Seth Stohs

You know it is coming, but certainly there will be some disappointment. With just two weeks before opening day, the Minnesota Twins made some more moves. They optioned Danny Santana, Eric Fryer and Kris Johnson. Five players were reassigned to minor league camp. They are Sean Gilmartin, Brandon Waring, James Beresford, Jermaine Mitchell and Darin Mastroianni. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: Danny Santana ST.jpg Danny Santana was the biggest name on the list on Sunday as he was optioned to Rochester. That he was optioned at this time tells us that the team is comfortable with Pedro Florimon being ready for spring training. Santana was the player who likely increased his value most in spring training. In the clubhouse, Santana told the Pioneer Press's Mike Berardino that he was sent down and told to focus on making the routine play. He said he planned to be back "in a couple months." The Eric Fryer promotion means that it is between Josmil Pinto and Chris Herrmann competing to back up Kurt Suzuki. With Beresford sent back, Doug Bernier and Jason Bartlett are still around to compete for a possible second utility infielder role. Gilmartin came to the Twins this winter in exchange for Ryan Doumit. He pitched well in camp and hopes to return to form in 2014 after an injury-plagued 2013 season with the Braves. Jermaine Mitchell hit well early in camp. He is a veteran with plenty of minor league experience who could surface if the Twins need a fifth outfielder. (earlier in the week, I asked Mitchell what he enjoyed most about being involved in baseball) Darin Mastroianni was taken off the 40 man roster this winter. This demotion is pretty telling in what the Twins are thinking in the outfield. His ankle was hurt throughout the 2013 season affecting his best tool, his speed. Brandon Waring hit two home runs in spring training and showed he can be a good third baseman as well. That is consistent with what he has done with the Orioles in recent years, mostly in AA. He has very good power. The Twins now have 40 players remaining with the big league club in camp. They have 20 pitchers (4 non-roster), four catchers (one non-roster), nine infielders (four non-roster) and seven outfielders (two non-roster). Click here to view the article

The Twins have long credited themselves with being able to throw strikes and then catch the ball. It’s well known that it is very important to be strong up the middle. In 2012, the Twins middle infield was a mess which didn’t help a pitching staff that was already behind the eight ball.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Twins addressed their middle infield deficiencies by, well, non-tendering Alexi Casilla. It appears that the Twins are counting on major improvements from the other guys that were there a year ago. Pedro Florimon will begin the season at shortstop. Brian Dozier played 83 games at shortstop last year, but he will move over to second base to start the season. Jamey Carroll is capable of starting at all three infield positions, but he will likely be the backup at all three. Eduardo Escobar will also be a utility infielder, as well as the emergency catcher. This is a story from a free ebook that TwinsDaily is publishing on Opening Day that previews the Minnesota Twins 2013 season. To get your free copy, just make sure you follow @TwinsDaily on Twitter or Like our Facebook page. Worst Case Scenario It’s hard to imagine that both middle infield positions will be any worse than they were last year. Consider the following: In 2012, the Twins shortstops were 29th in baseball with a .580 OPS (.226/.277/.303). In 2012, the Twins shortstops were 21st in baseball with a .969 fielding percentage (with 25 errors) In 2012, the Twins second basemen were 28th in baseball with a .604 OPS (.245/.296/.308). In 2012, the Twins second basemen were 24th in baseball with a .979 fielding percentage. It is entirely possible that Pedro Florimon can’t replicate the .579 OPS that he had in 43 games with the Twins in 2012. Last year between New Britain and Rochester, he posted a .670 OPS, but he struckout 117 times while walking just 34. With the Twins, he struckout another 30 times with ten walks. It’s possible that he struggles enough to be let go in June or July. Eduardo Escobar could take over at shortstop. After being the Twins minor league hitter of the year in 2011, Brian Dozier really struggled in his debut with the Twins in 2012. He posted just a .603 OPS. He posted an uncharacteristic 16 to 58 walk to strikeout rate. He even struggled in the field. Although he’s been impressive at second base with the glove so far this spring and he has some playing time at the position in the past, it is a relatively new position for him. Jamey Carroll will likely get a lot of playing time regardless of how well Florimon and Dozier do. If he gets 401 plate appearances during the season, his 2014 option will vest, although it will be at just $2 million. Carroll got off to a slow start last year with his batting average. He turned 39 years old last month. At Twins Fest, he acknowledged that his goal is to play in the big leagues as a 40 year old. How much is left in the tank? If there are injuries, the likes of Ray Olmedo, Doug Bernier and Jason Christian are the middle infielders in Rochester. James Beresford will be in New Britain with Danny Santana. Best Case Scenario Much of the Best Case Scenario for the Twins middle infield will come from its defense. Pedro Florimon is known for his glove. He has great range and a very strong arm. If his performance can match the hype and he can play Gold Glove caliber defense a shortstop, there is a lot of value in that even if he posts an OPS below .650. It’s vital for a pitching staff that, aside from Glen Perkins, appears allergic to strikeouts. Likewise, all reports from Ft. Myers indicate that Dozier has taken to second base very well and very quickly. He has been making highlight reel plays on a regular basis. In 2011, he played 49 games in Ft. Myers, and as he turned 24, he was promoted to New Britain. Combined, he hit .320/.399/.491 (.890) with 33 doubles, 12 triples, nine homers, 92 runs scored, 56 RBI and 24 stolen bases in his second full minor league season. I don’t think that an .890 OPS is very realistic for 2013 for Dozier, but he certainly can be much better than the .603 OPS that he posted in his big league debut. Jamey Carroll is so steady, offensively and defensively. He makes all the plays he gets to, and he takes quality at bats. His .660 OPS in 2012 was the lowest he’s had since 2007 in Colorado. He was over .700 the last two years in Los Angeles. Eduardo Escobar was the late-inning defensive replacement for the White Sox throughout the 2012 season until he was dealt to the Twins. He will likely play a bigger role with the Twins in 2013. Signs to look for The biggest thing to look for, the most important thing, will be improved defense. Can Pedro Florimon make the routine plays consistently? Will Brian Dozier be able to smoothly make the move to second base? Florimon is not going to hit, but can he reduce the strikeouts a little bit? Also, how much offense will Twins fans want to see from Florimon to accept gold-glove caliber defense? How little offense will the manager require to keep him in the lineup if he is hitting ninth? As Parker wrote last month, will Brian Dozier be able to stay fundamentally sound with his approach at the plate. In the minors, he had very good plate discipline and walked nearly as often as he struckout. That will be an important number for Dozier. He will likely be batting second for the team, so it will be important for him to get on base and control the plate. And, it will be interesting to follow Jamey Carroll’s Countdown to 401 plate appearances. A strong defensive middle infield is very important to a team, and specifically to a pitching staff. Defense should be a strong factor in determining who plays up the middle. But again, it is the same question that we often ask with Drew Butera. How much offense is required if a player is providing great value with the glove? Brian Dozier has a chance to be a solid hitter, and Jamey Carroll has proven to be just that over the last decade. Florimon and Escobar come with plenty of questions, and until (or if) Eddie Rosario is ready with his glove, there are lot any high-upside middle infield hitters. You'll get to kick off Opening Day with your free @TwinsDaily Minnesota Twins 2013 Season Preview. Just add us to your Twitter feed by following us, or tell us you like us (we're pathetic like that) . We'll publish a link to the free ebook on Opening Day on both sites. View full article

The Minnesota Twins and the Rochester Red Wings have now begun their All-Star breaks. Andrew Albers and Chris Colabello will be representing the Red Wings at the AAA game. The Twins showed again that if you can get to AAA, you have a shot to play with the Twins. On Sunday, three Twins players were sent back to Rochester while two Red Wings were promoted to the major leagues. Chris Herrmann and veteran Doug Bernier will be with the Twins along with a Player to be Named Later (likely Colabello on Friday). [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here is a look at what happened in the Twins farm system and at the Futures Game on Sunday: Futures Game The USA team topped the World Team 4-2 on Sunday afternoon in New York. Miguel Sano started for the World Team, played third base and batted fourth. He grounded out in his first at bat. He then walked and was hit by a pitch. In the ninth, he flew out to the warning track in center field. It was caught by Byron Buxton, who played the second half of the game. He batted twice and struck out swinging both times. Rochester 6, Pawtucket 2 Box Score Earlier in the day, Pedro Hernandez was placed on the disabled list with a strained left forearm, so Aaron Thompson got a spot start. The lefty worked the first three innings. He was charged with two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Luis Perdomo came on and threw two shutout innings. He gave up one hit, walked two and struck out one. Cody Eppley struck out four in three perfect innings. Michael Tonkin, after returning from the Twins the night before, worked a 1-2-3 ninth. James Beresford went 3-5 and stole his second base. Jermaine Mitchell went 2-4 with his sixth triple. Chris Colabello doubled for the 24th time this season. The Red Wings now begin their All-Star break and return to action Thursday. New Britain 1, Trenton 0 Box Score Virgil Vasquez had his best performance of the season. The veteran was perfect through five. In the sixth inning, an error ended the perfect game, and it was followed by a walk. The no-hitter was broken up by the first batter of the 7th inning. Vasquez threw eight shutout innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out nine. Edgar Ibarra got the first two outs of the ninth, and Dakota Watts got the final out for his third save. The Rock Cats also did not put up much offense. They managed five hits in the game; second baseman Eddie Rosario had three of the hits. Danny Ortiz added his fourth triple. Ft. Myers 7, Lakeland 8 (10 innings) Box Score This loss came in extra frames, and manager Doug Mientkiewicz didn’t get to see most of it. Stephen Wickens went 3-4 with two walks and his tenth double. He was caught stealing second base in the third inning. Mientkiewicz disagreed vehemently enough to get ejected. Aderlin Mejia went 2-5 with a walk, bringing his average to .335. Jhon Goncalves went 2-5 with a walk and his seventh stolen base. Evan Bigley homered for the first time with the Miracle. Mike Kvasnicka hit his seventh home run. Jason Wheeler started and went the first 4.2 innings. He gave up four runs on eight hits and four walks. He struck out just one. Nelvin Fuentes gave up two runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. He also struck out two without walking any. Jose Gonzalez gave up one run on two hits in his inning. Zack Jones struck out two over two scoreless innings. Ryan O’Rourke entered for the tenth inning, and he gave up a run on two hits to take the loss. Cedar Rapids 7, Bowling Green 6 Box Score For the second straight day, we start the Cedar Rapids report with “Adam Walker remains hot.” On this day, he went 2-3 with his 20th double. His college teammate Jonathan Murphy went 2-4 with a walk and his second double. Jorge Polanco was 2-5 with his fourth home run. Joel Licon and Jeremias Pineda were both 2-4. Dalton Hicks won the race to 30 doubles, first in the Twins organization. Lefty Mason Melotakis put together a solid quality start to earn the win and raise his record to 7-3. In six innings, he gave up two runs on five hits. He walked none (important for him) and struck out two. Alex Muren came on in the seventh and gave up four runs (3 earned) on four hits and recorded just one out which came on a strikeout. David Hurlbut came on and gave up one hit in two shutout innings. Tyler Jones got the final two outs to record his ninth save. Elizabethton 3, Greeneville 5 Box Score Randy Rosario is one of The Big Three starters at Elizabethton. All three dominated in their first three Appy League starts and, after Sunday, all three of them have struggled in their fourth start. Rosario went four innings and gave up four runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out none. Tim Shibuya struck out two in two scoreless innings. Kuo Hua Lo walked one in a scoreless inning. C.K. Irby gave up one run on one hit and a walk in his inning. Bryan Haar led the offense. He went 3-4. Dereck Rodriguez went 2-4. Rory Rhodes hit his second home run. GCL Twins No games on Sundays. Thanks for checking out today’s Twins minor league report. Please feel free to discuss, comment or ask questions. View full article

Late in the year, the Twins traded Justin Morneau who had been in the organization since he was the team’s 3rd round draft choice in 1999. After the season, Nick Blackburn, who had been with the organization since signing after the 2001 draft, was allowed to become a free agent. As the Twins have added players to their 40 man roster and made free agent decisions on others, I got to wondering which players in the Twins organization have been around the longest. To make the top 15 on this list, a player had to be signed before 2009. There are some interesting names that you may not have realized have been with the Twins for so long. In fact, there may be a couple that you have never heard of and I’ll add a few more names to take us to 2008. So, here you have it, a look at the Top 15 most tenured players in the Minnesota Twins organization: Honorable Mention: Hein Robb – Signed from South Africa as a 16 year old in July 2008.The June 2008 Twins draft class and round taken – Aaron Hicks (1), Danny Ortiz (4), BJ Hermsen (6), Michael Gonzales (9), Evan Bigley (10), Nate Hanson (28), Michael Tonkin (30).Deolis Guerra came to the Twins in the January 2008 trade from the Mets for a certain left-handed pitcher.In December 2007, the Twins signed Danny Santana and Adrian Salcedo as 16 year old free agents.The Top 15 #14/#15 – On July 4, 2007, the Twins signed a left-handed reliever named Jose Gonzalez and a left-handed hitting outfielder named Oswaldo Arcia. Arcia debuted as a 21-year-old in April and showed signs of the type of hitter that he has become. Gonzalez has been a very good reliever in the lower levels of the system, but he has struggled in his transition to AA the last two years. #13 – Dan Rohlfing was the Twins 14th round pick of the Twins in 2007 out of his high school in St. Louis. After splitting the 2013 season between New Britain and Rochester, he signed quickly with the Twins following the season to avoid becoming a free agent. He has primarily caught in the Twins system, though he’s a good athlete and can play a solid corner outfield, too. #12 – Jairo Rodriguez signed with the Twins in May of 2007. Like Rohlfing, he signed quickly to return to the Twins as a backup minor league catcher. In 2013, he played for Cedar Rapids, New Britain and even played in a game with Rochester. #11 – Liam Hendriks signed out of Australia in February of 2007. After missing the 2008 season with a spinal injury, Hendriks flew through the minor leagues in 2010 and 2011, pitching at five levels those seasons. Since then, he has gone back and forth between the Twins and the Red Wings, hoping to stick with the big league club. #10 – Chris Parmelee is the only member of the Twins 2006 draft who is still in the organization. He is out of options so he will need to remain with the Twins or they risk losing him to another team. With Joe Mauer’s move to first base, Parmelee will need to make it as a corner outfielder and pinch hitter. #9 – Josmil Pinto signed with the Twins in February of 2006. He could have become a minor league free agent following the World Series in 2012, but he decided to avoid that and return to the Twins. They added him to the 40 man roster a year ago and he had another strong season in 2013, including a tremendous showing with the Twins in September. #8 – Edgar Ibarra signed with the Twins in January of 2006. Like Pinto, Ibarra avoided free agency after the 2012 season and put together a solid 2013 campaign. That, along with a good repertoire, including a fastball the regularly hits 94, earned him a spot on the Twins 40 man roster following the 2013 season. 2014 will mark his first big league camp with the Twins. #7 – James Beresford, from Australia, signed with the Twins in August of 2005 as a skinny kid. His missed a season and has just gradually worked his way up the system. Again, he became a minor league free agent last offseason and came back to the Twins. He re-signed much more quickly with the Twins this offseason. #6 – Brian Duensing was one of two third round picks by the Twins in 2005, out of the University of Nebraska. He moved quickly through the Twins minor league system as a starter. He was given a couple opportunities as a starter in the big leagues, but his inability to get right-handers out while dominating lefties meant he would be given an opportunity out of the bullpen. In 2013, he struggled against lefties too, but he should bounce back strong in 2014. #5 – Deibinson Romero signed out of the Dominican Republic in July of 2004 and has been with the organization since. He was actually a member of the Twins 40 man roster in his first year of eligibility, but injuries affected him earlier in this career. He was invited to the big league camp last year, but he had visa issues and could not come to America until the regular season was about to start. He’s got good power and provides organizational depth at third base. #4, #3, #2 – The Twins had a lot of draft picks in 2004 and three of them remain with the Twins. Second round pick Anthony Swarzak has been very good as a long reliever the last couple seasons. Glen Perkins became an All-Star for the first time in 2013. Trevor Plouffe remains a question mark at the hot corner, though that six week stretch in 2012 still gives us hope. Download attachment: Joe Mauer.jpg #1 – Joe Mauer is now the longest tenured Twins player, having signed in 2001 after being the #1 overall pick in the draft. I won’t get into all of the accolades, the AL MVP, the three batting titles, the Gold Glove Awards, the Silver Sluggers, etc. He’s moving to first base this year after his Hall of Fame first decade in a Twins uniform at catcher. So there you have it, the players in the Twins farm system who have been in the system the longest, consecutively. Some of the names may not surprise you, but I’m certain you wouldn’t have guessed everyone on this list. Feel free to leave your thoughts, or let me know if I forgot anyone. I didn’t count Ron Gardenhire who has been in the organization since 1987, or Terry Ryan who has been around since 1986, though maybe not consecutively. Click here to view the article

My flight arrived in Ft. Myers at about 5:00 p.m. local time on Friday night. Pick up the car. Find the lodging. Find something to eat. Crash. On Saturday morning, I actually was able to wake up after hitting snooze just twice. I was pretty proud of myself. Despite a GPS error that sent me the wrong direction, I was at Hammond Stadium by about 8:00 AM. The Twins bus to Dunedin had already taken off. No worries, I still put in six-and-a-half-hours of “Work.” Day One at Minnesota Twins spring training, for me, was a day to catch my bearings, get the lay of the land, and see a little bit of everything.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] There were several that did not make the trek north to play the Blue Jays. Pitchers played long-toss on the main stadium and got their running in. There was an extended round of infield featuring Deibinson Romero, Jorge Polanco, Danny Santana, Kennys Vargas and Joe Mauer. One important thing to note is that Pedro Florimon participated in a full round of infield for the first time since his appendectomy. Kurt Suzuki could be seen in the main bullpen, working on blocking pitches in the dirt. Later, at Tom Kelly Field, Santana and Polanco were taking more ground balls off the bat of Paul Molitor. Jason Bartlett was taking grounders at second base. Joe Mauer took more ground balls at first base. He worked as though there was a runner on first base that he was holding on. He came off the bag to make plays. A couple of times, Tom Kelly came down the line and provided Mauer with additional pointers. With the new boardwalk overhead the whole conversation could be heard. Download attachment: ST Molitor Kelly.jpg Tom Kelly and Paul Molitor hitting fungoes on Tom Kelly Field. In the batting cages under the bleachers, Aaron Hicks and Alex Presley were taking cuts. Rod Carew was instructing. Later, Carew was working with them on drag bunting. He would be a good guy to do that! About 100 yards from Hammond Stadium, fans can find the minor league facilities. It is comprised of three full fields, a bullpen and a half-field. Of course, there is the newly-renovated clubhouse and training area for the minor leaguers as well, though I couldn’t see that. Work is also continuing on the dorms that Twins minor leaguers will be able to use as early as next spring training. Getting welcomed to Ft. Myers by Tommy Watkins is always nice too. About 9:30, the minor leaguers began to take the fields. The Cedar Rapids roster again went to City of Palms (Red Sox old facility) to work out due to space constraints. Players remaining broke into two groups, the hitters and the pitchers. In those groups, they did their stretching. Hitters did some base running drills as well. Soon, an incredibly controlled chaos broke out. One field had pitchers doing PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice). The bullpen mounds were full. Infielders were all on one field and ground balls were hit from several angles. Outfielders worked on throws, but also took fly balls, line drives and ground balls, working on their footwork, throwing and routes. They came together and ran some infield practice that included the pitchers backing up bases. Catchers worked on blocking pitches in the dirt, coming from out of their stance to field bunts and throw, and a lot of footwork. Like I said, there is so much going on, yet it runs so smoothly. Download attachment: Mark Hamburger.jpg Mark Hamburger's terrific mustache doing some PFPs. Around 11:30, those minor leaguers went to grab some lunch. By 12:20, they were back on the field. It was time for batting practice. Three of the fields went about the same general process. A group of four hitters would take a good round of batting practice from a coach. Then, pitchers were brought in to face the hitters. Download attachment: Alex Wimmers 2.jpg Alex Wimmers throwing live batting practice. That is obviously a good thing and a necessity as players get set for their first games of the spring on Monday (against each other). Some pitchers did better than others. Some of the young pitchers showed their good and their bad. For instance, hard-throwing Fernando Romero was quite impressive. Yes, he throws very hard. I also saw the looks on the faces of hitters and coaches when he threw a couple sharp sliders. Romero was pitching to outfielder Zach Larson when a slider got away. It his Larson right square in the shoulder. He stepped out of the batter’s box and didn’t even wipe it off. When asked, he told an onlooker, “It was only a slider.” Download attachment: Fernando Romero 2.jpg Fernando Romero throwing speed balls. The day came to an end around 2:30 for the minor leaguers. I can confirm that infielder Adam Bryant has decided to retire. The former ninth round pick suffered with injuries in 2012, and missed all but one inning of 2013. As I wrote last week, he was still suffering from the toe injury. It certainly is fun to see former Twins Doug Mientkiewicz, Chad Allen and Tommy Watkins coaching the players up. It’s very interesting to watch Gary Lucas, Stu Cliburn and Ivan Arteaga work with pitchers. There are a lot of Minnesotans at Hammond Stadium. There are also a lot of parents and families of players. I was fortunate. I started talking to a couple about how nice it was being down here after such a tough, long winter in Minnesota. Turns out, they were the parents of Caleb Thielbar. Soon after, I heard my name. It was AJ Pettersen’s mom. I asked how she knew it was me, and she said she watched the Twins Hangouts, at least those that AJ is in. AJ’s dad was also there. So was his younger brother Luke who recently announced that he will follow his brother and play baseball for the Gophers. It was also nice to see AJ’s wife again. Looking around and such, it is clear that there is a certain bond, of sorts, among parents of ball players. Download attachment: AJ Pettersen 2.jpg Twins Daily contributor AJ Pettersen taking a round of infield at shortstop. The weather was a common theme for more than the fans. It was a conversation with the players well. I talked to a few of the Minnesota players who just came down to Ft. Myers in the last week or so (Nate Hanson, Austin Malinowski), and the sentiment was the same. They are glad to be out of the snow. Download attachment: Austin Malinowski 2.jpg Minnesota native Austin Malinowski throwing live BP. I also talked to catcher Tyler Grimes who said he came to Ft. Myers a month ago because he “couldn’t do any work outdoors in Kansas.” Over the next week, I will be representing Twins Daily in Ft. Myers. John did a great job last week, and be sure to check out Twins Daily on Facebook to see his interview with Glen Perkins. I will also be at several of the Twins games and doing stories. However, as you likely hope and expect, I will attempt to follow the minor league side of things as well. Nick and Parker will take over in coming weeks. (by the way, I also posted many pictures on my Facebook page from spring training) Download attachment: ST Mientkiewicz Pettersen.jpg Watching BP (L to R: Lance Ray, AJ Pettersen, Doug Mientkiewicz, JD Williams) The biggest thing I learned on day one for me was probably a pretty obvious thing. Yes, I took in a lot of baseball activity and enjoyed it. I learned a lot about the updates to the stadium and much more. But the biggest thing I learned… USE SUNSCREEN!!! We bought sunscreen on Friday night. I managed not to even think about it on Saturday morning. It was “only 51 degrees” (sorry again to those up north). I didn’t need it, right? WRONG!! My head is red. It hurts. Tomorrow, I will be loading on a bunch of sunscreen, and likely purchasing a Ft. Myers Miracle hat to don while outdoors down here. Lesson Learned! And now I can’t wait for Day 2! Click here to view the article

It was a busy day throughout the Twins organization. The Twins returned home to play the second half of their two-at-home, two-on-the-road series with the Brewers. Oswaldo Arcia had a three run homer and an RBI single that gave the Twins their final lead, the one they were able to hold on to. The Rochester Red Wings played two games and each of the other affiliates played as well. The Ft. Myers Miracle put Max Kepler on the disabled list. After four Miracle players (Adam Walker, Brett Lee, JO Berrios, David Hurlbut) were named to the Florida State League All-Star game on Tuesday, the Midwest League named its All-Stars on Wednesday. Three members of the Kernels were named to the team: Bryan Haar, Yorman Landa and Kohl Stewart. Thursday is Day 1 of the Draft, and Twins Daily is certainly your place to discuss. Come back at 6:00 (central time) tonight for a special Twins Hangouts Draft special with Jeremy Nygaard, Seth Stohs and guest John Bonnes. Then at 9:00 central time, we will have a special draft show live on KFAN, so be sure to check that out. Download attachment: Dan Rohlfing.jpg Without further ado, here is what happened in the Twins farm system on Wednesday night: RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 – Rochester 7, Charlotte 5 Box Score It was, by far, the worst start of the season for lefty Kris Johnson, but the Red Wings bats bailed him out and helped him improve to 6-2. Johnson gave up five runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four. Michael Tonkin struck one out over two perfect innings for the save. The Red Wings used power to score five runs in the second inning. Dan Rohlfing hit his first home run of the year, a three-run blast. Two batters later, Doug Bernier hit a two run homer, his third of the year. Rohlfing and Bernier each had one more hit. Eric Farris went 2-4 with a walk and his ninth double. Chris Colabello went 1-2 with two walks. Game 2 – Rochester 9, Charlotte 5 Box Score Scott Diamond started the second game. He was given a 5-0 lead, but he gave up solo homers in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings. However, the Red Wings added four more runs in the 5th and held on. Diamond improved to 3-6 on the season. He went five innings and gave up just the three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three. Deolis Guerra pitched the sixth inning and gave up one run on two hits and a walk. Aaron Thompson gave up one run on one hit and a walk in the seventh frame. Danny Ortiz went 0-4 on Tuesday in his first game with the Red Wings. His second AAA game was in Game 2. He went 2-3 with his first home run and four runs driven in. Brad Nelson went 3-4. James Beresford was 2-3 with a walk and his tenth double. Deibinson Romero went 1-1 and was walked three times. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Akron 9 Box Score It’s safe to say that there wasn’t a pitcher’s duel in New Britain on Wednesday night. Tyler Duffey made the start for the Rock Cats. He gave up six runs on ten hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out five. Mark Hamburger came on and gave up three runs (1 earned) on four hits in two innings. He struck out two. Ryan O’Rourke, Jim Fuller and Lester Oliveros each pitched a scoreless innings. O’Rourke struck out two. Fuller struck out three and Oliveros struck out one. Reynaldo Rodriguez continued his torrid streak. He went 3-4 with his 17th and 18th doubles. Nate Hanson also had three hits in the game. Mike Kvasnicka went 2-4. Brandon Waring added a two-run double, his 12th two-bagger of the year. Tony Thomas added his 12th double of the year as well. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Lakeland 10 Box Score DJ Baxendale was returned to Ft. Myers to get some innings under his belt. He began the season with New Britain, but an arm injury cost him more than a month. He returned but was pitching out of the Rock Cats bullpen. The team decided to send him back to the Miracle to stretch him out. Last year, he began the season with the Miracle and in nine starts went 7-0 with a 1.10 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP. On this night, he was terrific through three innings, but then things turned for him. In total, he gave up six runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four. Alex Wimmers, also now a bullpen arm, gave up four runs (2 earned) on six hits and a walk in three innings. He did strike out six. Madison Boer gave up a hit and a walk in one scoreless inning. Eddie Rosario led the offense, going 3-4. Following his 1-11 start, he is now hitting .308 in his short stint with the Miracle. Niko Goodrum went 2-4. Adam Walker, Travis Harrison and Stuart Turner each collected a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 6 Box Score There were some fireworks in the middle innings, and unfortunately the Kernels lost on a walk-off home in the bottom of the 9th. Aaron Slegers started and gave up four runs on five hits in seven innings. He walked one, hit two and struck out five. Brandon Bixler pitched a scoreless eighth inning. In the ninth, he gave up a single and the walk-off home run. Engelb Vielma went 2-4 with a walk and his seventh double. Chad Christensen went 2-4 with his ninth double. Mitch Garver went 2-3 with two walks. In the 6th inning, Slegers hit a batter before giving up a home run to Clint Coulter. At that time, things got interesting. The next batter was almost hit by a pitch and took exception. The benches cleared. Catcher Michael Quesada was ejected. So was Twins roving minor league hitting instructor Bill Springman. Two members of the TimberRattlers were ejected as well. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jim Fuller, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Reynaldo Rodriguez, New Britain Rock Cats THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (6:05 CST) – Trevor May (Listen) Akron @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Sean Gilmartin (Listen) Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – Tim Shibuya (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 CST) – Fernando Romero (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. [/hr]A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins win over the Brewers Wednesday, it means that on Thursday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

Since the Twins drafted outfielder Byron Buxton with the second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the question I hear most is, “When do you think we will see Buxton in a Minnesota Twins uniform?” We can all venture our guesses bases on what we’ve read about an 18 year old, but no one knows. He could come up as a 20 year old in 2014, as a 24 year old in 2018, or he may never make it up to the big league club. Another question I have heard frequently over the last two years is when we will see Aaron Hicks and if he is behind schedule, whatever who whoever’s schedule that is. Is there a lot of risk drafting high school hitters early in the draft? How have the Twins done when they have drafted high school bats? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] My hope in this article is not to necessarily answer those questions because, again, we don’t know what the end story will be for any individual. By the end of this article, hopefully you will be able to see a bit of information to help you project when we might expect to see Buxton, Hicks or other high school draftees. Methodology Ben Revere was drafted by the Twins in 2007 out of Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky. He debuted with the Twins in September of 2010, three-and-a-half years after being drafted. My assumption as I prepared this data was that Revere was on a very fast track. That is where I started the search. I looked at all high school hitters drafted by the Twins in the first 100 picks of their respective drafts. Although anyone drafted or signing with an affiliate technically have a chance to make the big leagues, many believe that the Top 100 picks is where most of the future big leaguers are selected. Between 1993 and 2007 (15 drafts), the Twins selected 22 high school hitters in the Top 100 picks of the drafts. Fifteen of the twenty-two have reached the big leagues. Obviously there is a wide range of big league success, but that is an impressive 68.1% Six to eight of those 22 players have had a significant level of big league success. With that, I put together a chart showing when the players was drafted (including overall pick #), when they made their big league debut, when they became a regular big leaguer, how many Major League plate appearances they have accumulated, and finally, what level did a player who didn’t make the big leagues get? [TABLE=width: 544] Player Draft Year (Pick) MLB Debut Regular MLB PA's No MLB - Hi Level Ben Revere 2007 (28) 9/7/2010 2011 656 [/TD] Danny Rams 2007 (92) Current - FM Chris Parmelee 2006 (20) 9/6/2011 192 Joe Benson 2006 (64) 9/6/2011 74 Henry Sanchez 2005 (39) 09 - Beloit Paul Kelly 2005 (54) 11 - Ft. Myers Drew Thompson 2005 (80) 10 - FM, '11 WS Trevor Plouffe 2004 (20) 5/21/2010 2012 540 Matt Moses 2003 (21) 09 - Rochester Denard Span 2002 (20) 4/6/2008 2008 2380 Joe Mauer 2001 (1) 4/5/2004 2005 4169 Jose Morales 2001 (77) 9/8/2007 2009 252 BJ Garbe 1999 (5) 06 - New Britain Rob Bowen 1999 (56) 9/1/2003 2006 439 Justin Morneau 1999 (89) 6/10/2003 2004 4447 Michael Cuddyer 1997 (9) 9/23/2001 2004 4812 Michael Restovich 1997 (61) 9/18/2002 297 Cleatus Davidson 1994 (42) 5/30/1999 24 AJ Pierzynski 1994 (71) 9/9/1998 2001 5939 Torii Hunter 1993 (20) 8/22/1997 1999 7510 Kelcey Mucker 1993 (38) 99 - New Britain Javier Valentin 1993 (93) 9/28/1997 1998 1663[TD] [/TABLE] NEVER MADE IT Along with the 68% of these 22 players making it to be the big leaguers comes the 32% chance that a Top 100 draft choice never sees the major leagues. This could be for many reasons. For example, Paul Kelly and Drew Thompson just could not stay on the field. They were hurt. Both had big league talent. Mucker and Garbe were good athletes that just plateaued. Sanchez had huge power but couldn’t make contact. He also couldn’t stay out of trouble. Moses was talented, but many believed he just didn’t care about baseball all that much. There are many reasons that players don’t get to the big leagues, and this small group of seven illustrates that well. (Note – Danny Rams is still playing with the Ft. Myers Miracle, hitting .136 on the season.) ON THE FAST TRACK Three players on this list were on what I would consider the fast track. Joe Mauer was starting on Opening Day in 2004, two-and-a-half years after he was the #1 overall pick in 2001. He signed and played in Elizabethton in 2001. He spent all of 2002 in Quad Cities (Low A). He started 2003 in Ft. Myers and played the second half in New Britain. Ben Revere was drafted in 2007 and played in the GCL that year. He spent all of 2008 in Beloit, where he hit .379. He spent all of 2009 in Ft. Myers and hit .311. In 2010, he hit. 305 in New Britain before his September call-up. Revere spent three-and-a-half seasons in the minors before his debut. He didn’t spend much time in the minors in 2011 before being a starter for the Twins. He also got a little bit of time in Rochester in 2012. Justin Morneau was the Twins 3rd round pick in 1999, and he debuted with the Twins almost exactly four years after signing with the Twins, on June 10, 2003. He was regular by the All Star break in 2004, shortly before the Twins traded Doug Mientkiewicz at the deadline. More impressive, he played in the Gulf Coast League in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, he spent time in Quad Cities and Ft. Myers before ending the season with ten games in New Britain. He spent all of 2002 in New Britain which is where he started the 2003 season. He moved up to Rochester, and by July, he was up with the Twins. He spent 72 more games in 2004 in Rochester before being called up for good. (Side Note - Jason Kubel was a 12th round pick in 2000. He debuted with the Twins in August of 2004, just over four years after signing, despite spending 2000 and 2001 in the GCL.) AVERAGE ADVANCEMENT Of the 15 (in our sample of 22) that made it to the big leagues ten of them debuted between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years. The common denominator in this group is that the players went back to the minor leagues after their debut. Rob Bowen and Javier Valentin came up within four-and-a-half years, and it wasn’t long before they were backup catchers in the big leagues. Torii Hunter came up from AA just four-and-a-half years after he was drafted, but he played in just one game (as a pinch runner) before going back to the minors. In fact, he played in just six games for the Twins the following year. And, two years after that, he was infamously returned to the minor leagues when he figured things out. He came up for good after that. Michael Cuddyer came up after four-and-a-half years too, and it took him three years to become a regular. Cleatus Davidson came up five years after he was drafted. He spent a little time as a utility infielder for the Twins and never played with the big league club again. AJ Pierzynski didn’t hit his first chance for five-and-a-half years, and he spent plenty more time over the next two seasons in the minor leagues before staying up for good. Michael Restovich took five-and-a-half years too, and he only got minimal time with the Twins over the next three seasons. He was a part-time big leaguers for several more years but never became a regular. Denard Span rarely put up numbers during his five-and-a-half years in the minor leagues before his debut. That’s why the Twins wanted to get a centerfielder in the Johan Santana trade. But Span got his chance just days after the start of the 2008 season. He was sent back down, but it wasn’t long before he came up as a regular and he’s outperformed his minor league numbers ever since. Chris Parmelee and Joe Benson were each in the minor leagues for five-and-a-half years before their September call-ups last year. I don’t think that either would be called a big league regular at this time, but both still have the youth and potential to become just that. EXTREME PATIENCE Jose Morales was in the minor leagues for six-and-a-half years before he was called up to the Twins in 2007. He had three hits in his big league debut, and was injured on a slide and missed the rest of that season and plenty of time the following year. He showed some glimpses that he could be a decent backup. Trevor Plouffe did not make his Major League debut for six years after he was drafted in 2004. His is an interesting case. After the draft, he spent the season in Elizabethton. He spent all of 2005 in Beloit where he hit just .223 but was promoted to Ft. Myers for the 2006 season. There, he hit just .246. In 2007, he found himself in New Britain as a 21 year old. He hit .274 with 48 extra base hits, and yet in 2008, he was back with the Rock Cats. He split 2008 before New Britain and Rochester. He spent all of 2009 in Rochester. In 2010, he was back in Rochester, and hit .244. However, in June, the Twins had a need and Plouffe made his big league debut. He put up major power numbers for Rochester in 2011 and played in 81 games for the Twins. We know of his early-season struggles with the Twins in 2012. Based on his hot streak the last month, can we now call him a regular, about eight years after he was drafted? SUMMARY NOTES So, when people ask me when I would guess we will see Byron Buxton playing for the Minnesota Twins, I think I’ll guess the average of the above, five years. That would mean he would debut with the Twins around June of 2017, but it will likely be September of either 2016 or 2017. Is Aaron Hicks behind schedule? He was the #1 pick in June of 2008. Five years would be about June of 2013. He is at AA right now, and he needs to be added to the 40 man roster after this season, so it’s possible he gets called up in September this year. So now, he is not behind schedule. He’s on a pretty normal schedule. Finally, I so often hear some fans make judgements quickly on a player who comes up for his debut, struggles and is sent down. I never understand that because, in reality, very few come up, make their debut and stay in the big leagues forever. It's normal to have some struggles, get sent back down, work on some things, come back up, and rinse and repeat. Obviously the better a player is able to make adjustments, the more likely he is to eventually become a quality regular. You can do the same math with 2010 second-round pick Niko Goodrum and 2011 supplemental first round pick Travis Harrison. Yet no one knows. Will Harrison be on the Ben Revere path, or the Michael Cuddyer path, or the Trevor Plouffe path, or the BJ Garbe path? We don’t know. There are no givens in minor league baseball, and that’s part of makes it so fun to follow. Download attachment: ChrisParmelee PG.jpg Click here to view the article

As important as Monday was to the Twins organization because of the draft, there was another reason it was important. Kyle Gibson threw off of a mound for the first time since having Tommy John surgery. In a text message, he said that it "went really good!" He added that his "arm felt great!" For Gibson, it was another milestone passed on the way to getting back into some games later this summer! Ben Revere and Jamey Carroll each had three hits. Josh Willingham hit his 11th homer. Justin Morneau hit his 10th homer, and Trevor Plouffe hit his seventh home run as the Twins topped the Royals 10-7. Congratulations to Cole De Vries on his first Major League win. He gave up five runs (4 earned) in five innings, but then Alex Burnett threw two scoreless innings. Jared Burton tossed a scoreless inning. Then after Jeff Gray made things interesting, Matt Capps came in for the final out for the save. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Monday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 2, COLUMBUS 1 (Completion of suspended game) These teams tried to play on Sunday afternoon, but the game was delayed. They got it going but after two more rain delays, it was suspended. They played the game to completion. On Sunday, Nick Blackburn started and went 2.1 innings. Kyle Waldrop went the next 1.2 innings. Today, Deolis Guerra “started” the reactivity with three scoreless innings. Lester Oliveros gave up no runs on two hits in the final two innings for the win. Chris Parmelee was 2-4 with his fourth double. Sean Burroughs was 1-2 with two walks. ROCHESTER 4, COLUMBUS 0 (Regularly scheduled game) Liam Hendriks was the story in this game. After his tough start his previous time out, Hendriks threw a complete game, seven inning shutout. He gave up four hits, walked just one and struck out eight. Parmelee was 2-3 with his fourth home run. Wilkin Ramirez was 2-3 with his first homer. Danny Valencia hit his fifth double. NEW BRITAIN The Rock Cats did not have a game on the schedule on Monday. FT. MYERS 3, DAYTONA 8 Miguel Munoz got the start for the Miracle. In just four innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on ten hits and a walk. He struck out two. Edgar Ibarra came in and gave up two runs on three hits in three innings. He walked none and struck out two. Dan Sattler came in for his first appearance in the Twins organization. He gave up one run on two hits. In two innings, he walked none and struck out two. Danny Santana went 2-4 with his seventh double and fifth triple. Michael Gonzales was 2-3 with his sixth double. Josmil Pinto hit his 11th double. BELOIT 8, WISCONSIN 9 The Snappers offense was big again on Monday. Unfortunately, they fell behind too quickly. Tim Shibuya started and gave up seven runs on six hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. He struck out three. Ryan O’Rourke came in and gave up two runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. He walked none and struck out three. David Hurlbut threw two, one-hit innings, walking none and striking out four. Corey Williams pitched one scoreless inning. Miguel Sano gave the Snappers as 3-1 lead after the first inning thanks to his 14th homer of the year, a three-run blast. He also hit his 13th double. Eddie Rosario and Drew Leachman each had two hits. Tyler Grimes was 2-3 with his 11th double. --- Players of the Day for Monday, June 4, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Liam Hendriks Download attachment: Liam Hendriks 2.jpg Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sano Download attachment: Miguel Sano 2.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, June 5, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Norfolk – LHP Matt Maloney New Britain @ Akron - TBD Ft. Myers @ Tampa – LHP Cole Nelson Beloit – No Game Scheduled --- 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

Download attachment: SamDeduno2.jpg Sam Deduno put together the best start of his career on Wednesday night. Pitching against the Seattle Mariners, Deduno threw seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits. He struckout a career high nine batters. Most important, and probably most inexplicable, he walked no one. He improved to 5-2 and dropped his ERA to 3.72. To say he has been a pleasant surprise is quite the understatement. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Deduno was one of 14 players from outside the organization who signed minor league contracts and were invited to big league camp. Some of them did nothing, some have done a little, and some have proven to be terrific finds. A couple of them may even remain on the 40 man roster after this season. Here’s a quick look: The Keepers Jared Burton came to the Twins this spring after spending 2007 through 2011 with the Cincinnati Reds. He has had arm problems the last two years that cost him a lot of time. However, when hew as healthy, he was one of the Reds best late-inning relievers. For the Twins, Burton has been just that, a great late-inning option. In fact, with Matt Capps out, Burton even has a few saves. He has been very good and very consistent from Day Two (on Day One, he gave up two home runs, but since then, lights out!). Casey Fien came from the Tigers organization. He got a couple of small cups of coffee with Detroit in 2009 and 2010. The Twins signed him and he was one of the final cuts of spring. He did alright with Rochester this spring, and just a few weeks before he was recalled, he really started throwing hard. That is the pitcher we have seen with the Twins, a hard-thrower. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, which is fun when he gets a big strikeout in an important situation, something he has managed to do with regularity. PJ Walters will be an interesting case this offseason. He pitched alright in his first few starts with the Twins, even throwing a complete game shutout. He then had a couple of rough starts but it was found out that he was pitching with some pain. He was DL’d and is yet to return to the Twins. Did he show enough in his seven starts with the Twins to keep him around and give him another shot at a 5th starter gig? Sam Deduno is so intriguing to me. Even when he was at his wildest, it was clear that he had tremendous stuff. My question was always, could the 29 year old find a way to bring his walk rate down to 4 or 4.5 per nine innings as opposed to the 7-8 walks per nine innings we saw early. With his natural pitch movement and great stuff, if he could harness even a little control, he would have a chance to be terrific. We saw an example of what that could look like on Wednesday night, and for my money, I would like to see more! Done Well Luis Perdomo signed with the Twins after seeing some big league time with the Padres in 2009 and 2010. The Bearded One was sent back to AA to start the season, and as you would hope, he dominated there. He was promoted to AAA Rochester, where he was again very good. He struggled with his control with the Twins, something he did not do in Rochester where he has a 24:5 strikeout to walk rate. The 28 year old is likely to come off of the 40 man roster, but it would be good to try to keep him in the organization. Matt Carson is a professional. When he was signed, reports raved about the type of person he is, how hard he works and how teammates respond to him. He also is a guy who regularly hits 20-30 home runs a season. He has had another solid season in AAA Rochester this year, hitting .282/.347/.457 (.804) with 28 doubles and 14 home runs. It was nice to see the guy get an opportunity with the Twins a couple of weeks ago, and it’s possible we will see him again in September. He will most likely be removed from the 40 man following the season. Sean Burroughs started the season with the Twins but it wasn’t long before he was DFAd. He was a nice story in 2011 when he resurfaced in the big leagues for the first time since 2006. He is a solid hitter and did alright for Rochester. Unfortunately, he has not played in a couple of months with a back injury. Wilkin Ramirez was a top prospect of the Tigers several years ago and was with the Braves in 2011. Still just 26 years old, Ramirez still has the talent to be a big leaguer if presented an opportunity. He managed to get hurt in spring training and missed a lot of time early in the year. He began his rehab in Ft. Myers, then crushed the ball in New Britain for a couple of weeks. He moved up to Rochester where he has been a little inconsistent, but he has been one of the top hitters in AAA the last three weeks. Nothing Much Frankly, most minor league free agent signings don’t surface back into the big leagues, so this is the category where most will be. To have so many names above this point is impressive. Lefty Aaron Thompson was busted early in the season for 50 games for testing positive for a PED. He served his time and has pitched for New Britain since. He started and recently was moved to the bullpen. He’s left-handed and still just 25 years old, so he’s worth trying to keep around if they can. He pitched in four games for the Pirates in 2011. Brad Thompson was a big part of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen in 2006 when they won the World Series. He was a good pitcher with a live arm. Unfortunately, he has been a bit of a journeyman the last couple of years. The Twins signed him this spring knowing he had missed part of 2010 and all of 2011 after Tommy John surgery. It didn’t pan out for Thompson as he struggled through a few appearances in New Britain. Daryl Thompson went 1-5 in nine starts for the Red Wings before being released. He had pitched previously with the Reds in 2008 and 2011. He is 26 years old and didn’t latch on with another team after being released. Brendan Wise is a strike-throwing righty from Australia who signed with the Twins after years in the Tigers organization. The last two seasons, pitching in AAA Rochester, Wise had compiled season ERAs of 2.08 and 1.90. This year in Rochester, he posted an ERA of 5.64 before being put on the Disabled List a month ago. JR Towles was a guy that people wanted to take Drew Butera’s spot as the #3 catcher in the organization. Although he had done nothing in the big leagues from 2008 through 2011, he had put up encouraging AAA numbers. This year in Rochester, he hit .211/.271/.317 and has played only 50 games for various reasons. Jason Bulger put together a big league career that spanned 2005 with Arizona and then 2006 through 2011 with the Angels. He had a lot of big league success and some good strikeout numbers. He came to spring training and showed nothing in big league camp. It wasn’t long before the Twins just released him. He signed with the Yankees and has pitched for their AAA affiliate all season. He has 21 walks and 28 strikeouts in 34.1 innings for Empire State. Steve Pearce is an interesting case. He was a draft choice of the Twins early last decade and he signed with the Twins. He went to spring training but was hurt early, didn’t play much, didn’t fit in and the Twins released him. He signed with the Yankees and played in AAA. The Orioles bought him from the Yankees in June and he spent some time with their big league club. The Astros claimed him when he was put on waivers in July. And last week, the Astros traded him to the Yankees to help them at 1B while Mark Teixeira is hurt. He’s always hit left-handed pitching well. So there you have it. A lot of Twins fans are pretty down on the team right now, and that’s understandable. Some are always looking for the negative regardless of the situation and choose to only look at the mistakes. But, I just believe that if we’re going to focus on the mistakes, we also need to look at the successes. Credit is due this year to those individuals in the front office who picked out and signed so many effective minor league free agents. It isn’t often noticed, but these are important signings for the organization. It also says a lot about where the Twins are right now. Normally, a team may see one or two of their minor league free agents come up and contribute. It’s telling that the Twins have had to count on so many minor league free agents. But that shouldn’t take away from those people who did their due diligence and brought in a nice group of minor league free agents. Whoever they may be. Click here to view the article

Because they clinched playoff berths in the first half, Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers are trying to finish strong and preparing for the playoffs. However, Rochester and Elizabethton are still fighting for a spot in the playoffs as well. After tonight’s game, the Red Wings are now a half-game behind Pawtucket. However, they are two games ahead of Norfolk for the Wild Card. On Thursday, the E-Twins won for the 12th time in 13 games (and 14th of their last 16). They are now just 1.5 games out of the lead in the division, and just one game behind the Wild Card team. Of course, New Britain and the GCL Twins are out of playoff contention. By the way, the Arizona Fall League rosters are expected to be announced next Tuesday. See what else happened in the Twins farm system on Thursday.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 1, Indianapolis Indians 6 Box Score The Red Wings had the opportunity to hit against one of baseball’s biggest pitching prospects, Jameson Taillon. The right-hander went six innings and gave up just one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out three. Pat Dean got the start for the Red Wings. The lefty gave up three unearned runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. AJ Achter came on and gave up an unearned run on two hits in 1.1 innings. Aaron Thompon gave up one run in the eighth inning. He allowed one hit and walked one. Shairon Martis pitched the ninth and gave up one run on two hits. He struck out two. Jeff Clement hit his 22nd and 23rd doubles in four at bats. Antoan Richarson walked twice and stole his 23rd base. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Bowie Bay Sox 8 Box Score BJ Hermsen fell to 1-10 on the season, but he put in his best performance of the year. He went six innings and gave up two runs (1 earned) on six hits. He didn’t walk any or record a strikeout. Blake Martin came in to start the 7th inning. He got the first two outs but was charged with two runs on a hit and three walks. Jose Gonzalez got the final four outs, two on strikeouts. However, he gave up four runs on three hits and a walk. The Rock Cats managed just six hits in the game. Danny Santana went 2-4 and hit his second home run. Danny Ortiz went 2-3. Miguel Sano’s time with the Rock Cats has certainly been streaky. After an 0-4 on Thursday night, he is now 4-34 over his past nine game. Of course, two of those four hits were doubles and another was a home run. Download attachment: Santana 600x312.jpg Ft. Myers Miracle, Charlotte Stone Crabs Game canceled due to weather. It will not be made up. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Quad Cities River Bandits 7 Box Score JO Berrios spent a little over a week on the Disabled List, but he returned to action on Thursday night. He started out well, but overall, he went 4.2 innings and gave up five runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out four. Christian Powell was charged with two unearned runs in 2.1 innings. He gave up four hits and walked two. Dallas Gallant pitched a scoreless inning. Adam Walker went 2-4 with his 30th double of the season. Bo Altobelli and Tyler Grimes each went 2-4. Elizabethton Twins 6, Pulaski 3 Box Score On Thursday, the E-Twins won for the 12th time in 13 games (and 14th of their last 16). They are now just 1.5 games out of the lead in the division, and just one game behind the Wild Card team. Kuo Hua Lo went the first 4.1 innings. He was charged with two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three. Luke Bard picked up the win. He finished the fifth and pitched the sixth as well. He walked two and struck out win. Carson Goldsmith gave up one run on two hits in the seventh inning. He struck out three. Aaron Slegers got his second save. He gave up two hits, but struck out three. Ryan Walker went 2-5, the only Twins bat with more than one hit. Zach Larson hit his first Appy League home run. Logan Wade hit his first triple. GCL Twins 7, GCL Orioles 4 Box Score Sam Gibbons got the start for the Twins and threw five shutout innings. He gave up four hits, didn’t walk any, and struck out two. Brandon Easton came on and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out one. Josh Guyer struck out one in a perfect inning. Cameron Booser recently signed as a non-draft free agent and made his professional debut on Thursday. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits in one inning. He struck out one. Ryan Tufts led the offense by going 3-4 with a walk and his second double. Ivory Thomas was 2-3 with two walks. Alex Swim hit his sixth double. Jonatan Hinojosa hit his fifth triple. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Click here to view the article

On Thursday, we posted the choices for Twins Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month for April. Now, we will jump into the top performing relievers in April. Check back later today when the Hitters of the month of April will be recognized. Relief pitchers often go unrecognized unless they don’t do their job. However, in April, when starters are on pitch counts and may not always go even to the fifth inning, they are very important. Today, we’ll look at the top relievers in the Twins farm system in April. Number 5 – New Britain – Cole Johnson- 1.74 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 7 BB, 11 K Johnson is the first of two relievers in this top five list who was drafted in a round that no longer exists. He was the Twins 44th round pick in 2011 out of Notre Dame. He pitched a handful of innings as a starter in Beloit in 2012, but he has been very good in the bullpen ever since. He spent just 13 games with Ft. Myers last year before ending with 28 outings for the Rock Cats. That’s where he started this season, and he has been very good in the early going. A few fewer walks would be very good though. Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – Brandon Peterson – 0.84 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 16 K Peterson is a Minnesota native, having played his high school ball at Burnsville. After spending some time at Des Moines CC, he transferred to Wichita State. Following the 2013 season, he was selected in the 13th round by the Twins. He struck out 40 batters in 27.1 innings last year in Elizabethton. He moved up to Cedar Rapids and had a strong first month posting sub-1.00 ERA and WHIP while not walking many and striking out more than 1.5 per inning. Pretty impressive! Number 3 – New Britain – Lester Oliveros – 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 10 K In 2013, Oliveros pitched just 6.1 innings of rehab in the GCL after having Tommy John surgery late in the 2012 season. The hard-thrower is in New Britain to get his work in and continue the process of his return. To say the least, so far so good. Though he’s really only pitched one inning at a time, he has been very impressive. He is yet to allow a run and is striking out over one batter per inning. As he continues to gain strength, it won’t (or at least shouldn’t) be too long before he gets back up to Rochester. Number 2 – New Britain/Rochester – AJ Achter – 1.10 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 16.1 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 20 K Like Johnson, Achter was drafted in a round that no longer takes place. He was the Twins 46th round pick in 2009 out of Michigan State. He was my choice for Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2012 when he split the season between Beloit and Ft. Myers. He was almost as good in 2013 when he split the season between New Britain and Rochester. He ended the season in the Arizona Fall League. Certainly it was just about roster spots that Achter returned to New Britain, but it was a given that as soon as a spot opened in Rochester, he would take it. That came after just three appearances with the Rock Cats. He didn’t mope, he went out and dominated. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Rochester – Yohan Pino – 1.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 12 H, 7 BB, 27 K Download attachment: Pino, Yohan (2).jpg Yohan Pino photo courtesy Rochester Red Wings There was no question that the overall pitcher of the month (and maybe the player of the month) in the Twins farm system in April was Yohan Pino. Should he be categorized with the starters (he does have more innings pitched than most starters in the organization) or the relievers (he’s made four bullpen appearances and two spot starts)? Of course, in one of those starts, he threw a seven-inning, complete game shutout. This offseason, the Twins brought him back, signing the veteran free agent to a minor league contract. Ten years earlier, 2004, the Twins had signed Pino out of Venezuela. That summer, he was the Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Year. In 2005, he was in Elizabethton where he went 9-2 with 64 strikeouts in 67.2 innings. In 2006, he went 14-2 with a 1.91 ERA, primarily out of the Beloit bullpen, though he ended the season making seven starts. That’s the role he has had ever since, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. He got up to Rochester in 2009, but in late August, he was sent to Cleveland in exchange for Carl Pavano. In early 2011, he went to the Blue Jays organization. He was there until this spring when he was invited to Twins spring training. Maybe Yohan Pino should be in his own category. Either way, he deserves to be recognized for a tremendous opening month. Quickly, here are some Honorable Mentions, a few guys worthy of recognition: [*=1]Matt Hoffman – Rochester – 0.96 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 8 K [*=1]Madison Boer – Ft. Myers – 1.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 1 K [*=1]David Hurlbut – Ft. Myers – 1.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 16 H, 7 BB, 6 K [*=1]Brandon Bixler – Cedar Rapids – 0.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 9 BB, 14 K Relief pitchers often don’t get the recognition they deserve. They are generally unnoticed unless things go bad. That’s why we recognize the relief pitchers here. Each of these pitchers did his job, and they all did it well. Later today, check back for the April Hitters of the Month. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Alexi_Casilla_600-321.jpg Mark it down somewhere. Friday, November 2nd. It is the end of the Alexi Casilla Era as a Minnesota Twins player. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the athletic infielder who just never quite met his perceived potential has been claimed by the Baltimore Orioles. Casilla came to the Twins in a December 2005 deal with the Angels in which the Twins send then-talented JC Romero to the west coast. Casilla debuted in September of 2006 and was primarily used as a pinch-runner down the stretch for the Twins. In his 515 career games with the Twins, Casilla hit .250/.305/.334 with 72 doubles, 14 triples and 11 homer runs in 515 games. He also stole 71 based in 80 attempts.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] He was given every opportunity to be the Twins starting shortstop and second baseman, but he never took to it. He appeared much more comfortable in a utility role. With the Twins acquiring so many similar middle infield types, letting go of Casilla makes sense as he would likely make nearly $2 million in arbitration. Best wishes to a class act! Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Casey Fien 2.jpg In the recent Twins Daily interview with Twins GM Terry Ryan, it was surprising to hear him say that his Number Two priority, after starting pitching, was the bullpen. He followed by using the old “You can never have enough pitching” cliché. It is a cliché, of course, because it has proven true over many years of baseball history. It was surprising because the Twins bullpen was a bright spot in 2012. However, I wanted to take a look at the pitchers that could potentially comprise the Twins 2013 bullpen to see if it is an area that the Twins should address this offseason.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Closer Glen Perkins has established himself as one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons. His fastball-slider combination can be devastating to lefty and righty batters alike. He has pitched in every role including the ninth inning and done well. The Others The rest of the bullpen does come with at least some question marks. Jared Burton came to the Twins last year as a six-year minor league free agent. He became available because he had missed a lot of time the two previous seasons with injury. The Twins eased him back in 2012 and he performed incredibly well, posting a 2.18 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. Similarly Casey Fien came to the Twins as a minor league free agent before the 2012 season. He had a terrific spring training, but he was very pedestrian in Rochester. However, once he came to the Twins, he was great. In 35 games, he posted a 2.06 ERA and a 0.97. Unlike Burton, the 29-year-old had no big league success (just 11 games) coming into the season. Maybe he finally found the key to success? Maybe he’ll turn back into a pumpkin in 2013? Brian Duensing needs to be a bullpen guy. Just a bullpen guy. In 2012, he was a solid 2-4 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP as a reliever. However, he was 2-8 with a 6.92 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP as a starter. It primarily comes down to the fact that he is tremendous against left-handed batters but really poor against right-handers. In those games he started, teams set their lineups full of right-handed bats. He can be a great asset if used in the right role. Alex Burnett had a very solid season in 2012. He posted a 3.52 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP despite striking out just 4.5 batters per nine innings. It’s hard to imagine that success can be maintained with that few strikeouts. However, he’s still just 25 years old and ended the season on a good strikeout note, so hopefully it is something he learned from and can carry into 2013. Anthony Swarzak’s overall numbers in 2012 weren’t very good (5.03 ERA, 1.42 WHIP). However, he made five starts and went 0-5 with an 8.10 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in this games. As a long reliever, he was 3-1 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Very average numbers, but that’s alright at the back end of the bullpen. Tyler Robertson represented himself well in his big league debut. The soon-to-be 25-year-old showed a very good slider that could be very tough on lefties. As you would expect, he was inconsistent, but showed promise. Can he show improvement in 2013? Will the Twins want to bring in a more proven lefty? Ryan will certainly want to give him some competition. If that is the composition of the 2013 bullpen, it is a strong bullpen at the back-end with Perkins, Burton and Duensing. The others provide some question marks but each has room to get better… or take a step backwards. And, of course, injuries are almost impossible to predict. Others Possibilities Even after last week’s roster purge that made Esmerling Vasquez, Luis Perdomo, Jeff Manship and Kyle Waldrop free agents along with Matt Capps whose option for 2013 was turned down, there are still some options that could provide bullpen depth. Remember that the Twins will likely acquire at least a couple of starting pitchers. Some of the guys who made starts for the Twins last night could compete for a long-relief job with the Twins. PJ Walters resigned on a minor league contract. Before his injury last year, he was pitching quite well. Samuel Deduno was wild, but is certainly intriguing. If he isn’t starting, could he do a good job out of the bullpen? Cole De Vries could start but could also work out of long relief. In the minors, he was quite successful in short relief as well. Nick Blackburn may never make another start for the Twins, but could they get any value for him in the bullpen? I also have to mention Deolis Guerra. He is out of options, so he will have to make the Twins active roster and stay on it all year. If not, he will have to go through waivers and could potentially be claimed. Would that be the end of the world? Most likely not, but for a team looking to make strides in 2013 with some young players, Guerra certainly will get every chance. And, as a blogger, you know I have to also mention Anthony Slama. No, his fastball didn’t exceed 88 mph most of the 2012 season, and he missed almost two months after breaking his leg on a come-backer. But one look at the numbers he has put up throughout his minor league career and the 29-year-old deserves a chance. It’s also possible that Walters is not the only recently released player who could come back. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of the Vasquez, Perdomo, Manship and Waldrop group would come back. Again, there’s no such thing as too much pitching. And frankly, there aren’t a lot of Twins minor league pitchers who are screaming to be promoted to AAA next year. SUMMARY The back of the Twins bullpen certainly looks strong, but after that, there are a lot of question marks. Ideally, guys like Fien, Burnett and Robertson will all take a step forward while Deolis Guerra shows that his 88 mph fastball is OK thanks to his tremendous changeup. There are a lot of arms here and there is some depth. Personally, I would probably not spend any of the big league budget on the bullpen. I would do just like they did last year. I would bring in six to eight relievers on minor league contracts. As they did last year, the guys they brought in all threw fastballs into the mid-90s. They found success with Samuel Deduno, Jared Burton and Casey Fien. Jason Bulger didn’t pan out. Luis Perdomo and Esmerling Vasquez pitched very well in Rochester and earned their short tryouts with the Twins. Those are the types of arms that they should target again. If watching the playoffs this year taught us anything, it’s that having hard-throwing bullpen options is really valuable. The Twins started addressing that the last couple of drafts and need to complement it with some more power arms. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Eddie Rosario Take Pitch.jpg The Twins/Rangers game in Arlington was over pretty quickly. Samuel Deduno gave up one run in the first inning and five runs in the second. Somehow, he got through five innings and gave up seven runs on 11 hits. He walked the first batter he faced and that was the lone walk of the night. Kyle Waldrop came in and gave up just one run over three innings. But this game was about the Rangers. The Twins had just three hits. Adrian Beltre alone had four hits, a single, double, triple and home run. It was the 6th cycle against the Twins. Matt Harrison, the talented left-hander improved to 15-7 with a strong performance.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It wasn’t until Trevor Plouffe hit a single with two outs in the 7th innings that the Twins had their first hit. Harrison completed eight innings of dominance. Fortunately, there were some pretty impressive performances by Twins minor leaguers. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Saturday night: ROCHESTER 1, LEHIGH VALLEY 8 PJ Walters made another rehab start and this one didn’t go so well. The right-hander gave up seven runs on ten hits in just three innings. He walked one and struck out three. Jeff Manship came on and threw three shutout innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out one. Bobby Lanigan pitched the final three innings. He gave up one run on two hits (a solo home runs and a walk. Tsuyoshi Nishioka went 1-3 with his 14th double and the lone RBI. The team had just three hits. Tom Brunansky and Wilkin Ramirez were both ejected in the 7th inning. NEW BRITAIN 2, NEW HAMPSHIRE 5 The Rock Cats really needed to win this series against the cellar-dwellers from New Hampshire, but they’ve lost the first two games. The team got plenty of hits but not enough runs. Josmil Pinto was 2-4 with his second home run since his promotion. Aaron Hicks was 2-4 with a walk and his 30th stolen base. Rene Tosoni and Chris Colabello were each 2-4. Chris Herrmann was 2-5. Logan Darnell started and gave up five runs on 10 hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out three. Jose Gonzalez worked two scoreless innings. He gave up no hits, walked two and struck one out. Bruce Pugh gave up a hit and a walk but no runs in his inning. Earlier in the day, Aaron Hicks, Chris Colabello and Deibinson Romero were named to the Eastern League postseason All-Star team. FT. MYERS 8, PALM BEACH 1 Madison Boer had a terrific game. The right-hander from Eden Prairie gave up one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked none and struckout five. AJ Achter and Miguel Munoz each struck out two batters in a scoreless inning. Danny Ortiz went 3-4 with a walk and his 21st double. Angel Morales was 3-3 with a walk and his eighth stolen base. Danny Santana went 2-5 with his ninth triple and three RBI. Kyle Knudson was 2-4 with a walk. BELOIT 8, PEORIA 2 The Snappers got good pitching and plenty of hitting in this big win. Nate Roberts continued to get on base. He went 2-3 with a walk, his 16th double and his third triple. Eddie Rosario went 4-5 with his 27th and 28th doubles, his 11th home run and three RBI. Stephen Wickens went 1-2 with two walks and 10th double. Steven Gruver gave up two runs on three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four. Corey Kimes gave up just one hit over three scoreless innings. He walked two and struck out three. Tim Atherton went one scoreless inning. He gave up a hit and a walk and struck out one. ELIZABETHTON 7, PULASKI 5 The E-Twins got back into the win column on Friday night. Max Kepler went 3-5 with his 15th and 16th doubles, his ninth home run and three RBI. Byron Buxton went 2-5 with his fourth double, first home run and two RBI. Jorge Polanco went 2-3 with a walk and his 15th double. Romy Jimenez hit his eighth home run. Lefty Brett Lee started but gave up five runs (4 earned) on seven hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out two. Luis Nunez went 2.1 scoreless innings despite giving up a hit and two walks. Kaleb Merck struckout two in 1.2 scoreless innings. JT Chargois walked one but picked up his fifth save. GCL TWINS 4, GCL RED SOX 1 The GCL Twins played their second-to-last game on Friday and got a win. Gonzalo Sanudo started and gave up just one run on five hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out three. Josue Montanez improved to 2-0 and dropped his ERA to 0.36 after giving up just one hit in 2.1 innings. Melciades de la Cruz struckout four over the final 2.2 innings for his sixth save. John Murphy went 3-4 with his second homer and three RBI. Jeremias Pineda hit his first home run. Bryan Haar hit his ninth double. Dereck Rodriguez hit his eighth double. Jose Ramirez hit his third double. --- Players of the Day for Friday, August 24, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Eddie Rosario Download attachment: Eddie Rosario Mug.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Madison Boer Download attachment: Madison Boer Oregon.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Saturday, August 25, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Buffalo – RHP Kyle Gibson New Britain @ New Hampshire – RHP BJ Hermsen Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach – LHP Cole Nelson Beloit @ Cedar Rapids – RHP Cole Johnson Elizabethton @ Pulaski – RHP Ricardo Arevalo GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox – TBD (Final game of Regular Season) --- 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

In what may have been his final start with the Twins, starter Francisco Liriano threw his first clunker in over two months. The lefty gave up home runs to Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios and could not complete three innings. The Twins got plenty of base runners. Denard Span had three hits, and Brian Dozier had two. The Twins grounded into five double plays in the game though which ended several scoring opportunities. Brian Duensing and Alex Burnett were very good in relief. Ryan Doumit did his best to keep up with Beloit's Kennys Vargas tonight. The big question now is whether tonight's pitching performance by Liriano affected the return they could get for him. We shall find out. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from the Monday games in the minor leagues. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Liam Hendriks was back on the mound for Rochester. Two players made their returns with the GCL Twins this morning. And yes, Kennys Vargas is mentioned again. ROCHESTER 0, DURHAM 4 For the first time this year, Liam Hendriks gets “credited” with a Loss for the Red Wings. Yet, he pitched pretty well. The Aussie right-hander gave up two runs on four hits in six innings. He walked three and struckout six batters. Caleb Theilbar came in and gave up two runs on three hits (including a home run) in an inning. Kyle Waldrop threw a scoreless inning in relief. The Red Wings showed very little offense. They had just six hits in the game and Ray Chang had two of them. Clete Thomas and Pedro Florimon each hit a double. Thomas stole a base, and he also threw out a runner at home. NEW BRITAIN 1, BINGHAMTON 8 Aaron Thompson started for the Rock Cats. The lefty gave up four runs (2 earned) on eight hits (two home runs) and a walk in five innings. Edgar Ibarra came in and gave up three runs on two hits (both home runs) and a walk. He struck out three. Dakota Watts was charged with an unearned run on one walk in 1.2 innings. The Rock Cats managed just four hits in the game. Oswaldo Arcia was 2-4. FT. MYERS 5, CHARLOTTE 4 Jhon Goncalves has only been back in the Florida State League, but his speed helped the Miracle to a win on Monday night. The outfielder was 3-4 after singling to lead off the bottom of the ninth. He advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. With two outs, and two strikes on Danny Ortiz, the pitcher threw a high fastball that bounced off the catcher’s glove, allowing Goncalves to sprint home from third base with the winning run. Anderson Hidalgo was also 3-4. He hit his eighth double, his third home run and drove in two runs. Pat Dean started. He gave up four runs on 10 hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out three. AJ Achter came on and threw two scoreless innings for his first Miracle win. BELOIT 3, GREAT LAKES 0 Matt Tomshaw returned to the starting rotation and threw very well. The lefty worked the first four innings, giving up just two hits. He walked none and struck out six. Cole Johnson worked the next three scoreless innings. He gave up three walks, walked none and struck out one. Zach Jones recorded his first save, striking out four in two innings. Nate Roberts continues to lead the way for the Snappers out of the leadoff spot. He went 2-4 with his first triple and 14th stolen base. Kennys Vargas hit his third home run (in his second game) and later he was intentionally walked. Miguel Sano had a rough one. He went 0-4 with four strikeouts. ELIZABETHTON 3, JOHNSON CITY 0 Angel Mata started for the E-Twins and he threw five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out nine. Christian Powell came in and threw two scoreless innings. He gave up three hits but walked none and struck out three. He was credited with his first professional win. Tyler Duffey struckout two in a scoreless eighth inning. As he did in college, he handed the ball over to JT Chargois who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save. Travis Harrison went 2-3 with a walk. (and yes, his 17th error of the short season) Jorge Polanco and Jhonathan Arias each doubled. Max Kepler and Niko Goodrum combined to go 0-8 with five walks, but each stole his fourth base of the year. GAME 1 – GCL TWINS 1, GCL ORIOLES 4 There were a couple of returns in this game. Alex Wimmers made a start for the first time since his April debut with the New Britain Rock Cats. He has been rehabbing a partially torn UCL. On this day, he gave up three runs on four hits and a walk and recorded just two outs. Kuo Hua Lo came on and struck out two over 4.1 one-hit innings. Alex Muren came in and gave up one run on two hits and a walk in two innings. Byron Buxton returned to the GCL team in this game. He was the team’s DH and hit third. His hamstring was tested. He was 1-2 with a walk and a triple. Kelvin Ortiz walked twice and stole his fifth base. Aderlin Mejia went 1-2 with a walk. GAME 1 – GCL TWINS 1, GCL ORIOLES 2 After managing just five hits in game one, the Twins had just one hit, a Logan Wade single, in game two. Yorman Landa started and threw five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out two. Melciades de la Cruz then gave up two runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter in his inning to take the loss. --- Players of the Day for Monday, July 23, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Angel Mata Download attachment: Angel Mata.jpg Hitter of the Day – Anderson Hidalgo Download attachment: Anderson Hidalgo.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, July 24, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Syracuse – RHP Shairon Martis New Britain vs Binghampton – LHP Blake Martin Ft. Myers @ Charlotte – RHP Matt Summers Beloit – No Game Scheduled Elizabethton @ Kingsport – LHP Corey Kimes GCL Twins vs GCL Orioles (DH) – 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

I certainly hope all of the fathers out there had a wonderful Father’s Day! I hope that is the case even if you did watch the Twins/Tigers finale on Sunday afternoon. The Twins put on a very poor defensive display and fell to the Tigers by a score of 4-3. The Florida State League All-Star game was on Saturday night, and the Midwest League All-Star game will be played on Tuesday. That means we may see some promotions soon. One important thing to watch on Monday is the start of Trevor May in Rochester. If he is pitching fairly well and only throws 50 pitches or so, consider it a sign. On Sunday morning, Trevor Plouffe was put on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. Pedro Florimon was in Detroit in case that needed to happen. Below you’ll find what happened in the Twins farm system on Sunday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Lehigh Valley 5 Box Score Doug Bernier led the Red Wings offense on Sunday. He went 3-4 with his 10th double and three RBI. Josmil Pinto went 2-4 with his first AAA double of the year. Kris Johnson went just 5.2 innings. He gave up three runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out three. Ryan Pressly then gave up two unearned runs on two hits in 2.1 innings. He struck out four without a walk. Michael Tonkin struck out two in a perfect ninth. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Trenton 2 Box Score Download attachment: Taylor Rogers.jpg Taylor Rogers was my choice for Twins minor league starting pitcher of the year in 2013. After three poor starts at the beginning of the season, he has been quite good. On Sunday, the lefty threw a nine-inning, complete game for the win. He gave up two runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out two. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 3-4. Brandon Waring went 1-2 with two walks and his 15th double. Kennys Vargas went 1-3 with a walk and his 12th home run. MIRACLE MATTERS Florida State League All-Star Break KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Burlington 13 Box Score Coming into the season, the thought was that the Kernels offense would struggle, at least relative to the dominant 2013 lineup. However, the other belief was that the Kernels pitching would be able to help carry the team. What people forgot was that most of the hitters were older minor leaguers while the pitchers were generally very young. It should have been expected that there might be days like this. Ethan Mildren started and gave up four runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings. Jared Wilson replaced him and was charged with three runs, one earned, on two hits in 1.2 innings. Alex Muren was next up, and he gave up four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Todd Van Steensel got the final five outs. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out four. Chad Christensen went 2-4. Tanner Vavra went 1-2 with two walks and his fourth stolen base. Ryan Walker hit a two-run double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Rogers, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Doug Bernier, Rochester Red Wings MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Trevor May (Listen) New Britain – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (6:05) – Jason Wheeler (Listen) Cedar Rapids – All Star Break (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. CEDAR RAPIDS / TWINS WEEKEND Consider a trip to Cedar Rapids for the series against Clinton June 27-30. It is their Twins Weekend, and they have several fun events. Check out www.kernels.com for more information or to order tickets. Friday, June 27 Friday Mug Club Drink SpecialAutism Action Jersey Night - fans can bid on jerseys and take players' jerseys home that night.Halfway to Christmas - (Santa, Mrs. Claus and reindeer will be there)Post game fireworksStadium Snow Globe giveawaySaturday, June 28 Twins Night - Rod Carew, Twins organist Sue Nelson and TC Bear will be there.Post game fireworksSunday, June 29 Post game run the basesAutographs from Kernels on field after the gamePlay bingo for a chance to win Twins tickets Click here to view the article

As we have done here at Twins Daily the last two years, we will be hosting a Twins minor league Adopt-A-Prospect. With a couple alterations, the rules should make for more information shared about more of the minor league teams throughout the farm system. Starting at 9:00 Central Time on Tuesday (April 1), you will be able to adopt any Twins minor leaguer (who hasn't already been adopted). Those players can come from either of the four Twins full-season affiliates (Rochester, New Britain, Ft. Myers, Cedar Rapids) or players who will begin the season at Extended Spring Training. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] At 9:00 Central Time on Wednesday, people can adopt a second Twins minor leaguer (Again, only those available). Download attachment: ST Mientkiewicz Pettersen.jpg Here are the Rules of Adopt-A-Prospect 2014: (Note, the actual player adoption will be conducted in another thread "SIGN UP FOR ADOPT A PROSPECT 2014" which will be located in this "Adopt a Prospect 2014" Forum.) Rules of Adopt-A-Prospect 2014: 1) Each Twins prospect can only be adopted once. It will be first-come, first-serve in a new thread here that will be opened at 9:00 a.m. CST on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. CST, Twins Daily readers can adopt a second prospect. 2) Once you have confirmed that you have that player, you can post a thread. The title of the thread you start should just be that player's name, hyphen - 2014 (example - Miguel Sano - 2014). The first post must be an introduction of the player. The format of the post is up to the individual, but please be sure to get all the important information needed on the player. For Example, Name, Position, Handedness, Drafted/Signed/Acquired (out of where/what round), Previous Stats, etc. Feel free to make it as detailed as you want and feel free to find video. (There are a lot of websites you could link to such as their Baseball-Reference, The Baseball Cube, First Inning, Fan Graphs, MiLB.com, affiliate’s websites, etc.) 3) After the initial post (and throughout the season), you MUST update the thread AT LEAST once every other week. If you fail to do this, the prospect can be taken away from you. [if a player is inactive due to injury or suspension, this requirement is waived, as appropriate.] If you would like to update more often, please feel free. Updates should, at least, include year-to-date numbers for the player. The more information given, however, the better. Brag up your prospect! 4) Any major event (i.e. Promotion/Demotion/Trade/Perfect Game/multi- hit or HRs in a game...) must be reflected in the thread within a day of the event. Failure to update for this purpose may result in losing your adoptee. 5) If a player is placed on the 25-man roster, this is wonderful news and you can continue that player’s thread. Reward for your player getting to the big leagues is that you can adopt another prospect at that point. Even if the first player is eventually sent back to the minor leagues, you can maintain both prospect threads. 6) All other rules which are enforced on the main board will be enforced here. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask here. Click here to view the article

On Sunday afternoon, the Twins last the series finale to the Cubs by a score of 8-2. However, the Twins won yet another series. They will have another day off on Monday before hosting the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers this coming week. Francisco Liriano started on Sunday for the Twins and gave up four runs on four hits in 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out six. Trevor Plouffe raised his average to .217 with a 2-4 day. Jamey Carroll was also 2-4. He hit a double and is now hitting .245 on the season. Ryan Dempster won for just the second time this season despite a 2.31 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Sunday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 1, INDIANAPOLIS 8 Cole De Vries returned to the Red Wings and it’s fair to say that his first start didn’t go so well. De Vries lasted just two innings and gave up six runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out two. Carlos Gutierrez came in and gave up no runs in 2.2 innings. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out three. Deolis Guerra came in and gave up two runs on two hits in two innings. He walked none and struck out … two. Tyler Robertson gave up one hit and walked none in 1.1 scoreless innings. Danny Valencia led the offense. He went 2-3 with a walk, his sixth doubled and first triple. Michael Hollimon went 2-4. JR Towles hit his tenth double. NEW BRITAIN 6, ERIE 0 BJ Hermsen continued his mastery of the Eastern League with another strong start on Sunday against Erie. He threw seven shutout innings. He allowed five hits, walked one and struck out five. He improved to 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA. Luis Perdomo picked up his second save with two scoreless innings. He walked one and struckout one. Evan Bigley led the offense. He went 3-5 with his 12th double and seventh home run. Chris Colabello went 2-4 with his 14th and 15th doubles. James Beresford was 2-5. Deibinson Romero hit his ninth home run, a three-run blast that gave the Rock Cats the final run differential. FT. MYERS 8, PALM BEACH 5 Jairo Perez celebrated his 24th birthday on Sunday with a 2-5 game in which he hit his fourth home run. He drove in three runs on the game. Michael Gonzales went 2-4 with his fifth homer and two RBI. Danny Santana was 2-5. Lance Ray hit his seventh home run. Madison Boer took a step back on Sunday and yet, he won for the second straight game. In five innings, he gave up five runs (4 earned) on nine hits and three walks. He struck out two. Nelvin Fuentes threw a perfect sixth frame. Matt Hauser gave up a hit and two walks over two innings, but no runs. Dan Sattler recorded his first save in the organization. He gave up one hit and recorded one strikeout in the 9th inning. BELOIT 2, WISCONSIN 5 (10 Innings) It was another tough loss for the Snappers against the Timber Rattlers on Sunday. Wisconsin’s shortstop Yadiel Rivera hit a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th. David Hurlbut gave up two runs on nine hits and a walk in five innings during his first start of the season. He struck out two. Tim Atherton came in. He walked three but gave up no runs in 1.1 innings. Michael Tonkin came in and struck out three over 2.2 scoreless innings. Clinton Dempster came in and didn’t get an out in the 10th, allowing the three runs (2 of them earned). Jonathan Goncalves went 3-4. AJ Pettersen went 2-5. Drew Leachman hit his fourth double. Matt Koch drove in the two runs. --- Players of the Day for Sunday, June 10, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Evan Bigley Download attachment: Evan Bigley.jpg Pitcher of the Day – BJ Hermsen Download attachment: BJHermsen.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Monday, June 11, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Indianapolis – LHP Matt Maloney New Britain – No Game Scheduled Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach – RHP Marty Popham Beloit @ Wisconsin – LHP Jason Wheeler --- 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

On Monday, the Twins reassigned RHP Brendan Wise to minor league camp. Tuesday morning, the Twins optioned OF Joe Benson and RHP Jeff Manship. They also reassigned INF Pedro Florimon and C Rene Rivera.Download attachment: Joe Benson.jpg None of the moves are completely surprising, and yet it further cements some of the roster spots that remain up for grabs. Benson had a terrific showing in big league camp. His defense shone as he made it clear that he is the organization's top all-around defensive centerfielder. His aggressiveness and hustle are a mainstay, and that's why it was so surprising yesterday when he popped a single to right and only got to 1B. Offensively, it was a struggle early in camp to make contact, but that improved as more games were played. Look for Benson to play a lot of centerfield in Rochester and be ready to help the Twins when needed. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Manship also had a very solid camp. He was very good in all but one outing this spring. The right-hander has improved his slider, making it a big strikeout pitch, and will likely work out of the bullpen in Rochester because that would be his future role with the Twins. It was believed that Manship, Alex Burnett, Kyle Waldrop, Jeff Gray and Casey Fien were 'battling' for the one remaining bullpen spot (behind Capps, Perkins, Swarzak, Duensing, Burton and Maloney). Florimon had a nice camp in that he showed his defensive prowess. He didn't hit much, but did have some extra base pop in AA last year in the Orioles organization. He was battling for a utility infield spot with Michael Hollimon and Sean Burroughs. Rene Rivera played as well (or better) than other backup catcher candidates JR Towles and Drew Butera, but he is the first one sent to minor league camp. It is still uncertain if Manager Ron Gardenhire will choose to carry three catchers on his roster or not. With Scott Baker's struggles and the Jason Marquis personal matter, Liam Hendriks remains on the roster in case the team needs someone to make some early season starts. The team is now at 34 players in big league camp with another nine needing to come off of the roster before the season starts on April 6. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Jared Burton 600.jpg On Sunday night, it was Glen Perkins who got the final three outs in the tenth inning to record the save in game two of a double-header sweep of the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park. However, with a tied score in the bottom of the ninth, Jared Burton came into the game to face the Tigers 3, 4 and 5 hitters. Burton got MVP-candidate Miguel Cabrera to pop out for the first out. He then made Prince Fielder look silly, striking him out. Finally, he got Delmon Young to ground out. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Twins responded to Burton’s dynamic performance with a run in the top of the tenth frame. Glen Perkins came in for the bottom of the 10th inning and recorded the save. Just another reminder that the guy who comes in for the game’s toughest situations in the 7th or 8th innings are equally, if not more, valuable than the closer. Since Glen Perkins took over the closer’s role and is often pitching in less difficult situations, it has been a great opportunity for Burton to step up and really show how good he came be. Should the Twins consider locking up Jared Burton to a long-term, multi-year contract? In the past, the Twins have had mixed results with giving out long-term contracts to guys, buying out their free agent years. Johan Santana, Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter all signed multi-year deals to buy out some free agent time. The Denard Span long-term deal has been generally very well worth it. Sure, the Nick Blackburn deal wasn’t very good, but those happen. The Twins signed Jesse Crain to a three year deal, but it actually bought out two of his arbitration seasons. Burton signed with the Twins last November. After spending the past five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. Special assistant Wayne Krivsky likely was very involved in that transaction. With about a week left in the season, Burton is 2-1 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. He has allowed just 5.9 hits per nine innings. He has given up just four home runs in 58.1 innings. Considering he gave up two homers in his first Twins outing of the season, he has been remarkable. One question with him when signed b the Twins was his control. His 2.2 walks per nine innings this year is by far better than the 3.5 walks per nine innings he had in 2009, his previous career-best. His 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings matches his career number in that category. Left-handed batters are hitting just .228 against him with a .702 OPS. Meanwhile, right-handed bats are hitting just .155 with a .428 OPS against him. 2012 has been a career-year for Jared Burton, but it isn’t as if it came completely out of nowhere. From the time he came up with the Reds in 2007 through 2009, he was very effective in late-inning situations for the Reds. He just missed so much time the past two seasons with injury. It’s hard to find perfect comparables to Burton who have been arbitration-eligible the last couple of years. Last year, Mike Adams was at the same arbitration-level of just over five years, and he got $4.4 million. The other relievers who signed via arbitration last offseason got between $1.05 and $1.2 million. I really believe that in arbitration, Burton would get a deal worth between $1.75 million and $2 million for 2013. Is Burton an injury risk? He had no injury problems in 2012, and with one more inning, he’ll match a career high. The Twins have taken care of him very well this year. In the first half, he did not pitch in back-to-back games. In the season’s first half, he pitched 35.1 innings. In the second half, he is at 23 innings. Through another full offseason, Burton should be at 100% going into spring training 2013. Here is what I would propose for a long-term deal for Jared Burton. I would want it to line up similarly to the deals that Jesse Crain got AFTER his three year deal. In his final arbitration year, he made $1.7 million. The Twins should feel good about the price they’ll pay in the following seasons. There is risk with Burton as he does have an injury past and he is 31 years old. Because of that, he should (or at least could) be willing to accept a little less per year for some long-term security. (At the same time, he may want to risk having another healthy, dominant season and finding out how he can do in free agency.) I would offer him $1.7 million in 2013, $2.2 million in 2014, and $2.5 million in 2015 with an option for $3 million in 2016 with a $100,000 buyout. All told, that’s a three year, $6.5 million with that fourth-year option. They could even do like they did with the Glen Perkins extension and add some incentives based on Games Completed. What do you think? First, would you explore a long-term contract with Jared Burton. Second, I’ve proposed 3 years and $6.5 million. What would your reaction be if you heard the Twins made the transaction? Click here to view the article

Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be taking a look at the depth by position throughout the Minnesota Twins organization. The majority of moves have been made. There could still be some minor league signings and there remain rumors of the Twins bringing in another starting pitcher. Today I will start with the catcher position. It has been a busy, rather interesting offseason for the Twins catching position.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The first news came in early November when the Twins and Joe Mauer announced that the all-star would be moving to first base permanently. In mid-December, the Twins traded Ryan Doumit to the Atlanta Braves, and a few days later they signed veteran Kurt Suzuki to a one-year deal. Here is a look at the catchers in the Twins system. The Big Leaguers Most would likely agree with Joe Mauer's decision to move to first base, but it would be naïve to believe that anyone will be able to fill his shoes. Mauer has been the guy behind the plate for a full decade. He’s won multiple Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers and batting titles. Josmil Pinto put up some impressive numbers for the Twins in September after hitting well in both AA and a handful of games in AAA. Most believe he can be a solid hitter in the big leagues because of an advanced hitting approach. The questions about Pinto are clearly around his defense, and those concerns are legit. Chris Herrmann got some time behind the plate in 2013. His value comes from taking quality at-bats and versatility. Besides catcher, he can also play in the outfield. Eric Fryer is a 28 year old backstop. As poor as Pinto is behind the plate, Fryer is that good defensively. The one certainty to be on the Twins 25-man roster on opening day (assuming health) is recently signed Kurt Suzuki who is a solid, athletic defensive catcher. His decline phase came early due to catching over 145 games two straight years early in his career. The reality is that one of two scenarios will unfold. If Josmil Pinto has a strong spring training, he likely enters the season as the #1 catcher with Suzuki as his backup. My assumption is the Twins would love for this scenario to play out. However, if Pinto has a rough camp, or his defense shows no improvement, I believe Suzuki will be the starter with Fryer as his backup. Versatility Besides Herrmann, the Twins have a few other catchers in the organization who have the ability to move around the diamond, which increases their value. Dan Rohlfing has been invited to big league camp each of the past three seasons. He has played the corner outfield positions as well as first base. In high school, he primarily played third base. Tyler Grimes made the move to catcher in 2013 after being a shortstop the first two years of his career. He was solid in his first year behind the plate, but he still got a few games at second base. Finally, Jorge Fernandez was drafted out of Puerto Rico in 2012 as a catcher. There is discussion that he could be moved to the outfield in 2014 as he is a very good athlete. 2013 Draft Picks Maybe the Twins had an inkling that even if Mauer had not been have moved to first base in 2014, it was coming in the near future. That may have been a reason they chose to target some catching in the 2013 draft. They drafted three catchers in the first nine rounds. Stuart Turner was the Twins 3rd round pick as a junior out of Ole Miss while Mitch Garver was their 9th round pick as a senior from New Mexico. They were two of the three finalists for the 2013 Johnny Bench Award, given to the top catcher in college baseball; Turner was the winner. Turner is known for his defense, but he hit nearly .400 during his collegiate season. Alex Swim was a late round pick out of college. He was also a nominee for the Johnny Bench Award. The Twins used a 6th round pick to take prep catcher Brian Navarreto. He is a big athlete who has a chance to be the best of the bunch. Prospect Rankings As far as who the top catching prospects are in the system, it is clear that Josmil Pinto is head and shoulders above the rest of the group. Beyond that, Navaretto and Turner are guys that I rank in the 30s, and for very different reasons. Turner is a college catcher whose ceiling is solid starter. His floor is solid, long-term backup catcher. Navaretto has the world of potential, but he has a long ways to go. Roster Projections In each installment I’ll make my roster projections. Obviously additional signings or injuries will affect all this, and that’s why it is important to have more than just two or even three at each level. There are also always players put on the disabled list. So again, most likely there won’t be four catchers at Cedar Rapids, but this gives an idea of who could be at each affiliate at the start of the season. · Minnesota: Kurt Suzuki, Eric Fryer · Rochester: Josmil Pinto, Chris Herrmann, Dan Rohlfing · New Britain: Kyle Knudson, Matt Koch · Fort Myers: Tyler Grimes, Jairo Rodriguez, Stuart Turner · Cedar Rapids: Mitch Garver, Michael Quesada, Bo Altobelli, BK Santy · Extended Spring Training: Jorge Fernandez, Brian Navaretto, Joel Polanco, Alex Swim Feel free to discuss the players and the roster. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Josh_Roenicke_600_321.jpg According to the Troy Renck, the Twins have claimed RHP Josh Roenicke and Infielder Thomas Field from the Colorado Rockies. Last year in Colorado, Roenicke went 4-2 with a 3.25 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. In 88.2 innings, he walked 43 and struckout 54. Looks awful Jeff Gray-like to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the Twins decided to DFA him in the coming days and try to sneak him through on a minor league deal. He's pitched in the big leagues for Cincinnati and Toronto before the Rockies. Field hits about like Pedro Florimon who the Twins claimed from the Orioles after the 2011 season. He played in just two games for the Rockies last year after hitting .246/.315/.400 with 31 doubles, 6 triples and 8 home runs for Colorado Springs last year. He committed 24 errors in 117 games in 2012. He had played 16 games for the Rockies in 2011. Comment here. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Roenick: http://www.baseball-...roenijo01.shtml Field: http://www.baseball-...id=field-003tho Click here to view the article

The Twins had a much-needed day off on Thursday. Players were able to stay at home (or in their hotel room, or wherever they’re staying), and get some things done… hopefully that included getting some rest. The team will start a series against the Royals at home on Friday night. Hopefully the Twins bats can tee off against lefty Everett Teaford! Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Thursday: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] GAME 1 - ROCHESTER 4, SYRACUSE 5 (8 innings) The Red Wings spent a full afternoon playing ball on Wednesday to make up for their rainout on Monday. In the first game, Cole DeVries was on the mound and he was very good. The righty went six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out eight. Casey Fien came in and after a scoreless seventh, he gave up three runs in the top of the 8th. Joe Benson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 8th to cut the lead to one, but it wasn’t quite enough for the Red Wings. Darin Mastroianni went 2-3 with a walk and his fourth stolen base. His triple tied the game in regulation. Joe Thurston was 2-3 in his Red Wings debut. Ray Chang was 2-4. GAME 2 - ROCHESTER 2, SYRACUSE 3 Jeff Manship was given a spot start for the Wings and pitched quite well. Through three innings, he gave up no hits and just one walk. In the fourth, he did give up a run on two hits and a walk, but he gave the Red Wings a solid four innings. Esmerling Vasquez came in and gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings. Anthony Slama struck out one in a scoreless inning. Unfortunately, the Red Wings had little offense. Matt Carson was 2-3 with his first home run of the year. Drew Butera was 2-3 with his third double. A quick note, Butera is hitting .316 now. NEW BRITAIN – No Game Scheduled The Rock Cats had a day off on Wednesday. Were they able to enjoy it? No. They got to make a nine-to-hour hour trek south to Richmond, Virginia. FT. MYERS MIRACLE 2, PALM BEACH 0 In the bottom of the second innings, Michael Gonzales knocked a single that scored Dan Rohlfing and Jairo Perez. That was about it for the offense for the Miracle. (Rohfling had singled and Perez walked). Danny Santana also hit his fourth double. Fortunately, it was enough for the Miracle pitchers. Marty Popham threw 5.2 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked three and struck out four. Ricky Bowen struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings. Caleb Thielbar pitched 1-2-3 ninth innings to pick up his first save. BELOIT 8, BOWLING GREEN 3 The Snappers bats were off and running right from the start. All eight runs were scored within the first four innings of the game. Wang-Wei Lin led the way. He was 3-5 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Eddie Rosario was 3-5 with his seventh double. (He also committed his sixth error at 2B) Jhonathan Goncalves was 3-4 with his seventh double, four RBI and stole his fourth base. Jairo Rodriguez was 2-4 with his fourth double. Miguel Sano was 1-2 with two walks and was also hit by a pitch. Matt Summers was the recipient of all the run support as he picked up his first win of the season. The right-hander went 5.2 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out five. Matt Tomshaw came in and got out of the sixth inning. He went two more innings and struck out a total of three batters. Ryan O’Rourke pitched a scoreless ninth inning. --- Players of the Day for Thursday, April 26, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Wang-Wei Lin Download attachment: WWLin.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Marty Popham Download attachment: MartyPopham.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Friday, April 27, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Buffalo – RHP PJ Walters New Britain @ Richmond – LHP Andrew Albers Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach – LHP Pat Dean Beloit vs Bowling Green – RHP Madison Boer --- 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

Happy Fourth of July to all of you! I am a couple days later than usual in posting the Twins minor league pitchers and hitters of the month thanks to my trip to Cedar Rapids (which was awesome, and the Kernels are home again this weekend, so get down there if you can!). Today, I'll be posting the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month. It's always good when there are several starting pitchers deserving of recognition. It's even better when several of the names you will see below are names seen in previous months because that means they're putting together a long stretch of quality starting performances. With that, I'm going to post a couple of honorable mentions before getting to the Top 5. HONORABLE MENTION Trevor May - Rochester - 4 GS, 24.2 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 27 K. 3-1, 3.65 ERA., 1.18 WHIP, .220 OBA.Pat Dean - New Britain - 6 GS, 36.2 IP, 43 H, 6 BB, 18 K, 4-1, 2.95 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, .289 OBA.Tim Shibuya - Ft. Myers - 4 G, 3 GS, 20.0 IP, 12 H, 0 BB, 10 K, 2-0, 0.45 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, .167 OBALet's get to the Top 5: #5 - Kohl Stewart - Cedar Rapids - 5 GS, 25.0 IP, 23 H, 8 BB, 15 K, 0-2, 2.16 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, .258 OBA. The Twins top pick in 2013 has had a very good season, and that has continued into June. He was named to the MWL All-Star team, though he didn't pitch in the game. He is on a pitch count, so he hasn't made it into the sixth inning too often. Many are worried about his lack of strikeouts, but when I talked to people in Cedar Rapids, no one was concerned. The general comment is that no one is hitting him well, and he's getting a lot of weak ground balls and pop-ups. Not bad considering he's 19 years old in a league where there are players three to five years older than him. #4 - Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 6 GS, 43.1 IP, 40 H, 10 BB, 26 K, 2-2, 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, .253 OBA. Rogers struggled in his first three starts this season and has been terrific since. He is doing the things that made him my choice for Pitcher of the Year last year. He's working quickly. He's efficient. He throws strikes. He's able to work deep into games. Reports last year had it that he was sitting 91-92 throughout the game and touching 94 at times. He's also got a very good slider. As you can see, he averaged more than seven innings in June. #3 - Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 6 G, 5 GS, 33.2 IP, 38 H, 5 BB, 24 K, 2-0, 2.94 ERA, 1 Save, 1.28 WHIP, .286 OBA. Tomshaw was the winner of this award in May when he put up silly numbers. He continued to be very good in June. He made five starts and one relief appearance. In that game, he worked the final four innings to record the save, and more important, clinch the first half title for the Miracle. The lefty has always been aggressive and worked quickly, but he's now hitting 91 on the radar. His utilization of The Thing has really helped him have a pitch that hitters (and maybe his catchers?) don't know what it will do. #2 - Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 6 GS, 38.1 IP, 29 H, 11 BB, 37 K, 4-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .206 OBA. Wheeler repeated the first half of the season in Ft. Myers, but after three June starts for the Miracle, he was promoted to New Britain. He has actually been even better in his three starts with the Rock Cats. The left-hander, whose brother has had a couple of big home runs this month for the Colorado Rockies, has increased his velocity. He now sits 89-91 and can occasionally reach 93. He's got good control of his secondary pitches as well. Some pretty solid performances, to be sure, but this month's Minnesota Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher choice was actually quite easy to pick. Download attachment: JO Berrios.jpg #1 - JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 6 GS, 41.0 IP, 24 H, 5 BB, 53 K, 4-1, 1.54 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, .168 OBA Yesterday, Berrios was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month. He was remarkable. At just 20 years old, Berrios shows such poise on the mound. He has terrific control and stuff that gets a lot of swings and misses. He's been able to get strikeouts while still being efficient enough to get into the 7th inning in most of his starts. If you want, you could even add one inning and two strikeouts to his above totals because he was the starting pitcher in the league All-Star game. His fastball continues to sit between 93 and 96 and touches 97. His breaking pitches are very sharp and he has a very good changeup. Berrios was Twins Daily's #6 prospect heading into the season, and he has without doubt firmly placed himself in the top five at this point. Feel free to comment on JO Berrios and the other starting pitchers highlighted this month. Click here to view the article

With a 6-5 win on Sunday, the Minnesota Twins swept the Chicago White Sox! That’s always fun. Phil Hughes had his worst start of the season for the Twins, but he was credited with the win thanks to enough offense and a spectacular job by the bullpen. There were some really good games in the Twins minor leagues on Sunday, several were one-run games. Continue reading to find out what happened in the Twins farm system on Sunday: Download attachment: ChadChristensen.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Buffalo 3 Box Score The Red Wings saw plenty of former Twins players in this loss at Buffalo. PJ Walters started for the Bisons and gave up one run on six hits and two walks in five innings. Former Twins draft pick John Stilson went the next two innings and gave up one run. Bobby Korecky reduced his season ERA to 0.45 and claimed his 9th save with a scoreless ninth inning. Darin Mastroianni went 0-4 in the game, leading off and playing right field. Now to the Red Wings. Doug Bernier had a big game at the plate. He went 4-5 with a double and now he’s hitting .307. Chris Colabello went 2-3 with a walk and his fifth double. Chris Rahl added two hits. Sean Gilmartin started for the Red Wings. The left-hander gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in 5.2 innings, earning the loss He struck out four. Michael Tonkin gave up a hit over 1.1 scoreless innings. Aaron Thompson pitched a perfect eighth inning. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Reading 3 Box Score Tyler Duffey started and led the Rock Cats to their 11th straight win. The righty went 7.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Adrian Salcedo walked one in one inning. Ryan O’Rourke came on and struck out the final two batters. Since May 17, the lefty reliever has accumulated seven innings in 11 games and given up no runs on just two hits and one walk and has struck out 12. The Rock Cats got five hits and walked six in this game. Aaron Hicks went 1-3. Kyle Knudson went 2-3. Brandon Waring hit his 16th double. Nate Hanson walked twice. Stephen Wickens went 1-3 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 3 Box Score Jorge Polanco broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 9th and Tyler Jones closed it out in the bottom of the inning. Polanco went 2-5 with his 12th double. Lance Ray was 2-5 with his sixth double. Stuart Turner went 2-4 with his fifth homer. Matt Tomshaw got the start on Sunday. The lefty went five innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He walked two, hit one and struck out three. Madison Boer struck out three in two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and walked two. Mason Melotakis, getting the win despite blowing the save, gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. Tyler Jones gave up only a hit in the ninth to record his ninth save. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1 – Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 0 Box Score Chad Christensen had a big game for the Kernels. He went 2-2 with two walks, hit his seventh home run and drove in three runs. Zach Granite went 2-4. Mitch Garver was 1-2 with a walk, was hit by a pitch and added his 17th double. Ryan Eades threw four shutout innings. He gave up two hits and walked four while striking out one. Alex Muren gave up one hit over two scoreless innings, earning the win. Todd Van Steensel hit a batter in a scoreless seventh inning, completing the shutout. Game 2 – Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 3 Box Score Tied at one going into the seventh inning, Alex Swim drove in Mitch Garver to give the Kernels a 2-1 lead. Hudson Boyd came in for the bottom of the seventh. The first batter he faced hit a home run to tie the game. A walk, a single, and another walk loaded the bases before Jacob Hannemann singled in the winning run. Fernando Romero started and gave up one run on one hit in three innings. He walked two and struck out two. Jared Wilson followed with three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out three. Boyd threw the seventh and earned the loss. Alex Swim tied the game at one in the fifth inning with a double that scored Jason Kanzler who was 1-2 and stole his 11th base. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Pulaski 0 Box Score Rookie League ball is always interesting. Box scores are typically not as clean as they are when you move up the system. This game is a good example of that. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning. Brian Navarreto singled up the middle. He was replaced by speedy Jonatan Hinojosa as a pinch runner. Three wild pitches later, and the E-Twins had a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, the first two batters walked. Following a fielder’s choice, a wild pitch gave the team a 2-0 lead. Felix Jorge dominated Appy League hitters a year ago. This spring, he really struggled in the Midwest League and was recently sent down to extended spring. His first start with the E-Twins this season was just like 2013. The righty threw five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four. Kuo Hua Lo worked two innings, yielding one hit and no walks and struck out two. Jake Reed came on and threw two scoreless innings for his first pro save. He struck out two. Since going 4-5 in his debut, Nick Gordon has gone 1-13 and is now hitting .278. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins do not have games on Sunday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Duffey, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) Altoona @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Virgil Vasquez (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – JO Berrios (Listen) Cedar Rapids – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) – TBD (Listen) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00am CST) – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. [/hr] A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins fourth straight win over the White Sox on Sunday, it means that on you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza for the fourth straight day (on Monday) when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article