Steve Lein

Yes, I would say he's better defensively than Gordon. He's got a good amount of "flash" that Gordon doesn't, and that's your difference. Is also what makes Gordon rate "above average" on scouting scales, and Vielma "Plus" to "Plus-Plus" when it comes to defense. I've watched both of them play. Multiple times, and in multiple locations. Come down to spring training with us sometime, or go to the MiLB's field near to us in Minnesota. You'll see things!!!

The Minnesota Twins got to Orioles closer Zach Britton on Sunday, and stole a 4-3 win in extra innings thanks to some early help from the bat of Miguel Sano (11th HR in first inning), and late help from the defense of Baltimore (2 errors in the 12th inning) to move back to .500. In the minors on Sunday two affiliates had trouble producing offense, starting pitching was a struggle throughout, including one game from a top lefty, and one game was rained out. Overall the Twins affiliates were just 1-3 on the day. To find out how it all went down, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 4 Box Score The Rochester lineup made little of their opportunities on Sunday, and they didn’t have many of them. As a team they totaled only five hits, were 1-7 with runners in scoring position, and left six men on base. Kenny Vargas was responsible for their two runs on the day, as he blasted a two-run home run in the ninth inning. He was 2-4 on the day and the only Red Wings hitter with multiple hits. Carlos Paulino added a double. On the mound for the Red Wings, lefty Taylor Rogers was solid but got handed his eleventh loss of the season. He went 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and one walk, while striking out nine. A.J. Achter came on in the seventh, and finished the games 1.1 innings. He allowed one hit. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Tennessee @ Chattanooga (postponed) The Lookouts matchup with the Smokies was rained out on Sunday afternoon. The game will be made up on Monday in a double-header in Chattanooga. MIRACLE MATTERS Jupiter 4, Fort Myers 1 Box Score Just like their AAA brothers, the Miracle weren’t able to muster much offense. Their lone run came in the eighth inning when Engelb Vielma led off the frame with a walk. That was followed by a Ryan Walker single and a Mitch Garver walk to load the bases with nobody out. After a pitching change, three consecutive strikeouts killed the rally, and the lone run came on a strike-three wild pitch with Jason Kanzler up to bat. Logan Wade collected two singles, but no other hitter had more than one hit or an extra-base hit on the day. As a team Fort Myers was 0-6 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. Stephen Gonsalves made the start for the Miracle, but only made it through four innings with a high pitch count as he didn’t appear to be his normal self. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks, while striking out only one. The loss made him 6-2 on the season with Fort Myers. Jake Reed pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Zach Jones added 1.2 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out two; and Trevor Hildenberger finished the final 1.1 hitless innings without allowing a baserunner. He struck out two as well. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Clinton 11 Box Score The Kernels jumped out to the first lead of the game, but didn’t hold it for long. A double from Austin Diemer and single from T.J. White put them up 2-0 after the top of the third inning, but things unraveled quickly for starter Randy LeBlanc after that. Clinton scored one in the bottom of the third, two in the fourth to take the lead, and eight in the fifth to never look back. LeBlanc came out for the fifth inning, but wouldn’t record an out and left with the bases loaded. In four innings, he allowed seven earned runs on six hits and two walks. Two of those hits were home runs. Jared Wilson didn’t fare much better, but finally finished the eight run fifth inning. He allowed four earned runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out two. Yorman Landa kept the LumberKings off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings, allowing two hits and walking one, with two strikeouts. John Curtiss finished the final inning, allowing one hit. The Kernels managed to add a run in the fifth, three in the eighth, and another in the ninth to make the score respectable, but it was never that close. White (3-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI) and Alex Real (2-4, R, 3B, RBI) had multiple hits on the game. Nick Gordon was 1-4 with a double, but also walked once, stole his twenty-fourth base, and scored three runs in the loss. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 8, Greeneville 6 Box Score Elizabethton took the early lead, and held on to improve their record to 31-27 on Sunday, one game back of the Appalachian League West division leading Kingsport Mets with eight games left to play in the regular season. The face the Mets in a three game series later in the week with obvious playoff implications. On this day, the Twins got the scoring started in the second inning. A.J. Murray led off with a double and scored on a single from Lewin Diaz. Later in the inning, a hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases, and Jermaine Palacios delivered a two-out two-run single to make it 3-0 Twins. They would add another run in the third on a sac fly from Rainis Silva to score Murray, and then went off for four more runs in the fourth. Kamran Young led off the fourth with a walk and scored on a Manuel Guzman double. Guzman came into score on a LaMonte Wade single. Then Wade and Murray would scamper home on a single from Travis Blankenhorn to reach their final tally. Miles Nordgren made the start for Elizabethton, and pitched five innings to pick up the win. He allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk. He struck out four. Logan Lombana pitched into the eighth inning. He allowed one run on three hits in 2.2 innings, striking out one. Kuo Hua Lo picked up his seventh save on the year by pitching the final 1.1 innings. He struck out three.’ Five hitter in the Elizabethton lineup had multiple hits on the day, including Palacios (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Wade (2-5, R, RBI), Murray (2-4, 3 R’s, 2B, BB), Diaz (2-4, R, RBI), and Blankenhorn (2-5, 2 RBI). GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They play a home and home double-header vs. the GCL Rays Monday morning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Fort Myers Bullpen: Jake Reed (2 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Zack Jones (1.2 IP, 0 H’s, 2 K’s), Trevor Hildenberger (1.1 IP, 0 H’s, 2 K’s) Hitter of the Day – T.J. White, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (6:05PM CST) – LHP Logan Darnell (3-1, 3.54 ERA) Tennessee @ Chattanooga (4:15PM CST) – Game 1: LHP David Hurlbut (8-6, 4.03 ERA), Game 2: TBD Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (6-7, 3.21 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids(6:35 PM CST) – RHP Keaton Steele (4-4, 3.36 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (6:00 PM CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (9:00 AM CST) – Game 1: TBD, Game 2: TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

Thanks for writing this. I mentioned this about him in my 8/16 MiLB report. Keith Law was super high on him two years ago, had him at #11 for Twins prospects. We know he's the best defensive SS in the system, and it's probably not all that close. But he entered June hitting under .200 and is now at .280. That's flat-out an amazing turnaround. Nearly .350 in June, nearly .340 in July, and around .380 in August. That certainly should make anyone notice.

Interesting side conversation... That article doesn't match data I've pulled before but I don't remember exactly the data set I was looking at. Can't remember if it was all balls hit to the OF, or all batted balls in general. Either way, my percentages came out to 22.5% toward LF, 57.1% toward CF, and 20.4% toward RF... Other interesting data for that particular year, was that RH-hitters "pulled" (to LF) 26.5% of all batted balls, and "pushed" (to RF) 16.2% of them. LH-hitters "pulled" (to RF) 25.9%, and "pushed" (to LF) 17.3%. Anyway, I don't know why you'd want Hicks in LF and Rosario in RF, though. Hicks has a significantly better arm, which is why RF makes the most sense for him. The longest throw in the field you have to consider when it comes to an arm is RF to 3B (i.e.: a LF-er is almost never throwing the ball to 1B).

I asked Baseball America this exact question a year or so ago. They left off some of my key questions about it, but do a good job describing how the minor league players are protected. Basic jist, is there are "reserve rosters" at each level that function the same way the MLB 40-man roster does: http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/ask-ba-2/

Tommy Milone’s return to the Twins rotation and a home run off the bad of Trevor Plouffe gave them a series victory in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon, and brought Minnesota’s record on the season back above .500. In the minors, it took a superb day from a (or the) top prospect in Rochester to bring them a win in extra innings,multiple hitters powered Chattanooga to a blowout win at home, and a dynamite start from a pitcher with a hitters name gave Fort Myers an easy win on the road. There were also two other “walk-off” games on the day as well. To find out how it all went down, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2, Rochester 3 (12 innings) Box Score It took twelve innings Sunday afternoon, but the Red Wings managed a walk-off win despite being out-hit 13-8 on the day and receiving little support from most of the lineup. The RailRiders took the an early 2-0 lead off Rochester starter David Hurlbut, scoring a run in each of the first two innings, but that would be it for the game. Hurlbut finished 6.2 innings, allowing just the two runs on nine hits while striking out two. Alex Meyer would bring the Red Wings into extra innings, finishing the seventh and four more scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and two walks, while striking out four. Mark Hamburger picked up the win by tossing a scoreless twelfth inning despite allowing two hits. He struck out two. Leading the offense for the Red Wings was Byron Buxton from the leadoff spot. He was 3-6 on the day with his first AAA home run, a solo shot in the fifth inning to tie the game at two. James Beresford also picked up three hits from the two-hole, and Kennys Vargas and Danny Ortiz each drew two walks. The rest of the lineup managed just two hits and one walk. In the bottom of the twelfth Jose Martinez led off the inning with a single and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Carlos Paulino. That brought the top of the order and Buxton back up to the plate. On a 2-0 pitch, he sent a line drive single into center field to bring home Martinez and start the extra-inning walk-off win celebration. Buxton has hit safely in all 11 of his AAA games to this point, owning a .404 batting average and has collected multiple hits in five games. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Tennessee 4, Chattanooga 11 Box Score The Lookouts found themselves down 4-1 after the top of the fifth inning, but after the bottom of the seventh found themselves in front by seven. Left-hander Jason Wheeler got the start and finished five tough innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two. He even picked up his third AA win of the year thanks to the offense after his day was done. Alex Wimmers pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three, and D.J. Johnson and J.T. Chargois each added a scoreless inning. The Chattanooga offense worked ten walks and combined those free passes with twelve hits to rout the Smokies. Max Kepler continued to be Max Kepler, ending his game 3-4 with two runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs. Not to be overshadowed, Niko Goodrum scored three runs while also collecting three hits, including his fourth triple and fourth home run, a two-run blast in the seventh inning. He drove in four. Travis Harrison was the only batter in the lineup to not collect a hit, but did reach base three times via walk. Adam Brett Walker scored two runs and drew two walks while ending his day 1-3. Kepler is near the top of the leaderboard in the Southern League in runs scored (2nd), hits (5th), doubles (2nd), triples (1st, tied with Buxton), total bases (2nd, behind Walker), on-base percentage (1st), slugging percentage (1st), batting average (1st), and OPS (1st). He also has sixteen stolen bases, forty-eight walks compared to just fifty-three strikeouts, and fifty-six RBI. This is the type of overall season from the young German that wins Minor League Player of the Year awards. Bask in its glory! MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Charlotte 1 Box Score The Miracle jumped out to an early lead and never had to look back in this one thanks to their starting pitcher. In the second inning, a double from Logan Wade, walk from Michael Quesada, and single from Tanner Vavra brought Engelb Vielma to the plate with one run in and runners on first and second base. Vielma then “cleared” the bases with an infield single and an throwing error to make the score 3-0. Fort Myers added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning after Vavra and Vielma singled to start the inning, and were brought home on a Jason Kanzler triple. Vielma was 4-5 on the day and has raised his average to .280 on the season with the Miracle. Quite an accomplishment when you discover he was hitting below .200 entering the month of June. But he hit .346 that month, then followed it by hitting .338 in July, and is at .380 so far in August. In his last ten, he’s hitting .425. Mat Batts was sensational on the mound for Fort Myers to pick up his seventh Florida State League win. In eight innings, he allowed just a solo home run and three other hits, while striking out nine. He retired the first eight batters of the game before giving up a hit, and then proceeded to strike out the next three hitters. Charlotte had just one opportunity with runners in scoring position on the game due to his dominance. Todd Van Steensel pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing two hits and striking out one. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Fort Wayne 7 (10 innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids scored four runs in the seventh inning to take the lead in this one 4-1, and added two more insurance runs in the eighth to enter the bottom of the ninth inning on the road up 6-1. For TinCaps fans, it turned into the type of game you regret leaving early. For Kernels fans, that means it turned into a disappointing loss. Randy LeBlanc started the game for Cedar Rapids, and went four innings allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three. Luke Bard and Nick Anderson threw two scoreless innings apiece, each allowing a hit. Bard struck out two and Anderson struck out three. The four runs in the seventh inning came after an Austin Diemer double scored two, a Pat Kelly single scored Diemer, and a Rafael Valera double scored Brian Navaretto. A triple from Diemer in the eighth added another run, and he was brought home on a Navaretto single to make the score 6-1. In the ninth inning, John Curtis was summoned to finish the game for the Kernels. As alluded to earlier, he was not able to. A single and back-to-back home runs made the score 6-4, then consecutive walks with two outs would bring Yorman Landa into the game. The first batter he faced singled to bring in two more runs and tie the game before he got the third out to send it to extra innings. Landa remained in the game for the tenth inning, but ran into immediate trouble after a throwing error from third baseman T.J. White put the winning run on base to start the inning. A groundout moved him to second base, and a wild pitch put him ninety feet away for the TinCaps game-winning single. Cedar Rapids got two hits from Alex Real (2-5, 2 R’s, BB) and Diemer (2-4, 2 R’s, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) and two-RBI from Valera (1-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) to lead their offense. E-TOWN E-NOTES Danville 5, Elizabethton 6 Box Score As opposed to their Midwest League cousins, the E-Twins were able to give their fans a comeback walk-off victory on Sunday despite being outhit 11-7 on total hits and 6-0 on extra-base hits. Danville scored two runs in the first inning and one in the second jump out to a 3-0 lead against Twins starter Miles Nordgren. He would finish 3.1 innings on the day but no further damage. In the bottom of the second Elizabethton tied it at three after a bases-loaded walk to Daniel Kihle scored one, and an Alex Perez single scored two more. The game would remain tied until the seventh inning when the Twins took a 4-3 lead after Manuel Guzman came around to score from first base after a throwing error. C.K. Irby had pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to get Elizabethton to that point, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four, but was replaced by Jose Abreu to start the eighth. He was greeted by a lead-off double, and one out later a two-run home run to put Danville back in front 5-4. The Twins managed to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, as LaMonte Wade reached on another Danville error, and singles from Travis Blankenhorn and Brian Olson were enough to get him home. Abreu made it interesting in the top of the ninth inning, but got a ground ball double play to end the threat and bring the home team back up to the plate. Guzman got them started with a leadoff single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. An intentional walk to Perez was followed by a walk from Wade to load the bases for A.J. Murray. His line drive to right field brought home the game winner for the home team. Guzman led the team with three hits on the day (3-4, 3 R’s) and was the only hitter in the lineup with multiple hits. Wade drew three walks and scored a run. GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They host the GCL Orioles Monday morning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 8 IP, 4 H’s, 1 R, 0 BB’s, 9 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Niko Goodrum, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-5, 3 R’s, 3B, HR, 4 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers (8-10, 3.90 ERA) Chattanooga - Scheduled day off. Charlotte @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.34 ERA) Cedar Rapids – Scheduled day off. Danville @ Elizabethton (6:00 PM CST) – RHP Andro Cutura (2-2, 1.23 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Tommy Milone’s return to the Twins rotation and a home run off the bad of Trevor Plouffe gave them a series victory in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon, and brought Minnesota’s record on the season back above .500. In the minors, it took a superb day from a (or the) top prospect in Rochester to bring them a win in extra innings, multiple hitters powered Chattanooga to a blowout win at home, and a dynamite start from a pitcher with a hitters name gave Fort Myers an easy win on the road. There were also two other “walk-off” games on the day as well. To find out how it all went down, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2, Rochester 3 (12 innings) Box Score It took twelve innings Sunday afternoon, but the Red Wings managed a walk-off win despite being out-hit 13-8 on the day and receiving little support from most of the lineup. The RailRiders took the an early 2-0 lead off Rochester starter David Hurlbut, scoring a run in each of the first two innings, but that would be it for the game. Hurlbut would finish 6.2 innings, allowing just the two runs on nine hits while striking out two. Alex Meyer would bring the Red Wings into extra innings, finishing the seventh and four more scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and two walks, while striking out four. Mark Hamburger picked up the win by tossing a scoreless twelfth inning despite allowing two hits. He struck out two. Leading the offense for the Red Wings was Byron Buxton from the leadoff spot. He was 3-6 on the day with his first AAA home run, a solo shot in the fifth inning to tie the game at two. James Beresford also picked up three hits from the two-hole, and Kennys Vargas and Danny Ortiz each drew two walks. The rest of the lineup managed just two more hits and one walk. In the bottom of the twelfth Jose Martinez led off the inning with a single and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Carlos Paulino. That brought the top of the order and Buxton back up to the plate. On a 2-0 pitch, he sent a line drive single into center field to bring home Martinez and start the extra-inning-walk-off-win celebration. Buxton has hit safely in all 11 of his AAA games to this point, owning a .404 batting average and has collected multiple hits in five games. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Tennessee 4, Chattanooga 11 Box Score The Lookouts found themselves down 4-1 after the top of the fifth inning, but after the bottom of the seventh would find themselves in front by seven. Lefthander Jason Wheeler got the start and finished five tough innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two. He even picked up his third AA win of the year thanks to the offense after his day was done. Alex Wimmers pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three, and D.J. Johnson and J.T. Chargois each added a scoreless inning. The Chattanooga offense worked ten walks and combined those free passes with twelve hits to route the Smokies. Max Kepler continued to be Max Kepler, ending his game 3-4 with two runs scored, two doubles, and two RBI. Not to be overshadowed, Niko Goodrum scored three runs while also collecting three hits, including his fourth triple and fourth home run, a two-run blast in the seventh inning. He drove in four. Travis Harrison was the only batter in the lineup to not collect a hit, but did reach base three times via walk. Adam Brett Walker scored two runs and drew two walks while ending his day 1-3. Kepler is near the top of the leaderboard in the Southern League in runs scored (2nd), hits (5th), doubles (2nd), triples (1st, tied with Buxton), total bases (2nd, behind Walker), on-base percentage (1st), slugging percentage (1st), batting average (1st), and OPS (1st). He also has sixteen stolen bases, forty-eight walks compared to just fifty-three strikeouts, and fifty-six RBI. This is the type of overall season from the young German that wins Minor League Player of the Year awards. Bask in its glory! MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Charlotte 1 Box Score The Miracle jumped out to an early lead and never had to look back in this one thanks to their starting pitcher. In the second inning, a double from Logan Wade, walk from Michael Quesada, and single from Tanner Vavra would bring Engelb Vielma to the plate with one run in and runners on first and second base. Vielma then “cleared” the bases with an infield single and an throwing error to make the score 3-0. Fort Myers added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning after Vavra and Vielma singled to start the inning, and were brought home on a Jason Kanzler triple. Vielma was 4-5 on the day and has raised his average to .280 on the season with the Miracle. Quite an accomplishment when you discover he was hitting below .200 entering the month of June. But he hit .346 that month, then followed it by hitting .338 in July, and is at .380 so far in August. In his last ten, he’s hitting .425. Mat Batts was sensational on the mound for Fort Myers to pick up his seventh Florida State League win. In eight innings, he allowed just a solo home run and three other hits, while striking out nine. He retired the first eight batters of the game before giving up a hit, and then proceeded to strike out the next three hitters. Charlotte had just one opportunity with runners in scoring position on the game due to his dominance. Todd Van Steensel pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing two hits and striking out one. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Fort Wayne 7 (10 innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids scored four runs in the seventh inning to take the lead in this one 4-1, and added two more insurance runs in the eighth to enter the bottom of the ninth inning on the road up 6-1. For TinCaps fans, it turned into the type of game you regret for leaving early. For Kernels fans, that means it turned into a disappointing loss. Randy LeBlanc started the game for Cedar Rapids, and went four innings allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three. Luke Bard and Nick Anderson threw two scoreless innings apiece, each allowing a hit. Bard struck out two and Anderson struck out three. The four runs in the seventh inning came after an Austin Diemer double scored two, a Pat Kelly single scored Diemer, and a Rafael Valera double scored Brian Navaretto. A triple from Diemer in the eighth added another run, and he was brought home on a Navaretto single to make the score 6-1. In the ninth inning, John Curtis was summoned to finish the game for the Kernels. As alluded to earlier, he was not able to. A single and back-to-back home runs would make the score 6-4, then consecutive walks with two outs would bring Yorman Landa into the game. The first batter he faced singled to bring in two more runs and tie the game before he got the third out to send it to extra-innings. Landa remained in the game for the tenth inning, but ran into immediate trouble after a throwing error from third baseman T.J. White put the winning run on base to start the inning. A groundout moved him to second base, and a wild pitch put him ninety feet away for the TinCaps game-winning single. Cedar Rapids got two hits from Alex Real (2-5, 2 R’s, BB) and Diemer (2-4, 2 R’s, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) and two-RBI from Valera (1-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) to lead their offense. E-TOWN E-NOTES Danville 5, Elizabethton 6 Box Score As opposed to their Midwest League cousins, the E-Twins were able to give their fans a comeback walk-off victory on Sunday despite being outhit 11-7 on total hits and 6-0 on extra-base hits. Danville scored two runs in the first inning and one in the second jump out to a 3-0 lead against Twins starter Miles Nordgren. He would finish 3.1 innings on the day but no further damage. In the bottom of the second Elizabethton tied it at three after a bases loaded walk to Daniel Kihle scored one, and an Alex Perez single scored two more. The game would remain tied until the seventh inning when the Twins took a 4-3 lead after Manuel Guzman came around to score from first base after a throwing error. C.K. Irby had pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to get Elizabethton to that point, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four, but was replaced by Jose Abreu to start the eighth. He was greeted by a leadoff double, and one out later a two-run home run to put Danville back in front 5-4. The Twins managed to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, as LaMonte Wade reached on another Danville error, and singles from Travis Blankenhorn and Brian Olson were enough to get him home. Abreu made it interesting in the top of the ninth inning, but got a ground ball double play to end the threat and bring the home team back up to the plate. Guzman got them started with a leadoff single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. An intentional walk to Perez was followed by a walk from Wade to load the bases for A.J. Murray. His line drive to right field brought home the game winner for the home team. Guzman led the team with three hits on the day (3-4, 3 R’s) and was the only hitter in the lineup with multiple hits. Wade drew three walks and scored a run. GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They host the GCL Orioles Monday morning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 8 IP, 4 H’s, 1 R, 0 BB’s, 9 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Niko Goodrum, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-5, 3 R’s, 3B, HR, 4 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers (8-10, 3.90 ERA) Chattanooga - Scheduled day off. Charlotte @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.34 ERA) Cedar Rapids – Scheduled day off. Danville @ Elizabethton (6:00 PM CST) – RHP Andro Cutura (2-2, 1.23 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

The human element of the pitcher/hitter/umpire interactions, is one of the most important strategic and fundamental aspects of playing the game of baseball to me. I am 100% against robot-umpires. Now, there certainly should be a better way to hold the umpires accountable.

Mike Pelfrey battled with Hisashi Iwakuma Sunday afternoon at Target Field, and Brian Dozier’s ninth inning home run to tie the game at one was the Minnesota Twins first earned run against Iwakuma in his career, a streak lasting 42.0 innings (they did have two unearned). But the bullpen wasn’t able to hold off the Mariners in extra innings and they fell 4-1 to split the series. In the minors on Sunday, there was little offense except for one guy in a Florida State League double-header, a lefty in Rochester was brilliant, and the Elizabethton and Chattanooga lineups produced big run totals.To catch up on everything that happened, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse 0, Rochester 6 Box Score Five runs in the third inning were more than enough to carry the Red Wings on Sunday, as lefty Pat Dean was in control throughout. He retired the first nine hitters, before issuing a walk to start the fourth. It may have been because he was in the dugout for too long, as the Rochester lineup brought eight men to the plate in the bottom of the third. Doug Bernier led off with a single, Danny Santana reached on an error, and James Beresford singled to load the bases. Two outs later, a Danny Ortiz walk scored the inning's first run, and it was followed with a grand slam from Xavier Avery, his first as a Red Wing, to put them up 5-0 Dean scattered just four hits and another walk the rest of the way, and finished the complete game shutout with a one-two-three ninth inning that included two strikeouts to hit double digits in K’s for the first time this season. He also lowered his ERA under three for the season. In his last four starts Dean has completed at least seven innings, going 2-2 in those games with just five earned runs allowed on twenty-eight hits and 7 BB’s in 32 total innings. His 10 strikeouts on the day exceeded his total of nine in the prior three games. Rochester added their sixth run in the sixth inning, when Beresford drove in Eric Farris with a single. Beresford was 2-4 on the day with an RBI and Reynaldo Rodriguez had two hits including a double to support the Avery slam. Oswaldo Arcia was 0-3 on the day with a strikeout and a hit-by-pitch. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Jackson 2 Box Score On the mound for the Lookouts on Sunday was left-hander Brett Lee looking for his second win of the year in the Southern League. He tossed the first six innings with- out allowing a run, scattering five hits and a walk with four strikeouts to end up with the win. Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the top of third when Jairo Rodriguez led off with a double and moved to third on a Shannon Wilkerson single. An errant pick-off throw allowed Rodriguez to score. They added multiple runs in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to go up 8-0. The two in the sixth came courtesy of two walks, two wild pitches, and a sac fly. The three in the seventh by way of two singles, two errors and a sac fly. Then two more runs in the eighth brought in by two walks, two singles and two wild pitches. The eight runs on the scoreboard were more than Chattanooga’s six hits, due largely to the ten walks drawn, three Jackson errors and six(!) wild pitches. Wilkerson and Rodriguez had multi-hit and multi-run games. Stephen Wickens scored two runs and Jorge Polanco added two RBI.s Adam Brett Walker II drew three walks, giving him nine free passes in his last ten games. Alex Muren came on to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, and allowed one run on three hits that included a solo home run. He struck out one. Tim Shibuya came on for the ninth and also gave up a solo home run, but finished the 8-2 victory. Chattanooga improved to 13-20 overall in the second half of the Southern League season, and have won five of their last eight. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 0, Daytona 3 Box Score In game one of their Sunday double-header, the Fort Myers offense was nowhere to be found outside of anyone not named Aderlin Mejia. He had both of their two hits, both doubles. They did manage three walks, but were 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Starter Aaron Slegers was knocked around for three runs in the first inning, but settled down to shut the Tortugas out the rest of the way. For the final five innings he allowed just one more hit and one walk, which started the second inning. He then retired the final fifteen men he faced in a row. In six total innings Slegers allowed four hits and one walk, while striking out five but the lack of run support saddled him with the loss and a now 8-6 record on the year with the Miracle. Game 2: Fort Myers 0, Daytona 1 Box Score The second seven inning game of the day was also a pitcher’s duel, with both teams remaining scoreless into the final inning. Aderlin Mejia didn’t have all of the Miracle’s hits in this game, but the one he did was another double. If not for a runner being picked off first base beforehand, it might have driven in a run in the third inning. The rest of the lineup managed just three hits, all singles, and were unable to string anything together. They again left six men on base and had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position in this one. Ryan Eades started for the Miracle, and went the first five. He allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out three. Corey Williams pitched a scoreless sixth, walking one. It was then Todd Van Steensel’s turn in the bottom of the seventh. He was greeted with a double to put the winning run in scoring position. Daytona bunted him to third, then an intentional walk set up the potential for a double-play ball. Instead, a single to right field brought home the walk-off winner for the Tortugas. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 5 Box Score Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning as Tyler Kuresa and Brian Navarreto collected RBI singles and Rafael Valera added an RBI fielder’s choice. Luke Westphal made the start for the Kernels and pitched the first three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and one walk, and struck out three. Randy LeBlanc then came in for the next three and two-thirds innings, and it was the final two-thirds that were troublesome. In the seventh a double with one out put a runner in scoring position, and a single to center brought him home. LeBlanc got the second out with a groundout, but an RBI single and RBI double put Kane County out front 4-3 and brought in Cameron Booser from the bullpen. Another single made it 5-3 before Booser got a strikeout to end the inning. The Kernels got one of the runs back in the eighth as Edgar Corcino slugged his third home run of the season to right field. They then got the tying run in scoring position in the ninth when Navarreto doubled with one out, but an Austin Diemer strikeout and Valera ground out ended the game. Navarreto (2-3, 2B, RBI, BB) and Brett Doe (2-4, R) each had two hits in the loss for the Kernels. E-TOWN E-NOTES Burlington 6, Elizabethton 13 Box Score Burlington scored early, getting four runs in the top of the first, but Elizabethton was quick to respond with a two-run home run from Chris Paul to answer in the bottom half. The Twins took the lead back for good in the bottom of the second. Amaury Minier led off with a single, Brian Olson drew a walk, and Nelson Molina singled to load the bases with one out. Jermaine Palacios then brought in a run with a sac fly, and the bases stayed loaded when it was dropped for an error. An Alex Perez walk tied the game at four, then a LaMonte Wade (University of Maryland draftee) walk gave them the lead 5-4. A potential double-play ball to end the inning then went awry for Burlington, allowing two more to score. The Twins added a single run in the fourth on a single from Wade to score Perez who had doubled, and two runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings courtesy of home runs from Palacios and Olson. Their 13th and final run came in the eighth on an RBI double from Wade, again scoring Perez. After his 26 game stay at the GCL Twins and posting a 1.06 OPS there, Palacios in his three games for the Elizabethton Twins has posted an OPS of 1.47 (SSS warning). After the four-run first inning, starter Onesimo Hernandez recovered to go three scoreless. In his four innings on the day he allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out three. Logan Lombana was the first in relief and picked up the win with one run allowed on two hits and a walk in 3.1 innings. He struck out two. Jose Abreu finish the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits. Wade (3-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Paul (2-5, R, HR, 3 RBI), and Molina (2-4, 2 R’s) each had multiple hits on the day. Palacios also added three RBI. Travis Blankenhorn was the only hitter on the day to not reach base or score a run for the home team. The win moved Elizabethton a game in front of Burlington in the standings, and one win shy of a .500 record at 19-20. GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They travel to play the GCL Orioles on Monday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings (CG-SO, W, 9 IP, 4 H’s, 0 R’s, 1 BB, 10 K’s) Hitter of the Day – LaMonte Wade, Elizabethton Twins (3-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB’s) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (5:35 PM CST) – TBD Chattanooga @ Jackson (7:05M CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (4-2, 4.10 ERA) Fort Myers – Scheduled day off. Cedar Rapids – Scheduled day off. Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 PM CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren (0-2, 1.07 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Mike Pelfrey battled with Hisashi Iwakuma Sunday afternoon at Target Field, and Brian Dozier’s ninth inning home run to tie the game at one was the Minnesota Twins first earned run against Iwakuma in his career, a streak lasting 42.0 innings (they did have two unearned). But the bullpen wasn’t able to hold off the Mariners in extra innings and they fell 4-1 to split the series. In the minors on Sunday, there was little offense except for one guy in a Florida State League double-header, a lefty in Rochester was brilliant, and the Elizabethton and Chattanooga lineups produced big run totals. To catch up on everything that happened, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse 0, Rochester 6 Box Score Five runs in the third inning were more than enough to carry the Red Wings on Sunday, as lefty Pat Dean was in control throughout. He retired the first nine hitters in a row, before issuing a walk to start the fourth. It may have been because he was in the dugout for too long, as the Rochester lineup brought eight men to the plate in the bottom of the third. Doug Bernier led off with a single, Danny Santana reached on an error, and James Beresford singled to load the bases. Two outs later, a Danny Ortiz walk scored the innings first run, and it was followed with a grand slam from Xavier Avery, his first as a Red Wing to put them up 5-0 Dean scattered just four hits and another walk the rest of the way, and finished the complete game shut-out with a one-two-three ninth inning that included two strikeouts to hit double digits in K’s for the first time this season. He also lowered his ERA under three for the season. In his last four starts Dean has completed at least seven innings, going 2-2 in those games with just five earned runs allowed on twenty-eight hits and 7 BB’s in 32 total innings. His ten strikeouts on the day exceeded his total of nine in the prior three games. Rochester added their sixth run in the sixth inning, when Beresford drove in Eric Farris with a single. Beresford was 2-4 on the day with an RBI, and Reynaldo Rodriguez had two hits including a double to support the Avery slam. Oswaldo Arcia was 0-3 on the day with a strikeout and a hit-by-pitch. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Jackson 2 Box Score On the mound for the Lookouts on Sunday was lefthander Brett Lee looking for his second win of the year in the Southern League. He tossed the first six scoreless innings, scattering five hits and a walk with four strikeouts to end up with that win. Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the top of third when Jairo Rodriguez led off with a double and moved to third on a Shannon Wilkerson single. An errant pick-off throw allowed Rodriguez to score. They would add multiple runs in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to go up 8-0. The two in the sixth came courtesy of two walks, two wild pitches, and a sac fly. Three in the seventh by way of two singles, two errors, and a sac fly. Then two more runs in the eighth helped along by two walks, two singles, and two wild pitches. The eight runs on the scoreboard were more than Chattanooga’s six hits, due largely to the ten walks drawn as a team and three Jackson errors. Wilkerson and Rodriguez had multi-hit and multi-run games. Stephen Wickens scored two runs and Jorge Polanco added two RBI. Adam Brett Walker II drew three walks, giving him nine free passes in his last ten games. Alex Muren came on to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, and allowed one run on three hits that included a solo-home run. He struck out one. Tim Shibuya came on for the ninth and also gave up a solo home run, but finished the 8-2 victory. Chattanooga improved to 13-20 overall in the second half of the Southern League season, and have won five of their last eight. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 0, Daytona 3 Box Score In game one of their Sunday double-header, the Fort Myers offense was nowhere to be found outside of anyone not named Aderlin Mejia. He had both of their two hits as a team on the game, both doubles. They did manage three walks, but were 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left only six men on base. Starter Aaron Slegers was knocked around for the three runs in the first inning, but settled down to shut the Tortugas out the rest of the way. For the final five innings he allowed just one more hit and one walk, which started the second inning. He then retired the final fifteen men he faced in a row. In six total innings Slegers allowed four hits and one walk, while striking out five but the lack of run support saddled him with the loss and a now 8-6 record on the year with the Miracle. Game 2: Fort Myers 0, Daytona 1 Box Score The second seven inning game of the day was also a pitcher’s duel, with each team remaining scoreless into the final inning. Aderlin Mejia didn’t have all of the Miracle’s hits in this game, but the one he did was another double. If not for a runner being picked off first base beforehand, it may have driven in a run in the third inning. The rest of the lineup managed just three hits, all singles, and were unable to string anything together. They again left only six men on base and had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position in this one. Ryan Eades started for the Miracle, and went the first five. He allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out three. Corey Williams pitched a scoreless sixth, walking one. It was then Todd Van Steensel’s turn in the bottom of the seventh. He was greeted with a double to put the winning run in scoring position. Daytona bunted him to third, then an intentional walk set up the potential for a double-play ball. Instead, a single to right field brought home the walk-off winner for the Tortugas. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 5 Box Score Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning as Tyler Kuresa and Brian Navarreto collected RBI singles and Rafael Valera added an RBI fielder’s choice. Luke Westphal made the start for the Kernels and pitched the first three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and one walk, and struck out three. Randy LeBlanc then came in for the next three and two-thirds innings, and it was the final two-thirds that were troublesome. In the seventh a double with one out put a runner in scoring position, and a single to center brought him home. LeBlanc would get the second out with a groundout, but an RBI single and RBI double put Kane County out front 4-3 and would bring in Cameron Booser from the bullpen. Another single would make it 5-3 before Booser got a strikeout to end the inning. The Kernels got one of the runs back in the eighth as Edgar Corcino slugged his third home run of the season to right field. They then got the tying run in scoring position in the ninth when Navarreto doubled with one out, but an Austin Diemer strikeout and Valera ground out would end the game. Navarreto (2-3, 2B, RBI, BB) and Brett Doe (2-4, R) each had two hits in the loss for the Kernels. E-TOWN E-NOTES Burlington 6, Elizabethton 13 Box Score Burlington scored early and often in the top of the first, jumping out to a 4-0 lead, but Elizabethton was quick to respond with a two-run home run from Chris Paul to answer in the bottom half. The Twins would take the lead back for good in the bottom of the second. Amaury Minier led off with a single, Brian Olson drew a walk, and Nelson Molina singled to load the bases with one out. Jermaine Palacios then brought in a run with sac fly, and kept the bases loaded when it was dropped for an error. An Alex Perez walk tied the game at four, then a LaMonte Wade walk gave them the lead 5-4. A double-play ball to end the inning then went awry for Burlington to plate two more. The Twins would add a single run in the fourth on a single from Wade to score Perez who had doubled, and two runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings courtesy of home runs from Palacios and Olson. Their thirteenth and final run came in the eighth on an RBI double from Wade, again scoring Perez. After the four run first inning, starter Onesimo Hernandez recovered to go three scoreless. In his four innings on the day he allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out three. Logan Lombana was the first in relief and picked up the win with one run allowed on two hits and a walk in 3.1 innings. He struck out two. Jose Abreu finish the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits. Wade (3-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Paul (2-5, R, HR, 3 RBI), and Molina (2-4, 2 R’s) each had multiple hits on the day. Palacios also added three RBI. Travis Blankenhorn was the only hitter on the day to not reach base or score a run for the home team. The win moved Elizabethton a game in front of Burlington in the standings, and one win shy of a .500 record at 19-20. GCL TWINS TAKES The Gulf Coast League Twins, like the rest of the GCL, had the day off on Sunday. They travel to play the GCL Orioles on Monday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings (CG-SO, W, 9 IP, 4 H’s, 0 R’s, 1 BB, 10 K’s) Hitter of the Day – LaMonte Wade, Elizabethton Twins (3-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB’s) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (5:35 PM CST) – TBD Chattanooga @ Jackson (7:05M CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (4-2, 4.10 ERA) Fort Myers – Scheduled day off. Cedar Rapids – Scheduled day off. Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 PM CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren (0-2, 1.07 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

Hicks is certainly making Buxton irrelevant for THIS year. Buxton's bat isn't ready for the majors. I saw it in Spring Training, and everyone saw it in his time in the majors. With Hicks coming on, no reason to see Buxton again until September.

Well, let's do some case studies. In 2014, Kris Bryant (my definition of "elite" above) had 22 HR's in AA after 68 games when he was promoted. He also hit .355/.458/.702 with a 25.9% K-rate and 14.5% BB rate. Joey Gallo (also an "elite") had 21 HR's in A+ after 58 games when he was promoted. He also hit .323/.463/.735 with a 26% K-rate and 20.7% BB rate. Matt Olson (not quite an elite, much more like Walker) had 37 HR's in 138 games in A+, and was not promoted. He also hit .262/.404/.543 with a 21.6% K-rate and 18.5% BB-rate. In 2013: Joey Gallo hit 38 HR's in Low-A ball to lead all of MiLB, in 106 games, and was NOT promoted (So there is your answer). He also hit .245/.334/.610 with a 37% K-rate and 10.8% BB-rate. For fun Miguel Sano hit 16 HR's in A+ ball in 56 games when he was promoted. He also hit .330/.424/.655 with a 25.1% K-rate and 11.9% BB-rate. So now that I've answered your question (and it didn't take me long), here is ABWII this year: 26 HR's in 91 games, and has not been promoted. He has also hit .262/.317/.563 with a 37.6% K-rate and 7.9% BB-rate. You compare all those slash lines, it should be pretty obvious as to why those guys have, and have not, been promoted during the season. Walker is far and away the worst line of the ones that were not promoted in season. I don't care about RBI, and neither should you. One guys 35 HR's and 90 RBI, might be the same guy's 35 HR's and 120 RBI on another team. RBI depend too much on those around them. And face it, Walker has been on some pretty talented teams with a bunch of guys who get on base for him. There's a reason the Lookouts have 5 regulars in the top 16 of the Southern League for runs scored, including Buxton at #16 who hasn't played there in over a month, and Sano at #1 who hasn't played for them in two weeks. Now I think Walker will be promoted at some point this year, but this is line of thinking you have shouldn't be the reasoning for it.

It actually probably isn't as hard as you think to hit it over the scoreboard there, as it's basically even with the fence. But around 450 is probably accurate, and that's still a "monster blast."

The answer to most of this comment, is all prospects are different. There is not a cookie cutter approach. This is also why your third paragraph is nothing but hearsay. You would have a very hard time proving anything in relation. The reason why this might stick out to you, is because a lot of guys who get promoted mid-season, are big-time, well known, well scouted, and consensus top level guys. It's as simple as "elite prospects move faster because they are elite prospects." We all love Walker's power, and Kepler is certainly having a breakout season. But you'd be hard pressed to find them on any Top 50's, or even Top 100 lists right now. Walker especially because his questions are still so pronounced despite the big power numbers. One-trick pony's rarely have staying power. Now, Wilkin Ramirez just got injured for Rochester, so someone might move up now, but I'd move Kepler up before Walker, and there's not even a sliver of a debate about that to me between the two.

Yup, definitely looking forward with that. Won't help their push for playoff's this year, but would keep them on the path of the future.

How about Arcia for Trevor Story, instead of Pursuing Tulowitzki? But I'm in the boat of some others. Tulowitzki would be a major boost. You're getting a proven, elite commodity (when healthy) at the expense of probably prospects who haven't done anything yet. It's not like Tulo would be a rental either. There are certainly trade scenarios where everything makes perfect sense. And to those that are so afraid of Tulo's home/road splits for reasons I don't understand, I have to point out that his away OPS is still elite for a SS. Now do I think this would be in their best interest? That's debatable. But, in the right scenario this could help in both the short and long term. I'd certainly prefer to do other types of deals first, like the one I suggest up top, but I'd have a hard time being mad about bringing in a player of Tulowitzki's caliber, unless he continues to miss 1/2 the games every year.

To be quite honest, if there's talks happening with the Rockies about a SS, I might have more interest in Trevor Story than Troy Tulowitzki. I don't really think the Rockies want or will move Tulo, which blocks Story, and he'd certainly be a lot cheaper on what is sent to Colorado. Definite questions about Story's bat, but he brings some thump and might be better defensively than Tulo in the long term as well.

I agree with that, but look where they already are now with May on the outside of the rotation looking in. That situation doesn't change much in the future. Someone in this situation is likely to be worth more to another team than the Twins in the future. It's called maximizing your assets.

I wouldn't really "like" any deal that brought Tulo here if it means sending Gibson or Berrios off, along with whatever else they needed to get it done (absolutely "NO WAY" on Buxton or Sano), but this is kind of a problem that was created the last few seasons using Free Agency to fix the rotation. They have Ricky Nolasco at $12MIL/year through 2017. Phil Hughes at basically $13MIL/year through 2019. Ervin Santana at 13.4MIL/year through 2018. Then Gibson under team control through 2019, Milone under control through 2018, and May under control through 2020. Add in names like Meyer and Berrios, and suddenly you have way too many pitchers for not enough spots through the next three seasons. Would anyone else consider this a surplus? We probably should, so theoretically the best thing the Twins can do for their short and long term future is use this surplus to improve other areas. Shortstop certainly is a good spot to start. If they would take Berrios or Gibson, then Arcia, Nolasco, and perhaps Polanco or another fringe top 10 guy, I think you'd have to do it. Is that a deal they would want? Not so sure about that, but that's about as much as I would want the Twins to spend. Maybe Meyer's name gets thrown in, and I'd certainly want Hundley or a RP's name from their side too.

Exactly what Seth is saying is what I mean by "necessary or warranted."

Don't disagree, but they are certainly organizational guys. You set a very bad example for the rest of your MiLB players by just dumping those types when it's not necessary or warranted, and this suggested move is not necessary or warranted in my view.

Rochester still has a full outfield I think. Arcia, Ortiz, and Farris are all getting pretty much full playing time, with Farris playing all over. Rodriguez plays about a quarter of his games in RF too. Even with the Ramirez DL stint, you would probably have to release someone to get ABW constant playing time there right now like he has in AA.