John Bonnes

Aaron and John talk about dumping Danny Valencia, bringing back Tsuyoshi Nishioka, what the trade deadline inactivity means, what can be done about the Twins' medical staff, John's new motorcycle, Alex Wimmers' elbow surgery, and a report about Miguel Sano and the Beloit prospects from special guest Seth Stohs. Here are: the podcasts the rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

The Minnesota Twins have traded third baseman Danny Valencia to the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielder Jeremias Pineda. Valencia, who started the year as the Twins everyday third baseman, has spent most of the year in Rochester but was recalled two weeks ago when Trevor Plouffe was injured. He was hitting .198 with a 522 OPS and also struggled in AAA, hitting .250 with a 688 OPS. Replacing Valencia on the 25-man roster will be Tsuyoshi Nishioka. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The player the Twins acquired, Jermias Pineda, is atypical in several ways. He is dominating the Gulf Coast League (GCL), which is a rookie league (below A ball) with a .421 batting average and a 981 OPS. He doesn't have any home runs, and is listed as 5' 11" and 175 pounds, so he profiles as more of a speedster than a slugger. He sticks out in the GCL for another reason too: he is 21 years old, which is very old for that league, so one would expect him to shine against 18 and 19-year-olds. He is playing in the GCL because he signed in March of 2011 as a 20-year-old, playing the Dominican Summer League for most of last year. So the Twins traded for a late-blooming speedster who is doing what he should be doing in rookie ball - dominating younger players. At this point, it's hard to determine the path he will take, or even what grade of prospect he seems to be. But this is reminiscent of previous trades Terry Ryan had made in which he grabbed Jason Bartlett and Alexi Casilla while they were still low minor leaguers and not highly ranked prospects. Nishioka's overall play in Rochester - hitting .245 with a .309 on-base percentage - still has not been impressive for the free agent the Twins signed to a 3-year deal before last year. However, for the last month, those numbers have been trending up and there was some speculation that he might be ready to rejoin the Twins soon. My best guess is he will play utility infielder for the Twins until Plouffe returns. For more on Pineda, stop by the Tenth Inning Stretch for a mini-scouting report. You can also join the Twins Daily thread on the trade. Or talk about the return of Nishi with the community.

Let's see if Twins Daily can do some good.... Next Sunday, the 12th, Twins pitcher Glen Perkins and his wife Alisha are organizing a 5K in downtown Minneapolis to raise money for the fight against cyctis fibrosis (CF). The whole Bonnes family is joining in, so if you would like to run with us at our glacial (or at your own) pace, sign up at their site and then let me know in the comments below and we'll work out a meeting place. For those who can't make it, please consider sponsoring my run. This is the first time the Twins Daily community has tried something like this, but I suspect that with so many members contributing daily to the site, they'll also contribute to such a good cause. My goal is just $150, and I'd rather have 150 members contribute $1 than five contribute $30 so know that whatever you can throw in is appreciated. Please Sponsor John's Cystic Fibrosis Run Here is some more information... [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Race The race starts at 8 AM at the Metrodome, winds around downtown and ends at Target Field, and "along the course you will learn about Glen's journey from playing college games at the Metrodome for the U of MN to MLB games at Target field. You will climb the ladder up from rookie ball to the big leagues just like this Minnesotan did." You can pick up your race packet that morning starting at 7AM or on Friday or Saturday in St. Paul. The Swag You also get a medal at the end if you finish. You also get a t-shirt and tickets to Sunday's game vs the Rays, too. Finally, if you dress up like a Twins player (wear a jersey?) there will be items signed by Minnesota Twins players given away randomly at the finish line. The Disease Cystic fibrosis is a devastating genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. More than ten million Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene. It is passed down through families and causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults. It is a life-threatening disorder. So let's see what we can do. If you can spare a couple of clicks and a few dollars, please sponsor my run next Sunday. If you can make it yourself, even better. Thank you in advance for all your generosity and involvement. I continue to believe that Twins Daily is a community that can do outstanding things.