Seth Stohs

There are often events outside of the game remind us to put the game into perspective. The most morbid example of this came in late September when Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez passed away in a boating accident. Another situation involves arrests of athletes. In the NFL, there is the case of Josh Brown. The New York Giants kicker was suspended one game by the NFL for a domestic abuse case. When reports came out of his detailed journals of his abuse against his wife, the Giants didn’t have him fly to Europe with the team. He has since been added to the Commissioner's’ Exempt list and likely will never play in the NFL again. Same thing happened with Ray Rice. The Vikings Adrian Peterson missed a year due to domestic abuse. Image courtesy of Ken Blaze, USA Today There are often events outside of the game remind us to put the game into perspective. The most morbid example of this came in late September when Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez passed away in a boating accident. Another situation involves arrests of athletes. In the NFL, there is the case of Josh Brown. The New York Giants kicker was suspended one game by the NFL for a domestic abuse case. When reports came out of his detailed journals of his abuse against his wife, the Giants didn’t have him fly to Europe with the team. He has since been added to the Commissioner's’ Exempt list and likely will never play in the NFL again. Same thing happened with Ray Rice. The Vikings Adrian Peterson missed a year due to domestic abuse. Unfortunately, baseball hasn’t been immune to the same issues. Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman closed out the NLCS by tossing nothing but 100-103 mph fastballs. Last offseason, unfortunately, it wasn’t Chapman’s fastball that people were talking about. In early December, a dozen police officers were called to Chapman’s home. He shot a gun eight times into his garage. That was after an incident in his home in which he allegedly choked his girlfriend and pushed her against a wall in his home theater. No charges were filed because stories changed and conflicted, but there was enough there in MLB's eyes and Chapman was given a 30-game suspension by MLB. The Reds traded Chapman to the Yankees. Almost a week before the July 31st trade deadline, Theo Epstein OKd a trade to the Cubs. Chapman has continued to be what he is, which is the best, most dominant closer in the game. For Chicago sports fans, the moral dilemma is a familiar one. It is a situation that played itself out a year earlier when Blackhawks’ star Patrick Kane was arrested for rape (though he was never charged). In a New York Times story, Chapman said, “People are thinking it’s something serious; I have not put my hands on anyone, didn’t put anyone in danger.” Sure. That’s why his girlfriend called 911 while hiding in some bushes outside the house. He added, “It was just an argument with your partner that everyone has.” (emphasis mine) My assumption, hopefully not naive, is that Chapman’s thinking is in the minority, that most ballplayer and most people in general do not think like that. Last offseason, Jose Reyes was with his wife at a resort in Hawaii. Police reports stated the Reyes grabbed his wife by the throat and threw her against a sliding door. He was suspended 51 games by the league, through May 31st. At that time, the Rockies released him. He later signed with the New York Mets. It’s also interesting and maybe a little scary to see teammates quickly support their friend. Giants players were put in an awkward position when they were asked about the Josh Brown situation. Several, including their coach, chose to say that they wanted to support their teammate. A nice gesture, but not really something that many would want to defend. Following the Chapman and Reyes suspension announcements, David Ortiz was asked about it. He said, “These are good guys. I feel so bad for them. I know Jose well. He is not a troublemaker. He’s a good guy.” It’s hard to blame Ortiz for that comment. He was asked and gave an answer. The reality is that we don’t necessarily know everything that happens in the homes of our friends and neighbors. We may not know if there is physical abuse occurring. Even more difficult to know in many cases is the psychological abuse that can happen. Those scars may not be visible, but they can last for a long time. In 2006, Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was arrested for punching his wife in the face in Boston. “Police showed up after a 911 call and saw severe swelling on the left side of her face — he used his pitching hand — and she said he had punched her. He was arrested on the spot, and he was released on $200 bail ... paid by his wife.” Also in 2006, Tigers infielder Dmitri Young was arrested. He was 32, and his 21-year-old former girlfriend reported the incident three days later. “They said she had bruises on her hip and leg, the newspaper reported, and photographs showed scratches on her neck, upper body and leg.” In 1995, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox was arrested for punching his wife and pulling her hair. In 1997, Wil Cordero was arrested for threatening to kills his wife in the presence of police officers. Originally the Red Sox did nothing, but when they learned of a previous domestic abuse charged they chose to suspend him for eight games. The league did nothing. In 2003, the Astros released Julio Lugo after he was arrested for hitting his wife and slamming her face into a car hood. The Rays signed him soon after and he played in the big leagues through 2011. The Minnesota Twins have also been hurt by a couple of cases, though in both cases, the events occurred following their playing careers. You will remember, just a couple of years ago, the Twins announced the 2B Chuck Knoblauch was going to become a Twins Hall of Famer. After reports came out of his arrest for grabbing, hitting and even throwing a humidifier at his wife, the Twins chose to cancel Knoblauch’s induction. Knoblauch had been arrested five years earlier on similar charges. And, soon after Kirby Puckett was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, in 2001, reports came out of his infidelity and other transgressions. In October of 2002, he was arrested for “sexual assault and false imprisonment for allegedly groping a woman after pulling her into the bathroom of a Minnesota restaurant.” The 2003 Sports Illustrated article by Frank Deford opened up all of our eyes. Puckett was a hero to many, yours truly included. In it, it talks about Puckett’s then-wife (December 2001) calling police and telling them that he had threatened to kill her. She said that he previously had strangled her with electrical cord. He had used a power tool to break through a door she had locked to get to her. He even once had a gun to her head and threatened to pull the trigger. Kirby Puckett was my last hero. I find it now important to separate what happens on the field of play and the person, even if that person is someone who does so much good in the community or owns a Roberto Clemente Award for community service. Even after the reports, arrests and allegations, Puckett still had his front office job with an office at the Metrodome. To this day, those that knew him speak only glowingly about their teammate and friend. MLB and their players association have set up some domestic abuse policies. These include annual training and support and emergency hotlines, as well as framework for punishment. It’s a good start, and hopefully they will continue to improve upon it. It is a difficult subject to read about. It’s difficult to write about as well. With Aroldis Chapman pitching the Cubs to the World Series and getting a ton of credit, maybe it’s the perfect time to broach the subject. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy watching Aroldis Chapman pitch and watching for the radar gun readings after each and every pitch. Likewise I’ll never forget the joy that watching Kirby Puckett play gave me from the time I was eight until I was 19. Domestic abuse happens, far too often, in professional sports, and baseball has had far too many cases over the years. It happens to people in every profession, in every walk of life. It happens to the rich, and it happens to the middle and lower classes. Maybe it can create a discussion about hero-worship among athletes, about putting them on a pedestal. It can create discussion between fathers and sons, between husbands and wives. If nothing else, maybe this article can be read by someone who will choose not to verbally or psychologically abuse their spouse or significant other. Maybe it can give courage to one person who suddenly realizes that she or he is a victim. View full article

Sure, but he'll jump up to AA next year regardless.

Thanks for the names... I took Felix Jorge (2nd in voting in the last vote) And then added Garver, Granite and Walker.

http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-minor-leagues/seths-preliminary-top-50-twins-prospects-part-3-26-30-r5122 I have him at #29. English is a good prospect. He was the Twins minor league defensive player of the year for 2015. He is a tremendous centerfielder. Very good range and speed. Strong arm. He's about 6-0 and maybe 165 pounds. He's struggling in the AFL, but he'll hold his own with the bat. He should have spent the full season in Ft. Myers, but he had a few injuries. Had got hit in the helmet with a pitch. He had Lasik surgery. He was in Extended Spring Training, rehabbing and on the final day of his rehab stint, he had his ankle rolled on, so he missed another month or more. He returned to the Miracle, and since they were out of the playoffs ,English was bumped up to Rochester when Buxton was called up to the Twins.

He'll be a free agent, unless they sign him.

Each week, we provide an update from the Twins minor leaguers who are playing in the Arizona Fall League. While it may or more not be weekly, we will also occasionally provide an update on Twins players in the various Winter Leagues. There are Caribbean Leagues in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico. We'll also keep you updated on the Australian Baseball League as well. Here is a quick update on how some Twins players have fared in the early going. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Niko Goodrum) Each week, we provide an update from the Twins minor leaguers who are playing in the Arizona Fall League. While it may or more not be weekly, we will also occasionally provide an update on Twins players in the various Winter Leagues. There are Caribbean Leagues in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico. We'll also keep you updated on the Australian Baseball League as well. Here is a quick update on how some Twins players have fared in the early going. The Twins help players get opportunities in these winter leagues. Early in the season, you will see some of the younger players get some opportunity. As the season moves along, you'll start seeing more veteran types play as they prepare for the playoffs as well as their spring trainings. Some US players head down to these leagues for some extra at-bats or some additional innings. Sometimes a player will spend as little as two weeks with a team. Others will decide to stick around for a while. But especially in the Caribbean Leagues, winning matters. If a player isn't playing well, especially an American, they will be released and sent home. VENEZUELA The Venezuelan Winter League got started a couple of weeks ago already. Here are the Twins players who have spent time there so far. Luis Arraez had a terrific season in Cedar Rapids this year. He went home and has been playing for Navegantes del Magallanes. He is hitting .279/.311/.372 (.683) with two doubles and a triple in 43 at bats. Victor Tademo is a 17-year-old who hit .311/.388/.429 (.817) with 16 doubles, a triple and a home run this year in the Dominican Summer League. He also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts. He's an example of a young guy who will get a little bit of time but will also have the opportunity to watch and work with veterans. He is just 1-3 so far, also for Navegantes del Magallanes. Heiker Meneses split his season between Rochester and Chattanooga. Unfortunately, he also spent nearly half of the season on the disabled list. He is playing for Tiburones de La Guairra. He is hitting .303/.361/.515 (.876) with two doubles, a triple and a homer in 33 at-bats so far. Jairo Rodriguez is catching for Tigres de Aragua. He is hitting .240/.241/.240 (.481) in just 25 at bats so far. Reynaldo Rodriguez already has 57 at-bats this winter for Aguilas de Zulia. He is hitting .333/.333/.561 (.895) with two doubles, a triple and three home runs so far. Wilfredo Tovar was the Red Wings shortstop throughout the 2016 season. For Leones del Caracas, he is hitting .389/.441/.481 (.922) with five doubles in 54 at-bats. I wrote earlier this week that Niko Goodrum has re-signed with the Twins for 2017. He would have become a minor league free agent following the World Series, but he will stay with the Twins (unless he's selected in the Rule 5 draft). He is playing for Caribes de Anzoategui. In 54 at-bats, he is hitting .278/.333/.389 (.722) with four doubles and a triple. While the hitters are spread around the league, there are currently three Twins pitchers in Venezuela and all of them are playing for Bravos de Margarita. This is where you need to consider small sample size. Omar Bencomo, who will be a free agent after the World Series, has pitched 14.1 innings over three starts. He has a 1.88 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He has one walk and eight strikeouts. Ryan O'Rourke has pitched a total of two innings over five appearances. He has given up six earned runs on four hits and two walks. Nick Greenwood has made one start and went three innings. He gave up five runs on six hits and two walks. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC The Dominican Winter League began its schedule with a game on Thursday and the rest of the schedule began on Friday night. Catcher Carlos Paulino has played two games already and is 1-7 for Gigantes del Cibao. Daniel Palka is playing for Leones del Escogido. On Friday night, he went 1-4. It was a single. Also on the roster is former Twins outfielder Lew Ford. Confesor Lara is playing for Estrellas de Oriente. He signed late in the year and pitched for Ft. Myers. On Friday, Darren Wolfson tweeted the following: https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/789578655999504385 Ruiz gave up three runs on five hits and a walk over the first 4.1 innings. He struck out four. PUERTO RICO The Puerto Rico Winter League begins next weekend. The Twins have several players from the island in the organization. Many of them choose to play in the Winter League. AUSTRALIA The Australian Baseball League will begin November 17. We'll check back from time to time, maybe it'll even be weekly if the readers would like that. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the players or the leagues. View full article

If the Twins didn't sign pitchers who throw 94 (and site 90-92), they wouldn't sign like 90% of pitchers who get signed to pro contracts. All depends on how good those pitches are, the secondary ones too and makeup and a whole bunch of other factors. Can't just look at velocity.

Like I wrote above, and tweeted a few days ago, the Twins have already signed Niko Goodrum to bring him back in 2017.

Grossman had an opt-out in his contract that he used. At the time, Cleveland's OF was full, Naquin was playing well, Marlon Byrd might have been around and Michael Brantley was about to come back. . Little did they know that they'd need him a few weeks later.

Which is why I might advocate trades like the Nunez/Mejia deal where they're giving up middling veterans for near-ready talent (whatever the position, but obviously focusing on pitching).

I like Niko. I do think that he could develop into what they wanted Santana to be, so I probably should have put him on the bubble. Was very glad to hear earlier this week that the Twins had re-signed him to a minor league deal. As for Minier, I'd be shocked if he was selected in the Rule 5 draft after striking out so much in Elizabethton. I mean, Santana had at least spent time in Low A when the Twins traded for him.

Vielma isn't ready yet. He may be a year out, maybe a little more. I don't think he'd be ready for an MLB utility infield job. That's why I'd keep Escobar. Grossman's offense makes him a consideration... His defense puts him on the bubble.

Just to point out... the people in the dugout had little to do with who was called up. Yup... I was good with Schafer getting called up when he did. There were still 10 games left in Rochester, and I thought Walker and Palka should play every day there. However, when the season ended, there was little reason to not call up at least one of them, and probably Walker. Schafer played more than I thought he would, in large part due to Rosario's injury and Kepler was out a couple of days too. But even so, no reason for him to get those ABs over Walker.

Who are some of the guys who should be on the ballot?

The Minnesota Twins currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster (including the three players still on the 60-Day disabled list). Yesterday, we reviewed the 22 pitchers on the roster, and today, we will review the 16 hitters currently on the roster. On Monday, the Minnesota Twins announced that five players had been outrighted to AAA Rochester. Two were hitters. According to Mike Berardino, Logan Schafer has elected free agency. He showed some impressive self-awareness in the story. “I am a free agent, though, and I’m sure I am way down the priority list for the Twins this busy offseason.” Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson, USA Today The Minnesota Twins currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster (including the three players still on the 60-Day disabled list). Yesterday, we reviewed the 22 pitchers on the roster, and today, we will review the 16 hitters currently on the roster. On Monday, the Minnesota Twins announced that five players had been outrighted to AAA Rochester. Two were hitters. According to Mike Berardino, Logan Schafer has elected free agency. He showed some impressive self-awareness in the story. “I am a free agent, though, and I’m sure I am way down the priority list for the Twins this busy offseason.” James Beresford can also become a minor league free agent following the completion of the World Series. He would seem to be a strong candidate to come back to the organization on another minor league contract. Speaking of ‘after the World Series,’ that is when Derek Falvey will take over his role as the Twins Chief Baseball Officer. He will have plenty of very important decisions to make throughout the offseason, but today we’ll just discuss the 16 hitters on the 40-man roster. Again, after reading today’s article, we are going to want your thoughts and opinions on who should be added. How many of them are Givens to remain on the roster? Any of the arbitration-eligibles? Who are the guys on the proverbial roster bubble? For this, we are going to assume no trades for now. It is, of course, possible that the Twins make a trade or two before the Winter Meetings which would effect this as well. The Twins have six arbitration-eligible players, including two hitters. There are other articles on the arbitration-eligibles and (Coming Soon!) there will be more in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook. Eduardo Escobar Trevor Plouffe FREE AGENT Just one player currently on the 40-man roster will automatically become a free agent after the World Series. That player is catcher Kurt Suzuki. It is highly unlikely that he will be brought back, though certainly not impossible. THE GIVENS (Assuming no trades) Byron Buxton - High draft pick. Top prospect. Yes, he struggled in the big leagues in 2015 and through August of 2016. However, we also saw September, when he put together an incredible month. We saw what he can be offensively. We already know what he is defensively. And he’s just 22. Easy choice. Brian Dozier - I mean, the guy just hit 42 home runs in 2016. He posted an .886 OPS. And he’s got two more years left on his contract. Could he be traded? It’s certainly possible, but otherwise, he will be on the roster. Not much more to say about that. Max Kepler - Was named the Twins top rookie by Twins Daily and the Baseball Writers. Certainly had his ups and downs in his first full-time big league experience, but the 23-year-old showed the potential we started seeing in 2015. Jorge Polanco - Polanco finally got the opportunity to play in the big leagues, pretty much every day, after August 1st. Can he play shortstop? He should get a shot in 2017. Regardless, Polanco has an exciting future ahead of him and is a given. He will be out of options next season. Joe Mauer - Let’s see. Big contract. No trade clause. He’s a given, assuming he wants to keep playing. John Ryan Murphy - It was a difficult season for the backstop acquired a year ago from the Yankees. However, he is good defensively and in the past has shown more offensively than he did in 2016. Still just 25, he’ll be on the roster in 2017. Byungho Park - He came in with a lot of hype after hitting 105 homers over his previous two seasons in Korea. He showed power when healthy, hitting 22 home runs in 93 games. Unfortunately, contact issues meant that 10 of the homers came in 31 games in Rochester. He had wrist/hand injuries that may or may not have contributed to his struggles. With his power potential, he remains a given. Eddie Rosario - Certainly he has his flaws, the most obvious being his complete lack of control of the strike zone. However, Rosario is immensely talented and can do a lot of good on the baseball field. Just 25, he’s a given to remain on the 40-man roster. Miguel Sano - Most will admit that 2016 was a difficult year for Sano on several levels, but even in a “bad” season he hit 25 homers. He can be much better which is scary to think about, especially for AL Central pitchers. Kennys Vargas - He will be out of options in 2017, so he’ll need to make the 25-man roster. He didn’t hit for average, but finally showed patience and a bunch of extra-base power in 2016. That likely pushed him from the bubble to a given. There are ten hitters who are "givens' to be on the Twins 40-man roster. In addition, there are two arbitration-eligible hitters. In my opinion, Eduardo Escobar should be nearly a given to stay on the roster and be offered arbitration. Most likely, he will be a reserve infielder, but he could get time at third base or shortstop depending upon how other situations play out. Trevor Plouffe is a much more difficult decision. 2016 was a frustrating season Plouffe, but when healthy, he can play solid defense at third base and be relied upon for 18 to 20 homers. For one year and $9 million, it’s not unreasonable to bring him back. I just think it’s pretty unlikely. Here are the hitters remaining on the 40-man roster who remain question marks for the roster at this point. As a reminder, room still needs to be made on the roster for players who need to be added to the 40-man roster or potentially lost to the Rule 5 draft. Of the below names, the front office will need to determine if they prefer to keep the current guy or go with a potential Rule 5 selection. There are a lot of difficult decisions. ON THE BUBBLE Adam Brett Walker - For me, he would be a given to remain on the roster. He just turned 25, and he has moved up the organizational ladder, continuing to show power. But there are the strikeouts and concerns about his defense. Juan Centeno - For me, he would have been removed from the 40-man roster already. I’ve tweeted several times that I don’t recall seeing a worse defensive catcher (maybe Matthew Lecroy) in team history. He can hit a little and he’s only 26, so maybe he could stick. Robbie Grossman - For me Grossman is a given to remain on the roster. He had a terrific on-base percentage. He can also hit left-handed pitching quite well. He could be an ideal platoon candidate. But his defense is so weak in the outfield that a new regime might have another opinion. Danny Santana - Currently on the 60-day disabled list, he will need to be removed from that soon. He is certainly a terrific athlete. He can play in the outfield or the infield (not necessarily well, but he can play them), but he just hasn’t shown any offense since that incredible rookie season in 2014. He’s is out of options and just can’t be guaranteed a roster spot. POTENTIAL 40-MAN ROSTER ADDS Real quickly, here is an incomplete list of hitters who would need to be added to the Twins 40-man roster or risk being lost in the Rule 5 draft (with my thoughts on likelihood of them being added): Mitch Garver - Given Zack Granite - Highly likely Daniel Palka - Highly likely Engelb Vielma - Likely Stuart Turner - Bubble So there you have it, a crib sheet review of the hitters on the Minnesota Twins current 40 (or 38?) man roster. As I see it, there are 10 easy choices to keep on the roster. There are two hitters who are arbitration-eligible. Neither is a given. There are four hitters who I believe are on the 40-man roster bubble. To make matters more confusing, there are four or five hitters who need to be considered for addition to the 40-man roster. Between yesterday’s review of the pitchers on the 40-man roster and today’s review of the hitters, we’ve got information to hand over to Derek Falvey to help in his decision. Discuss the options below, and let us know what your transactions would be. View full article

All week, we’ve been getting to know the Twins 2016 minor league recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. The award was established in honor of the Twins Hall of Famer and all he did for people in the communities he lived and played. The Twins organization is full of very good people, and certainly it is difficult for the teams to select just one. Today we celebrate the Rochester Red Wings recipient of the award. For the third straight season, Logan Darnell is the Red Wings recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. It was a tough season for the southpaw on the field. He had been removed from the Twins 40-man roster last year at this time. He cleared waivers and stayed with the Twins. He had a strong showing in spring training and was one of the final players sent down to minor league camp. Unfortunately, he didn’t get back to the big leagues in 2016. He went 8-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 18 starts before his season came to an end in mid-July with a shoulder injury. Even after that, he remained busy in the Rochester community. If you missed any of the previous winners, see below. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: David Hurlbut Rochester Red Wings: Logan Darnell Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013, Image courtesy of Rochester Red Wings (Darnell wearing the jersey that he designed an ordered for Alzheimer's Awareness Night) All week, we’ve been getting to know the Twins 2016 minor league recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. The award was established in honor of the Twins Hall of Famer and all he did for people in the communities he lived and played. The Twins organization is full of very good people, and certainly it is difficult for the teams to select just one. Today we celebrate the Rochester Red Wings recipient of the award. For the third straight season, Logan Darnell is the Red Wings recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. It was a tough season for the southpaw on the field. He had been removed from the Twins 40-man roster last year at this time. He cleared waivers and stayed with the Twins. He had a strong showing in spring training and was one of the final players sent down to minor league camp. Unfortunately, he didn’t get back to the big leagues in 2016. He went 8-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 18 starts before his season came to an end in mid-July with a shoulder injury. Even after that, he remained busy in the Rochester community. If you missed any of the previous winners, see below. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: David Hurlbut Rochester Red Wings: Logan Darnell Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2016 marked the third straight season in which LHP Logan Darnell received the Killebrew Award. That isn’t to say that he hasn’t had teammates who were active in the community. It is a great indicator of the type of person that Logan Darnell is. Red Wings general manager Dan Mason recently told Twins Daily, “Once again this year we were very fortunate to have some outstanding baseball players represent the Twins and the Red Wings, but we also had some outstanding human beings. We had many players represent us in the community at a variety of functions, but none did as many appearances for us than Logan Darnell.” Of receiving the Killebrew Award again, Darnell said, “It means a lot! I’ve met a lot of great people in Rochester and made good friends over the past years.” Darnell stayed active in the community throughout the entire season. In fact, for much longer than that. Mason added, “In his four seasons with the Red Wings, he has done an amazing job interacting with fans here at the ballpark and throughout the Rochester area. He has really embraced Rochester as his second home and has given back so much of his time and energy to help make Rochester a better place to live, work and play.” Darnell’s big event the last two seasons has been Darnell's Alzheimer’s Night in Rochester. Proceeds from the event go to the Alzheimer’s Association of Rochester. It's a very special cause for Darnell as his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Darnell reached into his own pockets and designed jerseys for the Red Wings to wear in a game. The jerseys were then auctioned and given away following the game. The Twins were big supporters as well with several players sending autographed items. 2015 was the first year of the event. It was a big success, so he took it to another level in 2016. According to Mason, “This year he stepped up to the plate again. He sponsored and designed the jersey and stirrups that the players wore and then auctioned off during the game. Proceeds benefited the Alzheimer's Association, Rochester and Finger Lakes Region.” Darnell added, “The Alzheimer’s Association in Rochester is very dear to me. All the people there working for the association are great and are doing an amazing job in the community. I'm lucky to know them and help. Having a mother sick with the disease really drives me to help and do everything I can to help because I understand the struggle. We raised close to $28.000 the last two years with events the Red Wings helped sponsor, and my teammates which makes me forever thankful.” He didn’t just plan and participate in one event. Mason said Darnell remained busy during most home stands. “He also arranged for a celebrity bartenders night at a local restaurant and over half the team and coaching staff were there to help raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association. He headed up a golf tourney allowing fans the opportunity to Swing with the Wings to benefit the same organization. In addition to all his work raising money for the Alzheimer's Association, he made numerous appearances at schools, hospitals, sponsors, youth baseball clinics, and he participated in the City of Rochester Clean Sweep in which residents spend a morning picking up debris and beautifying Rochester.” Darnell mentioned a few of the other events, and again credited leadership within the organization for what they do and how they encourage community involvement. “We did a golf event, jersey night, bar tending event, and we helped out with whatever the association needed. That with so many other great places that the team was involved with. The Wings are so great in the community. And it starts with (Red Wings GM) Dan Mason and Naomi (Silver)! They are awesome. Not to mention the guys are awesome.” Darnell ended the season on the disabled list with a shoulder issue. He was not on the 40-man roster all season. He can become a minor league free agent at the end of the World Series. Wherever he winds up, his work will continue. “The battle isn't won, and it's something I will always try and help until a cure is found.” Mason summarizes Darnell’s work, his caring attitude and his award by saying the following. “Logan Darnell is the kind of gentleman that Harmon Killebrew would be proud to have win his award.” View full article

Mike Berardino's article: http://www.twincities.com/2016/10/19/minnesota-twins-brian-dozier-heads-list-of-diamond-awards-winners/

Byron Buxton was named the Twins Defensive Player of the Year for 2016 (Jim Kaat Award) by the Twin Cities chapter of the BBWAA recently. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press spoke with Buxton about his defense gave several examples of great play by the youngster. He also brought up areas he'd like to improve. Maybe it's just me, but I happen to think that Buxton's going to get a few Gold Glove awards in his career... Not 1, Not 2, Not 3... http://www.twincities.com/2016/10/19/minnesota-twins-byron-buxton-in-good-defensive-company/

Mike Berardino wrote a good article on Max Kepler who was named the team's rookie of the year yesterday by the BBWAA. He said he needs to make some adjustments and be more consistent, which I would say is accurate. He'll spend his offseason between Florida, California and Germany. http://www.twincities.com/2016/10/20/twins-outfielder-max-kepler-gives-himself-a-c-plus-for-rookie-year/

Regarding Santana... he'd have to be removed from the 60-Day and placed on the 40-man roster... at the point, he absolutely could be DFAd. Just like anyone else on the 40-man. Regarding Perkins... I'm certainly willing to let him go through rehab and see where he's at.

Yeah, I believe the signing team would only have to pay him the league minimum. The Twins would pay the rest.