Seth Stohs

Friday at 3:00 central time is the non-waiver trade deadline. In other words, it’s getting close. Today, I wanted to spend just a couple of minutes talking about the chips that the Twins could use in potential trades. Jeremy Nygaard has kept us updated on which teams the Twins have had discussions with, though it is likely true if you were to just assume that Terry Ryan has had at least cursory conversations with at least 25 other GMs around the league.The Untouchables I am of the opinion that unless someone like Mike Trout or Bryce Harper is available, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano are completely untouchable. I think it’s also fair to assume that JO Berrios would also be untouchable unless the Twins were offered something that is incredibly unlikely. Untouchable, But…? I realize that is an awkward heading, but it does seem appropriate. I think Max Kepler is a guy that the Twins would really rather not trade. I think they have and should tell teams that he is untouchable. However, he is also someone who teams will really, really want and may be the piece that gets them a top player, someone who could make a difference this year and going forward. Shortstops Jorge Polanco is the name that most assume is most likely to be dealt. He is playing shortstop, but most think that his best position would be second base. His error totals at shortstop have really mounted up. The Twins also have a second baseman who is pretty good in All-Star Brian Dozier. If the Twins don’t believe that Polanco has the arm or the ability to be at least a solid major league shortstop, they should deal him. Teams are always looking for middle-of-the-diamond players and they are tough to fine. If they can find a team that sees him as a shortstop, they could get a lot for him. His bat is probably big league ready now. However, I am sure that other teams are also inquiring about the availability of Danny Santana, and maybe even Eduardo Escobar. Both are still young. Santana has 2014. Escobar has 2014 and terrific versatility. I don’t think the Twins would (or should) want to trade Escobar. Outfielders The goal should never be to sell low. However, that is probably where the Twins are with Oswaldo Arcia. The problem is that not only has he really struggled making consistent contact in the big leagues, his stint in the minor leagues has really shown that he isn’t figuring it out. He’ll always struggle against left-handers, most likely. He is striking out a ton and he is very undisciplined at the plate. And there there is the perceived attitude. Teams around the league talk. Teams are aware of the issues that Arcia presents. The Twins probably can’t get a ton for him, but if I’m another team, I take a shot on his power potential. Eddie Rosario has come up and done a nice job, especially defensively (minus Wednesday, of course). He hasn’t looked overwhelmed at the plate either. That said, his walk to strikeout rate isn’t good, and it is consistent with what it has been in the upper levels of the minor leagues. It might be a sell-high time on Rosario. Pitchers Everyone is looking for pitching. Right now, the name we are hearing most is Kohl Stewart. There are reports, including Jeremy’s, saying that the Twins have let it be known that Stewart is available. Though he has struggled to stay healthy and isn’t racking up strikeout numbers, he is still an elite talent and the Twins could get a significant piece if they’re willing to get rid of him. Stephen Gonsalves is another guy who has jumped into Top 10 Twins prospect lists with great numbers this year. He’s left-handed and has the world of potential. I think the Twins would want to keep him, and I haven’t heard his name in any trade rumors at this point. I only bring it up because he could fetch a very good player in return. Also, he is from San Diego, so if there is one team that I would feel good for him being traded to, it would be the Padres. We don’t know if or when Terry Ryan will make a trade. I think we can all assume they will make at least one deal by tomorrow’s deadline. If not, it will 1.) be scary continuing to watch this bullpen, and 2.) possible to make deals in August under the waiver rules. There always seems to be one more minor leaguer added to a trade that no one anticipated. Here at Twins Daily, we’ll be following closely and ready to report on any Twins trades. Click here to view the article

Ah man, this is getting intense!!

No kidding! I don't get it. But, the Nolasco deal makes me very much interested. Obviously it does depend on the other pieces too.

Great stuff!! I enjoyed this. Can't wait for future chapters!!

He started a few weeks late due to mono, so I'm sure that plays a role. Also, switching to the wood bat and pro life and all that is a thing that players need to adjust to.

I like 98 mph fastballs. They're fun!

Tonkin is out of options next year, so they have to find out if he can be a guy that they can count on going forward. That said, AJ Achter deserves to be up.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins were back in action. Maybe more noteworthy, the GCL Twins were back on the field and completed a game (actually two) for the first time in five days. Certainly more noteworthy, a top prospect showed again that he might be ready to help a Twins team that is now six games under .500 over its last 50 games.All that and more can be found as you work your way through today’s minor league report. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 13, Toledo 2 Box Score Coming into the day, the Red Wings had lost 13 straight games in Ohio (Columbus and Toledo). This game remained scoreless through five innings. However, the Red Wings scored four in the sixth, four in the seventh, two in the eighth and three more in the ninth to get the big win. JO Berrios was on the mound in this game. The right-hander went the first six innings. He gave up one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out eight. He improved to 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA. In his past three starts, he has given up just three runs in 20 innings. Michael Tonkin struck out one over two shutout innings. AJ Achter, an Ohio native, came in and gave up one run in the ninth. The offense definitely came up big in this game and many players contributed. Danny Ortiz led the way. The diminutive outfielder went 3-5 with three doubles and three RBI. He now has 25 doubles on the season. James Beresford went 3-5 with a walk and his 17th double. Carlos Paulino went 3-5 with a triple. Argenis Diaz was 3-4. Doug Bernier went 2-4 with a walk and his second home run. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit a three-run triple. Nate Hanson had an RBI double in his lone at-bat. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Pensacola 3 Box Score Brett Lee made the start and gave up three runs in the second inning. That was it. The southpaw worked five innings. He gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits. He walked three and struck out one. He recorded his first AA win. Jake Reed came on. He threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out one. DJ Johnson gave up two hits but no runs in the 8th inning. JT Chargois struck out one in a scoreless ninth. Shannon Wilkerson was the lead-off man and center fielder. He went 3-4 with a walk and two doubles. Stuart Turner had his second straight three hit game. He was 3-4 with a walk and his ninth double. Levi Michael went 2-4 with his fourth triple. Kennys Vargas went 2-5 and drove in two runs. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Lakeland 3 Box Score The Miracle were in danger of needing to go to extra innings for the 321st time this season. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Michael Quesada doubled. Tanner Vavra pinch ran for him. With two outs and Vavra still at second, Zach Granite ended the game with a single. However, it was a little more dramatic than that. Granite’s grounder up the middle was fielded by the second baseman who threw late to first. Vavra never slowed down around third and scored from second on an infield hit. Granite went 2-4 in the game. Mitch Garver led the way. He went 2-4 with his second homer of the season, a two-run blast. Jason Kanzler went 2-4 with his fourth triple of the year. Ryan Eades made the start for the Miracle. He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks over six innings. He struck out three. Dallas Gallant pitched the seventh inning. He gave up one run on two walks. He struck out two. Nick Burdi pitched the final two innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out two. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Clinton 3 (10 innings) Box Score Through nine innings, the top three hitters in the Kernels lineup (Tanner English, Nick Gordon and Edgar Corcino) walked five times. Unfortunately, the Kernels fourth and fifth hitters (Zach Larson and Tyler Kuresa) went 0-8. However, in the tenth, after Tanner English was hit by a pitch and Edgar Corcino walked, Zach Larson came up big with a double. It scored English from second, but Corcino was thrown out at the plate. The team had a 4-3 lead. English led the way and he didn’t even have a hit. He was 0-2, but he walked twice and was hit by a pitch. He also stole his 30th base of the year. Brian Navarreto went 1-3 with a walk and his seventh double. Rafael Valera went 2-5. Keaton Steele started and gave up no runs in 4.2 innings. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out one. Mike Theofanopoulos went the next 2.1 innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out two. Randy LeBlanc worked two innings. He gave up just one hit, but he was charged with two unearned runs which tied the game. With the lead in the 10th, Cam Booser came on. He walked the first batter he faced, just to get people nervous. He then struck out the next two before getting the final out and his 10th save. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 8 Box Score It’s hard to fathom, but the E-Twins were able to score only four runs despite nine hits and ten walks in this game. They left 13 men on base. Chris Paul went 1-5. He was the only Twins player who reached base less than twice. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-4 with a walk. Kamran Young went 2-4 with a walk and his third double. Manuel Guzman and LaMonte Wade each had two hits. Meanwhile, Dan Kihle, Alex Perez, Amaurys Minier and AJ Murray each walked twice. Miles Nordgren started for the Twins. He gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits. He walked one and struck out five. Logan Lombana came on gave up four runs on six hits (including two home runs) over two innings. He walked two and struck out four. Josh Guyer gave up a run in the ninth. GCL TWINS TAKES Game 1 – GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 1 Box Score In this game, the 3-4-5 hitters for the Twins led the way. Those three had all five hits for the team. Brian Olson went 2-2 with a walk. Lewin Diaz hit his fifth double and drove in a run. Jermaine Palacios went 2-3 with his eighth double, first home run and three RBI and is now hitting .422. Jose Martinez started and went the first two innings. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out three. Lachlan Wells came on and went the final five innings. He gave up just two hits and didn’t walk a batter. He struck out six. Game 2 – GCL Twins 2, GCL Rays 0 Box Score The Twins were able to complete the sweep and improve to 16-12 on their season. Eduardo del Rosario started and was very good through the first four innings. He hit one, allowed one hit and walked one, but did not allow a run. He struck out nine. John Curtiss struck out three over two perfect innings as he continues his rehab. Johan Quezada picked up his fifth save, striking out one in his perfect inning. 19-year-old South African Rowan Ebersohn went 2-3 with his first double. Luis Arraez was 2-3. Bryant Hayman went 1-2 with a walk. Trey Cabbage added his second double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – JO Berrios, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Danny Ortiz, Rochester Red Wings WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (11:00 am CST) – RHP Michael Bowden Pensacola @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Johnson City @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) – RHP Andro Cutura GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 CST) – TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

OK, I didn't go back and look... 3 out of 5? I understand. I think Slegers does do well due to impeccable control, but I've heard his slider is greatly improved. Slowey really just had a fastball.

I disagree... Hoffman was considered a possible #1 overall pick until he had Tommy John surgery in college. Castro is very highly thought of. And they got Reyes, who will also bring back a couple more really good prospects. So, at the end of the day, the Rockies will likely get 2 really good prospects (top 5 in the org types) and 3-4 other Top 15 type of prospects for Tulo.

Sure, but not at the expense of Gibson and Sano (and maybe more).

I think he'll learn. He always does. He's a good, smart hitter. He'll always strike out, but he'll also always walk, and he'll hit a lot of homers and doubles and drive in a bunch of runs. I think he'll be a star. He has the personality to become beloved!

I agree with this sentence. I want them to add a couple of pieces. I dont' think they need a 'star' to continue winning, but they do need to shore up the bullpen. As I wrote, acquiring the big names at the deadline don't always work out. Sticking with your guys doesn't mean it won't. The GM needs to think this year and the future... That said, I don't think we should minimize the wild card game. Ask the Royals... they went from the Wild Card to the World Series... get into the tournament and see what happens. But don't sell the future.

Kevin Slowey was a pretty good prospect. Slegers hasn't reached that yet, though he should move up a bit with his performance this year. Velocity is certainly overrated, but most big league starters top out at 92, so low-90s is normal. He was pretty good about 4 out of 5 months last year and earned his late-season promotion.

Slegers is one of the best control pitchers in the Twins system, so at this point, that's not an issue. He's into the low 90s, which is fine.

I would be shocked if they don't get at least one reliever. But the other thing is that they can add those guys (and a catcher) in August too.

Right before midnight last night, the news came that the Blue Jays had acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Jose Reyes and three good prospects. The expected response from many Twins fans came. We are now four days from the trade deadline, plenty of time to bolster the ball club. But what if the Twins decide not to make a deal by the deadline?I remember one July night in 2004. I had finished playing a couple of slow-pitch softball games and was at a local establishment with some of the guys when I saw that the White Sox had acquired All Star outfielder Carl Everett. I went home and wrote a scathing blog post about how the White Sox had made a move and would likely run away with the division. I was about a year into blogging. The Twins won the division by nine games that year. Since then, I’ve matured and realized that no matter what deals are made, the game is still played between the lines and on the field. The best example may have been the 2014 Oakland A’s. They had one of the best records in baseball last year at this time. Billy Beane made the decision to “go for it” and gave up a lot to acquire starting pitchers Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija. The team tanked and then lost the wild card game to the Kansas City Royals. There is just one absolute in baseball, in my opinion, and that is that there are no absolutes. It’s a great game because you just never know what’s going to happen. That said, making sound moves in July can certainly help. Improving the level of talent on your team is never a bad thing and can improve the odds of winning. It’s just not a guarantee that there will be actual winning. With all that said, what would happen if the Twins and GM Terry Ryan decide to stand pat at the July 31 trade deadline? The honest answer from all of us should be “Who knows?” The Twins currently have a three game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the race for the second wild card. Adding Tulowitzki to baseball’s best offense certainly is big. That said, the Blue Jays still need pitching and are linked to some quality starters. The Twins have three perceived needs; shortstop, catcher and relief pitching. Let’s look at each of those areas and see what would need to happen with each for the Twins to win. CATCHER As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Kurt Suzuki has been pretty bad to this point in 2015. He had a terrific first four months last year and earned his first All-Star experience, but since that game, he has returned to the player that he has been the last three or four years, which isn’t very good. The Twins don’t need him to post a .700 OPS the rest of the way to succeed, but an OPS in the mid-.600s would be good. They also need him to lead the way behind the plate. He has the confidence of his pitchers and that is important. He’s been better of late, hitting .297 over his past 11 games. SHORTSTOP Paul Molitor’s ability to continue putting Danny Santana into the lineup at shortstop is equal parts impressive and frustrating. We all see the talent and athleticism that Santana possesses, and we saw how that could look on the field in 2014. It’s just been a bad year for Santana. He’s been arguably the worst full-time player in baseball this year. If Molitor continues to write Santana’s name into the lineup, Santana doesn’t need to hit .319 like he did last year. He needs to take good at-bats, maybe mix in an occasional walk and drive the ball the way he did in 2014. As important, or maybe more important, he needs to be consistent in the field. Eduardo Nunez has been getting quite a bit of playing time at shortstop. Though he doesn’t have much range, he has been solid, making most of the plays he gets to. Eduardo Escobar was terrific at shortstop a year ago, offensively and defensively. By going from Santana to Escobar, they would be going from really bad (to this point) to a league average shortstop, which would be a huge improvement. In my mind, trading for a shortstop is not a high priority because I think they have an internal option that can be just fine. RELIEF PITCHING The Twins bullpen, outside of their closer, has been a mess the last couple of months. Blaine Boyer and Aaron Thompson were terrific the first two months but reality has set in for them. Brian Duensing was pretty bad for three months, but he has returned to form in the last month. Thompson was replaced by Ryan O’Rourke, who has been good in his three weeks in the big leagues. Casey Fien has not been the pitcher that he was the last two seasons with the Twins. He has missed time already this season with injury. Adding a veteran reliever sounds great. I was a big proponent of the Twins getting LaTroy Hawkins because 1.) he’s been really good since coming off the DL, and 2.) it would not have cost a lot in terms of prospects to get him. There are quite a few similar relievers available, so I don’t think that the Twins need to go after an Aroldis Chapman or Craig Kimbrel to improve the bullpen. They don’t need to give up top prospects to improve the bullpen. In fact, there will be several quality relievers available in August as well. The other thing to remember is that the relievers that the Twins would be receiving at the end of July would likely get between 25 to 30 innings pitched the rest of the season. The nature of relief pitching says that is a pretty small sample size to be able to know how a guy will perform. The Twins have guys in Rochester that are capable of coming up and doing well for 25 innings the rest of the way. First, Trevor May was brought in to a one-run game in the eighth inning and came through. He could start seeing more situations like that. Michael Tonkin and AJ Achter continue to pitch well in Rochester. Also, Red Wings starters Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers could come up and perform down the stretch. If the Twins choose not to go get a reliever, it isn’t the end of the world. However, it will mean that guys in the organization will have to piece it together and come up big down the stretch. SUMMARY I expect that the Twins will be active in the next four days. Based on little, I expect the Twins will make two moves over the next four days. I don’t expect them to be big names, and I expect (and hope) that the Twins don’t part with any of their top prospects. The Twins and Terry Ryan have spent the last three years building up one of baseball’s best farm systems. There is a clear long-term plan in place, and my hope is that this trade deadline would not be a big step back to that plan. In reality, the Twins have used some of their youth to put themselves in this position. They have received contributions from Trevor May, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano. They will also need veterans like Trevor Plouffe, Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer to lead the offense while Glen Perkins, Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana lead the pitching staff. That said, the Twins players have put themselves in a position to compete in August and September. It would not be right to not supplement the current roster with some additions. Right now, they have the lead in the wild card race. Though experts don’t expect the Twins success to continue, they are there now, so they might as well go for it. Just not at the expense of the future. Can the Twins make the playoffs if they stand pat? Of course, they can. A lot would have to go right though. If the Twins add minor pieces, or even major pieces, would it guarantee a playoff berth? Of course not. Appeasing fans is never a good reason for making a move, but a strategic move can certainly create some excitement. Click here to view the article

I have no problem with Milone pitching to A-Rod in the 7th or Perkins facing A-Rod in the 9th. I would say the problem I have was with the locations of those HR pitches. But pitchers make bad pitches... just like fielders make errors from time to time or hitters get out... it's the game.

I would agree with this statement, but longevity versus great peak both have to be factored into the discussion.

Offensively, Tovar was a whole bunch of notches below Knoblauch, and Knobby won gold glove awards and would have had a bunch more if not for playing in the same league as Roberto Alomar.

Over the weekend, outfielder Torii Hunter hit his 207th and 208th home run in a Minnesota Twins uniform. In doing so, he tied and then surpassed his mentor Kirby Puckett on the all-time Twins list. Throughout this season, Hunter has passed some Twins greats in many all-time categories. At some point, we need to consider that the 40-year-old is among the best players in Minnesota Twins history.Let’s start by pointing out that there is a Big 6 atop the Minnesota Twins offensive record book due to them being on a Twins roster for many, many years and accumulating a lot of statistics. Obviously they accumulated those stats and all that playing time by being great players for a very long time in a Twins uniform. Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Tony Oliva and Joe Mauer are the top six hitters in Minnesota Twins history. However, Torii Hunter is among a group that would be in the second tier and as this season continues he will likely find himself at the top of that list. If he comes back to the Twins in 2016, which I believe becomes more and more likely as he continues an impressive 2015 season, he could move into that upper group. If we take a look at where Hunter ranks among hitters in the 55-year history of the Minnesota Twins, it is clear that he has not just been a very good player, but he has been a Twins Great. Games Played: 1,322 – This season, Hunter has surpassed Bob Allison and Justin Morneau into eighth place. He should pass Gary Gaetti by the end of the season.Runs Scored: 719 – He has passed Chuck Knoblauch to move into seventh place.RBI: 765 – He has passed Rod Carew and Gary Gaetti to move into sixth place.Hits: 1,303 – He passed Gary Gaetti to move into eighth place on the list. He is 15 hits behind Justin Morneau.Total Bases: 2,253 – He passed Gary Gaetti to move into eighth place, and there is a chance he could catch Justin Morneau.Doubles: 274 – He is currently in seventh place, 15 doubles behind Justin Morneau.Home Runs: 208 – After passing Gary Gaetti earlier this season, Hunter passed Kirby Puckett over the weekend to move in to sixth place on the Twins list. He is three homers behind Bob Allison. He is 12 homers behind Tony Oliva, and he is 13 homers behind Justin Morneau. So, if he were to end the 2015 season with 30 home runs, he would be third on the all-time Minnesota Twins home runs list. He is not likely to catch Harmon Killebrew’s 475 Minnesota Twins home runs.Stolen Bases: 127 – He is in fifth place, seven behind Kirby Puckett. (Note – he is one for three in stolen base attempts so far this year.)Strikeouts: 933 – He will likely pass Kirby Puckett’s 965 strikeouts to move into second place in Twins history. He won’t catch Harmon Killebrew.Grand Slams: 9 – One more grand slam and he will tie Harmon Killebrew for the Twins record.Add in his defense and he moves up to the top of the second tier, probably the sixth-best offensive player in Minnesota Twins history. His seven Gold Gloves are second in Twins history behind Jim Kaat’s 11. Kirby Puckett won six with the Twins. Hunter represented the Minnesota Twins in two All Star games. It would be very interesting to know what kind of statistics Hunter would have been able to put up had he remained in the Twins organization instead of spending the past seven years in Anaheim and Detroit. How far up the list would he be? So where would Torii Hunter rank to you among the Top 10 Twins position players since the organization moved to Minnesota in 1961? The Top Six: Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, Joe Mauer, Tony Oliva The Next Five: Torii Hunter, Justin Morneau, Gary Gaetti, Bob Allison, Chuck Knoblauch. One could make an argument that we are able to watch two of the top seven or eight position players in the 55-year history of the Twins in Minnesota on a nightly basis. Please use the comments below to rank the Top 10 Twins position players in Twins history in your opinion, and then discuss with others. Click here to view the article