MILB Truther

TRANSACTIONS
OF Braden Bishop signed to MiLB deal and assigned to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL
Columbus 4, St. Paul 3
Box Score

The bats started off hot for the Saints though they ultimately fizzled out after the third inning. Kyle Garlick (2-for-3, RBI) mashed a solo home run in the first inning and Caleb Hamilton (1-for-4) followed two batters later with an RBI double to give St. Paul a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Spencer Steer (1-for-5, RBI) added another run in the third inning with a solo home run, his ninth in 21 Triple-A games.

However, the Saints were unable to garner a single hit outside of the first five batters in the lineup and did not score after Steer’s jack.

Cole Sands pitched admirably to open the game, striking out three and allowing only one earned run in four innings. J.C. Ramirez, Yennier Cano, and Juan Minaya all surrendered one run during their seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, respectively, which ultimately sank the Saints.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Tulsa 2, Wichita 1
Box Score

Cole Sturgeon's (1-for-4) solo home run was the only run the Wind Surge were able to muster against the Drillers on Saturday, despite connecting for seven hits, drawing four walks, and stealing three bases; they struck out 16 times collectively and left 16 runners on base.

Daniel Gossett was tremendous to start the game, striking out five and allowing only three hits in five innings of scoreless ball. Osiris German was ultimately saddled with the loss after serving up a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Bryan Sammons and Jordan Gore each threw a scoreless inning in relief. 

Austin Martin was given a second-straight night off.  He has not been in the lineup in four of the past six games.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 9, Dayton 5
Box Score

Five of the Kernels 10 hits against the Dragons went for extra bases as they cruised to their 40th win. Christian Encarnacion-Strand led all batters with three hits in five at-bats, including his 18th double of the season. Yunior Severino (1-for-5, 2 RBI) and Will Holland (1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB) also smacked doubles. Wander Javier (2-for-5, 2 RBI) and Alerick Soularie (2-for-4, RBI) each launched solo home runs, their fifth and sixth, respectively.

Cade Povich was lights out on the mound as he struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs across five innings of work. He now has 68 strikeouts in 48 innings to go along with a solid 3.38 ERA. Orlando and Miguel Rodriguez combined to strike out six and allow three runs across the game's final four innings. 
With the win, the Kernels clinched a playoff berth by winning the first-half division title, joining the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels as Twins affiliates that will be in their league's playoffs at the end of the season.
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 5, Bradenton 4
Box Score

The Mighty Mussels hung on to take down the Marauders in Fort Myers on Saturday. 

Kala'i Rosario's (1-for-3, BB) two-run home run in the fourth inning was ultimately the deciding factor in the Mighty Mussels' win. Jake Rucker (2-for-4) and Luis Baez (2-for-3) each drove in an RBI. 

Marco Raya tossed the first 2 2/3 innings for Fort Myers, striking out five of the nine batters he faced. Matt Mullenbach, Niklas Rimmel, Regi Grace, and John Wilson combined to strikeout 10 batters, walk two, and give up four runs, three of them earned. 
COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 6, FCL Red Sox 5
Box Score

The baby Twins’ bats were scorching on Saturday, outhitting the Red Sox 14-7 with six—including Fredy Michel’s first home run of the season—going for extra bases. Ismael Perez led the Twins offense going 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored.

Jose Olivares started on the bump for the Twins, striking out six and surrendering two runs in four innings of work. Danny Moreno picked up a three-inning save, striking out two and along only one batter to reach base (via walk). 
DOMINICAN DAILIES
DSL D-backs 6, DSL Twins 3
Box Score

The Twins were held scoreless until the seventh inning when they plated all three of their runs. Jose Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with an RBI, all three hits being singles.

Cesar Lares got the start and gave up five earned runs across 4 ⅓ innings, though he did strike out seven and only walk one. Anthony Narvaez tossed the final 1 ⅔, striking out one and surrendering one run.
TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – LHP Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Hitter of the Day – Alerick Soularie (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, HR, RBI, BB, 2 R
PROSPECT SUMMARY
We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed:
#7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, HR, RBI
#9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB
#15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-1, 3 BB
#16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 3 K
#18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 
 
SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Columbus (12:05 PM CST) - RHP Jake Faria (1-2, 6.48 ERA)
Wichita @ Tulsa (1:05 PM CST) - RHP Casey Legumina (1-2, 6.59 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs. Dayton (2:05 PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney (2-2, 2.23 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (12:00 PM CST) - TBD
 

José Miranda put together one of the best Minor League seasons in Twins history in 2021, hitting a ridiculous .344/.401/.572 with 30 homers in 127 games. Miranda, 23, emerged as a future building block for the Twins, an unbelievable development after he hit just .252/.302/.369 with eight homers in 2019. Miranda deserved an opportunity to join the Twins last September, but his debut waited until May 2nd in Baltimore. 
Over his first 14 MLB games, Miranda hit a paltry .094 with a .332 OPS. He didn’t belong, and many wondered how he was so successful in the high minors. Since then, Miranda has hit .318/.339/.556, showing off his contact skills and tremendous power. His defense at third and first base has certainly been an adventure, but he's a talented hitter adapting to the highest level. 
The Twins’ infield outlook is much murkier than it was a few weeks ago. Royce Lewis is out for the year (and into 2023), and Carlos Correa will likely opt out and enter free agency. Gio Urshela has provided stability at third and is under team control through 2023, and it’s fair to wonder whether the Twins will want to pay him close to $10 million through arbitration. One thing’s for sure: the Twins are in first place with a roster that can make noise with reinforcements. With so much unknown, the time to invest is now.
Austin Martin and Jordan Balazovic have struggled to open the season, making it difficult to project their value in a trade. It’s unlikely the Twins would sell low on arguably their top two prospects, and it’s equally unlikely a team would be willing to part with highly sought-after players for two guys with significant question marks. Miranda is at least a step ahead of both of them. Could he be the Twins’ most valuable trade chip?
The Twins have helped more than just Miranda tap into his power. Spencer Steer is hitting .273/.371/.649 at Triple-A, providing similar defensive versatility. Then there’s Martin, who hasn’t had the same development but still projects as a future regular, just not at shortstop. Lewis will need a spot upon his return as well. There’s potential redundancy here.
While the Twins made multiple additions to improve their 2022 roster, the one that could potentially hurt their long-term future was the trade for Sonny Gray. Chase Petty has a chance to be an ace, but he’s many years away, and the Twins took the immediate impact in Gray, who is under team control through 2023. The trade for Chris Paddack cost Taylor Rogers, who will enter free agency following this season. Trading Miranda would be the first real hit on the short and long-term future. It takes money to make money, of course. 
The Twins had a chance to reinforce their roster at the 2019 deadline. They took a mid-level approach, trading for Sergio Romo and Sam Dyson. This time around, the Twins should be in on Frankie Montas, Luis Castillo, and any other frontline starter who is made available. They should be willing to part with top prospects. They should take opportunities to improve the roster. It’s time to end the dreadful Postseason losing streak, even if it means taking a massive risk. 
I’m a big believer in Jose Miranda. I think he can be a true middle-of-the-order bat for the next half-decade. I’m also a believer in the 2022 Twins. With Correa and Byron Buxton in the fold, the Twins have real upside in the tournament. A trade for Montas and a high-leverage reliever could be enough to vault them as a real threat. 
The American League is shockingly shallow. The Yankees are a force, as are the Astros. Behind them, the Twins can viably compete with anybody. They took two of three games from the Blue Jays in Toronto, won four of six from the Rays, and split with the Red Sox at Fenway. It's completely plausible that with the right moves, the Twins could create problems for the cream of the American League. Win the division, earn home field, and take your chances in October. The Twins have put themselves in a strong position. It’s time to take advantage in any way you can. Moving Miranda could provide that. 
What do you think? Could Miranda be the key piece in a trade to bring in impact players? Comment below!