Cody Schoenmann

I like your inclusion of Enlow! If he was with the Saints right now I probably would have placed him above Sadzeck and possibly Sanchez, but with Enlow recently being DFA'd and in Double-A Wichita I think he is still below Sadzeck and Sanchez on the totem pole. Another Double-A pitcher I am intrigued by is David Festa. Festa has struggled so far at Double-A, and I don't think he will contribute for the Twins this season, but if he improves I could see Festa getting promoted to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints before the end of the minor league season.

St. Paul still has some arms that could impact the Twins this year. Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports According to Fangraphs, the Twins have had the best starting rotation in baseball and the seventeenth-best bullpen, which, if you combine the two, means the Twins have had the third-best pitching staff in baseball, just behind the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros. Although the Twins have been fortunate enough to rely on star pitchers like starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan and reliever Jhoan Duran, their ability to fill out their staff with complimentary pieces has been just as, if not more, important. As the season continues, the Twins depth will continue to get tested as pitchers getting injured is one of the few inevitabilities of baseball. Luckily, the Twins have an abundance of options across the Mississippi River with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. Let's examine how the options rank for the rest of the season: #7. RHP Connor Sadzeck - St. Paul Saints - 18 G, 3.91 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 25.1 IP, 21 H, 18 BB, 30 K Although Sadzeck could take on a long relief role as he has started two games for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints and has made starts at the Major League level, his pitching repertoire, highlighted by a sinker that sits at 95-96 MPH, likely plays best in a short relief role. The Twins have been able to find success with veteran relievers signed to minor league contracts in the form of Brock Stewart and José De León. Sadzeck, if given the opportunity, could be next. #6. RHP Aaron Sanchez - St. Paul Saints - 11 G, 3.72 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 46.0 IP, 43 H, 30 BB, 16 K The one-time pitching phenom for the Toronto Blue Jays, who was wrongfully sent down to Single-A during his breakout 2016 all-star season, Aaron Sanchez, has spent the better part of the last two seasons with the Twins organization. Sanchez was serviceable in the handful of games he started last year for the Twins and could start a game or games this year if injuries pile up. Sanchez could take on a long relief role, but he likely profiles better as a spot starter. #5. RHP Josh Winder - St. Paul Saints - 14 G, 5.63 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 26 H, 15 BB, 26 K During his rookie season in 2022, Winder showed flashes of the potential that led to him playing in the 2021 MLB All-star futures game, but his fastball played much worse than many expected it to, plus he battled a shoulder impingement throughout the entirety of the season and is now working primarily as a reliever. He struggled in a lone appearance earlier this season with the Twins, and hasn't been much better with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. He appears to have fallen in the pecking order. #4. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson - St. Paul Saints - 9 G, 7.38 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 39.0 IP, 50 H, 22 BB, 33 K Regarding struggles, Simeon Woods Richardson's 2023 campaign has not been kind. Although excelling through Double-A and Triple-A and making his first Major League start during the 2022 season, Woods Richardson has yet to mimic that performance. Looking at Eno Sarris' Triple-A pitching report, Woods Richardson ranks as the 27th-best pitcher at the Triple-A level with a Stuff+ of 102.7, Location+ of 98, and a Pitching+ of 97 through 631 pitches in eight appearances. When looking at advanced metrics, Woods Richardson seems to have stuff that will work at the Major League level, but it is hard to have faith in any right-handed pitcher who can only touch 90-91 MPH with their fastball. Woods Richardson might get another chance at long relief with the Twins this season, as he is on the 40-man roster and still has potential. Still, if he ever wants to join the rotation mix, like one-time prospect Louie Varland successfully has, Woods Richardson will have to add velocity to his fastball. Luckily, Woods Richardson is 22 years old, so making strides in certain parts of his game is still a reasonable possibility. #3. Ronny Henriquez - St. Paul Saints - 10 G, 5.82 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 20 H, 11 BB, 14 K Henriquez entered Spring Training this year with hopes of competing with Trevor Megill, Danny Coulombe, Cole Sands, and others for the last bullpen spot. Unfortunately, Henriquez was placed on the 15-day IL on March 30th with right posterior elbow soreness and couldn't pitch during Spring Training. But on May 12th, Henriquez was activated from the 15-day IL and was sent to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. Since joining the Saints, Henriquez has struggled. Although Henriquez sports a slightly above-average K% of 21.2%, he possesses a below-average BB% of 8.0%, resulting in him giving up far too many base runners. Henriquez's slider and changeup are his best pitches but don't dismiss his fastball that sits around 96-97 MPH. Although Henriquez came up through the minors as a starter for the Texas Rangers organization, his stuff likely plays better as a short relief pitcher. More likely than not, Henriquez will appear for the Twins later this season; whether it be as a short or long reliever is yet to be decided. #2. Jordan Balazovic - St. Paul Saints - 11 G, 4.45 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 28.1 IP, 26 H, 14 BB, 33 K Once ranked the 97th overall prospect in Major League Baseball by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo in 2021, Jordan Balazovic has, to put it lightly, fallen from grace. During his 2022 campaign, Balazovic looked below replacement level while pitching himself to a 7.39 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and a 6.61 FIP while giving up 102 hits and 35 walks to 76 strikeouts. Balazovic also sported a 29.0% home-run-to-fly-ball (HR/FB) ratio, which is beyond awful. I don't enjoy writing such negative things about Balazovic as I have been a big fan of his for quite some time now, but his 2022 campaign was objectively uninspiring. Fortunately, Balazovic has appeared to have turned the corner. During his 2023 campaign, Balazovic has been able to cut all of his metrics in half and, most notably, is sporting a HR/FB ratio of 13.3%, which is still less than ideal but much, much better than 29.0%. I think 2023 will be the year Twins fans finally get to see Balazovic pitch in a Twins uniform. I still think he has starter potential, but if he makes it to the Major Leagues this year, it will be as a long reliever. #1. Brent Headrick - St. Paul Saints - 8 G, 4.54 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 37.2 IP, 43 H, 10 BB, 48 K While making his Twins debut against the Boston Red Sox on April 19th, Headrick impressed the Twins organization and fans. Through three innings pitched, Headrick gave up one hit and two walks while striking out three and earning his first career save. Headrick's subsequent two appearances versus the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees, respectively, were just as impressive as Headrick was able to limit runners while also suppressing runs and opportunities for hitters. Through 8.1 innings pitched with the Twins, Headrick pitched himself to a 3.24 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, four hits, four walks, and twelve strikeouts. Headrick sports an impressive K% of 36.4% and BB% of 12.1%. Headrick, while with the Twins, used his fastball over 52% of th+e time, while using his slider roughly 42% of the time, and his changeup just 5.3%. Headrick has excellent command over the zone, so he is currently next in line to make a start if one of the five starting pitchers gets injured or needs to sit for a start. At the moment, Headrick is the Twins’ best option at the Triple-A level. As such, Headrick will likely make another appearance for the Twins this year; whether it be as a spot starter or as the long reliever is yet to be seen. With the front office prioritizing adding and retaining pitching depth this off-season, the Twins have an abundance of serviceable veteran and prospect arms that could come up and adequately fill in for the rotation or bullpen if need be. Which pitcher intrigues you the most? What roles do you think fit best? View full article

It really is the worst timing lol, he had such a great May. It's a right forearm strain too, which is always concerning. I hope he is able to pitch again soon.

here is a really interesting article that goes in-depth on Dalatri's career and personal life: https://www.thegazette.com/minor-league-sports/gianluca-dalatri-determined-to-take-advantage-of-second-chance/

I agree. I think Stankiewicz is due for a promotion to Double-A Wichita.

thank you!

Let's kick off our Twins Daily minor-league awards for the month of May by looking at several of the top relief pitcher performances this past month. Image courtesy of McKenzie Short (Cedar Rapids Kernels), graphics by Thieres Rabelo Being a minor league relief pitcher is arguably the most peculiar position a professional baseball player could find themselves in. Typically, minor league pitchers find themselves as either being supplanted as starting pitchers who are working on their craft with hopes of making it to the big leagues, or they are in a complex transitional phase where they are being converted from starters to relievers, as being a reliever gives them a more straightforward path to contributing to their respective Major League club. Very few are just relief pitchers. Some on this list fit the mold of a pure relief pitcher, and some fit the mold of a former starter transitioning into a relief role with hopes of making the Major League club. To begin, let's take a look at the honorable mentions. RHP Austin Schulfer - St. Paul Saints - 8 G, 2.53 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 8 H, 7 BB, 8 K RHP Regi Grace - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 8 G, 2.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 10 K RHP Patrick Murphy - St. Paul Saints - 9 G, 0.69 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 13.0 IP, 7 H, 12 BB, 13 K Top Five Relief Pitchers for May 2023: #5. LHP Zach Veen - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - 7 G, 0.00 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 10 K We start the Top Five list with the homonymic adjacent named relief pitcher of prized Colorado Rockies prospect Zac Veen. Despite not being the #30 ranked prospect on MLB.com like his homonymic doppelganger Zac, Veen, in his second year of professional baseball, has impressed enough that a Major League baseball career just might be in his future. Through seven appearances in May, Veen pitched himself to a perfect ERA of 0.00, a WHIP of 1.30, and, as he did in April, the same amount of strikeouts as the number of innings pitched with ten. Veen has dominated at the Low-A level as a top reliever for the Mighty Mussels throughout the first two months of the minor-league season, and that is why he has made the Top 5 Twins Minor League Reliever of the Month list in back-to-back months. #4. LHP Kody Funderburk - St. Paul Saints - 9 G, 3.86 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 18 K Speaking of homonyms, number four on this list comes in the form of Kody Funderburk. Despite having same-sounding first names, our German last names couldn't be much different if they tried. Funderburk translates to "the dweller near a rocky mountain, or beside the bank of a river," while my last name, Schoenmann, translates to "beautiful man." Although Funderburk's ancestors spent time dwelling by a river, while mine spent time looking beautiful, our situations are much different nowadays. Kody spends his time pitching for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, while I last played organized baseball when I graduated high school in 2018. Also, Kody is much more handsome than I am. To discuss Funderburk's pitching, the first number that pops out is that he has 18 strikeouts through 11 2/3 innings pitched. If Caleb Theilbar's return to the Twins weren't imminent, it wouldn't be beyond rational to think that Funderburk could be a contributing left-handed bullpen arm for the Twins at this very moment. Funderburk needs to lower his walk and hit rates if he wants to pitch for the Twins this season. 3. RHP Gianluca Dalatri - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 6 G, 1.17 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 7.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 K Gianluca Dalatri's unique professional baseball career has made its way to the Twins organization after signing a minor-league contract on May 4th. Dalatri was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 40th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dalatri never appeared for the Tigers organization and instead started his professional career with the Palm Beach Cardinals of the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 2021. Dalatri stayed with the Cardinals organization through 2022 and got as high as Double-A before being released by the Cardinals at the beginning of the 2023 MLB season. On May 4th, Dalatri signed with the Minnesota Twins and was assigned to the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. Since joining the Kernels, Dalatri has done nothing but impress. Dalatri has used a three-pitch repertoire that contains a 94-95 MPH fastball, an 87-88 MPH cutter, and an 80-81 MPH slider to dominate Single-A hitting while generating a 0.78 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings pitched during May. It will be interesting to see if Dalatri can continue to impress and work his way up through the Twins organization. 2. RHP Oliver Ortega - St. Paul Saints - 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 10 K Ortega, who the Twins claimed off of waivers from the Los Angeles Angels, a move that led to the recently breaking out Blayne Enlow getting designated for assignment, has impressed during his time with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. On April 6th, Ortega was placed on the 7-day injured list with a right shoulder strain and couldn't return to game action until nearly a month later, on May 3rd. After missing a month, Ortega bounced back by putting up a 0.00 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and ten strikeouts to four walks through 10 1/3 innings pitched. Ortega's pitching repertoire includes a fastball that tops out around 95-96 MPH and, according to Baseball Savant, was in the 84th percentile in fastball velocity and 64th percentile in fastball spin during his 2022 stint with the Angels, an 80-81 MPH curveball that challenges right-handed hitters, and a sinker and cutter that he uses to change pace and establish his fastball. If Ortega continues to perform, he, like Funderburk, could make his Twins debut later this season. 1. RHP John Stankiewicz - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 7 G, 0.71 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 12 K John Stankiewicz, a 6-foot-4, 24-year-old from Fordham University, was signed as an undrafted free agent after the shortened COVID five-round 2020 MLB Draft. Last year, Stankiewicz won the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month award for April, and this year he is winning the Twins Daily Minor League Reliever of the Month award for May. Admittedly, this was a hard one, as I wanted to give the award to Ortega, but Stankiewicz's performance was too good to be topped. During May, Stankiewicz switched between stretch relief and single-inning relief, but no matter his role, he dominated. In seven appearances, Stankiewicz earned himself a 0.71 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and he had twelve strikeouts to three walks in 12 2/3 innings pitched. Rob Friedman's post shows that Stankiewicz's pitching repertoire includes a fastball that hovers around 92-93 MPH and a curveball, slider, and changeup that he uses as a useful offspeed pitch. Friedman even dubbed Stankiewicz's curveball "The Stankhammer." Stankiewicz's highlight performance for May occurred on the 21st while the Kernels were facing the Peoria Chiefs. Through 3 2/3 innings of long relief, Stankiewicz retired all eleven hitters he faced and struck out four. As the season continues, if Stankiewicz can continue to build off his success as both a stretch and short reliever in May, he might be rewarded with a promotion to Double-A Wichita. Congratulations to each of these Twins minor-league relievers on a strong month. Leave your thoughts in the Comments below. View full article

I'm just speculating. I think the Twins plan is to have Buxton healthy and in the lineup as often as possible, and if he plays CF I feel as if it is inevitable that he will end up on the IL. Buxton was incredible on the base paths while the Twins were out west during their series with the Dodgers and Angels a handful of weeks ago, but, as you probably saw as well, almost every time he stole second or went from first to third he was in obvious pain while getting up. If he is struggling that much while trying to get back up after sliding into second or third base, I feel like standing in centerfield for nine innings and chasing after balls in the gap is just a non-starter. I wish Buxton could play CF, stay healthy, and contribute both offensively and defensively but I just don't think that's an option for 2023.

Paul Skenes would be my number one choice as well!

I appreciate you bringing up where the Twins rank in the AL as it pertains to both DH and CF in the AL as it puts into perspective how much the Twins have been struggling in CF and also why Taylor might not be a good option for next year if he continues to struggle at the plate as much as he actively is. When you wrote, "What a shame it will be if that's his career going forward," I think we are already at that point. The three options the Twins have at this point are to have Buxton be the full-time DH, have Buxton be a rotational DH, or have Buxton not play at all. Sadly, I don't think centerfield is even an option at this point.

I like your idea of having Martin play centerfield while being a super utility player. Also, when it comes to trade options, I think my number one choice would be Mike Yastrzemski from the Giants, but, as I noted in my article, the Twins might see trading for a left-handed outfielder as redundant considering they will likely have Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, Nick Gordon, and, if he signs another contract with the Twins, Joey Gallo as left-handed hitting outfield options for next year. Now, only Gordon and Gallo are seen as feasible centerfielders, but I think the point still stands. Personally, if the Twins were to go down the free agent or trade route in acquiring a starting centerfielder for 2024, I think my number one choice would be Cody Bellinger. He is performing at an all-star level for the Cubs at the moment, and if he keeps performing well, I think he will get $20+ million a year, which is a price tag I don't think the Twins would be willing to pay. As I stated in my article, I don't think the Twins wouldn't pursue Bellinger at a $20+ million/year price because the Pohlad family is cheap or any trope like that, but rather because the Twins would likely allocate those fund elsewhere as they feel that they could find similar production to what Bellinger could provide through more affordable internal and external options.

I'm not sure what the empirical evidence suggests, but based off my own perception I would agree that it seems that infielders get injured more often than outfielders. As it pertains to Lewis' case in specific, I feel as if the preference to play infield, and more specifically 3B and SS, is based off of his familiarity and comfort with the positions rather than doing what is best as it pertains to which positions are best to play when trying to avoid injury. It could be true that centerfielders experience less injuries while playing the field compared to shortstops and third baseman, but if Lewis is nervous and reluctant about playing CF and has vocalized that reluctancy with the Twins and his agent Scott Boras, then there is really nothing the Twins can do. Having a healthy Lewis playing a near-every-day-role for the Twins is something the Twins organization and fans alike should be grateful for no matter what position he is playing out in the field.

If Austin Martin is able to recover from the UCL sprain in his right elbow that he sustained during Spring Training this year, I hope that he is able to show glimpses of the player he was at Vanderbilt that led to him being drafted 5th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2020 MLB draft. If Martin is able to mix his plus contact and on-base tools with some element of power, I think he could play a key role for the Twins in 2024 and potentially become a mainstay in centerfield, which I personally think is his best defensive position. Sadly, this is all wishful thinking for now and we won't know what Martin is until he can get healthy and start playing once again. Personally, I don't think Salas profiles as a CF, and I think ERod profiles better as a corner outfielder, but either way these two players, as you noted, aren't going to options for the 2024 Twins. Nonetheless, they are still fun to think about.

Personally, I too would welcome the idea of Max Clark or Walker Jenkins as being the future center fielder of the Minnesota Twins, but I don't see that happening. As noted in Keith Law's recent The Athletic piece, the Twins front office is reluctant to the idea of drafting a high schooler, which is interesting since their first ever selection as a regime was Royce Lewis, who was drafted first overall out of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California. Whether it be the selection of Keoni Cavaco putting a sour taste in their mouth or the want to draft someone out of high school who can contribute for the Twins sooner than a high school player could (which is what I personally think is their thought process), I don't see the Twins drafting either Clark or Jenkins in this year's draft.

I forgot to mention Celestino in my piece, so I thank you for bringing him up. I don't think the Twins see Celestino as an every-day center field option. Once Celestino is able to return from this year the UCL tear he suffered in his thumb during the beginning of Spring Training, I think he will initially slot in as the starting center fielder for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. If a healthy Celestino is able to add more consistent power as well as the ability to drive the ball to left field more, which is an odd request to have for a right-handed hitter, I do think he could eventually join the mix and compete for a platoon role in CF with players such as Nick Gordon and Willi Castro, but for now I think the Twins and Celestino want him to heal from his injury and perform well in Triple-A before anyone begins to think about his potential role with the Twins at the Major League level.

In an ideal world, I would pick Lewis as Buxton's long term replacement in CF as well. Unfortunately, I think with Lewis tearing his ACL at Target Field last year, he, and his agent Scott Boras, would prefer if he stayed at a defensive position that he was more familiar with like SS, 3B, or 2B. Hypothetically, I would love if in 2026 the Twins were able to trot out Lewis at CF, Correa at 3B, Brooks Lee at 2B, and say, Jacob Gonzalez from Ole Miss, who the Twins are reportedly interested in with the #5 pick in this year's draft, at SS, but I don't see Lewis wanting to take over at CF full time, at least not in the near future. Only time will tell.

I agree that Buxton playing CF and being able to stay in the lineup would be the best case scenario, but it sadly has only happened once and that was roughly six years ago when he, as I noted in my article, played 140 games in 2017. I think we need to start getting used to seeing Buxton as the DH for the rest of this season and seasons to come whether we like it or not.

Byron Buxton has been healthy and productive at DH. If he stays there, what could the Twins plan for centerfield in 2024 be? Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Since Byron Buxton became the full-time DH for the Minnesota Twins at the beginning of the 2023 MLB season, he has played in 47 of the Twins' first 52 games, translating to him playing in 90% of games or a 146-game pace. The last time Buxton came close to playing 146 games was during the 2017 season when he played 140 games. The next highest number of games played by Buxton in a season was 92, which was last year and ended with Buxton needing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Buxton is nearly halfway to his games played total from last year, and we are only in late May. Through his first 47 games as full-time DH, Buxton has managed to hit .230/.332/.456 (.797) with a wOBA of .344, which is outperforming his xwOBA of .322, and an OPS+ of 119. Buxton also has a wRC+ of 131, an fWAR of 1.2, and a team-leading Win Probability Added (WPA) of +1.50. To put Buxton's performance into perspective, through the first 50-or-so games of the season, Buxton, according to Fangraphs, ranks fifth in statistics for DH only behind MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez (Astros), second-year-breakout star Nolan Gorman (Cardinals), former Twin and surprise breakout player Brent Rooker (A’s), and the baseball prodigy himself Shohei Ohtani (Angels). Buxton is breaking out as an everyday DH and, more importantly, staying in the lineup with a relatively outstanding bill of health as evidenced by his ability to play in 90% of games so far this season. With the Twins being comfortable moving forward with Buxton being the full-time DH, the next step the Twins need to take is finding someone who can take over the role of full-time starting center fielder. Although Michael A. Taylor has handled center field for most of the season, it is still being determined whether Taylor, who will be a free agent this upcoming off-season, is in the Twins' intermediate-to-long-term plans at center field. With a looming sense of uncertainty around the position, I will explore three avenues the Twins could pursue while attempting to find a starting center field for 2024 and possibly beyond. Option 1: Extend Michael A. Taylor The first avenue the Twins could go down when finding a starting center fielder for 2024 is through extending current starting center fielder Michael A. Taylor. Through the first 52 games of the season, Taylor has played in 47, putting him at a 146-game pace, just like Buxton. Through those first 47 games, Taylor has generated a 0.6 fWAR, which ranks 29th amongst qualified center fielders. On the defensive side, Taylor has been superb. He has generated an Expected Catch Percentage of 90% and an Actual Catch Percentage of 92%, which generates a Catch Percentage Added (%) or an Outs Above Average (OAA) of 2. With an OAA of 2, Taylor is ranked 19th out of 92 qualified outfielders and is the highest-ranked Twin, with Nick Gordon being second at 45th with an OAA of 0. Although Taylor has been above average defensively, his offensive numbers are cause for concern. Taylor has put up a slash line of just .218/.265/.395 (.660) with an OPS+ of 82 and a wRC+ of 82, all below league average. Taylor's Baseball Savant page numbers confirm his early-season struggles. As illustrated in the chart above, Taylor ranks towards the bottom of Major League Baseball in xwOBA, xBA, and BB%. The most concerning aspect of Taylor's performance at the plate this year is his strikeout rate. Taylor ranks towards the bottom of the league in Chase Rate, Whiff%, and K%. These numbers are exemplified in Eno Sarris' most recent piece in The Athletic, where he illustrates that Taylor is currently ranked second in the MLB, only behind Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu, with a K% increase of 9.4%. Like most of the Twins lineup, Taylor is struggling, but Taylor's struggles are especially alarming. However, a silver lining, as illustrated in the chart above, is that Taylor ranks towards the top of the league in Barrel% and Max Exit Velocity. If Taylor can find a way to lower his strikeout rate, he should become a more productive offensive player, as evidenced by the fact that when he hits the ball, he hits it hard and on the barrel of the bat. Taylor, who is 32 years old, signed a two-year/$9 million contract with the Royals in 2021, and is making $4.5 million to play for the Twins this year. I could see an extension with the Twins looking nearly identical, with the only difference being that the second year of the extension is a team option or vesting option, instead of it being fully guaranteed like it was when he signed with the Royals in 2021. Option 2: Test the trade or free-agent market The third avenue the Twins could go down this upcoming off-season is the one they took this past off-season when they went outside the organization for a starting center fielder. When the Twins traded minor-league relievers Steven Cruz and Evan Sisk to the Royals for Taylor in January, many in the organization still believed that Buxton would start a majority of games at center fielder as long as he was healthy, and Taylor would take on the role as the Twins fourth outfielder behind Max Kepler, Joey Gallo, and Buxton. This off-season, the Twins could be more aggressive. This offseason, there may be four desirable center field free agent options. Cody Bellinger can opt out of his mutual option with the Chicago Cubs. Kevin Kiermaier, Harrison Bader, and, if the Twins don't end up extending him, Michael A. Taylor, are the others. Bellinger, Kiermaier, and Bader all appear to be more appealing options than the soon-to-be 33-year-old Taylor, but they will likely carry heavier price tags. This year, Bellinger is making $12.5 million (with the potential for a $5 million buyout if he decides to leave the Cubs), Kiermaier is making $9 million with the Blue Jays, and Bader is making $5.2 million with the Yankees. If Bellinger continues to perform well with the Cubs, the former NL MVP is expected to sign a multi-year contract worth north of $20 million a year. If Bader performs well, he is expected to get a pay raise, and it is fair to assume that Kiermaier will once again sign a deal within the $9 million range this upcoming off-season. Although Bellinger, Bader, and Kiermaier are possibly better options than Taylor, I find it improbable that the Twins will want to invest over $10 million a year into a starting center fielder. Not because the Pohlads are cheap or any tropes like that, but because Falvey and the current Twins regime likely feel they could get similar production from potentially Taylor and younger internal options at a much lower price. The Twins could also go down the following route: trading for a starting center fielder. This route feels more likely than the Twins signing Bellinger, Bader, or Kiermaier, and that is because this front office tends to favor trading for veteran players over signing them. Some starting center field options the Twins could trade for include Mike Yastrzemski, Trent Grisham, Lars Nootbaar , Manuel Margot, Victor Robles, and, if they want to swing big, Jazz Chisholm Jr. Although some of these options are more enticing than others, the more realistic options are likely Yastrzemski and Grisham. If the Twins did pursue Yastrzemski or Grisham, it could be considered redundant, as the Twins already have so many left-handed outfield options in Max Kepler (if they exercise his option), Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, Nick Gordon, Alex Kirilloff, and potentially Joey Gallo under team control for 2024. Besides Nick Gordon, who was platooning with Taylor earlier this season before fracturing his tibia, none of these outfield options play center fielder, but adding another left-handed outfielder to an already packed left-handed hitting outfield could be considered redundant by the Twins front office. If the Twins decide to give Martin more of a role, as I suggested in option #2, trading for a left-handed bat, such as Yastrzemski or Grisham, would make more sense as the two would take on platoon roles. Option 3: Royce Lewis? Ideally, Twins fans would love to witness a seamless transition of Buxton handing over center-field duties to 2017 first-overall pick Royce Lewis, but it, unfortunately, won’t be that simple. On May 29th of last year, Lewis tore his ACL for the second time in two years while making an incredible catch in which he collided with the outfield wall while playing center field. During Lewis’ rehab, there has been an inkling from those plugged in with the Twins that playing center field is not an option for Lewis, at least when he first returns. With Jose Miranda getting demoted earlier this year and Kyle Farmer having more value as a infield utility player, Lewis will transition into playing almost exclusively at third base once he returns from the 60-day IL. Also, even though Carlos Correa played against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 27th after being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis just days before, it is reasonable to assume that Lewis could spend time at shortstop to give Correa some days off to rest his ailing left heel and foot. If Lewis can stay healthy for the rest of the 2023 season while playing third base and shortstop, the door for adding center field into his defensive repertoire could open again. If that door opened and Lewis was comfortable with playing center field, then Lewis taking over fulltime in center field seems logical, of perhaps splitting time with a healthy Nick Gordon and potentially the recently surging Willi Castro. Which of these options intrigues you the most? Are there any options or players that I didn't list that you think would make sense as the starting center fielder for 2024? Comment below with your answers. View full article

José De León is back in the majors, and having some limited success early. Image courtesy of © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports With once reliable relief arm Griffin Jax struggling, Caleb Thielbar and Jorge Alcala injured, and dread-inducing Emilio Pagán inducing dread, it feels as if the only relief arms that Twins fan can trust are Jorge López, Jhoan Duran, and, unexpectedly, Brock Stewart. With the Twins front office struggling to both find arms and maintain adequate depth, the Twins will soon have to resort to taking flyers on young arms and veterans looking for another chance at the Major League level. On May 16th, the Twins selected the contract of a veteran right-handed pitcher looking for another chance at the Major League level, and that veteran's name is José De León. De León, who dons number 87, last worn by shortstop Jermaine Palacios in 2022, has pitched himself to a 3.62 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 26 strikeouts, and 12 walks through 27.1 innings pitched with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints so far this year. Although reasonably limited, these numbers were encouraging enough for the front office to promote him and have him pitch both the sixth and seventh innings versus one of the best teams in baseball. The 2023 World Baseball Classic introduced many Twins fans to José De León for the first time as he threw 5 1/3 perfect innings for Puerto Rico versus Israel on just 65 pitches, which is the maximum number of pitches that are allowed to be thrown by a starting pitcher in the World Baseball Classic. Since then, De León had likely fallen off the radar for most Twins before having his contract selected by the Twins on May 16th. On the surface, this addition to the 26-man roster may seem uninspiring, but what if José De León, unlike the Derek Laws and Jharel Cottons of years past, can, similarly to Brock Stewart, become a reliable setup man? This proposition may seem ludicrous on the surface. Still, during his first two relief appearances with the Twins, De León showed flashes of possessing the ability to handle mid-to-late high-level relief situations. De León, who made his Twins’ debut in the sixth inning of a tied game versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 17th, struck out James Outman on five pitches, got Chris Taylor to lineout in nine pitches, and got Trayce Thompson to pop out to the catcher on three pitches to end the innings. Over his first inning of relief work for the Twins, De León looked effective in utilizing a sinker that hovered around 95 MPH as well as an 80-81 MPH slider that was effective against the right-handed hitting Taylor and Thompson. De León's next inning started out even more encouraging than his first as he struck out former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on three straight pitches. Not many pitchers can say they struck out Betts and Freeman back-to-back on just six pitches. Unfortunately, the wheels began to fall off after the impressive beginning of his second inning of relief work. After striking out Freeman, De León gave up a first-pitch single to arguably the best catcher in baseball in Will Smith, another single to Max Muncy, and was pulled for the soon-to-implode Pagán. Of course, those baserunners were charged to De León's ERA. De León's second relief appearance had similar results to his first. On May 21st, while facing the Los Angeles Angels, De León replaced López in the bottom of the seventh inning and was met with facing Shohei Ohtani with a runner on third and only one out. De León started the at-bat off by getting ahead of Ohtani with a 95 MPH fastball. De León then got Ohtani to chop into a weakly hit ground ball to second baseman Donovan Solano, which led to Solano throwing Angels left-fielder Mickey Moniak out at home on a 4-2 fielder's choice. De León then got Angels right-fielder Hunter Renfroe to strike out on an 80 MPH changeup, ending the once daunting threat. De Leon's next inning was similar to his first relief appearance against the Dodgers. After getting Jared Walsh to ground out on just two pitches, De León gave up an opposite-field single to former Minnesota Twin Gio Urshela. In the next at-bat, while facing Luis Rengifo, Ryan Jeffers threw down to second base attempting to throw out a stealing Urshela. Jeffers errant throw skipped past Carlos Correa, which led to Urshela being able to take third base on Jeffers' throwing error. Despite having Urshela on third base with only one out, De León persevered and got Rengifo to ground out to second base. With two outs and an end to his second inning of relief in sight, De León gave up an RBI triple to Matt Thaiss, which grew the Twins' deficit to 2-4. Despite giving up an RBI triple, De León was able to hone in and get Zach Neto to strike out on an 85 MPH changeup. Although De León ended his first two appearances on a relatively negative note, his first 3.1 innings of work, and particularly how effective he looked against Betts, Freeman, and Ohtani, gave traction to the idea that De León could potentially become a reliable relief option for the Twins, which is something they desperately need in this particular moment of the season. De León's fastball, which head analyst Justin Morneau tabbed as a sinker, looked especially effective, as it sunk in on both right-handed and left-handed hitters. De León's slider, which he appeared to have some control issues with, was a valuable complement to his sinker as he induced the handful of the righties he faced to chase it as it slid low and outside, and De León’s changeup, which he used much against the Angels than he versus the Dodgers, looked extremely effective as Angels hitters were caught swinging through it multiple times. De León, who this Twins front office has been enamored with since they were discussing trade packages with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Brian Dozier in 2018, was impressive for most of his first two relief outings with the Minnesota Twins. Now, the only question is if he, like Stewart, can continue to impress and capitalize on his opportunities to where he can supplant himself as a reliable relief option for the Twins. View full article