John Bonnes

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4727[/ATTACH]The Minnesota Twins front office likely watched with interest yesterday as one of the bigger chips on the trade market was moved. The Marlins traded starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco to the Dodgers for three third-tier prospects and $200 grand in international signing money, and agreed to pay the $5+ million on Nolasco's contract this year. Nolaso was perceived as one of the better pitchers on the trade market. The deal's details suggest some truths about the trade market this year: There Are A Lot Of Teams Looking For Pitching, And It Doesn't Need To Be High-End Pitching This is the second starting pitcher we're seen traded this week and neither of them are Matt Garza, the premier name. Often, teams will wait to trade a player like Nolasco until the bigger name has been traded, since then the remaining teams come looking for the next best pitcher. Instead, the Dodgers looked at Garza's asking price and got aggressive at the next level of pitching, just like the Orioles did earlier this week. That probably bodes well for a trade involving Kevin Correia, though there are still plenty of other pitchers between him and the top of the list, like Cliff Lee, Bud Norris, Yovanni Gallardo and maybe Kyle Lohse. Teams Want To Keep Their Prospects A fair number of GMs are coming out and saying publicly they will not trade away their blue chip prospects. Yesterday we talked about how the Orioles walked away from a deal for Garza for the 50th and 100th best prospects, neither of which would be considered blue chip. Today, that lesson is reinforced when you look at what the Dodgers gave up for the 2nd best option on the market. You will not find any of the three arms the Marlins got on a top 100 list. In fact, you won't find them on the Marlins Top 10 prospect list. Or their Top 20. All three would ranked between 21 and 25 just for the Marlins system by Baseball America this past offseason. Two of them have already been converted to relievers, so that's likely their ceiling. Teams are clinging to their prospects like grim death. International Signing Money Is A Thing We're seeing the inclusion of international signing money in a bunch of trades this month. Considering the Twins had the fourth most of any team going into this season, that could give them some extra leverage. However, it isn't clear the Twins have much they can trade away. According to Jeremy Nygaard, The Twins had about $2M left over after their first four signings. Then they wrapped up Ruar Verkerk from the Netherlands, which definitely cut into that, but we don't know how much yet. Also, they're rumored to be chasing a Taiwanese pitcher, Jen-Ho Tseng, along with some other teams. He ranks 29th overall, according to MLB.com. That will cost some money. There are other top international prospects that are still unsigned, so these additional dollars that teams are trading for might be the difference in getting some of these kids signed. It adds a new dimension to the trade market this year, and one could see the Twins trading away extra dollars, or trading for extra dollars if they can't pry away prospects. Then they could use that money to sign some high-end, albeit 16-year-old high-end, talent. It might also mean that teams are interested in making trades for those dollars now, since a lot of the highly ranked kids will be signed by late July, and teams won’t need the extra dollars. It may be driving the earlier trades we’re seeing this year. Real Money Is A Thing, Too The $5.5 million that Nolasco was owed definitely decreased the prospect haul for the Marlins. That's good news for a team trying to trade Kevin Correia, who is relatively cheap. It's not very good news for a team interested in trading Justin Morneau, who has even more than that left on his deal this year. For instance, the Rockies were interested in Nolasco, but were never going to be in a position to pay that much this year. (Incidentally, Todd Helton is their regular first baseman. Yes, the same Todd Helton that was around when you were young. His OPS is 695.) As far as I know, the Twins have never done a trade where they pick up part of the contract of the player they traded away, but if ever there was a season to do so, this is it. We know they didn't spend all of their offseason money when Joe Saunders walked away from an open offer. The amount they can spend on the amateur draft and international draft is capped. And Morneau's salary is already included in this year's budget number anyway. Their budget doesn’t need that $5M. If swallowing that rest of that salary allows them to upgrade the prospects they get in a trade, they should be considering it. There are very few avenues for spending leftover money this year to upgrade the future. This is one of the few remaining.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4713[/ATTACH]Here's today's top three trade deadline stories of the last couple days and how it might impact the Minnesota Twins: #3 - The Reliever Market Ken Rosenthal breaks down the "supply" side of MLB relievers for the trade deadline - and the Twins are completely omitted. That's a little surprising considering the Twins' seller status and the presence of Glen Perkins on the roster, but maybe Terry Ryan's protests about the subject are actually being heard. But there could be some other candidates too. Lost in the recent slumps of Jared Burton and Brian Duensing is that they were both probably the most tradeable commodities in the Twins bullpen. Burton, prior to his groin injury, had been fantastic - a true closer candidate for a contending team looking to solidify it's late-inning strategy. And Duensing would work well with any of number of teams that are short on left-handed relief help, such as the Nationals, who we profiled this week. #2 - Yankees Could Use Catching It was revealed that Yankees starting backstop to start the year, Francisco Cervelli, is being shutdown for two weeks before beginning his rehab again. The bulk of New York's playing time at catcher this year has gone to Chris Davis, who is sporting a 614 OPS. His backup has been Austin Romine, who has an OPS of 331 in his 31 games. Yikes. Even Drew Butera would be an upgrade on that. And now I notice that Ryan Doumit, after playing catcher just once the week before, started at catcher two times in the four games of the Yankees series. I don't know if that was planned - you'll recall Joe Mauer was out of the lineup completely on Monday - but let's see how much time Doumit gets behind the plate in Yankee stadium. There is a real fit there. I wonder how Yankees manager (and former catcher) Joe Girardi will feel about Doumit's defense. I suppose one could also speculate about moving a $23 million contract off the books, if one so desired. #1 - The Price Of Garza (and Perkins?) By far, the most talked about and valuable player on the trade market right now is Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza, and there is quite a bit of speculation that he might be moved soon, with several teams pursuing him. But one of those teams will not the Orioles, because they traded for Scott Feldman earlier this week. Yesterday we learned why. The Cubs were asking for Jonathan Schoop, a 21-year-old shortstop in AAA who ranked #50 nationally in Keith Law's preseason prospect list and Eduardo Rodriguez, a 20-year-old starter who was just moved up to AA and was #100 on Law's preseason list. From their stats this year, it doesn't look like either one is due for any major moves on the prospect lists. By comparison, here are how the Twins ranked on Law's list last offseason: Miguel Sano - 11 (moved up to 6 in an midseason Top 25 update) Byron Buxton - 22 (moved up to 2 in a midseason Top 25 update) Kyle Gibson - 41 Aaron Hicks - 49 Oswlado Arcia - 59 Alex Meyer - 61 Eddie Rosario - 65 The best equivalant trade I can come up with in the Twins system would be Aaron Hicks and JO Berrios. So now we know what the ceiling is for acquiring top prospects in this trade market. This was the premier guy on the market, a month before the deadline, and it was turned down by the other team. And it still wasn't anywhere near a Top 20 prospect. If you're looking to speculate on what it would require to pry Glen Perkins away, keep this in mind.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4686[/ATTACH]Buyers or Sellers Everyone was excited about the Pirates last year when they led the NL Central as late as the middle of the July. That was a great story, but this feels completely different. This year the Pirates are 20 games over .500 and were the first team in MLB to win 50 games. Of course, last year they were sixteen games over .500 on August 1st – and STILL managed to finish below .500 for the 173rd consecutive year. So they’re buyers, but they don’t have a ton of needs. That might work out well, since they’re reportedly hesitant to give up too much of their farm system. Limited expectations work out well when considering a trade with the Twins. What They Need Offensively, like last year, the Pirates have been in the lower half of runs scored in the National League. Things have been particularly ugly in right field with a batting average of .227 and an OPS of 656. By ways of comparison, Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has a 684 OPS. So it would be nice if the Twins had a corner outfielder to offer, especially if he was a right-handed slugger to team up with left-handed hitting Pedro Alvarez. Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop taking prozac. There is also some thought that they could use starting pitching, because they aren’t sure if AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez will be returning soon. What Might Work It’s going to have to be a small deal, probably involving a starting pitcher. But don’t expect it to be Kevin Correia – he was a Pirate last year and was demoted to the bullpen by them. I guess that leaves Mike Pelfrey, though I suppose they might be interested in a cheaper younger option like Scott Diamond or Sam Deduno. After all, this is the team that turned around Francisco Liriano, who has a 2.23 ERA with the through 10 games. Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue. As for the outfielder, the other name that might have made sense is Ryan Doumit – except that he was also a Pirate and I doubt there’s more appetite there for him. The best fit I can come up with is sending them Trevor Plouffe and move him to right field. Sleeper Targets Tony Sanchez – C – AAA – 25 years old Sanchez wasn’t a top 10 Pirates prospect coming into the season, and he’ll be stuck in a backup role for the next couple year now that the Pirates signed Russell Martin. But he’s surprising everyone by slugging .536 in AAA this year (and from the right side, no less). Now THAT would be nice to pair with Mauer for a few years. Wyatt Mathisen – C – Low A – 19 years old The 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft, he’s struggling mightily right now in A ball. With the Twins seemingly focused on adding young catching in this year’s draft, why not pick up a second rounder? Jordy Mercer – SS – MLB – 25 years old Another somewhat promising guy who is stuck behind a veteran in Pittsburgh. He’s at best an average regular, but he’s an average regular with some pop in his bat. He slugged .411 overall in AAA is getting better each year. Dream Target Glen Perkins is probably of limited interest: the prospect price is too high and their closer, Jason Grilli, may be going to the All-Star Game. If the Twins are going to make a big deal with the Pirates, it’ll need to involve Perkins and be part of a three-way trade. Tyler Glasnow – RHP – High A –19 years old You were probably expecting to see Jameson Taillon here, the right-handed starter who has been topping their prospect list for years and is now in AA. I purposely avoided him because the Bucs claim they don’t want to move any big names. Instead, I went down the list to a breakout player at High A who is looking even more impressive - and might be just as untouchable. Glasnow didn’t make the Pirates Top 10 list by Baseball America last year – but vaulted up to 5th in a recent update by Jim Callis. Posting 103 strikeouts in 70.1 innings will do that. He’s 6’ 7”, has a 93 mph fastball and shows a possible above average curveball. And at just 19 years old, the sky’s the limit. Throughout July, we’ll be publishing a profile of a MLB and whether there is any possible fit for a trade with the Twins. For more, check out our previous trade talks: The Atlanta Braves by John Bonnes The Washington Nationals by John Bonnes The Philadelphia Phillies by Nick Nelson

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4661[/ATTACH]sponsored by Ticket King C’mon, you can admit it – it’s fun to hate the Yankees. Let go of your stoic Minnesotan demeanor for one minute and confess: you enjoy watching those pampered Gothamites get their come-upance. If they want to act like a bunch of fantsy-pants in their own stadium, surrounded by stockbrokers and thugs (and stockbroker thugs), that’s their business. But when they come to our quaint little ballpark, some plain talk should inform them that they can leave their overstuffed wallets in the locker room. And you’re probably just the person to do it. Here are the Twins tickets you need to do the job. Section 126 – Down the left field line. I’m not ready to let go of the Phil Cuzzi call yet. I’m not that big. I’ll admit it. If you’re like me and history repeats itself, you’ll be right there to see for yourself that it’s a fair ball. And perhaps point to the big freaking divot in the ground. Section 14 – Third base And since this time the Phil Cuzzi clone will need to be the 3rd base umpire (this isn’t a playoff game, so there won’t be an outfield umpire, as in Cuzzi’s case) you can verbally let him know that your friends in Section 126 saw the whole thing. Section 128, 129, 229, 230 – The left field bleachers Because you never know when the Yankees may bring back Chuck Knoblauch. It makes as much sense as trotting Vernon Wells’ undead corpse out there. (By the way, Wednesdays are $1 hot dog nights.) Section 113-115 – G, H & J – Legends Club behind home plate It’s sad, but many home plate umpires are intimidated by pinstripes. From your perch above home plate, you’re in the perfect position to remind tonight’s ump that he’s man enough to overcome his insecurities. (Or, if he’s not, to suggest the nearest local optometrist.) Section 214 – Upper deck, behind home plate These Minnesota Twins tickets are just below 2 Gingers Pub where Sue Nelson, the Twins organist, plays. She’s a lovely and gifted lady, and super-friendly to boot. But she may be tempted to play one of several New York anthems while the Yankees are in town, like Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel or Frank Sinatra. Gently let her know you don’t approve. Section 233, 234, 235 and 236 – Over the bullpens Please don’t tell Mariano Rivera he sucks, because he really, really doesn’t. In fact, if you really want to help out the Twins, tell him how much you LOVE retirement. Talk up the trips abroad and the time you have to get that “honey-do” list done. Maybe buy him a gold watch. Sections 7, 8, 9 & 10 – The Champions Club behind home plate At several hundred dollars for one of these Target Field tickets, you can bet some of these will be snapped up by big New York money fund managers rooting for their beloved Bombers. If you’re feeling gentle, encourage these fellows to go for fourths at the luxurious buffets that are comped. It shouldn’t take too much coercing to slip them into a fat cat food coma. Feeling more aggressive? Loudly proclaim some totally false insider trading information. Section 11, 12 & 13- Right behind the Yankees dugout Usually this would be a prime location to let Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira know what you think of their play – and maybe their moms. But the Yankees have grown a little old and fragile this year, so those three are being replaced by Jayson Nix, David Adams and Lyle Overbay. It’s enough to almost make you feel sorry for them. (Heh. Not really.)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4657[/ATTACH]Buyers or Sellers Last year, the Nationals won 98 games, the most of any team in baseball. And though they didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, it was supposed to mark the beginning of an era, fronted by top shelf, super young and (maybe most importantly) affordable talent like 24-year-old Stephen Strasburg and 20-year-old Bryce Harper. Viewed through that lens, 2013 has been a disaster. But without those expectations, there is still plenty of hope. The Nationals are slightly over .500, 6.5 games back of the division and 4.5 games back of the Wild Card. Strasburg and Harper are back after some injury scares. And it’s not like the Braves, who Washington is chasing in the NL East, have a recent history of rising to the occasion. What They Need If you listen to their GM, Mike Rizzo, they don’t need anything. “We’d like to get a big, left-handed bat. His name is Harper,” says Rizzo. “He’s on the horizon. We’d like to get a right-handed hitting catcher named [Wilson] Ramos. He’s on the horizon.” But that isn’t entirely genuine. Nationals scouts have been tied to starting pitches, such as the Cubs’ Matt Garza. The team sports three of the top starting pitchers in the National League – Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Gio Gonzalez – but the last two spots, particularly the one filled by Dan Haren, have struggled. The Nationals have also lacked consistent right-handed power. Rizzo hopes that Ramos might be able to provide some of that when he returns from an injured hamstring later this week. Ideally, that power could also be provided from the well-compensated Jayson Werth, but he only has 201 plate appearances due to various injuries. What Might Work In case the name “Ramos” didn’t ring a bell, the Nationals and Twins have danced at the deadline recently more than once. Besides the Ramos-Matt Capps trade, there were lots of rumors about them nearly trading Denard Span to the Nationals two years ago. The Twins would probably love to pluck some talent from the Nationals well-regarded farm system, but its not clear they have the pieces the Nationals need. If Washington is looking for an inning-eater to plug the hole at the back of their rotation, someone like Kevin Correia might be of interest, but they’re not going to pay much for him. And while the Nationals’ interest in a right-handed masher might have sounded promising last year, unless Josh Willingham can get healthy in a hurry, he’s no better (and in fact is quite a bit worse), than Werth. There is one area the Twins might be able to fill, though the Nationals haven’t been rumored to be pursuing it. Despite having a strong bullpen highlighted by Rafael Soriano, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen, they really don’t have any reliable left-handed relievers. Sleeper Targets There are some guys in the Nationals farm system who aren’t flashy prospects, but decent fits for the Twins. When neither side is looking for too much, some middle ground can often be found. Here are some names from down the prospect list which could conceivably interest the Twins: Chris Marrero – 1B – AAA – 24 years old Marrero was a decent prospect for the Nationals who never showed the power for which they hoped and was passed in the organizational depth chart last year when he had a hamstring injury. But he’s fairly young, hit .300 this year in AAA with an 842 OPS and his right-handed bat might play well with Parmelee’s left-handed bat at first base. Zach Walters –SS – AAA – 23 years old Walters finds himself with a “utility” label, but he has a unique skill set. He’s decent defensively, relying on a very strong arm to increase his range, but Adam Everett made a career out of that. This year he’s hitting just .245 in AAA with 72 K and just 9 walks – but he’s slugging over .500 with 18 home runs. I don’t know if that makes him an everyday guy, but at the least he can fill two roles on the bench. Matt Purke – LHP – High A – 22 years old He’s coming back from injury, but he’s a southpaw that can throw 90+ mph and just struck out 41 while walking 7 in Low A. That seems like a decent flyer to take. Dream Target Nate Karns – RHP – AA – 25 years old The Nationals were desperate enough for pitching to call up Karns straight from AA for a few starts this year. He predictably struggled and was sent back, but after missing 2010 and 2011 with shoulder surgery, it’s got to be gratifying for him to even be given that shot. He earned the shortcut. This year in AA he has struck out 67 in 56 innings with 22 walks, featuring a fastball that can reach 95. He’s also got the offspeed stuff to remain a starter, though his mechanics and injury history could eventually ticket him for the bullpen. Either way, he’ll be higher on the Nationals prospect lists than the five-ish range he populated at the beginning of the season. ~~~ Each day in July, we’ll be publishing a profile of a MLB and whether there is any possible fit for a trade with the Twins. Tomorrow: The Philadelphia Phillies. For more, check out our previous trade talks: The Atlanta Braves by John Bonnes

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4646[/ATTACH]Aaron and John completely forget that it's their 100th episode and talk about Kyle Gibson's debut, what to do with Aaron Hicks when he's healthy, who Mike Pelfrey should bump in the rotation, being sad about Glen Perkins trade rumors, the demise of the Yankees, Polish pride, Josh Willingham and playing through pain, mailbag questions from listeners, Brad Radke's acedom, and sugar mamas. You can listen by clicking below, download us from iTunes or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com.

1st of a series Buyers or Sellers They sure aren’t selling. The Braves only real competition in the NL East is the Washington Nationals, over whom they hold a 6.5 game lead. But they’re unlikely to take that lead for granted. Last year they won 94 games – and got knocked out in the one-game Wild Card playoff. The year before they collapsed down the stretch, losing eight of their last ten games (including their last five), finishing one game out of the playoffs. This is not a franchise (or fan base) that is going to feel like they’re all set. What They Need Which is a little weird, because they’re just about all set, as the Twins learned when they were swept by them earlier this year. The Braves starting pitching ranks 2nd in the NL in ERA. Their offense ranks 4th in runs, but they’re that “low” because their big free agent acquisition, BJ Upton, has just a 594 OPS. That isn’t going to last. However, there have been multiple reports of the Braves evaluating others teams' relievers. That’s a little odd, because Craig Kimbrel has been fantastic as their closer. However, they lost two left-handed setup men Eric O’Flaherty and Tommy Venters to Tommy John surgery in the same week in May. That’s left Luis Avilan, whose numbers look good, but 18K in 33 IP don’t inspire confidence. Neither do the 13 walks that go with them. What Might Work Last year at the deadline, and indeed in the offseason, there were lots of rumors about the Braves and Twins talking about a deal. That was because the Braves needed a center fielder (which they filled by signing BJ Upton) and some right-handed power (which they fixed by trading for his brother Justin). However, the Twins have three effective left-handers in their bullpen right now. Caleb Thielbar is unproven, but has been deadly against lefties. Brian Duensing represent a more senior option that would still not require a king’s ransom. And Glen Perkins would give the Braves the best lefty-righty combo to lose games in Major League Baseball. As the Braves evaluate relievers, they’ll certainly approach the Twins. Sleeper Targets Here are some names from down the prospect list which could conceivably interest the Twins in any non-Perkins deal: Jose Peraza – SS – Low A – 19 years old He’s skilled enough defensively to, project staying at shortstop, but he also showed some pop last year in Rookie League. This year, he’s only at .256/.317/.339, but he also just turned 19. He’s a guy the scouts often like: toolsy and projectable. Luis Merejo – LHP – Rookie League – 18 years old He dominated in the Gulf Coast Rookie League last year, striking out 53 in 41 innings. He’s back there this year, but he could make his way up to A ball and there is some thought he could move fast. Cody Martin – RHP – AAA – 23 years old Martin wasn’t on any Top 10 Braves list because he’s a command-control pitcher. But this year he’s posting a 2.45 ERA between AA & AAA and has 95 K in 88 IP (and just 74 hits). And those rates are not out of line with his numbers every other year. Don’t forget – Atlanta is the organization from which the Twins plucked Scott Diamond. Dream Target Mauricio Cabrera – RHP – Low A – 19 years old The Braves top two remaining pitching prospects, JD Graham and Sean Gilmartin, are both on the shelf right now with injuries. So let’s look for a bigger arm a little further down the ladder. Baseball Prospectus described Cabrera’s arm as “ridiculous” with a fastball that can work in the mid to high 90s. He needs to develop secondary pitches and command, though he has the makings of a slider right now that could be very good. If he progresses, he could be a top of the rotation arm. If not, he could still be a dominant reliever. If he were to be part of a package, there could be lot of excitement about the future of the Twins rotation with him joining Kohl Stewart and JO Berrios in the lower minor leagues. Each day in July, we’ll be publishing a profile of a MLB and whether there is any possible fit for a trade with the Twins. Tomorrow: The Washington Nationals

1st of a series Buyers or Sellers They sure aren’t selling. The Braves only real competition in the NL East is the Washington Nationals, over whom they hold a 6.5 game lead. But they’re unlikely to take that lead for granted. Last year they won 94 games – and got knocked out in the one-game Wild Card playoff. The year before they collapsed down the stretch, losing eight of their last ten games (including their last five), finishing one game out of the playoffs. This is not a franchise (or fan base) that is going to feel like they’re all set. What They Need Which is a little weird, because they’re just about all set, as the Twins learned when they were swept by them earlier this year. The Braves starting pitching ranks 2nd in the NL in ERA. Their offense ranks 4th in runs, but they’re that “low” because their big free agent acquisition, BJ Upton, has just a 594 OPS. That isn’t going to last. However, there have been multiple reports of the Braves evaluating others teams' relievers. That’s a little odd, because Craig Kimbrel has been fantastic as their closer. However, they lost two left-handed setup men Eric O’Flaherty and Tommy Venters to Tommy John surgery in the same week in May. That’s left Luis Avilan, whose numbers look good, but 18K in 33 IP don’t inspire confidence. Neither do the 13 walks that go with them. What Might Work Last year at the deadline, and indeed in the offseason, there were lots of rumors about the Braves and Twins talking about a deal. That was because the Braves needed a center fielder (which they filled by signing BJ Upton) and some right-handed power (which they fixed by trading for his brother Justin). However, the Twins have three effective left-handers in their bullpen right now. Caleb Thielbar is unproven, but has been deadly against lefties. Brian Duensing represent a more senior option that would still not require a king’s ransom. And Glen Perkins would give the Braves the best lefty-righty combo to lose games in Major League Baseball. As the Braves evaluate relievers, they’ll certainly approach the Twins. Sleeper Targets Here are some names from down the prospect list which could conceivably interest the Twins in any non-Perkins deal: Jose Peraza – SS – Low A – 19 years old He’s skilled enough defensively to, project staying at shortstop, but he also showed some pop last year in Rookie League. This year, he’s only at .256/.317/.339, but he also just turned 19. He’s a guy the scouts often like: toolsy and projectable. Luis Merejo – LHP – Rookie League – 18 years old He dominated in the Gulf Coast Rookie League last year, striking out 53 in 41 innings. He’s back there this year, but he could make his way up to A ball and there is some thought he could move fast. Cody Martin – RHP – AAA – 23 years old Martin wasn’t on any Top 10 Braves list because he’s a command-control pitcher. But this year he’s posting a 2.45 ERA between AA & AAA and has 95 K in 88 IP (and just 74 hits). And those rates are not out of line with his numbers every other year. Don’t forget – Atlanta is the organization from which the Twins plucked Scott Diamond. Dream Target Mauricio Cabrera – RHP – Low A – 19 years old The Braves top two remaining pitching prospects, JD Graham and Sean Gilmartin, are both on the shelf right now with injuries. So let’s look for a bigger arm a little further down the ladder. Baseball Prospectus described Cabrera’s arm as “ridiculous” with a fastball that can work in the mid to high 90s. He needs to develop secondary pitches and command, though he has the makings of a slider right now that could be very good. If he progresses, he could be a top of the rotation arm. If not, he could still be a dominant reliever. If he were to be part of a package, there could be lot of excitement about the future of the Twins rotation with him joining Kohl Stewart and JO Berrios in the lower minor leagues. Each day in July, we’ll be publishing a profile of a MLB and whether there is any possible fit for a trade with the Twins. Tomorrow: The Washington Nationals

The Twins have not, as a team, run the bases well with any sort of consistency regardless of whether they were good that year or not. I'm puzzled by this conclusion. Is "0" average? Ar the Twins not above average in eight of the 12 years? Or am I reading the data wrong?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4526[/ATTACH]In this week's Minnesota Twins podcast, Aaron and John talk about expectations for Kyle Gibson's promotion, where Aaron Hicks rehab stint will take him, Wilkin Ramirez' setback from a concussion, Trevor Plouffe's trade value, Antoan Richardson's eye-popping OBP, Oswald Arcia's quiet success, trade speculation, the upcoming zombie apocalypse and answer mailbag questions. You can listen by clicking below, download us from iTunes or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com.