Jeremy Nygaard

There are just so many little-known procedures that made something that seems so simple - and happens all the time - not that simple. The difference between optioning a guy - which all fans are familiar with - and DFAing a guy to option him - which I can't recall ever happening with the Twins (not that it hasn't).

Since the original release was sent out late Wednesday night, the transaction story of Andrew Albers has been downright confusing. CAUTION: Do not read if you want to avoid a headache.The night of last Wednesday, August 10th, started with Brian Dozier and the Twins hanging five runs on Dallas Keuchel, but ended with a steady stream of rain that washed the game out and those five runs away. Due to the rainout forcing the Twins and Astros to play two games the following day, the Twins issued a release at 10:57 pm announcing that they planned to select the contract of Andrew Albers from Rochester to serve as the 26th man for the second game of the day Thursday, as baseball rules allow. But the first game of the day was a disaster and immediately following the game, the Twins announced that Buddy Boshers was headed to the disabled list and Andrew Albers would have his contract selected and replace Boshers on the active roster. There would be no 26th man for the doubleheader because Pat Light, who was going to be called up from Rochester, had a flight get cancelled. Albers wasn’t particularly good, getting hit around for 11 hits. But he served his purpose, pitching six innings to save an already-taxed bullpen. Two days later, Albers was designated for assignment. We all know what that means - when a player is DFAd a 40-man (and 25-man spot - if the player is on the 25-man roster) opens immediately and the player goes into “DFA limbo” for up to 10 days. Typically the limbo ends when the player is traded, sent through release waivers and released, or sent through outright waivers where he is either claimed (buh-bye) or clears and is “outrighted” to the minor leagues. So imagine my surprise when the beat writers started reporting that Albers was “optioned” to Rochester. Wait. What? An “optioned” player is on the 40-man roster. An “optioned” player is just coming off the 25-man roster. Albers was on neither. Or was he? Well, what happened is that Albers had to pass through a different set of waivers called “optional waivers.” A place that players go when they have an option left, but when three calendar years have passed since their big-league debut. The Twins didn’t need the 40-man spot, but they needed a roster spot so bad that they had to DFA Albers while the formality of the “optional waivers” processed. Albers goes back on the 40-man too. So what the heck? I recalled reading this article about the Indians DFA'ing (but not really DFA'ing) Carlos Carrasco and it got my mind spinning…. was this the same thing? It certainly appeared to be. But I still find myself asking a few questions: When the Indians did this with Carrasco their release said they “designated Carrasco for assignment Sunday for the purpose of optioning him to Class AAA Columbus.” The Twins, however, said they were designating “left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers for release or assignment.” Why not be up front in the release? Semantics, I guess, considering they were going to option him… which is an assignment. Why did the Twins change course and add Albers to the 25-man roster when DL'ing Boshers instead of just leaving Albers as the 26th man and adding Light the next day? Does it have to do with the fact that Albers couldn’t simply be sent down immediately after the game because he’d have to clear optional waivers? (In that case, DFA him right away.) Or did the Twins front office not realize they’d be hamstrung by adding Albers? (Which would be hard for me to be mad at anyway, because I didn’t know the rule.) Was there concern that Albers wouldn’t clear outright waivers? Or that he wouldn’t accept his assignment? (He’s been outrighted before, so he could elect free agency.) Maybe the Twins had no intention of sending Albers back down right away, but had to in light of Milone’s injury? At any rate, Andrew Albers remains on the 40-man roster on optional assignment to Rochester. Of course, it’s not really going to matter anyway in a couple of months, when Albers is sent through outright waivers to clear up a space on the 40-man. But I’ll tell you what, the series of transactions led this geek to do a lot of head-scratching. Click here to view the article

Plenty of players - and Sano is a great example because he was facing the same pitchers at the same time - have walk rates that improve even as they face better competition. I invite you to look at Rosario's game log from his season at Beloit. He was taking a ton of walks, then he got hit, and when he came back he stopped taking walks. Same level, same competition. I don't care to speculate on anything mental or psychological, but it stuck out. This wasn't a guy who never knew how to work a count and take a walk. But that's who he is now.

From the moment the Twins drafted Eddie Rosario in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, I was smitten. Baseball America called him the “best pure hitter” from Puerto Rico and compared him to Bobby Abreu. He had a chance to stick in centerfield with an arm to fit in right field.I paid extra attention to Rosario in his professional debut, because he was teammates with Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco in the GCL (you may have heard of them). Rosario didn’t disappoint. It was he - not Sano - who led the team in home runs. He batted .294 and, yeah, he struck out a bit (13.5%) but also drew a fair amount of walks (7.5%). Rosario also stole 22 bases in 51 games. It was definitely enough to put him on the prospect radar. His star only grew in 2011. Again it was Rosario’s 21 home runs that edged out Sano’s 20 and led the team. His .337 batting average also led the team as did his 17 stolen bases. You know what else he led the team in? Don’t guess. I’ll tell you. Walks. Rosario’s 27 walks paced the team. His walk rate of 9.1% was greater than that of walk-oholic Miguel Sano (7.8%). He led the whole Appy league in triples, home runs (three shy of league record), runs, total bases and slugging percentage and was league co-MVP. He was the best player in a league where his teammates included Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, Kennys Vargas and Jorge Polanco. (The latter trio combined to hit four home runs that year.) Rosario exited the season as Baseball America’s #3 prospect in the Twins organization and he was about to make his full-season debut in 2012 with the Beloit Snappers. I had the opportunity to watch the Snappers during a early-season trip and a late-season trip. Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas were monsters, but Eddie Rosario always left an impression on me. I was ready to write his name in pen in the 2-spot in the lineup for the foreseeable future. I didn’t know where he’d end up defensively - he was playing second base at the time - but he was the most impressive minor-league hitter I’d see in all of my visits. But then Tuesday, June 12, 2012 happened. During batting practice that day, Rosario, who was standing along the third base line, was struck between the nose and the mouth by a line drive off the bat of a teammate. He was hospitalized with a broken bone in his face and missed the next six weeks of the season. Rosario still put up impressive numbers for the Snappers on the season: .296/.345/.490 with 32 doubles, four triples and 12 home runs. His walk rate was 7.2% (and actually improved to 7.4% the following season) and his strikeout rate was 16.1%. The splits using the day that Rosario got drilled in the face, though, tell a different story. Pre-drilling in the face walk-rate: 9.9% Post-drilling in the face walk-rate: 2.5% Pre-drilling in the face K-rate: 14.1% Post-drilling in the face K-rate: 19.6% As I mentioned previously, Rosario was able to bounce back in 2013 with an improved walk-rate, but the strikeout rate continued to trend the wrong way (17.6%). The 84-game sample size of the Arizona Fall League showed plenty of the same thing: 3.6% walk-rate and 15.5% K-rate. It was in the AFL that Rosario tested positive for a drug of abuse. In the 1458 plate appearances since returning from the suspension (which, should be noted, has come against higher-quality pitchers as well), Rosario has 59 walks (4.0%) and 308 strikeouts (21.1%). What’s clear to me is that the Eddie Rosario that fills our screen in 2016 is not the same player that took the line-drive to the face on the summer night in 2012. Click here to view the article

The Twins open a seven-game homestand and the big news of the day in the organization on Monday was that Max Kepler and Joe Mauer were named American League co-Players of the Week. Though two affiliates didn’t play Monday, there was still plenty of action and moves. Per Jeff Johnson, Christian Ibarra (pictured) was promoted to Fort Myers along with Manuel Guzman. Travis Blankenhorn and Brandon Lopez will join the Kernels from Elizabethton.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester - OFF DAY Trevor Plouffe’s rehab has ended and Byron Buxton’s return to AAA begins… tomorrow (we think) when the Red Wings open a series in Syracuse. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Jacksonville 2 Box Score The Lookouts failed to get a hit with a runner in scoring position (0-for-4) and got shut out for the second time this month. David Hurlbut gave up two runs (one earned) in 6.2 innings. He allowed six hits and a walk. He only struck out one. He was charged with the loss and is now 7-7. Alan Busenitz made his second scoreless appearance for his new club. He still hasn’t struck anyone out. Mason Melotakis struck out two in a perfect frame. Offensively, Chattanooga spread out five singles and a Ryan Walker double, his ninth. Corcino added a walk to his single to be the only other hitter to reach safely twice. The Lookouts fall to 58-56. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers vs St. Lucis - POSTPONED, RAIN Hammond Stadium’s field was unplayable Monday night, forcing the series opener between the Miracle and the St. Lucie Mets to be postponed until Tuesday. The teams will be play two seven-innings games beginning at 4 p.m. CST. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 4 Box Score The duo of Christian Ibarra and Luis Arraez (pictured above) combined for seven hits, two doubles, a walk, three runs and five RBIs. Jaylin Davis doubled twice and stole a base, Rainis Silva drove in two runs on two hits and Nelson Molina added another RBI in his two-hit game. Sam Gibbons lasted six inning and picked up a win, his sixth. He only allowed three hits, but issued four free passes and two unearned runs scored. He struck out one and was aided by the ground ball, getting two double plays. Logan Lombana gave up two runs in two innings and Tom Hackimer allowed a hit in the final frame. The Kernels are 61-52 E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Danville 3 (Game 1; 12 innings) Box Score There’s nothing like planning to play fourteen innings over two games… and then turning one of those seven-inning games into a 12-inning affair. That’s exactly what happened in the front end of Monday’s doubleheader. It took (only) three hours and sixteen minutes before a Shane Carrier walk-off single ended it. Carrier, Alex Kirilloff and Trey Cabbage had two-hit games. The whole offense totaled only nine hits. Cabbage had the only extra-base hit (a double). Kirilloff is batting .361 Jose Martinez gave up three runs in 5.2 innings. He struck out and walked one. Patrick McGuff allowed two hits and a walk in three scoreless innings. McGuff has made 13 relief appearances over two levels and allowed only one earned run in his 20 innings. His has an impressive K/9 of 13.5. Austin Tribby pitched the final 3.1 innings, holding Danville scoreless (and only surrendering one hit) while striking out seven. It was, by far, Tribby’s best professional outing. Elizabethton 1, Danville 3 (Game 2) Box Score Three late-inning runs - fueled by misplays in the field - led to an E-town defeat. Miguel De Jesus was a hard-luck loser, giving up only three hits and two walks in six innings. Two runs came across against him, but only one was earned. De Jesus struck out three. After walking the leadoff batter in the seventh inning, De Jesus was replaced by Hector Lujan, who committed an error allowing the winning run to score. Travis Blankenhorn had two hits and an RBI in his final E-town game. Lewin Diaz also had two hits, including a triple, and is now batting .314. Brandon Lopez had a hit and a walk and will likely complete his career at E-town with a .337 average. He did commit his sixth error of the year. Entering the day at .500 and splitting, see the E-Twins exit the day still at .500: 22-22. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Orioles 0 Box Score The story of this team is three-fold: Huascar Ynoa, Aaron Whitefield and newly-signed Justin Hazard. Ynoa picked up a win on Monday, improving to only 2-4, but he’s pitched much better than his record indicates. In this outing, Ynoa pitched five innings, allowing only four hits. He struck out two. In his stateside debut season, Ynoa has an ERA of 2.17, a K/9 over 9.0 (38 strikeouts in 37.1 innings), a WHIP barely over 1.00 (31 hits, eight walks) and he hasn’t allowed a home run all season. Whitefield, an Aussie who made his brief debut in the GCL last season, continues to tear up the league. Adding two more hits on Monday, Whitefield has increased his batting average to .321. He stole two bases and now has 22 on the season… in 29 games. Defensively, he’s played all three outfield positions as well as first base. Hazard has played in only nine games, but his two hits bring his season total up to 13 (which is seventh on the team). You have to wonder how long the 22-year-old will stay in the GCL. In other news, Gorge Munez tripled and Roni Tapia hit his third home run. Tapia is batting .093, with only four hits. It’s fairly difficult to have 75% of your hits be home runs and barely have a slugging percentage above .300. Zach Strecker picked up a three-inning save and the GCL Twins improve to 20-18. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Huascar Ynoa, GCL Twins Hitter of the Day – Luis Arraez, Cedar Rapids TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Syracuse (5:35 CST) - LHP Pat Dean (5-6, 5.08) Chattanooga vs Jacksonville (6:15 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (0-2, 5.98 ERA) Fort Myers vs St. Lucie (4:00 CST) - RHP Keaton Steele (5-9, 4.21 ERA) Fort Myers vs St. Lucie (Game 2) - TBD Cedar Rapids vs Peoria (6:35 CST) - RHP Brady Anderson (0-0, 5.40 ERA) Elizabethton vs Danville (6:00 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (1-2, 5.87 ERA) GCL Twins at GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Gordon will spend all of 2017 in AA. All of the guys mentioned above have a chance to debut in 2017. But yes, Gordon is definitely a prospect.

These last three games against the Indians have really been something. It might make you wonder how things would be different had the offense clicked earlier this year. It might also make you look at the contributions of Max Kepler and not feel so bad about Byron Buxton or Miguel Sano. It might also make you think about the future.Let’s look back a little bit first. Though fans suffered through all the 90-loss seasons, 2014 was when the lights started to flicker brighter and we were introduced to the first wave of prospects. Oswaldo Arcia used the season to build on a successful 2013 campaign. Danny Santana debuted and put up a ridiculous .824 OPS while stealing 20 bases. Kennys Vargas teased us with his power in a 53-game cameo. All were 23 years old. Kyle Gibson spent his first full season in the major leagues and was a 13-game winner. Trevor May started nine games - and while he struggled - he showed fans an ability to strike hitters out with a K/9 of 8.7 in 45.2 innings. Last season, 2015, was more of the same. We witnessed the duo of Miguel Sano, 22, and Eddie Rosario, 23, push the team to the brink of the playoffs. Sano with his power (18 home runs and an OPS of .916) and Rosario with his speed and defense (a league-leading 15 triples and 16 outfield assists). Tyler Duffey joined the rotation, got roughed up in his debut, but was 5-0 down the stretch and the club’s best pitcher. Also seeing time in 2015 were members of the next wave: Byron Buxton who debuting at 21, battled injuries and remained a prospect by one at-bat, Jorge Polanco, who debuted at 20, and always hits, and Max Kepler, last year’s Southern League Player of the Year, who joined the team in late-September. Jose Berrios, who turned 22 earlier this summer, has rejoined the team (hopefully) permanently and it’s not hard to imagine that many of the pieces of the next competitive team are in place. But who’s next? THE POWER BATS With Kepler firmly entrenched in right field and Buxton the future of centerfield, it would be easy to stick Rosario in left field and call it a day. Not so fast. Daniel Palka, 24, has 26 home runs this year between Chattanooga and Rochester. His left-handed power will play at any stadium and though he isn’t on the 40-man roster, could be a September call-up. He’s not alone. Adam Brett Walker, also 24, has 21 home runs for Rochester this year. Walker’s right-handed power will play anywhere. The catch, obviously, is that both players have a massive amount of swing-and-miss in their game. But that doesn’t mean that either (or both) should be cast aside. Byungho Park, who had 12 home runs for the Twins before being demoted in late June, also offers a ton of power from the right-handed batter’s box, but he is limited to first base or DH in the lineup (and he’s 29 and not a prospect). THE NEXT PIRANHAS There will never be another set like the originals, but there’s some potential with this next wave: Zach Granite, 23, and Engelb Vielma, 22, are both hitting just shy of .300 in Chattanooga and both offer premium defense and a lot of speed. Granite has 34 walks and 34 strikeouts on the season along with 38 stolen bases. Coming into the year with a 65% success rate, Granite has improved and has been successful in 81% of his attempts this year. Vielma has battled hamstring injuries this season and only has six swipes, but he had 35 last year and we’ll see his numbers trend north as the season progresses and his legs get all the way back to 100%. THE NEXT CATCHER After trading for John Ryan Murphy, the future appeared set. Until Murphy forgot how to hit (worse than you can imagine with the Twins before becoming a .210/.266/.283 hitter for Rochester). So who’s next? Mitch Garver, a 25-year-old at Chattanooga, has improved his defense and made greater strides with his bat. Garver has an OPS over .800 supported with 11 home runs. He 20% strikeout-percentage is higher than normal, but his walk-rate remains over 11%. He’s also thrown out more than 50% of would-be base-stealers on the season. THE TURNING OF THE ROTATION The minor-leagues contain a number of pitchers who could find time in the rotation including Jason Wheeler, a 25-year-old, who is on his way to being named the organization’s pitcher of the year with a 10-3 record between Chattanooga and Rochester and Aaron Slegers, 23, and David Hurlbut, 26, who are potential back-end arms, as well currently pitching in Chattanooga. Recently-acquired Adalberto Mejia, 23, will make his organizational debut for Rochester tomorrow. He’s not far off and has a chance to make the Opening Day rotation next year. Sometime later in 2017, we could be introduced to the cream of the pitching prospect crop: Stephen Gonsalves, 21, has continued to dominate every level, including AA, with a K/9 in excess of 10.0 (though he’s still walking too many), Tyler Jay, 22, started to come into his own with Fort Myers before his promotion, move to the bullpen and subsequent shut-down in Chattanooga, and Kohl Stewart, 21, who’s been an enigma but still has lots of potential. Felix Jorge, also 22, has struggled a bit since his promotion to Chattanooga, but he’s been compared to current Twin Ervin Santana. THE POWER ARMS We saw J.T. Chargois earlier this summer (and it wasn’t pretty), but between him and newly-acquired Pat Light, the Target Field radar gun will hit triple-digits in the top of an inning sometime yet this season. (Light did it twice for Rochester on Wednesday night, according to reports.) 2010 first-round pick Alex Wimmers, 27, doesn’t throw that hard, and neither does Trevor Hildenberger, 25, but both could make their major-league debut this year. Hildenberger was recently placed on the DL with elbow tendinitis, but no one in baseball has numbers as good as he does. Jake Reed, 23, has bounced back with a really good 2016 after a disappointing 2015 (EDIT: According to an AL scout, Reed also hit 100 mph on the radar gun last night) and Zack Jones, 25, continues to strike batters out since his return from the Brewers (after they decided not to keep him as a Rule 5 draft pick). Nick Burdi is another arm who throws it really hard… when healthy, which he currently isn’t. THE RECAP The Twins have been a lot of fun to watch these last few days. And they have plenty of young players who are making it so fun. But they have more young players knocking on the door and that makes it exciting. We’re going to see some guys get a(nother) chance before many of these prospects get their turns, but this next wave is going to be fun to watch. Who excites you? Click here to view the article

Trade Deadline Day. Jose Berrios Day. Max Kepler Day! Oh, and some minor league games. In a bit of recognition-news, Cedar Rapids pitcher Eduardo Del Rosario was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week. He struck out 11 over six innings on Friday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester - OFF DAY Trevor Plouffe’s rehab assignment will start on Tuesday and Adalberto Mejia will make his Red Wings debut on Thursday. It also appears likely that newly-acquired Pat Light will join the Rochester bullpen. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Mobile 3 (completion of suspended game from Sunday) Box Score Sunday’s game resumed on Monday and it was a hit parade. Both teams collected 12 hits, but the seven extra-base hits the Lookouts had did more damage than the three Mobile amassed. Mitch Garver’s lone hit - a three-run third-inning home run - blew the game open. Zach Granite had three more hits - he’s up to .296 - including a double. Leo Reginatto and Engelb Vielma also both had two-hit games. Vielma had a triple and a double, Travis Harrison (two RBIs), Edgar Corcino and Stuart Turner (one RBI) added doubles. Back to Vielma, who played third base tonight, for a second. He’s battled hamstring issues for most of the season and has been limited to only 69 games, but he’s batting .444 (16-for-36) in his last 11 games with six walks and six strikeouts. He’s up to .295 and might be setting himself up to compete for the shortstop job next season. He hasn’t been piling up the stolen bases of last year when he had 35, but adding him to a bottom of the order that already includes the speedy Byron Buxton would be fun to watch. Omar Bencomo picked up today (for Aaron Slegers who pitched two innings of shutout ball yesterday) and went four innings, allowing a run on five hits and two walks. Bencomo struck out two. Raul Fernandez allowed a hit in two innings. Mason Melotakis pitched the ninth and gave up two runs on four hits. He also struck out two. Chattanooga 0, Mobile 2 (7 innings) Box Score The Lookouts turned right around and put up a goose-egg in the second half of the doubleheader. They did get a strong start from Kohl Stewart, who pitched a six-inning complete game. He struck out only three, but also only gave up four hits and two walks. He allowed two runs, but only one was earned. He didn’t have great command, though, throwing only 55 strikes in 87 pitches. The offense didn’t carry a lot of hits into game two. Granite, Ryan Walker, Garver and Jairo Rodriguez were the only Lookouts to get hits and all were singles. The lineup struck out 10 times in 24 at-bats. The Lookouts are 56-51 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Clearwater 6 Box Score Another game where both teams collected lots of hits. Another game where the Twins affiliate put up more extra-base hits and more runs. T.J. White collected two singles and a double. He scored three times and drove in a run. Daniel Kihle drove in four runs on 2 hits. Nick Gordon had a single and double to increase his average to .304 and drove in two more runs. Joe Maloney (double), Chris Paul and A.J. Murray all had two-hit games. LaMonte Wade hit his third triple as member of the Miracle. Keaton Steele pitched six innings and picked up the win (5-9 on the season). He allowed eight hits and two walks which resulted in three runs (two earned). He struck out six. Nick Anderson retired five batters, but allowed one of his two inherited runners to score. He allowed three runs on four hits, striking out one. John Curtiss picked up his second save, picking up the final four outs. He also allowed one of two inherited runners to score. He struck out three and walked one, allowing two hits. Fort Myers is 54-53 on the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Burlington 0 Box Score Cedar Rapids got a great start from Dereck Rodriguez, who’s improved to 4-11. In seven innings, Rodriguez allowed three hits, a walk and three strikeouts. Anthony McIver pitched the final two innings. He struck out one and gave up a hit. Jaylin Davis led the offense. He hit a three-run home run, his fifth for the Kernels, in the sixth-inning. Only Davis and Luis Arraez had multi-hit games and Arraez added a doubleas well. He’s batting .326. Chris Ibarra and Kevin Garcia also doubled for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids improved to 59-47 this year. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Princeton 1 Box Score Elizabethton entered the bottom of the sixth in a scoreless game and scored two, three and one run in the last three innings to win 6-1. The runs were all driven by home runs. by home runs. Trey Cabbage hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot, to start the scoring in the sixth inning. After a strikeout, Mitchell Kranson hit his first home run of the season. In the next frame, Cabbage hit another home run, this time a three-run shot. And finally in the eighth inning, Lewin Diaz hit another solo home run, his sixth of the season. Tyler Beardsley backed up an excellent performance last Monday with another very good one. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing only five hits and a walk, while striking out six. Domenick Carlini and Patrick McGuff each struck out two in an their inning of work. McGuff allowed a solo home run. The E-Twins are at .500 at 19-19. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 6, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score The GCL affiliate used six hits and two walks in a five-run seventh-inning to propel themselves to a win on Monday afternoon. Aaron Whitefield had three more hits from the leadoff position, pushing his average up to .330. Justin Hazard has been a hitting machine since signing as a NDFA out of Nevada-Reno. He picked up two more hits including a double and has had two-hit games in three of his first four games. Kidany Silva had two singles in his first multi-hit game as a pro. Zach Featherstone added his second double and Tyree Davis tripled for the second time this season. Miguel DeJesus pitched five innings. He struck out four and gave up a run on two hits and a walk. Bo Hellquist gave up four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He also gave up a run. He struck out three. Daniel Martinez got the final out to end the game. The GCL Twins are 17-16. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids Hitter of the Day – Trey Cabbage, Elizabethton TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs Pawtucket (6:05 CST) - TBD Chattanooga at Mobile (6:15 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut (7-5, 3.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids at Burlington (6:30 CST) - RHP Sam Gibbons (5-3, 5.22 ERA) Elizabethton vs Princeton (6:00 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (1-1, 4.19 ERA) GCL Twins at GCL Rays (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

#TradeEddie It's the same wagon I've been riding for over a year. If his value is high, move him.

I'm not going dispute statistical evidence that suggests they shouldn't pursue starting pitching. But plenty of the media - theirs and the National guys - have cited conversations that they've had with numerous teams about starting pitching. None of that suggests they'd have any interest in Nolasco, but that's what you get with speculatory pieces.

Another 50 FV guy. But he's so far away. I think this trade would be less likely to happen based on that, but I would be willing to throw in just about any low-A or lower arm (with the exceptions of Wells and Ynoa). But I'd package either of those guys to get Weaver.

It's possible that I aim too high, but it's a seller's market. We've seen a number of 50 FV prospects go already, so that's the area I targeted (using MLB and BA). Of course, I don't know if the Dodgers are even into "selling" prospects, but that was the idea behind that.

Hildenberger has been the most dominant pitcher in the system this year. Melotakis has been good, but nowhere near what Hildenberger has been. Rosters open up in 30 days and he should be - at a minimum - the Twins 7th inning guy next year. Adding him now hurts nothing.

Now is not the time to move Park. Is entertain offers for Vargas, but you're talking low-level/quality return.

This offseason I played the part of GM For a Day and swung a bunch of trades and made Joe Mauer my new right fielder. The Twins didn’t follow my directions, have fired their GM and still haven’t contacted me about joining the front office before the trade deadline. So since it’s not a secret, I’ll tell you what I’d do in the next five days.TRADE RICKY NOLASCO The origination of this move had more to do with finally opening up a spot for Jose Berrios. But after Tyler Duffey’s performance on Wednesday night, you can make room without doing too much. Regardless, I’d still move Nolasco and the roughly $17 million remaining on his contract. Nolasco has long been enamored with the Dodgers and the Dodgers can’t seem to keep five healthy starters on their roster. The Twins are deficient in two areas and those are pitching and catching. That’s what I’m looking for (in a unique way) in this deal. The Dodgers ponied up $30 million this winter to Yaisel Sierra, a 25-year-old Cuban who has been very disappointing. As of this point, the Dodgers have only paid out around $3.7 million of the deal, leaving Sierra on the books for $26.3 million (through 2021). Sierra also has the option to opt-out of his deal when/if he hits arbitration. I’ll take Sierra back. There’s still upside, though that’s barely evident by the line he’s put up in high-A ball thus far: 1.544 WHIP, 6.62 ERA, 61/24 K/BB in 68.0 innings. After signing a major-league contract this winter, he was outrighted off the 40-man earlier this month. Then there’s the issue of money. On the surface, the Dodgers could send around $9.3 million and everything is equal (and the Dodgers probably would because what’s money to them? Or they could just take on Nolasco’s contact). But I’d be willing to cut their contribution down to $6 million if I could get a slightly better return. (Which makes the Twins responsible for the rest of this year and the second half of Sierra’s signing bonus.) I’m also asking for the Dodgers to throw in AAA catcher Austin Barnes. Barnes is a 26-year-old who has a .300/.389/.440 career minor-league line but has struggled in 62 big league plate appearances (.176/.311/.235). Barnes also has some experience at both second and third base. The roster impact would be minimal: Nolasco would be off the 25-man roster and out of the starting rotation and Berrios would be his replacement. Barnes would take Nolasco’s spot on the 40-man, but would report (at least right away) to Rochester. Sierra would head to Fort Myers and would begin working in the rotation (after the Dodgers have shifted him to the bullpen). TRADE BRANDON KINTZLER The Cubs just made a huge move for a closer… and the Cardinals, who need bullpen help, claim they won’t make a reactionary move. That’s great. If they’re looking in the bargain bin, the Twins are only one call away. Kintzler has been a dominant force since being selected by the Twins (after being a minor-league addition) and currently sports a 1.011 WHIP and 2.05 ERA in 30.2 innings. While he doesn’t strike many out (5.9 K/9), he could slot into a 7th- or 8th-inning role and come with the added benefit of being under team control for one more year. The emergence of Kintzler (and his availability) gives the Twins a chance to somewhat fix the mistake they made in giving away Chih-Wei Hu for Kevin Jepsen. In return for Kintzler, I’m looking for low-A SP Sandy Alcantara, a 6’ 4’ 20-year-old right-handed pitcher. Alcantara is striking out batters at a very high clip (11.9 K/9) and his 119 strikeouts on the season rank among the highest in all of minor league baseball. Right now he’s a fastball guy (and it’s fast, too, clocked over 100 mph) with a lot of raw secondary pitches. It would be a gamble worth taking for both teams. While it’s possible that the Cardinals would balk at that price, I’d be willing to sweeten the deal with one of many of the low-level minor league pitchers that the Twins have in the system. The Cardinals also have a trio of closer-to-the-bigs pitchers: Luke Weaver, Tim Cooney and Marco Gonzales. While Weaver would be a great addition, that would be a steep price to pay for the Cardinals. Cooney and Gonzales have both debuted, but are out with injuries. Cooney has missed all season and is out indefinitely with a shoulder ailment and Gonzales had Tommy John surgery this spring. Making a move for either of them would be a unique way to add rotation depth. Again, there wouldn’t be much in the way roster-wise. The Twins gain a 40-man spot and a 25-man spot, which I would use to select Trevor Hildenberger and plug him into the bullpen. Alcantara would join the Kernels rotation for the stretch run. (For the record, Alcantara has faced Cedar Rapids twice, he got shelled the first time and shut the Kernels down a week later.) TRADE EDDIE ROSARIO AND FERNANDO ABAD TO THE INDIANS I’m going outside of the box on this one. The Indians probably match up just as well with the Twins in their need of a catcher (Kurt Suzuki) and a third baseman (since-traded Eduardo Nunez), but they’ve been decimated by outfield injuries and could use some bullpen help as well. First off, I’m OK with moving Rosario. (I’d be pushing to move him, in fact.) I wouldn’t close the book on moving Joe Mauer to right field this offseason. I don’t mind Robbie Grossman getting regular at-bats (for now). I’d like to see what Daniel Palka and/or Adam Brett Walker can bring to the table. Danny Santana is a serviceable backup centerfielder. I'd target a pitcher from the Indians. Sticking with the “big-league” ready theme, I'm asking for Mike Clevinger or Cody Anderson. Clevinger has emerged as a one of, if not the best pitching prospect the team has. He struggled in his major league debut earlier this season, but has handled AAA and appears poised to re-enter the big leagues. Anderson was phenomenal last year as a rookie, but has bounced between AAA and the Indians six times this season and has struggled to show any consistency. He will only be a 1+ service player, so the team has five more years of control (the same as what they’ll trade away in Rosario). Both pitchers are just 25 years old. I’d slot either into the rotation for the rest of the year at the expense of Duffey (for now anyway). In giving up Abad additionally, I’d ask for a prospect who's further down the ladder. The target here is LHP Juan Hillman. Hillman has backed up a little bit after being drafted in the second round last year, but it’s a risk I’d be willing to take on a kid that was high school teammates with Nick Gordon and has been mentored by Tom Gordon, who became his legal guardian while Hillman was a high schooler. Hillman would move into the Elizabethton rotation with a chance to move up to Cedar Rapids. In terms of the roster, this would create an additional spot on the 40-man. My 25-man would be up a starter (though I’d option Duffey to fit Clevinger/Anderson into the rotation), down a bullpen arm (recall Chargois to take Abad’s spot) and down a hitter (purchase the contract of Daniel Palka to get him some major league at-bats). All moves that would be relatively easy to make. TRADE KURT SUZUKI Having already added two more near-ready arms, I'm willing to wait out the catching market to see what transpires. Lucroy has to be the first domino to fall. If the Rangers don't get Lucroy, I'd definitely be interested in AA 2B Andy Ibanez. Adding Ibanez may seem redundant when Polanco is already blocked, but accumulating assets is never a bad thing and Ibanez is a great hitter. He may also be too high of a price for the Rangers. I think Boston - the Axe Bat capital - also seems like a viable destination. Trey Ball is an intriguing name. He's nowhere close to the majors, but he has plenty of upside to offer. Regardless of the destination, Suzuki must be moved by the deadline. I'm replacing him on the 40-man and 25-man by selecting the contract of AA catcher Mitch Garver. EXPLORE TRADING KYLE GIBSON I read today that Jeremy Hellickson may net the Phillies four prospects. Gibson, who is still a year from arbitration, could have significant trade value (either now or this winter). Could the Orioles offer Chance Sisco, a pitcher (David Hess, Chris Lee or Parker Bridwell) and a lottery ticket? Is that even enough? It's worth looking into. PUT OUT FEELERS TO MOVE TREVOR PLOUFFE IN AUGUST If the Indians were possibly interested in Nunez before he was moved, they may like what Plouffe could offer them. With one more year of arbitration looming, Plouffe is probably a non-tender candidate for whoever he plays for and should likely be viewed as only a rental player. He won't net a large return but it allows us to avoid a winter in which we pretend that Miguel Sano can play anywhere besides third base. SHOP TOMMY MILONE ALL OF AUGUST I don't know where he'd best fit - I thought the Marlins made a ton of sense before they sold the farm to San Diego - but there's no reason to roster Milone for the rest of the season. Take the cash or take a young lottery ticket. OPEN UP TO THE IDEA OF MOVING BRIAN DOZIER THIS WINTER No contenders need a second baseman right now, so it would be impossible to seize anything of value for Dozier. But once we hit the Winter Meetings everybody believes they're a contender and moving Dozier is the first move the new GM should make. I still don't think the return is going to be enormous, but it should be enough to net a minimum of two future pieces while allowing the Twins to get a season-long look at Jorge Polanco at second base (and batting second behind Byron Buxton). RECAP Remove Nolasco (25-man and 40-man) Remove Kintzler (25-man and 40-man) Remove Abad (25-man and 40-man) Remove Rosario (25-man and 40-man) Remove Suzuki (25-man and 40-man) Option Duffey (25-man) Recall Berrios (25-man) Recall Chargois (25-man) Add Clevinger/Anderson (25-man and 40-man) Select Hildenberger (25-man and 40-man) Select Palka (25-man and 40-man) Select Garver (25-man and 40-man) Add Barnes (40-man; option to AAA) Consider trading Gibson, Plouffe, Milone and Dozier. How many of these moves would you make? Click here to view the article

Each year, I try to make a pilgrimage to see the Twins affiliate in the Midwest League. I made a trip this past weekend to Cedar Rapids and took in three Kernels games. If you haven’t made the trip to Iowa, it’s not a bad one. I live exactly an hour east of Target Field and the trip to Cedar Rapids took four and a half hours. Luckily - and unbelievably - we ran into road construction only one time.I made the trip as a fan and a consumer (of both baseball and beer) and tried not to be too “scouty.” I did take around 100 pictures, hoping that at least one or two make it into next year’s edition of the Twins Prospect Handbook. After three games, though, I was definitely able to form/confirm some opinions I already had and thought it might be of interest to share with the readers at Twins Daily. First and foremost, the Kernels are in contention to be a playoff team. They are five-games over .500 in the second half and eight games over .500 overall. According to MLB.com’s rankings, they roster one Top 30 prospect (Lachlan Wells, #28). If you look historically at prospect lists, you’re not going to find a lot of guys outside the Top 30 that make and have continued success in the Major Leagues. In fact, that is probably true once you get out of the Top 10 or 15. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen and that none of these guys have a chance to make the major leagues. I’m not saying that at all. But as fans of the Twins minor league system have learned and been spoiled with lately, this is not a team full of top prospects. The most impressive “stuff” that was on display all weekend came on Sunday afternoon when Cam Booser made a 9th-inning appearance in a six-run game. He started out throwing about 10 straight balls before finally finding the strike zone (and getting the loudest applause of the day). Once he settled in (finally), we got to see the best raw stuff of the weekend: 98 mph with the fastball and a high-80s slider. Booser was a MWL all-star last season before missing the end of the year with a labrum injury. He hasn’t been good this year. In fact, I joked during his outing that he might get cut before recording an out. But there is some rare raw ability there. I texted a scout after the game about Booser and the response I got was, “He’s hitting 98 or he’s hitting people with 98?” The floor to ceiling split on Booser is huge: Closer or never reaches high-A, with the middle ground being a LOOGY; the lefty he faced on Sunday couldn’t touch him (yet he’s getting roughed up by LHH on the season). Though he didn’t show off the power he demonstrated the previous week (four HRs in three games), Zander Wiel did have three hits over the three games, but nothing spectacular; he was, however, very impressive at first base. Jaylin Davis played left field twice and right field once, making all the routine plays and narrowly missing making an above-average catch to his right, running full speed and having the ball glance off his glove. His carrying tool is his power, which is impressive given his size (6’ 1”, 190) and it was on display with a three-run shot to dead center field on Friday night. He also doubled on Friday and drove in two runs on Sunday. Similar to every other power-hitting corner-outfielder in the organization, Davis does have some swing-and-miss in his game. But after striking out in nearly half of his at-bats in E-town, he’s cut that down to about one-third of his at-bats in Cedar Rapids. It’s still too much, but an improvement. To my eyes, Rainis Silva was the better defensive catcher, though neither he nor Kevin Garcia were standouts on either side of the ball. Silva did just miss hitting a home run on Sunday, absolutely crushing a ground-rule double to the deepest part of right-center field. Without a game where he went 4-6 last week, he’s hitting .170 (9-53) on the season. He’s still only 20, so there’s potential to improve. I’d have a hard time believing anyone besides Sean Miller is the team’s MVP. He comes up in big spots and produces: two RBI hits on Friday (the team was 3-11 with RISP; two of the hits were Miller’s), a go-ahead RBI double on Saturday (the team was 2-10 with RISP; Miller was 1-1) after replacing Manuel Guzman who lost track of the outs, and another two-hit game on Sunday with a double and RBI. Defensively, he looked OK at shortstop, but probably profiles best as a utility player. He’s not big, but looks the part of a baseball player. Sam Gibbons pitched Friday night and by all accounts, he threw his best game of the season. He gave up two home runs, but was low-90s with his fastball and didn’t give up too much hard contact (except for the ones that left the park). I was genuinely curious to see Luis Arraez in action. Not in my (or anyone’s) Top 30 and not on my radar to break camp with the Kernels, he has absolutely raked. He got a hit in each of the three games that I watched and he’s batting .333 on the season. He’s listed at 5’ 10”, 155, so I expected to see a small, speedy guy. He’s not. He’s not 155 for one. I’m guessing he’s 5’ 9”, 180ish and has a thick lower half and not a lot of foot speed. He DH’d Friday and Sunday, playing second base on Saturday. He’s got a bat that should play - he’s disciplined, works a count and makes contact - but doesn’t have a lot of power or speed and I question where he’ll end up defensively. Oh, and he’s the youngest guy on the team by a significant margin, so you can either say that’s to his benefit or you could say that his body is going to only get bigger (and slower) as he ages. Bummed that I didn’t get to see Jermaine Palacios play. Palacios will miss the rest of the season with a hand/wrist injury. I did get to see two 2016 draft picks: Tom Hackimer and Casey Scoggins. Hackimer pitched in relief on Friday night and has a funky arm angle. He was only 88-89 mph which is four-five mph off what he was throwing in college, but he’s not getting regular use and he has been pitching since the beginning of the college season. I still believe he’s a guy that could move quickly through the system. Scoggins played centerfield on Saturday and Sunday and looks the part defensively. He drew four walks on Sunday. The 39th-round pick has already exceeded my expectations. I would guess he’ll start next season in Fort Myers and should stick in center field though I’m curious how the bat will play as he moves up. Jake Mauer and his staff deserve a lot of credit. I sat behind the dugout on Friday and Saturday and saw a few occasions where the coaches were making adjustments that immediately made differences. While there’s a significantly high probability that many of these players will remain in the system next year, there is a strong chance that there will be a shakeup in regard to coaching assignments. Of all the members of the Kernels staff, I’d say the trio of Mauer, Brian Dinkelman and J.P. Martinez is the most deserving of remaining in the organization. And finally, special thanks to Steve Buhr, who can’t be the “Mayor” of Cedar Rapids (because of Tommy Watkins) but should be. There’s no one in the city who’s more accommodating. (But plenty of people who are better at darts.) Click here to view the article

Couple of notes on Beardsley... Talked to a scout who says Beardsley "keeps getting better" and has a "fresh arm" and one of his teammates just said he was "locked in." Interesting too that the guy who caught him hasn't caught much.

While the Twins are enjoying their last scheduled off day until the middle of August, the system was keeping busy. The Red Wings placed Logan Darnell on the disabled list with a shoulder strain and activated outfielder Reynaldo Rodriguez, who was getting re-acclimated to baseball in Fort Myers. Fort Myers activated reliever Brian Gilbert and placed Yorman Landa on the disabled list, leaving them one short of a full roster.First-round pick Alex Kirilloff is getting some prospect love, being named Appy League Batter of the Week. Don’t look now, but once Jose Berrios exhausts his prospect eligibility, Kirilloff, Nick Gordon and Tyler Jay may be in a three-way race to be the team’s next #1 prospect (at least on the list that I put together). RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Pawtucket 7 Box Score Back-to-back bombs from Adam Brett Walker and Byung Ho Park was too little for the Red Wings, as they dropped to 60-44, two games out of the wild card race. Park, Walker, Tommy Field and Wilfredo Tovar each had two hits on Monday. Walker’s home run was his 20th on the season. He also added his 18th double. Park hit his sixth AAA home run and now has 18 combined on the season. Park doubled for the third time. Nick Greenwood made a respectable start, giving up three runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out three. D.J. Baxendale struggled mightily, blowing the lead without recording an out. He allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits and took the loss. Marcus Walden struck out one in two innings and Alex Wimmers struck out two in one inning. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga - OFF DAY The Lookouts open a series with the Smokies tomorrow. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 2 Box Score Nick Gordon giveth. And Nick Gordon taketh away. After an eighth-inning error allowed two runs to score, Nick Gordon probably felt like a goat. What an inopportune time to commit his 19h error of the season which wrecked a shutout. Of course, two outs in the bottom of the eighth, with the score tied, Gordon turned into a hero. He drove in the go-ahead and eventual winning run. Gordon is currently batting .301. Tanner Witt, Joe Maloney and A.J. Murray all doubled. T.J. White and Alex Perez both drove in a run. Keaton Steele pitched seven shutout innings with four strikeouts. Todd Van Steensel was charged with a blown save due to the error, but recovered for the win. Because pitcher wins! John Curtiss then picked up his first save of the season. At one game over .500 on the season, the Miracle are now 17-15 in the second half. They trail the division leader by 2.5 games. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Dayton 0 Box Score On Friday, Sam Gibbons had his best start of the season. On Monday, country-mate Lachlan Wells had arguably the best start for any Twins-affiliated team all season. Though his fastball only touched 90 mph, the whole repertoire was working for the diminutive southpaw from Newcastle as Wells threw 66 strikes (97 pitches) in eight innings of shutout ball, allowing only two hits and a walk. After allowing a single in both the first and second inning, Wells retired the next 12 in the lineup before hitting a batter. His walk came with two out in the seventh, a runner he promptly picked off. Wells struck out nine, missing his career mark of 10, which came in Wells’ first professional outing in June of 2015 in the GCL. Tom Hackimer picked up his second save in four opportunities. He walked a batter but got a strikeout to end the game. Offensively the Kernels did enough to win - but not by much - and did it all in the fifth inning. Chris Ibarra walked to lead off the inning. J.J. Fernandez and Rainis Silva both singled to load the bases. The first run of the game scored on a Manuel Guzman sacrifice fly. Casey Scoggins drove in the Kernels second and last run of the game with a single. Zander Wiel added a double, his 22nd, in the sixth. On the season, the Kernels are 54-46. Their second-half record is 18-13, but they trail Clinton by 4.5 games. Side note: I just returned from a three-game trip to watch the Kernels in Cedar Rapids. I’ll be sharing my #notascout reports on my takeaways from the weekend on Wednesday. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Pulaski 1 Box Score Yesterday, Tyler Beardsley wasn’t a name that typical readers would look twice at. He might have changed that on Monday evening. In 6 1/3 innings, Beardsley struck out 13 and only walked one. Beardsley didn’t start in college and possessed a K/9 around 4.5. So while this may be an anomaly, it’s an attention-getter that will at least make fans take a second look. Alex Robinson struck out three in relief and Colton Davis closed the game out with a 1-2-3 ninth. Travis Blankenhorn led the charge with a 2-run home run and a 3-run home run in consecutive innings. According to a tweet from his agent, Blankenhorn passed a runner on his 3-run home run, so evidently his run doesn’t count and he was charged with an out. Brandon Lopez had another two-hit day to raise his average to .365. Mitch Kranson (who caught Beardsley) also had a multi-hit game including a RBI and a double. Roberto Gonzalez singled twice. The E-Twins improve to 15-16. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 7, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score The GCL affiliate got a very night showing from the piggybacking duo of undrafted free agents Bo Hellquist and Tyler Fox. Hellquist, a lefty, threw the first five innings and earned the win. Fox picked up the save for pitching the last four. Their lines were almost identical: both gave up a run on three hits and both struck out four. Hellquist issued a walk and Fox allowed a solo home run. The Twins tallied 11 hits, led by three singles by Gorge Munoz. Aaron Whiteside had two hits, but the most damage was done by Joe Cronin, who hit his first two professional extra-base hits: a two-run home run in the fourth and a double in the eighth. He also reached base when he was hit by a pitch. Tyree Davis added a double. Both Akil Baddoo and the rehabbing Heiker Meneses drove in a pair of runs as well. Interestingly, the Orioles used former Twin Sam Deduno for an inning on a rehab assignment. He struck out one. The GCL Twins are 13-14. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Lachlan Wells, Cedar Rapids Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Elizabethton TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Pawtucket (6:05 CST) - LHP Andrew Albers (9-3, 3.14 ERA) Chattanooga vs Tennessee (6:15 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (4-4, 3.35 ERA) Fort Myers vs Palm Beach (6:05 CST) - LHP Randy Rosario (5-3, 3.79 ERA) Elizabethton at Pulaski (6:00 CST) - LHP Domenick Carlini (1-4, 5.11 ERA) GCL Twins vs GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article