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The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday that they have claimed infielder Ehire Adrianza from the Milwaukee Brewers. To make room on the 40-man roster, hard-throwing right-hander Pat Light was designated for assignment.Ehire Adrianza has spent parts of each of the past four seasons with San Francisco Giants. He was DFAd by the Giants late last month when the Giants signed Nick Hundley. The Brewers claimed him but then put him back on the DFA roller coaster. The Twins claimed him. He hasn't hit much in the big leagues, .220 over 154 games and 331 plate appearances. He primarily played shortstop and second base, but he also played a little at the corner infield spots. The 27-year-old could compete for the 25th man on the 40-man roster, or the Twins could keep the roller coaster going. Pat Light was acquired by the Twins at the July trade deadline last year for LHP Fernando Abad. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins had the first overall pick in the 2016 Rule 5 draft last December. They selected right-handed pitcher Miguel Diaz with that pick. However, they had arranged to trade the pick to the San Diego Padres. In a roundabout way, the Twins acquired right-hander Justin Haley who had been the eighth player selected in the Rule 5. Haley came from his home in California for Twins Fest this past weekend, and Twins Daily caught up with him for a few minutes between autograph sessions, pop-a-shot games and giant Foosball.It was a bit messy for Twins fans to keep up with that day. So what was it like for Haley and his family? On that day, Haley was in California visiting his mom before the holidays. The Rule 5 draft began at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time, but of course it is just 6:00 a.m. on the west coast. Shortly after that early hour, he was nudged awake by his wife. “My agent was texting me, telling me, ‘Hey, you got drafted by the Angels!’” Haley said, “So I got up. My mom was already awake. We celebrated. We took some pictures, and Woo Hoo, Angels!” And then… “Then all of a sudden, my agent texted me and said, ‘Hey, you just got traded to the Padres.’ OK, great, cool. So we were celebrating again, and we’re taking pictures, and Alright, we’re Padres now!” And then the phone rang. “It was my agent. ‘Hey listen, you’re with the Twins now. They traded for you.’ OK, cool. We celebrated again.” While Twins fans scrambled to learn everything they could about Justin Haley, Haley was a member of four organizations within about an hour, but he didn’t seem to mind at all. “It was fun. The whole day, the whole experience was fun. It all happened within about an hour, so it wasn’t stressful or anything. It was exciting. My whole family enjoyed it.” Haley grew up in northern California. After high school, he spent a season at Sierra College after which he was Cleveland’s 46th-round draft pick. He didn’t sign. Instead he went to Fresno State for the next two seasons. “I knew I needed to go to school. I wanted to get an education. I just knew I wasn’t ready so I waited, took my lumps, put in my work, and now I feel that I’m really ready.” Haley spent the next two seasons at Fresno State. The decision paid off as the Red Sox made him their sixth-round pick in 2012. He’s worked his way up, pitching well as he goes. He began 2016 in AA Portland. He went 5-4 with a 2.20 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 61.1 innings. He was promoted to AAA Pawtucket where he was 8-6 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 81.1 innings. At the end of the season, Haley made the decision to pitch in the Dominican Winter League. He pitched a combined 23.2 innings and went 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA. He gave up just one run on 12 hits and four walks while striking out 14 batters. It was an experience he not only enjoyed, but he made the most of the opportunity. “I was hoping to go there to intrigue some teams just a little bit more for the (Rule 5) draft. I didn’t end up getting protected. Found out right before my last start. I went down there to do my job. I went to get work in. I had a lot of fun. It was a great experience. Really great people. Really great organization. I was with Escogido. Just a lot of fun. I would definitely do it again. It was work. I feel like I did my job and ultimately it paid off for me.” And that brings us to the draft. Haley says that he wasn’t too surprised to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. He felt he had put himself in a good position. “I knew I’d put in all the work. I knew I’d done everything on my end that I could do. The only thing left was hopefully somebody was watching, and luckily a couple of teams were looking pretty heavy. It turned out great for me.” Haley spent the weekend at Twins Fest, getting to know some people he will be teammates with when spring training starts in two weeks in Ft. Myers. Unlike many Rule 5 picks that have come to Twins Fest, Haley actually knew quite a few players in the clubhouse. Following his 2015 season, Haley went to the Arizona Fall League where he and his Red Sox teammates joined the Twins prospects on the Salt River Rafters roster. Nick Burdi, Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed, Taylor Rogers and Mitch Garver were Twins on that team. Adalberto Mejia was also on that team. In the Dominican this winter, Daniel Palka was on the same Escogido roster. Finally, Haley and Pat Light were teammates in the Red Sox system for all four years. Haley felt comfortable in the clubhouse. “Being here this weekend, I’ve met some guys and everybody seems really welcoming. It looks like a really young group. A lot of talent here. I know that. I’m really excited to get to know everybody and get to know this team.” When he travels to spring training, he’ll be able to stay in the same city as when he was with the Red Sox, Ft. Myers. “Turns out I’m in the same city I’ve been in for the last four years. I’m comfortable there. It’s really no change. My wife and I have the same routine of going down to spring training, so it turned out pretty well for us.” The excitement and joy was clear in Haley’s voice and in his comments as he talked. He is excited to get to Ft. Myers. He’s ready for the challenge. “I’ve put in a lot of work this offseason. I’ve really prepared myself mentally and physically for this opportunity. And really, it’s a great opportunity. I’m extremely blessed. I’m extremely thankful that the Twins took a shot at me. I’m definitely going to make the most out of the opportunity that I’m getting. And you know, God willing, it goes my way.” Haley isn’t known for having great velocity, but he knows how to pitch, and he knows how to work. So how does he describe himself as a pitcher? “I like to describe myself as the hardest worker. I might not overpower you, but I’m going to work you to death. I’m going to be meticulous. I work on my craft year-round. I like to say no offseason. I have a fastball, changeup, curveball slider. I like to locate. My hard work is going to beat your hard work. That’s my approach.” Of his 122 career appearances, 110 of them have been as a starting pitcher. As a Rule 5 pick, he needs to remain on the Twins roster all season or be offered back to the Red Sox. So, if his role on the Twins would be in long relief in the bullpen, would he be alright with that? Haley said, “I’d be great with anything that allows me to be a Minnesota Twin.” As spring training approaches, Haley was asked his goals for 2017. “My goals are to be the hardest worker. I want to work hard. I want to be a great teammate. I don’t put a lot of numerical goals out there. I just want to attack every challenge. I see this as a challenge, an obstacle that I can face head on. I’ve got an opponent. I know how to beat him. I know how to succeed. So I’m going to give my full effort to that.” Clearly Haley has a great work ethic. Hard work was a clear characteristic of Haley. It’s something he’s learned from a young age. “I’ve had a lot of great mentors in my life. My father has always instilled in me to be the hardest worker. Hard work beats talent every day of the week and twice on Sundays. That's been my mentality growing up. My mom and dad raised me to work hard and not take anything for granted. That’s going to be my approach” He continued, “I’ve had a lot of great coaches over the years, Coach (Steve) Rousey at Fresno State. I’ve had some great pitching coaches through the Red Sox. They all just keep telling me, keep working hard and that’s just been my process. I’m not going to change anything now that I’m knocking at the door. Justin Haley, like most Rule 5 picks, is facing an uphill battle. But he’s had success on the mound in AA and AAA, and the Twins need all the pitching they can get. Haley will compete for a starting spot or a bullpen spot on the big league roster. It’ll certainly be one of the top stories to follow in Ft. Myers starting on February 14th. Click here to view the article

In 1991, the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves battled to the bitter end in a World Series for the ages. Now, 25 years later, the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs are on their way to another epic Fall Classic, with Tuesday's Cubs victory sending this thrilling series to a decisive Game 7. While we wait for the offseason to officially get underway, here's a smattering of Twins notes.* In his Q&A column at Baseball America on Tuesday, JJ Cooper was asked about mino leaguers capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun. His lengthy list includes two Twins. The first is Pat Light, whose powerful yet erratic fastball was on display in Minnesota this year after he was acquired from the Red Sox in the Fernando Abad deadline deal. The second is Fernando Romero. That name might not be too familiar to casual fans, but it will be soon. When Seth released his season-ending Top 50 Twins prospects list a month ago, Romero ranked second, ahead of such vaunted talents as Alex Kirilloff, Nick Gordon and Tyler Jay. This may seem stunning given that Romero was nowhere to be found on our preseason Top 20 list. But the hard-throwing righty has quickly placed himself squarely back on the radar after being AWOL for a lengthy stretch. Signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager back in 2011, he opened some eyes with his rookie ball performances before missing most of 2014 and all of 2015 due to elbow and knee surgeries. This year he returned with a sparkling 1.89 ERA and 90-to-15 K/BB ratio in 16 starts between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers. While he has touched 100 MPH, Romero typically works in the mid-90s as a starter, with quality secondary offerings to boot. He might be the only pitcher in the system right now boasting true "ace" potential. * When I wrote a few weeks ago that the Twins need to get creative in their pursuit of pitching help this offseason, one of my suggestions was to target a buy-low free agent starter like Derek Holland. I figured there was a good chance that the veteran lefty, who has made only 35 starts for Texas over the past three years due to injuries, would have his $11 million team option for 2017 bought out. The Rangers may still do that, but it looks like they'll see if they can find a trade partner first. This is noteworthy of course because the club's assistant GM, Thad Levine, is reportedly heading to Minnesota to assume general manager duties. Holland lacks enough upside to generate much excitement, but he was a solid young pitcher for the Rangers before running into his extended injury woes. Texas wouldn't be able to command much of anything in exchange for him, but therein lies the appeal. This will be a situation worth keeping an eye on. * Late last week we teased our newest Offseason Handbook, noting that it will be officially released at the conclusion of the World Series, per usual. The fact that this series has been pushed to seven games means that the Handbook's release has been delayed, but with things ready to wrap up in Cleveland, the Handbook will definitely be out by night's end. As we explained in our teaser post, this year's version will feature a dynamic pricing structure, enabling you to get it for free if you so please. Make sure to check in tonight after the game or first thing tomorrow morning to grab your copy! Click here to view the article

Over the weekend, Kennys Vargas was sent to the minors, the Twins called up two newly acquired pitching prospects, and Hector Santiago got rocked. Read on for analysis of each development.* The Twins needed pitching reinforcements after Friday night's marathon contest in Kansas City extended past bar close. The unfortunate victim in the ensuing roster shuffling was Kennys Vargas, who hasn't done much during his time with the team to deserve a demotion. Since coming up in early July, Vargas has posted a .955 OPS with six homers and 17 walks in 25 games, delivering both patience and power. The switch-hitter has cooled off here in August amidst sparse playing time. Therein lies the problem. Joe Mauer is locked in at first. Miguel Sano is relegated mostly to DH as long as Trevor Plouffe is here and maybe beyond, given the elbow issues. This leaves no path to immediate playing time for Vargas, and that didn't figure to change any time soon. The 26-year-old's offensive profile looks good in the middle of the order, but there's not a fit for him here. The same was true for Oswaldo Arcia, who was designated for assignment by the Rays over the weekend. Sometimes, being able to crush the ball simply isn't enough. * In the corresponding move when Vargas was optioned, the Twins called up Adalberto Mejia, who came over in the Eduardo Nunez trade. The lefty had been fairly sharp in his first three starts with Rochester, but got pushed into the big-league fold sooner than anyone expected, out of necessity. Mejia made his MLB debut in mop-up duty, handling the middle innings of a blowout loss. He didn't fare too well, yielding five hits and a walk over 2 1/3 innings, and was optioned following the game. It wasn't the most glamorous opportunity for his first chance, but the prospect did his thing and should be back in 10 days when rosters expand. Replacing him on the staff is Pat Light, who was acquired by the Twins a few days after Mejia. Rob Antony and the front office are wasting no time getting a look at their new additions. Light made a couple of inauspicious appearances in the Red Sox bullpen this year before being swapped for Fernando Abad on deadline day. He was still waiting for his first extended chance in the majors. Now, he should get it, albeit 10 days after it was supposed to happen. MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger explains the rookie's phantom call-up: You can only imagine how frustrating the experience must have been for the hard-throwing righty, so this opportunity must feel redeeming. Light has put up impressive numbers in Triple-A this year (2.37 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.9 K/9) so I'm eager to see what he's got. * One player that has failed to impress in several chances for his new club is Hector Santiago. His horrendous outing at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday night paved the way for Mejia's long-relief outing. The veteran has been raked all over the yard whenever he has taken the hill for the Twins. His first impression feels similar to the one Tommy Milone gave after coming over from the West Coast two years ago. Of course, Milone shook off the slump and reverted back to his old self the following year. In 2015, he put up a 3.92 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 128 innings, perfectly respectable numbers. We can reasonably expect the same from Santiago. The problem is that, like Milone, Santiago at his best is essentially an average pitcher. Do the Twins want to commit to such low-risk, low-reward gambles at a time when they need to be aiming high? Luckily, Santiago's contract status essentially gives Minnesota a team option for next year, so they can make that decision on its own merit. Click here to view the article

The Twins minor league affiliates got (nearly) eight full innings of pitching from each of their starting pitchers on Sunday afternoon, but just one of those starters ended the day with a notch in the win column. That was thanks to a lackluster display of offense throughout as two of the lineups were shut out, and the other two totaled just four runs.In transaction news, the Minnesota Twins optioned one-day call-up Adalberto Mejia back to Rochester after his 2.1 inning MLB debut on Saturday, and recalled right-hander Pat Light about a week after his scheduled flight for his MLB debut chance was cancelled. The Twins also signed free agent Confesor Lara and assigned him to Fort Myers and he made appearance on Sunday. To see which of the starting pitchers got the victory on Sunday, and just how bad of a day it was in the organization for hitters, read on! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Gwinnett 2 Box Score Rochester scored three runs in the first two innings, and held on for the victory thanks to a strong effort from starting pitcher Nick Greenwood. He went eight innings in the game, and scattered five hits. He gave up single runs in the second and sixth inning thanks to a pair of solo home runs. He walked nobody and struck out four. In four of his eight innings he went one-two-three. Rochester scored the first run of the game after Byron Buxton led off the game with a triple, his third of the year with the Red Wings. Wilfredo Tovar followed with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead. In the second inning, Adam Walker led off with a single, and later a two-out rally was sparked by a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first. Logan Schafer singled him home, stole second base, and was driven in on a single from Leonardo Reginatto. That was all the Red Wings would need. Right-hander Alan Busenitz made his first appearance in AAA with his new organization, and closed out the ninth for his first Rochester save with a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Montgomery 2, Chattanooga 0 Box Score The Lookouts lineup was unable to solve the mystery that was Biscuits starter Hunter Wood for the first five innings, and had just as much trouble with their bullpen for the final four. As a team Chattanooga managed just two hits and three walks, and struck out eight times. They were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left just four men on base for the game. Zach Granite doubled for one of those hits. Travis Harrison was 1-2 with a single and two walks. Felix Jorge made the start for the Lookouts, and did everything he could to give his teammates a chance. Over eight innings, he scattered ten hits and one walk that were good for just two earned runs against. He struck out only one, but limited the damage all night with an efficient ninety-six pitches. He also went one-two-three in the third, sixth, and eighth innings. Reliever Luke Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. MIRACLE MATTERS Jupiter 3, Fort Myers 1 Box score The Miracle also got an eight inning effort from their starting pitcher, but just like their Southern League counterparts, it wasn’t enough for them to come out with a victory. In this one it was Keaton Steele who was the hard luck loser. He allowed all three runs (two earned) on six hits in his eighth innings of work. He walked none and struck out four in being saddled with his eleventh loss of the year despite his team outhitting the opposition 8-6 on the game. Fort Myers tied the game at one in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Max Murphy to score Brian Navaretto, but another runner would be thrown out at home trying to score from first to end the threat. That was all the Miracle could muster. Murphy (2-3, 2B, RBI, BB) and Nick Gordon (2-4) each collected two hits on the day to pace the offense. Organization newcomer (and solid all-around name) Confesor Lara made his debut with the Twins organization and pitched a clean ninth inning for the Miracle, striking out one. He was previously part of the Detroit Tigers system and had reached as high as AA. The Twins signed him as a free agent after about a week with the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League. KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 9, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Cedar Rapids also got a pretty good effort from their starting pitcher, but that distinction won’t be discernible in the box score. Sam Gibbons went 7.2 innings in this one, and allowed four hits. He also walked four, but an unfortunate error on a line drive to right fielder Jaylin Davis cleared the bases for a 3-0 Burlington lead in the fifth inning. That was all the Bees would need to pop the Kernels on this day as they managed just five hits and no extra-base hits as a team on offense. Gibbons allowed two legitimate runs in the sixth thanks to a double, walk, RBI groundout and RBI single. Casey Scoggins, Nelson Molina and Travis Blankenhorn all reached base twice with one single and one walk apiece. As a team the Kernels were just 0-2 with runners in scoring position, so they didn’t even manage many opportunities. Right-hander Logan Lombana pitched the final 1.1 innings, but was knocked around in the ninth to the tune of four runs for the final blowout score. He allowed two hits, walked two, and the big blow was a three-run home run to cap the game’s scoring. E-TWINS E-NOTES Bristol @ Elizabethton – Postponed by rain. The E-Twins game with the Bristol Pirates on Sunday afternoon was postponed by rain. They will make up the game as part of a double-header on Monday, starting at 5:00 PM CST. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins, like most of the rest of the Gulf Coast League, enjoyed the afternoon off on Sunday. They get back to action tomorrow morning on the road against the GCL Orioles. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Nick Greenwood, Rochester Red Wings, (W, 8.0IP, 2 ER’s, 5 H’s, 4 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Logan Schafer, Rochester Red Wings (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) – LHP Andrew Albers (9-6, 3.64 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (6:05PM CST) – TBD Fort Myers – Scheduled day off. Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM PM CST) – RHP Brady Anderson (1-0, 2.12 ERA) Bristol @ Elizabethton (5:00PM CST) – Game 1, TBD Bristol @ Elizabethton – Game 2, TBD (makeup of Sunday’s postponement) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

These last three games against the Indians have really been something. It might make you wonder how things would be different had the offense clicked earlier this year. It might also make you look at the contributions of Max Kepler and not feel so bad about Byron Buxton or Miguel Sano. It might also make you think about the future.Let’s look back a little bit first. Though fans suffered through all the 90-loss seasons, 2014 was when the lights started to flicker brighter and we were introduced to the first wave of prospects. Oswaldo Arcia used the season to build on a successful 2013 campaign. Danny Santana debuted and put up a ridiculous .824 OPS while stealing 20 bases. Kennys Vargas teased us with his power in a 53-game cameo. All were 23 years old. Kyle Gibson spent his first full season in the major leagues and was a 13-game winner. Trevor May started nine games - and while he struggled - he showed fans an ability to strike hitters out with a K/9 of 8.7 in 45.2 innings. Last season, 2015, was more of the same. We witnessed the duo of Miguel Sano, 22, and Eddie Rosario, 23, push the team to the brink of the playoffs. Sano with his power (18 home runs and an OPS of .916) and Rosario with his speed and defense (a league-leading 15 triples and 16 outfield assists). Tyler Duffey joined the rotation, got roughed up in his debut, but was 5-0 down the stretch and the club’s best pitcher. Also seeing time in 2015 were members of the next wave: Byron Buxton who debuting at 21, battled injuries and remained a prospect by one at-bat, Jorge Polanco, who debuted at 20, and always hits, and Max Kepler, last year’s Southern League Player of the Year, who joined the team in late-September. Jose Berrios, who turned 22 earlier this summer, has rejoined the team (hopefully) permanently and it’s not hard to imagine that many of the pieces of the next competitive team are in place. But who’s next? THE POWER BATS With Kepler firmly entrenched in right field and Buxton the future of centerfield, it would be easy to stick Rosario in left field and call it a day. Not so fast. Daniel Palka, 24, has 26 home runs this year between Chattanooga and Rochester. His left-handed power will play at any stadium and though he isn’t on the 40-man roster, could be a September call-up. He’s not alone. Adam Brett Walker, also 24, has 21 home runs for Rochester this year. Walker’s right-handed power will play anywhere. The catch, obviously, is that both players have a massive amount of swing-and-miss in their game. But that doesn’t mean that either (or both) should be cast aside. Byungho Park, who had 12 home runs for the Twins before being demoted in late June, also offers a ton of power from the right-handed batter’s box, but he is limited to first base or DH in the lineup (and he’s 29 and not a prospect). THE NEXT PIRANHAS There will never be another set like the originals, but there’s some potential with this next wave: Zach Granite, 23, and Engelb Vielma, 22, are both hitting just shy of .300 in Chattanooga and both offer premium defense and a lot of speed. Granite has 34 walks and 34 strikeouts on the season along with 38 stolen bases. Coming into the year with a 65% success rate, Granite has improved and has been successful in 81% of his attempts this year. Vielma has battled hamstring injuries this season and only has six swipes, but he had 35 last year and we’ll see his numbers trend north as the season progresses and his legs get all the way back to 100%. THE NEXT CATCHER After trading for John Ryan Murphy, the future appeared set. Until Murphy forgot how to hit (worse than you can imagine with the Twins before becoming a .210/.266/.283 hitter for Rochester). So who’s next? Mitch Garver, a 25-year-old at Chattanooga, has improved his defense and made greater strides with his bat. Garver has an OPS over .800 supported with 11 home runs. He 20% strikeout-percentage is higher than normal, but his walk-rate remains over 11%. He’s also thrown out more than 50% of would-be base-stealers on the season. THE TURNING OF THE ROTATION The minor-leagues contain a number of pitchers who could find time in the rotation including Jason Wheeler, a 25-year-old, who is on his way to being named the organization’s pitcher of the year with a 10-3 record between Chattanooga and Rochester and Aaron Slegers, 23, and David Hurlbut, 26, who are potential back-end arms, as well currently pitching in Chattanooga. Recently-acquired Adalberto Mejia, 23, will make his organizational debut for Rochester tomorrow. He’s not far off and has a chance to make the Opening Day rotation next year. Sometime later in 2017, we could be introduced to the cream of the pitching prospect crop: Stephen Gonsalves, 21, has continued to dominate every level, including AA, with a K/9 in excess of 10.0 (though he’s still walking too many), Tyler Jay, 22, started to come into his own with Fort Myers before his promotion, move to the bullpen and subsequent shut-down in Chattanooga, and Kohl Stewart, 21, who’s been an enigma but still has lots of potential. Felix Jorge, also 22, has struggled a bit since his promotion to Chattanooga, but he’s been compared to current Twin Ervin Santana. THE POWER ARMS We saw J.T. Chargois earlier this summer (and it wasn’t pretty), but between him and newly-acquired Pat Light, the Target Field radar gun will hit triple-digits in the top of an inning sometime yet this season. (Light did it twice for Rochester on Wednesday night, according to reports.) 2010 first-round pick Alex Wimmers, 27, doesn’t throw that hard, and neither does Trevor Hildenberger, 25, but both could make their major-league debut this year. Hildenberger was recently placed on the DL with elbow tendinitis, but no one in baseball has numbers as good as he does. Jake Reed, 23, has bounced back with a really good 2016 after a disappointing 2015 (EDIT: According to an AL scout, Reed also hit 100 mph on the radar gun last night) and Zack Jones, 25, continues to strike batters out since his return from the Brewers (after they decided not to keep him as a Rule 5 draft pick). Nick Burdi is another arm who throws it really hard… when healthy, which he currently isn’t. THE RECAP The Twins have been a lot of fun to watch these last few days. And they have plenty of young players who are making it so fun. But they have more young players knocking on the door and that makes it exciting. We’re going to see some guys get a(nother) chance before many of these prospects get their turns, but this next wave is going to be fun to watch. Who excites you? Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins just announced their first deadline day move. They are sending lefty reliever Fernando Abad to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-hander Pat Light. Light, 25, was drafted by the Red Sox 37th overall in 2012. He's a relief prospect that can touch triple digits with his heater.The Twins have some familiarity with the new arrival. Three years before Boston drafted him out of Monmouth University in the first round, Minnesota selected him in the 28th round of his New Jersey high school, though he didn't sign. Light struggled during his first few pro seasons as a starter, but since converting to a relief role last year he has turned himself back into an intriguing prospect with premium velocity. In the last two seasons between Double-A and Triple-A, he has amassed 103 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings (9.9 K/9) though all the whiffs have come along with a whopping 54 walks (5.2 BB/9) Like many other young bullpen arms the Twins have targeted over the past few years, Light is a hard-throwing specimen with control problems and plentiful upside if he can iron them out. He's a nice return for Abad, who signed a minor-league deal during the offseason and went on to post a 2.65 ERA in 39 appearances for Minnesota. Abad's vacated roster spot goes to Jose Berrios, who will start tonight for the Twins in Cleveland. What are your thoughts on the deal? Click here to view the article