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  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Sure, but not at the expense of Gibson and Sano (and maybe more).
  7. 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!
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. I would agree with this statement, but longevity versus great peak both have to be factored into the discussion.
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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.
  19. These topics and much more can be found as you work your way through today’s minor league report. TRANSACTIONS A day after adding RHP Michael Bowden to a minor league deal and assigning him to Rochester, the Twins also added 25-year-old outfielder Xavier Avery. He was in the lineup right away on Sunday evening. To make room for him, infielder Jose Martinez was placed on the disabled list. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Columbus 5 Box Score The Red Wings mounted a comeback in the ninth. With two runners on, newcomer Xavier Avery singled in Chris Herrmann to cut the lead to 5-4. Columbus brought in former big league closer Carlos Marmol who struck out James Beresford to end the game. Tyler Duffey got the start and didn’t pitch as poorly as his final line might indicate. The right-hander gave up five runs (three earned) on eight hits. He walked none and struck out three over 6.2 innings. He was hurt by a couple of errors, including Jorge Polanco’s ninth error in 21 games with the Red Wings. Mark Hamburger needed just three pitches to get out of that seventh inning. Aaron Thompson was given the eighth inning and was flawless. The offense generated eight hits, but they were unable to come up with the runs. Polanco went 2-4 with his sixth double. Xavier Avery was 2-5 with the big ninth inning hit. James Beresford went 2-4. Danny Ortiz went 2-3. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 10th home run of the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Tennessee 0 Box Score He had struggled in recent starts, particularly with his control, but on Sunday Alex Wimmers was very good. He worked 6.2 shutout innings. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three. Tim Shibuya came on and got the next four outs. Matt Summers pitched the ninth inning. Stuart Turner played hitting hero in this game. He went 3-4 with a walk and his fourth home run of the season. He’s likely more happy about the team pitching a shutout. Adam Brett Walker went 1-3 with two walks. He hit his third triple and stole his eighth base. The Lookouts had eight hits and seven walks in the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Lakeland Box Score The Miracle game was postponed by rain as poor weather has covered southwest Florida for several days now. The two teams are hoping to play a doubleheader on Monday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Beloit 4 Box Score It’s not quite how you draw it up, but the Cedar Rapids Kernels will take the win. The Kernels had a two-run lead heading into the top of the ninth inning. Luke Bard, who has been terrific since arriving with the Kernels, came on. He was charged with two runs (one earned, thanks to an error of his own) on three hits, a walk and a hit batter. The game went to the bottom of the ninth tied at four. Tanner English and Nick Gordon led off with singles. Edgar Corcino then dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Zach Larson was intentionally walked to load the bases. However, Tyler Kuresa came through with a game-winning single to center to give the Kernels the win. Kuresa led the offense. He went 3-4 with a walk and his 10th double to go with the walk-off single. Tanner English went 3-5. Rafael Valera went 2-4 with his first triple and two RBIs. Zach Larson went 1-2 with three walks. He scored three runs and stole his 12th base. Luke Westphal started and the left-hander went the first five innings. He gave up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out five. Ethan Mildren gave up five hits over three shutout innings. Bard got the blown save, but he winds up improving to 6-0. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Kingsport 8 Box Score Dereck Rodriguez started for the E-Twins on Sunday. He was charged with four runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk in just four innings. He struck out one. He falls to 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA. Anthony Mciver came on. He gave up three runs on four hits over the next two innings. Josh Guyer gave up an unearned run on one hit over the final two innings. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. For the second straight day, infielder Alex Perez went 3-5. The 22-year-old was the Twins 23rd round pick this June out of Virginia Tech. Brad Hartong came on in the middle of the 3rd inning to replace Rainis Silva behind the plate (no word yet on why Silva left the game). He went 3-4 with a triple and an RBI. Amaurys Minier went 1-2 with two walks. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox No Game Scheduled. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Alex Wimmers, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tyler Kuresa, Cedar Rapids Kernels MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toledo (6:00 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Chattanooga – No Game Scheduled Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (DH at 5:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers, RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids– No Game Scheduled Johnson City @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (DH @ 10:00 CST) – TBD, TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below.
  20. I'm as guilty as anyone, but I think we make too big of a deal out of the strikeouts. The talent is there. He has a chance to be quite good.
  21. I would guess some of those guys from those Edmonton teams (Michael Cuddyer, Michael Ryan, maybe Todd Walker) I would think Hicks will get back to Chattanooga.
  22. Just to bring this topic up to the front page for a little while. If you have adopted any players, be sure to write about them soon. Brag up their accomplishments, promotions, big games, everything.
  23. I don't know that he'd develop more power. He's pretty mature physically. But, his increase in power would obviously come from an improvement in his approach.
  24. The Scott Boras is his agent part probably tells what the odds of Wieters sticking around are.
  25. On Saturday, there were six games in the Twins minor league system. There were also a couple of transactions. In the games, it became clear how much strong starting pitching helps a team win, but home runs also help. Which 2015 draft pick homered? Which relief pitcher was clocked just shy of 100 mph? These topics and much more can be found as you work your way through today’s Minor League Report.TRANSACTIONS On Saturday morning, the Twins and Red Wings announced that they had signed RHP Michael Bowden. The 28-year-old had been pitching in AAA Norfolk (Baltimore organization), but he opted out of his contract last week. He’ll join the Red Wings rotation. To make room for him, Greg Peavey was sent back to Chattanooga. Dalton Hicks, who has been on the Lookouts disabled list since early May and has played a handful of games in the GCL, has been added to the Ft. Myers roster. Brett Doe returned to Cedar Rapids. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Columbus 5 Box Score Taylor Rogers had a bad first inning. He gave up four runs. However, he gave up only those four runs on six hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out three. Alex Meyer came on and gave up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings. He struck out two without issuing a walk. Caleb Thielbar got the next three outs. Cole Johnson came in and got the final two outs, both on strikeouts. The Red Wings managed just five hits in this game. James Beresford hit his 16th doubles of the season. Oswaldo Arcia hit his 12th double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 3 Box Score The Lookouts got a lead, added some insurance and held on for a win. David Hurlbut made the start. He threw seven shutout innings. In his time, he gave up four hits, walked three and struck out five. JT Chargois struck out one in a perfect inning. Kennys Vargas hit his fourth Double-A home run of the year to give the Lookouts a 4-0 lead heading into the ninth. It’s a good thing because Alex Muren came on for the ninth and gave up three runs on four hits and two walks, but he did walk off the mound with a 4-3 win. Vargas went 2-5 with the home run. Aderlin Mejia went 2-4. Max Kepler hit his ninth triple. Heiker Meneses hit his second triple. Adam Brett Walker hit his 23rd double and stole his seventh base. Marcus Knecht hit his second AA double and stole his second base. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 – Ft. Myers 0, Tampa 2 Box Score Game 1 of the doubleheader was delayed a little over an hour, but they were able to get both games in on Saturday. When they started, Kohl Stewart took the mound. The right-hander went six innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits. He walked three and struck out seven. Corey Williams struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning. The Miracle managed just three hits in the game. Michael Quesada hit his fifth double, and Logan Wade hit his 11th two-base hit. Dalton Hicks went 0-3 in his first game of the year with the Miracle. Jason Kanzler was ejected from the game following a called third strike in the fourth inning. Game 2 – Ft. Myers 2, Tampa 1 Box Score The Miracle offense was still quiet in game 2 but scored enough runs to pick up a win. Zach Granite went 1-2 with his eighth double. Michael Quesada went 1-2 with his sixth double. Hicks was 0-2 with a walk. The two Miracle runs scored on sacrifice flies from Granite and Mitch Garver, who went 1-2. Stephen Gonsalves improved to 4-1 with 2.36 ERA with the Miracle. It was the tenth win of the season for Gonsalves. The left-hander gave up one run on four hits. In six innings, he walked two and struck out two. Zack Jones got his first Miracle save of the year. He didn’t give up a run despite allowing two hits and a walk. He was helped out by Jason Kanzler. With two outs in the seventh inning (final inning in minor league double-headers), there was a single to right. The runner tried to score from second base, but Kanzler gunned him down to end the game and secure the Miracle win. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Beloit 00 Box Score Australian right-hander Sam Gibbons made the start for the Kernels. He threw six shutout innings, giving up four hits, walking four and striking out four. Yorman Landa struck out three in two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and walked two. Reports from the press box said that Landa hit 99.7 mph with his fastball. Jared Wilson gave up a hit and walked one in the seventh inning to pick up his second save since moving back to the bullpen. Tyler Kuresa went 2-4. Pat Kelly doubled for the 10th time, and Austin Diemer hit his second double. Nick Gordon went 1-3 with a walk and his fourth triple. Tanner English walked twice. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Kingsport 3 Box Score It was a good day for the E-Town offense. Alex Perez went 3-5 with his third double. Travis Blankenhorn was 2-5 with his second home run and his first stolen base. LaMonte Wade went 2-4. Amaurys Minier hit his fifth double. Kamran Young homered for the second time. Cody Stashak went the first six innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits. He struck out seven without walking a batter. Jose Abreu struck out three in two perfect innings. Kuo Hua Lo gave up one run on two hits in his inning. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox Box Score These two teams were rained out on Friday, so they were supposed to play a doubleheader on Saturday. However, Mother Nature won this one, pouring rain again, and postponing the games until a later date. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – David Hurlbut, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Elizabethton Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (5:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Chattanooga @ Tennessee (4:05 CST) – Alex Wimmers Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (DH at 3:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – LHP Luke Westphal Elizabethton @ Kingsport (3:00 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. Click here to view the article
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