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Box Score Berrios: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 58.7% strikes (54 of 92 pitches) Bullpen: 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Home Runs: None Multi-Hit Games: Nelson Cruz (3-for-5, 2B), Ehire Adrianza (2-for-3), Jonathan Schoop (2-for-4) Top 3 WPA: Adrianza .192, Cruz .070, Littell .046 Bottom 3 WPA: Berrios -.173, Polanco -.173, Morin -.124 Berrios Not Sharp, But Effective The expectations are so high for Berrios that it’s easy to expect complete dominance every time he takes the mound but that won’t always be the case. What sets him apart and makes him an ace, however, is his ability to still pitch effectively when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Today was one of those days for Jose. He issued more walks than strikeouts recorded and scattered six hits over five innings while allowing three earned runs. A high pitch count ended his afternoon early but when his day was over the Twins were still in a position to win the game. Bats Remain Quiet The red-hot Minnesota offense we enjoyed for the first two months of the season was never going to be sustainable over a full season but seeing this team struggle at times to drive in runs is still taking some adjusting to. The best chance for the Twins to put a crooked number on the board came in the first inning. Ehire Adrianza was credited with an RBI after catcher’s interference was called with the bases loaded. The next batter, Jonathan Schoop hit a hard line drive into the left-center field gap but the stellar Oakland center fielder, Ramon Laureano tracked it down and put an end to the threat. Minnesota was able to add another run in the fifth inning when Adrianza once again collected an RBI. This time he singled into center field and Nelson Cruz was able to score from third. Oakland Breaks It Open Late The eighth inning didn’t get off to a great start for Minnesota and it ended even worse. Mike Morin would eventually load the bases with no outs. Marcus Semein then promptly unloaded on a pitch and blasted a grand-slam to left field giving the Athletics a 7-2 lead. Postgame With Baldelli https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1146933199253069824 Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days.

Box Score Perez: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 65.7% strikes (67 of 102 pitches) Bullpen: 11 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 11 K Home Runs: None Multi-Hit Games: Polanco (2-for-6, 2B, BB), Arraez (3-for-7) WPA of +0.1: Duffey .111, Rogers .144, Parker .144, Littell .144, May .144, Gibson .144, Perez .261, Morin .288, Magill .288 WPA of -0.1: Cave -.139, Kepler -.276, Sano -.288, Garver -.306, Cron -.308, Schoop -.364, Harper -.455 Bullpen Hangs Tough The bullpen had a lot of work to do in today’s game, and they were up for the test. After Martin Perez had sent down 16 straight going into the eighth inning, it was time for the bullpen to take over. Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers were given the following two innings and made it 22 straight sent down going into the 10th. https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1144345279564357632 Blake Parker was given the tenth inning, and broke the streak of 22 straight batters sent down. He found himself in a pickle with bases loaded and no outs, and it was Parker’s time to settle in. He got an infield fly, strikeout, and a game-saving stop by Sano for the final out to keep the game tied. Zack Littell worked himself into a jam as well with two two-out walks, but got a flyout to end the threat in the 11th. Mike Morin, Trevor May, and Matt Magill gave five more shutout innings that included only one walk while striking out five. And then things got even weirder as Kyle Gibson came into the game in the 17th inning to pitch. He was only asked to give one inning as Ryne Harper came in for the 18th. Harper had pitched the previous two games which is probably why they waited so long to put him in. Harper found himself in a similar position as Parker was in, in the 10th, as he found himself with the bases loaded and no outs. It didn’t end the same way as Harper gave up three hits and three runs in the 18th. https://twitter.com/FOXSportsFL/status/1144388920974565376 Offense Goes Quiet The Twins’ offense got going right away in today’s game as they were able to get two runs on three hits in the first inning. They were able to jump out in front of the Rays in all three games this series. However, after the first inning, they went completely quiet. They combined for only 11 base runners off six hits and five walks through the next 17 innings, went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and struck out 21 times. They also haven’t hit a home run in 28 straight innings going back to Tuesday’s game when Garver hit a home run in the eighth. The bullpen set the offense up inning after inning to finish this game, and inning after inning, the offense put up a goose egg. They hit into three double plays today, two of them coming in extra innings and ending a threat. Perez Settles Martin Perez came into this game on a very bad slump. Over his last six starts, he is only 0-2, but has an ERA of 6.83 and his ERA has risen from a season-best 2.83, to 4.15 after today’s start. The biggest issue it seemed with Perez was giving up walks. Over those six starts, 28 runs have been scored, 22 earned, on 35 hits and 15 walks! Today, his first, and only, walk came in the second inning after he was ahead in the count 0-2. That walk came back to hurt Perez after two two-out hits tied the game at two. After that second inning, it was looking like Perez was again going to have a rough outing, and maybe time for him to take a break. That inning was enough for Perez as he settled in and sent down 16 straight Rays’ batters to complete seven innings and finish his day. Perez looked very locked in today and was able to see that his fastball wasn’t working and incorporated his cutter and change-up a lot more to get the job done. All-Star Game Because of the rain delay and 18 inning game, Jorge Polanco figured out mid-game that he would be the starting shortstop for AL in this year's All-Star Game. https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1144397880930660352 Bullpen Usage Click here for a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days.

Box Score Perez: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 68.6% strikes (72 of 105 pitches) Bullpen: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Home Runs: Sano (7), Cruz (13) Multi-hit games: Kepler (4-for-6, 2 2B), Schoop (3-for-5), Cruz (2-for-5, 2B, HR, BB), Rosario (2-for-5), Sano (2-for-4, HR, BB) WPA of +0.1: Kepler .181 WPA of -0.1: Adrianza -.118, Castro -.144, Perez -.133, Morin -.181, Garver -.181 (chart via FanGraphs) Playing in front of a sold out crowd on a sun-kissed afternoon at Target Field, the Minnesota Twins were seeking a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals and a Father’s Day victory. Martin Perez Trying to Find it Again Through his first seven starts of the season, Martin Perez -- a recent father himself -- was nothing short of dominant. He was enjoying one of the best career resurgences we have seen in a long time. His last four starts, however, have been a different story. Five of his first seven starts were quality starts and he was 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 41 Ks over 44 2/3 IP. Zero of his previous four starts have been quality starts and over that stretch he has gone 1-1 with a 7.27 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and 11 BB over 17 1/3 IP. Besides a rough second inning in which he surrendered three runs on four hits, Martin Perez appeared to have regained his early season success. Perez retired the Royals in order in five of his 6 2/3 innings pitched. Also, following the second inning mishap, Perez retired 14 consecutive batters before giving up a single in the seventh inning. A wacky seventh inning ruined what should have been the sixth quality start of the year for Perez. With one out and a runner on first, Eddie Rosario had a hard line drive clank off his glove putting runners on the corners. A bunt by Billy Hamilton scored the Royals fourth run of the game. Then an error by Miguel Sano allowed the Royals to score their fifth run. Missed Opportunities Hurt Minnesota Twins Territory has become so accustomed to seeing this team hit home runs and put crooked numbers on the scoreboard that it’s easy to overlook missed opportunities on offense but those missed opportunities really hurt them today. In the bottom of the first, Minnesota had the bases loaded with two outs and were unable to score after Marwin Gonzalez grounded out to first base. Max Kepler led off the third inning with a double but three quick outs from Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario left Kepler stranded at second. After scoring two runs in the fifth inning courtesy of a Miguel Sano solo home run and an RBI single from Kepler, Minnesota once again wasted a bases-loaded opportunity. Polanco was intentionally walked which loaded the bases for Cruz and he struck out to end the inning. Cruz added the third run of the game for Minnesota in the seventh inning when he launched a solo home run into the upper deck in right-center. Following the Cruz bomba, the bases were once again loaded, this time with only one out. Jonathan Schoop would strike out and Mitch Garver was then called upon to pinch-hit for Jason Castro against the Royals left-handed reliever, Jake Diekman. After quickly falling behind 0-2, Garver eventually hit a warning-track fly ball that was caught in right field and spoiled Minnesota’s third bases-loaded opportunity of the game. The old adage is the third is a charm but for Minnesota, on Father’s Day, the fourth time was the charm. In the eighth inning, they once again had the bases loaded, for the fourth time in the game. Only this time they were able to make the Royals pay. Cruz, who had homered in his previous plate appearance, wasted no time ripping a double to left field and driving in two runs on the second pitch of his at-bat. Rosario popped up for the first out of the inning but Minnesota still had two runners in scoring position and only one out for Sano but he quickly struck out, leaving it up to Gonzalez with two outs. Once again, Minnesota was unable to fully capitalize on their scoring opportunity when Marwin lifted a shallow fly ball to left field for the third out. Remarkably, even after all those missed opportunities, Minnesota still had a chance to win the game in the ninth inning with Cruz stepping up to the plate and representing the winning run. Unfortunately, the theme of missed opportunities once again reared its ugly head when Cruz struck out on a checked swing to end the game. The Twins offense was 1-for-8 (.125) with the bases loaded and 4-for-18 (.222) with runners in scoring position. They also stranded 15 runners. Kansas City Capitalizes On Their Opportunities For how bad Minnesota was at hitting with runners in scoring position, Kansas City was equally as good. They Royals were 5-for-15 (.333) with runners in scoring position and only seven runners left on base. The bottom third of the Kansas City lineup also proved to be troublesome for Minnesota pitchers. Their number 7, 8 and 9 hitters were a combined 5-for-11 (.454) with four runs batted in and four runs scored. Postgame With Baldelli https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1140390857910079489 Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

Box Score Odorizzi: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 64.3% strikes Home Runs: Buxton (2), Castro (6) Multi-Hit Games: Polanco (2-for-4, 3B), Schoop (2-for-4), Adrianza (2-for-3, 2B, BB) WPA of +0.1: Adrianza .121, Buxton .109 WPA of -0.1: None (chart via FanGraphs) Pitching Jake Odorizzi has been one of the Twins best pitchers recently, and entered this game with 20 straight scoreless innings. He was able to extend his streak to 22 before giving up a one-out home run in the third inning. Odorizzi didn’t have his cleanest start of the season, giving up a season-high nine hits, but was able to hold the Angels to only three runs. The bullpen was a little shaky today, and in the seventh when Matt Magill gave up a sac fly to Goodwin, which was the first run given up by a bullpen pitcher, who isn’t Trevor Hildenberger, in 12 games. Magill wasn’t charged a run on this as May had given up back-to-back singles right before he was taken out. Trevor Hildenberger continued to struggle on the mound today as he gave up three runs on three hits. He has given up runs in five of his last six outings and it hasn’t been just one run each time either. He has given up two runs four of those outings and three in today’s. It might be time to send Hildenberger down to Triple-A to hopefully get his confidence back up. UPDATE: Hildenberger was optioned to Triple-A after the game. The Angels put together a ninth inning rally, after Hildenberger retired the first batter. The Angles put together four straight hits to get the game to 8-6. Mike Morin came in and surrendered a hit on his first batter, struck out the next batter, but then hit Mike Trout with the bases loaded to bring the game to 8-7. Morin was able to strand three runners as he got Ohtani to ground out to pick up the save. Errors Early Both teams were a little off in the field at the beginning and it ended up turning into runs for the Twins. In the second inning, C.J. Cron was able to reach off a dropped third strike, and two batters later, Schoop reached on an infield single, and thanks to an error by Cahill, he advanced to second while Cron moved to third. Ehire Adrianza was able to make the Angels pay with a 2-RBI double for the first runs of the game. On the Twins side, the error occurred on one of the weirdest plays. It happened with Odorizzi and Cron, after Ohtani hit a weak comeback that Odorizzi was able to collect. However, Cron was looking for Jonathan Schoop to field the ball, and didn’t even realize Odorizzi had it. This led to Odorizzi throwing to an unprepared Cron, which allowed Ohtani to reach second base. Luckily the Twins were able to make it nothing as Simmons grounded out the next at-bat. https://twitter.com/cjzer0/status/1128723587924398081 Offense Byron Buxton was able to hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning, with Castro adding another the next inning for his sixth of the season. Rosario was able to pick up a hit for his third straight game and get his average back up to about .250. Polanco added two hits, one of them being his fifth triple of the season, as he sits at .331. https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1128734529655492609 What really helped in today’s game was the Twins’ fifth inning on offense when they put together four runs on three hits and a walk. It came at a perfect time when the score was 2-1 to put them up 6-1. Another key component in today’s game was not leaving runners on base, which the Twins kept to only five compared to 14 for the Angels What’s Next? The Twins get right back in action tomorrow as they travel to Seattle to play the Mariners in a four-game series. They will see the Angels again next week as they travel to LA for a three-game series. Miguel Sano has also just been activated and could be seen in the lineup within the next week. Adding him to this already powerful lineup will just add fuel to the fire and give the Twins another weapon in the lineup. Postgame With Baldelli https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1128773240682209280 Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Next Three Games Thu at SEA, 9:10 pm CT (Pineda-Swanson) Fri at SEA, 9:10 pm CT (Perez-Gonzales) Sat at SEA, 9:10 pm CT (Berrios-LeBlanc) Last Game MIN 4, LAA 3: Throw Down

Box Score Gibson: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 61.0% strikes (61 of 100 pitches) Home Runs: Cruz (6) Multi-Hit Games: Gonzalez (2-for-4) WPA of +0.1: None WPA of -0.1: Kepler -.139, Adrianza -.178, Gibson -.244 Chart via FanGraphs The Twins current record is still tied for their best since 2001. It’s happened three other times since (2002, 2005, 2010) and in two of them the club has finished the season with 94 wins, winning the division in both and, in one of them, reaching the ALCS. Other than that, Minnesota still sits atop of the Central. Kyle Gibson couldn’t repeat the stellar performance he had in his last trip to Yankee Stadium, in April of last year, when he struck out ten batters in six innings of shutout work. This time, he pitched five innings, allowing five runs, but only two earned, while striking out five batters. His outing was tainted by two key-errors by C.J. Cron and … Byron Buxton (yes, you read it right). The offense couldn’t take advantage of the bad outing that James Paxton was having in the first three innings, before he departed due to a knee soreness. They loaded the bases twice against him, but scored only one run. Due to his recent struggles, Eddie Rosario didn’t start in this game. The Twins were held to only four hits and had 16 consecutive batters retired from the second inning until the eighth. A two-run homer from Cruz in the eighth helped create a late threat, but it wasn’t enough. Story of the Game After a 1-2-3 inning by James Paxton, Gibson had a shaky first inning. Buxton made a rare mistake when he couldn’t catch a line drive from Brett Gardner landing near second base, despite being able to get under it in time. This allowed Gardner to reach third. Immediately afterwards, Gibby gave up a walk to Luke Voit. Gleyber Torres scored Gardner later on, with a ground ball towards the gap between Ehire Adrianza and Jorge Polanco. Marwin Gonzalez, playing left field, made a great one-hop throw to home plate after a Gio Urshela single, in time to get Voit to end the inning. The Twins offense started to make some noise in the top of the second, despite not being able to score in the end. Cron led off with a liner for a single, followed by another one by Marwin Gonzalez. Jonathan Schoop earned a one-out walk which loaded the bases, but Adrianza grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gibson's struggles continued in the bottom of the inning, as he he needed 13 pitches to strike out Mike Tauchman and then allowed the next two hitters to get on base. Voit drove in Cameron Maybin from second with a single, but he was put out at second after another great assist from Gonzalez to end the inning. Minnesota cut the Yankee lead in half without a base hit. Buxton walked to lead off the third, after falling 0-2 in the count. Later, the bases were loaded after an error from Torres and another walk, for Nelson Cruz. Cron made it a one-run game with a sac-fly to score Buxton, before Max Kepler flied out to end the inning. Gibson had no major problems to get through the bottom of the inning. Two Yankees reached, but a double play got the job done. Paxton didn’t come back to pitch the fourth, being replaced by the righty Jonathan Holder. He had a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Schoop — on a very questionable check swing — and Adrianza. https://twitter.com/sung_minkim/status/1124472535171526661 A series of mistakes allowed the Yankees to score two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Tauchman reached on an error from Cron. Then, after the runners moved up, the same Tauchman scored on a wild pitch. Gardner grounded out before the end, to score Maybin, making it 4-1 New York. At this point, only one of the four runs scored by the Yankees were earned. Holder came back to cruise through the fifth, once again with a 1-2-3 inning. Gary Sánchez hit a 429 ft leadoff home run in the bottom of the inning, to make it 5-1 Yankees, before Gibby retired the following three batters. Adam Ottavino entered the game and also had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth, as the Twins hitters continued to have one of their worst games of the season. Recently promoted righty Mike Morin came in the game to pitch a perfect inning on 16 pitches, 11 of which were strikes. While the offense was again dominated by the Yankee bullpen in yet another 1-2-3 inning (this time with Tommy Kahnle on the mound), New York struck again in the seventh. Sánchez hit his second solo homer of the game, off Morin, who had retired the first two batters he saw before him, making it 6-1. After having 16 consecutive batters retired, the Twins struck back in the top of the eighth. Polanco drew a two-out walk and Cruz followed up with a bomb to left field, making it a 6-3 game. https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1124493587687845888 Fernando Romero worked a scoreless eighth, with the help of the Twins’ second 6-4-3 double play. He got the job done with nine pitches (six strikes), giving up no hits or walks, but hitting Urshela. In the ninth, Aroldis Chapman gave up a leadoff single to Gonzalez and nearly saw Schoop get another hit two batters later, but he managed to close the deal with a near 100 mph fastball to strike out Adrianza. Postgame With Baldelli https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1124515069797076992 Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Next Three Games Sat at NYY, 12:05 pm CT (Odorizzi-Happ) Sun at NYY, 12:05 pm CT (Pineda-German) Mon at TOR, 6:07 pm CT (TBD) Last Game MIN 8, HOU 2: Twins Win! Take Season Series vs Astros!

The Twins wanted to call up Zack Littell last weekend but because the season was not yet ten days old, they were unable to. Instead, they put Chase De Jong back on the 40-man roster and Designed Tyler Austin for Assignment. At the time, the Twins needed someone available in the bullpen who could eat some innings after Jake Odorizzi didn’t get out of the first inning Friday night. De Jong was not needed after all in Philadelphia thanks to good starts by Michael Pineda and Jose Berrios. He got his first opportunity on Tuesday night against the Mets. He came in to finish the ninth inning with the Twins leading 14-4. He needed 46 pitches to finish the ninth and gave up four runs and six base runners. Following the game, he was returned to Rochester since he would be unable to pitch for the Twins for several days. Lefty Andrew Vasquez, the easy choice for 2018 Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year, was recalled to take De Jong’s spot. Unlike De Jong, Vasquez was thrown right into a tough situation. With two outs in the fifth inning last night, Jake Odorizzi loaded the bases with a walk to opposing starter Noah Syndergaard. With left-handed hitting Brandon Nimmo due up, Rocco Baldelli called on the left-hander who struck out 108 batters in 69+ innings last year. Simply put, it did not go well for Vasquez. He couldn’t throw strikes and frankly, wasn’t close. He hit Nimmo (to put one run on the board). Then he walked both Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano to score two more runs. His fastball topped out at 87 mph and he couldn’t command the slider at all. I will advocate for not giving up on Andrew Vasquez, and I would assume that most of you would look at that outing as a case of nerves in his return to the big leagues. While he had struck out four batters in 1 1/3 innings in his one Red Wings appearance, he also walked two batters and gave up a hit. I’m not advocating that Vasquez needs to be optioned right away, though it would be understandable. But if he is, or on a higher level, if at any time the Twins need to call back to Rochester looking for some relief help, what options are there? Below you’ll find the current group of Red Wings relievers, any of who could be an option at some point this season. THE RELIEVERS IN ROCHESTER (in alphabetical order) AUSTIN ADAMS Age - 32 MLB Experience - Parts of three seasons (2014-16) with Cleveland. 53 games, 58 2/3 innings, 6.29 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 Games, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K The Twins signed Adams late last year out of independent ball and he pitched briefly for Chattanooga. This year, is hitting 94-96 for the Red Wings in the early goings. Presumably, Derek Falvey is quite familiar with him due to his years in Cleveland. TYLER DUFFEY Age - 28 MLB Experience - Parts of four seasons (2015-18) with the Twins. 111 games (37 starts), 287 innings, 5.46 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 Games, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Duffey made such a strong impression on Twins fans late in the 2015 season, nearly catapulting a surprising team to the playoffs. He hasn’t been able to duplicate that performance since and was moved to the bullpen a few years ago. He has the curveball and spin rate that teams love. RYAN EADES Age - 27 MLB Experience - None 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Eades made a strong impression during an impressive run in big league spring training this year. He showed a big fastball which reached into the mid-90s. He also showed his array of pitches. Before this season, he had just seven games of Triple-A experience. PRESTON GUILMET Age - 31 MLB Experience - Parts of five seasons (2013-18) with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, St. Louis, Baltimore, Toronto, Milwaukee. 27 games, 33 innings. 9.27 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Guilmet has had a long career. He’s pitched for six teams in the big leagues to go with several other organizations in the minor leagues. He’s got enough stuff to keep getting opportunities. MIKE MORIN Age - 27 MLB Experience - Parts of five seasons (2014-18) with Angels. 186 games, 174 innings, 4.66 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Born in Minnesota, his family soon moved to the Kansas City area, but he’s still got family in the area. It would certainly be a thrill for him to play for the Twins. Morin pitched between 47 and 60 games each year out of the Angels bullpen between 2014 and 2016. He’s been hurt the last two years, but he appears to be fully healthy again. He’s a low-90s guy with a really, really good changeup. JAKE REED Age - 26 MLB Experience - None 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Reed moved up to AA really quickly after being drafted by the Twins in 2014. He’s been up and down ever since, but he was remarkable for the Red Wings after June 1st last year (23 G, 37.2 IP, 1.43 ERA, .167 opponents batting average). Walks always a concern, but Reed gets a lot of movement. His fastball is 95-97, and he’s got a sharp slider too. . FERNANDO ROMERO Age - 24 MLB Experience - Debuted with the Twins in 2018. Made 11 starts, 55 2/3 innings. 4.69 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K Romero was really good for his first four MLB starts last year and then struggled the rest of the way. It was surprising that the Twins decided so quickly in spring training that he would pitch out of the bullpen. He struggled in spring training and was optioned to the Red Wings. He’s off to a fast start. In his 3 1/3 hitless, no-walk innings on Wednesday, he was getting swings and misses on 97 and 98 mph fastballs. Currently DJ Baxendale (27) and Zack Weiss (26) are on the Red Wings injured list. *Note that the 2019 Red Wings Stats are for just two games, so the sample size is definitely small. THE STARTERS Chase De Jong returns to the Red Wings starting rotation. The other starters in the Red Wings rotation are 23-year-old RHP Zack Littell, 23-year-old LHP Lewis Thorpe, 24-year-old RHP Kohl Stewart, 25-year-old RHP Sean Poppen and 27-year-old MLB veteran, LHP Justin Nicolino. LHP Stephen Gonsalves is on the IL as well and should be back in early May. These guys are options if and when a long-reliever might be needed. They could also be summoned to the Twins when a starter is needed, such as in a doubleheader situation. THE INJURED LIST As a reminder, right-handers Matt Magill and Addison Reed, along with LHP Gabriel Moya are on the injured list. We haven’t heard updates on them recently. They are also options to join the big league bullpen when they are ready, though a rehab stint would seem very likely for all three as they have not pitched in a long time. THE FREE AGENTS I’ll just throw this tweet from Nick Nelson here: https://twitter.com/NickNelsonMN/status/1116204584656154624 So, do you have a current hierarchy of who the Twins should call up next as they have needs? How about breaking that out between whether they need a long reliever, or a lefty, or a short-term option versus a more long-term guy? Share your thoughts below.

Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday, starting with the transactions of the day TRANSACTIONS The Twins acquired Des Moines native and outfield prospect Malique Ziegler from the Giants in exchange for recently-DFAd first baseman Tyler Austin. https://twitter.com/maliqueziegler/status/1115322652338446339 RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Syracuse 5 Box Score The Red Wings used the power game early and late, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome their deficit to the oldest team in Triple A. Syracuse has a lineup that features former Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez, former catcher Rene Rivera, Rajai Davis, Adeiny Hechavarria. Youngster Tim Tebow was not in the Syracuse lineup on this night. The Red Wings started big league veteran Justin Nicolino. The southpaw went the first four innings and gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out two. Tyler Duffey came on and gave up one run on two hits and two walks over two innings. Yes, he struck out two batters. Mike Morin struck out four, and walked one, over two scoreless innings. John Andreoli got the Red Wings on the scoreboard with a two-run homer in the third inning. Down three going into the ninth inning, Brent Rooker hit a two-run homer to cut the deficit to one, but they were unable to tie the game. Rooker went 2-for-4 with his second home run. Adam Rosales and Ronald Torreyes each went 2-for-4 as well. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 5, Mobile 7 Box Score The Blue Wahoos attempted a comeback in the ninth, but it fell just short as the winning run came to the plate. Andro Cutura made his first Double-A start. The right-hander went 3 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked two and struck out five batters. Sam Clay came on with runners on second and third and two outs. He allowed both runners to score and three more runs before getting out of the fourth inning. He got one out in the fifth frame before being replaced by Cody Stashak. Stashak got the next five batters out, three on strikeouts. Adam Bray got the seventh inning and gave up a run on three hits and a walk. He struck out two. Ryan Mason pitched a perfect eighth inning. Mitchell Kranson got the offense started. In the second inning, his first home run of the season gave Pensacola a two-run leave. Kranson also walked twice in the game. Luis Arraez, who turns 22 on Tuesday, went 1-for-2 with three walks and drove in a run. Jordan Gore went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot. Down four runs in the ninth inning, Caleb Hamilton connected on a two-run homer to cut the deficit in half. The team got the go-ahead, winning run to the plate but were unable to score. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Dunedin 4 Box Score The big news before this game was that Dunedin was sending baseball’s top prospect Vlad Guerrero, Jr., on the bus to Ft. Myers for this four-game series. The slugging third baseman went 1-for-4 with a walk. Miracle starter Charlie Barnes got Guerrero out the first two times he faced him, but the third time, Guerrero singled in a run. Barnes gave up four runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batter over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six batters. Anthony Vizcaya came on and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings despite giving up a hit, walking three and hitting two batters. He struck out three. Johan Quezada struck out two of the four batters he faced and got out. The Miracle managed just five hits. Travis Blankenhorn went 1-for-3 with a walk and his first home run of the year. Ben Rortvedt was 1-for-3 with a walk. Royce Lewis had a single and stole both second and third base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Kane County 9 Box Score The Kernels returned home after a two-game series in Wisconsin. Andrew Cabezas, the Twins Daily choice for short-season pitcher of the year in 2018, made his first start for the Kernels. He gave up only an unearned run over the first five innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out four batters. Austin Schulfer came on in relief and gave up three runs on three hits and four walks over the next 1 2/3 innings. He struck out one batter. Carlos Suniaga came on and gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Jose Martinez came on and after walking the first two batters and allowing a sacrifice fly, he recorded the final out. Chris Williams, the 2018 Twins Daily short-season hitter of the year, got the Kernels on the board with his first home run of the season. Later, Trey Cabbage hit a solo homer, his second blast of the year. Williams drove in a run in the eighth inning with an RBI single. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Mike Morin, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mitchell Kranson, Pensacola Blue Wahoos PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, 2 SB #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-4, HR(2), 2 RBI, 2 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, BB, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5 #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-3, BB, 2K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (11:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (1-0, 1.80) Pensacola - No Game Scheduled. Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (5:30 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (1st start) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (1st start) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games.

UPDATE: The polls are officially open. Last we checked in, Harper and 35-year-old infielder Adam Rosales had established themselves as the favorites. Well, Rosales cooled off and was released Friday evening. Still, his .278/.350/.694 batting line, a 1.044 OPS, makes him a finalist regardless. He was by far the most impressive hitter among those who qualified for the title. Among the other five names listed in the last update, Lucas Duda was let go and has since signed with the Royals, Tim Collins was also just released Friday night and LaMonte Wade was reassigned to minor league camp. A month ago, I didn’t even list Harper among the top 10 candidates for Sire of Fort Myers. Though most of his competition is no longer in big league camp with the Twins, there are still a few other candidates lingering. They’re also right-handed relief pitchers. Mike Morin has also had a strong spring. While Harper’s big, slow curveball has dazzled, Morin has really turned heads with his changeup. He’s given up four runs on nine hits and two walks over 9 ⅔ innings, striking out nine batters in the process. Preston Guilmet is also still in big league camp with the Twins. He’s given up four earned in 8 ⅔ innings but has an eye-popping 14 strikeouts, which leads the team. Prospect Ryan Eades has also shined. He's only yielded one earned run in seven innings while striking out nine batters. But you can’t get lower than a 0.00 ERA. Harper hasn’t given up an earned run in 10 innings, he’s only surrendered seven hits and hasn’t walked a single batter. He’s also racked up 13 strikeouts. Here’s his outing from Friday night: https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1109275849562488833 Harper is now the clear favorite for Sire of Fort Myers, but what about those odds of making the Opening Day roster? Well, it would certainly make for an amazing story. Harper has pitched in more than 300 games in his professional career. He was called up to the Mariners for a couple days in 2017 but did not make his major league debut. He turns 30 on Wednesday. Opening Day is Thursday. Can you imagine what it would mean to him to hear his name announced during intros at Target Field? I’m getting chills just thinking about it! Fernando Romero has already been optioned to the minor leagues. Addison Reed and Matt Magill haven’t pitched in well over a week. A path has been cleared. I’m rooting hard for Harper to break camp with the Twins, but it’s undeniable that those 186 career MLB appearances look really good on Morin’s resume. The final vote for Sire of Fort Myers will take place in the forums section here at Twins Daily on starting on Monday. Make sure your voice is heard.

There are very few spots up for grabs on the 25-man roster, but there are still plenty of players who have a lot to gain from having strong spring showings. This is their chance to not only be seen by top members of the Twins’ staff but also the other 29 MLB teams, overseas and independent leagues. So who is eligible to be named Sire of Fort Myers? Anybody who’s not on the 40-man roster, even guys with several years of MLB service time, and anyone on the 40-man roster who hasn’t made their MLB debut also qualifies. This is not about identifying the player most likely to break camp with the team, or the player who has the highest upside. It’s all about performance. The mantra this time of year is “spring training stats don’t matter.” That’s definitely true in the case of established major leaguers, but there are some players who have something to gain from a strong spring. Top Hitters Ryan LaMarre was crowned the inaugural Sire of Fort Myers after hitting .475/.511/.775 (1.286 OPS) in 45 plate appearances. It’d be crazy to expect anyone to replicate those video game numbers, right? Well … Adam Rosales, 35, IF .385/.429/.962 (1.390 OPS) 10-for-26, 3 2B, 4 HR, 2 BB, 3 K Rosales has been bouncing around as a Quad-A type player for years now. He’s seen major league time with six different teams over the past 11 seasons. He’s shown good power with the Twins, both at the plate and in regard to his throwing arm. Most of his time has been spent at third base, but he’s also played some second and even got a start at shortstop. Get a load of that slugging percentage. Wow. He’s shown almost no pop in the majors (.365 career slugging), but Rosales did hit 18 home runs in 114 games for Cleveland’s Triple-A team last year. The Twins have no shortage of multi-positional players in camp, or whatever Rocco Baldelli prefers to call them, so it’s likely Rosales is playing for an opportunity elsewhere every bit as much as he’s trying to make a good impression on the Twins. But it’s fair to point out that it was almost impossible to imagine Ryan LaMarre making the Opening Day roster at this point last season, so anything’s possible. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1105999332149465094 Lucas Duda, 33, 1B .333/.448/.458 (.907 OPS) 8-for-24. 3 2B, 5 BB, 9 K I tabbed Dude as the hands-down favorite in my Sire of Fort Myers preview, and while he trails a few other players, he has not disappointed. Duda has a lot of pressure on him this spring, a poor performance could have been very damaging to his hopes of landing on a major league roster this season. It’s a bit difficult to see Duda cracking the Twins’ Opening Day roster, but he’s done a nice job at showcasing his skills to other teams that may be searching for a lefty bat. LaMonte Wade, 25, OF .296/.375/.556 (.931 OPS) 8-for-27, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB, 5 K How great is this to see? After struggling in his first taste of Triple A toward the end of last season, Wade has put a positive spin on the start to his 2019 season. He was optioned to Rochester after Tuesday’s game, but I felt it was still well worth mentioning his efforts to this point. Honorable mentions among hitters include Nick Gordon, Brian Navarreto and Jimmy Kerrigan. Top Pitchers The bullpen is the biggest question mark in terms of the major league club. It seems like the guys on the outside looking in smell blood in the water. Ryne Harper, 29, RHP 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 39.1 K% 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K Harper always put up great numbers in the minor leagues but never could find an opportunity even above Double A for years. He came up in the Braves’ system before being dealt to Seattle in December of 2015. After a great first season in the Mariners’ system, Harper finally appeared to be getting his shot. He was called up May 28, 2017. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to pitch and was sent back to Triple A just three days later. Harper became a minor league free agent after that season and signed with the Twins. In 65 innings between Chattanooga and Rochester, Harper posted a 3.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. What really jumps off the page is his sterling strikeout-to-walk ratio of 8.60. He averaged 11.9 K/9 while issuing just 1.4 BB/9. The Twins brought him back on another minors deal this offseason. Including winter leagues, Harper has pitched in more than 300 minor league games in his career. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1105681142596931584 Ryan Eades, 27, RHP 0.00 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 35.0 K% 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K We go from a former 37th-round pick in Harper to the Twins’ second-round pick from the 2013 Draft. Eades has been pitching primarily out of the bullpen the past two seasons and really took a step forward in 2018. Over his final 30 1/3 innings, Eades gave up just three earned runs (0.89 ERA), struck out 34 batters and walked just five (6.8 K:BB ratio). https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1102405680819027969 Preston Guilmet, 31, RHP 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 39.1 K% 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K Guilmet has 27 big league appearances under his belt, spreading those across six organizations. That’s a lot of cups of coffee. He was drafted twice, traded once and selected off waivers five times. In all, he’s pitched for 22 different teams in his professional career, including one in Japan (2017 with the Yakult Swallows). He had a 1.60 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in 33 2/3 Triple-A innings last season. Mike Morin, 27, RHP 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 27.3 K% 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Here’s another reliever who’s bounced around quite a bit. Morin had a great rookie year in 2014 as a 23-year-old with the Angels, pitching to a 2.90 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 59 innings. Things haven’t gone as well since. He was claimed off waivers by the Royals, then again by the Mariners. He made three appearances with Seattle but spent most of the season in Triple A, where he had a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Morin was born in Andover but played his high school ball in Kansas before attending the University of North Carolina. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1102314523569074178 For more on Morin, La Velle E. Neal III wrote a nice profile on him and his changeup over at the Star Tribune. Honorable mentions among pitchers include Justin Nicolino, Jake Reed and Tim Collins. So there you have it, the top contenders for 2019 Sire of Fort Myers as we head down the stretch. Coronation day will be in a few short weeks.

Every spring, every major-league team announces that they have signed a whole bunch of minor league free agents. By definition, most of them have spent at least six or seven years in professional baseball. Many of them have some big-league service time. Sure, there are major-league veterans like 35-year-old infielder Adam Rosales who has played in parts of 11 big league seasons who get minor league deals with spring training invitations. He debuts in 2008 with Cincinnati. He has played for Oakland (two stints), Texas, San Diego, Arizona and Cleveland. He signed with the Twins this year hoping to make it seven teams in 12 big league seasons. He’s done everything he could so far in spring training, hitting .385 and tied for the team lead with four home runs. He has an opt-out before the season starts. Lucas Duda is a 33-year-old first baseman in Twins camp as a non-roster player. He spent a lot of good years with the Mets before spending time with the Rays, Royals and Braves. He’s got nine major-league seasons under his belt and has hit 152 home runs in his career. He has two 30-home runs seasons under his belt, including in 2017. This spring, he is hitting .333 with three doubles for the Twins yet likely finds himself behind CJ Cron and Tyler Austin on the depth chart. -------------------------------------------------------------- That brings us back to Preston Guilmet. Did you raise your hand when I asked if you had ever heard of him? Will it surprise you as much as it surprised me when I looked and saw that he has played in the big leagues for six (SIX) teams. Don’t get me wrong. For those six teams, he has a combined total of 27 games pitched and 33 total innings. But he has received The Call from Cleveland (4 games), Baltimore (10 games), Tampa Bay (3 games), Milwaukee (2 games), and both St. Louis (2 games) and Toronto (6 games) in 2018. Even die-hard fans of those six teams may have to dig into their memories to remember. Guilmet is grateful for each opportunity, “I think there’s value in what I do, which is nice because other teams recognize that because it keeps me in this game and keeps me playing. I’m thankful for all the opportunities. I’ve always just kind of been kind of a keep-my-head-down guy, work hard, be a good teammate, go out there and compete. There’s always positives. Just happy to be able to play this long. Guilmet signed early in the free agent season and hopes to get another big-league opportunity. So far this spring, he has given up one run in six innings (1.50 ERA). He has walked one and struck out eight batters. So why the Twins? Guilmet had several options for where he could have signed, and may have had even more had he decided to wait a little longer in the offseason. “Anytime when you’re in that situation (free agency), you’re looking for the right fit. I think this is a great organization from guys that had been here that I know, everybody speaks highly of the Twins so it sounded like a good place to go and get a solid opportunity. Then the fact that they came after me early in the offseason, means they at least have a plan. That always speaks volumes as well.” His goals for 2019 probably won’t surprise you. “Make it back to the big leagues and find some success there. Getting a shot to get some innings and find some success there.” Mike Morin has pitched a lot in the big leagues, and he’s just 27 years old. He debuted with the Angels in 2014 and pitched in 60 games. The next season he pitched in 47 games, and in 2016, he pitched in another 60 games. The last two seasons, he has pitched in a combined 19 games between the Angels, Royals and Mariners, in large part due to injury. He comes to spring training, hoping to show that he is healthy and ready to get back to a bullpen role in the big leagues. For Morin, there were a number of factors, but a “family” dynamic was a big part of that decision.Morin was born in the Twin Cities and moved to Kansas City when he was very young. His dad is one of seven kids, so he still has a lot of family in the Twin Cities and says it “has always been a home away from home for me.” This is really his first opportunity to be a free agent, and he took the opportunity to heart. “First time being able to control my destiny, per se. I actually wanted kind of a family dynamic. My fiance is from southern California, so when I was the Angels I was able to spend time with her and her family there. The first time I got Designated, I was claimed by Kansas City, which is where I’m from. That was really good to sign a contract to play with the Royals, which was very cool. Then when I got designated, I got picked up by Seattle. So basically it was the first time I was on a team where I was away from people that I knew. I didn’t realize how important that was. So when I was looking this year, some of the offers that I had were pretty good. But when the Twins came, it was a no doubter for me. First and foremost, it is an opportunity to try to help the team out, but then on a deeper level I was born in the Twin Cities. I have some aunts and uncles and my god parents right there.That actually played a pretty big factor for me. As the season approaches, Morin looks toward helping the Twins. “Obviously my goal would be to make the Opening Day roster and have an amazing season, but we’ll see how it shakes out. There is a business side to it. But I’m trying to make that decision as hard on them as possible.” So far, so good. Morin has thrown six shutout innings and given up just two hits. He has walked one and struck out six batters. Most important, however, for Morin right now is to stay healthy and give himself a chance. “I feel like at points in my career, I can really help a team out, so my biggest goal is to be healthy, and I feel healthy, and I think that good things happen when I’m healthy. When I’m healthy, usually good things happen.” And then there is Wynston Sawyer. The catcher/first baseman signed with the Twins before the 2018 season and after splitting 2018 between Chattanooga and Rochester, he re-signed with the Twins and received an invitation to big league spring training. “First off, I like the organization. I’m comfortable here. There are a lot of good people here. Obviously, opportunity. It’s a place where, if you perform, you have a chance to be called up. I knew people here and coming back a second time, and coming into spring, seeing familiar faces was a nice thing.” While he is primarily a catcher, he has played a lot of first base in the past. He noted that he that he played 80 games at first base in 2015. “I actually feel pretty comfortable there. Honestly, I’ll play anywhere, but yes, playing catcher and being able to play other positions is beneficial.” His goal for 2019? “Stay healthy. Number one, stay healthy because when you’re healthy, you’re able to be yourself out there.” For Rosales and Duda, it’s about getting another opportunity in the big leagues. For Preston Guilmet, the goal is to make a Twins uniform his seventh in the big leagues. For Mike Morin, it’s about being healthy and getting back to his old self, as well as getting to play in front of a lot of family. For a guy like Sawyer, who was limited to just 36 games a year ago between Chattanooga and Rochester, it’s about staying on the field and hopefully getting The Call that every minor league player dreams of.

So this spring, we will set out to identify those players who have the most to gain from posting impressive stat lines and eventually crown one of them Sire of Fort Myers. I know what some of you are thinking, “really, are we that desperate for baseball we’re going to keep an eye on a bunch of has-beens and never-beens?” Well first off, yes. It’s February and the snow piled around my house is taller than Michael Pineda, so I am that desperate for baseball. Secondly, how dare you speak ill of Sire Ryan LaMarre, he who smote the Clevelanders in the Battle of Puerto Rico. Lastly, this is like a really, really serious honor, OK? Show some respect. Last year was really the perfect time to debut this idea. Coming into spring, who could have seen LaMarre heading north with the Twins? Here’s part of what I wrote in my preview last year: “But, just to be clear, these guys' chances of breaking camp with the Twins are anywhere from remote to downright unthinkable.” He did it. Ryan LaMarre dreamed the impossible dream and made the team. That was crazy. So I’m not ruling anything out this time around. Who are the top contenders for this year’s crown? Let's go over who’s eligible first. Anyone who’s not on the 40-man roster is eligible, as well as the few players who are on the 40 man but haven’t made their MLB debut. So before anybody asks, no, Willians Astudillo (a 2018 Sire of Fort Myers honorable mention) is not eligible this year. Just a reminder, this isn't about identifying the player most likely to make the team, it's simply honoring the player who had the most impressive spring training performance. Without further ado, here’s who I think are the top 10 contenders for 2019 Sire of Fort Myers, in alphabetical order: Randy Cesar, 24, 3B/1B This guy seems interesting. Cesar hit .296/.348/.428 (.777 OPS) for Houston’s Double-A team and had a 42-game hitting streak last year. His BABIP dropped from an insane .444 through his first 64 games (which coincided with the end of that impressive streak) to just .277 over his final 52 games. So maybe his success was a complete mirage, but he’s a fun guy to bring in on a minor league deal. Cesar split time between third base and first base last year. Tim Collins, 29, LHP Remember this guy? Collins was a long-time member of the Royals’ bullpen before he had to suffer through not one but two Tommy John surgeries. He worked his way back to the big leagues for the first time since 2014, pitching to a 4.37 ERA in 22 2/3 innings with the Nationals last year. His fastball velocity was pretty much back to where it was when he was with Kansas City, averaging 92.5 mph. Chase De Jong, 25, RHP The Twins removed De Jong from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason, but he cleared waivers. Acquired in the trade that sent Zach Duke to Seattle, De Jong barely hits 90 mph but manages to induce a fair amount of weak contact. He had a 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings with the Twins, 3.20 ERA in 39 1/3 innings with Rochester and a 3.80 mark in 120 2/3 innings with the Mariners’ Double-A team. Lucas Duda, 33, 1B Duda is hands down the favorite this year. He boasts a career 118 OPS+ and has hit 27 or more home runs three times in the big leagues. They’re trending in two different directions, but Duda’s resume is really even more impressive than that of projected starting first baseman C.J. Cron. The past few years have not been kind to one-dimensional players such as Duda. The fact he had to settle on a minor league deal illustrates that, but he still hit .264/.336/.477 (813 OPS) against right-handers last season. Ryan Eades, 27, RHP Eades was drafted in the second round in 2013 but his prospect shine faded fairly quickly. Last year was his second season pitching primarily out of the bullpen. Something clicked. After averaging 6.7 K/9 previously, Eades posted a 10.4 K/9 in 2018. He finished on a particularly high note, giving up just five earned runs over his final 30 1/3 innings (0.89 ERA) while holding opposing hitters to a .198/.244/.225 line, earning a promotion to Rochester in the process. Nick Gordon, 23, SS/2B Probably the most recognizable name on this list to Twins fans, Gordon’s stock dropped some after an uninspiring first showing in Triple A. In 164 games at Double A, however, Gordon hit .285/.350/.436 (.787 OPS) with 39 doubles, 11 triples and 14 home runs. He also stole 20 bases during his time in Chattanooga, had 86 RBIs and scored 102 runs. Even in a down season, Gordon posted his best OPS against left-handed pitching (.636) since his draft year. Mike Morin, 27, RHP Morin was a mainstay in the Angels’ bullpen from 2014-17, pitching to a 4.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 3.42 K:BB ratio over 177 appearances. He spent the majority of last season with Seattle’s Triple-A team, where he had a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, though he also pitched in three games for the Mariners. Morin’s fastball sits 91.5 mph but he mixes in a changeup about a third of the time and relies on his slider for roughly a quarter of his pitches. I think he’ll get plenty of looks this spring, making him a strong contender for the crown. Morin was born in Andover but grew up in Kansas. Jake Reed, 26, RHP FREE REED! This guy has a 1.92 ERA in 89 career Triple-A innings. Considering some of the other guys the Twins have trotted out in their bullpen the past few years it’s pretty incredible he hasn’t had an opportunity to make his debut. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out 50 batters in 47 2/3 innings for Rochester last year. In 246 2/3 career innings in the minor leagues, Reed has surrendered just seven home runs. He’s faced 576 right-handed hitters and they’ve taken him deep just four times. That’s crazy. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1099458324037332992 Lewis Thorpe, 23, LHP The 2018 season was a great building block for Thorpe. He reached a career high 129 2/3 innings, excelling in his first regular time in Double-A to the point where he earned a late-season promotion up to Rochester. Altogether, the Aussie lefty had a 3.54 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while averaging 10.9 K/9 against just 2.5 BB/9. That works out to an outstanding 4.36 K:BB ratio. The Twins have, understandably, been a little careful with him, but I wonder if they may loosen the reins a bit this year. LaMonte Wade, 25, OF It was nowhere near the level of Gordon’s drop off, but Wade slumped some in his first shot in Triple-A too. It was the first time he had more strikeouts than walks, which is pretty incredible in today’s age. But allow me to make the same kind of presentation we did with Gordon. In 163 career games in Double-A, Wade hit .294/.396/.418 (.815) with 14 home runs, 102 walks and just 91 strikeouts. He scored 104 times and drove in 94. He’s played all over the outfield, but seems to have settled in as a left fielder. Here are the other non-roster invitees I didn’t include in the top 10: Preston Guilmet, Ryne Harper, Justin Nicolino, Brian Navarreto, Ben Rortvedt, Wynston Sawyer, Tomas Telis, Luis Arraez, Randy Cesar, Royce Lewis, Adam Rosales, Alex Kirilloff, Luke Raley and Brent Rooker. Just a couple quick notes on those included on that list above: I’d expect Lewis and Kirilloff to be among the first cuts. It wouldn’t surprise me if Arraez turned some heads, he just missed my top 10. Harper was another guy who just missed, he had an insane 8.60 K:BB ratio down on the farm for the Twins last year (65 IP, 86 K, 10 BB). Guilmet's another guy who could've very easliy been named in the top 10. He has some ugly MLB numbers but a 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in 265 career innings at Triple A. Rosales is 35 now, but he’s coming off of somewhat of a power outburst, as he popped 18 home runs for Cleveland’s Triple-A team last year. There will be other minor leaguers who work their way in from time to time, especially on the days where the Twins have split squad games on the schedule, but I wouldn’t anticipate them getting enough playing time to be in contention for this most prestigious honor. So what do you think? I’ve tabbed Duda as the favorite among hitters and Morin among pitchers. Will anybody give either of those guys a run for their money?