Seth Stohs

Very reasonable contract... makes it really difficult to find any fault in it.

I agree that Herrmann isn't forcing himself onto the roster... and even if he was playing better this year, I just showed that it can still work... As pointed out above, there would still need to be a third catcher, and these three all provide some flexibility.

I like Doumit and because of their flexibility it still shouldn't affect Chris Herrmann. Mauer can catch, DH and play 1B. Herrmann can catch and play LF and RF well. Doumit can catch and DH.

Yeah, these were some interesting quotes hand-picked out of context. Self-deprecating is a good thing... Terry Ryan has proven he can handle this job. He's made good moves this year. We all know that this isn't a one-year fix. He's good.

I'm a huge believer in Dozier... When he was called up, I was clamoring for Ray Chang at that time. Dozier was slumping. I would rather they have waited a month to see how he was doing at that time. But I've still seen a guy with generally a good glove. I definitely think he has both the range and the arm to play big league SS. He's definitely got all of the intangibles. I won't pretend to know whether the right thing to do for him is to send him down for 6-8 weeks or to let him work through it with the Twins. This is a rebuilding season, in my opinion, so I'm all for doing whatever they think is the best. Also, I don't care that he's 25. He just turned 25. I'm not saying he'll be a star. I've never said that. But I do think that he can be a very solid major leaguer. If anyone thought he'd be more than that, it's not his fault.

There is a fairly large increase in talent from the Appy League to the Midwest League... And, he's so young. The new rules that allow Rhodes to stay in short-season for this season are great for players from Australia, Taiwan, etc. Best thing for him. I like Rhodes and his power. He could be solid.

Tonight, Miguel Sano went 2-4 with a walk to raise his average to .240... He also hit his 16th home run. It was his first homer since June 11.

No surprise regarding the relationship between Slowey and Diamond. 1.) Kevin Slowey is a great guy. I've had a chacne to get to know him since 2005 after the Twins drafted him, and he's always been terrific. He didn't handle the situation well last year, but the Twins handled it terribly too. He does a lot in the community and for people. 2.) Like Slowey, Diamond is a very, very smart person. Very intellectual. Remember the article earlier in the year about how into the GREEN efforts they both are. They're very close.

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?731-Twins-Daily-Live-Twins-Chat-Starts-at-11-a-m-on-Friday

Seth will be answering your Twins-related questions here on Friday, starting at 11:00 a.m. central time and going until about 1:00 p.m. Ask questions on the Twins, players, trade deadline, minor league topics, history or whatever you like. It's a lot of fun. If you're interested in watching like, stop back and ask your questions! Twins Daily Live Twins Chat [ATTACH=CONFIG]1409[/ATTACH]

Call up the teams from the American Association, offer to pay his salary and send 4-5 dozen baseballs.

As has been said, it was a quote from 2003. And we don't know if it was taken out of context. In some ways, I agree with a lot of what's written above. I also agree with Gardy. I think it's irresponsible for a manager or a front office to not take all available information into account when decisions need to be made. That said, I always appreciate a manager who is willing to go against the book. We (as fans) do not know all of the information that the manager knows about players and behind the scenes stuff, and who just flat-out needs a day off or that kind of stuff. The beauty of baseball is there is no ONE correct way to think.

If I were to make a list of the Twins Top 25 roster issues, Anthony Swarzak would be wayyyy down the list. He's been solid in his multiple roles the last couple of years.

From MLB Trade Rumors: The Twins have signed eighth rounder Christian Powell, according to Callis (on Twitter). The College of Charleston right-hander, who features a mid-90s sinker, will receive a $140K bonus.

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?722-Trade-Target-Team-Profile-Texas-Rangers

The Big Picture The Rangers have been the American League representative in the World Series each of the past two seasons. In 2012, they are 46-29 and battling with the New York Yankees for the best record in the league. To no surprise, the Los Angeles Angels have started playing (pitching) better and despite a slow start, they are just 4.5 games behind Texas. Why They Will Trade With the Twins The Rangers don’t have a lot of needs. Generally, they are considered one of, if not the, best all-around teams in baseball. They have the best offense in baseball. Their pitching staff is among the top five in baseball. However, the Rangers have shown in recent years that they are willing to deal at the trade deadline to become even stronger. Two years ago, they gave up (then) top prospect Justin Smoak to Seattle for Cliff Lee. Last year, they had one of baseball’s strongest bullpens and went out and acquired Koji Uehara and Mike Adams and Michael Gonzalez. Then in the offseason, they signed Joe Nathan. If Justin Morneau can possibly turn things around and hit for the next three weeks, he is a possible target as he would be a little improvement over the currently-injured Mitch Moreland at first base. David Murphy plays left field most of the time with Josh Hamilton in centerfield. Late in games, they move Hamilton to left field and insert Craig Gentry for defensive purposes. The team would like to move Hamilton to left field more permanently. Currently, the Rangers leadoff hitter is Ian Kinsler who does a decent job of getting on base, but with his power, he might fit better down in the lineup. Denard Span would make a lot of sense for the Rangers as he could take over in center field and in the leadoff spot. Of course, they could also inquire about Josh Willingham to take over in left field or DH (with Michael Young playing more first base). Much depends upon how well Leonys Martin can play over the next month. Of course, with Nolan Ryan involved, it would surprise no one if the Rangers did target some additional pitching. That means names like Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Jared Burton could be trade targets, as well. Why They Won't Trade With the Twins As mentioned above, the Rangers do not have many needs. The Rangers’ offense currently leads MLB in Batting Average (.282), On-Base Percentage (.343), Slugging Percentage (.456), and of course OPS (.800). The Rangers are also fourth in MLB in team ERA (3.61) and Batting Average Against (.242). How much more salary will the team want to incur going forward? In the offseason, Josh Hamilton will become a free agent. The Rangers have a strong farm system. They have the talent to win already, as they have proven the last two-plus seasons. Their core, along with some of the impressive stable of prospects in their system, could keep the Rangers in contention for years to come. Conclusion The Rangers do not have a lot of needs, but after falling short in the World Series each of the past two seasons, they will certainly be willing to deal to make themselves better. The Rangers have a strong farm system and have shown a willingness to use it to acquire players in each of the past two seasons. With their 20 year, $3 billion television contract from Fox Sports Southwest, payroll is not an issue. According to Forbes, the Rangers are worth $674 million, a 20% increase from 2011. However, adding a player like Denard Span and his team-friendly contract would make their offense, and their defense, even stronger. And based on last year, the Rangers clearly believe that you can never have too much quality pitching. Here is a list five Rangers prospects that the Twins could look for in return in potential trades. ~~~ Possible Trade Targets Martin Perez - LHP Perez is set to make his much-anticipated Major League debut this weekend for the Rangers. The 21-year-old southpaw was called up to take the place of Colby Lewis who was put on the Disabled List. Perez has always been very young for his level of competition. Baseball American has ranked him 17th, 24th and 31st respectively in their Top 100 prospect lists. He has a fastball in the low 90s with sink, a good changeup and a sharp, slow curveball. His potential is immense, although he is yet to experience much success at the AAA-level. Tanners Scheppers - RHP Scheppers played for the St. Paul Saints before the 2009 draft. The Rangers selected him in the supplemental first round that year. It was the third time he had been drafted because he has tremendous stuff. His fastball reaches into the mid-90s. He has a very good curveball as well. There were often durability concerns with him, and he struggled at times with control. The 25-year-old began this season in the AAA bullpen where he walked just four and struck out 27 in 29 innings. He was called up to the Rangers in early June where he has just one walk and nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Jurickson Profar - SS Profar is one of the elite prospects in baseball. The shortstop turned 19 in February and is currently hitting .289/.369/.463 (.832) in Double-A. He has 17 doubles, six triples, seven homers, 34 RBI and nine stolen bases. This comes after posting an OPS of .883 last year in High-A ball. The reality is that the Twins likely couldn’t get Profar in exchange for Span, Morneau and Perkins. But could the Rangers reigning shortstop, Elvis Andrus, be available? He is just 23 and has been their starting shortstop since 2009. He can hit and field and is in the first year of a three-year, $14.4 million deal that takes him to free agency. Neil Ramirez - RHP 23-year-old Ramirez came in to the season as a top prospect, but he has struggled at AAA. The 2003 first-round pick out of high school in Virginia Beach throws hard. As a starter, his fastball sits in the low-90s but touches 96. This spring, in a one-inning stint, he touched 98 mph. His curveball is said to be his best pitch, although he also has a very good changeup. Still young, he profiles as a mid-rotation starter, but with a fastball that is impressive. Cody Buckel - RHP Buckel was the Rangers second round pick in 2010 out of high school. He just turned 20 and made his first AA start. At High-A Myrtle Beach, he was 5-3 with a 1.31 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. In 75.2 innings, he walked 25 but he struck out 91. He has a fastball that touches 94. He throws a cutter that sits between 85-90. He has a good 12-6 curveball in the 70s. He throws a slider in the low-80s. He also has a good changeup in the low-80s. Please add your thoughts and trade ideas (and other names the Twins could pursue) in the comments below! [ATTACH=CONFIG]1389[/ATTACH]

This trade is certainly not exciting, huh?

Just terrible news being reported this morning through various sources online, including Twitter, that Twins minor league LHP Paul Bargas has passed away. Bargas, in fact, never actually pitched in the twins system. The lefty came to the Twins in December of 2010 in exchange for AAAA catcher Jose Morales, who was out of options at that time. He came to Twins spring training in 2011, excited for a new opportunity with a new team. Instead, during the first days of minor league spring training, he collapsed on the field. Soon after, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He has been getting treatments in his home state of California. On Tuesday, he lost his battle with cancer, passing away at the far-too-young age of 23. 23... Too Sad!! Thoughts certainly go out to his family, friends and former teammates!

And Danny Santana has played 38 at SS and 21 at 2B (and 2 in CF)... I actually like Santana better at 2B, but it is great to see Michael playing so much better after the All Star break.

That's a pretty solid lineup now. Tosoni should be hitting up higher too. I think people forget that he's a pretty good ball player because he just can't get it going this year.

yeah, I think that expectations need to be tempered... it's unfortunate, but things can really only go down for him and his career at this point. Ha! Good news, I was at the game for Robertson's debut... Bad News, I was in the bathroom... Oh well!