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Cody Christie

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Blog Entries posted by Cody Christie

  1. Cody Christie
    Last offseason, the Minnesota Twins traded two of their most important outfield pieces, Denard Span and Ben Revere. There were plenty of reasons for doing this but the main reason was the team needed to add some pitching prospects to their minor league system. The club also felt Aaron Hicks was close to being ready to take over the everyday center field job.
     
    It's nearly a year later and things might already be falling apart for both of these players in their new organizations. Reports have begun to surface that the Nationals and the Phillies might be willing to part ways with the center fielders they've had for all of one season. There are a variety reasons each team wants to go in a new direction.
     
    Denard Span- Washington Nationals
    2013 Stat Pack: .279/.327/.380, 4 HR, 11 3B, 28 2B, 20 SB
    Last Season: In his first season with the Nationals, Span played over 150 games for the first time since 2010. He was a National League Gold Glove nominee for his continued strong defense in center field. His shift to Nationals Park helped him to collect a league high 11 triples. Span also stole 20 bases for the first time in three seasons.
     
    Trade Talk: The Nationals are now interested in signing free agent center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and this could make a deal for Span imminent. Ellsbury is a Scott Boras client and the Nationals have been a landing spot for some of his free agents in the past. It will be interesting to see if the Nats are able to sign Ellsbury before they trade Span or they could end up with multiple lead-off men on their team for next year.
     
    Contract Situation: There is some value left in Span as he as a couple years remaining on his current contract. In 2014, the 29-year old will be owed $6.5 million with a $9 million club option for the following season. Span also played very well in the second half of the season and this could make other teams very interested in his services.
     
    Ben Revere- Philadelphia Phillies
    2013 Stat Pack: .305/.338/.352, 0 HR, 3 3B, 9 2B, 22 SB
    Last Season: A broken foot just before the All-Star break cost Revere a big chunk of his season. He was on fire before the injury as he hit .407 with a .909 OPS in the 29 games. It looked like the Phillies might have finally unlocked the Revere puzzle and he could provide some solid value for the club in the years moving forward.
     
    Trade Talk: It can be tough for a player that relies on speed to make it make all the way from a broken foot. This could mean some tough decisions ahead for the Phillies front office. Revere likely won't have a ton of trade value in the coming months as teams try and see if he is healthy. Philadelphia might try and add another outfielder to the mix for next year and this could mean a Revere trade.
     
    Contract Situation: Revere earned Super 2 status under the arbitration system and this makes him eligible for arbitration for the first time. He will likely get a slight bump in pay but he is still very affordable for the next handful of seasons. The first year Revere will be eligible for free agency is 2018 so it seems likely for the Phillies to hang on to him for right now.
  2. Cody Christie
    The Twins made it official on Monday... Joe Mauer's days behind the plate are over.
     
    After consulting with doctors at Mayo Clinic, it was felt that Mauer needed to avoid the chance of re-injuring himself at the roughest position on the baseball field. Even though Mauer is now symptom free and able to go about his regular offseason routine, the club felt this was in the best interest of the team and their star player.
     
    The move away from catcher has been something Mauer has tried to avoid in the past. Even after missing most of the 2011 season because of leg issues, Mauer wanted to prove he could handle the rigors of being a full-time catcher again. The seriousness of his concussion in 2013 must have been enough to convince him the time was right for a move.
     
    In my offseason blueprint, I listed Mauer as the primary first baseman for the 2014 Minnesota Twins. It seemed likely for the club to give him more time at first base especially with the exit of Justin Morneau and the rise of Josmil Pinto. These two players are just part of the ripple effect of Mauer's move to first.
     
    Pinto's Chance to Start
    The Twins were impressed with the performance of Pinto in the final month of the season. Over 21 games, the rookie backstop batted .342/.398/.566 with four home runs and five doubles. His defensive skills might not be as good as Mauer but he did throw out 33% of base runners with a .982 fielding percentage in his eight seasons in the minor leagues. Minnesota could always add a veteran catcher but Pinto deserves a chance at some point next year.
     
    Morneau Won't Return
    Within the inner circle of Twins Territory, there might have been the hopes of a return of their former MVP. As Mauer shifts to first base, it seems as if there is no spot for Morneau on the roster. It probably didn't make sense for the Twins to spend money on Morneau with other first base options currently under contract. This allows Morneau to try and find a spot on a team that can contend before his career is complete.
     
    Parmelee and Colabello Left Searching for ABs
    Both Parmelee and Colabello have put together impressive numbers at Triple-A in the last two seasons. These performances haven't translated to the big leagues and this leaves question marks about them moving forward. Parmelee got some time in the outfield last year and this might be his best chance at sticking with the team long-term. Colabello's independent baseball story was great but he might be more of a organizational player.
     
    Sano's the Future at Third
    With a full offseason to prepare, Minnesota could have moved Mauer to third base. They didn't because Miguel Sano is making his way to Target Field. There is a small chance of Sano starting the year with the club so Trevor Plouffe will keep his place warm at the hot corner. It seems a waste to use Mauer's athletic ability at a lowly position like first base but Sano has one of the best arms in the Twins system and the spot should be saved for him.
     
    What other ripple effects are there from Mauer's move to first? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
  3. Cody Christie
    When a team has lost 90 games in three consecutive seasons, there can be plenty of finger pointing. For the Twins, there are questions to ask about how this current roster was created and what the team can do as they try and move forward.
     
    Where are the holes in this roster? What needs to be done this offseason? Are there internal options to help remedy the situation? All of these questions and more need to be answered before the team heads to Florida for spring training.
     
    Let's take a look at each position and try to figure out how the Twins can get out of this mess. A fishing bobber ranking will accompany each position. One bobber means the position needs to be addressed, two bobbers means the position is steady, and three bobbers means the position is looking good going forward.
     
    Catcher
    2013 Starter: Joe Mauer
    Other Options: Ryan Doumit, Josmil Pinto, Chris Herrmann
    There are questions about Mauer moving forward from his concussion related issues. Doumit suffered from some concussion issues of his own. At the end of the season, Pinto looked great but can he sustain this kind of production at the big league level. This should be a position for the Twins not to worry about but Mauer's concussion issues bring down this ranking. Ranking: One Bobber
     
    First Base
    2013 Starter: Justin Morneau (Out of the Organization)
    Other Options: Joe Mauer, Chris Colabello, Chris Parmelee
    Mauer's head troubles could mean a change of position and first base might be his new home by the beginning of next season. Colabello and Parmelee have shown success at Triple-A but it hasn't translated to the big leagues. This could be a spot where the team looks out of the organization for help since there are three left-handed bats and plenty of question marks. Ranking: One Bobber
     
    Second Base
    2013 Starter: Brian Dozier
    Other Options: Eduardo Escobar, Eddie Rosario
    In a breakout season, Dozier made Twins fans forget his disastrous rookie campaign. He seems to have locked up second base going into next season but Rosario is close to knocking on the door. Rochester will be Rosario's home to start 2014 but a falter from Dozier could mean Rosario's rise to the big leagues. This position battle will be one to watch moving forward. Ranking: Three Bobbers
     
    Third Base
    2013 Starter: Trevor Plouffe
    Other Options: Miguel Sano, Deibinson Romero
    Plouffe struggled for most of 2013 but ended the year with a strong month of September. The Twins are going to want to see Sano at the big league level sometime in 2014. After Hicks' terrible 2013 season, the club will probably take it slow with Sano. A hot start in Triple-A from Sano could mean the end of Plouffe's tenure at third base. Ranking: Three Bobbers
     
    Shortstop
    2013 Starter: Pedro Florimon
    Other Options: Danny Santana, Eduardo Escobar
    Last season, Florimon showed his defensive prowess but his offense continues to be offensive. In the minor leagues, Santana continues to hit but there are giant question marks about his defense. Florimon is the likely starter but Santana's offensive ability is something to watch. Overall, shortstop is a tough spot in the higher levels of the organization. Ranking: One Bobber
     
    Left Field
    2013 Starter: Josh Willingham
    Other Options: Oswaldo Arcia, Trevor Plouffe
    Willingham followed his tremendous 2012 season with an injury filled 2013. Arcia had some up and down moments in his rookie year but he still showed the power stroke he had been known for in the minors. As the team looks to the future, it might make sense for Willingham spend more time at DH. Plouffe could see more time in the outfield when Sano arrives. Ranking: Two Bobbers
     
    Center Field
    2013 Starter: Aaron Hicks
    Other Options: Byron Buxton, Alex Presley
    When the Twins handed the starting center field job to Hicks last year, they hoped the young man would take the position and run. Lucky for Twins fans, Buxton burst onto the scene in 2013. It could still be a couple years before Buxton makes it to the big leagues and this leaves a hole in center field. The future looks bright with Buxton but there are still questions about what Hicks will be able to do in 2014. Ranking: Two Bobbers
     
    Right Field
    2013 Starter: Chris Parmelee
    Other Options: Aaron Hicks, Darin Mastroianni
    The Twins could be searching for options at this position moving forward. Parmelee and Hicks had disappointing seasons and Mastroianni was hurt for most of the year. Arcia could see some time at this spot if the Twins continue to use Willingham defensively. If Hicks can fix his offensive woes, this could be his spot when Buxton arrives on the scene. Ranking: One Bobber
     
    What kind of bobber rankings would you give the Twins position players? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
  4. Cody Christie
    As part of the Twins Daily preseason preview, I took an in-depth look at Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe as they headed into the 2013 season. Going into the season, both former first round draft picks figured to get extended playing time. The hope for Twins fans was for each of these players to show some of the potential they had shown while playing at the Triple-A level.
     
    Plouffe showed some impressive power in 2012 with 24 home runs and 19 doubles. He had a career high .756 OPS and it looked like the Twins might have found someone to be an offensive threat in the second half of the line-up. At the beginning of 2012, there was talk of him moving into the outfield but he found a new home at third base. There was hope of improvement from Plouffe as the team headed to Florida for spring training.
     
    Minnesota wanted to bring in some competition for Plouffe at third base during spring training but this never happened. Plouffe was penciled in as the starting third baseman and he started 118 games there. Over the course of the season, his batting average rose to the point where he hit .330/.369/.417 in September. He posted a positive defensive WAR for the first time in his career but his other defensive numbers were lacking.
     
    It's hard to know what the role of Plouffe will be going forward. Stud prospect Miguel Sano will enter spring training with a chance to take over the starting third base job. This could mean Plouffe spending more time in the outfield or keeping Sano's spot warm while he gets some seasoning at Triple-A. Injuries impacted different parts of his 2013 season but Plouffe is surely going to feel the heat from Sano entering 2014.
     
    For Parmelee, there were high expectations after his strong September call-up in 2011. Justin Morneau was a giant question mark at first base and the Twins fan base thought Parmelee could take over the role of starting first baseman. In 2012, he received sporadic big league playing time and this might have been the main reason for his struggles. Minnesota was going to find more at-bats for him in 2013 and this meant a move to the outfield.
     
    The power Parmelee showed in Triple-A and in his September call-up has continued to be absent. His OPS dropped this season and he had the same OPS+ as in 2012. Left-handed pitchers owned Parmelee by holding him to hitting .172/.250/.276 in 58 at-bats. Even his time at Triple-A was unimpressive (.231/.318/.370) following a year where he was a force in the minor leagues.
     
    If the Twins are going to have to find playing time for Joe Mauer at a position besides catcher, it will likely be first base. This takes at-bats away from Parmelee and the outfield might start to fill-up with more viable options. Josh Willingham, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, and Ryan Doumit all need playing time and this could leave Parmelee without regular at-bats. It's looking more and more like Parmelee will be the odd man out.
     
    The Twins need their first round draft picks to make it at the big league level. As I said in the article from the beginning of the year, "It takes a lot to become a regular on a major league ball club." The hope was for Parmelee and Plouffe to be part of the long-term solution in Minnesota.
     
    At this point, that is starting to look more like a dream than a reality.
  5. Cody Christie
    Plenty of Twins players will have things to reflect on this coming offseason. When a team has multiple 90-loss seasons in a row, changes are likely and some of those situations started to play themselves out. Minnesota needs pitchers to stand out in the final games of the season as the team tries to figure out the future.
     
    Liam Hendriks is one player on shaky ground for 2014. The team rushed him to the big leagues as a 22-year old and struggles followed him since he got called up. Next season, he will be 25 and there is a chance the Twins remove him from the 40-man roster. As Nick Nelson wrote here at Twins Daily, Hendriks might have run out of chances.

    Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com


    Minnesota needs some semblance of a starting rotation for next season and there aren't any sure bets on the free agent market. This could leave a window open for Hendriks to get one more chance in 2014. It might not be a good chance but there is at least an opportunity.
     
    The Twins jerked him back and forth between the minor leagues and the big leagues over the past three seasons. With the Twins, he has never started more than eight games consecutively and that was at the end of last season. It would be a challenge to figure out big league hitters when a pitcher isn't given the opportunity to start consecutive games. His pitches are already bottom of the rotation material and moving him up and down hasn't helped.
     
    In 2011 at Double-A and 2012 at Triple-A, Hendriks was a very effective pitcher. He posted ERAs of under 3.00 and he averaged over six innings per appearance. Strikeouts have never been his specialty but he is most effective when he limits walks and induces ground balls. This hasn't happened at the major league level but he has shown these skills in the minor leagues.
     
    Another reasons to keep Hendriks around is the fact he won't be arbitration eligible until the 2016 season and he can't reach free agency until 2019. This means he will be a relatively cheap player on the roster and the Twins can use the money they save on him to spend on other pieces of the roster.
     
    Even in their recent down years, the Twins have found effective relief pitchers in various ways. One way to add to a relief pitching core is to shift starters into the bullpen. Minnesota has seen successful transitions from Glen Perkins and Anthony Swarzak and this could be a path to follow with Hendriks. Minnesota has already used him as a long-relief man at the end of 2013 and it could be a sign of things to come.
     
    Is Hendriks going to be a key piece to the potential Twins turnaround? Likely not but it still doesn't mean that it is time to give up on him. It would have been nice for Hendriks to get more opportunities at the big league level. The team has never given him a consistent shot at sticking in the rotation and most of this has come from his ineffective pitching.
     
    Hendriks might not be the answer to all of the Twins pitching problems and he deserves another chance to make it work in some kind of role for 2014.
  6. Cody Christie
    There is less than a week left in the regular season and the Twins don't have a manager under contract for 2014. With Minnesota on their way to a third straight 90-loss, there are questions about whether Ron Gardenhire deserves another opportunity at the helm. He won 2010's AL Manager of the Year but things have been ugly since that season.
     
    Since Tom Kelly was hired in 1987, the Twins have employed two managers so change has been far from commonplace. Terry Ryan cleared out most of Gardenhire's coaching staff last season in an attempt to bring in some new voices to the clubhouse. Even with the coaching changes, there wasn't much improvement on the field.
     
    Gardenhire might not be out the door but the team doesn't have to bring him back. The Twins will have to make a managerial decision and they are reasons for and against each candidate.

    Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com


     
    Ron Gardenhire
    Reasons For: He's a very well respected manager and he's been with the organization in some capacity through multiple decades. The Twins front office hasn't given him much in the starting pitching department. He knows the Twins way of doing things and the Pohlads have avoided managerial changes during their ownership.
     
    Reason Against: It's been a rough couple of seasons and it might be time for a new voice. Most of the veteran players on the roster have left for green pastures and this could mean a youth movement. It could help to bring in a different manager that has worked more recently with a younger core of players in the minor leagues. Fans have called for a change and it could be time.
     
    Paul Molitor
    Reasons For: The Twins like to stick with organizational guys and Molitor has held a few different jobs within the organization. He worked as the bench coach under Kelly and more recently he has served as a roving minor league instructor. His experience with some of the younger players could play to his advantage.
     
    Reasons Against: Molitor doesn't have any managerial experience and this could be one of the biggest strikes against him. There have probably been chances for him to enter the managerial ranks in the Twins farm system but the schedule of a minor league instructor fit his needs. The experience of the other men could make it tough to pick Molitor as the man for Minnesota.
     
    Jake Mauer
    Reasons For: The elder Mauer has built up a strong reputation during his time as a manager in the Twins minor league system. In his first year with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, he guided the team to what might have been the best minor league regular season in 2013. There were plenty of changes to the roster and the team kept winning games. He knows how to work with a young roster and to get the best out of up-and-coming players.
     
    Reasons Against: He lacks any experience at the big league level as a player or a coach. This could mean a tough adjustment as he looks to figure out life as a major league manager. His younger brother is also the best player on the team and that could lead to an interesting family dynamic. He has done some good things in the minor leagues but it might not be enough to earn him the job.
     
    Gene Glynn
    Reasons For: The Rochester Red Wings rallied under Glynn this season and earned a Wild Card playoff spot on the season's final day. Multiple coaches from his staff were brought up to Minnesota this season and this could make for an easy transition. He also has spent multiple years in different coaching roles at the big league level to give him the experience he would need.
     
    Reasons Against: He isn't exactly a flashy name and many Twins fans might not have ever heard of him. At 57-years old, he isn't exactly a spring chicken. In fact, he is two years older than Gardenhire. If the Twins want to find someone to work a young roster, Glenn might not fit the bill, as most of Rochester 2013 line-up was older minor league veterans. Experience is great but he might not be the best choice for the long-term.
  7. Cody Christie
    When the Twins left spring training, there were multiple Twins players in line to get playing time during their sophomore seasons. The second year can be a huge year for players trying to make their mark at the big league level. There can be positive signs during a rookie season but continuing those early impressions and making adjustments is key to solidifying a player's future.
     
    Two of these second year players were set-up for very different starts to the season. Scott Diamond had seemingly come out of nowhere to be the Twins best starting pitcher in 2012. Brian Dozier had struggled mightily during his first trip through the American League. Diamond was lined up to fit into the rotation for multiple seasons while Dozier had plenty of question marks around him as he shifted to a new defensive position.
     
    Early Season Impressions
    Diamond started the year on the disabled list after having a bone chip removed from his elbow in later portion of the offseason. This might have taken away from his offseason routine and this definitely showed up on the field. By the end of June, Diamond had an ERA of 5.40 with opponents batting .320/.355/.502 against him. It wasn't exactly a dream start to the year.
     
    Dozier didn't exactly start the world on fire at the beginning of the year. In the middle of April, he was hitting under .200 and things wouldn't improve in a hurry. For the entire month of May, he hit .190/.227/.286 while being limited to four extra-base hits. There were some positive signs at his new defensive position but his offense was still reminiscent of his poor rookie campaign.
     
    Mid-Season Changes
    Things would continue to go down hill for Diamond in the middle portion of the season. The month of July would be another bad month as opponents hit .264/.336/.500 with six home runs in five games started. Other teams were hitting the ball hard and Diamond's 1.538 WHIP continued to be tough to swallow. Minnesota decided to make a change and Diamond was sent to Rochester in August for the rest of the Triple-A season.
     
    While Diamond was busy trying to figure himself out in the minors, Dozier made some adjustments to put him on a record breaking pace. He would knock five home runs in June while boosting his batting line to .257/.389/.514. July would see Dozier hit 11 doubles, more than the first three months of the year combined. Ron Gardenhire had more faith in Dozier to bat near the top of the order and the second baseman made the most of this opportunity.
     
    Late-Season Adjustments
    Rochester needed every win the team could get down the stretch and Diamond helped to solidify their rotation. He would make six starts at Triple-A and he posted a perfect 4-0 record with a 2.40 ERA. Opponents hit .217/.259/.336 against him and he averaged almost seven innings a start. Minnesota had seen some positive changes in Diamond so they brought him back to the big leagues for the team's last handful of games. There are open spots in next season's starting rotation and Diamond needs to show that he deserves a spot.
     
    Dozier continued his hot hitting as the Twins season has progressed. August would turn into his best offensive month, as he became a power hitting threat. He hit .276/.333/.535 with six home runs, 11 doubles, and three triples. This outburst of power put Dozier on pace to set the franchise record for home runs from a second baseman. Minnesota had used Dozier at the bottom of the line-up, as a leadoff hitter, and now he has worked his way to the middle of the order.
     
    Focus on the Future
    Diamond has a lot left to prove to the Twins before the 2014 season starts. There is going to be some room in the team's pocket book to court some free agent pitchers. If the Twins pursue multiple starting pitching options, Diamond could end up back in Rochester. This seems like a long shot at this point but Mr. Diamond won't feel nearly as comfortable this offseason. Maybe it is better for him to have to earn a spot than to be guaranteed one.
     
    Minnesota has Eddie Rosario pushing towards the majors but Dozier looks to be blocking his path to the big leagues. Fans are going to want to see Dozier continue his impressive offense for another full season. It has been rare for the Twins to have a middle infielder molded in their own farm system and the team seems pleased with Dozier. He has slowly become a team leader and the Twins future plans seem more likely to include their current second baseman.
     
    Sophomore years can be tough but Dozier and Diamond have sure taken different paths in their second year in the big leagues. Diamond in the middle of a year long sophomore slump and Dozier showing that there can be some success in a player's sophomore season.
     
    Two different players... And Two Different Sophomore Seasons...
  8. Cody Christie
    The Twins continue to play out the rest of the 2013 season without their $23 million man, Joe Mauer. There is plenty of concern surrounding Mauer's concussion related injury. As Twins fans are well aware from recent incidents with Denard Span and Justin Morneau, head injuries can be tough to solve. This leaves Minnesota with an interesting situation behind the plate as the team looks to the future.
     
    No one knows when Mauer will be back on the field and if he will ever be able to suit up behind the plate. The Twins have been auditioning a variety of players this September in hopes of shedding so light on the situation. Will one of these new players be the Twins full-time backstop by the start of next year or will Mauer be able to solve the puzzle of his brain injury?
     

    Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

     
    Here's the breakdown of the men fighting for catching time in 2014. It is a mixture of young and old as the Twins begin to shift their roster to a more youthful core of players.
     
    Joe Mauer
    2013 (113 G, 73 G started at C): .324/.404/.476, 11 HR, 35 2B, 62 R
    Concerns over Mauer's injury will be one of the biggest story lines entering spring training next year. The 2013 season was only the second time since 2007 where he has failed to play over 135 games. Justin Morneau is gone and this leaves a hole at first base. Mauer's power numbers don't exactly fit with the typical first baseman mold but the Twins need him to fit somewhere. Depending on how the offseason progresses, fans have to hope that Mauer will be able to do some catching, play some time at first, and even get into the line-up as a DH. This could be a wild dream at this point but there are multiple months until Opening Day 2014.
     
    Ryan Doumit
    2013 (124 G, 41 GS at C): .239/.310/.386, 13 HR, 24 2B, 43 R
    With Mauer out of the line-up, one would figure Doumit would get some more time at catcher. This hasn't been the case and Doumit had his own concussion related DL stint earlier this season. Minnesota loved the production Doumit provided in 2012 and the team signed him to an extension. His offensive production dropped a little this season and there's a chance the team could try and deal him in the offseason. He will be 33-years old next season and in the last year of his contract. His does represent the lone veteran presence behind Mauer so this could give the Twins a reason to keep him around.
     
    Chris Herrmann
    2013: (49 G, 22 GS at C): .218/.302/.361, 4 HR, 7 2B, 14 R
    Herrmann can't be a free agent until after the 2019 season and the Twins have been willing to use him in multiple defensive positions. His numbers dropped across the board as he struggled at the plate in Rochester and Minnesota. There were some good signs from him during 2012 at Double-A. One has to hope for that version of Herrmann to transfer to the big league level especially if Mauer is no longer able to catch. If he is able to make the right adjustments, Herrmann could end up taking over the role vacated by Doumit after next season. Otherwise, he is an adequate back-up catcher to keep on the bench.
     
    Josmil Pinto
    2013: (11 G, 9 GS at C): .405/.463/.703, 2 HR, 5 2B, 6 R
    In his first taste of the big leagues, Pinto has made a quick impression on Twins Territory. The kid can hit the ball and he has continued to show this ability as he has moved through the upper levels of the Twins farm system. In the past, there have been some questions about his catching ability and this year there were concerns about his shoulder. He was able to throw out 29% of base stealers between New Britain and Rochester this season. At the big league level, he has caught three out of seven potential runners. Fans that continue to watch the Twins in September will keep their eye on Pinto because he might be getting a lot more time behind the plate next year.
     
    Fans might be worried about Mauer's future so it's good to have a future plan in place. Pinto has been impressive but it has been a small sample size and it's tough to get too excited before seeing a full season of play from him. It would be great for both men to be able to spend some time behind the plate next season but for now the future is a little cloudy.
  9. Cody Christie
    Aaron Hicks had to be flying high at the conclusion of spring training this season. He had won the starting center fielder job for the Twins and he would be making his big league debut in front of the Target Field faithful. His 2012 minor league campaign was fantastic as he showed much of the promise the Twins had seen in him when they took him as a first round pick.
     
    The future seemed nothing but bright and there were comparisons being made to some of the best outfielders in the game.
     
    Those flowery thoughts didn't last too long as Hicks would struggle mightily on the offensive side of the ball. At the end of April, he had a batting line of .113/.229/.127 with a double being his lone extra-base hit. These were tough numbers to swallow especially with the expectations coming out of spring training.
     
    Switching the calendar to May helped Hicks with his power swing but the other numbers didn't follow suit. After one extra-base hit in the first month, he cracked 10 extra-base hits in the second month of the season including six home runs. This raised his slugging percentage almost 200 points from .127 to .315 and it lead some to believe that Hicks might have turned the corner.
     
    Throughout his minor league career, he had been praised as being a patient hitter but pitchers were able to attack him at the plate. In the first two months of the season, he struck out 49 times and he was only able to coax 17 walks. Combine his low walk total with the fact that he wasn't hitting the ball all that great and there were some red flags starting to appear.
     
    June would see Hicks trying to overcome his first extended stay on the DL. He would be sent to Triple-A for the first time as part of his rehab and it seemed like he might have gotten more out of staying at that level. Instead the team brought him back for the start of July and there were a few more baby steps in the right direction.
     
    Hicks batted .230/.292/.379 after returning from the DL. His batting average and OBP were the highest marks for any month so there were some positive signs. He was able to steal five bases while only being caught once. On the negative side, he struck out 26 times and was limited to six walks. The Twins decided it was time for Hicks to try and be successful at Triple-A and he was sent down for the remainder of Rochester's season.
     
    Things weren't much better for Hicks in limited action in the minors. For the season, he played 22 games with Rochester and posted a batting line of .222/..317/.333 with six extra-base hits but no home runs. He was able to draw 10 walks but he averaged close to a strikeout a game. There was no shining light at the end of the tunnel.
     
    Hicks wasn't among the Twins September call-ups and there are plenty of questions surrounding him after his first big league season. Should the Twins give up on Hicks in favor of stud prospect Byron Buxton? What is the future of role of Hicks with this team? Will he ever be able to be a consistent hitter at the big league level? Was this a lost season for the former top prospect?
     
    Everything seemed bright for Hicks under the color of the Florida sun but things quickly turned cold in the brisk Minnesota spring. It will be an offseason of reflect for Mr. Hicks and hopefully a chance to enter next season with the ability to forget what happened in 2013.
  10. Cody Christie
    The calendar turned to September over a week ago and some changes can followa failing team in the final month of the year. Younger players continue to getmore playing time over veterans like Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham. It is thetime of year for the Twins to see what the future can hold and changes likethis can bring up some other questions.
     
    During the last two seasons, the Twins have been able to see the value ofhaving a high draft pick. Byron Buxton and Kohl Stewart were added to the foldover the last two years to help bolster a minor league system that isconsidered one of the best in baseball. The higher a team can draft, the moremoney the club can spend, and the better prospects a club will likely receive.
     
    This can lead to some questions of tanking in the final month of the year. Over at ESPN's SweetSpot Blog, the idea oftanking was discussed since there is a cluster of team's battling to be inthe top 10 draft picks for 2014. For example, the Mets are trotting out a finalmonth rotation that includes Daisuke Matsuzaka and Aaron Harang. These aren'tyour father's "Amazing Mets."
     
    Minnesota hasn't signed a bunch of aging veterans in the last couple weeksto fill into their rotation but some might argue that was the team's overallstrategy during last offseason. Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey have pitched themost innings on Minnesota's staff and each man has an ERA north of 4.00. Onecould have expected this time of production from these two men and it doesn'thelp that other members of the rotation have failed to live up to expectations.
     
    At the end of 2012, the Twins finished with 96 losses but it wasn't becauseof terrible play in September. The club went 13-15 during the final month andtheir .464 winning percentage was their second highest for any month. June wasthe only month the club finished over .500 with a 14-13 record. Minnesotaentered the month in the fourth draft position and that's where they would finish.
     
    The month of September in 2011 was a little bit different story. Minnesotastarted the month in fourth place in the AL Central and they were in line toget the fourth pick in the 2012 draft. An awful final month saw the team go6-20 to post a .231 winning percentage. It was their worst record for any monthand the team would end up improving their draft position from fourth to second.
     
    As the final month of the 2013 season is underway, the Twins were inthe sixth position for next year's draft. There were only four games separatingthem from the Angels, the team that started the month positioned to get the13th draft pick. Entering play on Wednesday, Minnesota had accumulated a 4-4record for the month and they are now tied with Milwaukee for the fifth pick.
     
    There are plenty of benefits to having a top 10 pick in the draft.Obviously, a team gets more money to spend in their draft pool for next June.Also, a team with a top 10 pick has a protected first round pick. This meansthe front office can approach top tier free agents without fear of losing theclub's top draft pick. Some teams have run into this issue with the recentswitch in the collective bargaining agreement and it doesn't seem fair forclub's trying to rebuild.
     
    The Twins haven't been known to spend a ton on the free agent market so thiswrinkle in the free agent system might not be a huge issue. Willingham has beenthe club's biggest free agent acquisition in recent years and he wasn't in thetop tier. Other names like Doumit, Pelfrey, and Correia haven't been huge namesbut they have found their way in Minnesota.
     
    There are going to be plenty of openings in the starting rotation forMinnesota and it might be nice for the team to have the opportunity to go aftera top free agent. This would likely only happen if the team's first round pickwere protected. It has never been Terry Ryan's strategy to spend big money onpitchers but the club might have to change this trend to be productive next year.
     
    September can be a time to try out plenty of pieces for the future.Minnesota will continue to audition some of their younger players in order tosee what they have lined up for next year. The losses might continue to pile upbut the team isn't exactly in tank mode.
     
    At least not yet...
  11. Cody Christie
    With Justin Morneau's exit from the club in the last week, the Twins are searching for someone to take over his leadership role in the clubhouse. This seems to be a reoccurring theme for the Twins in recent years as the club shifts away from veteran leadership to a more youthful roster.
     
    A couple of years ago Michael Cuddyer and Joe Nathan were considered among the team's strong voices and both players left in free agency. Morneau filled the void left by Cuddyer and it seemed like a smooth transition from the outside looking in.
     
    There probably won't be a breaking news story to say who takes on more leadership behind the closed doors of the Twins clubhouse. For fans, it might be more of a talking point in a season that seems destined to be heading for another 90 losses.
     
    Here are just a few of the names that will be asked to take on more leadership this season. There are pros and cons with each player involved so it will be interesting to see who becomes the new voice of the Twins.
     
    Joe Mauer, Catcher
    Pros: He is the highest paid player and the face of the franchise so it would make sense for him to be the leader of the clubhouse. Mauer is a quiet but he has been known to approach younger players when something doesn't go right on the field. In the past, he has been a leader because of his strong play on the field. He leads by example and this can be very beneficial to future Twins players.
     
    Cons: Since Mauer is a catcher, he can be very busy with his catching related duties. There are extra meetings for him to confer with the pitching staff and he spends time studying video to learn more about opposing hitters. This is all time where he is not in the clubhouse with the other players. Injuries have also forced him to miss time and he can't be a leader if he isn't traveling with the team.
     
    Glen Perkins, Closer
    Pros: Much like Joe Nathan before him, Perkins can become a leader because of his importance to the bullpen. The Twins have him signed for multiple years and beyond Mauer, he is the longest tenured Twins player. He came up through the Twins organization with a few bumps and bruises but he found a way to be successful at the big league level. His involvement in the community continues to grow and this is an example for other players to follow.
     
    Cons: Since Perkins is a relief arm, he spends time during the game out in the bullpen. This keeps him from being able to speak to non-pitchers on the bench for different parts of the game. Also, he isn't an everyday player so his impact on a daily basis might not always be seen on the field. He has only been a full-time close for the current season so he might not have built up the respect he needs.
     
    Brian Dozier, Second Baseman
    Pros: He is in the middle of a breakout season and this has helped him to become a leader on the field. Media members have cited him as always being available after wins along with tough losses. During his minor league career, he showed some leadership skills and this seems to be translating to his big league career. Dozier has been performing with his bat and his glove and this can help him to continue to gain respect in the locker-room.
     
    Cons: While Mauer and Perkins have been with the club for multiple seasons, Dozier is still relatively new to the scene. He has less experience and less of a track record than the two names mentioned above. There are also some questions about how long he will be with the team. Eddie Rosario is slowly working his way to the big leagues and he plays the same position as Dozier. Right now, it looks like Dozier could stay at second for multiple years but it is hard to know what the future will bring.
     
    Josh Willingham, Outfielder
    Pros: Throughout his career, Willingham has played with multiple organizations and he has seen what leadership means to different teams. He is the oldest player on the team and his experience is well respected by the younger players around him. His monster season last year gave him respect on the field and he has tried to play through some tough injuries this season. Younger players can approach him for advice on a multitude of topics since he has spent time playing in both leagues.
     
    Cons: There is only one year remaining on his contract with the Twins and the team could trade him at some point in the coming year. Much like Mauer, he is a quiet leader so sometimes it is tough to notice the work he is doing for the clubhouse. His play has fallen off this year and he has missed time because of injuries. If a player isn't on the field or even with the club, it can be tough to build rapport in the locker-room.
  12. Cody Christie
    Before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Justin Morneau penned an open thank you letter to Twins fans and the only organization he has ever known. He discussed how he has grown up in the organization from a "wide-eyed 22-year old kid" to now being "someone my friends and family could be proud of." Minnesota has become his "second home" and he will always have connections here because his "wife, kids, and family are Minnesotans."
     
    In the end, he apologized for never winning a World Series in a Twins uniform but this was really something that he couldn't fully control. He will have a good chance to play on a playoff team for the first time since the 2006 season and the Twins were able to get a couple of serviceable players for what was left on Morneau's expiring contract.
     
    Morneau took time to thank Twins fans and it seemed only appropriate that fans write their own thank you back to the slugging Canadian first baseman. Here's an open letter from myself to and about Morneau as he exits the organization:
     
    A certain type of player seems to come along once in a generation to grace the baseball diamond. Lucky enough for Twins fans there have often been times when two of these players were in the line-up on the same day. From Killebrew to Oliva and Puckett to Hrbek, great duos have called Minnesota home. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were one of these duos and sadly those duos can't last forever.
     
    Morneau's play on the field seemed to be on track for legendary status. He won the American League MVP in 2006 and two years later he would finish runner-up to Dustin Pedoria for the same award. He would be selected to four straight All-Star Games from 2007-2010. In 2008, he won the Home Run Derby Championship and the next night he scored the winning run in the 15th inning of the Mid-Summer Classic.
     
    Things didn't seem like they could get any higher.
     
    In the summer of 2010, it looked like Morneau might be well on his way to his second MVP trophy. His monster first half had helped the Twins to be near the top of the AL Central. All of Twins Territory felt the pain of what happened from that point moving forward. John McDonald accidentally kneed Morneau in the head on a play at second base in Toronto. It would take large chunks of the next two seasons for Justin to try and recover from post-concussion syndrome and a variety of other injuries.
     
    His last month in a Twins uniform seemed to finally look closer to the Justin of old. He hit nine home runs in the month of August but he saved one of his most memorable home runs for his last game. With the Twins facing off against Yu Darvish, a candidate for the AL Cy Young, Morneau smacked the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. It was a home run that moved him past Tony Oliva on the franchise's all-time home run list.
     
    Justin's mark on the field isn't the only remnant of his 14 years in the Twins organization. He was a two-time winner of the Bob Allison Award that is given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field. Morneau and his wife Krista are active members in trying to make a difference in the community.
     
    To say thank you to Justin for his time in Minnesota would not be enough.
     
    He gave 110% for this franchise from the time he was drafted in 1999 to his last game in 2013. Morneau has left his mark on Twins Territory and it is hard to imagine this team without number 33 in the line-up. My connection to the Minnesota Twins was strengthened because of the man Morneau was on and off the field. When my future kids ask me about players I loved to watch, the short list will include a slugging Canadian first baseman.
     
    Good luck to Justin as he gets a chance to pursue the ultimate goal of winning a World Series. And even though it doesn't seem like nearly enough...
     
    Thank you.
  13. Cody Christie
    Chris Colabello's time in the major leagues this year hasn't been spectacular but he has been outstanding in his time in the minors. On Wednesday, Colabello was named the Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year for the International League. This comes a year after finishing runner-up for MVP in the Eastern League.
     
    Colabello has been a hitting machine for the Red Wings. He currently leads the league with a .352 batting average, a .427 on-base percentage, and a .639 slugging percentage. To go along with those numbers, he entered play on Wednesday with 24 home runs (5th) and 76 RBI (3rd) over 89 games.
     
    It was quite the year for Colabello and the team will look for him to find some success at the big league level before the season is done. For now, here's a look at the minor league action from Wednesday across the Twins farm system.
     
    Rochester Red Wings 6, Syracuse Chiefs 3
    Box Score
    Pat Dean hadn't made it out of the sixth inning in either of his last two starts but that all changed today. Over 7.2 innings, Dean gave up two earned runs and did his best to wriggle out of some jams. He scattered 11 hits and the Chiefs left multiple runners on base against him. It was the first win for Dean since August 5th.
     
    The Red Wings were out hit by the Chiefs 13 to 5 but Rochester came up with some timely hitting to push across six runs. No members of the Red Wings were able to collect more than one hit. Eric Farris had a big two-run double to cap a five run first inning. The team batted .500 with runners in scoring position and this was a big reason for their success.
     
    With the win, the Red Wings ended their six-game losing streak. It also means the club has assured themselves a winning season for the first time since 2008.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats 1, Trenton Thunder 5
    Box Score
    New Britian got on the board first against Trenton but the Rock Cats would be shut out from the second inning on. In fact, the club was limited to four hits in 30 at-bats. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Nate Hanson each added a double to their season totals. Jordan Parraz had the team's lone RBI and Miguel Sano scored the only run even though he was held hitless.
     
    Kyle Davies pitched the first two innings but he was removed after only allowing one hit and no earned runs. BJ Hermsen pitched the next four innings and the single run scored against him was unearned. Cole Johnson was saddled with the loss after surrendering two earned runs in the late innings of this one.
     
    Fort Myers Miracle 4, Palm Beach Cardinals 5 (Game 1-- 8 Innings)
    Box Score
    Fort Myers was able to mount a comeback and send this game to extra innings but the team ended up falling short. Palm Beach took a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth before the Miracle started the claw their way back.
     
    Matt Tomshaw started for Fort Myers and he gave up four runs on four hits including two home runs. He struck out three and struggled with some control as he walked five men. Corey Williams came in relief and pitched two hitless innings. Zach Jones was charged with the loss as he gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth but he was still able to strike out the side.
     
    Newly named AFL player Byron Buxton went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. He also threw out a runner at third base. Mike Kvasnicka went 2-for-4 with two RBI to bring his season total to 39. The team went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and they left seven men on base.
     
    Fort Myers Miracle 0, Palm Beach Cardinals 1 (Game 2-- 7 innings)
    Box Score
    The story of this game for Fort Myers was Manuel Soliman. He pitched all seven innings for the Miracle while limiting the Cardinals to one run on eight hits. The lone run was scored on a second inning home run and Soliman had to work out of some jams in the sixth and seventh frames. Unfortunately, he earned the loss because the Miracle's offense was absent from this contest.
     
    Byron Buxton had a hit, a walk, and a stolen base. It was his 21st steal since being promoted to Fort Myers and he has 53 steals on the season. Fort Myers had two hits in the bottom of the seventh but a tough luck double play ended the team's chances of a comeback victory.
     
    Cedar Rapids Kernels 4, Peoria Chiefs 2
    Box Score
    After a couple of errors from shortstop Ryan Walker, the pitching staff for the Kernels didn't allow an earned run in this game. Miguel Sulbaran earned his second victory in his third start of the year for Cedar Rapids. He pitched six frames while striking out eight. Christian Powell and Dallas Gallant held the Chiefs in check for the last three frames for the team's 84th win of the season.
     
    Mike Gonzales cracked his third home run to add an important eighth inning insurance run. Jonathan Murphy and Bo Altobelli added two hits apiece while Murphy stole his sixth bag. Joel Lincon plated a couple of runs that turned out to be the difference in the game.
     
    Elizabethton Twins 6, Princeton Rays 4
    Box Score
    Mitch Garver helped pave the way to this victory for the E-Twins. His two doubles and three RBI were part of two big offensive innings. Engelb Vielma and Bryan Haar scored two runs apiece along with driving in a run. Hitters two through six in the order all had a hit for Elizabethton and the team was 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
     
    The E-Twins relied on the bullpen for a big chunk of this game. Andre Martinez pitched the first frame as he allowed three runs, one of them earned, on one hit with two walks. Josh Burris picked up his fourth win of the year as he pitched four shutout innings of relief. He struck out six men and limited the Rays to one hit. CK Irby and Aaron Slegers combined to pitch four innings without an earned run crossing the plate.
     
    GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 2
    Box Score
    Fernando Romero was outstanding on the mound for the GCL Twins. Over six shutout innings, he gave up two hits and he had five strikeouts to go along with no walks. It was the first time this season that he made it through the sixth frame. He also hasn't allowed a run in four of his last five starts.
     
    The Twins managed four total hits in this game. Brian Navarreto led the way with a 2-for-4 effort including his 10th double. Alex Swim didn't start the game but he was an early defensive replacement for Jorge Fernandez. Swim knocked a double in four trips to the plate.
  14. Cody Christie
    It has been five seasons since Johan Santana last wore the uniform of the Minnesota Twins. In the mean time, he has been dealing with multiple injuries and ineffective pitching performances. He missed all of the 2011 season as he dealt with a shoulder problem and he won't pitch in 2013 because of another should issue. Last season with the Mets, he tossed 117 innings with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.
     
    Not exactly the numbers Twins fans were used to seeing from their former ace pitcher.
     
    Santana believes he will be able to pitch next season. In a recent interview with the New York Daily News, his agent said that Santana has been able to do things a lot easier after this surgery compared to his first procedure. He went on to tell one of his agents that he "isn't going out like this."
     
    The 34-year old left handed pitcher will see his six-year, $137.5 million contract expire at the end of the season and this will make him a free agent for really the first time in his career. The Mets don't look to be players for Santana on the free agent market since they have a young rotation of arms as they look to rebuild in the strong NL East.
     
    This opens the question about where Santana will head this offseason. Would it make sense for the Minnesota Twins to reunite with their former Cy Young winner?
     
    There were good years and bad years for Santana in New York. Over the span of his six-year contract, he posted a 3.18 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. Over his 717 innings on the mound, he had 607 strikeouts compared to 203 walks. His final record was 46-34 but his numbers don't tell the whole story. He is coming off one of his worst statistical years and his second major operation on his shoulder. One shoulder surgery can be a death sentence for a pitcher and a second surgery leaves more than one question mark.
     
    Minnesota has taken on some recent low-risk chances on the free agent market. In 2012, the Twins signed Joel Zumaya to an incentive laden contract with the hopes of him rekindling his career. The same could be said about the contract signed by Rich Harden this offseason. Both players would never make it on the field at the big league level but this might be the type of contract facing Santana this offseason.
     
    When looking at the Twins rotation situation for 2014, there hardly seems to be anyone with their name penciled into the rotation. Kevin Correia will likely get a spot since he is signed for $5 million. Others in the mix will be Sam Deduno, Kyle Gibson, Liam Hendriks, Vance Worley, and Andrew Albers. This isn't exactly a star-studded crew and none of these men are likely to be guaranteed spots going into spring training. This could mean that there is room to take a flyer on someone like Santana.
     
    One of the reasons Santana originally wanted to leave the Twins was to get to a bigger market. There can be some benefits to being in this type of market. A player has the chance at more endorsement deals and the chance to play in front of a larger audience. He spent six seasons in the Big Apple and had to deal with their media and plenty of scrutiny along the way. Maybe it is time for him to get away from the hustle and bustle.
     
    At the beginning of next season, Santana will be 35-years old and it's not really clear how much he has left in his throwing arm. He may never be able to get back on the mound at the big league level. He also has never had the opportunity to get back to the postseason since he left the Twins. A player in his position might want to head to a team with a chance to contend instead of a team rebuilding like Minnesota.
     
    Some Twins fans might love to see Santana back in Minnesota because of the many years he spent dominating the American League. This isn't the same Santana though and no one knows what to expect as he rehabs his shoulder for the second time in two years. There are over 2000 big league innings on his left arm and that might be all of the juice he had in the tank.
     
    Reuniting with Santana might be fun but it probably isn't in the cards...
  15. Cody Christie
    It has been quite the 12-month span for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier.
     
    On August 14th of last season, the Twins had seen enough of him at shortstop with the big league club. They demoted him to Rochester after 340 plate appearances in his rookie campaign. Many thought he would be back as a September call-up but the call never came. Dozier was forced to live with a bad taste in his mouth for the entire offseason.
     
    Brian Dozier entered the 2013 season not knowing if he would have a starting job with the Twins. The 26-year old middle infielder was shifting to second base and the club was having a competition in spring training for the starting role. Dozier would beat out other light hitting options like Jamey Carroll and Eduardo Escobar. Dozier had flopped when he had previously been giving a starting job but the Twins were willing to give him a second chance at a new position.
     
    April and May weren't outstanding for Dozier. He combined to hit .214/.259/.299 with seven extra-base hits in 168 plate appearances. Unfortunately, he had more strikeouts (35) than hits (33) and he was only able to draw nine walks. It was a rough start to Dozier's sophomore season and the Twins were going to need to see some kind of improvement to keep him in the line-up on a daily basis.
     
    Things started to go in the right direction during the month of June. In 26 games, Dozier found his swing by hitting .257/.389/.514 with five home runs and four doubles. He posted a .902 OPS for the month and the Twins were even willing to give him some at-bats in the lead-off spot. His batting average for the season went from .214 to .228 and he raised his OPS from .558 to .673.
     
    In recent weeks, Dozier has been on quite the hot streak on the offensive side of the ball. Since July 21st, he is batting .304/.364/.595 with three home runs, two triples, and 10 doubles. In this span of 18 games, the Twins have posted an 11-7 record and Dozier' presence at the top of the line-up has helped the club along the way.
     
    Second base is an interesting position for the Twins as the organization starts to look to the future. Dozier seems to be settling into a nice groove at the big league level but he soon might be feeling a little pressure from the minor leagues. Minnesota was unhappy with their lack of talent in the middle infield a couple of seasons ago and the organization decided to move Eddie Rosario, one of the club's best hitting prospects, from the outfield to second base.
     
    Rosario has played parts of this season with the Fort Myers Miracle and the New Britain Rock Cats. In 102 games, he has hit .311/.363/.479 with nine home runs, eight triples, and 26 doubles. He has struck out a career high 75 times with 46 of those Ks coming in 50 games at Double-A. Rosario had a huge month of July for the Rock Cats. He batted .353/.394/.549 with three home runs and nine doubles.
     
    The Twins will look for Rosario to be the second baseman of the future but how soon will the future arrive at Target Field?
     
    Dozier's recent hot streak makes it easier for the Twins to keep Rosario in the minor leagues. Earlier this season it would have been easy to think that Dozier wouldn't have a job for Opening Day 2014 because Rosario would be making his debut. That plan might have changed and this could give Rosario time to master the Triple-A level before being asked to face the pressures of the big leagues.
     
    It seems likely that next spring there could be slough of top prospects in the Twins major league camp during spring training. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Eddie Rosario could all get a taste of what it's like to be one step closer to the big leagues. Sano and Rosario could be fighting for a starting job or they could be on their way to Rochester.
     
    In the end, Rosario is only 21-years old and he will be 22 at the beginning of next season. There isn't exactly a rush to get him to the big leagues and to start his arbitration clock. If Dozier continues to play the way he is, the Twins will be happy to give him at-bats until Rosario is busting down the door to the major leagues.
     
    With the Twins recent history of middle infielders, it's certainly better to have multiple solid options at second base than a bunch of question marks.
  16. Cody Christie
    "My big fish must be somewhere."--- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
     
    Marlin fishing can be an adventure.
     
    These beasts of the ocean can weight upwards of 1,000 pounds and it can take quite the fight to get them into a boat. Fishing for these animals can take a lot of time and patience. It also takes the right tools and skills to reel in one of these giant fish.
     
    Over the weekend, a story came out in the Boston Globe that discussed the possibility of the Twins making a play for Giancarlo Stanton, the 23-year old slugging outfielder from the Miami Marlins. The Twins farm system has plenty of depth at multiple levels and they have the resources to trade away a few prospects to land the budding superstar.
     
    The article does go on to say, "The Red Sox might be in a better position than the Twins because the Twins have to rely on their top players to come up and man several positions." One baseball executive said, "The Red Sox have veteran players so their need to keep their best guys isn't as severe. So if they can trade them off for a young player like Stanton, they wouldn't have to fear about thinning out as a result."

    Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com


     
    Stanton is in the middle of his fourth MLB season and his 162 game average for home runs is 39. For his career, he is a .265/.350/.536 hitter and he has hit over 30 home runs in each of the last two seasons. During the 2013 season, Stanton has career lows in batting average and slugging percentage. This could provide the opportunity for the Twins to buy low on a player that is under team control for multiple seasons.
     
    At the trade deadline, there was plenty of talk about Stanton being dealt from a struggling Marlins ballclub. Word around baseball was the Marlins were turning down any suitors that came calling for Mr. Stanton. Miami doesn't have to rush to move him because he is still pre-arbitration eligible. He will be arbitration eligible in 2014 and the earliest he could reach free agency is 2017.
     
    There are plenty of resources in the Twins system that could land them a top player like Stanton. Byron Buxton is considered by many to be the top prospect in all of baseball. Third baseman Miguel Sano might be the best power hitter to come through the minor leagues since Stanton. The article also mentions other young players like Kyle Gibson, Alex Meyer, Eddie Rosario, Travis Harrison, and Daniel Santana.
     
    The Twins organization has invested over $9 million in signing bonuses to Buxton and Sano. One would think that these players would be untouchable but it could take a player of their caliber to make this deal happen. It's hard to know which player the Twins would be more willing to trade. Most likely both players are untouchable because they are part of the long-term rebuilding process for the organization.
     
    Could the Twins put together a package of players that doesn't include Buxton or Sano and still get a deal done?
     
    It seems likely that the Marlins would want some young pitching in return for Stanton. The Twins made moves last offseason to add some depth to the starting pitchers in their system. Meyer and Trevor May have done decently since coming to the organization but it might be a step backwards to include them in another offseason trade.
     
    Recent draft picks like Kohl Stewart and Jose Berrios are both young and they have plenty of upside. Minnesota's starting pitching has been one of the biggest issues in recent years. Flaws with the pitching staff could be the main reason for back-to-back 90 loss seasons. It seems more likely for the Twins to deal away from their minor league positional player depth than from their up-and-coming starting pitchers.
     
    What would it take to get Stanton?
     
    It sounds like the Marlins would have to be overwhelmed to even consider dealing him. If the Twins would be willing to part with Sano and a couple other position players, the deal could get done. That still might not be enough for Miami and the Twins are in the middle of a rebuild. Stanton might be worth five extra wins a season but that might not be enough to turn the franchise around. Especially since the Twins have so many holes at different positions.
     
    If the Marlins are willing to part with Stanton, the Twins have the goods to get the deal done. The question remains... Would the Twins be willing to thin out their system for a player like Stanton even if he is the biggest fish on the market?
     
    Now it's your turn to take on the role of Twins GM Terry Ryan. If you were sitting in his spot, what players would you consider dealing for Stanton? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
  17. Cody Christie
    With the calendar already flipped over to August, there could be some shake-ups coming to the Twins roster. These might not be immediate changes but the club is on the way to their third straight losing season and different players should be given an opportunity at the big league level. In the next couple of weeks, I will look at some of the names on the Triple-A roster that could earn a call-up before the end of the season.
     
    This series called "Waiting With the Wings" will profile multiple minor league players and the journey each of them has taken to get on the brink of making their big league debut. For some of these players, their path to this point has been full of plenty of ups and downs. That's one of the things that makes following the minor leagues so intriguing. There are only 25-men on a big league roster at any one given time and some men work their whole lives to get a taste of baseball's highest level.
     
    The first profile in the "Waitin' With the Wings" series was left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers and he had a terrific MLB debut this week. Now it's time to look at a position player and a bat that could be asked to make an impact. Profile number two in the series looks at catcher Josmil Pinto.
     
    Player Profile
    Name: Josmil Pinto
    Born: 3/31/1989 (24 years old)
    Acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free agent (2006)
    HT: 5'11"---WT: 210
    2013 Stat Line: .311/.410/.480, 14 HR, 25 2B, 70 RBI, 61 R
     
    Pinto had been considered a solid prospect before this season but his run through the Eastern League and the International League has him moving up the Twins top prospect rankings. The 24-year old catcher has been with the organization since he was 17 and he has worked all the way from the Venezuelan Summer League to the Triple-A level. One thing has been clear through all of the levels and that is the fact that he can hit.
     
    Out of all of the levels from where Pinto has been promoted, the Dominican and Venezuelan Summer Leagues provided the most challenges at the plate. In over 220 plate appearances during his time in the VESL, he had to work to hit .251/.336/.344 with 11 extra-base hits. These struggles would continue in the DOSL as his batting line dipped to .193/.327/.269 over 171 at-bats. The Twins were looking for more out of Pinto and they hoped he would be able to find his swing when he started playing in the States.
     
    The next two seasons would be fantastic for Pinto in the rookie leagues. He would hit for average (.329 BA) and power (.541 SLG and 13 extra-base hits) with the GCL Twins but this was only the beginning of what was to come. In 2009, he moved up to Elizabethton and really found his power stroke. He knocked 13 home runs and 14 doubles in a little over 200 plate appearances. By the end of the season, Pinto was hitting .332/.387/.610. Things were moving in the right direction and now it was time to tackle a full season schedule.
     
    Pinto would spend parts of the next two seasons in the Midwest League with the Beloit Snappers. There can be some adjustment to a full slate of games on the schedule and it took some time for Pinto to feel comfortable at the dish. He batted .227/.293/.383 with 11 home runs and 24 doubles over 109 games. The Florida State League was his next level on his path to the big leagues and this can be a tough league for hitters to find success. Pinto continued to make adjustments and he hit .282/.340/.440 with 53 extra-base hits in 570 plate appearances at High-A. The time was right to move to the upper levels of the Twins farm system.
     
    At the end of the 2012 season, Pinto got a brief taste of life at the Double-A level. He found success almost immediately and this could have helped his breakout year in 2013. New Britain was very good for Pinto as he had a batting average over .300 for the first time since rookie ball. Even with the higher batting average, he was still able to hit for consistent power. His .896 OPS was the highest for him at any full season league and he hit 16 home runs and 27 doubles in 505 at-bats. It was a great run through the Eastern League and the time was right to move him to Rochester.
     
    So far, Pinto has been limited in his time at AAA. He has played in six games since being promoted and he has 23 plate appearances. It is a very small sample size but Pinto is hitting .364/.391/.455 with two doubles. He has yet to hit a home run with Rochester but it seems safe to say that won't last too long. Minnesota has used a lot of the players on the 40-man roster at some point this season and Pinto is now only a phone call away.
     
    The defense side of the ball has continued to be a work in progress for Pinto. During his time in the minor leagues, he has thrown out potential base stealers 33% of the time. To put that number into perspective, Joe Mauer has a career 33% caught stealing percentage and he has multiple Gold Gloves in his trophy case at home. Since leaving Beloit in 2011, Pinto has allowed 13 passed balls in 165 games behind the plate. He needs to continue to work on his game calling skills but his offensive threat might be too much to ignore.
     
    It helps that Pinto is already on the 40-man roster and Ron Gardenhire loves to have extra catchers on his bench. This could mean a September call-up for the young catcher. Pinto had the option of becoming a minor league free agent at the end of last season but he decided to stay with the Twins organization. For both parties involved, this move seems to be paying off and he could make his big league debut in the coming weeks
  18. Cody Christie
    While the Twins finish up their series with the Royals, there could be some reinforcements on the way. Josh Willingham and Darin Mastroianni are both on rehab at the Triple-A level and this could mean both men are back with the big league club in the near future. A healthy Willingham could be a sight for sore eyes to Twins fans.
     
    Miguel Sano returned to the line-up of the Rock Cats last night after missing four games with a tight hamstring. He wasted little time making his mark as he fell just a triple shy of the cycle. There were other familiar names and story lines across the farm system.
     
    Here are the highlights from Wednesday night's action.
     
    Rochester Red Wings 5, Durham Bulls 4
    Box Score
    Rochester continues to find ways to win games at one of the most important parts of their season. The Red Wings scored runs in the second, third and fourth innings and relied on their pitchers to hold the lead. With the win, the Red Wings have won their first ever series at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 16 tries. It was also the team's first season series win over the Bulls since 2008.
     
    Josh Willingham and Darin Mastroianni were both on rehab assignment with the Wings. Willingham wasted little time making his presence known as he hit a solo home run in his first plate appearance. Later in the game, the designated hitter drew a walk and finished the night 1-for-3. Mastroianni collected two RBI but he was held hitless before being pulled for a pinch runner in the fourth.
     
    Logan Darnell earned the victory but he labored to get through five frames. He spread out three earned runs and six hits to keep the Bulls far enough away. Luis Perdomo and AJ Archter pitched the next three innings and limited the Bulls to one run on three hits. Michael Tonkin was lights out in the ninth as he pitched a perfect frame and struck out two for his ninth save.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats 3, Akron Aeros 7
    Box Score
    Multiple hit nights from Danny Santana and Eddie Rosario weren't enough to push the Rock Cats to victory. Santana added his seventh triple as part of a 2-for-4 game. Jordan Parraz smacked a 2-run shot for his tenth long ball of the season. After his monster night last night, Miguel Sano went 1-for-3 with a walk.
     
    DJ Baxendale started the game on the mound but he found a few struggles along the way. He tossed six innings and gave up four runs on nine hits. Along the way, he had four strikeouts and three walks. Matt Hauser didn't do so well in relief of Baxendale. He gave up three runs in his one inning of work. Jose Gonzalez stopped some of the bleeding by giving up no runs over one frame.
     
    Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Beloit Snappers 4
    Box Score
    Cedar Rapids sits near the top in their division for the second half but they were visiting the division winners from the first half on Wednesday. The Kernels used a big five run fourth inning to push their lead to 7-0 before the bullpen had to hang on in the end.
     
    As part of the Kernels big fourth inning, Niko Goodrum hit a three-run home run. He compiled four RBI and finished the night 2-for-4. Jonathan Murphy helped the offense out of the leadoff spot by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Joel Licon and Michael Quesada each added a double.
     
    Brett Lee had his shortest outing of the season by being pulled after three innings. He didn't give up a run and the Snappers only managed two hits off of him. There might have been some kind of injury or other reason to pull Lee. David Hurlbut was asked to pitch five frames and he didn't do too badly. He gave up one earned run and struck out seven. Madison Boer earned his third save by throwing a perfect ninth inning.
     
    Fort Myers Miracle --, Charlotte Stone Crabs -- (Postponed)
    Weather got in the way of the Miracle trying to end their recent losing streak. The club has lost four of their last five games and they are three games out of first place in the second half standings. Since the Miracle already clinched a playoff spot by winning the division in the first half, their current record isn't as important.
     
    Tonight's game will be made up as part of a double header later this month in Port Charlotte. The date and time of this game have yet to be announced. These two teams will continue their series tomorrow night at Hammond Stadium.
     
    Elizabethon Twins 3, Johnson City Cardinals 0
    Box Score

    The story in this game was all about Hein Robb. He earned his first victory of the season in dramatic fashion. Before today's game, Robb hadn't lasted further than 7.1 innings and he was averaging under 6 innings per start. Robb was terrific by scattering two hits over nine shutout innings. He struck out nine and didn't walk a batter.
     
    On the offensive side of the ball, the E-Twins didn't put on a clinic but they scored enough to support Robb's outstanding pitching effort. Mitch Garver and Dereck Rodriguez each went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Tanner Vavra notched his first extra-base hit with a double. Romy Jimenez had multiple hits for the first time in his last ten games.
     
    
GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 2 (10 Innings)
    Box Score
    Lester Oliveros continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. He has yet to give up a run in a game and that streak continued today. He tossed two shutout innings on Wednesday by giving up two hits and striking out one batter. Chih-Wei Hu started the game and surrendered one run on one hit over three frames. Jose Abreu earned his third loss of the year by giving up the go-ahead run in extra innings.
     
    There wasn't a ton of offense to speak of for the GCL Twins. Four of the team's starters were held hitless. Overall, The team compiled six hits over 10 innings with Jorge Fernandez being the only player with multiple hits. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Jonatan Hinojosa had an RBI and he finished the day 1-for-4.
  19. Cody Christie
    Entrenched in the middle of another losing season, it can be tough to look at the Twins roster and find some positives. There are going to be disappointments but sometimes there can be good mixed in with all of the bad.
     
    Sam Deduno fits this mold.
     
    He was a surprise for the 2012 Twins team and this still didn't save his spot on the 40-man roster in the offseason. Every MLB team had a chance to claim him and no one took the opportunity to add him to their club. Deduno went back into the Twins minor league pool and a successful World Baseball Classic might have given him the confidence he needed to make some adjustments.
     
    It has been a new and improved Deduno in 2013. His career walk rate entering this season was 6.1 BB/9 and he has cut that number almost in half to 3.3 BB/9 this season. He averaged 1.2 HR/9 at the end of last year and he has reduced that number to 0.5 HR/9. With seven wins to his name, he already has a career high. Decreasing walks and keeping the ball in the park have helped to make Deduno a more effective pitcher.
     
    One of the things that might have helped Deduno the most could be his numbers while pitching in the friendly confines of Target Field. So far this season, his ERA at home (2.33) is more than 1.30 point lower than on the road (3.65) and his 0.963 WHIP at home is outstanding. He has given up one home run at Target Filed compared to three home runs on the road.
     
    These numbers are great so let's jump into them a little deeper.
     
    Opponents put up pretty decent numbers against Deduno when it came to hitting against him in the past. From 2010 to 2012, opposing batters hit .248/.371/.399, which translates to a .769 OPS. He has actually been worse than that on the road this year. In eight games, the opposition has hit .262/.340/.383 including 14 extra-base hits. When Mr. Deduno gets on the mound at Target Field this year, he has limited the opposing team to a .212/.278/.293 batting line.
     
    While the above numbers have improved for Deduno at Target Field, opponents have also found it more difficult to make hard contact. At home, the opposition has a line drive percentage of 14.4% and that number goes up to 19.1% on the road. He is also getting more ground balls at home, as his ground ball percentage is 64.4% compared to 61.8% on the road.
     
    When Deduno is at Target Field, men reach base against him at a lower rate but he is also better at leaving them on base when they do reach. At home, he has posted an 80.4% left on base percentage. On the road, he has only been able to post a LOB% of 74.9%. Deduno's home numbers could look even better if he wouldn't have hit four men with pitches. In fact, he hit three men at Target Field in his second start of the season. If those hit bats men were taken out of the equation, Deduno would be even more impressive at home.
     
    Overall, Deduno has looked greatly improved in front of the hometown crowd but there are plenty of games left in the season. He has started four more games on the road than at home and this difference in sample size could play a role in the numbers described above. Most surprising might be the fact that Deduno has shown some semblance of being a quality addition to the Twins starting rotation.
     
    Not too bad for a guy that no teams wanted to claim when he was made available in the offseason.
  20. Cody Christie
    With the trade deadline coming and going, there could be some changes on the horizon with the Twins roster. These might not be immediate changes but the club is on the way to their third straight losing season and different players should be given an opportunity at the big league level. In the next couple of weeks, I will look at some of the names on the Triple-A roster that could earn a call-up before the end of the season.
     
    This series called "Waiting With the Wings" will profile multiple minor league players and the journey each of them has taken to get on the brink of making their big league debut. For some of these players, their path to this point has been full of plenty of ups and downs. That's one of the things that makes following the minor leagues so intriguing. There are only 25-men on a big league roster at any one given time and some men work their whole lives to get a taste of baseball's highest level.
     
    The first profile in the "Waitin' With the Wings" series is left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers.
     
    Player Profile
    Name: Andrew Albers
    Born: 10/06/1985 (27 years old)
    Acquired: Minor League Free Agent (2011)
    HT: 6'1"---WT: 195
    2013 Stat Line: 11-4 record, 2.90 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 112 SO, 31 BB, 124.1 IP
     
    Andrew Albers was drafted in the 10th round of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft from the University of Kentucky. The San Diego Padres signed Albers and sent him to pitch with their rookie league squad in Arizona. He pitched in five games with the club for a total of seven innings but something wasn't right with his elbow. Albers had to undergo Tommy John surgery in April 2009. On his way back to the mound, he required another surgery to clean up some scar tissue. He made it back to pitching to hitters in the spring of 2010 but he was released by the Padres organization before he could make it back into a game.
     
    The new path set out for his career would take him to independent baseball where he would pitch for Quebec in the Canadian-American Association. This was the same league where current Twins player Chris Colabello made his mark. Albers put up outstanding numbers over 40 games as he posted a 1.40 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He struck out 59 and walked 16 in 57.2 innings. He had made his own mark and he wanted to give affiliated baseball another chance.
     
    To secure a spot with a club for spring training, Albers drove from Canada to Phoenix and then to Florida just to find a team to play with. In 2011, the Twins started him in extended spring training but he was quickly moved to Fort Myers and he finished the year in New Britain. Over 95.2 innings, he posted an 8-2 record with a 2.16 ERA and 80 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks. He was only asked to start seven games in the entire season and the Twins decided to change that approach for the future.
     
    In 2012, the organization decided to shift Albers to the starting rotation on a full-time basis. This would be the first time since his Tommy John surgery where he would make more appearances as a starter than a relief pitcher. There were a few bumps along the way in his transition back to a starter. He would start 17 games at the Double-A level and he finished the year with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 103.0 innings. Some thought was given to sending him back to New Britain for the start of 2013 but he would get the opportunity at Rochester and he has made the most of it.
     
    Albers has been the most consistent starter on what has been and up and down Rochester pitching staff. He leads the team in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, and games started. His eleven wins make him the first Red Wings starter to reach that mark since Brian Duensing did it back in 2007. In his last ten starts, he has an 8-2 record with a 2.33 ERA and two complete game victories. There might not be much left for him to prove at the Triple-A level and the Twins might have to look at calling him up in the coming weeks if his performances continues at this level.
     
    One thing hindering an Albers call-up is the fact that he isn't currently on the 40-man roster. If the Twins trade someone before the deadline, this could open a spot for Albers. The team could also remove some of the players on the edge of the roster that would be considered for removal from the 40-man at the end of season. Albers should at least be worth a September call-up to see what the left-hander can do against big league hitters.
  21. Cody Christie
    For the Minnesota Twins, the last handful of trade deadlines have been mostly uneventful. This seems out of character for a team that has posted one of baseball's worst records in the last few seasons. There are different ways for a team to rebuild and the Twins were very active during last offseason by dealing away Denard Span and Ben Revere. Minnesota doesn't necessarily need to move away pieces that will still be with the club in the offseason.
     
    That being said, it would make the most sense to say goodbye to Justin Morneau. His contract will be expiring at the end of the season and the Twins won't be in contention for the rest of the year. This would give him a chance to help out a contender and the club could go after him in free agency if they felt that was in their best interest.
     
    Here is a look back at the moves made during the last three trade deadlines. Even though there haven't been any major moves in the last couple of years, there has been an impact on the depth of the organization. There have been ripple effects from dealing away one of the team's best catching prospects and last year's duo of players have helped the current team.
     
    2012 Headline: Liriano dealt to White Sox for pair of players
    The potential was always there with Francisco Liriano but the on-field results were spotty. Since his contract was expiring at the end of the year, it made sense for the Twins to deal him. Many fans thought the Twins should be able to get more for Liriano. Instead the club got back infielder Eduardo Escobar and pitcher Pedro Hernandez. Liriano went 3-2 with the White Sox and he posted a 5.40 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP over 11 starts. According to Baseball Reference, his time in Chicago was good enough for a 0.3 WAR.
     
    Escobar has played 69 games over the last two seasons with the Twins. He has hit .217/.268/.303 with three home runs, two doubles, and two triples. He got plenty of playing time at the beginning of the year when the Twins were still trying to figure out their middle infield situation. He has been worth 0.3 WAR for the Twins. Henandez has started seven games and pitched in nine games for Minnesota. He has a 3-1 record with a 5.54 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. He has added some depth to the minor league pitching staff but he probably won't have a long-term impact on the big league club.
     
    2011 Headline: To trade or not to trade, that is the question.
    There were expiring contracts like Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel on the 2011 squad but the team still wasn't able to make any moves before the deadline. After a brutal April and May, the Twins posted records above .500 in June and July. This might have given the front office a false sense of hope. Minnesota was only seven games under .500 in the first half of the year. At the end of July, the club had a 50-58 record and they were only seven games out of first place in the AL Central. Unfortunately, the second half of the season would be dreadful.
     
    Fans were forced to have faith that the club would climb back into the race. This would never happen and Cuddyer and Kubel would leave the team in the offseason. There might not have been deals on the table for these corner outfielders and it is hard to know what goes on in the general manager's office. Still, it looked silly to have veteran players with expiring contracts on a club that was headed very close to a 100-loss season.
     
    2010 Headline: Capps acquired for stretch run
    In one of the most scrutinized deals in Twins history, Matt Capps was acquired from the Washington Nationals for prized catching prospect Wilson Ramos. The Twins were in the middle of another tight division race and the back end of the bullpen might have needed a little boost. Joe Nathan had suffered an elbow injury in spring training and the club had used Jon Rauch as closer for most of the first half. Adding Capps to the mix only strengthened the bullpen and he could have been a key piece if the club had gone on a lengthy run in October. As fans know, this didn't happen but the deal could have looked better with Capps closing out some games in the ALDS, ALCS, and even the World Series.
     
    The cost for Capps was a steep one. Wilson Ramos was working his way toward the big leagues and he had even had an impressive debut in Minnesota. The Twins already had Joe Mauer entrenched behind the plate so keeping Ramos around wasn't a necessity. Since joining the Nationals, there have been some injury concerns as he only played 25 games last season and a little over 30 games in 2013. He continues to hit for power and he has posted a career .271/.334/.447 batting line in the National League. Ramos hasn't turned into the next Johnny Bench and that might be a good thing for Twins fans.
  22. Cody Christie
    The non-waiver trade deadline is closing in quickly and it is still tough to know what the Twins will do in the coming hours. Is Justin Morneau's Twins career over? Will Glen Perkins still be the guy at the back end of the bullpen? Can the Twins afford to part with Kevin Correia or Mike Pelfrey? There could be a lot of deals in the next couple days or there could be nothing but the sounds of crickets.
     
    During the offseason, the Twins made a lot of noise by dealing two of their starting centerfielders, Denard Span and Ben Revere. Minnesota wanted to bolster their pitching depth and shopping their team controlled outfielders seemed to bring back the biggest return. From a drafting and scouting perspective, the Twins were taking a different approach to their pitchers and this deal was supposed to be a step in the right direction.
     
    For those that don't remember, here's a timeline of the events that lead to both players being traded. The Nationals had been trying to work out a deal to acquire Span for multiple seasons. His concussion issues in 2011 might have held up a deal. On November 29th, the time was right and he was sent to Washington for former first round pick Alex Meyer. A hard throwing right-handed pitcher, Meyer looked to have the potential of a future top of the rotation starter.
     
    Within the next week, Terry Ryan went into Dave St. Peter's office and said there might be a chance to move Ben Revere. The Phillies had been interested in the newly named starting center fielder for the Twins. It turned out to be a deal the Twins couldn't refuse. Revere headed to Philadelphia and in return Vance Worley and Trevor May headed back to Minnesota. Worley was a young pitcher with some big league experience and May was a hard throwing minor league pitcher with some up side.

    Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com


     
    All MLB teams have played over 100 games, which means their schedule is close to 65% complete. Let's look back at the parties involved in these offseason deals and see what the outcomes have been.
     
    Denard Span, CF - Washington Nationals
    MLB Stat Summary (99 Games): .266/.319/.370, 2 HR, 21 2B, 7 3B, 10 SB, 0.9 WAR
    Things haven't gotten off to a great start for Span in Washington DC. He is a career .282 hitter with a .352 OBP but he has struggled to reach those marks this season. The Nationals have even moved him out of the leadoff spot in their batting order because their team needed some kind of spark. Entering this past weekend, Span had yet to hit a home run in a Nationals uniform. He has now hit long balls in back-to-back games and maybe he can get things going on the offensive side of the ball. Overall, the transition to the National League has been a little rough and the Nats had to have been hoping for more from Span.
     
    Ben Revere, CF - Philadelphia Phillies
    MLB Stat Summary (88 Games): .305/.338/.352, 9 2B, 3 3B, 22 SB, 0.7 WAR
    Revere is currently on the disabled list after he broke his right foot from a foul ball. This was terrible news for the Phillies since Revere was in the midst of quite the hot streak at the plate. Over his last 15 games before the injury, Revere was hitting .431/.438/.538 with six extra-base hits. He was also in the middle of a 10-game hitting streak. It was looking like the Phillies were getting some of the best baseball out of Revere and now he will be on the bench for 6-8 weeks.
     
    Vance Worley, RHP - Minnesota Twins/Rochester Red Wings
    MLB Stat Summary (10 Games): 1-5 record, 7.21 ERA, 48.2 IP, 25 SO, 15 BB, 1.99 WHIP
    MiLB Stat Summary (9 Games): 6-3 record, 3.88 ERA, 58.0 IP, 34 SO, 17 BB, 1.41 WHIP
    Worley was suppose to be able to stick in the Twins rotation for a couple seasons while some of the younger pitching prospects made their way to the big leagues. This didn't work out the greatest as he struggled mightily with the transition from the National League to the American League. Things have gone better for him in Rochester but this should be expected from someone with over 300 MLB innings. There may be a chance in the second half for Worley to get back to the big leagues but he has been the biggest disappointment out of all of the trade pieces.
     
    Alex Meyer, RHP - New Britain Rock Cats
    MiLB Stat Summary (11 Games): 3-3 record, 3.69 ERA, 61.0 IP, 73 SO, 27 BB, 1.31 WHIP
    Meyer was off to a decent start to the year but a shoulder injury has held him off the field since June 1st. The Twins are being extra careful with Meyer since he could be a valuable part of the team's future. In many of the mid-season prospect ranking that have been released, Meyer has consistently been in the top-100 for all of baseball. A couple of weeks ago, it sounded like Meyer was getting close to being back on the mound. The minor league season ends in early September and the Twins are hopeful that Meyer will be able to get some more innings under his belt before that time.
     
    Trevor May, RHP - New Britain Rock Cats
    MiLB Stat Summary (20 Games): 6-7 record, 4.07 ERA, 112.2 IP, 113 SO, 50 BB, 1.40 WHIP
    May has been as advertised from his time in the Phillies organization. There are going to be some strikeouts from this power-throwing right-hander but there is also some control problems. He is averaging 2.5 walks per start and this translates to 4.0 BB/9. That total would match a minor league low for May so he is making strides in the right direction. He has also stayed healthy and on the field and this can hold value to an organization. It will be interesting to see how many innings the Twins let May pitch before the end of the year. The last two years he has been around 150 IP.
  23. Cody Christie
    The story of Miguel Sano's benching after a slow home run trot has certainly taken on a life of it's own. There have been multiple websites and media outlets that have picked up the tale. He wouldn't play again on Friday and it will be interesting to see when he gets back on the field. He can be a difference maker to the Rock Cats offense and the team wants to try and get back to the .500 mark. Sano can help to make that happen.
     
    Sano might be getting a lot of the attention for the Twins farm system but the guys actually on the field need some support as well. There were some great performances through multiple levels of the farm system on Friday night. It all starts in Triple-A with the man on the mound...
     
    Rochester Red Wings 5, Norfolk Tides 2
    Box Score
    For the second time in his career, Andrew Albers tossed a complete game shutout and it helped propel the Red Wings into sole possession of the Wild Card lead. Before a leadoff homer by Luis Exposito in the 7th inning, Albers had stretched his scoreless streak to 13.1 innings and his earned run-less streak to 18.1 innings. He is the first Red Wings starter to win 11 games since Brian Duensing in 2007.
     
    Oswaldo Arcia continued his hot hitting since being sent down. He hit his third home run in eight games and he has hit safely in seven of those contests. He finished the night 2-for-4 and he is batting .478 (11-23) with three home runs, two doubles, and six RBI since his demotion.
     
    Deibinson Romero was in the middle of quite the run at the plate as well. He reached base safely in eight straight at-bats until a flyout in his last at-bat on Friday. During that streak, he went 5-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three walks. He was 3-for-4 on Friday with three singles.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats 2, Reading Fightin' Phillies 7
    Box Score
    The Rock Cats out hit the Phillies on this night but a victory was still well out of reach. New Britain left nine men on base and the team went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Phillies were also able to pound out three home runs against the Rock Cats pitching staff while New Britain only had one extra base hit.
     
    Miguel Sano was out of the line-up again after he "pimped" a home run earlier this week. This left the offense in the hands of the other men on the team. Danny Santana collected his sixth triple of the season. Eddie Rosario and Adam Pettersen each had two hits.
     
    Pat Dean took the loss in this game after throwing seven innings and giving up four runs. He struck out eight and walked one but he did give up two home runs. It was the third straight loss for Dean but it was the first time he has pitched more than four innings in his last three starts.
     
    Fort Myers Miracle 7, Clearwater Threshers 3
    Box Score
    Byron Buxton showed why he considered by many to be the best prospect in baseball. He belted two triples on the way to 2-for-3 night at the plate. He scored a run and drove in two runners. Anderlin Mejia also helped out the offense and extended his hitting streak to 14-games. The bottom three in the Miracle batting order provided some offensive punch. J.D. Williams, Andy Leer, and Levi Michael each had a double and a run batted in.
     
    Jason Wheeler picked up his eighth win of the season by tossing five innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. Wheeler got into a little trouble in the sixth as he hit a batter and gave up three straight hits. The Threshers scored two runs and the bullpen took over from there. Nelvin Fuentes and Tyler Jones pitched four shutout innings to close the door on another Miracle victory.
     
    Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Peoria Chiefs 2
    Box Score
    The Kernels used a six-run seventh inning to slip past the Chiefs on Wednesday night. It took awhile for the offense to wake up as the club had one hit through six frames. Niko Goodrum and Jorge Polanco led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Adam Walker hit a sac fly to tie the game. Eventually, Joel Licon hit a two-out double to plate two more runs. Jonathan Murphy would cap the big inning with a two-run single.
     
    Kernels starter Brett Lee went five innings and allowed one earned run on six hits. He walked one and struck out four. Tim Shibuya earned the victory in relief by throwing two innings and giving up one hit with three strikeouts. It was the first victory of the year for Shibuya since he moved up from Elizabethton. David Hurlbut pitched two hitless innings to end the game.
     
    Elizabethton Twins 1, Johnson City 3
    Box Score
    Hein Robb did his best to keep the E-Twins in this game but the offense wasn't there to back him up. He pitched into the eighth inning for the first time all season by scattering eight hits and three earned runs. He struck out eight batters and walked one but two home runs were tough to overcome. Andre Martinez recored the other two outs of the game on strikeouts.
     
    The E-Twins were held to five hits and the team struck out nine times. Rory Rhodes led the offense with a 2-for-4 night after being held hitless in his last four games. Stuart Turner, Romy Jimenez, and Tanner Vavra added the other hits of the game but they were all singles. Six runners were left on base and the team only batted with a runner in scoring position four times.
     
    GCL Twins 3, GCL Red Sox 7
    Box Score
    Jonathan Hinojosa was the lone member of the Twins to collect two hits in this game. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Engelb Vielma scored two runs out of the leadoff spot. Alex Swim and Joel Polanco each added their fourth doubles of the season.
     
    Plenty of pitchers saw action in this game. Leonel Zazueta started and went three innings by allowing one run on three hits. Luke Bard pitched in relief and he was only asked to get the first two outs of the fourth inning. Brandon Easton took his third loss of the season by giving up four runs on five hits in a little over an inning of work. Fernando Romero had some control issues as he walked four men over 2.2 innings.
  24. Cody Christie
    Since the Twins were playing on the West Coast, their afternoon game with the Angels went into the early evening in the Central time zone. Minnesota won the first two games of the series before things got a little dicey on Wednesday. Jared Weaver looked excellent on the mound but a bad infield fly call might have cost the Twins a chance to sweep the Angels.
     
    With Joe Mauer on paternity leave for three days, Drew Butera was called up from Rochester. He has spent the entire season at Rochester where he is hitting .215/.247/.316 in 86 plate appearances. For a 29-year old with close to 500 MLB at-bats, these totals aren't very good. To take the place of Butera on Rochester's roster, Jario Rodriguez was moved up from Cedar Rapids.
     
    There were plenty of sights and sounds on Wednesday so let's go down on the pond for all of the action.
     
    Rochester Red Wings 6, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2
    Box Score
    A wild bottom of the eighth inning helped Rochester to separate themselves from the IronPigs. Three passed balls and one wild pitch resulted in five runs. July has been a very good month for the Red Wings as they are 14-7 since the calendar turned from June. The club is also a season high four games over the .500 mark.
     
    One of the hottest relief pitchers in the Twins system has been Edgar Ibarra. In his last 22 innings between New Britain and Rochester, he has not allowed an earned run. The last earned run he allowed was back on May 21st at the Double-A level. He was credited with his first Triple-A victory in this game after recording the last five outs. PJ Walters went 7.1 innings and allowed two runs on six hits with six strikeouts.
     
    Chris Parmelee hit his first home run since being sent back to Rochester. Oswaldo Arcia also helped the offense by going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. The Red Wings only managed four hits but all of the wild pitching from the IronPigs bullpen helped the team to come out on the right side of this game.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats 1, Portland Sea Dogs 3
    Box Score
    For the first time in three days, Miguel Sano didn't hit a home run for the Rock Cats. He didn't really get the opportunity to hit as he was out of the line-up for the first time since he left the team for the MLB Futures Game. With their power hitting third baseman out of the line-up, New Britain had a tough time getting the offense off the ground.
     
    Josmil Pinto continued his tremendous season with another multi-hit game. He provided the most offensive punch in the line-up by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Daniel Ortiz and Pinto are tied for the team lead with 23 doubles. Danny Santana went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.
     
    On the mound, New Britain only needed one pitcher for the entire game. Virgil Vasquez threw all nine innings while giving up three runs on seven hits. He struck out eight and only walked one. It was his second complete game since joining the Rock Cats and both of them have come against the Sea Dogs.
     
    Fort Myers Miracle 3, Brevard County Manatees 2 (11 innings)
    Box Score
    It took a couple of big hits from Kennys Vargas and Mike Kvasnicka to help the Miracle to stage a late inning comeback. In the ninth inning with the Miracle down a run, Vargas launched his 15th home run of the season to tie the game. Kvasnicka would rope an RBI single in the top of the 11th inning to plate the winning run. It was his third hit of the night.
     
    Adrian Salcedo picked up his fifth win of the season in relief. He had to pitch around an error in the 11th inning. Overall, he threw both extra innings without allowing a hit or a run. Matt Tomshaw had a good start for the Miracle as he tossed seven innings of two-run ball. He struck out six and walked one but he wouldn't figure into the decision.
     
    Byron Buxton went 2-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Buxton was matched in the hits department by Aderlin Mejia. He finished the night 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. Dalton Hicks had his first double at the High-A level and his 32nd double for the season.
     
    Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Peoria Chiefs 8 (10 Innings)
    Box Score
    Christian Powell ran into some rough moments in the early going of this game. All nine Chiefs batters came to the plate in the first inning but he was able to limit the damage to three runs. He wouldn't make it too deep into the game on the mound. He was pulled after 4.2 innings and giving up five runs on eight hits. His five walks really hurt him.
     
    Adam Walker continued his hot hitting as he had three hits for the second consecutive night. He is in the midst of a six game hitting streak and he is batting .340 in his last 10 games. Mike Gonzales hit his first home run for the Kernels and he is 5-for-12 since joining the team. Jorge Polanco had multiple hits for the third straight game including his 25th double.
     
    Elizabethton Twins 2, Kingsport Mets 3
    Box Score
    The E-Twins did their best to come back and tie the game in the top of the ninth inning but the Mets found a way to push across a walk-off run in the bottom half of the frame. Mitch Garver had two hits including his 2nd home run of the season. It was the only extra-base hit for the Twins. Stuart Turner and Carlos Avila each had two hits.
     
    Josh Burris pitched 2.2 innings as the starter but there were some control issues. He allowed six walks while he did limit the Mets to three hits and one earned run. Brandon Bixler threw the most frames as he went 3.1 innings and didn't allow a run. Ethan Mildren got into trouble in the bottom of the ninth and he given his first professional loss.
     
    GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 1
    Box Score
    The GCL Twins used a balanced offensive approach to win a close game with the GCL Orioles. Six of the nine starters for the Twins ended the game with a hit. Joel Polanco knocked in a run with his third double of the year. Jorge Fernandez hit a solo home run in the 7th inning. Overall, the team went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position so there were some opportunities that were missed.
     
    The pitching staff for the GCL Twins didn't allow an earned run. Sam Gibbons started the game and pitched four strong innings. He limited the Orioles to two hits and one unearned run. There were some control problems as he walked four men and had a wild pitch. Lewis Thorpe earned his first professional win by throwing two shutout innings and striking out three men.
  25. Cody Christie
    The second half of the minor league season is well under way. Some of the Twins affiliates are trying to find their way into the playoff race. A few of the farm teams are trying to fight through some injuries and keep players on the field. It will be an interesting couple of months leading up to the playoffs.
     
    Earlier on Tuesday, a roster move had to be made to fit Nick Blackburn into the rotation for Rochester. His promotion from Double-A meant another pitcher had to go the opposite direction. LHP Blake Martin made the trek from the International League back to the Eastern League. In 12 games, he had a 4.02 ERA and 25 strikeouts.
     
    Let's see how Blackburn did in his first start back at Triple-A. Plus there were some fireworks from Sano and Buxton on this night.
     
    Rochester Red Wings 1, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8
    Box Score
    Nick Blackburn made his 2013 debut at Triple-A and things went rocky to say the least. He gave up six earned runs off of 10 hits and he barely made it through five innings. It was the most runs he has ever allowed in his 32 starts for the Red Wings. It was the first time the IronPigs had won at Frontier Field since August of last season.
     
    An eighth inning double by Chris Parmelee scored the lone run of the game. On the night, Parmelee went 2-for-3 with that double and an RBI. Oswaldo Arcia had been ripping the cover off the ball since being demoted before the All-Star break. He had gone 7-for-11 with two home runs but he was pulled in the second inning tonight after going 0-1 with a strike out.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats 7, Portland Sea Dogs 8
    Box Score
    The Rock Cats got out to an early 5-0 lead after multiple run innings in the first and second. Portland came back with a big five-run top of the fourth to tie the game. This would turn into a battle of the bullpens and the Sea Dogs had a little more bark in them.
     
    Miguel Sano continued to be hot as he hit a home run for the second consecutive night. He also has homered in four of his last six games. He smacked a double in the earlier innings to help him finish 2-for-4 with two RBI. Josmil Pinto added his 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot.
     
    Former MLB pitcher Kyle Davies made his Rock Cats debut on the mound. He got knocked around for nine hits and five earned runs in 3.1 innings. On a more positive note, he did strikeout six batters and he didn't give up any walks.
     
    Fort Myers Miracle 4, Brevard County Manatees 10
    Box Score
    Byron Buxton hit a home run, legged out a triple, and scored three runs but it still wasn't enough. It was the first over-the-wall home run for Buxton at this level. Overall, Buxton went 3-for-4 and he added his fourth stolen base at this level. Dalton Hicks, Matt Koch, and Stephen Wickens all had two-hit games but none were for extra-bases.
     
    Miracle starter Taylor Rogers had a tough time getting out of the middle innings. The Manatees plated six runs in the fourth and fifth frames including one inning where eight batters made it to the plate. He went five innings and gave up six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Chad Rodgers got pounded for four runs in his one inning of relief work.
     
    Elizabethton Twins 4, Kingsport Mets 5
    Box Score
    The E-Twins did their best to come back in this game by scoring four runs in the eighth inning to take a one run lead. Unfortunately, the Mets had different plans as they would storm back to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth and come out victorious.
     
    Romy Jimenez and Javier Pimentel both went 2-for-4 with a double. It was the seventh double of the year for Pimentel. Zach Granite also had two hits and an RBI. Starter Felix Jorge went five innings and gave up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Brandon Peterson was saddled with the loss after giving up both runs in the bottom of the ninth.
     
    GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 3
    Box Score
    Four defensive errors didn't help the GCL Twins on this day. Only one earned run was scored by the GCL Rays and that made the difference in the final score. Jonatan Hinojosa had two fielding errors at shortstop, second baseman Will Hurt had a throwing error, and first baseman Chad Christensen added an error on a pickoff. Defensive mistakes will haunt a team.
     
    Hurt tried to make up for his throwing error with a good day at the plate. He went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Amaurys Minier had the only extra-base hit, his fourth double of the season. Damian Defrank started the game and scattered three hits over four shutout innings. He struck out four and walked one. Stephen Gonsalves also pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief.
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