Jeremy Nygaard

The only Twins news of the days was the purchasing of OF Clete Thomas’s contract. To make room on the 40-man roster, LRP Tyler Robertson was designated for assignment. LRP Blake Martin was promoted from New Britain to take fill Robertson’s lefty role in Rochester’s bullpen. INF Joel Licon was summoned from Extended Spring Training to Cedar Rapids to help while SS Niko Goodrum recovers from yesterday’s concussion. All the moves made today are reflected here. In draft news, Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray tested positive for Adderall, a common ADHD medicine as well as something used for weight loss. Many professional players have prescriptions for the drug, which makes it legal; Gray did not “go through the right procedures” to be using it. When asked whether it was an issue, a Twins source said he “won’t speculate… (but) obviously (its) an issue. (We) have to get all the facts.” At the very least, Jonathan Gray made (or has been making) a poor decision and even though it might not make him tumble down draft boards, it will certainly affect his bottom line. (My two cents: he still doesn’t fall to the Twins.) On a happier note, if you’re a fan of raspberries and Byron Buxton, read this post by Brad Swanson. ROCHESTER RED WINGS 9, CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS 1 Box Score Pedro Hernandez was much better tonight than he was on his last outing (5/29: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R). Hernandez threw 94 pitches tonight. The result was promising: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, BB, 6 K, HR. Though Hernandez has struggled in the major leagues, he’s still young and has a future. That might be taking over Brian Duensing’s role in a couple of years, but a greater role than anyone anticipated when he was acquired (with Eduardo Escobar) for Francisco Liriano. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4288[/ATTACH] Michael Tonkin recorded six outs, without allowing a hit (or an inherited runner to score). He struck out three. Smart money says we see Tonkin at Target Field in September. The firepower from Rochester’s early season – Oswaldo Arcia and Chris Colabello – was back together for the first time tonight, but the offensive story of the game was a guy that wasn’t even in the country at the beginning of the season: Deibinson Romero. Tonight, Romero went 3-for-5. He hit two home runs and drove in five runs. Once rated as high as the #13 prospect in the organization by Baseball American (in 2007) and noted for his defense, Romero spent a season on the 40-man before being removed. It’s completely believable to think Romero could be involved in the Twins next roster move. (Though he’s a right-handed bat, he wouldn’t be a great platoon partner with Trevor Plouffe, but could be given a shot if Plouffe’s calf injury doesn’t go away. Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Colabello and Doug Bernier all had two hits and drove in a run. Tomorrow night at 6:05pm ET, Kyle Gibson (4-5, 3.38) will be making his last start in Rochester. (I’m kidding, obviously. The Twins are waiting to bring him up until mid-2015.) NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS – OFF DAY D.J. Baxendale (0-1, 13.50) makes the start tomorrow. He looks to recover from a poor AA debut. First pitch at Richmond is scheduled for 6:35pm ET. FORT MYERS MIRACLE 4, BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES 6 Box Score In Matt Tomshaw’s first high-A start last week, he was very successful. He allowed only two hits and one run in six innings. Tonight was not as successful. Though he still made it six innings, he allowed four runs on eight hits. He struck out five. Adrian Salcedo and Jose Gonzalez both allowed runs too, but combined to strike out five in three innings. Angel Morales is doing everything he can to finally escape Fort Myers. Tonight he was 3-for-4. He is 17-for-34 (.500) in his last ten games. He added a double tonight. Levi Michael went 2-for-3 with a double. Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario both had RBI doubles. Jason Wheeler will look to continue his undefeated season (5-0, 3.94) tomorrow at 7:05 pm ET against Brevard County. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 10, KANE COUNTY COUGARS x Box Score The Kernels strung together two well-timed innings to come-from-behind and beat the Cougars. The 5-run 6th inning came mainly as a result of taking five walks and seeing a wild pitch. Only two hits occurred: a double by Dalton Hicks and a single by J.D. Williams The 5-run 7th inning was a little more traditional, though the Kernels were aided by a throwing error and two more walks. All told, the Kernels only totaled eight hits, but drew 10 walks. Williams was 1-for-6, but drove in three runs. Candido Pimentel, Travis Harrison and Tyler Grimes all had two hits. Joel Licon, in his low-A debut, went 0-for-2 but walked twice and scored two runs. He also drove in a run and committed two errors at second base. Harrison (11) and Pimentel (8) also had errors. Mason Melotakis picked up his fifth win on the year. He allowed four runs (two earned) in five innings. He walked five, struck out two and allowed seven hits. Not a great line by any means. Many people continue to believe his future is in the bullpen. Manuel Soliman (four strikeouts) and Steven Gruver (two strikeouts) each pitched two innings. Jake Mauer was ejected for arguing a safe/out call at 3rd base. Allegedly, it was the way he said, “Aw, shucks.” Byron Buxton (thumb) and Niko Goodrum (concussed) both missed today’s game. The Kernels have an off-day tomorrow.

As the draft quickly approaches, we’ve spent a lot of time discussing the choices the Twins have with the fourth overall pick in the draft. Today, we’re going to look at what you can expect to happen in the first ten rounds. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4270[/ATTACH] Over the last three drafts, the Twins have selected 35 players in the Top 10 rounds. Here’s how those picks break down: College right-handed pitchers: 10 (1, 1s, 2, 2, 4, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10) College left-handed pitchers: 7 (2, 3, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10) Prep outfielders: 3 (1, 4, 6) College shortstops: 3 (1, 5, 9) College “corners”: 3 (3, 8, 9) *value in bat, position TBD (includes unsigned Mazzilli) Prep right-handed pitchers: 2 (1s, 1s) Prep shortstops: 2 (2, 10) *maybe should be labeled “prep athletes” Prep “corners”: 1 (1s) College outfielders: 1 (5) Prep left-handed pitchers: 1 (6) Prep catchers: 1 (7) College catchers: 1 (9) The Twins have been equipped with five extra choices in rounds one and two over the last two years, a luxury they won’t have this year. Those additional picks have been extra arms or, in Travis Harrison’s case, the only prep with his value tied exclusively to his bat in the last three years. Though the Twins have only used two Top 10 selections on catchers in the last three years, they used a 12th-round pick on a college catcher in the odd year. They’re admittedly looking for more catching, so expect to see a catcher selected higher than in previous years. (GUESS: Twins pop a catcher somewhere in the rounds 4-6.) The category of college shortstops is tied for third most-represented on the list. Unfortunately, the Twins haven’t gotten great value there. Levi Michael was likely viewed as the best-available and that was why he came off the board. (GUESS: There isn’t a lot of SS depth in the system or in this draft, so if there is a “senior sign” that the Twins believe in, taking one in round 6-9 wouldn’t be a shock.) It could be tied into the last category, but prep shortstops are different. The Twins have a history of adding a prep shortstop in the Top 15 (if not Top 10) rounds. It seems they’ll sacrifice bat for a likeliness to stick at shortstop. (GUESS: If they find a guy they like, they could move early. If not, expect them to take a chance after round 10, especially if they’ve used a pick on a college shortstop already.) College “corners” and even the lone college outfielder (Nate Roberts) happen about once a year. (GUESS: It could happen at any time in the first ten rounds, maybe twice. One name to keep an eye on early on Day 2 is Georgia Tech OF/1B Daniel Palka.) The Twins have always seemed to have a love-affair for toolsy prep outfielders. The truth is, though, that they haven’t taken a ton of them, they’ve just had a lot of success with them when they do. (GUESS: Like prep pitchers, they do it early. There is a chance the Twins take an athlete that falls with the likelihood they add a CF sometime on Day 2. Should be noted, as well, that the Twins only “overslot” sign after Round 10 was a prep CF.) Taking a prep right-hander is rare. But when it’s happened, it’s happened early. Expect the same this year. (GUESS: Kohl Stewart at 4 would qualify as early.) The Twins have only selected on prep lefty in the Top 10 rounds and that pick turned up to have shoulder issues before signing. He was also one of a handful of Puerto Ricans drafted over the last three years. The Twins typically wouldn’t be counted on to take a prep lefty, but this year has more depth in the category than most years. (GUESS: They’ll come off the board early, so if it hasn’t happened by round 3, don’t count on it.) College pitchers – both left- and right-handed – dominate the Twins draft board over the last three years. Nearly half of the Top 10 round picks have been pitchers and that makes sense. Last year, eight of the first 13 picks were pitchers. This year could be very similar. (GUESS: Expect the Twins to go to the pitching well early and often. Drafting six pitchers total in the first ten rounds seems about right, but after drafting so many lefties recently, there is less urgency to add as many this year. If two lefties come off the board in the top 10 rounds, that would make sense.) Round-by-round expectations: Round 1 – There is some intrigue left because of the uncertainty before them, but (as of today) prep RHP Kohl Stewart is the pick. Round 2 – If the pick is Stewart in Round 1, it would surprise me if they turned around and took a prep lefty here. With that being said, there will be some good value here. Names such as Blake Taylor (CA) and Hunter Green (KY) are names that could be in the discussion. A more likely scenario would see a college arm come off of the board. Best available would be the way to go, especially if one falls, but names that are in play are Tom Windle (Minnesota), Kent Emanuel (North Carolina) and Dillon Overton (Oklahoma). The other scenario would be a position player dropping into the Twins lap. It’s impossible to predict who it could be, but the Twins are enamored with Aaron Judge’s power (Fresno State), though he’s upped his draft stock as of late. Round 3 and Round 4 – Some names worth remembering here are Stephen Tarpley (LHP, Scottsdale JC), Cody Reed (LHP NW Miss. JC), Corey Littrell (LHP, Kentucky) and D.J. Snelton (LHP, Minnesota). If the Twins want to take another shot on a college reliever A.J. Vanegas (RHP, Stanford) could be an intriguing name. Slowed by injuries, Vanegas still offers a high-90s fastball and very good slider. This could also be the time you also see a prep shortstop (or other prep athlete) come off the board, though it’s a danger-zone for those with signability questions. Round 5 through Round 7 – This is the range the Twins could very easily be considering a catcher. Brian Navaretto (FL) and Rene Melendez (PR) are two preps that fit the defensive profile. Mississippi State SS Adam Frazier would immediately become a Gardenhire favorite. If the Twins go the prep SS route here, Stephen Alemais (a personal favorite of mine) would make sense. David Gates (RHP, Howard JC) and Taylor Williams (RHP, Kent State) are names that could be in the mix here. Round 8 through Round 10 – If the Twins have passed on outfielders to this point, someone like Adam Engel (Louisville) would be a great choice. Ryan Cordell (Liberty) would also make sense. There are literally hundreds of pitchers that could be under consideration for these picks. The baseball draft is far more unpredictable than either the football or basketball draft simply because of the volume of guys that are selected. The front office is hard at work setting their draft board, which will consist of approximately 900 names. (Yes, that’s less than will be selected over the 40 rounds. No, they’re not worried they’ll run out of names.) It will be much earlier in the draft than you’d anticipate where players are getting drafted that aren’t even on the Twins board. (I believe I was told it happened in the 3rd round last year.) Once the draft is complete – and the organization has 40 more players – they will begin signing them. Of course, not all will sign (not all will even be offered contracts), but when the dust clears on July 15, expect the Twins to have signed somewhere between 22 and 26 players. --- If you haven't had enough draft talk yet, go find last week's Gleeman and the Geek podcast. I also talked draft with Fanatic Jack at BlogTalkRadio last Monday. There's more draft talk coming: The Talk2Contact crew will be running their draft preview early next week. And if you're really crazy and can't get enough, I'll be joining the BlueJaysPlus podcast tomorrow night.

Who IS This Guy? Young Texan Kohl Stewart (6’ 3, 195) is widely considered the top prep pitcher in the nation. Kohl Stewart is also, according to ESPN, the 6th best high-school quarterback in the nation and is committed to Texas A&M. Stewart is equipped with a mid-90s fastball (an improvement over last summer) and a “nasty” slider. The mid-80s slider projects as – if it’s not already – a plus pitch. It’s a legitimate strikeout pitch. He’s shown flashes of being able to throw a low-80s curveball and throws an occasional change-up as well. Of course, he’s able to do all of this despite splitting his time between baseball and football. He stands to show improvement as he shifts his focus to strictly baseball. A scouting director recently told Baseball America that "Stewart's pure stuff is as good as [Appel’s and Gray’s], and he's more athletic than they are." Scouts also believe that Stewart is more advanced than Jameson Taillon was at the same point in his career (when the Pirates actually claimed they preferred Taillon over Bryce Harper). Though not as big, Stewart profiles similar to Archie Bradley, a Diamondbacks draft pick in 2011, who needed $5 million to be bought out of his football commitment to Oklahoma. (Bradley signed a two-sport contract, which can be paid over five years; Stewart could too, but the entire bonus would count against this year's draft pool.) The ironic part is, as a quarterback, the ESPN football scouting report mentions twice that Stewart’s arm is “not elite”. It should also be mentioned that Stewart is a Type 1 diabetic. He is represented by Frontline Sports Management’s Darek Braunecker. Braunecker, a former MiLB pitcher, also represents Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett and prospective 1st rounder Trey Ball. You can follow him on twitter: @KohlStewart1. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4204[/ATTACH] www.perfectgame.org Who Could He Be? Stewart could be a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter. But the track record of right-handed prep pitchers is limited, so making this selection at number four is not without risk. Since 2000, only seven prep right-handers have gone in the top 5. Dylan Bundy, Baltimore, 4th overall, 2011 Jameson Taillon, Pittsburgh, 2nd overall, 2010 Matt Hobgood, Baltimore, 5th overall, 2009 Mark Rogers, Milwaukee, 5th overall, 2004 Chris Gruler, Cincinnati, 3rd overall, 2002 Clint Everts, Montreal, 5th overall, 2002 Gavin Floyd, Philadelphia, 4th overall, 2001 Gavin Floyd has made 187 career major-league starts. The rest of that list has made a combined nine (all by Mark Rogers). Obviously, though, both Bundy (who’s currently been shut down to rest an ailing elbow) and Taillon (who’s pitching well in AA) are two of the highest-ranked pitching prospects in baseball. So while there is risk, there is also the chance for a very, very high reward. How Soon Could He Be Playing In Target Field? It would be unfair to compare any prep pitcher to Bundy, but Taillon and Bradley are much better comparisons. Unlike those two, though, Stewart would have the opportunity to get significant professional experience under his belt in 2013. If the Twins drafted Stewart, he would likely start with the GCL Twins and finish his year in Elizabethton. Next season (2014) would likely start a little later, but be spent in Cedar Rapids. He would probably start in Fort Myers – and finish in New Britain – in 2015 before returning to New Britain in 2016 and be a candidate for a mid-season promotion. Archie Bradley is currently dismantling AA and if he continues to, he could be in the majors this year. If Stewart was on that accelerated path, it would equate to being ready at some point in 2015. I would error on the side of caution and say that being in the Opening Day rotation in 2017 would be a realistic goal, with his first major league experience coming in the summer of 2016. If The Twins Draft This Guy, They Messed Up Because.... …they didn’t do their homework. If the Twins draft Kohl Stewart, they took the right guy. If the Twins fail to sign Kohl Stewart because of his commitment to college, they screwed it up. They would lose $4.5 million out of this year’s draft pool (but acquire pick #5 in the 2014 draft). If the Twins Draft This Guy, They Nailed It Because…. …they got one of the three pitchers with the highest upside in the draft and, in all likelihood, had to shell out the smallest bonus to lock one of them up. Drafting fourth in what is widely considered to be a three-man draft isn’t ideal, but getting a pitcher with this upside – even with the risk – is like making lemonade out of lemons. --- Just like any other pitcher the Twins may consider, drafting Stewart would be a welcome addition to the organization. Though he is a year or two further away from making a contribution than many fans would prefer, you can’t try to turn the baseball draft into band-aids. At the end of the day, you want to have as much talent in the organization as possible and adding a talent - albeit someone who is a little raw (due to time spent on another sport) and comes with a significant amount of risk – is a giant leap in the right direction. Twins Daily MLB Draft Player Profiles: · Monday, May 20-- Sean Manaea, SP · Tuesday, May 21-- Austin Meadows, OF · Wednesday, May 22-- Trey Ball, OF · Thursday, May 23-- Ryan Stanek, RHP · Friday, May 24-- Clint Frazier, OF · Tuesday, May 28-- Reese McGuire, C · Wednesday, May 29—Braden Shipley, RHP For MLB Draft Day Coverage, make sure you follow @TwinsDaily on Twitter!

As Seth broke yesterday, the Twins added C Chris Herrmann to their roster after OF Wilkin Ramirez was lost to an alleged concussion. (Which proved to be a real concussion when he blew chunks on the team flight to Milwaukee.) Rochester didn't make a corresponding move when they announced the move this morning, leading me to believe one wouldn't be made before Trevor Plouffe, who is recovering from his own concussion, is activated on Wednesday and Herrmann was sent back down. Tonight, however, Pioneer Press beat writer Mike Berardino tweeted that "it appears C Dan Rohlfing has been promoted to Rochester". That's curious for a few reasons: 1) even without Herrmann, the Red Wings still have Eric Fryer and Daniel Lehmann (and, in a pinch, Jeff Clement. 2) The Rockcats are left with only Josmil Pinto (unless a corresponding move is made). Now there are three catchers currently in Fort Myers, so they could easily move one up. It should also be noted that fan-favorite Drew Butera may be ready to return to catching soon. Long story longer, it seems like a lot of shuffling around for a move that is only likely to last two more days. Or is there more to it? A move that does make sense is happening at the lower levels. After Matthew Tomshaw's promotion to Fort Myers, the need for another pitcher arose in Cedar Rapides. Enter: Hein Robb. Robb pitched in E-Town last year and was on the South African team that appeared in the 2009 WBC. I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day and I hope you enjoy reading about what happened in the Twins minor leagues today. Rochester Red Wings 5, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 0 Box Score If you already read this, then my thunder was stolen. If you haven't, I'll give you the short version: Vance Worley returned to AAA today and LiamHendriksed the other team. You know, completely dominated a AAA foe? He pitched a complete game shutout. Scattering five hits and four walks while striking out four. It probably wasn't in Worley's best interest to pitch so well. He's going to need to show consistency over six or seven starts before he returns to Minnesota (where, ironically enough, he was very consistent). Hey Vance, how happy were you when you made it out of the first inning without giving up any runs? Show me a smile if you were real happy. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4191[/ATTACH] Eric Fryer lead the offense with two hits, including a triple, and an RBI. He scored twice. Some other Fryer tidbits courtesy of their post-game release: Fryer has scored runs in six consecutive games (a Red Wings season high). He also has a .329 OBP despite a .172 batting average. Antoan Richardson went 2-for-3 with a walk. He drove in a run and supports a very nice OBP of .435 in his 14 games as a Red Wing. LSP Andrew Albers (2-2, 2.61) will take the ball tomorrow night at Frontier Field against the Iron Pigs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 ET. New Britain Rock Cats 3, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 12 Box Score As good as the Vanimal pitched today, top prospect Alex Meyer couldn't match the blows. In five innings of work, Meyer walked four, allowed two hits (one a home run) and four earned runs. He struck out five. The loss drops him to 2-3 and raises his ERA to 3.95. Edgar Ibarra was the most successful pitcher today for the Rock Cats and he allowed three hits and two walks while only recording four outs (but only giving up one run). Bruce Pugh was a disaster. After inheriting two runners and not letting them score he came back for the eighth and, well, struggled. His final line consisted of seven earned runs on four hits and three walks. Minnesota's own Nate Hanson left the game after being hit by a pitch in the arm. But according to his wife, he'll be ok, just sore. Logan Darnell (4-3, 2.47) takes the ball at 6:35 ET. Fort Myers Miracle - DAY OFF The Miracle play Bradenton tomorrow night and their scheduled starter is TBD. Cedar Rapids Kernels 3, Burlington Bees 10 (Game 1) Box Score Cedar Rapids Kernels 3, Burlington Bees 6 (Game 2) Box Score The Kernels are in the middle of a tail-spin (hopefully near the end of said tail-spin) and have now lost five straight. Game one was close for four innings, before Brett Lee couldn't get anyone out in the fifth. He left after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and a walk. He struck out five. Manuel Soliman got roughed up for four runs (recording four outs). Alex Muren pitched five out of no-hit ball. Byron Buxton went 3-for-3 and stole a base (23). D.J Hicks added two singles and Candido Pimentel also added a single. Game two, was crappy too. Hudson Boyd gave up six runs in the first two innings, but did his team (and bullpen) a favor by getting it together to last through the sixth. David Hurlbut pitched a no-hit ninth. The bats only managed four hits total in this one - Tyler Grimes had a two-run line-drive home run. Hicks had a double. Travis Harrison and Jorge Polanco added single. Mason Melotakis (3-2, 3.89) looks to right the ship tomorrow at 6:35 CT on Perfect Game Field. --- If you're interested in listening to yesterday's Gleeman and the Geek radio show where we talked about the draft, it's always within three clicks of any webpage. I'll be talking more draft with Cody and Eric on the Talk2Contact podcast this weekend and I may be chatting with Fanatic Jack (by phone, me from my chair, him from a ledge) at 10 pm tonight. Listen live here. Questions, comments, hints, allegations or things left unsaid to be discussed below. (Sorry, a little Collective Soul time warp during typing apparently.)

IT’S LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY! Are you excited? Version 4.0 of my “small board” posted as I am about to go on KFAN with John and Aaron to talk about… you guessed it… the MLB Draft. A quick reminder: The Twins first pick (fourth overall) has a draft slot value of just around $4.5 million. Though it should be pointed out – as I do each month – that the Twins very rarely deviate from the norm: In the last 20 years, the Twins have had 24 1st round draft picks (not counting supplemental picks). Of those 24 picks, 11 have been prep position players and eight have been college pitchers. The other two groups: college position players (4) and prep pitchers (1) have been much less represented. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4168[/ATTACH] JEREMY’S SMALL BOARD (Keep in mind, please, that this is not a “mock draft”. This is not a reflection of my top players. This is my attempt at stacking a “Twins Draft Board”, based on a number of things.) 1) Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford (previous: 2) THE LATEST: If I had the first pick, I’d take Appel. If Appel drops to #4, the Twins will take him. But I don’t… and he won’t. I’m not sure that Houston has the cajones to make this pick, but I know the Cubs do. 2) Jonathan Gray, RHP, Oklahoma (previous: 1) THE LATEST: Houston will have to weigh the pros and cons of taking Gray over Appel and trying to save a little bit of money. They might just be able to do it, even though the Astros are flirting with a lot of people right now. Unlike college, the Astros management won’t leave this party alone. I think they go with Gray, ultimately. 3) Kris Bryant, 3B, San Diego (previous: 8) THE LATEST: I’ll come out and tell you that I’m not as sold on Bryant as many, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t take him at #3. He’s got legitimate power. He’s improved his overall hit tool as well. There’s just something that makes me leery; but you can’t ignore what he’s done this year, even though his defensive home remains in question. 4) Kohl Stewart, RHP, Texas HS (previous: 3) THE LATEST: The first place you probably saw Stewart tied to the Twins was here. Now you’re seeing it everywhere. But like all drafts, things change. Stewart will probably be the top name on the Twins board when their pick comes up. Stewart has been throwing out the “I’m going to Texas A&M” line lately. He isn’t. But he’s going to use it to get the most money possible. My sense is that the Red Sox are going to get creative and make Stewart an offer that the Twins won’t match. 5) Braden Shipley, P, Nevada (previous: NR) THE LATEST: Shipley did hit a little bit of a rough patch earlier this season, but got it back together to pitch his best game of the year last week. He’s been compared a lot to Kyle Zimmer, who went 5th to the Royals last year and signed for $3 million. Shipley is a great athlete and has a plus changeup to go with a mid-90s fastball. Shipley is a name tied to many teams in the top 10 as someone that might take a discount. Why not the Twins? 6) Reese McGuire, C, Washington HS (previous: NR) THE LATEST: McGuire comes in a high-defensive, questionable-offensive package. The Twins have been tied to him and, even though he could easily head to San Diego, there are many believe he could cut a deal if selected in the top 5-7 picks. Though I don’t think the Twins go that route, it is a card they’ll have in their pocket. 7) Clint Frazier, OF, Georgia HS (previous: 9) THE LATEST: Both Frazier and Meadows have seen their stock drop as of late. The Twins are said to prefer Frazier to Meadows, but not nearly enough to pop him at #4. 8) Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina (previous: 6) THE LATEST: Moran, allegedly, is in the mix at #1. Only he isn’t. He’ll go to the Indians at #5 in all likelihood. 9) Ryne Stanek, RHP, Arkansas (previous: 7) THE LATEST: Stanek still has time to move up the board. He’s someone the Twins would typically consider. The fact of the matter is, though, Shipley has had better results with similar upside. 10) Trey Ball (previous: NR) THE LATEST: Ball is a hard-throwing, athletic lefty. The Twins are going to kick the tires on him and, if he’s interested in making a deal like McGuire is rumored to be considering, you might start to hear more steam on this. Ball is a guy that fits in the 8-11 range talent-wise, but could offer a huge reward based on upside. Feel free to discuss. You can follow me on Twitter (@jeremynygaard) for draft updates.

If seeing this makes you not watch tonight's Twins game, you can thank me later. Ain't no sunshine when the Twins are on It's not warm when they play Ain't no sunshine when the Twins are on And they've been gone for way too long I'm not sure they know how to play. One a less depressing note... Transaction round-up for today: Rochester fills the spot vacated by Deduno by activating #FreeAnthonySlama. If Anthony Slama was a cat, he'd be on his last life. The Red Wings will also need to create a roster spot to make room for recently-optioned Oswaldo Arcia. Last night, the Miracle activated RP Chad Rodgers and DL'd Kyle Davies. The issue, per the team, is a right shoulder impingement. Davies was placed on the DL nearly two years ago with the same issue. If LL Cool J was a Miracle fan, I don't think he'd be calling this a comeback. The Kernels activated Tyler Jones and sent Josh Burris back to EST. To the farm we go...Rochester Red Wings 2, Charlotte Knights 4Box Score The Twins and Red Wings essentially swapped pitchers for the day and the Red Wings pitcher, Pedro Hernandez, had a better performance than Samuel Deduno did for the Twins. Hernandez managed to start off the game with five shutout innings before running into trouble in the 7th. He finished with 6.2 innings and four runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk. He struck out seven. It will be interesting, going forward, to see if the Twins have Hernandez shifted to a bullpen role, though tonight's start was plenty encouraging. Luis Perdomo blew a save, even though he wasn't charged with any runs. Chris Herrmann had two hits and a stolen base. Clete Thomas hit a solo home run. Thomas returned last night after missing two weeks with a groin injury. That injury probably kept Aaron Hicks in the major leagues. Kyle Gibson (3-5, 3.25) will look to bring some consistency to the mound tomorrow at 7:05 ET. New Britain Rock Cats vs New Hampshire Fisher Cats The game was suspended in the middle of the fourth with the Fisher Cats leading 3 to 2. The game will be completed at 5:05 ET and game two will begin at 7:05 ET with Pat Dean (1-5, 6.25) on the hill. Fort Myers Miracle 6, Charlotte Stone Crabs 5 Box Score Full disclosure: I'm a little embarrassed that I never realized - until this very moment - that there were two affiliated baseball teams from "Charlotte". I realize that they are two franchises in two different states, but I'm shocked that I have never gotten the two confused. Weird. Kennys "Big Spoon" Vargas hit his 9th home run of the season. It was described as a mammoth shot. He also hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to secure the win. (FYI - I'm trying to get the Big Spoon nickname to stick because I watched him play last year in Beloit with someone (bigger than I) who shall remain nameless and had a Grade A Mancrush on Vargas. I'm sure you can connect the remaining dots.) [ATTACH=CONFIG]4164[/ATTACH] Big Spoon Current Seth mancrush, Aderlin Mejia, had four hits to improve his batting average to .400. Angel Morales was 2-for-2 plus two walks. (New Britain, please.) Miguel Sano had two hits, including a run-producing dboule. Stephen Wickens added two hits. Jason Wheeler worked a solid six innings. He scattered 10 hits and two walks, only allowing two earned runs (four total) while striking out four. Zack Jones blew the save for the Miracle by giving up three walks and a hit in the ninth inning. He also struck out two and picked up the win when the Miracle won on a walk-off. Cedar Rapids Kernels 4, Beloit Snappers 5 Box Score The Kernels were swept by the Snappers and their five game lead in the Western Division has been cut to two games. Pohlman Field continues to scream "Home Field Advantage!" Tyler Duffey gave up five runs in five innings. He struck out four and walked two. The bullpen combo of Steven Gruver and Tim Atherton combined to pitch three scoreless. Offensively, everybody contributed with hits, but the team was only able to string them together enough to get four runs. Byron Buxton had one hit (.318). Jorge Polanco is batting .311. Niko Goodrum and Adam Walker both had two hits. Tyler Grimes had a triple. Candido Pimentel (9), Buxton (22) and Goodrum (4) all had stolen bases. Jose Berrios (3-1, 2.86) takes the ball at 6:35 for the Kernels tomorrow night. Feel free to post your questions and/or comments below. Aaannnddd... shameless self-promotion, I'll be making my radio debut (and maybe my last appearance ever, if I suck) on the Gleeman and the Geek radio show this Sunday to talk any and all things draft. So you may also mock and ridicule me in the comments below, if necessary.

Who IS This Guy? Ryne Stanek (6’ 4, 190) is a right-handed pitcher for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Mariners selected him in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft, but Stanek elected to head to SEC to face the best hitters in college baseball. After enrolling in Arkansas, there was some hope that he would be eligible for the 2012 draft, but he narrowly missed the cutoff. (Players must turn 21 within 45 days of the draft.) Stanek entered this season, his junior season, in a three-horse race to be the first overall selection in the 2013 draft. He’s closing out his season with lower expectations, but still is a dark-horse candidate to be the third collegiate pitcher selected. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4149[/ATTACH] Who Could He Be? There are scouts out there that would point to his heavy mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and improving curveball and changeup and call him a definite Top 10 pick with a future as a frontline starter. There are other scouts out there that could see him as a dominant closer. Stanek has had a penchant for overthrowing his slider, which is no fault of his own as the pitch selection comes from the dugout. He’s also failed to consistently get the results that you’d expect out of a pitcher with his “stuff”. Is it a lack of deception? Is it because of his mechanics? Is it an over-reliance on his slider? Those are questions that have him all over draft boards. How Soon Could He Be Playing In Target Field? Stanek has had success in the most advanced collegiate league in the country. He led his team to the College World Series as a sophomore and has hopes of helping his team get back there again. The likelihood of whatever team drafts him is to limit his innings after signing. If he were to end up with the Twins, he would report to Fort Myers, get acclimated to the organization and likely pitch out of the bullpen in a limited role for the rest of 2013. Next year he would be shifted to starting, likely first in Fort Myers before heading to New Britain. Depending on his success in the second half, you could make a case for being in the show sometime in the summer of 2015, though the following summer would be much more likely. (That time-table would be very similar to the one that Alex Meyer is on; Meyer could factor in this summer, but more likely make his Target Field debut next summer.) If The Twins Draft This Guy, They Messed Up Because.... …they bought into the player they saw last summer and believe that with the right instruction Stanek can be a front-of-the-rotation starter. But based on the “what have you done for me lately?” evaluation, Stanek hasn’t been great and isn’t the fourth-best player in the draft, ceiling-wise or ability-wise. Stanek’s Razorbacks are still active in the SEC Tournament and will also advance to the NCAA tournament, so there still is time to raise his stock. Stanek will be making his first start of the SEC Tournament on Thursday afternoon at 4:30, meeting up with #2 LSU in a game that can be watched on ESPN3. If the Twins Draft This Guy, They Nailed It Because…. …they recognized their need for advanced pitchers and see that Stanek has a chance to fill that void. They might also be able to convince his advisor that he wasn’t going to go Top 10 otherwise (though there’s a chance) and be able to bank some savings for the later rounds. Others might argue that they nailed it simply because they drafted a pitcher in a position where some feel they need to take a pitcher. --- There is no doubt that Ryne Stanek would be a welcome addition to the stable of pitchers the Twins are developing. He would rank only behind Alex Meyer in terms of fastball velocity for starting pitchers and, more than likely, would factor into the Twins top 5-7 prospects. While everything remains very fluid up to and even during the draft, signs point towards Stanek coming off of the board in the 8-12 range, much later than when the Twins are on the clock. Previous Twins Daily Draft Profiles: Monday, May 20 - Sean Manaea, SP Tuesday, May 21 - Austin Meadows, OF Wednesday, May 22 - Trey Ball, SP/OF For MLB Draft Day Coverage, make sure you follow @TwinsDaily on Twitter!

A couple of feel-good notes from earlier today: Minnesota native and former St. Paul Saint, LRP Caleb Thielbar was recalled and will take the roster spot of LP Pedro Hernandez. He was impressive in his big-league debut as well. (The TwinsDaily Roster & Payroll page has been updated to reflect this move as well as all the others that have occurred.) Chris Colabello was named IL Player of the Week for last week when he batted .586 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI. Rob Antony said over the weekend that he is under consideration to be called up to help the Twins. He also played some corner outfield over the weekend. (You hearing this, Parms?) The Twins also signed minor-league free agent OF Jordan Parraz and sent him to New Britain. It also appears that OF Chris Pettit is on his way to New Britain. Pettit is currently playing in Mexico and is being loaned to the Twins. Let’s check the results of today’s farm action: Rochester Red Wings 5, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 14 Box Score It was a pretty brutal night for the Red Wings pitchers and that might be putting it lightly. Cole De Vries made his second start for Rochester, but only his first since officially being added to the roster. When De Vries was activated and optioned over the weekend the reason was because he “wasn’t ready” to help the Twins. Well, you can say that again. In three innings (and 61 pitches) of work, De Vries allowed nine runs (eight earned) on six hits and three walks. He only struck out one. He was replaced by Shairon Martis, who didn’t fare much better. Martis allowed five runs on five hits in only two innings. Aaron Thompson made his first appearance in AAA this season. He retired the side 1-2-3 in his first inning and finished two innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts. Tyler Robertson gave a hit in his lone inning of work. The bats – who weren’t going to keep them in the game anyway – didn’t do much better. The only piece of excitement, really, came with one swing of Chris Colabello’s bat in the form of a 5th inning grand slam. The opposite-field poke was Colabello’s 12th of the season. It’s to the point where it would be an upset for Colabello to not make his big-league debut in the near future. Joe Benson collected two singles and improved his batting average to .190. New Britain Rock Cats 3, Binghamton Mets 6 Box Score Pat Dean, coming off of one his worst starts as a professional, appeared headed to the showers early again tonight after giving up four runs in his first inning and a third. He calmed down, though, and was able to complete five innings allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out one and only threw 76 pitches, but clearly was not throwing his best stuff. The bullpen combination of A.J. Achter, Edgar Ibarra and Michael Tonkin pitched four innings of scoreless baseball. That included Tonkin striking out the side in the 9th. Offensively, Deibinson Romero was the star. Romero homered and doubled and finished 3-for-4. He’s now batting .370. Josmil Pinto (.325) added his 10th double. Danny Santana (.280) and James Beresford (.340) both had two hits. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4123[/ATTACH] (photo courtesy of Jim Crikket/SD Buhr of Knuckleballs and TwinsDaily.com.) Ft. Myers Miracle vs Lakeland Flying Tigers Tonight’s game was postponed due to “unplayable field conditions” and will be made up tomorrow as part of a doubleheader. The Miracle (31-11) will begin the two-game set at 10:35 am ET. Both games will be of the seven-inning variety. Kyle Davies (0-1, 5.40) was tonight’s scheduled starter. Cedar Rapids Kernels 8, Kane County Cougars 7 Box Score For the second consecutive day, the Kernels defeated the Cougars by the score of 8-7. They improve to 30-13. The Cougars jumped on Brett Lee early and pushed six runs across the plate by the time Lee had completed the fourth. He made it through five, but not before allowing those six runs on eight hits and four walks. He also hit a batter and balked. He struck out five. Tim Atherton earned the win by pitching two innings of no-run, one-hit ball. He struck out one. Steven Gruver, who has literally done a lot of everything this year, recorded his third save. He allowed a run on two hits, striking out two. Even after struggling through a spot-start late last week, Gruver has been a very valuable asset to the Kernel bullpen and a mid-season move to Fort Myers isn’t only possible, but expected. Travis Harrison was the offensive catalyst today, going 3-for-4 with a HR and two runs scored. Niko Goodrum, in the 3-hole, had a triple and four RBI. Candido Pimentel and Tyler Grimes both had two hits. Byron Buxton went 1-for-5 and had his batting average drop to (a season-low as far as I can tell) .317. But, he also hit his 7th home run and stole his 19th base. He struck out twice. After his scorching start, he’s obviously cooled off a little. But if you extrapolate his current stats over a 162-game season, Buxton would put up a line something like this: .317/.420/.559, 39 2B, 15 3B, 27 HR, 131 RBI, 112 BB and 73 SB. And, that my friends, “ain’t bad”. (I did the math, that’s actually the exact same stat-line that the entire Twins team is on pace to put up this year. Ok, I’m joking. Cool it.) Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

Last week, I took a look at three prep hitters that I hope the Twins seriously consider drafting in next month’s draft. I decided to expand the series and today will take a look at three college arms. To be considered a “personal cheeseball”, I set out two rules: be a favorite of mine and don’t be too good. Without further adieu, here are my three college pitchers: Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Scottsdale CC [ATTACH=CONFIG]4088[/ATTACH] Coming into the 2011 draft, Tarpley was considered a “projectable lefty” and that prompted the Indians to take him in the 8th round. Instead of signing, Tarpley headed to the University of Southern California and had a very good freshman season. This year, Tarpley enrolled in Scottsdale Community College and is eligible for the draft. Since graduating high school, Tarpley has grown two inches and gained roughly 25 pounds, but he still is very projectable and is equipped with long levers. He’s also pitching very well for his new team and has helped them reach the NJCAA World Series. If you want to know more about his stats, go here. While Tarpley doesn’t show up in Kiley McDaniel’s Top 111, Baseball America’s Top 100 or Keith Law’s Top 100, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Twins strongly consider selecting Tarpley with their 3rd round pick (78th overall). Corey Littrell, LHP, Kentucky Another player who isn’t appearing on those lists is lefty Corey Littrell. Littrell makes the list not because he’s a favorite of mine as much as I truly believe he fits a mold that the Twins have drafted from more often than not. Bear in mind, the Twins took Taylor Rodgers last year, a southpaw from Kentucky and drafted, but didn’t sign Jared Grundy, another lefty from Kentucky. In 2010, the Twins took Logan Darnell, lefty, Kentucky. They also signed a free agent, Andrew Albers (you guessed it) around that same time. The craziest thing the Twins have done is trade for Alex Meyer, another Wildcat, who throws with his right hand. To be completely honest, there literally hasn't been a left-handed pitcher from the University of Kentucky drafted by a team other than the Twins since 2009. That little factoid is crazy. Littrell throws a low-90s fastball, but he also features a slider, change-up and curveball that all will be usable professional pitches. Littrell should go off the board sometime between rounds 4-7. Scott Firth, RHP, Clemson Firth is a name that you won’t see on many prospect lists and rightfully so. He was drafted last year by the Phillies in the 32nd round but elected not to sign. He returned to Clemson for his senior year. Firth likely showed up on the Twins radar in 2011 after dominating the Cape Cod League. He didn’t put up Manaean numbers, but he did lead the circuit with an ERA of 1.15. His K/BB ratio (30/23) wasn’t great, but his ability to keep runs off the board was enough for teams to take note. He likely hoped to build on his summer when he returned to Clemson, but didn't. Instead of starting, like he did in the Cape, he was shifted to closer where he struck out more than a batter per inning, but didn't see his draft stock improve. This year, Firth has pitched 55 innings in 17 games (six as a starter); he hasn't had great success. But, like the Twins have done before, could a permanent role as a starter – especially with a pretty fresh arm – rekindle some of the success he’s had? That’s a tough question to answer, but with senior-signs being relatively cheap and one that throws a mid-90s fastball with a plus slider (inconsistently), it might be one worth finding out. Do you have any college pitching “personal cheeseballs”?