Seth Stohs

I can't agree with that. I don't see how he can be promoted with that big of a k rate. That said, I expect him to get a Sept call up.

He's got a good slider.And 94 is pretty solid.

Correct on the Pennsylvania team... but it is the Burlington Bees in the Midwest League.

We certainly hope that you and your family had a safe and special Independence Day. Below you’ll find a quick 4th of July Minor League Report blast. Maybe not as long or detailed as normal, but it was a busy day as all six Twins affiliates were in action. There were more transactions and big pitching and hitting performances.TRANSACTIONS Jorge Polanco was promoted from Chattanooga to Rochester. Nate Hanson was placed on the disabled list. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score Oswaldo Arcia hit a LONG blast on the 4th of July off of Phillies top pitching prospect Aaron Nola. It measured at well over 450 feet and was his fourth with the Red Wings. However, on this day, the story was Tyler Duffey. The right-hander was charged with two unearned runs on four hits in seven innings. He walked four and struck out two. However, he extended his streak without allowing an earned run to 29.1 innings . The last time he gave up an earned run was on June 11. He left the game with a 3-2 lead. Alex Meyer, just back from Minnesota, came on and gave up two runs in the eighth inning to take the loss. Jorge Polanco’s AAA debut was a mixed bag. He went 1-4, but he also committed two errors. James Beresford went 2-4 with his 13th double. Reynaldo Rodriguez, Danny Ortiz and Wilkin Ramirez each went 2-4. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Brett Lee was terrific, and efficient, but the Lookout bats were only able to manage two hits and continued to struggle since not playing for three straight days. Max Kepler and Heiker Meneses each had a single and a walk in the game. Due to frustration, hitting coach Chad Allen was ejected in the sixth inning. Brett Lee fell to 0-2 on the season, but he worked all eight innings and threw just 77 pitches (58 strikes). He gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked none and struck out two. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, St. Lucie 3 Box Score Things got a bit scary at the end, but in the end, the Miracle held on for another win. Mat Batts started and gave up just two hits over six shutout innings. The southpaw walked two and struck out six. His Miracle ERA drops to just 2.01 since his promotion. Dallas Gallant struck out two over two scoreless innings. With a 5-0 lead in the ninth, Tyler Jay came in to the game. He gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk and recorded the first two outs. Todd Van Steensel came on and gave up a hit before recording the final out and his tenth save. Mitch Garver led the offense. He went 1-1 with two walks, was hit by a pitch, scored three runs and stole a base. Ryan Walker and Chad Christensen each went 2-4 with an RBI. Jason Kanzler was also 2-4. Zach Granite went 2-4 with a walk and a triple. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Burlington 0 Box Score Zach Tillery was terrific and improved to 5-3 on the season. He threw seven shutout innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out three. Randy LeBlanc came on for the final two innings. He walked two, struck out two and didn’t allow a run. Edgar Corcino led the offense. He went 2-4 with his seventh double. Zack Larson hit his 15th double. Pat Kelly hit his fourth triple, and TJ White hit his fifth triple. E-TWINS E-NOTES Greeneville 10, Elizabethton 3 Box Score Brandon Easton is a left-hander who throws gas. When he left Ft. Myers this spring, he was hitting 98 mph with his fastball. Through two starts, Easton has struggled. In this game, he walked five in 1.2 innings. He was charged with three runs on three hits. Through four innings (two starts), he has given up eight runs, seven hits and walked nine. That said, he has huge potential in that arm, so they’ll need to be patient. Onesimo Hernandez came on and got four outs and within that he gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk. Nate Gercken gave up one run on four hits in three innings. He walked one and struck out two. Tyler Stirewalt gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. He struck out two. Manuel Guzman went 2-4 with a walk. Daniel Kihle went 2-4. Ariel Montesino drove in two runs and stole a base. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 11, GCL Red Sox 1 Box Score It was a big day for the GCL Twins bats. Luis Arraez went 3-6 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Jermaine Palacios went 3-5 and stole his second base. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-3 with two walks and his fourth double. Bryant Hayman went 1-3 with two walks and his first double. Brian Olson went 2-5. Williams Ramirez went five innings and gave up one run on two hits. He walked three and struck out six. Rich Condeelis struck out four over two, one-hit innings. Stephen Pryor made a rehab appearance, striking out two in a perfect inning. Johan Quezada walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Ft. Myers Miracle/Zach Tillery, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luis Arraez, GCL Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (5:05 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (3:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Elizabethton @ Princeton (4:00 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

The three Lookouts hitters made Baseball America's All Prospect Team for June.

Friday was a busy day in the Minnesota Twins minor leagues. There were several transactions. There were seven games, and we’ve got all the action below. There were three extra-innings games, and two game-winners. Saturday presents another full slate of games. Continue on to read everything that happened in a busy day in the Minnesota Twins farm system.TRANSACTIONS Very early on Friday morning, Darrin Wolfson tweeted that Aaron Hicks was on his way to Kansas City. To make room for him, Shane Robinson was again placed on the Family Emergency List. Earlier in the day, the Twins announced the infielder Doug Bernier had been removed from the 40-man roster. He cleared waivers and stayed with Rochester. Following the Twins game, Alex Meyer was optioned to Rochester. A corresponding move will be announced on Saturday, but we know that Ervin Santana needs to be activated from the suspended list. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 5 (16 innings) Box Score Fans in Lehigh Valley got a lot of extra, free baseball action on Friday night. They also got to see the 2015 AAA debut of JO Berrios. The 21-year-old right-hander was charged with five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk in 5.2 innings. He struck out four. Mark Hamburger came on and gave up a hit in one inning. Ryan O’Rourke got the final out of the seventh inning. Then some bullpen arms got some extended work. Michael Tonkin struck out eight in three perfect innings (read that sentence again). AJ Achter threw two scoreless innings, though he gave up a hit and walked three. He struck out four. Logan Darnell worked four scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out six to get the win. In the top of the 16th inning, Eric Farris singled, and James Beresford advanced him to second with a bunt. Nate Hanson came up and came through with an RBI with a game-winning single. In 16 innings, the Red Wings had just eight hits. Oswaldo Arcia hit his third home run. Eric Fryer walked and added his first homer. He will leave the team now to join Team USA for the Pan-Am Games. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 19th double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Birmingham 3 Game 1 - Box Score The Lookouts had not played in four days, so they played two games on Friday. The team had a scheduled day off which was followed by two rainouts. The bats cooled off with the delay (and the Miguel Sano promotion possibly, too). In Game 1, the team had just five hits. Jorge Polanco went 2-4 and drove in the lone run. Stephen Wickens walked twice. Kennys Vargas batted third and went 1-3. David Hurlbut started the first game. The southpaw gave up three runs on six hits and four walks in five innings to take the loss. He struck out three. Alex Muren made his AA debut and threw two perfect innings. He struck out one. Chattanooga 1, Birmingham 6 Game 2 - Box Score Game 2 wasn’t any better for the Lookouts. Jorge Polanco went 2-4 in the second game too. He hit his 14th double. Max Kepler struck out three times, but he added his 14th double. Mike Gonzales doubled for the 10th time this year. Kennys Vargas walked twice. Alex Wimmers started game two. He gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out three. Jake Reed gave up one run in his innings. JT Chargois gave up a run on a hit in his inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Palm Beach 4 (10 innings) Box Score Yet another extra innings game for the Miracle. Unfortunately, they ended up on the losing side of this one. Ryan Eades started and was only able to complete four innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five. Corey Williams came on and gave up one run over two innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out one. Matt Summers gave up two hits over three shutout innings. He struck out one. After getting one out, Todd Van Steensel gave up a first-pitch home run to Luke Voit. Voit went 3-5 in the game with two doubles before the walk-off homer. Jason Kanzler (The Muscles and Mustache Man) led the offense. He went 2-5 with his sixth double and his sixth home run. Bryan Haar and Aderlin Mejia also had two hits. Mitch Garver went 1-3 with a walk and his 13th double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 4 Box Score The Cedar Rapids offense continues to struggle. In this game, they had just five hits. TJ White was 1-3 with a walk. Brett Doe hit his eighth double. Nick Gordon had a single and the lone RBI. Jared Wilson had his first rough start of the year. In just 1.2 innings, he gave up three runs on three hits and four walks. Luke Bard gave up three hits over 3.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two without a walk. Cameron Booser was charged with an unearned run over three innings of relief. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three. E-TWINS E-NOTES Greeneville @ Elizabethton Box Score The game was postponed due to rain.. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 3 (13 innings) Box Score Another extra innings game, but a walk-off win for the GCL Twins on Friday. With two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning, Jorge Andrade walked. Lean Marrero singled, and then Luis Arraez singled him in to end the game. Arraez went 3-6 in the game. So did Jermaine Palacios. Lewin Diaz went 1-3 with two walks. Travis Blankenhorn added his third double. With the extra innings, pretty much everybody got a chance to pitch (slight exaggeration). Luis Hernandez started and gave up three runs on four hits. He walked two without a strikeout. After that, 11 shutout innings from the bullpen. Miguel Gonzalez struck out four batters in three perfect innings. Callan Pearce gave up a hit and a walk and recorded two outs. Max Cordy walked two and hit a batter, but he got two outs before allowing any runs. Hector Lujan struck out one in a scoreless inning. Chris Mazza returned to the mound and threw two shutout innings. He walked one and struck one out. Yorman Landa rehabbed as well. He gave up two hits over two scoreless innings. Brandon Poulson worked the final inning. He gave up a hit and walked two, but he struck out two and gave up no runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Michael Tonkin, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jorge Polanco, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05 CST) – LHP Brett Lee St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (5:05 CST) – RHP Zach Tillery Elizabethton @ Greeneville (6:00 CST) – LHP Brandon Easton GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00 am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

90-92 with a good slider and good control? I can't imagine a team, GM, or player evaluator that wouldn't want that guy in their organization, especially when he's just 22.

He sits 91-94 most of the time.

We have named our Reliever of the Month (Brandon Peterson) and our Starting Pitcher of the Month (Taylor Rogers), so now it’s time to consider who should be the Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month for June 2015. There weren’t as many hitters that had noteworthy months. However, there is a threesome at the top of this list that would rival any other threesome. And this list doesn’t even include Byron Buxton who hit .370/.444/.435 (.879) in 12 games before his promotion to the Twins.Let’s get to the Top 6 Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitters for June: Number 6 – Ft. Myers – SS Engelb Vielma - (27-78) .346/.411/.372 (.783) with two doubles and 10 RBI. He’s listed at 5-11 and 150 pounds, and I would guess that's pretty accurate. Though he has committed 11 errors at shortstop so far this year in Ft. Myers, he is known for good range, good hands and a strong arm. Signed out of Venezuela in 2011, Vielma spent a year in the DSL before coming to the States in 2013. Last year, he played in 112 games for the Kernels and hit .266/.313/.323 (.636) with 13 doubles, four triples and a homer. He stole 10 bases. Overall this year with the Miracle, the just-turned-21-year-old is hitting .246/.297/.583. He has five doubles, a triple and a home run in 70 games. He has stolen 19 bases, as well. Number 5 – Cedar Rapids – DH Alex Real - (25-80) .313/.374/.438 (.811) with four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI. Real was the Twins 24th round pick in 2014 out of New Mexico where he teamed with Mitch Garver. Both were catchers so Real played first base most of the time until his final season when he got more time behind the plate. A 50-game suspension cost him the first two months of the 2015 season. His first game was on June 1 with the Kernels. He has caught just six times. In 23 games, he is now hitting .333/.389/.452 (.842) with four doubles and two home runs. Number 4 – Ft. Myers – C Mitch Garver - (29-88) .330/.416/.420 (.836) with eight doubles and 10 RBI. Mitch Garver was our choice for 2014 Twins minor league hitter of the year. In his first full season, Garver hit .298/.399/.481 (.880) with 29 doubles and 16 home runs. He earned a big league spring training invitation. It was a struggle for Garver the first two months of 2015. So despite his impressive June, his overall numbers are still working their way up. In 68 games for the Miracle, he is hitting .236/.349/.288 (.637). Defensively, he has made big improvements and throws out base stealers with regularity. Number 3 - Chattanooga – OF/1B Max Kepler - (32-88) .364/.422/.580 (1.052) with six doubles, five triples, one home run and 17 RBI. Kepler was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month in May and he continued to rake in June. Signed by the Twins in July of 2009, Kepler has consistently moved up the system. In 58 games with the Lookouts this year, Kepler is hitting .346/.417/.556 (.973) with 20 doubles, eight triples and three home runs. At 6-4 and 225 pounds, there is a good chance that he will continue to add more home run power as he grows. He turned 22 before spring training started. Number 2 – Chattanooga – 3B Miguel Sano – (26-79) .329/.432/.658 (1.090) with eight doubles, six home runs and 17 RBI. Sano was signed by the Twins in October of 2009 under a lot of scrutiny and uncertainty. Since signing, he has put up big numbers at every level. After missing 2014 with Tommy John surgery, Sano struggled in April. However, he has been dominant again since then. Through 66 games at Chattanooga, Sano hit .274/.374/.554 (.918) with 18 doubles, 15 homers and 48 RBI. On Thursday night in Kansas City, Sano made his major league debut. In his fourth at-bat, he got his first big league hit, an infield single (of course). The June 2015 Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is... Chattanooga Lookouts OF Adam Brett Walker (30-95) .316/.371/.758 (1.129) with seven doubles, one triple, 11 home runs and 28 RBI. With all of the prospects in the Twins system, it is likely that the most discussed Twins prospect on the pages and in the forums of Twins Daily is Adam Brett Walker. In 73 games this season, Walker has hit .272/.328/.612 (.940) with 23 homers and 67 RBI. He is putting up huge numbers this season at AA Chattanooga. His 23 home runs lead all of minor league baseball. He has 20 more RBI than anyone else in the Twins system, and he is also on pace for over 180 strikeouts. The 2013 third-round pick out of Jacksonville has hit big home runs and driven in a lot of runs since signing. Along with the 11 home runs that he hit in June for the Lookouts, he also won the Southern League’s Home Run Derby championship. In 2014, he won the Florida State League’s Home Run Derby. Asked if he had won it in 2013 in the Midwest League, he said that he was third in the division in home runs at the All-Star break and only the top two from each division participated. In most organizations, Walker’s power would be best in the organization. With the Twins, there is a chance that Miguel Sano has as much raw power, but it’s close. There has been some adjustment to the Southern League for Walker. “I think the adjustment is having some better plate discipline this year. Not only laying off balls, but hitting the balls up in the zone.” What were his goals coming into the season? “I was hoping this would be the year for 30 home runs, and I wanted to reach 100 RBI again. I’m glad to be on pace now.” Walker has always had a knack for driving in a lot of runs. How does he explain it? “I just try to have a quality at bat, like always. I wouldn’t be able to get RBI without my teammates getting on base. They are the biggest part of my RBI success this year.” What is his approach going into each at-bat? “In most of my at bats, I am just looking to get a pitch up in the zone that I can handle. If I get barrel to the ball, good stuff happens.” He spends a lot of time working with Lookouts hitting coach and former Twins outfielder Chad Allen. “Chad and I will work on keeping my swing short and quick, but mostly talk about my approach, plate discipline and swinging at good pitches.” He played for former Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz last year in Ft. Myers and again this year in Chattanooga. “Doug is awesome. He is a lot of fun to play for, but he expects a lot from us. He has really taught us a winning mindset and to play for each other as a team.” In his pro career, he has primarily played right field. This season, he and Travis Harrison flip-flopped with Harrison played right and Walker moving over to left field. It also was a little bit of an adjustment. “There was a short time period when it felt a little weird, but I feel I’ve become well-adjusted to left field and I’m comfortable there now.” As for goals for the remainder of the season, Walker didn’t get into specifics. However, he said, “I just try to learn and get better day to day, and make adjustments to become a better player. I want to continue reaching my goals that were made earlier in the season.” A September call up for Walker is certainly within the realm of possibility. If not, he should be a given to be added to the Twins 40 man roster following the season. There were several strong performances in June. The Lookouts stole the show, scoring a ton of runs. Feel free to discuss the top hitters in the Minnesota Twins organization in June. Click here to view the article

Peterson just moved up to AA, and as we saw from this week's demotion and the struggles of others, that is a tough level. I'd say he should spend the rest of the season there. But Van Steensel should join him. Muren was very deserving. LeBlanc and Hildenberger should move up. And, I'll say Achter should be up too.

Yeah, probably equates to like $1.5M now (Especially under the new rules). There were guys getting much more than that at the time, which was my only point.

My question, and I don't think there is a right answer, would you rather: 1.) Sign one guy at $4 million, or 2.) Sign five guys at $800,000 each. For me, I'd probably go with option two. Sano may make it, but most of even then big dollar guys don't end up making it. I guess I'd rather have 5 guys who could make it. But then again, if Sano becomes what we hope, then it's worth the investment. Miguel Cabrera signed for something like $900,000.

We already handed out the “award” for Reliever of the Month to Lookouts RHP Brandon Peterson. Now we turn our attention to the starting pitchers and recognize some terrific performances. This month, the choice was difficult. What’s also exciting is that the Twins are getting strong starting pitching performances each month at the upper levels of the minor leagues, adding to their depth. With that, let's start our list of the Top 5 Starting Pitchers for June. We had a chance to catch up with this month’s choice as well.We begin with a few players deserving of mention. Chattanooga RHP JO Berrios – 5 GS, 2-1, 3.62 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 27.1 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 12 KChattanooga RHP Alex Wimmers – 5 GS, 3-1, 2.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 30.1 IP, 26 H, 12 BB, 27 KFt. Myers RHP Ryan Eades – 4 GS, 1-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 26.2 IP, 28 H, 5 BB, 21 KFt. Myers LHP Mat Batts – 5 GS, 2-2, 2.63 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 27.1 IP, 29 H, 3 BB, 25 KTOP 5 STARTING PITCHERS IN JUNE Number 5 – Ft. Myers – RHP Aaron Slegers - 4 GS, 1-1, 2.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 25.1 IP, 21 H, 7 BB, 20 K The 6-10 Slegers was the Twins fifth round pick in 2013 out of the University of Indiana where he had been named the Big 10 Pitcher of the Year that season. He went 7-7 with a 4.54 ERA in 20 starts for Cedar Rapids a year ago before ending his season with three starts with the Miracle. In 14 starts with the Miracle this year, he is 5-4 with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 84 innings. He has terrific control. His 1.8 BB/9 this year is actually higher than his overall pro average of 1.6 BB/9. Slegers was primed to be high on the May starting pitcher ranking until he had a big clunker, but he has responded from his one bad start with a strong May. He doesn’t throw hard, sitting between 90 and 92, but he has a good slider. Number 4 – Cedar Rapids – RHP Felix Jorge - 4 GS, 0-1, 2.28 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 17 H, 7 BB, 18 K Jorge was signed from the Dominican Republic in 2010 for $250,000. He has pitched well at each level. He began the 2014 season in Cedar Rapids but really struggled. He went down to Elizabethton and was named the Appy League Pitcher of the Year. In his second shot in the Midwest League this spring, he has been terrific. He has made 13 starts and is 3-3 with a 2.20 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. In his second start of this season, he struck out nine in five innings. He has not pitched less than six starts in any other start this year. He has been very consistent. Still just 21-years-old, Jorge has certainly reclaimed a place among Twins top starting pitching prospects. Number 3 – Chattanooga/Rochester – RHP Greg Peavey - 5 GS, 2-2, 2.56 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 24 H, 3 BB, 17 K Greg Peavey was the Twins minor league Rule 5 selection in December from the Mets organization. He began the season in AA with the Lookouts and it wasn’t pretty. In his first five starts, he went just 22.1 innings and posted a 10.48 ERA and a 2.24 WHIP. Doug Mientkiewicz stuck by him. He made eight more starts for the Lookouts and in that time, he went 5-1 with a 2.12 ERA. In 51 innings, he gave up just 37 hits, walked eight. Following that run, he was promoted to Rochester where he made two more starts with the Red Wings and gave up a combined six runs in 11.1 innings. The Scott Boras client was the sixth round pick of the Mets in 2010. He did a Q&A with Twins Daily shortly after the Rule 5 draft. Number 2 – Rochester – RHP Tyler Duffey - 5 GS, 3-2, 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 31 H, 5 BB, 29 K Duffey was the Twins fifth-round draft pick in 2012 out of Rice University. He was the co-closer there with JT Chargois. Since signing with the Twins, he has worked primarily as a starter. In 2014, he made 25 starts between three levels. He was invited to big league spring training, but he was sent back to AA – this time to Chattanooga – to start the season. He responded well. He made eight starts with the Lookouts and went 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. In mid-May, he returned to Rochester. On June 11, he made his second straight start against Scranton/Wilkes Barre and gave up seven runs. He pitched against them six days later and struck out nine over eight shutout innings. In two starts since then, he has not given up an earned run. In his seven starts with Rochester, he is 3-4 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Duffey should debut with the Twins in 2015. If not, he’s almost a given to be added to the 40-man roster following the season. (Read the Get To Know Tyler Duffey story from Spring Training.) And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Rochester Red Wings – LHP Taylor Rogers – 6 G, 5 GS, 3-1, 2.40 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 41.1 IP, 36 H, 7 BB, 24 K Taylor Rogers was the Twins 11th round pick in 2012 out of the University of Kentucky. He split time that season between Elizabethton and Beloit and posted a 2.27 ERA in 63.1 innings after a solid college season. He began the 2013 season in Cedar Rapids but made just three starts before being promoted to Ft. Myers. There, he went 11-6 with a 2.55 ERA and was named the 2013 Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. In 2014, he moved up to AA New Britain. After a slow start in the first month, Rogers ended the season 11-6 with a 3.29 ERA. He finished third in the 2014 Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. He went to the Arizona Fall League where he was hit by a line drive in his first outing. It cost him most of the season, though he did return late in the Salt River Rafters’ championship run. (His twin brother Tyler represented the Giants organization in the AFL as well.) The success earned him a spring training invite this year, an experience he enjoyed. “The spring training invite was great. I was honored to be there and just wanted to watch and see how everyone prepared for their season.” He began this season in the rotation for the Rochester Red Wings. In all, he is 7-4 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He has already thrown 103.1 innings. He has walked just 27 and struck out 71. He has made 15 starts, and he is credited with one relief appearance. Actually, he “started” a rain-suspended game from earlier in the season and worked the remaining seven innings. The transition to AAA has gone well for Rogers and yet it hasn’t been easy. “I think the biggest difference is the quality of the lineups. Everybody can hit and pitch. It's so much fun to compete out there every day.” Rogers has a strong three-pitch mix of fastball, curveball and change up, though he’s continuing to work on the latter. “I’ve been working on using the change up more often and effectively. It's a work in progress so far.” His out pitch? “Usually my curve is more of the out pitch, but situation dependent, it could be anything well executed.” The Twins already have a difficult decision to make. Whose spot in the rotation will Ervin Santana take? Having strong starting pitching depth is unusual in the Twins recent history. Consider there are six or seven options for five starting rotation spots right now, and that doesn’t factor in Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey, Greg Peavey and Jose Berrios who are all now in the Rochester rotation. The bullpen is certainly an option for Rogers as Twins left-handed relievers in the big leagues have been struggling mightily of late. Rogers has dominated left-handed batters in AAA to the tune of a .174/.193/.183 (.376) slash line, including two walks with 35 prospects. He would not be against a call up to the Twins bullpen. “I think having depth in the organization is a strength of ours. And, anyone will tell you a lot of people are deserving of a call. It will happen when it’s supposed to happen.” Rogers can only control himself and he reminds himself, “I just have to stay in the moment.” One thing is for certain, Taylor Rogers had terrific 2013 and 2014 seasons, and he’s impressing with his strong first half in AAA. In fact, today he was named to the International League All Star roster. Rogers could be a call up during the 2014 season. If not, he’s a guarantee to be added to the team’s 40 man roster following the season. Please feel free to post your comments on Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey and the rest of the Twins minor league starting pitchers that pitched well in June. How do you feel about the rankings? We’ll be back tomorrow with the Minor League Hitter of the Month of June. Click here to view the article

Jones was dominant the first two months, but he really struggled in June. My assumption is that is what has him on the DL, just a break, rather than a "groin" injury as it's being called.

I 100% agree... just curious what the other pieces will be. Who will get traded for cap room? Will they be able to sign anyone else. Stuff like that.

I'm not worried about the money either. Doesn't affect me at all. I worry about the ramifications. I don't want them losing the ability to sign more players because of it.

Hey Jeremy, The Twins international signing pool was something shy of $4 million. They haven't made any trades yet. Can you explain the ramifications of going over their spending limit or what they need to do?

Each month here at Twins Daily, we post our choices for Twins minor league relief pitcher, starting pitcher and hitter of the month. Today, I want to share with you some of the top relief pitchers in the Twins minor league system in the month of June. You can get to know a little more about this month's choice for Top Reliever of the Month. I'll follow up over the next 24 hours with the starting pitcher and hitter of the month.There were many terrific bullpen performances in June. I’ve ranked the top five, but before getting to them, here are some pitchers who deserve honorable mention. RHP Cole Johnson – Chattanooga/Rochester – 8 G, 11.2 IP, 0-0, 2-Saves, 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 8 H, 2 BB, 8 KRHP JT Chargois – Chattanooga – 9 G, 8.2 IP, 1-0, 5-Saves, 2.08 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 6 H, 6 BB, 9 KRHP DJ Johnson – Ft. Myers – 10 G, 13.1 IP, 1-0, 3-Saves, 1.35 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 10 H, 4 BB, 13 KRHP Brian Gilbert – Ft. Myers – 9 G, 13.1 IP, 1-0, 2.03 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 10 H, 5 BB, 13 KRHP Trevor Hildenberger – Cedar Rapids – 8 G, 9.2 IP, 0-0, 3 Saves, 2.79 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 10 H, 2 BB, 13 KRHP Luke Bard – Cedar Rapids – 7 G, 13.1 IP, 3-0, 1.35 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 11 H, 3 BB, 8 KThe Top 5 Twins Relievers for June 2015 Number 5 – Rochester – AJ Achter – 11 G, 14.0 IP, 0-0, 6 Saves, 2.57 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 7 H, 2 BB, 14 K Since moving to the bullpen in 2012, Achter has been one of the best – and certainly the most consistent – relief pitcher in the Twins minor league system. He has pitched in every role. He has been in long relief, used as a set up man and now he is succeeding as a closer this year. Overall this year, he is 3-2 with 13 saves. He has a 2.27 ERA and a miniscule 0.63 WHIP. He throws strikes (1.8 BB/9) and yet still doesn’t give up hits. He also has struck out 8.6 batters per nine innings the last two seasons in Rochester. With the issues we have witnessed in the Twins bullpen this year, it is surprising that we have not seen Achter yet this year. Number 4 – Ft. Myers – Todd Van Steensel – 10 G, 16.1 IP, 0-0, 5 Saves, 1.10 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 7 H, 6 BB, 20 K Since coming back to the Twins organization before the 2014 season, Van Steensel has turned himself into a big-time strikeout weapon out of the bullpen. He began this season in Ft. Myers after spending the final month of the 2014 season with the Miracle. Overall, he is 1-2 with a 1.97 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He has nine saves already. He has been a workhorse for the Miracle. In 45.1 innings, he has given up 31 hits. He has walked 23 (4.5 BB/9) which is a bit high, though he improved on that in June. He has been able to get a lot of strikeouts, averaging 12.2 K/9 on the season. With recent bullpen issues in Chattanooga and already some transactions, Van Steensel could, or at least should, end the season with the Lookouts. Number 3 – Ft. Myers – Alex Muren – 9 G, 16.2 IP, 1-0, 1 Save, 0.54 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 13 H, 2 BB, 20 K Muren was the Twins 12th round pick in 2012 out of Cal State - Northridge. He spent the final two months last year with the Miracle and has been a workhorse with the team so far this year as well. In 26 games, he is 2-2 with a 1.60 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He has good control (2.6 BB/9) and has been much-improved this year in terms of strikeout rate (8.4). But he is a ground ball pitcher. Managers often put him in with runners on base, needing a double play. His month culminated with a much-deserved promotion to AA Chattanooga. Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – Randy LeBlanc – 7 G, 18.1 IP, 1-1, 0.49 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, 10 H, 2 BB, 17 K Recently, LeBlanc had a streak of 26 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end when he gave up one run. How did he respond? In his next outing, he threw three shutout innings. LeBlanc, a Tommy John survivor, has been a starter most of his life. The Twins 10th round pick in 2014 from Tulane has adjusted well to working out of the bullpen this year. Overall, in 20 games this season for the Kernels, he is 5-1 with one save. He has a 1.59 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 45.1 innings. He throws strikes and does have the ability to miss bats. Most months, LeBlanc would be an easy choice for this award, and if you were to tell me that he should be, I wouldn’t have much of an argument. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers/Chattanooga – Brandon Peterson – 7 G, 11.2 IP, 1-0, 1 Save, 0.00 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, 3 H, 2 BB, 15 K Peterson was the choice as Twins Daily Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2014. He had some lofty goals heading into the 2015 season. “My first goal was to be healthy to start the year. That's a huge aspect that can't go overlooked. Also, I wanted to start up in Chattanooga. Last, I wanted to have a better season than I did previously. That's always my goal” Peterson grew up in and still lives in Savage, Minnesota and went to Burnsville High School. After two years at Des Moines Community College, he received a scholarship to Wichita State University. Following one season there, he was the Twins 13th round selection in 2013. He began his 2014 season in Cedar Rapids, but after nine games, he moved up to Ft. Myers. Overall, he went 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. In 57.1 innings, he walked just 19 and struck out 84. He began his 2015 season back with the Miracle. Peterson said, “I was slightly disappointed repeating A ball again, but I used it as motivation and worked on a few things that needed to be honed in before making the next step. I had a blast with those guys down there.” He handled any disappointment very well, putting up strong numbers again. In 21 games and 31.2 innings with the Miracle, he posted a 0.85 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP. He also had 44 strikeouts (12.5 K/9). Finally in mid-June, he received that call to AA Chattanooga. “I got the word when we were in Lakeland. It was pretty exciting, as well as seeing your friends happy for you too.” He has begun his Lookouts career with seven shutout innings in four games. He has given up just two hits, walked two and struck out ten. He has handled the success and taken things in stride. “I've been dealt a pretty good hand by God to do what I love and get paid to do it. I try and not take things for granted and see what happens.” Peterson primarily uses a four-seam fastball and a slider to get outs. He is also working to improve a third pitch. “I need to work on the change a lot more. My pitching coaches and coordinator (Stu Cliburn, Ivan Arteaga, and Erik Rasmussen) all have helped work with me, whether it's throwing my slider better or working on a new change up grip.” Now with the Lookouts, Peterson has a front-row seat to their remarkable offense. “It's unreal watching and pitching behind these guys. At any time, they can put up a five-spot like its nothing.” Peterson’s goals for the remainder of the season are very team-oriented. “I want to win the Southern League Championship, to win the 2nd half, and to be a guy my team and staff can count on coming into pressure situations.” After his tremendous 2014 season, Peterson has been in the top five relievers each month this season. He earned his promotion to AA and has started out very well there. As he continues to achieve great success at the higher levels, it becomes more and more likely that he will become a part of his hometown team’s bullpen at some point in the future. So what do you think? I’ve ranked the top five bullpen arms in the Twins organization in June, along with a few more that deserve to be recognized for their great performance last month. Who would your choice be? How would you rank these guys (and feel free to include others)? Be sure to check back later for the June Starting Pitcher and Hitter of the month. 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MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger tweeted that a "well-placed" person told him that Miguel Sano would be promoted to the Twins in time for Thursday's game in Kansas City. Following the Twins Wednesday afternoon loss in Cincinnati, the team announced that DH Kennys Vargas was being optioned to AA Chattanooga. Speculation immediately became rampant.Since well before signing with the Twins in October of 2009, Sano has been a known commodity in the baseball world. He rose quickly through the Twins farm system. Unfortunately he missed all of 2014 after having Tommy John surgery. He was added to the Twins 40-man roster following the season and reported to spring training this year. He definitely showed signs of rust. Through May 1, he was hitting just .152. Since then, he has been on fire. In 46 games since that day, he has hit .320/.398/.616 (1.014) with 16 doubles and 11 home runs. He has 44 strikeouts in 201 plate appearances (22.9%). The hope is that he will inject some life into a stagnant Minnesota Twins offense. He is expected to be the Twins regular designated hitter, a position at which the Twins have struggled this year. The Twins designated hitters this year have posted a .663 OPS which ranks them second to last in the American League and far behind the league average of .755. The reality is that they've been even worse than that. The number includes an .872 OPS by Torii Hunter and a .777 OPS by Joe Mauer, both of whom play other positions and who only play designated hitter when manager Paul Molitor wants to give them a rest. The bulk of the at-bats at that position have gone to Kenny Vargas, who has had a .587 OPS from the spot. Earlier today Vargas was demoted to AA-Chattanooga. Sano was the #2 Twins Prospect in our Midseason Top 10 Rankings. He joins fellow Top 10 prospects Byron Buxton, Alex Meyer and Eddie Rosario on the Twins big league roster. Jorge Polanco has spent some time in the big leagues this season and last year. And JO Berrios was just promoted to AAA Rochester. It's a good time for Twins prospects. Sano signed with the Twins in 2009 and was one of the mostly widely hyped international prospects in years. If you would like to learn more about Sano, Twins Daily highly recommends the documentary Ballplayer: Pelotero, which you can watch for free if you have a Netflix account. It chronicles the efforts by several teams to sign Sano out of the Dominican Republic, and the seemingly shady tactics implemented by either some agents or Major League Baseball (depending on your interpretation of the events) to question Sano's age and restrict his ability to field offers in order to drive down his signing price. Click here to view the article