for a full decade. “It’s an organization that has been good to me. We have good coaching staffs, and I like that everybody plays hard with the Twins.” Rodriguez will continue to play as long as the Twins want him back, but after that, he has some ideas. “I would love to stay in baseball and be a coach for somebody one day. Maybe even for the Twins.” Just four players have been in the Twins system longer than Jairo Rodriguez, and I’m guessing there are several who read this article who had never heard of him. That’s too bad. Players, and people, like Jairo Rodriguez deserve to be recognized. Click here to view the article

I believe their GM is Dave Stewart and the Director of Baseball Operations is Tony Larussa...

There are just so many variables that you'd hate to put any sort of progress timeline in concrete. It's just not fair. Sure, the stars and Hall of Famers tend to come up to the big leagues by 22 or so, but there are plenty of All Stars and solid regulars who come up at 24 and 25, and there are plenty of contributing utility guys, bullpen arms, etc., who come up when they're 25-27. By that theory, Hildenberger should never have even been drafted as a 5th year senior.

I would argue that if you hit on 3 out of 8 minor league free agent signings in a season, that's pretty good.