Seth Stohs

Fair point... He wasn't a Top 30 guy two years ago. He jumped to #16 before the 2015 season. But you're right. He's another sub-26-year-old who has done well. Though I think the MLB team is much more 'veteran' than we want to think, there are so many guys 26 and under that are there or close, and those top 4 guys (Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Berrios - are all 23 and under).

He was the #34 prospect in all of baseball (pretty much where Berrios was) before Tommy John and still a Top 100 guy after the surgery. So, sure, maybe he should have been a #2 prospect in a good system, but he was a clear Top 5 in any organization.

I can't say that I've heard a lot. There were a couple of things, but I won't get into any of that at this point. He was struggling offensively and defensively so far this season.

A little of both. Sitting on the bench in MLB didn't help him at all. He just needs at bats/plate appearances to get back into a routine. The other thing to remember is that he is going from AA to AAA, which is another bump. I'm not at all worried about him, but he'll adjust.

Ryan O'Rourke is one of the most classy and the most competitive people I've ever met. I'm very happy he's stayed in the organization, though I would have been happy for him if he would have been claimed too.

Jeremy and I were chatting briefly last night. We can't remember a season when there have been so many transactions. It's amazing. To me, Gonsalves should move up. No question about that. Palka and Wade had great Aprils. Palka still struck out a ton, so I have no problem with him spending another month in Chattanooga before considering moving him up. See where he's at at that time. Wade's approach at the plate makes me more inclined to buy his performance. I'd still give him a couple of weeks. Corcino's had one really good week this year, so I'd wait with him. Minier won't play OF anymore. He's solely a 1B at this point, and Wiel plays there in CR... Minier could still move up and DH though. Bullpen-wise... Chargois has struggled his last 6 outings (at least in terms of control). I think he's a guy that could move up, though I'm not going to say that would be a great move. Other than that, I don't know who else would move up right now based on performance. Then again, injuries or other factors always come in to play.

It was a "spot start", though 66 pitches and 5 innings is a lot. We'll have to agree to disagree on what gives him more work against left-handers, starting and working multiple-innings, or pitching to 1-2 lefties every couple of days.

Very curious at this point. Today would have been 6-days rest. I'll do some digging.

With the Twins slow, 8-23 start to the season, I have been asked the following question several times. Where are all of these great prospects that have been touted for so long? If the Twins have one of the best farm systems in baseball, why or when are we going to start seeing them. There are multiple answers to those questions, so we’ll try to consider it today. When Terry Ryan came back to the GM job, he made the comment that he was not going to take shortcuts. I think we can all agree that he hasn’t. It’s been a slow progression forward. But the system has dozens of players who are 26 and under who will be part of the organization.We have seen some, but there are many more to come.Before the 2014 season, the Twins generally had what was considered the top system in baseball. They were led by two consensus Top 10 prospects in all of baseball. Byron Buxton (19 at the time) had completed his first full season in professional baseball and had been named Baseball America’s 2013 minor league player of the year. He was the #1 prospect in all of baseball. He had hit a combined .334/.424/.520 (.944) with 19 doubles, 18 triples and 12 home runs. Baseball America ranked then-20-year-old Miguel Sano number six overall. He was coming off of a season in which he hit a combined .280/.382/.610 (.992) with 30 doubles, five triples and 35 home runs between Ft. Myers and New Britain. Then came the 2014 season. Miguel Sano missed the full season after having Tommy John surgery in the spring. Buxton was limited to just 31 games due to multiple injuries. It was essentially a lost season for both of them. However, they both returned in 2015, starting the season in Chattanooga. Despite the lost development time Buxton was up with the Twins in June, and Sano was called up on July 1st. Buxton lost more time with injury and as the Twins acknowledged, he wasn’t ready and he struggled at the plate. Sano came to the team and was remarkable, finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year vote despite playing just three months in the big leagues. The Twins went into this season and handed Buxton the starting center field job despite him still not really being ready. Predictably, he struggled again, striking out in about half of his plate appearances. After 15 games, he was sent back down to Rochester, where he is now hitting .276/.344/.534 (.878) with four doubles, a triple and three home runs. He has three walks and seven strikeouts in 38 plate appearances. Sano is a regular in the middle of the Minnesota Twins lineup. After posting a .916 OPS in 2016, his OPS is just 706 through the first 31 games this year. A sophomore slump? Maybe, though the season is just under 20% complete, so there is plenty of room for a resurgence. The Twins status as the top minor league system was largely based on the top two prospects, and despite their 2016 struggles, both remain two of the most exciting players in baseball’s future. Buxton needs to cut down on the strikeouts, but with his speed and defense, he can be a valuable player with just minimal offensive improvement. But there is no reason to think that the 22-year-old can’t make the needed adjustments. What he needs is more time in AAA. With 14 games played with the Red Wings this year, he now has just 26 total games played at AAA. Patience is important. And Sano is still just 23, learning the game, learning a new position, learning pitchers, and (hopefully) learning how to take care of himself physically. Many may choose to give up on these prospects. I still think they both have multiple All-Star games in their future. However, the Twins system was not solely based on two players. Here is a quick look at the rest of my personal 2014 Twins prospect rankings (with their 2013 team). #3 - RHP Alex Meyer - New Britain #4 - RHP Kohl Stewart - GCL/Elizabethton #5 - 2B Eddie Rosario - Ft. Myers/New Britain #6 - IF Jorge Polanco - Cedar Rapids #7 - RHP Jose Berrios - Cedar Rapids #8 - C Josmil Pinto - New Britain/Rochester/Minnesota #9 - OF/1B Max Kepler - Cedar Rapids #10 - Lewis Thorpe - GCL Twins A quick glance of this list shows the volatility of prospect rankings, and yet this also shows why many still are excited about the Twins system. Look at how many of the top prospects then are top prospects now despite moving up 2 or 3 levels. Notice also how many of them were in Low-A Cedar Rapids just over two yeas ago. Let’s start with Josmil Pinto. The Twins DFAd him a year ago, and after a couple of other DFAs, he is now with the Brewers AAA team. He had a strong showing that 2013 season in September but wasn’t able to stay healthy after that. Alex Meyer was ranked #62 overall by Baseball America, but he was Top 30 in both MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus rankings. He went to Rochester in 2014 and was one of the league’s top starting pitchers. Then came 2015, a miserable year for Meyer. However, he is off to a strong start in 2016 and we can still be hopeful that the 26-year-old can rebound, maybe even as a starter. Kohl Stewart had just been drafted and there was a lot of excitement. While his 2015 season left some question marks among prospect rankers, his 2016 season has improved his prospect status. Similarly, Lewis Thorpe was just coming off of a remarkable US debut season in the Gulf Coast League. Despite 2015 Tommy John surgery, his prospect status remains high. Eddie Rosario was coming off of a terrific season which shadowed Sano’s. He was still playing second base, but it would be his last year there since Brian Dozier became a mainstay with the Twins.. While Sano and Buxton missed time in 2014 due to injury, Rosario missed 50 games to start 2014 due to a suspension. When he returned, he struggled at AA. However, in 2015, he came up to the Twins and had an impressive showing. He hit .267 with 18 doubles, 15 triples, 13 home runs, and 16 outfield assists. He’s off to a horrible start in 2016 which isn’t completely surprising with his complete inability to control the strike zone or willingness to not swing from time to time. He’s still only 24. Jose Berrios, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler all played the 2013 season in Cedar Rapids. Polanco had his first cup of coffee with the Twins in 2014 and has had about seven such calls since then. Kepler was the MVP of the AA Southern League in 2015 and debuted with the Twins last September. He’s already spent time with the Twins this year. And, Jose Berrios has taken off as a prospect. He has been the Twins minor league pitcher of the year the last two years and now has two big league starts under his belt. All three of these guys remain Top 10 Twins prospects, Top 100 overall prospects, and guys who should be a big part of the Twins future. Prospects 11-20 (from my Top Prospect rankings) #11 - OF Adam Brett Walker - Cedar Rapids #12 - RHP Trevor May - New Britain/Rochester #13 - LHP Stephen Gonsalves - GCL/Elizabethton #14 - 3B Travis Harrison - Cedar Rapids #15 - SS Danny Santana - New Britain #16 - OF Amaurys Minier - GCL #17 - DH/1B Kennys Vargas - Ft. Myers #18 - RHP Ryan Eades - Elizabethton #19 - RHP Felix Jorge - Elizabethton #20 - SS Niko Goodrum - Cedar Rapids Again, this list includes some intriguing names. Adam Brett Walker is on the 40-man roster and playing in Rochester. Trevor May is in his second season with the Twins and their top reliever. Could he still start? Maybe, but if not, he can also be a dominant bullpen option for years to come. Like Kohl Stewart, Gonsalves was just drafted and had an impressive pro debut in the rookie leagues. While Stewart was pushed quickly, Gonsalves was about a half-season behind. Now, they’re both at Ft. Myers, pitching well, and both could move up to Chattanooga at any time. Felix Jorge is also with the Miracle and pitching very well. Danny Santana came up to the Twins and received votes in Rookie of the Year balloting. 2015 was very frustrating. Santana is likely somewhere in between. Right now, he is the team’s starting center fielder. One of the best athletes, he can play six positions and can provide value in that utility type of role. Like Santana, Vargas came up in August of 2014 and hit nine home runs the rest of the season. The Twins gave him plenty of chances in 2015 but he was unable to get that type of production back. He went down to the minor leagues a couple of times and returned in September. He is currently hitting .217/.315/.308 (.625) with four doubles and two home runs in Rochester. That said, at 25, he still has potential to be a viable bench option and provide some punch off the bat. Ryan Eades was also just drafted and threw a few innings in Elizabethton. He has certainly had his struggles, but a solid 2015 in Ft. Myers earned him a promotion to AA where he has had mixed results. But as Mike Berardino reported during spring training, he touched 97 a few times and does have a solid four-pitch mix, so he’s got a chance to be a back-of-the-rotation starter. Goodrum is out right now with a stress reaction in his foot and will likely be out another month or so. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE That was a look at my Top 20 Twins prospects just over two years ago, and we’ve already seen some of these terrific prospects surface in the big leagues. However, in the last couple of drafts, the Twins have added even more talent. They have drafted Nick Gordon and Tyler Jay in the last two first rounds. Both have high ceilings. They also added some flame-throwing relievers such as JT Chargois, Nick Burdi and Jake Reed who have already been in big league spring training. Mason Melotakis, Luke Bard, Michael Cederoth, Trevor Hildenberger, Brandon Peterson, Corey Williams and others could surface in the next couple of years too. In addition to Murphy, Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver are in AA. Like Lewis Thorpe, Fernando Romero had Tommy John surgery and will be back soon. VETERANS While we are talking about the youth and the struggles of the youth, it is important to notice that the Twins roster includes many veterans (many of whom are struggling). Brian Dozier. Trevor Plouffe. Joe Mauer. Eduardo Nunez. Kurt Suzuki. Phil Hughes. Ervin Santana. Kyle Gibson. Ricky Nolasco. Kevin Jepsen. Glen Perkins. And Casey Fien and Tommy Milone have already been DFAd. For the Twins to win in 2016, they needed two things. First, they needed some of the young players to take a step forward. However, they also needed strong performances from veterans. To this point in the season, Joe Mauer and Eduardo Nunez have been the two players who have performed well throughout the season. The Twins need more from the rookies, but they also need more from the guys with Major League track records. SUMMARY Several years ago, I recall talking to Kyle Gibson. He was in A ball and I asked him what it meant to him to be considered the team’s top prospect. He basically said that it was a nice honor, but “being a prospect means you haven’t done anything yet.” Major League Baseball is hard, and each level of the minor leagues gets gradually more difficult. Two years ago, the Twins had a lot of young prospects, but prospects that had a long way to go in terms of steps up and development. That's why I've also often written that the reason it is so important to have as many prospects as possible. If you have 20 very good prospects, it likely means that one of them will become a perennial all-star, maybe two will become solid regulars, a handful will play a role on the big league team and several might get a cup of coffee. So far, we have seen Danny Santana, Kennys Vargas, Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Michael Tonkin, Alex Meyer, Jorge Polanco and Jose Berrios in the big leagues. Some more than others. Also consider that Oswaldo Arcia just turned 25 yesterday. John Ryan Murphy is still just 24 years old. They have come to the big leagues with mixed results.There have been guys who have struggled initially. There have been several who came up quickly and then struggled in year 2 when the league adjusted. At this point the players will need to make the adjustment back. Baseball, like life, is all about adjustments, and hopefully these young players will be able to do just that. If there is a hope for the 2016 season, it is two-fold. First, the veterans will need to step up and perform to their proven capabilities. Second, there is hope that as the season moves on, the prospects and young players can make some adjustments. That’s not to say that the Twins will jump back into playoff contention - so much would need to go perfectly for that to happen - but as a fan, we should want to see that happen to give us hope for 2017 and beyond. So when someone asks, where are all the prospects, the overwhelming answer should be, "They're almost all still there." Click here to view the article

They hadn't announced a starter. As of now, there is no reason. I was just wrong in thinking Meyer was next in line.

Just learned that Taylor Rogers will be making a spot start for Rochester tonight, not Meyer.

I mean, he was really good in Cedar Rapids last year, and he's off to a great start. Having watched him pitch several times, I don't see that as a mirage but again, lots of guys will have good 5 game stretches. Getting him even 10-12 starters there (4-6 weeks) isn't going to affect his timeline to the big leagues and it allows us (and the Twins decisions makers) a little more comfort in the decision to move him up. The other factor, of course, is that in terms of guys moving up to Chattanooga, Gonsalves and Stewart are ahead of him. That obviously will affect the timeline as well.

Jorge has been terrific, but (for me) I wouldn't move a starting pitcher up based on 5 starts. I'd give him at least 12-15 starts before doing that. I think Clay's promotion to Ft. Myers is probably tied to Gonsalves moving up to Chattanooga (which I have to think is within the next 1-2 starts).

That was before today's HR... He's doing "fine" but not jumping out as much promote right now... I probably still would. I won't argue with Wade or Gonsalves.

Such as?? There have been a lot of promotions already this year. Aside from LaMonte Wade, and maybe Stephen Gonsalves, who else should be promoted?

Because a team doesnt want to rush prospects and put them in a bad spot. Buxton and Kepler and Walker need time, at bats. Maestro can sit, or play. He can play all three spots, including being a center fielder.

I had Gonsalves, Jorge and Stewart 1, 2, 3 in April. Any order is fine.

To be fair, Herrmann has done much more at the AAA and MLB levels than Palka. There are concerns about his strikeouts, similar to Walker. He's not old, by any means. It was a nice haul for Herrmann.

We did not post an updated Minor League Leaderboard last week since we were prepping for the April hitting and pitching awards documents. Today, we provide an update on who is leading the Twins minor league system in a variety of hitting and pitching statistics. Our choices for the April Minor League awards were: Hitter: LaMonte WadeStarting Pitcher: Stephen GonsalvesRelief Pitcher: John CurtissWe are now five weeks into the season. There have been a lot of transactions the last several weeks which obviously has an effect on player’s statistics. Usually. As players move up to a higher level, they will need to make further adjustments.Here is a quick look at how the Twins affiliates are performing. Obviously win-loss record is secondary to player development, but learning how to win can be part of the process.Rochester is 13-15.Chattanooga is 12-16.Ft. Myers is 15-13.Cedar Rapids is 17-12.With that, let’s look at the minor league statistical leaderboard. THE HITTERS (Rate numbers- minimum 75 plate appearances) Plate Appearances - Zander Wiel (116), Chris Paul (115), Daniel Palka (114), Alex Swim (111), Zach Granite/Trey Vavra (109), Rafael Valera/Kennys Vargas (108). Batting Average - LaMonte Wade (.329), Daniel Palka/Nick Gordon (.309), Luis Arraez (.303), Leonardo Reginnato (.284), James Beresford (.283). On-Base Percentage - LaMonte Wade (.413), Daniel Palka (.412), James Beresford (.368), Edgar Corcino (.366), Luis Arraez (.365), Rafael Valera (.361), AJ Murrary (.353). Slugging Percentage - LaMonte Wade (.518), Daniel Palka (.505), Adam Brett Walker (.480), Luis Arraez (.455), Nick Gordon (.447), Edgar Corcino (.431), Rafael Valera (.430). OPS - LaMonte Wade (.931), Daniel Palka (.917), Luis Arraez (.819), Adam Brett Walker (.801), Edgar Corcino (.796), Rafael Valera (.791), Nick Gordon (.790). Hits - Daniel Palka (30), Nick Gordon (29), LaMonte Wade (28), Leonardo Reginnato (27), James Beresford (26), Travis Harrison/Trey Vavra (25). Doubles - Rafael Valera (8), Daniel Palka (7), Nick Gordon/LaMonte Wade/Travis Harrison/Mitch Garver/Joe Maloney (6), Six with (5). Triples - Rafael Valera (4), Levi Michael/Jorge Polanco (3), Nine with (2). Home Runs - Adam Brett Walker/Daniel Palka (4), Dalton Hicks/AJ Murray (3), Nine with (2). Runs Scored - Zach Granite (16), Zander Wiel (15), Dalton Hicks/Chris Paul (14), Daniel Palka/Nick Gordon/Rafael Valera (13), Five with (12). RBI - Daniel Palka (17), James Beresford (15), Chris Paul (14), LaMonte Wade/AJ Murray (12), Three with (11). SB - Zach Granite (12), Wilfredo Tovar (8), Darin Mastroianni (6), Tanner English (5) Nick Gordon/Chad Christensen (4). THE STARTING PITCHERS (Rate number - minimum 22.0 innings) Innings Pitched: Jason Wheeler (39.0), DJ Baxendale (37.0), Pat Dean (36.0), Felix Jorge (32.2), Stephen Gonsalves/Randy LeBlanc/Aaron Slegers (31.0). ERA: Sam Clay (0.95), Randy LeBlanc (1.16), Felix Jorge (1.38), Stephen Gonsalves (1.45), Randy Rosario (1.57), Jason Wheeler (1.62). WHIP: Felix Jorge (0.80), Stephen Gonsalves (0.81), Randy LeBlanc (0.87), Cody Stashak (0.88), Jason Wheeler (0.92), Kohl Stewart (0.95), DJ Baxendale (1.00). K/9: Sam Clay (10.2), Kohl Stewart (9.2), Andro Cutura (8.7), Tyler Jay/Dereck Rodriguez (8.4), Felix Jorge (8.0). BB/9: Jason Wheeler (0.9), Felix Jorge (1.1), David Martinez (1.4), Randy LeBlanc/DJ Baxendale (1.5), Cody Stashak (1.7), Pat Dean (1.8). K: Jason Wheeler/Sam Clay (32), DJ Baxendale (30), Felix Jorge/Kohl Stewart (29), Stephen Gonsalves (27) THE RELIEF PITCHERS (Rate numbers - minimum 10 innings zero starts) Innings Pitched: Logan Lombana (16.0), Brandon Kintzler (15.1), Marcus Walden (15.0), Raul Fernandez (14.2), Miles Nordgren/Jake Reed/Mike Theofanopoulos (14.1) ERA: John Curtiss/CK Irby (0.00), JT Chargois (0.84), Luke Westphal (1.08), Raul Fernandez (1.23), Todd Van Steensel (1.38), Buddy Boshers (1.42) WHIP: John Curtiss (0.46), CK Irby (0.79), Nick Anderson (0.82), Marcus Walden (0.93), Luke Bard (1.00), Raul Fernandez (1.02), JT Chargois (1.03) K/9: John Curtiss (15.5), Luke Westphal (13.0), JT Chargois (11.0), Mike Theofanopoulos (10.7), Nick Anderson (10.6), Buddy Boshers (9.2), Yorman Landa/Logan Lombana (9.0) BB/9: Trevor Hildenberger (0.7), John Curtiss (1.6), Brandon Kintzler (1.8), CK Irby/Buddy Boshers (2.1), Nick Anderson (2.5), Luke Bard/Logan Lombana/Yorman Landa (2.8). K: John Curtiss (19), Mike Theofanopoulos (17), Logan Lombana (16), Seven with (13) Saves: JT Chargois (6), Trevor Hildenberger (4), JR Graham (3), Five with (2). Click here to view the article

It was an interesting day in the Twins organization. A lot of things came to a head, and no question there is more fallout to come, at some point. There were several transactions on Friday, and we know more will become official on Saturday. There were also four solid pitching performances. There was a four-hit game, and a surprise four-walk game. And, Byron Buxton homered again! Continue to read all of the transactions, some potential next moves, and the highlights from all four Twins affiliates.TRANSACTIONS It was another busy day of transactions. It feels like we have started many transactions with that sentence, but Friday was very busy. In the afternoon, the Twins announced the following: Ervin Santana was coming of the disabled list. He will start on Saturday.John Ryan Murphy was optioned to Rochester.Ryan O’Rourke and JR Graham was designated for assignment. To review, this means that they have been removed from the 40-man roster. The other teams will have a chance to claim them. If they go unclaimed, they can be outrighted to Rochester.Darin Mastroianni and Juan Centeno were added to the 40-man roster and called up.We also learned, from Mike Berardino, that Casey Fien and Tommy Milone were played on irrevocable waivers and those waivers end on Saturday afternoon at which point they will be off of the 40-man roster. I would speculate that Brandon Kintzler and Buddy Boshers are be the most logical call-ups to replace them.There were also a couple of minor league transactions:Catcher Brett Doe went through minor league spring training, but he was released very late in camp. When offered, he accepted a role as the bullpen catcher for the Rochester Red Wings. With Centeno called up to the Twins, the Red Wings needed a catcher and they called out to the bullpen. Doe was added to the Red Wings roster and will - at least temporarily - be their backup catcher.Nick Burdi was placed on the Chattanooga disabled list. He is being shut down again, this time with a bone bruise at the bottom of his right humerus. It is on the outside of his pitching elbow. Per Mike Berardino, an MRI showed no damaged other than the bone bruise.The Twins signed LHP Nick Greenwood, a 28-year-old who had been 3-0 with the new New Britain franchise which is in the Atlantic League. He had time the last two years with the St. Louis Cardinals, though he spent most of his time at AAA Memphis. He will begin with the Lookouts.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7 , Pawtucket 5 (10 innings) Box Score This game didn’t get really interesting until the 8th inning. In the bottom of the inning, Pawtucket scored two to take a 4-1 lead. However, in the top of the 9th frame, the Red Wings scored four runs to take a 5-4 lead. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the ninth, the PawSox scored a run to send it to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, the Red Wings scored two runs to take a 7-5 lead. Byron Buxton got the Red Wings off on a good note. He led off the game with his second home run. He was 2-5 with a walk as well. Buck Britton went 4-5. Carlos Paulino went 1-3 with two walks. Adam Brett Walker went 0-1 with four walks. Andrew Albers made his second start. The lefty went six innings. He gave up two runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out five. Alex Wimmers gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Buddy Boshers got the final out of the eighth inning, but he gave up the run in the ninth frame. Marcus Walden got the 10th inning and went 1-2-3 to end the game and record the save. Red Wings manager Mike Quade was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a balk call. Also, after the Red Wings took the lead in the 9th inning, Jorge Polanco was removed from the game. Could it have been ‘for defensive purposes’ that Polanco was replaced by Heiker Meneses in the field? Sure. But with it being likely that Eduardo Escobar will go on the disabled list, it’s more likely that Polanco will make his third trip to the big leagues already this year. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mobile 3 Box Score Omar Bencomo signed late last year with the Twins and pitched for Ft. Myers. He pitched really well in Venezuela this past winter and returned to the organization. At the end of spring training, he went to extended spring training and waited for an opportunity. With so much activity in the system, the Twins pushed him to Chattanooga. In his second start, he gave up just one run over six innings. He allowed three walks, walked one and struck out five. Jake Reed came on and gave up two runs on four hits in 1.1 innings. He walked one and struck one out. JT Chargois got the final five outs. He gave up one hit and a walk but no runs, to record his sixth save. The outing dropped his season ERA to 0.84. Travis Harrison went 2-4 with a walk. Stuart Turner went 2-4. Zach Granite was 2-5 with his 11th and 12th stolen bases. Mitch Garver added his sixth double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, St. Lucie 1 Box Score Old Reliable, Felix Jorge, was on the mound for the Miracle on Friday night. The right-hander improved to 2-2 with a 1.38 ERA on the season with another strong performance. He gave up one run on five hits over seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven. 72 of his 99 pitches were strikes. Yorman Landa came on and struck out three over the final two innings for his second save. He gave up just one hit. Edgar Corcino’s hot streak remained. He went 2-3 with a walk and his second stolen base. The Miracle had just six hits. Kevin Garcia had the only extra-base hit, his first double of the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Great Lakes 2 Box Score Sam Clay continued to pitch well, but this time it wasn’t enough to help the Kernels to a win. The lefty gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits in 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out nine. Miles Nordgren came on and threw 2.1 scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out two. JJ Fernandez had a strong game. He went 3-4 including his second home run of the season. Rafael Valera went 2-5. 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 – JJ Fernandez, Cedar Rapids Kernels SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (DH @ 4:05 CST) - RHP David Martinez, LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Mobile (7:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Cedar Rapids @ Great Lakes (6:05 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

He was placed on the DL with a concussion. That's all we know. Could be 7-days, could be weeks. No way to know. Tanner English was placed on the 7-Day DL two weeks ago, and he felt alright the day after getting hit in the head with a pitch, but apparently he's not ready yet. I don't know what information would be available at this time, but I'll look into it.

For the Twins to make a serious run at a division title in 2016 with the roster they had leaving Ft. Myers, a whole lot had to break right. Byron Buxton needed to take a big step forward at the plate, Joe Mauer needed to return to his old form, Phil Hughes needed to make 2016 look more like 2014 than 2015, Byung-Ho Park needed to hit the ground running, Glen Perkins needed to come back healthy, and about a half-dozen other things had to fall into place. Very little of it was outlandish in and of itself, but like predicting 10 flips of a coin, the sheer number of correct outcomes needed was what made the task so daunting. Some of them happened: Mauer had as good an April as he has had since 2010 and while Park was uneven in his first 10 games, he then hit .326/.375/.767 with eight of his 14 hits going for extra bases in the next 13. But far too few of the others did. Buxton looks lost, Perkins is still out injured, Hughes has been inconsistent at best, Eddie Rosario can’t stop swinging, and the list goes on. At a 10,000 ft. level, that’s how any team ends up 12 games under .500 fewer than 30 games into the season: The list of things that are going poorly is much, much longer than the list of things that are going well.Few who have watched this team so far would disagree with owner Jim Pohlad’s characterization of the team to the Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins as a “total system failure.” The offense sits in the bottom third of the league, eight percent below league average; their defense has provided negative value. Their starters, expected to sit around league average, haven’t been close to that modest mark, and the bullpen has caved in, in the absence of Perkins. There are individual successes, but it’s hard to look at a unit on the field and say that they’re performing at or above expectations. What will raise more than a few eyebrows is that Pohlad then gave both general manager Terry Ryan and manager Paul Molitor an unequivocal vote of confidence and while it’s not always immediately clear, it didn’t seem to be the dreaded vote of confidence either. If there was any hope that the disastrous start to the season would result in a change in leadership, it’s gone for at least the rest of the season. To be frank, firing a GM midseason would be fairly out of step with how the Twins tend to conduct business, and that’s before taking into account Ryan’s years of service to the organization. One bad month, even one bad half season isn’t going to earn Ryan a midseason public dismissal. Short of a catastrophic error -- a rules violation during the draft/signing process resulting in a huge fine, releasing Buxton outright without cause, burning down Target Field -- it’s hard to imagine what Ryan would have to do to have his season end before the team’s did. If the goal is to keep the 2016 postseason in play, removing Ryan would do little good. There are no impact free agents available, no one in the draft is going to join the team and add seven wins from June 10 until the end of the year, major in-season trades are far more uncommon now than they used to be, and it’s hard to envision any other move designed to save 2016 that wouldn’t end up weakening the team substantially in the future. Yes, promoting and demoting players to their right levels is exceedingly important for the Twins in both the short- and long-term, but a new GM is actually less likely to make those calls correctly than Ryan is, simply because of his familiarity with the players up and down the system. Paradoxically, if the Twins were playing a little better, perhaps Ryan’s job would be more vulnerable because the marginal utility of changing GMs would be higher. Bringing in someone who had shown an aptitude for working the trade deadline in July and the waiver wire in August would be appealing since the AL looks like it will be decided by a razor-thin margin. (This presupposes that such a person is freely available at this point in the season, but that’s another column entirely.) Out of sheer proximity to the problem, the manager ought to be able to make the types of changes in-season that a GM can’t. But as the team has shown over the last few weeks, new blood isn’t enough to spark the team. Not counting pitchers, the team has had 15 players take the field with Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, and Rosario about the only players who haven’t split a meaningful amount time at their respective positions, so it’s not as if the opening day lineup has been run out for 28 consecutive games and this is the result. Changes are being made, they’re just producing the same outcomes. Moving on from Molitor would certainly shake things up, and unlike Ryan, there are logical candidates available to take over. Gene Glynn, Mike Quade, and Doug Mientkiewicz are all within the organization and were either considered for the managerial vacancy left by Ron Gardenhire or have MLB managerial experience. So whereas Ryan is virtually locked in until the end of the season, Molitor could theoretically be moved. The downside is that it means burning a bridge with a legendary hitter who the players -- at least publicly -- seem to like and to whom they respond. There’s also no guarantee it will work. Glynn and Mientkiewicz have good minor league track records to buoy their candidacies, but there’s a huge difference between motivating a 19-year-old kid whose dreams are still ahead of him to work hard and getting the same response out of veterans like Eduardo Nunez or Kurt Suzuki. Quade did have some time working with the Cubs during their rebuilding phase, but they finished 20 games under .500 during his only full season at the helm, which is hardly a sterling reference. Molitor’s managerial ability is far from a known quantity. Last year’s team overperformed in his first full season by nearly as much as this year’s team is underperforming. He hasn’t shown an unhelpful fetishization of one particular type of player, nor has he proven incapable of handling a bullpen. The obvious warts aren’t there, but that doesn’t make him good, it just makes him not-bad-in-readily-apparent-ways. It may become clear what his deficiencies are as the season progresses, but losing him in service of a vague effort to spur a team that may well have put themselves in too deep a hole to recover from doesn’t seem like a good use of resources. Because, while he may prove himself to be a poor fit for a team that figures to be young and volatile for the next few years, it’s equally possible that he’ll prove to be a tremendous fit even if the team finishes 71-91. Plus, statistically speaking, firing a manager midseason doesn’t make your team appreciably better in the vast majority of cases. It’s a show of force, but if it doesn’t translate to more wins on the field, it can hardly be considered worth doing. Given that he’ll have just one more year on his contract after the die is cast on this season, it seems more than likely that the Twins will give Molitor the full value of his contract, then evaluate his performance from there. Assuming this year finishes in the same vein as it has started -- if not the exact same path -- that will put quite a bit of pressure on Molitor going into the 2017 season, as he’ll have one impressive season under his belt and one fairly poor one. While there is good reason to keep both Ryan and Molitor where they are for the rest of 2016 season, the takeaway here isn’t that Pohlad was right and that Ryan and Molitor are unquestionably the right people for their jobs. Ultimately, Ryan is the architect of a team that has been dire since 2011 (with a brief respite last year) and Molitor is the final authority on game-to-game matters for a team on pace to finish 47-115, the worst mark in franchise history and the Twins’ first 100+ loss team since 1982. And while 115 losses would be embarrassing even given how the season started, that 1982 mark is very much in play. The takeaway here is that, as with virtually everything in baseball, there is a rhythm and a seasonality to leadership changes, and that jumping out of that order doesn’t necessarily produce better outcomes. If the ownership group believes there is even a 1% chance they’ll want to move on from Ryan come the offseason, they should start making that determination now. Do the necessary due diligence and be ready to make a call at the right moment. Taking the time to do the requisite research, let Ryan know what to expect, and positioning to the public for either his return or his departure will go a long way to making sure the 2017 Twins aren’t fighting these same battles. Next week, I’ll take a deep dive into Ryan’s time with the Twins. The highs, lows, and how he stacks up against some of the league’s top architects right now. Click here to view the article