Seth Stohs

With Rochester’s doubleheader, there were five games in the Minnesota Twins farm system on Tuesday. There was the much-anticipated spot start of Chih-Wei Hu with the Red Wings. Chattanooga posted double-digit runs again including big home runs from a couple of prospects. Cedar Rapids had a tough inning. The Twins beat Francisco Liriano which is a good thing. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs With Rochester’s doubleheader, there were five games in the Minnesota Twins farm system on Tuesday. There was the much-anticipated spot start of Chih-Wei Hu with the Red Wings. Chattanooga posted double-digit runs again including big home runs from a couple of prospects. Cedar Rapids had a tough inning. The Twins beat Francisco Liriano which is a good thing. Check out what happened throughout the Twins farm system on Tuesday. RED WINGS REPORT The Rochester Red Wings and the Durham Bulls played a day-night double header in New York on Tuesday because Durham’s field was to be used for the ACC Tournament. It gives the Red Wings an extra home game. Rochester 4, Durham 3 Game 1 - Box Score Needing an extra starter for the extra game, the Twins dipped down to High-A Ft. Myers and asked Chi-Wei Hu to make a spot start for Rochester. Hu has been arguably the best starting pitcher in the Twins minor leagues so far this season. He threw very well. He got through the first four innings without allowing a run. In the fifth, he gave up a one-out double that put runners on second and third, but allowed just one run to score. He came back in the sixth inning with a quick, 1-2-3 inning. In his six innings, he gave up one run on just two hits. He walked four and struck out six. It’s interesting that giving up one earned run in six innings increased his overall season ERA from 1.03 to 1.10. The Red Wings gave Hu a lead in the second inning when James Beresford singled in the first run of the game. In the fourth inning, Brock Peterson hit his fifth homer, a two-run shot off of former Twins starter Scott Diamond to give the team a 3-0 lead. After Hu gave up the fifth-inning run, the Red Wings got it right back in the bottom of the inning. Hu’s day was done after six strong innings. He was at 93 pitches, 55 of which were strikes. Caleb Thielbar threw a scoreless seventh inning, with one walk allowed. Mark Hamburger was given the eighth inning. He gave up four hits, but allowed just one run in the inning. AJ Achter came on for the ninth and despite allowing a solo home run, recorded his fifth save since Michael Tonkin was promoted. Peterson’s home run was the big hit of the day. James Beresford went 2-2 with a walk. Danny Ortiz went 2-4. Rochester 2, Durham 4 Game 2 - Box Score Alex Meyer started the nightcap in Rochester. He went just 4.2 innings and needed 109 pitches to get there. He gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out seven. Lester Oliveros came and on struck out five in two innings. He walked two and gave up a hit, but no runs. Lefty Ryan O’Rourke came on and got four outs, two of them on strikeouts. Logan Darnell struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning. The Red Wings managed just six hits in the second game. Eric Farris went 2-4. Josmil Pinto hit his sixth double and drove in a run. Reynaldo Rodriguez fouled a ball off his foot in the first game and left that game. Nate Hanson came in for him in Game 1. He played first base in Game 2 as well and went 1-3 with a walk. After the doubleheader split, the Red Wings are now 22-17. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 10, Montgomery 3 Box Score The Lookouts got strong starting pitching and a couple of big home runs on their way to another Southern League win. Greg Peavey put together his third consecutive strong start. He gave up two runs on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk. In fact, 72 of his 101 pitches were strikes. He has given up just four earned runs over 19 innings in his last three starts. He is now 4-1 despite a 6.53 ERA. Tim Shibuya came on and gave up a run on two hits over the final two innings. The Lookouts got a single run in the first inning to jump out to a quick lead. In the second inning, they scored three more runs. The big blow in that inning was a two-run homer from Stuart Turner. The Biscuits cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth inning, but in the bottom of the fourth, the Lookouts put the game out of reach. Byron Buxton’s long grand slam gave the Lookouts an 8-1 lead. The Lookouts added two more in the top of the first, the first coming on an RBI single off the bat of Max Kepler. Kepler went 2-3 with a walk. Buxton was 2-5. The home run was his fifth of the year, and he is now up to 29 RBI on the season, out of the leadoff position. He also stole his 11th base. Mike Gonzales went 3-4 in the game. Turner’s home run was his second of the year. He drove in three runs in the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Bradenton 6 Box Score With Chih-Wei Hu starting for Rochester on Tuesday, Ethan Mildren was plugged back into the rotation. He gave up six runs on ten hits and a walk in just four innings. Brian Gilbert struck out two over the next two innings. Luke Westphal walked two and struck out one in 1.2 scoreless innings. Brandon Peterson struck out in 1.1 innings. The Miracle managed just five hits. Logan Wade drove in the lone run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 7 Box Score Through five innings, Kernels starter John Curtiss was pitching well. He had given up two runs on three hits and a walk. His team had given him a three-run lead. Then he gave up a single to start the bottom of the sixth inning. It was followed by a walk and another single to load the bases. Peoria catcher Steve Bean came up and hit a grand slam and suddenly the three-run lead became a one-run deficit. Peoria added one more run and the Kernels were defeated. Curtiss’s final line isn’t nice. In six innings, he gave up six runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out four. Yorman Landa came on to pitch the seventh inning. He struck out one in a perfect inning. More important for the hard-throwing right-hander, it was his first game since May 22, 2014. He is returning from shoulder surgery. Mike Theofanopoulos came on and gave up a run in the eighth inning. “What did Trey do today” is the likely mantra for Kernels fans this season. Coming into the game, he led the Kernels in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, home runs and RBI. Again on Tuesday morning, Trey Vavra led the Kernels offense. He went 2-4 and launched a three-run home run in the third inning which gave the team a 4-2 lead. It was his sixth home run of the season. Pat Kelly had a nice 2-4 day. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Greg Peavey, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Durham @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (7:00 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games. View full article

Uffdah!!

Kevin Oklabzija (Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle) tweeted that he is hitting 94 with the fastball. Fun to listen to.

As we are now less than three weeks away from the MLB Draft, Twins Daily will begin our draft coverage soon. In preparation for the draft, we will be taking a quick look at the organizational depth around the diamond. While it is important for the Twins scouting team to select the Best Player Available, especially in the first ten to fifteen rounds of the draft, those picks should be about adding depth and talent regardless of position. Remember that the high school kids selected in the 2015 draft won’t be in the big leagues for at least five to seven years, if they get there. Even the college kids will take three or four years to make it. There is no way to know with any certainty what the Twins needs will be in 2020. Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports As we are now less than three weeks away from the MLB Draft, Twins Daily will begin our draft coverage soon. In preparation for the draft, we will be taking a quick look at the organizational depth around the diamond. While it is important for the Twins scouting team to select the Best Player Available, especially in the first ten to fifteen rounds of the draft, those picks should be about adding depth and talent regardless of position. Remember that the high school kids selected in the 2015 draft won’t be in the big leagues for at least five to seven years, if they get there. Even the college kids will take three or four years to make it. There is no way to know with any certainty what the Twins needs will be in 2020. Today, we start this series by reviewing the catchers in the organization: Minnesota Twins: Kurt Suzuki, Chris Herrmann The 31-year-old Suzuki is very well respected in the clubhouse. However, his .644 OPS is right in the range of where he was in 2012 and 2013. He is signed through the 2016 season with an option for 2017. Rochester Red Wings: Josmil Pinto, Eric Fryer, Allan de San Miguel (DL) Pinto turned 26 before the season started. As of this morning, he is hitting .284/.371/.431 (.802) with five doubles and four home runs for the Rochester Red Wings. There are mixed reports on his defense, still. Chattanooga Lookouts: Stuart Turner, Carlos Paulino Many – myself included – think that the 23-year-old Stuart Turner is likely the catcher of the future for the Twins. As he did a year ago in Ft. Myers, Turner is off to a slow start, this time in Double-A. Through 26 games, he is hitting .191/.298/.258 (.557) with three doubles and a home run. Defensively, everyone believes in him. Ft. Myers Miracle: Mitch Garver, Alex Swim, Michael Quesada Garver was the choice last year here at Twins Daily for Minor League Hitter of the Year. He moved up to Ft. Myers in 2015 and got off to a slow start. The 24-year-old has hit better of late and is now hitting .215/.351/.252 with four doubles. It is impressive to note that he has walked 22 times and struck out 21 times. On the other hand, Swim has been one of the brighter surprises in the farm system so far this spring. He has hit .336/.362/.350 with two doubles. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Jorge (JJ) Fernandez, Brett Doe, Rainis Silva, Brett Navarreto (DL) Fernandez and Navaretto are nearly polar opposites of each other. Navarreto is a strong-armed defensive whiz. Before going on the DL, he threw out 74% of would-be base stealers. However, through 16 games, he was hitting just .138/.164/.155. The 20-year-old should probably return to Elizabethton to work on the offensive side of the game. He’s got a ton of power potential. Fernandez is 21, and he has produced more offense to this point in his career. In 19 games with the Kernels, he has hit .216/.284/.365 (.649) with six doubles, a triple and a home run. He is a very good athlete and could play in the outfield if needed. He has not yet thrown out a base stealer in 12 attempts. Rainis Silva is another player who should probably play at Elizabethton this year. He played for the GCL Twins and did start to hit a little bit in the second half. He has not hit much yet, but he is very good behind the plate. He has thrown out 42% of base stealers. Extended Spring Training: Roberto Molina, Gabriel Ojeda, Jarrard Poteete, Alex Real (Suspended) Top 5 Prospects: 1.) Stuart Turner, 2.) Mitch Garver, 3.) Brian Navarreto, 4.) JJ Fernandez, 5.) Rainis Silva The Draft: The Twins will typically take a catcher between rounds three and eight. Not many quality catchers are available each year, and to get a quality one (or two), the team has chosen to pick one in these rounds most years. In 2013, they selected Turner in the third round, Navarreto in the sixth round and Garver in the ninth round. Late in the draft they took Alex Swim. Turner won the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top college catcher that year while Garver was runner-up and Swim was a nominee.Fernandez and Turner were also catchers selected in the first ten rounds of their draft. Catcher is a tough position. It is a position of attrition. Catchers get hurt. They wear down. More and more are suffering concussions. There are not a lot of catchers who are able to both hit and field the position well. If you find a catcher who can do both, he’ll be an All-Star. If you find one who can throw well, call a good game, pitch frame and work well with pitchers, he has a chance to be a big leaguer. Josmil Pinto has shown that being able to hit as a catcher is nice, but defense typically wins out at the position. I would expect that the Twins will draft a college catcher in the first ten rounds and a few later on in the draft as well. View full article

I've read this "AAAA Pitcher" comment here and on Twitter last night and today, and frankly, I just don't get it. To me, AAAA player means that the guy dominates in AAA and does pretty much nothing in the big leagues. Tommy Milone has had quite a bit of success in the big leagues. No, nobody should expect him to come back up and post a sub-3.00 ERA or strike out a batter an inning, but there should be no question that he is a big league pitcher. He's proven that.

They're all in Rochester.

I'm excited for Chih-Wei Hu's spot start today with the Red Wings. He's been (along with Stephen Gonsalves) the best pitcher in the Twins farm system this year. He's only made about 6 starts in High-A and about 8-9 in Low-A, and now an opportunity like this. I think it's exciting for the 21-year-old. How do TD Readers think he'll do this morning?

A very cool video story on the family reunion in Rochester. Last Friday, the Red Wings signed 26-year-old Ryan Wheeler. He has joined his younger brother Jason Wheeler with the team. Here is a nice video from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, an interview with both players.

They wouldn't get much for him, maybe a C-level prospect, if that. He's more valuable pitching well than he would get in trade. Now, if he did that in the big leagues for a couple of months, maybe they could get a B-level prospect.

When Tommy Milone was demoted to Rochester earlier this month, he was surprised and yet he said all the right things. He didn’t create a stir. He accepted the team’s decision and went to Rochester. He has, however, made a statement since he has been in Rochester. He has made a strong statement just how the Minnesota Twins would want him to, on the mound. On Monday night, he made his strongest statement yet. Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, USA TODAY When Tommy Milone was demoted to Rochester earlier this month, he was surprised and yet he said all the right things. He didn’t create a stir. He accepted the team’s decision and went to Rochester. He has, however, made a statement since he has been in Rochester. He has made a strong statement just how the Minnesota Twins would want him to, on the mound. On Monday night, he made his strongest statement yet. If this were a court of law, Milone and his representation would step to the podium with the following: Exhibit A: In his first Rochester start (May 8), he threw 6.1 shutout innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out eight batters. Exhibit B: In his second Rochester start (May 13), he threw 8.0 shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out 12. Exhibit C: In his third Rochester start (May 18), he threw 9.0 scoreless innings, his first professional complete game shutout. He gave up six hits, walked none and struck out 13. Exhibit D: In his three Rochester starts (consolidated), he has thrown 23.1 scoreless innings. He has given up just 14 hits, walked two and struck out 33 batters. I would say that is a pretty compelling argument for a return to the big leagues for Tommy Milone. There is no doubt that he is a big league pitcher. Simply, there is no reason for the 28-year-old southpaw to be in the minor leagues. Yet, that is where he finds himself. For now, at least. Should Tommy Milone’s next start, Saturday or Sunday, be in a Red Wings uniform, or should it be at Target Field? Well, this isn’t a court of law. There isn’t a jury of his peers, teammates, fans, observers. That decision is up to the Minnesota Twins front office, Terry Ryan and manager Paul Molitor. What they need to determine first is what type of roster alteration it would take to bring back Tommy Milone. It’s easy to say that Tommy Milone deserves to be in the big leagues. What is more difficult is determining how to make it happen. There are many things to consider, so let’s dive into some of them. Phil Hughes The 29-year-old is currently 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.29 ERA in eight starts. In 51 innings, he has walked five and struck out 35. Obviously after his historic 2014 season, he’s got a lot of leeway. That, and the fact that he’s signed through 2019. In other words, he’s not going anywhere. Kyle Gibson The lanky right-hander will be arbitration-eligible after 2016 season. He is under team control through 2019 season. A year ago, he went 13-12 with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in a very inconsistent first full season in 2014. Through his first eight starts of the 2015 season, he is 3-3 with a 2.98 ERA. In 48.1 innings, he has walked 17 and struck out 19. Many question whether he can remain successful with such a low strikeout total. That’s fair, but right now is not the time to take him out of the starting rotation. Those two are certain to remain in the rotation. The next three could all be considered to take out of the rotation, though there are good, legitimate reasons to keep each in the rotation. Ricky Nolasco Nolasco was placed on the disabled list after his first start. After some time off, he made one rehab start in Cedar Rapids. Since his return, he has gone 3-0 with a 4.11 ERA despite batters hitting .310 off him. The numbers aren’t all that encouraging, and yet to the eye, he looked really good in his last start. The numbers don’t speak to the improvement, but in my opinion, the pitches he was throwing – especially a very good breaking ball – looked greatly improved. Then there is the financial side of the story. The 32-year-old Nolasco is owed another $25 million after this season. Because of that, the Twins should not shut the door on the possibility of him returning to what he was. Mike Pelfrey The 31-year-old is healthy for the first time in several years, and he is pitching quite well. He is 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in his seven starts. In 39 innings, he has walked 15 and struck out 17. His peripherals are not great, and like Gibson, it’s easy to wonder how sustainable his success may be. He is in the final year of his two year, $11 million contract. He began the season in the bullpen, though he didn’t pitch out of the bullpen at all because of Ervin Santana’s suspension. He’s got the nice numbers, but in his three May starts, he has failed to complete five innings twice. Trevor May We clamored for Trevor May to be promoted much of the first half of the 2014 season. He spent the final two months with the Twins last year. This spring, he was the one sent to Rochester out of spring training. Like Pelfrey in the bullpen, May never made a start for the Red Wings. When Nolasco went on the DL, May was summoned. The 25-year-old has pitched all right at times. Overall, he is 2-3 with a 5.15 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 36.2 innings in his seven starts. In his three May starts, he is 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA and opponents are hitting .309 off him with a .851 OPS. So What Should They Do? I frequently hear and read that the Twins should consider what is best for the team’s long-term future. In fact, I’m sure I’ve said that many times in recent years. However, at this point, I’m kind of tired of only thinking long-term. I want the team to keep winning now, and do what is best for the team now. That’s not to say “forget about the future”, just that it can’t be the lone factor. One thing we know is that Tommy Milone should be in the big leagues. Although the three battled it out in spring training, it appears that this decision really comes down to Milone, Mike Pelfrey and Trevor May. I see four possible scenarios: Scenario 1: Tommy Milone comes up to the big leagues to start, Trevor May optioned to Rochester. Scenario 2: Tommy Milone comes up to the big leagues to start, Mike Pelfrey goes to the bullpen. Scenario 3: Tommy Milone comes up to the big leagues to pitch out of the bullpen. Scenario 4: Tommy Milone remains in Rochester and continues to start. In my opinion, Scenario 3 really isn’t a good option. Scenario 4 may be the most likely scenario to happen, though it’s important to start thinking about MIlone coming up. What I think will happen? My thought is that Trevor May has the numbers to justify heading back to AAA Rochester to continue to work on the things that have worked for him in the big leagues. Still just 25, it would not hurt May. What I would probably do? It’s hard to know without being in the clubhouse or being privy to everything. However, I think that the Twins should do what they did this spring. I think that Tommy Milone should be in the rotation. I think that Mike Pelfrey can become a really good contributor out of the bullpen. I would stick with Trevor May in the rotation for the time being. Summary When a player feels wronged about being sent from the big leagues down to the minor leagues, they can handle it several ways. They can mope and not perform. They can complain through the media, or even request a trade. I think most would agree that the best way to handle the situation is to do exactly what Tommy Milone has done. He’s taken the disappointment and pitched better than anyone could have expected. He has forced the Twins' hand at this point. What will the Twins do? View full article

Be sure to link to articles on other sites so people can go read the article. I haven't read Jesse's article yet. I'd have no problem with Pinto coming up. I think many think that he's more than what he is, and that's fine. I would disagree with the idea that Hicks and Pinto have had hills to climb. Maybe this year, but that's due to past performance in the big leagues, but both got to the big leagues when (or before) they were believed to be ready. This year, they had to wait a little longer. It's hard to know yet who the manager's "favorites" are at this point. I don't think that's a fair statement.

That's really a question for Mat, but here is his Adopt-A-Prospect page, if you're interested. http://twinsdaily.com/topic/17937-mat-batts-2015/

Keaton Steele is starting the suspended game for the Kernels tonight. Mat Batts starts the regularly-scheduled game.

I had 72-73 wins before the season started. After one week, I had about 67-67 wins. Now, I'll say 75-76.

No doubt in my mind that Sano CAN be an MLB third baseman. As Parker wote above, it's more about concentration because he is a good athlete, and he has decent range, and he has a very powerful arm. Will he play there? I don't know. That might be dependent upon other things, such as how good Plouffe has become and will be. I have little doubt that Sano will become a very good MLB power hitter.

JO Berrios was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week. The complete game, two-hit shutout probably helped.

Tommy Milone was named the International League Pitcher of the Week this week:

Minnesota Twins Minor League Player of the Week: Week 1: Tyler Duffey, Chattanooga Lookouts Week 2: Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels Week 3: Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts Week 4: Trey Vavra, Cedar Rapids Lookouts Week 5: Miguel Sano, Chattanooga Lookouts Sano played in eight games for the Lookouts, hitting .379 (11-for-29) with four doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, three walks and a .438 on-base percentage...after hitting .159 (10-for-63) in 18 April games, he has hit .321 (18-for-56) in 16 May games..

There haven't been a lot of transactions this year. I'm not sure if I've missed some or not. Today, the Twins sent Kennys Vargas down to Rochester (to make room for Eduardo Nunez). Also, Sam Clay and CK Irby were sent back to Extended Spring Training from Cedar Rapids. In their place, Yorman Landa was moved up along with RHP Keaton Steele.

Just tweeted this: Kennys Vargas: 13 games since April 29: .354/.380/.521 (.901) (50 PA) Last 7 games (since May 6): .375/.423/.583 (1.006) (26 PA)

Following Sunday afternoon's game, the Twins announced that Eduardo Nunez was coming off of the Disabled List. To make room, Kennys Vargas was optioned to AAA Rochester.

Vavra is a fourth year senior in his first full minor league season. In Brian Dozier's first full season (after 4 years of college), he was in Beloit through late May, and he was in the big leagues less than two years later. I'm not putting Vavra in Dozier's category (though Dozier didn't hit like Vavra has in the Midwest League) at this time, but it's way too early to worry about age-to-level of competition stuff.