Seth Stohs

Today, I would vote Correa... After 30 more games, the games-played difference won't matter any more. Sano can definitely win it yet.

Pat Meares had a nice little career for the Twins and Pirates. I still think Michael will, can and should get a chance. Should go to AAA next year. He's a solid ballplayer and just needs to stay healthy!

He was... considered a five-tool potential, though hitting was the question mark. Even when he was drafted, the idea of pitching was close at mind. After two years, they moved him. He's been alright. They've been patient with him. He was old when drafted out of high school and signed at 19, so he's actually eligible for the Rule 5 this year.

Last year, Rogers threw about 152 innings between New Britain and the AFL (he pitched in the championship game and I don't think that's included in the stats, but maybe). He should make one more Rochester start this week and get to 165 innings. He should get another 25 innings in the Fall league, putting him near 190. (that's 25% more than last year) Also, Rogers will turn 25 shortly after the fall league. Berrios turned 21 in May. Two very, very different situations.

He still won't be in any top 30s and probably not top 50 Twins prospects due to his age, but he has had a tremendous season and frankly,if he keeps on moving up, I don't care if he doesn't debut until he's 27. It's a nice honor for him and a chance to be seen.

It was an eventful day in the Twins system, as you would expect September 1st to be. Lots of moving parts, and still some big games as two teams approach the playoffs and one team isn’t quite ready to give up their playoff hopes. There were some awards named, transactions and the Arizona Fall League rosters were announced. The season came to an end for another Twins affiliate.All that and more can be found below. Let’s start with some transactions. ALL-STARS The International League named two members of the Rochester Red Wings to the league’s postseason All-Star team. First baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez and second baseman James Beresford were both very deserving. ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE Major League Baseball announced their 2015 rosters. The Twins will be represented by seven players. The four pitchers from the Twins organization are Nick Burdi, Jake Reed, Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers. The Twins are sending two catchers, Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver. Adam Brett Walker is the other Twins player who will spend six or seven weeks in the Phoenix area. TRANSACTIONS The Twins made official on Tuesday afternoon what we knew here on Monday night. The team recalled pitchers AJ Achter and Michael Tonkin, and infielders Kennys Vargas and Danny Santana. They also put Eric Fryer back on the 40-man roster and called him up. What we didn’t know is the roster move to make that possible. We have since learned that the Twins have out-righted Jason Wheeler from the 40-man roster. Rochester obviously needed to add some players to make up for the players promoted. Equally obviously, the Twins aren’t going to mess with the Chattanooga roster as they prepare for the playoffs. Eric Farris and Allan de San Miguel came off of the disabled list. Also, Loek Van Mil was in uniform for the Twins. Baseball America had announced that the team had signed him. He last played in affiliated ball in 2013. He has played some in Japan since then. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2 Box Score The Red Wings are barely holding on in their division. After this loss, Scranton’s magic number to clinch the division over the Red Wings is just one. Rochester does have a little more wiggle room in the wild card hunt, but not much. Michael Bowden started and gave up just two runs on four hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out eight. Alex Meyer came on and worked two scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked two (one intentional) and struck out three. Unfortunately, the Red Wings weren’t able to muster much offense. In fact, Reynaldo Rodriguez scored the lone run of the game. He got on after striking out and the ball got by the catcher. He advanced to second. He stole third base (his 13th steal of the year), the throw went into left field and Rodriguez scored. Aaron Hicks had one of the four Red Wings hits. He played the whole game in right field. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Birmingham 1 Box Score Adam Brett Walker struggled for about five weeks, but he’s been providing some extra-base hits again of late. On Tuesday night, he hit his 30th home run of the season to match the number of doubles he has this season. He was 2-4 with a walk and the homer. He also drove in two more runs, giving him 103 on the season, second-best in minor league baseball. Levi Michael went 3-5. Max Kepler went 1-3 with two walks and two RBI. Cleanup hitter Travis Harrison also drove in two runs. DJ Baxendale gave up just one run on four hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out four. Corey Williams pitched a flawless seventh. Nick Burdi gave up a hit and walked two, but struck out three in a scoreless inning. JT Chargois got the final three outs, two of them via strikeout. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 – Ft. Myers 5, Jupiter 2 Box Score Kohl Stewart was again good in this game. He went six innings and was charged with only two unearned runs. He gave up four hits, walked four and struck out three. He improved to 7-8 with a 3.20 ERA on the season. Jake Reed picked up his first save with a clean seventh inning. Chad Christensen led the offense. He went 3-4 with his second and third triples. Mitch Garver was 2-3 with a walk. Logan Wade hit his 21st double and drove in three runs. Zach Granite was 1-2 and notched his 20th stolen base. Game 2 – Ft. Myers 6, Jupiter 1 Box Score Luke Westphal improved his Miracle numbers to 5-5 with a 2.82 ERA. The southpaw went five shutout innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out five. Todd Van Steensel struck out the side in the sixth. Matt Summers gave up a solo home run in the seventh. LaMonte Wade hit his fourth triple. Aderlin Mejia went 1-2 with a walk. Chad Christensen walked twice. Zach Granite drove in two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 5 Box Score Sam Clay put together a real solid start, but the Kernels fell with two outs in the ninth. The left-hander Clay gave up two runs on eight hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out three. He walked two and struck out three. Yorman Landa pitched the next two innings. He gave up two runs on one hit and two walks. Zach Tillery came on for the ninth. He got two outs, but he gave up a run on two hits and a walk to take the loss. Sean Miller was leading off. He went 2-4 with his third and fourth doubles. TJ White went 2-4 with a walk. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Bristol 1 Box Score Dereck Rodriguez was named the Appy League Pitcher of the Year last week. Tonight, he put together, arguably, his best start of the year. In six innings, he gave up one run. He allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out 11. He improved to 6-3 with a 2.85 ERA. Onesimo Hernandez threw two shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out two. Kuo Hua Lo worked a scoreless inning to finish the game. LaMonte Wade went 2-4 with his fifth triple. AJ Murray was 2-3 with a walk and his 11th double. Brad Hartong and Nelson Molina each went 2-4. Zander Wiel walked twice. The Elizabethton season is complete. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Ft. Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (6:5 CST) – TBD Chattanooga – No Game Scheduled Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (12:05 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

I don't know about desperation, but I do think they want to see how they do, put them in this situation. It's a good challenge for both. During the season, understandably, they want them both playing. I think this is good.

They changed it to TWO players below AA a couple of years ago.

On Tuesday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced the Arizona Fall League rosters. The Twins will be represented by seven players in Arizona. It is a good opportunity for the Twins to learn about these guys, and for the players to see how they compare to and learn from other top prospects from other organization. The Twins will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions with players from the Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and San Francisco. Here are the Twins representatives:NICK BURDI (22) – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Burdi came into the year and many of us thought he’d be with the big league club by now. That didn’t happen. He started in Chattanooga, but after posting a 5.93 ERA in his first 22 games there, he was sent down to Ft. Myers in late June. After a solid month there, he returned to the Lookouts. In 10.1 innings (5 outings) since his return, he has a 1.75 ERA. That said, he has 8 walks to go with 15 strikeouts. If he can find some control, he should be terrific. JAKE REED (22) – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Like Burdi, Reed struggled in AA. In 33 games, he posted a 5.64 ERA. He returned to Ft. Myers (actually, he had skipped Ft. Myers to start the season) where he has a 0.00 ERA in eight games. Reed pitched well in the Arizona Fall League last year. He was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2014 out of Oregon. TREVOR HILDENBERGER (24) – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Hildenberger was the Twins 22nd round pick just last year from California. He began the season with 28 games in Cedar Rapids and dominated to the tune of a 0.80 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP through 45 innings. He was promoted to the Miracle where he has a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings. He has 17 total saves on the season. He has twice been our minor league pitcher of the month and is a leading candidate for the annual honor. TAYLOR ROGERS (24) – Left-Handed Starting Pitcher Like Reed, Rogers pitched in the AFL last year, though he was limited thanks to a liner to his left arm. He is 9-12 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP with the Red Wings this year in 161 innings. He has struggled more in the second half. He has risen pretty quickly through the Twins ranks since being their 11th round pick in 2012 out of Kentucky. ADAM BRETT WALKER (23) – Outfielder The powerful slugger was the Twins third-round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. This year in Chattanooga, he has slugged 30 doubles and 29 homers. He’s driven in over 100 runs for the second time in three full seasons. And yes, he is approaching 190 strikeouts on the season. For him, continuing to work on his strike zone knowledge and plan will be key. MITCH GARVER (24) – Catcher The Twins are sending Mitch Garver to the Fall League. He was Twins Daily’s Minor League Hitter of the Year last year in Cedar Rapids. He struggled through the first two months this season, but since June 1st, he is hitting .273/.374/.392 (.766). He has thrown out 36% of would-be base-stealers for the Miracle this year. STUART TURNER (23) – Catcher So, the Twins are sending two catchers to the Fall League. That is unusual, I would think, though both are very solid behind the plate. Turner is definitely known more for his defense. He has thrown out 40% of would-be base-stealers in Chattanooga. He is hitting just .220/.318/.307 on the season. However, in his last 34 games, he has hit .284/.384/.371 (.755). These seven will represent the Twins organization in Arizona. What are your thoughts? Click here to view the article

Yeah, his walk rate jumped from 7.5% to about 9.4% (as of a couple days ago), and that's encouraging... though his K-Rate jumped from 28% to 35% It's been a very good year for him.

As of tonight, reports from Rochester (Twins won't confirm anything until tomorrow) indicate that the Twins will call up AJ Achter, Michael Tonkin, Danny Santana, Kennys Vargas and Eric Fryer. Obviously more can and will be promoted in another week.

Last night, we wrote about which players not currently on the 40-man roster could be added for September. Today, we will take a look at the members of the current 40- man roster and try to determine how many of them might be promoted for the season’s final month. As I’ve said various times, a few will come up on September 1, and more will come up following Labor Day when Rochester’s season comes to an end. Chattanooga will be in the playoffs, so anyone from that roster would likely not be promoted until after they are done.A reminder, the “Odds” that I provide at the end of each player’s section is just my opinion based on several years of watching and following the Twins. One thing I’ve learned from all those years is that you never know. There always seems to be a surprise or two. Let’s get to the list. Which of these players currently on the 40-man roster do you think will get called up in September? JOSMIL PINTO – Catcher Pinto missed a few months after suffering another concussion. He has returned in the last two weeks, but he is only DHing. In fact, Assistant GM Rob Antony told Cory Provus on Inside Twins that he will not catch any more this year. They still intend on him catching moving forward. He is out of options in 2016, and he could provide a solid pinch-hitting option with some power. Odds: 25% AJ ACHTER – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Achter continued his dominance of minor leaguers in 2015. He was one of just a couple of Twins minor league relievers with a WHIP well-under 1.00. Finally in August he got about two weeks with the big league club. He gave up six runs on five hits and two walks over his first two outings (a combined 1.1 innings). After that, he had four more outings and threw six shutout innings, allowing just two base runners. The 27-year-old former 46th round draft pick should continue to get opportunities. Odds: 95% LOGAN DARNELL – Left-Handed Pitcher The 26-year-old southpaw has not appeared in a big league game in 2015 after making seven appearances (four starts) for the Twins in 2014. The decision was made in spring training to have him pitch out of the bullpen. In his first 29 games (44 IP) this season, mostly out of the bullpen, he posted a 4.30 ERA and opponents hit .309 off of him. He was recently moved to the starting rotation. In four starts, he has given up just two runs over 28 innings (0.64 ERA). Opponents have hit just .143 off of him in that time frame. Odds: 48% ALEX MEYER – Right-Handed Pitcher After posting a 7.09 ERA through eight starts, Meyer was moved to the bullpen where he was much improved. He even got into two games with the Twins in late June, but they went horribly. After really struggling in July, he has been pretty good. In his last seven outings (16.2 innings), he has given up just two earned runs (1.08 ERA) on 11 hits, seven walks and 14 strikeouts. Meyer might be on enough of a roll that he could help out for a couple of innings here and there in September. Odds: 55% DANNY SANTANA – Shortstop Santana hasn’t been great since being sent down to Rochester, but he has been magnificent the last five days… with GM Terry Ryan in attendance. He has multiple hits in each of those five games. He is 12-21 in that stretch and on Saturday hit two home runs. He played center field that night. The team has talked about adding someone with speed who can pinch run. Well, Santana fits in that category and can provide depth at shortstop or in center field down the stretch. Odds: 99% MICHAEL TONKIN – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Double-digit times, Tonkin has been called up to the Twins and sent down to Rochester. He hasn’t been able to take a step in the big leagues, but he’s never really had much of a shot either. In Rochester in July, he went 15 innings without allowing a run. He gave up one run on August 4th and since then he has gone nearly ten more innings without another run scoring. What more can he do? Odds: 99% KENNYS VARGAS – First Base/DH Most games, the Twins have no threat off the bench. Vargas, despite any struggles he has had this year, can certainly provide a power threat. As Nick wrote last week, not only was he not showing power, but he had no control of the strike zone. On Sunday, he went 1-2 with two walks and a home run. That’s the kind of production that should get him recalled soon. In his last 19 games with the Red Wings, he has four doubles and three homers while walking almost as much as he strikes out. He has made some strides. Odds: 99% OSWALDO ARCIA – Outfielder Arcia is just 24-years-old and has an OPS+ for his career four-percent above league average. After an injury early this season, he remained in Rochester and has been a miss since. He was hitting just .200/.257/.381 (.638) with 12 doubles and 12 RBI. Those numbers don’t even look terrible compared to what he has done of late. Prior to going 2-4 on Sunday, he had hit .104 (12-115) over his previous 33 games. He is already a statue in the outfield. The team has said that merit will play a large role in their September roster decisions. If that’s the case… Odds: 4% AARON THOMPSON – Left-Handed Relief Pitcher Through his first 28 appearances (mid-May), Thompson was solid, posting a 2.11 ERA. However, in his final 24 games with the Twins, his ERA was 10.64. He was mercifully sent down to Rochester. In 12.1 innings over 17 games with Rochester, he has a 4.38 ERA though he has given up runs in just four of those outings. Odds: 15% JORGE POLANCO – Shortstop Since his return from the big leagues to Double-A Chattanooga, he has hit just .245 in 23 games. For the second straight season, Polanco has had two cups of coffee. Defensively, he has continued to struggle at shortstop. He has 28 errors between his AA and AAA time, a fielding percentage of just .933, a career low. With Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez and (likely) Danny Santana able to play shortstop in September, Polanco’s role might just be as a pinch hitter. Odds: 30% JASON WHEELER – Left-Handed Starting Pitchers It’s been a tough season for Wheeler. He was added to the 40-man roster last winter and came to big league camp. He surprisingly began 2015 in Rochester despite only 12 starts in AA in 2014. He has made 15 starts with the Red Wings this year and gone 1-7 with a 6.58 ERA in 78 innings. In Chattanooga (9 starts), he is 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA. Odds: 0% MAX KEPLER – First Base/Outfield Kepler has been the Twins choice for minor league hitter of the month the last three months. Here at Twins Daily, he was player of the month in May and finished second in June and July. In 104 games with the Lookouts, he has hit .330/.416/.547 (.963). He has 32 doubles, 12 triples, nine home runs and 16 stolen bases. He has the ability to play first base and all three outfield positions. He will continue to play for the Lookouts through their regular season and in the Southern League playoffs, and he will certainly be Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2015. Will the 22-year-old join the Twins for the final two weeks of the season? Odds: 51% Again, these are all just guesses based on following things for a long time (meaning, I’m old). Let us know what you think. Later today, we’ll discuss the players on the 40 man roster and which of them we think might be added for September. SUMMARY (including Non-Roster Guys) The 99% Club: AJ Achter, Danny Santana, Michael Tonkin, Kennys Vargas, (Eric Fryer) Just Above 50% - Alex Meyer, Max Kepler, (JO Berrios) Just Below 50% – Logan Darnell, (Mark Hamburger) Will Get Some Consideration – Josmil Pinto, Jorge Polanco, (James Beresford, JT Chargois, Pat Dean) So, from my opinion, there are five guys that are certain to be September call ups. There are five other guys who are going to be strongly considered but my confidence is only around 45-60% And, of course, there are another handful of players who deserve strong consideration for a September call up but for whatever reason likely will not be added. So how many, and how, do you think will be promoted for September. Click here to view the article

I kind of anticipate something like this will happen (referring to the Berrios part, not the Walker/Arcia part), where Berrios will be limited to like 50-60 pitches.

I would say it's typically 5-6, with some plus-minus for some teams.

Pretty sure that 4 spring training home runs won't factor into the decision even a little bit. I also doubt that his Close & Late numbers (in a very small sample size) will be factored in. They will likely solely go by the recommendations of Mientkiewicz and Chad Allen, and what Terry Ryan saw last week.

I would say that it will be interesting to see how much Berrios pitches tonight for Rochester. If he pitches well and doesn't go more than three or four innings, we will know that the Twins are likely calling him up. But, there's no way to know. Berrios is strong. If he looks strong, I think he'll come up. Personally, I just don't knwo what Ryan will see tonight that Quade and Mason and Mientkiewiecz and Cliburn and guys like Steil and Radcliff and others have seen all year.

If they want to option someone, they can option them to Rochester or Chattanooga. They would need to stay on their roster's for 10 days, unless injury, or until the season is done. That's why I'd expect that if they do option someone, it would be to the GCL since their season is over.

It just is... Because enough people believe that it does matter and they're going to take care of their most valuable pitcher. This article, as it says in the title, is about Non-Roster guys.

Here we are, the final day of August, and the Minnesota Twins are still in contention for a playoff spot. They will enter September four games over .500. Just like we all anticipated in March, right? Starting today, the Twins may start making some moves to alter and then add to their current roster. On September 1, anyone on the 40-man roster could be called up. Obviously it’s more likely that they call up six or seven players within the next week or so than call up 14 to 15 players. However, there are at least a dozen players who deserve consideration to spend the final month with the big league club. In this article, we’ll discuss several players who are not currently on the 40-man roster who deserve to be considered for a September call-up.The Twins 40-man roster is currently at 40, plus Ricky Nolasco and Ryan Pressly on the 60-day disabled list. In other words, if any of the below players were to be added, someone would have to be removed from the current 40-man roster. The other option is putting a player on the 60-day DL. Phil Hughes and Aaron Hicks won’t be placed on the 60-day DL, but could they put JR Graham on it? Remember that only maybe three to five players will be called up on the 1st and more will come after Labor Day when the minor league regular seasons come to an end. Below you’ll find a bunch of players who are not currently on the 40-man roster but could be considered for a September call-up. The “Odds” at the end of each player’s information is simply my guess as to the odds of them being promoted. I have no knowledge. They are just my guesses based on following the team and such things for a dozen years. Enjoy, and at the end, leave your thoughts. ** Note: About 2:00 central time, my thoughts on the 40 man roster options will be revealed. ** ERIC FRYER – Catcher The Twins will want to add a third catcher. It makes a ton of sense as it will allow Paul Molitor to feel more comfortable pinch hitting for Kurt Suzuki or Chris Herrmann. The only other catcher playing on the Rochester roster right now is Carlos Paulina, though Allan de San Miguel remains on the disabled list. Odds: 99.9% MARK HAMBURGER – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher We wrote about it in spring training, and it very well could happen in September. If the Twins call up Hamburger to pitch in their bullpen, his coach in the bullpen will be Eddie Guardado who he was traded for in August of 2008. Hamburger debuted with the Rangers in 2011 and then things got rough. He pitched for the St. Paul Saints in 2013. The Twins signed him and after serving a suspension in 2014, he pitched well in AA and AAA. He was in big league camp until late and when he got to Rochester, he made four starts. He wasn’t great in the first half, but in 25 games since mid-June, he has been terrific. He has worked short relief, but he has pitched over two innings four times in that span too. In 29.1 innings, he has a 0.92 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. He has walked two and struck out 25. In other words, his case is strong. Odds: 45% PAT DEAN – Left-Handed Starting Pitcher Last week, we ran a story on the southpaw. The 26-year-old has been in the organization since the 2010 draft. He is having a breakout season in 2015. He is 11-11 with the Red Wings with a 2.91 ERA in 170 innings. He has thrown three complete game shutouts and has completed six innings in 20 of his 25 starts. On Sunday afternoon, he tossed eight shutout innings. He wouldn’t start, but he could eat some innings if needed. Odds: 20% MICHAEL BOWDEN – Right-Handed Pitcher The Twins signed Bowden to a minor league contract after he opted out of his deal with the Orioles organization in July. He had an August 22nd opt-out with the Twins but did not use it. With the Red Wings, he made six starts and went 3-2 with a 4.33 ERA. In his most recent start (Thursday), he threw seven shutout innings. He has pitched for the Red Sox and Cubs in the big leagues and spent 2014 playing in Japan. He has started this season in the minors, but has pitched primarily out of the bullpen in the big leagues. Odds: 10% JAMES BERESFORD – Second Baseman The Twins signed Beresford as a 16-year-old from Australia late in 2005. He debuted in the States in 2007. He has gradually and successfully climbed up the Twins system. He has spent the last two-and-a-half years with the Red Wings. In 2015, the 26-year-old has hit .316/.351/.372 (.722) with 21 doubles, one triple and one home run. Earlier in his minor league career, he played more shortstop, but over the last three or four years, he has played almost exclusively second base. He can play all three infield positions. Odds: 25% DOUG BERNIER – Utility Player Bernier has spent at least some time with the Twins in each of the last three seasons. He’s been a utility infielder through most of his minor league career, which spans back to 2002. In 89 games this year with the Red Wings, he hit .242/.334/.292 (.627). The 35-year-old would provide depth. Odds: 15% REYNALDO RODRIGUEZ – First Base/Outfielder The 29-year-old originally signed with the Yankees way back in 2006. He spent some time in independent leagues before spending several years with the Red Sox organization. He has been with the Twins since 2013 and has been a solid extra base producer each year. In his first full season with AAA Rochester, he has hit .261/.313/.458 (.771) with 33 doubles, seven triples and 15 home runs. He also has 11 stolen bases. The odds of him being promoted are low due to his position and other options for the Twins, but his performance on the field certainly warrants discussion. Odds: 2% DANNY ORTIZ – Outfielder Ortiz is 25 years old and was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2008. At 5-11 and about 190 pounds, he doesn’t look like a power hitter, but he is usually good for ten to 12 homers a year. Ortiz was at spring training with the Twins and played OK. He profiles as a fourth or fifth outfielder. He started the year with the Red Wings hitting alright, but really has struggled the last two months. He is down to .241/.290/.414 (.704) with 30 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs. Odds: 1% STUART TURNER – Catcher Turner’s defensive prowess has had him pushed arguably a level higher than he should be the last two years. When looking at his offensive numbers, that shows. However, the defense is legit. In his last 30 games, he has hit .277/.390/.366 with seven extra base hits. He has 19 walks against 20 strikeouts. The Twins have said they want another catcher. We assume that means Eric Fryer as Turner doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2016 season. Odds: 0.1% ADAM BRETT WALKER – Outfielder Since being the Twins third-round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University, he has been one of the most productive hitters in the minor leagues. USA Today has him listed as one of the top five candidate for minor leaguer of the year. Sure, we may say Max Kepler should be on that list, but Walker has had another solid year. In AA, he has hit .241/.314/.500 (.814) with 29 doubles, 29 homers and 100 RBI. He also has 12 stolen bases. Sure, he’s struck out in about 35% of his plate appearances and walked about 9.5% of his time. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season. However, finding playing time for him would be tough. Odds: 5% JT CHARGOIS – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher While other relievers were talked about more coming into the season, Chargois returned to the mound after missing two years with injuries. He flashed a near-triple-digit fastball and a slider and did well. He began in Ft. Myers but spent the second half in Chattanooga. In his last 14 outings (15 innings), he has given up just one earned run. He has to be added to the 40-man roster after the season anyway, so he's certainly an option after the Lookouts playoff run. Odds: 10% JO BERRIOS – Right-Handed Starting Pitcher You knew I had to save the big talker to last, right? Berrios is making another start for Rochester on Monday night. Terry Ryan will see him again and make some sort of decision after the game. It will likely be the most-watched-by-Twins-fans Rochester start in a long time. He’s already at 155.1 innings. He shouldn’t work more than 175 to 180 innings this year, so what will his role be? I don’t know what Terry Ryan needs or wants to see. Berrios can contribute now. Even if you don’t want him to start because of innings concerns, he could be a guy who is ready for long relief duty. A guy who could eat two or three innings to save the rest of the bullpen. Odds: 60% Again, these are all just guesses based on following things for a long time (meaning, I’m old). Let us know what you think. Later today, we’ll discuss the players on the 40-man roster and which of them we think might be added for September. SUMMARY Better Than 50% - Eric Fryer, JO Berrios Close to 50/50 – Mark Hamburger Deserve Stronger Consideration – James Beresford, Pat Dean, JT Chargois Click here to view the article

I would think Darnell's last 4-5 appearances have probably made him a yes. Before that he was not. I tweeted this morning that I expect the following (and no, I don't know): I expect Vargas, Santana, Fryer and Tonkin to be called up on Sept. 1st. After the minor league season is complete, I would think we'd see Achter, Darnell. I think Hamburger will get a shot then. I also think Kepler will come up whenever the Chattanooga playoff run is done. Hicks will be up off the DL next week. I also expect that Vargas will come up on Aug. 31st with O'Rourke being optioned to the GCL so that he can stay up. But that gets their playoff roster to 12 pitchers, 13 hitters.

Yes. He hasn't pitched much since being drafted, several surgeries. The key for him this year is to get him consistent innings and make sure he's healthy. I don't think people realize just how much his arm was hurt. He's taken the time and worked hard to recover, so this has been encouraging.