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The Winter Meetings are set to begin later today in Washington D.C. No time during the year, with the exception (maybe) of the July trade deadline, are there more rumors. Some are real. Some are baseless. But it is a fun time of the year for baseball fans. Each day, we'll have an official thread for the day. Use this as an area to discuss any rumors you hear or read, or a place to mention transactions as they happen. Obviously if (or when) the Twins make any transactions, we'll have a full article on it, but this is a good place to discuss moves and rumors from around the league. Be sure to check back frequently. Let's get to the rumors:Right away this morning, we had the following tweet from USA Today's Bob Nightengale: So, let the rumors begin... Julio Urias? We can wish. Jose Deleon? Should be the minimum as a starting point. Cody Bellinger is their top prospect, a left-handed hitting outfielder who can also play first base. But the Twins need pitching, so names like Yadier Alvarez, Walker Buehler and Jordan Sheffield should be in discussions as well. And maybe a shortstop too, like Gavin Lux. Mike Berardino wrote yesterday that Thad LeVine is saying that the team would have to be "inspired" to deal Dozier. In my mind, that means at least two of the names mentioned above, and one of them being Urias or DeLeon. Dozier is obviously the big talker, but the Twins have far more to do than just consider dealing the second baseman. Adding pitching will be the key. Derek Falvey and Thad LeVine, along with a full contingent of Twins front office types, will make the trek to DC today. In case you missed it, LaVelle Neal wrote a really nice piece on Falvey that you should read. In Case You Missed It: Brian Duensing signed a one-year deal with the Cubs.Casey Fien signed a one-year, split contract with the Mariners. In the big leagues, he would make $1.1 million with more available in incentives. Since he has an option remaining, he would make a different amount in AAA.Is Andrew McCutchen going to the Nationals and teaming with Bryce Harper in the outfield?Will Mark Melancon go to the Giants or Nationals?Houston has been very active early. Will that continue?Again, keep tabs of rumors here, and if there is a Twins transaction, we'll soon have an article ready to discuss that too. If you hear a rumor, come back here and post it in the comments! Click here to view the article

The signing of Brian Duensing with the Kansas City Royals closes the book on a story that was started in 1989. In the first round of that year's draft, the Twins selected Texas A&M shortstop Chuck Knoblauch who would go on to spawn the trade that would put Twins GM Terry Ryan on the map and the fruits of that trade would be felt until 2015. After seven seasons of what looked to be the beginning of a HOF career, Chuck Knoblauch and his 37.9 WAR wanted out of Minnesota and to a contender. Well that's how the fans knew it anyway, back before internet media was a thing. While largely unpopular at the time, the Twins received Brian Buchanan (0.3 WAR), Christian Guzman (7.5), Eric Milton (14.7) and Danny Mota (-0.1) in what would be the branches of our Knoblauch trade tree.THE BRIAN BUCHANAN BRANCH Brian Buchanan had some nice power potential and looked the part of a middle-of- the-order bat. Unfortunately for him, he found himself in a roster crunch as he was competing for the RF/DH spot with Michael Cuddyer, Dustin Mohr, Bobby Keilty, David Ortiz and Matthew Lecroy. Buchanan found himself shipped off to San Diego and in return the Twins received shortstop prospect Jason Bartlett (8.9). Bartlett would go on to play four seasons (initially) with the Twins before getting traded to Tampa Bay with Matt Garza and Eddie Morlan for Delmon Young (1.0), Brendon Harris (-0.6) and Jason Pridie (-0.2). Pridie teased Twins fans with his potential but never put it all together and was soon DFA'd. Brendon Harris found himself a mostly every day super-utility role for the Twins before being traded for Jim Hoey (-0.6) and Brett Jacobson. Jacobson never made it to the majors, Jim Hoey and his disastrous 24.1 innings unfortunately did. Delmon Young played three and a half mercurial seasons with the Twins, seemingly breaking out in 2010 and being a large reason for the team's division title. Alas, it was not to last and the following year he was traded to Detroit for Cole Nelson who never appeared in a MLB game and Lester Oliveros (0.0). Oliveros would tease with his potential, but he never got much of an opportunity to make it at the MLB level and was recently picked up the Royals. THE ERIC MILTON BRANCH That wraps up the Buchanan wing of the Knoblauch trade tree, so let's head back to the top and check in on Eric Milton. Milton pitched six seasons for the Twins, six seasons that saw an All Star appearance, a no-hitter, and a questionable contract extension. Despite that contract extension, the Twins were able to move him to Philadelphia for a package that included Carlos Silva (9.0), Nick Punto (10.3) and Bobby Korecky (0.2). Silva pitched four solid seasons for the Twins before signing a nice free agent contract with Seattle, but most interesting for Silva was his 2005 season when he set a modern day record of 0.4 BB/9. Seriously, that is bizarre. Check out the single-season leader board and the next closest modern day player was Brett Saberhagen with a 0.65 BB/9 which is almost a 40% increase: http://www.baseball-...ne_season.shtml Nick Punto just announced his retirement but played seven super-utility seasons with the Twins before leaving and winning a World Series with St. Louis in 2011. Bobby Korecky, we hardly knew you, except for that time in 2008 when the Twins lost their DH and you had to come to bat in the 11th inning. Of course in that 11th inning you not only got a hit in your only career AB but also the win. That has to be worth more than 0.2 WAR, which surely proves WAR is worthless. THE DANNY MOTA BRANCH Back to the top and we get to Danny Mota, who would do next to nothing for the Twins, appearing in all of 5.1 innings at the MLB level. THE CRISTIAN GUZMAN BRANCH The last branch on the Knoblauch trade tree begins with Cristian Guzman. The speedy shortstop made one All-Star Game and led the league in triples three times. He left as a free agent to Washington, but in doing so, the Twins were rewarded with a compensation draft pick. Not a first-round pick because that was protected. Not a second-round pick because that was already lost, but a third-round pick in the 2005 draft which the Twins used to select Brian Duensing (6. 2WAR). Duensing was an unheralded prospect who made an immediate impact in 2009 and found himself pitching Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees. It did not go well. Duensing had another nice season in 2010 as a swing man before settling in as regular out of the pen. His seven years with the Twins matches Punto and Knoblauch himself in terms of number of seasons played for the Twins. SUMMARY In total, 19 players were acquired due to the first-round selection in the 1989 draft and a total of 94.6 WAR was gained. These trees can be found throughout baseball, and surely there are others as fruitful, but this one has interested me for a long time. All of the comical propositions of tossing Duensing into trade proposals the last couple of years were serious by me because I wanted this tree to keep growing. It, however, will not. EPILOGUE The Twins 1989 draft was fantastic. They drafted three players with career WARs over 20 in Knoblauch, Denny Neagle and Scott Erickson. They also drafted Marty Cordova, Mike Trombley and Denny Hocking. Some of these players produced unexpected fruit. The trade of Erickson for Scott Klingenbeck and Kimera Bartee is one of Ryan's best known failures. In 1992, Andy McPhail made a trade of Denny Neagle that would live on for years. In trading a top prospect in Neagle (something unbelievable for the Twins today), the Twins received John Smiley, a very good, but not great pitcher whom the Twins wanted/needed to replace the departed Jack Morris. Smiley pitched one fine year for the Twins before leaving, and in his place the Twins got a compensation pick in 1993 which they used to select Torii Hunter. When Hunter left, the Twins used his comp picks to select busts Carlos Gutierrez and Shooter Hunt. Also, while the Twins didn't get a comp pick for losing Marty Cordova (even though he had an .828 OPS the prior year), they did get one for losing Mike Trombley in 2000. They used that pick to select Aaron Heilman, who had a really nice MLB career, just not with the Twins because he refused to sign with them. Click here to view the article

2015 was supposed to be his season, his moment. After working his way through two different minor league systems over three years, Alex Meyer was on the cusp of making his major league debut. In fact, Baseball Prospectus had him ranked as the 14th best prospect in baseball, his highest ranking on any national list during his professional career.As Meyer entered his age-25 season at last year's TwinsFest, he compared his age to that of another late bloomer, Randy Johnson. Meyer said, "Randy Johnson, I think I read he came up when he was 25. He just so happened to be tall, too, so let's hope. If I could have half that career..." Meyer started the year in the minor leagues and things didn't go exactly to plan. He made eight starts in Rochester and compiled a 7.09 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 24 walks in 39.1 IP. Something wasn't clicking and the Twins decided to move him to the bullpen. "I love starting. I've done it my whole life," Meyer said later in the season. "But going out there and getting my teeth kicked in every game wasn't a good experience." The transition to the bullpen came with some positive results. In his next nine appearance (17 IP), he posted a 0.53 ERA with 20 strikeouts and six walks. Opponents batted .188 against him during this stretch and got on base less than 27% of the time. It was time to see if Meyer could resemble Mr. Johnson as the Twins called him up to make his big league debut. In two interleague games, Meyer pitched 2.2 innings and allowed five earned runs including two home runs. Opponents got on base 50% of the time and batted over .360. It wasn't exactly the magical moment Meyer had dreamed about. Meyer wouldn't make it back to the big leagues in 2015. He'd spend the rest of the season at Rochester figuring out his new bullpen role. Things didn't go perfectly as he allowed 15 earned runs in his next 13.0 innings with a 17 to 8 strikeout to walk ratio. But he did improve in his last 10 games as he allowed two earned runs in 22.2 innings with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks. The Twins have seen other failed starters succeed in bullpen roles. All-Star closer Glen Perkins was a starter before finding success in the bullpen. Brian Duensing went back and forth between starter and reliever before eventually being moved to the bullpen. Trevor May had success as a starter last season but his future looks to be that of a reliever. Luckily for Meyer, as the Twins get closer to spring training the bullpen has more opportunities than the rotation . Minnesota has made few to no significant offseason moves to bolster the pitching staff as the team seems destined to use internal options in 2016. That being said, it would take a strong spring from Meyer to prove he belongs at the big league level to start the year. Meyer's control and use of his change-up will be keys to him finding success at the next level. It seems likely that Meyer will start the year in Rochester as the organization monitors how he can adjust to his first full season as a relief pitcher. His path to the big leagues has taken a different course but he can still be an impact player as the Twins become more relevant in the American League. 2015 wasn't his season but 2016 and beyond could bring better moments for Alex Meyer the relief pitcher. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John eat Mac n Cheese from Mason's Barre and talk about adding Adam Brett Walker and other prospects to the 40-man roster, losing Josmil Pinto and A.J. Achter on waivers, Aaron's peanut butter preference, Paul Molitor getting Manager of the Year votes, Jacque Jones' new coaching gig, Ron Gardenhire possibly joining a front office, and the dangers of podcasting next to multiple Packers fans. 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

Earlier this week, I ran through the setbacks that have struck nearly every high-upside reliever in the Twins' system. A day before, Seth had run through some of the bullpen options that are available to the Twins in the minors, but none look like difference-makers at this point in time. So if the Twins want to upgrade their most prevalent weakness for the stretch run, they will need to make a trade. What's out there, and what would it take to get something done?First, let's discuss the merits of making a deal. I've seen many people suggest that giving up prospects for temporary relief help is an ill-advised and short-sighted strategy, and to some extent, that's true. The Twins absolutely must avoid anything resembling a Wilson Ramos-for-Matt Capps swap, where a valuable future piece was forfeited to bring in a rather ordinary bullpen arm. However, that trade is not exactly the standard. The Twins, like many other teams, have been able to add quality relievers in July (and August) without giving up too much. Minnesota also faces an interesting situation with its stacked system leading to potential overcrowding on the 40-man roster. While protecting the A-level prospects shouldn't be a problem, there are numerous second-tier guys in the minors that might be appealing to other clubs, and the Twins would benefit from moving those youngsters for a return before being forced to risk losing them for nothing. One other player to keep an eye on as a trade chit is Oswaldo Arcia, who has turned it on in Triple-A recently with six home runs in his last nine games but has no clear path to playing time in Minnesota. He'll be out of options next year. As the trade deadline approaches, it's a seller's market with so many teams theoretically "in the race" due to the close groupings of W/L records and the presence of four wild-card spots, but there are a lot of relievers out there who could be available and some might not cost all that much. Here's a breakdown of some stand-out names: Neal Cotts - LHP, MIL Right now the Twins are relying on Brian Duensing, who has a 6.00 ERA and 11/10 K/BB ratio, and Ryan O'Rourke, who has two major-league appearances, as the lefty options in the pen, so the allure of an established veteran southpaw is obvious. Cotts fits that bill: the 35-year-old is averaging more than a strikeout per inning and holding left-handed batters to a .533 OPS. He's an impending free agent for a last-place club, making him an obvious trade candidate. Will Smith - LHP, MIL If the Twins want to target a younger player with more long-term appeal, Smith is an intriguing option in the Brewers bullpen. The 25-year-old has been a dominant force over the past three seasons, averaging 11.6 K/9 and holding opponents to a .224 average. He would obviously take more to get, but he's under team control for a couple more years and could be a fixture. Would an Arcia-for-Smith swap make mutual sense? Francisco Rodriguez - RHP, MIL Rounding out our look at Milwaukee's relief corps is the club's closer, a five-time All-Star who is enjoying another exceptional year. In Perkins-like fashion, K-Rod has converted every save chance this year, carrying a 1.41 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 37-to-9 K/BB ratio in 32 innings. With those numbers, and his closer status, he'll be a pricy acquisition, but the club could use a dominant right-handed setup man with Casey Fien and Blaine Boyer failing to impress. Rodriguez is signed through next year, with an option for 2017. Alexi Ogando - RHP, BOS Once a talented young starter for the Rangers, Ogando saw his stock drop off a cliff during an injury-plagued 2014 campaign and had to settle for a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Boston. He has made good, and is holding opponents to a .223/.289/.439 slash line in 31 appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen. Joaquin Benoit - RHP, SD Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that the Twins are interested in Benoit, a long-time excellent reliever who recently pitched for the Tigers. The 37-year-old is enjoying a characteristically stellar year for the Padres, with a 2.25 ERA and .133 opponents' batting average, and could be the lockdown eighth-inning guy that Minnesota needs as a bridge to Glen Perkins. He's making $8 million this year, with another $8 million option for 2016. Zach Putnam - RHP, CWS The Sox are mired at the bottom of the Central and would likely be open to moving players for young talent, even if it means doing business with a division rival. Putnam has moved around quite a bit -- he's with his fourth organization since 2011 -- but has really found a late-inning groove over the last two seasons, with 2.62 ERA and 87-to-33 K/BB ratio in 82 innings. He is 27 and has four years of team control remaining. Mark Lowe - RHP, SEA Lowe signed with Seattle on a minor-league deal in the offseason and has been doing tremendous work out of the Mariners bullpen since being called up in early May. In 27 innings, he has allowed only 21 hits, and zero homers, for a 0.67 ERA. He has 23 strikeouts in 14 innings since the start of June. Tyler Clippard - RHP, OAK Trading an impending free agent closer for prospects at the deadline after falling out of the race early is exactly the kind of move you'd expect from the Athletics, so Clippard seems highly likely to go somewhere. Will it be Minnesota? The bespectacled righty offers the performance, track record, and bat-missing stuff that the Twins are likely seeking in a late-inning upgrade, but with free agency approaching, he probably wouldn't care for being dealt to a destination where he can't add to his saves total. LaTroy Hawkins - RHP, COL Hawkins debuted with the Twins 20 years ago, in 1995, and at age 42 he is still somehow getting big-league hitters out. Since returning from an early-season stint on the disabled list, Hawk has a 0.84 ERA with 10 strikeouts and one walk over 10 2/3 innings. Reuniting him with bullpen coach Eddie Guardado would be a fun story, and the price to acquire Hawkins couldn't be that high. Christian Friedrich - LHP, COL The former first-round draft pick fizzled out as a starter in Colorado, but has found his niche as a lefty specialist out of the Rockies bullpen, where he is holding same-sided hitters to a .203/.262/.271 line. Just 27 and not yet in his arbitration stage, Friedrich is a guy who could stick around for a while. Steve Cishek - RHP, MIA Not only is Cishek's last name similar to Pat Neshek's, his quirky delivery and historical dominance are also reminiscent of the former Twins reliever in his prime. Over the past four years, Cishek has posted a 2.70 ERA with 281 strikeouts in 253 innings for the Fish. He's currently going through his toughest season, and was actually sent to Double-A at the beginning of June, but he has looked much more like himself since returning from the brief demotion. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald stated earlier this month that the Marlins are willing to move Cishek, adding that he's unlikely to be tendered in arbitration this winter. Jim Johnson - RHP, ATL Johnson has never been a big strikeout guy but has always been effective late in games, and led the league in saves as Baltimore's closer in both 2012 and 2013. He endured a messy 2014 campaign but has bounced back this year with the Braves, putting up a 2.14 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 43 appearances as an oft-used setup man. Johnson hasn't allowed a run since June 6th. He just seems like the kind of guy Minnesota would target. What do you think? Do any of the names listed above appeal to you? Are there other names potentially on the market that intrigue you? Sound off in the comments. Click here to view the article

Will Phil Hughes be able to quit giving up home runs? Did that ball that Miguel Cabrera hit off Brian Duensing ever land? Can Ricky Nolasco continue to spin all that filth flarn filth? Find out answers to these Twins questions and more.http://i.imgur.com/j8leLbg.gif If you are a traditionalist -- someone who focuses on wins, losses and ERA to measure a pitcher’s performance -- you might judge Phil Hughes’ first seven starts harshly. If you are someone who looks at peripheral stats and FIP to better gauge his output, you might say he’s underperforming. What has characterized Hughes’ second season in a Twins uniform is his inability to locate his fastballs as well as he did the previous season. He has not been wild, he’s simply failed to get the pitch to the intended target, like in last Saturday’s start against the Indians. Catcher Kurt Suzuki calls for a fastball down and in on David Murphy but the pitch stays middle-middle and Murphy is able to get everything behind it. This isn’t the first time he’s struggled to hit that particular spot. Here’s the thing: Hughes’ bread-and-butter is fastballs up in the zone. Opponents are hitting ,229/.243/.356 over the last two years when he locates in the upper third of the zone. Meanwhile they are hitting .335/.342/.518 in the lower portions. If he wants to get hitters out, he should be attacking up but that’s counter to what he is actually doing this year. According to Pitch F/X, Hughes has increased the number of two-seam fastballs this season. Last year he threw it approximately 159 times total but has thrown around 171 two-seamers this season. This explains why his fastball locations have been middle of the plate instead of in the upper-third as they are frequently when he throws his four-seamer. Along the same lines, opponents have figured out how to hit his cutter. After batting just .218/.248/.326 off of it in 2014, they are posting a healthy .300/.317/.575 line so far this year. Hughes will get the ball in tonight’s start against the Rays. http://i.imgur.com/PfCKOF3.gif Brian Duensing hit the disabled list in mid-April with an intercostal strain and since his return, it has been an uphill battle. In now 3.1 innings of work, he has surrendered nine hits. (Add in another four walks and the lefty reliever has been littering the bases with runners.) The nine hits also includes that towering bomb by Miguel Cabrera on Thursday afternoon. To Duensing’s credit, despite all the hits allowed, the Cabrera home run was just the first he had allowed this season. What’s more is that the slider’s location wasn’t bad. Not too many people are able to launch a pitch that is out of the strike zone for a home run. Unfortunately, Cabrera is one of the few hitters who can do it: Since 2011 Cabrera has socked nine home runs on pitches in that location, the most in baseball. http://i.imgur.com/Q1AuCJv.gif Speaking of home runs, since the beginning of May, Torii Hunter has hit five home runs. Outside of the freakish Bryce Harper (7), Marlon Byrd (6...wait, what) and Joc Pederson (6), Hunter is tied with Nelson Cruz, Logan Morrison, Stephen Vogt, Anthony Rizzo and Todd Frazier with five on the month. Download attachment: trumedia_baseball_grid.png Now with six on the year -- all pulled -- Hunter has shown he is locked in on pitches down-and-in. Not to mention, since moving to the second spot in the order on April 15, he is hitting .316/.370/.571 - a Top 25 OPS in that span. If you thought Ricky Nolasco threw filth flarn filth in his most recent start against the Tigers, you would be correct. Nolasco relied on his slider/curveball combination to strike out a season-high seven Detroit hitters, including Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Ian Kinsler. Nolasco burned through pitches early by running the counts deep, walking three and ultimately exiting without completing his sixth inning of work. Still, the outing showed that the right-handed can make hitters look foolish with his secondary offerings. Opposing teams are hitting .366/.451/.488 off Nolasco’s fastball this year so a higher distribution of non-fastballs -- similar to Wednesday night’s outing at Comerica -- seems to be in order. http://i.imgur.com/U2vuNT1.gif There is a good reason this pitch was driven hard the other way: Trevor Plouffe was mentally well ahead of Detroit’s Kyle Lobstein. As discussed here last week, Plouffe has matured to the point where he knows that pitchers are trying to do. He said that he has found that pitchers will try to throw him hard inside then soft away. On cue, Lobstein tried to throw a soft slider down-and-away which Plouffe drove to the right center gap for a triple. Download attachment: trumedia_baseball_grid (1).png http://i.imgur.com/w9lmSTt.gif After a really rough start to begin the season, reliever Blaine Boyer has strung together a series of nice outings. In fact, Boyer is one of just three relievers to not allow a run in their last ten innings or more. Boyer said in spring that he owed his time in Japan for helping him hone his command as he was forced to throw to a strike zone the size of a tennis ball. He has mid-90s heat which he claims is his two-seam fastball. While this seems to go against the science of pitching, Boyer swears that when he is hitting 94-95, it is the sinker that Cardinals’ pitching coach Dave Duncan taught him years ago. Without missing bats, Boyer’s success is likely limited but, for now, he has been able to help bridge the starters to Glen Perkins. Click here to view the article

The Twins announced a pair of roster moves following Friday night’s game. With Ricky Nolasco (right elbow inflammation) and Brian Duensing (right intercostal strain) set to be activated, the Twins needed to make a pair of moves to free up spots.Caleb Thielbar was essentially sent down in favor of Duensing. Thielbar made six appearances spanning five innings in his stint with the Twins, striking out five and walking none while allowing three earned runs (5.40 ERA). The other, perhaps more surprising move, was sending left-handed starter Tommy Milone to Rochester. Relegated to the bullpen just a day earlier, Milone’s fate was ultimately sealed when the Twins decided not only to keep Trevor May up, but that it would be better for the veteran lefty to remain stretched out as a starter rather than work out of the bullpen. These moves also grant newly-promoted right-handers Ryan Pressly and Michael Tonkin potentially brief reprieves from being sent back to Rochester. Pressly arrived in Minnesota on Friday afternoon after the club placed right-handed reliever Tim Stauffer on the disabled list earlier in the day with the same injury Duensing had — right intercostal strain — while Tonkin threw all of one pitch on Thursday evening in inducing a foul pop off the bat of Tyler Flowers in his one-third of an inning of work. How long Pressly and Tonkin stay up may not only be determined by how well they pitch, or how soon Stauffer and Casey Fien can return, but also how well a couple of relievers pitch at Triple-A as well. A pair of righties — Lester Oliveros and A.J. Achter — have also turned heads, and could be a part of the next wave of Red Wings to come up should the Twins need help. Oliveros — who is not presently on the 40-man roster — has been extremely impressive for Rochester through Thursday’s action, posting a 1.69 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 10.2 innings (17.7 K/9) in six appearances. A source relayed to 105 The Ticket that Oliveros had been throwing in the mid-90s recently on a consistent basis and hit as high as 96 mph when he made a spot start in a recent doubleheader. Despite the non-roster status, GM Terry Ryan said Oliveros was in the consideration but ultimately was passed over. “The roster (situation) didn’t make the difference,” Ryan said. “I think it’s consistency. You saw in spring training; he didn’t hardly pitch. He was in the conversation though. So was Achter.” Achter’s numbers aren’t as eye-popping as Oliveros’ — 3.72 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 — but he has seen plenty of late-inning action, working the seventh inning or later in seven of his nine appearances. Ultimately, both figure to see some bullpen time with the big club before season’s end, as this depth ought to work to the club’s advantage. Trivia Against which pitcher does Torii Hunter have the most home runs in his career (five)? Injury Update Starter Phil Hughes — who left Thursday’s start with a mild left hip flexor strain — threw his usual bullpen on Friday and pronounced himself ready to start on Monday. Incidentally, that date lines up with a matchup against Oakland’s Jesse Hahn on “Hughes the Force” day, when the Twins will give away a Hughes Star Wars-themed Bobblehead doll. Old Friend Alert Pitcher Andrew Albers was called up by the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday to fill the roster spot of the departed Daniel Norris. Albers had a 1-3 record with a 3.09 ERA and 4.6 K/9 with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Albers’ stay in the big leagues — his first since 2013 with the Twins — was short, as he was sent back to Triple-A after the game. Samuel Deduno made a spot start for the Houston Astros Friday night against Roenis Elias and the Mariners, and to his credit did a pretty nice job all things considered. Deduno lasted four innings (61 pitches, 41 strikes) with four strikeouts, two walks and just one earned run on three hits. The Astros ultimately won, 4-3. Chris Colabello was honored as the International League player of the month for April. In 20 games, Colabello batted .338/.427/.592 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. This was Colabello’s second time receiving the honor, as he was also honored in June 2013 with the Rochester Red Wings. Reliever Alex Burnett was released from his Mexican League team Guerreros de Oaxaca roughly 10 days ago after posting a 6.23 ERA (12.5 K/9) in seven appearances spanning 8.2 innings. Burnett spent the bulk of the 2014 season with Sioux City of the American Association -- think St. Paul Saints -- as a teammate of Rene Tosoni -- also a former Twin. Affiliate Update Rochester (12-9) – The Red Wings fell 4-3 to another old friend, as Chris Parmelee and the Norfolk Tides pounded out 12 hits en route to a win. Josmil Pinto had a two-run home run, while Pat Dean took the loss with 7.1 innings of 11-hit, four-run ball. Dean fanned one and walked one and is now 2-1. Chattanooga (10-11) – The Lookouts jumped out with three first-inning runs and never looked back as Tyler Duffey pitched seven solid innings to push his record to 1-2. Byron Buxton had three hits — including a double — atop the order, while Jorge Polanco, Travis Harrison and Adam Brett Walker each chipped in a pair. Fort Myers (8-14) – The Miracle found themselves on the short end of a pitchers duel on Friday, 2-1. Four Charlotte pitchers — including rehabbing Rays reliever Jake McGee — scattered six hits and just one run as the Miracle mustered just a double from Alex Swim for their only extra-base hit of the night. Brandon Peterson and Brian Gilbert combined for three hitless innings of shutout relief, fanning six and walking two. Cedar Rapids (12-10) – Stephen Gonsalves was the hard-luck loser as the Kernels were no-hit by a trio of Lumber Kings. Daniel Missaki, Kody Kerski and Troy Scott combined to strike out 10 and walk just two in the no-hit effort. Gonsalves was stellar as usual, striking out eight and walking just one while allowing a pair of earned runs on five hits over seven innings. Michael Theofanopoulos tossed a pair of shutout innings in relief. Tanner English and Trey Vavra accounted for the Kernels’ two walks in the loss. — One Year Ago The Twins entered play on May 2 with a 12-14 record after dropping both ends of a May 1 doubleheader to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Losing pitchers for the Twins on that day were Duensing and Mike Pelfrey. Trivia Answer: Torii has five career home runs against retired lefty Esteban Loaiza. He has four career home runs against Freddy Garcia and Saturday’s starter John Danks. All three of these pitchers were White Sox at one time or another. This story originated at Cold Omaha here, where your click would be graciously accepted. Click here to view the article

On Wednesday night, the Twins traded veteran minor league catcher Dan Rohlfing to the New York Mets for cash considerations. Rohlfing had been the Twins’ 14th round draft pick in 2007 out of high school in St. Louis. He was one of the longest-tenured players in the Twins organization. Below, you will find a list of the 10 players who have been in the Twins organization the longest, without interruption. In other words, Torii Hunter, who signed with the Twins in 1993, is not included on this list.To make the this list, a player had to have been signed before 2008. There are some interesting names that you may not have realized have been with the Twins for as long as they have. In fact, there may be a couple that you have never heard of and I’ll add a few more names to take us to 2008. So, here you have it, a look at the 10 longest-tenured players in the Minnesota Twins organization: Honorable Mention There are still six players drafted by the Twins in 2008 who are still in the organization. We’ll call them all tied for 11th place. Aaron Hicks (1) – The Twins top pick (14th overall) is currently in AAA Rochester after starting the last two seasons as the Twins Opening Day center fielder.Danny Ortiz (4) – Ortiz split 2014 between AA New Britain and AAA Rochester. He re-signed with the Twins as a free agent this winter and went to big league camp with the Twins. He is also in Rochester.BJ Hermsen (6) – Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2012 and was on the 40-man roster in 2013. He injured his oblique and wasn’t able to regain his form. He pitched in the bullpen much of 2014 and re-signed with the Twins this offseason. He had Tommy John surgery earlier this month.Michael Gonzales (9) – The big, burly first baseman/DH is currently hitting in the middle of the Chattanooga Lookouts lineup. Drafted after a year at junior college, he has slowly worked his way up the system.Nate Hanson (28) – Hanson was drafted after his junior season at the University of Minnesota. He quickly worked his way up to AA and has split time between AA and AAA the last two years. He is currently with the Rochester Red Wings.Michael Tonkin (30) – He is also on the 40-man roster and has spent time with the Twins during the past two seasons. He was sent to Rochester to start this season, though he will certainly spend time with the Twins again this year.The Top Ten #10 – Also in December of 2007, the Twins signed shortstop Danny Santana from the Dominican Republic. He moved up basically one level each year. In 2014, it was a surprise when he was promoted to the Twins after just 24 games, but he put together a strong rookie campaign while playing a new position, center field. He has moved back to his shortstop position this season. #9 – In November of 2007, the Twins signed a slender 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, Adrian Salcedo. At one point in the low minors, he was a top ten prospect. In 2012, he injured his shoulder and elbow and missed most of the year. He moved to the bullpen in 2013. He struck out 76 batters in 73 innings in 2013 in New Britain. He re-signed with the Twins this offseason and was invited to big league spring training. He returns to AA in 2015, this time to Chattanooga. #8 – On July 4, 2007, the Twins signed a left-handed hitting outfielder named Oswaldo Arcia. Arcia debuted as a 21-year-old in April of 2013 and has certainly shown signs of being the type of power-hitter that the Twins and their fans long for. He has 35 big league home runs and won’t turn 24 for two weeks. #7 – Jairo Rodriguez signed with the Twins in May of 2007. The last two years, he signed quickly to return to the Twins as a backup minor league catcher. In 2013, he played for Cedar Rapids, New Britain and even played in a game with Rochester. In 2014, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. The now-26 year old is not currently on a roster, but he is reportedly in Chattanooga if there would be a need for a catcher. #6 – Josmil Pinto signed with the Twins in February of 2006. He could have become a minor league free agent following the World Series in 2012, but he decided to avoid that and return to the Twins. They added him to the 40-man roster a year ago and he had another strong season in 2013, including a tremendous showing with the Twins in September. He showed flashes of a solid bat in his time with the Twins in 2014, though he was quite inconsistent. The 26-year-old is currently mashing in Rochester and should be up with the Twins, in some capacity, soon. #5 – James Beresford, from Australia, signed with the Twins in August of 2005 as a skinny kid. His missed a season due to injury and has gradually worked his way up the system. He had the opportunity to become a minor league free agent the last couple of offseasons and each time came back to the Twins. He got to AAA in the second half of 2013 and put together a solid 2014. He was again at big league spring training this year and returned to Rochester where he is the team’s second baseman. #4 – Brian Duensing was one of two third-round picks by the Twins in 2005, out of the University of Nebraska. He moved quickly through the Twins minor league system as a starter. He was given a couple opportunities as a starter with the Twins, but his inability to get right-handers out while dominating lefties meant he was given an opportunity out of the bullpen. He’s been a solid left-handed reliever the last couple of years. He is currently on the disabled list for the first time in his seven big league seasons. The Twins had five first-round draft picks in 2004 due to losing Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins. #2b – With the 22nd overall pick in '04, the Twins drafted local, selecting lefty Glen Perkins from the University of Minnesota. He came through the organization as a starter. In fact, he won 12 games as a rookie in 2008. He moved to the bullpen in 2011 and was the Twins closer by the middle of 2012. He has been an All-Star the last couple of seasons and is signed through 2017 with an option for 2018. #2a –With the 20th overall pick, the Twins selected shortstop Trevor Plouffe. As you know, he’s been the Twins starting third baseman the last couple of seasons. He became much more consistent offensively and defensively in 2014. He is in the second of four arbitration seasons. #1 – Joe Mauer remains the longest-tenured Twins player, having signed in 2001 after being the #1 overall pick in the draft. No need to get into all of his accolades, like his AL MVP, the three batting titles, the Gold Glove Awards, the Silver Sluggers, etc. He moved to first base in 2014 after his Hall of Fame-caliber first decade in a Twins uniform at catcher. He’s played every game this season as he looks to rebound from a sub-Mauer season in 2014. So there it is, the players in the Twins organization who have been in the system the longest, consecutively. Some of the names may not surprise you, but I’m pretty sure that you wouldn’t have guessed everyone on this list. Feel free to leave your thoughts, or let me know if I forgot anyone. Click here to view the article

With Michael Tonkin and Ryan Pressly both being optioned in the past two days, the Minnesota Twins' bullpen picture is starting to come into focus, but there are still a lot of relievers in big-league camp. Part of that is the team needs plenty of arms to get them through these exhibition contests, but another part is that they face some tricky decisions. Let's take a shot at handicapping this race as it stands with about two weeks left to go.First, a quick look at the guys who are essentially locks: Glen Perkins, LHP Perkins was slowed early in camp by an oblique strain, but he pitched in a minor-league game on Thursday with no issues, and is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut this weekend. Both he and Terry Ryan have expressed full confidence he'll be ready to roll at the start of the season, barring any setbacks. Casey Fien, RHP Fien is inked in as the setup man presently, and if Perkins were to experience a setback, he'd be first in line to fill the closer role. Fien saw a few key numbers drop last season, causing his xFIP to rise to 3.87 from 2.71 in 2013, but he also added almost two full miles per hour to his average fastball velocity. He's been throwing hard and getting very good results in spring training. Brian Duensing, LHP Entering his seventh season with the Twins, Duensing is in line to be the bullpen's foremost lefty specialist, and it's a role for which he is well suited. In his career, he has held same-sided batters to a .233/.277/.322 slash line, and last year those numbers checked in at .242/.282/.305. Hopefully Paul Molitor can limit his exposure against righties. Tim Stauffer, RHP It's been a rocky spring so far for the veteran, but with a guaranteed $2.2 million contract, he's in as long as he's healthy. The Twins have ruled him out of the rotation race, so he'll be in the bullpen. He's likely to be a guy who will be called upon frequently to pitch multiple innings, with perhaps the occasional spot start as needed -- a la Anthony Swarzak. I don't think he really has the stuff to be an impact late-inning arm. That leaves three spots in a seven-man pen. Two of them are pretty close to being penciled in, though not quite as certain as the above four. Caleb Thielbar, LHP Thielbar is almost a lock, because I think Molitor will want to have multiple lefties at his disposal; Perkins doesn't really count as he's obviously not a match-up guy. Still, Thielbar hasn't had the greatest spring, allowing 10 hits in five innings, and the coaching staff might have confidence in some of the right-handers in the mix to get lefty bats out. Still, he seems very likely. Tommy Milone, LHP/Mike Pelfrey, RHP Whoever loses out in the fifth starter competition probably ends up in the bullpen as a long reliever, capable of being stretched out to join the rotation when a need arises. Ryan has stated strongly that he prefers Pelfrey as a starter, citing the veteran's preparation routine as one reason, so Milone is the leading candidate. Asked about the possibility of a relief role earlier this week, Milone sounded open to the idea: "Wherever they want me to go, I'm going to trust what they want to do and go with it." (If you're wondering whether the southpaw Milone's presence in the bullpen could make Thielbar more expendable, that's possible, but Milone has actually allowed a higher OPS against lefties than righties in his career.) Short of a surprise with one of the names above, that leaves one opening -- likely a middle relief role. Let's take a look at the remaining contenders, ranked in order of how likely they are to win that final spot from my view… J.R. Graham, RHP This year's Rule 5 pick has impressed this spring, flashing surprisingly huge velocity from his smallish frame. The Twins need to keep him on the 25-man roster in order to retain him -- unless they work out a trade with Atlanta -- so there's plenty of incentive to have him rounding out the bullpen if he's healthy and they believe in his ability. Blaine Boyer, RHP The veteran was signed to a minor-league deal after coming out of an injury-prompted retirement and playing for San Diego last year. He has a live fastball that draws rave reviews and has looked good in Grapefruit play for the most part. "He's made a nice impression over here, there's no denying that," Paul Molitor said following another strong outing on Friday. "He's making a run for it." Mark Hamburger, RHP He's a great story, and while he entered camp as somewhat of a long shot, I keep hearing positive things about him from different people. He was pitching extremely well in his first three spring appearances, striking out six with only one hit allowed in five innings prior to coughing up four earned runs against Baltimore this week. Molitor termed that outing a "little hiccup." A.J. Achter, RHP The tall, lanky 26-year-old has somewhat quietly been a tremendous performer in the Twins' minor-league system. Last year he allowed only 44 hits in 72 innings at Rochester, and had a decent September debut for the Twins. Achter has looked good this spring, and he eventually could be quite useful as a guy who can be counted on to get more than three outs, but he has multiple options and I believe he heads back to Rochester. Stephen Pryor, RHP Acquired from the Mariners last July in the Kendrys Morales trade, Pryor has big stuff but has always had a hard time throwing strikes. That hasn't been as much an issue this spring but it's tough see the Twins trusting him over some of the names listed above. He could be a factor at some point this season. Trevor May, RHP The pitching prospect appears to be behind Milone and Pelfrey in the fifth starter race, and could theoretically latch on in the bullpen, but the Twins have consistently downplayed that idea. They want to keep him acclimated to starting. Aaron Thompson, LHP Thompson has had a couple decent seasons at Rochester, and he can get left-handed batters out, but the only way I can see him making the roster is if Duensing or Thielbar gets hurt. Click here to view the article

Bud Selig is out as commissioner and Rob Manfred has a variety of issues to tackle as he takes over the reins of America's pastime. One issue at the forefront is trying to find a way to speed up the pace of play for major league games. Last year the average MLB game lasted over three hours. This comes at a time of a steady decrease in run-scoring as baseball adjusts after the steroid spike around the turn of the century.Baseball wasn't meant to be this way. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of pitches batters are taking, pitching changes, mound visits and time between pitches. In just 10 years baseball players have added 29 minutes, 11 seconds of dead time per game while scoring 13.3 percent fewer runs. If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what will. How do the Twins rate? FanGraphs tracks "Pace," a pitcher's average time between pitches in seconds. Just four seasons ago, pitchers averaged 21.5 second between pitches. In 2014, only five Twins pitchers (Lester Oliveros, Michael Tonkin, Aaron Thompson, Caleb Thielbar, and Glen Perkins) were below this mark. Phil Hughes just missed the mark with an average of 21.7 seconds between pitches. Top 3 Pace (minimum 20 IP) 1. Caleb Thielbar 21.0 2. Glen Perkins 21.0 3. Phil Hughes 21.7 Bottom 3 Pace (minimum 20 IP) 1. Kevin Correia 25.0 2. Brian Duensing 24.1 3. Casey Fien 23.9 Minnesota's four longest games this season were all extra-inning affairs with these contests averaging four hours and 42 minutes. The club's five fastest games were all under two hours and 30 minutes. The team even had one 10-inning game in Boston that was completed in just over two and a half hours. Twins 3 Longest Games of 2014 1. May 1 vs LA Dodgers (12 innings) 5 hours 11 minutes 2. April 23 @ TB Rays (12 innings) 4 hours 48 minutes 3. September 5 vs LA Angels (10 innings) 4 hours 30 minutes Twins 3 Shortest Games of 2014 1. May 17 vs Seattle Mariners 2 hours 26 minutes 2. August 27 @ KC Royals 2 hours 27 minutes 3. June 28 @ Texas Rangers 2 hours 27 minutes Between 2000 and 2013, the Twins average time have nine inning games has increased from two hours and 56 minutes to three hours and one minute. During that stretch, the shortest average time was two hours and 37 minutes (2005). There were only two seasons during that stretch where Minnesota's average time was above the average time for MLB. Finding Solutions MLB is experimenting with a variety of solutions and the first few of these were rolled out in this year's Arizona Fall League. These included a pitch clock, batter's keeping one foot in the batter's box, no-pitch intentional walks, a 2:30 pitching change/inning change clock, and a three "time out" limit. There were mixed reviews but game times did decrease. MLB's next experimental solution will take place at Double-A and Triple-A this season. The higher levels of the minor leagues will institute pitch clocks this year in an attempt to speed up games. Specifics haven't been ironed out yet but change is in the air. If everything goes smoothly in the upper minors this season, it seems like the first major league move might be the institution of a pitch clock. This sweeping change might take a couple of seasons to make it to the big league level but it seems likely that one of the first changes under the Manfred regime will revolve around pace of play. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins offense flexed some big-time power today at Ed Smith Stadium, spring home of the defending AL East Champion Baltimore Orioles. Eduardo Escobar hit a grand slam, while Eduardo Nunez, Trevor Plouffe and Kennys Vargas all chipped in homers as well in a 10-9 victory.* Phil Hughes had his best outing of the spring -- an efficient effort that saw him cruise through four frames on only 44 pitches. Outside of an opposite field homer by Chris Davis that barely sneaked over the wall and inside the foul pole in left, Hughes was almost perfect. He tallied a pair of strikeouts, freezing the opposing hitter with backdoor cutters on both occasions. * Hughes has been working on adding a changeup to his repertoire this spring, and threw a few during today's game but wasn't all that pleased with them. "It was terrible," he said. "I threw maybe two that leaked arm-side and maybe another two that bounced in the dirt. It's just about getting repetitions with it and getting more comfortable and seeing if I can add that as a fourth pitch for me that'll be effective." Of course, Hughes experienced plenty of success last year while rarely using that pitch -- he said he threw only a handful all season -- so if he doesn't gain enough confidence to make it a featured offering it won't be the end of the world. "It's not like a pitch that I necessarily need to have, but if it can be another weapon for me, that'd be great." * On Sunday, the Twins took an early lead behind a strong performance from their starter, only to watch that lead deteriorate once handed to the bullpen. That happened again today. "The game kind of lost its sanity in the middle," Paul Molitor said. "We had trouble getting outs. They were putting up crooked numbers and we were trying different people out there to see how they would respond." Despite the struggles of Brian Duensing, Mark Hamburger and Michael Tonkin, the Twins were able to hang on and win. Blaine Boyer came in and got the last four outs to seal up a one-run victory. The 33-year-old Boyer, who came out of retirement and had a solid season with the Padres last year before signing a minor-league deal with the Twins this past January, seems like a longshot to win a spot in the Twins bullpen but he is making an impression. "I like that he's aggressive, he's not afraid to use his fastball, and he's got enough velocity," Molitor said. "It was good to see him pitch well." "He's got that veteran presence about him, he doesn't panic," Terry Ryan said of Boyer. "He's got pretty good spin on a ball, he's got pretty good velocity. He's in the mix here." Boyer averaged 93 MPH with his heavily featured fastball last year in San Diego and he's been right around that number this spring. * Eddie Rosario got another start today, this time in left field, and once again he made the most of it. He had perhaps the best at-bat of the day for the Twins, falling behind 0-2 against Bud Norris before fouling off several pitches and then hooking a liner that rolled to the wall in right field and motoring around the bases for a triple. "That was a really good at-bat. He fought off some tough pitches," Molitor said. "I liked that he didn't hesitate around second. The guy ended up bobbling the ball and he was already full stride, so that was good to see. He had good at-bats again today." Rosario continues to stay relevant in the center field battle, although Aaron Hicks got the start there today and performed well, drawing a pair of walks at the plate and making a tremendous diving grab in the outfield. * With four home runs today, the Twins ran their Grapefruit League count to 14. That's just two short of last year's spring total. * I've had a hard time understanding what the Twins see in Eduardo Nunez, who started at DH today. He wasn't very good last year, even by his standards, so I was surprised when the club elected to tender him a contract during the offseason. I asked Ryan before today's game for his thoughts on Nunez, and the GM rattled off several things he likes about the 27-year-old. "He's got skills," Ryan said. "He's got surprising power, he can really throw and run, he's got versatility, he's a veteran, he can steal a bag." Sure enough, Nunez launched a two-run homer over the fence in left-center during the game, demonstrating the "surprising power" that Ryan was referring to. It was one of three hits on the day for the likely utility man. * Speaking of Nunez, if you're looking for a chuckle, you should check out this piece published today by Ben Lindbergh of Grantland, titled "Baseball's Secret Scandal: The Player Who Hits Popups on Purpose." The tongue-in-cheek article focuses on Nunez's historical penchant for chasing high pitches and hitting infield fly balls. It's lengthy (like everything at Grantland) but entertaining and illuminating, and worth the read if you've got time. For what it's worth, none of Nunez's three hits today came on infield flies. Click here to view the article

On Tuesday around Major League Baseball salary arbitration cases will be filed. On Friday, teams and players will exchange numbers. However, don’t be surprised if many of the arbitration-eligible players agree to terms before Friday. Six Twins players were offered arbitration last month, so here is a quick look at what to expect over the next few days.When it comes to arbitration, there are ways to guess and predict where the values will come in. It is based on career numbers to that point, but there can also be some attention placed on most recent performance. It will be interesting to see if baseball's increased revenues will have any impact on the arbitration decisions. Will players get a 10% bump over historical data just because of the revenues? When we hear that the team and the player file arbitration numbers, a lot of thought and statistical analysis goes into those numbers. The team can’t just lowball the player because it makes reaching an agreement less likely, and it makes it more likely that an arbiter would rule for the player. The same goes the other way. A player can’t just put a $10 million filing number out there if he’s likely worth $2 million because there’s no way the judge would rule for the player. It’s a tough slope. Here are my thoughts or projections for the week. Get your predictions into the comments section below and we'll see what happens over the next four days. TREVOR PLOUFFE – 2nd Year of Arbitration The third baseman had a very good 2014 season. He made $2.35 million in his first year of arbitration and should nearly double that amount. Should it get to Friday, I would expect Plouffe to ask for around $5.2 million while the Twins would likely counter around $4.5 million. In the end, the midpoint would be about $4.85 million. Plouffe could be a candidate for an extension, either four or five years, or maybe a shorter-term deal like two years. BRIAN DUENSING – 3rd Year of Arbitration Duensing is in his third and final year of arbitration. He received $2 million in 2014. I think that the Twins will offer him a raise to around $2.3 million while Duensing’s representation will likely counter with a number around $2.9 million. In the end, I can see them settling near the midpoint at about $2.6 million. JORDAN SCHAFER – 2nd Year of Arbitration A year ago, the Braves paid Schafer $1.09 million to be an extra outfielder on their roster. He rarely played more than just as a pinch runner and didn’t hit in his limited opportunity. After the Twins traded Sam Fuld and Schafer was DFA'd by the Braves, it only made sense for the Twins to give an opportunity to the former top prospect. He played well the final couple of months for the Twins. He will likely get a small raise. I think his representatives will ask for $1.6 million. I can see the Twins offering $1.2 million. I can see the two sides getting creative. I can see them agreeing to a deal for about $1.3 million with several incentives based on playing time. In other words, if he ends up being the starter, he could make up to $200K more. If not, the midpoint is at $1.4 million. TOMMY MILONE – 1st Year of Arbitration Milone presents an interesting case. A look at his statistics say that he should make some serious money. Had he been in the A’s rotation all season, he could be looking at a $4 million payday. But instead, the A’s demoted him, warranted or not, and when he was traded to the Twins for Fuld, he remained in the minors for about a week. Once with the Twins, he was hurt and didn’t get a chance to increase his value. It’s also interesting because his 2015 role is uncertain. He could be the fifth starter. He could be a long reliever. He still has an option remaining. This is another situation where there could be some creativity. I can see Milone’s side filing a $3 million number while the Twins should file closer to $2.2 million. That puts the midpoint at $2.6 million. Could they reach an agreement for about $2.4 million with incentives for $200K for each ten-start interval? CASEY FIEN – 1st Year of Arbitration Fien had a fine 2014 season. He was one of the better set-up men until a rough September which made his numbers look not as impressive. He achieved Super-2 status this year so he could have four years of arbitration. There are a lot of relief pitchers each year who reach arbitration every year and the range of their contracts is all over the board, so it’s difficult to guess where he could fall in. I think that the high end would be about $2.2 million, so I would think that the Fien side would ask for about that amount. The Twins should counter north of $1.6 million because if it does go to arbitration, it’d be hard to imagine an arbiter siding with a number less than that. I think that the Twins would counter around $1.8 million. At the end of the day, the midpoint is $2 million and that feels about right. EDUARDO NUNEZ – 1st Year of Arbitration There are always several utility infielders who get to arbitration for the first time each year. The range for first year arbitration utility infielders is anywhere from about $750K to $1.4 million. I think that the Nunez camp will likely ask for around $1.2 million. I could see the Twins countering at about $800K. I think there could be an agreement just shy of the $1 million mark. As you can see, there is a range for where these six arbitration figures can put the Twins payroll. Be sure to check out Jeremy Nygaard’s Rosters & Payroll to keep updated on the Twins payroll. Click here to view the article

It's been a slow offseason thus far, with little Twins-related news outside of coaching hires and procedural roster moves, but an important date falls on Tuesday, which marks the deadline for MLB clubs to offer 2015 contracts to unsigned players. That means that the Twins will need to make decisions on all of their arbitration-eligible players.They already made their call on one of those players, when they announced last week that they had outrighted right-hander Anthony Swarzak from the 40-man roster, effectively making him a free agent. I always felt that Swarzak was somewhat undervalued, because although he was unspectacular, he was pretty solid as a long reliever thanks to his durable arm and his consistent ability to come in and throw strikes for multiple innings. There was nothing glamorous about his role -- he was usually called on to simply soak up innings in an eventual loss following a short start -- but since 2012 Swarzak has ranked second among all MLB relievers in innings pitched, and he has a career 3.66 ERA out of the bullpen. Having said all that, Swarzak's job is not one you want to pay much more than the minimum to cover, and the Twins have plenty of other players that they could utilize or evaluate in that role. Ultimately, the team decided to go in a new direction. Might they make the same choice with some of their other arbitration-eligible players? Let's go through them on a case-by-case basis (contract estimates from the Offseason Handbook): Trevor Plouffe, 3B Estimated Salary: $5M That estimate might be a little on the high side (MLB Trade Rumors predicted $4.3 million) but Plouffe will be in line for a hefty raise in his second go at arbitration. This year he made $2.35 million and set career highs in several categories, including plate appearances, doubles, RBI and OPS+. Retaining him is a no-brainer, though I think it's best to stay year-to-year with him for now rather than looking at a long-term extension. Stay or Go: Stay Brian Duensing, LHP Estimated Salary: $3.5M This is Duensing's third turn at arbitration. Last year he got a $700K raise up to $2 million and this time he'll probably be in line for a larger increase, since he posted an improved ERA and WHIP with a similar workload. The lefty-stifling Duensing is what he is at this point: very adequate in a role that is not hard to fill for less $3 million. Since the money isn't that big of a deal, what it really comes down to is whether the Twins have another lefty reliever they trust outside of Caleb Thielbar. I'd guess they can find one. Stay or Go: Go Tommy Milone, LHP Estimated Salary: $2.5M This might be the trickiest arbitration decision the Twins face. On the one hand, here's an established big-league starter who's only 27 with a 3.98 career ERA. On the other hand, he's never been anything special, and he was terrible after coming to Minnesota, and you could argue that the Twins have at least six guys who should be in line for starts ahead of him. I think he's tendered, but hopefully his elevated pay doesn't influence whether or not he makes the roster next spring. Stay or Go: Stay Casey Fien, RHP Estimated Salary: $2M Though he wasn't quite as good in 2014 as he was in his breakout 2013 season, Fien was plenty valuable as a late-inning reliever. With Jared Burton and Swarzak gone, he's suddenly the most experienced righty in the bullpen. He'll be back. Stay or Go: Stay Jordan Schafer, OF Estimated Salary: $1.6M When he was acquired off waivers in August after being cut by the Braves with a .468 OPS, I figured Schafer's chances of sticking with the Twins for any significant length of time were low. But, in an admittedly short 40-game stretch, the 27-year-old played some of the best ball of his big-league career here in Minnesota, looking every bit the part of at least a quality fourth outfielder. Even if you don't expect him to keep up at that rate (and you shouldn't), he's young and he's got all the requisite skills to be worth keeping around, especially with the Twins' outlook in the outfield clouded by delayed prospect arrivals. Stay or Go: Stay Eduardo Nunez, IF/OF Estimated Salary: $1M This should be an easy decision. Although he offered some positional flexibility after coming over in a trade from the Yankees, appearing all over the field, Nunez was quite bad both offensively and defensively. His job should go to an internal candidate with some upside, or a new pickup who brings more to the table. Stay or Go: Go Click here to view the article