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About this blog

On-site Twins coverage from Brandon Warne, Zone Coverage Twins beat reporter

Entries in this blog

WARNE: August Waiver Trade Candidates for the Minnesota Twins

We’ve established the rules for post-July 31 trades. Now we should take a look at who the Twins might target, right?   It’s pretty easy to isolate three areas where the Twins can use some help: Starting pitching Relief pitching Batters who can hit left-handed pitching   The pitching woes are hard to miss. Only the Rangers (6.4) have gotten fewer strikeouts per nine innings from starting pitchers than the Twins (6.9), and just four teams have posted higher ERA from their rotations than the T
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

4

Despite Recent Turmoil, Twins Rotation has Provided Immense Boost in Strong Season

This excerpt is from an article originating at Zone Coverage. Click here to read it in full.When Devin   Smeltzer was summoned to make a spot start after Michael Pineda was placed on the injured list last Sunday, he became the first pitcher outside of the team’s established rotation to make more than two starts in 2019.   Kohl Stewart has made two starts and Lewis Thorpe has made one. Through 100 team games, 95 of them were started by one of Jose Berrios, Martin Perez, Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

4

WARNE: Twins Capitalized on Unusual Offseason Marketplace to Build a Winner

This content originates at Zone Coverage here -- please click through to read it in its entirety.   In the mid-1980s, MLB teams colluded to keep player contracts — both in terms of length and dollars — from getting out of control. And while we’d stop short of using the c-word to describe the last two offseasons, there are some stunningly similar situations playing out before our very eyes.   Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are both sitting at home twiddling their thumbs as teams now wait for th
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

4

WARNE: Why I’m Not Buying the Minnesota Twins — For Now

It’s early June, and the Minnesota Twins are not only keeping their proverbial heads above water, but in fact have the second-most wins and the best winning percentage in the entire American League. Yes this Twins team, who was picked by national types to be among the five or so worst teams in baseball, is leading the charge in one of the better divisions in baseball.   Baseball is truly a weird game.   The Twins are 32-17 since a 1-6 start. They’re 31-16 against teams that aren’t from Detroit.
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Alan Busenitz

This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s official MLB.com roster. That means we’ll wrap it up with Kennys Vargas sometime before the season star
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

4

WARNE: My 2017 AL and NL All-Star Teams

The balloting for MLB All-Star teams ends this Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, and fans can vote up to five times every 24 hours — up to a total of 35 ballots.   The results will be announced on a television special on ESPN at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, and the game will be played at Marlins Park on July 11.   So, who do we think should be on the rosters for each side? We’ve cut through all the red tape for the final balloting and just made sure we had each team represented by at least one player
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

4

7/6 GAME NOTES: Twins Put Up Crooked Number in Third, Hold Tight Rest of the Way in 6-4 Win over Orioles

A six-spot in the third inning gave the Minnesota Twins all the offense they needed -- or would get -- while Jose Berrios and three relievers combined to hold the Baltimore Orioles offense at bay in a 6-4 win at Target Field on a balmy Thursday night.   A poorly-conceived throw from Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini with one out in the third torpedoed much of the value he provided with the bat on a night where he hit a pair of doubles and scored a pair of runs. His throw extended the inning, bu
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

COLD OMAHA: Plenty of Reasons for Optimism in Minnesota Twins Bullpen

A big point of contention for Twins fans over the past calendar year has been the bullpen. And while expectations were low heading into 2015, the team exceeded them. The bullpen, however, did not. Absent context, the bullpen’s numbers don’t look that bad, right? The team cobbled together a 3.95 ERA, a nice 6.9 K/9 and was one of just a handful of American League bullpens to issue fewer than three walks per nine frames. Nothing about that necessarily stands out to the untrained eye, but nothing l
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

WARNE: The Twins Should Promote Nick Gordon

This is an excerpt from a story that originated at Zone Coverage. Please read it in its entirety here, and consider subscribing to support the site.   The Miguel Sano injury situation trudged through Day 18 on Tuesday without much of an update as the Minnesota Twins prepared to open a quick two-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.   “(It was) more of the same today,” manager Paul Molitor said. “(He) ran the bases. Still, from my vantage point, we’re not seeing max effort, which we’re going
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

David Wells’ Perfect Game — 20 Years Later

This is an excerpt from a piece that originates at Zone Coverage here. Please click through to read the rest, and consider subscribing to the site.   It’s May 17, 1998.   It’s 8:30 a.m.   It’s a Sunday.   There is nothing remotely perfect about David Wells’ state of mind as he’s on the receiving end of a Senton Splash — as popularized by the Hardy Boyz of WWE fame from that era — from his son Brandon. Having poured himself into bed a mere 210 minutes earlier, Wells’ mind couldn’t be further from
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

Common Health Concern Spawns Special Bond Between Kohl Stewart and Young Fan

WRITER NOTE: This is an excerpt from a story that appears in full on Zone Coverage here.   Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time.   On Saturday afternoon, that place was Bat & Barrel — the restaurant that used to be known as the Metropolitan Club — down the right-field line at Target Field.   Twins players and fans gathered at the stadium for the yearly gathering known as TwinsFest, which caps the club’s winter caravan and begins the road to Spring Training each year. M
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

Garver's College Coach Says He's Been Called Up

It looks as though Twins fans may finally get their wish, as Mitch Garver is headed to the big leagues according to Ray Birmingham.   https://twitter.com/BirminghamRay/status/898395795552063488   Birmingham is the head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos baseball team, where Garver played from 2010-13 before the Minnesota Twins took him in the ninth round of the 2013 draft.   UPDATE: Garver's mother has also retweeted the original tweet. UPDATE II: Gail also tweeted that they'll be in Mi
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

REPORTS: Twins to Promote Reliever John Curtiss

Following Tuesday night’s 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins designated right-handed pitcher Tim Melville for assignment. That opened up a spot on the 40-man roster, and it sure sounds like right-handed reliever John Curtiss will be getting the call, as MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger first reported which was shortly followed by a report from Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.       The Twins have yet to confirm the move, though Curtiss is expected to join the
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

Garver, Donaldson Express Thoughts, Concerns on Proposed Altered MLB Season

This is an excerpt from a story which originates at Zone Coverage, please click here to read in full.   Minnesota Twins players Mitch Garver and Josh Donaldson addressed local media on a conference call Thursday afternoon, and it covered a wide range of subjects -- many of which would come as no surprise to curious fans. What are they specifically doing to maintain as much of their Grapefruit League progress as possible? What are they doing to pass the days when they aren't working out? Where
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

9/15 PREGAME NOTES: Colon vs. Happ, Big Sexy Night, Sano Update

Greetings from Target Field, where it is sunny and warm as the Twins look to make it two in a row over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. It’ll be righty Bartolo Colon (4.69 ERA, 4.94 FIP in 63.1 innings with the Twins) on the mound for the Twins and the second lefty in a row on the mound for Toronto in J.A. Happ (3.73 ERA, 4.00 FIP in 125.1 innings).   More on that in a bit.   It’s Big Sexy night at Target Field, and it’s not just because Colon is taking the mound. The Twins had a special ticket p
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

WARNE: Twins Should Target Yasmani Grandal This Offseason

The full story can be read by clicking through here.   It’s no secret this year hasn’t gone as planned for the Minnesota Twins.   It’s also no secret that the Twins — who look drastically different than they did even a week ago — will see significant turnover this offseason on the roster.   Not only were traded players Eduardo Escobar, Brian Dozier, Lance Lynn and Zach Duke slated to become free agents in the offseason, but so too are Joe Mauer and possibly also Ervin Santana. The upshot here i
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

WARNE: 2017 Twins Offseason Blueprint

This is an excerpt from a Zone Coverage article which appears in full here. Please click the link.   The Minnesota Twins exhibited significant growth in 2017, winning 85 games just one season after crumbling to the depths of 103-loss despair. A lot of it was done with in-house guys, as the only significant additions were a decent reliever (Matt Belisle) and a good catcher (Jason Castro).   The rest of the bump came from within. But if we saw anything in October, it was that, while the Twins were
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

Bobby Wilson Using “Eye of the Tiger” to Maintain Perspective During Trying Season

This is an excerpt from a story originating at Zone Coverage. Please click here to read the full story.   One thing I really like about baseball is that there’s always just so much going on. If you don’t pay attention 100 percent, you can easily miss something.   One thing I hone in on is weird personality quirks or tics players have while on the field. Josh Willingham used to open his eyes really wide before stepping into the batter’s box. Addison Reed immediately props his cap atop his head th
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

3

WARNE: What Awaits the Twins in the Final 13 Games?

Monday marks the Twins last off day before the end of the season, and provides a good chance to take a step back and survey what lies ahead. Minnesota opens a three-game series with Cleveland coming to town, with Tuesday marking the first of seven remaining games between the Twins and the Tribe. So essentially, more than half the Twins’ remaining 13 games come against Cleveland, a team which has underachieved virtually the entire season, but finds itself a mere 1.5 games behind the local nine.  
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

7/6 PREGAME NOTES: Berrios vs. Bundy, Breslow Bullpen and Being Better

It’s steamy and for the most part sunny as the Minnesota Twins prepare to open a four-game series — their final one of the first half — against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. A pair of good righties will tangle in this one, as Jose Berrios takes the ball for the Twins and Dylan Bundy counters for the Orioles.   Felix Jorge was in the clubhouse chatting with teammates and learning about his new home stadium — since his MLB debut was in Kansas City — and manager Paul Molitor confirmed that he wou
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

WARNE: Pre All-Star Weekend Mailbag

Hey guys. I’m writing you all from vacation in beautiful Rapid City, S.D. We’re on our way to see Mount Rushmore in the morning, but before that, here’s the mailbag column I promised you all almost a week ago. The homestand got kind of busy, and I ended up writing a James Rowson/Byron Buxton column I wasn’t previously planning on.   Also, my baby turns eight weeks old this Tuesday, and so we’re spending my paternity leave and some of my wife’s maternity leave on the road because we never take va
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

WARNE: Could the Twins be Replacing Mike Pelfrey?

Prodded by a caller on his weekly radio show, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor admitted the club was exploring their options with regards to the rotation spot of right-hander Mike Pelfrey. A number of factors make the situation difficult, including the shutdown of Jose Berrios, the presence of Tyler Duffey, and the current situations surrounding Phil Hughes and Trevor May.   To be clear, the presence of Duffey is simply just that he’s already promoted, and thus not a candidate to take Pelfre
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

WARNE: Pelfrey Showing Glimpses After Long Road Back From Tommy John

Frustration is a word that has followed Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey around for a while. Whether it was how he pitched on his road back from Tommy John surgery, to the surgery itself or even just the puzzling year he had last year where he gave the team virtually nothing in terms of production, the word frustration has been on the front burner as it pertains to Pelfrey.   But don’t think for a second that the pitcher himself isn’t frustrated, too.   “That’s all I’ve ever really known is to go
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Buddy Boshers

This is an excerpt of an article that appears in full on Zone Coverage here. Please click through.   This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s of
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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