Jeremy Nygaard

Yesterday was one of the better days the Twins organization has experienced in the last year. They followed that up with a day that ranks somewhere near the bottom. The Twins, attempting to sweep the Brewers in Milwaukee for the first time in over thirty years, fell flat on their face, mostly thanks to the right arm of Jason Marquis. While Mauer collecting four hits and Butera impressing in a relief appearance were both silver linings, many of us are left wondering: What is the next (or correct) step to take with Marquis? Suffice it to say that not only is Marquis’ rotation spot in jeopardy, but so is his roster spot… and, to be honest, his future as a major league baseball player. Unfortunately, the farm system experienced an equally dismal day. A quick spin around Sunday’s action: ROCHESTER 1, GWINNETT 2 Luke French battled through 5 1/3, allowing six hits, two earned runs, a walk and two strikeouts. Lester Oliveros – who was recently promoted after dominating in New Britain– accounted for two outs (one strikeout). Matt Maloney finished the game with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. It was believed that Maloney would eventually join Rochester’s rotation, so this appears to be the first step of stretching him out. Wilkin Ramirez is gaining a lot of notice as he continues to swing a hot bat after his promotion. After going 2-for-4 with a double today, he has hit safely in all six of his AAA games, including four multi-hit games. Ramirez is still relatively young (26), so as the Twins continue to look towards the future, there is a good chance Ramirez will be given a chance to prove his worth. Danny Valencia, Clete Thomas and Matt Carson each added one hit. NEW BRITAIN 4, READING 10 Brad Thompson made his first Double-A start since 2004 and it was a forgettable one. In 2 1/3 innings, Thompson allowed seven hits, five runs (four earned) without striking out any. Brett Jacobson entered in the third and put up similar numbers – six hits, five runs (three earned) – but lasted 3 1/3 innings and struck out three, walking one. Blake Martin pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, scattering three hits and a walk, but not allowing any runs while striking out one. The bats didn’t offer much support. Deibinson Romero and Evan Bigley each had two hits. A couple of things worth noting: Joe Benson has not played since homering Friday night. No word on injury or otherwise. Aaron Hicks went 1-for-4 with a double and a stolen base, driving in two runs, but was lifted in-between innings after his double. No word on Hicks either. Former Red Wing/Twin Juan Morillo pitched against the Rockcats in relief today. He was up to his old tricks – he struck out one and walked two. He now has eight Ks in eight innings, to go with his seven hits and 23(!) walks. FT. MYERS 2, BREVARD COUNTY 13 Another report; another loss. The Miracle took one on the chin this afternoon to the tune of 13-2. They only managed three hits: doubles by Danny Ortiz and Oswaldo Arcia and an Anderson Hidalgo single. Levi Michael is 3-for-24 (.125) over his last seven games. Lance Ray is 2-for-27 (.074) since being named FSL’s player of the week last week. Angel Morales is 4-for-38 (.105) with 15 Ks over his last ten games. The bats, as they say, have gone cold. Miguel Munoz started and lasted three innings. He gave up six hits, four earned runs, two walks and a strikeout. Cole Nelson relieved him and went 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and five earned runs. He did manage to strike out six batters though. Bruce Pugh allowed two unearned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Ricky Bowen struck out two in a perfect eighth. BELOIT 0, BURLINGTON 12 …and the worst for last. The Snappers were blanked by the Bees and it was gut-wrenching ugly. Tim Shibuya (7 ER, 4.1 IP), David Hurlbut (2 UER, 1.2 IP) and Bart Carter (2 ER, 2 IP) were all bad. The bats were just as bad (if not worse): Miguel Sano (0-4, 3 K) and Eddie Rosario (1-3, 2 K) contributed very little to a 5-hit attack (J.D. Williams had two hits). The Snappers only had one batter reach second base… and that happened in the first inning. And as bad as both the pitching and hitting was, the defense may have been worse! Sano (12), Tyler Grimes (11), Rosario (9) and Drew Leachman (2) all added to their already-high number of errors. --- Players of the Day for Sunday, May 20, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Matt Maloney [ATTACH=CONFIG]1000[/ATTACH] Hitter of the Day – Aaron Hicks [ATTACH=CONFIG]1001[/ATTACH] (from milb.com) --- A Look Ahead – Monday, May 21, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Gwinnett – RHP Jeff Manship (3-1, 3.48) New Britain at Reading - RHP Steve Hirschfeld (2-4, 3.28) *assumed, no listed starter Ft. Myers at Brevard County – RHP Jhon Garcia (0-5, 4.01) *assumed, no listed starter Beloit at Burlington – LHP Jason Wheeler (4-1, 2.86) --- If you have any questions on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and we’ll try to answer them! Comments also welcome.

The Twins extended their winning streak to four by beating the Brewers in extra innings today. (#ITSHAPPENING?) Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe played big parts. Drew Butera finally found a bat that feels right in his hands. But that’s not what we’re here for, so let’s check out the system on this Saturday: ROCHESTER 6, GWINNETT 4 Cole DeVries got something tonight he hadn’t gotten yet this year – run support. DeVries, who picked up his first win, went eight innings, allowing six hits, four runs (all earned) and struck out six, walking none. DeVries had been cruising through eight (facing only one more than the minimum) and came out in an attempt to get the complete game. That stanza started with single, single, triple and then he got the hook. Anthony Slama – and all his mustache power – came in and retired all three batters he faced (allowing his inherited runner to score) to notch his eighth save. Slama’s numbers are absurd: 20 IP, 32 K, 1 ER (0.45 ERA). His walks (12) have always been an issue, but he’s only allowed 11 hits this year! His biggest problem might just be the fact that the big league bullpen has been really good and doesn’t have a need. The bats were also alive, notching 14 hits. Chris Parmelee, finally getting his first taste of AAA this week, went 3-for-5 with a double and a run. Wilkin Ramirez, Danny Valencia and Rene Rivera all had two hits. Pedro Florimon added a triple and – sit down for this – Tsuyoshi Nishioka contributed his first American home run – a 2-run blast in the fourth. NEW BRITAIN 3, READING 2 The Rockcats didn’t earn a run tonight, but they did get a win. Aaron Hicks had a big game going 2-for-4, with a double. His biggest contribution came in the 9th when he stole second with two outs. Getting into scoring position allowed him to score on an error when Mark Dolenc hit a grounder to the third baseman; that run proved to be the game-winner. Chris Herrmann also contributed two hits (one double) and the team’s lone RBI. Andrew Albers was solid through 6 innings, allowing nine hits, but only two runs. He struck out three and walked one. The bullpen combo of Bobby Lanigan, Blake Martin and Luis Perdomo pitched the final three innings. They allowed no hits, struck out two (both Lanigan) and Perdomo got all three of his outs by ground balls. FT. MYERS 2, BREVARD COUNTY 7 I’m not going to sugar-coat the ineptitude of Madison Boer. He didn’t make it out of the fourth (again), but did pitch enough to give up nine hits, seven runs and two walks. In another sign of how bad things are, he didn’t strike out any. At this point, I would be stunned if he made his next scheduled start. The phantom DL or Beloit would be more likely destinations. Jose Gonzalez rebounded nicely after his last outing. He got seven outs – four by strikeout. Matt Hauser allowed two hits and a walk in two innings, striking out two. The bats – especially those of the guys we’d expect (or hope?) to do well: Michael, Arcia and Morales – didn’t do much. Danny Ortiz hit his first home run for the Miracle. Andy Leer (both doubles) and Josmil Pinto had two hits. Lancy Ray also had a double. The trio of Michael, Arcia and Morales went 0-for-12 with 4 Ks. BELOIT 6, BURLINGTON 9 The Snappers lost their second straight (after a six-game winning streak). Miguel Sano continued his tailspin going 0-for-4. He’s now batting .152 over his last ten games. What’s still encouraging is that he’s only struck out five times over that span. The Snappers scored all six runs in the third inning, but no Snapper had more than one hit or one run. Kyle Knudson had a 2-run home run and Jonathan Goncalves added two RBI. Eddie Rosario had a stolen base and Goncalves and Drew Leachman successfully pulled off a double-steal of 2nd and home, respectively. Starting pitcher Steven Gruver left after only one innings (three hits, walk, run), but no word (yet) on why. A.J. Achter, who has been very successful this year, pitched the next four innings. He struck out four while allowing five hits and two runs. The wheels fell off for Ryan O’Rourke. He gave up three hits, two walks and five runs (four earned) over 1 2/3 innings. He did strike out three while earning the blown save/loss. Corey Williams walked two, striking out one, while allowing one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings. --- Players of the Day for Saturday, May 19, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Cole DeVries [ATTACH=CONFIG]993[/ATTACH] Hitter of the Day – Chris Parmelee [ATTACH=CONFIG]994[/ATTACH] (images from dylanheuer.com) --- A Look Ahead – Sunday, May 20, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Gwinnett – LHP Luke French (0-0, 6.75) New Britain at Reading - RHP Steve Hirschfeld (2-4, 3.28) Ft. Myers at Brevard County – RHP Jhon Garcia (0-5, 4.01) Beloit at Burlington – RHP Tim Shibuya (2-1, 2.25) --- If you have any questions on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and we’ll try to answer them! Comments also welcome.

The Twins don’t appear to be playing real inspired (or inspiring) baseball, so let’s get right into the farm. A few transactions to sort through: The Red Wings released 1B Aaron Bates and recently-signed INF Joe Thurston. It was announced that OF Wilkin Ramirez (who has been tearing up AA) and RP Lester Oliveros have been promoted from New Britain to Rochester. 2B Tsuyoshi Nishioka - you may have heard of him - is expected to be activated before tomorrow’s game. The addition of Nishi, as well as Matt Maloney, pushes 1B/DH Matt Rizzotti from Rochester to New Britain. There is no word on any other corresponding moves to fill the other hole in New Britain (and it would be purely speculation to point out that neither Miracle OF Oswaldo Arcia nor INF Levi Michael were in the lineup tonight). Let’s take a spin around the farm: ROCHESTER 4, SYRACUSE 6 For the second straight Monday, the Red Wings faced a pitcher that has experienced major league success. This time around they got to see former Yankee hurler Chien Ming-Wang. The current National is rehabbing his left hamstring. He did pretty well scattering eleven hits and four runs over eight innings and change. Danny Valencia started off his return to AAA hitless in ten at-bats before doubling down the left-field line to lead off the 7th inning. He later scored after a Sean Burroughs single and a Ray Chang sacrifice fly. Valencia finished the day 1 for 4, upping his average to .086. All other Red Wing starters got hits too. Ben Revere, who had been hitting .440 over his last six games, went 1 for 5 and is currently hitting .306. Revere, however, hasn’t taken a walk in his last six games. Pedro Florimon stole two more bases and now has ten (in eleven chances) total this year. Burroughs collected three hits today and is up to .333 through eight AAA games. JR Towles is batting better now that he is getting regular at-bats. Towles gathered two hits today. Since Drew Butera’s promotion, Towles is batting .308 and has improved his season line from .111 to .208. Cole DeVries took his fourth loss of the year. He went 6 1/3 innings allowing nine hits and six runs (four earned). He also struck out two. Brendan Wise came in with a runner on in the 7th. He allowed his inherited runner to score, three hits and struck out one. Not-quite-former-Wing Steve Pearce was named International League Player of the Week with a 400/464/920 slash. He currently leads the league in batting (.361) and doubles (12). He’s also third in OBP (.444) and fourth in runs (26). Another “wish we could have signed you when we drafted you” case that doesn’t turn out great for the Twins (or the Red Wings). NEW BRITAIN IDLE Scheduled day off FT. MYERS 1, CHARLOTTE 13 The Miracle got drilled tonight. They were only able to scratch out five hits, scoring one run. Daniel Ortiz and Jairo Perez both tripled. Daniel Santana, Anderson Hidalgo and Michael Gonzales all singled. Madison Boer continued to struggle in the Florida State League. He didn’t make it out of the fifth inning tonight, allowing 10 hits, seven runs (all earned), walking two and striking out three. He currently has an ERA of 14.25 and a WHIP of 2.75. Hopefully the 2011 2nd round pick out of Eden Prairie can figure it out soon. Jose Gonzalez, not only didn’t fare any better, but actually did much worse, giving up six earned runs on four hits (two home runs), while only getting four outs. His ERA ballooned from sub-4 to 6.43. Matt Hauser got the last out of the sixth. Kyle Waldrop made his second rehab appearance tonight. He struck out one and gave up one hit in one inning. It should be noted that his other two outs came by fly out and ground out. Waldrop relies on a heavy sinker to get a lot of ground ball outs. Expect him to be optioned to Rochester as soon as he is healthy. Manager Jake Mauer proved that there is some fire in the family, getting tossed in the 6th after P Jose Gonzalez was warned for hitting a Charlotte batter. OF Lance Ray overcame a rough April and was named Florida State League Player of the Week (May 7-13). Hitting .421 (with an OPS of 1.331) over the last six games, Ray has improved his batting average from .209 to .248. He remains an under-rated prospect in the system. Though he didn’t get any hits tonight, he did drive in the lone run. BELOIT 5, CLINTON 2 Steven Gruver has mixed some solid starts with some short starts. This was definitely more of a solid start. Gruver scattered six hits over 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, a walk and striking out four. Bart Carter and Clint Dempster got the last eight outs without allowing any runs. Carter gave up one hit, striking out two in 1 2/3 innings. Dempster picked up the save, striking out one in an inning. Wang Wei-Lin had two doubles, a run and an RBI to lead the Snapper offense. Adam Bryant and Jhon Goncalves each added two hits. Überprospect Miguel Sano was 1 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Eddie Rosario hit his 3rd home run of the season (and second in five games). --- Players of the Day for Monday, May 14, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Sean Burroughs [ATTACH=CONFIG]952[/ATTACH] Pitcher of the Day – Steven Gruver [ATTACH=CONFIG]953[/ATTACH] --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Louisville – LHP Luke French (0-0, 6.55) New Britain vs New Hampshire - Game 1 - RHP Steve Hirschfeld (2-3, 3.10) New Britain vs New Hampshire - Game 2 – LHP Logan Darnell (3-2, 5.40) Ft. Myers vs Charlotte – RHP Miguel Munoz (1-1, 2.77) Beloit vs Clinton – RHP Tim Shibuya (1-1, 2.83) --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and we’ll try to answer them!

Originally posted at www.ManCenter.com ----- June 4th marks the 1st round of the MLB Amateur Draft. LSU So P Kevin Gausman figures to be one of the first names called. We had a chance to catch up with him today to talk draft, the season and donuts. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions and letting us get to know a little bit more about you. Obviously, the MLB draft is different from other sports in that it happens while many guys are still in-season. How much thought have you given next month’s draft? Kevin Gausman: I try not to think about the draft, it is exciting, but I still have all my goals with LSU to achieve first and that is where my priority is. You’re having a great season (8-1, 2.95) and you pitched quite a game yesterday (9 IP, 5 H, BB, 11 K) against Vanderbilt. Reports are that you threw 126 pitches. How has your workload been this year and how is your velocity both at the beginning and end of a long outing like this? KG: I’ve already thrown more innings then I did all of last year so I would say my workload is pretty big for a starter in college. My velo has stayed mostly consistent. Early on in games I can reach upper 90's, but then I settle into more of a mid-90's pitcher as the game progresses. What other pitches do you throw? KG: I throw five pitches. I throw a four-seam fastball and a one-seam sinking fastball. A split-change-up, curve and a slider. In college there are lots of scouts checking out lots of guys. Have there been any teams that seem to be paying more attention to you than other teams? Specifically, have you had any contact with the Minnesota Twins? KG: I think because college baseball has so many very talented players that teams spread out and pick when they are going to see certain players. I don’t know who has been at my games and which teams have been there the most, but I have had a visit with the Twins Area Scout in this area. This isn’t the first time you’ve gone through the process, having gotten selected by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2010 draft. Now though, the CBA – specifically the draft rules around signing players – has changed to the point where it’s going to be much harder to project how signable guys are, simply because teams aren’t going to have a lot of flexibility in what they can offer guys. You also have a little extra leverage because you’re a draft-eligible sophomore; how is all of that going to play into your signability? KG: Obviously signability is huge to organizations, but right now I’m just focused on my task at hand and working towards bringing this team to Omaha and having the chance at a National Championship. I will think more about that after this season is over. You have a superstition of eating powdered donuts in between innings. Is continuing that superstition going to be a factor when it comes down to signing on the dotted line? KG: My superstition will have nothing to do with me signing or not signing. It is simply something I feel that works for me so that is why I continue to do it. Last question, assuming the Twins – or whichever team is fortunate enough to select you – get you signed. What kind of goals do you have in regards to advancing through the minor leagues and making it to The Show? KG: I have huge goals for myself. Obviously I would love to move as fast as I can through the minors and play in the big leagues, but I know that that is a little far-fetched. I will continue to work as hard as I can towards achieving my goals, but ultimately your movement through the minors is decided by the organization. Again, thanks a ton for doing this. Best of luck for the remainder of the season for both you and your team in your pursuit of the College World Series! [ATTACH=CONFIG]949[/ATTACH]

I agree with your take on Willingham. But, unlike most of the other clowns, I think that what he brings to the table (or in a trade) will/should be part of fielding a competitive team in 2015. With his current contract, it will probably have to be through a trade.

All the 2011-draftees of the Nats were deadline signs.

I don't think it changed in the newest CBA, but don't forget about the Pete Incaviglia Rule. The one that prohibits teams from trading players for a year after they sign. Almost all of the players you mentioned as likely targets couldn't be traded until August 15th. (So while they could be PTBNL, they couldn't be named until then.) This was part of the reason that the signing deadline was moved to before the draft deadline.

Well, just like that two problems off the roster... Walters and Mastroianni will get a chance to be a part of a long-term solution.

As we suffered through a 99-loss season last year, many of us believed the biggest issue was health (or lack of it) and that a winter recovering would help solve that problem. While competing with the big wigs in the American League was still going to be a tall task, finishing the 2012 season with just as many wins as losses seemed within reach. I don't think even the most pessimistic fans assumed that 30 games in - and relatively healthy - the Twins would have 3 less wins than any other team in baseball. I think this has given all Twins fans a shot of reality. The reality is that Division Titles, October baseball, sweeps against the Yankess - things that almost became habit - are a couple (at best!) years away. Maybe it's the elementary school teacher in me (in fact, I'm sure it is), but a habit of mine (that will continue) is to focus on certain behaviors, results or people and analyze those as it pertains to the big picture. Or in elementary terms: "Are you contributing to the problem or are you trying to be part of the solution?" Unfortunately, there is usually a small percent of, in this case, people that serve as the fulcrum of this problem vs solution battle. Fortunately, I'm not trying to salvage 2012. I'm trying to compete in 2015. So with an eye on 2015, let's look at the current 25-man roster. The first group of players are the "Mehs". Think about that high school girlfriend you had that you forgot to tell your wife about. It's not because you were trying to hide anything; it's because you simply forgot about her. These are guys that aren't really part of the problem, but they aren't going to be part of the 2015 solution. You think about their long-term value to the team. You shrug your shoulders and say, "Meh". There are seven guys I put in this group today. They could go either way or stay the same or, meh, whatever... C Ryan Doumit - While he has played better of late, the free-agent-to-be remains a strong candidate to be traded. The return on that trade isn't likely going to be part of the solution. P Nick Blackburn - At his best, Blackburn can burn 200 innings and give his team a chance to win. He's at his best one month of the season. Luckily (yawn), the Twins locked him up through at least next year. P Anthony Swarzak - As a long-relief/spot-starter, he does provide value. Can he make the rotation next year? RP Alex Burnett - Burnett is still young enough that he could become a solid, late-inning bullpen arm... or just fade away. C Drew Butera - Do you remember this? While I understand the value of a "Drew Butera", I also understand the pain of having a .167 BA while getting regular at-bats. INF Jamey Carroll - He'll be around, probably, and be a good clubhouse presence for the next year (or two), but that's about it. OF Erik Komatsu - Is he a 4th outfielder at best? He'll get his shot to stick or suck. But there's a good chance we'll forget about him by this time next year. The next group of guys are part of the problem, for various reasons. As Luke Hughes, Sean Burroughs and Clete Thomas before them, some may say they didn't get a fair shake. Or they just weren't (ever?) very good. RP Jeff Gray - Gray has bounced around over the last five years. He'll keep bouncing. Right now, he's here. He might not be tomorrow. LRP Matt Maloney - Maloney's wikipedia page compares him to a "young Tom Glavine". Really? How young are they talking? Another pitcher on borrowed time. INF/OF Trevor Plouffe - The leash on "home-grown" guys typically is a little longer than others, but am I the only one that thinks that going 6-for-43 isn't going to "earn" more chances? The 10 walks might be his saving grace. Or his defense might be the final straw. INF Alexi Casilla - The biggest positional tease on the roster, Casilla has never played more than 97 games in a season. Lack of durability is a problem. Some other problems... P Jason Marquis - Though he seems like a good guy - and decent pitcher - he offers very little short- or long-term value to the club. He's serving as a placeholder and those doesn't make teams better (but also usually don't make them worse). 3B Danny Valencia - It sounds like Valencia is being shopped and there are no takers. I bet there would be if he provided something a team needed, like... hmm... well, there are times I like his right-handed bat at Target Field. P Carl Pavano - I do like Carl Pavano. (No, not like this guy.) He's great to have around a young staff, but his loss of velocity and age might be signaling the end. The big problems... "Matt Capps" - It's not so much P Matt Capps, but what "Matt Capps" symbolizes. Wilson Ramos, proven closers, forfeited draft pick. All things that make Twins fans cringe. Oh, and his penchant to give up the long ball. P Francisco Liriano - Less than a month ago, I would have been okay with offering Liriano arbitration (and possibly $12.5m) next year. After the alcohol wore off, I just wish the Twins would have traded for Ivan Nova when they had the chance. Liriano may be headed to the bullpen in a spot-swap with Brian Duensing. 1B Justin Morneau - The 2006 MVP is still capable of playing at high levels. The problem is that he's not often capable of playing at all. If Morneau can get and stay healthy (fat chance!), some team will add him for a playoff push... if the Twins are willing to kick in a few million dollars. So now that the painful part is over, let's look at the solutions... C Joe Mauer - Like it or not, he's locked in town until 2018. So if he wants to win a Title, he's going to need to be part of the solution. CF Denard Span - It's been mentioned several times that Span is an asset. I couldn't agree more. But if he's not traded, he's definitely a part that can help the Twins compete again. If the Rangers call and dangle LP Martin Perez... well, I would say that Span helped solve the pitching problem. LF Josh Willingham - Whether there is a market for The Hammer or not, I'm smitten by his power at Target Field, his contract and the fact that, by the end of his contract, he can be the DH. The only problem is that, in looking towards 2015, his contract ends after 2014. LRP Glen Perkins - I feel about Perkins a lot like I feel about Span. Perkins is going to be around long-term... unless the Twins can spin him for other assets. LP Brian Duensing - It seems like Duensing has been around forever, but he hasn't even hit arbitration yet, which means he's under team control through 2015. Whether it's in the bullpen or rotation, Duensing should be around to help turn it around. RP Jared Burton - Burton has been a rarity for the Twins - a guy signed to a minor league deal and turned out to be a gem. Could he get a long-term deal? Others - that the jury is out on - but could be part of the solution... SS Brian Dozier - Long-term, I view him as a utility guy, but definitely someone that has impressed in his short time in the bigs. 1B Chris Parmelee - Showed signs in September, but should probably be given more time to develop in AAA. LSP Scott Diamond - Let's not make too much out of last night's game, but he'll be given every opportunity to stick.

As we suffered through a 99-loss season last year, many of us believed the biggest issue was health (or lack of it) and that a winter recovering would help solve that problem. While competing with the big wigs in the American League was still going to be a tall task, finishing the 2012 season with just as many wins as losses seemed within reach. I don't think even the most pessimistic fans assumed that 30 games in - and relatively healthy - the Twins would have 3 less wins than any other team in baseball. I think this has given all Twins fans a shot of reality. The reality is that Division Titles, October baseball, sweeps against the Yankess - things that almost became habit - are a couple (at best!) years away. Maybe it's the elementary school teacher in me (in fact, I'm sure it is), but a habit of mine (that will continue) is to focus on certain behaviors, results or people and analyze those as it pertains to the big picture. Or in elementary terms: "Are you contributing to the problem or are you trying to be part of the solution?" Unfortunately, there is usually a small percent of, in this case, people that serve as the fulcrum of this problem vs solution battle. Fortunately, I'm not trying to salvage 2012. I'm trying to compete in 2015. So with an eye on 2015, let's look at the current 25-man roster. The first group of players are the "Mehs". Think about that high school girlfriend you had that you forgot to tell your wife about. It's not because you were trying to hide anything; it's because you simply forgot about her. These are guys that aren't really part of the problem, but they aren't going to be part of the 2015 solution. You think about their long-term value to the team. You shrug your shoulders and say, "Meh". There are seven guys I put in this group today. They could go either way or stay the same or, meh, whatever... C Ryan Doumit - While he has played better of late, the free-agent-to-be remains a strong candidate to be traded. The return on that trade isn't likely going to be part of the solution. P Nick Blackburn - At his best, Blackburn can burn 200 innings and give his team a chance to win. He's at his best one month of the season. Luckily (yawn), the Twins locked him up through at least next year. P Anthony Swarzak - As a long-relief/spot-starter, he does provide value. Can he make the rotation next year? RP Alex Burnett - Burnett is still young enough that he could become a solid, late-inning bullpen arm... or just fade away. C Drew Butera - Do you remember this? While I understand the value of a "Drew Butera", I also understand the pain of having a .167 BA while getting regular at-bats. INF Jamey Carroll - He'll be around, probably, and be a good clubhouse presence for the next year (or two), but that's about it. OF Erik Komatsu - Is he a 4th outfielder at best? He'll get his shot to stick or suck. But there's a good chance we'll forget about him by this time next year. The next group of guys are part of the problem, for various reasons. As Luke Hughes, Sean Burroughs and Clete Thomas before them, some may say they didn't get a fair shake. Or they just weren't (ever?) very good. RP Jeff Gray - Gray has bounced around over the last five years. He'll keep bouncing. Right now, he's here. He might not be tomorrow. LRP Matt Maloney - Maloney's wikipedia page compares him to a "young Tom Glavine". Really? How young are they talking? Another pitcher on borrowed time. INF/OF Trevor Plouffe - The leash on "home-grown" guys typically is a little longer than others, but am I the only one that thinks that going 6-for-43 isn't going to "earn" more chances? The 10 walks might be his saving grace. Or his defense might be the final straw. INF Alexi Casilla - The biggest positional tease on the roster, Casilla has never played more than 97 games in a season. Lack of durability is a problem. Some other problems... P Jason Marquis - Though he seems like a good guy - and decent pitcher - he offers very little short- or long-term value to the club. He's serving as a placeholder and those doesn't make teams better (but also usually don't make them worse). 3B Danny Valencia - It sounds like Valencia is being shopped and there are no takers. I bet there would be if he provided something a team needed, like... hmm... well, there are times I like his right-handed bat at Target Field. P Carl Pavano - I do like Carl Pavano. (No, not like this guy.) He's great to have around a young staff, but his loss of velocity and age might be signaling the end. The big problems... "Matt Capps" - It's not so much P Matt Capps, but what "Matt Capps" symbolizes. Wilson Ramos, proven closers, forfeited draft pick. All things that make Twins fans cringe. Oh, and his penchant to give up the long ball. P Francisco Liriano - Less than a month ago, I would have been okay with offering Liriano arbitration (and possibly $12.5m) next year. After the alcohol wore off, I just wish the Twins would have traded for Ivan Nova when they had the chance. Liriano may be headed to the bullpen in a spot-swap with Brian Duensing. 1B Justin Morneau - The 2006 MVP is still capable of playing at high levels. The problem is that he's not often capable of playing at all. If Morneau can get and stay healthy (fat chance!), some team will add him for a playoff push... if the Twins are willing to kick in a few million dollars. So now that the painful part is over, let's look at the solutions... C Joe Mauer - Like it or not, he's locked in town until 2018. So if he wants to win a Title, he's going to need to be part of the solution. CF Denard Span - It's been mentioned several times that Span is an asset. I couldn't agree more. But if he's not traded, he's definitely a part that can help the Twins compete again. If the Rangers call and dangle LP Martin Perez... well, I would say that Span helped solve the pitching problem. LF Josh Willingham - Whether there is a market for The Hammer or not, I'm smitten by his power at Target Field, his contract and the fact that, by the end of his contract, he can be the DH. The only problem is that, in looking towards 2015, his contract ends after 2014. LRP Glen Perkins - I feel about Perkins a lot like I feel about Span. Perkins is going to be around long-term... unless the Twins can spin him for other assets. LP Brian Duensing - It seems like Duensing has been around forever, but he hasn't even hit arbitration yet, which means he's under team control through 2015. Whether it's in the bullpen or rotation, Duensing should be around to help turn it around. RP Jared Burton - Burton has been a rarity for the Twins - a guy signed to a minor league deal and turned out to be a gem. Could he get a long-term deal? Others - that the jury is out on - but could be part of the solution... SS Brian Dozier - Long-term, I view him as a utility guy, but definitely someone that has impressed in his short time in the bigs. 1B Chris Parmelee - Showed signs in September, but should probably be given more time to develop in AAA. LSP Scott Diamond - Let's not make too much out of last night's game, but he'll be given every opportunity to stick.

Very good points. My hope is that the Twins target pitchers who are a year or two away and target high-ceiling position players that can move through the system with Sano and Rosario. My preferred target would be the roster of the Hickory Crawdads of the Texas Rangers... but a lot of things would have to line up right for that to happen.

It was a week ago that Jered Weaver no-hit the Twins. That feat will not be repeated tonight. This is the minor league report so you won’t see Brian Dozier’s name below as he’s making his big-league debut at Target Field tonight. Congrats Brian! As you may have heard, Rochester and New Britain swapped OF Joe Benson for SS Pedro Florimon. This should help alleviate the logjam in the Red Wings outfield and hopefully help Benson get out of his current funk. Let’s take a spin around the farm: ROCHESTER 0, PAWTUCKET 4 The big news in Pawtucket was the rehab start of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka won 18 games for the Red Sox in 2008 but hasn’t been good or healthy since. He was pretty good tonight, though, allowing only two hits and three walks to the Red Wings in 4 2/3 innings. Daryl Thompson made the start for Rochester. He scattered five hits and a walk in five innings, giving up only one run – a home run. Jeff Manship had two rough innings (5 H, 3 ER, BB) before Casey Fien pitched a scoreless eighth. Darin Mastroianni continued to swing a hot bat going 2-4 with a double. He’s now 14/36 (.389) over his last nine games. Matt Carson went 2 for 4. NEW BRITAIN vs BINGHAMTON Monday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather. FT. MYERS 12, LAKELAND 3 The Miracle followed up last night’s 13-run, 18-hit game with another great performance. Today they scored 12 runs on 12 hits. Pat Dean gave up two first inning runs (with the help of a fielding error), before settling down. He allowed seven hits, three runs (only one earned), a walk and two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Bruce Pugh and Jose Gonzalez combined to get 10 outs, only allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two. The bats were the story of this game. Particularly Anderson Hidalgo’s. Hidalgo had a double and a grand slam driving in six runs total. Michael Gonzales had three hits (one double) while Jairo Perez and Josmil Pinto (2 RBI) both contributed two hits. Lance Ray drove in three runs. BELOIT 5, KANE COUNTY 1 Matthew Summers threw a gem for the Snappers tonight. Summers went eight innings, allowing four hits, one run (which came on a home run) and a walk. He also struck out four. Clint Dempster pitched a perfect ninth. Top prospect Miguel Sano hit his MWL-leading 9th home run in the first inning. He also added a single and a strikeout. Eddie Rosario, who went hitless in two official at-bats, walked twice. Drew Leachman added two hits. JD Williams doubled (and stole third – his 7th SB on the season). --- Players of the Day for Monday, May 7, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Miracle 3B/DH Anderson Hidalgo [ATTACH=CONFIG]888[/ATTACH] www.twin-keys.blogspot.com Pitcher of the Day – Snappers P Matthew Summers [ATTACH=CONFIG]889[/ATTACH] --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, May 8, 2012 schedule Rochester @ Pawtucket – RHP Liam Hendriks (making his 2012 AAA debut) New Britain @ Binghamton – LHP Andrew Albers (1-0, 4.35, 27/1 K/BB) Ft. Myers @ Dunedin – RHP Madison Boer (0-1, 4.76) Beloit vs Kane County – LHP Matthew Tomshaw (1-0, 2.60) ---

This article was orignially posted at ManCenter.com ------ Initially my plan was to continue the series with a preview of the Midwest. While the Twins do a pretty good job of locating and selecting talent from this area, it doesn't appear that there are a ton of top prospects from the area. So I'm pushing that preview back. Instead I'm going to highlight a place that has been a great place to infuse talent into the Twins system: Puerto Rico. In 2007, the Twins jumped on "toolsy OF" Angel Morales, though his hit tool was questioned. He appeared to be CF-ready and the Twins plucked him in Round 3, after being projected to go between Rounds 2-4. The next year, 2008, the Twins took Danny Ortiz in the 4th round. (Round 3-5 projection.) Ortiz was an advanced hitter with defensive questions. He was recently promoted to Ft. Myers, but has never been considered one of the Twins top prospects. (I think he's a good "sleeper" prospect though.) The Twins missed out in 2009, but got back into it in 2010 with Eddie Rosario in the 4th round. Rosario was an also an advanced hitter, but profiled similar to Ortiz. He exceeded expectations both offensively and defensively and was recently moved to 2B and ranks as one of the top prospects in the system. Why is this important? Because the Twins have done a great job of locating - and getting - the talent on this island. We should expect to see something similar in 2012. Carlos Correa, SS - Tall, skinny and projects to hit for power, Correa will probably settle at 3B. If he was plugged into the Twins system, he would have to play his way off SS and would have a higher ceiling than everyone not named Miguel Sano. He remains the least-discussed candidate to go 2nd overall. Jesmuel Valentin-Diaz, SS - Son of former major-league Jose Valentin. Switch-hitter who should be able to stay at SS. Could (and should) be a target for the Twins in the sandwich or 2nd round (especially if they take a P at #2). Could fall due to signability issues. The Twins haven't experienced the same success (or had the same volume), when it comes to pitchers, but a few stand out. Jose Orlando Berrios, RHP - Berrios has become the #1 pitching prospect on the island. Every time he pitches, his stock rises. He is in the mid-90s, deceptive, and already has a solid curveball and change-up. It wouldn't shock me if he ends up in the middle of the 1st round. Edwin Diaz, RHP - Already 6-3, but a very skinny 170. His smooth delivery is producing fastballs in the mid-90s. It's worth noting that while the hitters have committed to college, neither of the pitchers have (which could be a factor when it comes to signing). While these are the four most notable names from Puerto Rico that Twins have also taken players later in the draft. Baseball America had a write up on the Excellence Tournament that is currently going on in Puerto Rico and, to no one's surprise, these four players are mentioned prominently.

This article was orignially posted at ManCenter.com ------ Initially my plan was to continue the series with a preview of the Midwest. While the Twins do a pretty good job of locating and selecting talent from this area, it doesn't appear that there are a ton of top prospects from the area. So I'm pushing that preview back. Instead I'm going to highlight a place that has been a great place to infuse talent into the Twins system: Puerto Rico. In 2007, the Twins jumped on "toolsy OF" Angel Morales, though his hit tool was questioned. He appeared to be CF-ready and the Twins plucked him in Round 3, after being projected to go between Rounds 2-4. The next year, 2008, the Twins took Danny Ortiz in the 4th round. (Round 3-5 projection.) Ortiz was an advanced hitter with defensive questions. He was recently promoted to Ft. Myers, but has never been considered one of the Twins top prospects. (I think he's a good "sleeper" prospect though.) The Twins missed out in 2009, but got back into it in 2010 with Eddie Rosario in the 4th round. Rosario was an also an advanced hitter, but profiled similar to Ortiz. He exceeded expectations both offensively and defensively and was recently moved to 2B and ranks as one of the top prospects in the system. Why is this important? Because the Twins have done a great job of locating - and getting - the talent on this island. We should expect to see something similar in 2012. Carlos Correa, SS - Tall, skinny and projects to hit for power, Correa will probably settle at 3B. If he was plugged into the Twins system, he would have to play his way off SS and would have a higher ceiling than everyone not named Miguel Sano. He remains the least-discussed candidate to go 2nd overall. Jesmuel Valentin-Diaz, SS - Son of former major-league Jose Valentin. Switch-hitter who should be able to stay at SS. Could (and should) be a target for the Twins in the sandwich or 2nd round (especially if they take a P at #2). Could fall due to signability issues. The Twins haven't experienced the same success (or had the same volume), when it comes to pitchers, but a few stand out. Jose Orlando Berrios, RHP - Berrios has become the #1 pitching prospect on the island. Every time he pitches, his stock rises. He is in the mid-90s, deceptive, and already has a solid curveball and change-up. It wouldn't shock me if he ends up in the middle of the 1st round. Edwin Diaz, RHP - Already 6-3, but a very skinny 170. His smooth delivery is producing fastballs in the mid-90s. It's worth noting that while the hitters have committed to college, neither of the pitchers have (which could be a factor when it comes to signing). While these are the four most notable names from Puerto Rico that Twins have also taken players later in the draft. Baseball America had a write up on the Excellence Tournament that is currently going on in Puerto Rico and, to no one's surprise, these four players are mentioned prominently.