Cody Christie

In a strange and shortened MLB season, the trade deadline is certainly going to take on a different feel. Sixteen total playoff teams means that most teams are still in the postseason hunt. This could result in a much different feel as the trade deadline approaches. What teams are going to be willing to trade? How are teams going to approach taking on salary in a year with less revenue? Let’s find out…Minnesota’s Weaknesses Entering the season, Minnesota was perceived to have one of the strongest line-ups in baseball. That hasn’t been the case so far as the Twins have struggled through injuries to regular starters like Mitch Garver, Byron Buxton, Josh Donaldson, and Luis Arraez. This has resulted in making nearly everyday players out of Ryan Jeffers, Jake Cave, Marwin Gonzalez and Ildemaro Vargas. It’s easy to think the Twins need replacements for these players, but the best thing for the team would be for their injured players to be healthy and producing as the team enters the playoffs. Last season, Minnesota’s biggest weakness was pitching, and this was especially true for the bullpen. This is why the team made multiple deadline deals for bullpen help. The Twins relief core has turned into one of the team’s strengths over the last year and that might mean the team isn’t looking to upgrade unless there is some player control involved. Minnesota’s starting rotation has seen multiple injuries, but the team depth in this department. Possible Trade Options Lance Lynn, Texas Lynn has been good since leaving the Twins in 2018. Last season with Texas, he posted a 3.67 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in over 200 innings. He struck out 246 batters and only walked 59 on his way to finishing in the top-five for the Cy Young. In just over 100 innings with the Twins, Lynn had an ERA north of 5.00 and he didn’t exactly leave the team on good terms. He is under team control through 2021 and the Rangers are within a handful of games of a playoff spot, and he could be one player for the team to avoid. Trevor Rosenthal, Kansas City Minnesota might be hesitant about trading with another team in the division, but Rosenthal might be the ideal candidate. He was signed to a minor league deal in Kansas City and he has been outstanding through the season’s first half. So far, he has limited batters to two runs on seven hits in 12 appearances (11 1/3 innings). This includes a 1.06 WHIP and a 15 to 5 strike out to walk ratio. Kansas City is in a similar position to the Rangers so the team will have to decide if they want to trade pieces away. Keone Kela, Pittsburgh Unlike the team’s above, Pittsburgh is clearly not making the playoffs, but Kela is going to have to prove he is healthy over the next week. He left a game last Friday after five pitches as the Pirates revealed he had right forearm tightness. He is a free agent at season’s end, and it seems likely for him to be dealt if he is healthy. Kela has been limited this season because of a positive coronavirus test and this most recent injury. Dylan Bundy, Los Angeles Bundy might be one of the hottest names tossed around in rumors leading up to the deadline. The Angels have struggled this season and currently have one of baseball’s worst records. He is under team control through the 2021 season. So far this season, he ranks in the 80th percentile when it comes to fastball spin rate, hard-hit rate, and opponents’ exit velocity. Increased use in his slider has been part of his success and that has been something the Twins have harnessed with other current pitchers. Mychal Givens, Baltimore Givens has been dominant out of the Orioles bullpen this year and he has some intriguing traits the Twins might be interested in. Firstly, he is under team control through the end of 2021. Secondly, his slider has gotten hitters to whiff on it over 40% of the time. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and his increased usage of his slider is certainly intriguing. Minnesota might not need a ton of bullpen help but Givens could certainly provide a boost. There are three right-handed hitters that could be intriguing with some of Minnesota’s top right-handed bats on the injured list. Another possible pitching option is a man that’s boisterous on social media, but he is a free agent at season’s end and that could make him tradeable. What’s Going to Happen? Overall, it seems likely for the trade deadline to be relatively quiet when compared to recent years. Few owners and front offices are going to be willing to take on significant contracts with the uncertainty facing baseball in 2021. Baseball has dodged a few bullets this season, but no one is sure of the long-term ramifications of no fans in the stands and other lost revenue. Minnesota also has the luxury of Michael Pineda being added back to the rotation at the end of August. His addition could be construed as trading for rotation help. Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill, and Homer Bailey have all seen time on the injured list this year and adding Pineda only strengthens the depth of a rotation that has been stretched this season. The last time the Twins saw Pineda, he was amid a tremendous stretch on the mound and he will have the month of September to get back on track. What do you think the Twins will do at the trade deadline? Add an arm? Add to the line-up? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Mitch Garver is coming of a historic offensive season for a catcher, but there have certainly been some struggles during the 2020 season as he tries to find his swing. His recent trip to the injured list means the Twins have called up top catching prospect Ryan Jeffers. He has less than 100 plate appearances above High-A but that might not stop him from becoming a vital part of the Twins’ short- and long-term plans.Two Catcher Rotation Last season, the Twins used a two-catcher rotation with tremendous success. Mitch Garver played in 93 games on his way to winning the AL’s Silver Slugger Award for catchers. Jason Castro was a veteran secondary option and he played in 79 contests. Together, these two helped Twins catchers to lead baseball in home runs (48), SLG (.503) and wOBA (.351). One of the more impressive stats might have been that Twins catchers scored 33 more runs than any other catching combination in the big-leagues. Minnesota brought in Alex Avila this off-season to fill the catcher spot vacated by Jason Castro. Avila has been an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger, but that was almost a decade ago. This season he has put together professional at-bats and he has done that by getting on base over 40% of the time. The problem is Jeffers might be better than advertised. Stealing Strikes One of the biggest criticisms throughout Garver’s professional career has been his defensive play behind the plate. He has improved greatly, and his catcher framing is one of his biggest areas of improvement. According to Baseball Savant, there are three zones where he ranks above average over the last two seasons, at the bottom of the zone and to the left and right of the plate. Jeffers might be even better at coaxing strikes from umpires, especially pitches on the outer edges. Jose Berrios had been in a season long slump and Jeffers helped to get a few extra borderline pitches to go his way. This might have gone a long way in helping Berrios look like his former self. Defensively, Jeffers has come a long way especially considering he didn’t have a catching coach in college, and he had to watch YouTube videos to improve behind the plate. Just watching him pull those balls back into the zone is a thing of beauty if you’re a Twins fan. Catch You Later It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where Garver and Jeffers become Minnesota’s catching duo behind the plate. This season might be hard to make that happen, because no one knows how long Garver will be out with his current injury, a right intercostal strain. The Twins will get multiple weeks to see what Jeffers can do both offensively and defensively. Following this year’s draft, I had Jeffers ranked as the number six overall prospect in the Twins organization. Over the last two seasons, the Twins have used Garver with a veteran left-handed catcher. This made it easier to platoon the two hitters even if Garver was used more than a traditional platoon. Jeffers struggles more against lefties as his OPS was over 110 points lower versus southpaws. On the other hand, Garver destroyed lefties last season with a 1.170 OPS in over 100 at-bats. Garver can’t reach free agency until 2024 where he will be almost into his mid-30s. Jeffers is over six-years younger than Garver and he has the potential to be a solid contributor on both sides of the ball. No matter how the team uses their duo moving forward, it’s clear the team’s catching duties are in good hands. How do you feel about Minnesota’s future behind the plate? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

For many years, Byron Buxton or Miguel Sano were considered among the best Twins prospects to come through the organization’s farm system. Now, both players are entering the prime of their careers and there have been some bumps in the road to get to this point. Fans might have had unreasonable expectations, but which player has been a bigger disappointment so far?Player development certainly isn’t a linear path and it can take years for a player to put it all together at the big-league level. Buxton and Sano have both shown flashes of their full potential, but injuries and inconsistencies might be holding them back. Miguel Sano Pros: Sano was signed back in 2009 after an MLB investigation into his actual age. MLB couldn’t verify his true age, but that didn’t stop the Twins from making him an offer. He quickly jumped into Twins prospect rankings and he was a consensus top-100 prospect throughout his minor league career. Across eight minor league seasons, he posted a .374 OBP and a .557 SLG while hitting 20 or more home runs in three straight seasons. He looked ready to be the power hitter the Twins signed as a teenager. Back in the first half of 2017, Sano burst onto the scene on the way to being selected to his first All-Star Game. He hit .276/.368/.538 (.906) with 21 home runs and 12 doubles before the All-Star break. Last season, there were even more positive signs from Sano. He hit over 30 home runs for the first time and posted a career high .923 OPS. Bombas were flying and Sano was happy to be part of the squad. Cons: Sano hasn’t played more than 114 games since 2016 and his career high is 116 games which means he has never had over 500 plate appearances in a season. His strikeout totals have been rough as his 162-game average throughout his career is 249 strikeouts. This season, he has struck out in over 50% of his at-bats. Strikeouts have certainly been on the rise, but Sano has been on another level. Since the start of 2019, Sano has the highest strike out percentage by 4% among batters with a minimum of 500 PA. There have been negative things off-the-field that might have impacted Sano’s career as well. Minnesota signed him to be a middle of the order bat with the potential to be a superstar. Now, he might be relegated to being a good player on some strong Twins teams. Byron Buxton Pros: Buxton is the dream player for any scout or organization. He oozes talent when he is on the field and clicking on every level. His defense is other worldly, his speed is unmatched, and his has shown glimpses of what could be his true offensive potential. The 2017 campaign showed Buxton at what might have been his highest level. By season’s end, he’d win the AL’s Platinum Glove for his defensive performance and he hit .300/.347/546 in the second half to power the Twins to the second Wild Card spot. During the 2019 season, he might have been the team’s MVP in the season’s first half. He posted a .314 OBP and a .502 SLG while being near the top of the AL in doubles. The 2020 season has already seen some impressive numbers for Buxton as he has five home runs and the AL’s highest Defensive WAR. He has all five tools and it’s hard to ignore when everything is clicking. Cons: Injuries have been the overriding concerns so far in Buxton’s career. He’s only managed to play more than 92 games in one season over the last six years. He’s tried to play through some injuries in the past and this negatively impacted his performance on the field. His outfield aerobatics are certainly thrilling when he makes a catch that other players wouldn’t even attempt but slamming into the wall and being out for multiple weeks doesn’t help the team win games. Minnesota has worked to make changes with Buxton and some of the results might be transpiring on the field this year. Fans might have wanted him to develop into the next Mike Trout, but that is unrealistic for any player. Buxton can still impact the game on nearly every level if he is healthy and on the field. Who have you been more disappointed in so far in the career? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Things haven’t gone perfectly for the Twins starting staff during the 2020 campaign. At one point in this shortened season, Minnesota had three starting pitchers on the injured list and one pitcher suspended. This could put most team’s in a tough spot but pitching depth and a strong bullpen have made a difference. Jose Berrios started on Opening Day, but he might not be the team’s ace so far this year.Jose Berrios Berrios started the second game of the doubleheader over the weekend and his continued struggles have been well documented at this site. His velocity is up this season with his fastball averaging 94.5 mph in 2020 compared to 93.1 mph last year. But even with the increase in velocity, batters are posting a .414 BA and a .931 OPS when seeing his fastball. Over his last 71 1/3 innings dating back one year ago, Berrios has a 5.30 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP. This isn’t exactly what you want from a number one pitcher. He certainly has the make-up to be a top-tier starter, but the results haven’t been there. Kenta Maeda Since joining the Twins, Maeda has been a breath of fresh air for the starting staff. One of the biggest changes he has made is relying on his off-speed offerings more heavily. Last season, he used his fastball 33.7% of the time and this year he is only using it 19.3% of the time. Batters have only posted a .196 WOBA against him and that ranks in the top-10% in the league. He doesn’t overpower batters, but his off-speed offerings make it tough to make hard contact as his hard hit % ranks in the 81st percentile among MLB pitchers. Every time he pitches, he puts the Twins in position to win and that’s what you want at the top of a team’s rotation. Randy Dobnak Dobnak has been more than a feel-good story for the Twins over the last year and the results are getting hard to ignore. He doesn’t rank highly in any Statcast metric, but he goes out there and makes the other team get themselves in trouble. His strategy is simple. Throw sinkers early in the count to get groundballs and his coaxed grounders in 2/3rds of his at-bats this season. Dobnak doesn’t have the characteristics of a typical ace. He doesn’t get strikeouts, he was never a top prospect, and he had to fight to make the team’s rotation. Now it’s hard to imagine where the Twins would be without him over the last two seasons. Jake Odorizzi Minnesota got off to a terrific start last season and Odorizzi’s performance went a long way in helping the team to their early success. He posted a 3.15 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 inning as he was selected for his first All-Star team. He’ll hit the free agent market at season’s end, so it will be imperative for him to show his value in his remaining starts. Following a year with little revenue, teams aren’t going to be throwing around large contracts. Odorizzi still has something to pitch for this season and maybe that’s enough to get an ace level performance from him. Rich Hill Hill came to Minnesota because he believes this team can win a World Series. Even as a 40-year old, Hill might be the team’s best starter and his playoff experience certainly helps to push that narrative forward. The Twins have a little over a month to keep Hill as healthy as possible so he can help the team for however long they are in the postseason. Like many of the names on this list, Hill doesn’t fit the traditional mold of an ace pitcher, but he still might be the arm the Twins turn to in Game 1 of the playoffs. Who do you think is the Twins’ ace? Who would you have start Game 1 of the playoffs? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Twins are nearly a third of the way through their 60-game sprint to the playoffs. Barring a massive implosion, Minnesota should finish in the top-8 teams and this puts them into a three-game toss-up series where a lot of things could happen. In a shortened season, there are going to be plenty of things to question and one of the biggest question marks so far has been the team’s bullpen usage.So far in his two seasons as manager, Rocco Baldelli has shown a preference for giving players time off and allowing pitchers to throw in situations that best fit their role. He adjusted his bullpen usage last season because the team’s relief core was struggling through parts of the first half. In fact, that was one of the team’s biggest needs at the trade deadline last season (See the team’s trade for Sam Dyson and Sergio Romo). Luckily for the Twins players like Tyler Duffey and Trevor May have emerged and the team went out and signed a veteran arm like Tyler Clippard while resigning Romo. This leaves the Twins with one of the baseball’s best bullpens, but their second-year manager could approach the team’s bullpen usage in a different way than he has through the team’s first third of the season. There are two different ways to rank the bullpen when it comes to effectiveness and how the manager views the hierarchy. Taylor Rogers is clearly at the back end of any bullpen configuration for the Twins. From there, things get a little dicey. Baldelli is inclined to use Romo as the team’s alternate closer, but it can be argued that he is the team’s fifth best relief option. The players that should be ahead of Romo in the bullpen pecking order are Tyler Duffey, Trevor May and Tyler Clippard. Duffey has turned himself into one of the most dominant right-handed relief pitchers in the American League. He might be even better than Taylor Rogers, the team’s closer, and that’s quite the honor. May tends to allow some home runs and Clippard is on the backend of his career. So, how could the Twins do a better job of using these pitchers? Minnesota’s offense hasn’t been performing at the same level as the 2019 team and it would be hard to live up to the same level as the record-setting “Bomba Squad.” Still, the trend so far this season has been to turn to less established relief arms when the team is trailing in a game. The names mentioned above are saved for if/when the team takes the lead and other players like Cody Stashak, Matt Wisler and Caleb Theilbar are trusted to keep the team in the game. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli seems to be in the frame of mind that using his best pitchers in deficit games is will have negative results. This seems like a logical response for a manager if the season is 162-games. Unfortunately, the team isn’t in the midst of a season that long. Even the best teams this season will only win around 35 games. This is going to force managers with good bullpens, like Baldelli, to use his good relief arms when the team is trailing. Unless a starting pitcher is pulled after three innings, there is little chance to use Rogers, Duffey, May, Clippard and Romo all in the same game. If the Twins go on a winning streak, this type of bullpen usage could help the team. The team could have a better chance to win by spreading the team’s five best relief pitchers over the course of multiple games. There has also been a plethora of pitching injuries so far this year so allowing pitchers to rest could help the team to stay healthy down the stretch. Out of bullpen arms, Clippard and Wisler have the most innings and that includes Clippard making multiple starts as an opener. Romo, Duffey, Stashak and May have all pitched more than Rogers. In fact, Rogers has barely pitched more than rookie Jorge Alcala. In the grand scheme of a shortened schedule, bullpen usage might not matter until the games count in the playoffs. It is still perplexing to consider the way Baldelli has approached his relief options so far in 2020. Are you concerned with the team’s bullpen usage so far this season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

For the first time this season, Minnesota is reeling and trying to figure out someway to stop their recent losing streak. One reason for their mounting loses could be the plethora of injuries the team has already been facing. There are five players currently on the injured list, so which injuries are most concerning to the team’s success this season?The Twins are nearly guaranteed a playoff in MLB’s restructured playoff format. It would take a massive collapse over the rest of the season for the Twins to finish out of the playoff picture. That being said, Minnesota needs to get healthy and be playing well over the course of the next month. Here’s how the Twins rank in relation to their current injury concerns: 5. Homer Bailey, RHP Injury: Biceps Bailey hasn’t pitched over 200 innings since the 2013 campaign as he has dealt with a multitude of injuries. He rebounded last year to post a 4.57 ERA and a 149 to 53 strike out to walk ratio in 163 1/3 innings. As of this weekend, Rocco Baldelli told reporters that Bailey hadn’t resumed throwing. Even with these concerns, Bailey was always going to be penciled in near the back of the Twins rotation. Luckily, Randy Dobnak’s continued success has made it easier to handle Bailey’s absence from the rotation. 4. Jake Odorizzi, RHP Injury: Back Strain Odorizzi made his first start of the season over the weekend and he allowed two earned runs on four hits over three innings. Back injuries can be tricky and it’s certainly easy for them to flare up with little to no notice. Odorizzi will be a free agent at season’s end so he is going to want to prove his value on the field this season. He has already missed multiple starts this season and it will be tough for him to prove his value if his back flares up. 3. Rich Hill, LHP Injury: Shoulder Hill hasn’t been a workhorse in his career as he has only pitch more than 140 innings once in his career. However, he has been one of baseball’s best pitchers when he has been able to be on the mound and he has made 12 postseason starts. Even if he misses multiple starts, Hill might be able to come back and be a strong pitcher down the stretch and help the Twins to win in October. He turned 40 back in March and any injury at his age is a concern. 2. Luis Arraez, 2B Injury: Knee So far this season, Arraez clearly hasn’t been himself at the plate as he is hitting .233/.320/.256 (.576) with one extra-base hit. He left one of the team’s intersquad when his knee was bothering him. He missed two games at the end of last week, but he was back in the line-up over the weekend. Arraez and others talked about the possibility of him hitting .400 this season, but the Twins would likely be happy with him getting closer to where he was hitting in his rookie season. This seems like an injury that could be nagging throughout the season even if he continues to play. 1. Josh Donaldson, 3B Injury: Calf Dondaldson has a history of calf injuries and this might have been one of the reasons more teams weren’t interested in his services on the free agent market. Minnesota was well aware of his previous injury history when they signed him, but that’s the risk a team takes when signing a player his age to a multi-year contract. Donaldson knows his body well and his routines include preparing his calves to be ready for the riggers of the season. The Twins need him ready for the end of September and the team’s possible postseason run. Which injury concerns you the most? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

It’s been just over two years since the Twins traded Ryan Pressly to the Houston Astros for two young prospects. Minnesota is just now seeing the results of that trade with Jorge Alcala joining the Twins bullpen. Gilberto Celestino, the other player included in the trade, is part of the Twins 60-man player pool. After two years, how have the Twins fared in the Ryan Pressly trade?Time can change the view of a trade, so here’s what was said back in 2018 at the time of the deal. What Did People Say at the Time of the Trade? Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said, "We had ranked all the relievers that we had interest in a few weeks ago taking a really deep look at all of them (and) we felt Pressly was the best combination for stuff, control — how much time he would be with us — and acquisition cost and ability to plug right into our bullpen. We like his stuff a lot." At the time, Twins general manager Thad Levine said, both scouts and data analysts found the team’s haul in the deal “very exciting.” When referencing the Eduardo Escobar trade and the Pressly deal, he said, “I believe four of them will go right into our top 30 prospects, and that’s meaningful. What we were able to accomplish yesterday may not pay dividends tomorrow, but on the horizon, that just got brighter.” Alcala was still starting in the Astros organization at the time of the trade. Here is what Baseball America said, “Alcala has a plus-plus fastball, but there are times as a starter where he gears down to try to maintain his stamina. At his best, he’s reached triple digits in the past. There are days when Alcala looks like a one-pitch pitcher trying to start, but seen on the right days, he has the makings of being a devastating bullpen option.” When looking at Celestino, Baseball America projected him to “end up as a plus defender in center with the ability to hit .270 with 15-20 home runs, with a fourth-outfield future as a decent fallback option.” When the Twins acquired them, Alcala and Celestino were among the top-15 prospects in the Astros' farm system, according to MLBPipeline.com. Pressly’s Houston Success Pressly has pitched a grand total of 78 1/3 innings in an Astros uniform over the course of three seasons. He was a first-time All-Star last season at the age of 30 after posting a 1.36 ERA in the first half. During that same stretch, he held opponents to a .176/.208/.282 slash-line with 47 strikeouts compared to six walks. He was one of the best relievers in the game, but things haven’t gone as perfectly since then. In 2019’s second half, Pressly ran into some struggles and dealt with an injury. His ERA jumped to 4.91 and his WHIP rose from 0.78 in the first half to 1.23 in the second half. He was forced to undergo arthroscopic right knee surgery and didn’t pitch in a game from August 15-September 21. He’d make the team’s postseason roster, but his ERA was 9.00 or higher in every round of the playoffs. So far in 2020, Pressly was in line to become Houston’s closer in place of Roberto Osuna. Pressly had a finger blister during Summer Camp and he has been dealing with elbow soreness. He left his only appearance of the year early with a cut on the cuticle above his thumbnail. The team seems optimistic that he will be able to avoid any extended time on the injured list. Minnesota’s Trade Return Jorge Alcala split time as a starter and reliever in 2019 and the Twins were aggressive with him after switching him to the bullpen. He made six relief appearances (10 2/3 innings) at Double-A and allowed two earned runs while holding opponents to a .502 OPS. At Triple-A, he did even better as he didn’t allow an earned run and he struck out 11 batters in 7 2/3 innings. He made two big league appearances as a September call-up and only allowed one hit. Since switching to the bullpen, Alcala has been able to focus on using his best two pitches, his fastball and his slider. His fastball is constantly in the mid-90s and so far this season it is averaging 96.8 mph. His slider has also ticked up a few miles per hour from 85.9 mph last year to 88.0 mph in 2020. He’s looking like he could be Minnesota’s closer of the future. Gilberto Celestino was added to the Twins 40-man roster this off-season after a breakout season. He was always seen as a strong defender, but his offensive improvements helped put him on the prospect map. He changed his base at the plate and started his swing earlier after working with Kernels hitting coach Ryan Smith. From May 9 through season’s end, he hit .303/.374/.464 with 38 extra-base hits in 98 games. Who Won the Trade? It will probably be multiple years before Twins fans will know if the organization “won” this trade. Houston got what they wanted out of the deal with Pressly turning into one of baseball’s best right-handed relief pitchers. He set an MLB record for consecutive appearances without giving up a run, the team has signed him to an extension, and he could be the team’s closer this season if he proves to be healthy. Minnesota got two players in return that could impact the big-league roster for multiple years. MLB.com updated their top-30 prospects this week and both Alcala (27) and Celestino (16) make the list. Alcala missed more bats than previous seasons and seems destined for a bullpen role. Celestino is one of the best defenders in the Twins system, but if his offensive improvements could make him an impact player at the big-league level. Looking back, what do you think about the trade? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Mitch Garver broke onto the scene in 2019 as he played in roughly half of the Twins games and that was still enough for him to win the Silver Slugger at his position in the American League. The 2020 season hasn’t come as easy to Garver as pitchers have honed in on some of his weaknesses and his production on the field has suffered. Minnesota’s line-up is deep, but fixing Garver could be a key for the team’s success this season.Last season’s breakout was supposed to merge into Garver being one of the team’s most potent weapons in 2020. So far this season, that hasn’t been the case. Garver has struggled at the plate. His exit velocity is in the 45th percentile, his hard hit % is in the 27th percentile, and his K% is in the 1st percentile. It’s tough to ignore those numbers, so what has changed with Garver. One of the biggest adjustments for opposing pitchers is the lack of fastballs Garver is seeing this season. Last year, he saw fastballs 56% of the time and this year the total has dropped to 51.2%. This means Garver is seeing a more frequent allotment of offspeed pitches. Last season, he saw offspeed pitches in 12.5% of at-bats, but now he is seeing them in 18.7% of at-bats. While Garver might be seeing a steady diet of offspeed pitches, breaking pitches seem to be the biggest issue for him this season. During the 2019 campaign, his Whiff % on breaking pitches was 34.1%, but that number has jumped to 58.3% so far in 2020. He has struck out less on offspeed pitches as his Whiff % has dropped by 15.1%. Garver is striking out at a much higher rate than his career numbers and that might be one of his biggest problems. Before this season, his highest K% in any full season was 24.2%. Entering play on Monday, he had a 45.5 K%, which ranked him in the first percentile among big-league hitters. He isn’t making consistent contact and that is certainly hurting his overall numbers. Another aspect impacting Garver this season could be the turnover in the pitching staff. A majority of the starting pitching staff is new and that can put extra pressure on the backstop. He needs to be the leader behind the plate and this likely means learning the new tendencies of the starting pitchers. Could this be impacting his offensive approach at the plate? There are some good signs among Garver’s offensive numbers. His exit velocity (91.7) and Sweet Spot % (33.3) are nearly identical to last year’s totals. He’s only put nine batted balls into play, so a bigger sample size could help to show that last year’s numbers weren’t a fluke. Garver might also be able to focus more on his role with the current Twins pitchers and then adjust his approach at the plate. So far this season, Garver has been ahead in the count in 12 of his 22 plate appearances (54.5%). Last season, he finished the year at 41.5% of his plate appearances where he was ahead in the count. If he continues to be patient, the results will follow, especially with his exit velocity and Sweet Spot %. How do you think Garver can break out of his early season slump? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Catching a home run during MLB game has certainly taken on a new life during the 2020 season. With no fans in the stands, team personnel can trot out to where the ball lands to retrieve it and get it back to the player who hit it. Dustin Morse, the Twins Senior Director of Communication, made it his mission to track down as many of the team’s home runs as possible. I caught up with him earlier this week to discuss what it means to be a Bomba Hunter.For Dustin Morse, collecting each of the team’s home run balls in Chicago was not “premeditated.” However, the first pitch of the season put in place some historic moments for the Twins in their first series of the year. Bomba 1: Kepler’s First Pitch Minnesota’s season started with a bang as Max Kepler took Lucas Giolito deep on the first pitch of the season. “Before I really even got my scorebook out, Kepler put one in the seats,” said Morse. “Being a little bit of a history buff, I knew it was going to be some type of record.” “I made a call to the White Sox and said, ‘Hey, how do I get that ball?’ and they said the best bet is probably just to go get it.” And so, the Bomba hunting journey began. Morse was in an unfamiliar ballpark amid a pandemic and that changed his path to the ball. “I took off for it and tried to navigate the right way to get out there. It wasn’t easy. There were doors that were locked and stairs that weren’t being used. I had to cut through some weird spots, parts of the ballpark I had never seen, kitchens and backdoors.” “I got out to right field and was able to track down the ball for Max or for the Twins. At the time, I didn’t know. I figured Max might want it. If not, the Twins would certainly take it.” Bomba 2: Kepler’s Second At-Bat Kepler wasted little time making Morse head out on another baseball hunting journey. In his second at-bat of the year, he hit another home run and Morse knew this had to be another historical moment. Time to track down another ball. “Then Max did it again,” said Morse. “I knew that was going to be historic. A guy to hit homers in back-to-back at-bats to start the season.” “At that point, I knew the process, so I could just go out and get it. It’s ours.” Kepler plans to keep the balls and give them both to his parents. Bomba 3: Cruz, the Ageless Wonder Minnesota’s second game in Chicago didn’t go exactly as planned as Dallas Keuchel stymied the Twins for most of the game. Before the bullpen imploded, Nelson Cruz helped to make the game a little closer by cranking his first home run of the season. “Nelson Cruz put one in the seats and I kind of thought to myself, ‘Well that’s Nelson Cruz. How many guys have home runs when they are 40?’ Might as well get it. It’s just sitting out there.” Morse continued, “At that point, I exchanged numbers with the [MLB] authenticator and he said, ‘Yeah, if you want to get it, I see it. So, then I was three-for-three and it kind of became a thing.” Bomba 4: Cave’s Grand Salami The Twins were clearly frustrated after Saturday’s loss and they took that frustration out on the White Sox pitching staff. Cave got the Bomba barrage started with a first inning grand slam. But this might have been the toughest home run for Morse to track down because of where it landed. “I thought, ‘All right, let’s do it.’ But that one was tricky, because it went into the White Sox bullpen and I just didn’t have the guts to go down there and ask those guys for a grand slam ball as we are piling on the runs.” “I ended up talking to my counterpart with the White Sox and he sent a text to one of the clubhouse attendants and one of the ball boys went down the line. He ended up getting it, bringing it in, and I met their PR guy in one of the back hallways and ended up getting the Cave ball.” Bomba 5: Cruz, the (Still) Ageless Wonder Before he was able get the Cave ball, Morse had already acquired Minnesota’s second home run of the day. Nelson Cruz hit his second home run of the year in the top of the fourth inning and luckily for Morse, that ball landed in a location that was a little more easily accessible. “I ended up getting the Nelson Cruz ball, which was a blast out into left field, prior to getting the Cave ball and I ended up getting on a hot streak.” Bomba 6: Still Cruzing Cruz wasn’t done for the day after his fourth inning blast. He ended up tallying two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI on his way to being named the American League Player of the Week. Because of his post-game duties, the eighth inning is getting a little late in the game for Morse to track down a ball. “The second Cruz ball, at that point, was just something to do and I was able to get it. I was settled on kind of six-for-six. Kind of a fun cool story.” But the story wasn’t done there. Bomba 7: Marwin Makes It Tough If Morse wanted to complete his perfect weekend, it would take a sprint out to the stands after Gonzalez hit the team’s seven home run in the series. “My postgame job is setting up for the media and we do it all through Zoom in the Zoom Room. So I was in a conference room down in the tunnel kind of off of home plate. Buried kind of deep in the ballpark.” “I looked up and I saw Marwin up and I said to a couple of our advanced guys, ‘If Marwin puts one in the right field corner here, I am going to have a hard time.’ And the next pitch, he did it.” “I set up the Zoom for post-game and I decided I need to at least give it a try. I didn’t know how to get out there, so I had to backtrack toward left field and go up a level to come back down to right field… And there it was, seven-for-seven.” More Bomba Hunting? Is Morse going to continue to try and hunt down all the home run balls for the Twins this season? “I don’t think I can keep up the pace,” he said. “I don’t think I will need to do it at home. We have a lot of good people and volunteers collecting balls at Target Field.” “The good news is as a team I think we will be able to collect most of them, but I don’t know how much longer I can bother the home team.” It certainly was exciting to follow Morse and his Bomba hunting escapades. Let’s home he has plenty more hunting to do throughout the rest of the 2020 season. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

With three games in the books, the Twins are off to a strong start to the season, but there are still 57 games remaining in the shortened season. A hidden aspect from this weekend’s series was the influence of three players that were projected to be bench players. Who are these players and how did they impact the series against Chicago? Let’s find out…Jake Cave, OF Byron Buxton’s injury is one of the biggest reasons Cave was given the opportunity to play in two of the team’s first three games. He certainly made his presence felt in Sunday’s game by cracking a first inning grand slam that put the Twins on the way to a blowout win. For the series, he finished 3-for-9 with six RBI. The argument can also be made that he is the best fourth outfielder in baseball. Defensively, Cave has been playing in centerfield, which could be viewed as an interesting choice by manager Rocco Baldelli. Max Kepler is the better defender in center as he played nearly 460 innings there last season and was worth 4 DRS and 3.6 DEF. Cave was worth -3 DRS and -2.1 DEF, so there is little question that Baldelli should put Kepler in center. However, Cave’s impact was felt in both of the team’s victories this weekend so maybe this formula works (for now). Ehire Adrianza, IF Adrianza played in one of the team’s games this weekend and it was the only game the Twins lost, but he still can impact the game. He went 1-for-4 and scored one of the team’s three runs that game. His biggest influence comes on the defensive side of the ball because he is the best defensive infielder on the roster not named Josh Donaldson. Last season, he played 59 innings or more at second base, first base, shortstop and third base. Looking at the regulars penciled in at those positions, it is going to be tough for Adrianza to get playing time at any of those spots this season. This means he will likely have to settle for being used sparingly unless an injury were to occur (knock on wood). Marwin Gonzalez, OF/1B Gonzalez entered the 2020 season in a different spot than last season. Miguel Sano started 2019 injured and this meant Gonzalez started the year as the team’s everyday third baseman. Sano isn’t injured this season, but his positive COVID-19 test kept him out of the start of Summer Camp, and he could have put his swing a little behind schedule. This allowed Gonzalez to start two games over the weekend and he went 2-for-8 with a homer. One of the most impressive things from Gonzalez this weekend might have been his professional approach at the plate. On Saturday afternoon, he faced off against former teammate Dallas Keuchel who was rolling through the early innings. Gonzalez did his best to mess with Keuchel’s timing and even Justin Morneau made note of it from the booth. He did the same thing on Sunday when Reynaldo Lopez was struggling early in the game. Out of players still on the Twins, Gonzalez had the fifth most plate appearances last season, so it will be interesting to see how the club finds him at-bats this year. Which player adds the most to the Twins depth? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Jose Berrios is key to the Twins success this season, but the club’s starting pitching depth is stronger than it has been in ages. Looking up and down the roster, there are impact players at every position. This can make it tough to differentiate the team’s most vital players. Who would get your vote as the team’s most indispensable player?Recently MLB.com ran through their most indispensable players for every MLB club and Jose Berrios was that writer’s choice for the Twins. However, Minnesota’s pitching depth might be stronger than ever, and this could lead Twins fans to have a different selection for the top spot. 5. Nelson Cruz, DH Cruz produced on and off the field for the Twins last season. His leadership might be unmatched among top-tier talent in the big-leagues. He helped to alter Miguel Sano’s approach last season and he will have a lasting impact on the Twins roster long after his last appearance in a Minnesota jersey. 4. Bryon Buxton, CF No one can deny the impact Buxton has on both sides of the ball. When running on all cylinders, he is the true definition of a five-tool player. He can impact the game in ways few players have the skills to reach. He needs to prove he can stay healthy and a shortened season gives him the opportunity to prove his full value. 3. Josh Donaldson, 3B He’s the only player on the roster with an MVP in his closet and his defense is going to alter the Twins entire approach on one side of the ball. Minnesota won over 100-games without Donaldson last season so his addition will likely help to deter some of the expected regression from other young Twins players. MLB.com picked him as a dark-horse candidate for the AL MVP and this might not be that big of a stretch when you consider how good the Twins should be during the 2020 season. 2. Jose Berrios, SP Since he joined the Twins rotation, Jose Berrios has had the highest upside of any Twins starting pitcher since Francisco Liriano. If the Twins are going to meet their goals this season, Berrios will have a large part in making that happen. He has traditionally struggled through a late season slump, but that should be less of an issue in a shortened season. Even with Jake Odorizzi and Kenta Maeda, he is the ace of the staff on a team expected to contend for the pennant in the American League. 1. Jorge Polanco, SS Think about the rest of the Twins line-up. There are players available to fill-in at nearly every other position, but shortstop continues to be a tough spot for the Twins. Polanco was the AL’s starting shortstop in last year’s All-Star Game, and he might still have room to meet his potential. If Polanco wasn’t available, the Twins would like turn over a pivotal position to the likes of Ehire Adrianza. He is more than capable of handling the position but the certainly isn’t up to the caliber of Polanco. How would you rank the top-5 players? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Twins will be taking the field in Chicago later this week for their long-awaited first game of the season. With a shortened 60-game season, there is little room for error. This will put added pressure on the team to stay healthy and for the active roster to perform at their optimal level. There are only days remaining until Opening Day so let’s take a look at the final roster prediction for the Twins 30-man roster.Catchers (2) Mitch Garver, Alex Avila It would have seemed likely for Willians Astudillo to make the team’s Opening Day roster as a third catcher and a back-up player at other infield positions. His positive COVID-19 test and lengthy absence from Summer Camp means he will likely miss the beginning of the season. With Garver and Avila getting the bulk of the catching time, he likely wasn’t going to get many innings behind the plate. He will be available if Garver or Avila suffer any kind of injury or if the team needs another replacement level player on the roster. Garver is going to play more than people think and Avila is better than Twins fans expect. Infielders (7) Luis Arraez, Josh Donaldson, Marwin Gonzalez, Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano, Ehire Adrianza, Travis Blankenhorn Miguel Sano has been limited so far in Summer Camp due to the coronavirus, so it becomes next man up when it comes to the team’s roster. Marwin Gonzalez will likely start the season at first base which means the Twins could use another infield option. Travis Blankenhorn is versatile, and he is already on the 40-man roster. He might not get much playing time but having him on the roster will be a benefit to the team in the early going. Outfielders (5) Byron Buxton, Jake Cave, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, LaMonte Wade There are some questions about how ready Byron Buxton will be for Opening Day and that means the Twins will likely carry a couple extra outfielders to start the year. Jake Cave has proven himself as a viable big-league option. LaMonte Wade saw his rookie year cut short by an injury, but he has all the skills to be a viable back-up outfielder. Kepler needs to prove last year wasn’t a fluke and Rosario needs to prove he is worth what the Twins would have to pay him in arbitration next year. That could result in a scary outfield duo. Designated Hitter (1) Nelson Cruz He’s 40-years old and he’s still going to mash the ball. It doesn’t matter how many games are in the season. Starting Pitchers (5) Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Homer Bailey A Twins rotation hasn’t gotten me this excited since Johan Santana and Brad Radke occupied spots at the top. Rich Hill wasn’t expected to be part of this team at season’s start so adding him in is a huge bonus. Jhoulys Chacin would have likely played for the Twins if Hill wasn’t available, but Hill is ready and that means the Twins released Chacin over the weekend. These five pitchers will start games, but the Twins have bullpen options to pair with their starters and absorb early season innings. Relief Pitchers (10) Taylor Rogers, Sergio Romo, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Tyler Clippard, Zack Littell, Matt Wisler, Cody Stashak, Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer The Twins might be setting up to use younger starters like Stashak, Dobnak, ad Smeltzer as the first options out of the bullpen. This could allow the team to pair up lefties and righties to make it tough on line-up construction for the opposition. Taylor Rogers has already proven he can go multiple innings and the late inning combination of Romo, Duffey and May could be lights-out. Add in Clippard and Little in the middle innings and it’s tough to think of a contending bullpen with the same firepower as the Twins. Do you think this will be the final 30-man roster? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Twins fans have a right to be excited about the 2020 season after the club is coming off a tremendous 2019 campaign. Additions of players like Josh Donaldson and Kenta Maeda make the team even more intriguing and we’ve waited months to finally see this line-up take the field. With Opening Day scheduled to be right around the corner, how good can this Twins team be?MLB.com annually ranks the top line-ups, starting staffs and bullpens. While Minnesota didn’t crack the top-10 in the starting pitcher rankings, the club did rank as the second-best line-up in all of baseball. To some, this might have been a surprise and others might have expected it. So, let’s dive in and see if the Twins have MLB’s second-best line-up. Weighted Runs Created MLB.com main statistical focus for their article was on weighted runs created (wRC). If you aren’t familiar with this statistic, wRC helps to quantify hits and times on base while also considering park effects and the current run scoring environment. League average is 100 so if a team/player is above 100, they are better than the league average. For fans looking at the Twins and wRC, it can be a bit overwhelming, because FanGraph’s Steamer projections paint the team in a very good light. Before Buxton’s injury, the Twins had ten players projected to play in 35 games or more and post a wRC above league average. Minnesota’s top five in projected wRC are Josh Donaldson (137), Nelson Cruz (135), Miguel Sano (122), Max Kepler (118), and Eddie Rosario (111). Weighted On-Base Average Another statistic fans might be unfamiliar with is weighted on-base average (wOBA). According to FanGraphs, wOBA “combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.” Batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage have flaws and wOBA helps to alleviate some of those discrepancies. A typical hitter will finish the season with a .320 wOBA. Guess what? The Twins are projected to very well when it comes to wOBA as well. Every player scheduled to be a regular has a wOBA north of .320. Even Willians Astudillo in a short 10-game stint falls into this category. Minnesota’s top-five in projected wOBA include Donaldson (.379), Cruz (.375), Sano (.356), Kepler (.350), and Rosario (.340). Offensive Runs Above Average (OFF) There is no perfect measure of offensive performance and Offensive Runs Above Average (OFF) attempts to combine a player’s batting runs and base running runs compared to the league average. This results in a combination of the weighted stolen base runs, weighted double play runs, and ultimate base running. League average ends up being set to zero and 9-10 runs results in one win of value according to FanGraphs. Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz rank well above the rest of the Twins line-up when it comes to OFF. Donaldson’s 10.6 OFF ranks as the best on the team and he’s two points higher than Nelson Cruz (8.6 OFF). Max Kelper (5.8 OFF), Miguel Sano (4.6), and Eddie Rosario (3.7) have the other top five OFF totals for the Twins. Sano is likely starting the year out of the line-up as he has failed to pass the league mandated COVID-19 protocols since summer camp opened. Do you think the Twins have baseball’s second-best line-up? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article