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

With the Wichita Wind Surge regular season over, only the St. Paul Saints were in action tonight. Short staffed from a pitching perspective, the Saints got behind and never rallied. TRANSACTIONS RHP Tyler Beck added to Triple-A St. Paul from Double-A Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL Indianapolis 9, St. Paul 1 Box Score Tonight Austin Schulfer started for the Saints but threw to just three batters after a throw from catcher Ryan Jeffers hit him in the back of the head. He did walk off under his own power and indications are that he should be fine. Tyler Beck, recently added from Double-A Wichita having pitched just one inning this year due to injury, then gave up five runs on four hits and four walks across 1 2/3 innings. Indianapolis tagged St. Paul pitching for one run in the 1st inning, five runs in the 2nd inning, one run in the 4th inning, and another in the 6th inning before the Saints could answer. Wander Javier lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring John Andreoli to break up the shutout, but that was the end of their scoring. Indianapolis wiped that away with a run in the 8th inning and they completed the 9-1 victory. WIND SURGE WISDOM The regular season is over for the Wichita Wind Surge. Winning the finale, they finished the season 78-59. After going 35-33 in the first half, it was a 43-26 second half record that vaulted the Wind Surge into the Texas League Division Series. Wichita will play host to the Tulsa Drillers, who went just 29-40 in the second half after a near opposite 40-27 mark in the first half. Wichita has been a dominant 26-10 at home during the second half while Tulsa has gone just 13-23 on the road. Second rank Twins Daily prospect Brooks Lee was recently promoted to Wichita and will provide a significant boost to the lineup. Edouard Julien and Alex Isola have also been catalysts for the Wind Surge this season. With Kody Funderburk going in the final, he would seem unlikely to pitch in the series. Twins rookie Louie Varland’s brother Gus Varland has pitched 70 2/3 innings for Tulsa this year and should appear in the series. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Evan Sisk (St. Paul) - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – John Andreoli (St. Paul) - 2-3, R, BB PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 1-3, K #16 - Ronny Henriquez (Minnesota) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (5:35PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Brent Headrick Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! View full article

This afternoon the Saints used a pair of first blasts to grind out a victory while the Wind Surge found themselves on top after a strong strikeout performance by their starting pitcher. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson - St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS Infielder Elliot Soto placed on 7-day concussion IL by St. Paul Pitcher Ronny Henriquez recalled by Minnesota Twins Pitcher Dereck Rodriguez optioned to Triple-A St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Louisville 1 Box Score Wrapping up their home series against the Louisville Bats, St. Paul turned to Ariel Jurado for Sunday’s matinee. He was great allowing just a single run (unearned) on two hits and a walk. Jurado punched out three in his six innings of work. After the Bats took a first-inning lead, St. Paul responded when Chris Williams blasted his tenth Triple-A dinger in the bottom of the inning. Then in the third inning, recently-promoted Wander Javier crushed his first Triple-A home run to give St. Paul their first lead of the game. Joining the first career Triple-A homer party, Dalton Shuffield blasted one to right-center field. He was Minnesota’s 10th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Brock Stewart turned in a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout, and Jake Jewell recorded his fifth save while recording six outs, allowing no baserunners, and striking out three. St. Paul goes on the road tomorrow before returning to play their final homestand next week. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Midland 3 Box Score Kody Funderburk was on the bump to close out the regular season for the Wind Surge. They’ll have a day off Monday before starting their postseason against the Tulsa Drillers on Tuesday. Funderburk worked around traffic, but gave up just two runs on four hits while striking out eight in four innings of work. After getting behind in the third inning, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. put the Wind Surge on top when he blasted a two-run homer. Keirsey Jr.’s seventh of the season brought in Leobaldo Cabrera and Wichita found themselves in the run column. Wichita allowed Midland to even things in the 4th inning, but immediately took back the lead in the fifth inning. Anthony Prato lifted a sacrifice fly to score Will Holland, and then Jair Camargo jacked a two-run blast to bring in Brooks Lee. A late hit by Midland brought in another run, but Wichita held on to win their final game of the regular season TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ariel Jurado (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – Chris Williams (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, RBI, HR(10) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 3-5, R, K #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 2-3, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (5:35PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

The Minnesota Twins finally snapped their losing streak against Cleveland, winning 3-0 Sunday. Joe Ryan pitched into the eighth inning and Luis Arraez delivered a huge two-out insurance hit in the ninth. Featured on the minor league side are Chris Williams, Wander Javier, Dalton Shuffield, Kody Funderburk, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Jair Camargo and Brooks Lee, who had three hits in his second career Double-A game. View full video

The Twins avoided a sweep in Texas but only the Kernels joined their MLB counterparts in the victory column on Sunday afternoon. The Saints and Wind Surge found themselves in the loss column while the Mighty Mussels were rained out. TRANSACTIONS Fort Myers Might Mussels reinstated LHP Steve Hajjar from the 7-day injured list. Cedar Rapids activated LHP Brent Headrick from the Injured List. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Louisville 5 Box score SP: Dereck Rodriguez - 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Caleb Hamilton (9), Curtis Terry (8) Multi-Hit games: Hamilton (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI (31), K), Jermaine Palacios (2-4, R, 2B) The Saints wrapped up their second road trip to Louisville Sunday afternoon looking to split the series with the Reds Triple-A affiliate. Dereck Rodriguez was on the mound for the Saints and had a tough start as he allowed nine base runners on eight hits and a walk that turned into all five runs the Bats needed to win. Rodriguez did have six strikeouts for the afternoon and roughly two-thirds of his 94 pitches landed in the strike zone, even with two wild pitches in the afternoon. Through the first four innings of the game, the Saints were able to hold the lead thanks to two home runs, one from DH Caleb Hamilton and the other from first baseman Curtis Terry, both coming in the top of the fourth. The Bats were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth and the Saints responded in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Hamilton that scored Elliot Soto. The bottom of the sixth was when the Bats retook their lead for the win and knocked Rodriguez out of the game scoring three runs on five hits. The Saints were able to escape more damage in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a diving double play started by Soto. St. Paul was unable to get any more runs and lost by a final score of 5-4. The loss brings the Saints overall record to 40-42 on the season. The Saints will return home Tuesday for a six-game series against the Toledo Mudhens which will feature former Twins prospect Akil Baddoo and former Twins reliever from the 2021 bullpen Derek Law. First pitch for Tuesday night’s opener is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. CT. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Amarillo 4 Box Score SP: Daniel Gossett - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Matt Wallner (21), Andrew Bechtold (10) Multi-Hit games: Wallner (3-5, R, HR, RBI (59)), Cole Sturgeon (2-3, R, BB, CS) Wichita completed the first half of a 12-game homestand with a loss in their series finale against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Daniel Gossett made his fourth start since being sent down to Wichita from the Saints and held his own. Gossett allowed six hits, including one homer, through six innings but kept the Sod Poodles at two runs with five strikeouts. Twins future All-Star selection Matt Wallner carried the Wind Surge offense Sunday afternoon. Wallner led off the bottom of the first with a home run for the Wind Surge to start the day and put them up 1-0. Wallner reached base twice more on singles and had an outfield assist in the top of the third throwing out a runner at home to end the inning. Going into the top of the ninth, the Wind Surge held a 3-2 lead and looked to finish the game in their favor. The lead-off hitter was hit by a pitch. Amarillo rallied with two outs in the top of the ninth with a walk and a double to give themselves a 4-3 lead. Wichita was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth. The loss brings the Wind Surge record to an even 40-40 through 80 games on the season. The Wind Surge begin their next series at home on Tuesday against Arkansas with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 4 Box Score SP: Brent Headrick 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (18), Wander Javier (8) Multi-Hit Games: Jake Rucker (2-4, R, K, CS), Kyler Fedko (2-5, R, 2 RBI (25), K) Cedar Rapids completed their latest homestand with a series victory with four wins in six games over the Quad Cities River Bandits. The Kernels won 6-4 over the River Bandits on Sunday thanks to the power of Christian Encarnacion-Strand and multi-hit games from Jake Rucker and Kyler Fedko. Brent Headrick was on the mound for his 14th start of the season. The lefty had a shortened start of four innings on Sunday, but only made one mistake in his outing with a home run given up to River Bandits catcher Luca Tresh. Aside from the homer, Headrick dominated, striking out five on 42 pitches with 31 strikes. Entering the bottom of the third, the Kernels were down 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth, they scored four runs. The big hit was Encarnacion-Strand’s two-run home run. There was also a bases-loaded walk from Charles Mack. This gave the Kernels a 4-1 lead that they maintained until the top of the fifth when the River Bandits scored one more to make it a 4-2 game. In the top of the eighth, the River Bandits tied the game up 4-4 on an RBI single from shortstop Tyler Tolbert. The Kernels answered in the bottom half of the inning on Wander Javier’s eighth homer of the season and an RBI single from Kyler Fedko. The Kernels improve their season record to 49-32, tied for the best record in the Midwest League with the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers High-A affiliate. Next series for the Kernels begins on the road against the Beloit Sky Carp Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers, Tampa Postponed The Mighty Mussels had their series finale against the Tampa Tarpons postponed due to rain on Sunday. The rainout was the second of the series for the Mighty Mussels in Tampa. Steve Hajjar, who was activated from the 7-Day IL Sunday, was set to start for the Mighty Mussels but will have his first start back from the IL on Tuesday against Clearwater. The Mighty Mussels return home Tuesday for a six game series against the Clearwater Threshers with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. CT. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins off day. Resume Monday against FCL Orioles at 11 a.m. CT. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins off day. Resume Monday against DSL Dodgers Mega team at 10 a.m. CT TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brent Headrick (Cedar Rapids) 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (Wichita) (3-5, R, HR, RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 3-5, R, HR, RBI (59) #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-3, 2 BB, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, HR (18), 2 RBI (62), BB, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS All Twins Minor League Affiliates are off on Monday and will resume their games on Tuesday, July 12. The only remaining minor league games on Mondays this season are for the Saints in September and DSL and FCL games. Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - TBD Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - Steve Hajjar FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Dodgers @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games View full article

In just one of the few Monday’s where there is minor league action this season, Matt Wallner provided all of the fireworks for the Fourth of July. Miguel Sano returned to action on a rehab assignment and runs were hard to come by at other stops on the farm. Transactions: Josh Winder transferred to Minnesota taxi squad Trevor Megill returned to Minnesota from MLB rehab with Saints Juan Minaya was designated for assignment by Minnesota SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Louisville 1 Box Score Tonight’s game was supposed to be started by Josh Winder, but he was scratched and sent to Chicago joining the Minnesota Twins taxi squad. Dereck Rodriguez stepped up and filled in admirably. Working four innings of one-run ball, Rodriguez gave up three hits while striking out two. The lone run came on a solo blast. After getting down in the second inning, it took the Saints some time and good pitching to come back. Caleb Hamilton ripped his 8th homer, a solo blast in the 7th inning, to knot things up. St. Paul then took advantage of bad defense in the 8th inning when Louisville catcher Chris Okey uncorked an errant through trying to nail John Andreoli stealing third base. Andreoli was able to scamper home from there and Elliot Soto moved up to third after stealing second on his own. A wild pitch then gave Soto the opportunity to score, and a Michael Helman single brought in Spencer Steer. Yennier Cano came on and was the fifth different Saints reliever to work a scoreless outing. Cano got the save, his second of the year. Evan Sisk got his first win for St. Paul while Austin Schfuler got his first hold. It was St. Paul’s pitching that got them to the finish line tonight as the lineup tallied just four hits with Hamilton’s longball being the only extra-base contribution. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Amarillo 3 Box Score Veteran Daniel Gossett got the start for Wichita tonight and turned in the longest outing on the farm. His five innings saw two runs (one earned) plated one four hits. Gossett punched out seven and walked three. He lowered his Double-A ERA this season to 1.96. Amarillo started the scoring but scorching hot Matt Wallner quickly erased the lead with his 19th homer of the season. Chris Williams then launched his own dinger, a two-run shot scoring Kyle Schmidt, to make it 3-1. After Amarillo added a run on a 3rd inning double, Wallner hit his second dinger of the day, and 20th of the season. This one was of the two-run variety plating Leobaldo Cabrera and making it a 5-2 game. Schmidt allowed a passed ball in the 7th inning to bring Amarillo back within two, 5-3. Steven Cruz came on to slam the door and generate his second save giving the Wind Surge a two-run victory. Wallner was joined by Williams, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Anthony Prato with two hits apiece. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Quad Cities 4 Box Score Miguel Rodriguez got the start for Cedar Rapids tonight and he went three innings allowing two runs on solo homers. Quad Cities tagged him for three hits while Rodriguez responded with two strikeouts. Quad Cities broke open the scoring with a pair of homers in the 2nd inning, but Cedar Rapids took things into their hands during the 4th inning. Yunior Severino launched a home run for his third of the season to bring the Kernels within one. In the 5th inning Seth Gray evened things on a single to left that scored Jake Rucker. From there Severino singled to short and both Gray and Alerick Soularie scored on a fielder error. When Quad Cities pitcher Ruben Ramirez uncorked a wild pitch, Severino was able to scamper home and make it a 5-2 game. The River Bandits tried to make things interesting adding runs in both the 7th and 8th innings, but that’s where the door would get slammed. The Kernels made it a laugher in the bottom of the 8th inning. First Dylan Neuse doubled in Jeferson Morales. Then a Kyler Fedko triple plated Neuse and Rucker. Gray singled in Fedko and Pat Winkel then plated both Gray and Soularie on a single of his own. Wander Javier capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to drive in Severino and make it a 12-4 game. Gray tallied three hits on the evening while Fedko, Severino, and Winkel each added two of their own. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 5, Fort Myers 1 Box Score The Mighty Mussels called on Travis Adams tonight for their Independence Day start and he went two innings while allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two. This was a forgettable contest for Fort Myers as they posted just a single run on three hits. Tampa put up two in the 1st inning, one in the 4th inning, one in the 6th inning, and one in the 7th inning. Rubel Cespedes clobbered a homer, his second, in the 8th inning to put the Mighty Mussels on the board. With just three hits, no Fort Myers hitter recorded multiples on the evening. Cespedes' dinger was the only hit for extra-bases. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Braves 1 Box Score Juan Rojas made the start for the Twins and was great. Across five scoreless innings he allowed just two hits and punched out five. Danny De Andrade picked up another two-hit game, this time recording his first triple of the season. Miguel Sano also began his rehab assignment following knee surgery. He was 0-for-4 but didn’t strike out. His rehab assignment can be a maximum of 20 days and will head to Triple-A St. Paul when he’s deemed ready for the next stage of the process. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 5, DSL Dodgers Bautista 3 (F/6) Box Score Jose Rodriguez provided most of the offense in this one as he went 2-for-2 with a pair of homers. Rodriguez scored three times and drove in two runs. Catcher Jesus Peraza also had a two-hit game in the victory. Leonardo Luge got the win, the first of his professional career, working three innings in relief. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Daniel Gossett (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR(20), K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-2, BB #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, BB #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB, K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR(20), K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS (No games on Tuesday) St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05PM CST) - RHP Cole Sands Amarillo @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

Alex Kirilloff is doing his best to get a call back to the Twins soon. The Saints are playing well and hitting a lot of homers. Rains won the day in Florida as the Mighty Mussels were rained out, and the FCL Twins game was suspended in the first inning due to weather. Cedar Rapids and Wichita are both working hard to try to stay in first place in their division. After a really poor three-week stretch, the St. Paul Saints are now one of the hottest teams in Triple-A baseball. They are powering their way to a lot of wins. It’s been fun, I’m sure for the several players and coaches on the Saints roster who spent time with the Red Wings while they were a Twins affiliate. Manager Matthew LeCroy and left-handed pitcher Sam Clay are former members of the Twins organization that are with the Nationals organization now. There were several transactions on Saturday. The Twins beat the Rays, assuring a series win, but also assuring a winning record in their much-ballyhooed nine-game stretch against the Blue Jays, the Yankees and the Rays. Their young players continue to play well. Jose Miranda and Trevor Larnach have really hit. Gilberto Celestino continues to hit well over .300. Nick Gordon has proven versatile. Now, Nick Gordon did leave Saturday’s game with some sort of discomfort. Could he be an IL candidate? If so, would the Twins call up Alex Kirilloff? He has hit .379/.464/.695 (1.158) with six doubles and eight homers in 24 games since his demotion. Or, since Gordon is currently the backup to Carlos Correa at shortstop, and Correa is still getting time off, could Jermaine Palacios be added and play a utility role? He would need to be added to the 40-man roster, but Chi Chi Gonzalez was DFAd after Saturday’s game. Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS The Twins selected the contract of RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez. SS Royce Lewis was placed on the 60-Day Injured List. RHP Yennier Cano was optioned to the Saints. Following the game, the Twins DFAd Gonzalez. OF Derek Fisher was released. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Rochester 7 Box Score The Saints won for the sixth straight time on Saturday night. They have won the first five games against the previous Twins Triple-A affiliate, the Red Wings. Just two weeks ago, the Saints were ten games under .500. With the win, they are now 29-29. On this night, St. Paul had a season-high 17 hits including seven that went for extra bases. Tim Beckham led the way. He went 4-for-5 and is hitting .500 through his first eight games with the Saints. Alex Kirilloff continues to rake. He went 3-for-5 and hit his seventh and eighth homers with the Saints. Above you saw his numbers over 24 games since his demotion. However, looking at just his eight games, he is .438/.514/1.094 (1.607) with three doubles, six homers, and 12 RBI in his past eight games. He also has at least one hit in 12 of his past 13 games. Michael Helman also had three hits. He was 3-for-5 with a double. Jermaine Palacios was 2-for-4 with a walk and his tenth double. Curtis Terry went 2-for-4 with his 13th double. Caleb Hamilton’s sixth home run gave the Saints a 6-4 lead in the fourth inning. It came off of former Twins prospect Sam Clay. Jordan Balazovic started. He gave up one run on four hits over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out one batter and walked none. Jordan Gore came on and gave up a double and a home run. Dereck Rodriguez came on and gave up three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four batters. Wladimir Pinto gave up one run on two hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning. Ian Hamilton got the final four outs to record the save. He gave up two hits, but struck out two batters. With three homers on Saturday, the Saints have 26 already during the month of June. That is more than any other minor-league or major-league team. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Arkansas 5 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson started for the Wind Surge on Saturday. He had a rough first inning. He gave up four runs on three hits and a walk. He also had a wild pitch and a balk, and the big hit was a two-run homer for Cade Marlowe. But minor-league baseball is all about development, and Woods Richardson showed a lot after the early struggles. He got a strikeout to end the first inning. Then he had 1-2-3 innings in the second and third frames. He gave up a two-out single in the fourth, but that’s it. In the fifth inning, he gave up a leadoff single, but got a double-play before getting the third out. Overall, he gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in five innings. He had three strikeouts. Denny Bentley struck out two in a scoreless sixth inning. Andrew Cabezas struck out one in a perfect seventh inning. Steven Cruz gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the eighth inning. He struck out two batters. Offense was difficult to come by for the Wind Surge on Saturday. On his 25th birthday, Dennis Ortega went 2-for-4 with his eighth double of the season. DaShawn Keirsey’s 11th double of the season drove in the team’s two runs in the seventh inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 4 Box Score The Kernels got a good start from Aaron Rozek, and the offense got people on base but were unable to sustain due to 16 strikeouts. Rozek, the lefty from Burnsville High School and Minnesota State-Mankato made his eighth start of the year for the Kernels. He gave up only two hits and one walk over four scoreless innings. He struck out three batters. Sean Mooney came on as the piggyback in the fifth inning. Coming into the outing, he had a 1.67 ERA. On this night, he gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits. He struck out four batters without issuing a walk. Wander Javier reached base four times. He went 2-for-2 with his seventh double, a walk and was also hit by a pitch. Seth Gray went 2-for-4. His eighth double came in the ninth inning and scored Yunior Severino to cut the deficit to 4-3. With one out, Javier walked, and the Kernels had the tying and go-ahead runners on base. Unfortunately, that’s where they remained as the next two batters struck out. Aaron Sabato homered for the second straight night, his ninth of the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers, Daytona The game in Daytona was postponed by rain. The two teams will finish their series at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 0 (Suspended in 1st inning) Box Score Starting Pitcher: Brayan Medina (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K) Multi-Hit Games: None. XBH: None. Rehab Players: Daniel Robertson (0-for-1) Top Prospects: Danny De Andrade (1-for-1, R), Fredy Michel (1-for-1, 1 R). The Red Sox youngsters made the six-mile drive down Daniels Parkway. They went 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning. The Twins came to the plate. Daniel Robertson grounded out. Fredy Michel singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Danny De Andrade singled to center. Michael advanced to third base, and De Andrade advanced to second on the throw. Alexander Pena then singled to left to score both runners. And then the rains came. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 6, DSL Giants 0 Box Score Starting Pitcher: Cesar Lares (4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K) Winning Pitcher: Roger Duran (2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K) Multi-Hit Games: Isaac Pena (2-for-3, R, 3B) 2B: Daniel Pena (2), Denyerbe Gervis (2) 3B: Isaac Pena (1) HR: Jose Rodriguez (1) Top Prospects: Bryan Acuna (1-for-3, BB, R, K, SB) TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K (48 pitches, 31 strikes) Hitter of the Day – Alex Kirilloff (St. Paul) - 3-5, 2-HR (8), 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins' Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Saturday. #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 3 K (played CF) #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K (46 pitches, 35 strikes) #5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K (69 pitches, 44 strikes #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, 3 K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ St. Paul (2:07 PM CST) - RHP Jake Faria (0-2, 7.12 ERA) Wichita @ Arkansas (1:35 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (0-0, 6.08 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (1:05 PM CST) - LHP Cade Povich (3-4, 3.65 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (DH at 2:30 PM CST) - TBD, TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Saturday’s games! 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Luis Arraez hit a go-ahead grand slam and the Minnesota Twins beat the Rays 6-5 at Target Field Saturday. Down in the minors, Alex Kirilloff hit two home runs for the Saints. See highlights of those two performances and much more in tonight's Twins system recap. View full video

Plenty of offensive firepower was on display tonight throughout the Twins farm system. Both the Wind Surge and Kernels put up double-digits with multi players having gaudy stat lines. Aaron Rozek was the standout arm and Cedar Rapids continued its torrid start to the season. Transactions: RHP Cole Sands added to Minnesota as 27th man OF Kennie Taylor promoted to Double-A Wichita OF Kyle Fedko promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids OF Luis Baez transferred to Single-A Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL Columbus 7, St. Paul 4 Box Score Jacob Faria made the start for the afternoon tilt today. St. Paul got four innings of work from their starter and Faria allowed three runs, only one earned, on five hits while striking out four and walking one. Down early after a three-run 2nd inning for the Clippers, St. Paul knotted things in the 5th inning. Caleb Hamilton scored on an Ernie Yake ground out before Elliot Soto singled in both Yake and Jermaine Palacios. Giving a run back immediately in the bottom half of the 5th inning, the Saints saw the gap widen to four before answering with a run of their own in the 9th inning. Roy Morales drove in Kevin Merrell with a single, but that’s all the rally amounted to. Palacios was the lone Saints hitter to record two hits on the day, one of which was his fifth double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 0 Box Score Following the fun outing against his brother last time out, Louie Varland was back for a more normal contest. He cruised through the first few innings before running into trouble in the 5th inning. In total, Varland worked six innings allowing seven hits and four runs. He picked up seven strikeouts and walked no one. Scoreless through the first two frames, the Wind Surge got their first run following a steal of third base by DaShawn Keirsey. With the ball getting away on the throw, he was able to move up ninety feet for the game’s first run. Matt Wallner then continued his hot stretch with a laced double to right scoring both Edouard Julien and Spencer Steer. Although Austin Martin hasn’t hit for Wichita this season, middle infielder Spencer Steer absolutely has. Crushing a solo blast in the 5th inning, Steer picked up his fifth of the season. Watching their lead be wiped out by the 6th inning, the Wind Surge got back to adding. In the 7th inning Alex Isola drove in Julien with a single before Andrew Bechtold added a double to plate Isola. Dennis Ortega followed with a double of his own to drive in Wallner and Bechtold, and then Leobaldo Cabrera cleared the bases with his second dinger of the season. Steven Cruz was great in relief of Varland giving the Wind Surge two scoreless innings allowing just one hit and picking up three strikeouts. Isola, Wallner, Cabrera, and Kerisey all had two hits tonight for Wichita. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 13, Peoria 1 Box Score It was Aaron Rozek on the bump tonight for the Kernels and he turned in nothing short of a dominant outing. Working five scoreless innings, Rozek allowed just three hits and no runs or walks while picking up nine punchouts. Backing up their starter, the Cedar Rapids bats put up a crooked number early. Seth Gray roped his fifth double of the season in the top of the 4th inning to plate Jeferson Morales and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Wander Javier then lifted a single to right field scoring Gray on the play. Adding again in a big way, the 5th inning featured another Kernels outburst and this one was a home run party. Gray clobbered his second of the season before Jair Camargo hit his fifth, and Javier launched his second. Then Encarnacion-Strand decided he’d keep the ball in the park, driving a single to bring home both Will Holland and Anthony Prato. Cedar Rapids picked up another run in the 8th inning with Holland scoring on a wild pitch. They did give that one back on a solo shot in the bottom half. It didn’t matter much however, as the 9th inning saw a four-run explosion in the form of a Camargo single to score Willie Joe Garry Jr. and Javier’s second homer of the night. Javier lifted a three-run shot and what was a big league became a laugher. The Kernels recorded 14 hits in this one and got multi-hit efforts from Prato, Encarnacion-Strand, Gray, Camargo, and Javier. MUSSEL MATTERS Postponed Fort Myers’ game against Palm Beach was postponed on Thursday night. It will be made up as a double-header tomorrow afternoon. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(3) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-4, K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesotal) - 0-4, 2 K #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - #9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - 3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Postponed #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 0-1, K #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 K #13 - Cole Sands (Minnesota) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - Postponed #16 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR(5), 2 BB, K #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K #20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Postponed FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cade Povich Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (3:30PM CST) - TBD/TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

There were a few top pitching prospects on the mound for Twins affiliates on Tuesday night that each had strong outings for their teams. But it was another pitcher who isn’t quite recognized as such (yet…) who would steal the show in just his second professional outing. TRANSACTIONS In Fort Myers, IF Jesus Feliz was activated from the 7-day IL and was in the lineup batting sixth and playing first base for the Mighty Mussels. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 0, Toledo 11 Box Score Jose Miranda led off the game for the Saints with a double, but that was literally as good as it would get for them the rest of it. As a team they managed just three hits, were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and left only five men on base on the night. In addition to Miranda’s double, Mark Contreras and Jermaine Palacios each had a single. Unfortunately, it wasn’t any better for the pitching staff either as Toledo scored at least one run in six of their eight at-bats. Starter Cole Sands went just 1 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits and a walk. Wladimir Pinto, Jovani Moran, Jordan Gore, and Ryan Mason went the next six innings, combining to allow six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out ten. Catcher David Banuelos was even called upon to get the final out of the game for the Saints and did so with one pitch. WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 4, Wichita 6 Box Score The Wind Surge got a nice bounce-back start from right-hander Matt Canterino in this one, going three hitless innings. He struck out the side in the first on just 11 pitches but labored a little from there. In total, he walked two and struck out six, throwing 51 pitches (29 for strikes) in his outing. He was getting several swings and misses on mid-90s fastballs when he put them inside the zone, but also missed quite often. Overall a very encouraging outing from the top prospect, however. He also got some help from his defense, as left-fielder Leobaldo Cabrera definitely saved a couple of runs with this catch to rob a home run in the second inning: Wichita took a 3-0 lead after the second inning as Michael Helman led off the frame with his second home run of the season, and later Cole Sturgeon drove in the other two runs with a single to right field. After Canterino’s exit the RockHounds were able to jump on reliever Kody Funderburk in the fourth, as he allowed a two-run homer to cut the lead to one. Funderburk would finish three total innings, allowing two other hits and two walks while striking out two. Zach Featherstone was credited with a blown save and the win after allowing a game-tying two-run home run in the seventh. He got the win as the Wind Surge lineup came right back in the bottom half. Spencer Steer drove in one with a fielder’s choice ground ball to score Austin Martin, who had singled and stole his seventh base of the season before that, and Helman added a sac fly to make the final score 6-4. Austin Schulfer finished off the final two innings to pick up his second save, allowing two hits and striking out three. Dennis Ortega had two hits, Matt Wallner drew two walks and scored a run, and Martin was 1-for-3 with two walks in the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 3, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score The Kernels got another strong start from left-hander Cade Povich in their series opener with Peoria. He pitched into the fifth inning, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Though he struck out the first two batters of the fifth inning he had reached his pitch count at 81 in the game and was removed. He struck out nine hitters in the game and now has 17 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings pitched on the season in his two starts. Cedar Rapids scored single runs in the first and second innings thanks to RBI singles from Jair Camargo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. They took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth when Wander Javier slugged his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to make it 4-2. Bradley Hanner was the first relief pitcher for the Kernels and went a scoreless 1 1/3 innings. Cody Laweryson went the next 1 1/3, allowing one run on one walk while striking out two. Osiris German finished off the eighth then came back out for the ninth and got into some trouble. A leadoff single was followed by a sac bunt and an error to put the tying run 90-feet away with two outs. But Seth Gray made a diving play to his left at first base, knocking down a screaming grounder, and was able to flip it to German at first base to secure the win. It was German’s third save of the young season and he struck out two in his 1 2/3 innings. Encarnacion-Strand (2-for-4, R, RBI, 2 K) and Camargo (2-for-4, RBI) had multiple hits and Aaron Sabato drew two walks in the game. As a team, they collected eight hits, were 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base in improving to 8-2 on the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 2 Box Score Before he had even made a professional appearance, starting pitcher Marco Raya was heading into the 2022 season with some major helium as a prospect. After a solid debut last week, you could say Raya officially provided evidence for that helium on this night. He was lights out for six innings, allowing just a single in the first inning, and went on to retire every hitter he faced after that (16 in a row). He had multiple strikeouts in four of his six innings and punched out the last five hitters he faced to reach double-digit strikeouts with 10 on the game. Hopefully, that’s the first of many times moving forward for the 19-year-old phenom. Even more impressive may be that he did this all on just 68 pitches, with 49 of them going for strikes (72%), and 17 of them swinging. The Mighty Mussels lineup gave him all the support he and the bullpen would need in the fifth inning, scoring all four of their runs thanks to some wildness from the pitcher and RBI singles from Kyler Fedko and Noah Cardenas. Jake Rucker and Dillon Tatum provided the other two hits in the game, and Noah Miller drew two walks. Malik Barrington allowed two runs on two hits in two innings of relief, striking out one. Hunter Mcmahon picked up his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Marco Raya, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (W, 6 IP, H, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Wander Javier, Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, K, SB (7) #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, K #3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 2B, K #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 3 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K #10 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-2, R, 2 BB #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - Pinch runner in the ninth #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB (1) #13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - L, 1 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, BB #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, R, 3 K #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP Mario Sanchez (0-0, 4.50 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Sean Mooney (0-0, 6.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (6:00 PM CDT) - LHP Steve Hajjar (0-0, 12.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Four years ago, the top of Minnesota's prospect list was littered with shortstop prospects. Flash forward to 2022, and none of those prospects have yet to pan out. So, do the Twins have a shortstop development problem? When the Twins brought in Derek Falvey, much of his resume in Cleveland surrounded his ability to develop pitching. However, the team also drafted and developed Francisco Lindor during his tenure. Star shortstops are few and far between, but Minnesota is marred in a second straight winter looking for a replacement at one of baseball's most important positions. Falvey inherited a farm system that included strong shortstop prospects. Then in his first year, the team had the opportunity to select a shortstop with the first overall pick. After four years, it doesn't look like any of these shortstops will stick at the position for the long term. Royce Lewis 2018 TD Top Prospect Ranking: 1 What Was Said Then? Lewis was considered one of baseball's top-30 prospects leading into the 2018 season. He possessed all the tools and make-up a franchise can hope for with the number one overall pick. It also looked like he was on a path to make the big leagues as early as the 2020 campaign. "This guy has a chance to change a franchise with his personality and charisma," said Twins scouting director Sean Johnson upon selecting Lewis. "He's a magnet. People want to be around him." In his professional debut, he showed advanced skills at the plate that made it easy to project him as an above-average big-league player. Few prospects have as many tools as Lewis, especially looking at his potential back in 2018. What Is Said Now? Lewis is coming off surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee, and he hasn't appeared in an official game since the 2019 Arizona Fall League. His stock has dropped on many national prospect ranking lists, and there are questions about his future defensive position. His make-up and athletic ability were tested during the rehab process, and now fans will have to wait and see if he can live up to his sky-high expectations. Nick Gordon 2018 TD Top Prospect Ranking: 3 What Was Said Then? At the time, Gordon ranked as one of baseball's top-100 prospects, but his rankings were all over the board. During the 2017 season, he posted a .749 OPS at Double-A as a 22-year-old. He represented the Twins at the Futures Game in Miami, and he was a Southern League All-Star. His power was developing, and he was three years younger than the average competition in the Southern League. Twins manager Paul Molitor told the Pioneer Press, "Not surprisingly, reports are his bat is still very advanced. We're trying to make sure the rest of his game catches up, and I think he is making progress in that regard." He projected to have a floor as a solid big-league regular at second base, but there were questions about his ceiling. With solid production in the high minors, Gordon seemed like a lock to make his debut before the end of the 2019 season. What Is Said Now? Gordon made his debut, but it took until the 2021 campaign. His projections as a future second baseman have been pushed to the side as he looks more likely to serve in a utility role at the big-league level. His bat didn't continue to develop, and that was his best skill in the lower levels of the minors. There is still hope he can surprise some fans with his performance moving forward. Wander Javier 2018 TD Top Prospect Ranking: 6 What Was Said Then? Baseball America was the lone national outlet to include Javier in their top-100 prospects, but many other prospect outlets had him on their "just missed" lists. As a 19-year-old, he was coming off a 2017 season where he hit .299/.383/.471 (.854) between two rookie league levels. "He flashes an above-average feel for the barrel and should grow into more power as he gains weight," Baseball America wrote. "As he learns to recognize pitches better and strike out less, he should be able to hit at the top of the order." It looked like Javier had all the tools to become a two-way star and the chance to stick at shortstop. Without an at-bat above rookie ball, patience would be required even with his rising prospect status. What Is Said Now? Javier missed the 2018 season with a shoulder injury and then lost the 2020 season because of the pandemic. He spent 2019 at Cedar Rapids and struggled to post a .601 OPS in 80 games. Last season, he moved up to High-A (Still in Cedar Rapids) and saw his OPS jump 82 points. Javier has been left unprotected in the previous two Rule 5 Drafts, and there is a chance a team takes a chance on him when the lockout concludes. Will any of these players see significant time as a shortstop at the big-league level? 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

Our countdown continues today as we get to know five more Minnesota Twins hitting prospects. This is an interesting, intriguing grouping of hitters. Find out who are my choices for the 11-15 ranked Twins hitting prospects. Prospects come in all shapes and sizes, and players develop at different paces. This list shows that. The player in this group of five that has been around the longest is still very young, but because he signed at 16, he may seem older than he is. In fact, that player is actually younger than players drafted out of college the last couple of seasons. Brent Rooker went to Mississippi State and red-shirted as a freshman. He wasn't yet ready at that time. At 20, he was certainly ready for the SEC and became a top pick, drafted at 22-years-old. That really brings up two points about age and prospects. First, age in important to consider when looking at level of competition and stats. However, age really isn't that important when it comes to a potential big leaguer. If he's ready at 22, great. If he's ready at 26, that's OK too. Of course, with the lost 2020 season due to the pandemic, age becomes less important relative to both points. With that in mind, this group of five prospects has a few players who signed at 16 or 17 years old, and a couple of powerful college draft picks. Continue reading to see who made today's list. #15 SS Wander Javier 2021 STATS: .225/.280/.413, 15 2B, 10 3B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 34.3 K%, 6.1 BB%, 1/4 SB It’s been discussed before, but the Twins prospect most hurt by a lost 2020 season may have been Wander Javier. Signed to the largest international free agent contract in team history in July 2015, he began the trek up the ladder. Unfortunately, He missed much of the DSL season in 2016 with injury. He played well for Elizabethton in 2017. Then a shoulder injury cost him the 2018 season and the first half of the 2019 season. He struggled in Low-A Cedar Rapids, hitting just .177 in 80 games. Then came the missed 2020 season. In 2020, he spent the season with High-A Cedar Rapids. The positive is that he remained healthy until the final weeks of the season. He certainly showed flashes of offensive potential, but overall the batting average was low, and so was the on-base percentage. He continued to strike out a lot. There are still several positives that make me (and many) unwilling to give up on him. Javier is a really good athlete. He is quick and he has good strength. He had 37 extra base hits, showing home run power and triples speed. On the positive is Javier’s shortstop defense. Similar to Jermaine Palacios defensively. He has good range. He’s got a big arm. He just sometimes struggles with routine plays, so he will need to continue working on being more consistent. Javier has one more season in the Twins organization before he can become a minor league free agent. He just turned 23 in late December, so being patient is wise. #14 3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand 2021 STATS: .391/.424/.598, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 28.3 K%, 5.4 BB%, 2/2 SB The Twins drafted Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, and it’s fair to say he made a great first impression. As you can see above, he hit for average and showed some of the power that made him intriguing in the draft. He played in 22 games for Ft. Myers and had at least one hit in 21 games. He had at least one hit in the first 20 games. At one point, he had three hits in three straight games and four out of five games. Big and strong, he has a lot of power potential. He didn’t walk a lot with the Mighty Mussels, but he has shown a good approach at the plate. In his one season at Oklahoma State, he hit .361/.442/.661 (1.103) with 17 doubles and 15 home runs in 56 games. The California native had previously been drafted in 2019 in the 34th round when he was playing at Yavapai College in Arizona. In college, he played almost exclusively at third base. In Ft. Myers, with Jesus Feliz and fellow-2021 draft pick Jake Rucker playing third base, Encarnacion-Strand played 17 games at first base. He will be 22 years old throughout the 2022 season. There is a chance that this ranking is a little high simply due to his first impression on me, so it will be interesting to see what he does in 2022. #13 SS Keoni Cavaco 2021 STATS: .233/.296/.302, 7 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 34.1 K%, 7.0 BB%, 6/8 SB Javier is the player likely hurt most by the missed 2020 season. It was also unfortunate for Keoni Cavaco. He was the Twins first-round draft pick in the 2019 draft and struggled in 25 games in the GCL that season. Despite limited pro time, the Twins pushed him to Ft. Myers despite having just turned 20 in early June. He started out well and showed glimpses of his immense potential. Unfortunately, he had some rough patches too. He also missed time with a couple of injuries including a concussion. We have seen how playing in Ft. Myers can (and does) negatively impact offense, so despite his numbers, it is far too early to be too worried yet. He is big, strong and quick and should develop doubles and home run power in time. While he played third base in high school because his Eastlake teammate was shortstop Marcelo Mayer who was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft. However, he has the size, speed, hands and arm strength to potentially play shortstop so that’s where the Twins played him in 2021 and will continue to do so. He certainly needs to be more consistent, but the tools are there. He won’t be able to legally drink until early June. #12 OF Misael Urbina 2021 STATS: .191/.299/.286, 12 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR,52 RBI, 18.7 K%, 12.3 BB%, 16/22 SB Back in July 2018, the Twins signed a 16-year-old Misael Urbina from Venezuela to a $2.75 million signing bonus. He made his professional debut in the DSL where he hit .279/.382/.443 (.825) with 14 doubles, five triples and two homers over 50 games. He also stole 19 bases and walked more than he struck out. After missing the 2020 season, he was set to begin the 2021 season in Extended Spring Training at the Complex. However, less than a week later, he was moved up to the Mighty Mussels and put right into their lineup. As you can see from his stat line, it was a struggle for him. However, he was more than two years younger than league average. He had a low batting average, but he took a lot of walks, showing an ability to control the strike zone (in a league with an electronic strike zone). He also was a good base stealer. He is generally a solid young outfielder who split his time between center field and left field. Urbina would benefit from another season in Ft. Myers to help his tools develop and he can find more success, even if it’s just for a half-season. He won’t even turn 20 until the end of April. #11 OF Matt Wallner 2021 STATS: .265/.350/.504, 14 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 47 RBI, 33.3 K%, 9.3 BB%, 0/1 SB In 2016, Matt Wallner was Mr. Minnesota in baseball and the Twins drafted him in the 32nd round as a pitcher. He didn’t sign and instead headed south to play at Southern Mississippi where he developed into one of the best power hitters in college baseball. In 2019, the Twins drafted him again, this time with the 39th overall pick. He spent that summer in Elizabethton before ending the season in Cedar Rapids. After a lost 2020 season, Wallner returned to Cedar Rapids, now the Twins High-A affiliate. In his first 17 games, he hit .333/.384/.621 (1.005) with nine extra base hits. Unfortunately, he hurt his wrist and ended up having surgery on a broken hamate bone. Two months later, he returned to the Kernels for another 54 games. In that time, he hit just .220, but he walked 10% of the time and hit 11 doubles and 11 home runs. Following the season, he went to the Arizona Fall League where he hit .303 with two doubles and six homers in just 18 games. When he has control of the strike zone, Wallner can be immensely productive. If he can do that, he should hit for average. And when he makes contact, he has as much power as anyone in the Twins system, power to all fields. He’s tall and strong and a pretty good athlete with decent speed once he gets going. Defensively, he is a solid corner outfielder. Since he spent time in college as a closer, you might know that he has a cannon for an arm. He will likely spend most of the 2022 season with the Wichita Wind Surge. He will be 24 throughout the season. I think this is a really interesting group of prospects. There are three very high-ceiling, multi-tooled prospects in this group who signed at a very young age. Javier has struggled on the field and staying on the field in his time. Cavaco and Urbina have all the tools, but they struggled. Both would have benefited from being able to play in a league between the Complex League and Low-A. Wallner and Encarnacion-Strand are college draft picks with big-time power potential who could move up the ladder more quickly. It should be a fun list to discuss. Discuss these players, their rankings and feel free to ask questions. Previous Rankings Hitters Part 1: 26-30 Hitters Part 2: 21-25 Hitters Part 3: 16-20 Hitters Part 4: 11-15 Pitchers Part 1: 26-30 Pitchers Part 2: 21-25 Pitchers Part 3: 16-20 Pitchers Part 4: 11-15 View full article

The World Series kicks off on Tuesday night, and following its completion (which could be as early as Saturday), Minnesota will experience an exodus of players hitting free agency. How will the roster look different a week or so from now? Before taking a look at the upcoming Rule 5 draft, and the players Minnesota will need to protect, it’s worth getting the lay of the land for guys headed onto the open market. Minnesota has a handful of 40 man players that will be on their way out, and some minor leaguers will also be worth keeping tabs on once they exit the organization. First, let’s take a look at the guys currently on the 40 man roster: Michael Pineda, Alexander Colome*, Andrelton Simmons Both Pineda and Simmons are sure to be jettisoned this week. The former is a strong candidate to re-sign with the Twins, while the latter should be expected to wind up elsewhere. Given Minnesota’s 2022 pitching outlook, bringing Pineda back to bolster the starting rotation would be an excellent decision. The one uncertain candidate here is closer Alexander Colome. He fell flat for Minnesota but did rebound somewhat down the stretch. His career numbers have been better than in 2021, and free agency isn’t a straightforward process for him. Both parties have a mutual option for 2022, and the value checks in at $5.5 million. His $1.25 million buyout is forfeited if Minnesota exercises their option but Colome declines (which would seem the least likely scenario). Notable Minor Leaguers: Melvi Acosta, Adam Bray, Trey Cabbage, Wander Javier, Hector Lujan, Carlos Suniaga, Aaron Whitefield, B.J. Boyd The three most prominent names in this group are sandwiched in the middle. Trey Cabbage was a 4th round pick in the 2015 draft. He reached Double-A Wichita this season and posted an .882 OPS over 68 games. It was a solid season for the 24-year-old. Minnesota could consider a 40 man roster addition, but if not, he’ll reach the open market for the first time. Once a top prospect, Wander Javier finds himself at a critical juncture in his career. He’ll be 23-years-old next season and has played in just 226 professional games. Between injuries and ineffectiveness, things just have never followed the tools that have impressed through evaluations. Javier was at Cedar Rapids last season, although it did represent High-A this time around. He posted a sub-.700 OPS but did show flashes after a very slow start. He may find a better path forward in a different organization. Lujan represents a definite grinder when it comes to prospects. He was a 35th round pick back in 2015 but reached Double-A during the 2019 season. Pitching all of 2021 for Wichita, the numbers looked good enough for Triple-A or big-league consideration. Nothing is extremely flashy for the reliever, but there are solid numbers across the board, and he could factor as a depth middle-reliever. The other pitchers noted above have shown flashes of capability that could be useful at the big league level. Acosta, Bray, and Suniaga are more unknown names but have made a presence for themselves through performance. In the box, Whitefield has previously debuted with the Twins while Boyd put up strong numbers at Double-A in 2021. A whole host of veteran or non-prospect types will also hit free agency as Minnesota needs to decide who will be offered deals for the upcoming year. Free agency could also look slightly different this offseason, with the CBA negotiations likely dictating the ultimate timeline for players. 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