Steve Lein

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.

This paragraph is the key for me: "But of course this overlooks the fact that, so many times in the past, those players that the Twins "haven't liked" ended up having successful seasons in which they could have been difference-makers for the club. Meanwhile, many of the players that they liked enough to sign, who invariably ended up being on the second or third tier in terms of monetary commitments, panned out as poor investments." And it doesn't just apply to free agents in the offseason, it applies to other moves they've made as well. 1. Kurt Suzuki's extension. He had a career year, and the Twins rewarded him for it. You can argue the total money given here wasn't a huge issue, but that doesn't change the fact it's been a poor investment since. 2. Phil Hughes extension. He was brilliant in 2014, though again, pretty much an outlier year for him. He also was still under contract for two more years... So they gave him a raise and more years. I said at the time it was a year too early. Would be nice to have that money available now, while he was trying to earn that value again this year, wouldn't it? Maybe someone else can add a few names to the list as well, but I would really like the Twins to stop this philosophy of rewarding career average players for a career year with them. This is a bigger issue to me than not spending money on a FA reliever they might need, but if they didn't hand out these extensions or wasted the 2.2MIL or whatever dollars on those poor, lower-tier investments, suddenly there is money available that would allow you to actually add a difference maker in the bullpen.

Raines checks quite a few boxes for me given what he was: -100+ runs 6 times (led league twice) -50+SB 8 times, 70+ 6 times (and 49 another year, led league 4 times, as a leadoff hitter) -.300+ AVG 8 times (one batting title) -.370+ OBP 15 times (led league once) -160+ hits 8 times (as a leadoff hitter) -60+ BB 13 times (as a leadoff hitter) -Struck out more times than he walked just ONE season of 23 (1330 to 966 overall career ratio, as a leadoff hitter) Raines' case is built on being one of the best leadoff hitters of all time taking into account all the traits of them that are desirable: High average, got on base, scored runs, stole bases, etc... I'd call his case a very legit one.

3 years ago I would have said Mauer was a no brainer. But since then it's changed and I honestly think that unless he bounces back into the type of hitter (.320+ Avg., .400+ OBP) he was as a catcher, that he's not going to make it. How ever many more years he plays with a ~.720 OPS at 1B is going to drop his overall numbers case off the table. I think the argument at that point would become "he was great, but not for long enough." 1 MVP season doesn't get you in either as good as it was, because it was an anomalous performance compared to the rest of his career. All that said, we need the old Joe back to make this discussion silly 10 years down the road!

I agree with this. I ignore it as a method of establishing "value" for a player, because quite frankly, it doesn't match up with reality. Nobody is going to sign Trevor Plouffe or a similar 2.5 WAR player for $20+MIL a year, which should tell you everything about its shortcomings. It shouldn't be a mostly linear idea as it is currently employed, it has to be logarithmic. The largest contract ever is as far as you can project, because that's the reality of the "value" ceiling to me. If it wasn't, Clayton Kershaw should be complaining because his contract isn't $50+MIL per year.

I don't think the Twins are all that inclined to keep him in the minors if he's producing since they're already burning options on him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they've used two of his already (though he's near 100% bet for a fourth). However, with Arcia and Santana being out of options, you likely have to give them their chances first. Can't wait for Kepler to arrive full-time. I've said this here many times, but he was the first prospect I ever watched in person where the eye-test drastically changed my overall opinion and/or evaluation of a guy for the better. He was the best player on any diamond of the back fields in 2012 Spring Training while playing with the Beloit roster that had Sano, Rosario, and Vargas on it. It still boggles my mind he did not play in the MWL that year.

You guys all realize that if he comes over here and hits like .300/.350/.500, the Twins will tear this "cheap" contract up immediately and replace it with a new, not so cheap one, right?! (haha) Kidding aside, this is a no-lose type of deal for the Twins. Great job on this TR. You're still in the red on this offseason so far to me, though.

The Scottsdale Scorpions went 2-2 in the final week of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season, to finish with an 18-12 overall record and earn a place in the AFL Championship Game for winning the East Division. They faced off against the West Division winners, the Surprise Saguaros on Saturday. But before we get to that game, in which the Twins prospects played a big part, Adam Brett Walker went cold; catchers Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner were same old, same old; the bullpen trio of Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed, and Nick Burdi continued to shut down opponents; and Taylor Rogers added to his case for MLB roster consideration out of spring training.Read on to check out how they all performed in the final week of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! (and 2015 Championship Game!) (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Adam Brett Walker – 3 games, 0-12, 1 RBI, 9 K’s. Walker had a rough go of it in three games on the week. He did not collect a hit, and struck out multiple times in each game, including all four at-bats on Monday. He did collect an RBI on Tuesday, with a sac fly in the eighth inning to make the score 5-2 in a game the Scorpions would win 8-2. He grounded out in one other at-bat, and struck out three more times. On Thursday, his 0-4 night included a fly-out, groundout, and two more strikeouts. Despite dropping his average nearly .050 points and his OPS over 100 pts in just three games on the week, Walker finished second in the circuit in home runs with five (two behind Yankees prospect Gary Sanchez) and fourth in RBI’s with eighteen, batting seventh in the Scorpions lineup through the season. In 20 games, Walker finished the AFL season with a .240/.326/.493 triple-slash line. Stuart Turner – 2 games, 1-7, 1BB, 2 K’s. Turner got the start at catcher in two of the final four games, batting eighth behind Walker in Monday’s 7-3 loss to Surprise and sixth ahead of Walker in Thursday’s 4-2 loss to Salt River. In his first game of the week, Turner finished the day 1-4 with one strikeout. His single came in the third inning in his first at-bat of the game. While the Scorpions would score a run in this inning, it wasn’t Turner, as he was erased on a double-play to the next batter. On Thursday, Turner again reached base once in four plate appearances, going 0-3 with a walk. The walk came in his first at-bat in the second inning, but he would only get as far as second base before the end of the inning. Turner again flashed his defense in the seventh inning, when he cut down another runner attempting to steal second. Turner ended his AFL season with an offensive line of .171/.306/.220 in twelve games. Mitch Garver – 1 game, 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K’s. With the short week, Garver only played in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Peoria, batting ninth In that game, Garver doubled in his first at-bat, to bring in the second run of the inning and give Scottsdale the early 2-0 lead. In his other two at-bats on the day, Garver went down swinging. In twelve games played on the AFL season, Garver finished with a .317/.404/.512 line, putting up a good offensive showing in limited action. Nick Burdi – 1 game, 1 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 1 BB, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Burdi kept his perfect ERA intact in the season’s final week, appearing in just one game, Tuesday’s 8-2 win, finishing the ninth inning for the Scorpions. He walked the first batter of the inning (giving him a total of one walk in the AFL slate), but would strike out the next two hitters and go5 a pop out in foul territory to end the game. In eight appearances on the AFL season, pitching one inning each outing, Burdi allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eleven, to finish the year with a 0.38 WHIP. Those numbers provide a strong case for consideration in the Twins bullpen early in 2016. Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 1.1 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Hildenberger also saw action in just one game of the season’s final week, and again he pitched more than just one inning. He appeared in Tuesday’s 8-2 win, and was the first reliever into the game after starter Austin Kubitz went four innings. In the fifth inning, Hildenberger made swift, dominant work of the Javelina’s lineup, setting them down one-two-three on a called third strike, and two more swinging strike threes. He was then asked to get just one out in the sixth, which he did with a ground ball to the shortstop. He was then relieved by lefty Phil McCormick of the Giants organization to combat two lefties coming up next in the lineup. Hildenberger finished second on the Scorpions roster in innings pitched by a reliever with 12.2 ininings in eight appearances. He allowed three runs on thirteen hits, did not walk a single batter, and racked up twelve strikeouts on the AFL season. He only added to the shine on his prospect status out of the bullpen, and may have earned a starting place for 2016 in AA with an outside chance of surfacing in the majors if he keeps up his dominant pace from prior seasons at the higher levels. Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.1 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 2 K’s. 0.00 ERA. Reed made appearances in Monday’s loss and Thursday’s win during the week. On Monday, Reed entered the game in the eighth inning in a tough spot despite there being two outs, as the prior pitcher had just walked Jurickson Profa, Gary Sanchez and Bubba Starling to load the bases. He shut down the threat by getting a fielder’s choice ground ball and stayed in the game for the ninth. He allowed a one-out single, but a strikeout and ground out followed to finish the game for Scottsdale. On Wednesday, Reed again finished the game for the Scorpions, closing out the ninth inning of their 5-0 shutout win. It didn’t start out the best, as the leadoff man singled and he walked the next batter, but a ground ball double play put an end to any threat to the game, and a strikeout shut the door on the game. In 10.2 innings on the AFL season, Reed allowed two runs (both unearned) on six hits and four walks, while striking out ten in 10.2 innings. It was the second straight year of fantastic performance for Reed in the AFL, and he’ll likely look to keep that going in AA this time to start 2016. Taylor Rogers – Did not pitch. Rogers did not pitch during the season’s final week, but that was likely by design as the team finished the season as the West Division winners with a spot in the AFL title game. He of course, was the starting pitcher for Scottsdale in that game. Daniel Palka - 2 games, 0-7, RBI, 4 K's. Palka, the recent power hitting trade acquisition of the Twins for catcher Chris Herrmann, also was playing in the AFL for the Salt River Rafters. He saw action in two games on the week but outside of an sac fly RBI, didn't have much success. He was 0-3 with the sac fly RBI and a strikeout on Tuesday in 4-2 Salt River win. On Wednesday, he was 0-4 with three strikeouts to pick up a sombrero. Palka finished the AFL season with a .278/.330/.444 line in twenty-two games. He collected six doubles, three home runs, seventeen RBI and four stolen bases in five chances. AFL Championship Game: Box Score As mentioned, with Taylor Rogers’ stellar performance on the season for Scottsdale, he got the start on the mound in the championship game. He did his part, pitching three scoreless innings, and the Scorpions lineup gave them a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth after he was done. It was a one-two-three first inning for Rogers, and after a leadoff single an error put a runner in scoring position, he got a soft line drive out to second base against Bubba Starling, and struck out Dustin Fowler to end the threat and keep the game scoreless. A two-out double in the third inning again put a runner in scoring position, but Rogers got a ground ball to end his final inning with a clean line. He finished his day with no runs allowed on two hits, and struck out two. It was errors from Surprise’s defense that got the Scorpions on the board in the fourth inning, as the first two hitters reached base on misplays. After a fielder’s choice ground ball and double to score the game’s first run, Adam Brett Walker delivered an RBI single to make the score 2-0. A sac fly plated the inning's third run, and Stuart Turner struck out for the final out of the frame. Trevor Hildenberger was the first pitcher out of the bullpen in relief of Rogers, and he set the lineup down in order, including one strikeout. Scottsdale added a fourth run in the fifth inning to take the 4-0 lead, but Surprise got a run back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1. Walker went down swinging in a scoreless sixth, and Turner also went down swinging in the top of the seventh while the game stayed at the same score. In the bottom of the seventh, Surprise got itself back into the game after a leadoff single, an error, and another single made it 4-2. A sac fly followed to make it 4-3, then another single followed by a fly-out put runners on first and third with two outs. A call to the bullpen shut the door with Jurickson Profar at the plate; he grounded out to short to end the inning and preserve the lead. In the top of the eighth, Adam Brett Walker stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third and a chance to add some needed insurance runs. Some people say Walker is a clutch hitter, and he proved their point in this at-bat with a double to left field that scored both runners and put the Scorpions out front 6-3. It was then Twins prospects whom Scottsdale Manager Matt Quatraro called on to preserve their Championship Game lead. It was Jake Reed in the eighth, and though he walked that Gary Sanchez from the Yankees guy to start the frame, he struck out the next three hitters in swinging fashion to punctuate his season. Then for the ninth inning and the save opportunity, it was fireballer Nick Burdi. The first batter took him deep to right field for Burdi’s first run allowed in the AFL on the season and made the score 6-4, but an easy ground ball to first base, a looking strikeout, foul pop-out ended the game with a championship for Scottsdale. The save was also Burdi’s first on the AFL season. Walker finished the game 2-4 with a double and three big RBI’s, along with two strikeouts. Turner was 0-4 with two strikeouts. It was quite the season for Walker, Turner, Reed, and Burdi, who will collect their second championship ring on the season, after the Chattanooga Lookouts won the Southern League Championship during the regular season. It was also Rogers’ and Burdi’s second AFL Championship, as the Salt River Rafters team they played with in 2014 also won the league’s title. As for Adam Brett Walker, it’s hard not to label him as simply a “winner.” Walker has taken home a League Championship in Elizabethton, Fort Myers, Chattanooga, and now the Arizona Fall League. Congratulations to all the Twins prospects, Scottsdale and Chattanooga Lookouts hitting coach Chad Allen, and the rest of the Scottsdale Scorpions roster, on their 2015 AFL Championship! Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

The Scottsdale Scorpions went 2-2 in the final week of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season, to finish with an 18-12 overall record, and earn a place in the AFL Championship Game for winning the East Division. They would face off against the West Division winners, the Surprise Saguaros on Saturday. But before we get to that game, in which the Twins prospects played a big part, Adam Brett Walker went cold; Catchers Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner were same old same old; the bullpen trio of Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed, and Nick Burdi continued to shut down opponents; and Taylor Rogers added to his case for MLB roster consideration out of Spring Training. Read on to check out how they all performed in the final week of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! (and 2015 Championship Game!) (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Adam Brett Walker – 3 games, 0-12, 1 RBI, 9 K’s. Walker had a rough go of it in three games on the week. He did not collect a hit, and struck out multiple times in each game, including all four at-bats on Monday. He did collect an RBI on Tuesday, with a sac fly in the eighth inning to make the score 5-2 in a game the Scorpions would win 8-2. He grounded out in one other at-bat, and struck out three more times. On Thursday, his 0-4 night included a fly-out, groundout, and two more strikeouts. Despite dropping his average nearly .050 points and his OPS over 100 pts in just three games on the week, Walker finished second in the circuit in home runs with five (two behind Yankees prospect Gary Sanchez) and fourth in RBI’s with eighteen, batting seventh in the Scorpions lineup throughout the season. In 20 games, Walker finished the AFL season with a .240/.326/.493 triple-slash line. Stuart Turner – 2 games, 1-7, 1BB, 2 K’s. Turner got the start at catcher in two of the final four games, batting eighth behind walker in Monday’s 7-3 loss to Surprise, and sixth ahead of Walker in Thursday’s 4-2 loss to Salt River. In his first game of the week, Turner finished the day 1-4 with one strikeout. His single came in the third inning in his first at-bat of the game. While the Scorpions would score a run in this inning, it wasn’t Turner, as he was erased on a double-play to the next batter. On Thursday, Turner again reached base once in four plate appearances, going 0-3 with a walk. The walk came in his first at-bat in the second inning, but he would only get as far as second base before the end of the inning. Turner again flashed his defense in the seventh inning, when he cut down another runner attempting to steal second. Turner ended his AFL season with an offensive line of .171/.306/.220 in twelve games. Mitch Garver – 1 game, 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K’s. With the short week, Garver only played in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Peoria, batting ninth In that game, Garver doubled in his first at-bat, to bring in the second run of the inning and give Scottsdale the early 2-0 lead. In his other two at bats on the day, Garver went down swinging. In twelve games played on the AFL season, Garver finished with a .317/.404/.512 line, putting up a good offensive showing in limited action. Nick Burdi – 1 game, 1 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 1 BB, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Burdi kept his perfect ERA intact in the season’s final week, appearing in just one game, Tuesday’s 8-2 win, finishing the ninth inning for the Scorpions. He walked the first batter of the inning (giving him a total of one walk in the AFL slate), but would strike out the next two hitters and pop out in foul territory to end the game. In eight appearances on the AFL season, pitching one inning each outing, Burdi allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eleven, to finish the year with a 0.38 WHIP. Those numbers provide a strong case for consideration in the Twins bullpen early in 2016. Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 1.1 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Hildenberger also saw action in just one game of the season’s final week, and again he pitched more than just one inning. His appearance game in Tuesday’s 8-2 win, and was the first reliever into the game after starter Austin Kubitz went four innings. In the fifth inning, Hildenberger made swift, dominant work of the Javelina’s lineup, setting them down one-two-three on a called third strike, and two more swinging strike three’s. He was then asked to get just one out in the sixth, which he did with a groundball to the shortstop. He was then relieved by lefty Phil McCormick of the Giants organization to combat two lefties coming up next in the lineup. Hildenberger finished second on the Scorpions roster in innings pitched by a reliever with 12.2 ininings in eight appearances. He allowed three runs on thirteen hits, did not walk a single batter, and racked up twelve strikeouts on the AFL season. He only added to the shine on his prospect status out of the bullpen, and may have earned a starting place for 2016 in AA with an outside chance of surfacing in the majors if he keeps up his dominant paces from prior seasons at the higher levels. Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.1 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 2 K’s. 0.00 ERA. Reed made appearances in Monday’s loss, and Thursday’s win during the week. On Monday, Reed entered the game in the eighth inning in a tough spot despite there being two outs as the prior pitcher had just walked Jurickson Profa, Gary Sanchez, and Bubba Starling to load the bases. He shut down the threat by getting a fielder’s choice ground ball and would stay in the game for the ninth. He allowed a one-out single, but a strikeout and ground out followed to finish the game for Scottsdale. On Wednesday, Reed again finished the game for the Scorpions, closing out the ninth inning of their 5-0 shutout win. It didn’t start out the best, as the leadoff man singled and he walked the next batter, but a groundball double play put an end to any threat to the game, and a strikeout shut the door on the game. In 10.2 innings on the AFL season, Reed allowed two runs (both unearned) on six hits and four walks, while striking out ten in 10.2 innings. It was the second straight year of fantastic performance for Reed in the AFL, and he’ll likely look to keep that going in AA this time to start 2016. Taylor Rogers – Did not pitch. Rogers did not pitch during the season’s final week, but that was likely by design as the team finished the season as the West Division winners with a spot in the AFL title game. He of course, was the starting pitcher for Scottsdale in that game. Daniel Palka - 2 games, 0-7, RBI, 4 K's. Palka, the recent power hitting trade acquisition of the Twins for catcher Chris Herrmann, also was playing in the AFL for the Salt River Rafters. He saw action in two games on the week but outside of an sac fly RBI, didn't have much success. He was 0-3 with the sac fly RBI and a strikeout on Tuesday in 4-2 Salt River win. On Wednesday, he was 0-4 with three strikeouts to pick up a sombrero. Palka finished the AFL season with a .278/.330/.444 line in twenty-two games. He collected six doubles, three home runs, seventeen RBI, and four stolen bases in five chances. AFL Championship Game: Box Score As mentioned, with Taylor Rogers’ stellar performance on the season for Scottsdale, he got the start on the mound in the championship game. He did his part, pitching three scoreless innings, and the Scorpions lineup gave them a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth after he was done. It was a one-two-three first inning for Rogers, and after a leadoff single an error put a runner in scoring position, got a soft line drive out to second base against Bubba Starling, and struck out Dustin Fowler to end the threat and keep the game scoreless. A two-out double in the third inning again put a runner in scoring position, but Rogers got a groundball to end his final inning with a clean line. He finished his day with no runs allowed on two hits, and struck out two. It was errors from Surprise’s defense that got the Scorpions on the board in the fourth inning, as the first two hitters reached base on misplays. After a fielder’s choice ground ball and double to score the game’s first run, Adam Brett Walker delivered an RBI single to make the score 2-0 Scottsdale. A sac fly would plate the innings third run, and Stuart Turner was struck out for the final out of the frame. Trevor Hildenberger was the first pitcher out of the bullpen in relief of Rogers, and he set the lineup down in order, including one strikeout. Scottsdale added a fourth run in the fifth inning to take the 4-0 lead, but Surprise would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1. Walker would go down swinging in a scoreless sixth, and Turner also went down swinging in the top of the seventh while the game stayed at the same score. In the bottom of the seventh, Surprise got itself back into the game after a leadoff single, error, and another single made it 4-2. A sac fly followed to make it 4-3, then another single followed by a fly-out put runners on first and third with two outs. A call to the bullpen shut the door with Jurickson Profar at the plate, who grounded out to short to end the inning and preserve the lead. In the top of the eighth, Adam Brett Walker stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third and a chance to add some needed insurance runs. Some people say Walker is a clutch hitter, and he proved their point in this at-bat with a double to left field that scored both runners and put the Scorpions out front 6-3. It was then Twins prospects whom Scottsdale Manager Matt Quatraro called on to preserve their Championship Game lead. It was Jake Reed in the eighth, and though he walked that Gary Sanchez from the Yankees guy to start the frame, he struck out the next three hitters in swinging fashion to punctuate his season. Then for the ninth inning and the save opportunity, it was fireballer Nick Burdi. The first batter took him deep to right field for Burdi’s first run allowed in the AFL on the season and made the score 6-4, but an easy ground ball to first base, a looking strikeout, foul pop-out ended the game with a Championship for Scottsdale. The save was also Burdi’s first on the AFL season. Walker finished the game 2-4 with a double and three big RBI’s, along with two strikeouts. Turner was 0-4 with two strikeouts. It was quite the season for Walker, Turner, Reed, and Burdi, who will collect their second championship ring on the season, after the Chattanooga Lookouts won the Southern League Championship during the regular season. It was also Rogers’ and Burdi’s second AFL Championship, as the Salt River Rafters team they played with in 2014 also won the league’s title. As for Adam Brett Walker, it’s hard not to label him as simply a “winner.” Walker has taken home a League Championship in Elizabethton, Fort Myers, Chattanooga, and now the Arizona Fall League. Congratulations to all the Twins prospects, Scottsdale and Chattanooga Lookouts hitting coach Chad Allen, and the rest of the Scottsdale Scorpions roster, on their 2015 AFL Championship! Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

This seems like an odd bunch aside from Walker, Chargois, and Rogers... I think the Twins are gonna lose a few of the guys they didn't protect.

I don't think Dean will be selected, and if he is, I wouldn't feel too bad. I'd take Rogers in the only role that either of them have the opportunity to fill with the Twins 10 out of 10 times, and that's lefty specialist in the 'pen. So I'd protect Rogers, Walker, Chargois, Michael, and Harrison.

Hildenberger was fantastic all season... He was the Twins Daily MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Year and lights out for Cedar Rapids for most of it (0.80 ERA, 0.64 WHIP). He wasn't as good in his 19 innings at Fort Myers, but still fantastic (3.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP). I think his stint in the AFL is a measure of if what he's done to this point at the lower levels of the system is sustainable for him as he moves up. So far so good.