Jeremy Nygaard

More close games in the system today. With the deadline looming and all affiliates at the max, it will be interesting to see how each team is shuffled in the coming weeks as all of the affiliated clubs are in the playoff hunt. The Twins, too, may be looking for help both sooner and later. Some of the guys on the doorstep fared well today, while others didn’t. ROCHESTER RED WINGS 5, SYRACUSE CHIEFS 3 Box Score The Red Wings got back to their winning ways behind the left arm of Andrew Albers. Albers threw 91 pitches in 5.1 shutout innings. He struck out four and walked two. He collected his 10th win and dropped his ERA to 2.97. (How much longer before he replaces fellow Canadian Scott Diamond in the rotation? Discuss amongst yourselves.) Edgar Ibarra, making his second AAA appearance pitched 2.1 perfect innings, striking out four. He didn’t allow a ball hit out of the infield. If the Twins find themselves re-tooling their bullpen, Ibarra adds another lefty to the mix. Michael Tonkin pitched the ninth and it wasn’t pretty: two hits – including a home run – and a walk resulted in three earned runs. He struck out one. Oswaldo Arcia continues to make his presence felt. Today he was 3-for-4 with another home run. Eric Farris doubled in two runs. Chris Parmelee was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. Logan Darnell starts tomorrow at 7:05 ET. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS 3, BINGHAMTON METS 5 Box Score The 9th inning rally fell short as Nate Hanson, who was batting as the winning run, grounded into a fielder’s choice with both Danny Santana and Eddie Rosario on base. Pat Dean continued his consistently up-and-down season. Tonight, he only managed three innings. He allowed four runs on five hits. With the Rochester rotation in flux and the trickle-down being felt in New Britain, Dean’s rotation spot is probably safe, but a move to the bullpen wouldn’t be surprising at all. Daniel Turpen pitched three shutout innings. Ryan O’Rourke gave up a run in 2/3 of an inning. Dakota Watts struck out one in recording four outs. Cole Johnson struck out the side in the 9th. More of the same offensively tonight: Nate Hanson homered. Miguel Sano hit another home run today and went 2-for-4. He struck out twice. Danny Santana had his fourth multi-hit game in his last five games played. Eddie Rosario also had two hits and added a stolen base. D.J. Baxendale and B.J. Hermsen will both get starts in tomorrow’s doubleheader. FORT MYERS MIRACLE 1, BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES 0 Box Score Levi Michael’s RBI single in the top of the 7th was the difference in this rain-affected game. Aderlin Mejia doubled. Byron Buxton, Jhon Goncalves and J.D. Willams all added singles. Goncalves (8th) and Williams (2nd) both stole bases. Jason Wheeler pitched the first 5.1 innings before the rain delay. He struck out four while scattering three hits and two walks. He also hit a batter. He retired nine batters by groundout as opposed to only two by flyout. Adrian Salcedo pitched the next 2.2 innings. He struck out four and only allowed two hits. Tyler Jones picked up his first high-A save with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. (Interesting, as Corey Williams hasn’t pitched since July 15, when he gave up five runs and only recorded one out.) Tyler Duffey looks to continue his stellar season tomorrow night at 6:35 ET. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 2, FORT WAYNE TINCAPS 1 Box Score After “cooling off” yesterday – and by that I mean “not homering” - Adam Walker got back on it this afternoon. By hitting a 2-run, sixth-inning home run Walker accounted for enough runs to get the Kernels the win. Walker now has 21 home runs and 85 RBI. The 21 home runs lead the MWL by six home runs over five others (including Travis Harrison). The 85 RBI are also league-leading. Former Kernel DJ Hicks had 82, but the next most is Beloit 2B Chris Bostick, who has 70. His slugging is 2nd to only super-prospect Byron Buxton. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4882[/ATTACH] Adam Walker has been swinging such a hot bat, he needs to apply sunscreen to himself. ( BY ADAM CAIRNS/THISWEEK) So why is Walker not a top prospect you ask? Well, the strikeout rate has always been concerning, but this year has been an improvement. He’s athletic enough to hold down a corner outfield position (for now anyway). The biggest factor is he’s of league-average age. What you’re buying in Walker is his power – and no doubt it’s there – probably a 70 tool. The difference between him and his measuring stick, Miguel Sano, is that Sano showed more power in the same league at nearly two years younger than Walker. Walker missed Baseball America’s preseason Top 30 Twins prospects, but was included in their “Plus One” Edition, checking in at 31st. He should be ranked considerably higher coming into next year. Many folks are wondering when Walker is going to be promoted to Fort Myers. There isn’t a rush. Much like the Twins wanted to see how Kennys Vargas did without Miguel Sano in the lineup, Adam Walker is getting a chance to prove his worth without Byron Buxton and DJ Hicks in the lineup. While moving up yet this season is still possible, it makes just as much sense to start Walker in Fort Myers in 2014 and move him up mid-season if the power keeps up. At that point, we’re looking at a 22-year old in AA and knocking on the door the following season (2015) at 23. Getting back to today’s game, Walker’s college teammate Jonathan Murphy reached base four times (2-for-3, two walks) and Jorge Polanco, Max Keper and Travis Harrison all doubled. The offense, again, was done in by a lack of production with runners in scoring position (0-for-5). Also of note, Niko Goodrum was injured while covering second base on a stolen base attempt. He left the game with a twisted knee. Joel Licon replaced him at second base, while Polanco got the start at shortstop. Mason Melotakis got his 8th win of the season by going six innings. He allowed a run on four hits. He struck out six and reports were that he looked good. I’m a little concerned by his four wild pitches, but a 9:3 GO:FO rate is pretty good. Melotakis, who pitched a combined 86 innings last year, is already over 90 for this season. It will be interesting to see how he has handled as the year progresses and the playoffs approach. David Hurlbut picked up a three-inning save, his sixth, with three perfect innings. J.O. Berrios will be on the hill at Fort Wayne tomorrow at 6:05 pm. ELIZABETHTON TWINS 4, DANVILLE BRAVES 5 Box Score After making a late-inning rally, a ninth-inning run by the Braves gave them a victory over the E-Town Twins. Randy Rosario hit the ground running this season, but has faced some struggles in his last two starts. After giving up four earned runs on July 14, he lasted only three innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and, more alarmingly, four walks. He struck out three. The bullpen struck out ten in the final six innings (including Carson Goldsmith, 4 and Andre Martinez, 3). Brandon Peterson took the loss. Dereck Rodriguez was the standout offensive performer contributing both a double and a home run while driving in two runs. His batting average is up to .306. Logan Wade also doubled. Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver both drove in a run. The series continues tomorrow at 7pm ET with Tanner Mendonca the scheduled starter. GCL TWINS – OFF DAY Kohl Stewart is scheduled to pitch tomorrow. Please leave your questions and/or comments below.

Purchase another one next at-bat and we'll know.

I agree. I like "learning" things from him. Definitely in the minority though.

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There were post-game fireworks at Target Field on a beautiful night for baseball. Let's take a look at what happened around the club's affiliates. ROCHESTER RED WINGS 1, SYRACUSE CHIEFS 7 Box Score The first of a few action-free games from the Twins perspective. Offensively, Oswaldo Arcia returned to AAA and homered. He also walked once and struck out once. Jeff Clement and Drew Butera both doubled. Liam Hendriks pitched 5.1 innings. He allowed ten hits and two walks. He struck out three. The seven runs against him were all earned runs. Shairon Martis struck out three in 1.2 innings. Michael Tonkin allowed two hits, but pitched a scoreless eighth. It was also announced today that Nick Blackburn has joined the Red Wings. They have not officially made a move, but with the recent losses of Worley and Hernandez, the Red Wings need another starter. Andrew Albers (9-4, 3.11) pitches tomorrow at 5 pm ET against Syracuse. NEW BRITAIN ROCKCATS 2, BINGHAMTON METS 10 Box Score Miguel Sano was 1-for-4 with a double and three strikeouts. Sano also hit a long, towering flyball that just went foul. The fact that Terry Ryan says his glove is in front of his bat right now, is encouraging. The bat will come around. Josmil Pinto was 2-for-4 and is knocking on Rochester’s door (or waiting for the Twins to trade a catcher, I guess). Eddie Rosario was 0-for-4 with 3 Ks and an error. Nate Hanson homered. Such is the life for Trevor May. May threw 103 pitches (only 58 strikes) but didn’t make it out of the 4th inning (3.2). He struck out six, but walked three. He threw two wild pitches and hit a batter. He allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits. Not the type of game the Twins want to see, especially as people start to wonder if May is ready for a promotion to Rochester. Bruce Pugh (1.1 IP, 3 BB, K, ER), Jose Gonzalez (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R) and Matt Hauser (IP, 3 H, 3 ER) all struggled to keep Binghamton off of and from running around the bases. Only BJ Hermsen had a scoreless appearance. Pat Dean (5-9, 4.61) is on the hill tomorrow at 6:35 ET. FORT MYERS MIRACLE 3, DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS 1 (10 innings) Box Score The Miracle were able to pull out an extra innings win thanks to a two-run, zero-hit 10th inning. Byron Buxton was 0-for-5 with four Ks, but his 10th inning fielders’ choice (in which he beat out a double play) allowed an insurance run to score. That came after J.D. Williams hit a bases-loaded (thanks to three walks) dribbler that resulted in an error and allowed the go-ahead run to score. Offensively, though, the game was a struggle: DJ Hicks was 0-for-5 with 3 Ks. Kyle Knudson was 0-for-4 with 2 Ks. Kennys Vargas did have a double for the team’s only extra-base hit. Matt Summer certainly threw a gem. He completed eight innings allowing an unearned run on three hits and three walks. He struck out six and got 11 outs on the ground (compared to three in the air). Summers has been phenomenal since being returned from New Britain. With the injuries in AAA, it would be surprising if Summers didn’t get to head back to New Britain and get another chance. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4872[/ATTACH] Chad Rodgers pitched a scoreless ninth (to get the win) and Zack Jones struck out the final batter in the 10th to secure his 11th save. Kyle Davies (1-3, 4.01) matches up with Brevard County at 5:05 ET tomorrow. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 0, FORT WAYNE TINCAPS 1 Box Score The Kernels managed nine hits, but only went 1-for-9 with RISP and left 13 runners on base. Jonathan Murphy continued his hot play, collecting two hits and walking once. Niko Goodrum and Adam Walker also had two-hit games. Walker doubled, but didn’t homer today. (Wuss.) Tim Atherton made his fourth start after spending the previous year and a half in the Beloit/Cedar Rapids bullpen. He certainly looked the part tonight. The Aussie pitched seven innings of five-hit, one-run ball. He walked zero and struck out nine. Atherton is the oldest pitcher on the staff that has been with the team all year (Shibuya and Gallant were injured, Brewer was a MiL FA), so I’m curious to see if he remains with the club for the rest of the year. I view Atherton similar to Manuel Soliman in a “let’s give them some innings to see what they’ve got” way. Tonight, Atherton had some stuff. Caleb Brewer pitched a shutout eighth inning. Mason Melotakis (7-3, 3.83) faces Fort Wayne tomorrow at 2:05. ELIZABETHTON TWINS 2, DANVILLE BRAVES 3 Box Score Another one-run game in the Twins system; this one didn’t go the Twins way. Former Twins-draftee Jared Dettmann pitched really well for the Braves affiliate today. The Twins only managed eight hits. Three of them came off the bat of leadoff hitter Zach Granite. Granite and Dereck Rodriguez, who had two hits, each drove in a run. Tanner Vavra also had two hits. Granite stole his 8th base of the season. Hein Robb scattered five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six and only allowed one run, leaving the game with the E-Twins in a position to win. Austin Malinowski opened the sixth and didn’t fare very well. He only retired one batter, but allowed two hits, two walks and two runs. He threw a wild pitch and left Brandon Bixler with two runners on. Bixler, on the other hand, shined. He struck out all five batters he faced, with four of them going down swinging(!). Brian Gilbert, another 2013 draftee, pitched two innings, facing the minimum six batters. GCL TWINS 2, GCL RED SOX 3 (10 innings) Box Score The GCL affiliate didn’t get a lot of offensive output in today’s extra-innings loss. Noted prospect Amaurys Minier went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He was replaced in the 7th inning in what appeared to a move to upgrade the defense. Chad Christensen, who has manned all four corners at points so far this year, played LF, collected a hit and also stole a base. Engelb Vielma has really taken ahold of the everyday SS job. Today he was 1-for-4 with a run scored. He also stole his fourth base and committed his sixth error. Zach Larson, who has clearly been the club’s best player through the season’s first 25 games, came in as a pinch-hitter and was intentionally walked. It will be interesting to see how Larson is handled over the next month. Will the Twins try to get him to E-Town to give him a chance to break next year with a full-season squad? Today’s game was Fernando Romero’s and Leonel Zazueta’s turn to piggyback. Romero went the first four, giving up a run on three hits and a walk. He struck out four. Zazueta also gave up one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out one and only pitched two innings. A collection of pitchers finished the game, including a rehabbing Dan Sattler (K in 1 IP) and Tyler Stirewalt (loss, 5 outs, 3 Ks). Miguel Gonzalez, one of the Twins bigger International signees in 2011, continues to work every two-to-three days out of the bullpen. He struggled in his 1/3 of an inning today. He allowed a double to the first batter he faced, sending an inherited runner to third base. Before walking the next batter, he balked the winning run in. He got his only out on a swinging strikeout. If you’re in the Fort Myers area next week, Kohl Stewart is scheduled to pitched Monday and Stephen Gonsalves is scheduled to go on Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

The reason that Vargas wasn't promoted with the other guys was because the organization wanted to see how he'd do without Sano in the lineup. By month: April - 247/300/441 (741) May - 313/407/646 (1053) June - 354/420/544 (965) July - 213/286/295 (581) Obviously, Sano went up in mid-June so this isn't a great breakdown (and we're dealing with smallish samples - esp in July), but I think it's ok to keep Vargas here to see how he continues to adjust. In Vargas' defense, Rodriguez has been worse since the Sano promotion too... Sano was better with Vargas, etc. I see Vargas has been DHing lately, so he's been getting a little break. Let him get amped back up and send him to NB when he goes on a little streak, but give him some time.

There are going to be some Cuban players subjected to the spending pool. Interested to see if Twins get involved there.

Berrios and Buxton moved up to E-Town last year as they made their run into and through the playoffs. I definitely think that is possible, though I don't think either are as polished as Berrios was when he was drafted last year. I think it would make sense for the Twins to see these guys there (in Elizabethton) a little this year to give them a better idea if they could handle a full-season assignment next spring.

It's been a day full of changes; hard to give every move all the attention it deserves. In your case - as a senior member - you're a little old for that level anyway.

Bo Altobelli was activated by E-town today.

Dallas Gallant and Tim Shibuya, who were both rehabbing injuries in E-town, are joining the Kernels. CR has a full roster, so there will be corresponding moves. Jeffrey Johnson, who covers the Kernels, alluded to there being some major movements last night.

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Couple things: moved the guys to AAA that were demoted. Officially, it doesn't look like anyone has been promoted yet, so that hasn't happened. It makes sense. I'd guess they're all announced sometime Thursday. (Funny thing, having three guys - making league minimum - off your roster for 3 days saves the Twins roughly $25,000 which was just a little less than I made my first YEAR as a teacher. Did I say "funny"? I meant "sad".) Also, for full-season starting pitchers, I've added the their innings pitched (not for 2013 though), so you can get an idea of when pitchers are reaching the amount of innings they've done in the past.

I hope you enjoyed watching the HR Derby. And by that I really mean, “I hope you enjoyed imaging what next year’s Home Run Derby is going to be like”. The best part about it being at Target Field next year is that you, well, don't have to hear anyone saying "back...back...back...back". The Twins are obviously off for the All-Star Break. ROCHESTER RED WINGS – off for AAA All-Star Break NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS 2, HARRISBURG SENATORS 3 (10 INNINGS) Box Score Miguel Sano returned from the Futures Game and promptly went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts and a walk. He’s batting .196 amid this “humbling experience”. Eddie Rosario continues to show he belongs, going 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. He also had a hand in the game’s only double-play. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 12th home run of the year (and - for now - has delayed Kennys Vargas’ promotion). Trevor May started tonight and had mixed results. The positive: Seven innings pitched, three hits allowed, six strikeouts. The not-so-positive: 105 pitches/65 strikes, four walks. While the pitch-count is not a big deal, he’d be able to reduce his pitches if he could cut back on his walks. In this system, he will spend much more time in the minors if he continues to issue free passes. Cole Johnson struck out two in two innings before Matt Hauser allowed a walk-off home run in the 10th. The benches cleared at some point in the game. Details aren’t fully known and no one was ejected, it appears that a pitcher and batter were chirping at each other which resulted in players coming out of their dugouts. Congratulations to Virgil Vasquez, who was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. FOR T MYERS MIRACLE 9, LAKELAND FLYING TIGERS 10 Box Score I think you could classify tonight’s loss as a “heartbreaker”. The Miracle jumped out to a quick – and big – lead after scoring twice in the 2nd and six times in the 5th. Unfortunately giving up runs in the last five innings, including five in the 9th can really bite you in the behind. The Miracle plated one in the bottom of the 9th but Kennys Vargas struck out with the tying run on 2nd base. Kyle Davies started and lasted 6.2 innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out two. Adrian Salcedo recorded four outs and gave up a home run. Corey Williams came in to the get the save. Instead he only got two men out and gave up five runs. Chad Rogers relieved him and struck out two for the final outs. Byron Buxton was 2-for-6 with a strikeout. Mike Kvasnicka (two RBI) and Andy Leer (four RBI) also had two-hit games. The star of the show offensively was Evan Bigley who is looking like he’s ready to return to AAA. Tonight he was 4-for-5 with a double. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4816[/ATTACH] Levi Michael was hitless but drove in two and had a stolen base. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 5, BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS 6 Box Score A couple things went the Kernels’ way today. First, Rays Top 100 pitching prospect Taylor Guerrieri exited the game after only two innings with an apparent arm injury. The Kernels also set a season high mark for home runs with four. Unfortunately, Jose Berrios struggled. In five-plus innings of work, Berrios allowed five runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out four, but also had a wild pitch and allowed a home run. He took the loss. If you’re looking for something positive, Berrios induced five groundball outs (compared to one fly-ball out). Caleb Brewer allowed two of Berrios’s runners to score. Hudson Boyd replaced Brewer and allowed one of his runners to score, too. Madison Boer pitched a hitless 9th inning. Let’s talk about the bats instead. Dalton Hicks hit his 31st double of the season. Travis Harrison went deep (again) for #15 (but really number 16). Max Kepler hit his fourth home run since joining the team about a month ago. The offensive story, though, was Adam Walker. Walker came out of the gate on fire before cooling down in June and early July. Something clicked (or re-clicked) on July 11th. Since that game he is 9-for-17 with 5 home runs (including the two he hit today). He also has 12 RBI in that span to give him 79 on the year. Yes, he did strike out twice and there will always be a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. But if Walker can progress through the system and keep his rate of striking out once every four at-bats consistent (and not have that percentage go way up), his right-handed power will still be a valuable addition to the Twins lineup. ELIZABETHTON TWINS 1, GREENEVILLE ASTROS 3 Box Score If you were to scan the box score, the only thing of note you would probably find is that 2nd round pick Ryan Eades pitched the final inning of the game and had a 1-2-3 inning (with no strikeouts). Offensively, E-town managed only four hits including a double by Mitch Garver and a triple by Bryan Haar. Pitching-wise, the four pitchers who pitched before Eades combined to walk 10. Tanner Mendonca starter and had trouble keeping guys off of base (two hits, four walks) and once they got on, keeping them on that base (two for three in stolen base attempts, in only 1.2 innings). GCL TWINS 0, GCL ORIOLES 3 Box Score The GCL Twins gave up 12 hits, but only 3 unearned first-inning runs to take the loss today. Leonel Zazueta got the start and was charged with the loss despite not being on the hook for any earned runs (though he did give up a home run). Fernando Romero struck out three in his three innings of work. Daniel Sattler, working back from Tommy John surgery, struck out one in a two-hit inning. The rehabbing Mike Gonzales got two of the five hits today. He also walked once. Engelb Vielma, Jason Kanzler and Zach Larson all had a hit a piece. It appears that tomorrow will be Kohl Stewart’s turn in the rotation.

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[B]Trade Deadline Overview: San Francisco Giants[/B] [B]Buyers or Sellers [/B] The Giants have won two of the last three World Series, but now find themselves with one of the worst records in the National League and nearly ten games out in the Wild Card Race. Sellers, right? Not so fast. Playing in the National League West, the Giants are only a handful of games out in the division race.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Though they do trail the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Rockies, the silver-lining is that the Giants are coming off of a year they had a dominant second-half of the season (48-28). No team in the first half of this year can match that winning percentage (.632). The Giants aren’t playing great baseball, but might not be far from it. Another division championship is well within their reach. Right now, the Giants are undecided about what they’re going to do. The next couple weeks may prove me wrong, but they ought to approach this deadline as buyers. [B]What They Need [/B] The Giants lost starting CF Angel Pagan to a hamstring injury and his return is – at a minimum – still over a month away. The Giants have signed OF Jeff Francoeur and plan to work him into their outfield rotation. Obviously, Hunter Pence is going to continue to play RF every day, but the outfield production as a whole has been subpar. Another position in the lineup that could use a tune-up is first base. Brandon Belt has strung together a good couple months since a really slow start, but Belt has always been on a short leash and seems to constantly be skating on thin ice. There have been rumors that the Giants are looking to improve their bullpen. They seem set with lefty relievers (including former Twin Jose Mijares), but may have interest in adding another right-hander. [B]What Might Work [/B] As up-and-down as Brandon Belt has been, Justin Morneau wouldn’t be a clear upgrade. Buster Posey is Belt’s primary backup (well, Posey plays 1B when he isn’t catching). Would the Giants have interest in Ryan Doumit? That would allow Posey to not catch as much. The knock on Doumit’s defense/pitch-framing might prove costly, though, if he’s put on the market (especially in the DH-free N.L.). Besides closer Sergio Romo, the Giants only have one right-handed reliever who has appeared in more than 30 games. (Conversely, the Twins have four.) Casey Fien could make sense for the Giants. The cost would probably be minimal and he would provide a right arm that could step up in the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] or 7[SUP]th[/SUP] inning. [B]Sleeper Targets [/B] [I]Martin Agosta – RHP – Low A – 22 years old[/I] The Giants have a number of quality arms. Agosta isn’t one of the premium ones, but he’s not far off. A 2[SUP]nd[/SUP]-round pick out of St. Mary’s in 2012, Agosta is dealing with the stigma of being a short, right-handed pitcher (6’ 1”). He’s striking guys out (11.1 K/9), but can’t shake the stereotypes that he may be best suited for the bullpen because of his size and his lack of a change-up. He does throw a slider and a cutter, so there’s still a chance he can be a big league starter. [I]Adalberto Mejia – LHP – High A – 20 years old[/I] Mejia proved to be pretty advanced after signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. He made his full-season debut in 2012 and struggled in his first go-around as a starter. After being shifted to the bullpen, he returned as a starter later in the year. Mejia barely touches 90, but has a good slider and a changeup. Mejia has been in the starting rotation all year in High-A and has put up decent numbers: 8.1 K/9, 1.12 WHIP, 4 HR (in 45 IP). [I]Angel Villalona – 1B – AA – 22 years old[/I] Villalona might be a name you recognize. It’s either because you remember him being a Top 50 prospect before the 2008 and 2009 seasons or because you heard the story about him being investigated on a murder charge and missing the next two seasons because of that and visa issues. Obviously, there are some flaws with Villalona, but if you’re looking for someone who might turn out better than expected, why not? [B]Dream Target [/B] [I]Kyle Crick – RHP – High A –20 years old[/I] Crick ranks #49 in Baseball America’s recently released Midseason Top 50. He’s a big-time power arm that missed some time earlier this year with an oblique injury, but still has a ceiling as a front-of-the-rotation starter. Crick was the 49[SUP]th[/SUP] overall pick in the 2011 draft and has allowed only two home runs in nearly 150 professional innings. Equally impressive, in those 148 innings, Crick has struck out 180 batters. Of course, after dealing prospect Zach Wheeler to the Mets for a rental, Carlos Beltran, in 2011, there is slim-to-no chance the Giants will repeat that mistake. In fact, there’s now something in the league known as the “Zach Wheeler Syndrome”, in which a team will hold out until the last minute and then make a panic trade. View full article

Trade Deadline Overview: San Francisco Giants Buyers or Sellers The Giants have won two of the last three World Series, but now find themselves with one of the worst records in the National League and nearly ten games out in the Wild Card Race. Sellers, right? Not so fast. Playing in the National League West, the Giants are only a handful of games out in the division race. Though they do trail the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Rockies, the silver-lining is that the Giants are coming off of a season where they had a dominant second-half to the season (48-28). No team this year can match that winning percentage (.632). All told, the Giants aren’t playing great baseball, but might not be far from it. Another Division Championship is well within their reach. Right now, the Giants are undecided about what they’re going to do. The next couple of weeks may prove me wrong, but they should approach this deadline as buyers. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4802[/ATTACH] What They Need The Giants lost starting CF Angel Pagan to a hamstring injury and his return is – at a minimum – still over a month away. The Giants have signed OF Jeff Francoeur and plan to work him into their outfield rotation. Obviously, Hunter Pence is going to continue to play RF every day, but the outfield production as a whole has been subpar. Another position in the lineup that could use a tune-up is first base. Brandon Belt has strung together a good couple of months since a really slow start, but Belt has always had a short leash and seems to constantly be skating on thin ice. There have been rumors that the Giants are looking to improve their bullpen. They seem set with lefty relievers (including former Twin Jose Mijares), but may have interest in adding another right-hander. What Might Work For as up-and-down as Brandon Belt has been, Justin Morneau wouldn’t be a clear upgrade. Buster Posey is Belt’s primary backup (or at least, Posey plays 1B when he isn’t catching). Would the Giants have interest in Ryan Doumit? That would allow Posey to not catch as much. The knock on Doumit’s defense/pitch-framing might prove costly, though, if he’s put on the market (especially in the DH-free N.L.). Besides closer Sergio Romo, the Giants only have one right-handed reliever who has appeared in more than 30 games. (Conversely, the Twins have four.) Casey Fien could make sense for the Giants. The cost would probably be minimal and he would provide a right arm that could step up in the 6th or 7th inning. Sleeper Targets Martin Agosta – RHP – Low A – 22 years old The Giants have a number of quality arms. Agosta isn’t one of the premium ones, but he’s not far off. A 2nd-round pick out of St. Mary’s in 2012, Agosta is dealing with the stigma of being a short, right-handed pitcher (6’ 1”). He’s striking guys out (11.1 K/9), but can’t shake the stereotype that he may be best suited for the bullpen. In part because of his size, in part due to his lack of a changeup. He does throw a slider and a cutter, so there’s still a chance. Adalberto Mejia – LHP – High A – 20 years old Mejia proved to be pretty advanced after signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. He made his full-season debut in 2012 and struggled in his first go-around as a starter, but after being shifted to the bullpen, came on as a starter later in the year. Mejia barely touches 90, but has a good slider and a changeup. Mejia has been in the starting rotation all year in High-A and has put up decent numbers: 8.1 K/9, 1.12 WHIP, 4 HR (in 45 IP). Angel Villalona – 1B – AA – 22 years old Villalona might be a name you recognize. It’s either because you remember him being a Top 50 prospect before the 2008 and 2009 season or because you heard the story about him being investigated on a murder charge and missing the next two seasons because of that and visa issues. Obviously, there are some flaws with Villalona, but if you’re looking for someone that might turn out better than expected, why not? Dream Target Kyle Crick – RHP – High A –20 years old Crick ranks #49 in Baseball America’s recently released Midseason Top 50. He’s a big-time power arm that missed some time earlier this year with an oblique injury, but still has a ceiling as a front-of-the-rotation starter. Crick was the 49th overall pick in the 2011 draft and has only allowed two home runs in nearly 150 professional innings. Equally impressive, in those 148 innings, Crick has struck out 180 batters. Of course, after dealing prospect Zach Wheeler to the Mets for a rental, Carlos Beltran, in 2011, there is a slim-to-none chance that the Giants will repeat that mistake. In fact, there’s now something in the league known as the “Zach Wheeler Syndrome,” which is when a team will hold out until the last minute and make a panic trade.