Article: Twins Minor League Report (7/8): A Busy Saturday Night

[Jeremy Nygaard]

What had been a very interesting last couple of days in Twins territory turned into a clunker at Target Field on Saturday, but there were a handful of minor moves that took place which are definitely noteworthy.Outfielder Edgar Corcino was promoted to take the place of Zack Granite. The Red Wings still have an open roster spot - and only three active outfielders - so Granite’s presumptive return after Sunday’s game won’t necessitate Corcino being sent back to Chattanooga.

 

In turn, the Lookouts added outfielder Max Murphy to take Corcino’s place and also received starting pitcher Felix Jorge back from the Twins. The Lookouts had room for both after moving shortstop Nick Gordon to the temporarily inactive list due to his participation in the Futures Game on Sunday afternoon. His return will need to have a corresponding move.

 

Fort Myers added second baseman Dane Hutcheon from the GCL Twins to fill out their roster, though that move sounds only temporary as it was reported that lefty reliever Alex Robinson is being promoted from Cedar Rapids to Fort Myers.

 

There are other dominos likely to fall as well over the next couple of days as the #TwitterRumorverse was ablaze with talk of first overall pick's impending move from the GCL to Elizabethton. And who is going to join the Kernels? Brent Rooker, anyone?

 

<exhale>

 

Let’s check in on all of Saturday’s games.

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 2, Syracuse 0

Box Score

 

Aside from a fourth inning ByungHo Park triple that scored Tommy Field, which followed a wild pitch that scored Niko Goodrum - both of who had walked - there wasn’t a whole lot of offensive action in a game that saw the Red Wings score two runs on only three hits. Field also reached base on his 22nd double of the season.

 

Corcino went 0-3 with a strikeout in his AAA debut with the Twins organization. (He actually got four at-bats in a three-game cameo for Toledo in Detroit’s organization in 2012 -- when he 20.)

 

Aaron Slegers pitched very well. He left with two outs in the eighth inning. After allowing a leadoff single in his final frame, he erased the runner with a ground ball double play, but was lifted when he allowed another hit. Jake Reed recorded the final four outs for his third save of the season.

 

Slegers improved to 9-4. He struck out three and scattered seven hits over 7.2 scoreless innings.

 

The Red Wings improved to 48-39 but still sit five games out of the wild card standings.

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 5

Box Score

 

The Lookouts surrendered a first-inning lead and fell after allowing the game-winning run to break a tie in the top of the ninth.

 

Stephen Gonsalves only last four innings (and one batter into the fifth), but threw 97 pitches. He allowed three runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out three and took a no-decision.

 

Raul Fernandez did a nice job pitching three scoreless frames before turning it over to Luke Bard. Bard allowed a game-tying home run in the eight, blowing the save, and allowed another run in the ninth to take the loss. It is his first blown save and second loss of the season.

 

The offense was led by multi-hit games from Ryan Walker, Jonathan Rodriguez and Alex Perez. Walker, Levi Michael and Carlos Paulino all doubled.

 

The first-half champion Lookouts have a five-game second-half lead, but fall to 13-3.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 9, Palm Beach 2

Box Score

 

The Miracle laid in the weeds for most of the game, trailing 2-0 as they headed into the home half of the seventh. A three-run seventh inning, followed by a six-run eighth-inning, meant the home team never got to bat again.

 

Each member of the starting lineup got a hit or two. Jermaine Palacios hit his first High-A home run (and his 12th of the season) among two hits. Jaylin Davis was 2-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored. Sean Miller (double), Mitch Kranson and Tanner English (home run, two RBI, two runs) joined Palacios and Davis in the two-hit club.

 

Anthony McIver pitched four innings, allowing five hits, one run, one walk and striking out one, but didn’t last long enough to factor into the decision. David Fischer struck out four in three innings, surrendering one run on three hits, and picked up the win, improving to 4-6.

 

Sam Clay earned his fifth save for the Miracle, walking two batters over two scoreless, no-hit innings.

 

At 11-4 in the second half, Fort Myers is pacing the FSL North division by a game and a half.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 6, Peoria 5

Box Score

 

An early four-run inning evaporated in the middle innings and the Kernels needed a walk-off hit by Travis Blankenhorn to break the ninth-inning tie.

 

Griffin Jax lasted 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. He struck out four. Patrick McGuff retired all four batters he faced. Hector Lujan, who was brought in to protect the save, blew it by giving up a home run, and picked up the win instead, improving to 3-0.

 

The Kenels offense popped for 12 hits. Aaron Whitefield was 2-4 with his 19th stolen base, a double and a triple. Gorge Munez also tripled. Blankenhorn, Amaurys Minier, Caleb Hamilton and Andre Jernigan all had doubles as well. Jernigan and Munoz each drove in two.

 

Minier committed two errors at first base.

 

The playoff-bound Kernels dropped to 9-8 in the second half.

 

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 3

Box Score

 

Brent Rooker continues to tear up rookie-league pitching. On Saturday, he went 3-4 with a double and a home run, his fifth of the season. Shane Carrier also went 3-4 and hit home run number two. 2016 comp round pick Jose Miranda also homered, his third.

 

Bryan Sammons struck out six in 3.2 innings. He also walked three, allowing only one hit. Nick Brown worked four innings in relief, striking out five, but also allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. Blair Lasko picked up his first win, working four scoreless outs.

 

The E-Twins are 12-5, a half-game behind Greeneville.

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 2

Box Score

 

The pitching on Saturday consisted of four guys who combined to throw a shutout.

 

Tyler Beardsley allowed only one hit over three innings, with two strikeouts. Taylor Clemensia picked up the win… but did walk five in three innings. He allowed a hit and struck out three.

Austin Bizzle, pitching in only his second game since turning professional, threw his first multi-inning game. Bizzle picked up the hold by coaxing five ground ball outs and striking out one in two innings.

 

Vadim Balan picked up the save.

 

Colton Burns led the offense going 2-3 with a walk, two stolen bases, RBI and run. Royce Lewis went 1-4 with a strikeout.

 

The GCL Twins improve to 9-3, atop the FSL South by two games..

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Rochester

Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Fort Myers

 

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester vs Syracuse (12:35 CST) - RHP Justin Haley (REHAB) (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

Chattanooga vs Pensacola (4:05 CST) - TBD

Fort Myers vs Palm Beach (3:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Cedar Rapids vs Peoria (2:05 CST) - LHP Anthony Marzi (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Elizabethton vs Pulaski (5:00 CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (2-0, 2.93 ERA)

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games.

 

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[Han Joelo]

Fun to see some promotional movement.

 

Romero and Gonsalves both have had clunkers since Jorge's cameo--disappointment, jealousy, keenly perceptive readiness judgement by the FO, or randomchance? I'll take the latter.

 

When will Leach or Enlow pitch? I've noticed Wright and Gore haven't debuted--is this SOP for higher drafted pitchers? Barnes had three or four starts under his belt.

[bird]

Another really good day in the system. I think we should be encouraged by what's going on, despite the lack of star power. For me, I think the warm fuzzies some times hide behind the clouds because so many of the names in the box scores ( the older non-prospects) dull my senses. But then I consider that the All-Star rosters at each full-season level were adequately represented, and there has to be at least some optimism to take from two sets of numbers:

 

1. Team pitching (ERA and WHIP) at three of four full season leagues. Rochester is tops of 14 teams (3.29/1.23), Chattanooga 2 of 10 (3.02/1.22), Cedar Rapids 3 of 16 (3.36/1.18). Even Ft. Myers isn't terrible (3.46/1.30, 7/12). I conclude from this that there's some pitching talent, and that it's being properly developed. These have been major concerns of ours.

 

2. Winning teams. Rochester's winning percentage is .552, Chattanooga .640, Fort Myers .530, Cedar Rapids .552. ETown is 9-3 so far, GCL 12-5, and DSL 24-5. I conclude from this that the overall talent level in the system might be better than average and better than we have thought, and that the coaching is not too shabby. These have also been major concerns of ours.

 

Not everything is rosy, but these are indications that things have been headed in the right direction and we have more good things on the horizon.

[mikelink45]

If you were listing the most probable MLB ready players in our system at this time - the ones we could or should see in 2017 who would they be?  I keep hoping Gonsalves and Romero will make the rotation, but maybe they are not good enough.  I only read these reports and I would love to hear from some of you savvy minor league watchers to give me some indications of which players to focus on this year.  

 

I am excited by Rooker and Lewis and hope they move up quickly, but they are part of a group that has a long ways to go so I want the quick to the majors list.

[Seth Stohs]

Lewis and Rooker will likely move up, but neither is happening right away. Not quite yet.

 

Gonsalves and Romero are just fine.

 

The other half of the Robinson promotion is Tyler Beardsley being activated by the Kernels.

[drjim]

If you were listing the most probable MLB ready players in our system at this time - the ones we could or should see in 2017 who would they be? I keep hoping Gonsalves and Romero will make the rotation, but maybe they are not good enough. I only read these reports and I would love to hear from some of you savvy minor league watchers to give me some indications of which players to focus on this year.

 

I am excited by Rooker and Lewis and hope they move up quickly, but they are part of a group that has a long ways to go so I want the quick to the majors list.

You could open up a nice debate here.

 

I would say Garver (backup C) and Granite (4th OF) are set up to be very solid role players.

 

Gonsalves will probably break in to the rotation at some point next year, set up to be a 4ish type starter. Jorge is probably about the same.

 

Romero has the best arm, if he puts it together could be a #2 starter, I still think smart money in on him being a very good reliever.

 

There are a couple of bullpen arms worth monitoring, Reed and Curtiss look like they could be something, possible that Bard could on due time. Randy Rosario will probably break in next year. Remains to be seen if injured guys can get healthy (Burdi, Jay).

 

True gem of system right now is Gordon. Should be an everyday guy up the middle, perhaps by early next year.

[Mr. Brooks]

You could open up a nice debate here.

 

I would say Garver (backup C) and Granite (4th OF) are set up to be very solid role players.

 

Gonsalves will probably break in to the rotation at some point next year, set up to be a 4ish type starter. Jorge is probably about the same.

 

Romero has the best arm, if he puts it together could be a #2 starter, I still think smart money in on him being a very good reliever.

 

There are a couple of bullpen arms worth monitoring, Reed and Curtiss look like they could be something, possible that Bard could on due time. Randy Rosario will probably break in next year. Remains to be seen if injured guys can get healthy (Burdi, Jay).

 

True gem of system right now is Gordon. Should be an everyday guy up the middle, perhaps by early next year.

Jorge isn't even in the same ballpark as Gonsalves, IMO.

[drjim]

Jorge isn't even in the same ballpark as Gonsalves, IMO.

I'm letting the "probably" and "about" do a lot of work here to avoid typing more words.

[bird]

I think part of the answer to the question about who to get excited about is to not fret all that much about which prospects are quick to the majors and watch instead which prospects, at any level, build their value. We need this new FO to be more willing to trade surplus minor league assets. I think drjim is probably right in surmising that we don't have a front line starter on the cusp, Romero being the long shot for such a description. We probably have to hope Falvine are willing and able to acquire a 1-2 starter to anchor the rotation from the outside, either through trading some of these increasingly valuable minor league assets along with a MLB asset like Dozier, or through a FA signing. We have a lot of guys who project to possibly be nice mid to back end starters in the next year or so: Mejia, May, Gonsalves, Jorge, Thorpe, Romero. 

[mikelink45]

 

You could open up a nice debate here.

I would say Garver (backup C) and Granite (4th OF) are set up to be very solid role players.

Gonsalves will probably break in to the rotation at some point next year, set up to be a 4ish type starter. Jorge is probably about the same.

Romero has the best arm, if he puts it together could be a #2 starter, I still think smart money in on him being a very good reliever.

There are a couple of bullpen arms worth monitoring, Reed and Curtiss look like they could be something, possible that Bard could on due time. Randy Rosario will probably break in next year. Remains to be seen if injured guys can get healthy (Burdi, Jay).

True gem of system right now is Gordon. Should be an everyday guy up the middle, perhaps by early next year.

Thanks for that perspective.  The starting pitching upside as you present it is not very good.  If Ervin is having a career year and then regresses we do not have an ACE or high 2 ready to step up and join Berrios.  Garver and Granite are nice, but only bench.  I do hope the bullpen prospects rise above what we have been experiencing. 

[drjim]

Thanks for that perspective. The starting pitching upside as you present it is not very good. If Ervin is having a career year and then regresses we do not have an ACE or high 2 ready to step up and join Berrios. Garver and Granite are nice, but only bench. I do hope the bullpen prospects rise above what we have been experiencing.

Pitching upside is definitely not good. Depth is also pretty mediocre.

 

For perspective, there are probably only 3 or 4 pitchers in the minors right now (not counting recent drafts) that project to be true #2/1s, maybe 6 if you stretch. Just not a common asset. The top 11 prospects in BA Top 100 are bats. #12 is a pitcher out with TJ.

[drjim]

Pitching upside is definitely not good. Depth is also pretty mediocre.

 

For perspective, there are probably only 3 or 4 pitchers in the minors right now (not counting recent drafts) that project to be true #2/1s, maybe 6 if you stretch. Just not a common asset. The top 11 prospects in BA Top 100 are bats. #12 is a pitcher out with TJ.

Should add that these numbers represent pitchers that would be in the mlb by next year. Some low level guys might be higher upside.