Ted Schwerzler

Like the big league club, there was a rainout tonight on the farm. That didn’t stop Mark Contreras from having a big night for the Saints, or Misael Urbina driving in two for the Mighty Mussels. TRANSACTIONS DaShawn Keirsey Jr. activated from 7 day injury list by Cedar Rapids Kernels SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Columbus 4 (F/10) Box Score Bryan Sammons took the ball for St. Paul to start this one and worked five strong innings. He allowed just one earned run on two hits. He did walk four but also struck out three batters. The bullpen was up to start the 6th inning. Jimmy Kerrigan kicked off the scoring for the Saints with his fifth homer of the year, a two-run shot that put St. Paul ahead 2-0 in the 4th frame. After giving a run back, Mark Contreras extended the lead with a solo blast of his own in the 6th inning. St. Paul allowed Columbus to tie things at three in the bottom of the 6th before distancing themselves for good in extras. Brent Rooker scored after J.T Riddle put the ball in play during the top of the 10th inning. Following that out, Roberto Pena drove in both Kerrigan and Willians Astudillo to give the good guys a three-run advantage. That held up as St. Paul allowed just one in the bottom half Pena was joined by Drew Maggi (2) and Contreras (3) as the batters to record multiple hits on the night. Andrew Vasquez got the win, his third, working two scoreless while recording two strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Postponed KERNELS NUGGETS Lansing 5, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score Making the start in this one for Cedar Rapids was Tyler Beck. He went four innings and allowed just two hits. He was dominant, giving up a single free pass and punching out seven batters. Trey Cabbage started the scoring for Cedar Rapids with a fourth inning sacrifice fly that allowed Wander Javier to scamper home. With Lansing leading 2-1 in the 6th inning, Jair Camargo knotted things at two with an RBI single scoring Javier for a second time. Cedar Rapids then took their first lead in the 7th with a double from Spencer Steer and a single from Seth Gray. The Lugnuts evened the game at four in the 9th. A full inning of additional rules was completed before Lansing pushed one across in the 11th. A Zach Featherstone wild pitch was enough to give up the lead, and the 5-4 tally was where things finished. Steer and Gray were joined by Gabriel Maciel for two-hit evenings. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 1 Box Score Sawyer Gipson-Long started this one for the Mighty Mussels and was sharp. He allowed only a single earned run on six hits over six innings. Gipson-Long gave up zero free passes and punched out five batters on the afternoon. Ft. Myers opened the scoring when Jeferson Morales singled in the 4th inning to score Aaron Sabato. They would add one run in the fifth inning when Morales drew an RBI by way of a hit-by-pitch, and Yunior Severino ripped his 10th double of the season. Up 5-0 heading into the 6th frame, Misael Urbina drove in Willie Joe Garry Jr. on a single to right field and the 6-0 lead would only be added to when Urbina pushed Justin Washington across with a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning. The Mighty Mussels allowed a lone Palm Beach run on the evening, and they tallied seven of their own without the benefit of a multi-hit game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Beck (Cedar Rapids) 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Mark Contreras (St. Paul) 3-5, HR(4), 2 R, RBI, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed: #1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – Postponed #2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL) #3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – Postponed #4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – Postponed #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – 7-day IL (elbow strain) #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – IL (Concussion) #8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 2B #9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – IL (elbow) #10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – IL (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Postponed #12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 0-3, R, 2 K #13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – IL (hamate bone) #14 - Misael Urbina (Ft. Myers) – 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K #15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – 7-day IL (undisclosed) #16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - 60-Day IL (elbow) #17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – Postponed #18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A #19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – Postponed #20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – Postponed SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (1:05PM CST) – RHP Chandler Shepherd (2-2, 6.48 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (2:00PM CST) – TBD Lansing @ Cedar Rapids (2:05PM CST) – RHP Kody Funderburk (1-2, 4.15 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (11:00AM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (3-1, 1.99 ERA) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

I am as high on Buxton as anyone, but I can't subscribe to this. He's a superstar, and his numbers are bonkers, but they are in 26 games. His market, with the Twins or otherwise, is going to be reflective of a player that has missed substantial time and I don't think that should or would be a surprise to his camp.

5/$100M is where I think things start too, and I'd suggest the Twins sign two of those deals this offseason. One for Buck, one for Berrios. I guess I'm not totally out on waiting until his walk year to do the extension, but I think retaining him has to happen, and once you're a FA it seems highly unlikely you'll return to your former team. I'd sign up for a QO and an extension though too.

I don't know where this narrative comes from but there's two rebuttals: 1. If you're mad at someone, be mad at the front office for jerking his pay around with service time manipulation. 2. It's a business for the player too, and interest involves a financial aspect. It's not on the athlete to offer discounts after playing below their value for years.

Byron Buxton just hit the IL after returning for only two games. A hit by pitch leading to a broken hand landed him there. Despite being shelved, 2021 has never made it more apparent that the Twins need to pay the man. Injuries are often unpredictable, and the situation becomes one more of reaction than it does preventability. Recently Lucas Seehafer wrote a wonderful piece outlining Buxton’s maladies and what to make of them. The man is a tireless worker and in exceptional shape. Short of the early career positioning that had him prone to taking down outfield walls, nothing since has been a direct reflection of his own doing. This week Cody Christie talked about whether the decision is to pay Buxton or Jose Berrios. I’ve already argued in favor of Jose, and my reality is that the correct path is to retain both. In 2021 Byron Buxton has played just 26 games thus far. He led the majors in fWAR at the time of his hip injury, and his 2.6 fWAR would be a pace of 16.2 fWAR over the course of 162 games. That would go down as the single greatest season in terms of fWAR throughout Major League Baseball history. With Buxton it used to be a question if the production at the dish would be there. Since the moment he made his big league debut, he’s been the best defensive outfielder in the league. For the better part of the past three years now, we’ve seen that the bat has caught up to expectations as well. He’s got a .903 OPS and 139 OPS+ dating back to 2019. I’ve never been especially high on utilizing his speed for stealing bases because my assumption was always that the power would play. He’s hit 33 homers in his last 153 games, and the 44 doubles make it unnecessary for him to steal third base. I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone willing to argue against Buxton’s talent on the field. There are so few players that can do what he does, and at the level in which he contributes. It’s understandable to suggest that being without him while injured hurts the team, but even more damning would be to see him showcasing his abilities for someone else. Every single organization in baseball knows what Buxton’s injury history is. That means he’s going to face the same payday challenges no matter where he goes when the questions of availability are brough up. All it takes is for one team to pay him a value that coincides with the missed time, and Minnesota handing out a $100 million deal doesn’t preclude them from making other complimentary decisions. The reality is that the Minnesota Twins need Byron Buxton, probably more than he needs them, and despite a few missteps towards him along the way it’s time for the front office to match the number that gets something done. Byron Buxton is a generational talent type of player and trying to replace that type of production is much harder than finding money to make the other pieces fit. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email View full article

He's got to get the bulk of the DH at bats when Cruz is traded.

The big league club was off tonight, but that didn't stop the farm system from nearly coming up with a clean sweep. There were lots of great offensive performers again tonight, but Josh Winder may have stolen the show with his performance on the mound. TRANSACTIONS: RHP Nick Vincent signed by Minnesota and assigned to Saints SAINTS SENTINEL Clippers 7, Saints 6 Box Score Rob Whalen took the ball to start this one and was unfortunately only able to record eight outs. He gave up seven earned runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out one. Hand it to the bullpen, a group of Juan Minaya, Andrew Vasquez, and Yennier Cano that gave up no runs, just two hits, and struck out nine. St. Paul did everything they could to get their starter off the hook in this one. Brent Rooker continued his hot hitting with his fourth double allowing Tomas Telis to score the Saints first run in the 3rd inning. Down 7-1 by the 5th, J.T. Riddle got into the chipping action as he drove Rooker in on a sac fly. Mark Contreras homered for the second consecutive night, and his two-run shot brought the deficit to just three. In the 6th inning St. Paul went back to chipping away as Telis drove in Keon Broxton with a single, and Willians Astudillo allowed Sherman Johnson to score despite grounding into a double play. That’s where the action ended though, and the rally fell just a run short. Telis, Astudillo, and Rooker all had multi-hit nights for the Saints. Each of Rooker's three hits were doubles and he now has a blistering .923 OPS on the campaign. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 8, RockHounds 4 Box Score It was a Josh Winder start for the Wind Surge, and man was it a good one. He worked seven complete innings and gave up just a single run on four hits. Winder also struck out seven and walked none while recording 18 consecutive outs at one point. His ERA on the year is down to 1.98 and a bump to Triple-A may be necessary soon. Generating some run support for Winder came in the 4th inning of this one. Yeltsin Encarnacion drew a bases-loaded walk to score B.J. Boyd before David Banuelos ripped a single scoring both Andrew Bechtold and Aaron Whitefield. Wichita then doubled up in the fifth with RBI from Bechtold (single), Whitefield (walk), and Banuelos (walk). Making sure the six-run lead would hold up, Bechtold wasn’t done for the Wind Surge tonight. His fifth homer left the game in the 7th inning, and Encarnacion followed up with an RBI single of his own. Up 8-0 with just three at bats left for Midland, this one seemed all but in hand. The Rockhounds got a run back in the bottom half of the 7th inning, and they loaded the bases in the final frame, but the rally ended with just three runs crossing and the lead built by Wichita was enough to withstand the comeback effort. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 4, Lugnuts 0 (F/7, game 1) Box Score Cedar Rapids sent Jon Olsen to the mound for game one of the two game set, making up for last night’s rainout. He went five innings allowing just a single hit with two walks and four strikeouts. Jordan Gore worked the final two innings allowing no hits with two walks and hits. He picked up the win, his fourth. There was no offense to speak of in this one and extras were becoming increasingly likely as the Kernels entered the bottom half of the final frame with a 0-0 game. Gabriel Maciel then stepped in with the bases chucked and launched his first homer of the year, a walk off grand slam. Trey Cabbage was the only other batter to record a hit on the evening, a pair of them, both doubles. Kernels 1, Lugnuts 0 (F/7, game 2) Box Score Andrew Cabezas made the start in game two and dazzled for five strong. He gave up just four hits while striking out six and walking two. Owen Griffith worked two scoreless in relief, without allowing a base runner, and striking out three on his own. These two clubs combined for just seven hits on the nightcap, and only one run was scored. Fortunately for the home team, it was Cedar Rapids that plated Spencer Steer with Alex Isola grounding into a fielder's choice. Seth Gray, Max Smith, and Daniel Ozoria were the only Kernels to record a hit, and Smith's double was the lone multi-base effort of the evening. MUSSEL MATTERS Mussels 3, Cardinals 2 (F/10) Box Score Miguel Rodriguez made the start for Fort Myers and worked 4 2/3 innings before giving way to Steven Cruz. He gave up seven hits, two runs, one earned, while striking out three and walking one. Ruben Santana recorded his second double of the season, this one coming in the 3rd inning, to plate the game’s first run. After Willie Joe Garry Jr crossed home in the 3rd, it wasn’t until the 9th that Fort Myers scored again. A balk with Garry Jr. at the dish scored Yunior Severino and tied the game at two. In extras, Jeferson Morales ripped his 9th double and scored Edouard Julien to take the lead for the Mighty Mussels. Denny Bentley slammed the door in the bottom half and Fort Myers completed the comeback. Seven hits were scattered across the Mussels lineup with no player recording multiple. That's eight straight victories for Fort Myers. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Josh Winder (Wichita) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Andrew Bechtold (Wichita) 2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR(5), BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – No game #2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL) #3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – No game #4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – No game #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – 7-day injured list (elbow strain) #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – IL (concussion) #8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 0-for-3, BB, 2 K #9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – IL (right elbow strain) #10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – IL (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – No game #12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 3-4, R, RBI, 3 2B, BB, K #13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – IL (wrist sprain) #14 - Misael Urbina (Ft. Myers) – 1-for-5, K #15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – IL #16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - IL (elbow) #17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – No game #18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A #19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 0-3, 2 BB, K #20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – No game THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) – RHP Andrew Albers (2-2, 5.93 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (7:00PM CST) – RHP Jason Garcia (0-0, 3.38 ERA) Lansing @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Ben Gross (1-0, 3.23 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – RHP Brent Headrick (3-2, 2.76 ERA) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Both Mark Contreras and Jose Miranda had nice power displays tonight, while Austin Schulfer shoved on the mound for Wichita. There were a ton of transactions, and top prospects contributed for the big league club as well. TRANSACTIONS: OF Gilberto Celestino recalled by Twins RHP Beau Burrows claimed by Twins and assigned to Saints INF Daniel Descalso opted out of his contract C David Banuelos transferred to Wind Surge RHP Peter Mooney and Brandon Koch activated by Wind Surge RHP Cole Sands and Hector Lujan placed on 7 day IL for Wind Surge RHP Carlos Suniaga reinstated from 7 day IL for Mighty Mussels RHP Sean Mooney placed on 7 day IL (strained neck) for Mighty Mussels RHP Luis Rijo placed on 7 day IL (forearm strain) for Kernels SAINTS SENTINEL Saints 8, Clippers 3 Box Score Drawing the start for the Saints tonight was Chandler Shepherd. He came one out shy of six complete and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks. Each of the runs came on solo shots by Columbus hitters. Recently-signed veteran Kyle Barraclough picked up two outs in his Saints debut, walking one, and striking out one as well. It wasn’t until the third inning that St. Paul got on the board, as Jimmy Kerrigan ripped a solo shot for his fourth of the season. After giving the tally, back in the bottom half, it was all Saints the rest of the way. Brent Rooker grabbed his 11th homer on a fourth inning solo shot before Mark Contreras went bopper for the second time on a three run blast in the sixth. St. Paul capitalized on opportunity in the seventh inning with Tomas Telis starting the action by driving in a run on a single. Telis then scored on a wild pitch to end Rooker’s at bat, and Damek Tomscha crushed a double to plate Brent. Telis, Tomscha, and Contreras all had two-hit nights for the good guys. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 6, Rock Hounds 1 Box Score Austin Schulfer drew the start tonight for Wichita and he turned in six innings of great work. Allowing no runs on three hits, Schulfer issued just a single free pass and punched out six. His ERA dropped to 3.73 on the season. Jumping out to an early lead, Jose Miranda continues to just torch the Double-A level. A solo shot to lead off the game was his 12th big fly of the year. B.J. Boyd then followed up with a two-run blast, his second, in the second inning to give Wichita a three-run lead. Andrew Bechtold drove in Aaron Whitefield in the fourth inning, and then evening Midland’s tally in the eighth, Yeltsin Encarnacion plated Miranda following a one-out double in the ninth. Wilbis Santiago then drioe in Encarnacion, and the Wind Surge pushed their lead to 6-1. Miranda enjoyed a four-hit night for the Wind Surge, while Boyd, Santiago, and Bechtold picked up two hits each. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Miranda won’t be at Double-A much longer. KERNELS NUGGETS Postponed (rain). Doubleheader on Wednesday. MUSSEL MATTERS Mussels 7, Cardinals 4 Box Score Zarion Sharpe took the ball in this one for the Mussels. He went three innings while allowing just two runs on four hits. Sharpe punched out six and walked one. The two runs came on a first inning, two-run shot. It marked the UNCW alum's first professional start. Trailing after the first frame, Fort Myers answered in a big way during the third. Edouard Julien roped his 12th double to knot the game at two. Aaron Sabato then plated Julien on a single before Yunior Severino went deep for his second homer of the season to push the lead to 5-2. The Mighty Mussels weren’t done. They stretched things further in the fifth inning. Severino scored on a Charles Mack foul ball fly out, and Nick Anderson lifted a sacrifice fly to center allowing Will Holland to cross home plate. Even a late triple from the Cardinals wasn’t enough to make this closer than a three-run ballgame. Carlos Suniaga was activated off the IL prior to this one and worked two hitless innings of relief, striking out two, and picking up his first win of the season. Osiris German also went two innings with no hits and struck out three in his relief work. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Austin Schulfer (Wichita) 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 4-for-5, 2 R, RBI, HR(12), 2B PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B #2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL) #3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – 1-for-5, R, RBI, HR(5), K #4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR(5), K #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – 7-day injured list (elbow strain) #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – IL (concussion) #8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 1-for-4, R, BB, K #9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – IL (right elbow strain) #10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – IL (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – 0-for-2 #12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 R, RBI, HR(11), BB, K #13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – IL (wrist sprain) #14 - Misael Urbina (Ft. Myers) – 1-for-5, R, K #15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch #16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - IL (elbow) #17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – Did not play #18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A #19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 4-for-5, 2 R, RBI, HR(12), 2B #20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) – RHP Rob Whalen (0-3, 7.71 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (6:30PM CST) – RHP Josh Winder (2-0, 2.08 ERA) Lansing @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (2-1, 3.62 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – RHP Miguel Rodriguez (2-1, 2.74 ERA) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Remember when a global pandemic killed off an entire Minor League Baseball season? That was unfortunate, and it’s been great to have an affiliated season back in full swing, but the Twins have taken their lumps injury wise on the farm too. I have consistently been of the mindset that this Twins team is an outlier when it comes to performance. There’s too much talent on this team for them to be as bad as they’ve been. With that reality, expecting a resurgent turnaround in 2022 is hardly far-fetched. The front office will have the opportunity to supplement the existing core once again. The problem is that depth and development from the farm may not bear the fruit it was expected to. Royce Lewis tore his ACL before even playing a game in 2021. As things stand now, top pitching prospects are all over the IL. Edwar Colina and Blayne Enlow have both had surgery. Jhoan Duran has now been shut down and Matt Canterino is set to return but remains a question mark. Hitting prospect Matt Wallner is still shelved and we still have three months left of the season to make it through. For Minnesota, the chief problem in 2021 has been pitching. The rotation wasn’t expected to have many holdovers a year from now, and both Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda were thought to be awaiting stable mates from the farm. Now that could be less likely than ever, and this current core may find themselves misaligned with the next wave of talent. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine will be tasked with the decision of whether a rebuild is necessary. Their long-term futures with the organization impact that choice, and how quickly they’d like to rid themselves of this taste will probably be part of the equation. Their hand becomes a bit less fruitful given the development that their cheap and controllable assets are now less reliable than they may have been had things gone differently. It was important for minor league guys to get back in games in order to showcase what they’d done in the time off. The hope would be that some of the top talents could be accelerated and challenged this season. Instead, much of the top 20 is shelved for one reason or another, and there’s more questions than answers in Twins Territory both now, and in the future. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Even still though, you're only committing to him until he's 32 with a 5 year deal. At that point, he could still go sign another lucrative contract,

Bingo.

I don't think I suggested that as a number, or any number for that matter. Even 5/$125 doesn't seem outlandish given his age and the alternatives.

It depends what the Twins want to give him too. Originally he was in the Nola/Severino area, which is fine. I can't imagine him wanting more than $20M AAV realistically. Even around there though, I'm still more comfortable giving him that then trying to replace his production and watching the dollars go unspent or spent unwisely.

I posted this on Twitter, and given my stance that this team can compete in 2022 while not needing a rebuild, nothing about this group should make Berrios expendable. The 2022 free agent SP class is loaded! Greinke, Verlander, Kershaw, Bauer, Scherzer, Stroman, Gausman. That's probably the list of those better than Berrios. Paying any of them? Any of them have interest in coming to MN? Realistically, Stroman/Gausman should be paired WITH Jose

They all should be close, though Canterino is now dealing with an injury. The problem is that the likelihood they all work out, and at the same time, isn't high. You build the rotation with that, but they can't immediately be your foundation.

I can't imagine any scenario where he thinks that's logical. Twins or on the open market.

I promise you, the return for either Buxton or Berrios, no matter what it is, will set this franchise back farther than it propels it forwards.

And I'm including that assumption still suggesting to pay the man. You aren't going above for someone else, and the likelihood that someone less if worse remains far greater.

He's given that indication because they haven't been willing to match his ask. We don't know what that is, but we've seen how FA goes.

Then he doesn't know what the market will bear?

The Twins farm system was highlighted by the Cedar Rapids Kernels tonight, and with the big league club off, there was no need for transactions across the entirety of the system. SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 12, St. Paul 2 Box Score Rob Whalen started in this one, and he wore it for the Saints. Allowing nine runs on ten hits, across just 3 1/3 innings, this was a start he’ll look to forget. Yennier Cano was the first reliever on, and he made his Triple-A debut in this one. Only place to go from here is up for him as he allowed a walk and grand slam before escaping the inning. By the time Saint Paul batted in the bottom of the 4th inning they trailed 12-0. Damek Tomscha plated the first run for the home team on a ground out that scored Drew Maggi in the 4th. Daniel Descalso hit a homer in the 7th, his second of the season, to give the Saints their only other run of the evening. Both Ian Giabault (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) and Andrew Vasquez (2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K, nevermind that he needed a 9th inning triple play to escape the inning) worked scoreless relief efforts to stop the bleeding for Saint Paul. Only Descalso would finish with a multi-hit effort in this one. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 5, Wichita 3 Box Score Austin Schulfer took the ball in this one and twirled six scoreless innings for the Wind Surge. He surrendered just six hits and struck out four while walking none. It was a strong effort from the righty starter. Wichita took the lead in the 6th inning after Roy Morales drove in both Jermaine Palacios and Caleb Hamilton on a single. Then Aaron Whitefield ripped his 5th double of the season to score Andrew Bechtold. Unfortunately, the lead was squashed in the next half inning and the clubs would stay tied until the 9th. Ryan Mason came on in the 8th inning and nearly made it through a scoreless 9th before Delvin Perez beat him for a two-run homer to make it 5-3. That’s where the final would stand in this one, but multi-hit efforts came from Jose Miranda (2-for-5) and Andrew Bechtold (2-for-3). KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, South Bend 4 Box Score Starting this one for Cedar Rapids, Andrew Cabezas worked 5 1/3 innings allowing four runs on four hits and two walks. He punched out four and gave up a single homer. Cedar Rapids trailed 3-0 after the first inning as South Bend jumped out to an early lead. In the 5th, Seth Grady plated Spencer Steer on a double to score the Kernels first run. Gabe Snyder then drove in Gray on a single of his own, and last night’s hero Michael Helman used a sac fly to score Wander Javier. Through five everything was even. It was the 6th inning where Cedar Rapids would do more damage. Facing a one-run deficit, Gray walked in a run before Gabriel Maciel scored on a wild pitch. Javier then drove a sac fly to score Steer again and the Kernels pushed their lead to 6-4. In the 7th Cedar Rapids added again. Maciel singled to drive in Helman and Steer continued his torrid stretch with homer number nine on the season. Spencer plated three on the bomb and the score was now 10-4. He’s now got an .855 OPS on the year for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids wasn’t done and Max Smith continuing his hot streak wasn’t unexpected. He singled in the 8th to score both Javier and Helman en route to a 12-4 final tally. Wander finished with two hits on the evening, and Smith completed a ridiculous 5-for-5 effort to propel the Kernels to a win. Asking manager Brian Dinkelman about Wander Javier specifically he said, "Confidence is part of it. He had a really good series up in Beloit last week. He can do damage on a lot of pitchers. Another good night for him.." Asking about Spencer Steer's approach and where he's at this season Dinkelman said, "Spencer always gives us good at bat. He controls the strike zone. He's a good table setter for us." MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 1 (F/7) Box Score Sean Mooney got the start in this one but was lifted after recording just a single out. He gave up one run on one hit and a walk during his outing. Denny Bentley came on in relief to strike out five across 3 1/3, while allowing no hits and a single walk. He picked up the win. Steven Cruz followed Bentley and nearly matched him identically. He too went three and one-third but allowed a lone hit instead of a walk. The length earned him his first save of the season. Getting behind 1-0 in the first, Fort Myers then did their damage on with the longball. Misael Urbina hit his first stateside homer in the 3rd inning, a two-run shot, to put the Mighty Mussels in the lead. Charles Mack then spanked a dinger on a liner in the 4th, and the 3-1 tally would be enough to get the victory in this one. Yunior Severino was the lone batter to record two hits for Fort Myers in this one. Game 2: Fort Myers 6, Lakeland 4 (6/Suspended) Box Score Miguel Rodriguez took the ball in game two as Fort Myers played a twin bill after yesterday’s postponement. He allowed four earned on five hits in five innings. Rodriguez also punched out seven while issuing no free passes. The Mighty Mussels opened up an early 3-0 lead in the 1st on the nightcap thanks to RBI by Edouard Julien, Yunior Severino, and Aaron Sabato. Jeferson Morales then doubled in the 2nd to extend things by another run before Misael Urbina plated Morales on a fielder’s choice. After giving back four runs and squandering most of the lead, Fort Myers got another jolt when Julien went deep for the third time in 2021. His 5th inning dinger put them ahead 6-4. Weather got this one again however, and action was suspended before the bottom of the 6th inning could get underway. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Austin Schulfer (Wichita) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day- Max Smith (Cedar Rapids) 5-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – No Game #2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL) #3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – No Game #4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – No Game #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Did not pitch #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – Injured list (concussion) #8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 1-for-5, RBI, BB, K (2 games) #9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured list #10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Underwent Tommy John surgery #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – No game #12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, K #13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (Hamate bone) #14 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 1-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K (2 games) #15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not Pitch #16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - 60-Day IL (elbow) #17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – No game #18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A #19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 2-for-4 #20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – No Game FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – LHP Andrew Albers (2-2, 7.03 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – RHP Josh Winder (2-0, 2.16 ERA) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Ben Gross (3.86 ERA) Lakeland at Ft. Myers (Game 1: 3:30PM CST) – RHP Brent Headrick (2-2, 3.04 ERA) View full article