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RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 10, Syracuse 6 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Rochester exploded for multiple runs in three of the first four innings to outpace Syracuse in game one of the double-header. The Red Wings got things off to a good start by plating four runs in the first frame. Ben Paulsen had the big hit in the inning as his two-out double drove in three runs. Tommy Field cracked a two-run home run in the second inning to push the lead to 6-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Kennys Vargas helped to extend the lead by knocking a three-run shot, his second of the year. Every batter in the Red Wings lineup reached base and Matt Hague was the lone hitter not to record a hit but he drew a walk and scored a run. Jason Wheeler started and allowed three earned runs over five innings of work. He gave up seven hits while striking out four and walking two. Alan Busenitz walked three batters in the sixth frame as he allowed three earned runs to make the game closer than it needed to be. Trevor Hildenberger closed out the game with a perfect ninth including two strikeouts. Rochester 6, Syracuse 7 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Syracuse got revenge in the second game as they jumped on Aaron Slegers early for four runs in the first inning. Slegers wouldn't make it out of the fourth inning as he allowed five runs on 11 hits. He struck out six batters and only gave up one walk. Buddy Boshers finished off the fourth for Slegers but the damage had already been done. Rochester did their best to claw back into the game. Daniel Palka drove in a run with a second inning double. Niko Goodrum continued the scoring with a sacrifice fly. Palka would add to the scoring as he led off the fourth inning with his third home run of the year. Palka finished the game 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and four runs. Raul Fernandez ran into some late inning trouble as he surrendered two home runs in his 1.2 innings of work. Alex Wimmers collected the last four outs without allowing a runner and striking out one. Former Twins closer Joe Nathan earned his second save even though he allowed Palka's second home run. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Jacksonville 0 Box Score In a tightly contested pitchers duel, the Lookouts were able to find a way to scratch out a win. Paul Clemens started for Chattanooga and pitched into the sixth frame. He scattered five hits and struck out four while walking one. After pitching 1.2 scoreless frames, Todd Van Steensel earned his first victory of the year. Mason Melotakis picked up his first save after tossing two perfect frames. The hits were few and far between for both clubs. Jonathan Rodriguez picked up the game's biggest hit as he smashed a solo home run with one out in the seventh. Engelb Vielma finished 1-for-4. Ryan Walker and Jose Gonzalez each picked up a hit. Levi Michael and Nick Gordon were the only Lookouts hitters who didn't strike out in the game. With the win, Chattanooga won the rubber game of the three-game set with Jacksonville. The Lookouts moved to 5-5 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Daytona 0 Box Score Randy LeBlanc was the story of this game. He tossed seven scoreless innings for the second straight start. He limited the Tortugas to three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Nick Anderson completed the shutout with two innings of work. He allowed two base runners and struck out a pair of batters. Daytona went on an error spree in this game to help Fort Myers separate themselves. The Tortugas combined for four errors which led to three unearned runs. Zander Wiel drove in a pair of runs with his first home run of the year. Chris Paul and Brian Navarreto each knocked a double and Navarreto drove in a run. After losing five straight games by one run, the Miracle have won two of their last three including a pair of shutouts. Fort Myers now sits with a 3-8 record on the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Fort Myers Miracle Hitter of the Day – Daniel Palka, Rochester Red Wings WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester- Scheduled Off Day Chattanooga vs. Biloxi (6:15 CST) - TBD Fort Myers vs. Florida (5:35 CST) - LHP Lachlan Wells (0-1, 1.29 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:30 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Syracuse 2 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Nick Tepesch made his debut in the Twins organization on Sunday by starting the first game of a double-header. He allowed two runs on six hits while striking out two and walking two. His first inning was all over the board. He allowed two hits, two walks, and struck out two. He settled in from there before turning things over to the bullpen. With the Wings down 2-0, Tommy Field got things started in the fourth inning. He doubled to start the frame before Kennys Vargas drove him in with a two-out single. The next two batters walked but Ben Paulsen left the bases loaded. Paulsen would get another opportunity. In the sixth inning, Matt Hague singled before ByungHo Park struck out and Vargas grounded out. Daniel Palka and Mitch Garver collected back-to-back singles before Paulsen smacked a three-run shot. Trevor Hildenberger in his Triple-A debut struck out the side in the sixth to keep the game at 5-2. After tacking on another run in the top of the seventh on a Vargas double, Hildenberger faced one over the minimum in the ninth for his first save. Rochester 10, Syracuse 4 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Rochester pounded out four home runs including Daniel Palka's first two home runs of the year (see video of both below) to defeat Syracuse in game two. It was a tight game until the fifth and sixth frames when the Red Wings lit up the scoreboard for eight runs. The two through six hitters all combined for multiple hits. Paulsen homered for the second straight game. https://twitter.com/BaseballByTom/status/851231489756979200 Drew Rucinski started for Rochester and pitched well. In four innings of work, he limited the Chiefs to one run, a home run, on three hits. He struck out five and failed to walk a batter. Alex Busenitz pitched two scoreless innings and was credited with the win. Alex Wimmers had a rough final frame as he allowed three solo home runs. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Mobile 4 Box Score For the second time in three games, the Lookouts were walk-off winners against the BayBears. Edgar Corcino started the 10th inning with a single. After two fly outs, a wild pitch moved Corcino to second. With first base open, Jonathan Rodriguez walked. LaMonte Wade followed with a walk to load the bases. This left Dan Rohlfing to play the hero as he drew the walk to win the game. Friday night's hero, Nick Gordon, got the game off to a fast start as he cranked his first home run of the year. He finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. He has seven hits in the team's first four games including two three-hit efforts. Felix Jorge made his first start of the year. In four innings of work, he allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Todd Van Steensel and Nick Burdi combined for three shutout innings. Raul Fernandez struggled with control in the ninth as he allowed three walks and took the blown save. Luke Bard earned the win as he allowed one hit and struck out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Jupiter 3 Box Score Keaton Steele cruised through four innings before running into some trouble in the fifth. The first four batters of the frame reached base and two runs would eventually cross the plate. Randy Rosario and Michael Theofanopoulos combined to allow one earned run and struck out four over the final four frames. The seventh inning is where the Miracle missed their opportunity. Daniel Kihle plated a run with an RBI single. With one out, Fort Myers loaded the bases. Sean Miller struck out and Nelson Molina grounded out to end the frame. Kihle and Miller both finished the game with multiple hits including their second doubles of the year. Fort Myers scored a ninth inning run to cut the lead to one but that was the end of their luck. The Miracle begin a seven-game road trip on Monday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Beloit 1 Box Score Alex Schick tied his career high with seven strikeouts and pitched a career-high seven innings on the way to his first victory of the year. He struck out at least one batter in each of the first six innings. Max Cordy took over for Schick and struck out the side as part of a perfect eighth inning. Alex Robinson finished the game with a perfect frame while striking out one. Travis Blakenhorn and Jermaine Palacios combined for six hits and four runs scored. Blankenhorn knocked his second home run, his second home run in as many days. Brandon Lopez joined the hit parade with three hits of his own. Mitchell Kranson went 2-for-4 with a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Alex Schick, Cedar Rapids Kernels Hitter of the Day – Ben Paulsen, Rochester Red Wings WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Buffalo (12:05 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Mobile (6:15 CST) - RHP Paul Clemens (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:00 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games.

There are a number of NRIs who stand a good chance of making the team and shouldn't really be viewed as "sleepers" per se. For instance, I would say Chris Gimenez is the favorite to win the backup catcher job, and Craig Breslow probably has better than a 50/50 shot at making the bullpen, provided his experimentations prove fruitful. ByungHo Park is hardly under the radar, especially after his hot start. The four names below are relative long shots, but any could force his way into the picture by making the right impressions over the coming month. Drew Stubbs, OF The 32-year-old brings with him plenty of experience, which is something Paul Molitor and the front office have openly coveted. Stubbs has piled up more than 3,000 plate appearances in the majors, contributing to multiple playoff teams. Even though he batted .195 during brief stints with the Rangers, Thad Levine liked what he saw enough to go get him. As a strikeout-prone power hitter, his offensive profile is a bit redundant. But if the Twins want to add some veteran balance on an offensive unit that projects six regulars 26 and under, carrying Stubbs over Danny Santana might be the best way to do it. Much will depend on how Stubbs looks in the field; a team carrying Robbie Grossman as fourth outfielder can't afford another defensive liability as the fifth. J.B. Shuck, OF Another vet angling to overtake a very vulnerable Santana. Shuck faces longer odds than Stubbs, to be sure, but could gain an edge if he's clearly better with the glove. A low-power contact hitter in the Piranha mold, he hasn't produced in the big leagues but had a .380 OBP in the minors. Shuck has all the traits of a solid final bench guy, and would complement the slow-footed Grossman well in the outfield reserves. Ben Paulsen, 1B During his first two seasons in Colorado, Paulsen batted .284 with an .809 OPS. Good production, and the type that Minnesota would love to get at the DH spot. Unfortunately, it was a small sample (420 PA) buoyed by hitter-friendly Coors Field and tainted by poor plate discipline. Last year, the bottom fell out and Paulsen spent much of the summer in Triple-A. This spring he would need to significantly outshine both Park and Kennys Vargas, as he undoubtedly enters camp trailing both. Swinging from the same side as starting first baseman Joe Mauer also works against him. Still, Paulsen does have some things working for him: he's still fairly young (29) but has logged more MLB time – with better overall numbers – than either Vargas or Park. The message coming into this camp has been clear: nothing is being handed to anyone. Therein lies Paulsen's advantage. Ryan Vogelsong, RHP There are some people in the know who tell me Vogelsong is an odds on favorite to make the roster as long as he holds his own this spring. I'm not sure I really understand that, but his appeal is apparent enough. The righty has been around the block, with nearly 300 appearances in the majors since debuting all the way back in 2000. Vogelsong experienced a late-career renaissance, making his first All-Star team at age 33 and then following with another quality season. But he hasn't been good in four years and is about to turn 40, with almost every measurable trending the wrong way. It sounds like the Twins value the veteran for more than simply his production. Commending Vogelsong's leadership, assistant GM Rob Antony said shortly after the signing: "I think he communicates well with the younger pitchers and tries to help them. From all accounts, he’s got really, really good makeup.” A later quote from Antony seems to tell the story: “He could give some of our younger guys more time to develop if they’re not ready.”

The best thing about the Winter Meetings is all the rumors. The worst thing about the Winter Meetings is all the rumors. We're going to hear a lot of conversation, a lot of rumors. Again, GMs will be talking to GMs. GMs will be talking to Agents. GMs and other baseball executives will have media sessions, and fans everywhere will cling onto every single word. It's fun to read all the rumors. First, it's fun to contemplate what it would take for the Twins to get Player X. Second, it is then fun to think about how that player will look in the lineup. Third, the reality is that the teams each will likely make just a few transactions, so there will be many more rumors than there are actual transactions. Here is a tremendous interaction/discussion from MLB Network between Greg Amsinger, Dan O'Dowd, Ken Rosenthal, and Peter Gammons, discussing how teams try to use the media and how media tries to decipher all the information they're being given. That said, there are a lot of free agents on the market looking to sign somewhere. The key free agents will set the market for the others. Teams like to be aggressive early, as the Twins were with the signing of Jason Castro, but agents who have their clients wait will either find more dollars as they wait, or if they wait too long, they may run out of suitors. And then there will be a bunch of minor league signings. Teams need to fill out their AA and AAA rosters and they'll want to do so with guys that can do something at the big leagues if they were needed. On that front, Darren Wolfson of KSTP-TV and 1500 ESPN radio, tweeted the following: https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/805588149720256512 Paulsen has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Colorado Rockies. He was removed from the 40-man roster and became a free agent. He has played the corner outfield positions and some first base. My initial thought was Meh. And my second thought and any subsequent thoughts were Meh. I mean, no minor league signing is going to create a lot of excitement. But it certainly can get some thoughts going. I mean, The Twins have corner outfielders in Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler and Robbie Grossman in the big leagues. Eddie Rosario and Robbie Grossman could be a pretty solid platoon. At 1B/DH, the Twins have Joe Mauer, Kennys Vargas, Byungho Park all in contention for a couple of big league spot. But maybe the Falvey/Levine combo might be willing to trade Eddie Rosario or Kennys Vargas or Byungho Park. Kennys Vargas gets the extra option season, which is valuable to the Twins, but it's valuable to other teams as well. Then consider the AAA roster. Adam Brett Walker was lost. Daniel Palka will be in Rochester. Zack Granite will be in Rochester. Will Travis Harrison and/or Dalton Hicks make the jump to AAA? There is no harm in signing a guy like Paulsen who will likely spend most of the season in Rochester, but has had success in the big leagues. Enough about Ben Paulsen. Let's talk Brian Dozier. Yesterday's thread was led by the Bob Nightengale tweet yesterday morning about the Dodgers being the leader in the Dozier sweepstakes, and that they have now piqued the Twins interest. Later in the day, Jon Heyman tweeted the following: https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/805602919403884544 Again, the Dodgers remain the leaders, but wouldn't it be fun to have an idea of who those other four or five teams might be? Adding some fun to the discussion, Brian Dozier is scheduled to be at the Winter Meetings on Monday. He is there for a marketing commitment for Under Armour, but the timing is still interesting, of course. Maybe he can finally get some time and meet Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. We'll see what comes of it, if anything. It will also be fun to see what happens around the AL Central. Cleveland is obviously going to be good for awhile. Will they do much? The Royals were up to $135 million last year, and they're projected to be at $148 million. Sources told Ken Rosenthal that their break-even point is between $115-120 million, so they will likely be looking to deal some of their key players. They've got a lot of players in that group that are just starting to make some really good money. So, which will they keep and which will they trade? The Tigers are rumored to be shopping JD Martinez and Ian Kinsler. Miguel Cabrera said he's willing to be traded, but that is unlikely. The White Sox are clearly shopping Chris Sale. Atlanta and Washington are the two teams most mentioned. Dealing Sale would certainly hurt the White Sox short-term, but they could get a huge return for him as he is easily one of the top 10 starting pitchers in baseball. The White Sox have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, so they would add some talent. A few more notes: Yesterday we wondered about Andrew McCutchen going to the Nationals. We just mentioned that Chris Sale has been mentioned with the Nationals. For what it's worth, the Nationals said on Sunday that they feel they have the players to get both. Matt Holliday, who missed most of the 2016 season with injury, signed a one year, $13 million deal with the New York Yankees. Obviously he can hit when healthy. More important, the one year deal isn't prohibitive to the Yankees, who don't want to be paying into the luxury tax. Joe Nathan, who is 42, says that he wants to pitch again in 2017. He pitched just one game in April of 2015 (against the Twins) and needed Tommy John surgery. He signed with the Cubs and pitched in three games for them before they let him go. He signed with the Giants and pitched in seven games for them. Where will Edwin Encarnacion and his stupid imaginary parrot wind up? Which of the Big Three closers will sign first? Mark Melancon, Aroldis Chapman or Kenley Jansen? So there is some stuff to discuss to get things started this morning. Discuss any of these topics and keep checking back as more rumors come and go throughout the day.