Ted Schwerzler

At the All-Star break Rocco Baldelli’s Minnesota Twins currently own the third best record in the American League. They have a 5.5 game lead on the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central division, and the +113-run differential is second-most in all of baseball. This team is good, but they have areas needing improvement and just a couple of weeks to execute that improvement. You’ve read plenty of names by this point, but what does the actual blueprint look like?Minnesota has been linked to players like Marcus Stroman and Madison Bumgarner. The Twins have ties to any number of relievers, and you can bet the front office has no desire to leave any stone unturned. We’re soon getting to decision time though, and what they acquire will matter almost as much as who they acquire. Needs The bare minimum here is two relief pitchers. Taylor Rogers has been nothing short of exceptional this season, but he needs to continue with an ability to operate as a hybrid pitcher. Keeping him solely locked into the ninth inning or late inning work isn’t necessarily ideal. He benefits Baldelli most by working as the fireman, and being able to work multiple innings is a massive boost. Ideally one of the arms acquired should be a southpaw and finding an impending free agent over 30 years-old with an ERA right around the mid-3.00 range shouldn’t be a difficult task. Realistically hat type of get isn’t going to cost any significant prospect and the boost could be substantial. On top of relief help a starter would be a definite bonus. Minnesota has just Jose Berrios and Martin Perez locked down for the rotation in 2020, and a controllable asset there makes a ton of sense. Giving up prospects for relief help is never an enticing plan of action but tying in a controllable starter would help to lessen that blow. When the deadline comes and goes on July 31st success should be measured for Minnesota numerically. At least two relief arms would represent a job well done, and an additional starter could tip things over the top. Process Derek Falvey is going to need prospect capital in order to make any move. I’d imagine, and probably suggest, that both Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff be non-starters in almost any package. From there though the Twins will have significant depth at their disposal. Finding a way to both utilize and conserve talent at the same time would provide an optimal crossroads. Opposing organizations are likely going to want trades completed for one big-league asset at a time. If I’m Minnesota however, pairing the starter with a reliever is a way to mitigate risk. Working to pass on parting with real prospects for a rental or relief arm, adding in controllable starting talent opens the door to more coveted names. There’s a handful of selling teams that have assets in both areas Rocco Baldelli’s club currently needs to upgrade. There should be no reason that any deal with those clubs doesn’t go down the path of two players at once when discussions start. Settling on one at a time is fine but look to pair a maximized return with a protected parting. Redundancy It’s true that there’re specific areas on the farm that you’ll never have too many prospects. Up the middle and on the mound, teams will forever find a way to utilize talent. For the Twins, in their current situation, one of the best ways may be in using said players as trade chips. Falvey has a system chock full of middle infield prospects and corner outfielders. Although there’s not a significant number of upper-tier arms, there are a select few that have significant upside. Most of this talent is still at or below Double-A which makes the future risk carry a hefty amount of uncertainty. Using a trade partner to thin out some of that talent and turn it into big league commodities is hardly a bad blueprint. This offseason the Twins will also be up against a 40-man roster crunch that will put some bigger names in a position where they could be exposed. Utilizing them now in a way that draws a return is a significantly better decision than seeing them lost in the Rule 5 Draft. At its core the trade deadline should be a ton of fun for fans of the Minnesota Twins. This team is in position to be a legitimate player for the first time in nearly a decade. Good at the big-league level and on the farm, there’s opportunity to make some serious noise. The goal should be to acquire at least two assets, attempt to engage big with one partner, and work through some of your similar assets. How it all shakes out remains to be seen, but we’ll have answers soon enough. Click here to view the article

Stolen bases have declined for quite some time. The true value of advancing a single base has never been lower, and it's why (in general) bunting is dumb. Unless you're stealing bases at an 80% clip or better, the result is a net loss.

His bat has certainly been incredible, but given the overall production of the lineup, I felt like Adrianza as a fill in is less of a dropoff than needing to turn to Cave or someone like that in the OF

I didn't mean to come across as believing we're getting the 100th percentile of Buxton. I think he's been the most valuable to the Twins in the first half, but have suggested the exact combo you mentioned multiple times on Twitter. Byron at his best is a .260-.270 hitter with 20 bombs I think. That's incredible given his defensive abilities as well.

As the door closes on the first half of the 2019 Major League Baseball season the Minnesota Twins sit in sole possession of first place in the AL Central Division. They have a 5.5 game lead over the favorited Cleveland Indians and find themselves with Postseason odds north of 96%. This drastic turnaround is because of the work both Rocco Baldelli and the front office has put in, but one player on the field has made an incredible impact as well. After being cast aside by plenty of Twins fans due to failed expectations thus far in his career Byron Buxton has emerged as a national presence. Losing virtually all of 2018 due to injury, Buxton returned this year with plenty to prove. Still just 25 years-old it was undoubtedly weighing on him to make this the breakout campaign. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes provided some great insight into Buck’s offseason and it appeared those words had some serious weight behind them. To this point Buxton has played in 73 of the Twins 89 games. He has missed some time needing an IL stint, but his 2.5 fWAR ranks third among hitters on the club. In over 235 at bats he has an .816 OPS, will hit double-digit homers, and is on pace to set career highs virtually across the board. Offensively Buxton has arrived. Likely never projecting as an average hitter, inching closer to .270 with sneaky power is where he’ll ultimately settle in. Combining that with his defensive profile makes him an irreplaceable asset. It’s because of that combination that naming anyone else the Twins first half MVP seems like a misstep. Buxton has been worth 10 DRS this year (2nd in the American League) and trails only Victor Robles and Kevin Kiermaier in Outs Above Average (10). He’s made more five-star outs than anyone in baseball and it’s visually obvious how impactful he is patrolling centerfield. Even if Baldelli had better options to run out while Buxton was shelved, the ripple effect was always going to be felt. Max Kepler is in the midst of a breakout season as well, and defensively he’s been an incredible asset. Moving him to centerfield worked out wonderfully during Byron’s absence but you cannot simply replace someone as valuable as the Georgia native is. Right now, the Twins have multiple All Stars, a pitching staff among the best in baseball, and a lineup that’s providing thump at an otherwise unseen pace. Despite all of that, it’s the 9-hole hitter that makes his presence felt most with his glove, who’s consistently provided a level of value propelling the Twins to their current standing. We’ve waited nearly five years for this to all come together and seeing Byron do it on a team that’s now so good has been enjoyable to say the least. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

The Minnesota Twins affiliates had a busy day on the farm. Multiple clubs had doubleheaders and virtually every team was involved in a handful of roster moves. Lewis Thorpe spun a gem and Brent Rooker continued to stay hot. Read about all of the action below.TRANSACTIONS Rochester Red Wings RHP Kohl Stewart recalled by Minnesota RHP D.J. Baxendale reinstated from IL Pensacola Blue Wahoos IF Michael Davis transferred to Fort Myers LHP Jovani Moran transferred to GCL Twins on MiLB rehab LHP Bryan Sammons activated from IL RHP Alex Phillips promoted from Fort Myers Fort Myers Miracle IF Royce Lewis placed on temporary inactive list (Futures Game) RHP Ricky Ramirez reinstated from IL Cedar Rapids Kernels C Ben Rodriguez placed on 7 day IL RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Scranton/WB 2 (Game 1, 7 innings) Box Score Lewis Thorpe returned to the bump for Rochester after making his big league debut. The Aussie was dominant in six innings of work striking out eight, issuing no free passes, and giving up just two earned runs. Ryan Eades pitched a scoreless 7th, striking out two, to record his second save of the season. Brent Rooker has been on fire this season in Rochester and that didn’t change in this one. A first inning double plated Jake Cave and the Wings were on the board. He doubled again in the third to score Ronald Torreyes and double the lead. Hits from Jaylin Davis and Cave pushed Rochester’s tally to four by the sixth inning. Two runs from the home team didn’t factor into the decision. Scranton/WB 7, Rochester 6 (Game 2, 8 innings) Box Score Game two of the doubleheader saw Cody Stashak step in as Kohl Stewart was recalled by the big league club. He turned in three innings of strong work allowing just a single unearned run and fanning five. Ian Krol was blitzed for six runs (five earned) in his one inning of work eventually spelling the Wings demise. Ronald Torreyes put his stamp on this one early with a second inning RBI single. He’d put Rochester ahead again with another RBI in the seventh. Leading by a run needing just three outs Rochester allowed the Railriders to force extras. Jaylin Davis parked his seventh homer of the year and Nick Gordon drove in a run giving the away squad a two-run cushion looking to close it out. A blowup inning saw four Railrider runs score and the Red Wings found themselves on the wrong side of a walk-off. BLUE WAHOO BITES Birmingham 7, Pensacola 3 Box Score Bryan Sammons was the Wahoos starter in this one and needing 72 pitches coming up one out shy of five complete, he was chased after allowing three runs. Pensacola started the scoring in the fourth inning on Alex Kirilloff’s first homer since June 20th. His third blast of the season was followed by Mark Contreras’ fifth to give the Wahoos a 3-0 lead. From there it was all Barons. Runs in each of the next three half-innings put the home team up by a 7-3 tally, which is where this one ended. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Palm Beach 0 (Game 1, 7 innings) Box Score Another doubleheader for the Miracle began on the right foot. Blayne Enlow took the hill but lasted just one inning after being hit by a comebacker. Joe Record stepped in and twirled three innings of shutout ball while notching four strikeouts. Jose Miranda put Fort Myers ahead early after reaching on a throwing error allowing Ryan Jeffers to touch home plate. A second miscue, this time a wild pitch, gave Michael Davis the opening to score. In the fifth Trey Cabbage drove in Miranda on a single and Michael Helman pushed Cabbage across. Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 3 (Game 2, 7 innings) Box Score Melvi Acosta was the Miracle starter in game two and he gave the home team one out into the sixth inning en route to his fifth win on the season. Allowing just two runs, he struck out five and lowered his ERA to 2.93 on the year. Fort Myers used a six-run second inning to leap out front and put it on cruise control. An Andrew Bechtold double was followed by a Trey Cabbage triple to score the first two. Michael Helman and Gabriel Maciel then plated one each with Jose Miranda driving in two on a single and a throwing error. Miranda then struck again in the sixth to afford the Miracle their seventh run. Entering into a long homestand, the doubleheader sweep was a nice foot for Fort Myers to jump out on. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Burlington 2 Box Score Josh Winder made the start for Cedar Rapids and he turned in yet another gem. The 2018 draft pick lasted seven innings and gave up just one run while striking out eight and walking none. He didn’t pick up the win but drops his ERA to 2.32 on the season. The Kernels were behind after a Bees third inning run, but Jared Akins delivered a sac fly in the fourth to knot things up. Facing a one run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning Tyler Webb notched his first double of the season to walk off Burlington. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 7, Kingsport 1 Box Score Andriu Marin began this one on the bump for the Twins and he fanned six over four scoreless innings. Denny Bentley got the win in relief allowing just one run (unearned). Elizabethton got out ahead early and stretched their lead late. Anthony Prato started the scoring with an RBI single, and Seth Gray ripped his second dinger (a two-run shot) to make it a three-run third inning. Max Smith tacked on a run with a sac fly in the sixth, and three more were added in the eighth on a double and wild pitch. GCL TWINS TAKES Today’s game against the GCL Red Sox was suspended in the bottom of the 8th inning. The Twins had just tied it up, and have runners on the corners with two outs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 2-7, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – Inactive (Futures Game) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-4, HR(3), R, RBI, 2 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Did Not Play #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) –Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – Game Suspended #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 2-7, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 2-6, 2B, R, RBI, 3 BB #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-3, R, BB #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - Pending #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 1-1, 2B, R, BB #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 0-3, R, K #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – 1-5, 2B, RBI #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 1-4 SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (5:35PM CST) - TBD Pensacola @ Birmingham (6:30PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (4-0, 2.54 ERA) Palm Beach @ Ft. Myers (5:00PM CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 4.56 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:35PM CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (2-5, 4.04 ERA) Kingsport @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - RHP Ryan Shreve (0-1, 3.86 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

As we put a ribbon on the first half of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins are in first place of the AL Central Division standings. One of the most prolific lineups in baseball, this team has done significant damage to the opposition. With eyes set on the postseason it’s worth wondering what the uncharted history ahead can glean from what has gone before.By the end of the All-Star break Minnesota will have all eyes focused on what reinforcements can be brought in to help the big league club. Derek Falvey faces just one trade deadline this season, July 31. All goals from here on out will be related to improving the length of time spent playing October baseball. Although the Twins did grab a one-game cup of coffee two seasons ago, this level of expectation is largely unprecedented for the current collective. When it comes to those big games in October there have been to consistent story lines drawing repeated dialogue in 2019. How will the Twins handle the Yankees and is Madison Bumgarner the guy for the Minnesota? The former is a question rooted in a deep spell of futility. New York has had the number of this organization for years. During the Ron Gardenhire run of division titles there was no ability to get beyond The Evil Empire. New York had their way with Minnesota and the 2-12 record says as much. There’s no way to paint a pretty picture on those results, but it’s hardly relevant today. For the 2017 Wild Card game only five of the starting players still remain in a Minnesota uniform. Pitching in relief of starter Ervin Santana that game were names like Hildenberger, Busenitz and Belisle. As the new regime has transformed the roster, and in 2018 purged ineffectiveness, this current crop of Twins likely could care less how the “last time” played out. Right now the New York Yankees are one of the best teams in baseball and that is an accurate reflection of how they’ve played this season. If and when Minnesota sees them in the opposite dugout during the postseason it will be a dogfight because of that reality as opposed to any hardship the local franchise has previously experienced. On the opposite end of this same discussion Minnesota could use pitching help. While it’s the bullpen that’s a focus, a starting arm slotting in behind Jose Berrios would be welcomed. Madison Bumgarner will be available and his name carries significant weight but will the opposition truly worry about a guy because of his track record in 2014? When talking up the Giants starter you often hear of his World Series and postseason dominance. Those exploits are nearly a decade old, his last go-round in 2016 was hardly as effective, and he’s dealt with major injury and declining effectiveness since that point. Past experience will certainly afford the thought of Bumgarner in a Twins uniform a calming aura, but it’s hardly relevant and intellectually dishonest to suggest that his previous World Series experiences trump the pitcher he is today. His ERA is in the land of mediocrity, and similar WHIP, H/9, and FIP numbers back that. He’ll leave the easiest park to pitch in, but bring a heightened velocity and strikeout rate. At the end of the day the Twins will need to ask themselves if the juice is worth the squeeze. Bumgarner is not the same pitcher that twirled innings during the 2014 World Series. He’s a serviceable veteran that could be had to improve the overall strength down the stretch. Going all in on a move with the Giants hoping that the previous postseason success plays a trump card is quite the foolhardy gamble. Following the well-deserved All-Star rest Rocco Baldelli will have a refocused Twins team keyed in on making waves when it matters most. The front office will work to bring in reinforcements that can help put this club in a better position. When the dust settles and October begins, you can bet that this team isn’t going to be worried about the failures of yesteryear, and they shouldn’t be holding out hope to capture performances based on history either. Click here to view the article

As the Minnesota Twins continue to build on their run to the postseason a bugaboo on the roster continues to be the relief corps. Although the group has held its own, there’s no denying an upgrade or two will be necessary for legitimacy in October. Wrapping up the series searching for relievers, we’ll go back to the well and look at a familiar face.Francisco Liriano, LHP, 35 years-old Pittsburgh Pirates, NL Central (40-43) Free Agent in 2020 What’s To Like For 13 years Liriano worked as a major league starter. This was the guy who popped up for the Minnesota Twins as a 21 year-old in 2005, and became an All-Star during his rookie campaign in 2006. Looking incredible that season the Twins seemed to have a partner able to pair with Johan Santana in an annual chase for Cy Young awards. Then he blew out his elbow. Fast forward through roughly a decade of good-but-not-great years and the Pirates now employ Liriano solely as a reliever for the first time in his career. Through 40.0 innings pitched this season for the Buccos, Liriano owns a dazzling 2.70 ERA. His 8.8 K/9 is a high water mark over the past three years and his surface numbers are better across the board. Statcast data doesn’t track back to Liriano’s debut but his velocity hit its peak at 94.5 mph during 2010. Since 2011 he’s lived between 92-93 mph and is still there today, so that consistency is a good thing. Suggesting he was an average starter is about as definitive as it gets when looking at Liriano’s ERA+. The park adjusted metric has him at 98 from 2005-2018. Working solely as a reliever this season, that metric is all the way up to 163. Given that 100 represents league average, all parties involved have to be optimistic with the output. Concerns Do some digging under the hood on Liriano and things can get dicey pretty quick. FIP is far from an analytically advanced metric, his 4.06 mark suggests a significant amount of regression could be coming. His xFIP mark, which is a more nuanced expected fielder independent pitching tally, is even worse at 5.05. It’s one thing for those numbers to be slightly above his ERA, but we’re dealing with very wide gaps here. Of 174 qualified relievers Liriano’s .259 BABIP checks in 54th. Registering in the bottom third, inching up closer towards the mean is a definite possibility. He’s also generating infield fly balls 17% of the time, which checks in 25th out of the same group. Although his pitches aren’t being walloped (just a 30% hard hit rate), there’s more than enough wiggle room for batted ball events to turn less than ideal. There’s no denying that the plate discipline profile works in his favor. Whiff rates are up, so to are chase rates, and contact rates are down. That’s a trifecta of goodness but can be adjusted to. Liriano has never thrown more changeups than he is right now, and relying on offspeed as he must, leaves less room for error. At the end of his career, this is a remade starter that’s carved out a solid showing working in a glorified long man role. High leverage innings have resulted in the highest (.688) OPS against, while late and close scenarios have produced a .729 OPS against. A fine year for him to wind down on, the upside for Minnesota doesn’t look to be worth the squeeze. See Also Raisel Iglesias, RHP, Reds Jake Diekman, LHP, Royals Ian Kennedy, RHP, Royals Sergio Romo, RHP, Marlins Shane Greene, RHP, Tigers Felipe Vázquez, LHP, Pirates Will Smith, LHP, Giants Liam Hendriks, RHP, Athletics Ty Buttrey, RHP, Angels Ken Giles, RHP, Blue Jays Sam Dyson, RHP, Giants Brad Hand, LHP, Indians Oliver Perez, LHP Cleveland Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds John Gant, RHP, Cardinals Alex Colome, RHP, White Sox Seth Lugo, RHP, Mets Greg Holland, RHP, Diamondbacks Sean Doolittle, LHP, Nationals Kirby Yates, RHP, Padres 10 Relievers Minnesota Could Target Click here to view the article

Perez has a team option at $7.5MM, which even at the lesser version of himself, is great value. I'd extend Odo and think about offering Gibson. Pineda moves on.

Needing a starting pitcher, the Minnesota Twins front office send minor leaguer Jermaine Palacios to the Tampa Bay Rays for Jake Odorizzi. Palacios had some hype but was never a top prospect, while Odorizzi had been largely mediocre and was set to turn 28. It’s hard not to see more upside in a big-league starter under team control, but this leap forward has been immense for the former Tampa starter. Odorizzi was often chided for his efforts by Twins fans last season. He posted a 4.49 ERA backed by a 4.20 FIP. The 8.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 were right in line with career norms. On a bad team he was hardly a large issue and generally pitched better than the surface level numbers suggested. In 2019 he’s gone gangbusters though, and he’s made his first All Star game to show for it. Cooling off some over the last few weeks, Odorizzi still owns a 2.73 ERA and 9.9 K/9 across 85.2 IP. His FIP and xFIP suggest a bit more regression could be coming, but there’s a visible change that’s been made by the pitcher Minnesota trots out as their number two starter. Having been a low 90’s guy his whole big-league career, Odorizzi has added two mph of velocity under the tutelage of Wes Johnson and is now averaging 93.1 mph on the pitch this season. Not only is he throwing harder, but Odorizzi has shifted his repertoire to flip a career high number of sinkers, taking away from both his cutter and splitter. This new version of Odorizzi is giving up a career high percentage of hard-hit balls, but he’s missing bats at record marks as well. The 12.4% whiff rate is a new high-water mark, while his contact rate is down to just 74.3% and the zone contact rate stands under 80% (78.5%) for the first time in his career. A slight jump in hard hit rate could be explainable through the increased velocity, but even still with that development, missing more barrels is the key component here. Over the course of his career Odorizzi has averaged 1.2 HR/9 and has never been below the 1.0 mark. Through his first 16 starts he’s allowed just eight homers and is at 0.8 HR/9 on the season. Shedding hits and walks as well, the 1.074 WHIP stands out on its own. Having been integrated into the Twins system a year ago, and now working with a pitching thinktank that’s been overhauled, he’s reaping the rewards. Next season Odorizzi will find himself on the open market for the first time in his career. The Twins have a couple of holes in their rotation that they’ll need to commit arms to. We don’t yet know how the club will navigate the trade market but extending a guy they already have in house may certainly make some sense. Last season Jake Odorizzi was getting his feet wet with Minnesota and simply going through the motions he had always practiced to compete. This season he’s been given a few new tools that have taken his game to the next level and everyone involved has benefitted from it. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

The Minnesota Twins own the best record in the American League and while they’ve been great in all phases of the game, it shouldn’t be overlooked how integral the replacements have been. Thankfully this club hasn’t seen a run of injuries, and outside of the outfield going down in tandem, a clean bill of health has generally been the case this season. When Rocco Baldelli has needed new faces to step up, he’s found willing and able contributors to the task.Willians Astudillo has been a fan favorite and although he’s produced a negative fWAR tally there’s value in what he’s brought to the table. His defensive flexibility is more happenstance than it is desired reality, and the approach offensively has gotten him in trouble, but Minnesota has been better off having him at their disposal. After a strong debut season Jake Cave hasn’t seen the same success in 2019, but he’s been a necessary body for the Twins weathering a depleted outfield. LaMonte Wade is now up and awaiting his chance, and if more things make it necessary, Brent Rooker could join the fray as well. Having hit for average across every level of the system, Luis Arraez is making his presence felt. He’s got 22 hits in 49 at bats and consistently puts together great plate appearances. With a similar profile to Astudillo it’s Arraez that takes it up a notch. He doesn’t swing and miss, he doesn’t chase, and the balls he does attack are ones that he can do something with. If there’s an area of depth that hasn’t been tested it’s on the pitching side. From a starting perspective Minnesota has a few options that have been easy to turn to. Zack Littell has thrown big league innings, as has Kohl Stewart. Devin Smeltzer earned a shot and held his own through a couple of turns as well. None of these guys look like front of the rotation arms, but they’ve all allowed the Twins to stay in games that required someone to step up. We’ve all but exhausted the bullpen possibilities, and that’s a direct reflection of players like Ian Kroll, Carlos Torres, and Cody Allen being brought into the fray. The front office obviously needs to make an impact move or two there, but the record has been compiled with players like Poppen, Eades, Morin and Duffey giving Wes Johnson serviceable innings. There’s a real need for the Twins to make some moves. The 40-man roster is going to get tight this offseason and needing to make decisions ahead of time is a real thing. For now, though, the Twins front office has seen minor league guys come up and contribute amidst the team's overall success. Although the injury need hasn’t been significant, the call has been answered when opportunity has presented itself. Click here to view the article

A handful of affiliates found themselves on the wrong side of the action tonight but the Rochester Red Wings had enough offense for all of them. Brent Rooker went yard in the 16-run affair, and neither potential callup (LaMonte Wade being the other) was pulled from the game. Cedar Rapids didn’t win, but that wasn’t because of Austin Schulfer. He turned in a great start and left them in a strong position upon leaving the mound.TRANSACTIONS Rochester Red Wings RHP Carlos Torres signed by Minnesota Twins assigned to AAA Cedar Rapids LHP Petru Balan placed on temporary inactive list RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 19, Lehigh Valley 6 Box Score Another night, another high scoring affair for the Red Wings. Rochester pounced with 16 runs on 16 hits and really turned this one into a laugher late. Recently signed Drew Hutchison got the start and he went five and two-thirds innings giving up five earned on six hits. That was good enough to leave in position for the win however. Seven of the nine Rochester batters recorded base hits in this one, and eight of them reached base. Six batters had multi-hit nights and most of the damage was done without leaving the yard. Brent Rooker and Zander Wiel both clubbed their 12th dingers of the season while Drew Maggi went yard for his seventh. In the 9th Jordanny Valdespin added his sixth, a three-run shot, for good measure. Jaylin Davis continues to be a man possessed at Triple-A, and a three-hit night has his OPS sitting at 1.124 through his first nine games. This was one of those evenings where everyone contributes and it felt like no one was capable of making an out. Too bad for the Piggies but great fun for Rochester. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Biloxi 7, Pensacola 4 Box Score Adalberto Mejia continued to work his rehab assignment and turned in two scoreless in this one. Randy Dobnak put in five innings for the Wahoos and gave up four runs on eight hits. Although the hit totals were nearly even Pensacola came up three runs short in this contest. Aaron Whitefield drove in the game’s first run in the second inning. Pensacola held the 1-0 lead until things were knotted up in the fifth. Then a three-run sixth inning had the home team looking for a rally. Caleb Hamilton drove in Alex Kirilloff to drop the deficit to two, and an eighth inning Mark Contreras double evened the score. It was a ninth inning offensive output that eventually spelt demise for Pensacola. A base hit and a double put the Shuckers ahead by three and no answer came in the bottom half. MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte 3, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Two of the best teams in the Florida State League played a low scoring affair this morning in Charlotte. Edwar Colina got the start for the Miracle and came up just one out shy of making it through six innings. He gave up two runs, neither earned, and fanned five while walking three. Immediately after trailing for the first time in the game Fort Myers responded with two runs to knot it up. A Jose Miranda double and then a Michael Helman sac fly were what pushes base runners across the plate. The Stone Crabs were able to score the game winning run in the seventh and that spelled defeat for Fort Myers. Recently promoted Wander Franco had himself a nice game going 3-for-4 and driving in the early runs for the home team. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 4, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Austin Schulfer toed the rubber looking to secure a series victory in this one. Despite going six strong innings with six strikeouts and allowing just two runs (one earned), the bats never came alive and the Kernels fell 4-0. Gilberto Celestino was the only Cedar Rapids player to tally multiple hits, and teammates Jacob Pearson and Estamy Urena were the only other players to up their average. Tomorrow these two teams will square off for the rubber match. E-TWINS E-NOTES Bristol 11, Elizabethton 6 Box Score Ryley Widell began the game on the mound for the E-Twins but a tough outing had him chased before he was able to record three outs. Leaving the first down 4-0, and then heading into the third with a seven run deficit, Elizabethton found themselves behind the eight ball all night. In the middle innings the home team struck. Spencer Steer recorded his first professional double to drive in Willie Joe Garry during the third inning. In the fourth it was Alex Isola and Steer again plating another three runners. An Albee Weiss fifth inning jack job brought the deficit to just two, but that’s where the runs ended. Steer is certainly off to a great start in his professional career and the 4-for-5 evening should fuel him for the next few contests. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 5, GCL Twins 0 Box Score Anthony Escobar made the start and worked three scoreless while striking out four and allowing just one hit. Tallying just four hits on the day however, a goose egg ended up being the final tally for the home team. 2019 first round draft pick Keoni Cavaco notched his second professional knock and is now 2-for-11 in his young career. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Austin Schulfer (Cedar Rapids) 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Spencer Steer (Elizabethton) 4-5, 3 RBI, 2 2B PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) - 0-5, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-3, 2 R, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) – 1-1 #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-2, BB #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-4, HR(12), 3 R, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured list (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – Did not play #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – Did not play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1-3, BB #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 2-3 #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade Jr. (Rochester) – 0-4, R, RBI, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Fort Myers) – 2-5, R, RBI, 2B THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (6:05PM CST) – LHP Devin Smeltzer (0-2, 2.70 ERA) Biloxi @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (0-1, 4.18 ERA) Charlotte @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Bristol @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) – RHP Tyler Benninghoff (0-0, 13.50 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Click here to view the article

In case you haven’t been paying attention the Minnesota Twins are the best team in the American League. They trail only the Los Angeles Dodgers' record across all of baseball, and they’ve run way out in front of the Cleveland Indians for the AL Central Division lead. While all of those things are factual, the club still has some glaring warts to be addressed. Fortunately for the front office, timing for all things going forward has never been better.Thus far Derek Falvey has cycled through more than a handful of minor league relief options while trying to sort out Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen. A few wild cards were drawn to start the year, and while some have stuck, others have flopped. The lineup is a monster from top to bottom, so it remains on the mound that this team can get better. With roughly a month to the trade deadline, not only is the belief that they will, but with no hesitations they absolutely should. Timing Coming into 2019 the AL Central was never going to be more winnable for the Twins than it is right now. Cleveland had clearly peaked, and without having an influx of talent, their only opportunity was to go backwards. Only the White Sox are trending toward a mature state in their rebuild, and even they are going to experience growing pains over the next year or so. Taking advantage of virtually a free pass to the postseason was an absolute must as the Twins' window opened. Performance As noted above, Baldelli’s lineup is arguably the best in baseball. Without being made up of names like Judge and Stanton, a collection of homegrown talent and scrap heap pickups have come together in an effort to pound a baseball more juiced than it has ever been. Wes Johnson and the Twins entire infrastructure on the pitching side of the game has allowed the staff to take steps forward, and though they may not receive the same praise, the group has certainly been among the game’s best. Deficiency Because of how good Minnesota has been there’s also not a significant amount of need to take the club to the next level. While the bullpen certainly needs to be addressed and the rotation could use a boost, we aren’t talking about an overhaul here. Minnesota’s active roster is legitimately a few players away from being a sustainable and serious threat in October. This isn’t the NBA where one guy can transform a team, but the Twins are so close that one or two additions can be what puts them over the top. Landscape Never in the history of major league baseball have fewer organizations been trying at any giving time. There’s a handful of clubs tanking in an effort to supplement their lagging systems and move out of the dreaded middle ground. Because of this reality it’s a wonderful time to be a buyer. Clubs are parting with big league assets and there are only so many places for those players to land. In a trade market that will be influenced by an earlier and single transaction date, competing offers aren’t solely in the form of dollars as is the case in the offseason. Capital If there’s one thing Minnesota fans consistently ride the organization for, it is its payroll. Without touching on that subject, the only other capital in the game is in the form of players. Given the front office’s decision to hold onto dollars this winter, and the impending 40-man crunch coming up, there’s an abundance of prospect capital to be doled out. Not only are the Twins loaded at the top with some of the game’s best prospects, but the system's depth is also impressive and backs their organizational prospect ranking. By no means should the suggestion be that Minnesota attempt to throw away their long-term window for one run at the World Series. That said the opportunity to make bold acquisitions that will impact this team and those of the future lies ahead. The cost will be substantial, but the reward is also tangible through these same means. I don’t know if Minnesota will ever be in position to sign a free agent like Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, but right now they’re certainly positioned to trade for one. As the organization bides its time and collects more depth in the form of big league vets such as Cody Allen and Carlos Torres, the time to pounce looms large. It’s a bonus if any of those guys work out to be serviceable arms down the stretch. In the month ahead engaging teams on the outs and swapping future assets for current ones is where Falvey finds himself, and given all of the factors, it should be the most comfortable storm he’s ever stood in. Click here to view the article

Each year the Stadium Club line is one to circle in the Topps Baseball release calendar. A product with strong affordability and not driven by extraordinary chase cards, the allure here is the stunning visuals. There’s short prints and photo variations across a plethora of Topps products but it’s Stadium Club that showcases images on the most beautiful level. Stadium Club is not a massive product and boxes include 128 total cards. The base checklist is 301 cards and there’s only a handful of insert checklists in the product. Boxes will retail around $80 and include two autographs along with three guaranteed insets. Minnesota has a few noteworthy cards to check out as well. Base In that 301-card base checklist the Twins find themselves with nine different subjects. Stars include players like Jose Berrios and Eddie Rosario, while veterans Miguel Sano Jonathan Schoop and Nelson Cruz also make appearances. Willians Astudillo has a rookie offering and Harmon Killebrew is a legend representative on the checklist. Hits Despite not having a base card Jake Cave does have autographs in the product. He is joined by Astudillo who has certainly become a popular signer for Topps in recent products. Each of these cards have parallel versions as well. Inserts While not incredibly extensive, there’s more than a few insert checklists to collect in Stadium Club. Unfortunately for Twins fans, the only player included in any of them is Byron Buxton. He gets a single entry in the Warp Speed set. Even with the photography and base cards being the main draw of this product, it certainly feels like a missed opportunity not to include more Minnesota flavor in this section. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Fresh off their first losing week of the 2019 major league baseball season the Minnesota Twins welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to Target Field for the first time in 2019. These two clubs hooked up at the end of May for a four-game series and the Twins took three of four. However, thanks to an 11-run drubbing in game one, Rocco Baldelli’s squad was on the short end of the run differential stick. Tampa comes to Minnesota having dropped six of their last ten playing against the Athletics, Yankees, and Angels. They’ve been near the top of a strong AL East division for much of the year, and the +85 run differential has their Pythagorean W/L at 48-30.What They Do Well Like Minnesota the Rays can pitch. The 12.1 fWAR is 1st in baseball and is largely bolstered by Charlie Morton. Blake Snell has taken his lumps at times this season, and he’s coming off his worst outing of 2019 (0.1 IP 2 H 6 ER 4 BB 0 K vs NYY). After losing Tyler Glasnow to injury much of the Rays rotation has been in flux. They employ the opener often and getting to Jose Alvarado or Emilio Pagan on the back end has been key. Despite not having the same offensive chops as the Twins, Tampa’s lineup is no slouch either. Their 12.9 fWAR is eighth in baseball and fifth in the American League. Owning just the 19th best ISO in baseball (.171) the approach is more of a team effort to score runs rather than living on the long ball or extra-base hit. What They Do Not Do Well Looking at a team this solid we’re nitpicking a little when attempting to find significant flaws. The lineup construction here is not one built to come from behind, however. Being in the bottom-third of baseball when hitting the long ball doesn’t provide many quick avenues to get back in a game. They also hover around the midpoint in regards to doubles, so it’s no surprise that their total runs scored check in at just 18th in the sport. Individuals of Note While Blake Snell gets the headlines as the reigning AL Cy Young, there’re two guys vastly more important for the Twins to key in on over the next few games. Wednesday starter Charlie Morton has been arguably the best free agent acquisition in baseball and leads the league in ERA. Houston turned him into a strikeout monster and his 1.025 WHIP suggests opportunities won’t come often against him. Morton has allowed more than two ER in just three of his 16 starts, and he’s held opposing lineups scoreless five times this season. On the offensive side of things, it’s former top prospect Austin Meadows. Acquired in the exchange for Chris Archer, Meadows has a .930 OPS. He has cooled just a bit since returning from the injured list in early May, but the .850 OPS still makes him a dangerous hitter. His 146 OPS+ is one point higher than that of Minnesota’s Jorge Polanco. Recent History As noted above, Minnesota and Tampa Bay squared off the last two days of May and first two of June. After a 14-3 drubbing in game one, Minnesota came back to take three in a row from Tampa. Minnesota is dealing with some missing pieces right now, but the hope would be that a return of one or two could have the Twins adding favorably to their 24-13 home record. Ending Thoughts Tampa is again a good squad and facing their two best hurlers isn’t going to provide any breaks for the Twins. Kyle Gibson is coming off an ugly outing against the Red Sox and will need to set the tone against Snell. Odorizzi faces his former organization and looked a bit lackluster his most recent time out. Minnesota’s lineup has slowed of late but getting right following the off day and against a good team at home, would be a great thing to see. Click here to view the article

Max Kepler used to be relatively vocal about his decision to avoid an increased launch angle. He wasn’t looking solely to hit home runs, and while his goal was to enter the zone on a level swing path, he was just fine with ground balls. Former Twins beat writer Mike Berardino talked to the outfielder back in the spring of 2018 and Kepler said as much there. Now he’s become one of the best outfielders in baseball, and it’s because he’s changed his approach. Baseball has transitioned to a sport where getting lift on the baseball provides the optimal route for success. As the game invokes shifts and the ball is now juicier than ever, lifting the pill over defenders is the most direct path to generating extra-base hits. Although this may not be a direct focus for Kepler, it’s a principle that James Rowson has impressed upon Twins hitters and it’s one Max is putting to use. In 2019 Kepler owns an 18.5 degrees average launch angle. Last year that mark was 16.2 degree and in 2017 it sat at just 12.6 degrees of lift. Launch angle on its own isn’t conducive production, but Max has paired it with an enhanced exit velocity as well. The 90.9 mph mark this season improves upon an 89 mph mark last year and an 88 mph tally the season before. Summarizing it easily, harder and higher is producing the best results of his career. The percentages reflect what we are seeing in the raw data as well. Kepler owns a career low 35.7% ground ball rate and a career best 18.3% HR/FB number. His 42.6% hard hit rate is nearly seven percent higher than his career average and over a five percent improvement from 2018. Despite chasing and whiffing a bit more often, the contact rate is right on par with career norms and contact within the zone is a career best 93.9%. Through just 70 games played Kepler has the 7th best fWAR total among outfielders. He’s the second best in the American League trailing only a guy named Mike Trout. Minnesota saw the value in their German native this offseason and extended him for $35 million over five years. Fangraphs estimates his worth as already being over half of that mark ($21.8MM). When you hear launch angle from a place of scrutiny it generally is assumptive of the idea that players are simply swinging up through the zone attempting to get lift. The practice is built around creating hard contact on the bottom portion of the baseball. A level swing can still be utilized with the point of contact being honed in. Combining lift with an enhanced exit velocity is where the power stroke comes from. As balls are being thrown harder than ever, they’re also being put in play at a similarly increasing velocity. Minnesota’s instruction may not have transformed Kepler’s swing plane through the zone, but it’s certainly worked to adjust the contact point and process when putting the ball in play. Regardless of if the baseball leaves the yard, Kepler is hitting the ball harder and longer than ever before. It’s because of that fact he’s experiencing a jump in performance and the Twins look to be the benefactor of belief over the next five years. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz