Jeremy Nygaard

[B]Trade Deadline Overview: San Francisco Giants[/B] [B]Buyers or Sellers [/B] The Giants have won two of the last three World Series, but now find themselves with one of the worst records in the National League and nearly ten games out in the Wild Card Race. Sellers, right? Not so fast. Playing in the National League West, the Giants are only a handful of games out in the division race.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Though they do trail the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Rockies, the silver-lining is that the Giants are coming off of a year they had a dominant second-half of the season (48-28). No team in the first half of this year can match that winning percentage (.632). The Giants aren’t playing great baseball, but might not be far from it. Another division championship is well within their reach. Right now, the Giants are undecided about what they’re going to do. The next couple weeks may prove me wrong, but they ought to approach this deadline as buyers. [B]What They Need [/B] The Giants lost starting CF Angel Pagan to a hamstring injury and his return is – at a minimum – still over a month away. The Giants have signed OF Jeff Francoeur and plan to work him into their outfield rotation. Obviously, Hunter Pence is going to continue to play RF every day, but the outfield production as a whole has been subpar. Another position in the lineup that could use a tune-up is first base. Brandon Belt has strung together a good couple months since a really slow start, but Belt has always been on a short leash and seems to constantly be skating on thin ice. There have been rumors that the Giants are looking to improve their bullpen. They seem set with lefty relievers (including former Twin Jose Mijares), but may have interest in adding another right-hander. [B]What Might Work [/B] As up-and-down as Brandon Belt has been, Justin Morneau wouldn’t be a clear upgrade. Buster Posey is Belt’s primary backup (well, Posey plays 1B when he isn’t catching). Would the Giants have interest in Ryan Doumit? That would allow Posey to not catch as much. The knock on Doumit’s defense/pitch-framing might prove costly, though, if he’s put on the market (especially in the DH-free N.L.). Besides closer Sergio Romo, the Giants only have one right-handed reliever who has appeared in more than 30 games. (Conversely, the Twins have four.) Casey Fien could make sense for the Giants. The cost would probably be minimal and he would provide a right arm that could step up in the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] or 7[SUP]th[/SUP] inning. [B]Sleeper Targets [/B] [I]Martin Agosta – RHP – Low A – 22 years old[/I] The Giants have a number of quality arms. Agosta isn’t one of the premium ones, but he’s not far off. A 2[SUP]nd[/SUP]-round pick out of St. Mary’s in 2012, Agosta is dealing with the stigma of being a short, right-handed pitcher (6’ 1”). He’s striking guys out (11.1 K/9), but can’t shake the stereotypes that he may be best suited for the bullpen because of his size and his lack of a change-up. He does throw a slider and a cutter, so there’s still a chance he can be a big league starter. [I]Adalberto Mejia – LHP – High A – 20 years old[/I] Mejia proved to be pretty advanced after signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. He made his full-season debut in 2012 and struggled in his first go-around as a starter. After being shifted to the bullpen, he returned as a starter later in the year. Mejia barely touches 90, but has a good slider and a changeup. Mejia has been in the starting rotation all year in High-A and has put up decent numbers: 8.1 K/9, 1.12 WHIP, 4 HR (in 45 IP). [I]Angel Villalona – 1B – AA – 22 years old[/I] Villalona might be a name you recognize. It’s either because you remember him being a Top 50 prospect before the 2008 and 2009 seasons or because you heard the story about him being investigated on a murder charge and missing the next two seasons because of that and visa issues. Obviously, there are some flaws with Villalona, but if you’re looking for someone who might turn out better than expected, why not? [B]Dream Target [/B] [I]Kyle Crick – RHP – High A –20 years old[/I] Crick ranks #49 in Baseball America’s recently released Midseason Top 50. He’s a big-time power arm that missed some time earlier this year with an oblique injury, but still has a ceiling as a front-of-the-rotation starter. Crick was the 49[SUP]th[/SUP] overall pick in the 2011 draft and has allowed only two home runs in nearly 150 professional innings. Equally impressive, in those 148 innings, Crick has struck out 180 batters. Of course, after dealing prospect Zach Wheeler to the Mets for a rental, Carlos Beltran, in 2011, there is slim-to-no chance the Giants will repeat that mistake. In fact, there’s now something in the league known as the “Zach Wheeler Syndrome”, in which a team will hold out until the last minute and then make a panic trade. View full article

Trade Deadline Overview: San Francisco Giants Buyers or Sellers The Giants have won two of the last three World Series, but now find themselves with one of the worst records in the National League and nearly ten games out in the Wild Card Race. Sellers, right? Not so fast. Playing in the National League West, the Giants are only a handful of games out in the division race. Though they do trail the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Rockies, the silver-lining is that the Giants are coming off of a season where they had a dominant second-half to the season (48-28). No team this year can match that winning percentage (.632). All told, the Giants aren’t playing great baseball, but might not be far from it. Another Division Championship is well within their reach. Right now, the Giants are undecided about what they’re going to do. The next couple of weeks may prove me wrong, but they should approach this deadline as buyers. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4802[/ATTACH] What They Need The Giants lost starting CF Angel Pagan to a hamstring injury and his return is – at a minimum – still over a month away. The Giants have signed OF Jeff Francoeur and plan to work him into their outfield rotation. Obviously, Hunter Pence is going to continue to play RF every day, but the outfield production as a whole has been subpar. Another position in the lineup that could use a tune-up is first base. Brandon Belt has strung together a good couple of months since a really slow start, but Belt has always had a short leash and seems to constantly be skating on thin ice. There have been rumors that the Giants are looking to improve their bullpen. They seem set with lefty relievers (including former Twin Jose Mijares), but may have interest in adding another right-hander. What Might Work For as up-and-down as Brandon Belt has been, Justin Morneau wouldn’t be a clear upgrade. Buster Posey is Belt’s primary backup (or at least, Posey plays 1B when he isn’t catching). Would the Giants have interest in Ryan Doumit? That would allow Posey to not catch as much. The knock on Doumit’s defense/pitch-framing might prove costly, though, if he’s put on the market (especially in the DH-free N.L.). Besides closer Sergio Romo, the Giants only have one right-handed reliever who has appeared in more than 30 games. (Conversely, the Twins have four.) Casey Fien could make sense for the Giants. The cost would probably be minimal and he would provide a right arm that could step up in the 6th or 7th inning. Sleeper Targets Martin Agosta – RHP – Low A – 22 years old The Giants have a number of quality arms. Agosta isn’t one of the premium ones, but he’s not far off. A 2nd-round pick out of St. Mary’s in 2012, Agosta is dealing with the stigma of being a short, right-handed pitcher (6’ 1”). He’s striking guys out (11.1 K/9), but can’t shake the stereotype that he may be best suited for the bullpen. In part because of his size, in part due to his lack of a changeup. He does throw a slider and a cutter, so there’s still a chance. Adalberto Mejia – LHP – High A – 20 years old Mejia proved to be pretty advanced after signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. He made his full-season debut in 2012 and struggled in his first go-around as a starter, but after being shifted to the bullpen, came on as a starter later in the year. Mejia barely touches 90, but has a good slider and a changeup. Mejia has been in the starting rotation all year in High-A and has put up decent numbers: 8.1 K/9, 1.12 WHIP, 4 HR (in 45 IP). Angel Villalona – 1B – AA – 22 years old Villalona might be a name you recognize. It’s either because you remember him being a Top 50 prospect before the 2008 and 2009 season or because you heard the story about him being investigated on a murder charge and missing the next two seasons because of that and visa issues. Obviously, there are some flaws with Villalona, but if you’re looking for someone that might turn out better than expected, why not? Dream Target Kyle Crick – RHP – High A –20 years old Crick ranks #49 in Baseball America’s recently released Midseason Top 50. He’s a big-time power arm that missed some time earlier this year with an oblique injury, but still has a ceiling as a front-of-the-rotation starter. Crick was the 49th overall pick in the 2011 draft and has only allowed two home runs in nearly 150 professional innings. Equally impressive, in those 148 innings, Crick has struck out 180 batters. Of course, after dealing prospect Zach Wheeler to the Mets for a rental, Carlos Beltran, in 2011, there is a slim-to-none chance that the Giants will repeat that mistake. In fact, there’s now something in the league known as the “Zach Wheeler Syndrome,” which is when a team will hold out until the last minute and make a panic trade.

Yesterday we took a look at four Twins who will have minimal value on the trade market. Today we’re going to look at the three who probably have the most value (if they’re made available… and no, Joe Mauer isn’t available). [ATTACH=CONFIG]4783[/ATTACH] We’re going to skip Ryan Doumit and most of the bullpen. Personally, I feel like there are tradable assets there, so I maybe I’ll revisit that in the future. Justin Morneau I think people are holding out hope that somebody is going to overpay for the former MVP. I don’t see it happening, but there is reason to be somewhat optimistic. A good trade comparison that happened recently is when the Astros traded Carlos Lee and $9 million to cover the rest of his contract to the Miami Marlins for P Rob Rasmussen and 3B Matt Dominguez. Both Rasmussen (7) and Dominguez (4) were Top 10 prospects in the Marlins system. Dominguez is currently the Astros starting 3B (which really doesn’t mean much) and Rasmussen entered the year as the Astros #19 prospect. If the Twins were to pump in the $6ish million to cover the rest of Morneau’s contract, the Twins could hope for a similar return. Would you trade Justin Morneau and cash to the Yankees for RHP Brett Marshall and C J.R. Murphy? Marshall ranked as the Yankees’ #6 prospect coming into the season. His BA blurp is music to the Twins brass ears, “Marshall profiles as a durable, sinkerballing #4 starter – not the Yankees’ prototype prospect but a useful trade chip.” Marshall has made an appearance out of the Yankees bullpen in May, but has otherwise spent his season in the AAA rotation. Marshall would turn 24 in the weeks leading up to Opening Day 2014. Murphy, ranked #15, is currently catching in AAA after a promotion about a month ago. Murphy is more advanced offensively than defensively, but he is making progress. Adding another catcher to the group of Pinto, Herrmann and Butera would give the Twins added flexibility and open up the door to trade either Ryan Doumit or Butera. (In fact, maybe Butera could/would be thrown into this deal.) Plus, the icing on the cake (for me anyway), is that the Twins could re-sign Morneau this winter. That is, if he’s open to a 2-year deal that doesn’t exceed $15 million total. Trevor Plouffe We could debate whether or not Plouffe should be on the market. Some might argue that he should be part of the long-term plans and I get that. In my mind, though, he’s still just a placeholder for the next wave. The issue with moving Plouffe is that the next wave isn’t ready yet. Plouffe is from Los Angeles and currently there are two teams that play in his hometown that could use an upgrade at the hot corner. At 27 – and under team control for four more seasons – Plouffe has value. He’s a replacement-level defender and is OPSing at about .770. Juan Uribe, who turns 34 next week, is having his best season since 2009 – his first with the Giants – and, statistically, is almost the exact same player that Trevor Plouffe is both offensively (OPS of .764) and defensively (replacement-level) this year. Oh, and Uribe’s $8 million contract expires at the end of the season. I’m not sure if the Dodgers have a more expensive, accomplished 3B in their crosshairs, but Trevor Plouffe could be a guy that helps them out. Would you trade Trevor Plouffe and International Slot 4 ($203,300) to the Dodgers for (as @Jederdyer suggests) LHP Chris Reed plus (my suggestions) RHP Angel Sanchez, SS Darnell Sweeney and 3B Juan Uribe (and his expiring contract)? Reed would be the headliner. A first round pick out of Stanford in 2011, Reed, 23, is in the AA rotation and profiles as a mid-rotation starter with a mid-90s, heavy fastball and a plus slider. He would compare favorably to current farmhand Trevor May, but have the same control/is he a bullpen guy questions. Sanchez, who had a dreadful 2012 in high-A has just recently been re-promoted there and has a live, projectable arm. He will turn 24 in November. Sweeney is a true shortstop but has had a ton of errors. He’s handling the bat pretty well in high-A, though and could be a sleeper prospect. Of course taking Uribe back and saving the Dodgers about $4 million is part of the reason the prospect haul is better. Uribe can serve as the stopgap for the rest of this lost season. If you’d rather trade Plouffe to the Angels, who have one of the weakest farm systems in baseball, you’d probably have to take back Alberto Callaspo’s contract (almost $2 million for the rest of this season and $4,875,000 next season) and a couple Dominican pitchers who may have a higher ceiling, but a low chance of reaching it. Glen Perkins Oh, and the hardest decision of them all. The Pony, Glen Perkins. If I dealt from my head, I’d trade Perkins in a heartbeat; the value of his return would be significant. If I let feelings get involved, though, I’d want Perkins around for the turn-around. A recent article on Fangraphs talks about how dealing Perkins should be the obvious answer. My asking price would be high and set in stone: A top 50 prospect (preferably a pitcher) and another really good prospect (preferably another pitcher). So what teams have that trade trip to offer and could use a left-handed closer? Well, the second part is easy to answer… in a nutshell, everybody. The Red Sox have been linked heavily to Jon Papelbon. I’d rather have Perkins. Would you trade Perkins for RHP Anthony Ranaudo (who is carving up AA and should be in AAA – or the Majors – soon) and RHP Francellis Montas (struggling in hi-A, at 20, but can hit 100) You could probably also talk the Red Sox into adding close-to-the-Majors reliever too. Ranaudo is a guy you could start in a playoff game, so he’s no worse than a #3 starter and he’s close. Montas is essentially a super-cool lottery ticket. Plus, when push comes to shove, the Red Sox will hopefully throw in a sweetener (or two). The Dodgers could use Perkins too. Would you trade Perkins for a deal centered around Zach Lee? What if it was Lee and OF Joc Pederson? I’d ask for a sweetener, but Lee and Pederson would be hard to turn down. Heck, I’d throw them some International Money too. How about the Pirates? Wouldn’t a Grilli/Perkins combination be pretty dynamite? I’d say so. Plus, they have motivation to make a move. You’re not getting Jameson Taillon. I doubt you’re getting Luis Heredia. I don’t know if they’d part with breakout starter Tyler Glasnow either. But what if they offered Heredia or Glasnow (both a few years away) plus SS Alen Hanson, who after having a breakout year in low-A at 19, is struggling in hi-A? On the record, the Pirates would be idiots to do that, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. You know what would hurt, though? Teasing the fans of Pittsburgh with a great record only to miss the playoffs for the 21st consecutive year! They have motivation to make a move… and if they need a sweetener (Is Chris Parmelee an upgrade over Travis Snider?), I don’t think twice. Adding two Top 55 prospects to a system that will probably already have six (plus rookies Arcia, Hicks and Gibson just graduating) would be quite a feat. The Diamondbacks, who Seth recently profiled, would be a fit too. But they’re on record saying they won’t move Tyler Skaggs or Archie Bradley. I’d probably take whichever one they’d want to give up, but, hey, the Twins are on record saying they aren’t moving their closer either. (If I were the Diamondbacks, I’d hold on to both… especially Bradley and wouldn’t trade either for a closer.) So what do you think? Do any of these moves excite you? Do any of these moves seem possible? Obviously these are only a few of thousands of scenarios. The fact remains, though, that the Twins are sellers and they need to (learn how to) behave like one.

Earlier today I asked Twitter followers (or others) to tell me who they think the Twins will or should trade. I figured I could come up with some hypotheticals and the readers at TwinsDaily could weigh in on the different proposals. I’m not suggesting these are all trades I would make from the Twins perspective, but are something I would consider at least relatively fair (and that make sense) from both clubs’ views. I immediately got a lot of suggestions: Justin Morneau, Kevin Correia, Trevor Plouffe, Jamey Carroll, Mike Pelfrey, Josh Willingham and Glen Perkins. There were a few Joe Mauer suggestions, but I figured they were in jest, so we’ll stay away from them. There was also one that involved minor leaguers. Now, while I do think the Twins could deal away a prospect or two in the right package, they wouldn’t be dealing the “building blocks of the future”. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4777[/ATTACH] Today we’ll start out with the four easier decisions (in my opinion) and we’ll take a look at the three more difficult ones tomorrow. Jamey Carroll Carroll is currently playing out his age-39 season and will, in all likelihood, be receiving a $250,000 buyout after the season. While he’s on pace to make the least amount of plate appearances since his rookie season of 2002, he still provides versatility and a somewhat valuable glove at multiple infield positions. Considering this may be Carroll’s final season, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see the Twins deal him to a contender. At this point, it’s hard to say who, but the return would be similar. Would you trade Jamey Carroll and cash (likely the money to cover his buyout) for a PTBNL or cash? The return would probably end up being the “buyout money” coming back, which would essentially mean that Carroll is given away solely for him to have the opportunity to play in a pennant race (and maybe the Twins save a few hundred thousand on his remaining salary). It sounds fair to me and it also allows the Twins to give a few at-bats to James Beresford or Doug Bernier. Mike Pelfrey I think that, when the Twins signed Pelfrey, there was potential for him to be a guy that the Twins could deal at the deadline. (Off topic, they could have done much worse than signing Pelfrey. See: Baker, Marcum, Myers.) Unfortunately, Pelfrey got off to a rough start before hurting his back. Now we’re looking at only getting a handful of starts in before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Pelfrey is on pace to finish right around 150 IP, which triggers his first of many incentives. (The first one is worth $100,000.) I can’t imagine there is a huge trade market for a current fringe-#5 starter, so I see very little chance that Pelfrey gets moved. Given that Pelfrey’s agent is Scott Boras, we know that Pelfrey will hit the free agent market after the season. Call me nuts, but I think we have yet to see the best of Pelfrey. (In which case, let’s see what happens in late August.) To be completely honest, I would sign Pelfrey to the exact same deal next year that he has currently, but I think he will get a better deal in the offseason. Kevin Correia Correia is an interesting case. He signed a 2-year/$10 million deal which fans and local media hated instantly. He then started out the season pitching much better than expected. Now he’s leveled off and isn’t doing anything to help the Twins or his trade value (though he was pretty good tonight). Oh, then there’s the “you can’t trade a guy in the first year of a multi-year deal” thing you gotta deal with. I actually think Correia has less value than Pelfrey because of the $5.5 million owed to him in 2014. Is Correia the piece that’s going to put a team over the top and into the playoffs? I don’t think so, Tim. Is there a team that would add Correia to help stabilize an overused bullpen? I don’t even think that’s a possibility. But let’s pretend for a moment that the Rockies, who liked Correia last offseason and are a handful of games back, get hot and decide to become buyers. (I don’t think it’s likely, but just for the sake of saying…) Would you trade Kevin Correia and cash for Christian Bergman, a AA starter who doesn’t throw hard but could be Kevin Correia in a handful of years? I can’t imagine the Twins get much of anything asking a team to cover all of next year’s salary. In this scenario, maybe the Twins cover $2 - $3 million and get a guy that would be a fringe Top 30 prospect. If you’re not okay with chipping in a couple million, replace Bergman with any AA relief pitcher with either control issues or one that is older than the competition. Josh Willingham It’s actually quite a simple question with Willingham. Are you okay with trading damaged goods for two low-level, limited-ceiling pitchers right now just to get out of his 2014 salary? Or would you rather see him get healthy and shop him at the Winter Meetings and hopefully get something back with better value? Listen, I like Willingham and given what the potential returns were last deadline (rumored to be not much), I’m glad the Twins didn’t deal him. It was a calculated risk, sure, and it didn’t work out the way the Twins hoped it would. There is a chance he can recoup some value and be traded still, whether that is by the August deadline, the winter or next July. But let’s be honest here, if the return value wasn’t going to be high in the midst of a career year, when is it? Tomorrow we’ll look at Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe and Glen Perkins.

Like every other team in the MLB, the Twins have spent countless hours preparing for "J2" or the International Free Agency period that begins July 2nd. With a spending pool that was the fourth-largest in MLB, the Twins were aggressive early inking two players from the Dominican the first day they were eligible to sign. TwinsDaily learned that another player they were interested in, Dutch 3B Ruar Verkerk, signed shortly thereafter. We had a chance to exchange some questions with the young Dutchman earlier this week. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4767[/ATTACH] Verkerk, after signing, with Twins Head of International Scouting Howard Norsetter. ------- TwinsDaily: Ruar, thanks for the taking the time to help introduce yourself to this community of Twins fans. The International Free Agency system is something that we get less exposure to, so it's nice to be able to get some answers from someone that was acquired this way. Obviously, coming from Europe where the most popular sport is soccer (to us anyway, football to you), what was it about baseball that hooked you and when? Ruar Verkerk: I came in contact with baseball because my dad was a baseball player. Also, my (older) brother played and I joined him and his team at the age of 3 or 4 years. TD: Did you ever play soccer? RV: No, only a few games with school on a tournament. TD: How familiar are you with Major League Baseball? The Twins have a pretty significance presence in Europe, were you more familiar with them? RV: Off course I know Major League baseball. We often watch games on ESPN. I wasn’t more familiar to one team or another. TD: The process that ultimately led you to signing with the Twins. When did that begin? How many teams were involved. When did you know you would be signing with the Twins? RV: I have heard that they started following me at the age of 14. From my agent, I heard that five teams showed interest in me. But the Twins really made an effort to sign me. They have a good development plan for me and they want to give me time to adjust to play pro ball. TD: You told me the day the signing period opened that you were strongly considering waiting until after the European Championships later this month to sign. What changed your mind? RV: Things went fast after the 2nd of July. (The) Twins made a good offer and they really want to take care of me and sign me, so I decided not to wait until after the EC. Now I am more relaxed and I want to do my best (in) the Championship. My focus is now to win the EC with the Dutch team. TD: Before the period opens there are all sort of projections about what guys will eventually sign for. The dollar amount I saw hung on you was $500,000. Is that what you got? RV: The Twins have made a fair offer. I am not in the game for money. I am satisfied and happy. The information about the bonus I (would like to) keep to myself. TD: So what's next? I've heard all the "signees" head to Fort Myers, Florida for a physical and an age verification/background check. Is that what's on tap for you? How does the rest of the year look? How much have they told you? RV: Because I am very young and not used to (playing) in the heat, I will go to Australia for a couple of months this winter. In April, I will travel to Florida. After that I am not sure, It depends on my development. TD: The Twins have a Dutch presence currently, with P Tom Stuifbergen pitching in AA, Shairon Martis in AAA and Hall-of-Famer Bert Blyleven in the press box. They also recently released Curt Smith. Do you know any of these guys and have they contacted you since signing? RV: Yes I have had contact with Tom Stuifbergen. I saw him at the training in Holland this winter. Of course I know Bert Blijleven (Editor: maybe the Dutch spelling, which is cool) by name . I have never met him, but I hope I will have a chance to meet him one day. TD: Was there any of your other teammates that signed with the Twins or another team? RV: A teammate from the Dutch AAA team got signed by the Baltimore Orioles. TD: Obviously, you're 16, so there is still a lot to "project" with you. Can you give us a scouting report on yourself? RV: I have a lot to learn, that’s for sure. I am a tall guy. I like to hit. I am a left-handed hitter, with - so I am told - a very good, smooth swing. I have a strong arm. I got the advice to go dancing, because my footwork needs improvement. Furthermore, I have to work on my speed (and) strength. I am very proud to be a Minnesota Twin. I want to work hard and my goal is to play for the Twins in the Majors one day. Thank you for the interest in me. TD: And, thank you, Ruar, for taking your time to introduce yourself to us. ------- If you're interested in following Ruar on Twitter, you can do so @ruarverkerk.

Monday morning got out to a quick - and good - start when Baseball America released their mid-season Top 50. Byron Buxton was ranked the #1 prospect in all of baseball. Miguel Sano, despite being in a little bit of a funk, checked in only two spots later at #3. It was also nice to see the injured Alex Meyer at #32. Narrowly missing the Top 50 were P Jose Berrios (who pitched for Cedar Rapids today) and New Britain 2B Eddie Rosario. That list is behind the paywall, so no quotes to read. ROCHESTER RED WINGS 3, SCRANTON/WB RAILRIDERS 6 Box Score Andrew Albers certainly didn't step up and grab a rotation spot (if one's available). Albers used 98 pitches to get through five innings. On nine hits, he allowed five runs. He walked two and struck out five. Chirs Herrmann hit his first AAA home run. Antoan Richardson had two hits, including a triple. Eric Farris was 3-for-4 with a double. Deibinson had two hits (a double) and an RBI. Pedro Hernandez is tomorrow's scheduled starter, though P.J. Walters is set to join the team tomorrow as well. It will be interesting to see what transpires. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS 2, PORTLAND SEA DOGS 1 Box Score It was quite a performance for Rock Cats' starter Virgil Vasquez. Vasquez cruised through eight shutout, one-hit innings this afternoon before allowing three singles and a run in the 9th. He only walked one, while striking out nine. Vasquez, who has bounced between New Britain and Rochester, got his first AA win and dropped his AA ERA to 3.04. Vasquez threw 112 pitches. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4741[/ATTACH] Danny Ortiz and Jordan Parraz accounted for all the Rock Cats runs on two swings of the bat. In addition to their solo home runs, both men added singles. Nate Hanson and Josmil Pinto doubled. Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with a K. Manager Jeff Smith was ejected after arguing Sano's 1st inning strikeout. Sano is now batting .195 in his stint with New Britain. The Rock Cats will attempt to get back to .500 on Thursday. The Eastern League All-Star game with be hosted by the Rock Cats on Wednesday night. FORT MYERS MIRACLE 3, ST. LUCIE METS 5 Box Score After jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead, the bullpen counted clean up Jason Wheeler's mess and fell to the Mets. Jason Wheeler lasted 6.1 innings but it was the error to start the inning and what happened after he left that was too much to overcome. Wheeler allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits. He walked three and struck out four. Wheeler left the bases loaded for Nelvin Fuentes, who allowed two to score on a single. Zack Jones allowed a run in an inning of work. Aderlin Mejia and Matt Koch both had two hits. Kennys Vargas drove in two runs. Byron Buxton, batting in the 3-hole, went 0-for-3 with a walk. Jhon Goncalves, who spent some time in New Britain before being sent back to Fort Myers, needs to go back up. He's been the hottest hitter in the Twins system over the last handful of weeks (.412/.512/.647 over his last ten games). Tonight he was 1-for-2 with two walks. He stole a base and, though he committed an error in the outfield, also had two assists - one at home and one at second. Goncalves is not a prospect, but a valuable organizational-type guy. ACongratulations to P Matt Summers and OF Mike Kvasnicka, who earlier in the day were named FSL Pitcher and Hitter of the Week. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 5, CLINTON LUMBERKINGS 3 Box Score The Kernels came from behind to win this one, and despite only getting four hits, they used the help of nine walks to earn the victory. D.J. Hicks drove in two run on two hits, including a double. Jose Berrios wasn't sharp and only lasted four innings. Tonight, he walked four, hit a batter and allowed seven hits. He only had one strikeout and gave up three runs. He did pick two runners off of first base though. The bullpen combo of Steven Gruver and Tyler Jones was fantastic. Over five innings, they allowed only two hits and combined to strike out seven. Gruver got the win and Jones the save. Christian Powell makes the 6:35 pm start tomorrow night. ELIZABETHTON SWEPT BY BURLINGTON ROYALS (4-1 and 2-0) Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score Despite being swept in a two-game set, the E-Town pitchers pitched very solidly. Hein Robb wasn't great in Game 1. He went 4.2 innings giving up four runs. He only struck out one. Brandon Bixler struck out three to get four outs and Dallas Gallant pitched a hitless final frame. In Game 2, the starting pitcher was Randy Rosario, who is making his case to move up prospect lists. He struck out five in five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) to score on three hits and two walks. C.K. Irby made his pro debut and struck out two in an innings. Andrew Ferreira struck out the side in the 7th. Offensively, in two games, there isn't much to speak of. Eight hits TOTAL, including a lone double by Romy Jimenez, led to only one run on the day. It's really not worth talking about, writing about or reading about. It wasn't pretty. GCL TWINS 11, GCL RAYS 4 Box Score The GCL Twins used a 16-hit, 11-run attack to improve to 9-6 on the year. The offensive charge was led by Zach Larson (3-for-4, 2B, R, SB, 4 RBI), Jonatan Hinojosa (3-for-4, 2 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI) and Jorge Hernandez (3-for-5, 2 R). Amaurys Minier, who has been up-and-down all season, was up today. He hit two solo home runs and drew a walk. He did commit his 3rd error today, though. Fan favorite Nick Blackburn made another rehab start today. He lasted five innings, striking out five. He allowed two runs on six hits. Jared Wilson struck out five in two innings, but also allowed two runs. He's credited with a blown save and a win. Chih-Wei Hu allowed two hits with a strikeout in two innings. Any questions or comments? Please leave below.

Back to write-up for tonight: ROCHESTER RED WINGS 3, PAWTUCKET RED SOX 2 (10 innings) Box Score Another night with very little offense, but, more importantly, another win for the Red Wings. Tonight's win was their 5th consecutive and, impressively, gets them over .500 on the season. I remember there being lots of panic and disappointment when they started the season 2-11. People questioning why Rochester re-upped with the Twins. People saying the Twins wouldn't support them now that they got them signed for two more seasons. To you people, well... you can finish that sentence for yourselves. Tonight's win came courtesy of a walk-off error. Eric Farris hit a routine groundball to the second baseman, who booted it. Brian Dinkelman scored. Game over. There wasn't many offense highlights to speak of... Ray Olmedo had the team's only extra-base hit (of five hits): a double. Eric Farris stole two bases. Logan Darnell made his second AAA start. The southpaw went seven innings, striking out four. He scattered five hits and two walks, only allowing one run. Luis Perdomo recorded four outs and was credited with the win, despite giving up the go-ahead run in the top half of the 10th inning. Cole De Vries was placed on the DL before the game with a right elbow strain. Vance Worley will pitch tomorrow at 1:05 ET. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS 9, PORTLAND SEA DOGS 4 Box Score The Rock Cats have climbed back to one game within .500 and are in the Eastern League playoff mix (currently only two games behind Portland for the Wild Card spot). The biggest hit of the game was delivered in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Danny Santana lined a ball off of pitcher Matt Barnes' hand and forced him to leave the game. That set the tone early as the Rock Cats clawed their way to a 9-0 lead before giving up four runs late. The top four batters in the order combined to go 8-for-19. All four batters - Santana, Eddie Rosario, Nate Hanson and Josmil Pinto, had two hits and each doubled. Rosario and Pinto homered. It was Rosario's 1st in AA; Pinto's 13th. Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts and a walk. D.J. Baxendale made his AA return and was excellent. He was clearly on a pitch-limit (he threw 55), but you wouldn't know it based on the fact that he completed five innings. He only allowed three hits and struck out one. This was the pitcher the Rock Cats expected to get, not the one they saw before getting shut down with a shoulder issue. B.J. Hermsen gave up four runs (three earned) in two innings. Last year's organizational pitcher of the year will probably find himself left off the 40-man roster this winter. Edgar Ibarra finished the game off. He allowed a hit in two innings. Ibarra was named a replacement for the Eastern League All-Star Game (presumably for A.J. Achter, who was promoted to AAA). The Rock Cats have not named their starter for tomorrow's 1:00 pm ET game, but it would appear to be Tom Stuifbergen's day. FORT MYERS MIRACLE 3, ST. LUCIE METS 6 Box Score The Miracle dropped the game and dropped to only 25 games over .500 on the season. Levi Michael led the offensive charge tonight. He homered, singled and walked in four plate appearances. Since missing time following an on-field collision, Michael has returned to collect four multi-hit games in the six he's played. Obviously people have been disappointed in the former first-round pick who has battled injuries and put up suspect numbers in a year-plus at Fort Myers. But if you squint hard enough I think you can see a Nick Punto/Brian Dozier love-child in there, and that guy - as messy as it sounds - can be a productive player at the Major League level. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4717[/ATTACH] Byron Buxton went 1-for-5 and watched his batting average drop 25 points (from .400 to .375). Manuel Soliman took his turn in the rotation (which still confuses me) and went 4.1 innings. He had a WHIP of nearly 3 (9 hits, 3 walks) and didn't strike any out on the way to giving up 5 runs. Chad Rogers allowed a homer in 2.2 innings and Adrian Salcedo gave up a hit in an otherwise quiet inning. Matt Summer will make the 1 pm ET start tomorrow. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 5, CLINTON LUMBERKINGS 6 (11 innings) Box Score The Kernels were aided by a mistake-prone Clinton defense, but the offense only mustered seven hits. Two singles by J.D. Williams and D.J. Hicks and three singles by Joel Licon provided all the offense. Travis Harrison committed his 18th error of the season. Tim Atherton held his own, striking out five in five innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and a walk. Caleb Brewer was a mess. Madison Boer kept the Kernels in the game. Alex Muren got one out before giving up the walk-off winner. (I would think Boer has earned his chance to move back up to Fort Myers.) Lefty Mason Melotakis, fresh off his first save of the season last Monday, will start the 2 pm game. ELIZABETHTON TWINS 3, BLUEFIELD BLUE JAYS 0 Box Score It looks like the Twins just had a thing with shutting the Blue Jays out today. E-Town scored their three runs on 13 hits. Javier Pimentel (2-for-4) doubled and drove in a run. Kelvin Ortiz (3-for-5) doubled. Mitch Garver (1-for-4) tripled. Romy Jimenez and Zach Granite both had two hit games. The team was a collective 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Frustrating. The pitching made up for it, though. Yorman Landa struck out three in five innings and now has an ERA of 0.60. Tim Shibuya and Brian Gilbert combined to complete the shutout. GCL TWINS 8, GCL RED SOX 2 (Completion of 7/5 game: BOX SCORE) Stephen Gonsalves made his professional debut yesterday, but we'll cover it today. He gave up two hits, two walks and struck out three in two innings. Adonis Pacheco was 3-for-5 with a triple and three RBI. Brian Navaretto had two hits, including a double. Amaurys Minier continued his hot-and-cold season going 0-for-5 with 2 Ks and a throwing error. GCL TWINS 6, GCL RED SOX 5 (8 INNINGS, scheduled for seven: BOX SCORE) Adonis Pacheco, who was hot in game one, stayed hot. He went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. His third the most important, coming as the result of a walk-off home run. Engelb Vielman, who has been the primary SS, is now hitting over .300. He went 3-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI. Evan Bigley had two doubles in rehab (can you say ready?) and Will Hurt added two singles. Speaking of Hurt, he got off to a historically poor star last year, getting his first hit in game 10 and starting his career 1-for-33. Nelson Molina, this year's 11th round pick, is giving Hurt a run for his money. Through 8 games, Molina is 0-for-23. Fortunately for Molina, he has only struck out four times. The report I got was that he's hitting the ball hard but "right at guys". That would make sense with a BABIP of .000. That's a number that's got to improve. Lewis Thorpe struck out six in three innings, but gave up two runs on five hits. "The Thorpedo" (as I'll call him) has struck out a ton of batters (20 in 13 innings), but has given up 12 hits. He's only give up two walks, which is extremely encouraging. A guy to watch for sure. The GCL affiliate is off tomorrow.

As it is every July 2nd, teams begin to announce deals with "International Free Agents". This year is no different and the Twins made an early splash, signing Dominican 1B/OF Lewin Diaz as well as four others, according to Doogie Wolfson. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4655[/ATTACH] (Rinaldi Photos) Diaz actually played in the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field last August, going 1-for-3 against many players who are older and were drafted in last month's draft. As the DH, he batted 7th in a lineup that included new Twin Brian Navaretto. Diaz checked into the game at 6' 3", 195 pounds. Baseball Factory said this about him: Over the last 11 months, however, opinions of Diaz, who was once considered one of the top prospect in this year's market have begin to differ. So what's changed? The now 16-year-old began to fill out. He's now an inch taller (6' 4") and heavier (210). After being considered an "OF", he's now considered a "1B/OF" with the likelihood being that his future home is first base. Diaz has an above-average arm, so there is some feeling that the Twins will allow him the chance to play right field (you know, because they don't have any outfield prospects). The Twins have been enamored with Diaz for quite some time and, scouts believe, paid considerably more for his services than any other team would have. Baseball America had this nugget in their June 26 notebook: With the 4th-highest pool allotment, though, the Twins have that luxury available to get the guy they wanted. The joke many Twins fans will make is that despite Diaz showing huge power in BP, he "turns into a singles hitter in games." Scouting comparisons have included David Ortiz and Ryan Howard, both similar in body-type and left-handed power bats. As with every 16-year-old IFA signing, Diaz is ineligible to play this season. The Twins may be aggressive with him - as they were last year with Amaurys Minier - and have him participate in Fall Instructs. That would likely lead the way towards skipping the DSL and making his pro debut next June in the GCL. More to come...