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.

Top 50 Twins Prospects Part 3: 11-20

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

After looking at Twins prospects 36-50 Tuesday, and 21-35 yesterday, we will look at my choices for the Twins Prospects 21-35. Again, let me know what you think. On Friday, I will conclude my Twins prospect list with my selections for the Top 10 Twins prospects. For more detail on each of these ten Twins prospects, you will need to go to www.SethSpeaks.net, please feel free to comment.   

#20 – Trevor Plouffe – SS – 22 (6/15/86)

 

 

#19 – Anthony Slama – RHP – 25 (1/6/84)

 

 

#18 – Jeff Manship – RHP – 24 (1/16/85)

 

#17 – Dustin Martin – OF – 25 (4/4/84)

 

#16 – Mike McCardell – RHP – 24 (4/13/85)

 

 

#15 – Chris Parmelee – OF/1B – 21 (2/24/88)

 

 

#14 – Rob Delaney – RHP – 24 (9/8/84)

 

 

#13 – Joe Benson – OF– 21 (3/5/88)

 

 

#12 – Tyler Robertson – LHP – 21 (12/23/87)

 

 

#11 – Luke Hughes – 3B/2B/CF – 24 (8/2/84)

 

 

 

So there you have it, my selections for Twins prospects 11-20. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my choices for the Top Ten Twins Prospects. 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.

Gutierrez, Burnett Promoted

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I just heard that Carlos Gutierrez and Alex Burnett have been promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain. Gutierrez has had a couple of rougher outings of late, but still is one of the better pitching prospects in the organization. Burnett has been a starter throughout his career, but this year is working out of the bullpen. He will likely replace Rob Delaney who was promoted to Rochester yesterday. It will be interesting to see whose spot in New Britain’s starting rotation Gutierrez takes.

Let the promotion season begin!!

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

Delaney Promoted

LaVelle is reporting that Jim Mandelaro is saying that Rob Delaney has been promoted to Rochester. Twins prospect fans rejoice! Mike Gosling, who pitched pretty well, exercised an out clause in his contract which allows him to become a free agent. He will likely be signed quickly. I am following up to see what else I can find. Does this mean someone like Spencer Steedley or Blair Erickson will move up to New Britain?

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

What Would I Do?

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

NEW – I posted a new Star Tribune blog last night. I have a paragraph about sports in it!

The losing streak is at six games now. Hopefully the Twins can salvage one win on this road trip this afternoon. But then they return to the Dome to start a three game border battle with the Brewers on Friday night. I will be at the Anthony Swarzak debut on Saturday night. Before that game, the Twins will be honoring Corey Koskie, so that should be good to see too.

Yesterday I talked about how I’m not worried, but within that, I also subtly commented that this is the time to start making some changes as well. Since as bloggers and blog commenters we want to think we have all the answers, I guess I better explain some of my thoughts on what they should do, besides listen to Bobby McFerrin and Bob Marley. Craig Breslow is now gone. He’ll be with Oakland.  

• Luis Ayala may have bought himself a little bit of time with last night’s performance. He will need to prove that was not a fluke over the next two weeks. If it was lightning in a bottle, there are some moves that could be made that would cause a trickle effect through the system. If the Twins were to release Ayala, they could promote Rob Delaney to the big leagues from New Britain. I’m not convinced he is ready yet, but he does have potential and seems smart enough and strong enough to learn and adjust. At that same time, I would move Anthony Slama up to AAA. Spencer Steedley and Blair Erickson would then move up to New Britain. Joe Testa is more than ready to move up to Ft. Myers, and Danny Rondon or Matt Williams could join him. Shooter Hunt could come off of the DL in Beloit, or someone like Tom Stuifbergen or Liam Hendiks could move up to Beloit.
• As we have discussed for a couple months, if not longer, I would send Carlos Gomez back to Rochester and promote Dustin Martin. I would have Denard Span play daily in CF with Delmon Young and Martin platooning in LF.
• The Twins decided in the offseason, and we all agreed, that they did not need a veteran starting pitcher this year, as they have added in the past. The five young starters would be a strength of the team and the least of their worries. Right now, even more so than the bullpen, the starters are the weakest link. Let’s see how Anthony Swarzak does over his 2-3 starts. If he does well enough, could the Twins bring Glen Perkins back in the bullpen?

I guess my main point would be that there aren’t a lot of things that the Twins can do. I know people don’t like hearing it, but this truly is a young team. The players that are playing need to play. The pitchers that are struggling and inconsistent need to pitch innings. Obviously the core of the lineup is still young and needs to play. Could the Twins look to trade a veteran, such as Nick Punto? Sure, but I don’t think they would do that. Could Mike Redmond bring back a Hi-A middle infielder? First, this is no time to wave the white flag, and second, there is just too much talent on this roster to not eventually work through it.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Steve Tolleson, New Britain Rockcats, Alexander Soto/Ramon Santana, Beloit Snappers

Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – David Bromberg, Ft. Myers Miracle

TRANSACTIONS – Infielder Nick Romero was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers. The Miracle put Estarlin de Los Santos on the Disabled List.

ROCHESTER REPORT

Wednesday –Rochester– After playing for 18 straight days, the Red Wings finally got a much-needed day off. 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Wednesday – New Britain 6, Reading 4 – Steve Tolleson was hitting .180 a week ago. In his last six games, he has gone 12-23 and is now hitting .244. In this game, he was 2-3 with two walks and his second homer. Danny Valencia was 3-5 and is hitting .327. Brian Dinkelman and Yancarlos Ortiz each had two hits. Following two rough starts, Jay Rainville had a very good start in this game. He gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. He walked none and struck out five. Jose Lugo came in for the 7^th and hit the batter he faced. Rob Delaney came in and gave up an unearned run on three hits in 1.1 innings. Zach Ward got the final two outs of the 8^th. Anthony Slama picked up his eighth save with two strikeouts in an inning.   

MIRACLE MEMOS

Wednesday – Ft. Myers 2, St. Lucie 5 – Tyler Robertson pitched well but fell to 2-1 on the season. The young lefty worked the first six innings. Have gave up three runs (2 earned) on six hits and three walks. Kyle Waldrop threw two scoreless innings. Santos Arias gave up two runs on four hits over his inning. Ben Revere went 2-4. Chris Parmelee went 1-3 with a walk.

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Wednesday – Beloit 14, Peoria 9 – The bats were certainly out for the Snappers in this game. Ramon Santana is back, and didn’t miss a beat. In this game, he was 3-4 with a walk, his fourth home run and four RBI. Alexander Soto is really playing well too. He went 3-5 with two homers. He has four on the season. Michael Harrington went 3-5 with a double. Jonathan Waltenbury, Angel Morales and James Beresford each went 2-5. Michael Allen made the start. He gave up five runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out seven. Blake Martin gave up a run on two hits and a walk in 0.1 innings in his season debut. Danny Rondon came in and gave up two runs in two innings. He struck out four. Joe Testa worked a scoreless inning as well.  

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

Friday Night Lights

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

During the Twins telecast on FSN today, I will be hosting a Live Chat throughout the Twins/Yankees game on Saturday afternoon. To sign up for an e-mail reminder, to “watch” the chat live, or to read the transcript later, click here. I will be happy to answer your questions on the Twins, their minor league system and players, blogging, fantasy baseball, the AL Central, or really anything baseball related. It should be a lot of fun.

The Twins lost another tough one at the hands of the New York Yankees. Here is my Game Recap which you can also find at the Twins Page of BaseballDigest.com:

The Minnesota Twins led this game the entire way… until the final pitch of the game. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Joe Nathan served up a meatball to Melky Cabrera who slashed a single  to left center two drive in two runs and give the Yankees the 5-4 win.

This game was about missed chances, missed opportunities. The Twins walked ten Yankees hitters. The Yankees walked seven Twins batters (Denard Span three times). The Twins had nine hits. The Yankees had ten hits. For the most part, the pitchers worked out of tough situations.

Francisco Liriano was on the hill to start for the Twins. The lefty gave up four hits and six walks in six innings, and yet somehow, he gave up just one run. Jesse Crain came in for the seventh inning. He got the first two outs, but then Brett Gardner was credited with an inside the park home run on a blooper down the left field line that Span played lazily. Jose Mijares came in and got the final out of the 7th and worked an easy eighth inning.

The Twins offense, despite all of the walks, scored three of its four runs via the long ball. Justin Morneau, on his 28th birthday, hit two solo home runs, his 10th and 11th of the season. Joe Mauer hit his fifth home run of the year. Jason Kubel went 2-4. Denard Span was 1-2 with three walks.

Joe Nathan is generally believed to be the best closer in baseball, but on this night, he was pitching in his fourth straight game. He got two outs in the ninth. Unfortunately he came in with a two run lead and walked off the mound having given up three runs on three hits and two walks.

The Twins fall back to .500, at 18-18. The Yankees improve to 18-17. Joe Crede left the game with back spasms and tightening hamstrings. On Saturday, these same teams will play again at noon central. The Twins will send Nick Blackburn to the mound against Joba Chamberlain.

Any thoughts on the game, or this afternoon’s tilt?

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Friday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Whit Robbins, New Britain Rockcats

Friday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Ryan Mullins, New Britain Rockcats

More Transactions – With Jose Morales temporarily back with the Twins, several catchers moved locations again. Allan de San Miguel was back on the move. He started the year in New Britain. Soon after, he was sent down to Beloit. But a week ago, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he got into a couple of games. And now, he reported to Rochester and last night, the 21 year old made his AAA debut. Four teams within about a month. He did tell me that when he flew to Ft. Myers from Chicago, he got to ride first-class. However, his flight to join the Red Wings was back in the economy section. The Twins must have tremendous confidence in “de San’s” abilities behind the plate. Although still so young, he has caught most pitchers in the organization. He’s a very good defensive catcher. He was replaced on the Ft. Myers roster by Danny Rams. This makes sense as it will likely be just a matter of days, or a week, before he gets to walk right back across the parking lot in Ft. Myers to Extended Spring Training. Rams has a ton of potential, but don’t think this is really a promotion that he is ready for. Remember last week that it was Jeff Lanning who was promoted to Beloit ahead of Rams.       

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday –Rochester 3, Indianapolis 8 – Kevin Mulvey had a rough start. In 4.1 innings, he gave up seven runs on five hits. He walked five and struck out five. He left the game with the bases loaded in the fifth and Tim Lahey proceeded to allow all of the runners to score, three of them on a home run. Lahey got out of that fifth inning finally and went two more innings. Armando Gabino struck out two in two scoreless innings. The Red Wings managed just five hits. Justin Huber was 2-4. Matt Macri and Dustin Martin each hit a double.      

ROCKCAT RECAP

Friday – Completion of Suspended Game – New Britain 8, Portland 10 – This game was suspended yesterday due to rain with Portland leading 8-1 in the fourth inning. The Rockcats tried to get back into the game, but fell short. As you recall, Jay Rainville started and gave up seven runs (6 earned) on five hits and two walks in just 2.2 innings. Frank Mata gave up a run on four walks in an inning when the game was suspended. Yohan Pino came in to start day two. He went 3.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits. He struck out five and walked none. Jose Lugo struck out two in two scoreless innings. Brian Dinkelman led the comeback charge. He went 3-5 with his seventh doubles, second homer and five RBI. Rene Tosoni was 2-3 with his fourth homer. Steve Tolleson went 2-5 with his fifth double. Whit Robbins was 2-5. Jeff Christy went 2-4.

Friday – Game 2 – New Britain 6, Portland 0 – Ryan Mullins was the story in the regularly scheduled game. The tall lefty threw five shutout innings. He gave up six hits, walked none and struck out seven. He improved to 1-5. Rob Delaney pitched a perfect sixth. Anthony Slama struck out two in a perfect seventh. Whit Robbins went 3-3 with his sixth double. Matt Moses hit his third homer. Steve Tolleson was 2-4 with his sixth double to raise his average to just over .200.

MIRACLE MEMOS

Friday –Ft. Myers 4, St. Lucie 3 – Mike McCardell gave up two runs in the first inning, but that was it. The righty went seven innings and gave up just those two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Spencer Steedley came in and struck out two in his inning. Blair Erickson recorded his four save despite giving up a run on three hits in the ninth. Ben Revere is back up to .333 with his 3-4 game. He stole his 16^th base. Steve Singleton went 2-5 with his fifth triple and two RBI. Mark Dolenc hit his second triple.    

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Friday – Beloit 2, Clinton 7 – Michael Allen was a sleeper choice for me in 2009. Well, he is now 0-5 after this game. He gave up four runs (2 earned) on eight hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven. Shooter Hunt came out of the bullpen. He gave up three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out three in two innings. The Snappers managed just four hits. Jonathan Waltenbury and Jeff Lanning each hit a double.  

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

More Moves to be Made?

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

HELP – I need your help for a blog posting for tomorrow. I want to encourage everyone to send me a few True/False Statements, or Over/Under scenarios. For instance, e-mail me and say, “True or False, Danny Valencia will be the Twins opening day 3B when the team opens up Target Field next year.” Or “Over/Under – Joe Mauer’s Batting Average – .320.” Send up to five, and I will answer them on this site tomorrow. I think it could be a lot of fun, so please take a minute and e-mail me your questions. I appreciate your help.

YOUR VOICES – Last night, I wrote up and posted my StarTribune.com/yourvoices article on a topic that, as you would guess, is already annoying to me. But it’s timely and it is regional, so it kind of makes sense. Please check it out and be sure to leave you comments. Then be sure to read the article on the same topic that Darren “Doogie” Wolfson wrote there.

On Wednesday, the Twins made a roster move by shipping Alexi Casilla back down the AAA Rochester. They promoted Matt Tolbert back to the big leagues. Could more moves be on the horizon?

If you think that Alexi Casilla was the team’s biggest problem, you might be in for some major disappointment. Clearly, the biggest issue on this team right now it pitching. Entering the season, the assumption was that the starting five would be a cornerstone of the team. Through the first month their top pitcher, Scott Baker, is 0-4 with a 9.15 ERA. The #2 starter, Francisco Liriano, is 1-4 with a 5.30 ERA. Kevin Slowey is 4-1, but his ERA is 5.50. Nick Blackburn is 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA. Glen Perkins has been the team’s top starter so far this season, and he is 1-2 with a 3.34 ERA.

None of the five are currently in jeopardy of losing their starting jobs. In reality, I don’t think that they should even consider a move of one of the five starters for at least another month.

So, let’s get to the bullpen. Joe Nathan had one blown save, but overall, he continues to be one of the best closers in the game. I think we can say that Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier and Jose Mijares have pretty secure jobs. Brian Duensing, Philip Humber and Juan Morillo have already been shipped back to Rochester. Luis Ayala has been quite disappointing in a late-inning role. He has given up 20 hits and three walks in 13.1 innings. Craig Breslow was being counted on as a lefty out of the bullpen, and he has not been good at all. In 9.2 innings, he has given up seven hits and walked ten hitters. His two innings tonight actually significantly improved his overall performance. R.A. Dickey was brought in to be a long reliever. When he has pitched in that role, and in his one start, he was just fine. But when put into more difficult situations, it hasn’t gone well.  

So, I think it is fair to say that Luis Ayala, Craig Breslow and R.A. Dickey are three guys who will be watched a little more closely in the coming weeks. Let’s look at some pitchers in the upper minor leagues who could be considered for a promotion:

• Sean Henn – The Twins signed the now-28 year old lefty this offseason. He is currently the default closer for the Red Wings. Last year with the Padres, he gave up 11 hits and walked nine in 9.1 innings. So far this year with Rochester, he has thrown 17.1 innings out of the bullpen. His ERA is 1.04 and he has struck out 23 batters. He has given up 11 hits, but he has walked ten batters. As good as he has been, the walk rate is a little alarming.
• Brian Duensing – Since returning to the Red Wings, he has made three starts. He has thrown just 13 innings, and is 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA. He has given up 16 hits, walked six and struck out just seven. He certainly hasn’t warranted a promotion at this point and can use the work at AAA.
• Mike Gosling – The 28 year old lefty is working out of the Red Wings bullpen. He is 3-1 with a 4.96 ERA. In 16.1 innings, he has given up 16 hits. He has walked seven and struck out 21. The hit rate is OK. The walk rate is slightly high. Together, that is a WHIP of just over 1.40. He’s probably just a notch behind Henn at this point.
• Philip Humber/Juan Morillo – Both recently were sent down to the Red Wings. Both have done well in very limited time there and just need to get more work in.
• Anthony Swarzak – the 22 year old has started out great for Rochester. He is 2-3 with a 2.03 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. In 31 innings, he has given up 23 hits and walked just six while striking out 23. He’s allowed just one home run. Swarzak is young and he’s a starter. I think he needs to just keep working and starting at AAA for now. Let’s see how he is doing in four to six weeks.
• Anthony Slama – So many seem to think that the 25 year old is too good for his level. He certainly was last year. This year at AA New Britain, he is 2-0 with five saves. His ERA is just 2.63. In 13.1 innings, he has 22 strikeouts. However, he also has nine walks and 12 hits allowed, so his AA WHIP is at 1.54. That doesn’t scream “Promotion” to me!
• Rob Delaney – 24 year old Delaney spent half of the 2008 season in New Britain and did great. He is back there to start this season. He is 1-1 with a 2.89 ERA. In 18.2 innings, he has given up 21 hits, but he has walked just two while striking out 22. His WHIP is 1.22. He’s been good, and that K:BB ratio is amazing. I think he should be moved up to Rochester in the next month, and then see how he is doing at that time.  

So, in reality, these are the options for promotion to the Twins, especially since Duensing and Swarzak are the only ones on the 40 man roster. None of them present a significant improvement over Ayala, Breslow or Dickey. So, in my mind, there is zero reason to make a move at this time. Again, we should probably re-evaluate these names and their numbers in another three or four weeks to see where things are.

The Twins Geek tells us that Carlos Gomez has nine at bats over the teams past twelve games.  I believe that we all believe that his ceiling is still very high, but he has a lot to learn. To learn, he needs to play. He needs consistent at bats. He needs time in the outfield, and he needs bunting opportunities and situations and such. Right now, his role with the Twins has been to start about one in four games, and do some pinch running and late inning defense.

To play more, and improve himself as a player, I believe Gomez should go to AAA. But if he goes down to AAA, I think that the Twins need to replace him with another outfielder. The three outfielders will need to start, and Jason Kubel will be the DH, so they will still need a backup outfield. That player should be a guy who can run, play good defense at all three outfield positions and at least be adequate at the plate. Here are the options:

• Jason Pridie – The 25 year old outfielder can play three outfield positions very well. He can run very well. He can hit at the top of an order, but also has enough pop to hit some extra base hits. He strikeouts a ton. He just ended a 16 game hitting streak, and is hitting .255/.279/.292 in 106 at bats.
• Dustin Martin – Although Martin just turned 25, the organization seems to look at him as a potential starting outfielder, so he should play every day. He can play CF, but may have enough bat to play the corners as well. He really impressed last year at New Britain, then in the Arizona Fall League, and then during training camp. At Rochester, he is hitting .308/.366/.374 with nine steals.
• David Winfree – he is still just 23 years old and in his first season at AAA. He is hitting .272/.277/.457. Ten of his 22 hits have been for extra bases. He has one walk and 18 strikeouts, but he is a right-handed bat that could provide some pop off the bench. Can only play RF, and not necessarily very well.
• Luke Hughes – Although he has only played 3B this season for the Red Wings, he spent plenty of time in LF and CF last year. Another right handed bat with some pop, Hughes is hitting .293/.392/.573 with 11 extra base hits.

Dustin Martin and Luke Hughes have futures as everyday types of players. Those guys should not be playing just once or twice a week, not until September. David Winfree is a right handed bat with pop, but he doesn’t fill the need for the role (defense/speed). Martin and Winfree are not on the 40 man roster at this time. Jason Pridie really fits the role of fourth or fifth outfielder perfectly. He’s got talent. He’s proven in the past that he can hit a little bit. He’s very fast. He’s very good defensively, and he can play all three outfield positions. If Gomez is actually only going to be a role player with the Twins at this early point in the season, he needs to go to AAA, and if he does, I would promote Jason Pridie.

So, as much as we may want to overreact and make a few more transactions just to make them, they do have to make sense. I don’t think it makes any sense to make any moves with the pitching staff quite yet, but that situation needs to continue to be closely monitored. I do believe that Carlos Gomez should go back to AAA and play every day, leading off and playing CF. I would then promote Jason Pridie to fill the role of fourth outfielder.

What are your thoughts? What would you do if you were Bill Smith? Leave your questions or comments here  

GAME RECAPS

TWINS 1, ORIOLES 4 (Called in 6^th inning due to rain)

Tuesday night’s game was horrible because of the Twins play on the field. Wednesday night’s game was horrible because of the rain on the field. The game was delayed at the onset, and then three rain delays later, they finally called it. Unfortunately, the game was through five innings, making it an official game. The Twins were behind 4-1 at the time, so they get the loss and fall to 13-16.

Kevin Slowey got off to a bad start. In the first inning, he gave up three runs on four hits. The biggest blow as a Nick Markakis two run homer. He gave up two more hits, but no more runs, over two more innings before the game was delayed the first time. When the game started up again, Craig Breslow entered the game. He gave up a solo homer to Luke Scott. He gave up just one other hit, and most important, he did not walk a batter in two innings. Mark Hendrickson started for the Orioles and gave up just one hit over three scoreless innings. After the rain delay, former Twin Brian Bass came in. He went the final 2.2 innings and gave up a run on four hits and a walk. He struck out four. None of the Twins hits off of him were hit hard.

Mike Redmond had two of the Twins five hits.

On Thursday, Glen Perkins will face Brad Bergesen.   

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Angel Morales, Beloit Snappers

SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Anthony Swarzak, Rochester Red Wings & Cole Devries, New Britain Rockcats

ROCHESTER REPORT

Wednesday –Rochester 5, Louisville 2 – Anthony Swarzak had another strong start and picked up his second win. He gave up just one run on five hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out six. Sean Henn went the final two innings. He gave up a run on a Jonny Gomes home run. He struck out three in two innings. Drew Butera went 3-4 with two RBI. Luke Hughes had just one hit, but it was his fifth home run. David Winfree went 2-4 with a triple. Dustin Martin was 2-4 with a walk and his ninth stolen base.  

• By the way, be sure to bookmark a new blog on the Rochester Red Wings called ‘R Red Wings.

ROCKCAT RECAP

Wednesday – Game 1 – New Britain 2, New Hampshire 0 – Cole Devries was very strong again for his second win. He went five shutout innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out two. Rob Delaney pitched a scoreless sixth frame. Anthony Slama recorded his fourth save with a scoreless seventh inning. He struck out one. The Rockcats managed just four hits in this game. Erik Lis scored both runs. He hit a solo home run. He also scored on a Juan Portes double. Portes had two doubles in the game.

Wednesday – Game 2 – New Britain 5, New Hampshire 3 – Matt Fox made the start in the second game. He went 5.1 innings and gave up two runs on two hits. He walked three and struck out four. Jose Lugo gets credit for the Win as he got the last two outs on the sixth inning. Anthony Slama recorded his second save of the day despite giving up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. Brian Dinkelman went 2-3 with his fifth double and two RBI. Rene Tosoni scored three runs in this game. He was 2-2 as well as got hit by a pitch. Brandon Roberts was 2-2 with his fourth double.

INJURY REPORT – Juan Portes played 3B in both of these games as Danny Valencia rested a sore wrist.    

MIRACLE MEMOS

Wednesday –Ft. Myers 5, Sarasota 6 – Deolis Guerra had his first rough start of the season. The 20 year old righty gave up six run on 11 hits and two walks in just four innings. Steve Hirschfeld threw three scoreless relief innings. Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless eighth. The Miracle managed just five hits, no one had more than one. Danny Berg was 0-2, but he walked three times. Deibinson Romero walked twice. Ben Revere stole his 14^th base. 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Wednesday – Beloit 0, West Michigan 3 – Dan Berlind made the start for the Snappers in place of Shooter Hunt. (No word on what the team is going to do with Hunt; skip a start, move him to the bullpen, etc.) Berlind went 4.2 innings and gave up three runs (2 earned) on six hits. He walked two and struck out three. Joe Testa came in and went 2.1 scoreless innings. Matt Williams pitched a scoreless inning. The Snappers had just four hits. Angel Morales hit his third double and third triple.  

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

Weekend Updates

Welcome back to the work week. I am happy to report that after a week away, I am back home so hopefully, for the readers of this site and any of my other blogs, there should be a return to normalcy. This blog posting will take a look back at the weekend. The Twins won two out of three games in Cleveland. There were certainly some interesting performances at each of the Twins minor league affiliates. Joe Mauer played three games for the Ft. Myers Miracle. The Rochester Red Wings played a game with a football score on Saturday. Shooter Hunt was back on the mound, which has become a story in itself.

 

To hear more about the weekend series and look forward to the upcoming home series against Tampa Bay, be sure to tune in to the MNGameNight.com podcast. I joined The Twins Geek and Kyle Eliason to do the show. Instead of doing it over the phone, he set up a studio with cool MacGyver-like microphones, a sound board, and several retakes. But it was a lot of fun, and having listened to the podcast a couple of times, I think it turned out quite well. So please, check it out, listen to it, and then e-mail me any comments that you may have on it.

 

Speaking of podcasts, be sure to check out the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast tonight at 9:00 p.m. central time. Please note that this is a change as previously I had been posting on Tuesday nights. I am looking forward to this change because Mondays are more frequently off days for the Twins and their affiliates. I do have a couple of confirmed guests for the show. I’ll try to send out a schedule tomorrow afternoon. Be sure to click on the link and set up the RSS Feed for the show.  

 

One other topic for discussion is the Minnesota Vikings selection of Percy Harvin, a WR type from Florida, in the first round (22^nd overall) despite reports that he is not one of the best people in the world. However, he can be a dynamic, impact player for the Vikings if he can stay healthy and stay out of trouble. The obvious comparison there is to Randy Moss, who the Vikings were thrilled to take later in the first round. He certainly became an impact player, if not the best WR in NFL history. Some people are trying to force the comparison between Harvin and Twins reliever Jose Mijares. I don’t really get the comp. Yes, they both have some off field issues they needed to address, but for Mijares those were work and worth ethic. For Harvin, those off field problems are legal problems (like failing a drug test at the combine. For Mijares, it has been probably like weight control and composure. So, let me ask this, when is the last time that the Twins signed or drafted a guy with a questionable history. Have there been any?

 

FRIDAY – TWINS 5, CLEVELAND 1

SATURDAY – TWINS 7, CLEVELAND 1

SUNDAY – TWINS 2, CLEVELAND 4

Before the season, most people thought these were the two teams that would challenge for the AL Central crown. They may still be, but when the series started, they were the bottom two teams in the division. The Twins got two out of three games this weekend. On the road, you have to be thrilled with that.  

Here are a few other thoughts from the series:

·         Nick Blackburn pitched well. He gave up one run in seven innings on Friday night.  

·         Kevin Slowey pitched excellent. He threw eight shutout innings on Saturday and fully took advantage of a larger strike zone. He was allowed to go out to the mound for the 9^th inning, in an attempt to get a shutout, but three soft singles loaded the bases and Luis Ayala came in to finish the game.  

·         Joe Crede began the series with a .167 batting average. He went 4-12 in the series, with a home run, to raise his average to .204. That’s still not good, but his defense remains excellent, and although he won’t hit for my batting average, he should hit for some power as the season moves forward. The funny thing is that some fans have already given up on Crede. If that is the case, imagine if the Twins had traded for Mark Derosa. The Cleveland utility player went 0-3 on Sunday to drop his season batting average to .195. Their averages are about the same, but Crede’s defense is significantly better, so I would say that the Twins made the right decision.

·         Jose Morales started in the Friday and Sunday games. Not only did he go 2-4 Friday and 4-4 Sunday, but he also threw out his first would-be base stealer, the aforementioned Mark Derosa. I have been asked several times if I think that the Twins should keep Morales up in the big leagues when Joe Mauer comes back. That answer is easy. Of course not, he should go to Rochester and play. Mike Redmond has earned his role on this team over the last three or four seasons. He has an adequate bat (.300 from a backup catcher is just fine!) He has just 31 at bats so far this season, so his .226 batting average would be nearly .300 with just two more hits. Defensively, he is yet to throw anyone out, but he will come around. Also, he does a very good job of game calling. Again, Morales can hit a little bit. As a big leaguer, he will hit for a little average, won’t take many walks and won’t show any power. He could be an adequate backup. But he does have options, Redmond is on the roster and deserves to be, and we will see him again. The bigger questions regarding the catching position comes after the season when the Twins need to determine if they want Mike Redmond on the roster to open Target Field, and where Jose Morales’s defense is, where Drew Butera’s offense is, and how much Wilson Ramos still needs to do.     

·         Jason Kubel continues to impress. On Saturday, he went 3-5 with two home runs in the Twins win. The big question for Twins fans should be, who will lead the Twins in Home Runs in 2009, Justin Morneau or Jason Kubel?

·         If 22 year old Carlos Gomez isn’t going to play every day (and he shouldn’t), shouldn’t he be playing every day at Rochester? Doesn’t that just make sense?

·         The Twins much maligned bullpen worked six shutout innings over the three game series.

·         The Twins will now send Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Nick Blackburn to the Metrodome’s mound this week to face Jeff Niemann, James Shields and Scott Kazmir.

 

 

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

With that, here are the reports on the Twins minor league games from the weekend along with a few other notes:

·         By the way, this is something that just needs to be recognized:

1.      Rob Delaney 2009 – 9 games, 13.1 innings, 12 hits, 0 walks, 19 strikeouts.

2.      Anthony Slama 2009 – 7 games, 7.2 innings, 4 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts.

3.      I think all those veterans at Rochester should start filling out their resumes.

·         On the polar opposite side of the spectrum are a couple of stories:

1.      First, it was reported on Friday that Twins minor leaguer Hank Sanchez, supplemental first round pick in 2005, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a drug of abuse. Sanchez was supposed to be providing right handed power for the Twins organization, but he has been hurt most of his professional career, and when he has been healthy, he has struck out a ton.

2.      The Twins second first round pick last year, Shooter Hunt, pitched again on Sunday afternoon. See how well he threw in the game report below. Here are his complete season stats to this point. He has pitched in 11.2 innings over four starts. He has walked 23 and struck out ten! Not good.

·         Be sure to read up on two Twins prospects that had high expectations, didn’t pan out as anticipated, and have started this season very strong. The article by cmathewson is at Twinkie Town.  

·         Also, be sure to check out Roger’s Weekly Twins Minor League report from this weekend.

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday – Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 6 – Anthony Swarzak was the tough-luck loser again in this game. He fell to 0-3 with just a 1.59 ERA. Swarzak gave up two runs on five hits and an intentional walk in six innings. Sean Henn struck out two in his scoreless innings. Bobby Keppel then gave up four runs on six hits in just 0.2 innings. Mike Gosling came in and struck out the lone batter he faced to get out of that 8^th inning. Carmen Pignatiello struck out two in his scoreless ninth inning. Trevor Plouffe went 2-4 with his third double.

Saturday – Rochester 14, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 17 (13 innings) – The Barons kicked that 13^th inning field goal to win this one. What a game. Each team scored one run in the 10^th, the 11^th and the 12^th innings before the game-deciding 13^th inning. Reid Santos started and in 4.2 innings, he gave up six runs on six hits and four walks. Ben Julianel gave up an unearned run on a hit in 0.1 innings. Mike Gosling gave up two runs in 2.1 innings. He struck out five. Sean Henn gave up two unearned runs in 1.2 innings. Armando Gabino gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in his three innings. Carmen Pignatiello gave up three runs in the 13^th. The bats definitely did their part in this game. Brock Peterson went 3-6 with a walk, two doubles and his first home run. Luke Hughes went 3-6 with a walk, a triple, and two home runs. Matt Macri went 2-7 with his second and third home runs. Dustin Martin was 3-7 with a double. Drew Butera went 2-3 with two walks. Justin Huber made his Red Wings debut and went 2-2 with a double and a home run before getting hurt. He has a sore hamstring that will keep him out of action. To activate him, Tommy Watkins went on the seven-day DL with a “sore hamstring.”  

Sunday – Rochester 7, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3 – As you would imagine, after Saturday’s game, the Red Wings needed some solid pitching, and they got it. Brian Duensing started and gave up three runs on five hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out six. Philip Humber made his first appearance since clearing waivers. He threw two scoreless innings. Bobby Keppel threw two shutout frames. Alejandro Machado went 2-3 with a walk. David Winfree and Jeff Christy each had a double and two RBI.  

 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Friday – New Britain 3, Trenton 6 – Danny Valencia is on fire. In this game, he went 3-4 with his second double and first triple. Wilson Ramos went 2-4. Yancarlos Ortiz went 2-5. Cole Devries started and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings. Jose Lugo gave up three runs on three hits. Rob Delaney struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings. Zach Ward gave up an unearned run on one hit in his inning.

Saturday – New Britain 5, Trenton 1 – Matthew Fox got his first win of the 2009 season. He started and threw seven shutout innings. He allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five. Rob Delaney then gave up a run on two hits in one inning. Anthony Slama struck out the side in the ninth. Rene Tosoni and Toby Gardenhire each went 2-4. Whit Robbins had a double with three RBI.

Sunday – New Britain 11, Trenton 3 – Jeff Manship finally got some run support and recorded his first win of the season. He gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. Jose Lugo, Frank Mata and Yohan Pino each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Danny Valencia was a single short of the cycle. He hit his third double, second triple and second home run. Juan Portes had two doubles in five at bats. Rene Tosoni went 2-5 with his third home run and three RBI. Wilson Ramos went 2-4 with his second double. Matt Moses went 2-4 with a walk and his third double. Yancarlos Ortiz went 2-4.

 

MIRACLE MEMOS

So as not to overplay it within each game report, Joe Mauer did play in all three games for the Miracle. He caught Friday night and Saturday night, and he was the DH on Sunday night. What he does at the plate isn’t important, in my mind. He will be just fine with the bat. It is good to see how well he worked with the Miracle pitchers. Be sure to specifically note how well the Miracle starts performed Friday and Saturday, and ask yourself if you think Mauer had anything to do with that.

Friday –Ft. Myers 3, Jupiter 1 – Michael McCardell did not pitch well in his first two starts, so it was great to see him pitch well in this game. The big righty gave up just one hit and one walk in six innings. He struck out six. Kyle Waldrop gave up two hits, but no runs, in his inning. Blair Erickson gave up a run on a hit and a walk in 1.2 innings. Spencer Steedley got the final out and recorded his first save of the season. Joe Mauer went 2-4 with a double and two RBI. Chris Parmelee went 2-4 with the other RBI.

Saturday –Ft. Myers 1, Jupiter 2 (10 innings) – Carlos Gutierrez showed exactly what he could be as a starting pitcher in this game. In seven innings, he gave up just one unearned run on two hits. He walked none and struck out just one. In seven innings, he needed just 73 pitches. He coaxed 17 ground outs, and three fly outs in the game. Henry Arias walked two and struck out two in his inning. Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless ninth before giving up an unearned run in the 10^th for the loss. Joe Benson went 2-5 with his third double. Joe Mauer went 0-3.

Sunday –Ft. Myers 1, Jupiter 5 – Deolis Guerra was putting together another solid performance, until the 6^th inning. He gave up five runs on six hits and two walks in six innings. Through five, he had given up just two runs on two hits. Santos Arias struck out three in this two scoreless innings. Joe Mauer and Chris Cates went 2-4. Estarlin de Los Santos went 2-5.  

 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Friday – Beloit 7, Quad Cities 5 – Alexander Soto was the story in this game. The catcher went 4-4 with his third double and second home run. Ozzie Lewis went 3-4. Ramon Santana went 2-3 with a walk. Henry Reyes made the start and it didn’t go so well. He gave up five runs on five hits and two walks in just four innings. He struck out five. Danny Rondon struck out two in his three innings. Bruce Pugh gave up two hits and a walk in 1.2 scoreless innings. Matt Williams came in and got the final out.

Saturday – Beloit, Kane County – Postponed by Rain.   

Sunday – Game 1 – Beloit 6, Kane County 11 – Michael Allen was a sleeper pick for many this past offseason. This was not a good start. In just 1.1 innings, he gave up eight runs (7 earned) on seven hits, a walk and a hit batter. Dan Belind came in and gave up three runs (2 earned) on three hits in 3.2 innings. Joe Testa struck out two in his inning of work. Nick Romero went 3-3 with his second homer and four RBI in the game. Ramon Santana went 2-3 with a walk and his third double. Ozzie Lewis went 2-4 with an RBI.

Sunday – Game 2 – Beloit 7, Kane County 8 – Let’s be honest… when Shooter Hunt pitches, people take notice. It’s that whole “train wreck” thing. In this game, Hunt gave up four runs on one hit, six walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches in just two innings. Steve Blevins then gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. Danny Rondon then struck out three, but walked three, in two innings. Nick Romero went 2-2 with a walk and two RBI. Ramon Santana went 2-3 with his fourth double. Evan Bigley went 2-4.  

 

 

That is it for today. Enjoy your week!  Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Friday Night Lights

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

TWINS 11, ANGELS 9

KEYNOTE STORY – I mean, really… is there any question who produced tonight’s big story? Jason Kubel came into his 8^th inning at bat with a single, a double, and a triple. He had already missed one opportunity to hit for the cycle. The Angels had intentionally walked Justin Morneau in front of Kubel to load the bases. So, with the Twins trailing by two runs, Kubel came to the plate and on the second pitch, he gave himself the cycle and he gave the Twins the lead with a grand slam. Kubel became the ninth player in Twins history to hit for the cycle. Carlos Gomez was the most recent, and he did it in 2008. More importantly, Kubel’s blast completed a comeback that saw the Twins fall behind 8-3, and then 9-4 going into the bottom of the eighth. Kubel’s home run capped a seven run inning. He went 4-5 with five RBI. Here are a few other thoughts on the game:

·         Nick Blackburn pitched pretty well. He gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks in 6.1 innings.

·         Unfortunately, the bullpen did not help him out. Five runs scored in that 7^th inning for the Angels. Jesse Crain came in with runners on and it didn’t go well. He had to throw 30 more pitches and got just one out before four runs scored on two hits and three walks. Matt Guerrier came in and gave up a run over the next 1.1 innings. Another rough night for the Twins bullpen.

·         Once Kubel gave the Twins the lead though, Joe Nathan came on for the ninth inning and pitched a perfect ninth inning.

·         For the first time this season, Jason Kubel played in the OF, making the start in LF.

·         Denard Span made his second consecutive start in CF which means that Carlos Gomez did not start for the second straight game.

·         Span, Mike Redmond and Michael Cuddyer each had two hits. 

·         Saturday night, the Twins and Angels will play the middle game of this series, starting at 6:05 p.m. The Twins will send Kevin Slowey to the mound to face the Angels lefty Darren Oliver.  

 

HUMBER DFA’d, MORILLO CLAIMED

Hours before last night’s game, the Twins made a couple of transactions. First, they Designated Philip Humber for Assignment. It was time. He got a few opportunities and it was pretty clear that he would not be much help to even the back end of the Twins bullpen. I still contend that given time, he would have been better than Brian Bass, but the Twins bullpen situation requires immediate attention. He will go through the waiver process, and if he is claimed, he will go to the other team. If he is not claimed, the Twins will have ten days to trade him, release him or send him to Rochester. If they are able to, I think it would be great if he could remain in the organization.

 

Twenty-five year old Juan Morillo was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies, and the Twins claimed him. He has pitched in just 8.2 innings out of the bullpen in three stints over the last three years with the Rockies. Last year in AAA, in 59.2 innings, he gave up just 53 hits. He struck out 55. Unfortunately he also walked 56 batters. So why would the Twins want him? Well, that ability to throw 100 mph is something very few people are able to do. He is still very young, and many believe that Rick Anderson can work miracles. Worst case scenario – He never is able to find control, he walks several batters in low leverage situations. He sticks with the Twins for a few weeks, maybe a month, allowing Jose Mijares, Rob Delaney and Anthony Slama a little more time. Best case scenario – Rick Anderson finds something and Morillo gains some control. He pitches well in low leverage situation and gradually starts pitching in the 7^th innings, then the 8^th inning. Have I mentioned that 100 mph fastball? I see this as an excellent move for the Twins. It is a very low risk and potentially very high reward acquisition.

 

BULLPEN WOES

The last two games, the Twins starters have made solid starts. Then the bullpen has completely lost it. Jesse Crain has now pitched Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That kind of usage is what really hurt Matt Guerrier in 2008. Before being used frequently three straight games (and 14 out of 17 games in one stretch), he had nothing left. Crain and Guerrier are the Twins bullpen hopes to get the ball to Joe Nathan, so they really should not be used like this.

 

Here is me admitting I was wrong. I still have confidence in Joe Nathan, Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier. I think Craig Breslow will be solid most of the time. And R.A. Dickey will be just fine as the mop up man. That means that Luis Ayala is a big question mark. I liked the signing when it happened. I do think he will be alright, and I don’t think anyone was claiming he would be an 8^th inning guy, but he has been incredibly hittable to this point. We can’t give up on him yet, but I would also say that he may want to start performing soon because I think Bill Smith has shown he won’t hesitate to let a veteran go.

 

Juan Cruz would have helped this team. Joe Nelson would have been a great addition. Russ Springer could have helped out a lot. However, if they were being used as much as Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier and others in the Twins bullpen are being used to this point, they likely would not be much more productive. And no, I’m not advocating the signing of Pedro Martinez at this point, unless he’ll sign for $2 million or less, and he won’t.

 

At this point, the guys they have need to be given a month. If at that time, they still are not ready, that is when they should go to Jose Mijares, Rob Delaney and Anthony Slama.     

 

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

With that, here are the reports on the Twins minor league games from Friday night, but first, be sure to check out this terrific article on Ben Revere. It discusses from a scout’s perspective what the Twins saw when they were watching him play (and they did a lot) in high school. I think the article gives a very good view of what scouts look for. The picture (see it at www.SethSpeaks.net) is of Ben Revere with his five Twins awards presented to him earlier in spring training.

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday – Rochester 0, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 11 – The Red Wings were shut out for the second straight game despite notching nine hits. David Winfree went 2-4 with his fifth double. Reid Santos started and gave up five runs (3 earned) on eight hits and three walks in five innings. Sean Henn struck out five hitters in two shutout innings. Carmen Pignatiello moved back to the bullpen now that Brian Duensing is back with the Red Wings. He pitched the 8^th inning and gave up six runs on five hits and a walk.     

 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Friday – New Britain 1, New Hampshire 11 – After a nice first AA start, this one didn’t go so well for Cole Devries. In 4.1 innings, he gave up five runs on six hits and three walks. But Yohan Pino’s performance was really non-good. In 1.1 innings, he gave up six runs on nine hits, including two home runs. Zach Ward struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings. Rob Delaney struck out two in 1.2 shutout innings. The Rockcats bats managed just seven hits. Erik Lis went 2-4. Toby Gardenhire went 2-3 with a double.

 

MIRACLE MEMOS

Friday –Ft. Myers 1, St. Lucie 3 – The Miracle managed just four hits in this game. Ben Revere went 1-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Steve Singleton went 1-3 with a walk and a double. Tyler Robertson went the first four innings and gave up a run on two hits and three walks. He struck out three. Kyle Waldrop took the loss despite pitching very well. In three innings, he gave up one run on four hits. Spencer Steedley gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk in his inning.

 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Friday – Beloit 6, Burlington 5 (10 innings) – Ramon Santana is off to a terrific start for the Snappers this season. Tonight was his best moment yet of this young season. The shortstop went 2-5, but his solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the 10^th inning ended the game and gave the Snappers the win. Nick Romero went 3-5 with a stolen base. Dominic de la Osa went 2-5 with a double and a triple. Michael Harrington went 2-4 with his second double. Nathan Hanson was 2-4. Alexander Soto hit his first home of the year. Bobby Lanigan made the start. He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. Joe Testa walked three and struck out two in two innings. He gave up two runs. Steve Blevins struck out three in 2.2 perfect innings.

 

That is it for today. Enjoy your weekend!  Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Minor League Report

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

UPDATE – I have now posted my most recent blog at the Star Tribune’s Your Voices blog page. It is called Why the Vikings? I think Twins fans will enjoy it, but it is also asking for your comments, so please feel free to add your opinions in their comments section. I would also encourage you to let any Vikings fans know about the article too, because I am very curious about their thoughts. I also want to encourage you to check out the great writings there of Darren “Doogie” Wolfson, who has been writing a couple of blog postings each week. I think you’ll really enjoy his list of the top 10 Gophers Multi-Sport Athletes.  

 

 

The Twins lost 12-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. It was a horrible game. The Twins jumped ahead 2-0 on Scott Richmond but then the Jays scored a dozen straight. Scott Baker made his first start of the year, and his performance looked a lot like his spring starts. He gave up four home runs (out of the five hits he gave up). He gave up six runs as he also walked two. Philip Humber struggled again. R.A. Dickey did a nice job for 2.1 innings, but then Luis Ayala gave up two runs in the 9^th inning. The offense did a good job of making another pitcher they hadn’t seen before look good.

 

So, we are simply not going to talk any more about that game. We just have to keep saying that it was just one out of 162 games! For much more on the Twins, please be sure to listen to last night’s MNGameNight.com podcast. I was the host, Parker Hageman of Over the Baggy was the guest, and John Bonnes, the Twins Geek, called in from outside the Dome after the game. And then at 10:00 (central time) tonight, John and I will be hosting the final episode of the week.  

 

 

Instead, we are going to talk about the Twins minor league system. The four full-season Twins affiliates have now been playing for about a week. As a quick reminder for most of you, or a bit of information for those of you who weren’t aware, here are the Twins full season affiliates:

·         AAA – Rochester Red Wings (New York) – International League – for the great majority of players, this is the final stop before the big leagues. This year’s roster has a good combination of prospects that could be Twins in the future, guys like Trevor Plouffe, Luke Hughes, Kevin Mulvey, Anthony Swarzak, Jose Mijares, Drew Butera and Dustin Martin. There are also several minor league veterans who are brought in for organizational depth (to fill a whole either for a year or just temporarily until someone from AA is ready to move up) or guys that a Twins scout or coach saw do something and felt might have a chance.

·         AA – New Britain Rockcats (Connecticut) – Eastern League – there is generally a belief that if a player succeeds at AA, he may only need an opportunity to become a big leaguer. Although the Twins prefer to promote one step at a time, there is plenty of precedent showing they will promote from AA. Brad Radke was called up from AA. Just last year, the Twins weren’t afraid to promote Jose Mijares from AA during a pennant race. In previous seasons, the Rockcats have had tremendous talent and expectations, yet have really struggled. This year’s roster has a ton of talent and several guys who arguably could be playing in AAA. Guys like Steve Tolleson, Rob Delaney, Zach Ward and Danny Valencia all had success at this level a year ago. They will start the season back here and with a strong start could be promoted quickly.

·         Hi-A – Ft. Myers Miracle – Florida State League – this is typically known as a pitcher’s league, but this year’s team has scored a lot of runs early in the season. The Twins have a history showing that if a prospect has a strong first half with the Miracle, they will be promoted to AA for the season’s second half. Last year, four players were promoted after the team won the 1^st Half championship and clinched a playoff spot.

·         Low-A – Beloit Snappers – Midwest League – This is typically a group of players spending their first season in full-season ball. That is an adjustment from the short-season teams. They also have to deal with Wisconsin weather in the spring, so its’ always interesting to see how the Latin American players as well as players from southern climates perform early in the season.

·         BONUS – Extended Spring Training – Players that did not make a full-season squad and were not released stay in Ft. Myers and participate in drills led by Jake Mauer. They also play games against each other and other organizations in the area. It is an opportunity for young players to develop skills without the pressure of a full-season team. It allows them to mature. There are currently 55 players in Extended Spring Training. Several players who played last year in the Dominican Summer League came to Ft. Myers last week, so they will also be learning a new culture and new teammates. This will continue until mid-June, after the draft, when these players and the drafted players will go to either Elizabethton, Tennessee, to play (usually college players drafted) or if they will stay in Ft. Myers and play for the Gulf Coast League Twins. Of course, injured players will also be in Ft. Myers rehabilitating.

·         Learned that the Twins will again maintain their academy in Venezuela in 2009. However, they will again choose not to participate in the Venezuelan Summer League.  

 

So, of course, one of the obvious discussion points at this time is where the players ended up. Here are some guys I was curious about:

·         Steve Tolleson – after a solid season in AA in 2008, he went to the Arizona Fall League and surprised a lot of people with a very strong showing. He was added to the 40 man roster in December. The assumption was that he would move up to Rochester for the 2009 season. Instead, he is back in New Britain. There are a couple of reasons. First, he was injured during big league camp and didn’t get a lot of playing time. Secondly, the Rochester middle infield already includes Trevor Plouffe, Matt Macri, Alejandro Machado, Luke Hughes and Matt Tolbert, and they all deserve to be there and play as well. Adding Tolleson to that mix would mean that he would not play every day, and his at bats would take at bats away from those other guys. Tolleson has three years worth of options remaining. He can go back to New Britain and play every day and continue to get better.  

·         Rob Delaney – he started the 2008 season by dominating at Ft. Myers. He was one that moved to New Britain for the second half of the season where he continued his dominance. He was named MiLB.com’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He went to the Arizona Fall League where he had his moments, but certainly didn’t dominate. After a full season, that should not be factored terribly much. Since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006, he did not yet need to be added to the Twins 40 man roster last winter. The Twins did invite him to big league came as a non-roster invitee. From box scores and reports, Delaney did alright, but nothing spectacular. So, I think another half season at AA will be good for him. He can again team with Anthony Slama to form a great back end of the bullpen. That said, unlike Tolleson, who is blocked by players that need to play and could contribute to the Twins in 2009, Delaney is being blocked by several organizational fillers. That is not to say that there aren’t still things he could work on at AA. There is value in him spending more time there, but I also believe that he could be called up soon.

·         Kyle Waldrop – after missing all of 2008 because of shoulder surgery, several people were asking me where I felt Waldrop should start the 2009 season. In 2007, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He has begun the 2009 season in the Ft. Myers bullpen, and I fully support that decision. The overall future of the Twins top 2004 draft pick remains as a starter at this point. However, after missing all of 2008, I think it is important to ease him back in. To start the season, it will be nice for him to be able to pitch a couple of innings at a time rather than feeling like he has to provide five or six innings and throw more pitches. Pitching out of the bullpen allows him to be a little more structured and progress naturally. Secondly, a guy that is coming off of major arm surgery is better off staying in the warmth of Ft. Myers than being asked to push it in the northern climates. Waldrop appeared on a SethSpeaks.net Weekly Twins Podcast this offseason and I made the comment that where he starts the 2009 season doesn’t really matter. Where he ends it will be much more important.

·         Tom Stuifbergen – ‘Stuif’ became a known Twins prospect this spring when he started the elimination game between the Dominican Republic and his team from the Netherlands. Stuifbergen managed to throw four shutout innings against that incredible Dominican lineup. Many Twins fans wondered if he might have done enough to start the season as high as Ft. Myers! Think about that for a second, the 20 year old would have been approximately the same age that Deolis Guerra was at Ft. Myers last year, and I think we all believe that he was unjustly pushed too quickly. Then add in the fact that Stuifbergen missed all of the 2008 season with shoulder surgery and pitched just a handful of innings in the GCL in 2007. It is likely that he will be pitching for Elizabethton in June, unless there is a need in Beloit earlier.

·         Rene Tosoni – Last year, Tosoni skipped Beloit and played well during the early stages of the 2008 season for Ft. Myers. Unfortunately he was hurt early in the season and only came back for the last two games of the regular season and the playoffs. I thought he would head back to Ft. Myers for a little time, but instead he is now playing in New Britain. The Twins are often accused of being overly patient and cautious with promotions, but Tosoni is certainly a case of the opposite. There is a strong belief in the organization in not only Tosoni’s ability to hit, but also in his abilities as an all-around baseball player. They are also confident in his maturity and ability to handle the promotions.

·         Aaron Hicks – Obviously this is the one most people talk about first. Remember that Hicks is even younger than Ben Revere was a year ago. Although he is more advanced than Revere was overall, that isn’t to say there aren’t things that he could work on before moving up to a full season team. Tyler Robertson is another example of a recent high school draft pick who began his first full season at Extended Spring Training before moving up and having a lot of success. That is not a bad pattern to follow. Secondly, notice that the Twins did not invite Hicks to spring training. Several major league organizations invite their top pick from the previous season to big league camp. Look at the Philadelphia Phillies. They had 2008 top pick Anthony Hewitt in big league camp. A year earlier. They had Kyle Drabek, another top pick out of high school, in big league camp. The Twins believe, and rightfully so, that players need to earn things, no matter their draft status. Big league camp has to be earned. And by not just handing Aaron Hicks a job in Beloit, it may be beneficial on several levels over time. Finally, Aaron Hicks is from southern California. He has likely never played ball in the types of conditions and temperatures that he would see in Beloit. Trevor Plouffe’s early season numbers in his Midwest League season would be an indicator. I have no doubt that Aaron Hicks will be in Beloit before the short season teams start.

 

I also asked about some players who are beginning the season on a Disabled List in the Minor Leagues:

·         Paul Kelly is at home resting his knee. Not much more he can do right now.

·         Oswaldo Sosa will miss the entire season with a fracture in his lower back. This is the same injury that Whit Robbins has had in the past, and Joe Benson missed most of the second half of 2008 rehabbing. Drew Thompson also had this injury and has not played in about two years. He was able to stay healthy throughout spring training, but the organization wisely is not putting him into the cold of Beloit yet.

·         Several players with arm injuries are rehabbing at various stages from return. Loek Van Mil had the same injury as Pat Neshek and like Neshek was told to rest and then rehab it. He is close and has been pitching in minor league spring games and EST games. Blair Erickson missed a bunch of time in Spring Training but appears to be close. David Martin could start throwing in about a week. That is about the same timeline that Curtis Leavitt will start throwing again. Michael Tarsi and Ben Hendrickson are also rehabbing, but their timelines are a little longer. Thomas Wright broke his hand, so his timeline is certainly still up in the air. Finally, Brian Kirwan had surgery and will likely miss the entire season.

·         With Brian Duensing returning to Rochester, a roster move was necessary. Tim Lahey was put on the Disabled List with a foot injury.

 

Every once in awhile, I learn something that I previously was unaware of. Maybe I should have known, but maybe there was just never any reason for me to think of it.

·         The Twins signed Justin Huber very late, right near the start of the World Baseball Classic (Huber played for Australia). When the tournament was complete, he reported to Twins minor league camp and participated. So it was strange to me that he had visa problems at that time and could not play. That is why he is on the restricted list for Rochester. To play in the WBC, Huber was on a visa waiver program. The Twins signed him late, so they were not prepared with a work visa, but they are now in the process of doing that. He was able to play in Spring Training games because players are not paid during spring training. I was unaware of that. The players are provided with three meals a day and lodging in a hotel (or a per diem if they choose not to stay in the hotel). Technically, the contracts do not start until the regular season. Major League players receive an ‘allowance’ during the spring, something that was negotiated in the Basic Agreement.

 

Have you changed your opinion yet?

·         When the Twins added Drew Butera to their 40 man roster in December, it was roundly criticized by bloggers and fans alike. I was a little surprised, but I also understood. I remain curious about his defense. Seeing Jose Morales struggle with his throws has made me wonder more if Butera should be promoted. With all of the talk of the defensive abilities of Butera, I am curious if anyone has changed their opinion on the Twins decision to add him to the 40 man roster?

 

Speaking of catchers –

·         I found it interesting that 1.) Eli Tintor was moved back to catcher, and 2.) That he was sent back to Beloit after playing in Ft. Myers last year. Natural, level-by-level promotion would put him in New Britain this year. The decision was made because Tintor has not caught for awhile and pushing him too far up would likely not be fair. Allan de San Miguel is the backup catcher to Wilson Ramos for the Rockcats. The organization has a lot of confidence in his abilities behind the plate.

 

That’s what I’ve got for a minor league update for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and hopefully you have learned something. I hope to do occasional updates on the minor league system and I would love your input. What types of questions do you have about players, or player development, or philosophies that I should dig into? Please feel free to e-mail me those types of questions and I will research.

 

With that, here are the reports on the Twins minor league games from Wednesday night:

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Wednesday – Rochester 2, Pawtucket 4 – Six Red Wings hitters had one hit. Matt Tolbert was 1-3 with a walk. Kevin Mulvey started and in 4.2 innings, he gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out five. Armando Gabino gave up a run on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief. He struck out two. Mike Gosling struck out four in two innings.

 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Wednesday – New Britain 6, Portland 3 – Matt Moses went 3-5! Yes, that Matt Moses. He had three hits in this game! Erik Lis went 3-4 with a walk. Juan Portes went 2-4 with his second double. Brian Dinkelman went 2-5. Jay Rainville made the start. In four innings, he gave up three unearned runs. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out four. Then the bullpen took over with five scoreless innings. Zach Ward struck out two in two innings. Jose Lugo threw an inning. Rob Delaney struck out all three batters he faced. Anthony Slama got the save with two strikeouts in the 9^th.   

 

MIRACLE MEMOS

Wednesday – Game 1 – Ft. Myers 3, Jupiter 0 – Deolis Guerra threw five shutout innings for his first win of the year. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three. Santos Arias pitched a scoreless sixth, and Alex Burnett picked up the save with two strikeouts in the 7^th. Rene Leveret led the offense by going 3-3 with an RBI.

Wednesday – Game 2 – Ft. Myers 2, Jupiter 4 – The Miracle managed just six hits in this game. Mark Dolenc and Chris Cates each had a double. Carlos Gutierrez started and gave up a run on four hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out three. Matt Williams struck out two in his inning. Kyle Waldrop came in for the save, but he gave up three runs (just one earned) on three hits in the inning to take the loss.  

 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Wednesday – Game 1 – Beloit 0, Quad Cities 3 – Michael Allen threw a complete game in the first game, all six innings. He gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out six. Unfortunately Hector Cardenas and Kevin Thomas combined to no-hit the Snappers. A Ramon Santana walk was the only thing from perfection.

Wednesday – Game 2 – Beloit 3, Quad Cities 6 – The Snappers were able to manage four hits in the second game though! Ramon Santana hit his second homer and drove in two runs. Ozzie Lewis hit his second double. Shooter Hunt remains a complete anomaly. In just 3.2 innings, he gave up two runs on two hits. Not bad, right? Until you see that he also walked seven hitters and hit another. He did strike out five. Dan Berlind came in and got one out. He walked two batters and both scored. Henry Reyes gave up two runs (1 earned) on a hit. He struck out two. Steve Blevins came in and threw a scoreless inning.

 

That is it for today. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.   Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.