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By Friday at 7:00 pm, MLB teams will need to offer their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for 2024. The Twins have already made their official decision on two arbitration-eligible players and have to make their decisions on seven more players. And those decisions come with several question marks. (Article updated Friday, 7:40 pm after roster decisions announced) Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Article Update (7:40 pm): On Friday night, the Twins announced that they have tendered 2024 contracts to all seven arbitration-eligible players. It was also announced the Jovani Moran is expected to be having Tommy John surgery in the near future and miss the 2024 season. The Twins are trying to get him to sign a two-year minor league deal. In addition, the Twins did not tender a 2024 contract to RHP Ronny Henriquez. With Moran and Henriquez coming off of the 40-man roster, the roster is now at 36 players. There are 17 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and eight outfielders. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the offseason began, the Minnesota Twins had nine players on their roster that were arbitration-eligible. Since then, the Twins made quick decisions on two of them. Soon after their playoff run concluded, Jordan Luplow and Jose De Leon were designated for assignment and became free agents. That leaves seven players that the Twins still need to make decisions about their 2024 status. Below, I will run through these seven players and make some notes on each. Several of them may involve answering some difficult questions. A few are pretty easy decisions. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss these decisions in the Forum below. Also, generally-speaking not many pre-arbitration players are non-tendered, but it has happened. We aren't going to try to project which, if any, of those players will be non-tendered on Friday. (Players sorted by MLB Trade Rumors Projections) 2B/OF Nick Gordon Service Time: 2.136 (two years, 136 days, Super 2) Arbitration Year: 1 of 4 Age in 2024: 28 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $1.0 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: If this decision had to be made after Gordon’s 2022 breakout season, it would have been simple. However, Gordon’s 2023 season started out very slow, but just when he started playing well, he broke his leg and was out the remainder of the season. However, he was an impressive teammate and cheerleader for the team in October! Potential 2024 Role: Gordon can play second base and performed well in left field and centerfield over the previous year. In a pinch, he can play shortstop and third base as well. He could be the left-handed side of platoons or a more traditional utility player, capable of playing at least five positions if needed. With the emergence of Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis, and the likes of Austin Martin and Brooks Lee potentially ready in the near future, playing time may be more and more limited. Biggest Question Marks: Gordon has had several injuries in his career. And while his 2022 season was just as good as Willi Castro’s 2023 season, Castro is the better defensive player at each spot on the field. Gordon is also out of options, so he couldn’t be sent to the minor leagues by the Twins without going through waivers. Prediction: The dollars are low and Gordon should have value to teams, including the Twins. I would predict that he will be tendered a 2024 contract, although I would think that the Twins front office might be looking to trade him to a team looking for a solid utility option. A trade could happen before Friday’s deadline, or anytime after Friday (assuming he is tendered). RHP Jorge Alcala Service Time: 4.014 (four years, 14 days) Arbitration Year: 2 of 3 Age in 2024: 28 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $1.0 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: After pitching just twice in 2022, Alcala made the 2023 opening day roster. However, after 10 games and 15 innings, he went on the Injured List in mid-May and didn’t return until the final game of the season. However, in that game, he was displaying a fastball between 97 and 99 and a sharp slider. Potential 2024 Role: The “potential” for Alcala has been the same each of the past five offseasons. When healthy, he has a big fastball and quality secondaries that are inconsistent but have big… potential. He has the potential and talent to be the top set up man, joining Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart in getting the ball to Jhoan Duran. I’d like to see what he can do in a fully healthy season. Biggest Question Mark: Health. That’s it. Yeah, he can work on pitches too and become more consistent, but the only way to do that is to stay healthy and get the innings. Prediction: This should be a very easy decision. The Twins should absolutely tender him a contract. If it’s $1 million, that’s fine. A year ago, he avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $790,000 deal, just $70K over league minimum. With his limited pitching the last couple of seasons, I would think he would happily sign a one-year, $900,000 deal, or something in that range. Sure, the team can still look to trade him if someone sends a quality prospect. However, Alcala hasn’t been optioned in the past, so he’s got three years worth of options remaining which might allow him to work on things and get innings if he’s not with the Twins. 1B Alex Kirilloff Service Time: 2.141 (two years, 141 days, Super 2) Arbitration Year: 1 of 4 Age in 2024: 26 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $1.7 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: Because of ongoing wrist pain, Kirilloff’s 2022 season ended after just 45 games. He had a surgery which involved shaving bones in his wrist to help alleviate the pain. The Twins brought him back slowly early in the 2023 season. He missed some time, but generally speaking, his wrist was not an issue. He played in 88 games and posted a .793 OPS with 14 doubles and 11 homers. He struggled in the playoffs and was removed from the roster in the ALDS series against the Astros due to a shoulder injury. He had surgery shortly after the Twins playoff run came to an end. Potential 2024 Role: When healthy, Kirilloff will be the primary first baseman. While his surgery turned out to be much more minor than feared, he could still miss some time early in the season. When he’s healthy, he is potentially an All Star bat. Can he still reach that level? Biggest Question Mark: That is the question. He will get healthy in time, though that has certainly become his biggest issue so far. He was pretty strictly platooned in 2023 due to some horrific numbers versus southpaws. Can he put up decent-enough numbers against same-siders to be an everyday player? Prediction: Easy decision. He will be tendered a contract. Can they negotiate a deal with him and his agent (Boras) to sign a deal for below the projection? Maybe. C Ryan Jeffers Service Time: 3.089 (three years, 89 days) Arbitration Year: 1 of 3 Age in 2024: 27 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $2.3 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: After hitting a combined .203/.277/.384 (.661) in 152 games between 2021 and 2022, the Twins brought in veteran backstop Christian Vazquez on a three-year deal. Early in the season, Vazquez was playing approximately two out of three games. However, Jeffers started playing much better behind the plate and at the plate. In 96 games, he hit .276/.369/.490 (.858) with 15 doubles and 14 home runs. His OPS+ was 134! The Twins played six playoff games in 2023. Jeffers caught all six of them. Potential 2024 Role: Aside from “normal” catcher bumps, bruises and pain, Vazquez and Jeffers remained healthy throughout the 2023 season. The two should continue to split time, with Jeffers getting the start in two out of three games. If he’s hitting like he did in 2023, he could get more DH opportunities too. Biggest Question Mark: He’s a catcher. That alone comes with inherent risks of injury. That shouldn’t be a consideration in this discussion. So the big question for Jeffers in 2024 will be if he can replicate his 2023 success as opposed to revert to his 2021 and 2022 levels. Prediction: Another easy decision. In fact, these two sides should spend time this offseason working on a four or five year deal to keep him in a Twins uniform for a long time. LHP Caleb Thielbar Service Time: 5.131 (five years, 131 days) Arbitration Year: 3 of 3 Age in 2024: 37 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $3.0 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: Since returning to the Twins before the 2020 season, Thielbar has been remarkably consistent, and remarkably effective as a setup man for the Twins. 2023 was the first time in his career that he missed significant time due to injury. He strained his oblique, probably came back too quickly, strained it again and then took longer to return the second time. So, he only pitched in 36 games, but in his 30 2/3 innings, he had 36 strikeouts and just six walks. For the first time since his 2013 rookie season, he had a WHIP of under 1.00. Potential 2024 Role: More of the same from Thielbar. Yes, he will be 37, but he hasn’t lost velocity, and his curveball continues to be a great pitch. He should continue to get crucial spots anywhere from the sixth through ninth innings. He can also continue to be a mentor in the bullpen. Biggest Question Mark: Can he stay healthy throughout most of the season? And obviously can he remain effective for another year? And on some level, how much longer does he want to continue pitching? Prediction: Sure, there are questions, but this is another easy decision for the Twins’ brass. Thielbar will be tendered a contract for 2024. And I would like to see the two sides come together and discuss a longer-term deal. Maybe it’s a series of options. $3 million for 2024, then an option for 2025 at $3 million that vests with 50 innings. If he is between 40 and 49 2/3 innings in 2024, the option vests at $2.5 million. If he’s under 40 innings, there could be a club option at $2 million but if they decline it, there could be a player option at $1.5 million. And, of course, Thielbar would have the right to retire at any point. The lawyers could get involved to creatively work through a one-year deal with a couple of options that would keep Thielbar pitching for his hometown team until he retires. UT Willi Castro Service Time: 4.017 (4 years, 17 days) Arbitration Year: 1 of 2 Age in 2024: 27 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $3.2 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: Following the 2022 season, Castro had accumulated just over three years of service time with the Tigers. He was projected to make $1.7 million in his first year of arbitration, so Detroit non-tendered him. The Twins pursued him aggressively and he quickly signed a minor-league deal with the Twins in which he would make $1.8 million if he was with the Twins all season. Because of injuries and more, Castro made the Twins Opening Day roster, and after not playing for the first several games, he found a way to spend the entire season as a very valuable role player with the Twins. He was fantastic defensively at three infield positions. He did a nice job filling in left and center field as well. In his parts of four seasons with the Tigers, he accumulated 0.4 bWAR. In 124 games with the Twins in 2023, Castro ranked third among Twins hitters with 2.6 bWAR. He played strong defense. He hit .257/.339/.411 (.750) with 32 extra base hits. He stole 33 bases in 38 attempts, an element the Twins haven’t had for a long time. Potential 2024 Role: His role in 2024 should be very similar to what it was in 2023. He can play three to five times per week all over the diamond. The fact that he is a switch hitter allows him to give guys off at different spots regardless of that day’s starting pitcher. Biggest Question Mark: He was well worth the $1.8 million in 2023, and we can all picture him continuing to be valuable, but his 2023 production was significantly better than it had been the two previous seasons when he played over 110 games. Won’t the real Willi Castro please stand up? And, how does the front office see the combination of Castro and Gordon in the organization? Can they both be on the roster and provide value? Castro is a year younger. Prediction: This is really the first one where I’ve had to think about how much I buy into Willi Castro’s 2023 season. That said, I think the Twins will tender him a contract, try to come up with a little lower than projected number, and use his switch-hitting and defensive versatility in 2024. IF Kyle Farmer Service Time: 5.129 (five years, 129 days) Arbitration Year: 3 or 3 Age in 2024: 33 MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $6.6 million Deadline Decision: Tendered 2023 Season: Farmer came to the Twins after the 2022 season from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RH RP Casey Legumina. At the time, he was technically the Twins starting shortstop. As you all know, after a long and winding road, Carlos Correa came back to the Twins which meant it was back to the bench for Farmer. That said, Rocco Baldelli kept his bench active all season. Farmer got extended time at second base early in the season when Jorge Polanco was out. He got quite a bit of time at third base in between the Jose Miranda demotion and the return of Royce Lewis. And late in the year, he played shortstop most every day when Correa was resting his plantar fasciitis. In between, he was a platoon player, often splitting time with, and mentoring, Edouard Julien at second base. Solid defense around the infield. Fantastic leader and teammate. Generally mashes left-handed pitching. Took a fastball to the mouth and went through multiple surgeries. Potential 2024 Role: It would be the same general role for Farmer in 2024. Depending on how the right side of the infield shakes out this offseason, he could platoon at first and/or second base. He can pinch hit, DH, and even be that emergency catcher. Depending on health, it is likely his playing time would decrease. Biggest Question Mark: Payroll. Just what will the Twins payroll be in 2024. We know it’s going to drop, so can the Twins afford to pay a utility player over $6 million? Unfortunately that is the reality because my sense is that everyone associated with the Twins would love to bring Farmer back. Prediction: This is by far the most difficult decision for the Twins front office. As noted, if payroll remained the same, he would very likely be tendered, but with payroll down, we can’t assume that. We know his value to a big-league roster. You would hate to non-tender him and lose him for nothing. So, I don’t think they’ll do that. I do think that they will try hard to trade him for something over the next 24-36 hours, but if they can’t before Friday’s deadline, I would guess that they will tender him a contract and continue to try to deal him throughout the offseason. There are quick glimpses at the seven remaining arbitration-eligible cases that the Twins front office have to make decisions on before Friday evening. Will they tender all seven? How many do you think they will, or they should tender? Could they be looking to make a trade or two, either of these players or of some pre-arbitration players to make additional room on the roster? How many of these players should be considered for multi-year contract extensions? Feel free to discuss below. And again, check back over the next couple of days to find out what the Twins decided to do. View full article

The Twins will have some roster cleaning to do this winter on the 40-man roster. Here are three arbitration-eligible players who likely won’t return at their expected price tag. Image courtesy of Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports During the off-season, spots on the 40-man roster become even more valuable to a front office. Teams can stash injured players on the 60-day IL during the season and not worry about that player taking a spot on the roster. This roster flexibility disappears in the winter, so teams can’t hoard talent at the big-league level. The Twins entered the winter with seven players on the 60-day IL who needed spots back on the 40-man roster. Five pitchers are on the 60-day IL, including Matt Canterino, Jose De Leon, Tyler Mahle, Jovani Moran, and Oliver Ortega. Jose Miranda and Nick Gordon are the position players that will need a roster spot. The team also needs roster spots to add eligible prospects before the Rule 5 Draft. On Friday, the Twins outrighted Andrew Stevenson and Jose De Leon, which were both expected moves. Both players passed through waivers unclaimed, and they have the right to elect free agency. The projected arbitration totals below come from MLB Trade Rumors. Here are some other names the Twins will likely consider removing from the 40-man roster in the coming weeks. Jordan Luplow, OF Project Arbitration Salary: $1.6 million The Twins claimed Luplow off of waivers last August, and he found a role with the club for the stretch run. At the trade deadline, Minnesota was searching for a right-handed bench bat, and Luplow met those criteria. In 32 games, he posted an 83 OPS+ with five extra-base hits and two steals. Defensively, he logged time at all three outfield positions and even saw some time at first base. The Twins will likely have a cheaper option to fill a bench role, so it seems easy to part ways with him at his projected salary. Jorge Alcala, RP Projected Arbitration Salary: $1.0 million Alcala hasn’t been healthy over the last two seasons, which is unfortunate because he’s previously shown some positive signs. In 2020, Alcala posted a 2.63 ERA while striking out more than ten batters per nine innings. Over the last two seasons, he has been limited to 13 appearances due to injury. There have been flashes of Alcala being a solid big-league reliever, especially with an excellent changeup. Minnesota’s bullpen struggled at different parts of the 2023 season, but the Twins might want to reallocate Alcala’s projected salary to other options. Nick Gordon, UTL Projected Arbitration Salary: $1.0 million Many fans had high hopes for Gordon entering the 2023 season because he was one of the team’s most consistent hitters in 2022. In 136 games, he posted a 111 OPS+ with 41 extra-base hits while playing multiple infield and outfield positions. His 2023 season started slowly (35 OPS+ in 34 games), and then he fouled a ball off his leg and fractured his tibia. The Twins have praised Gordon in the past for the attitude he brings to the clubhouse daily, and fans saw him being the team’s biggest hype-man in the playoffs. Minnesota could try to keep him in a utility role, but the club might not trust him as a backup infielder at multiple positions. Are his positive traits enough to keep him on the roster, especially since he is out of options? Tough decisions must be made with the roster at this time of year. However, many of these cuts seem straightforward for a team cleaning up its 40-man roster at the start of the off-season. Will the Twins part ways with any of these players? Which one would you most like to keep on the roster? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins looked to survive Sunday's season finale injury-free and with some positive momentum as they awaited news of their Wild Card series opponent on Tuesday. Bailey Ober dominated, the Twins lineup regulars hit the showers early, and Jorge Alcala made his first appearance since May. Here's what went down Sunday afternoon. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K (96 Pitches, 66 Strikes, 69%) Home Runs: None Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The main question coming out of Sunday afternoon's completion of the regular season was "Who will the Twins face at Target Field on Tuesday?" As the Twins and Bailey Ober went about their business, the answer to that question emerged, and the Twins looked sharp throughout most of their final tune-up for the Wild Card series. Ober Hopes for a Division Series Opportunity As the late-season pitching auditions continued, Bailey Ober made his case for becoming the Game 1 ALDS starter. Ober started the game looking to build on a September of succes, having gone 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA over his three Fall starts. Through the first four innings, Ober struck out five and only surrendered one hit to Nolan Jones. Unfortunately that hit traveled 458 feet. Oppo-rific Second Inning The Twins carried a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning mainly because their offense got opposite-field happy in the top of the second. Four straight singles to where the defense wasn't by Max Kepler, Ryan Jeffers, Edouard Julien, and Alex Kirilloff plated two runs and gave Twins fans hopes of playoff offensive success. The offense went on snooze control from there, however, and the regulars began getting pinch hit for in the sixth inning. Seriously, Who Do We Play on Tuesday? Every game on the final Sunday started at 2pm CDT so that no one could unnecessarily tank. The Twins were locked and loaded to play either Houston or Toronto in their opening round, and by the time the sixth inning rolled around it looked fairly obvious that the Canadians would be invading Target Field on Tuesday. The Astros were taking care of the Diamondbacks, and the Rangers were losing to the Mariners. Twins fans were lamenting the Blue Jays' decision to skip Kevin Gausman for today's start implied that Toronto was setting themselves up for a loss today. Jose Berrios at Target Field on Wednesday doesn't sound wonderful either. Conspiracy theorists really took off once the Rays lit Wes Parsons (who definitely isn't Gausman) for seven runs in the second inning. Stay tuned... Intriguing Side-Story Part 2 The other Twins-worthy item of note involved the 2019 Bomba Squad home run record and the 2023 juggernaut Atlanta Braves. The Braves entered the day with 305 long balls, just three shy of the Twins' record 307. Marcell Ozuna took one deep in the third inning, putting them at 306 in their matchup with the Washington Nationals with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson having been removed from the game in the fifth inning. Back to Coors Field for a Game Still Being Played Ober kept dealing through the middle innings. The Twins offense kept sputtering. But the highlight of the game in what might be the final appearance of Twins baseball on TV as we've known it, Justin Morneau and Trevor Plouffe caught Dick Bremer off-guard with a cake and some bourbon in honor of Bremer's 40th season of bringing Twins baseball to the midwest and beyond. The future is uncertain for all parties, but clearly Bremer has made an impact with former players and staff, as well as the Blyleven fill-in's. Bremer teared up, and I forgave him for causing me pain with his premature home run calls all season. A bunt single led to Solano chucking the ball to goodness knows where, but the Rockies couldn't cash the run in and it was still 2-1 after six. Roster News Earlier in the day, the Twins called up Jorge Alcala and sent Dallas Keuchel to the IL after he apparently pitched injured to eat up innings for his squad yesterday. This answers the "Will Dallas be on the Wild Card roster?" question, but we already knew that. The bigger news might have been Gilberto Celestino being designated for assignment as a corresponding move. Celestino went from being a most-improved and unsung hero last season to an afterthought on the roster this season. We wish him well wherever he lands. Side-Story Updates As the games reached their seventh innings, the results stayed the same. Blue Jay fans were aggressively monitoring SeatGeak for a Tuesday and Wednesday run to Target Field. Houston looks to sit atop the AL West after all thanks to an indifferent Diamondbacks playoff team and a Rangers almost epic full collapse in Seattle. Houston will enjoy the week off as the #2 seed alongside #1 Baltimore. The Twins will host the Blue Jays (at 3:38 CT) and the Rays will host the Rangers on Tuesday. The Braves are still sitting at 305 home runs as they head to the eighth inning. Things Turn Bitter at Coors Alcala got the call for the Twins in the eighth inning, and he got the first two outs without issue. After running up the count 3-1 on pinch-hitting right hander Sean Bouchard, Alcala got away with a cookie to run the count full, and lost a cookie to the left field bleachers on the next pitch to tie the game at two apiece, and add uncertainty to his ability to be called upon when the games really really really matter over the next few weeks. After allowing three home runs in just over five innings of work in May, Alcala needed to show that his long ball issues were behind him. That didn't happen. Alcala returned in the ninth inning and well, and got the first two outs again easily before being squeezed early in the count by the home plate umpire into a 3-0 count and an eventual walk where Morneau was quick to claim that all five pitches were actually strikes. Kris Bryant came up with a hero moment, and an attempt to send the 100+ loss Rockies faithful home happy. With Christian Vazquez manning second base, Jones took second base while Vazquez whiffed twice at the tag. Bryant walked. Kudos to Alcala, who took all of that misfortune in his first game back since May and got Ryan McMahon to dribble out to third to end the threat. Hope lingers a bit more in young Alcala than it did an inning ago. One Last Dance with Ghost Runners! The "runner at second" in extra innings goes away once we reach the postseason, so Sunday afternoon offered one last chance for fans to discuss how much they love or hate this rule that's here to stay in the regular season at least. The 10th inning came and went without a run. In the 11th, the Twins loaded the bases only to have Jordan Luplow strike out. Luplow's punishment was to go to the mound to pitch the bottom half of the inning in a full-surrender scenario. He enticed a pop fly to right to start the inning, but with the ghost runner Brenton Doyle streaking for third, Vazquez (now catching) missed the pitch allowing Doyle to scamper home to end this meaningless ballgame 3-2. To add another gloomy cloud to this afternoon, in Atlanta, the lone starter left in the lineup, Ozuna, went deep yet again for number 307, tying the Bomba Squad for the all-time season record for most home runs. It's better than 308, but it still stings. What’s Next: Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (11-8, 3.66 ERA in regular season) will lead the Twins into the most anticipated Twins playoff games in recent history. He will most likely face the above-mentioned Blue Jay RHP Gausman (12-9, 3.16 ERA in the regular season). The game will take place at 3:38pm CDT on Tuesday, October 3rd. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for the details that matter during the Wild Card Round! Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Maeda 0 62 0 0 0 62 Funderburk 0 0 28 0 16 44 Pagán 18 0 9 15 0 42 Paddack 0 0 0 39 0 39 Alcala 0 0 0 0 39 39 Stewart 0 0 25 0 5 30 Thielbar 18 0 3 9 0 30 Jax 8 0 0 19 0 27 Durán 14 0 0 11 0 25 Varland 0 19 0 0 0 19 View full article

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels season may be over, but the rest of the Twins full-season affiliates are still in action. That includes the Cedar Rapids Kernels, who began their West Division playoff series against the Peoria Chiefs on Tuesday. A slugger in triple-A also added to his tremendous home run total on the season, while the Wind Surge fans enjoyed some pitching from rehabbing major league players. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS RHP Carlos Luna was assigned to the St. Paul Saints from Wichita, and in his place RHP Alex Scherff was sent back down to the Wind Surge. The Minnesota Twins sent RHPs Jorge Alcala and Chris Paddack on a rehab assignment with Wichita. The Twins signed 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Irvin Nunez. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Iowa 1 Box Score The St. Paul Saints trail the International League second-half leaders, the Durham Bulls, by four games heading into their penultimate week of play. While they lead the West division by one-and-a-half games, only the first- and second-half league winners advance to the postseason in Triple-A play. The Saints wasted little time putting runs on the board, scoring one in the top of the first and two in the second for an early 3-0 lead. In the first, Trevor Larnach drew a two-out walk before Austin Martin drove him in with a double down the left field line. In the second Yunior Severino led off with his 33rd home run of the season, which is good for second in all of the minor leagues. Later in the frame, Jair Camargo clubbed his first triple of the season, and two batters later Michael Helman drove him in with a single. St. Paul went with a bullpen game on Tuesday, with Hunter McMahon working as the opener. He pitched the first two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out two. Austin Schulfer then pitched into the fourth inning. In 1 2/3 innings, he gave up one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out two and picked up his sixth win of the season. In the fourth the Saints tacked on an insurance run thanks in part to an error on the Cubs defense. Camargo reached on that error and then stole his first base of the season to get into scoring position. Helman brought him home again with another single and a 4-1 lead. Gotta love those “firsts” on the season for the sturdy backstop in this one! Austin Brice went the next 2 1/3 from the bullpen, getting the Saints through the sixth inning. He allowed just one hit and struck out three. Ronny Henriquez went the next two innings, retiring all six hitters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts. Cole Sands finished out the victory with a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season. He walked one and struck out two. Helman (2-for-5, 2 RBI, SB) and Larnach (2-for-4, R, BB, K, SB) led the way with two hits apiece. Brooks Lee finished 0-for-5. WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 5, Wichita 2 Box Score After pitching 2 2/3 innings for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels last week, the rehabbing Chris Paddack made the start for Wichita on Tuesday night. He set the RockHounds down in order in each of the first two innings, collecting three strikeouts along the way. After a pair of strikeouts around a single in the third inning, a wild pitch put a runner in scoring position, and another single brought him home for a 1-0 Midland lead. The leadoff man took him deep to start the fourth, but Paddack made it through down 2-0. In four innings, Paddack was charged with two earned runs on four hits and zero walks. He struck out six in total while pounding the strike zone, with 44 of his 58 pitches going for strikes (76%), including nine swinging. The Wind Surge threatened in the bottom of the second with runners on the corners and nobody out, but the pair of strikeouts and a groundout that followed led to no runs on the scoreboard. Another major league rehabber, Jorge Alcala, came on to start the fifth inning, but he did not make it out of it. The first batter lined a single into center field, stole second base, then advanced to third on a balk. After a groundout, Alcala served up a homer for a 4-0 Midland lead before a second groundout finished his outing after 16 pitches. Taylor Floyd got the final out of the fifth and added a scoreless sixth. In 1 1/3 innings, he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three. Regi Grace (2 IP, H, R, BB, 3 K) and Francis Peguero (1 IP, H, BB) finished the final three innings for Wichita, keeping it close to give their lineup a chance. That lineup scored their first run of the game in the sixth inning, when singles from Patrick Winkel, Alex Isola, and Aaron Sabato loaded the bases with one out. Ben Ross delivered a sac fly to make it 4-1 at the time, but they couldn’t get a big knock to make it any closer. In the bottom of the ninth they again showed some spark, with Willie Joe Garry Jr., Alerick Soularie, and Yoyner Fajardo hitting consecutive one out singles to make it 5-2. But just as quick as the rally started, it was ended by a double-play ball to end the game. The Wind Surge outhit the RockHounds 11-10 on the game, but each of those 11 knocks were all singles, while the visitors had three go for extra-bases, including a pair of home runs. Fajardo (2-for-5, RBI), Isola (2-for-3, BB, K), and Rucker (2-for-4) all collected two singles to pace the offense. Sabato finished 1-for-3 with a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 4 (Chiefs lead series 1-0) Box Score After finishing the regular season with a Midwest League-leading record of 82-50, and winning both the first and second half West Division titles, the Cedar Rapids Kernels drew the Peoria Chiefs as their Division Series opponents. The Chiefs finished six games back of the Kernels in the second-half, and 13 games back overall on the season, with a record of 69-63. Right-hander Andrew Morris got the starting nod for the Kernels and retired six in a row after allowing a double to his first hitter of the game. Cedar Rapids loaded the bases with one out in the second inning, but were only able to score one on a Jose Salas fielder's choice for an early lead. To start the third inning Morris gave up a solo home run to tie the game at one, then three consecutive singles in the fourth led to a 2-1 lead for the Chiefs. After retiring the first two hitters in the fifth, an infield single was followed by another homer, and it was 4-1 Peoria. Morris finished five total innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out five. After Morris’ exit, the Kernels relief duo of Mike Paredes and John Stankiewicz was lights out. Paredes went two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four. Stankiewicz set the Chiefs down in order in the eighth, needing just eight pitches to do so. Down 4-1 in the top of the eighth inning, the Kernels finally were able to close the gap, and it took the Midwest League home run king to do so. After a Noah Miller single to put a man on base, Kala’i Rosario launched a two-run homer to dead center that traveled 416 feet to make it 4-3. In the ninth, the Kernels got their chances. Luke Keaschall and Noah Cardenas started the inning with a pair of walks. Jose Salas was then given the task of bunting them over, which was a questionable choice at that point, as just one of the nine pitches to that point was a strike. Unfortunately he not only failed to do so, but also seemed to swap the momentum. The first pitch was in the dirt, but he stabbed an attempt at it anyway. Then the next pitch he nearly bunted into a double play to the catcher, but it was ruled foul. He then watched strike three go by for the innings first out. Kyler Fedko went down swinging next, and it was up to leadoff man Noah Miller. His grounder to third base looked like it would end the game, but almost inexplicably the third baseman went for the tag instead of stepping on third base. In the fray, the ball popped out of his glove for an error, and the bases were loaded for Emmanuel Rodriguez. On a 1-1 count, Rodriguez made contact, chopping one toward first base. He hustled out of the box but the throw to the pitcher at first just beat him. The Kernels head back to Cedar Rapids down 1-0 in the series, needing to win both games at home to advance in the playoffs. Of note for this series, is that the Chiefs and Kernels played a total of 21 times during the regular season, and 12 of those matchups were decided by one run. Another three had just two runs between them, so the final score shouldn’t be surprising to either squad. The Kernels will send right-hander Cory Lewis to the mound looking to even the series at home on Thursday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Mike Paredes, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2 IP, H, 4 K) Hitter of the Day - Yunior Severino, St. Paul Saints (1-for-2, R, HR, RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out our full top 20 list here and how they performed on Tuesday below! #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-5, 3 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-for-5, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-1, 2 BB #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, R, HR (9), RBI, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (12:08 PM CDT) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (6-6, 5.07 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (7-3, 2.87 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

A good thing, too, because it was not a great day on the farm. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS RHP Jorge Alcala assigned to Low-A Fort Myers on MLB Rehab. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Louisville 4 Box Score Bailey Ober: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (2-for-4, RBI, K) The Saints blew up late, falling to the Bats after an excellent start by Bailey Ober. Ober was magnificent; the tall righty allowed just three measly singles, slicing through the Bats with his typical efficient style (he only needed 65 pitches). He also struck out three. You couldn’t draw up a more “Bailey Ober” start if you tried. St. Paul’s offense was occasionally patient, taking six walks on the day, but their issue was glaring, standing out like a neon light cutting through the night sky: 17 strikeouts. Three separate hitters whiffed at least three times, with Anthony Prato catching the worst of it; he punched out four times. They did score, though—three times in fact—as DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Austin Martin both knocked in a run with 1st inning singles. Jair Camargo added another with an infield hit in the 3rd inning. Old friend Alan Busenitz (he’s back!) saved the game for Louisville, striking out one in a perfect inning. Both Jonathan India and Joey Votto played for the Bats; the rehabbing big-leaguers may be seen wearing Reds uniforms when the Twins soon come to town, but for now, the duo is based in Louisville. Votto singled. Reliever Levi Stoudt is Cincinnati's only top-30 prospect at AAA; he pitched a scoreless frame. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, Corpus Christi 7 Box Score Travis Adams: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Tanner Schobel (2-for-4, RBI, K), Alex Isola (2-for-4, RBI) A dreadful 2nd inning cursed the Wind Surge to lose on Saturday. Travis Adams did recover to eventually finish the 5th inning, but the 2nd inning dragged him down, limiting the greatness of his pitching line. It’s a shame; the rest of his start was pretty good, with each other frame only once seeing a runner reach second base. The bats were productive, with all but two batters earning a hit. Few were damaging. Just two of the knocks went for extra-bases. Coordination proved to be the problem; Wichita never scored in an inning more than once, leaving their rallies short and unthreatening. Carlos Correa’s little brother, J.C. Correa, singled in three at-bats. Houston’s best prospect, however, is centerfielder Jacob Melton, and he walked and struck out twice. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 3 Box Score John Klein: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Misael Urbina (3-for-4, R, K) The Kernels lost a squeaker on Saturday. John Klein—the pride of Brooklyn Park—made his Kernels debut. The Iowa Central Community College product was excellent, whiffing four while only allowing two runs, giving up six hits in the process. He’s had quite the season, moving from the FCL to A+ ball, and he could see himself start to appear on prospect lists in the offseason. Cedar Rapids’ offense couldn’t support him, unfortunately, as a two-run Kala’i Rosario single represented the lone run-scoring hit of the night. The two RBIs pushed his season total to 94; he easily leads the Midwest League in RBIs; Jimmy Crooks is second with 73. The Kernels struck out 14 times, taking seven walks, while accruing six hits—all singles. Misael Urbina collected three singles and stole his sixth base of the season. Milwaukee’s 1st-round pick in 2023—Brock Wilken—struck out once in four at-bats. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 4, Bradenton 5 Box Score Jose Olivares: 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None Despite a four-run 2nd inning, the Mighty Mussels fell to the Marauders on Saturday. Not even a rain delay could stop them; Fort Myers weathered a break in the middle of their rally, returning to plate four runs off a variety of Piranha-esque outcomes—singles, walks, and sacrifice flies. That was it, though, as the Mighty Mussels only had four total bases on the game. They did reach base often, taking an astounding 13 walks, but finding the critical knock proved elusive, and they scored no runs after their early outburst. They should have. The Marauders struck back with a four-run frame of their own, knotting the game in the middle innings. Though they sat dormant for a while as well, a 9th inning sacrifice fly broke the tie. Danny De Andrade’s lead-off double went nowhere. Alec Sayre’s groundout to the pitcher ended the game. Rehabbing big-leaguer, Jorge Alcala, struck out two in a perfect inning. He maxed out at 98.4 MPH. Second baseman Mitch Jebb is Pittsburgh’s 9th-ranked prospect, and he walked while driving in a pair off two sacrifice flies. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Bailey Ober Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Misael Urbina PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, RBI, 2 K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, 4 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-3, 2 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-3, RBI, K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4, RBI, K #12 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #18 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:05 PM) - RHP Blayne Enlow Wichita @ Corpus Christi (1:05 PM) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM) - LHP Christian MacLeod Bradenton @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Ben Ethridge View full article

Yesterday, the Twins missed out on multiple reliever options on the waiver wire, so now the team's focus turns to internal options. Minnesota hopes these three arms will be able to return from injury and bolster the bullpen for the stretch run. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports The Twins have relied heavily on specific relievers throughout the 2023 campaign, including Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Emilio Pagan, and Caleb Thielbar. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has different levels of trust in these players, which makes it tough to employ a bullpen strategy from one close game to another. For most of the season, the Twins have needed this group to be flawless, which is a tall task for any bullpen. Minnesota had an opportunity to add to the bullpen group at the trade deadline. However, the club's only move was to ship Jorge Lopez to the Marlins for Dylan Floro. Floro's Twins tenure has gone imperfectly, as he has allowed seven earned runs in ten innings with a 2.00 WHIP and 13.5 H/9. The Twins front office might have been a little gun-shy when pulling the trigger on another reliever trade after trading multiple prospects for Lopez at last year's trade deadline. Instead, the team hopes these three players can effectively return from injury and join the bullpen picture. Brock Stewart, RHP Stewart was a revelation in the Twins bullpen earlier this season. In 25 2/3 innings, he posted a 0.70 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP and 12.3 K/9. It was his first taste of the big leagues since 2019 after multiple arm issues, including Tommy John surgery and a second procedure to remove a bone spur. Stewart initially landed on the injured list on June 27th with soreness in his right forearm. At the time, the Twins hoped he'd be able to return shortly, but there have been setbacks throughout his ramp-up process. Stewart threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on August 25th and reported feeling good the following day. He threw all fastballs during the session and sat between 88-91 mph. His next bullpen session was on Monday, August 28th, and he will likely need another bullpen session after that. Stewart told reporters that his target return date is September 10th as a best-case scenario. Returning then would give him a couple of weeks to prove he can be effective for the team's postseason roster. Chris Paddack, RHP Last season, Kenta Maeda was returning from Tommy John surgery, and the Twins talked about adding him to the bullpen for the stretch run. Unfortunately, Minnesota fell apart in September, and there was no reason to rush Maeda back to the big leagues. Paddack is 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery and has been ramping up his workload in Fort Myers. According to reports, he has been hitting 95 mph, which is a good sign for his progression. Paddack told reporters he expects to begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Fort Myers on September 6th and he hopes to be ready for big-league action on September 22nd. Minnesota signed Paddack to a three-year extension in January, so he is part of the team's long-term plans as a starter. He likely hasn't built up to a starter's workload at this point in his recovery, so switching to the bullpen is intriguing. His pitch mix has traditionally included a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and a curveball. For his career, he has held left-handed batters to a .686 OPS, while righties have posted a .735 OPS. It would be interesting to see if he can add more velocity to his pitching arsenal if he is being used in a relief role. Jorge Alcala, RHP The Twins hoped Alcala would take the next step and become an integral part of the bullpen picture. He was placed on the IL back in the middle of May with a stress fracture to the radius bone in his right forearm. It is an uncommon injury for pitchers, making his timeline tough to predict. He's also been limited to 12 appearances over the last two seasons, so he seems the least likely contributor among this trio of pitchers. Alcala told reporters last Friday that he has thrown five bullpen sessions and is lined up to pitch another one later this week. One of those sessions included throwing live BP to Byron Buxton and Alex Kirilloff before they headed to St. Paul on a rehab assignment. "I'm hoping he'll be available towards the end of the season," president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. "We're not ruling that out, but we don't have a timeline yet." Which pitcher can be most helpful to the Twins bullpen? What are the chances any of these injured players impact the team's postseason chances? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Jordan Balazovic had reached what the Twins hoped was rock bottom this spring after struggling in 2022 and getting a late start to 2023 due to an off-field injury. Since then he’s built himself back up. Does Balazovic deserve a promotion? Image courtesy of William Parmeter What does it take for a starting pitching prospect to torpedo off of global Top 100 prospect lists aside from injury? Jordan Balazovic showed us in 2022, when he spent his entire season in Triple-A St. Paul allowing 2.55 HR/9 innings, and finishing with a 7.39 ERA in just over 70 innings. It was quite the uphill battle to regain the lost prospect status, and that was before he suffered a broken jaw during an off-field altercation at the beginning of spring training, resulting in him being the first player sent out of Major League camp. Fortunately, since returning to the mound, Balazovic has shown that he has the talent to wipe away the past. The Twins appear to have changed their view on their 2016 fifth-round pick. He began the season as a traditional reliever and has since moved back to making scheduled starts for the Saints. The Twins remain consistent in saying that they look at Balazovic as more of a potential bullpen piece for the MLB roster this season despite his starter’s workload thus far. If that’s the case, Balazovic is nearing the point where he’s more than deserving of a look. It’s been a small sample thus far in 2023 for Balazovic, but it’s hard not to be impressed. In 18 2/3 innings, the 6’5 right-hander has posted a 33.8% K rate and a 2.89 ERA with matching peripherals. Most notably, he’s allowed just one homer after struggling with the long ball in 2022. His walks have been uncharacteristically high at 14.3%, but it’s the only real blemish on his otherwise dominant line to begin 2023. Balazovic is currently built up to around 70 pitches per outing and has been able to maintain his mid-to-high-90s velocity along the way. He has secondaries to face off against hitters on both sides of the plate between his slider and splitter, though it's worth noting that during his last outing hitters did a decidedly better job of staying on him in his fourth inning. It's possible he's just destined for a bullpen role at this point rather than starting. The Twins have been churning multiple bullpen spots to begin the season, and while the bullpen performance has been acceptable as a whole, they’ve had some relievers struggle mightily. Unfortunately, Jorge Alcala appears to be a husk of his pre-elbow injury self, as his velocity remains down 2+ mph, and he continues to allow a barrage of homers. Cole Sands had an opportunity to stake his claim to a bullpen role on Saturday and subsequently allowed five walks in mop-up duty. Simeon Woods Richardson and Brent Headrick likely need to maintain their Triple-A starting jobs at this point due to the injuries to the MLB rotation. Balazovic conveniently is on the 40-man roster already as well. There are a few ways the Twins could use Balazovic. He’s built up to fill a true bulk reliever role, but that spot has been rarely utilized so far this season and regardless of how well he pitches, it would remain a revolving door with whatever pitcher filling it being optioned immediately after each appearance. They also appear to be dead set on the struggling Jorge Alcala being a multi-inning reliever, and they’ve declined to send him right back to St. Paul following his outings so far. If they want to give him a chance to cement himself onto the big league roster, they could simply send Alcala down to see if he can right the ship while giving Balazovic a chance to snag that job. He wouldn’t be so stretched to fill multiple innings and can have a real opportunity to work his way up the bullpen hierarchy. Whatever the Twins decide for his role, Balazovic is at the doorstep of his Major League debut. His main competition if Sands or Alcala are optioned back to St. Paul is likely Ronny Henriquez fresh off a rehab assignment and Josh Winder who has been an absolute disaster since being moved to the bullpen. Having just thrown over 70 pitches Sunday, it may be a few days until Balazovic is available to throw again. When that day comes, should he get the call? View full article

The Twins winning streak came to an end on Saturday in New York. So did the Twins streak of starters completing five innings. And, there was plenty of controversy, and a Baldelli ejection to boot. Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz, USA Today Box Score SP: Tyler Mahle: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 90 pitches, 53 strikes (58.9%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa (-0.70), Eduoard Julien (-0.68) Jorge Alcalá (-0.37) Win Probability Chart (via Fangraphs): Can the Twins run of quality starting pitching continue? Tyler Mahle took the mound for the Twins and his stuff was good throughout his start, generating numerous swings and misses on his split changeup and fourteen whiffs total. His control was a little off however, missing with his fastball in the zone. His error in the second, misplaying a dribbler that allowed Franchy Cordero to reach, put a runner on base for Kyle Higashioka who pulverized an elevated fastball to put the Twins behind two zero. He continued to fall behind hitters and give up hard contact and after giving up a blistered double to Aaron Judge, it became apparent he would be the first Twins starter to fall short of completing five innings this year. It was a good run. Domingo German dominant, but suspicious Thought to represent the soft underbelly of the Yankees pitching staff along with Clarke Schmidt, German instead was sharp with his command, throwing riding fastballs up in the zone and pairing it with a sharp slider and changeup. He was perfect the first time through the order, striking out six. This aroused at least some suspicion from the umpires, who conferred before the start of the fourth regarding some sticky stuff on German's glove. German was allowed to stay after removing a substance, prompting Rocco Baldelli to protest and eventually be ejected from the game. Umpire James Hoye could be seen telling German, who previously was suspended for violating the league's domestic abuse policy, "I told you to wipe it off!" The league was supposed to be cracking down harder on the foreign substance issue this year, following the crackdown mid-2021 and then a gradual relaxation following. Hoye’s exclamation would seem to indicate that German was told to remove a substance but did not comply. His spin rate decreased significantly afterward. Conspiratorial baseball fans will note the Yankees being implicated for sign stealing during the Astros investigation, as well as sample balls from Yankees games being shown to have more bounce to them during the 2022 season, as compared to sample balls from other games. Boom or bust offense continues Twins hitters swung over German’s changeup and underneath his fastball all day. The hitters that chose to be aggressive were rolling over pitches and grounding out quickly, while the hitters that tried to work the count fell behind and let German dictate the at-bat. Whether that was due to some unlawful pitching aid or not, the Twins hitters were not in command of the game. Trevor Larnach and Jose Miranda doubled in the seventh for the Twins’ first run, but Max Kepler grounded into an inning-ending double-play to end the threat. Morán shows improvement Taking over for Mahle in the fifth, Jovani Morán inherited runners on the corners and only one out. He induced a groundout to Cabrera, which Jose Miranda made a nice play on, nailing LeMahieu trying to score. Morán then got Cordero to tap out to end the threat. He then had a one two three sixth inning, although his control was wobbly, getting a few charitable strike three calls from the home plate umpire. Jorge Alcalá was a different story, however, following Morán for the seventh and hitting LeMahieu, walking Judge and allowing a sharp double on a middle-middle slider to Giancarlo Stanton which plated two more runs. He did settle down in his next inning outside of an Anthony Volpe single (and two stolen bases). What’s Next: Pablo Lopez (1-0, 1.35 ERA) will look to continue his run of dominance, going up against Gerrit Cole (3-0, 1.40 ERA) in the series finale. Cole was very effective against the Twins last September, but they did pop five home runs against him at Target field last June. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Alcalá 0 15 0 0 44 59 Durán 24 15 0 10 0 49 López 0 12 0 15 0 27 Morán 0 0 0 0 26 26 Sands 0 0 23 0 0 23 Jax 8 12 0 0 0 20 Pagán 0 0 0 12 0 12 Thielbar 4 0 0 0 0 4 View full article

Almost 5 years later, how close is Jorge Alcala to becoming the replacement for Ryan Pressly? That certainly was the goal of the trade. Yes, Gilberto Celestino was thrown in, and has provided less than replacement value forced replacement in the outfield when forced to (the force is with him), but the pitch was Alcala could become at least what Ryan Pressly was at the time (not even considering what he has become). Pressly was 29 at the time, and Alcala will be 28 in July, 5 years after the trade. Was the 5 years of pitching return worth it? Considering what Pressly has become, can Alcala ever be what Pressly could have supplied? Can Alcala equal or surpass that? Sure, it costs $ to retain your players, and Pressly would have had to be resigned. Or even if Alcala starts to, will the Twins keep him or trade him for another 5 to 6 year development project?

Hopes were high for Jorge Alcala to return from injury in 2023. The velocity has been questionable, as has his role thus far. What might the Twins' plan be for the 27-year-old right-hander? Image courtesy of Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports Jorge Alcala had a mini breakout at the end of 2021 and was prevented from building on it further due to injury in 2022. Headed into 2023, the hope was that he was 100% healthy and could pick up where he left off. So far it appears that may not be the case on multiple fronts. Alcala looked locked and loaded coming out of spring training. His velocity had crept up considerably, and he looked flat-out dominant. Alcala began his 2023 season with a shutout inning, but has pitched in a multi-inning role twice as well. His velocity is down from 2021 levels and more importantly from the 97.4 we saw this spring. The underlying numbers don’t look great despite his 0.00 ERA thus far. What can we make of it? Velocity-wise, Alcala has long been a flamethrower even during his starting days in the minor leagues. His high 90s fastball has been a staple of his repertoire for years before his elbow acted up. After having it surgically cleaned up last season (arthroscopic debridement on his right elbow), his high 90s fastball has settled in around 95. A couple of ticks may not sound like much, but it can make a world of difference for a pitcher like Alcala who relies on blowing the doors off hitters more than command. That being said, heading to the Midwest spring weather after building up in the warm confines of Ft. Myers is a tough ask. It’s possible we see the velocity tick up as we did over time this spring, and therefore there isn’t much reason to worry yet. The bigger question with Alcala is what the Twins think of him and what role he could play. Rather than setting him up to potentially take the reins on even a middle relief moderate leverage job, the Twins have used him as a multi-inning reliever in two of four appearances thus far. His most recent multi-inning excursion was a bit rocky and questionable on multiple accounts. Alcala allowed just a single in his most recent multi-inning appearance on Sunday before ending it with a strikeout. He was asked to come back out for the 8th inning and threw 45 pitches in the outing. He issued two walks to lead off his second inning. He was clearly not as effective in his second inning. As high as Twins fans hopes were for Alcala coming into the season, that outing may have brought a moment of clarity. It's fair to wonder whether the Twins see the same potential in Alcala when they’re allowing him to rack up his highest pitch count since August of 2020 coming off of elbow surgery. That being said, he was inserted into a relatively high-leverage spot on Wednesday and spun a clean inning. It's kind of difficult to read how the Twins feel about Alcala, but it appears the ball is at least in his court. The hope is still that Alcala can raise his mid-90s fastball into the upper 90s again, as he does still have a pair of secondary offerings to navigate any-handed hitter that comes to the plate. He may have to build that velocity up with sporadic multi-inning roles, which could be more difficult than doing so across strictly single-inning outings where Duran can give it his all on every pitch. The reality is that present day, the perception among Twins fans and the organization may not quite line up. Alcala was never going to get very high-leverage spots right off the bat after missing nearly a full season, but the Twins don’t appear to be particularly inclined to set him up to earn that role. Instead he’ll have to earn his way up the hierarchy by outperforming other relievers the Twins see in the same vein such as Jovani Morán and Emilio Pagán. At the end of the day, Alcala appears to be starting from scratch in regard to his status in the bullpen after missing nearly all of 2022. The Twins are doing him no favors in regard to easing him in and leaving the door open to work his way into high-leverage innings. He’ll have to earn it back himself. It all likely starts with the fastball velocity. Can Jorge Alcala bounce back to end of 2021 levels? View full article

The Minnesota Twins bullpen is already in a much better spot than it was at this time a year ago, but one returning reliever has the potential to push the pen to an elite level. Jorge Alcala established himself late in 2021 but missed nearly all of last season. He’s back on the mound and having a strong spring training so far. Here is a look at a couple of highlights, his stats and some of the metrics/velocity/Baseball Savant data. View full video

The 2022 Minnesota Twins had plenty of uncertainty entering the year with regard to their bullpen. On the doorstep of Opening Day, Taylor Rogers was traded and the closer role immediately was a question mark. Fast-forward to 2023 and there are less questions, but a pair of arms could provide big answers. Image courtesy of Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports It was never certain that the Twins were going to have Taylor Rogers in their long-term plans. He was entering the final year of team control, and also coming off an injury that sapped effectiveness in 2021. Emilio Pagan certainly didn’t work out in his place, but the hope is for better returns in year two. Ultimately, it was the emergence of Jhoan Duran that all but saved Rocco Baldelli’s group last season, and the unlikeliness of that being a reality seems drastic. Duran wasn’t supposed to make the Opening Day roster, and he was largely a starting prospect until that point. He now is among the league’s best fireballers, and combined with Jorge Lopez at the back, the Twins could have a nice one-two punch. Similar to how Duran emerged quickly to act as a cornerstone, and someone like Griffin Jax was developed into a key cog, a new duo could represent that narrative this season. Enter Jorge Alcala and Ronny Henriquez. After posting a 3.55 ERA during 2020 and 2021, expectations for Alcala were understandably high coming into last year. While he doesn’t possess the same triple-digit regularity as Duran, his average fastball velocity sits above 97 mph. We didn’t get to see him contribute in 2022 as injury ended his year before it truly started, but a healthy version could put him right back in the thick of high-leverage chances. Alcala did record a save in 2021, but more importantly he was someone Baldelli could lean on in key situations. As a strikeout arm that has done a good job of limiting walks, Alcala has already proven that no matchup is too great for him at this level. He’s now had a full offseason of recovery, and although he’ll need to work his way back into the pecking order, knowing the talent is there should provide solace. On the flip side, Henriquez is an arm that seems poised for more. Acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Mitch Garver trade, Henriquez was pitching well past his level at Triple-A. He was five years younger than the average age, and sometimes that manifested itself in his starting results. Eventually the Twins gave Henriquez more work out of the pen, and a front office source noted early on in the season that he could be a big league factor in relief by the end of the season. That seemed lofty given his age and results, but that was the exact path that played out. Working out of the pen, Henriquez allowed an OPS nearly .150 points lower to the opposition. His ERA, while still inflated, was always more than 1.30 runs less per nine innings. It would be foolish to expect Henriquez to contribute at the same level as Alcala immediately, but if the former is a first-half story then the latter could play in the second half. Henriquez still needs to reign in the longball a bit, but there is plenty to like about the repertoire and body of work as a whole. The Twins may have landed Isiah Kiner-Falefa for the big league roster when swinging Garver, but it was always Henriquez that seemed to be the prize. There is validity in suggesting Minnesota could’ve targeted Michael Fulmer or Matt Moore. Maybe they’ll still find room for a different veteran to compete in the bullpen. Still, blocking someone that should re-emerge, or another arm that could be poised for a breakout, seems like it would be a misstep. After watching Duran and Jax flourish a season ago, the next pair has to be their focus. View full article

Project systems can be flawed in overvaluing some players and not valuing others as highly. For the Twins to be successful, these four players need to outperform their projections. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Leading into the 2023 season, fans can analyze different projection systems to predict the performance of any big-league team. For this article, Steamer projections will be featured. According to MLB.com, Steamer uses past performance and aging trends to develop a future projection for players. It also uses pitch-tracking data to help forecast pitchers. Steamer projects the Twins' top five position players as Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, Jose Miranda, and Christian Vazquez. On the mound, the top five pitchers are all starters, including Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle, and Kenta Maeda. It would be easy to target any of those players and say they need to outperform their projections, but let's dig deeper into the roster. Joey Gallo, OF 2023 Steamer Projection: .188/.313/.393, 105 wRC+, 2.7 Off, -6.3 Def, 1.1 WAR The Twins signed Gallo to a one-year, $11 million deal in hopes of him returning to the All-Star caliber player he was in previous seasons. He's coming off his worst professional season, as he posted a .638 OPS and a 79 OPS+ over 126 games for the Yankees and the Dodgers. His projected slugging percentage is 76 points below his career average, which is one area he will need to outperform his projection. His defensive total also seems extremely low for a player known as a strong defender. Last year, he posted a -1.3 Def, his lowest total since 2017. Trevor Larnach, OF 2023 Steamer Projection: .225/.306/.373, 96 wRC+, -1.9 OF, -5.3 Def, 0.3 WAR Over the last two seasons, Larnach has dealt with multiple injuries, including a hand injury and a core muscle injury. When healthy, his powerful bat looks like it should be penciled into the middle of the Twins line-up. In 16 games last June, he posted a 1.077 OPS with six doubles and three home runs. Twins Daily's most recent roster projection has Larnach pegged to start the year at Triple-A. He will have to prove he is healthy and hit his way back to the big-league roster. Injuries will impact the Twins' outfield, and he needs to be ready when promoted. Jorge Alcala, RP 2023 Steamer Projection: 54 IP, 3.75 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.2 WAR Alcala missed nearly all of the 2022 season after having arthroscopic debridement surgery on his throwing elbow. In 2021, Alcala posted a 3.92 ERA with 9.2 K/9 over 59 2/3 innings while earning opportunities in a late-inning role. The Twins didn't add anyone to the bullpen this winter, which makes Alcala's return even more critical. He's already produced more than 0.2 WAR in multiple big-league seasons, so that projection is the most significant discrepancy. If Alcala can outperform his projections, he may help to revitalize a core bullpen group that struggled through much of the first half of 2022. Jorge Lopez, RP 2023 Steamer Projection: 70 IP, 3.58 ERA, 9.2 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.4 WAR Steamer projects Lopez to provide the fourth-highest WAR total among Twins relievers. It's reasonable to think that the Twins would be disappointed in that result. Minnesota surrendered four pitching prospects (including Cade Povich) because they felt Lopez could upgrade the bullpen for multiple seasons. He struggled after the trade with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in 23 appearances. The Twins won't follow a traditional closer model, but Lopez will likely get save opportunities, primarily if Jhoan Duran is used in high-leverage situations earlier than the ninth inning. Which player is most likely to outperform their Steamer projection? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article