Steve Lein

Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Twins are streaking! While the big league club was finishing a sweep on Sunday afternoon, all four affiliates were in action in the minors. While two of the lineups were only able to manage two and four hits respectively in losses, another exploded for twelve hits in a blowout victory that supported a dominating effort from their starting pitcher. Twins affiliates went 2-2 on the day.To find out who did what in Sunday’s games in the minors, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 3 Box Score Rochester’s game on Sunday was a pitcher’s duel throughout the first six innings. On the hill for the Red Wings was lefty Logan Darnell, and in those first six innings he was fantastic, allowing just three singles in the game until a two-out triple gave the Iron Pigs their first scoring chance in the sixth. Darnell escaped the inning with the game still tied 0-0 but would run into further trouble in the seventh. With two outs and a man on, Darnell served up a home-run ball to put the Red Wings down 2-0 on the scoreboard and put an end to his night. David Martinez came on for the final out of the frame and remained in for the eighth inning, where he gave up a run of his own after a leadoff double, error and wild pitch put the insurance across the plate. There was little to no offense in this game as Rochester sent more than three hitters up to the plate in a single inning in only their first and last opportunities. Lehigh Valley starter Zach Eflin allowed just two hits in eight innings, while striking out five. As a team, Rochester was just 0-3 with runners in scoring position, and left only two men on base for the game. James Beresford and Jorge Polanco each collected a single. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mississippi 3 Box Score The Lookouts took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after lead off man Zach Granite ended up on third after a fielding error from the right fielder. Mitch Garver brought him home with a sacrifice fly. The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning, as Chattanooga starter Jason Wheeler was in control of the game until that point. He went one-two-three in each of the first, fourth, and fifth innings before a lead off walk got him in trouble in the sixth. The next batter tripled to tie the game at 1, and the Braves took the lead 2-1 on a wild pitch before Wheeler recovered to finish the inning. Chattanooga again tied the game in the top of the seventh, as a Granite single brought in Leonardo Reginatto from second base after singling himself and moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Levi Michael. Mason Melotakis was summoned from the bullpen for the bottom half, and faced just three hitters, getting the first out on a single that was attempted, unsuccessfully, to be stretched into a double on left fielder Travis Harrison, and two punch outs. Chattanooga took the lead 4-2 in the top of the eight behind the bats Reginatto who drove in Carlos Paulino with a double, and Michael who singled with a line drive that deflected off the pitcher toward third base, who also committed a throwing error on the play to bring in Reginatto with the fourth run. Alex Wimmers came on for the eighth inning, and a triple led to a run for the Braves to make it 4-3, but they got no closer as J.T. Chargois shut the door in the ninth for his second save of the season. He struck out one, and that makes four appearances and four perfect innings for the right-hander in 2016. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Daytona 0 Box Score Fort Myers broke the game open in the third inning, as they batted through the lineup and sent five across home plate to take the lead. The floodgates were opened by a Brian Navarreto single and Edgar Corcino triple for the game’s first run, and singles from Austin Diemer, Alex Swim, Nick Gordon, a Chris Paul walk, and another single from Logan Wade followed to make it 5-0. Gordon also stole second base for his third swiped bag of the young season. The Miracle added three more runs in the fourth inning as Corcino tripled again to lead it off, scored on another single from Diemer, and he and Gordon (who also singled again) would come home on a triple from Paul to make it 8-0. The final run came in the eighth inning as a throwing error on a double-play turn allowed Navarreto to scamper home from second after reaching base with a single. Felix Jorge was on the mound for the Miracle, and he stifled Tortuga’s bats for 6.2 innings. He had allowed just three singles and one walk to the Daytona lineup, while striking out eight to pick up his first win of 2016. Jorge threw 96 pitches, with 74 going for strikes in the dominating effort. Raul Fernandez relieved him after he recorded the first two outs in the seventh, and finished the final 2.1 innings and the shutout. He allowed just one hit. En-route to scoring their nine runs, the Miracle got multiple hit efforts from Diemer (2-5, 2 R’s, 2 RBIs), Gordon (3-5, 2 R’s, RBIs) batting in the three-hole, Navarreto (2-4, 2 R's), and Corcino (2-3, 2 R’s, 2 triples, RBI, BB). Paul and Wade joined Diemer with 2 RBIs on the day. If you're keeping track, the Miracle rotation collectively sports a 5-3 record with a 1.98 ERA, 66 K's in 63.1 IP, and a 0.86 WHIP so far on the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 7, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Clinton LumberKings split the four game series in Cedar Rapids by outhitting the home team 12-4 in this game. They took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a solo home run from the second batter of the game against Kernels starter Dereck Rodriguez. Rodriguez recovered pretty well, putting up zeroes for the next five innings, including retiring eleven in a row at one point. Cedar Rapids tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth, as a single off the bat of Bryant Hayman scored Zander Wiel who had led off the inning with a single and reached third on two wild-pitches. Rodriguez finally ran into some trouble with one out in the seventh, as a walk followed by consecutive singles put the go-ahead run on the board for Clinton and put an end to his day. C.K. Irby came on and allowed the inherited runner to score on a wild pitch. Rodriguez’s final line of the day was 6.1 innings pitched, with four runs (three earned) allowed on seven hits and two walks, with three strikeouts. Irby finished the seventh inning for the Kernels, and they pushed one run across thanks to a couple of errors in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 4-2, but they would get no closer than that. Irby was relieved by Miles Nordgren for the final two innings, and he was greeted by back-to-back singles, an error on a bunt attempt to load the bases, and a two-run single to make it 6-2 after the eighth, and a wild pitch allowed the seventh run for Clinton in the ninth. In total, Nordgren allowed three runs on five hits and one walk in his two innings. As a team, the Kernels were just 4-33 on the day (.121), with all four hits being singles. They were 1-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 6.2 IP, 0 R’s, 3 H’s, 1 BB, 8 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Fort Myers Miracle (2-3, 2 R’s, 2 3B’s, RBI, BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (5:35PM CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 2.08 ERA) Chattanooga @ Mississippi(7:00PM CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (1-1, 3.27 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) – LHP Randy Rosario (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 PM CST) – RHP Cody Stashak (0-0, 2.25 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Twins are streaking! While the big league club was finishing a sweep on Sunday afternoon, all four affiliates were in action in the Minors. While two of the lineups were only able to manage two and four hits respectively in losses, another exploded for twelve hits in a blowout victory that supported a dominating effort from their starting pitcher. In total, Twins affiliates went 2-2 on the day. To find out who did what in Sunday’s games in the minors, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 3 Box Score Rochester’s game on Sunday was a pitcher’s duel throughout the first six innings. On the hill for the Red Wings was lefty Logan Darnell, and in those first six innings he was fantastic, allowing just three singles in the game until a two-out triple gave the Iron Pigs their first scoring chance of the game in the sixth. Darnell escaped the inning with the game still tied 0-0 but would run into further trouble in the seventh. With two-outs and a man on, Darnell served up a home-run ball to put the Red Wings down 2-0 on the scoreboard, and an end to his night. David Martinez came on for the final out of the frame and remained in for the eighth inning, where he gave up a run of his own after a leadoff double, error, and wild pitch put the insurance across the plate. There was little to no offense in this game as Rochester sent more than three hitters up to the plate in a single inning in only their first and last opportunities. Lehigh Valley starter Zach Eflin allowed just two hits in eight innings, while striking out five Red Wings. As a team, Rochester was just 0-3 with runners in scoring position, and left only two men on base for the game. James Beresford and Jorge Polanco each collected only a single. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mississippi 3 Box Score The Lookouts took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after leadoff man Zach Granite ended up on third after a fielding error from the right fielder. Mitch Garver brought him home with a sacrifice fly. The game would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning, as Chattanooga starter Jason Wheeler was in control of the game until that point. He went one-two-three in each of the first, fourth, and fifth innings before a leadoff walk got him in trouble in the sixth. The next batter would triple to tie the game at 1, and the Braves would take the lead 2-1 on a wild pitch before Wheeler recovered to finish the inning. Chattanooga would again tie the game in the top of the seventh, as a Granite single brought in Leonardo Reginatto from second base after singling himself and moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Levi Michael. Mason Melotakis was summoned from the bullpen for the bottom half, and faced just three hitters, getting the first out on a single that was attempted to be stretched into a double on left fielder Travis Harrison, and two punchouts. Chattanooga took the lead 4-2 in the top of the eight behind the bats Reginatto who drove in Carlos Paulino with a double, and Michael who singled with a line drive that deflected off the pitcher toward third base, who also committed a throwing error on the play to bring in Reginatto with the fourth run. Alex Wimmers came on for the eighth inning, and a triple led to a run for the Braves to make it 4-3, but they would get no closer as J.T. Chargois shut the door in the ninth for his second save of the season. He struck out one and that makes four appearances and four perfect innings for the right-hander in 2016. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Daytona 0 Box Score Fort Myers broke the game open in the third inning, as they batted through the lineup and sent five across home plate to take the lead. The floodgates were opened by a Brian Navarreto single and Edgar Corcino triple for the game’s first run, and singles from Austin Diemer, Alex Swim, Nick Gordon, a Chris Paul walk, and another single from Logan Wade would follow to make it 5-0 on the scoreboard. Gordon also stole second base for his third swiped bag of the young season. The Miracle would add three more runs in the fourth inning as Corcino would triple again to lead it off, scored on another single from Diemer, and he and Gordon (who also singled again) would come home on a triple from Paul to make it 8-0. The final run came in the eighth inning as a throwing error on a double-play turn would allow Navarreto to scamper home from second after reaching base with a single. Felix Jorge was on the mound for the Miracle, and stifled the Tortuga’s bats for 6.2 innings. He had allowed just three singles and one walk to the Daytona lineup, while striking out eight to pick up his first win of 2016. Jorge threw 96 pitches, with 74 going for strikes in the dominating effort. Raul Fernandez relieved him after recording the first two outs in the seventh, and finished the final 2.1 innings and the shutout. He allowed just one hit. En-route to scoring their nine runs, the Miracle got multiple hit efforts from Diemer (2-5, 2 R’s, 2 RBI), Gordon (3-5, 2 R’s, RBI) batting in the three-hole, Navarreto (2-4, 2 R’s), and Corcino (2-3, 2 R’s, 2 3B’s, RBI, BB). Paul and Wade joined Diemer with 2 RBI’s on the day. If you're keeping track, the Miracle rotation collectively sports a 5-3 record with a 1.98 ERA, 66 K's in 63.1 IP, and a 0.86 WHIP so far on the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 7, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Clinton LumberKings split the four game series in Cedar Rapids by outhitting the home team 12-4 in this game. They took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a solo home run from the second batter of the game against Kernels starter Dereck Rodriguez. Rodriguez would recover pretty well, putting up zeroes for the next five innings, including retiring eleven in a row at one point. Cedar Rapids tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth, as a single off the bat of Bryant Hayman scored Zander Wiel who had led off the inning with a single and reached third on two wild-pitches. Rodriguez finally ran into some trouble with one out in the seventh, as a walk followed by consecutive singles put the go-ahead run on the board for Clinton and put an end to his day. C.K. Irby came on and allowed the inherited runner to score on a wild pitch. Rodriguez’s final line of the day was 6.1 innings pitched, with four runs (three earned) allowed on seven hits and two walks, with three strikeouts. Irby finished the seventh inning for the Kernels, and they would push one run across thanks to a couple of errors in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 4-2, but they would get no closer than that. Irby was relieved by Miles Nordgren for the final two innings, and he was greeted by back-to-back singles, an error on a bunt attempt to load the bases, and a two run single to make it 6-2 after the eighth, and a wild pitch allowed the seventh run on the board for Clinton in the ninth. In total, Nordgren allowed three runs on five hits and one walk in his two innings. As a team, the Kernels were just 4-33 on the day (.121), with all four hits being singles. They were 1-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 6.2 IP, 0 R’s, 3 H’s, 1 BB, 8 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Fort Myers Miracle (2-3, 2 R’s, 2 3B’s, RBI, BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (5:35PM CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 2.08 ERA) Chattanooga @ Mississippi(7:00PM CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (1-1, 3.27 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) – LHP Randy Rosario (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 PM CST) – RHP Cody Stashak (0-0, 2.25 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

The 2015 season was deemed “the year of the prospect” across all of the Major Leagues, as young prospects made their presence felt throughout year. The Chicago Cubs made the early waves, keeping stud power hitter Kris Bryant down for two weeks to avoid Super 2 conditions, and also saw Top 100 players Addison Russell, Jorge Soler, and Kyle Schwarber make their MLB debuts en-route to a Wild Card finish. Shortstop Carlos Correa exploded onto the scene in Houston and helped propel the Astros to their first playoff appearance in ten years. The New York Mets had Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz pitching for them in the postseason, and Michael Conforto hit two home runs in game 4 of the World Series. Corey Seager and Joc Pederson made their debuts with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Francisco Lindor with Cleveland, Joey Gallo with the Rangers… Sorry, I’m out of breath and I haven’t even got to the Twins yet. Needless to say, they were well represented as well as anybody in the “year of the prospect.” Players who made their Major League debut for the Twins in 2015 included starting pitcher Tyler Duffey; relievers J.R. Graham and Ryan O’Rourke; and position players Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Max Kepler. From that list Sano, Buxton, and Rosario are locks to be on the 2016 roster, while all the pitchers were in Spring Training camp battling for the final spots in the rotation and bullpen. Max Kepler is destined to begin the year in Rochester, a phone call away (that has already come) Sano was without a doubt the crowning achievement in their 2015 class, slashing .269/.385/.530 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI in 80 total games after his debut on July 2nd. Rosario was called up to be a brief “fill-in” for injury, but never left because all he did was collect extra base hits (18 2B’s, 15 3B’s, and 13 HR’s) and throw runners out from left field (16 assists, 2nd in majors) in 122 games. He introduced himself to all of us by hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw in the majors. In a twist of fate for a devout prospect follower like me, I was sitting in a suite of Globe Life Park watching the Twins lose to the Rangers when the news came down that Byron Buxton was on a plane to Texas for his debut the next day. The logistics didn’t work to stay around another night to catch his debut, but we were in St. Louis the next night to catch his first career hit. You will all remember it was a triple (obviously), but the most (not-so) fascinating thing about it to me was what my ‘stopwatch’ said as he strolled into third ( ). Duffey started ten games down the stretch and went 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA to help keep the Twins in the playoff picture until the final weekend. As we look to a new season, it will be hard to match the string of debuts from Twins farmhands of last year. But whereas 2015 was the year of the position prospect, 2016 is likely to be the year of the pitcher for the home team. And those arms I’m about to discuss are going to bring some straight fire to an organization infamous for its “throw it over the plate and let ‘em hit it” philosophies that had led to four straight ninety-plus loss seasons. So let’s take a look at some players that could make (or have already made) their MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2016: Byung Ho-Park Park was the Twins only splash move of the offseason, coming over from the NBO in Korea after laying waste to the league for the past three seasons. He brings legitimate power for a foreign league hitter and was not overwhelmed by increased velocity in Spring Training. As the MLB season has gotten underway, it’s been apparent that the adjustment period the Twins brass suggested would be needed is indeed the case, as to this point he has struck out twelve times in twenty-three plate appearances. But he also has shown his power with a 441 foot blast in Kansas City for his first Major League home run. If and when he gets it going, he is going to be fun to watch. Jose Berrios (TD’s #2 Twins prospect) Terry Ryan was in Rochester, NY last August to watch Berrios (and granted, others) in action for the Red Wings as MLB rosters were soon to expand for September. Berrios went 7 innings in both of the starts Ryan was on hand for, allowing just one earned run on eight total hits and a single walk, while striking out ten and twelve hitters respectively. Apparently, it didn’t matter if Ryan had saw Cy Young himself in those games as word came down soon after that Berrios was going to be shut down for the year, and not be called up to help the Twins in their push for the postseason. Berrios struggled some in Major League camp this spring, and was unspectacular (besides the 9 K’s) in his season debut with the Red Wings in cold weather, but as soon as a need arises in the Twins rotation and they open up a 40-man roster spot, he should be in the majors to stay. If that comes as soon as May or June, he is a popular pick to be on leader ballots for Rookie of the Year. Tyler Duffey is likely ahead in the pecking order at this point, but performance can change that on a start-to-start basis. Nick Burdi (TD’s #10 Twins prospect) I was able to catch Burdi in Cedar Rapids two years ago (http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-minor-leagues/color-me-and-joe-mauer-impressed-r2962), and he is as exciting of relief prospect to watch throw as you will find. Some bad news came down at the end of Spring Training where he held his own in the big league camp, when he was shut down with some “forearm tightness.” Anything injury related to the pitching arm of Twins hurler’s rightfully should have one concerned, but to this point there have been no indications something worse is going on. That’s the good news. The bad news is the injury has delayed Burdi’s 2016 debut, but when he is back on the mound he’ll likely find himself in AA to start, with a quick promotion to AAA in the cards if he performs as he had in the Arizona Fall League and this Spring. We hear all the talk about the big arms coming up in the Twins system, and Burdi’s is the cream of the crop. I have little doubts he’ll be closing games for the Twins in the future and I can’t wait to see three digits on the gun at Target Field. J.T. Chargois (TD’s #15 Twins prospect) Chargois was also impressive in Spring camp with the Twins, pitching four innings and allowing just one hit. Like Burdi, Shaggy brings big velocity in the mid-90’s and a swing-and-miss breaking ball that has allowed him to rack up 75 strikeouts in 64 career innings in the minors before the start of this season, a rate of 10.5 K’s/9IP. In Chattanooga to start the year, he’s made two appearances and has been just about as dominant as possible, striking out five of the six hitters he’s faced and allowing no baserunners. He could also be a quick call up to AAA, and then the doorstep of the majors and is already on the 40-man roster so his path to an MLB debut is easier than some others on this list. Taylor Rogers (TD’s #16 Twins prospect) With Glen Perkins hitting the disabled list, lefty Rogers is on his way to Minnesota as I write this. While he doesn’t bring as big of an arm as others on this list, he has displayed one skill throughout his minor league career that is more than intriguing, and that’s his sheer dominance of same-handed hitters. Up to this point, they’ve managed just a .499 OPS against him in the minors and he’s struck out a whopping 30% of them. Obviously he hasn’t been as good vs. right-handers, but unlike some other lefty specialists he is able to get them out and a good enough clip to have remained a starter throughout his MiLB progression. He’ll likely work the middle innings out of the Twins bullpen and be brought in for the tough lefty assignments in later innings. Jake Reed (TD’s #20 Twins prospect) Another reliever with a mid-90’s arm, Reed made a name for himself in 2014 after being drafted in the 5th round by allowing just one earned run in 31 IP between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. Reed had some struggles at AA in 2015 that saw him earn a demotion back to Fort Myers (so did Burdi), but earned his way back to AA after a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League for the second season in a row. Torii Hunter was a big fan of his work in Spring Training, calling him “nasty” during an interview on one of the television broadcasts, and this is helped by his somewhat unorthodox looking delivery (low arm slot). Brad Brach of the Orioles reminded me of him a little bit while I was out in Baltimore for the Season opener, to give you an idea of what I’ve seen in Reed. Adam Brett Walker (TD’s #11 Twins prospect) Walker is perhaps the most divisive prospect in the Twins system, as he brings Miguel Sano level power and production despite striking out at an alarming rate in his MiLB career. He’s led every league he’s ever played at in home runs in the minors, and in 2015 at Chattanooga, his 31 homers led the league by 14 in that category. His 105 RBI’s in the Southern League were also 31 more than the next player on the list. The large caveat there is his 195 strikeouts in 133 games led the league by 57 as well. He hasn’t had a great walk rate to go along with the HR’s and K’s that might make him somewhat of a poor man’s Jim Thome, but it has been on the uptick since he’s been in the system, posting a rate mark of 9.1% in 2015. If he can get on base at a clip around .300 when he makes it to the majors, his power should play enough to be a useful bat in the lineup. That is the key thing he needs to work on in AAA this year. He was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, so at a minimum we should see him in September if he’s still crushing bombs at Frontier Field in Rochester. Other Notable Names: Pat Dean – Was protected on the 40-man roster after a 2015 season that saw him lead the International League in Innings Pitched with a sub 3.00 ERA. There’s not an upside beyond a back-of-the rotation starter here, but Dean shares several similarities to one of the guys in front of him on the starting pitching pecking order. Like Tommy Milone, Dean is left-handed and doesn’t throw hard, but consistency still speaks volumes to the Twins, and that’s what Dean has brought already in AAA. James Beresford Beresford has spent his past 3 seasons in AAA playing primarily second base for the Red Wings, but has played all around the diamond during his spring training experiences with the Major League club. He has hit for a solid average in each season at AAA, though it comes with little to no pop in his bat. With the defensive chops to field multiple infield positions and be consistent if not spectacular at all of them, a utility role with the Twins is not out of the question if the need arises. If nothing else, I would love to finally see him get a small cup of coffee in September. Yorman Landa Landa was quite a surprise addition to the 40-man roster this offseason as he had made just fifteen appearances with the Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2015 after returning from season ending shoulder surgery the year prior. Those appearances did include a 1.67 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning, but it’s hard to see a scenario where Landa jumps from single-A ball to the majors in his first full season back, let alone stick with another MLB team’s bullpen for an entire season. Like several of the other’s on this list, he brings mid-90’s or higher velocity but has yet to ratchet in his control, walking 5.2 per 9IP in his MiLB career thus far. Mason Melotakis Like Landa, Melotakis was also somewhat surprisingly added to the 40-man roster, was in big-league camp with the Twins, and is also returning from a missed season due to injury. In his case it was Tommy John surgery that had him sit out all of 2015, but he’s ready to go at the outset of 2015. The Twins drafted him in the second round of the 2012 draft as a big relief arm from a small school, Northwestern State (Lousiana). They tried him as a starter in Cedar Rapids, but quickly discovered that what made him an attractive pick in the 2nd round didn’t quite come through in a starting role. Before his surgery, Melotakis was back in a relief role throwing his mid-90’s fastball from the left-side and had earned a mid-season jump to AA. Randy Rosario (TD’s #19 Twins prospect) The third surprise add to the 40-man roster front this offseason, was the addition of another lefty in Rosario who has yet to pitch above A-ball. At 21 years old Rosario still holds some projection and the name Francisco Liriano is thrown around as a comparison from coaches, but he’s hardly an asset that required protection at this point of his career. It’s hard to envision Rosario in the Florida State League to start the year, but a quick bump is not out of the question if he’s performing due to his 10 starts already in the Midwest League from 2015. Tyler Jay (TD’s #5 Twins prospect) With the Twins transitioning Jay to a starting role that he only a few times took in college at the University of Illinois, it’s highly unlikely Jay will work his way onto the MLB roster. However, there are many that believe he could be the first 2015 draft pick to make it that far due to the quality of his stuff and his advanced command. He was fantastic in his first start of the 2016 season in Fort Myers, working five innings and scattering three hits and three walks with seven K’s. Due to his collegiate career, a dominating first half will have him in AA after the All-Star break, and who knows, if the Twins are in a pennant race near the end of the year, his lefty-arm might be too enticing to keep out of the bullpen in a push. IF Levi Michael One of the forgotten first round draft picks of the Twins, Michael has fought the injury bug ever since he’s gotten into the system, playing in only 65 and 63 games each of the past two seasons. When on the field in Chattanooga last year, Michael showed some life with a batting line of .267/.369/.434, good for an OPS basically the same as Adam Brett Walker. He’s back in AA to start 2016 and looking to make the jump to AAA at some point during the season. He is another option for a utility role down the line if he’s performing. SP/RP Alex Wimmers The second of the forgotten first round picks is pitcher Alex Wimmers who showed a ton of promise in Fort Myers after being drafted, but quickly fell off the face of the earth the next year. He’s been solid if not spectacular since, working as both a starter and reliever at times. He’s currently working out of the bullpen at AA, where he had a 2.91 ERA and struck out 23 in 21.2 IP in 2015. He doesn’t have the velocity of the other names on this list, but does still have the pedigree of a first round talent looking to come full circle in his development. I would view him as a strong candidate for a September call-up if he posts strong numbers out of the bullpen again. So there you have it, my picks for Twins who you could see at Target Field in 2016 making their Major League debut. Hopefully for all of them, it goes a little bit like Eddie Rosario’s did last year once they get there!

Harrison's timeline to this point has reminded me a lot of Trevor Plouffe's time in the minors. He wasn't necessarily wowing anyone with his stat lines, but the Twins were seeing other things and continued to move him up the ladder. I've loved Harrison's approach at the plate, and his strikeout numbers aren't even in a realm of concern for me, especially when you consider other player's in the organization.

Haha, no worries! All the MiLB writers here do a great job, and we know you guys love it! Thanks for reading! It was definitely the K's for me on the Pitcher of the day pick. It was between Clay and Berrios for me. If it's close on a couple starting pitchers, I try to use the "game score" in the MiLB boxscores as a tie-breaker. Nobody's stood out in comparison so I took the K's. I can't complain if you guys disagree. A lot of pretty good pitching performances yesterday!

Ricky Nolasco was on the mound for the Twins on Sunday afternoon and gave them arguably his best start in a Minnesota uniform, going seven innings and allowing just one run against the defending World Champions. Unfortunately for the visiting team, those pesky Royals wouldn’t go down without a fight. Glen Perkins blew his first save opportunity of the 2016 season and in extra innings an errant pickoff throw and wild pitch from Trevor May brought home the winning run. The Twins head north for their home opener tomorrow against the Chicago White Sox and will send Kyle Gibson to the mound, still looking for their first win of 2016. In the minors on Sunday afternoon all four Twins affiliates were in action. Rochester got standout pitching performances from one current top pitching prospect and one (relatively) former one in a victory, Chattanooga and Fort Myers held late leads but fared much like the Twins in the final scores, and Cedar Rapids looked to remain undefeated on the young season. To find out how it all went down, keep reading!RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1, Rochester 4 Box Score Jose Berrios took the mound for the Red Wings in their home opener at Frontier Field for his first start of the 2016 season. He was opposed as a starter by old friend Anthony Swarzak for the RailRiders. Berrios was effectively wild as he finished five innings and picked up the win, allowing one run on three hits, four walks and two hit batters while striking out nine. He threw 90 pitches with 53 going for strikes. The one run allowed came in the second inning after a leadoff single was followed by a double for an early 1-0 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead. Berrios then issued his first walk of the game to another old friend, Chris Parmelee, before getting a strikeout and two fly outs around another walk to escape with limited damage. Berrios would strike out two in the third, three more in the fourth, and two in the fifth around a few more walks before his day was done. Rochester took the lead for good in the third inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Buck Britton delivered a two-run single and Jorge Polanco followed with a run-scoring single of his own to make it 3-1. They added an insurance run in the sixth inning as Wilfredo Tovar singled in Adam Brett Walker, who led off the inning with a single of his own. The Red Wings wound up not needing that run though as Alex Meyer came on in relief of Berrios and finished the game’s final four innings picking up the rare three-plus inning save in the process. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four including the final hitter of the game for the home opener exclamation point. Walker led the offense on the day going 3-4 with a run scored and a double out of the sixth spot in the lineup. Tovar was 2-3 with a run scored and the RBI. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Biloxi 8 Box Score Down 2-1 going into the seventh inning, Chattanooga took the lead after a bases- clearing double off the bat of Danial Palka to make the score 5-2. An errant throw from the shortstop on the play ended up in the Lookouts dugout, sending Palka across the plate for the fourth run on the play. Left-handed reliever Mike Strong, who was in the running for the final bullpen spot on the Twins in spring training, came on to protect a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, but was greeted by back-to-back-to-back doubles that tied the game at five. He was able to get two outs after that before a walk and a single to make the score 6-5 ended his day. Brandon Peterson came on for the final out, but a double brought in the two inherited runners before he got out of the inning. Aaron Slegers made the start for Chattanooga and put in a quality effort. In six innings, he allowed two-earned runs on six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. The two runs allowed came in the second inning after two doubles and two singles from four straight batters. Slegers’ line was helped by inducing double plays in each of his innings except the first, for a total of five on the day. The Lookouts offense got multiple-hit efforts form Zach Granite (3-5, R), Palka (2-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI), Travis Harrison (2-2, R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 BB’s), and Engelb Vielma (2-4, R). MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 4 (10 innings) Box Score The Miracle took the early lead in the first inning after Tanner English led off the game with a single and later scored on a single from Alex Real. English was moved into scoring position on a double by Nick Gordon. They went up 2-0 in the fifth inning behind the bats of the same players. Gordon smacked his second double of the game to start the frame, and scored on a Real sac fly. Unfortunately they also ended the inning with the bases loaded, unable to do any more damage. Right-hander Keaton Steele was on the mound for Fort Myers in his first start of the 2016 season and was fantastic through the first five innings. He retired the first eight hitters of the game before issuing a walk, and went 1-2-3 in each of the first, second and fifth innings. It was the sixth inning before the Marauders were able to muster any threats, and it came after Steele had retired the first two hitters of that inning. A single and double made the score 2-1 and Steele was lifted for Raul Fernandez who struck out the final hitter of the inning to keep the lead intact. Fort Myers went up 3-1 in the top of the seventh after a one-out bases-loaded walk to Chad Christensen, but a double-play ball ended their efforts. Fernandez remained in the game and allowed one run in the bottom half to make the score 3-2 heading into the eighth. The score remained 3-2 despite opportunities for the Miracle in each of their eighth and ninth inning at-bats, and the failure to capitalize again would come back to haunt them. Trevor Hildenberger was brought on for the save opportunity in the ninth, but a relay throw from Gordon into third on a triple sailed past the third baseman allowing the tying run to score and sent the game to extra innings. Hildenberger stayed in the game for the 10th, but another error from his defense put the game-winning run in scoring position and Bradenton did not fail with the opportunity they were handed. A single off the bat of Connor Joe brought home the come-from-behind,walk-off winner for the Marauders and evened each team’s record in the Florida State League at 2-2. Steele finished 5.2 innings in the game, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. Yorman Landa pitched a scoreless inning of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. The blown save and loss were Hildenberger’s first of each on the year. The Miracle offense got a standout game from top prospect Nick Gordon, who finished 4-6 with a run scored and three doubles. Real was 3-3 with 2 RBI and a walk. Ryan Walker also added two hits to the effort. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Quad City 2 Box Score Like their high-A brothers, Cedar Rapids went into the tenth inning on Sunday afternoon after blowing a late lead, and needed some heroics to remain undefeated on the season. The Kernels got a strong start from Sam Clay who finished six innings. He allowed one unearned run on five hits and two walks. He struck out seven including the side in the first inning. Cedar Rapids took the lead 1-0 in the top of the sixth when Rafael Valera led off the frame with a double. He scored on a single from Max Murphy. An error on a pick-off throw from Clay allowed the unearned run to score in the bottom half of the sixth and the game remained tied until the ninth as C.K. Irby pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts of his own. Two errors by the River Bandits defense brought in the go-ahead run for the Kernels in the top-half and Nick Anderson was summoned from the bullpen for the save opportunity. He was greeted by a triple that all but guaranteed free baseball. A batter later that guarantee was cashed in with a game-tying single. Anderson escaped with the game tied after a ground ball and two fly outs. In the top of the tenth, a Lamonte Wade walk and a Murphy hit-by-pitch put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and Chris Paul knocked it in with a two-out single to center field. Anderson stayed in the game looking to pick up the win, and after allowing two singles to start the inning got a double play ball for the first two outs and struck out the final batter with the tying run on third to preserve the zero in the loss column. Paul went 4-5 on the day with a run scored and an RBI, and Wade added two hits and two walks, including a triple to pace the Kernels offense. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jose Berrios, Rochester Red Wings (W, 5.0IP, 3 H’s, 1 ER, 4 BB’s, 9 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Fort Myers Miracle (4-6, R, 3 2B’s) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:35PM CST) – LHP Logan Darnell (0-0, -.-- ERA) Chattanooga @ Biloxi (6:40PM CST) – RHP Ryan Eades (0-0, -.-- ERA) Brevard County @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – LHP Randy Rosario (0-0, -.-- ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 PM CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez (0-0, -.-- ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Ricky Nolasco was on the mound for the Twins on Sunday afternoon and gave them arguably his best start in a Minnesota uniform, going seven innings and allowing just one run against the defending World Champions. Unfortunately for the visiting team, those pesky Royals wouldn’t go down without a fight. Glen Perkins blew his first save opportunity of the 2016 season and in extra innings an errant pickoff throw and wild pitch from Trevor May brought home the winning run. The Twins head north for their home opener tomorrow against the Chicago White Sox and will send Kyle Gibson to the mound still looking for their first win of 2016. In the minors on Sunday afternoon all four Twins affiliates were in action. Rochester got standout pitching performances from one current top pitching prospect and one (relatively) former one in a victory, Chattanooga and Fort Myers held late leads but fared much like the Twins in the final scores, and Cedar Rapids looked to remain undefeated on the young season. To find out how it all went down, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1, Rochester 4 Box Score Jose Berrios took the mound for the Red Wings in their home opener at Frontier Field for his first start of the 2016 season. He was opposed as a starter by old friend Anthony Swarzak for the RailRiders. Berrios was effectively wild as he finished five innings and picked up the win, allowing one run on three hits, four walks and two hit-batters while striking out nine. He threw ninety pitches with fifty-three going for strikes. The one run allowed came in the second inning after a leadoff single was followed by a double for an early 1-0 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead. Berrios would then issue his first walk of the game to another old friend, Chris Parmelee, before getting a strikeout and two flyouts around another walk to escape with limited damage. Berrios would strike out two in third, three more in the fourth, and two in the fifth around a few more walks before his day was done. Rochester took the lead for good in the third inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Buck Britton delivered a two run single and Jorge Polanco followed with a run-scoring single of his own to make it 3-1. They would add an insurance run in the sixth inning as Wilfredo Tovar singled in Adam Brett Walker, who led off the inning with a single of his own. The Red Wings wouldn’t end up needing that run though as Alex Meyer came on in relief of Berrios and finished the game’s final four innings picking up the rare three-plus inning save in the process. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four including the final hitter of the game for the home opener exclamation point. Walker led the offense on the day going 3-4 with a run scored and a double out of the sixth spot in the lineup. Tovar was 2-3 with a run scored and the RBI. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Biloxi 8 Box Score Down 2-1 going into the seventh inning, Chattanooga took the lead after a bases clearing double off the bat of Danial Palka to make the score 5-2. An errant throw from the shortstop on the play ended up in the Lookouts dugout, sending Palka across the plate for the fourth run on the play. Left-handed reliever Mike Strong, who was in the running for the final bullpen spot on the Twins in Spring Training, came on to protect a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, but was greeted by back-to-back-back doubles that tied the game at five. He was able to get two outs after that before a walk and a single to make the score 6-5 ended his day. Brandon Peterson came on for the final out, but a double brought in the two inherited runners before he got out of the inning. Aaron Slegers made the start for Chattanooga and put in a quality effort. In six innings, he allowed two-earned runs on six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. The two runs allowed came in the second inning after two-doubles and two-singles in four straight batters. Slegers’ line was helped by inducing double plays in each of his innings except the first, for a total of five on the day. The Lookouts offense got multiple hit efforts form Zach Granite (3-5, R), Palka (2-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI), Travis Harrison (2-2, R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 BB’s), and Engelb Vielma (2-4, R). MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 4 (10 innings) Box Score The Miracle took the early lead in the first inning after Tanner English led off the game with a single and later scored on a single from Alex Real. English was moved into scoring position on a double by Nick Gordon. They would go up 2-0 in the fifth inning behind the bats of the same players. Gordon smacked his second double of the game to start the frame, and scored on a Real sac fly. Unfortunately they also ended the inning with the bases loaded, unable to do any more damage. Right-hander Keaton Steele was on the mound for Fort Myers in his first start of the 2016 season and was fantastic through the first five innings. He retired the first eight hitters of the game before issuing a walk, and went 1-2-3 in each of the first, second, and fifth innings. It was the sixth inning before the Marauders were able to muster any threats, and it came after Steele had retired the first two-hitters of that inning. A single and double made the score 2-1 and Steele was lifted for Raul Fernandez who struck out the final hitter of the inning to keep the lead intact. Fort Myers went up 3-1 in the top of the seventh after a one-out bases loaded walk to Chad Christensen, but a double-play ball ended their efforts. Fernandez remained in the game and allowed one run in the bottom half to make the score 3-2 heading into the eighth. The score would remain 3-2 despite opportunities for the Miracle in each of their eighth and ninth inning at-bats, and the failure to capitalize again would come back to haunt them. Trevor Hildenberger was brought on for the save opportunity in the ninth, but a relay throw from Gordon into third on a triple sailed past the third baseman allowing the tying run to score and sent the game to extra innings. Hildenberger stayed in the game for the 10th, but another error from his defense put the game-winning run in scoring position and Bradenton wouldn’t fail with the opportunity they were handed. A single off the bat of Connor Joe brought home the come-from-behind-walk-off winner for the Marauders and evened each team’s record in the Florida State League at 2-2. Steele finished 5.2 innings in the game, allowing one earned-run on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. Yorman Landa pitched a scoreless inning of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. The blown save and loss were Hildenberger’s first of each on the year. The Miracle offense got a standout game from top prospect Nick Gordon, who finished 4-6 with a run scored and three doubles. Real was 3-3 with 2 RBI and a walk. Ryan Walker also added two hits to the effort. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Quad City 2 Box Score Like their high-A brothers, Cedar Rapids went into the tenth inning on Sunday afternoon after blowing a late lead, and would need some heroics to remain undefeated on the season. The Kernels got a strong start from Sam Clay who finished six innings. He allowed one unearned run on five hits and two walks. He struck out seven including the side in the first inning. Cedar Rapids took the lead 1-0 in the top of the sixth when Rafael Valera led off the frame with a double. He would score on a single from Max Murphy. An error on a pickoff throw from Clay would allow the unearned run to score in the bottom half of the sixth and the game would remain tied until the ninth as C.K. Irby pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts of his own. Two errors by the River Bandits defense would bring in the go-ahead run for the Kernels in top-half and Nick Anderson was summoned from the bullpen for the save opportunity. He was greeted by a triple that all but guaranteed free baseball. A batter later that guarantee was cashed in with a game-tying single. Anderson would escape with the game tied after a ground ball and two flyouts. In the top of the tenth, a Lamonte Wade walk and Murphy hit-by-pitch put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and Chris Paul knocked it in with a two-out single to center field. Anderson stayed in the game looking to pick up the win, and after allowing two singles to start the inning got a double play ball for the first two outs and struck out the final batter with the tying run on third to preserve the zero in the loss column. Paul went 4-5 on the day with a run scored and an RBI, and Wade added two hits and two walks, including a triple to pace the Kernels offense. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jose Berrios, Rochester Red Wings (W, 5.0IP, 3 H’s, 1 ER, 4 BB’s, 9 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Fort Myers Miracle (4-6, R, 3 2B’s) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:35PM CST) – LHP Logan Darnell (0-0, -.-- ERA) Chattanooga @ Biloxi (6:40PM CST) – RHP Ryan Eades (0-0, -.-- ERA) Brevard County @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – LHP Randy Rosario (0-0, -.-- ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 PM CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez (0-0, -.-- ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

Kepler has been my favorite prospect for years and had given him the "breakout" prospect moniker for multiple years. Finally all came together last year. The eye-test with him improved my overall opinion more than it ever has for anyone else, and that eye-test came from Spring Training in 2012 when he was playing with the Snappers roster that included Sano, Rosario, and Vargas. Kepler was the best player on the team in the multiple games I watched, and it wasn't particularly close. Don't remember if he had injuries that season, but I was astonished he didn't play any in the MWL that year. The results didn't match up for a few more seasons, but I'm hoping he's a fixture in the lineup by the end of this season, and if so see him as the #3 hitter at some point next year. Can't wait for Max to be up for good!

Yup. Like Danny Santana of last year, Duffey would be far and away #1 on my list of regression candidates for the Twins this year. He's without a doubt been the best RP to SP conversion from the draft the Twins have accomplished, but I think if it were a true competition, Nolasco and Milone would be winning it. If Duffey did lose a rotation spot, I wouldn't hesitate to pull a Trevor May on him, though.

Honestly I think I've seen the college teams beat the Twins low-minors rosters more often than not while I've been down there. As Seth points out, they've been practicing and playing for almost two months already, while the Twins players have been for just a few days. Also, while the college guys are out there competing 100% for some bragging rights against the 'pros,' those minor leaguer's might be working on certain things this early. I'd venture the pitchers were throwing a much higher percentage of fastballs than normal, as an example.

I'm just going to respond to this part of your response, because I don't understand it at all. When teams are making trades for proven and impact MLB players, what is it that they send back for them? The answer is Prospects. It is always prospects...

^ Now, I know it takes two to tango, but I do think you could get something useful back for a package of that type. We're talking 3 nearly consensus Top 10 Twins prospects (Walker, Polanco, Stewart) along with an established major leaguer contributor (Plouffe). Plenty of big trades happen in this fashion... That's the difference I'm talking about. Get something back that is useful, and clear the logjams that makes a bunch of those guys currently not useful, before their value completely dissolves. Thing with most prospects and their value is, they're worth more while they're still prospects (see Wil Myers as a recent example). Once you start using options and team control years, and/or they don't perform, you're left with something of no value, such as Arcia. I started banging the trade him drum three years ago when he debuted, because I'm a big picture thinker and was looking forward to this exact scenario the Twins are in with him now. A situation where they're coming back around to contender status and it's driven by the other guys like Buxton, Rosario, now Sano, and Kepler and Walker in the OF picture.

1B: Mauer, Park, Vargas, Sano DH: Park, Mauer, Sano, Arcia, Vargas, Walker Corner-OF: Rosario, Sano, Arcia, Kepler, Walker Too many players, not enough positions. TR's saying "things have a way of working themselves out" has been demonstrated to me to mean that they're going to wait to long to figure out if whatever player fits their roster or not, and lose them for nothing or have to sell them off for a bag of balls. Could happen with Arcia this year, could happen to Vargas and Polanco next year. If I was TR this past offseason, I would have been offering a package of Plouffe, Walker/Arcia, Polanco, and Stewart to see what it could have brought back and clear a bit of the logjam while those prospects still have some luster and value. Nobody is going to trade for Arcia right now after the issues he's had, and the fact he is out options. This is an example of waiting too long to figure it out. Vargas and Polanco are going to be in similar situations soon.

I've been saying they were going to run into this problem for years now (most particularly with OF/1B/DH's, middle infielders are good to have some depth). Unfortunately, to my observations, they're limiting the value these players could have in trades or to the Twins themselves by sitting on their hands and doing nothing with all of them.

I am diabetic. This is a bit misleading. We're certainly more prone to "have injury issues," particularly in joints, and recovery. The shoulder is actually a very common issue for diabetics, whether you're an athlete or not (mine is basically shot from playing Town Ball until I was 30). However, it's pretty much an exponential curve on how this affects us relative to you normal "healthy" humans. If you have good control of your diabetes, such as consistent A1C test results below 6% (which is what you likely have with a functioning pancreas), it literally is not affecting you any differently. If you're a consistent 8 or 9% or above, the risks associated are much greater (exponentially so). The being prone to injury, and not being able to recover as well, is related to circulation problems if you have a higher average blood sugar. Blood with a high sugar level is thicker, harder to pump, and can damage small blood vessels - things such as the tissue in your knees and shoulder joints. I quit playing baseball because I tore my ACL. That leg still isn't as strong as it was before then, and I'm certain my diabetes plays a part in that. But I'm also not a professional athlete with all the necessary resources to make this a non-issue if I'm dedicated to it.

Similar issues to Kohl. Though also with a career ERA 2 runs higher.

I would venture Stewart is in a great position, and has all the necessary people around him, to make this as little of an issue as possible. If he doesn't, the Twins need to step in on that. But you do bring up a correct concern. It is more likely than not, that the shoulder issues he's had are related to, and exacerbated by, his diabetes. I've always said he was going to have to work harder and be stronger than everyone else to keep his arm and shoulder healthy because of this.

I don't necessarily agree with all of this. The Span/Revere/etc... argument had Aaron Hicks as the guy coming up to fill the void. The Plouffe argument has Miguel Sano for that void. One is considerably better than the other. Answer me this, is the team better with: Sano at 3B Arcia in RF Park/Vargas/Mauer for 1B/DH + whatever return could have been had for a package with prospects and Plouffe as the pieces (say: Polanco, Plouffe, Stewart, Walker as a starting point. I think that could get you something very useful) or... Plouffe at 3B Sano in RF Park/Vargas/Mauer for 1B/DH Scenario A improves 3B, RF, and whatever the return might have been based on what they're going to go with now. Scenario B does what exactly, to move the needle, based on the results of last year? This is what I'm getting at with their propensity to think to small, and settle for what they have. I will say, next year may be the better year to pursue this, but that currently leaves this years team with the issues I already laid out.

I'm not sleeping on Arcia or Vargas blazing past Park on the DH depth chart this spring. Everything I've been reading on Arcia says his hair is on fire to be in the OF on opening day, but pretty sure he's not going to win that battle, so he gets in on the DH fun. Then you have Vargas, who had one of the best Winter's of any Twins player in recent history, both on the field (Puerto Rico MVP) and off (Lost a bunch of weight).

This is the line that explains the Twins the best to me: "The Twins have a profound lack of ambition in virtually everything they do." Bingo. In the situation of Plouffe/Sano, it is similar in process to what the Twins went through with Pierzynski/Mauer to me. Plouffe is a very solid regular, A.J. was a bit more than that, but there is/was the stud prospect behind them at their position ready to become a superstar. They traded A.J. (who granted had a lot more value than Plouffe would) to open things up for Mauer, but they are against opening up 3B for Sano. Since they didn't do this, so many other pieces don't fit and Sano is going to play a position he never has (and frankly, I don't think he's going to be remotely good at). Then there's the Hicks for Murphy trade. Yes, the Twins needed a catcher, but this move was thinking too small to me. I'd bet he's an upgrade from Suzuki, and I understand there is value from a League average catcher, but why is that the ceiling they over and over again, settle for? They have plenty of ammo in their farm system to go after higher upside or a proven commodity. We forget, that having all those high ranked prospects in the minors is great, but not all of them are going to turn into anything in the majors. Some of their values are never going to be higher than now. So I think now is about the time in their turnaround where you need to start cashing some of them in to complete your product/turnaround and contend.

Those numbers would be awesome as a whole. Extremely optimistic. That's an average of a .762 OPS throughout the 'starting' lineup (which would have ranked 2nd in the majors last year). Not sure how far it would fall as a team with everyone else taken into account, but think that would put them in the top 10 for all of MLB pretty easily. The Twins ranked 23rd in OPS as a team last year at .704. Red Sox were 6th at .740.

What I was implying, is you literally have no data about a lefty-receiver taking pitches to review so it's impossible to make any such conclusion. It is an interesting thing. Studies I've seen do conclude right-handed catchers save more runs... Then you get into things like bunts down the third base line, having to backhand every throw up the line at home, and not being able to make a fundamental "sweeping" tag on close plays at the plate...

There's been only one player as a left-handed thrower to be a catcher for even one inning since like 1980, so this is not a thing.