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Although the Minnesota Twins have basically gone wire to wire thus far, no one else seems to want to challenge them. Detroit has taken down the White Sox and Guardians of late, which has increased Minnesota’s lead and provides opportunity for the Twins to run and hide. The Standings: Minnesota 47-38 Cleveland 40-40 (4.5 GB, 3.0 GB of 2nd Wild Card) Chicago 39-42 (6.0 GB) Detroit 35-47 (10.5 GB) Kansas City 30-51 (15.0 GB) After jumping a few games over .500, the Guardians have come cratering back to treading water. Similarly, the White Sox can’t quite get over their bugaboo of surpassing and maintaining the .500 mark. Detroit has gone on a nice little run, their 7-3 record over the last 10, including a four-game sweep over Cleveland and a Thursday win over the White Sox. The Stories: Although the Twins couldn’t do much against the Guardians and wound up playing eight games with no change in standings, they handled the White Sox in two of three games. A crazy game with five blown leads continues to highlight the problems for Minnesota’s bullpen and kept them from a sweep. Jorge Polanco enjoyed a birthday dinger, then followed it up the following day. There was also the fun father-son moment with a fan grabbing Byron Buxton’s walkoff homer against the Baltimore Orioles. Chicago got a boost to their lineup in the form of Eloy Jimenez returning from the injured list. He played a pivotal role in Chicago’s win against Minnesota when he launched his 2nd dinger of the season on Wednesday. Although Tony La Russa’s club was excited to get Jimenez back, they did lose Jake Burger to a bone bruise, and Vince Velasquez was placed on the injured list with a blister. Cleveland seemed to be riding high after holding serve against the Twins but then were swept in four games over three days by the Tigers. With so few games played in relation to their competition, a string of doubleheaders will make things difficult for the Guardians down the stretch. In the last week alone Terry Francona’s club had to play three separate twin bill’s. Star prospect George Valera is set to represent Cleveland in the Futures Game in Los Angeles. Although Javier Baez has been a massive flop in Detroit thus far, he did provide a solo shot to help sink Chicago on Thursday night. Beau Brieske was great allowing just two hits over 6 1/3 innings. Veteran pitcher Wily Peralta suffered a hamstring strain and A.J. Hinch doesn’t see him coming back until August. Outfielder Austin Meadows should be back sooner as he finished his first rehab game working his way into action from an Achilles injury. Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez continues to remain on the restricted list while the Tigers have had no contact with him. He went on the list for “personal matters” on June 13 and hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since May. After giving him a five-year contract this offseason, things couldn’t be going more poorly. Andrew Benintendi has been a bright spot for the Royals and is almost certain to be a veteran name drawing trade interest later this month. Star rookie Bobby Witt Jr. was hit by a pitch on the hand this week and has been held out of action but looks like he’ll avoid a trip to the injured list. Kansas City has not been good this year, and already down clubhouse leader Salvador Perez, they need an infusion of as much talent as they have available to them. The Week Ahead: The Twins matched up with the Rangers this offseason when they sent Mitch Garver to Texas for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. They’ll now see their former Silver Slugger for the first time with a three-game series on tap over the weekend. Milwaukee then comes to town before the White Sox invade Target Field a final time prior to the All-Star break. It’s a divisional week for the White Sox as they continue a series with Detroit at home before a trip to Cleveland. Chicago has four games in three days with the Guardians and then ends the first half in Minnesota. Cleveland begins a series with the Royals on Saturday and then has another doubleheader looming Tuesday. They finish their first half against the Tigers to close out a stretch of 11 games in 10 days. Finishing the first half entirely on the road, Detroit wraps up with Chicago before a doubleheader in Kansas City and a weekend series with Cleveland. After the AL Central opponents leave Kauffman, the Royals head north of the border to face the Blue Jays for a four-game set wrapping up their first half. What are you looking forward to this week? What are the storylines to watch over the final week in the first half? View full article

For the first time since May the Minnesota Twins are not in sole possession of first place atop the AL Central division. After a series with the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota found themselves in an otherwise unfamiliar position. The two meet later this week, and the jockeying for position has begun. The Standings: Cleveland 36-29 Minnesota 39-32 Chicago 33-35 Detroit 26-43 Kansas City 25-43 Chicago continues to be a middling team dealing with a manager the fan base seems to want fired. The Guardians did a good job in Minnesota taking two of three from the Twins, but they have a brutal stretch of games to make up as the year goes on. Looking at current run differentials, it’s clear that the two teams pacing the division are in a league of their own. The Stories: Jorge Polanco was put on the injured list for the first time this week due to back issues, and that led to the promotion of Alex Kirilloff. So far the latter has looked like the slugging corner player he was always dreamed of being, and that’s a nice development given the wrist issues he’s dealt with. Byron Buxton has now missed consecutive games due to his knee injury worsening, and while Minnesota has tried to shield him from danger, this doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. Chicago continues to be hit by the injury bug. Infielder Danny Mendick was placed on the IL alongside outfielder Adam Engel. Mendick is done for the season with a torn ACL. Star closer Liam Hendriks remains out and probably will be until early July. The White Sox face the Twins around that time, which could provide extra motivation for the Australian wanting to play against his former organization. Top-30 prospect Lenyn Sosa got the call to replace Mendick on the active roster and he’s hoping to make the most of an otherwise unexpected opportunity. Sosa was playing well at Double-A. The Guardians played a handful of close games in Minnesota and therefore both clubs burned through their pen. Having pitching limits go down to 13 on the active roster effective Monday, Terry Francona had to shuffle the deck. Yohan Ramirez was recalled taking the place of Anthony Castro. More importantly ,though, star reliever James Karinchak began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus. He hasn’t pitched in a game since October 1, 2021. With Cleveland streaking towards the top, adding that level of arm alongside Emmanuel Clase is a great get for the Guardians. There’s no denying that Javier Baez has been a colossal disaster thus far in Detroit. His average has never been a calling card, but he hasn’t hit for power either. Thankfully he broke out in a big way during a recent series against the Boston Red Sox, going 11-for-27, with seven extra-base hits. Detroit is in the doldrums of the division but they need to see more of that. Top prospect Riley Greene also has made his debut after suffering a foot injury prior to making the Opening Day roster. He’s looked the part and will continue trying to establish himself as a Major League threat in the lineup. Kansas City has brought up the rear in the Central for most of the season, and now they see their leader Salvador Perez injured again. M.J. Melendez was initially afforded opportunity the first time Perez went down, and now a thumb injury has the Royals starting backstop missing games again. They just announced he'll undergo thumb surgery, and that puts him out for quite some time. Looking for bright spots with this team, a series win over the Los Angeles Angels gave the Royals their first winning road trip of the season. They completed a 5-4 run against the Giants, Athletics, and Angels. The Week Ahead: Minnesota gets a weekend series with Colorado prior to a second date with Cleveland. The Twins and Guardians will play five games in four days with a previously scheduled doubleheader taking place on Tuesday. Minnesota will look to return the favor and take a series against their top competition on the road. The White Sox may be looking at one of their easier weeks of the season. Despite dropping the opener against Baltimore, Chicago has three more at home with the Orioles. They then travel to the west coast facing a tumbling Angels team for three before an off day on Friday. Terry Francona’s Guardians return home for a series with the Red Sox before they welcome Minnesota to town. Knowing what’s on tap, they can’t get caught looking ahead and forget how good Boston is right now. A.J. Hinch will look for his Tigers to pick up wins in Arizona against the Diamondbacks before a two game series with the Giants. Detroit has two off days this week. After facing Oakland on the road, Kansas City gets the Athletics at The K to start the weekend. That series is followed by the Rangers coming to town and then an off day. Looking to capitalize on the good run of late, maybe Kansas City can stack a few wins. What are you looking forward to this week? How big is the series between Minnesota and Cleveland? View full article

The Minnesota Twins flopped in 2021, and it was primarily due to a lack of performance from those expected to contribute. There were injuries as well, but the hope is that development promotes production in 2022. Needing to add, this blueprint focuses almost entirely on two areas. If there’s something the Twins need to address, it’s pitching. There’s no denying that a rotation with just two current arms needs a severe jolt. Dealing Jose Berrios and watching Kenta Maeda go under the knife leaves the group on life support. No matter Minnesota’s intended direction for the year ahead, stockpiling pitching assets for the future is beyond necessary. With that in mind, let’s start the spending in a big way. The front office hands out another $100 million contract, this time to Marcus Stroman, over five years. Stroman will be 31 in 2022 and has been as consistent as they come throughout his career. His 3.63 ERA is solid, and while he’s not a strikeout pitcher, he limits damage by forcing hitters to get themselves out on the ground. The career 0.8 HR/9 rate is solid, and he walks just over two per nine. Stroman has been both durable and reliable. While he may not have the top-tier stuff of a traditional ace, this is a guy you can be confident in each time you hand him the ball. A caveat here is that Stroman will be most effective with a strong infield defense behind him. Dropping down a rung, a second arm joins the rotation in the form of Jon Gray. Former Rockies first-round pick Gray is entering free agency with no draft pick compensation tied to him. This seems like a misstep by Colorado but is a place where the Twins can capitalize. Gray has strikeout stuff, and while he doesn’t induce much in the form of chasing, the big righty blows it by opposing hitters. Gray has a plus-slider and could be further unlocked with a diminishing home run rate, leaving Coors Field's elevation permanently. A three or four-year deal around $10 million annually seems like a pretty fair pact. Rounding out the rotation additions requires a swap with a team open for business. The Cincinnati Reds appear determined to tear it all down, and that’s a party Minnesota should invite themselves to. While Luis Castillo is the big pitching prize there, I’d prefer seeing them hang onto the assets a swap like that would need to part with. Instead, Tyler Mahle draws my attention. He’s just 27-years-old and isn’t a free agent until 2024. Mahle owns a 3.72 ERA and 10.7 K/9 the past two seasons. You’d like to see him get the walks down and allow a few less homers, but there’s plenty to work with here. If you can make this trade by giving up Jhoan Duran, Cole Sands, and Alerick Soularie, I think you have to consider that. Before flipping it over to the offense, we will spend just over one million on a bullpen addition, right-handed veteran Greg Holland The former Kansas City Royals arm has had up and down seasons since 2017. He’s often rebounded following a poor showing, and the upswing would be scheduled for 2022. It’s entirely fair to assume he may be cooked, but the velocity and effectiveness have remained essentially unchanged over the past few seasons. He walked too many batters and got burned by the long ball last season, but a few command tweaks could have him back on track. He’d be a veteran arm with little cost that could shore up a bullpen largely reliant on internal talent. If things go belly up, the hope would be that an internal depth piece has stepped up out of the gate. I’m mainly gambling on holdovers such as Juan Minaya and Ralph Garza Jr. being enough to round out the stable when it comes to relievers. Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey need to be the horses, and Jorge Alcala continuing to look like he did down the stretch is a must. The final considerable expense comes at the other position needing serious help, shortstop. Jorge Polanco has established himself as a solid second baseman and needs to stay there. Much will be told about the belief and direction of Minnesota’s future with how the front office handles this role over the winter. A one-year deal means Royce Lewis or Austin Martin could be the next option. A long-term deal suggests uncertainty about an heir from within and may dictate how a Byron Buxton extension is handled (though that, too, should be a part of this offseason’s tasks). If there’s a shortstop in this class that looks for a strong one-year deal before cashing in, I think it’s former Cub, Javier Baez. He posted a strong .886 OPS with the Mets down the stretch, but I still think he could do better coming off a complete season of production. Giving him just north of $20 million for a year gets him paid and allows Minnesota flexibility over what they’d like to do with the roster in another offseason. He’s a great defender and brings a bat at the position that most organizations could only dream on. With the dust beginning to settle, you can see that the vast majority of open opportunities fall on guys already in the organization. Brent Rooker is your de facto designated hitter, with Trevor Larnach and Alex Kirilloff making the Opening Day roster. Jose Miranda is a utility guy, and Luis Arraez joins him. If you don’t like the prognosis of a lineup mainly filled with internal talent, then it’s hard to have expected much out of 2021, either. Kirilloff and Larnach have been expected to make the leap. Josh Donaldson, Max Kepler, Polanco, and Buxton are supposed to carry the water. Miguel Sano can be there in bursts, and emerging talents like Miranda can step in as well. A complete lineup overhaul would represent a teardown, and doing so would be an admittance of failed development for this core. Coming off lackluster results and being stuck between what was and what is to come leaves this offseason as one of the most important this front office has ever faced. We’re in for some answers, and it should be a wild ride. Get pitching. Get a shortstop. Let the chips fall where they may. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this potential offseason. Please share in the comments below. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Order the Offseason Handbook — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

The Minnesota Twins will be in the market for an answer at shortstop again in 2022. With Andrelton Simmons gone, they’ll inevitably have someone new covering the position. So, who will it be? Assuming Minnesota doesn’t decide to slide second basemen Jorge Polanco, back across the diamond, they’ll need an answer at shortstop for the upcoming season. Polanco going back to his old position would allow Luis Arraez to start and an avenue for consistent playing time geared towards Jose Miranda. That said, it’d also be a decision in reverse with Polanco having been moved off the position in an attempt to avoid his defensive deficiencies there. Having lost the 2021 season due to a torn ACL, Royce Lewis won’t be an option out of the gate, and Austin Martin looks more the part of an outfielder than an infielder. Fortunately for Derek Falvey, this free-agent crop is littered with good shortstop options. So, let’s rank them by considering a fit and potential contract. 5. Marcus Semien What a difference a year makes. Last offseason, the Twins were runner-up for Semien’s services before he chose the Toronto Blue Jays. At that time, the longtime Athletics infielder was coming off a .679 OPS in 2020. Fast-forward to where we are now, and he posted an .873 OPS with a career-high 45 home runs. Semien isn’t going to win the MVP, that’s ticketed for Shohei Ohtani, but he’ll be in the top five and could finish right behind teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As a first-time All-Star, Semien just recently turned 31-years-old. He’s going to get paid and should be looking for no less than a four-year deal. Right now, that isn’t going to fit into the Twins plans given the uncertainty of Lewis’s future role. Coming off such a poor season, that type of commitment could pigeonhole Minnesota negatively in the immediate future. 4. Corey Seager If there’s a guy in this group that doesn’t change teams, I will bet on it being Seager. A second straight season with an OPS north of .900, the Dodgers shortstop has established himself as one of baseball’s best players. He’ll be 28-years-old next season and has spent his entire seven-year career with Los Angeles. Finding something in the range of six to eight years would seem suitable for him, and that’s not going to come cheap. After acquiring Trea Turner at the deadline this season, it would make sense for the Dodgers to run it back with their up-the-middle-duo. The Dodgers are also set to lose Chris Taylor to free agency this offseason, and some of that blow could be cushioned by retaining the services of Seager. He’s been so good for so long, and it’s plenty logical that his prime remains in front of him. 3. Carlos Correa Having just turned 27-years-old, Correa is the youngest option on this list, and he’s quite possibly the most talented. Injury concerns have been a part of his past, by the Astros shortstop did play in 148 games this season. His .850 OPS was not a career-high, but the 26 long balls were. Correa has the cheating scandal tied to him, but it’s clear that the talent is there with or without additional help. A serious on-base threat, Correa has posted a least a 124 OPS+ in five of his seven big-league seasons. He presents the combination of contact, power, and plus-defensive ability, which only enhances his premium at the position. I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets a bigger deal than Seager or Semien, but I think that could go either way, and I believe he’s the best bet for future success. 2. Trevor Story Once assumed to be ticketed out of Colorado at any point during the 2021 season, Story hung on and finished the year there. His .801 OPS was the second-lowest tally of his career, and his 24 dingers matched the lowest full-season totally of his career. Still posting a 103 OPS+, he was above league average, but there’s nothing about 2021 that substantially increased his earning potential. This is Story’s big chance for a long-term payday as well, which would seem counter-productive to the Twins plans. That said, if he’s open to a one-year deal in hopes of increasing his value, that’s where Minnesota should look to pounce. He, too, combines strong defense with contact and power, making the offensive addition equally as enticing. 1. Javier Baez This looked like a better fit when Minnesota still employed Baez’s brother-in-law, Jose Berrios. That said, the soon-to-be 29-year-old still fits wonderfully for the Twins. He’s an elite defender that should be looking to regain some positive momentum on a one-year deal, and Minnesota can afford to pay him handsomely over a single season. Baez posted a lackluster .775 OPS with the Chicago Cubs but turned it on to the tune of a .886 mark in 47 games with the New York Mets. His actual production is probably somewhere in the middle of that, but he should trend above the career .783 OPS as he enters his prime. Javy is an elite defender, can play on both sides of second base if needed and would be a great teacher for Minnesota’s blossoming infield talent. A fan and clubhouse favorite, this is where I’d throw my money if I held the Twins bankroll. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

For the second consecutive off-season, Minnesota is in the market for a starting shortstop. Fans may want the team to spend big, but all of the top-tier free agents have flaws. Minnesota has the opportunity to make a big splash this winter by jumping in on (arguably) the best free-agent shortstop class in baseball history. It will cost the team a lot of money to be in the mix for the top-tier players. To put that in perspective, Francisco Lindor was supposed to be part of this free agent group, but he signed a 10-year, $341 million deal with the Mets. Each of these players comes with some red flags that interested clubs will need to consider. Carlos Correa (2022 Age: 27) 2021 Stats: 7.2 WAR, .279/.366/.485 (.850), 26 HR, 34 2B, 131 OPS+ As a 27-year old, Correa is reaching free agency at the prime of his career, and he is the top free agent in this winter’s crop of available players. It’s likely going to take $30 million per season for six years or more to sign Correa. Injuries have been part of his professional career, but he has played 99 games or more in five of his seven big-league seasons. There’s also a good chance he will need to move off shortstop as he continues to age. Flaws: Injury history Corey Seager (2022 Age: 28) 2021 Stats: 3.7 WAR, .306/.394/.521 (.915), 16 HR, 22 2B, 145 OPS+ Like Correa, injuries have been part of Seager’s story, including missing a good chunk of 2021 with a hand fracture. He’s played over 130 games in three of his six full big-league seasons. His 2020 playoff run was outstanding as he won the World Series and NLCS MVP. Teams that miss out on Correa will likely turn to Seager, but he is a year older and has missed more time in his big-league career. Flaws: Injury history Marcus Semien (2022 Age: 31) 2021 Stats: 7.1 WAR, .265/.334/.538 (.873), 45 HR, 39 2B, 133 OPS+ Minnesota was interested in signing Semien last winter, but he decided to go to Toronto. His season north of the border was memorable as he will likely finish in the top-5 for the AL MVP. He is the oldest shortstop among the top-tier free agents, and he played all of last year at second base. Last winter, he signed a one-year deal for $18 million, and he will be getting a pay raise in the months ahead. Flaws: Age Javier Baez (2022 Age: 29) 2021 Stats: 4.5 WAR, .265/.319/.494 (.813), 31 HR, 18 2B, 117 OPS+ Baez is certainly an exciting player, but he swings and misses a lot. He led the National League with 184 strikeouts, and he has struck out 144 or more times in each of the last four full seasons. As far as contracts go, he is projected to get a lower average value than the names above because his personality can rub people the wrong way. Can Josh Donaldson and Baez coexist in the same clubhouse? That might not be an experiment a team wants to explore. Flaws: Strikeouts, Volatility Trevor Story (2022 Age: 29) 2021 Stats: 4.2 WAR, .251/.329/.471 (.801), 24 HR, 34 2B, 103 OPS+ Story has been a 20-20 player throughout his professional career. He is also hitting free agency at a tough time as he is coming off a poor campaign by his standards. There are also concerns about how he will fare outside of Coors Field. At home, he hit .303/.369/.603 (.972) while on the road, he was limited to a .752 OPS. Flaws: Home/Road Splits To read more about these shortstops and other off-season options, make sure to pre-order your copy of the 2022 Offseason Handbook. Designed to serve as an essential companion for the Twins offseason ahead, this digital Handbook places you in the shoes of the general manager, equipping you with all the information you need to construct your own team-building blueprint (or predict what the real front office will do). Which flaws worry you the most? Will the Twins make offers to any of these players? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Let’s forget for a second about WAR, launch angle, and exit velocity. Push your thoughts of FIP, xFIP, and BABIP to the side, and remember why we all got into baseball in the first place. It’s fun. So, I’ve compiled a short list of potential future Twins, and rated how fun they’d be in Minnesota from Boring to Very Fun. Enjoy. Javier Báez – Very Fun The Twins are in the market for a new shortstop and the Cubs seem to be in fire sale mode, so a move that sends Báez to Minnesota might be in both clubs’ best interests. And, simply put, Báez maxes out the fun meter. He’s a still relatively young, swagger-filled middle infielder that does amazing things in the field and sports a good amount of pop in his bat. Forget about his mediocre 2020 stats for a second – watching Báez play is fun because he has the look and the confidence of the best player on the field even if he really isn’t anymore. He’s been on the cover of The Show, something nobody else on this list can claim. And, I’ve kind of buried the lede here – the coolest part about El Mago (cool nickname too) are his tags. Trevor Story – Kinda Fun Trevor Story, another shortstop trade possibility, gets a Kinda Fun designation because, though he may be the best available option at short, he doesn’t boast the star power and flair of Báez and others. Don’t get me wrong – Story is a star; he’s great in the field and at the plate, but looking at his stats on baseball reference is almost more exciting that watching him play. It doesn’t help that he’s been marooned off in Colorado, but Story just doesn’t have that “it factor” or special skill that sets him above the other great shortstops in the league, at least in terms of fun-ness. He does have a pretty mean bat flip, but there’s no crazy tag compilation out there on YouTube, for example. He’ll be a very welcome addition to the Twins if he comes, but a middle-of-the-road rating on the fun meter feels right. Marcus Semien – Boring Marcus Semien is probably the best shortstop available on the free agency market, but there’s a reason a lot of Twins fans would rather give up young talent in a Báez or Story trade than simply sign the former Oakland shortstop. Signing Semien would just give off the feeling that they needed a shortstop and signed a shortstop, not the shortstop that anybody really wants. Semien has been a top-tier player in the past, but a pretty dismal 2020 makes him feel like a more expensive Jorge Polanco rather than a Polanco replacement, and spending on a player that does little to change the status quo is the opposite of fun. Perhaps if I allowed myself to make a joke about his last name, I could bump him up a few levels, but I’m not going to do that so he’s stays at Boring. Nelson Cruz – Fun Perhaps the Twins’ biggest question of the offseason is whether to bring Nelson Cruz back or not and, while our opinions may vary widely on whether it’s wise to spend on a 40-year-old DH, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Nelson Cruz is fun. With Cruz, there’s no “shiny new car” feeling because he’s been in Minnesota for two years, but there’s a reason he’s been your dad’s favorite Twins player those two years. He’s been a star in the league for the better part of a decade and we love when stars come to Minnesota, especially when they lead the team to an MLB record for home runs. Even better, Cruz’s locker room personality is the driving force behind the “Bomba Squad” moniker and the team identity that’s the Twins last few years on of the most fun teams in the league. Marcell Ozuna – Fun Should the Twins decide against bringing back Cruz, Marcell Ozuna could serve as a long-term high-end option at DH. Though losing Cruz might be sad for many Twins fans, they’d be getting no downgrade in the fun department with Ozuna. He’s a big, muscular dude who wears a bright chartreuse arm sleeve and hits bombs. Massive bombs. In large quantities. Last year, Ozuna led the league in home runs and runs batted in and, though there are certainly more intelligent stats, big homer and RBI guys are very fun to have in the lineup. Advanced stats fans should like him too, as his exit velocity numbers and hard hit percentage were among the best in the league last year. The only thing keeping Ozuna from rising into the Very Fun tier is the possibility of a regression that could make him a Sanó-esque strikeout frustration. Trevor Bauer – Very Fun Now, the Twins odds acquiring the free agent ace and reigning NL Cy Young winner aren’t that great, but he falls into the Very Fun category, so it’s fun to imagine. Bauer is and always has been controversial, so he may not be every Twins fan’s cup of tea, but that’s exactly why I would love to have him so much. The guy who talks the most and angers the most people is exactly the type of guy you want on your team, as long as he’s playing well. And fresh off a Cy Young year, he’s certainly doing that. Above all else though, Bauer has a curious and innovative baseball mind that, as a fan, is fun to see on your favorite team. His appreciation for the craft of pitching is something that every Twins fan ought to be able to appreciate, even if some don’t like his attitude. Also – He’s a fun follow on YouTube. Sonny Gray – Not That Fun Gray, who was Bauer’s teammate last year in Cincinnati, would also be a good addition to the Twins rotation, but he’s not nearly as exciting. With a career ERA in the threes and a WHIP in the 1.2 range, Minnesota fans would probably be happy to have him, but we also managed to make Carl Pavano seem exciting. The fact is that, since he burst into the bigs as a rookie, nobody has ever called you excitedly to say “Hey, did you see what Sonny Gray did last night?!?!” unless they were a Yankees fan complaining about his poor performance in pinstripes. Gray seems like a fun guy to know and have in the locker room, but that doesn’t make him a fun player to watch. If he signs with Minnesota, he’ll be a mid-rotation out-getter more than a jersey-seller. Trevor Rosenthal – Kinda Fun The Twins haven’t had a true flamethrower in the bullpen (other than Brusdar Graterol’s 10 games) in a long while, but that’s what they would get by bringing in free agent reliever Trevor Rosenthal. Rosenthal looked on the brink of exiting the league not too long ago but was dominant down the stretch for the Padres last year, and he regularly touched triple-digit velocity. A dominant hard-throwing reliever is one of most exciting players to watch and have on your team, so Rosenthal, should he sign, would be a very entertaining player to have around. However, he’s only a year removed from being an out of control , and those guys are torturous to watch. I’ll hedge my bets and put him at Kinda Fun.

2015 was a big year for JO Berrios. He was the Twins Daily (and the Twins) Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season. However, like so many members of the Twins organization, Berrios also does a lot off the field to contribute to his community. He has organized a pretty neat event in his hometown of Bayamon, in Puerto Rico, for December.Last month on social media, Berrios sent out a challenge to fellow young Puerto Ricans Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez. The two young future stars accepted the challenge. On December 12th and 13th, there will be clinics for teenagers between 14 and 16 years old. On December 19th and 20th, there will be a series of games. According to Berrios, "The idea came out during a training session with my staff, brainstorming about what can we do to help keep teenagers away from the streets." Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor recently finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting (behind fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Correa). He has a tremendous combination of great defense and offense. Javier Baez debuted with the Cubs in 2014 and came up late in the 2015 season again. When Addison Russell was hurt in the playoffs, Baez was thrown into the spotlight and into the lineup. Berrios said the trio has been close for a long time. “We played Little League since (we were) 5 to 6 years old. We are friends. We are family.” Berrios feels that it is important to use his celebrity to help others is important. He takes his role as a role model seriously, as seriously as his offseason workouts. He wanted to do something to help others. “Not only being role models, but we want to be able to help those in need.” Berrios set up a Go Fund Me account today and hopes to generate $30,000 for Fundacion Lake Makina. Asked what his foundation would use any raised money for, he said there were three things at this time. “The money will be distributed as follows: 1.) Hogar Foriadores de Esperanza, 2.) The Spina Bifida Association, and 3.) the Luis Rodriguez Olmo family. Luis was a famous catcher. He is now diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and his family has made public their financial situation in order to take care of him. We want to help them. And any special case we understand needs help, we will do our best.” The Hogar Foriadores de Esperanza is “a homeless kids home” in Bayamon. Spina Bifida I the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. It happens when a baby is in the womb and the spinal column does not close all the way. Every day, about eight babies born in the United States have Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine. It is a defect that is very personal to Javier Baez. In April, his 21-year-old sister Noely, passed away from Spina Bifida. Twins fans are very excited to see Berrios reach the big leagues. Most fans wanted to see him late in the 2015 season, but they will have to wait until 2016. Berrios said, “2016 will be my year.” But it is impressive that a 21-year-old with so much in front of him is willing to take a step back in an effort to help those less fortunate. “I’m praying to God to be able to help more kids through the years. That is one of my fuels to keep pushing the game. In the future, (I want to) do something in Minnesota too, with my teammates,” Berrios continued, “In addition to pursuing a World Series championship.” Again, if you are interested and able to contribute, you can go to the Go Fund Me account here. Click here to view the article