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Baseball’s draft is tricky because many players are years away from impacting big-league rosters. Back in the early 2010s, the Twins struggled to identify the best available players in the draft. Mid-market teams like the Twins need to succeed through scouting and the draft. The five years outlined below clarify why front office changes were made. Not every first-round pick will be a success, but high draft picks need to provide some value at the big-league level. 2010 Draft Twins Selection: Alex Wimmers (21st pick) Left on the Board: Christian Yelich (23rd pick) Wimmers fit the Minnesota mold as he had college pitching experience, and the organization had taken Kyle Gibson a year earlier in a similar draft position. Wimmers eventually made 22 appearances for the Twins as a reliever from 2016-17, but he was out of baseball after the 2018 season. The Marlins took Christian Yelich two picks after Wimmers, and he has gone on to win an MVP, earn multiple batting titles, and accumulate 33.4 WAR. Chris Sale, Bryce Harper, and Manny Machado are the only first-round picks from 2010 that have produced more career WAR than Yelich. 2011 Draft Twins Selection: Levi Michael (30th pick) Left on the Board: Trevor Story (45th pick) Minnesota was good in 2010, so that meant a late first-round pick in 2011. Michael seemed like a stretch at the time, and he never made it past Triple-A with the Twins, Mets, or Giants. Story was passed over by plenty of teams in the draft as he has produced the fifth highest WAR total among the 2011 first-round picks. The Twins have a second chance to add Story as a free agent this winter, but that seems unlikely at this point. 2012 Draft Twins Selection: Byron Buxton (2nd pick) Left on the Board: Corey Seager (18th pick) Of all five of these drafts, Minnesota is probably most satisfied with their selection in 2012. It’s also less challenging to mess up the second overall pick. Buxton was seen as an elite five-tool talent, and he immediately became one of baseball’s top prospects. If the Twins had the chance, five players have accumulated more WAR than Buxton, including Seager. Besides Carlos Correa, the first overall pick, Seager has the highest WAR total in the 2012 first round. Both Seager and Buxton signed long-term deals this winter, so it will be interesting to see how both players age as they hit the prime of their careers. 2013 Draft Twins Selection: Kohl Stewart (4th pick) Left on the Board: Aaron Judge (32nd pick) Organizations need to be successful with top-10 picks, and the Twins made some poor choices for multiple years in a row. Stewart appeared in four games for Minnesota, but he could never put it all together as a starting pitcher. Aaron Judge was a college player who didn’t fit an outfielder’s typical mold. He was clearly misevaluated as he has produced the second-highest WAR total among first-round picks, with Kris Bryant being the only player to rank higher. Other potential options included Tim Anderson, Sean Manaea, and Jon Gray. 2014 Draft Twins Selection: Nick Gordon (5th pick) Left on the Board: Trea Turner (13th pick) At the time, Gordon seemed like a strong choice with his family’s connections and five-tool potential. Last season, he finally made his big-league debut, and he may continue to fill a utility role for the Twins in the years ahead. Unfortunately, there were some All-Star caliber players taken behind Gordon. Turner is one year away from free agency, where he will get paid like one of baseball’s biggest stars. Aaron Nola was taken directly after Gordon and has produced 24.2 WAR. Matt Chapman, Michael Conforto, and Kyle Freeland have all combined for solid big-league careers and were also available with the fifth pick. 2015 Draft Twins Selection: Tyler Jay (6th pick) Left on the Board: Walker Buehler (24th pick) Jay was a risk when the Twins took him because he had been a reliever during his collegiate career. Minnesota thought he could be a starter, but he could never make it to the big leagues. Buehler would undoubtedly look nice at the top of the Twins rotation, even with some missed time due to injury in his career. Otherwise, Boston took Andrew Benintendi one pick after Jay, and he has produced 12.5 WAR in his career. Which of these players was the biggest miss for the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 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

Yesterday, we wrote a bit about how well Aaron Slegers has pitched in his last seven or eight starts. For his last two starts, he was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week. The major news on Monday, of course, was the Twins officially acquiring Jaime Garcia and Anthony Recker for Huascar Ynoa. But there was much more to the day including the decision to send back their Rule 5 pick. There are likely to be more transactions following the Monday night Twins game in Los Angeles, so we’ll update those below.Also, the E-Twins had another huge offensive inning. Brent Rooker had another solid showing. There was a #ParkBang. A Kernels reliever has a pretty impressive streak going. And, a second 2017 shortstop draft pick is playing well in the GCL. Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday. Let’s start with the transactions of the day: It happened about four days after it was deemed “close,” but the Twins did officially acquire lefty Jaime Garcia from Atlanta, along with catcher Anthony Recker, in exchange for Elizabethton starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa.To make room, Rule 5 RHP Justin Haley was outrighted and sent back to the Boston Red Sox.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 1, Indianapolis 4 Box Score Niko Turley was on the mound for the Red Wings on Monday, and things didn’t go well. In 4.1 innings, he gave up four runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out three… and, well, this happened too. DJ Baxendale gave up a hit and walked two over 1.2 scoreless innings. Alex Wimmers struck out four over two perfect innings. Byungho Park led the Red Wings offense. He went 3-4 and launched his seventh home run. Matt Hague went 2-4 with his 19th double. Engelb Vielma added his seventh double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts had an off day on the schedule. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Tampa 7 Box Score Lewis Thorpe had his first real rough start since his return from missing two seasons. The lefty went just 3.2 innings and was charged with five runs (three earned) on four hits. He walked three and struck out two. He also hit one batter, threw two wild pitches and had a balk. Mike Theofanopoulos struck out two in 2.1 perfect innings. Alex Robinson walked three and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Andrew Vasquez gave up two unearned runs on four hits over two innings. He struck out two. Sean Miller led the offense. He went 3-4 with his 14th double. Brent Rooker went 1-2 with two walks and his first Miracle double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Lansing 3 Box Score The Kernels won the season series against Lansing even though they fell in the finale on Monday afternoon. Anthony Marzi made the start and went the first seven innings. He gave up three runs, though just one was earned. He gave up six hits, walked none and struck out none. Colton Davis came in and did what he’s done all year… put up a zero. From Jeff Johnson’s article in The Gazette, “Davis has not allowed an earned run in his last 22 appearances out of the bullpen and given up only one run, period, in that span of 31 1/3 innings. The last time a team nicked him was way back on May 10.” He did need a little bit of help though. With a runner on second, Davis gave up a single to center. Aaron Whitefield charged the ball and came up throwing. He gunned down the base runner at home by at least five feet. Hector Lujan worked a scoreless ninth inning. The offense managed just one run. Whitefield and Christian Cavaness each went 1-3 with a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 15, Pulaski 4 Box Score For the third time in a week, the E-Twins put together a huge, late-inning inning. In this one, they scored eight runs in the ninth inning. Jose Miranda went 4-5 with his sixth homer. He scored three runs and drove in three runs. TJ Dixon was 3-5 with his first pro home runs. He stole his third base. Ariel Montesino went 2-3 with two walks. Shane Carrier had two hits. Wander Javier walked twice and hit his seventh double. Carson had three RBI and his seventh double. JJ Robinson added his fifth home run. Ryley Widell made his second appearance. He gave up one run on two hits over 3.2 innings of work. He struck out three without issuing a walk. Moises Gomez gave up three runs on four hits in the final 5.1 innings. He walked four, but he struck out nine. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 5 Box Score Jordan Balazovic started for the GCL Twins on Monday. The right-hander from Canada gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 5.2 innings. He walked one and struck out one. Juan Mojica walked two, but got four outs without being charged with a run. Amilcar Cruz came on and threw two shutout innings. Ricky De La Torre is now hitting .288 after going 2-3 with a walk. Darling Cuestro was also 2-3 with a walk in the game. Kidany Salva went 2-4 with his first double of the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Alex Wimmers, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jose Miranda, Elizabethton Twins TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05 CST) - TBD Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves Ft. Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 CST) - RHP Cody Stashak Cedar Rapids - No Game Scheduled Elizabethton @ Pulaski (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

While the Twins were in the midst of the longest game in Target Field history, the Twins minor leagues were in the middle of a busy day. Only two teams have games on Memorial Day so Sunday became a critical day as multiple affiliates float around the .500 mark. What teams could shine? What players would struggle? Who would help their team to win? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Indianapolis 2 Box Score Only three Red Wings batters were able to collect hits as the team was held to four total hits. Niko Goodrum had the team's lone extra-base hit as he came around to score on a Tommy Field single. Field led the team with a 2-for-3 effort. Leonardo Reginatto went 1-for-3. David Hurlbut started and made it through five frames. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk. It was his third loss of the season and he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of those decisions. Alan Busenitz and Alex Wimmers kept the game close for Rochester. Busenitz pitched two scoreless innings by allowing only a pair of singles. The final two innings from Wimmers were perfect and he struck out one. The loss drops the team to one game under .500. Rochester has gone 4-6 over the last ten games as the club sits 9.5 games out of first place in the International League North Division. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 9, Montgomery 2 Box Score Chattanooa powered past Montgomery with a pair of four-run innings. In the bottom of the second inning Travis Harrison and Dan Gamache led off the inning with doubles. With two outs in the frame, Dan Rohlfing walked before a trio of singles. Ryan Walker, Nick Gordon and Levi Michael joined the hit parade and pushed the lead to 4-0. In the bottom of the third, TJ White walked with two outs. Kevin Garcia and Dan Rohlfing singled to score another run. Walker came up with the biggest hit of the inning, a three-run home run. When the dust cleared, the Lookouts held an 8-0 lead. Felix Jorge improved to 5-1 on the season. Over seven shutout innings, he limited the Biscuits to five hits while striking out one and walking one. Raul Fernandez allowed two earned runs on three hits over the final two frames. He struck out one and didn't have a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Charlotte 6 Box Score Fort Myers jumped out to an early first inning lead. Bradley Strong reached base on a throwing error and than stole second. Chris Paul cracked a ground-rule double which would score Strong. The Miracle offense went cold from there as the team was shut out the rest of the way. They finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Paul reached base three times in the game while Max Murphy and Strong both collected doubles. David Fischer took the loss for the Miracle even though he limited the Stone Crabs to two runs on four hits. He pitched five innings while striking out four and walking two. Williams Ramirez had a rough inning as he walked three batters and allowed a pair of runs. Sam Clay and Alex Muren both allowed a run in their inning of work with each pitcher collecting a strikeout. With the loss, the Miracle fall one game below .500. They currently sit 4.5 games out of first place in the Florida State League South Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 2 (10 Innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids seemed to be off to a good start. Lewin Diaz singled in front of a Jaylin Davis double to get an early 1-0 lead. Kane County quickly countered to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the frame. Cedar Rapids was quiet until the fifth inning when Caleb Hamilton led off the inning with a single. Aaron Whitefield drove him in with a double to tie the game. The Kernels finally found a way to get back on the board in extra innings. Travis Blankenhorn was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a balk. Kane County's manager didn't like the call and he was ejected from the game. With two outs, the Cougars walked the bases loaded. Aaron Whitefield was hit by a pitch to drive in a run. Ariel Montesino singled to drive in two more. Domenick Carlini kept the game close for the Kernels. He allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked one. Colton Davis and Alex Robinson combined for three shutout innings. Tom Hackimer picked up his third win after two shutout innings allowing one base runner and he struck out three. He has not been tagged for an earned run in his last 21.0 IP. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 H) Hitter of the Day – Ryan Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Indianapolis (12:35 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler (4-1, 4.50 ERA Chattanooga - Scheduled Off Day Fort Myers - Scheduled Off Day Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (1:00 CST)- RHP Clark Beeker (5-2, 2.61 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins lost to the cross-city foes the Red Sox today. The damage was done late, which is both good news and bad news, depending on whether you are worried about the starting pitching or the bullpen. Optimistic Outing Kyle Gibson started against a Boston regular season lineup and kept them off-balance and in check for six innings, throwing only 78 pitches. By my count, 56 (72%) of them were strikes, so it’s not surprising that he also had no walks amid his four strikeouts. The first time through the lineup he relied primarily on his fastball, and the second there were a lot more offspeed pitches, but that wasn’t a conscious effort; Gibson said afterwards it was just how catcher Chris Gimenez called the game.Except for a couple of batters, he made things looked effortless. Whether that’s a good sign or not for the regular season remains to be seen. Gibson cautioned that he never knows what the other team is working on, and it might be that they’re working on something that gives Gibson an advantage. Towards that end, I’ve been very surprised by how patient teams have been against the Twins pitching this year. Today, the first time through the order, only two of the Red Sox batters swung at the first pitch, and five of them just watched strike one. It was similar the second time through the lineup; at least four guys watched themselves go down 0-1 in the count. It’s a lot easier to have an efficient outing when that’s the case. But for what it’s worth, Gibson is clearly in a positive mindset. So is his manager. “Bottle it,” exclaimed Twins manager Paul Molitor when asked for his reaction. Back To Your Regularly Schedule Pessimism Less exciting was Ryan Pressly’s outing. I counted (roughy) 24 pitches and 10 strikes. He started by walking the first two batters. He bounced back a bit for a strikeout and then outlasted left-handed hitting Pablo Sandoval when Panda chased a 92 mph 3-2 fastball outside the zone. But that gift was erased when his next pitch to catcher Christian Vazquez ended up in the left field bleachers. So in one inning he walked two, gave up three runs and never really found the strike zone. I’m 99% sure he’s safe to make the bullpen, so I don’t think it matters, unless you’re hoping for a rebound this year from the bullpen. It was the exactly the opposite of Gibson’s outing, and exactly the opposite outing one wants to have just before the regular season. I expect we’ll see him again midweek. Let’s Leave On Some High Notes Molitor talked a little about how impressed he has been with Alex Wimmers, who had a clean inning in relief, this spring. He likes that he has four pitches and he likes that he has a presence about him when things go wrong. I also heard from a baseball guy that he views Wimmers' changeup as a “separator,” a pitch that raises him above the others who might be relievers. I mention this all since I wasn’t very excited with the demotion of JT Chargois and the possible (maybe probable) addition of Wimmers to the 25-man. On that note, it looks like Michael Tonkin will have a chance to pitch in relief tomorrow night versus the Pirates. He needs a good outing. Kennys Vargas made some progress today: he put on a shoe. He was also supposed to run, but he is fighting the flu, and it sounds like a couple of guys from the WBC are also. Next up for Kennys: locusts followed by pestilence, probably. I’ve been wondering about the status of Robbie Grossman, who had a groin strain and has been out a few days. He took batting practice today and ran, although he didn’t run the bases. Molitor is hoping he can play again on Wednesday, so keep an eye on that lineup. If Grossman regresses, it’s not at all clear what the Twins would do. He wouldn’t necessarily be replaced by an outfielder, as Danny Santana and (cringe) Eduardo Escobar could play there if necessary. But the Twins likely won’t be adding the slick-fielding infielder Ehire Adrianza; he has an oblique strain. If he isn’t added to the 25-man and isn’t placed on the DL, he would need to be exposed to waivers. He’s out of options. And finally, there are a few candidates with a real chance to make the team who are not on the 40-man roster. ByungHo Park and Chris Gimenez would both need to be added. Molitor said he thinks they know what they would do. Presumably, one spot could be opened up rather easily, as Glen Perkins could be put on the DL. Click here to view the article

This week, the Gophers are making a California swing before getting started with Big Ten play next weekend. They played a single game on Tuesday night at California-Berkeley, and last night they began a three-game series at Sacramento State. Find out more about those games and what’s coming up, but first, here is a Q&A with Gophers senior outfielder Jordan Smith.Smith came to the Gophers after a strong high school career at Eden Prairie. He also was a big Twins fan and is getting the opportunity to live out a dream by playing for the Gophers. Let’s get to know him. Get to know Jordan Smith Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Eden Prairie, were you a big Twins fan? Did you get to many games? Who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Jordan Smith (JS): When I was younger I was a huge Twins fan. I really enjoyed the teams they had in the early 2000s. Guys such as Jacque Jones, Christian Guzman, and Johan Santana were some of my favorite players. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? JS: During my junior year, my legion team won the 2011 American Legion World Series. We had lost our first game I believe 13-1 and ended up winning 6 straight games in 4 days. It was an unbelievable run and something I will never forget. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? JS: I always wanted to play for the Gophers growing up so when I had the opportunity to play here it was an easy choice. I was very comfortable with the coaching staff and I knew a majority of the players coming in with me along with players already on the team. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? JS: My true freshman summer I played for the Chaska Cubs. The following summer I played for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League. The last two summers I have not played summer ball due to an injury and an internship commitment. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? JS: A moment that I really enjoyed last year was celebrating our Big Ten championship on the field after beating Ohio State. Along with that, playing in a regional tournament was really sweet too. The atmosphere of postseason baseball is something not every player will get to experience during their career so that was something special. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? JS: Continue to get better every single day and to make sure each game we compete at a high level. If we are able to do this, I know we can build upon last years season and advance to not just a super-regional, but a trip to Omaha to win a national championship which is the ultimate goal. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) JS: My major is sport management, and I am not really sure what I want to do yet. Something involved in the sports industry would be my main goal. Maybe win the lottery… GOPHER NOTES On Tuesday at Berkeley, the Gophers lost a 7-1 decision. They managed just three hits. Luke Pettersen went 1-3 and drove in the lone run. Last night (Thursday), the Gophers fell 3-2 to Sacramento State. Lucas Gilbreath made the start and had his best showing of the season. The left-hander went the first six innings. He gave up no runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out a career-high nine batters. The Gophers lost the lead in the 7th inning on a three-run homer. Micah Coffey and Matt Stemper were each 2-4. Toby Hanson went 1-3 with a walk. The Gophers will play two more games against Sacramento State, one each on Friday and Saturday.Then next weekend, they begin Big Ten play at Ohio State. Alex Wimmers, Twins top pick in 2010 and former Buckeye noted the other day, “It’s crazy how college baseball is starting up conference play in a week here already.” He said that he played the Gophers twice at Ohio State and once in the Metrodome during his three years. “They always had a good team when I was there.” Click here to view the article

It is a moment that every kid who puts on a baseball glove has. That dream becomes more vivid as you move up the ranks, get drafted and move up the minor league system. After all that Alex Wimmers went through on the field early in his minor league career, he arrived in the big leagues late in August last year. He had some very good moments in a Twins uniform, and he can forever be called a big leaguer. However, following the season, Wimmers had another setback. The Twins designated him for assignment. It could have marked the end of Wimmer's time in a Twins uniform. Because he had originally signed in 2010, he had the right to become a free agent. “When they DFAd me, I was pretty disappointed,” Wimmers said, but he continued, “But then talking to Rob Antony and the guys, they gave me some really good reassurance that they wanted me back and they were really excited for me to come back to the Twins.” Wimmers didn’t have to do much thinking. Very soon, he signed on the dotted line and remained a member of the Minnesota Twins organization.“They’ve dealt with a lot with me and I felt like I owed it to them. At the same time, I love it here. Love the guys. Love the teammates. Love the potential that this team has. I feel like once they offered me to come back, I didn’t want to turn it down because I feel like this team can really be special. I really do. And I feel like I can be a part of that.” ~~~~~ The Twins drafted Wimmers out of Ohio State where he was twice named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. Over those two seasons, he went 18-2 with ERAs or 3.27 and 1.60. The Twins made him the 21st overall pick of the 2010 draft, and he signed and went straight to Ft. Myers to join the Miracle. The next spring, he reported to spring training camp unable to throw strikes. He was shut down and came back later in the year. Things started looking good again. In fact, in his final start of the season, he tossed a no-hitter for the Miracle. Unfortunately, he then needed Tommy John surgery and missed a little more than a year. (Yes, he has talked some with Trevor May after news of his torn UCL, “I talked to him a little bit about it, but at the same time, he can’t do anything about it now. So just do the best he can to rehab and get healthy and try to focus on being healthy for the start of next year.”) Going through all of that was difficult, but it was all part of his maturing process. Through it all, he gained some perspective. When I talked to Wimmers in late September last year, he talked a bit about the perspective he gained in his career. But when his daughter was born last summer, an added bit of perspective was found. It helped him leave the ballgame and the ballpark behind whether he pitched well or not. Wimmers said, “I just try to take everything day-by-day. Stuff happens in life that you can’t control. You can’t expect certain things, and there’s a reason for everything. I know a lot of stuff doesn’t go your way, but if you find a way to take the positives out of it, then I think things will work out in the long run.” After coming back, he tried to return to the role of starting pitcher, but he struggled. Another setback of sorts, but it turned into a positive for his career. The bullpen is a role that he’s been able to adjust to and really thrive in. “Going from starter to reliever is definitely interesting because I have been starting pretty much my whole life. I had to learn in the beginning of last year just how to get ready quickly. That was the hard part especially in the cold weather. That was my big adjustment. Not only get the call to get ready, but still be ready to go into the game later in the game. I had to get used to that.” He continued, “As far as closing, that’s just a role that (Rochester manager Mike) Quade put me in and felt confident in me, and then I took it and ran with it. I enjoy it. I really did.” Wimmers has been able to find success and figure out a way to get batters out with his stuff. He is able to get hitters out, in large part, due to his starting pitcher’s repertoire. He’s got the pitches, and some are above average. “Obviously my changeup is pretty good. I have a really good cutter now. I have a curveball late in the count that I don’t like to show much, but then when I do, it catches them by surprise. I feel like I have four good pitches that I can go to at any time.” ~~~~~ The Red Wings boarded the bus and were on their way to Scranton for a game. The bus was plenty loud as players were talking or watching a movie. Others sat quietly with headphones covering their ears. However, it suddenly got very quiet, and Wimmers heard his name called from the front of the bus. Wimmers recalls, “The coaches told me to come up to the front of the bus, and they told me I was heading to the big leagues. Pretty exciting.” Clearly when you’ve had the ups and downs that Wimmers has had, and you’ve been toiling in the minor leagues for more than six years, he had to have had a very strong support staff. “The first person I called was my wife. She was in tears. Then I called my father and my mom, and everyone was really, really excited.” Wimmers came up and joined the team in Toronto. On August 26th, he made his major league debut against the Blue Jays. He worked a perfect eighth inning and even struck out two batters. He worked a total of 17.1 innings over 16 appearances. He walked 11 and struck out 14, though six of the walks came in back-to-back outings. He recorded his first, and so far only, big league win against the Royals on September 7th. ~~~~~ Since re-signing with the Twins, Wimmers has had a very productive offseason. He said that he learned a ton from his five-week stint in the big leagues that he is able to bring with him. He is glad that he was able to get to the big leagues and get some experience, but now the challenge is to push himself to the next step and get back there. “About myself, (I learned to) just keep trusting my stuff. There’s a reason why I got there with my stuff. I feel like all my pitches did well there, so just continue to pound the strike zone.” He’s been working with a renewed focus, a focus based on having been there, having finally seen that time in the big leagues and learning what he needed to work on. He said, “(I) tightened up my pitches, but my big thing coming into this year, I wanted to make sure I focused on getting strike one. When I got called up, the biggest thing I noticed was when I had the most success I got ahead of batters, so I really want to focus this year.” ~~~~~ Recently Alex Wimmers was joined by his wife (Amy) on the field of Hammond Stadium. Their nearly one-year-old daughter was in her stroller. Amy held a white ball. Alex held a bat in his hands and stood in a left-handed, relaxed stance on the warning track near the Twins bullpen. Moments later, Amy pitched the ball underhanded toward Alex. He took a mighty swing (OK, not really, he was pretty worried about whiffing!). He connected, and the “ball” exploded, producing a puff of blue powder. That’s right. The Wimmers family will expand to four in September when they welcome a son into the world. Alex Wimmers now has a little more perspective, and he has a little more drive to make it back to the big leagues. Don’t count him out. Click here to view the article

Yes, 2016 was a year that included 103 losses, but it wasn’t all bad. There were a lot of positives during the season as well. As the year comes to an end, and we are fully thinking about 2017 and beyond, today we take one more look back at the 2016 Minnesota Twins season. There were debuts, and there were milestones, plenty of them. Today we’ll take a look back and remember some of them.As you watch, review and remember these great Twins moments (and individuals' moments), consider your favorite Twins moments in 2016 on the field. Share yours in the comments below. BRIAN DOZIER What a season 2016 was for the Twins second baseman. After struggling mightily through the season’s first two months, Dozier was baseball’s best hitter the final four months of the season. On September 5th, he had his first three-home run game of his career. Against the Royals, he hit a home run into the first deck, the second deck and the third deck to become the first Twins player not named Harmon Killebrew to surpass 35 home runs in a season. One week later, Dozier took a high fastball in Detroit and launched a home run to left field, just beyond a leaping Justin Upton to join the 40-home run club. MAX KEPLER On the final day of the 2015 season, Max Kepler singled off of Johnny Cueto to record his first major league hit. He began 2016 in Rochester, but he wasn’t there for long. He was called up within a week of the start of the 2016 season. He played rarely for three weeks before being sent back to Rochester. When he came back up, he took off. On June 12 at Target Field, Kepler came up with runners on second and third and nobody out in the 10th inning of a tie game against the Red Sox. On an 0-2 pitch, he crushed a 98-mph fastball to dead center for his first home run in the big leagues. What a moment, as the blast also was his first walk-off for the Twins. It was on August 1st that Kepler really had his coming out party. In Cleveland, he had his first three-home run game. The first two came off of Danny Salazar. He had six RBIs in the game. JORGE POLANCO Polanco had a couple of cups of coffee in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, he finally got more opportunities to get consistent playing time. He responded well. On May 15 in Cleveland, Polanco came to the plate to face righty Trevor Bauer. On a 2-2 pitch, Polanco knocked his first major league home run to give the Twins a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning. JUAN CENTENO Like Polanco, Centeno had been up to the big leagues a couple of times the previous two seasons. On May 14 in Cleveland, the Twins were down 1-0 to Corey Kluber. With a runner on base Centeno launched his first MLB homer to put the Twins into the lead. Centeno went on to hit three more homers the rest of the season. JAMES BERESFORD It was the story of the year for the Minnesota Twins. Beresford, who had signed with the Twins in 2005, was called up to the Twins for September. Just a couple of days later, his parents flew in to Minneapolis from Australia to surprise their son. It was 24-hours worth of travel, and with the help of long-time friend Brian Dozier, the Twins were able to surprise Beresford before the game. Little did they know that the next night, their son made their MLB debut, at third base for the Twins. He made a couple of nice defensive plays, and later in the game, he came through with his first MLB hit. JOSE BERRIOS There is one more first major league hit that we’ll bring to you today. In mid-September, the Twins made a trip to New York to play the Mets. It was an interesting pitching matchup with Berrios facing 42-year-old Bartolo Colon. In his first at-bat as a big leaguer, Berrios singled to right field. It was also the Twins first hit of the game. However, it wasn’t the hitting of Berrios that had Twins fans most excited. His debut was anticipated and many hoped it would have happened a year earlier, but Berrios was up before May. Just 21 at the time, Berrios struck out five in his MLB debut, though he didn’t complete five innings. His first strikeout was Jason Kipnis, the second batter he faced. TAYLOR ROGERS Within the first week of the season, Glen Perkins went on the disabled list and Rogers was called up. On April 14, Rogers made his major league debut. He faced three White Sox batters and got two of them out. A couple of days later, he pitched two innings in relief of Ricky Nolasco. He gave up a couple of runs, but he also recorded his first two strikeouts. The first was JP Martinez. Rogers was a key part of the Twins bullpen as the season went on. He’ll be an even more important piece as we move forward. He has the ability to be really dominant against left-handed batters as he showed in this early July game against the Rangers when he struck out the side, facing three left-handers. PAT DEAN Many were surprised when the Twins added Pat Dean to the 40-man roster in November of 2015. In early May, the Twins needed another pitcher and Dean was summoned from Rochester. He made his debut in Baltimore against the Orioles, coming in to the game to replace Phil Hughes in a big deficit. He struck out three in 2.2 innings, including Joey Rickard for his first strikeout. JT CHARGOIS JT Chargois’ MLB debut in June didn’t go as he would have hoped (5 ER in ⅔ of an inning), but by September, he was showing his potential to dominate hitters in the late innings. Check out his slider on this big strikeout in the 12th inning of a September 10th game against Cleveland. Chargois’ first strikeout came in his first game back from Rochester. It was Tony Kemp. ADALBERTO MEJIA Mejia came to the Twins organization in the Eduardo Nunez trade in late June. The left-hander was in Baseball America’s Top 100 midseason prospects. On August 10th, the Twins were desperate for arms. Mejia was called up to work in relief. He replaced Hector Santiago with the Twins already down 8-0 in the 5th inning against the Royals. Mejia gave up two runs on five hits and a walk in 2.2 innings. He didn’t record a strikeout, but he did make this play on a hard-hit ball back at him. ALEX WIMMERS As good as the story was when James Beresford was called up for September, the Alex Wimmers story was very good too. Wimmers was the top pick of the Twins in 2010 out of Ohio State. He overcame the yips and Tommy John surgery, and in late August, he earned the promotion to the big leagues. On August 26th, he came in for his MLB debut against the Blue Jays with the Twins down 15-7. He got a ground out which was followed by strikeouts of Justin Smoak and Ezequiel Carrera. In a season full of disappointments and losses, what were some of your favorite moments? Click here to view the article

At 6:00, the Minnesota Twins will take on Cleveland in the middle game of a three-game series. Australian James Beresford will make his Major League Debut! While the Twins are trying to avoid 100 losses, Cleveland is in the thick of the pennant race, holding a lead over the Detroit Tigers. They also have the fourth best record in the Major leagues behind the Cubs, Rangers and Nationals. Here are a few Twins notes before tonight's game.James Beresford was on the field about five hours prior to the start of tonight's game, taking ground balls at third base. He was wearing his green Mr. 1000 shirt that his teammates in Rochester gave him. He had found out that he was going to make his Major League debut. He will be hitting eighth and playing third base tonight. In the clubhouse before the game, he said he was very excited but not nervous. He thought that would come later on. I asked him if he truly did not know that his parents were flying in from Australia or not. He said he didn't know anything about it, although the fact that he didn't hear from either of them after his first game was very surprising. It did make him wonder a little bit. He said when Brian Dozier told him to follow, he did. Dozier said it was a lot of fun to surprise James that night. It was the first time he had met the Beresford family. At tonight's game will be Beresford's family, his brother Simon and his wife. His girlfriend arrived in town on Friday. So, there will certainly be a cheering section for Beresford in the family section tonight. NOTES I chatted briefly with lefty Pat Dean in the clubhouse. Players were starting to head out for their pregame stretch, so I said, "I better get going and write something." He responded, "Keep it positive!" I laughed and said, "Hey, I'll try." Let's start with Dean. He said he has enjoyed his time in the big leagues this year and by season's end, it will be a half-season. He said it was a little different coming out of the bullpen, something he had to adjust to. I asked if he had come into a game with runners on. He smiled and noted that he allowed two of Pat Light's runners to score. "that is an awful feeling." That was positive, right Pat? It was a positive learning experience.Byron Buxton was really happy with how he's playing right now. A quiet, humble guy, Buxton said there were times he was frustrated after being sent down the second time. But he said it's nice seeing the hard work paying off with numbers and stats finally. He said, "The key has been patience."Alex Wimmers said that big league life has been everything he thought it would be and more. He said "After all the things I've come back from, injuries and such, it's really rewarding to get this opportunity. I was at the point where I didn't know what would happen at the end of the year."Wimmers also said that becoming a father this season has been instrumental in his success on the mound too. He said it's provided him with a proper perspective on the game and everything.The other thing he enjoyed was being a co-closer in Rochester with JT Chargois. He said it put him into the mindset of the pitchers before him did a great job to put the team in position to win, and he didn't want to let the whole team down, so it really pushed his focus on the mound to a different level.I verified with Andrew Albers that he is NOT on Twitter. There is a twitter account that has his name with a number and the profile picture is of the southpaw, but it is not him.Cory Provus said that he'd be doing college football and basketball on the Big Ten Network again this offseason.Tonight there is a Brian Dozier blaze orange winter hat giveaway with certain, special tickets to get them. In the clubhouse before the game, he had a duck call that he sounded off a few times. Dozier's obviously a big outdoorsman who spends a lot of his offseason hunting, in addition to traveling to third-world countries helping as he can. Some of the proceeds from tonight's event will go to Pheasants Forever.1987 Minnesota Twins World Series hero is at Target Field tonight. Before the game, he was seen talking with former teammates like Bert Blyleven, Dan Gladden, and Tom Brunansky, as well as Tony Oliva.It was good to catch up with Jose Berrios as well. He talked a little about how frustrated he was when he was optioned to Rochester the first time. He said it took him almost a week to kind of get over the disappointment and feeling like he let people down. He said, "Once you go to the big leagues, you don't want to go back to the minor leagues." He said he got back to work and figured some things out. He knew why he was optioned and what he needed to do. He said he never lost confidence or the drive to be great. He also understood why he was optioned again in late August, but he said that time he was able to go to Rochester and be successful right away, pointing out the 14 strikeout in eight-inning outing. He's excited to be back.David Laurila from FanGraphs is at Target Field for this three-game series. Be sure to follow him on Twitter. @DavidLaurilaQA.When I got to the stadium and was approaching the clubhouse, I saw lefty Taylor Rogers walking through the halls with his Twins brother Tyler to his side. It's a good thing Taylor was in his Twins garb or there's no way a person could tell the two apart. How fun would it be if the two decided to swap for a day. Frew would notice, at least not until Tyler got on the mound and threw right-handed, and submarine. What a story that would be!Byron Buxton and Ryan Pressly had their eyes on one of the clubhouse TVs watching the end of the Oklahama State/Central Michigan game. When the "hail mary/lateral/TD" was completed, giving Central Michigan the upset, Pressly and Buxton leapt in amazement, and understandably so. I was talking to Alex Wimmers at the time and we looked up at the monitor. A minute later, Wimmers sat and pointed to the TV right across from his locker, perfectly situated so he could watch. "That's my game" It was showing Ohio State.Trevor Plouffe was officially placed on the 15-Day Disabled List before the game. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' losing skid, six-year run of awful pitching, the planned front office regime change beyond just a new GM, similarities with Tom Kelly, Andy MacPhail, and Carl Pohlad, Tyler Duffey and Jose Berrios demotions, filling the roster with replacement-level talent, and Oswaldo Arcia's ongoing journey across baseball. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article

It's been a long journey, full of ups and downs for Alex Wimmers. However, on Thursday afternoon, he finally got the call he had long been waiting for. "Alex Wimmers, you're heading to the big leagues! Congratulations!" Following the Twins loss to the Tigers on Thursday afternoon at Target Field, they announced that Jose Berrios and Tyler Duffey had been optioned to Rochester. The club announced that lefty Andrew Albers was called up and another pitcher would be promoted before Friday's game. Twins Daily has learned that player is Alex Wimmers. In June of 2010, the Minnesota Twins selected the two-time Big 10 Pitcher of the Year with the 21st overall pick out of Ohio State. There was reason to believe, and many scouts around baseball concurred, that he could be a quick-riser, nearly MLB ready. He began his professional career later that summer by allowing one run in 15.2 innings (5 BB, 23 K) for the Ft. Myers Miracle. He headed into that 2011 season with an opportunity to move quickly, as Kyle Gibson had in 2010. But that's when things went off track.Wimmers showed up to minor league spring training in 2011, but something clearly wasn't right. He wasn't able to throw strikes, at all. In his first start, Wimmers walked the first six batters he faced before being removed from the game. He was essentially shut down, sent to extended spring training, and started from scratch. He came back in mid-July, working out of the Miracle bullpen. The problem appeared to be corrected. He ended the season with two starts. In his final start, he threw a seven-inning no-hitter for the Miracle. Again, hope was high. Wimmers was set to start the 2012 season in AA New Britain. He made his first start, and then he didn't start again that year. In fact, he lost his season, and the 2013 season, to Tommy John surgery. He returned to the Miracle to start the 2014 season. He primarily pitched out of the bullpen, though he made some starts. He struggled. In 2015, he moved up to AA Chattanooga to start the season. He struggled in 18 starts, but he ended the season posting a 2.91 ERA in 12 relief appearances. The bullpen is where he has pitched through the 2016 season. He posted a 6.43 ERA in six games (7 IP) for Chattanooga to start the season but was promoted to Rochester. He struggled for about a week, but since the end of May, he has really taken to the bullpen job. He's worked two innings a handful of times, but for the most part, he's pitched one inning at a time. And manager Mike Quade isn't afraid to use him late in games. Wimmers has responded well. In fact, he's recorded 11 saves in 12 save opportunities with the Red Wings. IN 49.2 innings, he's walked 24, but he's struck out 50. And after pitching an inning to complete another Red Wings win in Norfolk on Thursday afternoon, Wimmers got The Call he'd dreamed about. I'd imagine that Wimmers got off the phone, and after likely loud cheers from his teammates, he had to have spent a few moments reminiscing about the long trek that the minor league career has taken. I'm sure he thought about those low points. I'm guessing he thought about the times when he certainly wondered what he would do next. Every minor leaguer likely experiences that discussion in their minds, but then imagine the pride he and his family must have upon receiving that phone call. The 27-year-old became a father for the first time earlier this summer. I would imagine that that event, as well as his wedding day, were great moments of pride for Alex Wimmers and his family. I would imagine that today, August 25th, 2016, is another day that the Wimmers family will never forget. While it's disappointing for Twins fans that Berrios and Duffey needed to be sent back to Rochester, there can't be a single Twins fan that doesn't feel really good for Alex Wimmers getting that phone call. Even more important, Wimmers isn't just getting The Call, he has earned this opportunity. Click here to view the article

After reviewing the top hitters in the Twins system in June yesterday, it’s time to consider who the top pitchers were in July. Tomorrow we’ll take a lot at the top starting pitchers, but today you’ll be able to see which relief pitchers performed well in July. There were quite a few solid performances.In case you missed them here are the previous July winners, we named Cedar Rapids Kernels first baseman Zander Wiel the Hitter of the Month. First, a number of relievers worthy of mention: RHP DJ Baxendale (Rochester) - 11 G, 1.64 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.0 IP,9 H, 3 BB, 11 KLHP Sean Burnett (Rochester) - 10 G, 1.74 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 10 KLHP Ryan O'Rourke (Rochester - 11 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 12 KRHP Marcus Walden (Rochester) - 10 G, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 13 H, 2 BB, 12 KRHP Zack Jones (Chattanooga) - 11 G, 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 17 KRHP Jake Reed (Chattanooga) - 10 G, 2.08 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 13.0 IP, 8 H, 6 BB, 18 KRHP Thomas Hackimer (Cedar Rapids) - 8 G, 1.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, H BB, 5 BB, 10 KLHP Anthony McIver (Cedar Rapids) - 8 G, 2.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 13 KRHP Colton Davis (Elizabethton) - 8 G, 3.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 18 KRHP Moises Gomez (GCL) - 6 G, 0.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 15.0 IP, 16 H, 4 BB, 13 KRHP Callan Pearce (GCL) - 9 G, 0.73 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 14 KTHE TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS Number 5 - Elizabethton/Cedar Rapids – LHP Andrew Vasquez - 7 G, 2.35 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 15.1 IP, 9 H, 6 BB, 24 K Andrew Vasquez was the Twins 32nd round pick in 2015 out of Westmont College in California. He began in the GCL last year where he walked 15 and struck out 22 in 12.1 innings. The 6-6 left-hander began this season in extended spring training and then started games in Elizabethton where he pitched four games. A week into July, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids. There, he has 15 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Overall for the month, he was 3-0 in the month. Opponents hit .170/.279/.226 (.505). Number 4 – Rochester – RHP JT Chargois - 8 G, 1.54 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 12 K Chargois has been a regular in these monthly relief pitcher reports. He has had a tremendous year . In July, he pitched in the Futures Game. While that didn’t go so well for him, the regular season games went better. Opponents hit just .214/.250/.286 (.536) against him. The 25-year-old has continued to show good control throughout the season. He recorded three saves in July. The team’s 2012 second-round pick has one big league appearance, but he should be up again in the very near future. Number 3 – Rochester – RHP Alex Wimmers - 10 G, 1.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 7 H, 6 BB, 13 K Wimmers was the Twins 1st-round draft pick in 2010 out of Ohio State. He has certainly had problems through his professional career. He’s had control issues. He’s had Tommy John surgery. Through all the struggles, however, he appears to have found a role and experienced a lot of success in the Red Wings bullpen. Overall, he’s posted a 3.35 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 32 games and 43 innings in Rochester. He was even better in July. Opponents hit just .159/.260/.182 (.442) during the month. He was 1-0 with two saves. He may not be the mid-rotation starter that people envisioned when he was selected late in the first round six years ago, but it is possible that the now-27-year-old can reach the big leagues in the bullpen. He can become a free agent at the end of the season unless he’s on the 40-man roster. Number 2 –GCL/Elizabethton – RHP Patrick McGuff - 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 5 BB, 22 K McGuff was the Twins 39th-round pick in June out of Morehead State. After four games and 5.2 scoreless innings in the GCL, he was promoted to Elizabethton. He finished July with 8.2 scoreless innings for the E-Twins. For the month, he went 0-0 with two saves and 12.1 scoreless innings. He also struck out 22 batters in those innings, a 16.1 K/9 rate. Oppenents hit just .159/.245/.159 (.404) against him. He did give up one run in his first appearances of August to end his scoreless streak at 15.0 innings to start his career. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Chattanooga Lookouts – RHP Trevor Hildenberger - 11 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 16 K For the second straight month, Hildenberger is our choice for pitcher of the month. He has been a regular on these relief pitcher of the month posts all season, and all of 2015 when he was the Twins Daily Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2015. He was the Twins 22nd-round pick in 2014 after five seasons at Cal-Berkeley. After spending that summer in the GCL, he began last year in Cedar Rapids where he posted a 0.80 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP in 28 games (45 innings). He was promoted to the Miracle where he had a 3.32 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in 13 games and 19 innings. He went to the Arizona Fall League where he had a 2.13 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in 12.2 innings. He began 2016 in Ft. Myers where he continued to dominate. He posted a 0.96 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in six games before being promoted to Chattanooga. In 32 games (38.2 innings), he is 2-3 with 16 saves. He has a 0.70 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP. He has 10.5 K/9 and throws a ton of strikes, walking just 1.4 per nine innings. At the end of last week, Hildenberger was placed on the Disabled List with right elbow tendinitis. Hopefully it will be a short stint on the DL and he can get to Rochester before the season ends. There were several very strong relief pitcher performances in July. Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like, but congratulations to each of these individuals on an excellent month of July. Congratulations to the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for July 2016, Trevor Hildenberger. Click here to view the article

As the Minnesota Twins played an afternoon game with potential trade commodity Ervin Santana on the mound against the White Sox, there were five games being played in the minor leagues by their affiliates on Sunday. LaMonte Wade had a big game for the Fort Myers Miracle, but it wasn’t enough for his team to come out on top. Rain also affected two games on the day, with one being postponed and the other being called complete in the top of the sixth. Who got to play, and would anyone challenge Wade for the Hitter of the Day award?Check out all the action from Sunday, and discover the answer to those questions by reading on! RED WINGS REPORT Lehigh Valley 5, Rochester 1 Box Score The Rochester lineup was unable to muster much offense on Sunday afternoon, as they collected four hits as a team, were just 1-5 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base. Logan Schafer was 2-3 and drew a walk. Wilfredo Tovar hit a triple, and scored the Red Wings only run a batter later on a Daniel Palka sac fly. Buck Britton had the other hit, a single. Lefty Andrew Albers took the mound for the Red Wings, and made it through 4.2 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits two walks, while striking out five. After a sac fly in the top of the fifth that scored one and advanced another runner to third, Marcus Walden was summoned from the bullpen for the final out, a strikeout. Walden also finished the sixth and started the seventh, but gave up a leadoff single that later scored with an assist from an error by Tommy Field at second base. Ryan O’Rourke got one out in the inning, a K, and Alex Wimmers stopped the threat by retiring the two batters he faced. Wimmers also threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Neil Ramirez gave up one run in the ninth to finish the game. It was his first run allowed since finding himself in AAA. The Red Wings fall to 62-48 on the season and are now one game behind the Iron Pigs for second place in the International League North standings after losing the series 2-1. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Mobile 0 (Postponed to 08/01/2016) Box Score The Lookouts game with Mobile was postponed for the night in the top of the third inning, as rains came into the area. The game will be completed tomorrow before the regularly scheduled second game of the five game series. Chattanooga currently holds a 1-0 lead thanks to a leadoff double in the third inning from Engelb Vielma that was followed by an RBI single from Levi Michae. Zach Granite also added a single before the rains brought a halt to the proceedings. Starter Aaron Slegers pitched two scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and had no walks or strikeouts. MIRACLE MATTERS Clearwater 8, Fort Myers 5 Box score Fort Myers got a big game out of outfielder LaMonte Wade, but didn’t get the chance to start a comeback as rains came in the top of the sixth, and the game was called complete after an hour-long delay. Wade was 2-3 with his third and fourth Florida State League home runs. He drove in three. Joe Maloney and Nick Gordon added doubles to the effort. Tanner Witt and Gordon drove in the other runs. Miles Nordgren made the start for the Miracle and went the first four innings. He had a little trouble with the strike zone and got knocked around which is not a good combination. He allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out zero. Despite that, the game was tied when he left and he did not factor into the decision. In the fifth, Michael Theofanopoulos fared even worse to get saddled with the loss, as he allowed four more runs on two walks and three hits, including a three-run home run, to put Clearwater out front 8-4. Brian Gilbert got one out in the sixth before the game was called. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one. The Miracle look to avoid a sweep against the Threshers on Monday night, with Keaton Steele on the mound who, his last time out, pitched seven shutout innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Burlington 6 Box Score The Kernels scored first in this one, thanks to a first inning home run off the bat of Zander Wiel (second straight game with a home run), but the Bees did even more damage in the bottom of the first against starter Lachlan Wells. An RBI double, RBI single, and error led to three runs for Burlington in the inning, and they added two more in the third thanks in part to another error by the Kernels defense. Though four of the Bees six runs on the day were earned, Cedar Rapids committed four total errors in the game, leading to a lot of extra outs for their pitchers to get. Wells managed to finish six innings, allowing just two baserunners in his last three innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three. Cameron Booser allowed an unearned run in the seventh. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one in his inning. Michael Cederoth came on for the eighth and pitched a scoreless inning while walking one and striking out one. The Kernels continue their four game series with the Bees on Monday night with Dereck Rodriguez taking the hill. E-TWINS E-NOTES Princeton 6, Elizabethton 1 Box Score Like their AAA teammates, the Elizabethton Twins were unable to put much offense together on Sunday night. Their lone run came on a single from Bryant Hayman in the fourth to drive in Alex Kirilloff, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Ariel Montesino, Luis Martinez and Caleb Hamilton added the other hits for Elizabethton, who were 1-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base for the game. Jose Martinez made the start for the Twins and lasted into the fifth inning. In his 4.2 innings, he allowed four runs on eight hits, including two home runs and a walk. He struck out one. Hector Lujan came on for the final out of the fifth and added two more scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Austin Tribby added a scoreless eighth inning, picking up a double-play ball to end the inning and erase an error that had put a runner on base. Johan Quezada came on for the ninth, and couldn’t keep the game close. Two runs scored on four hits before he got his second strikeout to end the inning. In encouraging news, Quezada did not walk a batter. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins, like most of the rest of the Gulf Coast League, had the day off on Sunday. They get back to action tomorrow morning at home in Fort Myers against the GCL Rays. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Alex Wimmers, Rochester Red Wings (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K) (Wimmers has lowered his ERA by nearly two runs since June 11th, including scoreless appearances in 13 of 17 games along with 5 saves) Hitter of the Day – LaMonte Wade, Fort Myers Miracle (2-3, 2 R’s, 2 HRs, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled day-off. Chattanooga @ Mobile (6:35PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (5-4, 3.38 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – RHP Keaton Steele (4-9, 4.29 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30PM PM CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez (3-11, 5.46 ERA) Princeton @ Elizabethton (6:00PM CST) – RHP Tyler Beardsley (1-0, 3.33 ERA) GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

This was supposed to be my article for Monday night, but with the firing (er, dismissal of duties) of Terry Ryan on Monday, this topic could wait a little bit. But I think it is important. Now the article can be framed as a request for interim GM Rob Antony to consider. With the Twins already out of playoff contention (probably in early May), every decision made for the rest of this season needs to have its focus to 2017. Any trades made by Antony need 2017 and beyond in mind. But there are a couple of transactions that can be - and probably should be - made right now.The Twins need to find a way to promote three players from the minor leagues to the big leagues (and I’ll even argue for a fourth). Jose Berrios Ahora es el momento para La Makina! Jose Berrios needs to spend time in the big leagues this year, and his recent AAA success is proof of it. The time is now for Berrios to be called up. I’ve written several times that I thought it was time for Berrios to come up. I wrote it first about this time last year. I wrote it earlier this season, and now I’m writing it again. I don’t know if calling up Berrios would have helped the Twins in 2015 or not. There is no way to know. His control and command issues hurt him earlier this season, but he did get an opportunity with the Twins before his 22nd birthday in May. Those struggles were magnified in his four starts with the Twins. He went 1-1 but posted a 10.20 ERA and a 2.13 WHIP over 15 innings. While we saw glimpses of what he can - and likely will - be (the 12 K/9 looks great), we also saw that there was more for him to learn and that he needed to improve (7.2 BB/9 isn’t going to work). Berrios returned to Rochester and after a couple of rough starts, he has been tremendous of late. In his last six starts, he has thrown 41.2 innings. He has given up 23 hits walked 12 and struck out 43. That’s a 1.08 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 9.3 K/9. Berrios is not a finished product and when he is called up he is going to still experience some lumps, but he’s got nothing left to prove at AAA. He has now made 27 starts and thrown 168 innings in AAA. He has had a lot of success there. There’s no reason he make any more starts there. JT Chargois There is also little reason for JT Chargois to continue pitching in Rochester at this point. Sure, he had a rough debut, and when the Twins claimed RHP Neil Ramirez off of waivers, it made some sense to send Chargois back down. Ramirez is a guy who was really good for the Cubs for a couple of years. Then he got hurt, and he’s out of options. So, is he the pitcher he has been the last year and a half, or is he the guy who was good? When a team has the right to claim players early, they should take chances on guys like Ramirez. However, it hasn’t gone terribly well, so at this point, Ramirez can be DFAd again to make room for Chargois. Again, calling up Chargois doesn’t mean we should think he’s 100% ready, but he’s got nothing more to prove in Rochester. His problem in the past was his control. In 2016, he is walking just 1.6 batters per nine innings over 27.2 innings in Rochester. He has a 1.30 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. He’s striking out 11.4 per nine innings. Chargois, after missing two seasons after being drafted out of Rice University, is already 25. It’s possible that the organization still believes that Ramirez has more in the tank and want to keep him around, hoping he returns to that level. Understandable. If that’s the case, the Twins could call up Chargois when Fernando Abad or Brandon Kintzler are traded in 10 days or so. Jorge Polanco Polanco had several cups of coffee in 2014 and 2015. Those were 40-man roster decisions. At those times, he wasn’t ready for a full-time gig. He’s ready now. He spent a bit of time on the Twins roster earlier this season, and didn’t play, which makes little sense. However, since returning to Rochester, he has hit .279/.345/.471 (.816) in 52 games. He has 12 walks, three triples and seven home runs. He has a good approach at the plate. Now, I get that they can’t call up Polanco until a trade of either Eduardo Nunez, Eduardo Escobar or even Brian Dozier. Calling him up and sitting one of those players would hurt (possibly) the value of those players. (Note - The other option is DFAing Danny Santana, but again, that would cost playing time in the short term for three guys that they may want to trade. We can just be patient for 10 more days.) Could the Twins throw Jorge Polanco at shortstop and stick with any struggles defensively the rest of the season? Sure they could. However, consider this. Here is his playing time by position in 2016: Shortstop - 1 game, 8 innings Second Base - 59 games, 512 innings Third Base - 2 games, 16 innings The Twins made the decision after spring training that Jorge Polanco was not going to be able to play shortstop, a decision that is hard to disagree with based on his play at the position the last couple of years. In fact, the one game he played at shortstop this year came in the big leagues. The issue is that Polanco is is out of options in 2017. He will need to make the Twins roster or potentially lose him on waivers (they would certainly lose him). If they want him to be a utility player, then he needs to start playing every day at a variety of positions. It will be very interesting to me to see how they choose to play Polanco, but in my mind, he needs to be playing in the big leagues very soon, as soon as a roster spot is available following a trade. OTHERS The three players mentioned above should be up either now, or right after a trade is made (in Polanco’s and maybe Chargois’ case). Here are a few others that either should be up soon, maybe in September, or at least people have been talking about of late. Trevor Hildenberger - The right-hander is completely making a mockery of minor league baseball the last couple of seasons. He’s got 16 saves and a 0.79 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP and a 0.5 HR/9, and 1.3 BB/9 and 10.2 K/9 for Chattanooga in 34.1 innings. If the Twins trade two relievers, I have no problem calling him up August 1st to the Twins. He should move up to AAA when Chargois is called up to the big leagues regardless. Despite being drafted just over two years ago, he is 25 because he was a five-year college guy. The reason to not call him up is because of the 40-man roster. The Twins already have some tough decisions to make in November on the 40-man roster updates. Hildenberger doesn’t need to be added for another year. That’s why I’d say either call him up on August 1st, or wait to add him until early in the 2017 season. Invite him to big league camp with a legit shot at an Opening Day spot. Byung Ho Park - He has played in just 12 games since being demoted to Rochester. He missed a couple of games with his wrist concerns. He has hit .286/.388/.476 (.864) with two doubles and two home runs. He will come up again at some point, but in my opinion, I’d let him keep playing every day and gaining more and more confidence. John Ryan Murphy - If (or when) Kurt Suzuki is traded, most likely John Ryan Murphy, despite a .201/.264/.282 (.546) line in Rochester, will be called up. He just turned 25, so he should still be considered part of the future. He can also work with pitchers that he may work with over the final two months. Mitch Garver - Garver is also 25 years old, about four months older than Murphy. Garver has improved defensively, but his offense has been very good of late in Chattanooga too. Over his last 50 games, he has hit .289/.369/.489 (.858) with 14 doubles and eight home runs. Since July 1st, he is hitting .333/.425/.617 (1.041) with eight doubles and three homers in 16 games. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster by November anyway, so it makes sense to call him up either instead of Murphy or with the September call-ups. Jason Wheeler - The 25-year-old left-hander was added to the 40-man roster before the 2015 season. He had a tough year and was removed from the 40-man roster late in the season. He began this year in AA but was called up to Rochester when the Red Wings were down three starting pitchers to the big leagues. He has been very good. He is 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 15 starts (95 innings). If the Twins are able to trade a starting pitcher or two (Nolasco, Santana and Milone all possibilities), Wheeler could join the rotation for the final two months as a tryout. (Pat Dean could also get another opportunity, though he has struggled since his return to Rochester.) Alex Wimmers - The 27-year-old was the Twins top pick in the 2010 draft, which is significant. It’s been well documented that Wimmers has gone through a lot since the Twins signed him. He had a bout with the yips way back and overcame that. He has gone through Tommy John surgery and returned from that. He’s no longer a starter either. That he was drafted in 2010 is important because as soon as the World Series is complete, Wimmers can become a six-year minor league free agent. Sure, the Twins could re-sign him on a minor league deal after that point, but he has been pitching pretty well since his promotion to AAA Rochester’s bullpen early this season. He is 2-1 with eight saves in 28 games (37.1 innings). In his last 13 games (17 innings), he has a 1.59 ERA and opponents are hitting .197/.269/.246 (.515) against him. I would strongly consider calling him up for the final 6-8 weeks and just see how he does. Evaluate whether or not he is someone they want to keep on their 40-man roster or not. Sure, they can do that evaluation while he’s at AAA, but giving him that opportunity at the big league level is so much more valuable. Adam Brett Walker and Daniel Palka - Palka and Walker have both provided a lot of power. Walker is already on the 40-man roster. Palka needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season, or potentially be lost. It’d be nice to see these guys in September, but it will be very interesting to see if they are. Palka plays right field and some first base and DH. Walker can play the corner outfield spots (not necessarily well) and DH. The Twins understandably will want to keep playing Max Kepler every day. Eddie Rosario needs at-bats, and Robbie Grossman has earned playing time too. At DH, Kennys Vargas is getting what might be his final opportunity, and Byung Ho Park will be up at some point. If Trevor Plouffe isn’t traded, he and Miguel Sano will likely get several DH at-bats, and Joe Mauer could as well. The two sluggers could come up as bench bats and get minimal playing time. The question will need to be whether there is enough benefit from those guys to take up roster spots in September. I’m guessing most of you will agree that Jose Berrios, JT Chargois and Jorge Polanco should be up now, or at least very soon. There may be some discussion in the details. But what about some of the others? Who else should be called up and why? Click here to view the article