Seth Stohs

The bats were quiet through most of the Twins farm system on Wednesday. There were a few really strong pitching performances. I mean, Felix Jorge was on the mound, so you knew there would be at least one strong pitching performance, right? And, we’ve been waiting for it, but Wednesday was finally the professional debut of Twins top pick, Alex Kirilloff. Find out how that went and much more in today’s Twins Minor League Report. We even have Miguel Sano video.Let’s start with a couple of quick notes before we get to the game reports and highlights. First, after missing just over two weeks with a hamstring injury, Wander Javier returned to the DSL Twins lineup. He played about a half a game and got two plate appearances, a walk and a strikeout. While the other affiliates have played their All-Star Games, the AAA ASG is near the MLB All-Star Game. Three members of the Rochester Red Wings will participate in the event. Lefty Jason Wheeler, second baseman Jorge Polanco and pitching coach Stu Cliburn will participate in the event. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Pawtucket 3 Box Score Logan Darnell started for the Red Wings. The southpaw gave up three runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. Sean Burnett came on and got the next four outs, including one on a strikeout. Alex Wimmers pitched a scoreless inning despite giving up a hit and two walks. Marcus Walden gave up a hit in a scoreless inning. Adam Brett Walker led the offense. He went 2-4 with his 11th double. Tommy Field hit his tenth double. Carlos Paulino was 0-1, but he drove in two runs. Miguel Sano batted third and played third base. He went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout. This may not go down as his greatest moment. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Pensacola 3 Box Score David Hurlbut didn’t get any run support from the hitters or his fielders in this game. The lefty gave up three runs (just one earned) on nine hits. He walked one and struck out five. Three errors were committed behind him. Corey Williams and Raul Fernandez each worked a scoreless inning. There wasn’t much offense. There were six hits, though no one had more than one. Daniel Palka went 1-3 with a walk. Leonardo Reginnato went 1-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. Stuart Turner went 1-3, was hit by a pitch and hit his 10th double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Palm Beach 3 Box Score He gave up two runs in the 7th inning, but outside of that, Felix Jorge was tremendous again. In all, the right-hander went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out a season-high ten batters. Brandon Peterson got the final two outs in the seventh and then gave up one run in the eighth inning. Todd Van Steensel came on for the ninth, attempting to save a two-run lead. He walked two and struck out one, but he got help from catcher Brian Navarreto who threw out a man trying to steal a base. Van Steensel came through with a big strikeout to end the game. Jorge improved to 8-3 on the season, though his ERA “jumped” to 1.67. The save was Van Steensel’s fifth of the year. The top of the Miracle lineup was very productive. The first five batters each had two hits. TJ White was 2-5 with his first triple. AJ Murray went 2-4 with a walk. Niko Goodrum (4), Trey Vavra (10) and Edgar Corcino (11) each went 2-4 and added a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 4 Box Score For the second time in four games, leadoff man Luis Arraez had a four-hit game. Over those four games, he is 11-17 from the plate. Daniel Kihle went 2-4. Sean Miller added his 12th double. JJ Fernandez extended his hitting streak to ten games with his 16th double. Miles Nordgren fell to 3-4 with just a 2.93 ERA in this complete game effort. The right-hander went all eight innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on ten hits. He walked one and struck out nine. 75 of his 107 pitches were strikes. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Pulaski 6 Box Score Twins first-round pick Alex Kirilloff has been with the E-Twins since Saturday, but on Wednesday, he finally made his professional debut. He batted sixth and was the team’s DH. It didn’t take him too long to record his first hit. He lined a single to center in his first at bat. He went 1-3 in the game and will likely make his first start in the outfield on Thursday. There wasn’t much offense for the E-Twins on this night. Ariel Montesino continues to hit. He went 2-3 with a walk. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-4 and had the team’s lone RBI. Alex Robinson has a ton of talent. He struck out eight in his season debut, but he also walked six batters. Control has been his issue and it reared its ugly head on Wednesday night in the E-Twins home opener. Robinson was charged with three runs on four hits in just 2.1 innings. He walked five batters without a strikeout. Robinson was replaced by Tyler Beardsley. He gave up two runs on five hits, but he got through 3.2 more innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk. Max Cordy gave up one run on three hits and a walk in his two innings. He also struck out five. Austin Tribby, a left-hander from Missouri, came on for the ninth to make his professional debut. He walked two and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Orioles 3 Box Score The Twins didn’t have much offense in this game. Twins 12th round pick Zach Featherstone went 2-3 with a walk. Juan Gamez, a late-round pick from NDSU, recorded his first professional hit in this game, a single. Tyler Fox made the start. He gave up two runs on two hits in 3.2 innings. He walked one and struck out two. Matz Schutte gave up one run on two hits over two innings. Moises Gomez went 1.1 innings without allowing a run despite a hit and two walks. Zach Strecker walked one in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luis Arraez, Cedar Rapids Kernels THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (DH @ 5:05 CST) - LHPs Andrew Albers, Nick Greenwood Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:30 CST) - RHP Ryan Eades Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (11:00 am CST) - RHP Keaton Steele Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) – RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - TBD 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

Control, but maybe even more important, command. Absolutely the key for both.

No one would, but as written in the article and throughout the comments, that's not why he's included.

I can't disagree with that, and if I replaced someone to add him it would likely be Taylor Rogers.

I just think the game has changed. Teams now need starters to go 6 innings and then turn it over to the bullpens. I think May and Pressly and Chargois and Burdi can be dominant bullpen arms. May and Pressly already are pretty close to that. And, like I wrote, I think May could still move to starting, but they just have to commit to that.

For a little perspective, here is a page which shows all of the players selected in the 1997 draft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Major_League_Baseball_expansion_draft

Just to point this out though... they're all two-sport guys in high school. Sure, there are some guys who specialize in just baseball, but that's rarely a good thing. I'm encouraged by what he's done this year. I like how he doesn't get hit real hard still. He's a 21-year-old in AA. That's pretty good. Though most of his career, he's been a half-year ahead of Gonsalves. Can't help but wonder what type of numbers Stewart would have if he'd gone on the same schedule as Gonsalves. I don't know the answer, but would be interesting.

An expansion team wouldn't select him, but it "MAY" be a requirement to include such a player in the 15 to remove the possibility. It's all hypothetical.

I mean, you're going to lose one guy after round 1, and then be able to protect three more. You'll lose 1 guy after round 2. And, almost a 50/50 chance of losing someone in round 3. So, in theory you could lose someone in your 16-18 range and someone (or two) in your 20-22 range. And even then, it depends on if the expansion team chooses big league talent or prospects.

Jay doesn't have to be added since he was drafted in 2015 (unless he's called up before the end of the year - he won't be).

The 10-and-5 rule means that he has more than 10 years of MLB service time and 5 with the current team. Once a player passes those two milestones, they automatically have a no-trade right.

Pretty much... and, it is fairly timely with the NHL announcement just last week.

There's no comparison between Burdi and those three. Maybe Bullock since he was a high draft pick who threw in the upper-90s, but Slama and Delaney weren't high prospects and they didn't throw hard. Johnson was a starter. If Burdi doesn't make it, it'll likely be solely about health.

The NHL announced expansion to Las Vegas last week. With that came news of an Expansion Draft. You may have seen AJ Mansour’s article at Vikings Journal where he asked What Would Happen If The NFL Held An Expansion Draft? It was a very interesting article, and of course, it got me thinking about what the Twins would do in the event of further expansion. The last time MLB held an expansion draft was in November of 1997 when the league expanded to 30 teams. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the league the next year. Both teams were able to pick 35 guys from other organizations. The draft went three rounds: Round 1 - the 28 current MLB teams were able to protect 15 players from the entire organization (40-man or not). Each team could only lose one player in the round. (14 players drafted by each of the expansion teams) Round 2 - each team can protect three more players and then the same guidelines apply. (14 players drafted by each of the expansion teams. Round 3 - each team makes seven more selections. In that November, 1997 draft, the Twins lost Outfielder Brent Brede in the first round. In the 2nd round, Damian Miller was the selection of the Diamondbacks. Of course, he went on to a terrific career catching the likes of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson to a World Series championship. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, USA Today There were some exceptions, players that could not be selected. Players drafted in the previous two drafts could not be selected. Neither could players signed the previous year when they were under 18. Players who were free agents were not eligible for the expansion draft, which makes sense since, they are free agents at the time of the draft. --------------------------------------------------------- So, let’s pretend for a moment that there was going to be MLB expansion and a draft held following the World Series this fall. Which 15 players would (or should) the Twins protect? First, let’s look at the players who would not have to be protected without fear of losing them. Players the Twins drafted this June. So, they wouldn’t have to worry about losing Alex Kirilloff or Ben Rortvedt or Tom Hackimer. Players the Twins drafted last June (2015). So, they don’t have to protect the likes of Tyler Jay, They wouldn’t need to protect LaMonte Wade, Trey Cabbage or Travis Blankenhorn. Guys signed internationally in 2015 would also not need to be protected. In other words, the Twins don’t have to decide whether or not to protect 17-year-old Wander Javier, who they gave $4 million just one year ago. Players who signed in 2014 under the age of 18. This includes international signings from that year like Huascar Ynoa, Lachlan Wells, Jean Carlos Arias, Brusdar Graterol and Jorge Munoz. I lumped in guys who could be non-tendered following the season into the free agent exception. I’ll include Fernando Abad, Tommy Milone, Kevin Jepsen Trevor Plouffe, Juan Centeno and Kurt Suzuki in that group that won’t need to be included. You can also probably add the likes of Buddy Boshers and Darin Mastroianni to this group as well as they are likely be be free agents by the end of the season. ----------------------------------------------------------- There are still a lot of players who will be eligible to be selected if not added. There are some givens to protect but after that, there are going to be some really tough decisions. THE FIFTEEN I WOULD PROTECT I’m just going to start by posting all fifteen that I would protect. Some are quite easy choices. Others take a little more thought. And, even with that, there are another few dozen I wish I could protect too. Let’s start with The Givens. As we know, the phrase “Givens” means different things to different things to different people. However, in my mind, it would be inexplicable for the Twins to not protect the following 11 players. In other words, I saw that these guys would be eligible to be selected, I immediately put them on the list to protect (in alphabetical order). RH SP Jose Berrios RH RP Nick Burdi OF Byron Buxton RH RP JT Chargois 2B Brian Dozier OF Max Kepler 1B Joe Mauer RH RP Trevor May IF Jorge Polanco RH RP Ryan Pressly 3B/OF/DH Miguel Sano I guess some may read a name or two on that list and be a little surprised. First, let’s get this out of the way, Joe Mauer would most likely need to be protected due to his 10-and-5 rights. Brian Dozier is really the only other veteran presence on this list. He’s been the Twins best player, or right there, the last three years. So even if you plan to eventually trade him, you protect him. Other than that, there are young players who the organization has deemed the building blocks. Whether or not they all pan out is not known, but they must be protected. That includes the likes of Buxton, Kepler, Sano, Berrios and Polanco. I’d put Pressly and May in the same category, along with Chargois and Burdi. We have seen the value of a strong bullpen and those four could be a great start to that over the next couple of years. By having several of them, if you’re the GM you could still push for May to start. The Other Four So, I have to come up with four more names to protect, and this is where it gets difficult. How do you pick? Does salary come into it? What will the expansion team draft? Prospects or proven players? Maybe some combination, but it’s so hard to know. So, here are the four players that I would (probably) add to the protected list before a (hypothetical) expansion draft. 12. Tyler Duffey 13. Taylor Rogers 14. Nick Gordon 15. Stephen Gonsalves So as you can see, I’m choosing to protect pitching and prospects. I’ll briefly touch on each. Tyler Duffey - I don’t know if he’ll be a starter long-term, or if he’ll eventually (maybe likely) wind up in the bullpen. I do know that he’s done enough to show that I want him in the future plans of the organization. Taylor Rogers - I think he can be a long-term, left-handed reliever with the ability to really dominate left-handed hitters. Nick Gordon - There just aren’t a ton of shortstop prospects who people believe can stick at shortstop. Gordon can be a solid, every day shortstop who will play solid defense and hit too. He’s two years out, but you don’t want to lose a guy like this. Steven Gonsalves - There are several pitchers who fit into this range. Gonsalves has produced at each level he’s pitched at, and he just made the move to AA. Who Is Left Unprotected (in my scenario)? As a reminder, following the first round, in which the Twins would lose no more than one player, they will be able to protect three more players. At most, the Twins would lose three players. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. But, they would lose two or three players and the hope would be that you’ve protected the right people. But it’s very likely you’ll lose someone who will become a solid major leaguer. The High-Priced Pitchers - I’ll lump Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco and now probably Glen Perkins though he will miss time next season and isn’t making an excessive amount. I would be very surprised if an expansion team would take on these salaries. They would not get selected, and frankly, if they did, would we be disappointed? The Prospects - There are a bunch of quality prospects that I believe are not protected and eligible to be selected in my fake expansion draft scenario. Here is a list of prospects that I would unfortunately leave unprotected. Kohl Stewart, Fernando Romero, Randy Rosario, Yorman Landa, Mason Melotakis, Pat Dean, Alex Meyer, Adam Brett Walker and many more. There were many other tough decisions too. For instance, would you protect Kyle Gibson as he is coming off of injury and will go to arbitration for the first time in the offseason? How about Michael Tonkin? With all the power arms in the system, would he be one you’d protect? Eddie Rosario is still pre-arbitration and plays good defense, but will his lack of plate discipline mean he isn’t on your list? What about the Eduardos, Nunez and/or Escobar? How about Byung Ho Park? Do you protect him one year after investing about $25 million on him? How about a catcher? Would you want to protect John Ryan Murphy? Maybe Mitch Garver or Stuart Turner? This is not an easy exercise, but it can be a lot of fun. Thinking about 2016 and going forward. What are the priorities? Which players are automatic protect guys for you? ----------------------------------------------------------- YOUR TURN OK, now it is your turn. Considering everything you’ve read above, which 15 players would you protect? Let’s discuss. View full article

I struggle with that first point. Dozier is arguably their best player. Crazy streaky, but productive non-the-less. I don't like easily getting rid of those types of players, especially since he's locked in for 3 more years at fair rates. Polanco, he might be as good as Dozier overall someday. Maybe. I'd rather throw him at short and hope.

He had elbow surgery about a month ago to remove some bone spurs in his elbow. Extended Spring Training is over, yes. Anyone who is not on a short-season roster could be there rehabbing, but it's not Extended Spring.

He's a guy that, just watching in spring training and in Cedar Rapids the year he was there, just looks the part of future MLB shortstop. He's like 6-1 and thin, but he's got a really nice swing and a good approach at the plate. We have to accept that he isn't going to hit for power. He just isn't, but he's got the other tools.

Probably a little of both. I think he sits more 90-93, but he lets one go from time to time... I know he hit 97 a few times and generally tops out at 94.

Needs to be added to the 40 man after the season, so I'd say he could be a September call-up. Of course, with Kepler, Buxton, Rosario and Grossman in the outfield, there's no reason to call him up before September. Might as well let him keep playing.

I've been hearing great things about him throughout EST, and he was tremendous in his first outing. Fastball 92-96 with movement. He has decent secondary stuff too. He is already 20, but he's here for the first time, so he's doing just fine. Definitely worth monitoring.

Regarding Baxendale I've always kind of seen him as fringy for a starter. But I think with a couple of mph on his fastball (from working shorter outings) to go with his slider, he could be a real solid bullpen option. Murray has a lot of work to do as a catcher defensively. He didn't really catch at Georgia Tech, so he's learning. When I talked to Jake Mauer about him, he said he's a hard worker and is very similar to where Garver was two years ago. That's certainly encouraging.

I'm not concerned... 3 of the 4 walks came in one inning. Likely trying to be a little too fine. That's something you see at various levels. Pitchers think they have to be a little more perfect with their pitches and it doesn't always work. He's got the mechanics and the pitches and the makeup. I'm not worried yet.

These minor league reports are getting longer, chock full of information on six Twins affiliates; highlights, pitchers, game summaries and more, so be sure to grab a beverage of choice and enjoy. As always, feel free to discuss and ask questions. For the second straight day, all six Twins affiliates played and there was a lot of action and some good stories. Stephen Gonsalves made his AA debut. When he was done, he was replaced by a familiar face who has returned to the organization. Tom Hackimer made his pro debut, replacing a former college teammate. Domenick Carlini was also very impressive in his pro debut and was helped by a big prospect from the Dominican. The E-Twins completed a sweep. Miguel Sano played more innings. So much going on, so be sure to read Saturday night’s minor league update.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Louisville 3 Box Score Andrew Albers made the start for the Red Wings. In 5.2 innings, he gave up three runs on ten hits. He walked one and struck out two. He left the game with two runners on. DJ Baxendale was called in for his AAA debut. He came through with a strikeout to end the sixth. He then struck out two more in the seventh and also worked a hitless eighth. 2.1 perfect innings makes for a strong debut. Marcus Walden threw a scoreless ninth inning. Miguel Sano was back at third base on Saturday night. He went 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts before exiting the game in the 8th inning. Adam Brett Walker went 2-3 with a walk and his 8th and 9th doubles. Kennys Vargas was 1-3 with a walk and his 11th home run. James Beresford went 1-3 with two walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Jackson 3 Box Score For the last six weeks or more, we have been wondering aloud (in the Twins Daily forums) when Stephen Gonsalves would be promoted to AA Chattanooga. On Saturday night, he made that debut. An honest assessment would acknowledge that it was a bit shaky. However, if you consider that he gave up just two runs over five innings, it was solid. He gave up six hits, walked four and struck out six. He battled. He struck out three in the first inning but gave up a two-run single with two outs. In the fourth, he walked three to load the bases but did not allow a run. He battled, but overall, it was a nice first start for Gonsalves, something to build upon. In the sixth inning, Zack Jones made his return to the Twins organization and the Chattanooga lookouts. He walked one and gave up a hit, but struck one out in a scoreless inning. Mason Melotakis gave up two hits and a walk but struck out three to get out of the 7th inning without a run. Jake Reed worked a perfect eighth inning. With a three-run lead, Trevor Hildenberger was called in for the ninth inning. He actually gave up a run on two hits and a walk but he struck out three to save a 5-3 win. It is his 12th save with the Lookouts and 15th overall. He recorded the save for Stephen Gonsalves’ first AA win. The game was played on a day that ended in the letters D-A-Y, so Daniel Palka hit a home run, his Southern League-leading 18th homer. Zach Granite went 1-2 with a walk and two RBI. Ryan Walker went 2-3. Stuart Turner hit his 8th double and drove in two runs. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Jupiter 1 Box Score Keaton Steele was on the mound for the Miracle and had a terrific start. He gave up just one run on three hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out one. The lone run came on a solo homer. John Curtiss pitched a scoreless seventh. He got two outs in the eighth inning but left with the bases loaded. Todd Van Steensel came in and got the final out of the inning. He struck out two and also worked a perfect ninth frame for his fourth save. Edgar Corcino led the offense. He went 2-3 with his ninth double and fifth triple. TJ White went 2-4 with a walk. AJ Murray was 2-4 with his first Miracle double. Nick Gordon’s 14th double drove in a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Beloit 12 Box Score It was a night to forget, for the most part, in Cedar Rapids. However, 2016 draft pick, side-winding Tom Hackimer made his professional debut. But, that was about it for the highlights. That’s not quite true either. While the Kernels had just four hits in the game, one of them was JJ Fernandez. He hit his fifth home run of the season. Brad Hartong went 2-3. Sean Miller had the fourth hit. Cody Stashak started and gave up seven runs on nine hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out two. He was replaced by his college teammate at St. Johns, Tom Hackimer. He got four outs without allowing a run. He walked one and struck out one. Cam Booser came in and continued to struggle with control. In 1.1 innings, he gave up five runs (four earned) on two hits and four walks. He also threw three wild pitches. He’s fought through so many injuries, but his mid-to-upper 90s fastball makes him still intriguing. Sam Gibbons got the final two outs on strikeouts. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Kingsport 1 Box Score With this win the E-Twins start their season with a three-game road trip in Kingsport. This was a very well-played game with good pitching and hitting. Domenick Carlini made his first pro start. The lefty who was the 21st round pick from Southeastern Louisiana was on his game. He gave up one run on five hits over six innings. He walked none and struck out three. Righty Tyler Beardsley, the Twins 16th round pick from Sacramento State, picked up his first pro save with three shutout innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out one. Offensively, Amaurys Minier led the way. The first baseman went 3-5 and each of his singles drove in runs. He had a two-run and two, one-run singles to give him four RBIs. Ariel Montesino went 2-5 to drop his season batting average to .500 (5-10). Jaylin Davis added his 2nd home run of the young season. Shane Carrier recorded his first hit as a pro, a double. Travis Blankenhorn went 0-3 but was on base four times and scored three times. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score The GCL Twins were shut out on Saturday morning in their second game. They managed just three hits and no runners advanced past second base. Joe Cronin had a nice day though. He went 1-2 with two walks. Jean Carlos Arias went 1-3 with a walk. Huascar Ynoa made his first start. He was charged with two runs on seven hits over five innings. He walked on and struck out two. Moises Gomez walked one in an otherwise uneventful inning. Zach Strecker made his first appearance. In his inning, he gave up an unearned run on two hits. Onas Farfan struck out four, and walked one, over two hitless innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Domenick Carlini, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Amaurys Minier, Elizabethton Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler (6-1, 2.49 ERA) Jackson @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers (5-4, 3.59 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (3:05 CST) - LHP Randy Rosario (3-5, 3.38 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – LHP Lachlan Wells (1st MWL start) Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Ryan Mason (1st pro start) GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday's games. Click here to view the article