Seth Stohs

Well, Desmond Jennings didn’t get a double on the first pitch in Sunday’s game as he had Friday and Saturday nights. However, on a 1-2 pitch, he hit a home run off of Scott Diamond. Diamond threw yet another Quality Start, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and the Twins lost 6-3 thanks to a late rally by the Rays. In the minor leagues, there is a lot going on. Monday will be the final off day for New Britain. Not big news by itself, but it does mean that the seasons are wrapping up quickly. The Rock Cats find themselves fighting for a playoff spot. If the season ended today, they would have the final Eastern League playoff position. The Beloit Snappers earned their playoff berth in the first half, and they are putting together a strong roster. Elizabethton is again a force in the Appalachian League. It will be fun to watch these final weeks. If you missed it on Sunday, I posted the current Minor League Hitting Leaders and Pitching Leaders in many categories. Check those out. There were many more terrific performances on Sunday. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 10, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 The Red Wings continue to get great performances from a couple of guys who started the season with the Twins and were sent down for more seasoning. In this game, Liam Hendriks started and threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out four to drop his ERA to 1.99 with the Red Wings. Caleb Thielbar came in and gave up just two hits over the final two innings. He struck out two. Chris Parmelee led the offense in this one. The first baseman went 3-4 with a walk, his 14th double, his 14th and 15th home runs and four RBI. Matt Carson went 2-5 with his 22nd double and 13th home run. Clete Thomas went 2-4 with a walk, his 12th home run and his 10th stolen base. NEW BRITAIN 3, READING 8 The Rock Cats and Reading split their four game set, leaving the Rock Cats ½ game ahead for the final playoff spot with three weeks to go. The Rock Cats fell behind early. They were down 4-0 heading into the 7th inning stretch, but over the next two innings, they pulled back to within one, 4-3. Unfortunately, they allowed four runs in the top of the 9th and fell 8-3. Steve Hirschfeld started and gave up four runs (3 earned) on eight hits over five innings. He falls to 7-7. Aaron Thompson came in and gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. Jose Gonzalez struckout one in his inning. Dakota Watts came in for the 9th frame and gave up four runs (2 earned) on two hits and a walk. Dan Rohlfing led the offense. He went 3-4 with his 12th double. Deibinson Romero went 2-4. Chris Colabello was 1-2 with two walks. Oswaldo Arcia went 1-3 with a walk and his 15th double. FT. MYERS, ST. LUCIE Carl Pavano was supposed to start, and Kyle Gibson was supposed to come in second for the Miracle. Unfortunately, the game was postponed due to rain. BELOIT 6, PEORIA 5 Kennys Vargas drilled a three-run home run in the first, and the Snappers hung on for a one-run lead. Vargas led the way on this day. The burly first baseman went 2-3, was hit by a pitch, hit his fourth double and the homer was his eighth. Steven Wickens went 2-3 with a walk. Nate Roberts had a walk, his 12th double and stole his 20th base. Tyler Jones got the start and struggled through 3.2 innings. He gave up four runs on four hits and six walks. Corey Kimes came in and gave up just one run on three hits over the next 3.1 innings. Cole Johnson returned from the DL and worked a scoreless eighth frame. Corey Williams picked up his 16th save with a scoreless ninth. It was a short day for 3B Miguel Sano. After walking in the first inning, he was called out on strikes in the third. A brief glance turned into his first ejection of the year. The Snappers wore special “Tuxedo” uniforms as seen below. (Thank you to Rinaldi Photos for the below picture of infielder Steven Wickens in his tuxedo uniform!) ELIZABETHTON 3, BRISTOL 1 The E-Twins are known for having a big offense, but on this day, it was an all-around great game for the team. There was some offense. Niko Goodrum was 3-5. Adam Walker was 3-5 with his first stolen base. Max Kepler was 2-5. Those were the team’s 2, 3 and 4 hitters. The other six hitters combined to go 2-22 in the game. There was some good pitching as well. Hein Robb, a young lefty from South Africa, started and gave up just one hit in five scoreless innings. He walked none and struck out five. Josh Burris improved to 6-0. He gave up no runs and no hits, but he walked two and struck out two. Andrew Ferreira walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning. JT Chargois pitched the final two innings to record his third save. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks. He struck out five. GCL TWINS There are no games scheduled in the GCL on Sundays. --- Players of the Day for Sunday, August 12, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Chris Parmelee Download attachment: Chris Parmelee.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Liam Hendriks Download attachment: Liam Hendriks RW.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Monday, August 13, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Lehigh Valley – RHP Shairon Martis New Britain – No Game Scheduled Ft. Myers – No Game Scheduled Beloit vs Peoria - LHP Matt Tomshaw Elizabethton – No Game Scheduled GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles – 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

Yesterday, I posted Part 1 of my interview with Jake Mauer, the manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Cedar Rapids is the home of the Twins Low Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. We discussed his goals as a manager/coach, the language barrier that there can be in baseball, the best part of managing and much more. He even discussed the similarities between Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer. In Part 2 today, Mauer will discuss several more topics including the importance of development versus winning, left-handed pitching, several players including Aaron Hicks and more. Enjoy the interview and feel free to comment as well. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] PART 2 Watching Aaron Hicks play in Ft. Myers, where he didn’t put up big stats, what made you think that he had something? Jake Mauer (JM): I think he got a little enamored with the long ball, and I think he tried to do that in Ft. Myers a little more than hitting. You play in those big ball parks, and I think he tried to muscle up a little bit and got into a funk, but I think that’s part of learning too. Joe’s first year in the Florida State League, I think he was only hitting two-something, maybe .220, in the month of April. He wasn’t tearing the league up by any stretch of the matter. So it’s part of development and understanding that very rarely do guys come in and just tear the league apart right away and do it for the whole year. There’s usually a point where the league adjusts to you, and that’s part of it. Aaron obviously made a commitment last year to turn himself into a pretty good player. Now it’s another thing to be starting over in the big leagues. It’s another learning process for him. Watching batting practice, it’s clear that bunting is done different. When I played, bunts were supposed to go down the lines, but now it seems like hitting it back toward the pitcher is just fine. JM: I’m the same way, I still like to bunt it toward the lines and make the corner guys field it. But the thought-process behind it that most of the time, if the pitcher fields it, and it’s not a bullet back to him, if he has to come in and pick the ball up, he’s going to throw it to first base most of the time anyway. So, what they’re trying to do with sacrifices is to take the guy who’s trying to be too fine and bunts the ball and it roles foul. Now we have to tee it up again. More of the thought process is just get it down into the grass where the pitcher has to field it and throw it to first. So, it’s still just trying to deaden it? JM: It’s having a feel for it. Really, a lot of our guys try to get too perfect. They’re sacrificing and they’re almost trying to bunt for a base hit. We’re just trying to change the mentality a little bit. Josue Montanez was added to the Kernels roster that already includes a lot of lefties. A couple of years ago, there were very few left-handers in the organization, now is it a focus? JM: I think it’s just kind of a cyclical thing. Honestly, where we drafted the last couple of years, we had opportunities to get some guys that can run it up there pretty good. We drafted earlier compared to five years ago when we drafted toward the bottom of the draft. I think the opportunities were there. I think Ibarra’s got a very good arm, a left-handed arm. Jose Gonzalez has a pretty good arm. Those guys are AA now. We have some guys here, you’re going to see (Mason) Melotakis today. (Josue) Montanez has a pretty good arm. Brett Lee threw the ball pretty good last night. We have some left-handed arms that we haven’t had for a while. Do I think that the scouts are focusing on it? I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s just not only our draft status, but some opportunities internationally to get these kids and develop them. What is yours and the organization’s philosophy of development versus winning? JM: To be honest, development is one, number one, without a doubt. But winning is 1A, if that makes sense. You’ve got to try. Am I going to sacrifice bringing a guy in in the ninth inning to get one out? I am pretty confident that my closer is going to come in and slam the door. Well, let’s see. Let’s maybe given another kid an opportunity. I think it’s unfair to kids to pigeonhole them when they’re this young. Melotakis may be a starter, may not be a starter, but he’s got a good arm, so let’s see what we have. Especially the way starting pitching is around the league. They’re at a premium. When you’ve got guys that are fourth and fifth starters getting double-digit figures that just tells you where it is and the value that’s place on it. Development is number one, give guys an opportunity. That’s my biggest belief. But in the 9th inning, if we get a chance to try to win the game, maybe it’s a pinch hit or pinch run for somebody, we’re going to do that most of the time. But, there will be some managerial moves that wouldn’t necessarily make sense, but I think it will be better for the development of a hitter or a pitcher just to see what happens. We may sacrifice some losses just to see what we have. History suggests he’ll spend the full season in Cedar Rapids, but is there any chance that Byron Buxton moves up to Ft. Myers during the season? JM: To be determined. If he’s dominating the league here, they’ll probably move him. But that’s not to say anyone. If JD Williams is dominating, they’ll probably move him too. It’s kind of the neat thing. It’s not like, and I use the term, it’s not like school where you do just enough and they graduate you. You have to play your way out of leagues. Michael Tonkin is a good example. Started in Beloit. Probably not happy. Asked what he’s got to do. Well, he’s got to go out and dominate the league. Well, he did. Then he went to Ft. Myers. He got down there, dominated the league. Gets himself on the 40 man. Does a nice job out in Arizona. Now he’s in AA knocking on the door. That can happen. These guys have to realize that nothing is going to be given to him. They got to go out and play, and if they dominate a league, we’re going to get them out of here. AJ Achter and Michael Tonkin followed very similar paths in 2012, can you compare and contrast the two? They were outstanding. Achter is a little more polished right now, but realistically, Tonkin probably has a higher ceiling. He’s got more power stuff, that you would want to see at the back end. Achter’s stuff is pretty good also. I would say that’s probably the biggest difference between the two. Tonkin’s going to be more of a strikeout guy, swing and miss guy. And Achter’s going to get his fair share, but he’s smart enough too. He’s not a strikeout guy. He gets them to swing at his pitch, ground ball. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s going to be that power pitcher than Tonkin can be. A baseball season is pretty time-consuming and intense. What do you enjoy doing to get away from the game? It’s nice. My family is here most of the time we’re in town. When school winds down, they’re able to spend more time. That keeps me pretty busy. I try to give mom a break because she’s got those two all the time. There’s no break for her. We’ll go play golf as a staff. That’s probably more on the road in the morning. The boys like to sleep in, which is fine, but I don’t think anyone in that other room sleeps in either. We’ll get up and go play. Come to the park and get our stuff down. This is a bigger town for an A ball town, about 100,000 people. There are a lot of opportunities, a couple of malls on the south and north sides. There’s things to do. Different, decent restaurants, to go sit down and eat and have good meals. Yeah, you try to get away, Seth, I think you have to. I think it’s important. It can consume you. Baseball can. It’s every day. You want to try to spice it up sometimes. It can turn into Groundhogs Day, and you don’t want it ever to feel like a job, if that makes sense. It’s fun. We get to put a uniform on and go out there and play, and they pay you to do it. You can’t beat that. You get serious when it’s time to get serious. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself when it’s appropriate too. I think that, if you have that kind of attitude and that mindset, and you’ll be ok. Adam Walker puts on a show in batting practice and has incredible power, but he appears to, like many, struggle with the breaking pitches. He gets pull happy sometimes. His hands get around the ball. If he thinks, just stay to the inside of the ball, he’s still going to pull it. It’s not telling you to punch the ball that way. If he stays inside the ball, he’ll be OK. Watching Travis Harrison work in batting practice is great. Great stance, uses his hands well, and the ball jumps off his bat. He’s strong. He’s strong in his hands for a young man too. He’ll learn the strike zone a little bit, and young hitters do, they get anxious sometimes. When he starts recognizing pitches and tendencies, and not only that, but what he can really lock into, you’ll start seeing him pop some balls out of the park. Is that the key to hitting and hitting for power? I think it’s learning yourself. Learning what pitches you can take a chance on, per se, and understanding points in the game and counts, when you can do it. I think that’s the biggest thing, not only with those potential power guys, but with the small guys too. You have to learn your role. That’s part of the Objectives meeting that we have. We tell each guy how you fit on our team right now. Probably going to change. You know, (Drew) Leachman obviously is going to hit in the middle of our order, and he goes down the first night, so things change a little bit. We slide Polanco down to the 3-hole and different things like that. He’s going to DH today and we’ll how that goes, but I think it’s learning yourself as a hitter and getting those at bats, having that understanding. You learn how to hit and all that other power stuff starts to show up. --- As I’ve said, Jake Mauer was great. He was willing to take time to chat with me on several occasions and answer questions, or just kind of chat about other things like playing baseball in the MIAC (Minnesota Inter-collegiate Athletic Conference), family, etc. His whole staff was great. Tommy Watkins is as good of a guy as there is. It was fun chatting with him as well. And I got the chance to meet Gary Lucas for the first time and he was a terrific guy. Kernels GM Doug Nelson chatted with me for an extended period all four days I was there. He is good. He runs a great show at Perfect Game Field and other venues around the city. He’s got to be quite busy, but he was kind enough to spend time with me. Morgan Hawk is their PR guy as well as doing the radio broadcast at www.kernels.com. He was extremely helpful and supportive. As I wrote yesterday, I can’t encourage people to make a trip to Cedar Rapids enough to watch this team play. I made the trek last week. I’m hoping to get there at least one more time this summer. I’ll be joining the Territory Train in late June to spend a couple of fun-filled days watching Kernel baseball. If you’re interested in joining that trip, click here. View full article

On Tuesday morning, we woke up to the news that the Elizabethton team bus driving from Ft. Myers to Elizabethton was involved in a fatal, head-on accident. Fortunately, none of the Elizabethton players or personnel were injured. The driver of the other vehicle, driving on the wrong side of the road, died. We should be seeing rosters for the E-Twins and the GCL Twins shortly. On Tuesday night, eight Kernels played in the Midwest League All-Star game. We should also hear about any player promotions on Wednesday. There were a couple great performances on Tuesday night, so check out what happened below.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 4, Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders 3 Box Score Andrew Albers continued his impressive season. The lefty went the first 6.1 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out four. Cody Eppley came on and got one out, but he walked two. Aaron Thompson gave up one run on one hit in 1.2 innings and he struck out two. Michael Tonkin picked up his third save, getting the final two outs. Antoan Richardson was on base a bunch again. He went 2-4 with a walk and his sixth double. He also stole his 13th base. Doug Bernier was 2-4 with his 10th double and second triple. Chris Herrmann went 2-5. New Britain Rock Cats 8, Erie Thunder 0 Box Score The Rock Cat bats showed up, but the story has to be the performance of Trevor May. The right-hander acquired in the offseason from the Phillies put together his best start of his season. He went 7.2 innings without allowing a run. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out nine for the win. Edgar Ibarra came on and struck out the batter he faced. Cole Johnson pitched the 9th, giving up just one walk. Danny Santana led off and went 4-5 with his 12th double. Nate Hanson was 3-4 with a walk, his ninth double and three RBI. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-4 with a walk and his eighth home run. Eddie Rosario was 2-4 with a walk and is now hitting .313 in his short time with the team. Miguel Sano was 0-4 to drop his average to .067. Ft. Myers Miracle 15, Palm Beach 6 Box Score Matt Koch has had a good season to this point and on Tuesday he was tremendous. He went 4-4 with a walk, his tenth and eleventh doubles and his fourth home run. Jhon Goncalves went 3-4 with a walk, his second homer and third stolen base. Kennys Vargas went 2-3 with two walks, his 21st double and 13th home run. Matt Tomshaw was the recipient of the run support on his way to his second Miracle win. He gave up three runs on ten hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out one. Ryan O’Rourke picked up his second save with three innings of work. He gave up three runs on four hits. Cedar Rapids Kernels The Kernels are on their All-Star break. However, eight members of the Kernels roster played in the Midwest League All-Star Game Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. Byron Buxton was the leadoff hitter and centerfielder. He went 0-3. Dalton Hicks batted third and played 1B. He was 1-3. Adam Walker batted fourth and played right field. He was 1-3. Jorge Polanco played 2B and batted seventh. He was 1-2 with a walk. Niko Goodrum came on late to play shortstop. He was 1-1 with a walk and a two-run single in the ninth. Travis Harrison played third base late and went 0-1. JO Berrios got one out in the seventh inning. He gave up one run on one hit and a walk; the out came on a strikeout. Steve Gruver got two outs in the 8th inning, one on a strikeout. The Kerrnels' Mid-West Division lost to the Mid-East Division 6-5. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

A ten run second inning was more than enough run support for Scott Diamond who won for the 10th time this season. The left-hander worked the first seven innings and gave up three runs (2 earned). Jeff Gray and Luis Perdomo each threw a scoreless inning. It was the offense in this game. In that ten-run inning, Josh Willingham hit his 29th home run. The next batter was Justin Morneau, who hit his 14th home run. The entire team batted around again, and #6 hitter Ryan Doumit also homered in the same inning. Later, Justin Morneau hit his second home run of the year, his 15th homer of the season, and the 200th of his career. Ben Revere went 4-5 to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. Joe Mauer had three more hits, including two doubles. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from a quiet Monday night of games in the minor leagues. ROCHESTER 2, EMPIRE STATE 9[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] After playing 19 innings on Monday night, the one thing that the Red Wings needed was a quality, lengthy start. Left-hander Pedro Hernandez, who came to the organization in the Francisco Liriano trade, made his first start for the Red Wings. It didn’t go so well. The 23-year-old went just two innings and gave up six runs on ten hits. He walked none and struck out two. David Bromberg, who was promoted to the Red Wings for such an occurrence came on and gave the team four good innings. He gave up one run on two hits and three walks while striking out four. Eric Hurley, pitching on a bullpen day, struck out two in the 7th inning. Then things got interesting. Matt Carson, who started the game in right field, came in to pitch the 8th inning. He gave up two runs on one hit and two walks. He gave up a home run. For Carson, it was the first time he pitched in a game since 2009… when he pitched six innings over six games for AAA Sacramento. Then, catcher Rene Rivera pitched the ninth inning. The hard-thrower needed just ten pitches to complete a perfect inning. He struck out one batter, and all ten pitches he threw were strikes. He had not pitched in a game in his career. The last Red Wings position player to pitch in a game was Toby Gardenhire, who worked a scoreless inning in July of 2011. There was not much offense for the Rock Cats on this night. Wilkin Ramirez went 2-4. Ray Chang drove in both Red Wings runs with his seventh double. The loss ended a seven-game win streak for the Red Wings. Also, Chris Parmelee, who was named the International League Hitter of the Week, went 0-3 (with a walk) to end his 15 game hitting streak. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS New Britain did not have a game scheduled on Tuesday. FT. MYERS MIRACLE There were no games scheduled in the Florida State League. BELOIT 5, WISCONSIN 3 The Snappers played another very well-rounded game on Monday. 2012 pick, LHP Taylor Rogers started and provided the team with another quality start. He gave up three runs on six hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Corey Williams came in and gave up two hits and a walk, but no runs, in 1.2 innings. Zack Jones came in and got the final four outs to record his third save. He struck out two. Nate Roberts again did a great job of setting the table for the Snappers. He went 2-3 with a walk, his tenth double and 17th stolen base. AJ Pettersen hit his 10th double. Eddie Rosario drove in two runs and hit his 24th double. Stephen Wickens went 1-2 with two walks and his third stolen base. Miguel Sano hit his 23rd home run. ELIZABETHTON, DANVILLE They just can’t seem to get the rain to stop in the mountains of Tennessee. These teams were supposed to play a doubleheader on Tuesday night, but due to more inclement weather, these two games have been cancelled. GCL TWINS 3, GCL RAYS 4 Kuo-Hua Lo started for the Twins. He threw four shutout innings and gave up just one hit. He walked none and struck out four. Anthony Slama came in and made his first appearance since breaking his fibula. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. He struck out three. Yorman Landa came in and gave up three runs (2 earned) on two hits and three walks in 2.1 innings. He struck out two. The Twins bats managed just six hits. John Murphy hit his eighth double. In his first game in the Twins organization, Jeremias Pineda went 1-4 with his 15th stolen base. He is now hitting .416. --- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 6, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Nate Roberts Download attachment: TimothyDaltonCentennial.jpg Download attachment: Nate Roberts Walk.jpg Left: Timothy Dalton in the late-70s mini-series Centennial. Right: Nate Roberts walking in from stretching. Pitcher of the Day – Kuo-Hua Lo Download attachment: KuoHuaLo.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, August 7, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Empire State – RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain @ Binghampton (2 games) – TBD Ft. Myers vs Jupiter – RHP Madison Boer Beloit vs Wisconsin – RHP Tyler Jones Elizabethton @ Johnson City – LHP Hein Robb GCL Twins vs GCL Rays – TBD --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

Rain was a big part of the story in the Minnesota Twins farm system on Wednesday. On Thursday, two Twins' affiliates played double-headers, so there were a total of eight games to follow. Another day… another Chris Colabello home run. Colabello often speaks of only worrying about things that are in his control. He can’t control when Terry Ryan will call him up, but he can control his approach at the plate.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] And frankly, his numbers have to be making Mr. Ryan consider ways to get him back on the Twins roster. I’m thinking Ryan is happy to have Colabello putting up the kinds of numbers that make him think of changing the major league roster. Two other players launched homers to put themselves in a tie for third place in the organization in home runs. There were a couple very strong pitching performances, but there were also a couple pitchers who would like a mulligan. Here is a look at what happened in the Twins farm system on Thursday: Rochester 7, Pawtucket 6 Box Score Chris Colabello was at it again on Thursday night. He went 2-5 with his 24th home run, a majestic blast estimated at 450 feet to straight-away center. Jermaine Mitchell went 2-3 with two walks and his 14th double. Eric Farris went 2-4 with his third home run. Logan Darnell’s most recent start was tremendous. This one wasn’t as good. Through the first four innings, he gave up just one run. However, he gave up five runs in the fifth inning without recording an out. Overall, he was charged with six runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out four in four innings. Aaron Thompson came on and gave up one hit over the next 2.2 innings. Cody Eppley got the next four batters out. Shairon Martis came on and pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save. New Britain 2, Trenton 0 Box Score Lefty Pat Dean was terrific. He threw 7.2 scoreless innings: he allowed six hits, walked one and struck out four. Dakota Watts came on and got the final four outs, two on strikeouts, to complete the shutout. As you would expect from such a low-scoring game, there was not much offense. Miguel Sano hit his fourth double. Jordan Parraz went 2-2 with a walk and his second stolen base. Game 1 – Ft. Myers 1, Jupiter 6 Box Score The first game is the completion of a game that had been suspended in the fifth inning on Wednesday. Kyle Davies started the game and went the first five innings. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out four. Matt Tomshaw came on when the game resumed. The southpaw gave up three runs on five hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out three. Kennys Vargas provided the offense. He went 2-4 with his 14th home run of the year. Game 2 – Ft. Myers 2, Jupiter 6 Box Score Taylor Rogers was activated from the disabled list and made the start. He gave up six runs on five hits and four walks in just two innings. Adrian Salcedo threw three innings and gave up one hit. Ryan O’Rourke worked the final two innings and gave up one hit. Again, there was not much offense for the Miracle. Aderlin Mejia went 2-4 with his 13th stolen base. Stephen Wickens hit his third homer of the year. Cedar Rapids 9, Dayton 13 Box Score The Kernels fell behind early, attempted a comeback, but fell short. Josue Montanez had been terrific in his previous two starts. This one didn't go as well. The lefty gave up ten runs (9 earned) on seven hits and six walks in four innings. He struck out three. Hudson Boyd came on and gave up an unearned run on a hit and two walks in three innings. He struck out three. Madison Boer pitched the game’s final two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits, walking two and striking out two. Jonathan Murphy went 3-5. Fellow Jacksonville U alum Adam Walker went 1-2 with three walks and his 14th home run. Jorge Polanco had two hits, including his 23rd double. Jeremias Pineda and Tyler Grimes each went 2-4. JD Williams added his eighth home run. Travis Harrison walked three times. Photo by: Rinaldi Photos Game 1 – Elizabethton 5, Bristol 4 Box Score Rain on Wednesday created this double-header. Earlier in the day, these games looked uncertain, but the weather finally did cooperate. Felix Jorge proved human in this start. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on six hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out six. Ethan Mildren walked two in a scoreless inning. Dallas Gallant then struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning, gaining the win when the Twins came from behind with two runs in the final inning. Javier Pimentel went 2-3 with his sixth double. Zach Granite was 2-3 with a walk. Kelvin Ortiz hit his first home run. Dereck Rodriguez hit his sixth double, and Ryan Walker hit his third double. Game 1 – Elizabethton 6, Bristol 11 Box Score It was a doubles day for Dereck Rodriguez; he went 2-3 with his seventh and eighth doubles. Romy Jimenez went 2-3. Bryan Haar hit his fourth triple. Bryan Santy and Carlos Avila each hit his first double of the year. Josh Burris made the start. He gave up six runs on three hits in three innings. He walked six and struck out five. Carson Goldsmith gave up three runs on one hit and three walks and recorded just one out. The out he got was a strikeout. Andre Martinez finished that inning by getting the final two outs, though he did walk two. Twins fifth-round pick Aaron Slegers made his first professional appearance with a perfect inning. Austin Malinowski gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits in his inning, while striking out three. GCL Twins 6, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score Damian Defrank started and gave up one run on four hits and two walks in three innings. He struck out two. Then Stephen Gonsalves came on and was impressive. In three scoreless innings he held the Orioles hitless, walked one and struck out three. Josh Guyer worked a scoreless inning, though he gave up one hit and walked one. Markus Solbach gave up an unearned run over his two innings. Joel Polanco went 2-3 with a walk. Jason Kanzler was 2-4 with his fourth double. Evan Bigley’s rehab continues. Here he had a triple and three RBI. Thanks for checking out today’s Twins minor league report. Please feel free to discuss, comment or ask questions. View full article

The Twins have about 30 pitchers coming to spring training this year. Some Twins fans are upset that the Twins haven't signed the likes of Dan Wheeler or Brad Lidge when they signed for low-price deals. There are still some bullpen arms available (Coffey, Wuertz ,etc.), but the question is Would you rather sign one of those guys, or give opportunities to the guys they already have? Is it possible that the Twins scouting department has determined that Todd Coffey will not be able to get hitters out as well as Alex Burnett or Lester Oliveros, Jeff Manship or Jason Bulger? if that's the case, then there is no reason to bring additional pitchers in. What say you? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

Drew Butera is hitting .350 and the Twins just swept the Tigers!! All is good in Twins Territory now, right? Well, maybe not, but there are starting to be some signs of positive. Justin Morneau went opposite field for a home run, one of his two hits. Trevor Plouffe homered for the second straight game. Brian Dozier is inching up on .300. PJ Walters was terrific through four scoreless innings, but between the fifth and sixth innings, he gave up three solo home runs to cut the Twins lead to 4-3. But Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Matt Capps got the final eight outs to secure back-to-back wins! Listen to Thursday’s Twins Minor League Weekly. Tim Shibuya (RHP Beloit Snappers) was a guest of the show and that was followed by answering your Twitter questions. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Thursday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 2, LOUISVILLE 4 (11 innings) Not much offense for the Red Wings in this game. Danny Valencia had two hits including his first home run. He drove in both of the team’s runs. Chris Parmelee made his Red Wings debut. He was 0-2, but he walked three times. Daryl Thompson started and gave up two runs on six hits. In five innings pitched, he walked two and struck out six. Deolis Guerra worked three perfect innings. Anthony Slama gave up two hits and a walk, but struck out three, in 1.1 scoreless innings. Tyler Robertson issued a walk and got one out. Casey Fien ends up with the loss. He got out of the tenth, but gave up two runs in the 11th inning. NEW BRITAIN 1, NEW HAMPSHIRE 3 David Bromberg’s 20 inning consecutive scoreless innings streak came to an end in this game. The right-hander has been pitching very well of late. In this game, he went a season-long 6.2 innings. He gave up three runs on nine hits and two walks. Luis Perdomo got the next four ours. Brad Thompson made his Twins organization debut, working a scoreless inning and striking out two batters in his return from Tommy John surgery a year ago. Joe Benson was in the lead-off spot and went 2-3 with a walk and the lone RBI. Estarlin de Los Santos had a single and a walk. FT. MYERS 4, BREVARD COUNTY 5 (10 innings) Marty Popham got the start and gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out two. Nelvin Fuentes was perfect through two innings. Bruce Pugh was perfect for 1.2 innings, but he then gave up three straight hits and a run in the 10th to take the loss. Oswaldo Arcia went 3-5 with his ninth double. Danny Ortiz hit his first FSL double. Twins Daily learned on Thursday that RHP Adrian Salcedo is going to have (or has had) an MRI on his elbow. Hopefully we get good news on this situation. BELOIT 7, QUAD CITIES 3 Matt Summers continues to pitch well. He improved to 4-2 with six solid innings on Thursday. He gave up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three. Corey Williams gave up a run (solo home run) on three hits in two innings. AJ Achter pitched a scoreless ninth frame. Jhonathan Goncalves went 3-4 with his first home run. Matt Koch went 3-4 with his seventh double and his second home run (in back-to-back games). Kyle Knudson was 2-4. Adam Bryant was 2-4 with his fifth double. Wang-Wei Lin got the Snappers on the scoreboard with his first home run of the season. --- Players of the Day for Thursday, May 17, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Deolis Guerra Download attachment: deolisguerra2.jpg Hitter of the Day – Matt Koch Download attachment: MattKoch.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Friday, May 18, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Syracuse – RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain @ Reading – RHP BJ Hermsen Ft. Myers @ Brevard County – LHP Pat Dean Beloit vs Quad Cities – LHP Matt Tomshaw --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

The Twins started their three-game series at The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati against the Reds with a 5-4 win. Ben Revere and Ryan Doumit each had four hits, and the Twins got another four shutout innings from their bullpen to hold the win for Nick Blackburn who went the first five innings. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Friday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 3, CHARLOTTE 0 The Red Wings recorded their sixth shutout of the season on Friday night. Sam Deduno went the first six innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struck out eight. Kyle Waldrop gave up one hit and struck out one over the next two innings. Tyler Robertson got the first two outs of the ninth inning on strikeouts, but he also gave up a hit and walked a batter. Casey Fien came in and got the final out for his ninth save of the season. Pedro Florimon went 2-2 with three walks and his seventh double. Tsuyoshi Nishioka went 3-4. Danny Valencia was 2-5 with his tenth double. Deduno missed five to six weeks of time with injury, but since his return, he has been terrific. In three starts, he is 1-0 with a 1.66 ERA. In just 13.2 innings, he has given up just one run. Pedro Florimon has been doing quite the job in the last two games as the team’s leadoff hitter. He is 4-5 with five walks. In other words, he has reached base nine out of ten plate appearances. Going back to his past three games, he is 6-9 with five walks and a double in each game. NEW BRITAIN 9, RICHMOND 8 Evan Bigley led the Rock Cats to a big, high-scoring win. The outfielder went 4-5 with his 14th double, his ninth home run and three RBI. Chris Colabello was 2-5 with his 16th double. Chris Herrmann went 2-4 with a walk and his 18th double. BJ Hermsen got the start and wasn’t helped by his defense. In 6.1 innings, he gave up six runs but just two were earned. He gave up eight hits, of which two were home runs, walked none and struck out two. Edgar Ibarra came n and gave up one run on two hits and two walks in 1.1 innings. Dan Sattler came on and gave up one run on one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings. He was credited with the Win. When Oswaldo Arcia was called up to New Britain, Mark Dolenc was released and Bigley was told that his playing time would likely be lessened. In four games since then, Bigley is 10-16 with two doubles and two home runs. FT. MYERS 7, ST. LUCIE 8 (5 innings – Rain) The St. Lucie Mets used the long ball to top the Miracle in this high scoring, five inning game which was shortened by rain. Marty Popham started and gave up four runs on four hits and three walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out eight and gave up one homer. Miguel Munoz came in and threw 1.2 innings. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on three hits and two walks. In the bottom of the fifth, he allowed a three-run home run that tied the game and seven, and then the next batter hit a homer that ended the game. Levi Michael went 2-3 with his fifth double. Josmil Pinto hit a grand slam in a five-run second innings. It was his sixth home run of the year. Danny Ortiz hit his fourth triple since joining the Miracle in early May. Kyle Knudson went 0-3 in his first game with the Miracle. Then he got to enjoy the All Star break. He came back and had three hits in three straight games. Last night, he was 1-2. That’s 10 hits in his last 16 at bats. BELOIT 7, CEDAR RAPIDS 0 The Twins saw enough in David Hurlbut that they drafted him twice, once out of high school and then last year after a mediocre collegiate career as a LOOGY at Cal-State Fullerton. It’s nights like Friday night that make fan’s appreciate a scout that saw enough in him to suggest drafting him. The lefty improved to 3-0 with seven one-hit, no-run innings. He walked three and struck out four. Tim Atherton came in and pitched a perfect eighth frame, striking out one. Corey Williams got the ninth inning and walked one and struck one out in a scoreless innings. Nate Roberts went 2-3 with a walk, his fourth double and his third stolen base. Drew Leachman went 2-4 with a walk. Steve Liddle and Tyler Grimes each hit a double. ELIZABETHTON 5, BURLINGTON 6 This is a game that wasn’t decided until the final pitch. Angel Mata started for the E-Twins and gave up two runs on three hits in 4.2 innings. He walked four and struck out two. Luis (Daniel) Ortiz came in and gave up two runs (1 earned) on one hit and two walks. The lefty struck out two. Brett Lee went the next 1.2 innings and gave up only a walk. Tyler Herr pitched a scoreless innings despite one hit. Mason Melotakis came in to protect a one-run lead in the ninth. The lefty got two outs, but gave up two runs (1 earned) on one hit and two walks to take the loss. Rory Rhodes continued his hot streak by going 2-4 with a double. Jorge Polanco went 2-4. Travis Harrison hit his first pro home run (and committed his second and third pro errors). Stephen Wickens hit a double. Max Kepler went 1-4. He is now 1-17 (.059) on the young season. GCL TWINS 3, GCL RED SOX 4 (7 innings – Rain) Byron Buxton made his professional debut on Friday afternoon. The Twins top pick went 0-4. He flew out to center twice and to left once. He also took a called third strike in the game. Bryan Haar went 2-3 with his third double. Jose Ramirez went 2-3 with his first triple. Dereck Rodriguez hit his first double. Randy Rosario started for the Twins and gave up just one hit, one walk and no runs in four innings. He struck out five. Markus Solbach gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in his inning. Chris Mazza threw the seventh inning and gave up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk. The game was called after seven innings due to rain. --- Players of the Day for Friday, June 22, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – David Hurlbut Download attachment: DavidHurlbut.jpg Hitter of the Day – Evan Bigley Download attachment: Evan Bigley.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Saturday, June 23, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Charlotte – LHP Luke French New Britain @ Richmond – LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers @ Jupiter – RHP Tom Stuifbergen Beloit @ Cedar Rapids – LHP Steven Gruver Elizabethton @ Danville – RHP Hudson Boyd GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles – LHP Austin Malinowski --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2013 is now available for $13.99 (just $8.99 for the ebook). To high-level summarize, the handbook contains 191 pages of content on the Twins minor league system. You may be asking yourself, “How could one book possibly contain 191 pages on one team’s minor league system?” I’ve asked myself that question, wondering if it’s too much. Hopefully below I’ll be able to show that there is a lot of value. Taking a step back though, I have to say that it is shocking to me that this is my fifth Twins Prospect Handbook. The first cover was plain white text on a red cover. Since then, the past four covers have had players on the covers. The first book had about 81 pages. We’ve clearly increased the output since then.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Most important, however, in that first book the player profiles basically talked about when the player was drafted and/or signed and a few statistics. The content has increased because we talk about the players’ history before coming to the Twins, and we talk about statistics and some more advanced statistics (but without being overwhelming). However, we have been able to gain enough contacts to get very good scouting reports on players. In other words, there is more content, and it is significantly better. Download attachment: MnTwinsPH13.jpg Let’s talk about the profiles. I did something a little bit different this year. In year’s past, I put all of the players together, in alphabetical order. This year, it’s still in alphabetical order, but I did separate the pitchers and the hitters. There are about 85 pitcher profiles and 68 hitter profiles. That is a lot of profiles, and I need to thank and recognize Jeremy Nygaard and Cody Christie. As you at Twins Daily know, these two are very talented writers who have a passion for the Twins and for the minor leagues. I was honored that they were willing to help me out. They both put in a lot of time and now realize the work that it takes to put into each profile in research and writing. To be completely honest, due to life and such, without the help of those two, this year’s Prospect Handbook would not happen. So please, be sure to follow both of them on Twitter (Jeremy and Cody) and thank them. In addition to their profiles, they each wrote a couple of articles as well. Cody wrote an article looking back at the rookies who played for the Twins in 2012. How did they do and what is their future? He also wrote an article on the rise of Tom Brunansky, as well as other coaches/managers in the Twins farm system that are prospects themselves. Jeremy has an article looking back at the Twins 2012 draft. He also wrote an article looking at who some of the options might be when the Twins draft 4th overall in the 2013 draft. Finally, Jeremy was able to secure an interview with Jack Powell. Powell is a Twins scout, and they had a great discussion about the job, and several of the Twins recent draft picks. Jeremy also asked him about being a movie star!! In addition to Cody and Jeremy, a couple of other Twins bloggers were gracious enough to write an article for the book. Jim Crikket (Knuckleballsblog) is a long-time Twins fan and a Cedar Rapids native who has been going to Cedar Rapids Kernels for many, many years. He wrote a very nice article on the history of the Kernels and about the stadium and the atmosphere there. Also, Paul Pleiss (Puckett’s Pond and the Talk to Contact podcast) wrote a fun article talking about a baseball trip that included major league games and a bunch of minor league games. He did a nice job of illustrating why it is so much fun to attend minor league games. I wrote articles on my choices for Twins minor league hitter of the year (Oswaldo Arcia), starting pitcher of the year (BJ Hermsen) and relief pitcher of the year (AJ Achter). Achter and Hermsen provided some quotes to discuss their seasons, their sports histories (both were stars at their high schools in multiple sports) and what they are looking forward to in 2013. I did send questions to Arcia, but he is obviously busy bashing pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs (Where he has hit three home runs already), so I didn’t get quotes from him. However, I got some great quotes from his teammates about his value as a teammate and obviously as a monstrous hitter. If you are into autographs, specifically if you are going to Twins Fest of Spring Training in Ft. Myers, then the Prospect Handbook is a must-have. Of the five players on the cover of the book, four of them will be at Twins Fest. 17 players profiled in the handbook will be at Twins Fest. As I’ve mentioned before, the cover was put together by Josh Johnson, who also did last year. There are several photos on the covers but also throughout the book. New Britain photos were taken by Heather Cavalier, via the Rock Cats. Ft. Myers photos were taken by Greg Wagner, via the Miracle. The Byron Buxton photos were taken by Janet Carter Patton. Finally, a huge thank you to Justin Rinaldi and Rinaldi Photos. Justin has provided pictures of Snappers players the last few years. The Twins have been brutal the last two years, and as the roster sits right now, they could lose 95+ games again in 2013. That means that there are a lot of minor leaguers who could get the opportunity with the Twins during the season. You know a bit about Kyle Gibson, Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks, but do you know much about Caleb Thielbar, Michael Tonkin, Andrew Albers and Chris Herrmann? The book includes the newest Twins minor leagues like Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Ryan Pressly and Mark Sobolewski. Think any of them will be mentioned from time to time? The beauty of the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook is that you can keep it by your coffee table. When Dick Bremer talks about a minor leaguer, or you want to find out what pitchers could come up to the Twins, just grab the book and do a little research. Find out which players are playing well in AA or AAA, get to know about them, and then impress your friends with how much you know. The Twins have not gone the free agency market this offseason, at least not with any players who will hold back any top prospects, so we will likely see several more players come up to the Twins. $13.99 for 191 pages of Twins minor league content seems fair enough. I really want it to be available for people to bring to Twins Fest. If you would like to have some copies before Twins Fest, you will really want to get them ordered within the next 24-48 hours. Get your copy of the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2013 today! (Note – E-Books will be coming in the near future. I wanted to get paperback books available.) IF you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. Click here to view the article

Tonight at 6:00 central time, the MLB Draft will commence. We have heard now that the Astros will select Stanford right-hander and Houston native Mark Appel. That means that the Minnesota Twins will have their pick of every other eligible player. I have freely said that I will not be at all disappointed if the Twins take a college pitcher like Kyle Zimmer or Kevin Gausman, the college catcher Mike Zunino or high school bats like OF Byron Buxton or IF Carlos Correa. In fact, although there is a bunch of risk, I would be just fine with the Twins taking a shot on high school RHP Lucas Giolito.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Many fans and media types really want the Twins to use the #2 pick on a college pitcher. This makes a lot of sense as the Twins need pitching at every level, and the four pitchers mentioned above all reach into the upper-90s with their fastballs. The general consensus appeared to be that the Twins will take Byron Buxton, the talented high school outfielder. Buxton is a very toolsie talent who is already considered strong defensively, with great speed and range and a strong arm. Scouts believe he will hit, but there are plenty of questions about what his upside is. Will he hit for power? We will find out in about four to six years. Reading through the comments here and other places, I frequently read about how the Twins don’t need another toolsie outfielder. That is generally followed by a comment speaking about how much outfield depth the Twins have in the minor league system. A year ago, I may have agreed with that, but now? Let’s consider: Denard Span and Josh Willingham have long-term contracts and are both under contract to fill two of the three outfield positions for the next three years. However, these two are the Twins most tradeable assets right now, so we don’t know if one or both of them will be around long-term.Ben Revere, while being very good defensively (range-wise), has struggled with the bat and with getting on base. Of course, he still has room to improve and hopefully he will.Rene Tosoni was the first outfielder to be called up to the Twins in 2011, and although he struggled until September, he did show some power. He went to AAA to start this season again, and was injured early. He returned in May and before the month was over, he was demoted to AA New Britain because he was hitting well under .200.Joe Benson has hit very well in AA the last two years ago, and last September, he was called up to the Twins. During that time, we saw the good and the bad of Benson, but his ceiling is so high. He began this season in AAA but he got off to a slow start. It really got to him and it was necessary to send him down to AA in mid-May. Unfortunately, he broke his hamate bone and had surgery and will miss six weeks.Aaron Hicks had a frustrating 2011 season in Ft. Myers. He had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League last year. This spring, he was pushed up to AA New Britain where it has been a mixed bag of success and failure. He still hasn’t put up numbers as a left-handed batter, but is very good right-handed. Defensively, he is big-league ready now. The 2008 top pick still has a long ways to go.Angel Morales put up huge numbers in the Appalachian League years ago, but his power has not shown much since then and he has really struggled this year since a great first week. He is still younger than Aaron Hicks, and he has the world of talent, but will it come together soon?Max Kepler is still just 19 years old and will spend his second season in Elizabethton. That is the right thing to do with him, but being so raw means that he could develop into a great player, or he could never develop at all.Obviously there are several more outfielders in the system, four to five per team, but for people to say that the Twins have huge outfield depth is, unfortunately, no longer the case. There are too many question marks right now. That isn’t to say that some of these very talented players mentioned above won’t turn it around and become very good regular in time. What it does speak to is that you just never know with the draft, at any position, including the outfield. That is why taking the Best Available Player is always the right strategy. Finding the player they believe has the most upside, regardless of age or position. I know that the term “Toolsie Outfielder” seems to mean something negative right now to a lot of Twins fans. However, Torii Hunter and Denard Span were toolsie outfielders. Each of them took six to seven years after being drafted to get a chance in the big leagues. Ken Griffey Jr, Matt Kemp, BJ Upton, Justin Upton, Andrew McCutheon and Jay Bruce were toolsie outfielders. In the same way, Marc Newfeld, Paul Coleman and to some degree, BJ Garbe, were also toolsie outfielders. From the list above, Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson and to some degree Ben Revere were all drafted as toolsie outfielders and the jury is still out on them. There are no ‘sure-things’ in the MLB Draft. However, there are several players that Twins fans should be excited about if they are taken with the #2 overall pick. As much as we like and want pitching, taking a toolsie outfielder like Byron Buxton would NOT be a bad pick at all… as long as they address the pitching with several of their remaining five Top 100 picks. It will not surprise me in the least if the Twins take Buxton, although I will also not be shocked or disappointed if they pick any of the seven names mentioned earlier. I will, however, be shocked if the Twins do not take Rochester Century’s RHP Mitch Brown with the #32 overall pick in the draft. Stay tuned to Twins Daily and the forums throughout the day for any Draft-related news. It is a big day for the Twins and their future. Download attachment: ByronBuxton.jpg Click here to view the article

Our good friends over at Twinkie Town have spent the past couple of months working on their community Top 50 Twins Prospect list. Each day, those who went to their site were able to cast their vote for a player. The player with the most votes gets the spot, and the next day they would vote for the next spot. They started at #1 and worked all the way to #50 and the best part was community discussion each round. Download attachment: 8144m.jpg I thought it would be fun to compare and contrast my Top 50 Twins Prospect list to the Twinkie Town list. The top five on each list are the exact same, but after that, there are some significant differences, and by the time it reaches the end of the list, there are several names that don’t appear on both lists. So, as pitchers and catchers are set to report to Ft. Myers on Saturday and SethSpeaks.net is winding down, discuss these lists and feel free to post your own rankings. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] [TABLE] Rank SethSpeaks Top 50 Twinkie Town Top 50 1 Miguel Sano Miguel Sano 2 Eddie Rosario Eddie Rosario 3 Oswaldo Arcia Oswaldo Arcia 4 Aaron Hicks Aaron Hicks 5 Joe Benson Joe Benson 6 Liam Hendriks Kyle Gibson 7 Kyle Gibson Chris Parmelee 8 Adrian Salcedo Liam Hendriks 9 Alex Wimmers Brian Dozier 10 Chris Parmelee Chris Herrmann 11 Brian Dozier Max Kepler 12 Travis Harrison Levi Michael 13 Tom Stuifbergen Adrian Salcedo 14 Angel Morales Alex Wimmers 15 Chris Herrmann Angel Morales 16 Manuel Soliman Carlos Gutierrez 17 Levi Michael Tom Stuifbergen 18 Max Kepler Travis Harrison 19 Niko Goodrum Niko Goodrum 20 Hudson Boyd Hudson Boyd 21 BJ Hermsen Logan Darnell 22 Danny Santana Madison Boer 23 Madison Boer Manuel Soliman 24 Terry Doyle David Bromberg 25 Logan Darnell BJ Hermsen 26 David Bromberg Lester Oliveros 27 JD Williams Matt Hauser 28 Matt Hauser Deolis Guerra 29 Jairo Perez Tyler Robertson 30 Pat Dean Scott Diamond 31 Matt Summers Terry Doyle 32 Danny Rams Nate Roberts 33 Scott Diamond Matt Summers 34 Angel Mata Cole DeVries 35 Corey Williams Corey Williams 36 Danny Ortiz Matt Bashore 37 Carlos Gutierrez JD Williams 38 Nate Roberts Danny Rams 39 Lance Ray Pat Dean 40 Deolis Guerra Andrew Albers 41 Michael Gonzales Dakota Watts 42 Lester Oliveros Tim Shibuya 43 Ryan O’Rourke Lance Ray 44 Hung-yi Chen Evan Bigley 45 James Beresford James Beresford 46 Bobby Lanigan Tony Davis 47 Tyler Grimes Danny Lehmann 48 Anderson Hidalgo Jorge Polanco 49 Tim Shibuya Angel Mata 50 Luis Nunez Jairo Perez [/TABLE] Any thoughts? Please feel free to e-mail me or use the Comments Section! Click here to view the article

Download attachment: BlogSpotting2.jpg In recent weeks, we have noticed an increase in the number of Blogs written by Twins Daily readers, and we want to make sure to give notice to those. Obviously, the front page often gets most of the attention, and the Forums follow with the discussion. But we want to encourage people to check out the Blogs page as well because there is often great content. And, if you are at all interested in expressing your opinions in a blog or writing a story on a player, a team, or a trip to see a Twins or Twins minor league game, consider starting your own blog here at Twins Daily. It’s free.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Today, I wanted to highlight some of the terrific blogs that have been written in recent days. Be sure to check them out, and again, don’t forget to make checking out the Blogs page a regular part of your Twins Daily visit. --- Sbknudson wrote a terrific blog on The Right Way to Retaliate. Obviously this is a nice blog in response to what happened on Thursday night in Texas.Brad Swanson looked at Twins Hitters who could contribute to playoff teams in the future. He is looking to 2014 and beyond, so he considers hitters on the current roster who could contribute to the Twins or another organization.Twins Best Friend wrote a blog called Back to the Twins Future. He gives his thoughts on a potential 2015 Twins lineup.A couple of blogs look not-quite-as-far into the Twins future. ShawnWahl wrote An early blueprint for 2013. This has been one of the most popular blogs written and commented on at Twins Daily. If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to do so.Similarly, J-Dog Dungan wrote a blog called My beliefs about what the Twins should look like in 2013. Pitching is a key. We all know that. Check out who he has in his 2013 Twins starting rotation.Not all blogs need to be long. AllhopeisgoneMNTwins found a chat by ESPN.com’s Keith Law, and one of the questions he answer was about his thoughts on Scott Diamond. Law’s response may not have been what Twins fans would have hoped for, and that showed in the comments.I think it is fair to say that Freightmaster was impressed by the A’s Brett Anderson. He also asks why the Twins announcers continue to talk about the Twins turning things around and winning.Bark’s Lounge wrote an article called Evolution and the Australian Baseball Player. I know we get a good mount of readers from Australia, and it’d be great to get their thoughts on comments on this one.What if the Twins would have drafted Mike Trout instead of Kyle Gibson in that 2009 draft? Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but what do you think would have happened? To think, those quality blog topics were all posted by members of the Twins Daily community over the last two or three days. I definitely encourage people to check out the Blogs page every day after reading the front page articles and providing good feedback to those who took the time to blog. And again, if you’re interested in putting some of your thoughts and opinions into blog form, consider starting your own blog too. Click here to view the article

It was a night of debuts in the Twins system Tuesday. Aaron Hicks finally made his first ever appearance in a AAA game as he started rehab from his hamstring injury. Logan Darnell also made his AAA debut. Matt Summers replaced Darnell in the Rock Cats rotation and started Tuesday. And likely, the debut you were most looking forward to came in Palm Beach as Byron Buxton played his first game for the Miracle. How did their debuts go, and how was 2013 draft pick Tanner Mendonca in his professional debut? Check out what happened in the Twins farm system on Tuesday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 3, Indianapolis Indians 5 Box Score Aaron Hicks made his AAA debut on Tuesday night in Indianapolis. He made out in his first at-bat, but had a single, a double and an RBI single in his next three plate appearances. Following the double, he attempted to score from second base on a passed ball. He was out, but that indicated his hamstring was at 100%. It will be interesting to see how he is able to come back on Wednesday after running in this game. He was the team’s DH, so he will still need to get some time in the outfield before he is fully ready to come back. Hicks had three of the Red Wings five hits in this game. Jeff Clement hit his 12th home run of the season. Logan Darnell made his first AAA start. He gave up a solo home run in the first inning to Josh Harrison before posting a 1-2-3 second frame. He got the first two outs of the third inning, then he walked the next two batters. He was taken out with what play-by-play man Josh Whetzel guessed was a blister. In total, he gave up one run on two hits. He walked three and struck out two in just 2.2 innings. Luis Perdomo replaced him and went the next 2.1 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two. Aaron Thompson gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out two. Cody Eppley pitched a scoreless inning. New Britain Rock Cats, Altoona Curve The game was suspended after two innings with the score of 3-0 Rock Cats. Matt Summer didn’t give up a run in his AA debut in those two frames. Curt Smith hit a three-run homer in the 2nd. The game will continue … Ft. Myers Miracle 4, Palm Beach 5 Box Score Byron Buxton was the big story of this game. Baseball’s best prospect made his much-anticipated Miracle debut. As he had with the Kernels, he hit leadoff and played center field. He singled in his second at-bat, but was subsequently thrown out attempting a steal. He was 1-5 in the game. Mike Kvasnicka continues to hit well; in this game, he was 2-3 with a walk and his third home run. Jhon Goncalves hit his ninth double. Jason Wheeler had a rough one. The lefty gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. Ryan O’Rourke came on and went three scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out two. Jose Gonzalez worked a scoreless eighth inning. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Burlington Bees 4 Box Score With Buxton promoted, it was Max Kepler taking over in center field for the Kernels. He has taken up some of the offensive slack produced by Buxton's promotion. On this night, he got a chance to play hero. Having doubled earlier in the game, Kepler came up in a tied game in the 8th inning, and launched a two-run homer that proved to be the game winner. Through five games, he is now hitting .318 with a 1.011 OPS. He is 7-22 and has four doubles and home run. Nice to make a good first impression! Jorge Polanco added his ninth triple and drove in three runs. JD Williams was 1-2 with a walk. Dalton Hicks knocked his 23rd double. Mason Melotakis was on the mound for the Kernels. The lefty went the first six innings and was charged with four runs (3 earned). He gave up five hits, walked three and struck out five. Tim Atherton came on to start the seventh. He got two outs and walked two. Kaleb Merck went the final 2.1 innings and it was 7 up, 7 down with three strikeouts. Elizabethton Twins 8, Greeneville Astros 4 Box Score The offense showed up Monday, and the E-Twins improved to 5-1 on the season. Rory Rhodes went 3-5 with his third double. Mitch Garver was 2-5 with his second and third doubles. Zach Granite was 2-3 with a walk, a triple and his first pro stolen base. Romy Jimenez was 2-5 with a triple. Javier Pimentel went 2-5. Tanner Mendonca made his first pro start; he went the first three innings and did not allow a run. He gave up two hits, walked three and struck out three. Tim Shibuya came on in relief and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in four innings. He improved to 2-0. Carson Goldsmith gave up two runs on three hits in the final two innings. GCL Twins 6, GCL Rays 5 Box Score You take the good, you take the bad. You take them both and there you have it, life in the minor leagues. In the GCL’s first two games, Amaurys Minier went 4-7 with a double, triple and home run. On Tuesday, he went 1-5 with four strikeouts. In his last two games, he has gone 1-9 with seven strikeouts. Even for the most talented players, it is a process and is about development. Joel Polanco went 2-4 with a triple and two RBI. Will Hurt went 2-2 with a walk. Chad Christensen was 2-5. Lance Ray went 0-4 with two strikeouts in his rehab game. Chih-Wei Hu started and gave up four runs on six hits in 4.1 innings. He walked none and struck out four. Jose Abreu came on and went the next 2.2 innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one. Josh Guyer picked up the save. He went the final two innings and gave up one run on two hits and a walk, striking out four. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

Starting at 10AM CST on Thursday 6/21, you can adopt a Twins prospect in this thread. (Seth will post that the adoptions can begin at 10:00 CST.) Just put down the players name and submit it and THEN CHECK TO MAKE SURE NOBODY POSTED THAT NAME BEFORE YOU. If someone has, you didn't get that player, but it's not big deal - just submit another post with someone else's name - and then make sure nobody posted THAT name before you. Lather, rinse and repeat until you get a name that nobody else did. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] If you adopted a player back in April, you can adopt a second prospect now. All players signed and in the Twins farm system now are eligible to be adopted. This includes 2012 draft picks that have signed, players with the GCL Twins or Elizabethton Twins or players on full-season teams that weren't previously drafted. (Below is a list of which players have already been adopted. This list will continue to be updated in this forum throughout the day.) Once you reserve a name, you can start a thread. Just title the thread the name of the prospect like "Miguel Sano." 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. (There are a lot of websites you could link to such as their Baseball-Reference, The Baseball Cube, First Inning, Fan Graphs, etc.) Feel free to post videos, interviews, newspaper articles on your player. Whatever you can find. And then all you have to do is poste updates on your players. Let us know when they have a big game, or if they're on a hot streak, or if they get promoted. As we've said before, brag up your player. (Click here to adopt a prospect) Players already adopted: Alex Wimmers, Corey Williams, Max Kepler, James Beresford, Jeff Manship, Daniel Turpen, Miguel Sano, Chris Herrmann, Aaron Hicks, BJ Hermsen, Josh Burris, Levi Michael, Eddie Rosario, Adrian Salcedo, Oswaldo Arcia, Angel Morales, Hudson Boyd, Deolis Guerra, Matt Hauser, Brian Dozier, Michael Tonkin, AJ Pettersen, Travis Harrison, Niko Goodrum, Pedro Florimon, Tyler Grimes, Joe Benson, Logan Darnell, Dereck Rodriguez, Brian Dinkelman, Andrew Albers, Lester Oliveros, Liam Hendriks, Jairo Perez, Tim Shibuya, Jason Wheeler, Anthony Slama, Evan Bigley, Cole De Vries, Lance Ray, AJ Achter, Scott Diamond, Jorge Polanco, Steve Hirschfeld, Pat Dean, Blake Martin, Luis Perdomo, Brett Lee, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Wilkin Ramirez. Download attachment: ByronBuxton2.jpg Click here to view the article

Today is the July trade deadline. At 3:00 this afternoon (central time), the non-waiver trade deadline will come and go. The Twins have already traded Francisco Liriano. That was a given. The Twins needed to deal him before July 31 regardless of the 10 (or more) things that we hate about the actual deal itself. What would your reaction be if the Twins did not make another trade before the 3:00 deadline? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]What if Terry Ryan does not get an offer for Denard Span, Josh Willingham or Glen Perkins that he deems worthy of accepting? What if the Twins have to eat $10 million or more from the Blue Jays in a deal for Justin Morneau? The Twins need to do something to acquire pitching, and with a weakened minor league system, they also just need to gain as much talent as they can regardless of position. So, is there a case for the Twins to do nothing at the trade deadline? The Twins are said to be looking for a lot in return for Denard Span. The same is true of Josh Willingham, if he is even available at all. This is smart, and the Twins are the team in control on these guys. Because both are signed for a couple more years at very reasonable dollar values, there is no hurry to trade them. In both cases, GM Terry Ryan should not accept anything less than a great return. First, both play pretty important roles on a team and are very valuable. Span is a terrific leadoff hitter and a solid centerfielder. Willingham may not be much defensively, but having his kind of power in the middle of the lineup is an asset. Second, because they are signed for at least two more seasons, the Twins could find that they could acquire more during the offseason, or even at next year’s trade deadline. Although the Twins would likely love to get out from under the $14 million they owe Justin Morneau, they should be smart about it as well. If they have to eat any of the contract, they need to make sure that they get enough return to make it worthwhile. Otherwise, they might as well just keep Morneau and hope that he can continue to improve, maybe even getting back to his MVP form. If so, he is a great middle-of-the-lineup threat, and as is seemingly a theme here, he could have even more value next July, or in the offseason. The same can be said for relief pitchers Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing and Jared Burton. Perkins is signed long term. Duensing has at least three years of arbitration-eligibility before he can become a free agent, and Burton has one more arbitration season. Relief pitching is something that seems to get traded at the trade deadline for more than they should. So, the Twins should explore deals for these three in hopes that they are offered a package they can’t refuse. But the other side is that these are three strong building blocks that can provide stability in the Twins bullpen that they can hold on to for a couple of years. Again, all three could be traded in the offseason or at the deadline next July. Of course, other players could sneak through waivers and be traded in August. Players like Carl Pavano and Matt Capps would need to come off of the Disabled List and prove themselves to be healthy enough to get through the rest of the season first, but that could happen. Someone like Alexi Casilla could provide a bench bat or pinch-running capabilities for the right team for a playoff run as well. According to Twins mlb.com writer Rhett Bollinger, the Twins are 34-32 since May 16th. If not for a horrendous first six weeks of the season, the Twins could be in contention for a playoff spot. Maybe this team isn’t as far away from contending for a playoff berth as we think? Maintaining status quo would mean that the Twins could have a 2013 lineup with Denard Span, Ben Revere, Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham, Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe and Ryan Doumit in it. Although Brian Dozier has struggled mightily in his rookie season, as most players do, there is still hope that he can be a league average middle infielder in time. They will need to figure out how the middle infield will play out, but with those first seven in the lineup, the middle infield can go back to being defense-first types. The question, as it always is, is in the pitching staff. Scott Diamond would appear to be the only sure-thing for a rotation spot coming into the season. It is unlikely that anyone that te Twins would acquire in a trade today would be able to step in to a rotation spot in 2013 and become a top starter, but the hope would be that the return on a great player would be some pitchers with great upside. But if the Twins decide not to make July trades or big offseason trades, that means that they have ever intention of competing right away in 2013. If that is the case, the Twins will have to spend on pitching in the offseason. I am fine with them “counting on” Liam Hendriks to step up in 2013. I even understand their need to continue giving Nick Blackburn opportunities because of his horrible contract (although I think once we get into the 2013 season, the Twins should feel like they can DFA him and just eat what is remaining). Kyle Gibson may be ready by June. That means that, at a minimum, the Twins need to bring in two quality starters. I would never advocate giving a $100 million contract to any pitcher, so I would not sign Zach Greinke, but I’m sure many of you might think differently. For me, I would much rather see the Twins sign two (or three?) $8-10 million types. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Twins offer Edwin Jackson a three year, $27 million deal. I would like to see them offer Anibal Sanchez a four year, $36-40 million deal. Aces? Probably not. Quality starters who are still young enough to continue to improve and provide some stability to the staff? Certainly. I would not overpay for either of them, or any of the other free agent pitchers, and there is no way to know what other teams will offer them contracts or if the players would even be interested in coming to the Twins, but the Twins do need to reach out to them. And yes, if this is the direction, it will also require a commitment from the ownership because it will require that the payroll not go down any further, and likely go up a little bit. I would also bring back Scott Baker. He may not be able to pitch until midseason, so I would keep the year one contract low. However, I would offer a contract with a series of team options. Baker has always shown that, when healthy, he is a very good pitcher. If think it would be wise to bring him back at the right price. Regarding the need to bring more talent into the Twins farm system, the team will need to find ways. Again, trades could come in the offseason. The Twins should use their high waiver claim to pick up talent. They should look at the Rule 5 draft as a means to bring in players. They also should feel good about several of their prospects. Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia have both taken big strides forward this year. Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario remain top prospects. The Twins used the draft to acquire high-ceiling young talent like Byron Buxton and J.O. Berrios, along with some very hard throwers. It isn't like the Twins minor leagues are completely void of talent. So, if the trade deadline passes at 3:00 today, and we learn that the Twins did not make another trade (or more), it will likely feel somewhat disappointing. However, we will never know for sure what offers Terry Ryan received for these various players. I do know that I would be far more disappointed if the Twins traded one of their valuable pieces who are not free agents at the end of the season for a package that we deem less than appropriate. Download attachment: GardyRyan.jpg photo from Twins Now Click here to view the article

A night after the Twins and the Twins' minor league affiliates went 6-0, the organization went 1-4 on the final night in May. The two upper affiliates both played one-run games. On Saturday, the Twins' Dominican Summer League team will open its season. We may have to do a game report or two this weekend. Also coming will be the Twins' minor league hitter, starting pitcher and relief pitcher of the month reports. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Twins did make some transactions in the minor leagues. Matt Hauser was promoted to New Britain while Jose Gonzalez was sent back to Ft. Myers. Each pitched for his new team on this night. Check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Friday: Rochester Red Wings 2, Charlotte Knights 3 Box Score Cole De Vries struggled, but found a way to get through five innings and give up just two runs. He yielded nine hits and intentionally walked a batter. His night ended with a nice 1, 2, 3 fifth frame. Virgil Vasquez came on and threw three shutout innings. However, he gave up a leadoff single to start the bottom of the 9th. After a sacrifice bunt, the next batter was intentionally walked. Michael Tonkin was brought in. He is a ground ball pitcher, so they were hoping for an inning-ending double play. However, as he had done a night earlier in his Red Wings debut, Tonkin gave up a run-scoring single. Tonight, the single he yielded was to Gordon Beckham and it ended the game. The offense was pretty quiet. Doug Bernier went 2-4. Both Red Wings runs came on home runs. Oswaldo Arcia’s fifth home run put them on the scoreboard. With two outs, down by a run in the top of the 9th, Brian Dinkelman pinch hit for Danny Lehmann and hit a game-tying home run. It was his third homer of the season. New Britain Rock Cats 6, Bowie Baysox 7 Box Score Trevor May had one rough inning again. In total, he gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings, striking out five. The four runs came in the second inning before he settled in. The Rock Cats were able to tie it in the third inning. Chris Pettit had a two-run double. It was followed by a two-run homer by Reynaldo Rodriguez. Edgar Ibarra came on and gave up two runs on three hits in his two innings. After Dan Turpen and Matt Hauser each threw a scoreless inning, the game went to the bottom of the ninth. Nate Hanson crushed a double off of the wall with two outs to tie the game. Cole Johnson came on for the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, he gave up the first run he’s allowed in all May, and the Rock Cats dropped the game. Curt Smith went 3-5. Nate Hanson was 2-5 with his second double. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-5 with his fifth home run. Ft. Myers Miracle 1, Palm Beach Cardinals 4 Box Score Matt Summers was excellent through five, but the Miracle bats just couldn’t muster enough offense tonight. Summers started the game with five shutout innings. He got two outs in the 6th inning, then gave up a run before being replaced by Jose Gonzalez who got the inning’s final out. Gonzalez then gave up a run in the 7th. Corey Williams pitched the 8th frame and gave up two runs on a hit and two walks. Eddie Rosario was 2-4. He had two of the team’s five hits. Jhon Goncalves hit his sixth double. Following up on yesterday’s story, Miguel Sano was in the starting lineup and was 1-3 with a sacrifice fly. Cedar Rapids Kernels 5, Kane County 2 Box Score The Kernels jumped out to a quick lead with two runs in the first inning. JO Berrios started slow. He gave up a run in the first inning on a hit and an uncharacteristic two walks. However, he settled down nicely. Berrios gave up one run on three hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out four. He was replaced by Alex Muren who went the next 2.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out one. Tim Atherton got one out in the ninth inning, before giving up one run on two hits and a walk. David Hurlbut came on and got the final two outs for his fifth save. Berrios improved to 4-2. Dalton Hicks wen 3-4 with his 16th double. Michael Quesada went 2-4 with his second double. Adam Walker went 2-4 with his 11th double. Byron Buxton stole his 26th base. Photo by Rinaldi Photos Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

On Monday, the Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets played the series finale of a series that started in April. The Twins lost 6-1 and will now head to Detroit where they'll play the Tigers for the next three days. Kyle Gibson made the start and went just 3.2 innings. He was charged with four runs on ten hits and two walks. Immediately following the game, he was demoted to Rochester. The question of "What's next for Kyle Gibson?" can take on any number of meanings for Twins fans. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]There are the short-term and long-term implications and possibilities to that question. Download attachment: KyleGibsonExit.jpg Photo by Betsy Bissen Let's start with the short-term. We know that Gibson's innings would be monitored throughout the season. In the offseason, we heard that Gibson could be limited to 130 to 140 innings. Once spring training came, the front office backed away from giving a hard number of innings, saying they would just monitor how he was pitching and how his arm responded. When I talked to Gibson after the Saturday night game against the White Sox at Target Field, he still maintained that they had not yet been given any timeline. He only said that Terry Ryan and others in the front office only insisted that Gibson be completely honest with them about how his arm, and specifically his elbow was feeling. He said that he continues to feel strong. So, what is next for Kyle Gibson? As it relates to 2013, there are several questions. How much more will he pitch, and in what role? Gibson is a starting pitcher. He is currently at 143.2 combined innings on the season between Rochester and Minnesota. He could make another start or two for the Red Wings. He could make those one or two starts and then be shut down for the season, likely around 155 innings. He could skip the next two starts, and then start for the Red Wings in the playoffs, if they make the playoffs. Gibson could also pitch out of the Red Wings bullpen for the rest of the season (about two weeks). His innings and pitching frequency can be monitored very strictly. Is it possible that we see him in a Twins uniform in September? It may be unlikely, but maybe Gibson is able to work out some things, get some time on the Disabled List to rest, and come back to work a hand full of innings for the Twins. I think the more important question is how you feel about the future of Kyle Gibson. What means more to you? How much do you choose to make of ten starts at the end of his rookie season in his first season back from Tommy John surgery? Do you choose to go back to his scouting reports before Tommy John surgery and how well he pitched during his strong run at Rochester in May and early June? There is a general belief that a pitcher should throw no more than 20% more innings than he did the previous season in an attempt to keep healthy. If Gibson ends the 2013 season with 150 innings pitched, a 20% increase in 2014 would put him at 180 innings. I think that's a pretty solid goal. The scouting reports are what they are. They're something that can help predict how well a pitcher could do. Not how well they will do, but what they possibly can become. In his short time with the Twins, we did see a fastball that sat in the low-90s and touched 94 as we had heard. When he was pitching well, we did see some very good sinking action. We saw that he does have three pitches. What we didn't see were a ton of ground balls. His ground out to fly ball ratio was essentially 1 to 1. His strikeout rate dropped, which is no surprise. We also saw his walk numbers increase. Some of it might just be the big league hitters have better eyes, and maybe those sharp, sinkers and sliders that several AAA hitters get taken by big league hitters when they dip below the zone. It's certainly an adjustment that Gibson will need to, and will, work on before 2014. Gibson will be 26 years old throughout the 2014 season. Certainly, that is not young for a player with just ten big league starts. However, when you consider that he lost half of 2011 and most of 2012, and then still was working back early in 2013 because of the surgery, he's where he should be. For those that think this is old, well, The Twins would get his ages 26-31 years under their control. It's probably fair to say that the big league debut season of Kyle Gibson has been disappointing, but hopefully people can see enough of the big picture not to give up on an arm as talented as Gibson's. That's as silly as giving up on Aaron Hicks because of his 2013 struggles. The truth is that most players come up from the minor leagues and experience some growing pains. The hope is that Gibson will return in 2014, fully healthy, and better off for his struggles. My Opinion It is my opinion that the Twins should give Gibson one more start in Rochester, and then shut him down. Let him enjoy the offseason and just have a regular workout routine without the rehab. I have no doubt in my mind that Gibson will be in the Twins Opening Day rotation, and in the rotation for years to come. What happened in his 51 innings with the Twins this season didn't affect my thoughts on this future. If he had been great, my opinion of his future likely would not have changed. So, what are your thoughts? This is a pretty broad topic, with several parts. It will be interesting to see what the Twins, along with Gibson, decide to do. Click here to view the article

The reality is that we will never know. If a guy comes up and struggles, fans will say that they rushed him (Hicks, Arcia). If a guy doesn't come up from the minors when fans think they are ready, the Twins are not smart. If a guy comes up later than many think and struggles, were the fans wrong? If a guy comes up later than many think he should and succeeds, the fans will bash the front office for taking so long (instead of saying they played it right. So, there is no winning.

The Twins lost yet again in a back-and-forth battle against the Royals. The Twins had plenty of runners on base again but didn’t get enough to score. There was the occasional good pitch, good (or umpire-assisted) defensive plays and some bad luck. Carl Pavano just didn’t have it, and the bullpen and defense were also unable to hold a lead. The Twins have now lost six in a row. The Royals have won three in a row. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Friday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 3, BUFFALO 7 This game quickly became a bullpen game. Sam Deduno started and walked the first batter he faced. He threw another pitch but then had to leave the game with a trainer. It will be interesting to find out what happened and what it means. Brendan Wise came in and worked the next three innings. He gave up six runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Tyler Robertson struck out three in two scoreless innings despite giving up two hits and walking two. Anthony Slama struck out five in two scoreless innings. Casey Fien gave up a solo home run in the final inning. Darin Mastroianni continues to hit well. He was 3-4 in this game with a walk. Aaron Bates was 2-4 with a walk. Joe Benson hit his second double. Those were the only six hits for the Red Wings. NEW BRITAIN 4, RICHMOND 5 (13 Innings) This was a game with many twists and turns despite the fact that it was a 2-0 game through eight innings. The Rock Cats came to bat in the ninth behind. Aaron Hicks singled in a run, and then he scored on a Deibinson Romero double to tie the game and send it to extra innings. In the 13th, Aaron Hicks came up with a runner on and blasted his fourth home run of the year to give the Rock Cats a 4-2 lead. Unfortunately, the Rock Cats bullpen gave up three runs in the bottom of the 13th, winning on a walk-off. Andrew Albers started and gave up just two runs on eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out six. David Bromberg pitched a perfect seventh inning. Luis Perdomo threw two scoreless innings. Lester Oliveros then worked three scoreless innings. Blake Martin came in for the Rock Cats and gave up a hit and a walk and only got one out. Bobby Lanigan came in, still holding a one run lead, but he gave up a two-run walk off home run. Deibinson Romero went 3-6 with his seventh double. Aaron Hicks was 2-6 with his fourth homer and three RBI. Chris Herrmann was 2-6 with his eighth double. Evan Bigley was also 2-6. James Beresford was 2-4 with a walk. FT. MYERS MIRACLE 2, PALM BEACH 3 There wasn’t much offense in this game, but it turned into a good one. Down 3-0 heading in to the 9th inning, Danny Santana came up with two on and knocked both in with his second triple of the year. It cut the lead to 3-2, but that was as close as it would get. Josmil Pinto added his sixth double earlier in the game. Pat Dean got the start for the Miracle. The lefty went six innings and gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out just one. Miguel Munoz had a very impressive outing in his second appearance of the year. He gave up no runs on two hits in three scoreless innings. He walked none and struck out one. BELOIT 6, BOWLING GREEN 3 The bats remain on fire for the Snappers. Wang-Wei Lin was 3-4 with a walk. JD Williams was 3-4 with his second and third doubles, his first triple, two RBI and his fifth stolen base. Eddie Rosario was 1-2 with two walks and his seventh steal. Miguel Sano hit his fifth double. Madison Boer went the first six innings. He gave up two runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out two. Bart Carter struck out three in two perfect innings. Clint Dempster gave up one run on two hits in his inning. JD Williams was often overlooked last season in Elizabethton by the Rosario/Sano combination. He got off to a slow start with the Snappers. A week ago, he was hitting .107. However, following tonight’s performance, he has a six game hitting streak during which time he is 10-25 (.400) and has raised his average to .241. --- Players of the Day for Friday, April 27, 2012 Hitter of the Day – JD Williams Download attachment: JDWilliams.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Miguel Munoz Download attachment: Miguel Munoz.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Saturday, April 28, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Buffalo – LHP Scott Diamond New Britain @ Richmond – RHP Steve Hirschfeld Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach – RHP Jhon Garcia Beloit vs Bowling Green – LHP Steven Gruver --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

The Twins lost big to the Rangers, again. Maybe you’ve read this story before. The Twins starting pitcher (Brian Duensing on this day) puts the Twins way behind early in the game, and the offense isn’t able to catch up. Justin Morneau went 4-4 and homered for the 202nd time in his career to pass Gary Gaetti for 6th on the Twins all-time list. Pedro Florimon was 2-3 with a walk. Jamey Carroll went 2-4 with his 15th double. Joe Mauer doubled for the 26th time this year. The Twins lost for the fifth straight game, and for the 14th time in their last 16 games. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Aside from the Beloit Snappers, it was not a great night for the Twins organization. Rochester, New Britain, Ft. Myers and Elizabethton lost. The GCL Twins played their final regular season game of the season. Had they won, they would have been in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost too. That means that most of the players from that team will be able to leave Ft. Myers before Tropical Storm Isaac arrives on Sunday night. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Saturday night: ROCHESTER 3, BUFFALO 5 The story on this night was Kyle Gibson. He was making his first start for the Red Wings since last July and undergoing Tommy John surgery in September. In the first inning, Gibson struck out the first two batters he faced. He then gave up a seeing-eye single before striking out the third batter of the inning. In the second inning, he had strikeout, got the second out on a soft-line drive to second base, and got the third batter out on another strikeout. Unfortunately, Gibson struggled in the third frame. He gave up four runs on five hits before his evening was done. He threw 47 pitches, 32 for strikes. More important, his fastball was sitting before 90 and 93 mph with movement. His slider was very sharp, and he showed a very good changeup. Deolis Guerra threw the next three innings. He gave up no runs on three hits. He walked none and struck out four. Daniel Turpen went the final two innings. He gave up one run on one hit and one walk. He struck out four. Wilkin Ramirez remains one fire. He went 3-4 with his 13th double and seventh stolen base. Matt Carson was 2-4 with his 24th double. Brian Dinkelman went 2-4. Danny Lehmann was 1-2 with a walk. Brian Dozier’s struggles with the bat continued. He is 0-20 in his last five game, and since his return to the Red Wings, he has just three hits in 41 at bats. NEW BRITAIN 2, NEW HAMPSHIRE 4 The Rock Cats fell for the third straight game to New Hampshire. BJ Hermsen started for the Rock Cats. Big leaguer, Adam Lind, was the first batter he faced, and he hit a home run. Lind was 2-2 with a walk in the game. Hermsen went six innings and gave up four runs (3 earned) on six hits. He walked three and struck out four. Aaron Thompson struckout one in his inning. Dakota Watts walked one in his relief inning. Deibinson Romero went 2-3 with a walk. Dan Rohlfing was 2-4 with his first triple. Nate Hanson got the Rock Cats on the scoreboard in the second inning when his 14th double drove in Josmil Pinto. Chris Colabello doubled for the 37th time this season. FT. MYERS 2, PALM BEACH 4 Palm Beach scored one in the 2nd inning, one in the 3rd inning and one in the 4th inning, and that was enough on this night. Cole Nelson got the start. The lefty gave up the three runs on nine hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out four. Ricky Bowen gave up three hits and a walk in two scoreless innings. He struckout three. Nelvin Fuentes struckout three over the next two innings. He gave up no runs on one hit and one walk. Michael Tonkin gave up one run on one hit in the ninth inning. He struckout two. Lance Ray went 1-2 with three walks and his 21st double. Levi Michael went 2-3 with a walk. Anderson Hidalgo went 2-4. Danny Santana went 2-5. Steve Liddle hit his second homer. Remember that the Miracle’s game on Sunday was moved up due to tropical storm Isaac. BELOIT 13, CEDAR RAPIDS 2 Miguel Sano got the night off. Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas combined to go 0-10 with five strikeouts. So, of course the Snappers scored 13 runs in Cedar Rapids. Nate Roberts went 3-6. JD Williams went 2-5 with a walk and his sixth homer. Drew Leachman went 2-5 with a walk and his fourth home run. Matt Koch went 1-3 with two walks and his 20th double. Tyler Grimes was 1-3 with two walks and his fifth home run. Stephen Wickens went 1-3 with three walks. Cole Johnson made the start. He went five innings and gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out one. Corey Williams struck out three and walked one over the next three innings. DJ Baxendale gave up two hits but no runs in his inning of work. ELIZABETHTON 1, PULASKI 4 The E-Twins had a rare game in which they didn’t get much offense. Travis Harrison went 2-3 with a walk and his fifth home run. The team had just four more hits. Ricardo Arevalo started and gave up three runs (2 earned) on three hits and two walks in five innings. He struckout just one. Travis Huber walked two in his scoreless inning of work. Andrew Ferriera walked the one batter he faced. Tyler Herr came on and gave up two hits and two walks but no runs in his two innings. GCL TWINS 1 , GCL RED SOX 4 After winning on Friday night, the GCL Twins had a chance to make the playoffs with a win on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Twins came up just short. On the positive side, many of the players will be able to leave Ft. Myers before Tropical Storm Isaac gets there. Felix Jorge started and gave up three runs in the first four innings. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out six. Kuo Hua Lo walked two and struck out one over the next two innings. Hung-Yi Chen gave up one run on two hits in his inning. Alex Muren then struck out one in a scoreless inning. Aderlin Mejia finished a terrific season with another good game. He was 2-3 with a walk and his 12th and 13th doubles. Bryan Haar was also 2-3. Jeremias Pineda went 1-3 with a walk and his 23rd stolen base. --- Players of the Day for Saturday, August 25, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Corey Williams Download attachment: Corey Williams 2.jpg Hitter of the Day – Wilkin Ramirez Download attachment: Wilkin Ramirez 2.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Sunday, August 26, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Buffalo (DH) – RHP Esmerling Vasquez, TBD New Britain @ New Hampshire – LHP Andrew Albers Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach – RHP Matt Summers Beloit @ Cedar Rapids – LHP Jason Wheeler Elizabethton vs Princeton – RHP Hudson Boyd GCL Twins – Season Over --- 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

It appears that the polarizing Twins topic of the first ten days of spring training is the Twins bullpen. There are many who believe that the Twins messed up by not adding more veteran relief pitchers to major league contracts during the offseason. I’m firmly on the opposite side of that argument. I believe that the Twins took a good, calculated risk that Joel Zumaya could actually stay healthy in 2012. If that happened, they could have a difference-maker in the bullpen. As it turned out, his spring training was short and thanks to a torn UCL, his season is already over. As soon as Zumaya was hurt, many fans wanted the Twins to respond instantly by acquiring a proven, veteran bullpen arm. The one difference-making bullpen option that may be available would be Rangers’ righty Koji Uehara, but he will make $4+ million in 2012 and has a no trade clause that he has already used. The Twins have 32 pitchers in big league camp. Taking out the starting pitchers and the four relievers who are all but guaranteed a big league spot (Capps, Perkins, Swarzak, Duensing), and up to 21 players are vying for the remaining four spots. 11 of those are non-roster free agents. My opinion is that the organization has about a month to see if they can fill the three remaining bullpen positions from that group of 21. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here is a quick look at that list: On 40 Man Roster: Alex Burnett (24), Terry Doyle (26 - Rule 5 Pick), Jeff Gray (30), Deolis Guerra (21), Carlos Gutierrez (25), Matt Maloney (28), Jeff Manship (27), Lester Oliveros (23), Tyler Robertson (24), Kyle Waldrop (26). Non-Roster Invites: Jason Bulger (33), Jared Burton (30), Samuel Deduno (28), Phil Dumatrait (30), Casey Fien (28), Luis Perdomo (26), Aaron Thompson (25), Daryl Thompson (26), Esmerling Vasquez (27), PJ Walters (26), Brendan Wise (26). Some fans will choose to say that these guys either are not good enough, not ready, or that they were available to the Twins as minor league free agents because no one else wanted them. Some might say that some are too old to succeed at this point. Some will say that Pitcher X can’t succeed because we have seen too much of them. Others will say that Pitcher Y can’t pitch, in part, because we haven’t seen them and we know nothing about them other than they became available because another team let them go. Let me take you back through a little bit of Twins history. Specifically, let’s take a look at some of the Twins bullpen arms from the last decade, but also looking back a little further. Matt Guerrier came to the Twins after the Pirates placed him on waivers in November of 2003. He was coming off of a 2003 season in AAA Nashville in which he went 4-6 with a 4.53 ERA and just 78 strikeouts in 105.1 innings. The Twins were able to send him to Rochester in 2004, but out of options, he had to make the Twins roster in 2005, and he did. He made the team as the last bullpen arm, and gradually gaining the confidence of the coaching staff to use him in key, late inning situations. He was overused in 2008 and posted a 5.19 ERA. Many fans wanted him let go, but they brought him back and he had two more terrific seasons in the back of the Twins bullpen. Download attachment: MattGuerrier.jpg Dennys Reyes came to the Twins before the 2006 season. In 2005, he posted a 5.15 ERA in San Diego. In 2004, he posted a 4-8 record with a 4.75 ERA in Kansas City. In 2003, he spent time with Pittsburgh and Arizona and posted an ERA over 10 with both teams. In 2002, he posted a 6.38 ERA in Texas. So, who would have expected him to, at age 29, go 5-0 with a 0.89 ERA in 66 games with the Twins. He spent two more seasons in the Twins and went a combined 10-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 126.1 innings. “Everyday” Eddie Guardado is one of the best left-handed relievers in Twins history. He was a failed starter. In 1993 and 1994, he combined to go 18-34 with a 5.22 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. Once moved to the bullpen, he proved himself and eventually moved into the closer’s role. LaTroy Hawkins is another failed starter. Even after moving to the bullpen, it took him a couple of years to grasp the concept. From 1995 through 2001, he went 29-54 with a 5.78 ERA. Then in his final two seasons with the Twins (2002-2003), he was one of the best set up men in baseball. He combined to go 15-3 with a 2.00 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in 157.2 innings. JC Romero went 3-11 with ERAs of 7.02 and 6.23 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. In 2002, he posted a 1.89 ERA in 81 games out of the Twins bullpen. Not all relievers come into the big leagues and dominate right away like Jesse Crain, Juan Rincon and Pat Neshek did. Of course, each of those three has also lived the up and down nature of being a relief pitcher in the big leagues. And sometimes, all you need is a guy to come in and have one good year. Check out these examples: Tony Fiore came to the Twins in May of 2001 after being released by the Devil Rays days earlier. In fact, the Twins had signed him almost exactly two years earlier and sent him to AAA. The Twins released him after the 1999 season. In 18 big league games in 2000 and 2001 with the Devil Rays and Twins, he posted a 7.30 ERA in 24.2 innings. He allowed 30 hits, walked 12 and struck out 16. Then somehow, he went 10-3 with a 3.16 ERA with the Twins in 2002. The Twins claimed lefty Craig Breslow off of waivers from Cleveland midseason in 2008. He had previously been released by Milwaukee, San Diego and Boston. The then-27 year old posted 1.63 ERA in 42 games with the Twins the remainder of that season. Let’s go all the way back to the 1991 Twins World Series championship team. The Big Train (Carl Willis) had previously posted an 8.25 ERA with the White Sox in 1988. He was let go by the White Sox, Angels and Indians before signing with the Twins. The 30 year old (in 1991) went 8-3 with a 2.63 ERA for the Twins in 89 innings. In 1992, he posted a 2.72 ERA in 79.1 innings for the Twins. In 1993, he posted a 3.10 ERA in 58 innings for the Twins. Last offseason, the Twins needed some pitchers to step up for the Twins in their bullpen. One pitcher did that. Glen Perkins posted 2.48 ERA in 61.2 innings out of the Twins bullpen. He was easily the Twins top pitcher despite the fact that most fans wanted him to be released after a couple of disastrous seasons. Most of these guys’ success occurred after players had turned 27 or 28 years old. When I see guys who have had big league success like Jared Burton and Jason Bulger brought in on minor league deals, I think it is exciting. Hard-throwers like Vasquez, Perdomo and Deduno are certainly at least intriguing. Youngsters like Alex Burnett and Lester Oliveros warrant some patience. A guy like Kyle Waldrop has put in his time in the minors and earned an opportunity in the big leagues. His ground ball rates are incredible. Brendan Wise is an Australian who hasn’t played in the big leagues but who profiles a lot like Waldrop. Carlos Gutierrez needs to stay healthy, but the hard thrower in another ground ball machine. Deolis Guerra is still the youngest player on the Twins 40 man roster and has a tremendous changeup and his numbers after moving to the bullpen last year were great. Jeff Manship profiles very much like Matt Guerrier. They throw with the same velocity, same control, same changeup and curveballs that are often described as the best in the organization. Unfortunately Manship was hurt last year, but he comes into spring training healthy and should perform. Two guys that seemingly have been forgotten but are not gone from the Twins could also factor into the Twins bullpen later in the season. Anthony Slama and David Bromberg were both removed from the 40 man roster and outrighted to Rochester. Neither was even invited to big league camp, but Slama has put up some of the best minor league bullpen numbers that we’ve seen in recent years. Bromberg will likely start the season as a starter, but cold be a bullpen arm to consider later in the season. Listen, I’ll be the first person to tell you that the Twins bullpen was a mess in 2011. I will also say that of the Twins biggest question marks coming into the 2012 season, the bullpen is atop that list. But based on an organizational history of giving guys opportunities to move up and contribute, I’m at the very least intrigued by some interesting roster and non-roster bullpen possibilities. I’m willing to get to the end of March before considering looking for a trade. Click here to view the article

APs Janie McCauley wrote a very nice story about the Twins most recent signee. The Twins have signed RHP Brandon Poulson as a non-drafted free agent... and signed him for $250,000. He is a 24-year old who played some ball in Northern California for the Academy of Art University where he posted an 8.38 ERA this last year. However, in an amateur game, Twins scout Elliot Shrankman saw him and because the Twins had a couple-hundred-thousand dollars left in their draft pool, they were able to sign him over a couple of other teams that also had interest. A 96-100 mph fastball will do that. Check out the full story... Lots of great stuff... http://bigstory.ap.org/article/out-nowhere-twins-add-undrafted-24-year-old

Yeah, it was huge news on Twitter around 6:45 tonight... but, I'm hearing that he feels alright, just got sore. Hopefully it's oK.

Over the past couple weeks here at Twins Daily, we have been profiling a player each day who may be available when the Minnesota Twins make their first round draft selection on Thursday night, the fourth overall pick. Today, we are going to do something a little bit different. This is a Minnesota Twins blog, but it’s also important to recognize and support some local players who are likely to hear their names called in the early rounds of the MLB Draft. Today, we’ll briefly discuss three college players and three high school players with Minnesota ties. It’s always fun to keep track of local players as they begin their professional careers. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Gophers Two players on the Minnesota Gophers roster have a chance of being drafted early in the draft. TOM WINDLE Windle is a 6-4, 215 pound left-hander who went 6-4 with a 2.14 ERA for the Gophers this season. He came to the University from Osseo High School where he was runner-up in the Minnesota Mr. Baseball voting. He was the 2010 Metro Player of the Year. He was drafted in the 28th round of the 2010 draft. He worked 41. 1 innings as a freshman and 41. Innings as a sophomore. He played in the Cape Cod League last summer and made a name for himself. The southpaw has good command of a fastball that generally sits between 88 and 92 mph. He has a very good changeup in the low 80s. He also has a good slider. He profiles as a likely back-of-the-rotation starter. Early in the year, he was believed to be a potential first round pick. Now, it looks like he could sneak into the second round. DJ SNELTEN Snelten is from Illinois, but he came to the University of Minnesota despite being drafted in the 30th round by the Padres. He is listed at 6-7 and 230 pounds and throws left-handed, so there is plenty of projection in him. He has been clocked as high as 95 mph with his fastball, and some rave about a very good changeup. He has also been working to add a slider. He went 5-2 with a 2.15 ERA in in 58.2 innings this year. As a sophomore, he went 4-4 with a 3.24 ERA. Snelton just turned 21 years old. He could be taken as early as the third round. PREP STARS There are lots of high school baseball players who have Division I scholarships, but three of them appear to stand out as potential early-round selections. RYAN BOLDT The 6-1, 185 pound 18-year old oufielder from Red Wing certainly has had an interesting run the last year or so. Last summer, he played for Team USA in the Junior AAA/18 U World Championships in South Korea. He was also named the MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Game when he went 2-3 with a triple. His name grew among scouts last summer as a potential five-tool player. He is a tremendous athlete with great speed. He has run a 6.5 60 and most believe that he has the range and instincts to remain a center fielder. He also has a very strong arm, which is an incredible story. When he was ten, he hurt his left arm, his throwing arm. He had two surgeries on his left arm and was told he probably shouldn’t play baseball. That wasn’t an option, so he tought himself to throw right-handed. He’s had two more surgeries on his left arm in recent years, but his right arm is now a tool that has made scouts believe that he can play center, or even right field. He can hit for average and has good on-base skills. The one tool that remains in question is power, but he certainly has the frame to add this to his arsenal. He committed to the University of Nebraska and was looking forward to a big senior season for Red Wing High School. Unfortunately, in the first game this spring, he tore a meniscus, requiring surgery, so he has not played this spring. Scouts will have to determine his draft status based primarily on 2012. There was talk that he could be a mid-1st round pick, but it is now more likely that he would be available when the Twins pick in the 2nd round. MAX KNUTSON Knutson is a left-handed pitcher from Mounds View who also has committed to play for Darin Erstad at the University of Nebraska. The 6-2, 190 pound pitcher/outfielder touches 92 on his fastball. As you would imagine, his secondary pitches will need plenty of development. He has also played defense on the hockey team. He is another great athlete who can hit and play the outfield quite well. He has great speed and the size to develop some power. However, if he is drafted (believed to be possible in the 4th to 8th rounds), it will be as a pitcher. LOGAN SHORE At 6-2 and 205 pounds, Logan Shore’s name has been known for several years. After posting a 0.80 ERA during his junior year, the right-hander from Coon Rapids committed to play his college ball at the University of Florida. Shore throws hard, hitting 92-93 with his fastball. He is said to have a good curveball and a developing, but encouraging, changeup. He is also a shortstop and very good hitter. There is a chance he could go as early as the supplemental first round, though he could land in the 2nd or third rounds too. ONE MORE CHRIS ANDERSON Chris Anderson was Mr. Baseball in Minnesota in 2010 (edging out Windle in the voting) when he played for Centennial High School. He was the 35th round pick of the Cubs that year, but he went on to Jacksonville University where he had teamed with current Twins' minor leaguers Matt Tomshaw and Adam Walker. Still just 20 years old, Anderson came into the season as a potential early-round pick after flashing a 96 mph fastball and a very good slider in the Cape Cod League last summer. Early in the season, he was dominant and his name surfaced as a top ten pick. He went 6-5 with a 3.05 ERA this year. In 85.2 innings, he walked 24 and struck out 85. However, throughout the season, he was quite inconsistent. He could go as early as the mid-first round, though it is also possible (not likely) that he will still be available when the Twins make their second selection. OTHERS There are several other area players who will likely get drafted. Along with Boldt and Knutson, Erstad also has Forest Lake catcher Beau Fandel and Totino Grace infielder Matt Leuty going to Nebraska. St. Paul Academy’s Matt Fiedler is a right-handed pitcher who has committed to stay in-state and play for the Gophers. There are other college players in the region who have made a name for themselves and will likely be selected in the later rounds. One regional name to watch is Layne Somsen, a right-handed pitcher from Yankton, South Dakota, who was the Summit League Pitcher of the Year this year. He led the Jackrabbits to their first NCAA Regional. In their first game against #1 seed Oregon, Somsen held the Ducks to just two hits over seven innings. He is considered a mid-round (15-20th rounds) pick, though that kind of performance with that kind of exposure may move him up a few rounds. It’s always fun seeing who the Twins first pick will be, but it's also fun to get to know and start to follow some of the local players as well. Check out the other Twins Daily MLB Draft Player Profiles or follow the latest national mock drafts in our forum. Be sure to listen to a short, Twins draft preview podcast as well. Monday, May 20-- Sean Manaea, SP Tuesday, May 21-- Austin Meadows, OF Wednesday, May 22-- Trey Ball, OF Thursday, May 23-- Ryan Stanek, RHP Friday, May 24-- Clint Frazier, OF Tuesday, May 28-- Reese McGuire, C Wednesday, May 29—Braden Shipley, RHP Thursday, May 30 -- Kohl Stewart, RHP Friday, May 31 – Kris Bryant, 3B/1B For MLB Draft Day Coverage, make sure you follow @TwinsDaily on Twitter! View full article

It was a big day for a couple of Twins pitching prospects, and one of their top offensive prospects added to his organization-leading home run total. It was also a day in which there were several transactions. Twins Daily has learned the following (though there could be more coming): RHP Tom Stuifbergen has been promoted from Ft. Myers to AA New Britain. Meanwhile, RHPs Tyler Duffey and Manuel Soliman[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] will move up to the Miracle. Finally, 2012 8th round pick RHP Christian Powell will join the Cedar Rapids Kernels from Extended Spring Training. Also, a second pitcher will be joining the Kernels. The pitcher was released by another organization a week ago and signed by the Twins. Check out the Minor League Movement forum for more. ‘Tis the season for transactions!! With that, check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Tuesday: Rochester Red Wings 4, Gwinnett Braves 3 Box Score Kyle Gibson was back on the mound for the Red Wings. The lanky right-hander did allow some base runners but put together a nice game. He went six innings and did not allow a run in the first five; he gave up two in the sixth frame. Overall, he went six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four, leaving with a 4-2 lead. Luis Perdomo came in for the seventh inning and got just two outs, giving up one run thanks to three walks. Aaron Thompson got the save by getting the final seven outs. He gave up a hit, walked one and struck out two. Eric Fryer went 2-4. He had the game’s biggest hit, a bases-clearing double. Antoan Richardson was 2-5 with his seventh and eighth stolen bases. Doug Bernier was 2-3 with a walk. Chris Colabello was 1-3 with two walks and his 18th double; he also stole his first base of the year. New Britain Rock Cats 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels 1 Box Score DJ Baxendale had a rough first appearance in Double-A last week. A part of the beauty of baseball is that you quickly get a chance to redeem yourself. Baxendale did just that on Tuesday night. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out seven. Bobby Lanigan came on and got just one out while giving up a walk and a hit. Edgar Ibarra came on and got the final two outs without the inherited runners scoring. Matt Hauser entered for the ninth inning and recorded his first Rock Cats save. The Rock Cats got three hits from Danny Santana. They scored two runs in the first inning on ground out RBI's from Josmil Pinto and Danny Ortiz. In the second frame, they scored runs on a sacrifice fly by Mark Sobolewski and on a ground out by James Beresford. Ft. Myers Miracle 2, Brevard County Manatees 3 Box Score The Miracle bats were kept quiet most of this game. Jason Wheeler started for the Miracle. He gave up three runs on nine hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out six. Ryan O’Rourke was brought in, and he struck out two in two scoreless innings. Zack Jones pitched a perfect ninth and struck out one. The Miracle had seven hits and five free passes. However, only Matt Koch had more than one hit, going 2-4. Miguel Sano knocked his 14th homer run and stole his eighth base. Cedar Rapids Kernels The Kernels had a scheduled day off. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article