Ted Schwerzler

With the Florida Complex League action being rained out today, the only affiliate in action was the Minnesota Twins Dominican Summer League team. Ronald Acuna Jr.’s brother got in on the action, and there were more notable performances from the plate than the mound. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Postponed (Rain) The Twins Florida Complex League team was set to square off against the Braves but inclement weather washed away this contest. It will be made up tomorrow. Randy Dobnak was scheduled to make a rehab appearance. Maybe it happens tomorrow. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Nationals 12, DSL Twins 8 Box Score Oscar Paredes got the start for the DSL Twins today and worked three innings while allowing two runs on four hits. He walked just one while striking out two. The Twins jumped out to the early lead when an Anderson Nova single drove in Denyerbe Gervis in the 1st inning. The lead was then doubled up in the 2nd inning after Isaac Pena broke for the plate and successfully stole home. After the lead was wiped away in the bottom half, the Twins answered with Jose Rodriguez putting a ball in play to score Gervis from third base. Up 3-2, the Twins then doubled their lead again in the 4th inning. Pena ripped his third triple of the season, then scored on a throwing error. Bryan Acuna singled to plate Gervis, and Nova recorded another RBI to bring home Acuna. Giving back three runs, Nova gave the Twins more breathing room with a single that scored both Acuna and Rodriguez in the 6th inning. Back up 8-5, the hope was that they had this one in hand. Unfortunately, the Nationals fought back with a vengeance and answered with seven unanswered to complete the comeback. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Oscar Paredes (DSL Twins) - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Hitter of the Day – Anderson Nova (DSL Twins) - 3-5, 3 RBI, 2 K DRAFT PICK UPDATE Brooks Lee (Promoted to Cedar Rapids) 4 G, 6-16, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K Expect at least one 2022 draft pick to be promoted to Cedar Rapids on Tuesday. TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) - RHP Jordan Carr Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

No longer leading the American League Central division, the Minnesota Twins are now faced with an uphill battle to get back into postseason contention. Ultimately, the deck may be stacked in their favor, but it’d require them to actually take advantage. Returning home to face Kansas City, the Twins play 16 more games in August from the 15th on. Of those, 13 are at Target Field. Only three of those games, the set on the road against the Houston Astros, are against a team currently projected to be a postseason club. While Minnesota has played poorly for a handful of weeks now, that’s exactly the slate they should be looking to get right against. Although August sets up favorably from a scheduling standpoint, it’s September where Rocco Baldelli has to be considering the greatest opportunity for his team to take back the division. Assuming the Twins can hold serve in the month ahead, they’ll be within striking distance heading into the final month of the regular season. During September, Minnesota plays their chief competition a combined 17 times. Facing the Cleveland Guardians eight times, and the Chicago White Sox nine times (including a final three game series to end the season in October), it’s there that the division will be decided. You can certainly make the argument that Minnesota has done less with more all season. Sure, the lineup is lacking several key contributors at this point such as Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, and Kyle Garlick. Weeks or even months ago though, when the lineup was healthy, opportunities to expand the division lead were routinely missed. Now needing to regain their standing, they’ll have to do so on the basis of scheduling allowing them a way back in. At the end of the day, if the Minnesota Twins can’t stack wins against the bottom of the division and pile up victories against lackluster competition at home, they don’t deserve to be in the postseason. This team certainly isn’t on the same tier as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, but they also don’t need to be. The front office did everything they could at the trade deadline to swing big moves and bring in impactful help. It’s now on those within the clubhouse to hold up their end of the bargain. Making the Postseason allows a turning of the page with an opportunity to make noise. Failing to capitalize on a season set up so perfectly for them would be nothing short of a failure. Right now it seems as though the Twins are trending in the wrong direction, and you’d be hard-pressed to argue otherwise. Carlos Correa wasn’t signed to a team expected to go out with a whimper, and acquiring an ace like Tyler Mahle wasn’t done with a belief there wasn’t an opportunity to compete. Baldelli’s club has the pieces necessary to win ballgames, but they now must show it in the box score. Less with more has been a theme at times this year, and while there’s still time to get it right, the clock is ticking. View full article

Earlier this summer Twins Daily’s Melissa Berman sat down with artist Kickliy Sports and peeled back the layers as to what makes the Minnesota artist tick. With Minnesota Twins fans now well aware of his work, and clamoring for each new rendition, I wondered what viewing a game solely through his perspective would look like. It was an afternoon contest with Joe Ryan starting against the Detroit Tigers and Tyler Alexander. A gorgeous 84-degree day at the yard, Kickily was waiting for me in the bleachers near the bullpens. It was here that I had first met the artist, early on in the season, and he was quick to remind me that this was as good of a perspective as any to start. Melissa Berman on Kickliy We began discussion surrounding the YouTube Game of the Week, in which Minnesota was recently featured and Kickliy found himself on the broadcast. From discussing his art to doing live painting alongside the crew, it’s become more than apparent to the artist that Major League Baseball has taken note of his work. Taking note of the action around us, the Twins were donning their alternate reds, a uniform combination Kickliy notes as being fun to paint. Unfortunately, the Detroit Tigers had their boring grays on, something that leaves little eye appeal available. 1st Inning Kickliy brandishes his tools and pulls out the first sheet of paper. Still sitting in the left field bleachers, the view is of the whole field, with a focus on home plate and the stands behind. Green dots of paint are placed on the page, dried and ready for manipulation. This was a neat starting position I had not considered. Given the amount of similar color in his view, Kickliy allowed for a starting position to help with the speed in which he’s able to clock out his masterpieces. Ryan worked a quick top half, and Kickliy took in a phone call from home. Still painting the entire time, a scene begins to take place. 2nd Inning Working through what will eventually become his scene, Kickliy notes that the perspective from certain locations are set realities. What he’s capturing is action, and that’s why he puts in so much advanced work to understand movements of players and knowing their mannerisms. At this point in the season, he’s a creature of habit, and the vision becomes a routine process. While adults have taken notice of his work, there’s no age limit to the intrigue. A small baby boy is now looking on. Shortly thereafter we move up a few rows as someone came for the seats we were in. The entire paint studio moves on the fly, and within minutes the art is back underway. Background remains the focal point here as people stop and comment while finding their seats. Then Sandy Leon rips a two-run double, his first hit with the Twins, Kickliy smiles and kicks into action. 3rd Inning Less than ten minutes later the first painting is done. Leon’s initial highlight with Minnesota is in the books. Kickliy adds some words in his traditional font, and a fan from the row behind comments, “that’s awesome.” More comments from those around roll in, “That’s a really good painting,” says one. Another walks up and offers a “that is beautiful” sentiment. The artwork has now taken on a life of its own and questions as to whether they’re for sale of a gallery exists become a talking point. Kickliy then leans back for a selfie with his perspective in the background, uploading to Twitter and Instagram, and now all of Twins Territory has access to the art. 4th Inning With one piece already completed, it’s now time for a fresh perspective. From the left field bleachers, we walk down the concourse along the third base line. An usher inside one of the elevator areas recognizes Kickliy from previously being painted. He knocks on the window to get the artist’s attention and smiles while offering a thumbs up. We make our way past Hrbek’s, but not before being stopped by another usher, this one knowing Kickliy well. She sparks up a quick conversation before shaking his hand and offering “Have a great game” before we’re again on our way. Pulling up to a section along the first base line, a fan recognizes Kickliy before heading into the section. A quick conversation ensues, but after previously only following on Instagram, Kickliy has a new follower on Twitter. 5th Inning Sitting in one of the diamond boxes just beyond first base, we now get a closer look at Joe Ryan. Minnesota’s starter has cruised much of this day, and his long pitching motion catches the eye of Kickliy. With a new perspective visible, but action taking place, the art again gets underway. Ryan puts himself front and center when he finishes off the inning on a strikeout. 6th Inning Manager Rocco Baldelli goes to the bullpen for Michael Fulmer’s Twins debut. Kickliy already having started a piece featuring Ryan’s motion, he’s now forced to quickly finish from memory. As Carlos Correa’s walk-up song, 25/8 by Bad Bunny, comes on Kickliy begins to hum. He’s taken in so much action that he has the words down, and it fuels him as he again notes how much planning and repetition help him to stay sharp. 7th Inning While not all fans appreciate the monotony of the 7th inning stretch, you can count Kickliy a supporter. Standing, stretching, and beginning to sway along with the music, Kickliy emphatically throws up hand gestures for 1-2-3 strikes as the song concludes. A fan approaches him, this time from multiple rows back, and asks whether the art is for sale. He wants to know more after having seen him on a recent broadcast. Kickliy notes how to follow his work and then wraps up the second painting with another selfie being posted to his social media channels. 8th Inning While the perspective of games around Target Field largely remains constant, the action does not. This game had little in terms of constant action, and Kickliy is then forced to think on the fly. Finding a few subjects in the crowd near us, he opts for a group of older women sitting behind us off to his left. As they are taking in the game, none of them had noticed he’d begun to work with them as subjects. Despite this contest being largely wrapped up, there was still a story to tell during this late juncture. As other fans begin to notice Kickliy’s subjects, they eagerly look on at the paint and then back at the women to both judge the work and take in the expressions of the unknowing fans. As he wipes a bit of paint off on his pullover, a stadium giveaway from Opening Day, he remains clued in on the subject even with a small amount of action on the field. 9th Inning Jorge Lopez is on for his first save with the Twins, a game they’ve had in hand from the jump. Kickliy continues adding details to this image and is perfecting the final few strokes. Just before the Tigers limp off on the final out, he turns the painting around and the women immediately offer smiles and dropped jaws. Fans around the area clap and the women find themselves incredibly impressed with a moment presented to them simply by taking in a baseball game. Rather than a selfie this time, Kickliy has me take a picture with him and the subjects. They shake hands and are on their way. We relax in the seats for a few moments as the crowd clears out. It’s somewhat decompressing following the day’s game. Our final conversation ends, and we begin to go our separate ways. After all, there’s more action to be painted tomorrow. View full article

Winning the division is likely going to require something like 84 games. Acting like they can't do that because of a bad loss or being bludgeoned by the Dodgers doesn't make any sense. Also, all of those names you mentioned are on track to return next month.

You're not sure of the point and then immediately miss the point? It doesn't matter at all how you get it, but that you do. It doesn't matter whether you're in or out on August 10th either. They can't win or lose the division right now. The point is to stop acting like the sky is falling based on a single night's results at a time. They have 17 games with the top of their own division next month. That matters. 81 wins or 91 wins, it doesn't matter as long as they win enough to get in.

The Minnesota Twins were granted an off day after the Toronto Blue Jays were gifted a win on a controversial play. They parlayed that into an absolute drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. While that’s understandable going on the road against the best team in baseball, the reactions warrant the question, “Does it really matter how Minnesota gets in?” Maybe this is a spoiler alert, but the answer should be “absolutely not!” The pinnacle of the sport is obviously a World Series, but to place that as the goal each season would be suggesting anything but an outcome afforded to one of thirty teams as a failure. Minnesota’s front office put a strong step forward at the trade deadline and to the club both for now and the future. In doing so, they’re still lightyears behind a Dodgers roster that has already surpassed 70 wins. Would it have been better to hang onto prospects and simply play for next year? Maybe Spencer Steer plays above his head and becomes the next Nolan Arenado. Maybe Cade Povich reaches the 200th percentile expectation and is the next Max Scherzer. None of that is likely, but it’s arguably as silly as worry about style points. It’s not the Twins fault that they play in the AL Central. Currently, the division is expected to be won by a team with somewhere around 84 victories. That’s just two above a .500 mark, and well below what the New York Yankees of the world will finish at. The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians continue to jockey for position alongside Minnesota, although no one has wanted to take a stranglehold on the lead. Minnesota isn’t alone in this pursuit. Both the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in similar scenarios within the NL Central. That division has three of the worst teams in baseball however, a run down even from the American League counterpart. Frustrations certainly reign for both of those clubs as well, but the focus is on making it to October. At no point in their future history will the Twins be seen as a World Series favorite. They can be a team that contends for one though, and half the battle in doing so is making the tournament. The 2021 Atlanta Braves won the World Series coming off a season in which they finished with just 88 regular season wins. They then went 11-5 in the Postseason, winning three consecutive series, and grabbing their ring. Better teams existed, but they were the one that got it done. Ultimately what happens against the Dodgers on a random weeknight holds little weight when it comes to a final resting place. You don’t need to play the game in order to be aware New York, Los Angeles, or any host of other clubs have a better roster than the Twins. The games are played though, because on any given night, a different outcome can take place. Rocco Baldelli’s club faces the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox a combined 17 times after September 1. We still have a few weeks left in August for teams to jockey for position, but nothing is going to be decided until next month anyway. Evaluating games daily makes sense from a performance perspective. Suggesting each one is reflective of eventual outcomes when viewed through a vacuum isn’t a worthwhile practice. The Twins need to get Trevor Larnach, Kenta Maeda, Josh Winder, and Bailey Ober back. They need to continue to gel and have Tyler Mahle look like an ace with Sonny Gray following behind him. They need the lineup to work consistently with Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton leading them. Over the duration of the next few weeks, Minnesota’s goal should be to stack wins, same as any other period. The reality though, is that there are no style points to reaching the Postseason. Get there. Get it done. That’s the message sent by the front office when they added at the deadline. View full article

The Minnesota Twins placed Miguel Sano on the 60-day injured list due to complications from his knee surgery. After a torrid stretch rehabbing, and a small six-at-bat sample in his return, the end of Sano’s career with the organization is now likely here. How will it be remembered? When Miguel Sano was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager, he was so highly desired that a movie was made about the process. A physical specimen was so hotly contested that bone scans were necessary to determine his actual age prior to Major League Baseball allowing a signed contract. Prior to playing a single professional game, Sano was ranked as the 94th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America and the 35th best prospect by Baseball Prospectus. His status and hype only rose from there, and he ultimately topped out as the 4th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He wound up representing Minnesota in the 2013 Futures Game. Sano made his debut for Minnesota on July 2, 2015, going 1-for-4 against the Kansas City Royals. Crushing 18 homers and posting a .916 OPS, Sano wound up finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, trailing only (now teammate) Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. The offensive production was good enough for a 149 OPS+ that season. The first of Sano’s rolling regressions then took place in 2016. While still above league average with a 108 OPS+, his 25 home runs came alongside the caveat of a gaudy 178 strikeouts. Walking 53 times his rookie season and striking out just 119 times, Sano added just a single additional walk despite the massive boost in whiffs. It was in this season that a poorly-constructed Twins club also put their hulking slugger in right field. That went as expected and was somewhere between comical and disastrous. Sano did become a first-time All-Star in 2017 and competed in the Home Run Derby. By this point, he had ballooned as a player and a personality. He was somewhat of a polarizing figure for Twins fans and deciding whether the juice was worth the squeeze had begun. In the years that followed, it became an annual tradition to suggest Sano was fat, lazy, or unathletic. The truth probably never lied solely on any of those terms, but there was something to be said for their application. Sano was available for just 71 games in 2018 and only 105 a year later. He did play 53 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but his 90 strikeouts led the league. After his 2019 bounce-back, which included a .923 OPS, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to opt for an extension rather than the annual arbitration process. Three years at $30 million was never going to break the bank, and if there was any upside to be had at all, he should blitz by the terms of the deal. Playing just above league-average the past two seasons, the 20-game sample in 2022 was the sad trombone to this whole story. 96% worse than the league average, Sano going out with a whimper couldn’t be more true. He looked most competent during a stretch at Triple-A St. Paul this season, but there was never a point in which that translated to Major League success. There’s zero chance the Twins are picking up a $14 million club option this offseason, so the $2.75 million buyout will be his last paycheck from the organization. At 29 years old, it would be shocking if this was the end of his career, but there’s no denying the two sides would be best to part ways. Sano has generated 8.4 fWAR for Minnesota during his time, and despite losing on his contract extension, the organization has received a financial surplus thanks to his earlier years. Sano’s 162 career homers rank 12th all-time for Minnesota, one behind Tom Brunansky. His 1,042 strikeouts are second in team history, behind only Harmon Killebrew, who played in over 1,600 more games. No matter how you feel about Sano at present, there’s a good chance you’ve felt differently about him at various points during his tenure with the Twins. From hyped prospect, to prized rookie, to All-Star, to wishing there was more, the cycle as a whole probably could’ve gone much better in the eyes of many. That said, there were some great moments as well, and the expectation or longevity might have always been acceptable in a vacuum. As Minnesota will do this offseason, it’s now time to bid Sano adieu. What were your favorite moments? Does his career or production here live up to what you expected? View full article

The St. Paul Saints will get a fresh face this week when 2021 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Louie Varland makes his Triple-A debut. The news broke this afternoon on Twitter. In FCL action, 2022 first-round pick Brooks Lee again shined bright, and fellow draftees Tanner Schobel and Jorel Ortega followed him in the lineup. TRANSACTIONS RHP Louie Varland is being promoted to Triple-A St. Paul per myself and Darren Wolfson INF Brooks Lee is being promoted to Single-A Cedar Rapids per Darren Wolfson COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 11, FCL Twins 6 Box Score Develson Aria drew the start today for the Twins and unfortunately it was a muted one. He went just 2 2/3 innings allowing nine runs (three earned) on six hits. Aria did strike out five and only walked two. An eight-run second inning for the Pirates ultimately did the Twins in, even though the Twins posted eight hits to the Pirates' nine. First-round pick Brooks Lee was the star of the show again today for Minnesota’s FCL team. He went 3-for-5 including a double. Batting .353 with an .824 OPS, it won’t be a shock if this is a quick stop, or he’s promoted directly to Cedar Rapids for their stretch run (Update: That's exactly what's happening). Ricardo Olivar also had a two-hit game, including a double, and the 20-year-old owns a 1.091 OPS this season in 116 at-bats. Other top picks from this year’s draft class playing today were Tanner Schobel (0-for-4, BB) and Jorel Ortega (0-1, 2 BB) DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Giants Orange 9, DSL Twins 2 Box Score Roger Duran made the start but acted as an opener going just one inning. He worked around two hits and a walk to escape damage. The Twins generated just four hits on the day, and Jose Rodriguez’s triple was the only of the extra-base variety. As he has done all season, Yasser Mercedes continues to pile up numbers and recorded another hit today. He’s got a .985 OPS and just missed out on being included in the recent Twins Daily Top 20 prospect update. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Wilker Reyes (FCL Twins) - 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (FCL Twins) - 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI DRAFT PICK UPDATE 1 - Brooks Lee - FCL Twins - 17 AB, .353 AVG, .824 OPS, 2 R, 6 H, 3 RBI Q&A Link 2 - Tanner Schobel - FCL Twins - 15 AB, .200 AVG, .517 OPS, 3 R, 3 H, RBI Q&A Link 6 - Jorel Ortega - FCL Twins - 4 AB, .000 AVG, .000 OPS, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI Q&A Link TRADED PROSPECT UPDATE Cade Povich - 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K in Aberdeen debut (Orioles High-A). Named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week Spencer Steer - 4 G 6-16, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB for Louisville (Reds Triple-A) Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 3 G 4-11, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI for Chattanooga (Reds Double-A) Sawyer Gipson-Long - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K in Erie debut (Tigers Double-A) Steven Hajjar - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K in Dayton debut (Reds High-A) Brent Rooker - 4 G 7-15, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI for Omaha (Royals Triple-A) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Corpus Christi @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Kody Funderburk Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) - RHP Aaron Rozek Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

The Minnesota Twins signed Carlos Correa to a three-year deal this offseason that paid him the highest average annual value ever among infielders ($35.1 million). Despite the massive fanfare and top highlights, it’s looking like quite the flop at this point. Where did the good version of their shortstop go? First, to put things into context, it’s worth noting that Correa has seen significant highs this season. He also still owns a 124 OPS+ which puts him well above league average offensively. As a shortstop, his arm remains among the best in the game and he’s been an anchor on the dirt while Minnesota has largely been terrible there defensively. What once trended so positively has taken such a negative turn, however. It’s been a weird progression for the former Houston Astro. Correa owned just a .633 OPS through the first month of the season, and then was hit by a pitch that had a significant amount of time being missed looking likely. That was particularly troublesome due to how he was trending at the time. In eight games before his finger injury, Correa was 14-for-34 with three doubles and a dinger. He wound up missing 12 games and then pushed himself to near All-Star status. From May 18 through the end of June, a stretch of 32 games, Correa slashed .336/.400/.560 with seven doubles and seven homers. Largely unsustainable, that’s every bit the player Minnesota thought they were getting when signing him to such a mega deal. During that period, it looked increasingly likely that Correa would opt out of his three-year deal and angle towards a longer-term extension. Since that point, it’s been nothing but the opposite. In 28 games from July 1 through August 8, Correa has slashed a paltry .186/.294/.333. He has just three doubles and four home runs in that span while still being relied upon near the top of the Twins lineup. It’s certainly not feasible for this slide to continue if Minnesota wants to remain atop the AL Central division, and this production progressing for a few more months certainly hurts and ability to corner the market in looking for a new deal. By fWAR, Correa has yet to surpass 2.0 on the season which would mark only the first time it’s happened during the course of his career. Playing at a career-worst clip while trying to generate another payday is probably not a great strategy. In return on investment terms, Fangraphs values Correa’s production has been worth $13.3 million thus far in 2022, or less than half of what Minnesota has already committed to him. Taking a look at the two rolling windows of differing production, there’s some obvious difference. During the May through June stretch, Correa had a 36.5% hard-hit rate with a 14.6% barrel percentage. He was chasing just over 30% of the time, but whiffing only 9.6% of the time. Fast forward to where we are now and the hard hit rate has dropped 4% with the barrel rate down 5%. He’s actually chasing and missing less, which suggests an issue regarding the quality of contact. While he’s been going poorly, Correa has put the ball on the ground 45.8% of the time. He’s pulled it a bit less and utilized the middle more, but his line drive rate sits at a sad 13.3%. This all comes on an average launch angle of 11.8 degrees. The difference here is minute, but could be creating the issue. When Correa was going well he owned a 12.2-degree launch angle and was hitting line drives over 20% of the time. Nearly 50% of his contact was to the pull side. This is something Twins teammate Max Kepler has seen at times as well. The idea of lifting the baseball and hitting for power doesn’t necessarily have to translate into homers. Correa is the prototypical power guy that doesn’t have to sacrifice misses. He bludgeons doubles and routinely sends the ball out. Pulling it down the left field line at Target Field is the easiest path for him to walk the bases. A slight amount of additional lift for Correa changes things from being a hard grounder to a hard line drive. One of those two outcomes has a substantially better success rate. We’ve now seen Correa go through a period of poor hitting largely equivalent to the time he spent insanely hot. The hope would be that the final stretch is another window of production. It would definitely increase the Twins outlook towards the postseason, and ultimately for the Scott Boras client, is the only way he’ll be able to position himself handsomely back on the open market. View full article

The 2022 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is now behind us. The AL Central remains a tightly contested division, even if seemingly no one wants to actually go on a run and take command. Minnesota brought in reinforcements while everyone else is banking on their own options to hold serve. The Standings: Minnesota 55-50 Cleveland 54-51 (1.0 GB, 2.0 GB of 2nd Wild Card) Chicago 53-52 (2.0 GB) Kansas City 42-64 (13.5 GB) Detroit 42-65 (14.0 GB) The Guardians and White Sox have used the opportunity presented by the Twins to draw closer. Back as many as five games just before the All-Star Break, both clubs find themselves within striking distance as August gets underway. The division might not be good (it isn’t), but it should remain interesting. The Stories: Minnesota made all of the splashes during the trade deadline. Needing pitching help, in both the bullpen and rotation, arms such as Jorge Lopez and Tyler Mahle were both acquired. After Ryan Jeffers went down with a broken thumb, a catcher became a need as well, and Sandy Leon was grabbed from Cleveland. The bullpen pecking order has changed, but it didn’t take long for Emilio Pagan to mess things up again out of the break. Carlos Correa is slumping and Byron Buxton continues trying to manage his knee issues. Rocco Baldelli’s club needs to get going sooner rather than later. Somewhat shockingly the White Sox did virtually nothing at the trade deadline. They shipped catcher Reese McGuire out in exchange for lefty Jake Diekman, but that was the extent of their moves. A clean bill of health may be the best thing afforded to them the rest of the way, and that started with Luis Robert being activated off the injured list. Tony La Russa will need to do a better job managing down the stretch, but he’s certainly got a club capable of making some noise. Unlike Chicago, Cleveland literally did nothing at the deadline when it comes to the Major League roster. Leon was at Triple-A when sent to the Twins, and although Ian Hamilton may have a big league impact, he too was pitching for St. Paul. The Guardians need a full rotation if they’re going to hold serve with Minnesota, and getting Aaron Civale back should help. He began a rehab assignment at Triple-A on Thursday. Steven Kwan currently has an 18-game hitting streak and prospect Tyler Freeman made his big league debut. Despite suggesting they were open for business, Detroit wound up being quiet at the trade deadline. They did allow Michael Fulmer to walk across the diamond at Target Field, but Tarik Skubal stayed put. The Tigers ace probably sapped any trade possibility when he left his most recent start with left arm fatigue. He was later placed on the injured list. Hopefully it’s not a long injury or anything serious, but it’s obviously smart that Detroit is taking things seriously. The Royals wound up trading Andrew Benintendi to the New York Yankees and then finally shipped Whit Merrifield to the Toronto Blue Jays. Merrifield had been a subject of trade rumors for years, but this time it finally happened. He did also go through with vaccination for Covid in order to be eligible to enter Canada. Former Twins prospect Brent Rooker rejoined the division when San Diego sent him to Kansas City in exchange for Cam Gallagher. Heart and Hustle Nominees: The Heart and Hustle nominees for each team were announced this week. Voting takes place prior to the All-Star Break. MLB defines the award by saying, "This esteemed award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players." The nominees for each club are: Minnesota Twins - Luis Arraez Chicago White Sox - Jose Abreu Cleveland Guardians - Jose Abreu Kansas City Royals - Bobby Witt Jr. Detroit Tigers - Eric Haase The Week Ahead: Things get tougher before they get easier on the Twins. A four-game set with Toronto starts the weekend, but then they travel to California and have a two-game set with the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw nearly threw a no-hitter against them earlier this season, and Minnesota was clearly outmatched. An underwhelming Angels squad will greet them next weekend. Chicago remains on the road against bottom feeders for most of the week. Playing against the Rangers and then headed to Kansas City, they should have plenty of wins to stack before returning home against Detroit. They could find themselves leading the division a few days from now with this slate. Terry Francona’s Guardians have a four-game set with the Astros over the weekend, but then travel to Detroit and Toronto next week. They could be in a spot to lose ground if Minnesota and Chicago are able to string wins together. Detroit has to fend off the Tampa Bay Rays at home this weekend which won’t be an easy task. Divisional matchups follow and they can’t get caught looking ahead, if that’s a thing for a team this bad. Eris Hosmer returned to Kansas City as the Red Sox new first basemen. He’s there over the weekend before the Royals host Chicago, including a doubleheader, then welcome the Dodgers for three. What are you looking forward to this week? Are the Twins actually going to lose the division lead? View full article

Last season, the Minnesota Twins watched as promising young slugger Alex Kirilloff had his power sapped due to a nagging wrist issue. Unfortunately, it never corrected itself and he underwent season-ending surgery. After a slow start again this year, he was jettisoned to Triple-A. After working through it, a fresh start was earned, but now we’re again back in the same place. For now, the Twins have yet to place Alex Kirilloff on the injured list, but Rocco Baldelli indicated he would be re-evaluated prior to Minnesota facing the Detroit Tigers, and that the pain had gotten to the point where Kirilloff could again not swing a bat. When he was demoted to Triple-A earlier this season, Kirilloff owned a paltry .172/.226/.172 slash line. It was just a 10-game sample size, but he had zero extra-base hits and a 12/1 K/BB. By any statistical measure, it was a nightmare start. Considering last season's surgery was supposed to do the trick, it’s becoming increasingly worrisome that despite a recent check-in to suggest things were physically fine, he’s unable to perform to the fullest extent. Back in April, it was reported that Kirilloff had shut down his offseason training program due to pain, but was good to go to start Spring Training in March. Prior to playing for the Saints, Kirilloff received a cortisone shot in mid-April. That’s been largely a route for pain management rather than actually fixing the issue, so it always remained curious as to when this problem could again flare up. Returning to the Twins in mid-June, Kirilloff played 13 games for Minnesota throughout the month and posted a .790 OPS. The batting average was there, but he generated just six extra-base hits including only a single home run. The month of July went even worse, unfortunately. A .254/.303/.366 slash line suggested that the ability to drive the baseball was again all but gone. Kirilloff had just four extra-base hits in 21 games last month, split between doubles and homers. There does seem to be some understanding of his limitations while Kirilloff continues to utilize the whole field when facing opposing pitchers. If his wrist doesn’t allow for consistent forearm strength against velocity, utilizing the opposite field makes a ton of sense. He hasn’t been entirely pull happy since his return, and whether by design or happenstance, that’s a plan that can work. The problem for both Kirilloff and Minnesota is that this outcome saps production and so much of the value in his game as a whole. He’s not a defensive stalwart, even at first base where he should find a home, and being a singles hitter is not who he strives to be. Kirilloff has basically never been able to flash the power potential he provides due to lacking health from the moment he’s arrived in Minnesota. Where both parties go from here remains to be seen. During the season Minnesota’s goal was certainly to have the slugger available to him. He’s also been told through additional imaging that things remain status quo. There’s no reason to cut his hand open for the sake of doing so, but any number of new opinions must be sought in order to find the root issue. Give it to Kirilloff for attempting to play through the problem and seeking a better outcome. Both sides can try to limp this thing through the Postseason in hopes of finding whatever value there is to be had, but this isn’t something that can go on forever. For now, Minnesota has virtually never seen a fully healthy Alex Kirilloff at the Major League level, and the more this cycle goes on one has to wonder if we ever will. View full article

There was no denying the Minnesota Twins needed pitching help at the trade deadline, and the front office came through in every way imaginable. With 15 minutes left before the bell rung, the club acquired its second relief arm in the form of Michael Fulmer. Sending 24-year-old prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Michael Fulmer, Minnesota picked up its first rental. A former first-round pick for the Tigers, Fulmer stepped away from working as a starter following a disastrous 2020 season. Since moving to the bullpen he’s been a great weapon and adds to the depth created with the acquisition of Pablo Lopez earlier today. Last season Fulmer posted a 2.97 ERA and 3.46 FIP across 69 2/3 innings. Utilized solely as a reliever this season, Fulmer has tallied a 3.20 ERA alongside a 3.22 FIP. Fulmer’s 28% hard-hit rate this season is a career-low and in 107 batted ball events he has allowed just a single barrel. While some pitchers see a spike in velocity when moving to the bullpen, that hasn’t been the case for Fulmer. He has remained consistent as a mid-90’s thrower. Much more fastball dominant as a starter, Fulmer has turned to a slider over 60% of the time this season and it’s among the best pitches in baseball. Despite throwing it that often, opponents are hitting just .140/.250/.151 against it. Like the previously-acquired Jorge Lopez, Fulmer has also recorded saves and pitched in late-game situations. Detroit employs All-Star Gregory Soto as their closer, but Fulmer has worked as a setup man and gives Rocco Baldelli another arm to work alongside Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Drafted in the 6th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, Sawyer Gipson-Long came from Mercer University. He started this season back at High-A Cedar Rapids and was dominant with a 1.99 ERA. That came on the heels of a strong showing across six starts to end the 2021 season with the Kernels. Having made eight appearances (7 starts) for Double-A Wichita, Gipson-Long owns a 7.17 ERA. The command and strikeout stuff have still been good, but he’s been hit around, allowing an 11.0 H/9. Certainly a prospect with some promise still, there’s plenty of risk here to not count on him for the future. Going into the deadline Minnesota wanted to avoid rentals, but this is one that makes sense. Fulmer is making just $4.95 million this season, and while there is some upside, Gipson-Long isn’t a substantial price to pay. Whatever value the Twins get from a bolstered relief unit this season is likely to outweigh contributions from Gipson-Long years from now. View full article

The key area of focus this trade deadline for the Minnesota Twins had to be on the mound. You could divide that between that rotation and bullpen, but an influx of talent was necessary in both places. With the first domino falling, Minnesota began in relief acquiring All-Star closer Jorge Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles. There’s been no denying that Rocco Baldelli needs additional arms at the back of his bullpen. Whether it’s Wes Johnson or Pete Maki helping to set up the pecking order, it’s basically been pray on Jhoan Duran or hope for rain. Griffin Jax has stepped up, and Tyler Duffey has even trended in the right direction. Emilio Pagan has been a flop though, and Caleb Thielbar hasn’t posted numbers in line with his metrics. In Jorge Lopez, Minnesota gets an All-Star reliever that owns a miniscule 1.68 ERA along with a 2.99 FIP. His 10.1 K/9 will immediately be among the best in Minnesota’s bullpen, and his 19 saves reflect an ability to pitch in high leverage. Lopez may be ripe for some small regression as his xERA sits at 2.99 and his xFIP is 3.10. Both marks would be a substantial upgrade for the Twins unit, however. What we know about this version of Lopez presents a smaller sample size. He was claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals in 2020. Even with the stellar 2022, his career ERA sits at 5.51. With a career 35.6% hard hit rate, the 19.8% mark he’s posted in 2022 stands out as a massive leap forward. The major difference for Lopez is that he’s now working out of the pen rather than starting. He has jumped his average fastball velocity nearly two mph to 97.4 mph this season. Instead of continuing to throw a traditional fastball though, Lopez now has become primarily a sinker-curveball pitcher with the two offerings combining to dominate more than 70% of his arsenal. Minnesota is taking a gamble on 48 1/3 innings being reflective of who Lopez is now, which is to say one of baseball’s best relievers, but they’ll have time to see him settle in as well. Rentals aren’t of significant interest to the Twins during this deadline, and Lopez isn’t a free agent until 2025. Grabbing a reliever like this would always come with a relatively substantial cost. Minnesota was forced to part with 2021 3rd round pick Cade Povich. Drafted out of Nebraska, Povich is seen as a mid-to-back-end starter. The 4.46 ERA at High-A Cedar Rapids isn’t shiny, but he’s got a gaudy 12.2 K/9 and has allowed just 3.0 BB/9. Probably a bit underrated on Minnesota prospect lists, he has looked the part of a very solid selection. Providing some Major League-ready talent to Baltimore as well, Minnesota is sending Cuban Yennier Cano. Signed back in 2019 as an international free agent, Cano is now 28-years-old. The stuff has played wonderfully for him at Triple-A St. Paul, where he owns a 1.90 ERA across 23 2/3 innings. His 9.5 K/9 there also is something to be excited about translating. Unfortunately he’s been hit around in less-than-deal spots when called up to the Twins, and has routinely been on the shuttle back and forth across town. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk for the Orioles, but a consistent pen role the rest of the way could help him to settle in. Completing the deal is 18-year-old Juan Rojas and 21-year-old Juan Nunez. Rojas is a lefty making his stateside debut this season in the Florida Complex League. He owns a 3.60 ERA across 30 innings and owns an impressive 38/4 K/BB. Nunez is right-handed, also making his stateside debut, and owns a 4.85 ERA across 29 2/3 innings. While he’s given up more hits and run production, Nunez also has an impressive 47/10 K/BB while allowing just two homers. It’s hard not to see this deal as a win for both sides in significantly different ways. Trading a closer when you’re not seriously in contention makes a good deal of sense. The Orioles are working with found money in that their acquisition cost of Lopes was nothing more than a waiver claim. Minnesota then gets an arm that can immediately slot into the back end of their bullpen and help to shore up among the biggest deficiencies for this club. Povich is absolutely the headliner here, and he could wind up being something similar to Josh Winder or Bailey Ober. At least a couple of years from that promise, tying him to two complete lottery tickets and a project in Cano, there’s no reason the Twins should have any questions about looking back on this one. Should Lopez continue development as a reliever with the Minnesota coaching staff, he’ll be an easy candidate to tender deals to each of the next two winters. What is your assessment of this trade? View full article

Needing catching help after Ryan Jeffers found himself on the injured list due to a fractured thumb, the Minnesota Twins had a new addition to their shopping list. Trading within the division, they got a partner for Gary Sanchez in the form of veteran Sandy Leon. It’s often thought that teams don’t match up with foes from within the division, especially considering how closely the Cleveland Guardians are in contention with the Minnesota Twins. Sandy Leon has been at Triple-A for the majority of this season, however, playing just eight games at the Major League level. An 11-year veteran, Leon is a light hitting backstop owning just a .595 career OPS. He hasn’t batted above the Mendoza Line since 2017 with the Boston Red Sox, but he’s been a capable defender behind the dish. Given the inexperience brought with Caleb Hamilton, and Sanchez’s inability to control the position defensively, this is a move that acts as an insurance policy until the return of Jeffers. In acquiring Leon, Minnesota decided to part with minor league reliever Ian Hamilton. Signed in 2021 after spending time with the Chicago White Sox, Hamilton is a hard thrower that’s struggled with command and worked to build his way back following a serious car accident in 2019. Hamilton has posted a very strong 1.88 ERA at Triple-A this year, but it’s turned into just 2 2/3 innings of opportunity at the highest level. Given Hamilton’s 11.3 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, it seemed he could be someone that Minnesota may opt to select at some point down the stretch. Knowing the Twins bullpen needs help, Hamilton has shown flashes that probably could’ve been explored. Still, trading for another need in-depth behind the plate, this is the type of low-risk move that gets it done. There’s still just about an hour until the 2022 Major League Baseball trade deadline passes, and it remains to be seen if Minnesota is done for the day. Adding three pieces across three separate trades, the front office has put in some substantial work to supplement a group leading the American League Central division. View full article