Squirrel

Inside Notes 2023-02-16.mp3  
 

The Twins need their roster for Opening Day to be at 28. As of this moment, it is now down to 30 players following a flurry of roster moves on Monday morning. 
First, congratulations to lefty reliever Danny Coulombe. The 32-year-old veteran has worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings this spring. he's given up just two hits, walked two and struck out six. When he makes his first pitch in 2022, he will have pitched in eight major-league seasons. Over the past two seasons, he has worked in 31 games for the Twins including 29 games in 2021. From 2016-2018, he pitched in 134 games for the Oakland A's. He has also pitched for the Dodgers in his career. 
To make room for Coulombe on the 40-man roster, the team designated catcher Jose Godoy for assignment. The move seemed strange at the time as the Twins will only have two catchers on the 40-man roster, one of which is Gary Sanchez. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut a year ago for the Mariners, but this will be his third DFA since the end of last season. 
However, soon after, the team announced that they have signed catcher Chance Sisco to a minor-league deal. He will report to St. Paul shortly. The 27-year-old backstop was a Top 100 catching prospect in 2017 and 2018. He played in the 2016 and 2017 Futures Games. He debuted with the Orioles in 2017 and has since been a part-timer in the big leagues. In 196 career games, he has hit .197/.317/337 (.654) with 24 doubles and 16 homers. So, basically, he is Jose Godoy. But, he does provide depth behind the plate. 
In addition, RHP Jake Faria and infielder Daniel Robertson were also assigned to minor-league camp. They will head to the Saints as well, maybe in time for their season-opener on Tuesday in Louisville. 
That leaves the Twins with 30 players on their active camp roster. There are 17 pitchers. There are now just two catchers. They have six infielders and five outfielders. The lone non-roster player remaining in camp is outfielder Kyle Garlick. 
So, what does it all mean? 
Well, basically it means that the biggest decision remaining is whether to add Kyle Garlick to the 40-man roster or just roll with Brent Rooker. It isn't an easy decision. Garlick crushes left-handed pitching, and that is an important trait for a fourth-outfielder. While not great defensively, he can play both corners adequately. Rooker is on the 40-man roster, but he has been slowed by a shoulder injury. On Saturday, he returned to the Twins lineup. He is in the Twins spring lineup for Monday. It is very possible that the decision has been made and they will just wait until after today's game to announce it. The interesting piece will be who would get DFAd to make room for Garlick on the roster. 
In addition, the Twins will have to decide whether they want to start the season with 15 or 16 pitchers on the roster. if they want 16, they will need to option one pitcher to St. Paul. If they decide to take just 15 pitchers, that would leave possible the idea of keeping both Garlick and Rooker on the active roster, though a roster move would still be needed. 
How is this going to shape out over the next few days? Will the team make any trades before the season to add another pitcher, or a player from another position? What do you think? 

There is nothing more exciting to me than newcomers to baseball. Having new fans in a sport when many people are starting to turn away shows that baseball truly is America's favorite pastime. Her introduction to baseball was not from growing up in Minnesota; she had never really watched it, period. Her boyfriend is from Canada and is a life-long Blue Jays fan. He would have the game on every time they played and even traveled to watch them in the playoffs in Kansas City in 2016. He did not miss a game, and consequently, neither did Rena. 
At the beginning of our interview, she makes an accurate, bold statement, "As a new fan, the game is boring. You don't know what's going on, and you don't know the teams." 
She is not wrong. So what made her change her mind? Like me, she started by watching the pitcher when I started watching. The pitcher is one of the unique players on the team. The game is centered around the pitcher and how they perform, so watching them can put many pieces together.  
Over time, from watching the game with her boyfriend, she started to see little things that pitchers did, their delivery and mechanics. This led to her watching the other players, why each player is essential, how they play their position and how they interact. 
Rena was so intrigued by what she was watching that she eventually her fandom moved from watching with her boyfriend, to having it on in the background, to watching games when she was by herself. The first time she turned on the TV to watch by herself and immerse herself in her new hobby, the catalyst to her love of baseball was the 2017 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros. 
She loved the excitement of the game, but her excitement came because she had no dog in the fight and could see the rigors of competition. Rena watched intently and learned who the players were and the strategies that they were using in the games to get an advantage over the other team. She figured out quickly by watching that they use certain players in the lineup based on their ability to hit singles, doubles, clean up, or even strikeout. There was a strategy to the game, and she loved that. 

As frustrating as that was to hear that the 2017 Astros are what got her interested in the game, at least Minnesota and Twins baseball got something good out of that series, a new baseball fan. She went in full throttle with her newfound hobby and listened to the "Baseball Tonight" podcast. She would listen to the podcast and then watch a clip or game to soak in what they explained in the episode she had just heard. 
As Rena began to understand what they were talking about, she took to Twitter, where she (and many of us) began to voice her thoughts and feelings about baseball in a segment called "Bleacher Tweets" through Baseball Tonight at the end of their show. 
"Since it was a new hobby, I had many questions," Rena explains, "I wanted to know their perspective, and eventually, I befriended the host." 
Because she was a new fan and stats were huge in the baseball community, the host appreciated the banter and questions she was bringing to the table. Even though she liked the stats and understood them, she was more a fan of the game and brought a fresh perspective to the host. They appreciated her perspective so much they brought her onto the podcast to talk about her insights on baseball. She stayed there for a year, and that's when Twins Daily noticed and came knocking on her twitter door. They noticed that she was from Minnesota and savvy in baseball; she also now was tweeting about the Twins. 
Even though she loved baseball initially because of Bally Sports North (formerly FSN), she watched more Twins games, and her love and allegiance were solid with the Twins. 
Because she is passionate about the game, she cares about the players. She wanted something and someone to root for. She is quick to defend her favorite players and loves to cheer for those who have moved on, like Eddie Rosario and Nelson Cruz. She is an Eddie Rosario stan and his biggest fan no matter where he goes. 
Rena enjoyed the growth being on the podcast brought her. She also really loved the idea that the podcast host had a lot of diversity in his program; he had a lot of different perspectives, demographics, and women on the show. We discussed the tremendous growth of women in baseball. Rena wanted to bring a new face to content instead of the day-to-day stats and numbers. She likes to stray away from the norm, writing about what she would want to read or see. That stuck with me. As a baseball fan and writer, I struggle with the "norm" and write what I want to see, whether that is an op-ed or being Jake Cave's biggest fan. There is room for all fans, and plenty of talented writers have unique perspectives and voices. 
Rena and I both write for Twins Daily. She is one of the reasons I was excited to contact Nick Nelson in a brave DM and ask him for an opportunity to write for them. I watched her tweets and articles over the past two seasons. She has a great tone in her writing and an insatiable knowledge of the game. She loves to write about the fun stuff, or as she calls it, the "fluff," and she does indeed write about the fun stuff. 

During the lockout, Rena had a series called "Things Twins Players Did This Week," It was full of fun, cute tweets and pictures of the players and their families during the holidays or doing charitable work. We both love to get people to think outside the box and challenge people to see different angles of baseball when it comes to the game, players' lives, and the Twins organization. 
I was shocked to find out that Rena does not work for Twins Daily all the time. Her knowledge of the game, the players, and the numbers would lead me to believe otherwise. She helps promote the website on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. She loves getting behind the promotion part of the job and bringing attention to Twins Daily. 
One of the goals of Twins Daily social media is growing. Rena, along with the rest of the team, wants Twins Daily to be the go-to website for Minnesota Twins news. So how do they do that? By giving the collective a voice, promoting articles in a fun, exciting manner.
The social media team has indeed done that. Twins Daily has been successful with traffic and followers, a considerable concern we had during the lockout. It's hard to write about baseball when there is none, so brainstorming what to write is just as important on how to promote the writing. Rena loves to create a voice for Twitter because that's where the most activity is for Twins Daily followers and Twins fans. Creating content and discussion is one of the things that Rena is good at. 
We discussed the journey through journalism as women and having a voice as baseball fans and writers. I told her that my biggest fear is being professional, and I am known for my loud voice and perspective on not always loving players and having to behave and respond with information and no profanity (!!). Being a fan opens you up for ridicule, but being a female baseball fan on social media carries its responsibility because ridicule can be far worse as women's knowledge of sports is held to a standard of knowing stats from 1983 and "name five players." She admits there are times when she is ready to send out a tweet and goes back and double-checks it because she knows that the scrutiny is more vigorous for females than it is for males in the industry. 
As an Asian-American female, she is also very aware of representation. She and I had a heart-to-heart about her desire to hopefully bring more awareness to Asian-American women in sports and the players. One of her favorite players is Shohei Ohtani. She loves seeing the Asian representation in baseball and hopes it continues to grow. I loved her honesty with me about her strength in being a minority writer and fan in our favorite sport. While she knows sometimes she has to check her tweets twice, she also is confident in her understanding and knowledge of the intricacies of baseball. 
She combines her love of baseball and her heritage in this astounding article where she interviewed Tzu-Wei Lin, who was an MVP at the age of 16 from Taiwan. She got a chance to speak in her native language of Mandarin, to one of her favorite ball players about their favorite game. The article is inspiring and she is proud of the opportunity she had to get to know Lin. 
Rena makes me want to be a better writer, fan, and person. To know that there are women out there that love the game as much as I do is motivating. We can carry on a conversation about the game, and having a desire for the game to grow in representation (as well as fandom around the world) gives me hope that this game will never indeed die. 
Rena is one of the strongest baseball minds I know. She is intelligent, funny, intuitive, and full of insight and ideas that bring Twins Daily new followers and readers. Rena is also one of my closest friends and will do anything for me at the drop of a hat. She is a force to be reckoned with if you go up against her in baseball knowledge, but she is compassionate and loving and genuinely wants everyone to love the sport that brings her happiness. She brings so much fun to Twins Daily, its followers, and Twitter; if you don't follow her, you are truly missing out. 

Make sure to check out Rena's Twins Daily Page below! 
@renabanena
Find her on social media:
Twitter: @renabanena
 

Major League Baseball (MLB) recently introduced a host of new and expanded rules it will be trying out during the 2022 Minor League season. A common thread connecting these changes, and others, is MLB's goals of making the game faster and improving player safety. 
Seeing rule trials at the Minor League level is nothing new; MLB has traditionally used its Minor Leagues as a testing ground for on-field rule changes it is considering for future MLB implementation. In the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the MLB Players Association and MLB agreed to the defensive position requirement (otherwise known as banning the shift) to implement a pitch clock and to make bases larger effective the 2023 season. Each of these rules was tested and deemed successful at the Minor League Level during the 2021 season- the shift was banned in Double-A, a pitch clock was used in Low-A, and base size was increased at the Triple-A level.
Here is a roundup of the new and expanded rules that baseball fans will see in the Minors in 2022:
1. Expanded pitch clock (all full-season leagues)
2. Expanded use of larger bases (all full-season leagues)
3. Expanded use of the defensive position requirement (Double-A and both Class A levels)
4. Expanded automatic ball-strike system with challenge, otherwise known as “robot umpires” (Triple-A and Low-A Southeast) 
Expanded pitch clock
The amount of time that St. Paul Saints fans spend goofing around with the ushertainers at CHS Field is about to lessen (pro tip- do not let Coach catch you buried in your phone during the game). After being used in various capacities since 2015, the new season will feature pitch clocks being used universally across all Minor League levels, including at CHS Field. When bases are empty, at all full-season levels, pitchers will be required to deliver the pitch within 14 seconds. When runners are on base, pitchers will be given more time, and this time will slightly differ by league: pitchers will be required to deliver the pitch within 19 seconds at Triple-A and 18 seconds at all other levels. 
Hitters will not be allowed to be asleep at the plate either; at all levels, the hitter must be in the batter’s box and attentive to the pitcher with nine seconds left on the timer. MLB’s goal in implementing a pitch clock is to increase the pace of play. In 2021, a pitch clock experiment in Low-A cut game times by 20 minutes using 15-second and 17-second clocks. MLB decided slightly more time was needed when runners were on base and slightly less with bases empty and adjusted the clock times accordingly. 
Additionally, all Minor League pitchers will be limited to two pickoff attempts or step-offs per plate appearance. If a pitcher takes a third, it will effectively function as a balk (sans chicken clucking noises from jeering fans) and allow all baserunners to advance.
Larger bases
The size of first, second, and third base will be increased from 15 inches by 15 inches to 18x18 for all full-season affiliates in 2022. MLB’s stated goal of using the larger bases is to reduce player injuries on the base paths. Larger bases were used in the Arizona Fall League and at the Triple-A level in 2021, and MLB found that they not only reduced injuries but contributed to an increase in stolen base rates due to the slightly shortened base paths and the larger base size making it more difficult to overslide the base. Additionally, the larger bases will be composed of material that is expected to perform better in wet conditions, which will provide runners an easier-to-grip surface to slide into, which furthers MLB's goal of reducing injuries.
Defensive position requirement
In 2021, MLB imposed a limit on defensive shifts at the Double-A level. In 2022, MLB is further expanding this rule. This year, teams in Double-A and both Class A levels will be required to have at least four players on the infield when the pitcher delivers, with two on either side of second base. According to MLB, this restriction on defensive positioning is intended to increase the batting average on balls in play. Defensive shifts have been around for years, but in recent years, MLB shifts have gotten more and more bold, thus leading to these experimental crackdowns. Banning the shift relates to MLB's goal of stimulating offense and increasing in-game excitement. 
Robot umpires
No, this is not a dystopian movie where robots take over the world, it’s baseball in 2022, and robot umpires may soon be coming to an MLB field near you. 
For now, though, MLB’s experiment with an automated balls-and-strikes system (ABS) will remain confined to the Minors.  Previously limited to use in the Low-A Southeast, the system is expanding to also include Triple-A in 2022. The goal is to use technology to improve the accuracy of called balls and strikes and reduce controversy. 
In Triple-A, a home-plate umpire will relay ball or strike calls generated by Hawk-Eye tracking technology, which recalibrates the top and bottom of the strike zone based on each hitter’s height. The human umpire will still make calls like check swings, interference, and plays at the plate. Automated calling begins May 17 in the Triple-A West, now known as the Pacific Coast League, with the Triple-A returning to its historic names in 2022. Throughout the season, it will be used in all Triple-A East (now called the International League) games played in Charlotte. The St. Paul Saints are in the International League and do not play the Charlotte Knights during the regular season.
At the Low-A Southeast level, MLB is exploring an alternate form of ABS calling, otherwise known as a “Challenge System.” Here, human umpires will still make balls and strike calls. However, in select Challenge Games, the pitcher, catcher, and batter can appeal the umpire’s call to the ABS system. Each team will receive three appeals in Challenge Games, with successful appeals retained for future use.
The 2022 Minor League Season will look a little different than fans are used to, but with several of these changes headed to MLB in 2023, it seems time for rules to be standardized across all Minor League affiliates. Time will tell if the robot umpires receive a promotion to the Big Leagues.
Do you think robot umpires will make it to the majors? Should they? Leave a COMMENT below. 

We created our Roster & Payroll Creator tool with the hopes that fans would dive in and devise their own blueprints illustrating different approaches to this crucial Twins offseason. I shared my own to kick things off.
We're thrilled to see that in just a couple weeks since we officially launched the tool alongside the Offseason Handbook, several of you have taken us up on the challenge. In fact, we're kind of blown away. I went through the forums and blogs over the weekend and came across about a dozen submissions, most of them with thoughtful explanations of the decisions and motivations.
You can click through to view any of them below. Each one has its own comment thread so you can share your thoughts:
Andrew Mahlke blueprint Cory Engelhardt blueprint  terrydactyls blueprint Greglw3 blueprint  Sconnie blueprint  TheLeviathan blueprint DocBauer blueprint mk blueprint mitcho8 blueprint  sthpstm blueprint  Ian23 blueprint  wildtwinsfan045 blueprint  As I perused these various perspectives on what a successful Twins offseason would look like, here are a few trends and specifics that caught my attention.
Everyone Wants a Buxton Extension
Almost every single blueprint submitted includes a contract extension for Byron Buxton, and it was usually the top priority accounted for. I was legitimately impressed by how many people took a stab at laying out their version of a reasonable framework. The particulars varied, but most conceptual deals called for about $15M in annual base salary plus incentives over 5-7 seasons. 
I don't think I saw a single blueprint proposing a Buxton trade – a little surprising, given the likelihood of such an outcome in real life. (For what it's worth, I tried hypothesizing one in this piece.)
Basically everyone seems to be reaching the same conclusion. If reports in July were true – that Buxton's camp was comfortable with a deal built largely on incentives – it simply makes no sense for the Twins not to find a way to get it done.
The Most Popular High-End SP Target Is...
Blueprinters erred toward the side of realism, as I didn't see any write-ups that suggested signing Max Scherzer, or Clayton Kershaw, or Noah Syndergaard. The most common Tier 1 SP free agent to appear in these plans was Marcus Stroman, which doesn't surprise me because he looks like a fairly natural Twins fit. In the Handbook we noted how similarly he profiles to José Berríos as a fringe #1/2 type in the rotation. As @DocBauer put it succinctly in their blueprint: "He's quality and proven."

Robbie Ray was the prime choice of those who wanted to dream big, such as @Greglw3 and @Sconnie, and Carlos Rodón showed up in the blueprints from @Andrew Mahlke and @mk. I was a little surprised by the lack of love for Kevin Gausman, who didn't appear in a single one of these blueprints. 
We Like Big Mike
The most common free agent signing across all of these different plans was easily Michael Pineda. More than half of the blueprint submissions call for a Big Mike reunion. It's just too logical a fit. He has a known affinity for playing in Minnesota and should come with a reasonable mid-rotation price tag. In the Handbook we project him for an $8M salary – it may wind up coming in a little higher or lower, but that should be in the ballpark. If you have any faith in him staying healthy and keeping his fastball in the 93-MPH range, that's a good value and a rotation spot taken care of.
What to Do at Shortstop?
Opinions were very split on how to approach the Twins' biggest positional need. A few users called for going big – @mitcho8 proposed a Trevor Story signing, while @TheLeviathan and @wildtwinsfan045 made Corey Seager their centerpieces –  but many relented to a stopgap like Jose Iglesias or Freddy Galvis. (Notably, Andrelton Simmons was absent from all blueprints.)
Who Should Close for the Twins?
It's a key question. Most blueprints advise the Twins to stick with Taylor Rogers in his final year of arbitration. Some call for adding a co-closer to offset some of the injury risk. User @Doctor Gast decided to crowdsource the question in the forums, which created some good discussion.
Aside from Rogers, the most popular name seems to be Raisel Iglesias. Ryan Tepera and Kirby Yates (on an incentive-laden deal) were also tossed around. @Rosterman wondered if perhaps Jorge Alcalá could become a closer option as soon as 2022. (There may be something to that.) 
Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel are pretty clearly out of the question, but one name that conspicuously didn't seem to come up was Mark Melancon. The fact that no one seems to be looking at him almost makes me wonder if the Twins will. Rounding out that top tier with Jansen, Kimbrel and Iglesias, Melancon seems to be the unsexy choice given his age (36) and his unspectacular strikeout rate (8.2 K/9 this year, and in his career). But the guy's track record in the closer role is pretty incredible, and he was an All-Star in 2021.
Some believe the Twins are better off keeping closer as a backburner priority, such as @nicksaviking, who made this comment that's (at least for me) hard to argue with:
"Unless it's some surprisingly big name who is a year-in year-out reliable stud, I don't want to hand over the closer gig to any free agent. Relievers rarely have similar years back to back. Their small sample sizes, transient nature and lack of a third pitch tend to make them more unpredictable than other baseball players. In 2022 the high leverage relievers should = whomever is currently the hottest pitchers RIGHT NOW; not last year, or whomever is paid the most."
Manaea Mania!
There were several different creative trade scenarios outlined in these blueprints. The most frequent player targeted was Oakland's Sean Manaea. Packages used to acquire the lefty starter differed greatly, and illustrated the difficulty of predicting trades – @Cory Engelhardt pitched a return of Matt Canterino, Matt Wallner and Blayne Enlow (a bit much, IMO), while @Ian23 drew up an exchange of Drew Strotman, Keoni Cavaco and Jermaine Palacios for Manaea and shortstop Elvis Andrus (a bit light, although I like the two-birds-with-one-stone execution here).
The bottom line is that Manaea looks like a very plausible trade candidate as a starter getting expensive in his final year of arbitration for the low-spending A's. (He's projected to make about $10M in 2021.) He's an excellent fit for the Twins and their needs.  
Mingling with Miami
Aside from the Manaea trades, there were a few other interesting ideas offered up. 
For example, @terrydactyls mapped out a blockbuster that involves Minnesota sending Max Kepler, Luis Arraez, Mitch Garver, and Simeon Woods Richardson to Miami in exchange for Sandy Alcantera and Richard Bleier, with Alcantara serving as a young ace-type centerpiece.
A blueprint from @sthpstm gives another take on a Twins/Marlins trade, proposing the following: Garver, Trevor Larnach, Miguel Sanó, Canterino (or similar), and $4M to Miami for Edward Cabrera, Jesus Luzardo, and Nick Fortes. Another high-scale concept that brings in high-end young pitching talent, this time with a top prospect as the prize rather than an established MLB starter like Alcantara.
@TheLeviathan's blueprint included a straight swap of Garver for Sixto Sanchez.
Clearly, people are zeroing in on the Marlins as a trade partner for Minnesota, and that makes plenty of sense: they have a wealth of young pitching and need bats. As Nash Walker wrote in his feature for the Handbook, "No team is a better trade partner for Minnesota than the Miami Marlins."
Let's See Your Plan
We've seen a lot of different ideas laid out above, but there are still endless combinations and permutations of what this Twins offseason could look like. We'd love to see yours, so if you haven't put one together yet, we invite you to grab a copy of the Offseason Handbook, pull up the Roster & Payroll tool, and show us what you've got. 
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The road has been long and windy for Drew Maggi. The Phoenix native was drafted out of Brophy College Prep by the hometown Diamondbacks in the 47th round of the 2008 draft. Two years later, he was the Pirates 15th round pick out of Arizona State. And that began his pro journey. 
Maggi spent five seasons with the Pirates organization. He reached Double-A in 2014. 
He posted a .606 OPS in 125 games for the Angels Double-A affiliate in Arkansas in 2015. 
In 2016, he went to the Dodgers organization and split the season between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. There, he was a teammate of Twins minor league director Alex Hassan. 
He remained in Oklahoma City in 2017. 
In 2018, he played for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Columbus. 
Then in 2019, he signed a minor league deal with the Twins. He began that season with 11 games at Double-A Pensacola. He then played 108 games with Triple-A Rochester and hit .258/.384/.405 (.788) with 19 doubles, four triples and 10 homers. 
In 2020, he was invited to Twins big-league spring training. As we know, the season was delayed and the minor league season was cancelled, but Maggi was invited and worked out at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul.
This spring, he was again invited to big-league spring training. He has played in 86 games for the St. Paul Saints. He has hit .261/.364/.486 (.850) with 12 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs. 
On Saturday morning, he was officially called up to the Twins. 
Now I know many will ask why I get excited for feel-good stories like this? Many will ask why Maggi instead of top hitting prospect Jose Miranda. I understand that. I initially wondered the same thing, but that dissipated pretty quickly for me. 
I love feel-good stories. The Twins have done it in the past. All teams have, and I think it's great. Remember five years ago when the Twins called up James Beresford for September. It gave him a chance to make big-league money for a month, but it was also a Thank You from the organization that he called home for ten years. 
Maggi has only been in the Twins organization for three seasons, but he's been in the game a long time. He's a good player. He's displayed power. He has played wherever he's been asked. He can play all four infield spots and even has spent some time in the outfield. 
He may rarely play with the Twins. Or, he could come up and get a shot and have a great two-week stretch. 
Maggi will likely be DFAd at season's end, and that's fine, but forever, he will be able to call himself a big leaguer.  
From the Twins perspective they have called up several players that they had signed to minor league contracts this year. And, a story like this isn't going to get lost on minor league free agents this offseason, or next offseason. 
Jose Miranda is a part of the future. He's going to contribute to the Twins for years to come. Drew Maggi is probably playing the final two weeks of his professional career, or maybe he'll be thrilled to come back to the Twins next year because he knows that they have done right by him and others. 
In a bad season, a dark season, we do need to find the positives. We should be excited for the person, and we should hope for good from Drew Maggi. I know I am happy for him! 
As mentioned Rob Refsnyder was placed on the Injured List to make room for Maggi on the 28-man roster. Taylor Rogers was placed on the 60-Day IL to make room for Maggi on the 40-man roster. 
 

Baseball made its return to the Olympics as part of this year’s schedule, after not being a part of the last two Summer Olympics. With active Major Leaguers obviously not allowed to play, Team USA’s roster is comprised mostly of talented minor league prospects, with Joe Ryan, who was acquired by the Twins in the Nelson Cruz trade, among them.
In game one of pool play, which was played early Friday morning here in the United States, Team USA gave the ball to Joe Ryan to go up against Israel. Ryan did not disappoint in his Olympic debut, as he gave up just one run on five hits, with five strikeouts and zero walks over six innings of work. This performance helped lead Team USA to an 8-1 victory.
Joe Ryan got his start going by getting Ian Kinsler to flyout to center field to begin the bottom of the first. Then, after a Ty Kelly double, Ryan got former Twin Danny Valencia to flyout for the second out of the inning. Ryan gave up another single, but Kelly only made it to third on the play. This was big, as Joe Ryan got Ryan Lavarnway to ground into a forceout to get out of the inning with no harm done. 
The second and third innings for Ryan were much smoother, as he struck out the side in order in the second, and then got Israel to go down 1-2-3 in the third, which included striking out Ian Kinsler for the second out of the inning.
 
The lone run that Joe Ryan gave up was on a Danny Valencia leadoff home run in the bottom of the 4th. Ryan would give up a couple of one out singles later in the inning to Ryan Lavarnway and Nick Rickles, but would get out of the inning with no more runs allowed.
 
After his lone hiccup in the fourth, Joe Ryan cruised the rest of the way, as he set Isreal down 1-2-3 in both the fifth and sixth innings, before he was relieved to begin the seventh. In total, four of the six innings Ryan pitched were 1-2-3 innings.
Team USA is back in action on Saturday morning at 5 a.m. (central time) to take on South Korea in their second, and final, game of pool play before bracket play begins on Sunday. If they win, they will automatically advance to round two on Monday, but if they lose they will need to play in round one on Sunday.
If Team USA advances far enough, Joe Ryan could be available to pitch in either a Semifinal game next week Wednesday or Thursday, or he could pitch in a potential medal game next Saturday.
 

Day 3 of the MLB Draft is here and we have a lot more action for you, as the Twins will be making 10 more selections. The draft will begin at 11 a.m. CT and can be followed on MLB.com. Be sure to refresh this page throughout the day, as it will be updated regularly with each of the Twins selections, as well as to join in on the discussion in the comment section below.
The Twins have already had a big haul in this year's draft as they selected fireball high school pitcher Chase Petty in the first round and followed that up by selecting a high school shortstop from the state of Wisconsin in Noah Miller. After taking two high schoolers on Day 1, the Twins went exclusively the college route on Day 2, which started by taking Michigan left-hander Steven Hajjar in the second round.
Twins Day 3 Picks
Round 11, 339th Overall
Pick: Brandon Birdsell, RHP, Texas Tech
Brandon Birdsell was well traveled across the state of Texas in his college career, as he played for three different Texas schools in his three years of college baseball. Birdsell began his collegiate career at Texas A&M, but only pitched six innings across eight appearances his freshman season and eventually transferred to San Jacinto Junior College in Pasadena, Texas for his sophomore season in 2020.
After one year there, he then transferred to Texas Tech were he found some success in limited work as a starter this spring before his season was cut short with a rotator cuff injury during an April 11th start against TCU. 
As a pitcher, Birdsell has an electric two pitch combo with his fastball and slider both grading out as above average to plus pitches. The fastball sits easily in the mid-90s and occasionally touches upper 90s. With the injury concerns, to go along with his player profile, Birdsell seems destined to a bullpen role once he returns from his injury, but he has the potential to one day be a backend of the bullpen piece with his stuff.
Round 12, 369th Overall
Pick: Kyler Fedko, OF, UConn
After selecting UConn catcher Pat Winkel in the 9th round yesterday, the Twins double-dipped into the Husky well just three rounds later, taking Winkel's teammate Kyler Fedko in the 12th round today. Fedko was a three-year starter in college and after a so-so freshman season, Fedko turned it on in the last two seasons at UConn.
We got a small glimpse of Fedko's breakout last spring, before getting to see what Fedko could do over the course of a full college season this spring. In 52 games, Fedko slashed .398/.483/.673 with 12 home runs and 7 stolen bases. This performance was strong enough to earn First Team NCBWA All-American honors and be named the BIG EAST Player of the Year.
Round 13, 399th Overall
Pick: David Festa, RHP, Seton Hall
David Festa came to Seton Hall as a freshman in 2019 and immediately earned a spot in the Pirates weekend starting rotation. Festa had mixed results in his first two seasons, but everything came together for his this spring as he had an ERA of 2.00 in 72 innings pitched and was a named to the All-BIG EAST First Team.
While Festa does not have eye popping strikeout numbers or a fastball that will impress on the radar gun, it is possible that both of those things could still be developed with Festa. The main reason for this is his frame, though he stands at 6'6", he only weighs 185 pounds and could easily add more muscle. We have already seen a small jump in velocity from Festa this spring, so there is no reason to suggest that he can't continue to add more velocity as he builds more strength, especially in his lower half. 
Round 14, 429th Overall
Pick: Pierson Ohl, RHP, Grand Canyon University
A three-year starter at GCU, Pierson Ohl has a proven track record of success at the collegiate level. For his career, Ohl has thrown 219 and 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 2.99 and 186 strikeouts. Perhaps the most impressive stat on Ohl is his minuscule walk rate, as he has walked just 1.3 batters per nine innings over the course of his entire career, which includes walking just 12 in 100 and 1/3 innings this spring on his way to being named the WAC Pitcher of the Year.
Round 15, 459th Overall
Pick: Mikey Perez, 2B/SS, UCLA
After getting limited playing time in his first two seasons at UCLA, Mikey Perez started every game for the Bruins this spring, with a majority of those games coming at second base alongside fellow UCLA middle infielder Matt McLain, who was taken by the Cincinnati Reds with the 17th overall pick in the draft. In addition to second, Perez also saw some time at both short and third, showing his versatility around the infield.
While it was not an impressive season for Perez from a batting average perspective (.231), he did draw a good number of walks and led the Bruins in home runs with 11. With such little playing time at the college level, it is hard to tell exactly how good of a player Perez is with the bat, but with his ability to play all over the infield along with some power potential he is a good shot for the Twins to take at this stage of the draft.
Round 16, 489th Overall
Pick: Johnathan Lavallee, RHP, Long Beach State
Johnathan Lavallee began his college baseball career at LA Pierce College, where he pitched for two seasons. After a dominate sophomore season, Lavallee transferred to Long Beach State. After an alright showing in 11 innings pitched in 2020, Lavallee put together a dominate season in 2021, as he had a mere 1.89 ERA in nine starts (11 total appearances). In 62 innings pitched, the Long Beach State right-hander struck out 73 batters and only walked 16 on his way to being named First Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
Round 17, 519th Overall
Pick: Dylan Neuse, 2B, Texas Tech
We are in the 17th round, and this is already the third time the Twins have doubled-down on prospects from the same university, as Dylan Neuse is teammates with Twins 11th round pick Brandon Birdwell. Neuse was a starter each of the last three seasons for the Red Raiders, and slashed .305/.421/.477 with 10 home runs and 41 stolen bases.
After being named the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, Neuse was off to a solid start this spring, but suffered a season ending injury after getting hit in the back by a pitch. Coincidentally, Neuse's last game of the season came on April 11th, which was the same date of Brandon Birdwell's last game of the season. 
Round 18, 549th Overall
Pick: Mike Paredes, RHP, San Diego State
Mike Paredes split his time between the starting rotation and the bullpen in 2019, as he made five starts as part of 17 total appearances. After that season, Paredes began pitching almost exclusively out of the rotation. Paredes never had a lot of success as a pitcher at the collegiate level, as he had a career 5.28 ERA with 138 strikeouts and 43 walks over 148 and 1/3 innings pitched.
Round 19, 579th Overall
Pick: Jaylen Nowlin, LHP, Chipola College
In his lone season at Chipola College in Florida, Jaylen Nowlin was very impressive coming out of the bullpen, as he had an ERA of just 2.14 in 42 innings pitched. Nowlin has good strikeout stuff, as he struck out 12.6 batters per nine innings pitched, but he also struggles a bit with command as he walk 5.1 batters per nine innings this spring.
Round 20, 609th Overall
Pick: Dillon Tatum, C, UC Irvine
With their final selection of the 2021 MLB Draft, the Twins took their third college catcher, this time it was Dillon Tatum from UC Irvine. Tatum play his first three seasons of college baseball at San Joaquin Delta Junior College before transferring to UC Irvine for the 2021 season. In 40 games (37 starts) for the Anteaters this spring, Tatum slashed .278/.401/.684 and 15 home runs. 

With the 36th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins Selected Noah Miller, SS, Ozaukee HS (WI).
The Twins selected New Jersey RHP Chase Petty with the 26th overall pick. You can read more on the high risk, high reward, high school pitcher with the electric fastball from Andrew Thares here. With their compensatory first round pick, the Twins selected Wisconsin prep SS Noah Miller.
HT: 6’0 WT: 180 B/T: B-R
Commitment: Alabama
Age: 18
Overall Grade: 50
Hit: 45 Power: 40 Run: 50 Field: 60 Arm: 55
The Twins significantly broke from their draft tendencies in the Falvey Levine era, drafting two high school prospects with their first two picks. It’s also notable that they addressed their two biggest deficits with their first two picks, drafting a starting pitcher and a middle infielder.
In addition to adding Chase Petty with the 26th overall pick, the Twins elected WI prep SS Noah Miller with the 36th overall pick. Noah Miller is a switch hitting shortstop whose brother recently made his MLB debut in the Cleveland organization. The 18 year old is an impressive athlete and outstanding defensive SS with a strong sense of anticipation and reading of the game.
Despite his defense being his most impressive tool, Miller also shows strong offensive skills. Miller is the top ranked prospect from Wisconsin and showcases a short, simple swing with effective bat to ball skills. Miller shows gap to gap line drive power from the left side but better pull power from the right hand side of the plate. Despite facing limited competition, Miller has dealt with opposing pitching successfully, consistently showcasing the ability to drive the ball the other way. While Miller doesn’t have any one truly stand out tool, he has a high offensive and defensive floor which should allow him to stick at SS and be an impactful hitter at the MLB level.
 
 

The Twins had to wait until pick 26 to make their first selection, but they wound up with a guy that has the upside to eventually be one of the best players in the entire draft class.
Chase Petty is a high school right-handed pitcher from Mainland Regional High School in New Jersey. He is consider by many to be a high-risk, high-reward prospect that if all goes well could one day shine at the front of the Twins starting rotation. I had Petty ranked as the 20th best prospect in the draft. Here is what I wrote about him prior to the draft.
"New Jersey prep pitcher Chase Petty is most well-known for his incredible fastball that has been clocked as high as 102 MPH. That pitch is not only my highest graded fastball of any pitcher in this draft, but it is tied for the highest graded pitch thrown by any pitcher in this class. However, Petty is not just a one pitch pitcher, as he also features an above average slider, and occasionally throws a changeup that has a lot of promise as he develops it further.
The hang-up with Petty is his command, as he is still a very raw product and can get wild out of the strike zone at times. Petty is also the classic case of a right-handed power pitcher that is very exciting, but tends to fall in the draft, usually due to a high asking price, developmental concerns or a combination of both. If he does fall, the college route would not be a bad option for him, as the University of Florida has built a reputation for developing pitchers in recent years."
If you want to get to know Chase Petty even further, I would highly suggest watching this feature of No Days Off that was done on him.
 
Let us know you throughts on the pick. Do you like the potential high upside pitcher the Twins got late in the 1st round, or would you rather have seen them go in a different direction?

The Twins haven’t been the most injured team in baseball. They’re not even in the top five. In fact, they’re barely even in the top 10. If you’re interested in looking at the data, it’s available at spotrac. In terms of number of players who have been or are currently on the Injured List, the Twins are tied for 10th in baseball. Here’s a look at the rankings:

TEAM PLAYERS 1. Giants 26 2. Blue Jays 25 3. Padres 23 4. Mariners 22 5(t). Astros 21 5(t). Rays 21 7(t). Dodgers 20 7(t). Brewers 20 7(t). Cubs 20 10(t). Mets 19 10(t). Twins 19 Change the metric to days spent on the IL and the Twins are even lower down on the list. They rank 23rd at 360 days. There are four teams with more than 700 combined days on the IL. And you know what? It hasn’t prevented any of them from having winning seasons. Two of the top four teams are in first place (the Rays and Giants) and the other two have winning records ( the Padres and Blue Jays).

TEAM Days 1. Padres 943 2. Rays 748 3. Giants 732 4. Blue Jays 718 ... ... 23. Twins 370 Switch the focus to dollars spent on IL players and the Twins are 21st at just over $6.2 million. And, again, the top-four teams in terms of dollars spent on IL players all have winning records (the Astros, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers).
Even right now, with the Twins having 11 players currently on the IL, the team isn’t in the top five. Yes, the Twins have had a ton of injuries, but almost every team in the league has been dealing with similar situations this season. The health of this team isn’t a "get out of jail free" card for those who were in charge of building and managing a winning Twins club in 2021.
The Twins played their 60th game last night, which is as many as they played last season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the team’s number of players and days on the IL from the past five seasons. These are full-season numbers, so the 2017-19 data represents the full 162-game season. 

TWINS PLAYERS DAYS 2021 19 360 2020 14 389 2019 19 629 2018 18 1,052 2017 15 1,026 And now that same information for the entire league.

MLB PLAYERS DAYS 2021 488 14,350 2020 456 13,313 2019 574 49,279 2018 585 34,126 2017 530 31,300 We’re less than 40% through the season. This is pretty crazy.
Why? Consequences from last year’s mostly lost season, probably. That sounds like an easy explanation, but I’m not smart enough to find anything better than that (hint, hint: looking for some help here from all you lovely people of the Twins Daily community). 
If we go back further and compare this era to previous ones, I found the explanation Patrick Reusse offered up interesting.
This may have been said with tongue in cheek — sometimes the tone of Reusse’s Tweets can be tough to gauge — but this seems like a legit reason to me. Some people may read that Tweet as "old man mad at new technology" but I think he has a point. In prior eras, the training staff didn’t have much to go on. They had to depend on players self reporting accurately, and they’re almost always going to push to stay on the field.
That’s not to say it was necessarily better in the good ‘ol days. Just different. I would just like to see the best players on the field as close to 100% as much as possible. Can’t somebody just go into the settings and turn injuries off?
Are things going to keep getting even more extreme going forward? Again, I’m not smart enough to figure that out. Hopefully the 2020 hangover is to blame and things deescalate next season.

To find out how all of your favorite Twins prospects and teams performed on Tuesday night, keep reading!

TRANSACTIONS
The Minnesota Twins recalled pitchers Cody Stashak and Bailey Ober, with the latter making his MLB debut filling in for Michael Pineda. Pitcher Jhoan Duran was activated from the disabled list with the St. Paul Saints. Reliever Glenn Sparkman was released. In double-A RHP Chris Vallimont was activated from the disabled list and RHP Brandon Koch was assigned to Wichita from Cedar Rapids. Catcher Nick Garland was assigned to the Mighty Mussels from the Wind Surge, and LHP Zarion Sharpe was assigned from the GCL Twins and made his 2021 debut in their game.
  SAINTS SENTINEL
Indianapolis 7, St. Paul 3
Box Score

The Saints would strike first in opening frame, as Nick Gordon led off the bottom of the first with a single and would score on a Brent Rooker groundout for a 1-0 lead. The Indians were quick to get those back, and more however, in the second and third innings against starter Griffin Jax.

They got four in the second and three in the third to take a 7-1 lead. Despite that, Jax did settle in and finish five innings. In all he allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out five. Ian Hamilton and Danny Coulombe each pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game. Coulombe struck out five of the eight hitters he faced.

While St. Paul was only outhit 11-10, they only managed one extra-base-hit and were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Indianapolis on the other hand got three doubles and were 4-for-4 in run-scoring situations.

Gordon (2-for-2, R), Tomas Telis (2-for-3, BB), and Keon Broxton (2-for-4, R, 2B, K, SB) had multiple hit nights. Gordon was removed from the game in the fourth inning though no reason was given at the time of this writing.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 3, Tulsa 12
Box Score

While the Wind Surge jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first thanks to RBI doubles from Jose Miranda and Mark Contreras, the Drillers were quick to punch a hole into their hopes in this one. They got to starter Austin Schulfer for eight runs in the bottom of the third and never looked back, adding two more runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings for final score of 12-3.

Schulfer finished 2 2/3, allowing those eight runs (7 earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out two. The worst part about that big inning, was all eight runs scored after there were two outs and only a runner on first base. Dakota Chalmers went the next 2 1/3, allowing a two-run homer in the fourth. He walked two and struck out two. Calvin Faucher pitched the sixth and seventh innings and allowed the final two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out two. Hector Lujan finished the game for Wichita with a scoreless inning.

Coming into the game the Wind Surge lineup was leading the league in batting average but managed just six hits in this one. They were just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. Second baseman Peter Mooney went 2-for-5 in the losing effort and Jermaine Palacios’ eleven game hitting streak to open the season came to an end.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Beloit 2, Cedar Rapids 4
Box Score

Starting pitcher Blayne Enlow was a standout in this one, as he delivered perhaps one of the best starts of his career for the Kernels to pick up his first win of the season. While it was only 5 2/3 innings, he set a new career high for strikeouts in a game with 10. He allowed just one earned run on three hits and three walks. In the outing he threw 83 pitches (52 for strikes) and got 15 swings and misses.

Catcher Jair Camargo would give Enlow and the rest of the Cedar Rapids pitchers all the run support they would need on his own, as he delivered the first multi-home-run game of his career, both solo shots. The first came in the bottom of the second to give the Kernels a 1-0 lead, and the second came in the sixth to make it 4-1. In between his blasts Matt Wallner and Michael Helman also delivered solo home runs, accounting for all the home team’s scoring. Wallner’s was his third of the season, Helman’s his second. Camargo would finish the game 3-for-4, and Spencer Steer (2-for-4, 2B, K) and Gabe Snyder (2-for-4, K) would also collect multiple hits.

Jordan Gore came on in relief of Enlow in the sixth and would go the next 2 1/3. The former infielder allowed one run on three hits while striking out four and displaying mid-90’s velocity on the mound. Owen Griffith came on for the ninth and made it a little interesting with a pair of walks to start the inning, but Camargo helped him out by picking off one of those runners at first base for the first out (his second pickoff of the game). He would settle down and get a strikeout and easy ground ball to record his first save of the year.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Tampa 2
Box Score

Fort Myers scored almost immediately as consecutive singles from Misael Urbina and Edouard Julien led off the game. Urbina would score on a double-play grounder from Keoni Cavaco for a 1-0 lead after three hitters. It would remain that way until the top of the fifth when the Mighty Mussels took advantage of three walks and three RBI singles from Anthony Prato, Urbina, and Julien to make it 4-0. Charles Mack would add another tally in the sixth with his first home run of season.

Righthander Regi Grace made the start for Fort Myers and held the Tampa lineup scoreless in his five innings. He allowed one hit, walked three, and struck out five. He threw 74 pitches with 44 of them going for strikes (59.5%), including 11 swinging. Two of those free passes came in his final inning as he neared his pitch limit.

The Tarpons finally got on the board when the Mighty Mussels bullpen was summoned for the sixth. Zarion Sharpe was the pitcher, and he actually got three outs before a run was scored, but because the third out came on a wild-pitch strikeout the inning was extended. What followed was an RBI double and RBI single before Ryan Shreve was summoned to get the fourth out and end the threat. Shreve would go the next two innings in addition, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out two. Osiris German would finish the game with a scoreless ninth, striking out one.

Fort Myers would tack on more runs in the final two innings, with Willie Joe Garry Jr delivering a run scoring single in the eighth, and Kyle Schmidt a two-RBI double in the ninth. There were multi-hit efforts from Urbina (2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K), Julien (4-for-4, R RBI, BB, 3 SB), and Prato (2-for-5, R, RBI, K). All hitters in the lineup except Cavaco scored a run in this one and they drew nine walks in addition to their 11 hits.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K)
Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-4, 2 HR (2), K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY

Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed:

#1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – Injured List (wrist)
#2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for Season (torn ACL)
#3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – 1-for-3, K
#4 - Ryan Jeffers (St. Paul) – 0-for-4, K
#5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Did not pitch
#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – Injured List (back)
#7 - Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
#8 - Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, R, 3 K
#9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch
#10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Wichita) – 0-for-4, R, BB
#12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – 0-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, 2 K
#13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-4, HR (3), K
#14 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K
#15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – Did not pitch
#16 - Edwar Colina (Rehab) - 60-Day IL (elbow)
#17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – 1-for-3
#18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A
#19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K
#20 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K (MLB debut)

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chandler Shepherd (0-1, 9.82 ERA)
Wichita @ Tulsa (12:05PM CST) – RHP Josh Winder (1-0, 1.17 ERA)
Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Tyler Beck (1-0, 1.17 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30PM CST) – LHP Brent Headrick (1-0, 1.13 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!