Search the Community

Here we are, the final day of August, and the Minnesota Twins are still in contention for a playoff spot. They will enter September four games over .500. Just like we all anticipated in March, right? Starting today, the Twins may start making some moves to alter and then add to their current roster. On September 1, anyone on the 40-man roster could be called up. Obviously it’s more likely that they call up six or seven players within the next week or so than call up 14 to 15 players. However, there are at least a dozen players who deserve consideration to spend the final month with the big league club. In this article, we’ll discuss several players who are not currently on the 40-man roster who deserve to be considered for a September call-up.The Twins 40-man roster is currently at 40, plus Ricky Nolasco and Ryan Pressly on the 60-day disabled list. In other words, if any of the below players were to be added, someone would have to be removed from the current 40-man roster. The other option is putting a player on the 60-day DL. Phil Hughes and Aaron Hicks won’t be placed on the 60-day DL, but could they put JR Graham on it? Remember that only maybe three to five players will be called up on the 1st and more will come after Labor Day when the minor league regular seasons come to an end. Below you’ll find a bunch of players who are not currently on the 40-man roster but could be considered for a September call-up. The “Odds” at the end of each player’s information is simply my guess as to the odds of them being promoted. I have no knowledge. They are just my guesses based on following the team and such things for a dozen years. Enjoy, and at the end, leave your thoughts. ** Note: About 2:00 central time, my thoughts on the 40 man roster options will be revealed. ** ERIC FRYER – Catcher The Twins will want to add a third catcher. It makes a ton of sense as it will allow Paul Molitor to feel more comfortable pinch hitting for Kurt Suzuki or Chris Herrmann. The only other catcher playing on the Rochester roster right now is Carlos Paulina, though Allan de San Miguel remains on the disabled list. Odds: 99.9% MARK HAMBURGER – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher We wrote about it in spring training, and it very well could happen in September. If the Twins call up Hamburger to pitch in their bullpen, his coach in the bullpen will be Eddie Guardado who he was traded for in August of 2008. Hamburger debuted with the Rangers in 2011 and then things got rough. He pitched for the St. Paul Saints in 2013. The Twins signed him and after serving a suspension in 2014, he pitched well in AA and AAA. He was in big league camp until late and when he got to Rochester, he made four starts. He wasn’t great in the first half, but in 25 games since mid-June, he has been terrific. He has worked short relief, but he has pitched over two innings four times in that span too. In 29.1 innings, he has a 0.92 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. He has walked two and struck out 25. In other words, his case is strong. Odds: 45% PAT DEAN – Left-Handed Starting Pitcher Last week, we ran a story on the southpaw. The 26-year-old has been in the organization since the 2010 draft. He is having a breakout season in 2015. He is 11-11 with the Red Wings with a 2.91 ERA in 170 innings. He has thrown three complete game shutouts and has completed six innings in 20 of his 25 starts. On Sunday afternoon, he tossed eight shutout innings. He wouldn’t start, but he could eat some innings if needed. Odds: 20% MICHAEL BOWDEN – Right-Handed Pitcher The Twins signed Bowden to a minor league contract after he opted out of his deal with the Orioles organization in July. He had an August 22nd opt-out with the Twins but did not use it. With the Red Wings, he made six starts and went 3-2 with a 4.33 ERA. In his most recent start (Thursday), he threw seven shutout innings. He has pitched for the Red Sox and Cubs in the big leagues and spent 2014 playing in Japan. He has started this season in the minors, but has pitched primarily out of the bullpen in the big leagues. Odds: 10% JAMES BERESFORD – Second Baseman The Twins signed Beresford as a 16-year-old from Australia late in 2005. He debuted in the States in 2007. He has gradually and successfully climbed up the Twins system. He has spent the last two-and-a-half years with the Red Wings. In 2015, the 26-year-old has hit .316/.351/.372 (.722) with 21 doubles, one triple and one home run. Earlier in his minor league career, he played more shortstop, but over the last three or four years, he has played almost exclusively second base. He can play all three infield positions. Odds: 25% DOUG BERNIER – Utility Player Bernier has spent at least some time with the Twins in each of the last three seasons. He’s been a utility infielder through most of his minor league career, which spans back to 2002. In 89 games this year with the Red Wings, he hit .242/.334/.292 (.627). The 35-year-old would provide depth. Odds: 15% REYNALDO RODRIGUEZ – First Base/Outfielder The 29-year-old originally signed with the Yankees way back in 2006. He spent some time in independent leagues before spending several years with the Red Sox organization. He has been with the Twins since 2013 and has been a solid extra base producer each year. In his first full season with AAA Rochester, he has hit .261/.313/.458 (.771) with 33 doubles, seven triples and 15 home runs. He also has 11 stolen bases. The odds of him being promoted are low due to his position and other options for the Twins, but his performance on the field certainly warrants discussion. Odds: 2% DANNY ORTIZ – Outfielder Ortiz is 25 years old and was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2008. At 5-11 and about 190 pounds, he doesn’t look like a power hitter, but he is usually good for ten to 12 homers a year. Ortiz was at spring training with the Twins and played OK. He profiles as a fourth or fifth outfielder. He started the year with the Red Wings hitting alright, but really has struggled the last two months. He is down to .241/.290/.414 (.704) with 30 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs. Odds: 1% STUART TURNER – Catcher Turner’s defensive prowess has had him pushed arguably a level higher than he should be the last two years. When looking at his offensive numbers, that shows. However, the defense is legit. In his last 30 games, he has hit .277/.390/.366 with seven extra base hits. He has 19 walks against 20 strikeouts. The Twins have said they want another catcher. We assume that means Eric Fryer as Turner doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2016 season. Odds: 0.1% ADAM BRETT WALKER – Outfielder Since being the Twins third-round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University, he has been one of the most productive hitters in the minor leagues. USA Today has him listed as one of the top five candidate for minor leaguer of the year. Sure, we may say Max Kepler should be on that list, but Walker has had another solid year. In AA, he has hit .241/.314/.500 (.814) with 29 doubles, 29 homers and 100 RBI. He also has 12 stolen bases. Sure, he’s struck out in about 35% of his plate appearances and walked about 9.5% of his time. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season. However, finding playing time for him would be tough. Odds: 5% JT CHARGOIS – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher While other relievers were talked about more coming into the season, Chargois returned to the mound after missing two years with injuries. He flashed a near-triple-digit fastball and a slider and did well. He began in Ft. Myers but spent the second half in Chattanooga. In his last 14 outings (15 innings), he has given up just one earned run. He has to be added to the 40-man roster after the season anyway, so he's certainly an option after the Lookouts playoff run. Odds: 10% JO BERRIOS – Right-Handed Starting Pitcher You knew I had to save the big talker to last, right? Berrios is making another start for Rochester on Monday night. Terry Ryan will see him again and make some sort of decision after the game. It will likely be the most-watched-by-Twins-fans Rochester start in a long time. He’s already at 155.1 innings. He shouldn’t work more than 175 to 180 innings this year, so what will his role be? I don’t know what Terry Ryan needs or wants to see. Berrios can contribute now. Even if you don’t want him to start because of innings concerns, he could be a guy who is ready for long relief duty. A guy who could eat two or three innings to save the rest of the bullpen. Odds: 60% Again, these are all just guesses based on following things for a long time (meaning, I’m old). Let us know what you think. Later today, we’ll discuss the players on the 40-man roster and which of them we think might be added for September. SUMMARY Better Than 50% - Eric Fryer, JO Berrios Close to 50/50 – Mark Hamburger Deserve Stronger Consideration – James Beresford, Pat Dean, JT Chargois Click here to view the article

One year ago, Kurt Suzuki found himself playing in his first All-Star Game at the age of 30. In fact, he was behind the plate, catching teammate Glen Perkins, as the American League won the game at Target Field. Soon after, the Twins had a huge decision to make on the veteran backstop.A year ago, the Twins signed catcher Kurt Suzuki to a one year, $2.75 million contract. The general thought from Twins fans at the time of the signing was that it an OK signing. He would be a veteran presence to help mold Josmil Pinto into a big league catcher. However, the Twins and Suzuki never said that was the reason for his signing. He was brought in to start. And he did. And he played really well. He made his first All-Star team and really earned it. On July 31 of 2014, the MLB trade deadline, the Twins were faced with three options regarding their All-Star catcher. First, they could just do nothing. They could stand pat, keep him the rest of the season and let him become a free agent at the end of the year. They could join the other teams in bidding for his services at the end of the season, or just let him go. Second, they could have sold high and traded him. On July 31, Suzuki was hitting.306/.369/.391 (.760). The team wasn’t in contention, and he could have fetched a solid prospect in return. Maybe that wasn’t really an option. Maybe they tried to trade him and found that they were not getting the kind of return they had hoped for a veteran catcher in an All-Star season. As the trade deadline passed that afternoon, news came out that the Twins went with Option #3. They signed him to a two-year extension. Suzuki was given a two year, $12 million contract with a vesting option for 2017 at $6 million based on plate appearances in 2016. The big question was Would Kurt Suzuki continue to play like he did in the first four months of the 2014? Had he made some sort of alteration in his game that would help him sustain that success? Or, would the pumpkin burst? Let’s take a quick look at the numbers: 2012 (118 games) - .235/.276/.328 (.605)2013 (94 games) - .232/.290/.337 (.627)Through July 31, 2014 (90 games) - .306/.369/.391 (.760)After July 31, 2014 (41 games) - .248/.290/.366 (.656)Through July 8, 2015 (68 games) - .227/.284/.309 (.593)Maybe I’m the only one, but all I can think of is the classic tune from Sesame Street, “One of these things is not like the other.” Come on... it's always good to get a clip from Sesame Street into an article, right? Now good luck getting that tune out of your head today! Those are admittedly just the offensive numbers. Suzuki’s defensive metrics have never graded out well in terms of pitch framing. And in 2014, he threw out 25% of would-be base stealers and that number has dropped to 20% in 2015. To be fair, there are intangibles - especially important with catchers - in the game of baseball, and most of those things can’t be measured with statistics all the time. Just because they can’t be measured does not mean they are not valuable. It’s clear that Twins pitchers believe in Suzuki’s preparation, leadership and ability to work and call a good game. Those things do matter. On Monday night, the Twins sent Chris Herrmann down the Rochester and promoted Eric Fryer to the big league club. Herrmann was hitting just .156/.239/.281 (.521) in 25 games. Fryer had been working out with Team USA, preparing for the Pan Am Games when he learned that he’d been called to join the Twins. After going 0-3 in his first Red Wings game this season, he was on first his next seven games. He hit .625/.667/.750 (1.417) in those games. However, in 42 games since then, he hit .248/.344/.292 (.636), more in line with his career numbers. He had two hits in the Twins win on Wednesday afternoon. Fryer is touted as a strong defensive-minded catcher. Josmil Pinto hasn’t hit like himself most of the 2015 season. He suffered a concussion late in spring training that may have cost him a spot on the Twins Opening Day roster. He has again been on the DL with a concussion for the last month. His defensive skills have always been somewhat critically scrutinized by coaches and even teammates. Stuart Turner was pushed up to AA Chattanooga after a solid second half in Ft. Myers. He continues to be strong defensively and pitchers really enjoy throwing to him. However, his bat has not turned around this season. In 56 games with the Lookouts, he has hit just .183/.276/.267 with five doubles and three home runs. He will be a big league catcher, but he may need to repeat the level in 2016. Mitch Garver, our choice for Hitter of the Year in the Twins minor leagues in 2014, got a spring training invite, but he got off to a slow start with the bat in Ft. Myers this year. Through May 31, Garver was hitting just .185/.317/.215 with four doubles for the Miracle. Since June 1, he has been very good. In 32 games, he has hit .318/.429/.400 with nine doubles. There are some catchers in Cedar Rapids and lower that are certainly at least intriguing, but they have a long way to go. So, what are the Twins to do? With this year’s July 31 trade deadline approaching and the Twins actually being in contention, could they look for an upgrade at catcher? The other option at this point is to hope that Suzuki can have a strong final two months of the 2015 season while continuing to fulfill the importation leadership role that he does have on this year’s team. Click here to view the article

A former first-round pick delivered a walk-off victory in Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon, in a game where both teams combined for thirty-hits and twenty-seven runs to provide the most entertaining game of the year. Elsewhere, there were three quality starts from starting pitchers, and standout games from several hitters.Read on to hear all about the slugfest in Chattanooga, and everything else that happened in Sunday’s action! RED WINGS REPORT Norfolk 3, Rochester 7 Box Score Rochester started the game off with a bang, scoring four runs in the first inning to chase Norfolk starter Zach Davies from the game after recording just two outs. Eddie Rosario started the early rally with a walk, and an error put Reynaldo Rodriguez and Rosario on first and second. Josmil Pinto singled and Rosario raced home, but was thrown out at home for the second out. An Eric Fryer single brought Rodriguez home from third for the game’s first run, then Danny Ortiz brought home two more with a triple to center field. He scored on a single from James Beresford to make it 4-0 after the first inning, and Davies was gone from the game. Rochester struck for two more runs in the fifth inning on singles from Jose Martinez and Beresford, and Aaron Hicks led off the sixth with a home run to left center to put them up 7-1. Alex Meyer made the start for the Red Wings, and delivered a quality start. It was not without it’s warts as he allowed three runs on six hits and four walks, but limited the damage by scattering them and tallying six strikeouts. He pitched into the eighth inning, but walked the first two batters and was replaced by Caleb Thielbar. Sixty-three of his 104 pitches went for strikes on the afternoon. Thielbar allowed the two inherited runners to score in the eighth while recording one out before being lifted for A.J. Achter. He finished the game for his first save of the year, striking out one in 1.2 innings. Hicks (2-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI), Fryer (3-5, 2 R’s, RBI), Ortiz (2-4, 2 R’s, 3B, 2 RBI), and Beresford (2-4, 2 RBI) had multiple hits on the day for the offense. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jacksonville 13, Chattanooga 14 Box Score It was all fireworks all the time in Chattanooga, as the teams combined for thirty hits and twenty-seven runs on the game. Jacksonville jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, before the Lookouts struck for six runs in the bottom of the third. The inning got started with a leadoff triple from Max Kepler, his second on the season, and he scored on an error by the first baseman that came off the bat of Stuart Turner. A Heiker Meneses single moved put runners on first and second, and they both raced home when Byron Buxton tripled to left. Buxton scored on a Dalton Hicks single, then Miguel Sano punctuated the inning with a two-run home run to left. The triple and home run were both Buxton's and Sano’s fifth of the year, respectively. Lookouts starter Greg Peavey gave the lead back immediately in the fourth inning as a hit batter, two singles, and a double tied the score at 6-6 and brought Dallas Gallant into the game. Another double plated two more runs to give Jacksonville the lead 8-6. Chattanooga tied the game at eight in the bottom half when a Levi Michael double brought home Matt Juengel, and a Hicks sac fly brought home Meneses from third base. The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh, when Adam Brett Walker II hits his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot, to make it 9-8. The lead again would not hold as Jake Reed ran into trouble in the top of the eighth, allowing three consecutive singles to score two, and a triple that brought in two more to make the game 12-9 in favor of the Suns. The Lookouts were not about to back down however, and again tied the game in the home team’s half of the inning when Buxton and Meneses scored on a Levi Michael triple after singling themselves, and Sano brought home Michael with a sac fly to make it 12-12. Nick Burdi came in to pitch the ninth inning, and after recording an out, gave up a triple to Kenny Wilson to put the go-ahead run on third. A sac fly gave the Suns the lead before Burdi finished the inning with a strikeout. You just knew the Lookouts lineup was going to not give up in this one, and Walker led off the bottom of the inning with a double to left. A Kepler single and stolen base put the game winning run on second, and a walk to Turner loaded the bases. The tying run scored when Meneses drew a second consecutive walk, and Byron Buxton stepped into the box with the game winning run on third. He popped out in foul territory (wink), but the 2012 first rounder got picked up by 2011’s first-round pick, Levi Michael. His single to left on an 0-1 count brought Kepler racing home to start the walk-off celebration: video by Erika Sperl, aka eLee612 The Lookouts offense pounded out thirteen hits and was 6-14 with runners scoring position. Buxton (2-6, 2 R’s, 3B, 2 RBI), Michael (3-6, R, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI), Walker (2-5, 2 R’s, 2B, HR, RBI), Kepler (2-4, 2 R’s, 3B, BB, SB), and Meneses (2-4, 3 R’s, RBI, BB) filled up the stat sheet for Chattanooga. All four pitchers for Chattanooga gave up an earned run, but the offense would not let them down. Burdi picked up the win to make him 2-3 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Charlotte 5, Fort Myers 2 Box Score This one was a pitcher’s duel until Fort Myers starter Brett Lee left the game after six innings. He allowed just one run on five hits and four walks, while striking out two. Brian Gilbert pitched a scoreless seventh but two walks and a single to start the eighth put the go-ahead run on the scoreboard, and runners on the corners for J.T. Chargois. A groundout and single brought in the inherited runners for a 4-1 Stone Crabs lead before Chargois recorded a strikeout to escape the inning. Fort Myers got one back in the bottom of the eighth, when a Marcus Knecht sac fly brought in Niko Goodrum, but that’s all the Miracle were able to scratch out. Charlotte added an insurance run in the ninth off Brandon Peterson, and reliever Brad Schreiber struck out Tanner Vavra, Engelb Vielma and Zach Granite to end the game. Goodrum was 2-3 on the day with a run scored, a walk, and his fourth stolen base, Knecht and Vielma each recorded an RBI, and Tanner Vavra added a double to lead the offense. As a team they were 1-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 5, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Clinton jumped out to an early lead against Cedar Rapids starter Felix Jorge in the second inning, when consecutive singles put runners on base for first baseman Kristian Brito. His first home run of the year made the score 3-0, and provided all the offense Lumberjack starter Pat Peterson would need. Jorge finished with a quality start, going six innings and allowing the three runs on nine hits and one walk. He struck out five. Sam Clay allowed two runs on two hits and three walks in two innings, giving Clinton some insurance, and Michael Theofanopoulos finished the game with a scoreless ninth. Although they had ten hits as a team, including multi-hit efforts from Max Murphy (3-4), Pat Kelly (2-5, R, 3B), and Trey Vavra (2-4, R, 2B), they managed just one RBI (Jorge Fernandez) and left ten men on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Alex Meyer, Rochester Red Wings (W, 7.0IP, 3 ER’s, 6 H’s, 4 BB, 6 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Levi Michael, Chattanooga Lookouts (3-6, R, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, Game-winning single) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled Day Off Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (6:15 PM CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (2-0, 1.07 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Luke Westphal (0-1,6.57 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin – RHP Jared Wilson (2-0, 1.65 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. Click here to view the article

The Twins reached .500 with their third straight victory over the White Sox on Saturday. Chattanooga also returned to .500 on Saturday with a big win. The Lookouts got big contributions from some major prospects including Jose Berrios, Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco and Zack Jones. And yes, Byron Buxton’s hot streak continued. In eight games since Doug Mientkiewicz sat him for two games, Buxton is hitting .452 and his batting average has increased from .180 to .284! The Miracle won in dramatic fashion as well!It was a good day in the Twins farm system on Saturday. Read below for all of the scores and highlights. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Norfolk 4 Box Score The game was knotted at three going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Veteran Doug Bernier led off the inning with a double, his second of the season. Shortstop Argenis Diaz was asked to bunt. He got the bunt down and pitcher Pedro Beato threw the ball away, allowing Bernier to score the winning run. Taylor Rogers made the start for the Red Wings. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on seven hits. In seven innings, he walked two and struck out five. He helped himself by picking off two runners as well. Logan Darnell came on for the eighth inning and got two outs. One of those came on a pickoff as well. Lester Oliveros got the final out of the eighth and three outs in the ninth to get the win. He walked one and struck one out. Diaz was 2-3. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his sixth double. Eric Fryer hasn’t played a lot, but when he does, he has raked! In this game, he was 2-3 with a walk and two doubles, his second and third. He has played in just eight games, but he now has 12 hits in 23 at bats. His slash line is .522/.577/.652 (1.229). CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Yesterday, I wrote that Byron Buxton is officially back. That trend continued on Saturday night. He doubled in the first inning. He added a triple in his second at bat. In his final at bat, his RBI triple gave the Lookouts some insurance. He was 3-5 in the game with a double and two triples. For a little extra measure, late in the game with a runner on first base, Buxton caught a liner in left centerfield. He then threw out the runner getting back to first base for a big double play, showing off his rocket of an arm. Again, after Doug Mientkiewicz benched him for two games a week ago, Buxton was hitting .180. After today’s showing, he is now at .284. In those eight games, he is hitting .452 (14-31). It was a good day for the big prospects. Jorge Polanco had a big game. He went 2-3 with two walks and his fifth double of the season. He drove in two runs. He also stole his fifth base of the season. Miguel Sano hit his third double off the top of the wall in centerfield. On the mound, Berrios improved to 3-1 with another quality start. He gave up three earned runs on eight hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out nine batters. Cole Johnson worked the next two innings. He gave up two hits, but walked none and struck out four. Zack Jones came on for the ninth inning. He recorded his sixth save in six attempts with a 1-2-3 innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 3 (11 innings) Box Score In the 11th innings, the Miracle had nobody on and two outs. Michael Quesada walked and was replaced by Chad Christensen on the base paths. Tanner Vavra singles. Engelb Vielma then singled to left and Christensen scored to put the Miracle ahead 4-3. Todd Van Steensel came in and shut the door on the Miracle’s extra-inning win. Alex Swim led the Miracle offense. He went 4-5 in the game and is now hitting .326. Marcus Knecht went 2-4 with his fourth double. Tanner Vavra went 2-5. Ryan Eades made the start for the Miracle. He struggled with his command. He gave up three runs on two hits and five walks in five innings. He struck out four. Alex Muren came on and threw two scoreless innings. Madison Boer struck out three over three scoreless frames. Van Steensel’s save was his first of the year. He struck out one. The bullpen combined for six no-hit, no-run innings to give the team a chance. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Clinton 6 (13 innings) Box Score Third baseman TJ White led off the bottom of the 13th inning with a triple. After a pop-out, Red Wing native Pat Kelly came up and hit a fly ball to left field. Fortunately for the Kernels, and the fans waiting for fireworks after the game, White was safe at home and the Kernels had a one-run win. video by Steve Buhr In the 11th inning, Tanner English had tripled. Because his team had struggled to score runs in the last week, Jake Mauer sent him home but he was thrown out. Down by a run in the bottom of the 9th, it was Nick Gordon who singled in a run to send it to extra innings. Gordon led the offense. He went 3-6 in the game and drove in two runs. TJ White went 2-4 with two walks and the triple. Tyler Kuresa had two hits. Brett Doe hit his first home run. Michael Cederoth started the game for the Kernels. He gave up three unearned runs on three hits. In four innings, he walked five and struck out seven. Randy LeBlanc came in and gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. CK Irby walked one and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Cameron Booser came on and gave up one hit and two walks in two scoreless innings. He struck out three. Finally, Trevor Hildenberger struck out four batters in three scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit to get the Win. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Madison Boer, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) – RHP Greg Peavey Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (3:05 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

The organization-wide success of the minor league affiliates continued on Wednesday with two wins and two extra-inning losses. There had been some questions on Monday about why Adrian Salcedo - and not Alex Wimmers - was making the start for Chattanooga. Well, it turns out the Lookouts were going to be cautious with Wimmers after he experienced a tight hamstring. The club has pushed him back to Sunday. Let's take a look at what happened on the farm on Wednesday.RED WINGS REPORT ROCHESTER 11, SCRANTON/WB 6 Box Score The Red Wings dug themselves an early hole in this morning showdown before running away with a 5-inning ninth to secure their fifth victory in six games. For better or worse, the story of this game will be the struggles of Alex Meyer. Meyer failed to complete four innings (3.2 IP) and surrendered five runs (all earned) on seven hits and five(!) walks. He struck out six and now sports an ERA of 8.31. Of the 88 pitches Meyer threw today, only 49 found the strike zone. Watching parts of the game, many balls weren't even close. The clamoring you hear is no longer about putting Meyer in the Twins rotation, it’s about putting him in the bullpen. For now, though, the investment in Meyer as a starter will continue, and rightfully so. One of the positives of Rochester’s young season has been the performance of the bullpen. Today it was the trio of Stephen Pryor, Caleb Thielbar and A.J. Achter. Pryor gave up a run in his 2.1 IP, walking two. But the trio combined to throw 5.1 innings, allowing only four hits, two walks and a run. Each of Pryor and Thielbar struck out three. Simply put, this bullpen has been everything the Twins bullpen hasn’t been through a week of the season. The lineup sprayed 15 hits around today, led by Eric Fryer (four hits, four RBI) and Josmil Pinto (four hits, RBI). Danny Ortiz had a two hits and Jose Martinez drove in two runs. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER CHATTANOOGA 4, BIRMINGHAM 3 Box Score After dropping their opener, the Lookouts have been on a tear. The Lookouts needed all 27 outs to secure a victory on Wednesday... and then needed to make sure they got their 27th out before celebrating their home opener. Tyler Duffey took a no-decision despite having, arguably, the best game of any Twins pitcher - majors or minors - this season. Duffey struck out eight in seven innings. He walked one and allowed two hits. He got eight outs on the ground and only one through the air. He STILL hasn't allowed a run to score. He does however, have the bad luck of his bullpen blowing both of his (potential) wins. After Dalls Gallant gave the lead up, Zack Jones retired the side (but not without making it interesting by allowing a triple) with three swinging strike outs. The Lookouts retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth after a Levi Michael walk was followed by a Byron Buxton single. A Miguel Sano fielder's choice advanced Michael to third before a Mike Gonzales single scored him. Both Adam Brett Walker (home run) and Jorge Polanco (double) had extra-base hits in multi-hit efforts. Buxton went 1-for-4 and Sano went 0-for-4. Neither of them struck out though, which is a better sign. MIRACLE MATTERS FORT MYERS 1, TAMPA 3 (11 innings) Box Score Kohl Stewart tossed a career-high eight innings on Wednesday night. Though the press box didn’t have an official pitch count, all reports indicate that Stewart was very efficient. While he didn't strike out a high amount of guys (three), he didn't walk many either (two) and only allowed one run on eight hits. He had an impressive 12:3 groundout to flyout ratio as well. Unfortunately, Stewart got a no-decision. Alex Muren relieved Stewart and gave up two runs in the 11th to get hung with a loss. Brian Gilbert finished it off. The bats were pretty quiet again for the Miracle. Aderling Mejia had two hits, including a double, but is still only batting .120 on the season. Niko Goodrum also doubled, but saw his average drop to .345, which leads the team by a wide margin. Last year's playoff hero, Jason Kanzler, went 0-for-3 and is now in a 0-for-23 slump that involves 14 strikeouts. Max Kepler got a hit in his first prolonged action as he works his way back from some elbow discomfort. KERNELS NUGGETS CEDAR RAPIDS 2, PEORIA 3 (12 innings) Box Score It took 12 innings, but the Kernels finally lost a game this year. Mat Batts had a solid outing, pitching six innings and only allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. He struck out five. Both Sam Clay and Trevor Hildenberger struck out four in three innings, but Hildenberger couldn't go unscathed, giving up the winning run in the top of the 12th. The middle of the lineup really struggled, going 0-for-13 with six strikeouts and two walks. Zach Granite had three hits (of the eight) and drove in two runs. Tanner English added a double. Nick Gordon got the day off today. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Eric Fryer Pitcher of the Day - Kohl Stewart THURSDAY'S PROBABLES Rochester vs Pawtucket (7:05 ET) - Taylor Rogers (0-0, 0.00) faces off against top prospect Henry Owens (0-0, 1.42) in a battle of lefties. Rochester has a one-game lead on Pawtucket in the International League North. Fort Myers vs Tampa (7:05 ET) - Aaron Slegers (1-0, 0.00) will be on the mound as the Miracle try to battle back to .500. Chattanooga vs Birmingham (7:15 ET) - Jose Berrios (1-0, 1.42) looks to build off his season-opener as the first-place Lookouts intend to stretch their five-game winning streak to six. Cedar Rapids vs Peoria (7:35 ET) - John Curtiss (1-0, 4.76) Click here to view the article

On Sunday morning, seven players from Minnesota Twins spring training were told that they would not be on the Twins Opening Day roster. The most intriguing name of the bunch was infielder Chris Colabello. This leaves the Twins with 42 players on their spring roster.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here are the players sent to minor league camp: Chris Colabello was last year's feel-good minor league story. He has had a great past 12 months. At this time last year, he has just signed with the Twins after being named Baseball America's Independent Leagues player of the year in 2011. He made the New Britain roster and was a mainstay in the middle of their lineup all season. He received the invite to spring training and made a name for himself on a national (international?) level with some big games and big hits for Team Italy in the WBC. He returned to the Twins late last week. He will likely spend most of the season in Rochester this year, but don't be at all surprised if the Twins call his name if they have a need for a bat. Brian Dinkelman hit .301 for the Twins in 2011 in a part-time role. He spent all of 2012 with Rochester and didn't play a lot due to injury. He provides the Twins with depth in the corner outfield spots as well as the right side of the infield. Clete Thomas got some time with the Twins in 2012 after spending his entire career in the Tigers organization. He returned to the Twins on a minor league deal after hitting for power with the Red Wings. He'll return to Rochester this spring and play all around the outfield. Mark Sobolewski was selected by the Twins in the minor league portion of December's Rule 5 draft from the Blue Jays organization. He showed well for himself in Twins camp, displaying good defense. He likely would have competed with Deibinson Romero for playing time but Romero has still not arrived from the Dominican Republic due to visa issues. Deolis Guerra came off of the 40 man roster last November, but he returned on a minor league contract. He pitched very well in the Venezuelan Winter League and was excited to represent his country in the WBC. Unfortunately, shoulder pain was diagnosed as a blood clot. He will be having surgery in the near future. Shairon Martis was invited to big league camp after coming to the Twins in a minor trade last summer. He didn't pitch much for the Twins before joining Team Netherlands in Taiwan, and then Japan, and now in San Francisco for the WBC. He should factor into the Red Wings pitching staff this season. Eric Fryer got time with the Pirates the past two season. He played well in spring, but he could find himself in either New Britain or Rochester. The Twins now have 42 players in big league camp including 22 pitchers (5 non-roster), 4 catchers (1 non-roster), 9 infielders (3 non-roster) and 7 outfielders (2 non-roster). View full article

Eric Fryer is one of four catchers on the Minnesota Twins 40 man roster. We know that Kurt Suzuki will be on the Opening Day roster, but who will join him? Will it be the offensive force that Josmil Pinto could be? Will Chris Herrmann’s versatility and athleticism put him in the role? Eric Fryer knows that his defense is what gives him a chance to make the Twins Opening Day roster. I had the chance to talk one-on-one with Fryer last month at Twins Fest and got to learn a lot more about him and about what goes through the mind of a good catcher.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Eric Fryer was born in August of 1985 in Columbus, Ohio. He said, “Columbus is kind of a Cleveland/Cincinnati split, but I was always a Reds fan. My dad liked The Big Red Machine.” And his favorite player? “I liked watching Pete Rose play, just how he always went hard-nosed and just went at it.” Fryer became a star in high school. He attended Reynoldsburg High School where fifteen years earlier another Major Leaguer honed his skills. The player is someone that Fryer has emulated throughout his career. “My favorite athlete was Mike Matheny. He was a catcher. We went to the same high school, same high school coach and everything. Talk about a guy who knows how to run a staff, knows how to block and throw and everything. I liked to watch him play as much as I could. He’s built a lot different than me. He’s a lot bigger than I am. It was cool. I got to see his Hall of Fame induction in our high school, got to meet him a couple of times, so it’s always been cool trying to follow in his footsteps. From the same hometown, getting up to the big leagues. So, I always emulated him growing up.” Matheny had a 13 year major league career and won four Gold Glove awards behind the plate. He was the catcher on two St. Louis Cardinals teams that lost in the World Series. In 2012, he was named the Cardinals manager, and in 2013, he led the team to the World Series where they fell to the Red Sox. Matheny went on to the University of Michigan. Fryer stayed home and played for THE Ohio State University. Following the 2007 college season, Fryer was the 10th round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers. After hitting .335/.407/.506 (.914) in the SALLY League in his first full season, he was traded by the Brewers to the Yankees for left-handed pitcher Chase Wright. In late June of 2009, he was on the move again, this time to the Pirates in exchange for pinch-hitter Eric Hinske. He hit .300/.391/.474 (.865) in 2010. In 2011, he moved up to AA Altoona where he hit .345/.427/.549 (.976) in 37 games. On June 26, he was called up to the big leagues and made his big league debut against the Boston Red Sox. It was an eventful debut. He started, batted eighth, caught James McDonald, and faced Andrew Miller. “I got thrown at in in my big league debut, and I had a collision at home plate with David Ortiz. So that was certainly memorable. He didn’t hit me super hard.” He played in ten games for the Pirates over about five weeks before being sent down to AAA Indianapolis. In 2012, he played in six more games with the Pirates. Following that season, he became a six-year minor league free agent, and the Twins signed him quickly to a minor league deal. He spent the entire minor league season with the Rochester Red Wings, playing for manager Gene Glynn. “For a while, we had like five catchers on the roster at one time. It’s pretty tough to get everyone some playing time, but the communication he had was very good. He let everyone know the plan. Down the stretch, him and (Red Wings pitching coach) Marty Mason, we got together and had a pretty good game plan as we put together a playoff push. They just really showed me how to lead, how I could lead the staff. They trusted my judgment, what I saw. They helped with the running game. For the most part, they gave their input and really encouraged me to do what I believe with the pitchers and it worked out well for us.” When the Red Wings playoff run came to an end, Fryer was one of seven players promoted to the Twins for the remainder of September. The circumstances of his promotion were very similar. As Fryer said, “In 2011 (in Pittsburgh), there were a lot of injuries. I think I was the eighth catcher the Pirates used that year.” He continued, “(It was a) Similar situation here with Joe (Mauer) and Ryan (Doumit) and the concussions. They needed an extra catcher. It was a fresh start for me. I was really excited to go up there.” Fryer played in just six games for the Twins, but hit .385 including his first major league home run, a moment he will never forget, even if it came in a game the Twins would rather forget. “It was pretty cool. I hit it. It is a huge ball park, especially in left center, so I was busting out of the box thinking maybe a double. Then the umpire put his hand up and swirled it. Oh my gosh. I’m not really a home run hitter. It was a huge joy, but I didn’t really know how to act. I think it was 16-2 or 3 at the time, so I had to kind of be cool. Everybody in the dugout was great, smiling. Gardy, after the game, like he does for everybody’s first home run I guess, brought everyone together, tossed the ball to me. So, it was a really cool moment that they made special even though the game is one we want to forget.” Since the offseason, Terry Ryan and others have continued to talk about the positive impression that Fryer has made within the organization. As any of us would, Fryer feels good about that. “I really appreciate that. It’s a big honor. It’s just nice to know that they trust you. Sometimes people worry that the backup catcher, whatever the role is, they’re going to derail it. You want to have a guy who will keep continuity with the staff and with the game plan every time out there. I think last year I showed I can do that. It wasn’t a lot of playing time, but when I went out there, I did some things that they liked. Did some things that the pitchers liked. So hopefully I can move forward and do the same thing.” Fryer is known as a defensive catcher. So, what does that term mean to him? “I think I have a pretty good relationship with pitchers. I think they know that when I’m back there, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing with the bat or anything. It’s me and them. We’re going to get through the game each time. I try to take it seriously, get stretched out, have a game plan. It was nice in AAA, I’ve been there a little bit so I kind of knew hitters, so that was a good part of the game. But, defensively, I think I do a pretty good job holding pitches, catching the low pitch, with balls in the dirt. They’re going to know that I’m going to do my best. Defensively, I’m going to do my best for them.” Fryer is a smart guy and knows that the best way to learn is through playing, but also through watching how others prepare. “I love picking the brains of the older guys. When I was with the Pirates, I got to talk to AJ Burnett and Kevin Correia. It’s just nice seeing those guys, even if you’re not playing, to see how they go about their business, how they prepare for a game, what they look for with hitters. It’s nice to talk to a lot of those guys.” So, how does he put all of that information into action during a game? In 2013, Fryer worked with many of the pitchers that we saw with the Twins. “Communication is big, not only with the pitcher, but the pitching coach and the manager, especially in the minor leagues. All those guys, when they’re going good, they’re attacking hitters. They’re going after hitters. They’re getting ahead. Catching Andrew Albers, some of his complete games, he was Strike 1, 0-1. It’s a big advantage to the pitchers, puts the hitters at a huge disadvantage. I was catching Vance (Worley) when he was rolling down there in AAA too. (Caught Kyle) Gibson a lot. The recipe was pretty much the same. We attack with the fastball, get ahead of guys, and then you can start picking around and do what you want to. Always pitch to their strengths, that’s the biggest thing. Whether it’s not working that day, we’re going to get it going the right direction one way or another. If it doesn’t work, start getting hit around, we go to plan B. I don’t like them to be passive, I want them to be aggressive. Go after hitters. I think that’s been a big recipe of mine, calling pitches.” Fryer is excited about the 2014 season and the signings that the Twins made, adding a couple of guys who have had a lot of success. “You want as many guys with playoff experience coming in here. Build a tradition, build it back up where there’s an expectation of going out there and winning every ball game. The moves that we made, it sounds like we’re moving the right direction.” I asked Fryer about his goals for spring training, and if that included making the Twins Opening Day roster. He said, “I think all of us are planning on making the team, but in the past, I’ve had chances to do that. If you start putting too much pressure on results instead of working to improve every day, then you actually put yourself in a worse situation. So I think going out and approaching it the same way I have each spring, just each day get a little better, build up to the start of the season. Normally that puts me in a pretty good spot. I think all of us -- me, Pinto, Herrmann, whoever else is challenging -- we’re going to approach it the same way.” But Fryer has a good perspective on this game. He fully understands his role as a backup catcher and dives into that headfirst. He is a guy that you can’t help but cheer for. “You never know when it’s going to be your last time in the big leagues. So I just want to do the best I can and play with my hair on fire,” Fryer continued. “Every day, I just try to treat it as a blessing. You never know when it’s going to be done, whether it is injury or they’re just going to tell you you’re not good enough, so go out there and play as hard as you can and enjoy it.” View full article