Cody Christie

The fireworks dust has settled and this means baseball's trade deadline is quickly approaching. Following next week's All-Star Game festivities in San Diego, contending teams will be wheeling and dealing to try to find the right pieces to push their organization to the next level. Minnesota's terrible first half has put them in a position to be sellers in 2016. This isn't a terrible position to be in but the Twins have been bad in recent years and the front office hasn't been willing to part with trade chips. Maybe this year will be different as Terry Ryan looks to add to one of the best farm systems in baseball. Who is available? What can the Twins get in return? Let's dive in...Starting Pitchers: Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco The Twins spent a lot of money on both of these pitchers on the free agent market and it hasn't gone according to plan. Santana spent the first part of his contract being suspended for 80 games and he hasn't been anything fantastic since returning to the mound. His name has even popped up in national headlines as "perhaps the most viable trade deadline pickup on the market." Nolasco has struggled with very brief flashes of being the pitcher the Twins thought they were getting. With both pitchers, the Twins would have to pay some of their remaining contracts. Santana is owed $27 million over the next two seasons and Nolasco is owed $24 million during the same stretch. That's a lot of money to two pitchers that haven't lived up to expectations but maybe both could be helped by moving to the National League. Trading one or both of these players would free up a second half rotation spot for the likes of Jose Berrios. Some Twins fans have even started the discussion about Trevor May being stretched out and put back in the rotation. Minnesota needs to see what they have in their young pitchers and the second half can offer them that opportunity. Relief Pitchers: Fernando Abad Contending teams pay a premium for effective relief pitching near the deadline (see Matt Capps for Wilson Ramos trade). Even Minnesota traded for relief help last year when Kevin Jepsen was acquired for a pair of pitching prospects. Jensen was designated for assignment over the weekend which can show how fickle relief pitchers can be. Abad has run into some rough outings in the last week but he still might be one of the team's most valuable trade pieces. As a left-handed relief pitcher, he has held lefties to batting under .175 and they are getting on-base less than 21% of the time. He also comes with an extra year of team control so that adds some value to him since he can't be a free agent until 2018. Much like trading one of the starting pitchers would open a spot for Berrios, dealing Abad could open a role for an up-and-coming relief arm. J.T. Chargois didn't get much of a look in his brief call-up so it would be nice to see more of him in the second half. Position Players: Brian Dozier, Eduardo Nunez, Trevor Plouffe, Kurt Suzuki Dozier isn't going to be part of the next winning team in Minnesota. He has busted out of his early season slump in a big way and he's under contract for the next two seasons for and average value of $7.5 million per year. Jorge Polanco has been ready for the big leagues but the Twins have no where to put him. Trading Dozier opens up a spot for Polanco and he could bring back an intriguing prospect or two. Nunez has been the biggest surprise on the Twins roster this season. For the first time in his career, he has become an everyday starter and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity. He is arbitration eligible for one more season and he can play multiple spots around the infield. For a team looking for a bench player with some versatility, Nunez could be their man. It might also be the first time in a while where the Twins have sold high on a player and not waited until his value was gone. The Miguel Sano outfield experiment seems to be coming to an end. Plouffe's time in Minnesota has included plenty of good moments and he has become a fan favorite. However, Plouffe would likely leave in free agency after the 2017 campaign so trading him now could result in more value. A contending team might need a bat off the bench or a replacement at third and Plouffe can serve both of those roles. He will be on the disabled list until for the next couple weeks so he might be able to be dealt until the off-season. Much like Dozier, Suzuki has broken out of his early-season offensive slump. His contract expires at the end of the year and the Twins will likely need to go in a different direction from the aging catcher. He is below average on the defensive side of the ball but Twins pitchers have like his ability to call games. Suzuki could serve in a back-up catcher role or be asked to fill in for an injured starting catcher. His veteran leadership and experience could be intriguing. There's the list of potential trade targets. Who else do you think the Twins should make available? What can Minnesota get back for the pieces that they have? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Daniel Palka has been on quite the roll in recent weeks and he was honored on Friday for his hot hitting. The Southern League announced that Palka was the Player of the Month for the month of June. By the end of the month he had hit .302/.372/.802 (1.174 SLG) with 13 home runs, three doubles and three triples. During the week of June 6th, Palka set up his tremendous month by going 10-for-29 with seven extra-base hits, four home runs, 10 RBI, a .931 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.306. He would be given the Southern League's Player of the Week award for that hot stretch. Could Palka keep the fireworks going for the start of this long Fourth of July weekend? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Syracuse 3 Box Score The Red Wings had to move on from Miguel Sano's tenure as his rehab assignment ended on Thursday and they were able to do so with the help of some familiar names. Eddie Rosario collected his seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot. He went 2-for-4 on the night including two runs scored. Darin Mastroianni and Jorge Polanco both had a pair of hits and Mastroianni came around to score a run. Wilfredo Tovar had a double and an RBI out of the ninth spot in the batting order. Jason Wheeler started and kept the Red Wings in the game. He struck out six in 5.2 innings on the mound while allowing three earned runs on five hits. The bullpen was fantastic for Rochester. D.J. Baxendale, Ryan O'Rourke, Trevor May, and Alex Wimmers combined for 3.1 shutout innings on the way to the team's 48th victory. For Wimmers, it was his seventh save. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Pensacola 10 Box Score The Lookouts jumped out to a first inning 2-0 thanks to a two-run shot off the bat of Mitch Garver. Things would go quiet on the offensive side until the sixth when Niko Goodrum hit a one-out double before SL Player of the Month Daniel Palka knocked him in with a single, his 62nd RBI this year. Chattanooga did their best to come back in the late innings with a five-run eighth frame that was bolstered by a Travis Harrison home run. Goodrum finished the night going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk. Garver drove in four and scored a pair of runs as part of a two-hit effort. DJ Hicks reached base twice. The Lookouts left only five runners on base and batted .600 with runners in scoring position (6-for-10). In his third start at Double-A, things didn't go well for Stephen Gonsalves. He was roughed up for six runs in 3.2 innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two as his Double-A ERA is now over 8.00. Omar Bencomo allowed two runs (one earned) in 1.1 innings while striking out three. Luke Westphal didn't stop the scoring, as he gave up a pair of runs in two innings of work. Trevor Hildenberger was the only pitcher to put a zero on the board. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Jupiter 4 Box Score Randy Rosario got the start for Fort Myers but ran into a little trouble during the sixth inning. After back-to-back one-out hits, Rosario coaxed a ground out that allowed a run to score. During the next at-bat he threw a wild pitch and eventually walked the batter. Rosario's night was done and John Curtiss came in with runners on the corners. He got the next out to end the inning and finish out the next frame with a couple of strikeouts. Things got hairier from there. Nick Anderson started the eighth inning and allowed three straight singles to start the frame. He was replaced by Yorman Landa without recording an out. Landa did his best to limit the damage as the first batter bunted to advance the runners. The next batter grounded out but another run scored. After a walk, Landa got the final out but the score was now 5-4. The Miracle bounced back quickly scoring two runs in the bottom half of the inning. LaMonte Wade and Joe Maloney started the inning by getting hit by pitches. Alex Perez advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt and T.J. White brought them home with double. White had already homered in the game as he finished 3-for-5 with four RBI. Max Murphy also had a home run, his fifth of the season, which left the bat at 105 mph. Two-thirds of the batting order had at least one double. Fort Myers has now won four in a row and remain in first place in the Florida State League South Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 5 Box Score After falling behind early, the Kernels plated three runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Rainis Silva walked to leadoff the inning before a Daniel Kihle single advanced him to second. A couple of batters later Luis Arraez singled to score Silva. The big hit in the inning came from Sean Miller who was credited with a double and two runs scored on the play. However, the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Cody Stashak started and left with the Kernels up 4-3. He allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Tom Hackimer took the blown save and the loss after allowing a pair of runs to score in the eighth inning. Kuo Hua Lo got two outs and struck out one. Miller finished 3-for-4 with the team's only extra-base hit. It was his 13th double of the season. Joining the multi-hit parade was Zander Wiel as he collected a pair of hits and an RBI. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 8, Pulaski 3 Box Score The E-Twins powered out four home runs in the first three innings to help the team push across eight runs. Alex Kirilloff, the Twins 2016 first-round pick, hit his first professional home run as part of a multi-hit night. Jaylin Davis cracked two home runs to go along with five RBI. Davis has six home runs this season and this was just the E-Twins ninth game. Amaurys Minier also added a long ball, his first on the season. Tyler Wells made it through two perfect frames including striking out the four straight batters but he ran into some third inning issues. He had runners at first and second after two walks and a pair of strikeouts in the inning. Griffin Jax entered and gave up a sharp singled to score one. During the next at-bat he had a wild pitch that scored another run. Wells ended up with no hits in 2.2 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Jax allowed two runs to score, credited against Wells, before another run scored against him. He struck out two in 2.1 frames. Andrew Vasquez picked up his first professional victory after throwing three terrific innings. He limited the Yankees to two hits and he struck out seven. Vasquez has yet to allow a run this season across three appearances. Colton Davis got the ninth and saw two batters reach but struck out the last two batters of the game. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 1, GCL Red Sox 6 Box Score The GCL Twins couldn't take advantage of plenty of opportunities in this contest. The Twins kept pace with the Red Sox in the hit department with 12 each but the home team went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Gorge Munoz had a big day at the dish going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. Dane Hutcheon matched Munoz with three hits and he is hitting .400 so far this season. Besides the two extra-base hits from Munoz, Ben Rortvedt had the only other extra-base hit, a double. Miguel De Jesus took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in just under four innings of work. He struck out six and walked one. Clark Beeker took over for De Jesus and struck out three while giving up a run in 2.1 innings. Matz Schutte didn't allow a hit and struck out three across two frames. Brady Anderson finished off the last inning with a hit and walk but didn't allow a run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – The Rochester Bullpen, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jaylin Davis, Elizabethton Twins SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (6:05 CST) - LHP Pat Dean (1-5, 4.40 ERA) Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:30 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers (6-4, 3.38 ERA) Ft. Myers vs. Jupiter (5:05 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc (1-2, 5.40 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) - LHP Lachlan Wells (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Bluefield (5:00 CST) - RHP Ryan Mason (0-0, 18.00 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday's games. Click here to view the article

If you followed some of the ESPN and Baseball America Twitter accounts, there was coverage during the game. It was also streaming on ESPN.com so I had it pulled up in a window at work. It stinks that they had to play in front of a half empty stadium with no one watching at home.

Congrats to Coastal Carolina. They were a fun team to watch the CWS. It was pretty crazy to see that their locker was in the back of the shed that was also concession stand when the current coach started there 20 years ago.

This story was from the middle of June. http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-nick-burdi-setback-to-bone-bruise-ailment/ Sounds like he had a setback to his bone bruise. Wasn't suppose to throw for at least 10 days. I haven't heard anything about him throwing up to this point.

You mean the starting pitcher for the Home Run Derby, right?

I haven't heard anything on him at this point.

Not bad. Betts and Bradley will probably get to start especially since Cain got hurt earlier this week.

I don't think they get huge viewership anyway. Especially without big named schools in the final. I'm sure ESPN had plenty to say about when the game was going to be played. There must be something else on the four-letter network tonight that couldn't be moved.

How do others feel about this? Should the second half of last season be included in picking out the All-Stars? My feeling is if we don't consider the second half of last season then they should move the All-Star Game to the end of the season. Otherwise the All-Stars are only being picked off of half a season's worth of work.

I'd love to have Donaldson and Machado both start but unfortunately that can't happen with the way the ballot was set-up this year. Our team's are pretty close. I give Cabrera the nod over Davis since he is one of the best hitters of all-time. Bradley just missed my team. Desmond has been good but I wouldn't have him as a starter.

I'm guessing he will have a longer leash than that... especially if the team trades one of their starters in the next month.

Let me know who you think should be the starters in the AL. Third base and shortstop were probably the two hardest spots to pick.

There is always plenty of debate when it comes to the starters for each squad in the MLB All-Star Game. Fans get to vote for their favorite players and this can result in ballot stuffing by certain fan bases across the country. For example, Chicago Cubs fans have been spending a lot of time voting and their team currently has five starters at the last voting update. Are these the best players in the National League at those positions? Maybe not but that's what happens when you leave the voting to the fans. Since the Twins are in the American League, let's delve into that ballot before the official rosters are announced on Tuesday, July 5, at 7 p.m. Who are the starters going to be? Who should actually be the starters? There's plenty to discuss.Catcher Leading: Salvador Perez, Royals My Pick: Salvador Perez, Royals Catching is in a rough spot in the American League especially with Joe Mauer no longer being an option behind the plate. Salvador Perez, the reigning World Series MVP, leads the league in fWAR during the last 365 days. Blake Swihart and Matt Wieters are tied for a distant second place. Perez is hitting close to .300 and getting on-base 33% of the time. He hit a career high 21 home runs last season and he already has 12 long balls so far this season. He's never posted a slugging percentage over .475 in his career and he's sitting at a .520 OPS in 2016. First Base Leading: Eric Hosmer, Royals My Pick: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers There are plenty of candidates for this spot but it has become a two-man battle. The voting block in Kansas City has Eric Hosmer out to a 550,000 vote lead at the last check-in but he doesn't get my vote. Sometimes it's about putting a player in who is one of the best players in the generation. Cabrera's average has dipped a little this year from his normal standards but he is still hitting .295/.368/.529 with 17 home runs after only hitting 18 home runs last season. I'd put Chris Davis ahead of Hosmer on my ballot as well so the player likely to start wouldn't be in my top 2 for voting purposes. Second Base Leading: Jose Altuve, Astros My Pick: Jose Altuve, Astros There are some bigger names on the ballot like Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia but Jose Altuve is in the midst of a historic season. Altuve has a career OPS of just over .780 and this season he is closing in on a 1.000 OPS. By the way, he's leading the American League in batting too. If the Astros keep playing well, Altuve will be in the discussion for the AL MVP and this would be his fourth All-Star Game in the last five seasons. Cano and Pedroia might be the big names but everyone needs to get familiar with Altuve because he might be in this position for years to come. Third Base Leading: Manny Machado, Orioles My Pick: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays This two-man battle features the defending AL MVP in Josh Donaldson versus the up-and-coming Manny Machado. Both players have been very good over the last calendar year. In fact, each of these players has been one of the top five players in the game this season. Look at the chart below to see how close the battle is between them even with Machado sliding over to play shortstop in the absence of JJ Hardy. Donaldson has been slightly better so I will give him the nod but they should both be playing in San Diego. Shortstop Leading: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox My Pick: Francisco Lindor, Indians We might be living in the "Golden Age of Shortstops" in the American League. Francisco Lindor, Xander Bogaerts, and Carlos Correa are all young and dominating at one of the toughest defensive positions in the field. Lindor has dominated on both sides of the ball, being an offensive threat while playing some of the best defense in the game at shortstop. His 8.2 fWAR over the last calendar year is 1.5 points higher than Bogaerts and 3.6 points higher than Correa. Lindor plays in Cleveland where he isn't getting much attention but he is showing that he is one of the top overall players in the game. Outfield Leading: Mike Trout, Angels; Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox; Mookie Betts, Red Sox My Picks: Mike Trout, Angels; Lorenzo Cain, Royals, Mookie Betts, Red Sox Mike Trout is another easy pick as he has helped the AL win the last two All-Star Games on his way to earning back-to-back All-Star Game MVPs. Even though he was just injured, Lorenzo Cain gets a big jump from his defensive numbers while holding his own on the offensive side of the ball. He also helped the Royals to their first World Series Championship since the 1980s. The last spot is a toss up between Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. so I gave my vote to Betts. I like his ability to steal bases and that can be a handy addition to the roster of an All-Star squad. Designated Hitter Leading: David Ortiz, Red Sox My Pick: David Ortiz, Red Sox Probably the easiest pick on the board. David Ortiz will retire at season's end and ride off into the sunset of what is likely a Hall-of-Fame career. It helps that Ortiz is also having a very strong season at the plate. This is nothing against Edwin Encarnacion and the season he is having, but Ortiz is a legend. The 2016 All-Star Game might turn into an honoring for Ortiz much like the 2014 All-Star Game in Minnesota honored Derek Jeter. Ortiz will bow out and let other players take his place in the years to come. So there's my ballot with a few picks that were tough to make. Who would make your AL All-Star team? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

If he's shutdown in mid-September, he'd only miss a couple starts. The Twins won't have much to play for at that point. Another thought...Not having him on the mound at that point could mean the club is getting closer to the number one pick in next year's draft.

I'm pulling for Coastal Carolina but Arizona's pitching might be too tough. Should be a great game and a great ending to the 2016 CWS

One game tonight for the title... who is everyone picking to win?

I was going for a headline that would bring in some readers that don't always read the Minor League Reports. The point was to show that he had a really good start and had "no-hit" stuff on this night. Berrios was at 96 pitches (64 strikes) so I think they might have sent him back out there for the eighth if he hadn't given up a hit.

Yeah, it's tough to go straight off what the stats show. We do get reports from the media personal but it's not exactly an in-depth scouting report. The big thing with Berrios and Chargois will be control. If they can show consistency with their control, they will be called back up.

I'm fine with high schools using metal bats but I'd like to see colleges make the switch.

My guess is Sano plays a few more games in Rochester before ending his rehab. A few too many strikeouts the last couple games.

My guess is they will leave Chargois down until at least after the Futures Game.