Roger’s 2009 Twins Minor League All Stars

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Over at Twinkie Town, our friend Roger Dehring does a tremendous job keeping Twins fans updated on the Twins minor league system. Every Saturday, he produces his Weekly Twins Minor League Update. Recently, he provided a top ten list of Twins minor leaguers by position. He has developed a formula that looks at all Twins minor leaguers, and how they perform. The formula is complex but it involves a point system using several statistics and comparing them to an average number. He also factors in several other things including age and level of competition.  He has been using and tweaking his formula for a couple of years. It is not a prospect list, it shows actual performance. Anyway, about this time each of the last several years, Roger has posted his annual Twins minor league all-star team here. So, I am happy to welcome today’s guest writer, Roger Dehring.

Here are Roger’s 2009 Minnesota Twins Minor League All Stars:

            This year’s edition of the Twins organization all-star team follows.  This year’s team is comprised of those players who had the best seasons at their respective positions, regardless of level of play.  This team also includes at least one player from all of the Twins minor league clubs. 

The starting nine for 2009:

            Ben Revere-CF           Ft. Myers Miracle                             

            Brian Dinkelman-2B   New Britain Rock Cats

            Wilson Ramos-C         New Britain Rock Cats

            Chris Parmelee-1B      Ft. Myers Miracle

            Danny Valencia-3B    Rochester Red Wings

            Rene Tosoni-RF          New Britain Rock Cats

            Erik Lis-DH                New Britain Rock Cats

            Angel Morales-LF       Beloit Snappers

Trevor Plouffe-SS       Rochester Red Wings

The lead-off hitter is also the Organization’s Player of the Year, Ben Revere.  After flirting with a .400 Average for much of the 2008 season at Beloit, Revere had an excellent follow up season for the Miracle, missing the FSL Batting Crown by only .002 as he finished his season hitting .311/.372/.369 in 466 at bats with the league’s most hits (145), third most runs scored (75), third most steals (45 in 62 attempts) and fourth best OBP (.372).  Revere took more walks (40) than he had strikeouts (34) and reports indicate that he has improved defensively.  Look for Ben to move up to New Britain next spring with a trip to Minnesota in his future sometime late in 2011.

Our second baseman, Brian Dinkelman, had a special year for the New Britain Rock Cats.  Dinkelman was an Eastern League All-Star who had the league’s eighth best average (.296) with the fifth best on base percentage (.383).  Dinkelman led the Rock Cats with 38 doubles, which was also the second most doubles in the league.  Dinkelman surprised local fans with his productivity with 8 home runs and 65 RBI.  Some have questioned his range, however, seven errors in 129 games is a clear indication that he has a solid glove defensively. 

Perhaps the top prospect in the organization is our number three hitter, catcher Wilson Ramos.  After being named last winter’s Caribbean League Championship Series MVP, Ramos got off to a tremendous start before going on the disabled list with a broken finger which was followed by a leg injury that would cost him much of his season.  Ramos is again tearing up his winter league where he is hitting near a .400 Average with 6 home runs early in the VWL season.  Ramos led the Rock Cats in hitting at .317/.341/.454 in 205 at bats with 4 home runs and 29 RBI.  Perhaps the best defensive catcher in the organization, other than Joe Mauer, Ramos has everything one would expect to become a future major league star.  All that remains is the question of when his major league career will begin?

The cleanup hitter was considered the best high school power hitter in the draft when the Twins made Chris Parmelee their first round pick in 2006.  Although Parmelee has played a lot of right field the past few years, he split his time between right field and first base this season at Ft. Myers.  He also has played exclusively at first base this fall in the AFL, thus, I have him in the lineup as our first baseman.  Parmelee was one of the most productive hitters in this season’s pitcher friendly Florida State League.  He finished his season with 16 home runs, which were the third most in the league with a league second best 73 RBI.  He is a young man who draws a lot of walks, 63, which enabled him to just miss being in the league’s top ten on base percentages (.359) while his .441 Slugging percentage was seventh best in the league.   

The third baseman is a player we have all heard a lot about the past year or so, Danny Valencia.  After beginning his season back at New Britain this past spring, Valencia was on fire immediately following his promotion to AAA when he hit .360/.372/.573 in his first 19 games.  Valencia went on to finish his AAA season by hitting .286/.305/.466 in 269 at bats for the Red Wings.  Much has been written the past six months about whether or not Valencia is ready for the big show and whether or not he is the heir apparent for the Twins third base job perhaps as early as next spring.  There have been questions about his defense, his hitting at Rochester the last half of the season and why a young man who normally took a reasonable number of walks only walked 7 times in 71 games in AAA.  We won’t know what type of major league player Valencia will be until he arrives in Minnesota; however, we do know that he had an excellent season last year at New Britain and Rochester.  If he isn’t ready for the Twins third base job this spring, he must be very, very close.

The right fielder is a young man who made the jump to AA last year after playing only 44 games beyond rookie ball.  Rene Tosoni first came to our attention in 2007 when he hit .301/.407/.428 for Elizabethton in his first year of professional ball.  This past season, Tosoni, was the lone Twins representative in the Future’s All-Star game, was one of the top hitters for Team Canada in the World Cup and is now representing the Twins in the Arizona Fall League.  As could be expected for someone with such little experience, Tosoni struggled at New Britain for his first couple of months, however, had an excellent second half to finish with .271/.360/.454 in 425 at bats with 15 home runs (tied for eleventh most in league) and the league’s eighth best 71 RBI.  Seth recently reported from personal observations that Tosoni is an excellent defensive outfielder who can play all three positions.  He also reported that he needs to work on his at bats against lefties.  It is likely however, that someone with such limited experience should be able to continue to improve his game as he works his way up to the Twins.

The designated hitter is a young man the Twins drafted in the ninth round of the 2005 draft out of the University of Evansville.  Erik Lis has been one of the organization’s best hitters every year since his rookie season at Elizabethton.  This season was no exception as Lis was one of the Eastern League’s better hitters, finishing with a league seventh best 17 home runs, tenth most RBI (69), and twelfth most doubles (29).  Lis, who struggled with an injury the last few weeks of the season, had the league’s sixth best slugging percentage (.462) to go with a .283 Average and .353 OBP.  With Justin Huber moving on to Japan, the door should be open for Erik to move up to Rochester next spring where he will again be one of the better hitters in the league.

The left fielder is a young man who may have as much upside potential as any player in the organization, Angel Morales.  Although Morales can also play center field, he played mostly corner outfield positions with the Snappers after Aaron Hicks joined the team.  A very young man who won’t turn 20 until later this month, Morales is another young player who struggled during his first six weeks of the season.  He also adjusted and was one of the leagues better players during the second half.  Although limited to only 376 at bats by an injury that he battled during much of June, Morales was amongst the top fifteen home run hitters (13) with a team high 62 RBI.  Morales finished his season hitting .266/.329/.455 with 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts.  What may be most important for a young man who struck out nearly 40% of his at bats in 2008, he lowered his strikeout rate to 27.7%.  People who have seen him play have said that the ball explodes off his bat.  There is no question that he is a very raw talent, but his future is as bright as any in the organization.   

Shortstop Trevor Plouffe has always been very young for his league since the Twins drafted him in the first round of the 2004 draft.  This past season was no exception as Plouffe didn’t turn 23 until mid-season even though it was his second season at AAA.  None of his numbers stand out, yet, he had a very solid season hitting .260/.313/.407 in 430 at bats with 23 doubles, 5 triples, 10 home runs and 60 RBI.  Plouffe finished his year playing for Team USA in the World Cup where he had an excellent tournament playing with many of the best players from throughout America.  Although he continues to make what may be considered too many errors, people who watch him defensively say he is above average.    

The Reserves:

            Josmil Pinto-C Elizabethton Twins

            Brock Peterson-1B      Rochester Red Wings

            Steven Singleton-2B   New Britain Rock Cats

            Brian Dozier-SS          Elizabethton Twins

            Wander Guillen-3B     DSL Twins

            Oswaldo Arcia-LF      GCL Twins

            Aaron Hicks-CF          Beloit Snappers

            David Winfree-RF      Rochester Red Wings

Justin Huber-DH         Rochester Red Wings 

            The reserves are led by two members of the Division Champion Elizabethton Twins, designated hitter,  Josmil Pinto and shortstop Brian Dozier.  Pinto was the fifth best hitter in the Appy League with a .332 Average and the league’s best slugging percentage, .610.  Pinto also led the league with 13 home runs and had the league’s second most RBI, 55.  Brian Dozier stepped into the lineup when Tyler Ladendorf was promoted to Beloit.  Dozier, a 2009 draft pick, finished with the league’s second best average and on base percentage, .353/.417.

The Rochester Red Wings placed three reserves on this year’s team, right fielder David Winfree, first baseman Brock Peterson and designated hitter Justin Huber.  Although Peterson’s 316 at bats were a few short of the number needed to qualify for the league titles, his .304 Average and .376 OBP would both have been ninth best.  He also was the Rock Cats top hitter if one doesn’t include Jose Morales who spent about half his year in Minnesota.  David Winfree also had a special rookie season, hitting .273/.317/.460 with 14 home runs, 61 RBI and a team best 31 doubles.  Huber, who recently left the Twins organization for Japan, led the Red Wings with 22 home runs and 76 RBI while hitting .273/.356/.482 in 440 at bats. 

The Beloit Snappers are represented by center fielder Aaron Hicks.  Hicks began his season in EST before joining the Snappers where he hit a respectable .251/.353/.382 in his first season of A ball.  Hicks is considered a “5” tool player also stole 10 bases in 18 attempts with nearly as many walks (40) as strikeouts (55).  Hicks was honored recently when Baseball America named him the Midwest League’s Top Prospect.

The second baseman is Steven Singleton, who began his year in Ft. Myers before a mid-season promotion to New Britain.  Singleton hit .269/.329/.424 in 297 at bats at Ft. Myers.  As is not often the case, Singleton’s numbers soared when he arrived in New Britain where he hit .291/.319/.418 in 158 at bats.

One of this year’s best new players in the six team system was GCL Twins left fielder Oswaldo Arcia.  Arcia hit .275/.337/.455 in 167 at bats with a team best 11 doubles.  He had a team high 5 home runs which also was ninth best in the league.  Arcia, who didn’t turn 18 until this past May, stole 8 bases in 8 attempts.

The last reserve is third baseman Wander Guillen.  Guillen joined the DSL Twins in July when he was sixteen years old, then proceeded to lead the team in hitting at .336/.443/.409 in 110 at bats.  Although he didn’t have enough at bats to qualify, his .336 Average was the fourth best in the league while his .443 OBP tied teammate Romy Trinidad for fifth best in the league.       

The Starting Rotation:                      

            David Bromberg         Ft. Myers Miracle

Steven Hirschfield      Ft. Myers Miracle

Anthony Swarzak       Rochester Red Wings

B.J. Hermsen               GCL Twins

Adrian Salcedo           GCL Twins

            While at Beloit, David Bromberg led all of minor league baseball in strikeouts in 2008 with 177 in 150.0 innings.  This season Bromberg moved up to Ft. Myers where he led the Florida State League with 148 strikeouts in 153.1 innings.  Bromberg was named the FSL Pitcher of the Year and the Twins organization Pitcher of the Year while winning the second most games in the league, 13-4.  Bromberg finished his award winning season with a league fourth best 2.70 ERA and ninth best WHIP of 1.23.      

            Stephen Hirschfield began his season in the Ft. Myers bullpen before moving to the starting rotation when several starters moved up to New Britain.  Hirschfield joined Bromberg as one of the best starters in the FSL, where he had a 7-7 record with the league’s second best ERA (2.23) and best WHIP (1.03).  Hirschfield, who struck out 86 while walking only 31 in 117.0 innings, pitched so well that he earned an assignment to the Arizona Fall League.

            Twins fans are familiar with the third starter, Rochester’s Anthony Swarzak.  Swarzak had a 4-5 record for the Red Wings with a 3.28 ERA and 45 strikeouts with only 21 walks in 79.2 innings.  Considering that he allowed 10 earned runs in 8.1 innings in the two starts following his return to Rochester from the Twins and it is easy to see how dominant he was this season for the Wings.  Swarzak made 12 starts for the Twins, finishing with a 3-7 record, 6.25 ERA and 34K/20BB in 59.0 innings.   

            The fourth starting pitcher is one of two all-star starters from the GCL Twins, B. J. Hermsen.  Pitching in his first season of professional ball following his signing after the Iowa high school season last summer, Hermsen was as good as any pitcher in the Gulf Coast League.  Hermsen finished his season with a 6-2 record, the league’s third best ERA (1.35) and best WHIP (0.68).  Hermsen had 42 strikeouts in 52.1 innings while allowing only 4 walks. 

            The fifth starter is another young pitcher from the GCL Twins, Adrian Salcedo.  Salcedo also was one of the top pitchers in the league, finishing with a 3-2 record and the league’s seventh best ERA (1.46), fifth most innings (61.2), third most strikeouts (58) and eighth best WHIP (1.02).  What is most remarkable, however, is that Salcedo allowed only THREE walks or one walk every 20.4 innings or 0.44 walks per 9 innings pitched. 

The Bullpen:

Closer – Alex Burnett

Short Relief – Andrei Lobanov

            Short Relief – Anthony Slama

            Relief – Joe Testa

            Relief – Matt Tone

            Relief – Kyle Waldrop

            Relief – Zach See 

            The Closer is this year’s top rated pitcher, Alex Burnett.  Burnett had been a starter prior to this year including 2008 when he had an 8-6 record with a 3.76 ERA for the Ft. Myers Miracle.  In last fall’s Instructional League, the Twins began the process of converting Burnett to a short reliever.  He began this year back at Ft. Myers where he appeared in 18 games (22.2 innings) with a  2-1 record, 4 saves, 1.99 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 26K/7BB.  That performance earned Burnett a mid-season promotion to New Britain.  Whereas many pitchers hit a wall when promoted to AA, Burnett flourished.  His numbers were as good if not better than at Ft. Myers, appearing in 40 games (55.1 innings) with a 1-2 record, 9 saves, 1.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 52K/19BB.  I ranked Burnett as the top pitcher in the organization this year and indications are that he is now on the fast track to Minnesota.

            The left handed short reliever is a young man from Moscow, Russia who pitched for the GCL Twins this season.  Andrey Lobanov, 19, appeared in 15 games (22.0 innings) for the Twins with a 2-1 record, 7 saves, 0.82 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 35 strikeouts (1.59 strikeouts per inning) with a Dominance Ratio of 2.333.  Perhaps more astonishing however, is the fact that Lobanov walked only 1 batter this season…or 0.41 walks per nine innings pitched.  Can Lobanov continue to dominate hitters as he moves up through the organization, only time will tell.  If he can, this young lefty may be special!

            The right handed short reliever is a young man we should see in Minnesota sometime next year, Anthony Slama.  Following a 2008 season when he was the Twins Relief Pitcher of the Year, Slama repeated that performance this year.  He began his season in New Britain where he appeared in 51 games (65.1 innings) with a 4-2 record, 2.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 93K/32BB.  Slama moved up to Rochester late in the year where he appeared in 11 games (15.2 innings) with a 0-2 record, 3.45 ERA and 19K/8BB.  Slama again led the organization this year with 29 saves while his 25 saves at New Britain led the Eastern league. 

            Joe Testa is a long reliever who had about as good of a season as any pitcher in the organization.  Testa began this year at Beloit where he was the Snappers lone all-star, appearing in 25 games (45.2 innings) with a 0-2 record, 2.56 ERA and 63K/23BB.  Testa moved up to Ft. Myers following the all-star break, where he appeared in 21 games (37.0 innings) with a 5-0 record, 1 save, 1.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 53K/18BB.  Testa finished his season with an excellent 1.208 Dominance Ratio which was higher than any pitcher in the organization not playing rookie ball.

            Matt Tone was a fourteenth round pick in this year’s draft.  The left handed Tone was assigned to the Elizabethton Twins where he was as good as any reliever in the Appy League.  Tone compiled a 4-1 record in 16 appearances with 1 save, a 1.31 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 45K/23BB in 34.1 innings.

            Kyle Waldrop, who was one of the twins first round picks in 2004, had been one of the organization’s top starting prospects as he rapidly moved through the organization.  That all ended last year when he spent the entire season on the disabled list following shoulder surgery.  Waldrop returned this season working out of the bullpen at Ft. Myers and later in New Britain.  While in New Britain, Waldrop was one of the best relievers in the league.  He finished this season with the Rock Cats with a 2-3 record in 31 games (55.2 innings) with a  1.46 ERA and 30K/18BB.  Earlier, he appeared in 20 games for the Miracle with a 3-2 record, 3.09 ERA and 20K/7BB in 35.0 innings.  Perhaps his biggest achievement this season however, was staying healthy and pitching better throughout the year.

            The last reliever is Zach See who was signed as a non drafted free-agent this past winter.  See was another young reliever who had an incredible year with the GCL Twins this year.  He appeared in 13 games with a 2-0 record, 2 saves, a 0.69 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 34K/10BB in 26.0 innings.     

 

There you have it. Roger’s 2009 Minnesota Twins Minor League All Star team. What are your thoughts? If so, Send me an e-mail, or leave your Comments here.

SethSpeaks.net Top 50 Twins Prospects: Part 2 (21-35)

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On Monday, I posted my choices for Twins Prospects 36-50. Today, I’m back with my choices for Twins prospects 21-35. I welcome your comments. I hope you enjoy this and again, please feel free to comment.

 (For a reminder of #s 36-50, and for much more detail on 21-35, please go to www.SethSpeaks.net)  

#35 – David Winfree – OF – 24 (8/5/85)

 

#34 – Andrei Lobanov – LHP – 19 (1/25/90)

 

#33 – Michael Tonkin – RHP – 20 (11/19/89) 

#32 – Santos Arias – RHP – 22 (3/17/87)

 

#31 – Steve Tolleson – IF/OF – 26 (11/1/83)

 

#30 – Billy Bullock – RH RP – 21 (2/27/88)

 

#29 – Tom Stuifbergen – RHP – 21 (9/26/88)

#28 – Max Kepler-Rozycki – C/OF – 16 (2/10/93)

 

#27 – Brian Dinkelman – 2B – 26 (11/10/83)

 

#26 – Oswaldo Arcia – OF – 18 (5/1/91)

 

#25 – Josmil Pinto – C/DH – 20 (3/31/89)

 

#24 – Michael McCardell – RHP – 24 (4/13/85)

 

#23 – Steve Singleton – 2B – 24 (9/12/85)

#22 – Carlos Gutierrez – RHP – 22 (9/22/86)

#21 – Anthony Slama – RH RP – 25 (1/6/84)

So there you have it, my selections for Twins prospects 21-35. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my choices for #11-20, and later in the week, you will also get my Top 10. If you have any feedback, comments, opinions or suggestions, please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Minor League Awards

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On Thursday, the Twins announced their Minor League award winners. David Bromberg was the choice for the Jim Rantz Award for top minor league pitcher in the Twins system. For the second straight year, Ben Revere was named the recipient of the Sherry Robertson Award for the organization’s top hitter.

David Bromberg had another terrific season, and although there were several very good pitchers in the Twins system in 2009, this was really an easy choice. Bromberg went 13-4 with a 2.70 ERA. In 153.3 innings this year, he struck out 148 batters, which was the most in the organization. In 2008, Bromberg led all minor league pitchers with 177 strikeouts while pitching for the Beloit Snappers. He was named, by Baseball America, the top pitching prospect in the Florida State League. Bromberg spent the entire 2009 season at the age of 21 and is clearly a Top 10 Twins prospect.

Here are some others who were likely considered:

• In 51 games at AA New Britain, Anthony Slama struck out 93 in 65.1 innings. He was 4-2 with 25 saves and a 2.48 ERA. He pitched in 11 games at AAA Rochester. He was 0-2 with four saves and a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 19 in 15.2 innings. He gave up five of those six runs in one outing. Overall, he was 4-4 with 29 saves, a 2.67 ERA, and 112 strikeouts (with 40 walks) in 81 innings.
• Alex Burnett was moved from being a starter and into the bullpen. In 18 games in Ft. Myers, he went 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA. Then in 40 games after being promoted to New Britain he was 1-2 with a 1.79 ERA. Overall, he was 3-3 with a 1.85 ERA. In 78 innings, he had 78 strikeouts and just 26 walks.
• Steve Hirschfeld went 7-7 with a 2.2 ERA. He pitched in 15 games out of the bullpen before making 17 starts.
• Santos Arias was 6-3 with a 2.15 ERA in 100.2 innings. He made 29 relief appearances before ending the season with nine starts.
• Joe Testa spent the first half of the season pitching in Beloit. In 25 games, he was 0-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 45. 2 innings. Then in Ft. Myers, he was 5-0 with a 1.22 ERA in 21 games, and 37 innings. Altogether, in 82.2 innings, he struck out 116, and walked 41.
• Adrian Salcedo (3-2, 1.46 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3 BB, 58 K in 61.2 IP), Blayne Weller (5-1, 1.58 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 8 BB, 49 K in 57 IP), BJ Hermsen (6-2, 1.35 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 4 BB, 42 K in 53.1 IP) and Andrei Lobanov (2-1, 0.82 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 1 BB, 35 K in 22 IP) all had strong showing for the short-season GCL Twins.

The choice for hitter of the year was much more difficult, so it is hard to argue the selection of Ben Revere for winning for the second straight season. Revere finished second in the Florida State League in batting average in 2009 with a .311 average. He was on base 37.2% of the time and had 19 extra base hits. He also stole 45 bases in 62 attempts. Something I like to see in a top of the order hitter, he walked 40 times with just 34 strikeouts. No question, Revere has proven a lot of critics wrong through his first two full minor league seasons.

There are several other hitters who warranted strong consideration:

• After a strong showing during big league spring training, Danny Valencia started his season back where he ended the 2008 season, in New Britain. There, he hit .284/.373/.482 with 14 homers, four triples and seven homers. That earned him a promotion to AAA where he got off to a fast start before tailing off late. He hit .286/.305/.454 with 24 doubles and seven home runs. All together, he his .285/.337/.466 with 38 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs.
• Brian Dinkelman spent the entire 2009 season at New Britain. He played primarily in 2B, but in the 2^nd half of the season, he played several games in LF as well. With the bat, he had a very strong season. He hit .296/.383/.440 with 38 doubles, two triples and eight home runs.
• Rene Tosoni hit .271/.360/.454 with 25 doubles, four triples and 15 home runs for the New Britain Rockcats.
• Also at AA was Erik Lis for the second straight full season. He hit .283/.353/.462 with 29 doubles and 17 home runs.
• Chris Parmelee hit .258/.359/.441 with 27 doubles and 16 home runs for the Ft. Myers Miracle.
• Ramon Santana spent most of the season at Beloit for the third season. There he hit .296/.384/.453 with 25 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. He went 4-15 in four games at AA New Britain at the end of the season.
• In short season Elizabethton, Josmil Pinto hit .332/.387/.610 with 14 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs in just 53 games. Brian Dozier hit .353/.417/.431 with 17 doubles.

There were several very good performances in the Twins minor league system, some that I didn’t mention here. It’s hard to argue with either of the Twins choices. So, congratulations to both David Bromberg and Ben Revere. If you would like to share your thoughts, please click here.

Arizona Fall League Update – Yesterday, the Mesa Solar Sox lost 12-5 to Surprise. Rene Tosoni was 0-4 with a walk. Chris Parmelee went 0-3 with a walk. Steve Singleton went 1-4 with his second double in two games.

What Would YOU Do? Joe Nathan Edition

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I honestly had already started the blog entry before the Friday night debacle because I do think that it is an interesting topic for discussion. I also think that it is important to step back from any one game in making these types of decision. Much as I don’t think that the Twins front office should decide what to do with Orlando Cabrera based on what he did in the final couple of weeks. The Twins should certainly not make any decisions based on Joe Nathan’s blown save in a must-win against the Yankees in the playoffs. So, here are some quick pros and cons:

Pros

• In his six years as Twins closer, he is 22-12 with a 1.87 ERA. His WHIP has been 0.93.
• 246 saves in six seasons.
• In 2009, he set a Twins record with 47 saves. He was 2-2 with a 2.10 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.
• After his strikeout rate dropped to 9.7 and 9.8 in 2007 and 2008, it jumped back up to 11.7 in 2009.
• Has only pitched between 67.2 and 72.1 innings in any season with the Twins.
• Want a closer who dominates the AL Central. I would say that applies to Nathan:
  • Career vs. White Sox – .151/.212/.277 (.489), 3-2, 24 Saves, 2.06 ERA, 0.77 WHIP
  • Career vs. Tigers – .153/.248/.257 (504), 2-1, 30 Saves, 1.55 ERA, 0.96 WHIP
  • Career vs. Royals – .144/.204/.230 (.434), 3-0, 35 Saves, 0.85 ERA, 0.72 WHIP
  • Career vs. Indians – .201/.258/.360 (.618), 3-1, 26 Saves, 2.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP
• Aside from the Yankees, the only team that Nathan has a career ERA of over 2.98 is the Texas Rangers (3.72).
• Called a leader in the clubhouse, and especially in the bullpen.
• Is quite active in the community.

Cons

• Will turn 35 years old in November. How many pitchers over the age of 34 continue to dominate the way Nathan has? I know, but Mariano Rivera is a freak!
• Will make $11.25 million in 2010, $11.25 million in 2011, and has a $13.0 million option for 2012 (with a $2 million buyout). The dollars aren’t a concern, but coupled with his age, it has to be at least mentioned.
• Career vs. New York Yankees (Reg. Season Only) –
  • .255/.333/.382 (.715), 0-3, 4 Saves, 4.20 ERA, 1.40 WHIP

I knew the Con list would be significantly shorter. Joe Nathan has been baseball’s best closer over the past six years. There is nothing about Joe Nathan, other than his ability to pitch well against the Yankees, to complain about.

So, in my mind, the big questions become:

1. Who takes over as the Twins closer?
2. What type of package could the Twins get for Joe Nathan?

Let’s start with the first. As you know, I think that any solid reliever who can dominate can be a quality closer. To expect anyone to be as good as Nathan has over the past six years is unrealistic. I do think that Jose Mijares has the stuff to get lefties and righties out (even though that wasn’t the case this year). Jesse Crain, if he is what he was in August and September, can certainly do the job. Jon Rauch? How about Anthony Slama? Or, could they bring in some hard thrower who had previously struggled as a starter to get the job done?

The second question is obviously much harder to project. Which teams need a closer, preferably National League teams. But for a dominant closer with a major track record who keeps himself in tremendous shape, you could expect to get two very solid prospects and maybe another player or two.

One philosophy that I can’t argue with is that it is better to trade a player too soon than too late. There is also a philosophy that says Joe Nathan is really, really good. Why would you trade him? Which side of the fence would you tend to lean toward? Obviously this is a no lose situation. If the Twins keep Joe Nathan, they continue to have one of baseball’s best. If they trade him, it would be for a package of players that would hopefully contribute to the Twins as long as Nathan has. To leave your thoughts, particularly additional Pros and Cons, please click here.

This is another of many, many decisions that the Twins General Manager Bill Smith will have to make after the Twins playoff run is complete (hopefully with their third World Series championship!). And when the Twins 2009 season does come to an end, the TwinsCentric group will give you a ton of great information to help you understand all of the decisions the Twins GM and present you with the opportunity to decide what you would do. (More details to come)

OUCH!

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

UPDATE – Glen Perkins is going on the Disabled List with the shoulder strain. Gardy says that they will be promoting someone tomorrow as that player has not yet been notified and that they will notice the “AAA” team. SO, maybe not Slama, but I think we could be happy with Juan Morillo or Rob Delaney. Armando Gabino could be but since he threw 6.2 innings on Monday night, I don’t think he could help on Wednesday. Delaney threw 2.2 innings on Monday. Morillo threw tonight. If it would be Morillo, Delaney or Slama, they would have to make a 40 man roster move. Maybe that’s why the mention of AAA, someone would maybe have to be DFAd. Maybe that is the notification. That would make Slama still an option. We shall see.

UPDATE 2 – OK, I want to throw one more long shot name into the picture. Because I believe that the Twins need someone available tomorrow, and I think that pitcher should be able to go at least five innings, if necessary (since we don’t know what to expect from Liriano). Kevin Mulvey pitched on Tuesday night. R.A. Dickey got beat up on the mound on Monday night. Jeff Manship is due to make his next start on Wednesday. So, my long shot is Manship. The other way outside chance could be lefty Reid Santos who has been starting, and not that well, off and on for the Red Wings this season. He is not on the 40 man roster, and he could be easily replaced on the 40 man roster by Delaney, Slama or Morillo on the 25 and 40 man rosters on Thursday or Friday.

Going into the home stand, many said that the Twins needed to go 6-0 in it to have any chance to compete for the division title. 5-1 was almost mandatory. It is hard to disagree. With tonight’s rough, painful 14-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals, the Twins probably now need to go 5-0 the rest of the way. Of course, they need to go 5-0 by taking it one game at a time.

Nick Blackburn got crushed again. Joe Mauer had a nice three hit game. Delmon Young and Brendan Harris both had long home runs. This game is not worth dwelling on too much. Thankfully the Tigers lost.

One thought that I had as things were getting ugly was a needed change, so I took an educated guess and posted the following on LaVelle’s very entertaining blog (by the way, be sure to read this blog entry. Thanks to LaVelle for the mention!)

Here’s the Out On A Limb Prediction of the Night -

1.) because of how tonight has gone
2.) because of lack of bullpen ready for tomorrow
3.) because of Glen Perkins not being able to be used.
4.) because who knows what to expect from Francisco Liriano tomorrow night.
5.) because the Twins top decision makers are in New Britain…

Prediction – after the game, the Twins will announce that Perkins is going on the DL and Anthony Slama is coming up.

(Disclaimer – just a prediction. I know nothing)

Now I am posting this before hearing Gardy’s post game comments, so if there is a roster announcement, be sure to check back here for updates.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Tuesday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Matt Tolbert, Rochester Red Wings

Tuesday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Steve Hirschfeld, Ft. Myers Miracle

ROCHESTER REPORT

Tuesday – Rochester 8, Buffalo 6 – Kevin Mulvey gave up six runs on 11 hits and a walk in 5.2 innings, and got a win. Tim Lahey gave up two hits in an inning. Juan Morillo came in and gave up just one hit and one walk over the final 2.1 innings for his fifth save. Matt Tolbert went 3-5 with his second home run and fifth stolen base. Steve Tolleson was 2-4. Brock Peterson was 1-2 with two walks and his sixth homer.  

ROCKCAT RECAP

Tuesday – New Britain 3, Erie 5 – Erik Lis’s hot streak continues. In this game, he hit his 20^th double and 15^th home run. Rene Tosoni and Steve Singleton were each 2-4 while Yancarlos Ortiz was 2-3. Cole DeVries started and went the first 5.2 innings. He gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk. Alex Burnett either wasn’t as hurt as we thought or was pitching with a broken hand. He got four outs and struck out two. Kyle Waldrop gave up no runs on three hits and two walks in 1.2 innings. Frank Mata got the final out.     

MIRACLE MEMOS

Tuesday – Ft. Myers 5, Palm Beach 2 – Steve Hirschfeld continues to pitch great and should not be under the radar at this point. In this game, he threw six shutout innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out five. Matt Williams pitched a perfect seventh inning. Michael Allen got two outs in the 8^th but gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. Blair Erickson got the final four outs for his 10^th save.    

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Tuesday – Beloit 7, Clinton 5 – Danny Rams had another good day with the bat. He went 2-3 with a walk, his seventh home run and three runs scored. Drew Thompson was 2-3. Ramon Santana had a big two-run, pinch hit double. Liam Hendriks started and gave up three runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Winston Marquez then gave up a run on three hits and a walk in 1.1 innings. He struck out two. Steve Blevins got the win. He struck out two in 1.1 perfect innings.  

E-TWINS EXTRAS

Tuesday – Elizabethton 12, Greeneville 3 – There was plenty of offense in this game, and Edgar Ibarra was the beneficiary. He threw five shutout innings, allowing just four hits. He walked four though, and struck out eight. Peter Kennelly struck out five over the next two innings. Ramon Acosta gave up three runs (2 earned) on three hits in the final two innings. He struck out two. Anderson Hidalgo hit his 7^th and 8^th doubles. Jonathan Goncalves hit his fourth and fifth doubles. Josmil Pinto was 2-5 with his eighth home run. Chris Herrmann was 2-4 with a walk and his seventh home run. Dan Rohlfing was 2-4 with his sixth double. Brian Dozier was 2-5.  

Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Q&A with Anthony Slama

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Since Pat Neshek was injured in May of 2008, there have been question marks in the Twins bullpen. Plenty of pitchers have been given an opportunity in that role. Some of them have been alright, some have been pretty brutal. All the while, the Twins have had two relief pitching prospects dominating the minor leagues.

Rob Delaney was a non-drafted free agent that the Twins signed in 2006 out of St. John’s University (in NY). He has flown through the system with great strikeout numbers and very low walk rates. In 2008, MILB.com named him the Relief Pitcher of the Year. After 26 games in New Britain this year, he was promoted to AAA Rochester where he has pitched in 26 more games. In Rochester since the beginning of July, he has pitched in 12 games. In 13.2 innings, he has given up ten hit, two walks and struck out 13. The 24 year old appears to be very close.

Anthony Slama was the Twins 39^th round draft choice in 2006 out of the University of San Diego. Last year, he was incredible and no one really understands why he stayed in Ft. Myers all season. He had a 1.01 ERA. In 71 innings, he gave up 43 hits, walked 24 and struck out 110! He was named the Twins minor league pitcher of the year for 2008. He moved up to AA New Britain this year and has continued to pitch very well and rack up strikeouts. He is 4-2 with a 2.48 ERA. In 65.1 innings, he has allowed 46 hits, walked 32 and struck out 93. Again, we are asking what he has to do to get promoted.

If you dig deep, you can find a couple of things. First, the walk rate is a little bit high. Second, like Pat Neshek a few years ago, you could look at what left-handed hitters have done against him. This year, right-handed batters are hitting just .129 against him. Left-handed batters are hitting .286, and he has walked a higher percentage. So, there is something, if you really want to nit-pick.

(by the way, I did ask Pat Neshek about Slama in the interview with him last night on the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast. Listen to the whole show, but for the Slama discussion, go to the 20:00 minute mark. I asked Neshek, in part, because he was 25 years old in AA as well, putting up very similar numbers.)   

This morning, I am thrilled to bring another Q&A with a member of the Twins organization. Today, I want to thank Anthony Slama for spending some time answering questions. As you will see, he clearly put some time into his responses!

…Let the Questions Begin!

SethSpeaks: Here we are in the dog days of August. You’ve been throwing every couple of days since March. How is the arm feeling at this point in the season? 

Anthony Slama: Thanks Seth for asking, my arm is feeling as strong as ever.  I have already tied all of the appearances that I had last year and my arm and body feel like they should at this point in the season.

 SethSpeaks: Is there a pitcher that you would compare yourself to, or that you’ve heard others compare yourself to? 

Anthony Slama: When I was in college, I had a pitching coach who compared me to Mark Prior, and tried to parallel my mechanics to his.  I read all of the Tom House perfect pitching mechanics books and completed the drills to try and use my legs more to push off and keep my shoulders on the same line to the plate, like Mark.   Since then, my arm slot dropped naturally to a low three quarters slot but I kept the high leg kick and strong push from the rubber.   

I have other pitchers that I like to watch now, but I would say Prior’s dominance during that period was a huge influence on my pitching style as I was developing into a serious pitcher.  My mechanics have definitely changed since then though; I am not nearly the same pitcher I was in college.
 

SethSpeaks: What pitches do you throw, and what would you consider your strikeout pitch?

Anthony Slama: I throw a four-seam fastball, slider, and a circle change.  My slider is a strikeout pitch but I have also gotten quite a few swing and miss strikeouts with my fastball on the outer half.

SethSpeaks: Alright, the one tough question that has to be asked… do you feel like you’ve been held back (from earlier promotions) this year or last year?  

Anthony Slama: I do not feel I have been held back, I think that the Twins are giving me every chance to develop in the minor leagues.  I understand that getting to the major leagues is a process and every day spent in the minor leagues is a learning experience and grinding it out here makes you better.  The Twins will promote me when they feel I am ready.

SethSpeaks:  Has anyone with the organization talked to you at all about a plan or why you’ve been kept back? 

Anthony Slama:  I know that the plan is to develop into a quality major league arm.  That is the plan for all minor league pitchers.  To be able to get outs at the major league level, When the Twins feel that I am ready to be moved up the organization they will let me know. I have confidence that they know the best route to get to the big leagues and be successful.

SethSpeaks: On my site, I’ve said that I think you’re the next guy to be called up, straight from AA, and that it will happen before September 1st. What would that mean for you, to get to the big leagues?

Anthony Slama: It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to pitch in the major leagues. It would mean everything to me and my family to get to the big leagues at any time.  Thanks for pulling for me!  I hope to be there as soon as possible.

SethSpeaks: What are the differences between the Florida State League and the Eastern League (for you as a pitcher)?

Anthony Slama: I have thought about this question a lot.  The hitters are smarter, stronger and much more patient in this league.  if you make a mistake to these hitters they will not miss it most times.  They put a good swing on balls left over the plate and jump on pitches that hang in the strike zone.  Lefties especially have been patient with me taking their strikes until they can put the bat on the ball and flip a fastball to the opposite field.  This forces you to keep the ball down and attack the strike zone early, not fall behind in counts 

SethSpeaks: Do you look at your numbers, or are there any specific statistics that you look at to gauge how you’re doing? 

Anthony Slama: I guess I look at my walks and WHIP the most, since keeping them off of the bases is crucial for a reliever.  Keep those categories down and it’s a good bet you are going to be successful.  

SethSpeaks: Seeing how well you’ve done since being drafted in 2006, is there any explanation for why you lasted until the 39th round, or simply a lot of teams missed? (or same with how Delaney went undrafted that same year?) 

Anthony Slama: I don’t know why I went where I did in the draft or how teams passed on Rob.  I can’t explain the draft or why some players are drafted higher than others.  All I can say is that I am happy to be drafted at all; I still feel it’s an honor.

SethSpeaks:  Who are some of the people that you would credit most for getting you to this point in your career? 

Anthony Slama: My parents have been supportive since day one.  I credit them the most for getting me to this point in my life and my career.  I would not be here without my coaches who always did the most to advance my career.

SethSpeaks: You were the Twins minor league pitcher of the year last year and would certainly be in the top 2 or 3 choices again this year. How much did you enjoy your trip to the Twin Cities for Twins Fest, the Diamond Awards and the cold?

Anthony Slama: Thanks Seth, and the trip to Minnesota for the Awards dinner and weekend was one of the highlights of my career so far.  I had a blast.  It was cool rubbing shoulders with Morneau and Mauer, they’re both great guys and everyone was very nice.  The cold was a shock for me.  I’m from California and I’ve never been in anything like that.  It was something like 10 below when I was there, too cold to do much sightseeing outside.  I hope to see more of Minnesota in the summer heat!

A huge thank you to Anthony Slama for taking the time to answer all of these questions. We certainly wish him the best of luck the rest of the 2009 season with the Rockcats and hopefully the Twins! Let me know what you think.  Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments for me or Anthony here. Who knows? Maybe Anthony will even read them and reply??? Have a great day!

Minor League Update

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

• As I mentioned last night, I spent some time chatting with Twins 3B prospect Danny Valencia last night and he agreed to doing an interactive Q&A with SethSpeaks.net readers. So, if you would like to ask the future Twin a question (or two, or up to 3), please e-mail me and I will send him the questions. I will accept questions until Wednesday night (around 10:00 p.m.).
• And, of course, as the Trade Deadline is fast approaching, please consider picking up a copy of the TwinsCentric 2009 Trade Deadline Primer for just $9.95.

Rain and a scheduled off day limited the Twins minor league action on Tuesday, and with the Twins game just starting in Oakland, I figured a separate posting for the Twins minor league report made sense. Hopefully tonight’s game won’t be quite as exciting… or at least quite as long! I have learned that sleep is good!

But I thought I would throw in a few (OK, five) Twins minor league topics for you to discuss in the comments section while watching the Twins game. 

Untouchable? – In my Star Tribune blog yesterday (Twins Need to Deal), I wrote that the only two Twins minor leaguers that should be untouchable in nearly any trade would be Aaron Hicks and Danny Valencia. Would you add anyone else to that list?

Shut Down? – Since being promoted to AA New Britain, Carlos Gutierrez has thrown 36.1 innings. He has given up 51 hits (including six home runs). He was walked 18 and struck out just 17. He didn’t throw much last season between the University of Miami and Ft. Myers. This year, he did alright at Ft. Myers before struggling with the Rockcats. Since moving to the bullpen, he has given up 15 runs on 19 hits in just 8.1 innings while walking seven and striking out just five. Should he be shut down at this point, maybe given a couple of weeks off, or just keep throwing him out there and working through it? 

Arm Chair Psychologists – This is a tough situation because Shooter Hunt clearly is struggling. I have to think that he hit rock bottom with his last outing in which he faced seven batters, walked six of them and hit the other before leaving the game. Hunt as all the talent in the world. I don’t think anyone questions that, but right now, it just isn’t happening. What do you do? Keep throwing him out there? Shut him down? Is there even a right answer? 

Pecking Order – Alright, the Twins need a 2B. Alexi Casilla, Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert have all had their chances. So, I’d like to ask you how you would rank the potential Major League impact that the following Twins minor league 2B options could have. Alexi Casilla, Matt Tolbert, Steve Tolleson, Matt Macri, Trevor Plouffe, Brian Dinkelman, and Steve Singleton. Singleton’s .600 start since his recent promotion to New Britain certainly makes you think, doesn’t it? I can’t help but think he may be the guy in the long term.

Upcoming 40 Man Roster Decisions – Every year it is interesting to find out who the Twins add to their 40 man roster. Who needs to be added before the December Rule 5 draft? To keep it general and simple, please drafted out of college in the 2006 draft would have to be added or be potentially lost in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft. High school players drafted (and many international players signed when they are 16 or 17) in 2005 would also be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if not protected. Here is a list of several players that will likely have to be added (or at least they will have to consider adding) after this season:

College Players Drafted in 2006:

• 4^th Round – 1B Whit Robbins
• 6^th Round – C Jeff Christy
• 8^th Round – 2B Brian Dinkelman
• 11^th Round – 2B Steve Singleton
• 14^th Round – RHP Jeff Manship
• 15^th Round – OF Mark Dolenc
• 19^th Round – 3B Danny Valencia
• 39^th Round – RHP Anthony Slama
• Not Drafted – RHP Rob Delaney (signed as free agent right after the draft)

I would say there are a couple of very easy choices here, and a couple of possible adds, and a couple of probably not’s. Now, when you think of the 2005 draft, the Twins drafted Matt Garza, Kevin Slowey, Brian Duensing and Ryan Mullins in the first three rounds out of college. They did not have as much success (or luck, particularly injury luck) with their early high school picks. Hank Sanchez was really bad and then he served a 50 game suspension for being really bad, and then the Twins released him. Drew Thompson is having a nice comeback after missing two full seasons with injury. Paul Kelly’s knees just have not been able to keep him on the field either. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of 2005 high school draft picks that the Twins will have to strongly consider adding to the 40 man roster:

High School (and a JuCo Guy) Drafted in 2005:

• 12^th Round – RHP Alex Burnett
• 32^nd Round – RHP David Bromberg
• 36^th Round – OF Rene Tosoni (Junior College)

I think that all three of them have put themselves in a position that they will have to be added. Another player who has performed to a level that he should be considered is RHP Loek Van Mil who is doing great in his comeback from rehabbing his arm. Has David Winfree’s play this year in Rochester earned him a spot on the Twins 40 man roster? Before the season, I think we would have all assumed that Dustin Martin (another 2006 college draftee) would be a lock to be added. Do we still believe that? What about Deolis Guerra? He has struggled, but he signed in July of 2005 and still is just 20 years old and very talented and has done well in his short stint in New Britain. You would think a team like the Nationals would love to take a chance on him.

In other words, the Twins have some difficult decisions ahead of them at the end of the year. Maybe potential deadline trades will help clean up some of the questions, but it certainly is worth thinking about already. 

What do you think about any of these topics? What would you do? Leave your comments here. 

With that, I’m going to post this. I will be back later with thoughts on Game 2 of this Twins/A’s series. 

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Tuesday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Daniel Santana, GCL Twins

Tuesday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Andrei Lobonov, GCL Twins  

ROCHESTER REPORT

Tuesday – Rochester, Pawtucket  – Postponed by Rain. 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Tuesday – New Britain, Portland – Postponed by Rain.    

MIRACLE MEMOS

Tuesday – Ft. Myers 4, Dunedin 6 – Chris Parmelee homered yet again, his 14^th on the season, but that was about it for the Miracle offense in this game. Evan Bigley and Nick Romero each doubles. Michael Tarsi took his first FSL loss. He went 6.2 innings and gave up three runs on eight hits. He walked four and struck out five. Henry Arias went the final 2.1 innings. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk.     

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Tuesday – Beloit  – No Games Scheduled in the Midwest League.     

E-TWINS EXTRAS

Tuesday – Elizabethton 2, Princeton 3 – Reggie Williams hit another homer, his third, but it wasn’t enough on this night. Brad Stillings started for the E-Twins and went the first six innings. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on four hits and two walks. Edgar Ibarra took the loss by giving up one run on two hits in two innings. Peter Kennelly pitched a scoreless inning. Josmil Pinto went 2-4 with his eighth double.    

GCL TWINS THOUGHTS

Tuesday –GCL Twins 10, GCL Red Sox 6 – There was plenty of offense for the GCL Twins in this game. Daniel Santana went 3-6 with his third triple and two stolen bases. Nick Lockwood went 3-5. Jhonatan Arias went 2-4 with a walk, his fourth double and four RBI. Nick Tindall went 2-4 with his third double. Nick Freitas went 2-3 with two walks. Jhon Garcia went the first five innings and gave up two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out six. Eliecer Cardenas gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits and two walks in 2.1 innings. He struck out three. Andrei Lobonov had quite the game to record his second save. He pitched to five batters and struck all five of them out.    

Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Where Are We Now?

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Alright, it’s late on Wednesday night and I’m just getting home for the first time since Saturday morning. Quite a bit has happened while I was away, and I was able to blog a few times, but I still feel like I’m way behind even though with the All-Star break for the Major Leaguers, AAA and AA have been going on, so I haven’t been missing much. Getting back so late, and with the Twins 2^nd half not starting until Friday, I am going to wait a day to post my thoughts on some Twins awards for the first half. Let’s see, what has happens? Where are we?

• You may have heard, on Monday, TwinsCentric 2009 July Trade Deadline Primer released, and of course, John, Nick, Parker and I thank you all for your support of that venture, but also just for coming to our sites every day and either just reading or even participating. One of my favorite things about blogging is the interaction with other fans whether you agree or disagree. With the release of the Trade Deadline Primer, there are over 30,000 words that we can all disagree on. Fun! There are still two weeks before the deadline, and for some reason, I truly believe that the Twins will do something, and something of significance. I am in agreement with those who believe that if the Twins do nothing, they will stay right around .500 and likely finish in 3^rd (if not 4^th) place in the division.
• If you want to read a little unbiased opinion of the Trade Deadline Primer, fellow Star Tribune Your Voices blogger Doogie Wolfson wrote a review last night. Also yesterday, Aaron Gleeman blogged about the book. Thank you to both of them.
• Let’s see… Alexi Casilla was promoted after the game on Sunday when Matt Tolbert was sent down. Just yesterday, the Twins sent Jose Morales back to Rochester to bring up a pitcher. The choice was Kevin Mulvey, a starter. Although I was initially surprised somewhat, it isn’t hard to understand. Jesse Crain and Juan Morillo are still walking too many. Rob Delaney has experienced some bumps in Rochester, and Anthony Slama still has not seen AAA. I am very curious how this bullpen will play out, or what this move really signals, if anything.
• The bigger question I have is who will be starting for the Red Wings now that their top three pitchers (Mulvey, Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing) are all with the Twins. Jeff Manship, who has been in Rochester for less than a month, is probably the team’s ace. If pitchers are promoted from AA (Say… Matt Fox, Ryan Mullins or Cole Devries), then who moves up to AA? If Mike McCardell, Tyler Robertson or David Bromberg get moved up from Ft. Myers to New Britain, then who moves up from Beloit? It could be interesting.
• And with the promotion of Steve Singleton from Ft. Myers to New Britain on Tuesday, there are other questions. One would have to think that there is a chance that Brian Dinkelman could be promoted to Rochester now that the AA All-Star game is complete so that they both can get regular at bats. However, how do you allot playing time in the middle infield in Rochester if you’ve got Dinkelman along with Trevor Plouffe, Steve Tolleson, Matt Macri and now Matt Tolbert? Dinkelman and Tolleson have both played a little bit of LF, so that’s possible. It will certainly be interesting.
• Back to the trade deadline stuff, I’m normally one to trust the Twins minor leagues system and I still very much believe in the farm system’s depth. But again, I truly believe that a move is needed this year if they truly want to compete. That is the opinion that I have generally heard. But Travis Aune takes a little different perspective, one that I normally have had in the past. I encourage you to read his thoughts.
• Is it too early to start thinking about which six Twins minor leaguers the Twins will send to the Arizona Fall League? With the promotion of Singleton to AA, he certainly becomes an option. I spent some car time today thinking about this very topic. Typically the Twins haven’t sent a player there in back to back years. Last year, they sent Jeff Manship, Anthony Slama, Rob Delaney, Tim Lahey, Danny Valencia, Dustin Martin and Steve Tolleson. If that holds true, it becomes quite difficult to select which players would be selected. Another rule is that players from countries with Winter League teams can not participate. If healthy, I am sure the Twins would love to send Wilson Ramos there to get him additional at bats, but he will head back to Venezuela. So here are my guesses, and please feel free to agree or disagree with them. I think the three hitters will be: Rene Tosoni, Steve Singleton and Whit Robbins. If I were to name three pitchers today, I think they might send Michael McCardell (who could yet be promoted to New Britain, or go as a A-ball exception), Cole Devries, and Alex Burnett,  
• Speaking of Alex Burnett, check out the Q&A that Josh Johnson conducted with the Rockcats righty reliever.
• Nick Nelson ranted on the Madness of Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire… hard to disagree with the evaluation!
• At Over the Baggy, Parker looks at Three Signings as part of his First Half Review.   
• I accidentally watched the last few innings of the AAA All-Star game last night. Did You know that former Twin Michael Ryan is still playing? He plays for the New Orleans Zephyrs, the AAA Affiliate of the Florida Marlins. He apparently recently turned 32 years old. He doubles in the 8^th inning.
• Jesse from Twinkie Town investigates which Toronto Blue Jays relievers the Twins might have interest in.
• Finally, be sure to go to www.CoryHepola.com and check out his blog. But be certain to check out his video story on Danny Valencia. Cory has done some really good stories, but this one is right at the top.

Oh, and again, be sure to check back tomorrow when we may be able to let you in on a little information that has been teased here and a couple of other places over the last few days.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – James Beresford, Beloit Snappers

Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Steve Hirschfeld, Ft. Myers Miracle – Tom Stuifbergen, Elizabethton Twins

ROCHESTER REPORT

Wednesday – Rochester – The AAA All-Star game was played last night in Portland, Oregon. The Twins/Red Wings representative was Justin Huber. He came in to pinch hit for the DH in the 5^th inning and hit a sacrifice fly. He went 0-2 in his next two at bats.  

ROCKCAT RECAP

Wednesday – New Britain – The Rockcats sent five players to the Eastern League All-Star game. Rene Tosoni started and played in CF the whole game. He was 0-4 with a walk. Brian Dinkelman entered the game at 2B and went 1-2. Whit Robbins pinch hit for the DH and went 1-2. Matt Fox pitched a perfect second inning, striking out one. It didn’t go as well for Anthony Slama. He started the ninth and got the first two outs. He gave up a run on a hit, a walk and a hit batter before being replaced.    

MIRACLE MEMOS

Wednesday – Ft. Myers 13, Sarasota 0 – Steve Hirschfeld got plenty of run support early as the Red Wings scored nine runs in the second inning. He didn’t need that much. The righty went the complete game route. He gave up no runs on three hits. He walked just one and struck out just two. He improved to 3-4 and dropped his ERA to 2.17. Ben Revere went 3-5 with a walk and his third triple. Estarlin de Los Santos went 3-6 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Nick Romero and Chris Parmelee were each 2-4. Mark Dolenc went 2-5. Alexander Soto was promoted to the Miracle about a week ago and hit his first home run.     

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Wednesday – Beloit 9, Burlington 3 – Liam Hendriks picked up his first Midwest League win. He gave up just one run on nine hits over 6.2 innings. He walked one and struck out four. Blake Martin gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 1.1 innings. Matt Williams struck out three of the four batters he faced. James Beresford went 3-5 with his fourth and fifth doubles, and his ninth stolen base. Danny Rams went 2-3 with a walk and his first home run. Angel Morales was 2-3 with his 11^th double and ninth steal. Dominic de La Osa went 2-4 with his seventh double.   

E-TWINS EXTRAS

Wednesday – Elizabethton 4, Danville 2 – Danville is the one team in the Appy League that really gives the E-Twins some struggles, so it is good to see this win. Tom Stuifbergen led the way and improved to 3-0. The Dutch righty went all nine innings. He gave up two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Of the 20 outs that he got on balls in play, 18 of them were ground balls. Derek McCallum went 2-4. Josmil Pinto was 2-4 with his fifth double and two RBI.

GCL TWINS THOUGHTS

Wednesday –GCL Twins 3, GCL Reds 2 – BJ Hermsen improved to 3-1 with a 1.54 ERA after giving up just one run on three hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out five. Andrei Lobonov struck out two in two scoreless innings, reducing his ERA to 0.96. Dakota Watts picked up his fourth save. He struck out three but gave up an unearned run in the ninth inning. Oswaldo Arcia went 2-4 with his first home run and three RBI.

Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Second Half Predictions

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Depending upon how late I get home tonight, I hope to do an interesting posting giving some awards for the first half, with the help of many Twins related bloggers, writers and more. But today, I thought it would be fun to come up with some predictions for the second half. I’ll make a few predictions and then encourage you to leave your second half predictions as well. So here are nine from me:

• The Twins WILL make a trade at or before the July 31^st deadline for a middle infielder.
• Joe Mauer will NOT hit .400. In fact, I am going to go out on a limb and say that he will not even win the batting title.
• Justin Morneau will be vastly underrated and only because he plays first base.
• Denard Span will get the OBP up to and slightly over .400.
• Scott Baker will be the team’s top starting pitcher in the second half.
• Jose Mijares will be better in the 2^nd half than he was in the 1^st half.
• Jesse Crain and Alexi Casilla will not be with the Twins on August 1^st.
• Anthony Slama will be.
• Twins edge out Detroit to win the AL Central by one game.

Alright, your turn. What are your big predictions for the second half of the season?

• Again, if you are interested in purchasing a copy of the TwinsCentric Trade Deadline primer, it is $9.95. TwinsCentric.com was set up as well as a place to read more about the book and purchase if you like. If you have any questions or comments, we have set up a separate e-mail, so send an e-mail to TwinsCentric@gmail.com. I really appreciate all that the other writers did and have done, so please take a couple of minutes and check out The Twins Geek, Over the Baggy and Nick’s Twins Blog for tons of free content.

Wednesday Night Notes

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

TWO TICKETS – Before getting too far, I have two tickets to the Saturday, July 4^th Twins/Tigers game for sale, below the face value. If you are interested and able to go to the game and want more information, please e-mail me.

SETHSPEAKS on the Radio – At 10:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, I will appear on am710 KXMR, Bismarck-Mandan’s ESPN radio affiliate. I will be on with Jack Michaels. If you are in North Dakota, or close, you may be able to tune it in, but if you’re not, they do have a Listen Live option, so you can listen to it at your desk. 

 From my Game Recap at BaseballDigest.com:

On Wednesday, the Twins beat the Royals 5-1 to take the series two games to one. The win gave the Twins a record of 6-3 on this road trip. Known for their road woes, the Twins have actually gone 10-5 in their last 15 games away from the Metrodome. With the win, the Twins also reached two games over .500 for the first time all season.

Glen Perkins made the start for the Twins. The lefty gave up one run on ten hits (but no walks) over seven innings. He was able to get three inning-ending double plays to help his cause.  It was his third straight seven inning outing since his six inning return from the Disabled List. R.A. Dickey threw the 8th inning, and got the first two outs in the 9th inning before Joe Nathan got the final out to secure his 21st save and the Twins win.

Joe Mauer led the offense. He went 3-3 with two walks to raise his average to .392. Michael Cuddyer gave the Twins a 1-0 lead when he hit his 12th home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the 2nd inning. He would walk twice later in the game. Denard Span went 2-5.

The game was not without its concerns. Mike Redmond was hurt in the arm/wrist area by a foul tip and had to leave the game. He was replaced by Jose Morales behind the plate. Nick Punto finished a double play but was taken out hard and landed with a sore back. He was replaced by Brendan Harris at SS. The biggest concern was that Justin Morneau was replaced by Brian Buscher late in the game. Morneau left with a tight groin.  

The Twins will now enjoy a day off on Thursday before starting a three game home stand over the weekend against the division leading Detroit Tigers.

Now, a couple of thoughts beyond the game story:

1. One thing to consider based on this game is, what would the Twins do at 1B if Justin Morneau had to go on  the 15 Day Disabled List? Hopefully he was removed solely for precautionary reasons. But I do think it begs the question. I am fine with Brian Buscher being an emergency 1B. I know that Michael Cuddyer would do just fine if he had to take over the position for a couple of weeks. But would that be idea? That would basically mean that Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez would be in the lineup most games. Would the Twins add Justin Huber to the 40 man roster and promote him? Could Danny Valencia play 1B for a couple of weeks? Whit Robbins has done a nice job all year for AA New Britain, but could he even be an option? Brock Peterson was better in June. What would they do?
2. Could this be what it takes to get Nick Punto on the Disabled List, and Steve Tolleson playing 2B for the Twins most days? I know, Gardy would probably keep playing Tolbert!
3. Mike Redmond was replaced by Jose Morales in the middle innings after taking a foul tip off of his arm. Could this be what it takes to get him put on the Disabled List so that Jose Morales can stay with the big league club and actually get some playing time? In early May, I was more than happy to say that Redmond deserved the opportunity to get healthy and see what he can do. Well, he isn’t able to hit and can’t really throw, and time hasn’t helped that at all. Redmond deserves to stick around, but maybe the DL allows that to happen?
4. On Tuesday, the Pirates traded Eric Hinske to the Yankees and Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett to the Nationals. In a subsequent move, they added former Twin Garrett Jones to their roster and called him up.
5. Speaking of the Pirates, they are the other team, along with the Twins, rumored to be the front runners to sign Miguel Sano today when 16 year old international free agents can be signed. His signing bonus could go as high as $4 million. The linked article quotes a major league executive who has scouted Sano as saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 16-year-old who could hit like that. It’s just a smooth, fluid swing and the ball jumps off his bat. There are a lot of major-league players right now who would kill for his swing and his hitting ability. The rest of his game is good, too.”
6. Is Joe Mauer really a ‘cross between Vanilla Ice and Cypress Hill’, as Denard Span guesses? Check out this Yahoo Sports Article on Mauer.  

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Tyler Ladendorf, Elizabethton Twins

Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Miguel Munoz, Elizabethton Twins

NOTES AND ANOTHER TRANSACTION

• As I posted earlier on Wednesday, the Eastern League named its All-Star teams. Five Rockcats were named All Stars.
• Also at the Twins Page at BaseballDigest.com, be sure to read Justin Murphy’s Upstate Update, a review of the goings on with the Red Wings.  

ROCHESTER REPORT

Wednesday – Rochester – No Game Scheduled.

ROCKCAT RECAP

Wednesday – Game 1 – New Britain 3, Portland 1 – Game 1 was a bullpen game for the Rockcats. Frank Mata got the start and did quite well. He gave up one run on two hits over the first 3.2 innings. He walked none and struck out two. Jose Lugo got the win as he threw 2.1 hitless innings. He walked one and struck out two. Anthony Slama recorded his 16^th save with a scoreless inning. Toby Gardenhire went 2-3. Brandon Roberts (10), Brian Dinkelman (19) and Erik Lis (12) each hit a double.  

Wednesday – Game 2 – New Britain 3, Portland 1 – The second game had the same score and the same story. It was a bullpen game, and it was very well pitched. Yohan Pino made the start. He gave up one run on five this and a walk in four innings. He struck out six. Kyle Waldrop came in and gave up just one hit over 2.2 scoreless innings. Alex Burnett got his first save by coming in and getting the final out. Rene Tosoni went 2-3 with his 16^th double. Whit Robbins singled in the first two runs. Yancarlos Ortiz gave the team a little insurance with an RBI double. 

MIRACLE MEMOS

Wednesday – Ft. Myers, Lakeland – Doubleheader called due to rain. One game was postponed, the other game was cancelled.      

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Wednesday – Beloit 2, Cedar Rapids 8 – This was not a good game for the Snappers. Dan Berlind got the start, and the loss. He gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. Blake Martin then struck out four in 2.1 perfect innings. Thomas Wright gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits and two walks in his inning. Michael Allen pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Bruce Pugh threw the ninth inning and gave up two runs on four hits. The Snappers managed just six hits in the game. The top four hitters (Hicks, Beresford, Santana and Lewis) combined to go 0-15 in the game. Jeff Lanning went 2-4 with his fourth double and his second stolen base. Buddy Munroe went 2-4.

E-TWINS EXTRAS

Wednesday – Elizabethton 8, Bristol 3 – Tyler Ladendorf’s fast start continued with yet another strong game. In this game he was 3-5 with his third double, third home run and four RBI. Derek McCallum went 2-3 with a walk. Anderson Hidalgo was 1-2 with two walks. Miguel Munoz threw 5.2 strong innings. He gave up one run on five hits. He didn’t walk any, and struck out four. Kyle Carr allowed one hit and one walk over the next 2.1 innings. He struck out four. Winston Marquez gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in his inning.  

GCL TWINS THOUGHTS

Wednesday – GCL Twins, GCL Red Sox – Doubleheader postponed by rain.

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