Cody Christie

For the Minnesota Twins, the last handful of trade deadlines have been mostly uneventful. This seems out of character for a team that has posted one of baseball's worst records the last few seasons. There are different ways for a team to rebuild and the Twins were very active during last offseason by dealing away Denard Span and Ben Revere. Minnesota doesn't necessarily need to now move pieces that will still be with the club in the offseason. That being said, it would make the most sense to say goodbye to Justin Morneau. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] His contract will be expiring at the end of the season and the Twins won't be in contention this year. This would give him a chance to help a contender and the club could go after him in free agency if they felt that was in their best interest. Here is a look back at the moves made during the last three trade deadlines. Even though there haven't been any major moves in the last couple years, there has been an impact on the depth of the organization. There have been ripple effects from dealing away the team's best catching prospect and last year's pair of players has helped the current team, a bit. Download attachment: Francisco-Liriano.jpg 2012 Headline: Liriano dealt to White Sox for pair of players The potential was always there with Francisco Liriano but the on-field results were spotty. Since his contract was expiring at the end of the year, it made sense for the Twins to deal him. Many fans thought the Twins should have been able to get more for Liriano. Instead the club got infielder Eduardo Escobar and pitcher Pedro Hernandez. Liriano went 3-2 with the White Sox and he posted a 5.40 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP over 11 starts. According to Baseball Reference, his time in Chicago was good for 0.3 WAR. Escobar has played 69 games over the last two seasons with the Twins. He has hit .217/.268/.303 with three home runs, two doubles and two triples. He got plenty of playing time at the beginning of this year when the Twins were still trying to sort out their middle infield situation. He has been worth 0.3 WAR for the Twins. Hernandez has started seven games and pitched in nine games for Minnesota. He has a 3-1 record with a 5.54 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. He has added some depth to the minor league pitching staff but he probably won't have a long-term impact on the big league club, unless it's as a reliever. 2011 Headline: To trade or not to trade, that is the question. There were expiring contracts for Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel but the team still wasn't able to make any moves before the deadline. After a brutal April and May, the Twins posted records above .500 in June and July. This might have given the front office a false sense of hope. Minnesota was only seven games under .500 in the first half of the year. At the end of July, the club had a 50-58 record and they were only seven games out of first place in the AL Central. Unfortunately, the second half of the season turned out to be dreadful. Fans were forced to have faith that the club would climb back into the race. This would never happen and Cuddyer and Kubel left the team in the offseason. There may not have been deals on the table for these corner outfielders and it is hard to know what goes on in the general manager's office. Still, it looked silly to have veteran players with expiring contracts on a club that was headed very close to a 100-loss season. 2010 Headline: Capps acquired for stretch run In one of the most scrutinized deals in Twins history, Matt Capps was acquired from the Washington Nationals for prized catching prospect Wilson Ramos. The Twins were in the middle of another tight division race and the back end of the bullpen might have needed a little boost. Joe Nathan had suffered an elbow injury in spring training and the club had used Jon Rauch as closer for most of the first half. Adding Capps to the mix only strengthened the bullpen and he could have been a key piece if the club had gone on a lengthy run in October. As fans know, this didn't happen but the deal would have looked better with Capps closing out games in the ALDS, ALCS, and even the World Series. The cost for Capps was steep. Ramos was working his way toward the big leagues and he had even had an impressive debut in Minnesota. The Twins already had Joe Mauer entrenched behind the plate so keeping Ramos around wasn't a necessity. Since joining the Nationals, there have been some injury concerns as he played only 25 games last season and a little over 30 games in 2013. He continues to hit for power and he has posted a career .271/.334/.447 batting line in the National League. Ramos hasn't turned into the next Johnny Bench and that might be a good thing for Twins fans. Click here to view the article

The Fourth of July holiday means that the All-Star Break is quickly approaching and the Twins are near a break that might be good for a team that is struggling to find pitchers for their starting staff. There has been a well-worn road from Rochester to Minneapolis as the Twins try to find players to record outs for the big league club. Casey Fien and Sam Deduno will be the latest Red Wings to get called up to play with the Twins. After putting together five consecutive wins, the Twins lost back to back contests in Detroit. The loss on Thursday afternoon might have been the most disappointing as the Twins looked to be in control after a strong start from Scott Diamond. In the end, the big bats for Detroit prevailed against the Twins bullpen and now the team will head to Texas to end the first half against one of the toughest teams in the AL.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Rangers are the two-time defending AL Champions and they will trot out eight All-Stars. At the same time, the Twins have one current All-Star and 14 more losses than the Rangers. It could be a rough weekend in Arlington but it will be fun to see what Josh Willingham and Trevor Plouffe can do in the heat of Texas. Could it be time for the Twins to think about a contract extension with Francisco Liriano?Some possible trade targets for the Twins include the Reds, the Yankees, the Braves, and the Dodgers.Denard Span could be one of the players traveling to a new team by the end of the month.One of the most controversial articles of the week had Reggie Jackson state that he thinks former Twins Kirby Puckett and Bert Blyleven don't belong with him in the Hall of Fame.The end of June meant it was time to name the minor league hitter of the month, the starting pitcher of the month, and the relief pitcher of the month for the Twins.Trevor Plouffe has been something to enjoy in Minnesota.Detroit's defense is fun to watch.AJ Pierzynski spoke out about his poor reputation across the baseball world.This squibber by Brian Dozier was amazing to see and hard to explain to someone that wasn't able to witness it happen.http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNjDUCmQTiI/T_Y77q0m_9I/AAAAAAAACow/mGqgf6XxakI/s1600/Brian+Dozier+Squibber.gif With Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Matt Moore graduating to the big leagues, who is left as the top prospect in the minor leagues?There were two big hockey signings in Minnesota this week and Joe Mauer and Ron Gardenhire did their best to recruit Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.One of the biggest talking points of the 4th might have been explaining to friends and family about the Twins sending 30-year old Nick Blackburn to Triple-A.Ozzie Guillen blew up at reporters after Heath Bell blew another loss for the Marlins.A coach in the A's organization got banned from the bench after he ordered intentional balks to end an extra-inning affair.It's interesting to think of the Twins team as pairs of twins.The window for signing 16-year old international players opened earlier this week and the Twins scooped up the 12th best prospect according to Baseball America.There was some who questioned the Twins All-Star selection over the weekend but what about the All-Stars of the future.What should the Orioles expect from Jim Thome?My Weekly Rundown Monday: Mauer elected and "fans" revoltTuesday: Tuesday Morning TidbitsTuesday's Trip through the MinorsVideo of the Week: It is still an honor for any player to be selected to the All-Star Game even if it is Mauer's fifth trip to the Mid-Summer Classic. The Twins had a cool video that they threw together to see how the team announced that Mauer would be representing the Twins in Kansas City. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Plouffe_Trevor_Throwing_US_720.jpg Plouffe re-entered the Twins line-up this weekend with a bang. This was great to see from the former first round pick but one has to look at the future of Twins' baseball and wonder what his place will be. It seems as if the Twins are still a couple years away from contending and that could mean change for the 27-year-old Plouffe. Twins fans will best remember Plouffe for his Ruthian hot streak during the middle of last season. In a stretch of 14 games he hit .375/.397/.982 with 10 home runs and four doubles. It looked like the Twins had found their man at third base, but a hand injury slowed him down considerably. Fans were left wondering what version of Plouffe the Twins would have in 2013. So far this season, Plouffe has missed time on the 7-day concussion DL; this was quickly followed by another DL trip for a leg injury. He has played in 39 games and he has hit .264/.344/.457 with five home runs and 10 doubles. His batting average is higher than any point at last season and this has helped some of his other numbers improve. One of the problems facing Plouffe in the future might be the players coming up behind him. Deibinson Romero has put together strong numbers this season at Double-A and Triple-A. This leaves him a step away from the big leagues and the Twins might be willing to give him a look at some point this season. Further behind in Plouffe's rearview mirror is uber-prospect Miguel Sano. The Twins recently promoted Sano to Double-A and some of the best prospects in baseball don't even make the stop at Triple-A. Sano will probably be in New Britain for the rest of this season but that hardly means he couldn't be in the mix for the starting third base job in 2014. In the past, there have been questions about Sano's ability to stick at third. He originally was a raw at the hot corner, after starting out as a shortstop, and one of his biggest improvements over the last couple of years has been his defense. Last season, he had 42 errors in 361 chances at third. This season he has 12 errors in 170 chances. As we gaze into our crystal ball and look toward the future of Twins baseball, there are a few different situations that could transpire for Plouffe: 1. Move to a corner outfield spot: When Michael Cuddyer didn't work out at third base, the club moved him to a corner outfield spot and this is where he truly began to flourish. He went on to earn his lone All-Star selection as an outfielder and he became a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse. Plouffe would need to continue to make improvements at the plate and if he can make those adjustments, this seems the most likely path. 2. Stay at third base: If Sano has to be moved from third base to first base, Plouffe could more easily be seen staying at third. For the majority of his minor league career, Plouffe was a shortstop so he has been learning his third base skills on the fly. Plouffe has been below average on defense so he would need to continue to improve. 3. Find another team: There is a strong crop of minor league players moving through the organization and this youth movement could push Plouffe to the side. The Twins have control of Plouffe through the arbitration process until 2018. He then would be 32 years old and his production might be less than what the Twins would have to pay him. This could mean a new organization for Mr. Plouffe. Overall, the Twins hope Plouffe's performance on the field makes it an easy decision to keep him around and in the line-up on a daily basis. Sano's progress likely will have a lot of influence on Plouffe staying at third base or not, but a corner outfield spot might be a welcomed sight for Plouffe as he gets closer to 30. There are a lot of variables to the puzzle of Trevor Plouffe's future. Fans can hope he better figures things out at the plate and in the field to become a strong veteran player on some Twins' teams that should, in a year or two, be back near the top of the American League Central. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: hyperlink.jpg The week was dominated by the horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon, but there were numerous positive stories coming out of the tragedy, such as when a former New England Patriots lineman carried a woman to safety. Many teams around the world of baseball paid tribute to Boston. "Sweet Caroline," which has become synonymous with Red Sox games, was played by most teams during a break in the action; even the rival Yankees stood united in support of Boston. Here are the fans at Target Field singing "Sweet Caroline." Baseball continued to go on and there were some great stories from across the web. Have a safe weekend and give someone you love a call.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Chris Colabello has one of the best stories in baseball.How does Joe Mauer do when it comes to catcher framing? Twins starters pitch to contact and that is killing them this year. AJ Petterson is playing with some very good players and he offers his early season highlights. There has been more than one Twins player who got a "cup of coffee" with the club. Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario are helping the Miracle to a record start. Sano already has one movie about his rise and they are working on a sequel. Glen Perkins is always an interesting interview. Aaron Hicks set a record and it wasn't one a player wants to set. Mauer and David Wright forged a friendship in the WBC. "Delmon's going to be as good as Delmon wants to be." Here is a cool list of all the players that have debuted this year with the scouts that signed them. A couple of Twins players are on the list. IMDb released their top 10 baseball movies of all-time.Here are my top 5 baseball films: Bull Durham Sandlot Major League A League Of Their Own Field of Dreams Beyond the Boxscore did some great research creating Pitcher Similarity Scores based on Pitchf/x data. Denard Span didn't know what a double-switch was. Jackie Robinson gets a lot the press but Larry Doby was just as important in the AL. Bert Blyleven never had anyone charge him but he did charge the mound once himself. Lance Berkman really doesn't like Wrigley Field.There is more than one way to deal with hecklers in the stands. Former Twins pitcher Kyle Waldrop had an impressive first start at the Triple-A level.My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Talk to Contact: Episode 33Tuesday: Finding solutions for struggling Aaron Hicks Wednesday: Arcia's ascension could mean Willingham's exit Wednesday's Minor League Wrap-Up Video of the Week: It is hard for Ben Revere to amaze after some of the plays he made in a Twins uniform, but this catch from earlier this week might leave you with your mouth open. He misplays the ball a little at the beginning and has to make up for it at the end with a Superman like jump. It was a very cool play by a good defensive center fielder. Click here to view the article

Joe Mauer sat out his first Twins game of the season on Wednesday. But even with Mauer out of the line-up, the Twins were able to come away with a win and avoid being swept by the Detroit Tigers. Scott Diamond pitched six strong innings, giving up two earned runs and four hits for his second win of the year. Justin Morneau and Chris Parmelee each had a pair of hits and a couple of RBI. There were some other impressive performances down on the farm. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Unfortunately, there were no Trevor May sightings on May Day but let's take a look at Wednesday's results from the Twins farm system. On this week's episode of the Talk to Contact Podcast, we discussed a lot about the minor leagues so make sure to check it out. Rochester Red Wings (Scheduled Off Day) The Red Wings enjoyed a scheduled off day after finishing the month of April with a 10-16 record. The club sits eight games out of first place in the International League North Division. Rochester has turned it around a little in their last ten games by posting a 6-4 record. As part of their off day, the club announced that Rafael Perez was activated from the disabled list. Perez, a former member of the Cleveland Indians, was a minor league free agent this past offseason before deciding to sign with the Twins organization. He missed 26 games as he was recovering from the left shoulder surgery he underwent last September. To make room for Perez on the roster, the Red Wings sent Bobby Lanigan back to Double-A. Lanigan had only made one appearance since being called up last week. He earned the save of Friday while pitching 0.1 innings with a strikeout. Rochester used today as travel day to get to Columbus before opening a four-game series versus the Clippers on Thursday. New Britain Rock Cats 4, Harrisburg Senators 0 Box Score Logan Darnell and Daniel Ortiz stole the show for the Rock Cats on Wednesday evening. Both players were at the center of New Britain's 14th win of the season. Darnell threw seven shutout innings, scattering five singles. He struck out six and allowed only two walks. It was his third win of the season and lowered his ERA to 2.16. It was the most impressive start of the year for Darnell and it looks like his second time through the Eastern League will come with more positive results. Download attachment: Logan Darnell 3.jpg Aaron Thompson continued his very good season out of the bullpen. He recorded the last six outs of the game and allowed only one base runner. His 0.97 ERA is the best on New Britain’s pitching staff. In his six appearances this season, he has only allowed one run and one walk. Ortiz was the big man on the offensive side of the ball. He went 3-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season, which ranks second on the team behind Josmil Pinto. In the last three games, Ortiz now has compiled a four hit game and a three hit game. Reynaldo Rodriguez and James Beresford each added two hits. Rodriguez had a triple and two RBI. New Britain will look to notch their third straight series win with a victory on Thursday. The club sits in the middle of the pack in the Eastern League Eastern Division. Only five games separate the first and last place club so there could be a lot of movement in the coming weeks. Fort Myers Miracle --, Clearwater Threshers -- (Cancelled) Inclement weather interfered with the Miracle's game in Clearwater on Wednesday afternoon. The teams don't meet again in the first half of the season so the game will not be made up. The Miracle are currently riding a seven-game winning streak after they won the first three games of the series against Clearwater. Fort Myers currently has a 21-4 record and the club sits five games ahead of their closest competitor in the Florida State League's South Division. The St. Lucie Mets are the team behind the Miracle in the standings and they happen to be the next team on their schedule. The two clubs will open a series in Fort Myers on Thursday night. It is the start of a seven-game homestand at Hammond Stadium. Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, West Michigan Whitecaps 7 Box Score The Kernels jumped out to a two run lead but the Whitecaps pitching staff shut down the offense for the rest of the game. A big bottom of the fifth inning broke open the game and West Michigan walked away with the victory. The loss snapped a nine game winning streak for the Kernels. In the first inning, Byron Buxton walked to start the game. Niko Goodrum followed with a single and an error on the play allowed both runners to advance a base. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Jorge Polanco and Dalton Hicks put the Kernels up 2-0. Brett Lee started his third game of the year for Cedar Rapids and was saddled with his first loss. Through six innings he kept the game close but in the bottom of the seventh the first batter singled and this was followed by a home run that signaled Lee's exit. Tim Atherton didn't provide much relief as he would go on to allow three more runs in the seventh. He had a throwing error, gave up a home run, and allowed two stolen bases. Josh Burris pitched a hitless inning and gave up a walk. It was the second appearance for Burris since he joined the team earlier this week. The Kernels will look to get back to their winning ways as the team continues their series with West Michigan over the next two days. Today's game was the first in a 12-game road trip for Cedar Rapids. The team won't return home until May 14th so the team will have to find ways to win road games. Click here to view the article

It is officially the first day of summer and that means action will be heating up across the baseball world. The Twins found themselves in a pitchers duel in Pittsburgh with Francisco Liriano throwing one of his best games of the year. A rough seventh inning meant that Liriano wasn't able to pick up the win but a late inning home run from Josh Willingham pushed the Twins to a 2-1 victory. Some injuries to the Rochester bullpen forced the Twins to make some transactions in the farm system. Carlos Gutierrez (shoulder) and Lester Oliveros (elbow) are both going to miss time for the Red Wings and this means Bobby Lanigan and Caleb Thielbar will be joining Rochester from New Britain. Edgar Ibarra is moving from Fort Myers to New Britain and taking his place on the Miracle roster is Michael Tonkin. Cole Johnson was the other transaction on Wednesday as he moves from the E-Twins to the Snappers. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Twins officially signed RHP Luke Bard, taken 42nd overall in the 2012 draft. With his signing, the Twins have inked their first 10 picks in the draft. This is a good sign and it seems to show that players are more willing to sign early with the new rules in the CBA. Don't forget to check out the Twins Minor League Weekly Podcast tomorrow night at 9:00 pm. Seth Stohs should have plenty of topics to discuss with the transactions mentioned above and the start of the short-season leagues. ROCHESTER 7, DURHAM 6 It was quite the back and forth contest against the Durham Bulls in Rochester with the Red Wings managing to come out victorious. With Rochester leading by one in the top of the ninth, the Bulls managed to score two runs and take the lead back. In the bottom of the ninth, Tsuyoshi Nishioka started the inning by cracking a double. After a sacrifice bunt from Pedro Florimon, Wilkin Ramirez stepped into the box and fell into a 0-2 count. The next pitch was hit over the fence for a two-run walk-off home run and the fans got to go home happy. Cole DeVries had started the game and he lasted 6.1 innings by giving up four runs on 11 hits. Tyler Robertson picked up his second victory of the year after he got the last two outs of the ninth inning. Brian Dinkelman had three hits with an RBI to help the offense. In the second inning, Matt Carson hit his fifth home run on the year and he has three home runs in the last four games. NEW BRITAIN 4, ALTOONA 9 Gerrit Cole, the number one pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, made his debut at Double-A on Wednesday night. Unfortunately for the Rock Cats, he didn't have any issues with the transition to a higher league and threw five innings while giving up two runs and striking out six. He was also backed up by plenty of run support so this made his first victory at this level a little easier. Brett Jacobson was charged with seven earned runs in three innings on the mound. He walked five batters and gave up multiple home runs. Aaron Hicks had his first multiple hit game in his last ten contests and this included his ninth double and second triple of the year. Chris Colabello got half of the team's RBI with his two singles in the game. In his second game since being promoted, Oswaldo Arcia had his first hit, a double in the eighth inning. FORT MYERS 7, JUPITER 3 A solid offensive night was put together by the Miracle on Wednesday evening in Jupiter. They put up seven runs on 12 hits to back a good start from Madison Boer. In five innings of work, Boer surrendered two runs on five hits and struck out four. Ricky Bowen did a good job in relief by almost pitching 2 innings and only giving up a hit. For Boer, it was his third win of the year with all three of those wins coming in June. Five batters for the Miracle had multiple hit nights with Kyle Knudson leading the way with a 3-for-5 night. Andy Leer knocked in a couple runs with his two hits and he hit his six double of the year. The only other extra-base hit came off of the bat of Danny Rams, who also scored two runs in the game. BELOIT (All-Star Break) The Snappers are enjoying their All-Star Break and will resume play on Friday night with a series in Cedar Rapids. After qualifying for the playoffs in the first half of the season, it will be interesting to see how the Snappers come out in the second half. ELIZABETHTON 10, DANVILLE 0 The story on this night should be the pitcher that started the game for the E-Twins. Ricardo Arevalo, a 21-year old pitcher from Venezuela, has pitched in the Twins organization for the last three years for the DSL Twins and the GCL Twins. In those three years, he had never been able to pick up a victory on the mound but that all changed on Wednesday. He threw five shutout innings and the bullpen was able to cover the rest of the game for his first professional win. In this contest, the E-Twins found plenty of offense with multiple extra base hits on the way to double digits being scored by the club. There were four triples in the game for the E-Twins and Niko Goodrum hit two of those three baggers with three runs batted in. Rory Rhodes had three hits and Michael Quesada managed his first two doubles in the young season. GCL TWINS 6, GCL RAYS 2 A strong start from Josue Montanez helped the GCL Twins to get out to an early lead on the GCL Rays. Montanez tossed four scoreless innings while striking out six and allowing a single hit. Both runs for the Rays were scored off of Markus Solbach in his one inning of work. The Rays sloppy defense helped the Twins to a big bottom of the third inning. Three consecutive errors by the Rays fielders allowed the Twins to score four runs in the frame. Aderlin Mejia was 3-for-4 in the game with his second double of the year. Bryan Haar added a double of his own while going 2-for-3 with two RBI. --- Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 20, 2012 Hitter of the Day- Niko Goodrum http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xR7sglofICU/T-KFFf6JTkI/AAAAAAAACRw/Q6SnlZrGv3U/s1600/Goodrum-Niko.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Ricardo Arevalo (1st Professional Win) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1yonnoNr2ZI/T-KFZ1cx_KI/AAAAAAAACR4/i2Tl1oaML90/s320/elizabethtontwins.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Thursday, June 21st Schedule Rochester vs Durham- LHP Matt Maloney New Britain at Altoona- LHP Aaron Thompson Fort Myers vs St. Lucie-LHP Pat Dean Beloit (All-Star Break) Elizabethon at Danville- LHP Corey Kimes GCL Twins at GCL Rays- TBA --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, leave them in the comments section and Seth or I will try to answer them. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Glen+Perkins+Minnesota+Twins.jpg For the first time since Eddie Guardado, the team will enter next season with a homegrown pitcher as the closer. Glen Perkins exploded onto the scene in 2011 and he continued that success into 2012 by providing dominant relief. All of this came after he failed to sustain success as a starter and looked like he might be out of the Twins future plans. Back in 2009, Perkins and his agent had the players association file a grievance against the Twins for a variety of reasons. He has come a long way from that point and has put together stellar seasons in back-to-back years. Last week the Twins ended their long, strange love affair with Matt Capps by declining his option for next season. There should be little doubt about who will be getting the majority of the save opportunities for the club going forward. Perkins has posted an ERA of 2.52 since the beginning of 2011 and his WHIP is a very good 1.129 in those two campaigns. Unlike Capps, Perkins has shown the ability to strikeout batters on a regular basis with his SO/9 averaging 9.8 in the last two years and he set a career high in this department last season with 10 SO/9. When Capps went down last season, Ron Gardenhire used an interesting approach for a few of the late inning situations. Since Perkins is a left-handed pitcher, Gardenhire would sometimes turn to right-handed pitcher Jared Burton for the ninth inning. usually when some key batters were right-handed hitters. A few weeks of using a double-headed closer was enough for Gardenhire; Burton wouldn't record a save in the last couple months of the season. Perkins was the man at the end of the game and it seems Gardenhire likes knowing which pitcher will be getting the final outs for his team. Finding other relief options like Jared Burton has helped the Twins to solidify their bullpen in the last year. The team took a flyer on Joel Zumaya during last offseason but that risk didn't work out. Casey Fien emerged as a very reliable option by keeping runners off of the bases and keeping the ball in the park. Alex Burnett had the best season of his career and Brian Duensing did fine when he was used out of the bullpen and not as a starter. Anthony Swazak, like Duensing, fared much better as a relief pitcher versus being a starter. There seems to be a decent core of arms building around Perkins in the bullpen. It has been a long journey for Perkins. The Twins drafted him in the first round of the 2004 Draft and he would make his debut by the end of 2006. Injuries forced him him to pitch a limited amount of innings in 2007, but he pitched a career high in innings during the 2008 campaign. The 2009 and 2010 seasons were his last as a starting pitcher and he struggled to keep his ERA anywhere near 5.00 in his time at the MLB and Triple-A. It was time to try a different approach with Perkins so he was sent to the bullpen to try and save his career. This decision turned out to be the right move as he made great strides in the last two seasons. Shifting to the bullpen added more velocity to his fastball and made him tougher to hit. He struck out a career high 78 batters this season in 70.1 innings when his previous high had been 74 batters - but that was in 151 innings on the mound. Perkins has reinvented himself as a relief pitcher and it seems like he continues to gain confidence on the mound with each late inning opportunity. There have been plenty of things to be down about in regards to the Twins in the past two seasons but the emergence of Perkins as the closer of the present and the future is not one of them. He has offered a small glimmer of hope to fans in back-to-back terrible years. His road to the role of full time closer with the Twins had plenty of bumps along the way but the transformation from starting pitcher to set-up man and finally to closer seems like the perfect path for the former first round pick. He'll start next year as the closer for the Twins and fans hope the team can follow the path of Perkins by reinventing the franchise for the future success. Click here to view the article

When a team has lost 90 games in three consecutive seasons, there can be plenty of finger pointing. For the Twins, there are questions to ask about how this current roster was created and what the team can do as they try to move forward. Download attachment: fishing.jpg Where are the holes in this roster? What needs to be done this offseason? Are there internal options to help remedy the situation? These questions and more need to be answered before the team heads to Florida for spring training. Let's take a look at each position and try to figure out how the Twins can get out of this mess.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] A fishing bobber ranking will accompany each position. One bobber means the position needs to be addressed, two bobbers means the position is steady, and three bobbers means the position is looking good going forward. Catcher 2013 Starter: Joe Mauer Other Options: Ryan Doumit, Josmil Pinto, Chris Herrmann There are questions about Mauer moving forward from his concussion-related issues. Doumit suffered some concussion issues of his own. At the end of the season, Pinto looked great but can he sustain this kind of production at the big league level? This should be a position for the Twins not to worry about but Mauer's concussion issues bring down this ranking. Ranking: One Bobber First Base 2013 Starter: Justin Morneau (Out of the Organization) Other Options: Joe Mauer, Chris Colabello, Chris Parmelee Mauer's head troubles could mean a change of position and first base might be his new home by the beginning of next season. Colabello and Parmelee have shown success at Triple-A but it hasn't translated to the big leagues. This could be a spot where the team looks outside the organization for help since there are three left-handed bats and plenty of question marks. Ranking: One Bobber Second Base 2013 Starter: Brian Dozier Other Options: Eduardo Escobar, Eddie Rosario In a breakout season, Dozier made Twins fans forget his disastrous rookie campaign. He seems to have locked up second base going into next season but Rosario is close to knocking on the door. Rochester will be Rosario's home to start 2014 but a stumble from Dozier could mean Rosario's rise to the big leagues. This position battle will be one to watch moving forward. Ranking: Three Bobbers Third Base 2013 Starter: Trevor Plouffe Other Options: Miguel Sano, Deibinson Romero Plouffe struggled for most of 2013 but ended the year with a strong month of September. The Twins are going to want to see Sano at the big league level sometime in 2014. After Hicks' terrible 2013 season, the club will probably take it slow with Sano. A hot start in Triple-A from Sano could mean the end of Plouffe's tenure at third base. Ranking: Three Bobbers Shortstop 2013 Starter: Pedro Florimon Other Options: Danny Santana, Eduardo Escobar Last season, Florimon showed his defensive prowess but his offense continues to be offensive. In the minor leagues, Santana continues to hit but there are giant question marks about his defense. Florimon is the likely starter but Santana's offensive ability is something to watch. Overall, shortstop is a tough spot in the higher levels of the organization. Ranking: One Bobber Left Field 2013 Starter: Josh Willingham Other Options: Oswaldo Arcia, Trevor Plouffe Willingham followed his tremendous 2012 season with an injury-filled 2013. Arcia had some up and down moments in his rookie year but he still showed the power stroke he had been known for in the minors. As the team looks to the future, it might make sense for Willingham spend more time at DH. Plouffe could see more time in the outfield when Sano arrives. Ranking: Two Bobbers Center Field 2013 Starter: Aaron Hicks Other Options: Byron Buxton, Alex Presley When the Twins handed the starting center field job to Hicks last year, they hoped the young man would take the position and run. Luckily for Twins fans, Buxton burst onto the scene in 2013. It could still be a couple years before Buxton makes it to the big leagues and this would leave a hole in center field. The future looks bright with Buxton but there are still questions about what Hicks will be able to do in 2014. Ranking: Two Bobbers Right Field 2013 Starter: Chris Parmelee Other Options: Aaron Hicks, Darin Mastroianni The Twins could be searching for options at this position moving forward. Parmelee and Hicks had disappointing seasons and Mastroianni was hurt for most of the year. Arcia could see some time at this spot if the Twins continue to use Willingham defensively. If Hicks can fix his offensive woes, this could be his spot when Buxton arrives on the scene. Ranking: One Bobber What kind of bobber rankings would you give the Twins position players? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another week has come and gone for Twins Territory and the hometown nine have started to stir the pot a little bit when it comes to their roster. Brian Dozier, the organization's minor league player of the year from 2011, made his debut earlier in the week. He has been impressive so far and the Twins hope he can continue to play at a high level. After leading all American League third basemen in games played in 2011, Danny Valencia has found himself back in Triple-A. In 2010, Valencia looked great for the Twins but he has failed to get back to that form in the last two years. His minor league track record suggested something like this might happen and now the Twins might try and trade Mr. Valencia. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Speaking of not being in form, Francisco Liriano has struggled mightily for the entire year and it was time for a change. After the team skipped his spot in the rotation, he still failed to produce results on the mound. For the time being, he has been moved to the bullpen and the front office called up PJ Walters to take his spot in the rotation. The Blue Jays come to town this weekend with a chance to gain ground in their division since the two teams in front of them will play each other. Toronto's best slugger Jose Bautista has been struggling to start the year and much like with the Angels and Albert Pujols, the Twins don't want to wake the sleeping giant. Baseball America released their first version of a mock draft. Who will the Twins take at number 2? Their pick may surprise you...Standford's Mark Appel will be one of the first pitchers selected in the draft but he doesn't seem to be pitching up to expectations.John Sickles at Minor League Ball put together his supplemental round mock draft where the Twins have two high picks.Chris Parmelee made the roster out of spring training and now he has been sitting on the bench. So what happened to Chris Parmelee?The Twins have seemed to rush some prospects to the majors in recent memory so it might seem like the club is opening their presents too early.It's looking like the Twins will be sellers at the trading deadline and Twins Fan From Afarlooks at the time of players they should target.Along the same lines as above, The Twins Armchair GM writes about the possibility of the Nationals still being interested in Denard Span.If you don't know a lot about Brian Dozier, make sure to read this post by Seth Stohs.A blind man named Reggie Deal is going to 30 parks in 30 days and he will be at Target Field on Friday.Former Twins pitcher Dan Osterbrock had some bad words to say about his former team.Alexi Casilla is near the top of the leaderboard in glove flips so far in 2012.This list of least productive positions in baseball has too many Twins on it.A few weeks ago I posted a picture of Robert Andino and how playing in Baltimore had taken away his smile. Well the Orioles are near the top of the division and this means his smile came back.http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xje3IeZgtjI/T6w-Bb6nZLI/AAAAAAAABQ8/d52BODzZcQ4/s400/andinorevived.jpg Scott Diamond had a great first start for the Twins but what can be expected from him going forward?Pitching to contact seems to be the Twins method for selecting pitchers but is it a good thing?A high school baseball team in Arizona forfeited their championship game because the other team had a girl starting in the middle infield.Would Twins fans want to see the Pohlad family sell the team?Jim Pohlad did come out and voice his support of Ron Gardenhire and Terry Ryan this week.My Weekly Rundown Monday: Dozier won't be savior of Twins offensive woesTuesday: Tuesday Night Minor League Round-UpWednesday: Ranking the best debuts by current TwinsThursday: Guerra moving quickly toward Target FieldVideo of the Week: Earlier this week, . I think he would have went for four outs if he had the opportunity. Pretty sweet! Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Deduno_Sam_Bench_US_600.jpg The Twins had one of the worst starting rotations in all baseball last year. In order to remedy the problem, the team has done its best to be aggressive in the open market, recently adding Mike Pelfrey via a two-year $11 million deal. This is the third free agent starter the Twins have added this season as the team has already agreed to terms with Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes. With Kevin Corriea under contract for another year, Minnesota's starting rotation is filling up rather quickly. Minnesota has a handful of players under team control for next season and they have to be wondering what happened. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Scott Diamond, Sam Deduno, Kyle Gibson, and Vance Worley were all part of the rotation at different points last season and it's looking more likely that a few of these players won't be with the organization when the team leaves Fort Myers. Scott Diamond, LHP After a rookie campaign where Diamond was the best starter for the Twins, his sophomore season was a slump. He walked more batters in fewer innings and struggled to keep the ball in the park. He looked better in his time at Rochester but he is out of minor league options. This could mean the Twins will have to try sneaking him through waivers and there is a chance another club would be interested in his services. Sam Deduno, RHP Deduno surprised a lot of people in his first year, 2012, with the Twins as he tended to give up walks and hits but he found a way to get out of some jams. His second season with the Twins was even better as he lowered his ERA by half a run per game and his WHIP dropped from 1.54 to 1.35 over close to 30 more innings than in his freshman campaign. Like Diamond, Deduno is out of options but it seems Deduno has the inside track for the fifth starter spot. Kyle Gibson, RHP There were high hopes for Gibson entering the season. The former first round pick had looked good in the preceding year's Arizona Fall League and the club was hoping he would make an impact during his rookie season. Gibson struggled throughout his rookie campaign. He still has options remaining so it's looking to be a lock for him to start the year in Rochester. His performance there will dictate when the Twins bring him back to the big leagues. Alex Meyer, RHP Considered by many the top rated pitching prospect in the Twins organization, Meyer will be knocking on the door to the majors next season. He pitched all last season at Double-A and he finished his year with a strong showing in the AFL. There is no need to rush him at this point but it could be hard to find a rotation spot for him unless a rash of injuries hits the guys in front of him. He has options left so the Twins will likely send him to Rochester for the start of the year. Vance Worley, RHP Last season's opening day starter struggled through his first season in a Twins uniform. His WHIP was almost 2.00 and his 7.21 ERA was tough to swallow. When Minnesota traded Ben Revere, Worley was supposed to add some depth to a struggling pitching staff. A year later it is looking more like Worley might not be part of the organization. He's out of options and the Twins will likely put some of the names on this list ahead of him for the fifth starter spot. Put yourself in Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire's shoes. Who gets the fifth starter spot? Is the player currently on the roster? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Darin+Mastroianni+Minnesota+Twins.jpg Over the last two seasons, the two men who accounted for most of the at-bats in the Minnesota Twins' leadoff spot were Denard Span and Ben Revere. Both were traded away this offseason, leaving a gaping hole at the top of the order (and in center field but that's a post for a different day). There will be a few different candidates to be the lead-off hitter, depending on who wins the vacancies in center field and in the middle infield. For now, the Twins will turn over the starting to duties in center field to one of three candidates. Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, and Darin Mastroianni will all get a chance to earn the starting role in spring training. The middle infield situation is even more fluid and also will be determined this spring. Of the center field candidates, Mastroainni has the most big league experience and offers some skills suited for a leadoff role. In only 77 games last season, he managed 21 steals, which ranked third on the team behind Revere and Alexi Casilla. He hit .252/.328/.345 last season with a limited amount of power. The Twins even penciled him into the first spot of the line-up for three different games last season, though he only hit .133/.188/.333 in his 16 plate appearances. Hicks has been used as a lead-off hitter for most of his career in the minor leagues and also has the skill set to be a very good top of the order hitter. He is one of the most patient hitters in the minor leagues, drawing over 75 walks in each of his three full seasons at multiple levels. His on-base percentage is .379 for his professional career, despite posting some lower batting averages in his first few seasons. His speed is also very good as he stole 32 bases last year and he combined for 32 doubles and triples. The Twins are going to need to see quite the performance from Benson to give him a starting job out of spring training. He was injured for most of last season and this caused his on-field performance to take a dive. Benson is still very athletic and he has shown a good ability to get on base when he is healthy. If Benson wins the starting job in center field, it might mean the Twins look to their infield for their leadoff hitter. When looking at the infield candidates, Jamey Carroll played the most for the club in 2012. The 38-year old infielder had a rough start but found his swing through the course of the year. The Twins only used him as a leadoff hitter in one game last year so he might not be the likeliest candidate. He does know how to draw a walk and the Twins could use him at the top of the order until Hicks is ready to debut. The other candidates for the starting jobs in the middle infield are Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, and Eduardo Escobar. These men aren't really leadoff hitter material since well... they don't really hit the ball. All three of these players struggled to hit for a decent average last season and they would most likely be suited for spots lower in the batting order. Dozier showed some ability to steal bases with nine steals in 11 attempts but his other numbers were too low to consider him a threat as a lead-off man. If some of these other candidates don't look appealing, the dark horse for the leadoff spot could be the Twins highest paid player. Joe Mauer is the best hitter for average on the Twins and he has led the AL in on-base percentage in multiple seasons. He doesn't have a ton of speed but he is athletic enough that can steal a base on occasion. There really seems like no way manager Ron Gardenhire would put him in the lead-off spot but maybe there is a chance that he moves up to the number two spot. Clearly, Hicks is the Twins leadoff hitter of the future but the future might begin after Opening Day. At this point, it seems most likely for Hicks to start at Triple-A with Mastroianni getting the job on Opening Day. Here is where I would rank the leadoff hitters at this point, and the only reason Mauer is at the bottom is because there seems to be a very little chance that he will be moved from the middle of the order. Leadoff Hitter Rankings: 1. Aaron Hicks 2. Darin Mastroianni 3. Jamey Carroll 4. Joe Mauer If you were putting together the roster for 2013, who would be your leadoff man for Opening Day? How about at the halfway point of the season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first week of Twins baseball has not been perfect by any means but the team has shown signs of life in the last couple of days. Those games were against two very good pitchers from the Angels, Jared Weaver and Dan Haren, so the team might be moving in the right direction. In a rare occurrence on Thursday afternoon, Joe Mauer hit a home run at Target Field for only the second time since the stadium opened in 2010. Besides glimmers of hope, the Twins offense needs to continue on it's upward trejectory if the team wants to find success in 2012.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The two-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers are coming to town this weekend with a couple of issues themselves. Former Twins closer Joe Nathan has struggled in two of his outings with his new club and both times his team would end up losing the contest. Yu Darvish, the Japanese pitching phenom, is scheduled to pitch on Saturday along with the unveiling of Kent Hrbek's statue outside of Gate 14. The first weekend action of the 2012 season at Target Field should be full of some great games and the Twins hope to get their team moving in the right direction. Another work week has come to an end so I hope you enjoy the following stories that I found from throughout the last week. Baseball is back and it has been great to see my Twitter feed explode with excitement in the last seven days. The Twins aren't off to a perfect start but it is a long season with plenty of baseball left to play. Earlier this week, Seth Stohs had a great podcast with multiple guests including an interview with shortstop Brian Dozier.If you want to find out more about the New Britain Rock Cats, make sure to check out Twins Fan From Afar. He wrote about Alex Wimmers' first start of the year.ESPN's Jim Bowden (an Insider article) thinks it's possible for the Twins to move Justin Morneau at some point this year.A looks into the most infamous Twins jerseys of all time, the "Dairy Queen" red jerseys.John Sickels likes what Brian Dozier has been able to do so far this year at Rochester.Over at Circle the Bases, they examine the possibility of Scott Baker's career being done with the Twins.The Twins saw Peter Bourjos move around the bases at Target Field in under 15 seconds on Wednesday night.Jim Crikket at Knuckleballs wrote a very good piece on how the Twins need to strive for greatness and not just let it be a tradition for the franchise.Over at Twins Daily, they ask the question, "What kind of fan are you?"Twins relief pitcher Jeff Gray only had one-career win before the last two days and now three pitches later he has two more wins.Twins draft pick Hudson Boyd and three of his high school teammates are trying to make it to the big leagues.Shawn Berg over at Twins Target has been counting down his top prospect and he profiled his sixth best player this week.This picture of the Orioles Robert Andino shows how tough a few years in Baltimore can be for a player.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YlbbPWdbvvU/T4cqwe5CxDI/AAAAAAAABL4/sFfc-Nsh88E/s320/RobertAndinoSmile.jpeg A rare Bryce Harper trading card is listed on eBay for $25,000 and it isn't even autographed by the young star.During the Twins first game of the year a man ran on the field wearing only his underwear and a Batman cap. Now he is banned from Camden Yards for life.Even Babe Ruth's daughter doesn't like the Yankees.Baseball teams are getting a lot more money for the exclusive rights to broadcast their games.Torii Hunter got into a fight with the wall at Target Field... it didn't end well for somebody.My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Rough Opening Weekend has silver liningTuesday: Dozier's hot start is hard to ignoreWednesday: Lost generation of Twins fans brought back in 2002Thursday: Will April showers bring second half flowers?Video of the Week: Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau homered in the same game for the first time since July 2010. The event also took place at Target Field where Mauer came into the game with only one career home run. Morneau's shot was a towering blast deep into the seats. Here is the video evidence of both of those balls leaving the park. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Sabathia_CC_720.jpg The Minnesota Twins have struggled to accumulate starting pitching lately. This stems from a variety of factors. Their drafting strategy, their inability to sign international players and their unwillingness to spend big money on the free agent market are all factors that have gone against this club's ability to acquire big name starters. Here is a look, division by division, at the ace for each pitching staff and the players Minnesota selected ahead of each ace in the draft. At the end of each division there is a summary. For some teams it was hard to select a best pitcher since most of the starters were mediocre.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] CAUTION: This exercise is meant to be a fun. There is obviously a lot that goes into finding a starting pitcher for the top of the rotation. In the past, the Twins have had the opportunity to draft some of the top pitchers in the game. AL East Boston Red Sox Ace: Jon Lester (2002 2nd Round, 57th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Denard Span (20th overall) New York Yankees Ace: CC Sabathia (1998 1st Round, 20th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Ryan Mills (6th overall) Baltimore Orioles Ace: Jason Hammel (2002 10th Round, 284th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Denard Span (20th overall), Jesse Crain (61st overall), Mark Sauls (92nd), Alex Merricks (122nd), Clete Thomas (152nd), Pat Neshek (182nd), Rick Barrett (212th), Adam Lind (242nd), Doug Deeds (272nd) Toronto Blue Jays Ace: R.A. Dickey (1996 1st Round, 18th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Travis Lee (2nd) Tampa Bay Rays Ace: David Price (2007 1st Round, 1st pick) Twins Picks Ahead: none Summary: The Twins even had one of these aces in their system, but Dickey hardly looked like the Cy Young winning player he was in 2012. Skipping over Sabathia for Mills was a tough decision, especially for a club that was trying to rebuild through the early 2000s. A rotation with Sabathia and Santana at the top would have been golden in Minnesota. AL Central Detroit Tigers Ace: Justin Verlander (2004 1st Round, 2nd overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None Kansas City Royals Ace: James Shields (2000 16th Round, 466th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Adam Johnson (2nd), Aaron Heilman (31st), Tagg Bozied (42nd), J.D Durbin (54th), Colby Miller (72nd), Jason Miller (102nd), Edgardo Lebron (132nd), Ronnie Corona (162nd), James Tomlin (192nd), Henry Bonilla (222nd), Ken Holubec (252nd), Kelley Guledge (282nd), Josh Rabe (312th), Jason Kubel (342nd), Shane Boyd (372nd), Cory Agar (402nd), Jeff Lincoln (432nd), Dan DeCola (462nd) Cleveland Indians Ace: Justin Masterson (2006 2nd Round, 71st overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Chris Parmelee (20th), Joe Benson (64th) Chicago White Sox Ace: Chris Sale (2010 1st Round, 13th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None Summary: To be fair, a lot of team's missed out on Shields when he wasn't taken until the 16th round. For the Twins, there are a lot of names on that list from 2000 that are pretty embarrassing. The team did score a late round find with Kubel, but there were no pitching prospects from that draft for the Twins. From the 2006 draft, it would be nice to have Masterson in the Twins rotation. The jury is still out on what Parmelee and Benson can offer for the future but it seems like the Twins missed one there. AL West Texas Rangers Ace: Yu Darvish (International Signing) Twins Picks Ahead: N/A Oakland Athletics Ace: Tommy Milone (2008 10th Round, 301st overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Aaron Hicks (14th), Carlos Gutierrez (27th), Shooter Hunt (31st), Tyler Ladendorf (60th), Bobby Lanigan (92nd), Daniel Ortiz (126th), Nicholas Romero (156th), Brett Hermsen (186th), Daniel Osterbrock (216th), Jeff Lanning (246th), Michael Gonzalez (276th) Seattle Mariners Ace: Felix Hernandez (International Signing) Twins Picks Ahead: N/A Los Angeles Angels Ace: Jered Weaver (2004 1st Round, 12th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None Houston Astros Ace: Lucas Harrell (2004 4th Round, 119th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Trevor Plouffe (20th), Glen Perkins (22nd), Kyle Waldrop (25th), Matt Fox (35th), Jay Rainville (39th), Anthony Swarzak (61st), Eddie Morlan (91st) Summary: The two best aces in this division were international signings so the Twins didn't have a wasted draft pick instead of selecting those two. Milone and Harrell aren't exactly front of the rotation guys so it might be fine that the Twins passed on them. There are obviously some misses on the Twins draft board from both of those years because neither Rainville nor Morlan have had an impact on their big league clubs. NL East Atlanta Braves Ace: Tim Hudson (1997 6th Round, 185th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Michael Cuddyer (9th), Matt LeCroy (50th), Michael Restovich (61st), Greg Withelder (93rd), Bob Davies (123rd), Peter Blake (153rd), Nate Melson (183rd) Washington Nationals Ace: Stephen Strasburg (2009 1st Round, 1st overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None Philadelphia Phillies Ace: Cole Hamels (2002 1st Round, 17th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None New York Mets Ace: Matt Harvey (2010 1st Round, 7th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None Miami Marlins Ace: Jose Fernandez (2011 1st Round, 14th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None Summary: Maybe the best division for the Twins as far as not missing out on starters. Many of the aces in this division are high-ranking draft picks from the years when the Twins were near the top of the AL Central. Hudson was a tough miss for the club. Cuddyer turned himself into a solid major league player but many of the other players from that draft have faded into oblivion. It would have been nice to have Hudson around for the club's rebuilding years. NL Central St. Louis Cardinals Ace: Adam Wainwright (2000 1st Round, 29th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Adam Johnson (2nd overall) Cincinnati Reds Ace: Johnny Cueto (International Signing) Twins Picks Ahead: N/A Pittsburgh Pirates Ace: A.J. Burnett (1995 8th Round, 217th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Mark Redman (13th), Jason Bell (43rd), A.J. Hinch (72nd), Jay Hood (100th), Doug Mientkiewicz (128th), Shane Gunderson (156th), Mike Moriarty (184th), Will Rushing (212th) Milwaukee Brewers Ace: Yovani Gallardo (2004 2nd Round, 46th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Trevor Plouffe (20th), Glen Perkins (22nd), Kyle Waldrop (25th), Matt Fox (35th), Jay Rainville (39th) Chicago Cubs Ace: Jeff Samardzija (2006 5th Round, 149th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Chris Parmelee (20th), Joe Benson (64th), Tyler Robertson (96th), Whitney Robbins (119th), Garret Olson (126th) Summary: The Johnson pick at number two is going to haunt the Twins for decades and it sure would be nice to have Wainwright as the ace of the staff. Gallardo has also turned into a decent pitcher for Milwaukee and it would be nice to throw him into the middle of the Twins rotation. The Twins had five of the first 40 picks in '04 and they didn't get a single starter out of that group. Burnett and Samardzija aren't really front of the rotation guys so it's a little easier to see why the team passed on them. NL West San Francisco Giants Ace: Matt Cain (2002 1st Round, 25th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Denard Span (20th) Colorado Rockies Ace: Jhoulys Chacin (International Signing) Twins Picks Ahead: N/A Arizona Diamondbacks Ace: Ian Kennedy (2006 1st Round, 21st overall) Twins Picks Ahead: Chris Parmelee (20th) Los Angeles Dodgers Ace: Clayton Kershaw (2006 1st Round, 7th overall) Twins Picks Ahead: None San Diego Padres Ace: Edinson Volquez (International Signing) Twins Picks Ahead: N/A Summary: In 2002, the Twins passed on quite a few top starters to take Span. His name has been featured on this list multiple times. This past offseason the Twins turned Span into a potential front of the rotation pitcher in Alex Meyer so maybe his selection turned out to be the right decision. It's hard to look at Cain, though, and not want to see him in a Twins uniform; he has already helped the Giants to two World Series rings. So which ace did the Twins miss out on the most? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

For fans of the Twins minor league system, there were three of the organizations best pitching prospects all on the mound in one night. This is about as exciting as it gets, folks. Rochester starter Alex Meyer had pitched five straight starts of six innings by allowing two earned runs or less. New Britain starter Jose Berrios was making his fourth start at Double-A and he combined to pitch 13 innings of two-run ball in his last two starts. Lewis Thorpe has been showing signs of improvement even though his season numbers might not show it. One of these pitchers would have one of his best starts of the year. At the same time another pitcher would unfortunately be pulled early with an apparent injury. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 1 Box Score For the first time in five starts, Meyer didn't make a quality start but it was still enough to earn his sixth victory of the season. Over five innings, he allowed one run on two hits but he walked a career high five batters. It was his 13th start of allowing one or fewer earned runs this season. Lester Oliveros and Stephen Pryor each pitched two shutout frames to end the game and keep the Red Wings on top. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his first Triple-A home run, a three-run shot, in the fifth inning. It was part of a five run fifth inning when the Red Wings sent 10 men to the plate. Doug Bernier extended his hit streak to nine games with a single in the fifth inning. With the win, the Wings take a 0.5 game lead in the Wild Card over idle Pawtucket. They also guarantee themselves a 4th straight winning month for the first time since 2006. Before the game, LHP Jason Wheeler was transferred to New Britain. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 1, Trenton 4 Box Score Jose Berrios didn't make it far into this game and unfortunately it was due to an injury. The training staff and coaches came out to the mound to look at him and he was pulled after just 1.2 innings. His velocity dropped on his fastball leading up to him being pulled. Sources have said that shoulder tightness is the initial diagnosis. New Britain's pitching staff had to patch together the rest of the game. Jim Fuller and Matthew Summers pitched 4.1 scoreless frames. They combined to strike out seven. Only one Rock Cat player was able to get a hit. Aaron Hicks went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. It was his first triple since being demoted to New Britain. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Clearwater 5 Box Score The Miracle were left without any extra-base hits and the team was a woeful 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Byron Buxton went 0-for-5 and struck out three times. Max Kepler reached base three times and Levi Michael went 2-for-4. Stuart Turner knocked in a couple of runs. The Miracle loaded the bases in the ninth inning but they couldn't plate a run. Steven Gruver was forced to make a spot start for the Miracle. He lasted three innings and was charged for two earned runs. After pitching two scoreless innings, Alex Muren allowed a couple of runs to score in the sixth as Clearwater took the lead for good. It was the fourth loss in the last six games for the Miracle. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Burlington 2 Box Score Lewis Thorpe had his strikeout mojo working for the Kernels. He struck out a season-high 10 batters over 5.2 frames for his second victory. He surrendered two runs on four hits while walking one batter. The bullpen had to do some work after Thorpe left with runners on the corners. Chris Mazza got out of the jam and limited the Bees to one hit. Jake Reed was perfect over the last two innings for his first save. Michael Quesada notched a couple of RBI in the fourth while Bryan Haar and Alex Swim each scored two runs in the game. Haar collected his 18th double of the season and Swim added his sixth two-bagger. Mitch Garver went 2-for-4 and stole his sixth base of the year. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Greeneville 4 Box Score The E-Twins struggled to find their offensive stroke in this one. The team combined to go 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and the team left five on base. Dutch Deol had the only extra-base hit of the game a double that plated two runs. It was his third double of the year. Nick Gordon picked up a single to stretch his hitting streak to three games. Felix Jorge continued his stretch of strong starts since being send from Cedar Rapids to Elizabethton. In this contest, he went six innings and scattered four hits. He struck out four, walked one, and saw his ERA drop to 1.93 over seven starts in the Appalachian League. Keaton Steele was charged with the loss after he gave up two runs, one earned, in the ninth inning GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 6, GCL Rays 7 (7 Innings) Box Score The GCL Twins got within one run in two different innings in the first game of the double header but they weren't able to overcome the five run second inning by the Rays. Josh Burris took the loss after allowing four earned runs in a third of an inning. After the first three pitchers lasted less than an inning, Josh Guyer threw the last 4.1 innings by allowing two runs on three hits. It would turn out to be quite the day for Amaurys Minier. In this game, he slugged a grand slam with two outs in the third to bring the Twins within a run. It was the only extra-base hit for the team. Rainis Silva and Joel Polanco each added two hits and Silva had an RBI. GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 2 (7 Innings) Box Score Two runs in each of the first two innings were enough to put the GCL Twins on top in this one. Amaurys Minier knocked a two-run bomb to get the scoring started in the first inning. It was his fourth home run this season and his second of the day. In the second inning after some wild pitching by the Rays, Ruar Verkerk collected two RBI on a single passed the first baseman. Alex Tapia continued his winning ways tossing six innings and limiting the Rays to two runs on three hits. It was his fourth consecutive victory to start the season and it was his first time pitching at least six frames. Trevor Hildenberger allowed two base runners in the ninth but neither would score and he earned his fifth save. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Amaurys Minier, GCL Twins WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (10:05am CST) – Trevor May (Listen) New Britain @ Trenton (11:05am CST) – TBD (Listen) Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (6:05am CST) – Tim Shibuya (Listen) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Ryan Eades (Listen) Greeneville @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - Derrick Penilla GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD

Download attachment: ByronBuxtonTwins.jpg World came out on Tuesday morning that Byron Buxton had been named by Baseball America as the top prospect in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Last year's first round pick for the Twins didn't spend the entire season in the GCL but it was long enough to make his mark on the league. In 27 games for the GCL Twins, Buxton hit .216/.324/.466 with 11 extra-base hits including four home runs. He spent the rest of the season with the Elizabethton Twins as they made their march to an Appalachian League Championship. It had to be a memorable year for Buxton as he graduated high school, became the second pick in the MLB Draft, and started his professional baseball career. Terry Ryan was asked about Buxton in an interview after Baseball America announced their pick for outstanding prospect in the GCL. He had nothing but glowing remarks for Buxton. One of the quotes included, "He's a great teammate, he cares, he tries to pay attention to detail-- all those things you can't scout." It sounds like the Twins are happy with the make-up of their blooming prospect but what about the rest of his game? "The only thing I was worried about was how much power he had. He's got power. He can hit the ball a long way," Ryan said later in the interview. As an 18-year old, Buxton had five home runs and 10 doubles across both levels he played at with the Twins organization. When Buxton was in the Twin Cities to finalize his deal with the club, he got the opportunity to take batting practice at Target Field. There were reports of him putting at least one or two balls into the bullpen in deep center field so his power seems to be legit. As a teenager, he is tall and lanky so there is room for him to continue to grow into his frame in the coming years. This should only add more power to an already powerful swing. One of the more interesting quotes in the article stated that Buxton is the faster player in the Twins system "by far," and he is faster than the current speedy outfielder for the Twins, Ben Revere. Buxton showed some of his speed in the GCL by stealing four bases in seven chances, which isn't the greatest steal percentage in the world. When he shifted to the Appalachian League, he racked up seven steals and he was never thrown out in any of those opportunities. The art of the steal can be something a player develops in the minor leagues. Fans of the Twins have been spoiled with Revere's speed in the last two seasons and it's fun to imagine Buxton being a faster version of Revere with plenty of more pop in his bat. Cincinnati Reds prospect Billy Hamilton set the minor league stolen base record this season by swiping 155 bases between two different levels. The thoughts of Buxton trying to break this record in the future might not be at the top of the wish list for fans of the Twins. Hamilton is more of a light-hitting middle infielder so he doesn't hit for a lot of power. This gives him the opportunity to steal more bases because he is on first a lot of the time when he gets on base. In his four seasons in the minors, Hamilton has seven home runs and Buxton already has five in his first season. It's nice for Buxton to have the speed but hopefully it will translate into turning doubles into triples over stealing second base. The outfield of the future for the Twins could be a conglomerate of some very talented and speedy defensive players. Ben Revere is still under team control for multiple seasons so he might have to be the player to mentor Buxton into the big leagues. Prospects Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia are going to be knocking on the door to the big leagues in 2013 and there's hope they can stay in the team's long-term plans. An outfield with Revere, Hicks, and Buxton manning all three positions might be one of the best defensive line-ups in the game and their speed on the bases could be exciting to watch. These happy thoughts of top prospects turning into wonderful major league players are still a couple of years away. Until then, we will have to be happy with facing the Yankees and Tigers and impacting the postseason race. Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first two games of the season have been complete and I can honestly say I have yet to watch a single pitch. One of the problems was that both of the contests were not on any major channel and the other issues was the games were being played very early in the morning. I still don't know how I feel about the first two games of the season being played in Japan. It is great to spread the game to international markets but I love when all of the games are being played in the first couple days and there is one game after another on ever ESPN station. With the way it is set up now, the A's and the Mariners have already played two of their games and it seems to take a little something away from the Opening Day that will take place in the US next week. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The great thing is this is the last edition of Friday Links-N-Thinks before the Twins have their own Opening Day contest in Baltimore. In Fort Myers, the roster is starting to come together and the team looks close to being ready to make a push in the AL Central. Justin Morneau started to swing a good bat this week with multiple home runs. Joe Mauer has been hitting well for most of the spring and he seems ready to get back to his injury-free self. Francisco Liriano has put together some impressive outings and he could be poised to make a splash in the rotation for the Twins. Overall, it is the most wonderful time of the year as the wait for the beginning of the 2012 season is almost over. Here are a variety of stories from the last week that I enjoyed with a little humor splashed in for some fun. Enjoy the links and have a fantastic last weekend without Twins baseball. For those lucky enough to score ticket to the Twins home opener, the schedule of events for the day was released by the club. The 2002 Twins team will be honored and who doesn't want to see Denny Hocking throw out a first pitch.Betsy over at For Love of the Game continued her series of posts relating the Twins roster decisions to the popular Hunger Games novels. Not everyone will survive until the end but may the odds be ever in your favor.It is getting closer to the time for Twins fan Lindsay Guentzel to head to the MLB Fan Cave for the start of the regular season. Over at Knuckleballs Blog they posted a video update of her progress.The new website Twins Daily has been doing very well in their first five week of existence.David Bromberg and Anthony Slama look to bounce back after each had a rough 2011. Seth Stohs thinks both could work their way back on the big league roster in 2012.The ESPN Sweetspot blog has done multiple predictions for the AL this week and the Twins got a couple nods in some categories. The Cy Young votes are here and the Rookie of the Year vote could surprise you.Do you have the desire to see every uniform change that will be taking place across baseball this year? I am excited for the Twins to wear their Minneapolis Millers uniforms.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vboqEjHrzFs/T3Ur7cOcuFI/AAAAAAAABJ4/WnO59krIv78/s320/WillieMaysMinneapolisMillers.jpg Former Twin R.A. Dickey has made quite the name for himself in the Big Apple and this piece does a good job of showing who he is as a man.Carl Pavano is in the middle of a very weird extortion plot. Some people will do anything for a navy Range Rover with tan leather.Twins Fan from Afar is fine with the news that that Justin Morneau will be DHing.I read this headline and thought the old Ruben Sierra was still attempting to play with an MLB club.There was quite the Twitter war earlier this week between the local media and the rest of us so called "bloggers." John Bonnes wrote some of his thoughts on the controversy.Do you ever go to eBay and try and find cheap Twins stuff to purchase?Minor League Ball has been running a series of posts on the top players who are under 25 years old. John Sickels reminds Twins fans why we miss Wilson Ramos.Page 2 at ESPN.com did an interview with Chris Iles, the corporate communications manager for the Twins, to discuss their use of social media during games.Don Mattingly called Ozzie Guillen a bad name.It looked like Cristian Guzman could be back in the AL Central at some point during the upcoming season. The Indians released him but maybe now he can show up and throw out a first pitch with Denny Hocking.My Weekly Rundown Monday: Revere becomes outfield's odd man outTuesday: Could Capps perform better than Nathan in '12?Wednesday: Gibson could be the 2013 Opening Day starterThursday: Replacements could fill back end of the rotationVideo of the Week: In the time Jim Thome spent in Minnesota, he was never asked to step on the field as a fielder and there was no reason for him to do this with the AL having the DH. Time have changed for Mr. Thome as he signed a free agent contract with the Phillies in the offseason. Now he is going to be forced to play at first base from time to time in order to get himself into the line-up. Here is the video proof that he can still make a tough play at first base. It wasn't the most graceful thing in the world but he got the job done. Click here to view the article

As part of the Twins Daily preseason preview, I took an in-depth look at Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe as they headed into the 2013 season. Going into the season, both former first round draft picks figured to get extended playing time. The hope for Twins fans was for each of these players to show some of the potential he had shown while playing at the Triple-A level. Download attachment: Plouffe_Parmelee_Passing_US_720.jpg Plouffe showed some impressive power in 2012 with 24 home runs and 19 doubles. He had a career high .756 OPS and it looked like the Twins might have found someone to be an offensive threat in the second half of the line-up. At the beginning of 2012, there was talk of him moving into the outfield but he found a new home at third base. There was hope of improvement from Plouffe as the team headed to Florida for spring training. Minnesota wanted to bring in some competition for Plouffe at third base during spring training but this never happened. Plouffe was penciled in as the starting third baseman and he started 118 games there. Over the course of the season, his batting average rose to the point where he hit .330/.369/.417 in September. He posted a positive defensive WAR for the first time in his career but his other defensive numbers were lacking. It's hard to know what role Plouffe will have going forward. Stud prospect Miguel Sano will enter spring training with a chance to take over the starting third base job. This could mean Plouffe spending more time in the outfield or keeping Sano's spot warm while he gets some seasoning at Triple-A. Injuries impacted different parts of his 2013 season but Plouffe is surely going to feel the heat from Sano entering 2014. For Parmelee, there were high expectations after his strong September call-up in 2011. Justin Morneau was a giant question mark at first base and the Twins fan base thought Parmelee could take over the role of starting first baseman. In 2012, he received sporadic big league playing time and this might have been the main reason for his struggles. Minnesota was going to find more at-bats for him in 2013 and this meant a move to the outfield. The power Parmelee showed in Triple-A and in his September call-up has continued to be absent. His OPS dropped this season and he had the same OPS+ as in 2012. Left-handed pitchers owned Parmelee by holding him to .172/.250/.276 in 58 at-bats. Even his time at Triple-A was unimpressive (.231/.318/.370) following a year where he was a force in the minor leagues. If the Twins are going to have to find playing time for Joe Mauer at a position besides catcher, it will likely be first base. This takes at-bats away from Parmelee and the outfield might start to fill-up with more viable options. Josh Willingham, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, and Ryan Doumit all need playing time and this could leave Parmelee without regular at-bats. It's looking more and more like Parmelee will be the odd man out. The Twins need their first round draft picks to make it at the big league level. As I said in the article from the beginning of the year, "It takes a lot to become a regular on a major league ball club." The hope was for Parmelee and Plouffe to be part of the long-term solution in Minnesota. At this point, that is starting to look more like a dream than a reality. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: MinnesotaTwinsAmerica.jpg It's Election Day across our great country and this means people should be getting out and casting their votes. Be informed about the choices you are making and help to decide the future of our country. One of the best parts about today is there won't be any more political ads on TV or the radio. Thank the heavens. If you are reading this post, it doesn't matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat because you are most likely a fan of the Twins. Going to watch a baseball game and going to the polls to vote are two of the most American things someone can do. Only one of those All-American tasks can be accomplished today but that doesn't mean there aren't other decisions the Twins are weighing this offseason.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Every front office has to look at their roster as a ballot and put their confidence behind a group of players. Luckily, most of the terms won't be for four years or more but some decisions still need to be made. Here are some of the areas the front office will be making decisions on before the start of next year. There are some easy votes and some tough votes but all of these decisions will impact the Twins future. 2013 Minnesota Twins Ballot Catcher: The incumbent is leading in the polls but could another candidate sneak in and steal this election. Mauer had a bounce back year but Doumit had one of the best seasons of his career. Butera has been around the team for multiple seasons but he doesn't have much of a shot as a third party candidate. Joe Mauer: The IncumbentRyan Doumit: The ChallengerDrew Butera: The Third Party Candidate_________________________ Write-In Candidate First baseman: Morneau showed he was over most of his concussion problems during the last campaign. He is aging and some other candidates could sneak in and take this spot. Parmelee deserves a chance to start and first base might be his best spot. There is a chance for Morneau to get elected to start for another team in the form of a trade. Justin Morneau: The IncumbentChris Parmelee: The ChallengerJoe Mauer: The Other Challenger_________________________ Write-In Candidate Second baseman: The middle infield could be a wide open race to the finish. Alexi Casilla removed himself from contention when the Orioles claimed him in the last week. This still leaves multiple players and no clear leader as of Election Day. Jamey CarrollBrian DozierEduardo Escobar_________________________ Write-In Candidate Third baseman: For the fans, Plouffe might be the clear choice for this spot. The front office contends that they will bring in challengers to push Plouffe. Carroll showed his ability to handle multiple infield positions last year and he could get elected to start at third base. Fans have talked about Mauer making a move to this position and it could happen in this election. Trevor Plouffe: The IncumbentJamey CarrollJoe Mauer_________________________ Write-In Candidate Shortstop: Much like the election at second base, there are plenty of candidates for this role but the polls continue to be tight. Dozier didn't do too well on the campaign trail in the last year. Florimon showed some great skills on the defensive side of the ball. Will this be enough to give him the election? Pedro FlorimonBrian DozierJamey Carroll_________________________ Write-In Candidate Outfield: For this office, there must be THREE names voted for in order for your ballot to be counted. There seem to be plenty of options in the outfield for the Twins and not all of these players might make it to Opening Day. Who are the best candidates to lead the team into the future? Denard SpanJosh WillinghamBen RevereChris ParmeleeRyan DoumitAaron HicksOswaldo Arcia_________________________ Write-In Candidate _________________________ Write-In Candidate Designated Hitter: With so many tight battles in the other elections, the DH battle might be open for another candidate to sneak into the line-up. Ryan DoumitJustin MorneauJoe MauerJosh WillinghamChris Parmelee_________________________ Write-In Candidate So what would your ballot look like in this election? Who did you elect to start for the Twins in 2013? Leave a COMMENT and tell the world how you voted today (well at least for this election). Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Nick+Punto+Los+Angeles+Dodgers.jpg Word came out on Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking to deal away Nick Punto. Shortly after this happened, the Twitter universe exploded across Twins Territory with thoughts of the former infielder returning to Minnesota. The Twins might need to add some depth at their middle infield positions and there has been plenty of talk about the club bringing in someone to push Trevor Plouffe for the starting job at third base. Punto could be the man to do both of these jobs. Since he left the Twins following the 2010 campaign, he has made stops in St. Louis, Boston, and Los Angeles. He won the World Series with the Cardinals back in 2011 and he was part of the blockbuster trade last season between the Red Sox and the Dodgers. It seems that the Dodgers and their bloated payroll are trying to dump the scrappy infielder and the Twins could be a possible trade partner. What could Punto add to the middle infield? Currently, the Twins have a quartet of players vying for the starting middle infield jobs in 2012. Pedro Florimon, Jamey Carroll, Brian Dozier, and Eduardo Escobar are in the mix at second base and shortstop. None of these names really stands out as a front-runner and Punto's history with the club could give him the leg up in the competition. He has experience at basically every infield position and this could make him a more intriguing utility man than Escobar. The thought of having Punto and Carroll at the top of the Twins line-up might be hard to swallow for some Twins fans but both of these players would be free agents after 2013. Punto is only due $1.5 million next season and the Twins have given him a lot more money than that to be mediocre for the club. Is Punto the man to push Plouffe at third? Terry Ryan has talked all offseason about bringing in someone to challenge Trevor Plouffe for the starting job at third base. One of the most rumored names on the free agent market had been Jack Hannahan, a native of St. Paul. Unfortunately for the Twins, Hannahan just finalized a two-year deal for $2 million with the Reds. This took one name off of the Twins' list and it could mean that the team has more interest in Punto. Punto played the most games of his career at third base for the Twins back in 2007. Last year, he made 31 appearances at third for the Red Sox and the Dodgers. His ability to make some spectacular defensive plays was one of his calling cards during his time with Minnesota. At age 35, it's easy to imagine that Punto might have lost a step or two. This could take away from some of his value as a defender. What if Punto is on the decline? In recent years, Punto has struggled to stay healthy and on the playing field. He has averaged 79 games played since 2010. That followed a stretch of five seasons where he averaged over 124 games played. There can be plenty of bumps and bruises that will stick with a player longer in his 30s than in his 20s. All of those things seem to be adding up for Punto to make him a frequent visitor to the disabled list. Going into last season, Punto was a career .249/.325/.327 hitter but those numbers took a dive in 2012. He ended the season hitting .219/.321/.281 with only eight extra-base hits to his name. Those were his lowest totals since 2003 when he played in 64 games for the Phillies. Obviously there is some decline with players as they age but it might be too late for Punto to have a resurgent year. The Twins have plenty of Punto-type players on the roster so it might be a fools errand to bring him back for a return trip with the Twins. That being said, Ron Gardenhire loved him some Nicky Punto when he was here. If Gardenhire is in his last season as Twins manager, maybe the club will wrap him up a Punto present for the holidays. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: diamond.jpg Something isn't right with Scott Diamond. The man who was supposed to be a calming force in the Twins starting rotation has become a punching bag for opponents. He hasn't won a game since June 20th when he gave up four runs in a little over five innings. A sophomore slump has hit Diamond hard and it's tough to know what the Twins can do about it. Since June 9th, Diamond has struggled mightily on mound.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] In his eight starts since, he has failed to make it into the fifth inning in four of them, including the last three. He's given up 30 earned runs in 40 innings for a robust 6.75 ERA. Overall, opponents are hitting .312/.369/.547 against him and he has given up more than a home run per game in his last eight starts. These numbers are tough to look at but it was easy to predict there would be some struggles. There were signs of something wrong at the end of last season. Diamond was terrific in the first half, posting a 7-3 record with a 2.62 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. There was some talk of Diamond making the All-Star team because of his strong pitching performance. The second half didn't go so smoothly. His record dropped to 5-6 and his ERA expanded to 4.31 while his WHIP went up to 1.30. The end of his rookie season couldn't arrive fast enough. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com One interesting statistic to look at for Diamond is his batting average on balls in play (BABIP). If you aren't familiar with this statistic, here is a brief introduction lesson. BABIP tells us how many hits a pitcher is giving up when the ball is put in play. In this case, "put in play" means the ball stays fair and in the ballpark, rather than the play resulting in a walk, home run, hit by pitch or error. Last season, opponents had a .292 BABIP versus Diamond. This ranked twentieth best in the American League. So far this season, Diamond's BABIP has risen to .319, the 43rd best mark in the AL. The only qualified AL pitchers with a worse BABIP are Bud Norris, Corey Kluber, Justin Verlander, and Joe Blanton. Most fans might think it's good for a pitcher to be on the same leaderboard as Verlander but that's not the case here, as more of the balls hit off Diamond are falling for hits. Another area where Diamond has struggled has been his ability to limit damage when runners get on base. In 2012, Diamond was able to leave runners on base at a 73.3% mark. This ranked him 16th among AL starting pitchers and ahead of players like CC Sabathia, Yu Darvish, and Matt Moore. So far in 2013, Diamond has the third-worst LOB% in the AL at 67.4. The only pitchers with a worse mark are Jerome Williams and Rick Porcello. Let's take a closer look at the last two starts from Diamond and try to find where some of his struggles may have originated. Take a look at the strike zone plot map from Diamond's start on Sunday versus Cleveland. As you can see, there are a lot of pitches in the zone and a lot of balls left up. This looks a lot different compared to his previous start in New York. Against the Yankees, Diamond seemed to have a different game plan or he was continuing to struggle with his control. Most of his pitches were well out of the zone and it's hard to believe he got anyone out with this kind of control. He might have been trying to avoid batters hitting it into the short porch at Yankee Stadium but this might also show why he was able to last only 3.1 innings. The Twins need to do something with Diamond. A trip to Rochester might be in order to get his head and his control back where they need to be. Fellow Canadian left-hander Andrew Albers also started on Sunday for the Rochester Red Wings. It makes sense to flip-flop these two men for their next few starts. Albers has a 10-4 record on the season and a 2.97 ERA. Diamond needs to get fixed and this may be the right time for him to be demoted. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: TovarCesar.jpg Yesterday's date is one of those weird dates that only come along once in a lifetime: 12-12-12. Last year on 11-11-11, I counted down the top 11 players to ever wear the number 11 for the Twins. This was fun because it looked at players from every decade of Twins baseball. It covered guys like Chuck Knoblach, Jacque Jones, and Ben Revere. I even named Tom Nieto as the worst player to wear number 11 for the Twins. Below you will find the rankings of the top Twins players to wear number 12. These rankings are strictly based on their time with the number 12 on their backs in a Minnesota uniform.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] 12. Lenny Faedo (wore #12 from 1982-84) WAR 0, .256/.291/.321, 5 HR , 46 RBI Faedo was a part time player for the Twins in the early 1980s as he played most of his time at shortstop for the club. There were some struggles on the defensive side of the ball and he never really hit well enough to stick at an important up the middle infield position. He would play his last game with the Twins in 1984 and he never made it back to the big leagues. 11. Adam Everett (wore #12 in 2008) WAR 0.1, 213/.278/.323, 2 HR, 20 RBI The Twins wanted a veteran presence in their middle infield for the start of the 2008 season. Unfortunately, Everett would struggle during his time in Minnesota and injuries figured into some of this equation. He only made appearances in 48 games for the club but he got a nice tour of the minor leagues during all of his rehab time. 10. Chip Hale (wore #12 in 1996) WAR 0.1, .276/.347/.368, 1 HR, 16 RBI Fans of the Twins will remember Hale as a scrappy infielder on Minnesota club's of the mid-1990s. Over his six seasons for Minnesota, he only wore the number 12 during 1996. Hale would play in the most games of his career that season, 85, but it would be his last for the Twins. The 31-year old had never put it all together for the club and he would play only one more year at the big league level. 9. Tom Prince (wore #12 from 2001-03) WAR 1.4, .219/.300/.374, 13 HR, 44 RBI Prince didn't join the Twins until near the end of his career but he had some of his best seasons while wearing the #12 for Minnesota. He was dangerously close to Drew Butera's range in batting average but he had a little bit more pop in his bat. He could also draw a walk or two and that helped him to get on base. He played most of his last professional season with the Twins before finishing up his career in Kansas City. 8. Jason Tyner (wore #12 from 2006-07) WAR 1.6, .297/.337/.354, 1 HR, 40 RBI During his time in Minnesota, Tyner was most known for his inability to hit a home run. He did hit one ball over the fence while wearing #12 and it would be the only home run of his career. At age 30, he played in over 110 games for the first time but he would only play in one more game at the MLB level. The Twins used him at every outfield position and even at DH, which is kind of laughable considering his inability to hit for power. 7. Todd Walker (wore #12 from 1997-00) WAR 2.0, .290/.349/.425, 21 HR, 124 RBI The Twins took Walker with the number eight pick in the first round of the 1994 draft but he wasn't ever able to live up to expectations. He hit for average and showed the ability to get on base but his power stroke never developed. He had shown some power in the minor leagues so it was disappointing to never see him shine for Minnesota. The Twins would part with him during the 2000 season for Todd Sears, a man that would play a little over 30 games for the club. 6. Bernie Allen (wore #12 from 1962-63) WAR 2.0, .257/.323/.383, 8 HR, 21 RBI Allen's rookie season would come in a #12 jersey and it would be his best season as a professional. He finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year after hitting .269 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. These were strong numbers for a second baseman but he never was able to reach those numbers again. The Twins gave him multiple opportunities before he left the organization in 1965. He still added some value to the club as it was trying to make its mark in Minnesota. 5. Mark Salas (wore #12 from 1985-87) WAR 2.4, .279/.320/.440, 20 HR, 83 RBI Salas might be more remembered for the trade he was part of than his time actually wearing a Twins uniform. In the midst of the team's run for their first championship, the club traded Salas to the Yankees for the services of Joe Niekro. This added a little more pitching depth to the team heading for greatness. Before the trade, Salas had been used behind the plate for multiple seasons. He finished eighth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1985 but he would never catch more than 100 games after that season. 4. Alexi Casilla (wore #12 from 2010-12) WAR 4.2, .256/.309/.355, 4 HR, 71 RBI One of the more recent names on the list, Casilla just finished wearing #12 for the Twins this past year. Minnesota gave him plenty of opportunities to earn a starting job with the club but he was never able to hold the spot. Inconsistencies at the plate and injuries kept Casilla from reaching his full potential but maybe he was never destined to be more than a back-up middle infielder. His career will continue in Baltimore and the Twins will move in a different direction. 3. Eric Soderholm (wore #12 from 1973-76) WAR 8.3, .283/.363/.405, 22 HR, 118 RBI Soderholm was taken by the Twins with the first pick of the first round of the January Secondary Draft in 1968. He wouldn't waste much time in the minor leagues as he made his debut for the club in 1971 at 22-years old. He struggled hitting for average in his first couple tastes of the big leagues but he was able to perform decently when given a regular job in 1974-75. 2. Brian Harper (wore #12 from 1988-93) WAR 12.2, .306/.342/.431, 48 HR, 346 RBI After winning the World Series in 1987, the Twins brought in Harper to help solidify their catching position. He would play backstop on the team through 1993 and he helped the club to their second World Series title in 1991. He was one of the best catchers in the American League from 1989-93 and some would say that he ranks at the top of the list. His average was above .300 in every full season for the Twins except 1990. Harper ranks as one of the top three catchers in the history of the club. 1. Cesar Tovar (wore #12 from 1965-72) WAR 24.0, .281/.337/.377, 38 HR, 319 RBI The easy winner in this contest of the best players to wear #12 for the Twins is Cesar Tovar. He played for the club in the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. His ability to play all over the field came in handy for these clubs and he was able to put together some great offensive numbers along the way. The speedy player was a fixture at the top of the line-up for a generation of Twins fans. His short stature and enthusiastic attitude made him easy for fans to like. Tovar might be best remembered as being one of a handful of players to play all nine positions in a big league game. BONUS: The Worst Player to Wear #12 Michael Ryan (wore #12 from 2004-05) WAR -1.2, .234/.282/.314, 2 HR, 20 RBI And still Gardy would keep playing him... Click here to view the article

Download attachment: espnhs_byron_buxton_576x324.jpg Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are less than two months left until the MLB Draft and this means clubs are starting to get a picture of who the top prospects are going to be when it comes to selection time. Many of the top baseball writing sites have started to put together their initial lists of who are the best players available in the June draft. Baseball America thinks there are five major players for the top pick. Keith Law of ESPN has a similar ranking with high school outfielder Byron Buxton named as the top player on his mid-season list:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: 2012MLBDraftList.jpg The Twins will be selecting second in the draft and this puts a lot of pressure on the club to pick up a player that can be an impact arm or bat for years to come. This leaves the team in an interesting predicament when it comes to the second player to come off of the board. Should the team pick the best available player? Or since there are no clear-cut favorites for the top spots, should the team pick the best available player at a position of need for the organization? As I documented during this offseason, the Twins have a variety of options at their disposal with the second pick. Currently in the Twins farm system, there is a surplus of high quality outfielders and this could allow the team to focus on some other needs in the draft. During last year's first round, the Twins selected middle infielder Levi Michael with the 30th pick of the draft. The team also moved one of their top prospects, Eddie Rosario, from the outfield to second base. Does this mean the team is set in the middle infield? Both of these players are multiple years away from appearing at Target Field so it is hard to say they will be the cornerstones of the infield for foreseeable future. At the same time, pitching is a vital part of the game and finding top of the rotation starters can be hard to do. Free agent starting pitching is extremely costly so the best way to save money is to find arms in the draft. The Twins could be losing four out of the five members in their starting rotation at the end of the year. Former first round picks Alex Wimmers and Kyle Gibson might be ready to join the rotation at some point next year but both of those players are far from guaranteed to make it the big leagues in 2013. By adding a college arm like Kyle Zimmer or Mark Appel that could move through the system quickly, the organization might be benefited the most in the short term. With all of that being said, what happens if the Astros don't take Byron Buxton with the first pick in the draft? The young outfielder is being compared to players like the BJ Upton and Justin Upton who were top prospects coming out of high school. In the past the Twins have seemed to have a tendency to select highly athletic outfielders with some of their early round picks. Denard Span, Ben Revere, Joe Benson, and Aaron Hicks were all high school players with enough athletic ability that the club felt good about selecting them in the first or second round. Buxton would certainly fit into this athletic outfielder mold and the Twins could jump at the chance to pick him if he falls to their spot in the draft. If the draft were to play out as shown in the graph above, the Twins would be selecting the top college position player in the draft, Mike Zunino. The stud catcher from the University of Flordia was recently named as Baseball America's Midseason Most Outstanding Player for the collegiate level. He is the best player on the best team in the country and he continues to get better as the season goes on. As a junior he has hit .346/.408/.684 with 10 home runs and 15 RBI. At the same time he is an outstanding catcher behind the plate who can control the base paths and be in command of the pitching staff. The Twins have already seen Mauer move away from some of his catching duties this season and it would make sense to pick the player to replace him in this year's draft. There is still a little less than half of the season for players to separate themselves for the MLB Draft. The picture for the top players available has started to come into focus with Buxton and Zunino being near the top of the list. There will be plenty of options for the Twins when it comes to the selection in the second spot of the draft. But with no clear-cut favorites for the top spots in the draft, there are going to be some people who are unhappy with the team's selection. The Twins could take an athletic high school outfielder, the top college bat, or an experienced college pitcher. Now there are only a few weeks until June 4th for these players to stand out above the crowd. Click here to view the article

Minnesota is widely considered to have one of the game's best farm systems. It helps to have two of the best prospects in all baseball, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. The Twins have also done well to acquire some top notch pitching talent over the last couple years in the persons of Alex Meyer, Kohl Stewart and Lewis Thorpe. Download attachment: Sano_Miguel_Landscape.jpg MLB.com will be unveiling their list of the top 100 prospects in baseball on Thursday, which should include a number of players from the Twins organization. Buxton and Sano are likely to finish in the top five and both could be featured in the top three when the final rankings are released. As part of MLB's lead-up to their top 100 prospects, they have spent parts of the last week reviewing each position and the top 10 prospects in in each of those spots on the field. Some of Minnesota's best prospects have been featured prominently on those top 10 lists. Miguel Sano, 3B (#1 Ranking): For the second consecutive year, Sano ranks as the best prospective third baseman in the minor leagues. His power and young age separate him from the others on the list. Last year's number two overall pick, Kris Bryant of the Cubs, finished second on the list after his tremendous debut. There are holes in the swing of Sano but his power showed up at multiple levels last season. His arm is also one of his best strengths and that's why the Twins have committed to keeping him at third base... for now. Byron Buxton, OF (#1 Ranking): Buxton's pro debut catapulted him to the top of the list of the best outfielders. There is also a good chance that he will be ranked the number one overall prospect in baseball when that list is released later this week. He is truly the definition of the five tool player by combining power, speed, and defense to show why he was considered the best talent in the 2012 MLB Draft. The only question remaining for 2014 is how fast can he get to Target Field? Eddie Rosario, 2B (#8 Ranking): To start the 2014 season, Rosario will be forced to serve a 50-game suspension for his second violation of the minor league drug policy. This is a shame because he seemed to be on track to make his MLB debut at some point in the 2014 season. Even with the suspension, MLB ranked Rosario as the eighth best second base prospect in the game. He has only recently shifted to second base so his defense continues to develop at his new position. If you'd like to learn more about these prospects and some of the other members of the Twins farm system, make sure to order a copy of the latest edition of the Twins Minor League Handbook. This 188-page book features profiles and scouting reports on some of the game's best up-and-coming players. Also, there are a ton of stories and special features throughout the book. It's a great deal and it makes a great gift for the Twins fan in your life. Click here to view the article

There was a ton of exciting action in the Twins farm system on Wednesday. Matt Summers took his Florida State League leading ERA to the mound for the Miracle. The Kernels were set to face off against former Twins pitcher Scott Baker as he works his way back from injury. New Britain found themselves in a back and forth contest that went well into the Eastern League night. Let's check out what happened down on the pond. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 5, Buffalo Bisons 2 Box Score Download attachment: Diamond_Scott_Pitching_US_Orig.jpg Scott Diamond made his fifth start since being demoted to Rochester. In those five starts, he has pitched at least six innings in four of them. On Wednesday, he scattered seven hits and gave up two runs that both came via solo home runs. He struck out five and didn't walk a man over six innings for his second straight quality start. Shairon Martis was asked to get the last seven outs of the game for his 11th save. He didn't allow a hit and only one runner reached base. The top four hitters in the Red Wings lineup all combined for multiple hit nights. Antoan Richardson and James Beresford both went 3-for-5 out of the first two spots in the order. Eduardo Escobar and Chris Parmelee followed these two with 2-for-5 performances. Both of Parmelee's hits were doubles and Beresford and Escobar had doubles of their own. After losing six games in a row, the Red Wings have won back-to-back contests. Darin Mastroianni extended his hit streak to 10 games. He's hitting .330 over his streak after going 0-for-14 during his rehab games with the team. New Britain Rock Cats 8 , Trenton Thunder 9 (12 Innings) Box Score In a game that felt like it might never end, Nate Hanson pushed home a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning as the Rock Cats took their second lead in extra innings. The Thunder couldn't be silenced as the team slapped back-to-back two out singles in the bottom of the 12th to put runners on. Matt Hauser still only needed one out but the next batter cracked a single to left fielder Daniel Ortiz. A throwing error by Ortiz ended the game and the Rock Cats were tough luck losers. Eddie Rosario had three hits and two RBI. Twins top prospect Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 but recorded three walks. Reynaldo Rodriguez had two hits and they were both doubles to bring his season total to 33 two-baggers. New Britain was 4-for-20 with runners in scorning position so there were plenty of missed opportunities. Fort Myers Miracle 7, Palm Beach Cardinals 1 Box Score The Miracle exploded for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the team avoided a sweep at the hands of the Cardinals. Byron Buxton continued to be Byron Buxton going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and his 22nd stolen base at this level. He is up to 54 steals for the season. Matt Koch drove in two runs and added his seventh home run. Stephen Wickens and Kennys Vargas also got into the offensive act with each player knocking a double. Matthew Summers was on the hill to start the game and he lasted through the sixth inning. During his time on the mound, he allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was his sixth victory of the year and he lowered his ERA to 2.47. The Florida State League can be considered a pitcher friendly league and Summers is leading the league in ERA. In a rather dubious honor, Jhon Goncalves played in his 299th game for the Miracle, a new team record. The previous record of 298 games had been held by Nick Romero. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Kane County Cougars 9 Box Score Kane County is in the midst of a rough season and the team might have taken out some of their frustration on the Kernels. The Cougars pounced on Kernels starter Jose Berrios for five runs over five innings including two home runs. He walked three and struck out four while failing to pitch past the fifth inning for the second consecutive start. In an interesting twist of fate, former Twins pitcher Scott Baker earned his first victory of the season after being beat around in his first four starts at this level. He pitched five shutout innings and held the Kernels to a single hit. His ERA was close to 10.00 before the game and dropped to 7.13 with this performance. Elizabethton Twins 5, Pulaski Mariners 1 Box Score The E-Twins didn't manage a single extra-base hit but they were still able to come out victorious versus the Mariners. Zach Granite did a great job out of the lead-off spot by scoring two runs and stealing his 14th base of the season. Mitch Garver went 1-for-4 on the night with two RBI. Logan Wade was the number nine hitter and he was the lone Twins player to collect more than one hit. Kuo Hua Lo did his best to keep Elizabethton in the game. He limited the Mariners to one run on three hits by striking out five and never walking a batter. Ethan Mildren did a fine job in relief as he pitched two shutout frames and struck out three. Luke Bard closed the door with a perfect ninth inning. GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 8 Box Score Three multi-run innings from the GCL Orioles were enough to win a blowout against the GCL Twins. The Orioles pounded out 14 hits and scored eight runs including five runs in the last two innings against the bullpen for the Twins. Leonel Zazueta and Reyson Zoquiel were knocked around in the late innings. Sam Gibbons was charged with his third loss of the year after throwing three frames and giving up three runs on six hits. Chad Christensen provided most of the offensive punch with a 2-for-4 effort. This included his third home run of the season. Jason Kanzler cracked a double in four trips to the plate but he was left stranded on the bases. Joel Polanco and Ivory Thomas each had a hit. 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While the Twins have been busy playing decent baseball in the last week, fans have gotten to the point where they are just shrugging their shoulders and saying, "That's nice." The team swept the Indians over the weekend but they have put up some clunkers against the Royals in front of the small crowds gathering at Target Field. Last night's walk-off win felt good but we will see what the rest of the season brings With the White Sox coming to town this weekend, there is a chance for the Twins to play spoiler to the first place club in the AL Central. This means there are still reasons to watch and Francisco Liriano might make another start against his old team on Friday so that should be entertaining.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The play by the Twins in the last couple of weeks has pushed them up near Cleveland with a chance for the club to see third place in the Central. Poor play by the Twins in August made it look like the club could still get the second pick in next year's draft. Their recent play has been slightly better so the club sits behind the Astros, Cubs, and Rockies in the draft order for next June. It also seems like the Twins will avoid 100 losses, which is always a good thing. The team would need to be pretty terrible over the course of the rest of the season to not reach last year's mark of 64 wins and 99 losses. One of the biggest pieces of news from the last week was the release of the 2013 schedule. For the first time since the team opened Target Field, they will get to open the season at home. Unfortunately, the game comes on April 1st so it might be a little chilly for the home opener. There is interleague play throughout the entire season now and the Twins will face the Mets, Phillies, Marlins, and Brewers at home as part of their schedule with the National League. There is still plenty of great baseball and Twins related content being produced across the World Wide Web. Here's this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." This career retrospective on Brad Radke is a must read for Twins fans.When the Twins returned to the field after 9/11, hope was restored because of baseball.A baseball from the World Trade Center is now in Cooperstown.Many fans have given up watching the Twins but there are still reasons to watch.Joe Mauer has missed some time with back issues, so should fans fret about the situation?While Mauer has been having a good season, some Minnesota fans need to reevaluate the situation.It might be time for the Twins to part ways with Denard Span.Here's a quick recap of the Twins delegates for the Arizona Fall League.The roster of Twins participating in the Florida Instructional League was also released earlier this week.Justin Morneau has been hot in recent weeks and his fastball improvements have helped him return to form.Every wondered what would happen if you got hit in the face by a Morneau walk-off home run?The Twins have outfield depth but can you every have too much of a good thing?Ben Revere has been a little bit of a slump and the team's performance might reflect that outcome.Twins Daily announced their minor league awards for relief pitcher of the year, starting pitcher of the year, and hitter of the year.Can you name these two Twins that played together in high school?Check out these great shots from throughout the season with the Beloit Snappers.Former Twins closer Joe Nathan lost a bet to a teammate and was forced to dress up like Tony Romo before a game. Download attachment: nathanromo1.jpg The Orioles might be getting Jim Thome back in their line-up at just the right time.Teams looking for hope might be able to have the Orioles as their example.Is the new wild card format working?It has been quite the week for Francisco Liriano as he was removed from the rotation and put back in the rotation a few days later.A radio host fell asleep while reading a highlight from a Yankees game. Yes, the Yanks are that boring.This collection of scouting reports was created by fans for other fans. Check out some of the Twins observations.No one watched the Astros on Sunday thus proving football is king in Texas.The St. Paul Saints are getting a new ballpark in downtown St. Paul. My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Cole De Vries making most of late-season audition Tuesday: 2012 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year Wednesday: 2012 Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year Thursday: 2012 Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year Video of the Week: While researching for the minor league awards I handed out during the week, I stumbled across this video of top prospect Aaron Hicks setting the franchise record for triples with New Britain. It was a pretty cool moment and the announcers get excited about the play. On the night, it was his second triple and it capped a very good season for the outfielder at Double-A. Click here to view the article