Tom Froemming

OK, I got a chance to glance through the previous comments. I think the problem is a lot of people are thinking the options are either you sell the farm for Realmuto or you're stuck with Castro/Garver/Wilson. The Twins should have plenty of payroll room to go out and sign a Yasmani Grandal or a Wilson Ramos this offseason. Are they as good as Realmuto? No, but they also wouldn't cost you any prospects. Plus, here are their numbers over the past two seasons combined: Realmuto .291/.341/.484, .352 wOBA, 120 wRC+ Grandal .246/.320/.456, .332 wOBA, 108 wRC+ Ramos .278/.319/.461, .331 wOBA, 111 wRC+ And according to Baseball Prospectus' Fielding Runs Above Average, Grandal is the best defensive catcher in baseball this season at +10.9. Realmuto is at +2.2 and Ramos right at average, 0.0.

In the third round ... out of high school. And Mookie Betts was drafted in the fifth round, does that mean DaShawn Keirsey Jr. is going to be better then him? C'mon man, I answered your question. Do you really view Jeffers as a typical second-round pick?

Comparing Realmuto with Garver is incredibly unfair at this point, but yes, I would expect that Mitch is at his physical peak right now. I would expect Garver to improve as he gains experience at the big league level, but not by leaps and bounds. I wrote about how I thought the Twins mishandled Garver almost two years ago, and I think we're seeing some of the problems that's created/how his prime has been wasted to some degree.

There are obviously plenty of exceptions, but I'd typically suspect at 27 a player is at his physical peak, especially a catcher. Plus, as we know all too well, any catcher is one bad hit away from becoming not a catcher. Now that doesn't mean you don't invest resources into acquiring a backstop, you still need somebody there, but I think it does change who/what you're willing to give up to acquire one ... unless you think he's the piece that wins you a World Series. Then you do whatever it takes.

Didn't get a chance to read everyone else's comments, but here's my $0.02: You don't trade for anybody at their peak value. Well, unless you think you've got a legit shot to win a World Series. The Twins need to find the NEXT Realmuto. Easier said than done, I know, but that should be their goal.

This is an honest question: Do you really view Jeffers as a typical second-round pick? Jeffers got the third-lowest bonus among all second rounders this year. He only got $200K more than Keirsey and Sands ($800K vs. $600K). Yes, Jeffers hit a ton in college, but that was in the CAA. Yes, he's off to a good start as a pro, but the power hasn't really shown up yet. He's only got four doubles among his 23 hits. But to answer your question, I guess I'd have to say he was a bad pick in terms of talent vs. round, but strategy wise he was a good pick because he allowed the Twins the flexibility to be able to sign some of the guys who were taken after him. I like Jeffers, he's intriguing. But I think my sort of default value I'd put on him would be more like a third-round pick than a second rounder.

This is Seth's really, really nice way of saying "I totally agree with you, but these other two bozos don't have a clue what they're doing."

Change happens slowly when it comes to a team’s minor league system. Of the previous 20 players unveiled in our midseason prospect list up to this point, 13 were brought into the organization prior to Derek Falvey taking over as Chief Baseball Officer of the Twins. This next sample of five prospects includes a couple of holdovers from the previous regime, but also features a trio of players that have been added to the organization within the last seven months. Even more interesting, each of those three newcomers was acquired via a different avenue: One via trade, one through the draft and the other as (technically) an international free agent.20. Luis Arraez – 2B Age: 21 ETA: 2020 2018 Stats (AA/A+): .321/.371/.416 (.786), 14 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 28 K, 19 BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 19 | Tom: 19 | Cody: 23 Arraez tore his ACL in just his fourth game of 2017 and was forced to miss the entire rest of the season. He came out of the gates this season struggling badly, hitting .205/.266/.248 (.514) over his first 32 games. With the turn of the calendar from May to June, Luis appeared to have worked off the rust and so began an incredible run. From the start of June to when he was promoted to Chattanooga on the Fourth of July, Arraez hit .441/.484/.604 (1.087) over a span of 28 games. That streak helped earn him the title of Twins Daily’s Minor League Hitter Of The Month for June. Arraez is the youngest player to appear for the Lookouts so far this season. 19. Jacob Pearson – LF Age: 20 ETA: 2021 2018 Stats (A): .298/.373/.444 (.816), 7 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 28 K, 18 BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 22 | Tom: 27 | Cody: 11 The Twins traded for Pearson over the winter, sending international bonus pool slot money over to the Angels. His batting line for the Kernels has been impressive (see above), but what’s particularly attractive about his offensive skill set is the fact that he’s posted a walk rate in the double digits (10.7 percent) while maintaining a strikeout rate under 17 percent (16.6, to be exact). To put that into perspective, only seven other Midwest League hitters can boast that same accomplishment of the 162 who have at least 150 plate appearances this season. Defensively, Pearson has played 78.6 percent of his games as a professional in left field with the rest of the time coming in center. 18. Ryan Jeffers – C Age: 21 ETA: 2021 2018 Stats (Rk): .361/.480/.426 (.906), 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 11 K, 9 BB 2018 Ranking: NR | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 15 | Tom: 20 | Cody: 19 The Twins selected Jeffers with the No. 59 overall pick in this year’s draft after he hit .323/.445/.620 (1.065) with more walks (85) than strikeouts (78) in his three years at UNC Wilmington. Listed at 6-for-4 and 228 pounds, Jeffers is a big, powerful guy. Only time will tell if he sticks behind the plate, but the Twins are clearly believers. Even if he eventually moves to another position, it’s possible he has enough bat to play just about anywhere. In his first 75 plate appearances as a pro, Jeffers has reached safely 36 times (22 hits, nine walks and five HBPs). He’s made six starts at catcher and another 11 at DH, as the E-Twins are also trying to get catching reps in for Andy Cosgrove and Trevor Casanova. 17. Lewin Diaz – 1B Age: 21 ETA: 2020 2018 Stats (A+): .240/.271/.376 (.647), 11 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 43 K, 8 BB 2018 Ranking: 13 | 2017 Ranking: 10 Seth: 23 | Tom: 16 | Cody: 12 There’s no way around it, Diaz is having a rough go of things in 2018. It appears the Florida State League All-Star break came at the perfect time, however, as Diaz has hit .333/.380/.470 (.850) in 17 games since. The FSL can be a brutal place for a power hitter, and adjusting to a league that suppresses offense can be a mental hurdle, as well. Diaz has continued to put the ball in play a lot, but he’s having a much harder time finding hits. After posting a .322 BABIP last season in Cedar Rapids, that number has dropped all the way down to .268 this season. Diaz’s prospect stock is on the decline, but there are still some national media outlets that list him inside the system’s top 10. 16. Yunior Severino – 2B Age: 18 ETA: 2022 2018 Stats (Rk): .333/.340/.444 (.785), 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 10 K, 1 BB 2018 Ranking: 18 | 2017 Ranking: NR Seth: 16 | Tom: 17 | Cody: 17 Yet another relative newcomer to the organization, Severino was signed as a free agent for $2.5 million this December after the Braves were forced to forfeit him as a penalty for violating international signing rules. To put that into some perspective, the Twins recently signed this year’s first-round pick Trevor Larnach for $2.55 million. Yunior is the youngest player to appear for Elizabethton this season, so as you could expect, he’s still very raw. In 69 games as a professional, Severino has hit .280/.344/.424 (.769) with a 25.8 K% and 8.4 BB%. He’s been a second baseman so far, but how he fills out physically could ultimately determine his future position. If he continues to get bigger and stronger, he’ll likely have enough arm for third base. What are your thoughts on the latest set of rankings? Who’s ranked too high? Who’s ranked too low? Leave a comment and start the discussion. Make sure to check back tomorrow for Nos. 11-15. Haven’t been flowing along? Well here’s how we’ve ranked the prospects so far: 40. Aaron Whitefield, 39. Jaylin Davis, 38. Ricky De La Torre, 37. Lachlan Wells, 36. Aaron Slegers 35. Tyler Watson, 34. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., 33. Gabriel Moya, 32. Andrew Bechtold, 31. Jordan Balazovic 30. John Curtiss, 29. Zack Granite, 28. Jake Cave, 27. Tyler Wells, 26. Griffin Jax 25. Tyler Jay, 24. Felix Jorge, 23. Kohl Stewart, 22. Landon Leach, 21. Jose Miranda For anyone wondering, these rankings were compiled prior to the official announcement that the Twins had singed 16-year-old Venezuelan Misael Urbina to a $2.75 million bonus, so he is not included in the rankings. Click here to view the article

Baltimore is certainly living up to their nickname of the OriLOLs. The Twins swept a series for the first time all season, and they outscored the O’s 26-8 over the four-game set. Sunday was just the second time all season the Twins scored 10 or more runs, and the first time they’ve done so in a victory. Jake Odorizzi had a great start and the bats produced three home runs.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Jake Odorizzi: 69 Game Score, 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, 65.3% strikes Bullpen: 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB Lineup: 4-for-8 w/RISP, 4 LOB WPA of 0.1 or higher: Odorizzi 360, Garver .158 WPA of -0.1 or lower: None Download attachment: WinEx78.png This game was actually scoreless through the first four and a half innings. Mitch Garver hit an epic two-run homer to give the Twins the lead in the bottom of the fifth. The Orioles, on the other hand, only got three runners as far as second base in the six innings Odorizzi pitched. Their only run came in the ninth, once the game was already well in hand. The Twins really broke through in what was an ugly sixth inning for Baltimore. Here’s how the start of that inning unfolded: -Brian Dozier double -Eduardo Escobar two-run home run -Logan Morrison shift-beating bunt single -Robbie Grossman single -Max Kepler single Then with the bases loaded, Garver hit a ground ball to shortstop. Manny Machado went home, but his throw pulled the catcher off the dish and everybody was safe. Jake Cave followed with an RBI single. The Twins got another run that inning without the ball leaving the infield, as Jorge Polanco hit a ground ball right at first baseman Chris Davis, but he hesitated to throw home and was only able to record the out at first base instead. Oh, and then Dozier's three-run homer. Bad opponent or not, it’s been great to see the Twins take advantage. Things don’t get any more difficult for the Twins, as they’ll go from playing the worst team in baseball to the second-worst team in baseball. The Royals are coming into town for a three-game series. Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Bullpen78.png AL Central Standings CLE 49-39 MIN 39-48 (-9.5) DET 40-52 (-11) CHW 30-60 (-20) KC 25-63 (-24) Next Three Games Mon vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: Jose Berrios vs. Danny Duffey Tue vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: Aaron Slegers vs. Jason Hammel Wed vs. KC, 12:10 pm CT: Lance Lynn vs. TBD Last Three Games MIN 5, BAL 4: More Baltimore, Please MIN 6, BAL 2: Jake Cave Is the Hero We Deserve MIN 5, BAL 2: Slegers, Cave Lift Twins Out of Slump Click here to view the article

C'mon, there are a dozen other guys you can spend your energy on just from last night's games if those two individuals have you frustrated.

Also worth noting that the league average is inflated somewhat by relievers and that Littell's K/9 ranks 22nd among the 61 IL pitchers with at least 50 innings this season.

Carter's PCL numbers were amazing (.933 OPS) but he's been pedestrian since coming over to the Red Wings (.721 OPS). The Twins are going to start looking toward 2019 and Carter is 31-years-old. Not a lot of reason to keep him around. On the other hand, it's also pretty strange that the Twins would acquire another left-handed bat in Kemmer, but at least he brings some positional flexibility over Carter, though both have primarily DHed this season. Maybe Carter asked for his release or had become bitter about not getting a callup, who knows? Or maybe this has less to do about these two guys and more to do with making room for somebody who'll be promoted in the coming weeks (Rooker, Sano?). I'd be surprised to see Kremmer make it up to the Twins. This same front office acquired Carter too, and he never got a look.

Since he's only been around for less than a year, it's easy to forget how young Littell is and how hard the Twins have pushed him. Littell started last season in High A, entered this year with only 14 starts above that level and is still only 22-years-old. He's younger than all of the following pitching prospects: Stephen Gonsalves, Fernando Romero, Kohl Stewart, Griffin Jax, Tyler Wells and Charlie Barnes. Littell is the eighth-youngest player to appear in the American League this season. But I still agree with your main point. I'd rather see Romero or Mejia back or Gonsalves get a crack before Littell is brought back up to the Twins. He's not quite ready for that.

Saturday was an evening full of close games and exciting finishes across the Twins’ minor league system. Brent Rooker starred for the Lookouts, hitting a walk-off double, and DaShawn Keirsey led an impressive comeback win in extras for the E-Twins. Come read about what else happened, including an explanation behind why Byron Buxton had to swap to an infielder’s glove at the end of the Red Wings’ game.TRANSACTIONS Chris Paul was placed on the DL with a finger sprain and Jordan Gore was promoted up from Cedar Rapids to replace him on the Chattanooga roster. Ariel Montesino was moved up from Elizabethton to take Gore’s spot on the Kernels. New acquisition Jon Kemmer was activated by the Red Wings and Chris Carter was released. RED WINGS REPORT Lehigh Valley 4, Rochester 3 (11 innings) Box Score SP: Zack Littell (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) HR: Kennys Vargas (12) Multi-hit games: Gregorio Petit Byron Buxton ended this game playing in the infield. The Iron Pigs had the bases loaded with nobody out, so the Red Wings put on an extreme shift with five infielders and two outfielders. Unfortunately, the batter sent a fly ball to the outfield that ended up being plenty deep enough to score the winning run on a sac fly. This game probably wouldn’t have gotten that far if Nick Gordon hadn’t have made an excellent play to end the 10th. Lehigh Valley had runners at first and second with no outs. The batter sent a bullet of a line drive to Gordon’s right, but he snared it and threw to second to double off the runner and end the threat. Buxton oped this game with a walk, stole second base, advanced to third on a Gordon groundout and scored on a Gregorio Petit single. In the sixth, Kennys Vargas hit a two-run home run. Zack Littell has had a rough go of it in his two appearances with the Twins, but he’s been great with Rochester. He’s now surrendered just 18 earned runs in 57 innings (2.84 ERA) to go with 52 strikeouts (8.2 K/9). CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Birmingham 2 Box Score W: Tyler Jay (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) SP: Lewis Thorpe (4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Brian Navarreto, Brent Rooker, Ryan Walker This game was knotted at 2-2 entering the bottom of the ninth. Luis Arraez hit a one-out single and then scored all the way from first base on a walk-off double from Brent Rooker. Chattanooga fell behind 2-0 in this one but Ryan Walker hit a huge two-out, two-run single in the sixth to tie it up. Rooker entered this game second in the Southern League with 22 doubles and he added two more tonight. Brian Navaretto was 3-for-4 with a double of his own. Navarreto’s 13 two-baggers on the year look pedestrian next to Rooker’s impressive total, but that ties his career high for the Lookouts catcher. Lewis Thorpe struck out eight batters, but he was already at 97 pitches when he left the game after 4 2/3 innings. Ryan Eades followed with three shutout innings before Tyler Jay recorded the final four outs to earn the victory. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 4, Fort Myers 1 Box Score SP: Griffin Jax (6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) HR: Shane Carrier (4) Multi-hit games: None Shane Carrier hit a home run for the Miracle in the third inning. It was particularly noteworthy because that was Fort Myers’ only hit of the night. Griffin Jax tied a career high with seven strikeouts and threw 69.2 percent of his pitches for strikes. Jax was recently named the No. 26 Twins prospect on Twins Daily’s midseason Top 40. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 1 Box Score W: Jordan Balazovic (6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) SV: Jovani Moran (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Jacob Pearson, Jean Carlos Arias, Andrew Bechtold, Trey Cabbage, Ben Rodriguez The Cougars held a 1-0 advantage until Cedar Rapids finally broke through in the seventh. The inning started with consecutive hits from Andrew Bechtold, David Banuelos and Trey Cabbage, and was highlighted by a two-run triple from Jean Carlos Arias. Jordan Balazovic gave up just one run on three hits over his 6 1/3 innings of work. He struck out five batters and only needed 84 pitches to get that deep into the game. Jovani Moran handled the final 2 2/3 innings and got strikeouts on five of the nine batters he faced. Moran, 21, has been dominant for Cedar Rapids, racking up 70 Ks in 44 1/3 innings (14.2 K/9). Jacob Pearson had another impressive night, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Danville 5 (10 innings) Box Score W: Zach Neff (2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) SP: Josh Winder (2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) HR: Colton Burns (2), Chris Williams (6) Multi-hit games: DaShawn Keirsey, Chris Williams, Alex Robles This one went into extras and E-Town gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the inning. In the bottom of the 10th, DaShawn Keirsey hit a game-tying RBI double with one out. He eventually advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored the walk-off run on a ball that was hit back to the pitcher. It was officially scored as a fielder’s choice, missed catch error on the pitcher. Keirsey had a great game, going 3-for-5 with his first professional stolen base. Fellow 2018 draftee Chris Williams hit his sixth home run already in what was just his 16th game with Elizabethton. Just to give that some perspective, last season Brent Rooker hit his sixth homer for E-Town in his 17th game. Ryan Jeffers only got one stinking hit, dropping his average to .386. What gives? GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 6, GCL Red Sox 4 Box Score W: Osiris German (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) SV: Dylan Stowell (1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) SP: Prelander Berroa (4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Yeison Perez, Gabe Snyder The Twins jumped out to a 5-0 lead in this one with the big hit being a two-run double from Yeison Perez, who was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Zack Littell, Rochester Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: DaShawn Keirsey, Elizabethton TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed: 1. Royce Lewis, CR: 1-for-4, BB, 2 K 3. Nick Gordon, ROC: 0-for-5, 2 K 5. Alex Kirilloff, FM: 0-for-4, K 7. Brent Rooker, CHAT: 2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 K 11. Zack Littell, ROC: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K 12. Lewis Thorpe, CHAT: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K 13. Lewin Diaz, FM: 0-for-3 14. LaMonte Wade, ROC: 0-for-4, K 16. Ben Rortvedt, FM: 0-for-3 K 17. Travis Blankenhorn, FM: 0-for-3, HBP, 3 K 19. Tyler Jay, CHAT: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Lehigh Valley, 12:35 pm CT: Fernando Romero Chattanooga at Jacksonville, 5:05 pm CT: TBD Fort Myers at Bradenton, 12:00 pm CT: Brusdar Graterol Cedar Rapids at Kane County, 12:35 pm CT: Bryan Sammons Elizabethton vs. Danville, 5:00 pm CT: TBD GCL Twins Off Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

The Twins topped the Orioles again Saturday at Target Field, giving Minnesota three straight victories for the first time since early June. Kyle Gibson was strong once again, holding Baltimore to three runs on four hits over seven innings while striking out nine, and the offense came from an unlikely source.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Kyle Gibson: 60 Game Score, 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 9 K, 4 BB, 59.6% strikes Bullpen: 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB Lineup: 3-for-8 w/RISP, 5 LOB WPA of 0.1 or higher: Wilson .280, Kepler .164 WPA of -0.1 or lower: Rosario -.163, Dozier -.108 Download attachment: WinEx77.png Bobby Wilson was 2-for-3 and drove in three runs since May 14, 2016. The Twins were down 3-0 before they even got up to bat, but Gibby got rolling and Max Kepler hit a solo home run in the fifth to get the Twins on the board. Wilson had a run-scoring single later in that inning and the tying run came in to score on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Wilson was up in a big spot again the very next inning. He hit a bases-loaded double that plated two more runs to give the Twins the lead. Oh, and Jake Cave made another tremendous catch. Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Bulpen77.png AL Central Standings CLE 49-37 MIN 38-48 (-11) DET 39-51 (-12) CHW 30-58 (-20) KC 25-62 (-24.5) Next Three Games Sun vs. BAL, 1:10 pm CT: Jake Odorizzi vs. Alex Cobb Mon vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: TBD Tue vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: TBD Last Three Games MIN 6, BAL 2: Jake Cave Is the Hero We Deserve MIN 5, BAL 2: Slegers, Cave Lift Twins Out of Slump MIL 3, MIN 2: Pushing Against a Stone Click here to view the article

Defense doesn't factor into WPA at all. All the "credit" for outs goes to the pitcher.

It was clear from the very first pitch of this ballgame that it was going to be the Twins’ night. Tim Beckham sent a shot to center but Jake Cave robbed him of a homer. The Twins tallied three runs in the bottom of the first and Lance Lynn settled in to lead the Twins to a relatively stress-free win.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Lance Lynn: 60 Game Score, 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB, 59.0% strikes Bullpen: 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB Lineup: 3-for-7 w/RISP, 5 LOB WPA of 0.1 or higher: Lynn .209, Dozier .135 WPA of -0.1 or lower: None Download attachment: WinEx76.png Jake Cave is the hero we deserve. What a catch! It’s great to see the Twins giving Cave an opportunity for regular playing time. Hopefully we see the club continue to provide players like him a platform to put their skills on display. Players like, I dunno, Mitch Garver. He was 2-for-2 with a walk, called a good game and looked good behind the plate. The Twins had two runs on the board before they even recorded an out. Joe Mauer, Eddie Rosario and Brian Dozier opened things up with consecutive singles and Jorge Polanco added an RBI single of his own later in the inning. Lynn got a home run-saving catch, and three runs from his offense in the first frame. That’s a pitcher’s dream, right? Lynn delivered six innings of one-run ball. He gave up six hits and walked a pair of batters while striking out three. The Twins actually led this one 6-0 after four innings. Max Kepler hammered a two-run homer and Mauer tallied an RBI single in the fourth. Playing the Orioles, who are now 24-63 on the season (a pace for 117 losses), so any Twins positivity from these last two games has to come with a grain of salt. OK, maybe an entire block of salt. Still, this lineup looks a lot more capable with Jorge Polanco back, Jake Cave rolling and Mitch Garver being not Bobby Wilson. Poor opponent or not, it’s just been really nice to see the Twins do some things well the past couple contests. Even the one moment there was a bit of tension, when the O’s had two men on and one out with Manny Machado at the plate in the seventh, Eddie Rosario gunned down Beckham trying to score from second on a single. If you happen to see Tim Beckham around, give that dude a hug. He needs one. Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Bullpen76.png AL Central Standings CLE 49-27 MIN 37-48 (-11.5) DET 39-51 (-12) CHW 30-57 (-19.5) KC 25-61 (-24) Next Three Games Sat vs. BAL, 1:10 pm CT: Kyle Gibson vs. Kevin Gausman Sun vs. BAL, 1:10 pm CT: Jake Odorizzi vs. Alex Cobb Mon vs. KC, 7:10 pm CT: TBD Last Three Games MIN 5, BAL 2: Slegers, Cave Lift Twins Out of Slump MIL 3, MIN 2: Pushing Against a Stone MIL 2, MIN 0: Strikeouts Galore Click here to view the article

If the familiar faces aren’t delivering, why not turn to some fresh faces, right? That plan worked out well Thursday night at Target Field, as Aaron Slegers held Baltimore to one run over six innings and Jake Cave was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and an outstanding leaping catch.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Aaron Slegers: 61 Game Score, 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 65.3% strikes Bullpen: 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB Lineup: 2-for-7 w/RISP, 7 LOB WPA of 0.1 or above: Slegers .266, Hildenberger .126, Cave .120 WPA of -0.1 or below: None Download attachment: WinEx75.png This is exactly the type of game we’ve come to expect from Slegers down in Triple A. He doesn’t overpower hitters (just two strikeouts) but he keeps them off balance. The Orioles only got one run off of three hits and a walk against Slegers, who only needed 72 pitches to complete his six frames. The Twins scored their first run in the bottom of the third thanks to a pretty comical error by the O’s. Minnesota took a 3-0 lead, but things tightened up again thanks to a pair of Jonathan Scoop solo homers — one off Slegers and the other off Addison Reed. Clinging to a one-run lead, Trevor Hildenberger pitched a scoreless eighth inning. The Twins added a pair of runs in the bottom half to take some of the excitement out of Fernando Rodney’s night. He pitched a perfect inning with a pair of strikeouts to earn his 18th save. Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Bullpen75.png AL Central Standings CLE 48-37 MIN 36-48 (-11.5) DET 38-51 (-12) CHW 30-56 (-18.5) KC 25-61 (-23.5) Next Three Games Fri vs. BAL, 7:10 pm CT: Lance Lynn vs. Dylan Bundy Sat vs. BAL, 1:10 pm CT: Kyle Gibson vs. Kevin Gausman Sun vs. BAL, 1:10 pm CT: Jake Odorizzi vs. Alex Cobb Last Three Games MIL 3, MIN 2: Pushing Against a Stone MIL 2, MIN 0: Strikeouts Galore MIL 6, MIN 5: Oh, That Rodney Experience Click here to view the article

Not full season. I've been told I can apply for credentials for individual games and there's a high likelihood the request will be approved. The problem is I don't really have the extra time to put in and, to be honest, I personally don't think getting into the clubhouse will provide any further value into what I'm trying to accomplish. Or at least that value added isn't worth the extra time to me. Plus, at a certain point actions speak louder than words and there isn't a single team in baseball that's 100 percent transparent. Is there a reason why Matt Belisle is sticking around? I'm sure there is. Will someone from the front office/management actually reveal what that is? Probably not. For example, if the main reason Belisle is on the roster is due to Molitor's preference, I highly doubt anybody's actually going to come out and say that.