Seth Stohs

Yes, for sure if his OBP is .360+

I've read (not here, but on Twitter) about his PED suspension and that somehow being a negative. Obviously it's not a positive, but if we're suddenly not going to give players opportunities after PED suspensions, then they need to release Kennys Vargas now!

So, now we're complaining that the Twins are spending too much money??

Why make a big deal out of 80 at bats spread out over 4 months? He's a 4th outfielder with speed. I'd rather see him in LF than Willingham. They want Hicks to play every day, not be a 4th outfielder. He's only 27.

The Minnesota Twins have claimed outfielder Jordan Schafer, according to LaVelle E. Neal from the Star Tribune (via twitter). In a tweet, Twins PR director Dustin Morse has confirmed. Schafer, at his best, can be a good replacement for the recently departed Sam Fuld, who was traded to the Oakland A's at the trade deadline. He was DFA'd last week by the Atlanta Braves.Schafer is just 27-years-old. He debuted with the Houston Astros in 2009. He has spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. In 2013, he hit .247/.331/.346 (.677) with eight doubles, three triples and three home runs in 94 games for the Braves. He stole 22 bases. This year, he had just 93 plate appearances in 63 games for the Braves before being let go. He was hitting just .163, though he does have 15 stolen bases. He has been a top prospect in the game earlier in his career. He actually turned himself in for taking hGH and served a 50-game suspension. The Twins did well with Sam Fuld, and they are likely hoping that Schafer can provide outfield depth and speed for the remainder of the season. Chris Parmelee does not need to be the Twins backup centerfielder The Twins had 39 players on their 40 man roster, so the roster is again full. The team will need to send someone down to Rochester to make room on the 25-man roster. Click here to view the article

Yah, that's the question. that said, I'd really be happy if he gets a call in September when rosters expand!

Part of it is due to drafting so many college guys, but I would add that Burdi and Reed and Curtiss are all very advanced and could move quite quickly.

Without even reading the above comments, a few things need to be said. 1.) I'm fine with letting Gardy go after the season. 2.) That doesn't mean he's a bad manager, just that a change is needed. 3.) How many more wins would the Twins have if there were another manager? I'll put the over/under at like 1, maybe. 4.) "A lackadaisical manager like Gardy is going to produce a lackadaisical team like the Twins have been recently." Gardy is about the furthest thing from lackadaisical. He's got as much fire as any manager in baseball. No question about that. 5.) "The managerial ineptitude is the only explanation for what we've seen the past 3 years." The only reason? That's the only answer for it, huh? Has nothing to do with the players that he's been given?He's not perfect, but he is not the reason for the losses. 6.) "he made the playoffs often with players developed under Tom Kelly (Morneau, Mauer, Cuddyer, etc.)," Those three players were developed by Gardy, for what it's worth. 7.) "Paul Molitor has more leadership potential than Gardy." Based on?? You can't make a statement like this without backing it. Gardy's succeeded in the past. When has Molitor succeeded as a coach? (not that I don't think he can, but there's no proof of that) Also, Molitor is older than Gardy. 8.) "Gardy has his buddies (Matt Lecroy, his bowling buddy, who we kept over Big Papi)" - Pretty sure that's not a manager's decision.9 9.) "If he stays, then it shows that this is not about winning, it's about some secret agenda that we will never figure out." - Alrighty then...

I don't get that blog, huhguy? I don't know why I'm even responding. No, you're not going to sit him on the bench. You're going to play him pretty much every day when he's healthy, and you're going to hope and assume that he'll be a .300/.380/.450 type of guy the next four years. Like Paul said.. who cares about the money? It's spent. Can't take it back, and they would have done the same thing 4 years ago when they did it.

Join Seth at 1:00 CST for a live Twins chat. Feel free to ask questions on the Minnesota Twins, the minor leagues, prospect rankings, the upcoming draft... or anything baseball-related. These chats are always fun and entertaining. This will be taking place during the Twins/Tigers series finale, so it'll be good. (Of course, if this time doesn't work for you to participate, you can come back later to read the transcript.) Click the "Read More" to join the chat.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] --- Twins Daily Live Twins Chat Click here to view the article

Three minor league affiliates played on Sunday. The two upper-level minor league affiliates played very good, close ball games. Ft. Myers had a day off. The game in Beloit on Sunday was just crazy. You’ll note the final score looks much more like a football score than a baseball score. That is all good news for the Kernels hitters. It certainly doesn’t speak well for the Kernels starters on this day. Consider this early preview… Kernels outfielders (JD Williams, Byron Buxton and Adam Walker combined to go 9-15 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, 11 runs scored and 13 runs batted in. Soul Patrol: The Next Generation? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here's much more on the Twins minor league activity from Sunday: Rochester Red Wings 5, Columbus Clippers 4 Box Score The Red Wings offense didn’t really do a lot in this game, with the exception of one inning. They scored five runs in the fifth inning and were able to hang on for the win. The big hits came off the bats of Nate Hanson and Joe Benson. Hanson had a two-run single. Benson’s sixth double also resulted in two runs. Hanson was 2-4. Eric Farris was also 2-4. Chris Colabello went 2-3 with a walk and his 11th double. PJ Walters got the start. In six innings, he gave up one run on four hits, three walks, two HBP and he struck out three. Tyler Robertson pitched a scoreless seventh, though he did allow a triple and a walk. In the eight he allowed a single and a walk. He left the game with one out in the eighth without having allowed those runners to score. Dan Turpen came in and got the final two outs but not before allowing both inherited runners to score. Luis Perdomo came in for the ninth and got the save. However, he did give up one run on one hit and three walks. Virgil Vasquez will make a start for the Red Wings on Monday night. After Kyle Gibson’s, 114-pitch, complete game shutout last week, he will be pushed back one day and start on Tuesday. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Portland Sea Dogs 3 Box Score The Rock Cats had another close game against the Sea Dogs. Logan Darnell pitched eight innings. He gave up three runs on ten hits and a walk; he struck out five. Michael Tonkin came in and gave up a hit and struck one out in the ninth. The two New Britain runs came on Josmil Pinto’s eighth home run. Danny Santana went 3-4 with a walk and two stolen bases. New Britain will enjoy an off day on Monday. Ft. Myers Miracle No Game Scheduled on Sunday. Jason Wheeler will hope to improve to 4-0 against Dunedin. Cedar Rapids Kernels 23, Beloit Snappers 16 Box Score Maybe you thought this was an Arena League Football score, or something. No, 23-16 was the actual score of this minor league game at Pohlman Stadium. Let’s start with the good, before getting to the bad and ugly! All nine Kernels hitters had at least one hit and one RBI and scored at least one run. The team had 19 hits and nine walks. Byron Buxton went 4-7 with his ninth double, his fourth triple and four RBI. Adam Walker was 4-6 with his ninth and tenth doubles, his eighth and ninth home runs and seven RBI (40 on the season). Niko Goodrum went 3-4 with a walk, his seventh double and three RBI. Tyler Grimes went 2-4 with two walks, his first home run and two RBI. Dalton Hicks was 2-4 with two walks. JD Williams went 1-2 with three walks and his fifth double. Jorge Polanco hit his fourth triple and two sacrifice flies. Travis Harrison hit his 13th double. Now for the bad and the ugly. With all that run support, JO Berrios was able to finish only four innings; he gave up three runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out six and had one wild pitch. David Hurlbut came on and gave up six runs on six hits and two walks in 1.2 innings. Alex Muren then came in. He went 2.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits and a walk. When he came in to relieve Hurlbut there were two runners on base and neither scored. Josh Burris pitched the ninth. He gave up six runs on four hits and two walks. On Monday, the Kernels will play the final game of the series in Beloit. Matt Tomshaw, who pitched brilliantly for the Snappers in 2012, hopes to eat up some innings for the Kernels. Michael Quesada will be joining the Kernels, back home on Tuesday. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

Kennys Vargas celebrated his 24th birthday in Chicago by making his first start. It was a daunting task against Sale. He struck out in his first at bat, but he got his first hit, his first double and his first two RBI in his second at bat. In the minor leagues, it wasn’t a great night for the organization. The teams went a combined 1-5 on the night, and one game was suspended due to inclement weather. But we’ll still show you some highlights and who-did-what. Here is the Minor League Report for Friday:RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Lehigh Valley 6 Box Score Kris Johnson had a rocky start in this one. He gave up five runs on seven hits in just 3.2 innings. He walked one and struck out three. Stephen Pryor came on and gave up one run on one hit and two walks in just 1.1 innings. Edgar Ibarra then threw two perfect innings. Aaron Thompson walked one and struck out two in his inning. James Beresford led the offense. He went 2-3 with a walk. He added his 21st and 22nd doubles. Josmil Pinto was 2-4 with his seventh double. Wilkin Ramirez also went 2-4 and added his 20th double. Adrian Salcedo got another start. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked one and struck out three. Dan Turpen struck out two in his perfect inning. Ryan O’Rourke gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits in his inning. He did strike out three. Matt Summers than gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over two innings. He struck out five. Cole Johnson then gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in his inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Lakeland 6 Box Score Ethan Mildren put up one of his best outings since arriving in the Florida State League. The right-hander gave up one run on six hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out three. Brian Gilbert came on and gave up two runs in the seventh innings and three runs in the eighth frame. He gave up the five runs on five hits and four walks (though he did strike out three). Alex Muren came on to get the final out of the eighth, which he did on a strikeout. Adam Walker went 2-4 with his 14th double and two RBI. Byron Buxton went 1-4. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Beloit 0 (Suspended after 1) Box Score This game was suspended due to rain after just one inning. Stephen Gonsalves started for the Kernels and gave up a hit in a scoreless first inning. E-TWINS E-NOTES Game 1 - Elizabethton 0, Kingsport 1 Box Score There really wasn’t a lot of offense to speak of in either of the Elizabethton games on Friday night. In the first game, the team had just four hits. Tyler Kuresa was 1-2 and walked. On the mound, John Curtiss made the start. He allowed one run on four hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out three. CK Irby then gave up only a single over two scoreless innings. He struck out two. Game 2 - Elizabethton 3, Kingsport 1 Box Score The E-Twins had just six hits and no one had more than one. Blake Schmidt drove in the lone run for the team. The other runs scored on a fastball and a wild pitch. Michael Cederoth started and threw well. He gave up one run on four hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out seven. Keaton Steele struck out three over two, one-hit innings. Dereck Rodriguez recorded his fourth save with a scoreless seventh inning. He is now up to 17 scoreless innings this season. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Josh Burris got back on the mound in a second rehab outing. He started and gave up just one hit over two innings. He struck out three. Leonel Zazueta struck out two in a perfect third inning. Jhon Silva struck out three in a perfect fourth frame. Brandon Easton then came on. The lefty was charged with two runs on three hits and three walks in four innings. He struck out five. Callan Pearce came in for the ninth. He recorded just one out and gave up the winning run after a walk and two hits. Zach Granite made his first rehab appearance and was 1-3. Rainis Silva hit his third and fourth doubles. Rafael Valera doubled for the fifth time. Frank Encarnacion went 2-4 with his third double. He also stole his fifth base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ethan Mildren, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – James Beresford, Rochester Red Wings SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Louisville (5:05 CST) – Mark Hamburger Erie @ New Britain (6:05 CST) – Pat Dean Ft. Myers @ Lakeland (5:00 CST) – Brett Lee Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) – TBD Elizabethton @ Kingsport (5:00 CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (9:00am CST – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

Twins players scattered all over the place to enjoy their All Star breaks. Joe Mauer is the team’s lone representative in tonight’s All-Star game. On Monday night, it was the Tigers’ Prince Fielder who out-slugged Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista to win his second Home Run Derby. The Rochester Red Wings also began their All-Star break with no game on Monday. New Britain played an early afternoon game and with its completion, they are now on their All-Star break. Each of the other Twins affiliates played on Monday. Only the GCL Twins will play on Tuesday as the minor leagues do not schedule games the day of the big league All Star game. With that, here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Monday’s games in the system. For those with concerns about the Twins system, you will notice that each of the Twins three 2011 1st round picks had good days.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER RED WINGS It is Day 1 of the Red Wings All Star break. Pedro Florimon will represent the team in the game on Wednesday night. NEW BRITAIN 7, NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 It was an early start time for the final game of the unofficial first half of the season, but the Rock Cats came ready to play. Logan Darnell started and gave up just one run on five hits over the first eight innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Dakota Watts pitched a scoreless ninth. The top of the lineup came to play as well. Leadoff hitter Aaron Hicks went 3-4 with a walk, his ninth home run and this 19th stolen base. Second hitter Chris Herrmann went 3-5. Number 3 hitter, Chris Colabello, went 3-4 with a walk and his 24th double. Cleanup hitter Evan Bigley went 2-5. Nate Hanson, batting 6th, was 2-4. FT. MYERS 4, JUPITER 10 Matt Capps started for the Miracle in this game and worked a perfect first inning. Matt Hauser came in and gave up eight runs (6 earned) on 10 hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out two. Miguel Munoz came in and worked two scoreless innings. Nelvin Fuentes gave up two runs on one hit and one walk in two innings. He struck out five. Kyle Knudson went 2-3 with a walk. Levi Michael went 2-5 with his eighth double. Joe Benson continued his rehab stint and went 1-4 with a walk and his first double. BELOIT 0, BURLINGTON 3 Ryan O’Rourke made his first start of the season for the Snappers. The lefty gave up one run on two hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out five. Tim Atherton gave up one run on three hits in two innings. He walked none and struck out three. Steven Gruver then gave up a run on five hits in two innings. He struck out two. Clinton Dempster pitched a scoreless inning. The Snappers managed just two hits in the game. Miguel Sano was 1-4 with a single… and three strikeouts. Matthew Koch hit his first triple. ELIZABETHTON 12, JOHNSON CITY 0 The E-Twins made up for the lack of Beloit offense by racking up 12 runs on 19 hits. Travis Harrison led the way by going 5-6 with his third home run (and 14th error). Jorge Polanco went 3-5 with a walk and his fifth double. Bo Altobelli went 3-6. Max Kepler was 2-4 with two walks and his second double. Candido Pimentel and Kelvin Mention were each 2-6 with their first double of the season. It was Mention’s first at bat since 2010. Adam Walker was 2-6 with his fourth double. The pitching staff was also terrific. Hudson Boyd reduced his ERA to 1.44 with six shutout innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out five. Josh Burris dropped his ERA to 0.60 with two more scoreless innings. Kaleb Merck pitched a scoreless ninth frame. GCL TWINS 5, GCL RAYS 2 The Gulf Coast Twins used a lot of pitchers. Kuo Hua Lo started and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks in three innings. Melciades De La Cruz struck out five over the next two innings. Gerardo Ramirez gave up two hits and a walk, but no runs, in 1.1 innings. He struck out two. Gonzalo Sanudo came in and gave up just one hits over 1.2 scoreless innings. Alexander Muren pitched a scoreless frame. Jorge Fernandez went 2-4 with his first double. John Murphy was 2-4 with his sixth steal. Bryan Haar was 2-4 with his second steal. Byron Buxton was 0-1 with a walk. He also stole a base but on the play, he hurt his leg and was removed from the game. It was pain in the hamstring, whether it was a pulled hamstring or just a cramp is still being determined. --- Players of the Day for Monday, July 9, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Travis Harrison Download attachment: Travis Harrison.jpg (Photo by Thrylos) Pitcher of the Day – Hudson Boyd Download attachment: Hudson Boyd 2.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Schedule Rochester – All Star Break New Britain – All Star Break Ft. Myers – No Game Scheduled Beloit – No Game Scheduled Elizabethton – No Game Scheduled GCL Twins vs GCL Red Sox – TBD --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

The Twins were hoping to salvage game three of their series in Anaheim against the LA Angels. Instead, the Twins got another poor start and the bats were shut down. In fact, the bats managed to do nothing. Jered Weaver, one of baseball's best starting pitchers, threw a no-hitter against the Twins. The Angels won the game 9-0, but Weaver kept Twins fans interested in the game with his efforts. In fact, he kept the national television audience on their toes. In the eighth inning, Trevor Plouffe hit a home run ball that landed just foul. In the ninth, Jamey Carroll hit a deep fly ball to left. Denard Span was called out on strikes. Alexi Casilla drove the first pitch he saw from Weaver to deep right field, but Torii Hunter tracked it down, ending Weaver's first career no-hitter.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It was the tenth no-hitter in Angels history. Nolan Ryan had four of them for the team. Teammate Ervin Santana threw one just last year. It was the fifth time that the Twins have been no hit. It was the first time since 1998 when David Wells of the Yankees threw a perfect game against the Pat Meares-led Twins. Seeing the Twins bats struggle is frustrating. Being no-hit, coming off of the complete game shutout by Jerome Williams is a lot to take in. Hey, we're all Twins fans, but getting the chance to watch baseball history is pretty cool. Download attachment: Jered-Weaver.jpg Click here to view the article

Last week, the Twins announced seven players released from minor league camp. This morning marked the end of the line for the Twins career of several more players. Below you can read a little more about each: Dustin Martin - Martin came to the Twins in the 2007 trade (with Drew Butera) in exchange for Luis Castillo. In 32 games for Ft. Myers that summer, he posted an .803 OPS. The following season he was promoted to New Britain where he posted an .802 OPS with 52 extra base hits. He has spent the past three seasons with the Rochester Red Wings. He improved his statistics each season. Last year, he hit .265/.341/.431 (.773) with 25 doubles, six triples and 15 home runs. During the offseason, he began a secondary career by starting YourCoolMovie.com. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Chris Cates - Cates was the Twins 38th round draft choice in 2007 out of the University of Louisville. He immediately gained recognition because of his 5-3 height (especially in photo ops with then-teammate 7-2 Loek Van Mil). He was a solid defender at SS and 2B, known for his steady performance and strong arm. In his five minor league seasons, he hit .228/.292/.255 (.547), but got all the way to New Britain the last two seasons. Steve Pearce - The 28 year old Pearce signed with the Twins this past offseason. Unfortunately, Pearce was hurt in big league camp and never able to get it going. Matt Bashore - He was the Twins supplemental 1st round pick in 2009, and he pitched in just 18.2 innings in the Twins organization (16.2 last year), all in Elizabethton. Since being drafted, he has had shoulder and elbow surgery. This move is somewhat surprising because I had heard reports that he was very impressive at the Florida Instructional League Ben Tootle - 24-year-old was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2009 after being clocked at 100 mph in college. Since that time, he too has been unable to stay healthy. He had one shoulder surgery. Last year, he came back and was working to regain his velocity, but he really struggled with his control. He was shut down early again and hoped that he would come back strong in 2012. Deinys Suarez - The 28-year-old Cuban defector was signed by the Twins prior to the 2011 season. He made his debut in AA New Britain last year where he went 1-6. He made some starts in Rochester as well and went 0-3. Combined, he posted an ERA of 5.76 and a WHIP of 1.49. Tyler Koelling - He was the Twins 19th round pick in 2011 out of the U. of Southern Mississippi where he posted an OPS over .900 his last two seasons. At Elizabethton last year, he hit .228/.291/.382 with six doubles and five home runs. Roy Larson - Larson was signed by the Twins following the 2010 season. The University of St. Thomas grad went to Elizabethton last year and played some at each corner infield spot. He hit .202/.240/.287 with five doubles and a home run. UPDATE - Jason Bulger - The 33-year-old veteran who really struggled in big league camp. It was a good no-risk, minor league signing because Bulger had a solid six seasons with the Angels organization. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for Bulger or the Twins. UPDATE 2 - Brad Stillings - The 24-year-old was the Twins 7th round pick in 2009. He pitched well early in his career. He stayed in Beloit in 2010, but his seasons ended a little early with some arm problems. Last year, he was in the Ft. Myers bullpen, but his season came to an end early and he had shoulder surgery. Reports were that he was throwing 94 on radar guns this spring. I don't think that any of these moves are complete surprises, with the possible exception of Matt Bashore. But I'm certain it is a difficult day for each and every one of them. What will their next steps be? Will they get another opportunity with an affiliate? Will they look to the independent leagues for another shot? Will they begin their next careers. To each of them, thank you for the time and efforts you put forth in the Twins (and their affiliates) uniforms. Best wishes in whatever is next in your careers! Download attachment: Dustin Martin.jpg Click here to view the article

When the offseason began, most Twins fans had high hopes that the organization would finally dive into free agency and grab an upper-level starting pitcher. No one realistically expected the Twins to jump through hoops and go after Zach Greinke or Anibal Sanchez, especially after the market for starting pitching went crazy early. However, a second-tier guy like Edwin Jackson was seemingly a realistic dream. Instead, the Twins have signed Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey in an attempt to assist the starting rotation. Many Twins fans wanted the team to go after a veteran middle infielder after watching Brian Dozier and Pedro Florimon struggle in their first real big league opportunities. Although the Twins acquired some quality pitching from Washington and Philadelphia, it came with the loss of centerfielders Denard Span and Ben Revere. So, there are some fans that wanted the Twins to go after a centerfielder in free agency. Hey, Michael Bourn is still out there, right?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] There is, however, a case to be made that the Twins have been true to themselves and to the players brought up through their organization. It has long been a slogan of the organization. The Twins prefer to build from within. That’s true in the front office, and it’s true on the field. It is how the Twins have done it for over 30 years, and it is a belief that has proven successful over time. It is the best way to build sustained success. Unfortunately, the Twins minor league system since the middle of the past decade has not been able to supply the big league roster with players. Because of that, just one offseason ago, GM Terry Ryan was aggressive in his pursuit of free agents Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit and Jamey Carroll. So what changed this offseason? Well, several of the Twins top prospects made positive strides in the 2012 season and made themselves ready for their big league opportunity. Some even got their first taste of the big league life. This offseason, the Twins have added Alex Meyer and Trevor May, and now have several pitchers that are close. Because of that, it appears, the Twins may not have been as aggressive in free agency. Why? Because the Twins have a very nice core of minor leaguers that are going to be ready to debut in 2013. Others have shown that they have nothing more to prove in the minor leagues and deserve the opportunity to show if they can make it in the big leagues. 2013 is a great opportunity for many players to take a positive step forward in their career, and if a couple of them are able to take big strides and show that they can be consistent and counted on for the future, that is the perfect scenario. Chris Parmelee – The 24-year-old will get an opportunity to start the season in right field for the Twins. Last year in 64 games at Rochester, he found his power. He hit .338/.457/.645 (1.102) with 17 doubles and 17 home runs. He got time with the Twins and certainly did not look intimidated. He deserves this opportunity to play every day and see what he can become. Liam Hendriks – We all know that Hendriks struggled most of the 2012 season with the Twins, but he has little to prove in AAA any more. In 16 starts, he went 9-3 with a 2.20 ERA and a 0.98 ERA. His minor league strikeout rate is 7.9 K/9, although that number dropped to 6.9 K/9 last year. He had elbow surgery in October but says he will be ready this spring. (Vance Worley had the same surgery in August, and Scott Diamond did in September.) Brian Dozier – Yes, he really struggled in 2012 with the Twins, but many players struggle in their first big league opportunity. We can all see that he was handled wrong last year. He was over-touted in spring training, brought up too quickly in early May, and then sent down too late. But it would be silly to completely give up on him. No one is expecting him to be an All Star, but can he be a solid every day starter? I’m not yet willing to say he is not. He will turn 26 during the season, so it will be a big year for him. Pedro Florimon – I’m less confident that Florimon will ever hit in the big leagues, primarily because he has never hit in the minor leagues. Last year, his defense with the Twins wasn’t very good either. At 26, this will be a big year for him to show that his defense is worth the (lack of) bat. Having the stable Jamey Carroll around, along with Eduardo Escobar, will certainly lower the risk. Joe Benson – Like Parmelee, Benson will turn 25 during Spring Training. 2012 was a lost season for him. He was hurt all season and his play on the field showed it. He should be healthy in 2013, and when he has been healthy, he has produced. One year ago at this time, he was the Twins #3 prospect by Baseball America. He will get an opportunity to start the season as the centerfielder. He is a great athlete and can play all three outfield positions. Like others, it’s a big year for him to show what he can do. Aaron Hicks – Hicks will be 23 years old throughout the 2013 season. He blossomed in 2012 when he hit .286/.384/.460 with 21 doubles, 11 triples, 13 home runs, 100 runs scored, 61 RBI and 32 stolen bases. He is also a tremendous outfielder with a very strong arm. Since the Span and Revere trades, Hicks has been receiving most of the attention and will certainly be given a real shot at opening the season as the Twins centerfield. If it doesn’t happen on Opening Day, it will happen sometime during the season. Oswaldo Arcia – Between Ft. Myers and New Britain in 2012, Arcia hit .320/.388/.539 with 36 doubles, eight triples, 17 home runs and 98 RBI. He will go to his second spring training as a 21 year old. He is a long-shot to make the Opening Day roster, but at some point during the season, it would not be surprising to see him make his debut. Kyle Gibson – The Twins top pick in 2009, he was on the fast track to the big leagues until he underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2011 season. His rehab in 2012 went as scripted and he will be ready to debut with the Twins sometime in 2013. Will it be Opening Day or not? Will it be as a starter or a reliever? He will be up early in the season. Scott Diamond – Yes, he is a given to start the season in the Twins rotation (assuming his elbow allows), but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still questions about what his future holds. Hopefully what he showed in 2012 is the true Scott Diamond, but again, we will find out more in 2013. Alex Meyer and Trevor May – he two prospects received in the December trades are both Top 10 Twins prospects who have work to do in the minor leagues. Both are intriguing, hard-throwing, high-upside prospects. Although both will likely debut in 2014, if all goes well, they could see time in 2013. Caleb Thielbar and Tyler Robertson – These two lefty relievers may be competing for one bullpen spot in spring training, particularly if the Twins decide to carry a third lefty reliever (since Glen Perkins will be the closer). So, there are 13 players I’ve mentioned above could be seen in a Twins uniform in 2013. Some of these players are top prospects. Some of them have somewhat graduated from the minor leagues and deserve an opportunity to succeed or fail in the big leagues. Some guys will make their debuts and deserve an opportunity to show what they can do. If some of these guys can become the core of the next sustained Twins success, that would be best case. Within the next few seasons, there will be an influx of additional talent coming through the farm system. Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario and some of those college pitcher draft picks from 2012. Beyond that, names like Byron Buxton and JO Berrios will be coming. In my mind, 2013 is the beginning of what will hopefully be the sustained success that we hear so much about. Consider all of the players that the Twins brought up from 1999 through 2006, and what it meant for Twins fans over the better part of a decade. Yes, it’s been a long couple of seasons, and 2013 could be equally long. However, when you can see the plan, there is at least reason for optimism. The Twins front office could have gone out and signed players who would, in essence, block these players. However, if we can all agree that the best way to sustained success is to build from within (and them supplement your core with free agents when they are close to competing), then it is more difficult to argue with the strategy. Sometimes it is important to clear the path. View full article

Tonight at 7, Seth Stohs will be answering your Twins-related questions here at Twins Daily. The chat room will be opened 15 minutes before then, and you can get your questions in right away. It'll be a good opportunity to discuss Twins topics, and particularly Twins minor league topics since the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2013 just became available this week. We can talk about Twins Fest, spring training, Twins in the WBC, Hall of Fame, whatever you like. So, stop by the site tonight and ask anything you'd like![PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Live Twins Chat with Seth Stohs Download attachment: AskQuestions.jpg Click here to view the article

I have to say, I have been pretty lucky down here in Cedar Rapids. On Opening Night, I saw Twins pitchers strikeout 16 batters, Byron Buxton get a couple of hits and a steal and a couple of home runs. On Friday night, I got to see more individual performances that are exciting for Twins fans, and I got to see a come-from-behind, bottom-of-the-ninth, walk-off win.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] One of the first observations that I have seen with this Cedar Rapids team is that they are very close, and that they have a lot of fun playing baseball. JD Williams is kind of the leader in the have-fun category, but what he starts, seemingly most of the players follow along. It’s also clear that manager Jake Mauer, and his coaches Gary Lucas (pitching) and Tommy Watkins (hitting) have the ears and the utmost respect of the players. I had a chance to meet Tim Goodrum (Niko’s dad) the other night, and he introduced me to Adam Walker (Adam’s dad). The Twins do talk about character being important a lot. You meet these fathers, and I’ve interacted with several parents and players in the past as well, and you get a better sense for why the players (still young kids) have such a high level of character. I’ll be sure to write more notes and observations from my trip to Cedar Rapids in the coming days, but let’s briefly discuss what happened in the Kernels/Snappers game last night, as well as let you in on how the other Twins affiliates did. Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Beloit Snappers 7 Following Opening Night’s 16 run game (9-7 Kernels win) which also included 16 strikeouts by Kernels pitchers, Friday night’s game was much more crisp. The Kernels cleaned up their defense with a strong showing, and the pitching was very good for both teams. Because of that, the game was finished much quicker. However, though there were less runs, there was a lot of drama, and any time the home team wins in walk-off fashion, it’s a great night. Down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth, Dalton Hicks led off with a solid single to right field. He was pinch run for by Candido Pimentel. Adam Walker flew out to center for the first out, but Travis Harrison came through with a big double to right centerfield. Pimentel was able to score easily to tie the game, making the decision to pinch-run him pay off right away. Harrison, a throw-back who doesn’t wear batting glove, said after the game of the at bat, “I was looking middle-out because I figure he wouldn’t want to come in and lose it on one pitch if I took a chance and hit a home run, and he gave it to me right there, a middle-away fastball and I couldn’t have hit it any better.” That brought Niko Goodrum to the plate with Harrison on second base and one out. He lined a hard single down the right field line. Mauer waved Harrison around third base, and when the right fielder bobbled the ball, there was no play on the plate. There was, however, a rush toward second base to mob Goodrum. Goodrum said, “I was moved up on the plate looking for a fastball so I could drive him in, and that’s what I got. I knew right away that he was going to score.” “Run faster! I knew where the right fielder was playing before the ball was hit. I got a pretty good jump on it, so I knew I could probably score. I just had to make sure I could stay on my feet and get in there.” Goodrum acknowledged that it was his first walk-off hit in professional baseball. How did he feel about the hit and being piled on after the game, “Pretty exciting!” The story of the game up to that point was another solid night of pitching from the Kernels pitcher. Hudson Boyd made the start and gave up just one run on three hits. He did walk three and struckout three. With two outs in the top of the 5th, he hit a batter, and that was the end of his night. It was clear that pitching Coach Gary Lucas wanted Boyd to get that final batter, but Boyd was removed. “It’s more protecting his career, to be honest for you. It was his first time out. You’d like to get him a win and that will look nice and everything, but most importantly, I was hoping he’d go out on a positive note.” Mauer added, “Boyd got better as the game went on, which is very encouraging. The young man’s first start. He’s never pitched in cold weather before. I thought that was encouraging his last couple of innings there. With him I think the biggest thing, and a lot of young guys can do that, where they don’t trust their stuff, and he’s got pretty good stuff. I thought he got a little finesse, tried to be a little too fine when he walked a couple of men, but then he got a little aggressive again, which is good.” Boyd was also happy with his game. “The second inning was rough, but I came out in the third and made some adjustments. I didn’t want to let one bad inning to become two. I tried to put it behind me. My changeup was really good tonight. In the fourth and fifth inning, my curveball was working. It had some bite. In that second inning, I couldn’t get my fastball over, so I walked a couple of people.” Boyd seemed legitimately concerned about pitching in the cold weather on Wednesday, but he said it wasn’t a big issue for him on Friday night. “Actually, I didn’t even notice it. I actually didn’t think I even needed my sleeves. Once I got out there, it was natural.” Left-hander Steven Gruver came in and got the final out of the fifth inning. He then worked three more innings. He gave up just an unearned run on one hit and two walks, and he struckout two. Unfortunately, he gave up one run in the top of the 8th frame that gave the Snappers a 2-1 lead. Mauer said, “Gruver had the hiccup with the lead-off walk, but other than that, he was phenomenal.” Lefty Brett Lee came on for the top of the 9th. He is scheduled to start for the Kernels on Tuesday, but he came in and struckout the side on his bullpen day. And then came the bottom of the ninth, walk-off heroics! There’s a lot of excitement in Cedar Rapids for the Kernels this year. I want to encourage people to check out Metro Sports Report and the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Both provide some great information on the Kernels. You’ll also want to follow the Kernels website for a lot of information on the team as well as the ability to listen to the games live online. Buxton Update Byron Buxton went 2-3 with a walk, a first inning leadoff blast and his second stolen base. I noted on Twitter during his first at bat versus the Snappers (A’s) starter Michael Ynoa that there was over $10 million in signing bonuses during that plate appearance. Ynoa received $4.25 million dollars as a 16-year-old from the Dominican. He has pitched very little because he had Tommy John surgery a couple of years ago. Last year, he pitched a combined 30 innings between rookie ball and the A’s Low A team, yet the A’s chose to put him on their 40 man roster. In the first inning, it’s fair to say that the Twins $6 million man, Buxton, won that battle. He got a pitch on the inner half of the plate and launched a long, towering home run over the left field fence, out of the ballpark and onto the street behind. It is already being said that it bounced off the street and hit the second floor of a house. Just as impressive as Buxton’s power is his speed. He stole his second base of the season last night. However, in one at bat, he hit a routine, three-bounce ground ball to third base. The third baseman fielded it cleanly and made a strong, accurate throw to first base. Buxton beat the throw by a half-step. There is no question that Buxton has a bit of developing to do, but first, he is quite advanced for his age, and second, he has the potential to be a 40-40 type of player. Mauer said after the game of Buxton, “He’s a very talented individual. There is no doubt about it. He stayed back. He got a hanging breaking ball in that first at bat, and he unloaded on it. That was a big time swing. In talking to him, he’s going to affect the game a lot of ways, even if he’s not swing that bat very well, with his speed and the pressure he can put on. He made a nice play, a ball hit to right center with nobody out, caught the ball, turned, Boom, right to the cutoff man. It was fantastic. Not only the wherewithal and the athleticism to catch it, but to keep the ball down, right to the cutoff man. That guy had no chance in advancing. Stuff like that, you want to see especially with young outfielders. Some may get excited and think the guy’s going to go, but he was calm, collected. He is a pretty special talent, no doubt about it. It’s a matter of him doing it every day. He’s going to be in there, without a doubt. Drew Leachman was put on the 7-Day Disabled List. In the opening game, he had a stolen base. His left (non-throwing) shoulder caught the base and jammed. Following the game (after having two more at bats in the game), he was icing his shoulder. On Friday, he could not raise his right arm at all. Mauer said of Leachman, “Young man’s trying to play, gut it out. He’s a guy with experience, put up pretty good numbers here. We’ll miss that presence here in the middle of the lineup. It’ll give somebody an opportunity to step up too. Who will replace him? As of post-game, Mauer did not know. I asked if it could be an arm, and Mauer said, “I would like it to be an arm. You know, there’s a few guys down at Extended that are pretty good pitchers that we thought had a chance to break with us when everything shook out. That’s usually how it happens. There’s three or four boys down there that are getting close. I don’t think it’ll be a starter. I think it’ll be a bullpen guy. We’ll know tomorrow.” Tyler Grimes caught his first game as a professional player and really did a nice job. “He’s caught in spring training and in Instructional League, so that was a whole learning experience for him too.” I was at the ballpark early, and when I was there, Grimes out stretching in his knee pads. Soon after, backup catcher Jhonatan Arias was with him, coaching and instructing him on various catching techniques. Then Jairo Rodriguez, the Opening Day catcher, was out there a well, helping Grimes through drills. I have to say that those two catchers being willing to help their teammate (yet also a “competitor” in the sense that they all want to advance). I found that to be pretty classy. Niko Goodrum acknowledged two goals for the season. First, “I want to steal 40 bases real bad!” Second, “I hit 200 pounds, and I hope I can stay up there!” The Kernels will send 2012 2nd round pick Mason Melotakis to the mound at 2:05 today to face the Snappers. At the game last night, no less than three people stopped me in the concourse to introduce themselves and say Hi. They had all made the trip down from the Twin Cities that afternoon. One was heading back following the game, while a couple of others were spending a night to go to Saturday’s game as well. In two days, I’ve seen two tremendous games, and it has been a lot of fun. In my mind, it is worth the trip, and from those I have talked to, they would agree. Rochester Red Wings 2, Buffalo Bisons 3 The Red Wings came up short for the second straight game in Buffalo with a 3-2 loss on Friday afternoon. Kyle Gibson started and was very good. The lanky, right-hander worked the first five innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He walked none and struckout four, including a big one to end the fifth inning with a couple of runners on in a 1-1 game. Michael O’Connor came in and gave up one run on three hits in two innings. Anthony Slama pitched the eighth inning and takes the loss. He gave up a solo home run to Luis Jimenez. The Red Wings had just five hits in the game. Brian Dinkelman hit his first home run of the season. Oswaldo Arcia hit his second home run in as many games. Former Twins starter Ramon Ortiz started for the Bisons. He hit three batters, including hitting Chris Colabello and Drew Butera back to back. Butera was hit in the hand by a pitch and had to leave the game. After the game, he was put on the Disabled List and infielder Eric Farris was promoted to Rochester. On Saturday, righty Shairon Martis will start opposite Claudio Vargas. Both have pitched in the big leagues. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Richmond Flying Squirrels 0 (Conclusion of suspended game) The weather isn’t warm, and the bats certainly are not either. Logan Darnell had started this game on Thursday night. He went 3.2 scoreless innings and gave up four hits and walked two before the rains came. When play resumed on Friday night, Blake Martin took the mound. He went 2.1 innings without allowing a hit. He did walk one, but he struckout three. Bobby Lanigan came on and gave up one hit in a scoreless frame. Jose Gonzalez pitched a perfect inning as well. Michael Tonkin came in and threw a clean ninth inning to record his first save of the season. The Rock Cats managed just six hits. Danny Santana had three of the hits including a single that scored Eric Farris with the lone run of the game. Antoan Richardson went 1-2 with a walk and a double. Josmil Pinto also doubled. New Britain Rock Cats 0, Richmond Flying Squirrels 1 (regularly scheduled game) The bats remained pretty cold for both teams in the regularly scheduled matchup. Trevor May started for the Rock Cats. He gave up one run on three hits and three walks. He struckout four. Edgar Ibarra pitched a scoreless inning despite loading the bases with two hits and an intentional walk. The Rock Cats gave up just one run, but it was more than enough as Richmond pitchers Jack Snodgrass and Daryl Maday no-hit New Britain. They each walked one batter, but those were quickly erased by two Flyin Squirrel double plays. Connecticut native Pat Dean will make the Saturday start for the Rock Cats. He had made one late-season start for the team in 2011. As mentioned above, second baseman Eric Farris was promoted to AAA Rochester to replace Drew Butera on the roster. Farris spent the past three years playing AAA ball in the Brewers organization. Farris spent some time with the Brewers each of the past two years. The Brewers decided to put him on their AA roster, and the Mariners selected him in the AAA Rule 5 draft. Seattle decided to release him just before opening day and the Twins signed him quickly. To fill Farris’s roster spot, corner infielder and outfielder Curt Smith was activated. He was signed by the Twins after playing for Team Netherlands in the WBC. Ft. Myers Miracle 4, Bradenton Marauders 1 For the second straight night, the Miracle got some good pitching and enough offense to win a very crisp game. Jason Wheeler began the 2013 season as he pitched most of the 2012 season in Beloit. The tall lefty threw five shutout innings for his first win of the season. He gave up four hits, walked one and struckout three. Miguel Munoz came on and gave up just one hit in two shutout innings. Cole Johnson gave up an eighth inning run on one hit and one walk. Corey Williams came on in the ninth for a 1-2-3 save. The Miracle had just five hits in the game. Fortunately, catcher Kyle Knudson, who is fully healthy for the first time since signing with the Twins from the University of Minnesota, hit his first home run of the year, a line drive over the left field fence. Then Kennys Vargas launched a towering blast over the wall in right field. Angel Morales provided a double for the Miracle as well. Eddie Rosario got his first hit of the season. Feel free to leave any questions or comments. View full article

Liam Hendriks was again unable to pick up his first career win. Despite being given a five run lead going into the bottom of the 5th against the Tigers, he was unable to get an out. However, the Twins bullpen did what they’ve done all year. Anthony Swarzak came in and maintained the lead. Alex Burnett was tremendous again. And Glen Perkins got the save. All the efforts gave manager Ron Gardenhire his 900th career win. Quite an accomplishment! The Twins have now won four in a row and play the Tigers again tonight. For all this and more, here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Monday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 1, PAWTUCKET 2 The Red Wings got terrific pitching. Unfortunately the defense and the offense didn’t have enough for a win on this day. Sam Deduno started and gave up two unearned runs on five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five. Casey Fien struck out the side in his inning. The offense managed just five hits in the game. Zach Stewart threw the first six for Pawtucket. Daniel Bard threw the seventh inning. Brian Dinkelman went 2-4 with his fourth double. Ray Chang added his fourth double. NEW BRITAIN 2, BOWIE 11 Former big leaguer Shairon Martis made his first start for the Rock Cats since he was acquired last week from the Pirates for cash considerations. Martis gave up eight runs (7 earned) on eight hits and three walks in just 4.2 innings. He struck out five. David Bromberg returned to the Rock Cats and pitched out of the bullpen. He threw 2.2 scoreless innings and gave up one hit, walked two and struck out two. Daniel Turpen then gave up three runs on three hits in the final 1.2 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Chris Colabello led the offense. He went 2-4 with his 19th double. Evan Bigley was also 2-4. Oswaldo Arcia was 1-3 with a walk and his first Rock Cats triple. FT. MYERS 2, ST. LUCIE 5 The Miracle offense was again pretty quiet in this game. They combined for just five hits. Levi Michael returned to the lineup and had an RBI triple. Josmil Pinto was 1-3 with a walk. Pat Dean was the Miracle starter. The lefty gave up four runs (3 earned) on nine hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out two. Miguel Munoz came on and gave up a run on two hits in his two innings. He struck out two. Nelvin Fuentes threw two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and one walk and struck out one batter. BELOIT 6, CEDAR RAPIDS 5 Defense is such an important variable at all levels of baseball, but it is often more magnified in the lower levels of the minor leagues. The Snappers committed five errors in this game and yet still came out victorious. My choice for Twins Minor League starting pitcher of the month of June, David Hurlbut, was on the hill for the Snappers. He gave up five runs on six hits in five innings. Zero of those runs were earned. He walked three and struck out five. Ryan O ‘Rourke came on and provided the team with three scoreless innings of relief. He gave up two hits and a walk and struck out three. Corey Williams came on in the ninth and despite allowing two hits, he recorded his 12th save of the season. He struck out two. On offense, Jhon Goncalves was a home run away from the cycle. The speedy centerfielder was 3-4 with his 14th double and fourth triple. Steve Liddle went 2-4 with his seventh double. The story of the game, however, was Miguel Sano. He was 1-2 with an RBI double, his 17th of the season. However, he was removed for a pinch hitter in the fifth inning. Wang-Wei Lin batted for him and then went into the game in left field. AJ Pettersen, who started the game in left, moved in to third base. In the top of the fourth inning, Sano had three errors. He now has 31 on the season. He batted in the bottom of the 4th and flew out. So it is not immediately evident that defense is the sole reason he was removed from the game. He is, however, on pace for 54 errors on the season. That is a large number, but it is not unusual for young players in the low levels. Derek Jeter had 56 errors in the Midwest League. There are many such examples. However, it is going to take a lot of work for Sano to be a viable third baseman. ELIZABETHTON 13, PRINCETON 1 Romy Jimenez was again the leader of an E-Town offensive attack. The team had 13 runs on 16 hits. Jimenez went 3-4 with a walk, his fourth and fifth doubles and his fifth home run. He is now hitting .439. Max Kepler was 3-5 in the game. He was hit by a pitch and hit his second triple. DJ Hicks went 2-4 with a walk, his third double and his first professional home run. Rory Rhodes was 2-4 with a walk and his fourth double. Adam Walker went 2-5 with his second double. Angel Mata got the start and gave up one run on two hits. However, he was only able to complete 3.2 innings because he walked four and struck out four. Josh Burris came in to the game and continued to pitch great. He struck out three, and walked two, in 2.1 scoreless innings. Steve Evans gave up no runs on one hit and struck out four in his two innings. Kaleb Merck struck out one in a perfect ninth. If you thought the 3B defense of Miguel Sano was bad wait until you read about Travis Harrison. The Twins 2011 supplemental first round pick can flat-out hit. He is hitting .354 even after going 1-10 in his last two games. However, in 12 games played, he has committed 11 errors at 3B. He is on pace for 54 errors in the Elizabethton 68 game schedule. Again, not a concern at this point, but it does show that a lot of work will need to be done. GCL TWINS 0, GCL RAYS 1 (10 innings) It was quite the pitcher’s duel in the GCL on Monday! The Twins managed just four hits. Kuo Hua Lo went the first five innings. He gave up no runs, no hits, no walks, no hit batters through five innings. He struck out five and got good defense behind him. Alex Muren came on and was perfect in the sixth. Trent Higginbotham came on in the seventh and gave up a leadoff single, but after a sacrifice bunt, he was able to get a line drive double play. He then walked three straight batters in the 8th inning after he got the first two outs, but Melciades de la Cruz got him out of the inning with a strikeout. De La Cruz pitched a scoreless ninth as well. However in the bottom of the 10th, he hit the leadoff batter. The next batter bunted and De La Cruz had a throwing error that led to runners on second and third. Then the game ended on a wild pitch. --- Players of the Day for Monday, July 2, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Kuo Hua Lo Download attachment: KuoHuaLo.jpg Hitter of the Day – Romy Jimenez Download attachment: RomyJimenez.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, July 3, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Pawtucket – RHP Steve Hirschfeld New Britain vs Bowie – LHP Blake Martin Ft. Myers vs St. Lucie – LHP Cole Nelson Beloit vs Cedar Rapids – RHP Tim Shibuya Elizabethton @ Princeton – RHP Taylor Rogers GCL Twins vs GCL Rays – TBD --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

According to a tweet by Jason Beck of MLB.com, the Twins have reached an agreement with RHP Joel Zumaya on a major league contract that will reportedly pay him between $800,000 and 1.7 million, based on incentives. Obviously, especially in this case, the Twins are wise to not report it themselves until Zumaya passes a physical. A caution to Twins fans expecting to see the Zumaya of 2006 that threw 100-101 mph with a sharp slider and little control. Reports of his tryout several weeks ago were that he is touching 92 mph with his fastball. However, Zumaya is still just 27 years old. The last time he pitched was at Target Field in 2010 when he bounced off the mound after throwing out his elbow. As a 21 year old rookie in 2006, he posted a 1.94 ERA in 62 games. From 2007 through 2010, he averaged 27 appearances and 31+ innings. He did not pitch in 2011. I must admit that Zumaya is a name that intrigued me coming into the offseason, but based on there being 50 scouts at his tryout, I assumed that the Twins would not be in the mix. Now, I’m just very curious how this will go. What do you think? Click here to view the article

Raise your hand, Minnesota Twins fans, if you knew who Nate Roberts was before the Arizona Fall League. Well, if you follow Twins Daily, you found the outfielder’s name on these pages frequently. But it is fair to say that Roberts gained a lot of respect and notoriety around Twins Territory with his incredible performance with the Peoria Javelinas. He led the Arizona Fall League in Batting Average (.446), On Base Percentage (.565), Slugging Percentage (.662), and of course, OBP (1.226). In 84 plate appearances, he walked 12 times and was hit by seven pitches while striking out just seven times. He stole six bases in eight attempts.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: Nate Roberts Tux.jpg Anything can happen in the small sample size of the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League, but the types of skills that Roberts showed are consistent with what he has shown since the Twins drafted him with their 5th round pick in 2010. In 35 Appalachian League games that season, he hit .336/.444/.547 (.991) with ten doubles, a triple, and five homers. Because of knee injuries, he has spent the past two seasons in Beloit. In 2011, he hit .302/.443/.446 (.889) with 12 doubles, four triples and four home runs. In 2012, he hit .299/.433/.427 (.860) with 18 doubles, three triples and four homers. He walked 44 times and struckout 37 times. In the past two seasons, he has been hit by 52 pitches. Roberts epitomizes what it means to be a leadoff hitter. He also grows a fantastic mustache. Today, Twins Daily is thrilled to bring you 12 Questions With… Nate Roberts. --- Download attachment: Nate Roberts AFL Mug.jpg Twins Daily (TD): Growing up in Illinois, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Nate Roberts (NR): I was a Cubs fan growing up and as a kid my favorite player was Mark Grace. Most recent Cubs that I enjoyed watching were Kerry Wood, Mark Derosa, and Reed Johnson. TD: Tell us about your high school career (baseball and/or other extra-curriculars). NR: In high school, I played football, basketball, and baseball. Baseball was actually my third favorite of the three, believe it or not. TD: What were some of the highlights of your college playing days at various schools, culminating with a tremendous season High Point? NR: JUCO was a great time as we won the national championship that year. My year at High Point was also memorable as we worked extremely hard to obtain the first winning record in the Div 1 history of the school. TD: The Twins drafted you in the 5th round in 2010... is that about where you were expecting to go, and did you have much communication with Twins scouts before that? NR: I was happy to be drafted by the Twins that early because I was expecting to go that soon, so that was cool. I was in contact with the Twins scout, Ricky Taylor, more than anyone else so I was happy to be picked by the Twins. TD: You signed quickly and went to Elizabethton. How would you describe your adjustment to pro baseball and what did you learn from that first season? NR: It was a good experience to minor league ball, especially the living on the road part. It was a fun transition to playing better competition and the coaches and players there were a lot of fun to be around. TD: You have spent the last two seasons in Beloit battling knee injuries, but when you're in the lineup, you are the consummate leadoff hitter, getting on-base over 40% of the time, even if it means getting hit by a ton of pitches. Is that your philosophy as a hitter? (Get on base) NR: My philosophy at the plate is to get on in any way I can and to see a lot of pitches. I adopted the HBP mentality at HPU and it continues to work. I also enjoy it too. TD: Were you surprised when you heard you were going to the Arizona Fall League? What were your expectations going into that season? NR: I was very surprised to be going to the AFL as I was scheduled to be in instructs. So I was grateful for the opportunity. I didn't go in with any high expectation as I was happy to still be playing ball. I just wanted to try and get better, play hard, and have fun. It was a great experience playing there with some good competition. TD: Fair to say that things went well for you there as you led the AFL in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage. What were some of the big take-aways for you from your time in Arizona? NR: My biggest take away from there is that I competed well against some top players which will help my confidence going into next season. Download attachment: Nate Roberts AFL swing.jpg TD: Looking to 2013, what are some of your goals? Do you think you'll start in Ft. Myers or jump up to New Britain? NR: My number one goal is to play a full season as I have yet to do so. I also want to help my team win a championship as we have come close in the past. I'm not worried about where I'll play next season. The Twins will decide that, and I'll be happy to continue to be a part of their club. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career as a baseball player? NR: Many coaches throughout my life have been influential, so I can’t just name a few. My parents have definitely been the most help. TD: If you weren't playing baseball, what would you be doing (your career of choice)? NR: Once I'm done playing, I plan on teaching and coaching high school. TD: Favorite baseball movie? NR: Favorite baseball movie: For Love of the Game. --- Thank you very much to Nate Roberts for taking time out of his offseason schedule to answer our questions. We wish him the best in spring training and wherever the 2013 season brings him. Click here to view the article

If you’re like me, one of the fun things to do during spring training is to read through all of the box scores. They’re long, and full of names as starters are just getting a couple of at bats and managers are wanting to see their role players and non-roster invitees. It’s a good reminder of the offseason transactions and who signed where. That’s important for the big free agents, but it’s also fun to see where the lesser-known names and the minor league free agents signed. As someone who is coming up on ten years of blogging on the Twins, it’s also fun for me to see where former Twins players wind up. Some of the names are easily recognizable, and some of the players may not have even made it to the majors but ‘grew up’ in the Twins farm system. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Now, this may not be a complete list of who is in big league camp. You may have seen on SportsCenter the other day that JD Durbin (aka The Real Deal) gave up a long home run to Edwin Encarnacion. Durbin signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox this winter after spending the past few summers in independent ball. So, check out the below list of 40 man roster guys and non-roster invites that are in big league camp right now, and be sure to point out who else you know is playing. Download attachment: RA Dickey.JPG Baltimore Orioles – Luis Ayala, Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia and JJ Hardy are on their 40 man roster. Allan de San Miguel, Steve Pearce (drafted out of high school and spent 2012 spring training with Twins), Lew Ford and Jason Pridie are non-roster invites. De San Miguel is also on the Australian WBC team. Boston Red Sox – Craig Breslow and David Ortiz are on the 40 man roster. Last year’s Rule 5 selection Terry Doyle is a non-roster invitee. New York Yankees – Utility infielder Gil Velezquez in a non-roster invite. Toronto Blue Jays – RA Dickey and Henry Blanco are on the 40 man roster. Ramon Ortiz was a spring training invite. Chicago White Sox – Jesse Crain is on the 40 man roster. Jeff Gray and Steve Tolleson are non-roster invites. Cleveland Indians – Matt Capps and Matt Carson signed minor league deals with spring invites. Detroit Tigers – Torii Hunter got a very nice contract to be on the Tigers’ 40 man roster. Houston Astros – They found some reason to put Phil Humber on their 40 man roster. Los Angeles Angels – Brendan Harrison, Luis(!) Rodriguez and Trent Oeltjen are non-roster invites. Oakland A’s – Last year’s surprise team has Grant Balfour and Pat Neshek in their bullpen and on their 40 man roster. Texas Rangers – A couple of former Twins All Stars, Joe Nathan and AJ Pierzynski, are on their 40 man roster. Evan Meek, Eli Whiteside and Yangervis Solarte are in their camp on minor league deals. Atlanta Braves – Dusty Hughes got a minor league deal. Miami Marlins – Jon Rauch is on the 40 man roster while Kevin Slowey inked a minor league deal with a spring invite. New York Mets – A couple of oldies but goodies are with the Mets. Johan Santana’s deal is finally in its final season. LaTroy Hawkins, a non-roster invite, has to be getting close to his final season. Philadelphia Phillies – Ben Revere and Delmon Young are on the Phillies 40 man roster. Young is likely to begin the season on the DL. Washington Nationals – Denard Span and Wilson Ramos are on their 40 man roster. Ramos is hoping to be ready for Opening Day, but it may not be very likely. Chicago Cubs – Matt Garza and Scott Baker are on their 40 man roster, and both could miss Opening Day. Darnell McDonald is a non-roster invite. Cincinnati Reds – Corky Miller is a non-roster invite. Milwaukee Brewers – Carlos Gomez turned out alright, finally, and got a nice contract via arbitration. Pittsburgh Pirates – They finally reached their agreement with Francisco Liriano. Garrett Jones will again make a lot of money in his second arbitration season. Also, Kyle Waldrop is there on a minor league deal with the spring invite. St. Louis Cardinals - JR Towles is in Cards' camp on a minor league deal. Arizona Diamondbacks – How about this… Michael Tonkin’s brother-in-law is on the D-Backs 40 man roster. Colorado Rockies – Michael Cuddyer is on their 40 man roster. Jeff Manship got a spring training invitation and in his first spring outing threw seven pitches and got a pop up and two strikeouts. Los Angeles Dodgers – Nick Punto and Matt Guerrier are on the 40 man roster. Punto is on Team Italy in the WBC. Peter Moylan got a minor league deal. San Diego Padres – Jason Marquis is on the 40 man roster, and Rene Rivera got a spring training invite. San Francisco Giants – Jose Mijares is on their 40 man roster. Boof Bonser is back with his original team on a minor league deal. So there you have it, a quick look around the other rosters to see which former Twins players are in big league camp. If I missed anyone, please let me know. The only teams not to have even one former Twins-related player in big league camp are the Tampa Bay Rays, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Mariners, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Click here to view the article

The Twins fell behind early and were not able to catch up despite two solo home runs by catcher Ryan Doumit. That was pretty much it for the Twins offense . Simply, there were very few positives to be found in the Twins’ 1-5 road trip to the west coast. (To be fair, even in good years the Twins haven’t done well on west coast trips.) The loss drops the Twins to 7-20 on the season. There have been a few changes this week, and I can’t help but feel that there are more to come. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] On Monday, the Twins return home and will send Francisco Liriano to the mound against Jered Weaver who will be trying to be the first pitcher in 74 years (Johnny Vander Meer in 1938) to throw back-to-back no-hitters. The Twins will counter by adding SS Brian Dozier to the lineup. Let’s hope for better things in the upcoming week. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Sunday: ROCHESTER – No Game Scheduled The Red Wings and Buffalo played a double header on Saturday to accommodate the rehab start of Andy Petitte for the Empire State Yankees at Frontier Field. 13,584 fans showed up to watch the game and set the regular-season record for highest attendance at the stadium. Be sure to check out the blog of one of the newest Red Wings players. Joe Thurston writes Joe’s Blog and his most recent entry was about his transition from Lehigh Valley to Rochester. Check it out here. NEW BRITAIN 1, PORTLAND 3 BJ Hermsen made his second start for the Rock Cats, and although he pitched well, he took his first loss of the season. The lanky right-hander went the first 6.1 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out five. Bobby Lanigan gave up a hit, but got the final two outs of the seventh inning. Brett Jacobson then struck out three in two perfect innings. The Rock Cats didn’t hit much in this game. However, Aaron Hicks went 3-4. Chris Colabello was 2-4 with his eighth double. FT. MYERS 13, LAKELAND 3 After weeks of very minimal offense, the Miracle bats broke out on Sunday and set a season high in runs scored and with 18 hits. Shortstop Danny Santana led the way. He went 5-5 with his fifth double and third stolen base. Anderson Hidalgo went 3-5 with three RBI. Jairo Perez was 2-5 with his eighth and ninth doubles. Levi Michael was 2-5 with his first double. Angel Morales and Oswaldo Arcia each hit their fifth double. Marty Popham got the start for the Miracle and improved to 3-0. He gave up three runs on four hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out just two. Lefty Cole Nelson struck out six in three scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, but walked none. He has been on the active roster less than a week and picked up his second save. BELOIT 5, KANE COUNTY 3 Jason Wheeler has arguably put up the best numbers of any starting pitcher in the Twins minor league system this year, and he had another tremendous start on Sunday. The lefty threw six shutout innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out four to improve to 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA. Lefty Bart Carter came in and gave up two runs on a hit in 1.2 innings. He walked three and struck out three. Michael Tonkin recorded his first save. He gave up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings. He struck out three. Eddie Rosario went 2-4 with his 11th double. Rory Rhodes and Tyler Grimes were each 2-3. In the third inning, the 8th and 9th hitters, respectively, hit back-to-back home runs. It was Rhodes’ second of the year. It was Grimes’ first home run of the year. Grimers also added his ninth double. --- Players of the Day for Sunday, May 6, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Danny Santana Download attachment: DannySantana.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler Download attachment: JasonWheeler.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Monday, May 7, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Pawtucket – RHP Daryl Thompson (vs Daisuke Matsuzaka) New Britain @ Binghamton – LHP Andrew Albers Ft. Myers vs Lakeland – LHP Pat Dean Beloit vs Kane County – RHP Matt Summers --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article