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There's a good chance that at least one of these players will find time on the Twins next season; read about what they can bring to the table. Image courtesy of Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports Here we are in mid-December. The Rule 5 draft has passed, and reports over the past week have shown the the Twins have made some minor-league signings. Here are some notes on those who have signed to this point, at least the ones that we have heard. No one gets overly excited about minor-league signings, but as we have seen in recent years, injuries and Covid have forced the Twins to play a lot of players. So these are not meaningless signings. C-Jair Camargo The one returning player to re-sign with the Twins. Camargo came to the organization in the Kenta Maeda/Brusdar Graterol trade before the 2020 season. Camargo split his season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. He is a good athlete with a strong arm. He doesn't like to walk, and he has some swing-and-miss, but he has shown a lot of power 1B/DH-Tyler White Tyler White's name may ring a tiny bell; the first baseman collected over 800 plate appearances for the Houston Astros between 2016 and 2019, earning a World Series ring while slashing .241/.319/.420. White’s MLB career peaked with an excellent 2018 campaign where he collected 1.7 fWAR over 66 games, buoying his career total of 1.2. After a trade to the Dodgers in 2019, the Western Carolina University product failed to recapture his previous magic, bouncing between the KBO and three minor league systems in his search for a home. The 32-year-old White is your prototypical minor league free agent, but he did own a .900 OPS with Buffalo in 2021, perhaps hinting that his best baseball is not yet gone. RHP-José De León Finally, The Twins have acquired José De León. A crucial part of the Great Brian Dozier Trade Talks of 2016, De León is now, unfortunately, the tale of a pitching prospect gone awry. De León owns 48 MLB innings scattered across five seasons; his 18 1/3 frames in 2021 represent his highest single-season total. The culprit? Injuries. The Southern University product often endures extended bouts without time on the mound, never coming close to hitting his career high in innings set between A+ and AA in 2015 (114 ⅓.) De León’s stuff is good, so if he remains on the mound, he could boost a pitching staff always needing an extra jolt. RHP-Carlos Luna The Panamian native, Carlos Luna, crosses the border, trekking from Milwaukee’s system to Minnesota’s. Luna joined the Brewers as a 17-year-old, pitching deep in the recesses of Rookie Ball in 2014 and 2015 before missing all of 2016 and 2017 with (presumably) an injury. The 26-year-old stayed knocking on the door, putting up adequate numbers just shy of worthy of a cup of coffee; he pitched 109 1/3 innings at AA last season. Luna’s baseball peak occurred when he netted the final 12 outs of a combined no-hitter in 2021. RHP-Patrick Murphy A member of the Blue Jays and Nationals organizations, Patrick Murphy tossed 39 2/3 middling innings in the majors—mostly in 2021—and looks to start fresh with the Twins. Murphy owns a 96 MPH fastball, which renders any more analysis unnecessary. It’s unlikely that Murphy will suddenly learn command, but minor-league deals are pure upside moves by nature, so if he does, then the Twins can reap the rewards of an effective multi-inning reliever. Murphy punched out 26.1% of batters at AAA last season. View full article

The Minnesota Twins will add Edouard Julien to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. That’s about the only certainty as Tuesday’s deadline approaches. Here’s a rundown of some of the other names the Twins might consider protecting. View full video

On Tuesday, the Twins began their 40-man roster cleanup. When the World Series is complete, several players will become free agents. The Twins will have several minor-league players becoming free agents. We will explain which players are eligible for free agency, and in today's installment, I'll write about three hitters that I think the Twins should try to bring back. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily (left: Jair Camargo, right: Wander Javier) Immediately following the completion of the World Series, players eligible for free agency will officially become free agents. The Twins have over 30 minor leaguers eligible for free agency at that time including 11 hitters. Here are three that I think the Twins should attempt to retain. But first, let's talk about the team's transactions from Tuesday and which players are eligible for free agency. Tuesday Transactions Let’s start by going through the Twins-related transactions from Tuesday. RHP Jhon Romero and LHP Devin Smeltzer were outrighted and sent to the Saints. Three players were claimed by other organizations. C/1B Caleb Hamilton was claimed by the Boston Red Sox. OF Jake Cave was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles. SS Jermaine Palacios was claimed by the Detroit Tigers. The Twins roster is currently at 47 players (27 pitchers, 20 hitters). There are still 10 players on the 60-Day IL that will soon have to be removed from the 60-Day IL. About ten players will either become free agents or have a player or team option on their 2023 seasons. Minor-League Free-Agent Hitters Let’s start the regularly-scheduled portion of today’s article by considering who is eligible to become a minor-league free agent. Sometimes, they are called six-year minor-league free agents because they become free agents after they have played six minor-league seasons. Of course, being on the 40-man roster means that they won’t be a free agent. At that point, the three option years come into play Players drafted in 2016 can be minor-league free agents. For example, LHP Zach Featherstone was the Twins 12th round pick in 2016. He’s missed a lot of time with injuries. If the Twins don’t add him to the 40-man roster before the end of the World Series, Featherstone will be a free agent. Alex Kirilloff. Jose Miranda. Griffin Jax. Jordan Balazovic. Each of these players was also drafted by the Twins in 2016. Each of them is currently on the 40-man roster. Because of that, they cannot become free agents. Devin Smeltzer cleared waivers and was outrighted and sent to St. Paul. However, since he was drafted by the Dodgers in 2016, he will become a free agent after the World Series. Had Caleb Hamilton cleared waivers, he would have been a free agent also. That’s important because of the Red Sox DFA and he clears, he can be a free agent. That tells me that the Red Sox are likely to keep him on their roster throughout the offseason. However, if the Twins remove any of them from the 40-man roster, they can choose to become a minor-league free agent. International players signed in 2015 can be minor-league free agents Wander Javier signed with the Twins on July 2, 2015, as a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Jair Camargo signed with the Dodgers on July 10, 2015, out of Colombia. Their pro careers began in the Dominican Summer League in 2016. Of note, Jhon Romero cleared waivers on Tuesday, but at the end of the World Series, he will become a free agent. Veterans Players signed as minor-league free agents will again become minor-league free agents. Occasionally there are two-year minor-league contracts. One example of that is veteran Brock Stewart. The Twins signed the former top prospect late this summer. He finished his rehab and pitched in some games late in the season. He should come into 2023 fully healthy and ready to compete for a return to the big leagues in a bullpen role with the Twins. Three Hitters to Keep It is probably worth noting that as a minor-league free agent, players can actually make some decent money. Obviously, that is based on their level of play, age, and competition for the player’s services. Often, minor-league contracts will come with an invitation to big-league spring training. #1 - Catcher Jair Camargo Camargo came to the Twins in 2020 with Kenta Maeda in the deal that sent Brusdar Graterol to the Dodgers. He split the 2020 season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. In 77 games, he hit .262/.310/.483 (.793) with 11 doubles and 18 home runs. While he still didn’t walk much, his approach at the plate was much improved. And he became a reliable middle-of-the-order hitter for his teams. Defensively, he has work to do behind the plate, but he does continue to improve. He is athletic and has a strong arm. In 2022, he threw out 38% of would-be base stealers at both Cedar Rapids and Wichita. Camargo may not be one of the Twins more well-known prospects, but he is a name to know. He just turned 23 on July 1st. I don’t know what kind of offers he could get as a minor-league free agent, but I would prioritize bringing him back. Ideally, the Twins would offer him a fantastic minor-league deal and get him to sign it after the Rule 5 draft so they don’t have to worry about him being selected. If not, they may need to consider adding him to the 40-man roster, and if that’s the case, they might as well do it before the World Series ends to avoid the risk of losing him. #2 - Infielder Wander Javier In 2015, Javier was one of the top 16-year-olds available in the international market. The Twins signed him to a $4 million bonus. This summer, Twins Director of Player Personnel Mike Radcliff acknowledged on Bally Sports that the Twins also had an agreement with Juan Soto before he backed out and signed with the Nationals for $1.5 million. While he put up some strong numbers in the rookie leagues, he also missed a lot of time due to injury. He played just nine games in 2016 in the DSL. He missed all of 2018 with a shoulder injury that cost him time early in 2019. Then, he didn’t play in 2020. In 2021, he stayed in Cedar Rapids, though the league had changed from Low-A to High-A. He hit .225 with a .280 on-base percentage, but he also had 15 doubles, 10 triples, and 12 home runs in 96 games. He returned to the Kernels this year, and in 109 games, he hit .209 with a .273 on-base percentage. He hit 14 doubles, five triples, and 12 home runs. He ended the season with seven games for the Saints and had two hits in 20 at-bats including a home run. So why would I want the Twins to bring back Javier? Well, he will turn 24 near the end of December. He is a very good athlete, and while he just has not hit at High-A, he has the speed and strength to develop at some point. Maybe. Defensively, he is a better-than-average defensive shortstop with good range and a strong arm. The Twins have had him play almost exclusively at shortstop throughout his time in the organization. However, after 2022 top pick Brooks Lee joined the Kernels, Javier played mostly third base and a couple of games at second base. I wouldn’t mind it if the Twins brought him back and used him as a utility infielder. He has had the pressure of his signing bonus all these years, and maybe being able to remove some of that might help. Of course, potentially the best way for him to do that would be to get a new start elsewhere. #3 - Outfielder Leobaldo Cabrera Leobaldo Cabrera, a 24-year-old outfielder from Venezuela has had an interesting career. He originally signed with the Yankees back in July 2015 for $250,000. A year later, they signed his brother Oswaldo Cabrera. Leobaldo was released by the Yankees in 2018. Oswaldo made his MLB debut in August. The Twins allowed Leobaldo to spend a weekend with his family to be at his brother’s debut. In 2019, Cabrera began to play in the independent Empire League. The Twins liked his power potential and his big outfield arm and in April of 2021, they signed him as a depth piece in the minor leagues. He began in Ft. Myers where he rarely played where he played five games. Then he moved up to Cedar Rapids and only played 14 games. But then he went to Double-A Wichita and hit .235/.335/.482 (.817) with seven doubles and 11 homers in 52 games. He re-signed with the Twins and spent the whole season in Wichita. In 83 games, he hit .223/.309/.356 (.665). When you consider he started the season by going 0-for-32 in April, it’s not quite so far. He is still just 24. He has some right-handed power, and like his brother, he has a rocket for an arm. He’s also just a pretty good defensive outfielder. Other Soon-To-Bee Minor-League Free Agents C/1B Roy Morales IF Nash Knight IF Elliot Soto OF John Andreoli OF Braden Bishop OF Cole Sturgeon C Chance Sisco OF Zach Huffins Would you be interested in seeing the Twins bring any of these hitters back? I’ll be back soon with the potential minor-league free agents. View full article

We are down to the final week of minor league baseball in the Twins organization. On Sunday night, the Wichita Wind Surge played game one of the Texas League Championship Series in Frisco, Texas. The Saints will conclude their season with a three-game series starting on Monday. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge The Wind Surge are in the championship series. We'll alter the "normal" template and order of the minor league report today and start with them.. On Sunday night, the Wind Surge were in Frisco for Game 1 of the Texas League Championship Series. Unfortunately, it did not go well for Wichita. However, they will make the drive back to Wichita where they will host Frisco for Game 2 on Tuesday and, hopefully, Game 3 on Wednesday. Turnabout is fair play, I guess. In the semi-final series, the Wind Surge beat Tulsa by a combined, two-game score of 28-2. On Sunday, the Wind Surge were on the other side of a blowout game. Lefty Kody Funderburk got the Game 1 start for the Wind Surge. In the regular season, he had gone 10-5 with a 2.94 ERA. He had made 17 starts and 15 relief appearances. On this day, it didn't translate. He gave up one run in the first inning and then four runs in the second inning. In his 1 1/3 innings, he gave up five runs on four hits and four walks. Osiris German came on and allowed one inherited runner to score but that was it. He struck out two batters in 1 2/3 innings. In the top of the fourth inning, Yunior Severino put the Wind Surge on the board with a solo home run. Blayne Enlow worked the fourth and fifth innings. After a scoreless inning, he gave up a solo homer to Scott Kapers. Wichita was down 6-1 heading into the sixth inning. Jordan Gore came in to pitch the sixth inning. He recorded one out. Unfortunately, he walked two batters and then gave up an RBI single. He then walked the bases loaded before being replaced by Francis Peguero. His first batter faced was Scott Kapers who hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach. (Should I mention that Kapers batted ninth? He went 2-for-5 with five RBI in the game?) Denny Bentley and Aaron Rozek each pitched a scoreless inning. Jair Camargo scored Will Holland with a single in the top of the eighth inning. Severino added a sacrifice fly that scored Austin Martin and give us the final score of 11-3. Severino went 1-for-2 with a walk, his home run and two RBI. Jair Camargo and Brooks Lee each went 2-for-4 in the game. The Rangers have a solid minor-league system, and the Frisco RoughRiders roster includes several of the organization's top prospects. Consider the pitching staff includes the likes of Jack Leiter, Antoine Kelly, Owen White, and Avery Weems. They never did activate their 2022 top pick Kumar Rocker who will participate in the Arizona Fall League. Several of the top prospects were moved to Double-A over the past several weeks. The top six hitters in their lineup on Sunday night are Top 30 prospects. Jonathan Ornelas is the Rangers #22 prospect according to MLB Pipeline (Not top 30 at Baseball American). He was the RoughRiders leadoff man in this game and went 4-for-5 in the game. Outfielder Evan Carter (#1 at MLB Pipeline #3 at Baseball America) batted second and went 0-for-1 but walked four times. Justin Foscue (#5 at MLB Pipeline, #9 at BA) was the Rangers first-round pick in 2020. He went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the game. Batting fourth was OF Aaron Zavala (#11 MLB Pipeline, #12 at BA) who walked twice. Thomas Saggese (#20 MLB Pipeline) had a double and a walk. Luisangel Acuna (#7 MLB Pipeline, #6 Baseball America) walked once. Game 1: Frisco 11, Wichita 3 Box Score SAINTS SENTINEL The Saints had a scheduled off day on Sunday as they returned home from Indianapolis. On Monday, the team will start its final series of the 2022 season. They have three home games against the Omaha Storm Chasers at CHS Field. Tickets for all three games are available at the Saints website. TRANSACTIONS Utility man Elliot Soto was activated from the Injured List. Also, RHP Aaron Sanchez cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Saints. It will be interesting to see if he reports or elects free agency this late in the season. PITCHING PROBABLES Monday Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07 pm) - RHP Jackson Kowar (4-10, 6.16 ERA) vs RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 2.64) Tuesday Game 2: Frisco @ Wichita (7:05 pm) - TBD vs LHP Brent Headrick (8-2, 2.34) Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07 pm) - LHP Angel Zerpa (0-0, 1.59 ERA) vs RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-7, 7.81 ERA) Wednesday Game 3 (if necessary): Frisco @ Wichita (7:05 pm) - TBD vs TBD Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07) - RHP Alec Marsh (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs TBD IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Last week, Twins Daily handed out our 2022 Minor League Awards. If you missed any of them, see below. Short-Season Hitter of the Year: Jose Rodriguez Short-Season Pitcher of the Year: Miguel Olivares Minor League Hitter of the Year: Matt Wallner Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: Louie Varland Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Evan Sisk View full article

The Wichita Wind Surge, Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, got blown out in the first game of the Texas League championship series. Yunior Severino blasted his 20th home run of the season. Jair Camargo and Brooks Lee each had a pair of hits in the 11-3 loss. Ronny Henriquez delivered 4 2/3 shutout innings of work for the Twins and Caleb Hamilton recorded his first-career hit, a home run. An ugly ninth inning with Trevor Megill on the mound resulted in the Twins losing to the Angels 10-3. View full video

With a decisive two-game sweep of the Tulsa Drillers, the Wichita Wind Surge are heading to the Championship Series! Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS NONE SAINTS SENTINEL Saints 4, Guardians 6 Box Score The Saints took one on the chin Thursday. Randy Dobnak started and gave up three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Dobnak allowed five hits while walking two and striking out one. Cole Sands was excellent in relief, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Evan Sisk also added two scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to a sterling 2.20. The Saints tallied 12 hits in an overall strong offensive effort. Michael Helman went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Cole Sturgeon put the Saints on the board with an RBI single in the first, one of his two hits on the night. Roy Morales went 3-for-3 with two walks out of the cleanup spot. Morales is hitting .295/406/.404 in 42 games for the Saints. Nash Knight also notched two hits and Andrew Bechtold drove in two with a double in the eighth. The Saints went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position but couldn’t quite break through enough for a win. The Saints are 69-75 with five games remaining. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 11, Drillers 1 Box Score The Wind Surge clinched their Division Series with a decisive victory Thursday. Now advancing to the Championship Series, the Wind Surge once again relied on their overwhelming offense to complete the sweep. Jair Camargo was absolutely incredible, belting two homers and driving in five. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. also blasted a homer, a solo shot in the fifth. Leobaldo Cabrera made sure to get in on the action with a two-run homer in the eighth. Wind Surge starter Daniel Gossett worked around five walks in his four-inning outing. Gossett struck out four and allowed one run on three hits. Cody Laweryson, continuing his outstanding campaign, struck out three over three innings of scoreless relief. Steven Cruz and Alex Phillips each added scoreless innings themselves. It’s been a special second half for Wichita. The Surge outscored Tulsa 28-2 in the two-game sweep. Next up: the Frisco RoughRiders. Frisco swept San Antonio, setting up a great matchup in the Texas League Championship Series. Game 1 is set for Sunday at 5:05 p.m. CT in Frisco. TWINS MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Minor League Hitter of the Day: Jair Camargo (3-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI) Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Cody Laweryson (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 Brooks Lee - 0-for-5 #4 Austin Martin - 1-for-4, 2B, BB #14 Edouard Julien - 1-for-4, 2B, BB #17 Cole Sands - 2 1/3 IP, H, 0 R/ER, BB, 3 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Saints - RHP Dereck Rodríguez QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? LEAVE THEM BELOW! View full article

The Wichita Wind Surge, Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, have advanced to the Texas League championship series after an impressive showing in their first-round matchup. After taking Game 1 by a score of 17-1, Wichita advances after winning 11-1 tonight. Jair Camargo was the star, hitting a pair of home runs en route to a 3-for-4 night in which he drove in five runs and scored four times. DaShawn Keirsey homered for the second-straight game for Wichita. In St. Paul, Randy Dobnak had a rough start before Cole Sands and Evan Sisk both impressed out of the bullpen. View full video

The Wichita Wind Surge opened postseason play with a 17-1 blowout. Brent Headrick got things going with a strong start while DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Jair Camargo and Edouard Julien were among the many hitters who had big nights. Also included in tonight's recap are highlights of Simeon Woods Richardson's quality start for St. Paul View full video

The Minnesota Twins beat the White Sox 5-1 Sunday to regain a share of the AL Central division lead. Carlos Correa, Dylan Bundy, Jhoan Duran and Jose Miranda were among the Twins to deliver in that one. Down in the minors, Josh Winder, Randy Dobnak and Cole Sands all had rehab outings for the Saints. Winder looked great, in particular. Jair Camargo and Brooks Lee both homered. Players from Fort Myers highlighted include Keoni Cavaco, Dillon Tatum, Noah Cardenas, Carlos Aguiar, Daniel Ozoria and Tanner Schobel. View full video

Every year some prospects exceed expectations and start rising in an organization's top prospect rankings. So, who is the best Twins prospect you've never heard of? The Dodgers originally signed Jair Camargo as a 16-year-old out of Colombia. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .250/.309/.346 (.654) with eight extra-base hits in 41 games. Over the next three seasons, he climbed the Dodgers' organizational ladder, continuing to be young for each level. In 2019, he played 79 games at Low-A with a .642 OPS as a 19-year-old. Minnesota acquired Camargo along with Kenta Maeda for Brusdar Graterol and Luke Raley. His organizational debut was forced to wait until 2021, when he spent the season at High-A. Camargo was 1.5 years younger than the average age of the competition, and he posted a .697 OPS, which was his best total in a full-season league. His numbers still weren't impressive, but the team hoped he could continue to improve as he got closer to Target Field. In 2022, Camargo seems to have put it all together, and he's doing it at Double-A. He returned to Cedar Rapids for the season's start, where he hit .296/.314/.496 (.809) with 11 extra-base hits in 28 games. Minnesota promoted him to Double-A, and his bat got even hotter with Wichita. In his first 32 Double-A games, he hit ten home runs, and he's over two years younger than the average age of the competition. Over 73% of his at-bats have come against older pitchers, which makes his performance even more impressive. Defensively, Camargo spends most of his time at catcher, but he has also seen time at first and third base. For the season, he has thrown out 35% of attempted base stealers. Since joining the Twins organization, he has yet to post a fielding percentage below .982 at any level, and he has a .979 fielding percentage in his catching career. He is indeed a prospect to watch by adding his improving offensive skills to a solid catching frame. Currently, Twins Daily doesn't rank Camargo as one of the team's top-30 prospects, which points to how much his season came out of nowhere. MLB Pipeline recently updated their top-30 list, and Camargo was also absent from their rankings. If he continues to play this well, it will be hard to keep him off these lists entering the 2023 season. In recent years, Ryan Jeffers has been the top catching prospect to come through the Twins organization. Jeffers made his debut in 2020 as a 23-year-old after hitting .264/.341/.421 (.762) at High- and Double-A in 2019. If the Twins follow a similar development plan, Camargo has a chance to debut in 2023, especially if there are injuries at the big-league level. If Minnesota wants to keep Camargo, he must be added to the 40-man roster this winter. There are plenty of other prospects the Twins will need to consider adding before the Rule 5 Draft, including Simeon Woods Richardson, Matt Canterino, Matt Wallner, and Louie Varland. Young catchers with big bats are not easily acquired, so the Twins will need to evaluate if his power surge is real before making a roster decision. Do you think Camargo has put himself into the team's long-term plans? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Minnesota Twins were one out away from being shutout but rallied to tie the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning and ended up winning on a walk-off walk in the 10th. Down in the minors, Simeon Woods Richardson had an impressive start for the Saints, Michael Helman stole four bases and Jair Camargo hit another homer for Wichita. All that and more in tonight's recap. View full video

No time for an intro—Twins affiliates played eight games on Saturday and we have to go over all of them. TRANSACTIONS LHP Devin Smeltzer recalled from St. Paul Saints Sentinel (Game One: 7 Innings) St. Paul 4, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 5 Box Score Mario Sanchez: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Chris Williams (4), Braden Bishop (2) Multi-hit games: None The Saints lost the first game of their doubleheader. Devin Smeltzer was slated to start this match, but the Twins required his services, and Mario Sanchez became the game-one starter. A 1-2 punch 1st and 2nd inning dashed his hopes of dominating; he walked away from those frames with four earned runs to his name. St. Paul’s bats scratched across four runs—on just two hits—with Chris Williams and Braden Bishop both swatting homers in the effort. Two other runs scored off a groundout from Caleb Hamilton and a sacrifice fly donated by Williams. There is something aesthetically strange when a game has two homers—both solo shots—and no other hits while still ending up with four runs. That conundrum worked because of seven walks taken by Saints’ batters. Austin Schulfer tossed a pair of scoreless frames in the final two innings. (Game Two: 7 Innings) Saints 0, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 4 Box Score Juan Minaya: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Saints lost an even uglier match for game two. The offense mustered up just two hits; the team took an equal number of walks and strikeouts (6 to 6), but the BABIP gods frowned upon St. Paul, and nothing came of their free passes. Juan Minaya pitched three scoreless innings as the opening act; Jovani Moran struck out five over two frames. Evan Sisk added a pair of punch outs in his scoreless frame. Michael Helman took two walks and swiped his 19th base of the season; no other hitter reached base more than once. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 10, Tulsa 7 Box Score Kody Funderburk: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Jair Camargo (6), Yunior Severino (2) Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (2-for-4, RBI) Wichita won a high-scoring game on Saturday. Despite the runs, most of the effort stemmed from just two innings; Wichita bunched homers in the 3rd inning, then bombarded Tulsa with piranha-style small ball in the 7th frame. Three singles and a groundout scored four runs. Outside of the blasts, Wichita took more walks than strikeouts (6 to 5) and collected eight other hits; Edouard Julien reached base five times. Kody Funderburk found the most success of all arms, swallowing five innings with just a pair of earned runs to his name. The 25-year-old lefty owns an ERA of 2.82 with the Wind Surge this season. Kernels Nuggets (Game One) Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6 Box Score Luis Rijo: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Charles Mack (2-for-4, 2B, R) In the first game, the Kernels lost a battle that had begun the day before. The rain ended the prior engagement, but that pause did not gift the Kernels enough fortunate to win the game; Jake Rucker knocked in two runs with a 5th inning double but capped the scoring for Cedar Rapids. The Timber Rattlers had jumped on Luis Rijo on Friday; the righty allowed four credited runs in an eventful early game showing. Cedar Rapids’ bullpen smothered Wisconsin’s bats after play resumed, as the group allowed a single earned run—a 9th inning addition off an infield hit. Derek Molina carried the effort, tossing a trio of clean innings with two strikeouts. (Game Two) Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 3 Box Score David Festa: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: Seth Gray (13) Multi-hit games: Seth Gray (3-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Pat Winkel (2-for-2, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB) The Kernels found better fortune in the second game. David Festa led the way with an unusual stat line; the righty allowed three unearned runs, walked four batters, and still walked away with an improved season ERA. This game probably falls into the “we take those” category of starts. A trio of batters—Seth Gray, Jake Rucker, and Pat Winkel—led the offensive charge; the batters accounted for every hit by Cedar Rapids and knocked in seven runs. No other batter really contributed, but none needed to, thanks to the tremendous effort by the Gray-Rucker-Winkel triumvirate. Hunter McMahon and Matt Mullenbach worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving Cedar Rapids pitchers a clean earned-run slate in this effort. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Palm Beach 14 Box Score Marco Raya: 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Noah Miller (2-for-4, R), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels endured an old-fashioned clock-cleaning on Saturday. The Cardinals piled up 14 runs on 16 hits, haunting Mighty Mussels’ pitchers in six of the eight innings they hit in; no arm walked away with a clean ERA. Fort Myers batters racked up an impressive tally of hits as well—10 of them, in fact—but they failed to extend any of those knocks beyond the chance to claim first base. The team served up a doughnut—0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Keoni Cavaco earned his 18th error of the season; Noah Miller collected two hits. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Wilker Reyes: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4K HR: Danny De Andrade (4) Multi-hit games: None The DSL Twins lost a slow, tightened game on Saturday. The arms did their part; DSL Twins pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs. Seven players participated. Unfortunately, an extra un-earned run proved deadly, as the batters failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Hitters collected just three hits; one of the knocks found its way over the fence, but that would be it for extra-base damage. Danny De Andrade was the culprit, and his 1st inning two-run shot both started and ended the night’s scoring output. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 9, DSL Rockies 10 Box Score Cesar Lares: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Yilber Herrera (1) Multi-hit games: Brayan Acuña (2-for-5, R, RBI), Anderson Nova (3-for-4, R, RBI), Denyerbe Gervis (2-for-5, R) The DSL Twins lost in an absurd affair. The game was your typical 5-5 matchup; neither team found an advantage over the other as each squad landed an equal total of jabs. An unbelievable flourish broke out in the 9th inning, as the DSL Rockies plated four runs and the DSL Twins called with four of their own. A two-run homer from Yilber Herrera—his first of the year—lead the offensive charge. Cesar Lares worked another impressive start; the lefty allowed one run over five innings, picking up five strikeouts along the way. His ERA on the season now stands at 2.93. No single batter stood out—it was more of a democratic approach on Saturday—but Jose Rodriguez collected his 15th double of the season, and Yasser Mercedes earned his 13th. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, K #7 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, R #8 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-6, 2 BB, 2 K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-1, 2 R, 3 BB, HBP #15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Ft. Myers) - 2-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton Wilkes-Barre @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Tulsa @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - LHP Aaron Rozek Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM) - TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (11:00 AM) - RHP Regi Grace View full article

The Saints, Wind Surge, Kernels, and Mighty Mussels return to play on Friday, but the Florida Coast League Twins completed a game, and the Dominican Summer League Twins started a game Thursday. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 3, FCL Rays 7 Starting pitcher: Juan Rojas - 3 IP, 4 H, R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K Multi-hit games: None 2B: Jair Camargo (1) The FCL Twins fell below .500 in their first game back after four days off. The FCL Rays scored seven runs on 13 hits, jumping on the Twins’ bullpen. Twins’ starter Juan Rojas was solid in three innings of work, allowing only one run and striking out three. Danny De Andrade gave the Twins a first-inning 2-0 lead on a two-run single before the Rays scored three unanswered. The game was tied after five following an RBI single from Ernie Yake. Jair Camargo was thrown out at home on the play, and would’ve scored the go-ahead run. The Rays rallied in the seventh and never looked back, securing a four-run victory and improving to 22-9 on the season. The Twins will host the Red Sox Friday. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 0, DSL Giants (Black) 0 (GAME SUSPENDED - TOP 2) Suspended in the top of the second due to rain, the DSL Twins and DSL Giants are tied at zero. The Twins went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in their first four plate appearances. Twins’ starter Roger Duran threw one scoreless innings, walking one and striking out one. The DSL Twins are scheduled to play the DSL Astros (Orange) Friday morning. View full article