SB Nation - Dustin Martin

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report: 7/4/12

Stephen Schmidt — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:49:57 -0000

*All results from games played on Tuesday July 3rd, 2012

Check out the 2012 Amazin' Avenue Pre-Season Top 50 Mets Prospects! And send all of your questions about the Mets farm system to AAProspectMailbag@gmail.com to see them answered here!

AAA - Buffalo Bisons (42-44)_______________________________________

BUFFALO 5, DURHAM 4 (Box)

Jordany Valdespin hit a walk off single in front of the largest crowd the Bisons have drawn all year. A pair of rain delays marred this one, but in the end I'm sure Buffalo fans were more than happy to wait them out to see the eventual outcome. Colin McHugh had himself another double digit strikeout game for the no-decision.

2B Jordany Valdespin: 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
CF Matt Den Dekker: 1-4, R
1B Josh Satin: 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI
C Rob Johnson: 1-4
DH Valentino Pascucci: 0-3, BB, 2 K
RHP Jenrry Mejia: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K, 0 BB
RHP Colin McHugh: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 10 K, 2 BB

AA - Binghamton Mets (37-45)_____________________________________

BINGHAMTON 3, ALTOONA 2 (Box)

The losing streak is finally over. Darin Gorski kept the Mets in a position not to lose, and the offense did just enough to sneak one into the win column. With the bases loaded in the 8th and trailing 2-1, Dustin Martin outran an attempt to double him up and kept the Mets at 1 out in the inning. Speedster Francisco Pena then accomplished the exact same feat, allowing the Mets to score the eventual game winning run. Grission!

CF Juan Lagares: 1-4, SB
3B Jefry Marte: 0-3, BB
1B Allan Dykstra: 1-4, R
LF Eric Campbell: 0-1, 3 BB, R, SB
2B Wilmer Flores: 0-3, BB
C Francisco Pena: 0-3, BB, RBI
LHP Darin Gorski: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB
LHP Robert Carson: 1 IP, 1 H
RHP Brad Holt : 1 IP, 1 K

Hi-A - St. Lucie Mets (5-8)________________________________________

FT. MYERS 11, ST. LUCIE 2 (Box)

You remember the unstoppable St. Lucie Mets of a few months ago? They apparently had the night off. Travis Taijeron homered again though, his 15th of the season.

CF Cesar Puello: 0-3, 2 K, BB
DH Travis Taijeron: 1-3, HR, BB, K, RBI, R
RF Cory Vaughn: 0-5, 2 K
3B-1B Richard Lucas: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, R
C Blake Forsythe: 0-3, BB, K
RHP Yohan Almonte: 4 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 2 K, BB
RHP Taylor Whitenton: 2 IP, 2 K, BB

Lo-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (4-9)__________________________________

AUGUSTA 10, SAVANNAH 1 (Box)

.Wherever the St. Lucie Mets went in advance of the 4th, it looks like they brought the Gnats for company. Yuck.

C Cam Maron: 0-4, 2 K
DH Gilbert Gomez: 1-4
3B Aderlin Rodriguez: 2-4, 2B, K
1B Brian Harrison: 0-4, 2 K
RHP Logan Verrett: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, HR
RHP Jared West: IP, 2 H, 4 ER, K, 4 BB

Short Season A - Brooklyn Cyclones (12-4)__________________________________

BROOKLYN 7, HUDSON VALLEY 5 (Box)

It was a close one all night, but in the 8th the cyclones went ahead for good to cap their 5th straight win. The big inning went something like this: BB, bunt single, sac bunt, RBI single, run scoring throwing error, double play. Who said Jerryball doesn't work from time to time?

CF Brandon Nimmo: 0-3, BB, RBI
SS Philip Evans: 1-5, 2B, K, RBI, R
1B Cole Frenzel: 2-4, BB, K, 2 RBI
2B Juan Carlos Gamboa: 1-4, K, RBI, 2 R, CS
DH Jayce Boyd: 1-4, 2B, 2 K, BB
LF Stefan Sabol: 3-5, 2 2B, K
C Nelfi Zapata: 0-3, 2 K, 2 BB, R
RHP Hansel Robles: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 1 BB

Appalachian League (R) - Kingsport Mets (4-10)__________________________________

Kingsport players got the night off due to bad weather

★ Star of the Night ★

I'm having a hard time finding anyone who should be seeing stars more than Colin McHugh, another double digit strikeout performance is the easy choice.

Goat of the Night

Yohan Almonte must have been thinking about fireworks while he was pitching. Horns it is.

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report: 6/25/12

Stephen Schmidt — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 14:32:40 -0000

*All results from games played on Sunday June 24th, 2012

Check out the 2012 Amazin' Avenue Pre-Season Top 50 Mets Prospects! And send all of your questions about the Mets farm system to AAProspectMailbag@gmail.com to see them answered here!

AAA - Buffalo Bisons (38-39)_______________________________________

DURHAM 4, BUFFALO 3 (Box)

Buffalo dropped below .500 for the first time since the early going as Fred Lewis belting 2 homeruns wasn't quite enough to lift the herd over Durham. Matt Harvey was not all that efficient today, lasting just 5 innings on 93 pitches. Ignoring the pitch count though, it wasn't the worst of nights for Harvey by any means. Jordany Valdespin will be returning to the team today as they push to get back to .500 before starting a lengthy homestand.

CF Matt Den Dekker: 0-5, 2 K
1B Josh Satin: 2-3, BB
2B Brad Emaus: 0-3, BB, 2 K
C Rob Johnson: 0-2, K
C Lucas May: 0-2
SS Josh Rodriguez: 2-5, HR, K, RBI, R
OF Raul Reyes: 1-4, 2 K
LF Fred Lewis: 3-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, CS
3B Matt Tuiasosopo: 0-4, K
RHP Matt Harvey: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB - 53 of 97 pitches were thrown for strikes (55%)
LHP Justin Hampson: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K, 0 BB, HR
LHP Josh Edgin: 1 IP, H, 0 ER, K, 0 BB

AA - Binghamton Mets (35-38)_____________________________________

BINGHAMTON 7, ERIE 5 (Box)

Anyone in Erie last night was witness to the longest 9 inning game the B-Mets have played this season. The 3 1/2 hour affair saw the Mets emerge victorious after holding off a late rally by the hosts as Robert Carson managed to cap a 5 out save. Armando Rodriguez made the emergency start last night as he replaced the promoted Mark Cohoon (Buffalo). The B-Mets will also wrap up a lengthy road trip tonight (Wheeler is going) before heading home to Bingo.

LF Juan Lagares: 1-5, 2 K, R
DH Jefry Marte: 0-3, 2 BB, 2 R
2B Reese Havens: 1-4, HR, BB, 2 K, RBI, R, CS
3B Wilmer Flores: 4-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R
C Francisco Pena: 1-5, 2B, RBI, R
LF Pedro Zapata: 2-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, R, CS
1B Eric Campbell: 1-4, BB, K
SS Sean Kazmar: 0-3, BB
OF Dustin Martin: 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K
LHP Robert Carson: 1.2 IP, 2 H, R (0 ER), 2 K, 0 BB - 17 of 21 pitches for strikes
RHP Ryan Fraser: 2 IP, H, 0 EFR, 0 K, 0 BB
RHP Armando Rodriguez: 3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 K, BB, 2 HR
RHP Erik Turgeon: 2 IP, H 0 ER, K, BB
RHP Adrian Rosario: 0.1 IP, 2 H, ER, K, 2 BB

Hi-A - St. Lucie Mets (2-1)________________________________________

St. Lucie was postponed due to bad weather. Looking at the upcoming forecast, I'd expect that from a bunch of the northeastern affiliates in the next few days.

Lo-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (1-3)__________________________________

AUGUSTA 2, SAVANNAH 1 (Box)

.The Gnats predictably fell after squeaking out only 3 hits yesterday. Alberto Mejia held the Gnats hitless through the first 6 innings of this one before being lifted due to pitch count. Cam Maron also saw his 16 game hitting streak snapped in this one.

DH Cam Maron: 0-4
CF Gilbert Gomez:0-4
3B Aderlin Rodriguez: 1-4, 2 K
1B Brian Harrison: 0-4, K
3B Dustin Lawley: 0-2, K, 2 BB, R
LF Gregory Pron: 1-3, K, RBI
C Xorge Carillo: 0-3, K
2B Brandon Brown: 0-4
SS Yucarybert De La Cruz: 1-2, BB
RHP Randy Fontanez: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB
LHP Jim Fuller: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 0 BB
RHP Jared West: 2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB
RHP Chasen Bradford: 1 IP, H, 0 ER, K, 0 BB

Short Season A - Brooklyn Cyclones (5-2)__________________________________

BROOKLYN 10, ABERDEEN 5 (Box)

The Brandon Nimmo on base machine just keeps on rolling. Nimmo is now up to 10 walks as opposed to just 3 strikeouts in his first 33 plate appearances of the season. Getting on base is likely going to result in lots of runs for Brooklyn this season, as this offense looks like it's going to be infinitely better than the one on display in Savannah. Alex Sanchez was the lucky guy that got to bat with lots of runners on last night and responded by going 4-5.

CF Brandon Nimmo: 0-2, 3 BB, 2 R
SS Philip Evans: 1-5, RBI
1B Cole Frenzel: 2-4, BB, 2 RBI, R
RF Eudy Pina: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI
3B Alexander Sanchez: 4-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
2B Richie Rodriguez: 0-4, BB, K, R
3B Dimas Ponce: 0-5, K
LF Jonathan Clark: 2-3, BB, K, R, SB
C Nelfi Zapata: 3-5, HR, K, RBI, 3 R
RHP Gabriel Ynoa: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K, BB
RHP Tyler Vanderheiden: 1 IP, H, 0 ER, 0 K, BB
LHP John Mincone: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K, BB
RHP Ernesto Yanez: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, HR

Appalachian League (R) - Kingsport Mets (1-5)__________________________________

KINGSPORT 8, GREENEVILLE 3 (Box)

Kingsport finally got themselves in the win column after an offensive outburst saw them tally 8 runs in a four inning span. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

SS Gavin Cecchini: 1-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
2B Branden Kaupe: 2-3, BB, K, 2 R
DH Jeffrey Diehl: 1-1, 2B
LF Joe Tuschak: 2-4, 2 K
RF Maikis De La Cruz: 3-4, 3B, 3 RBI
C Jeyckol De Leon: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R
3B Pedro Perez: 0-4, 2 K
1B Kevin Weijgertse: 0-3, BB, R
CF Eris Peguero: 1-5, K, RBI, CS
RHP Robert Gsellman: 6 IP, 5 H, R (0 ER), 3 K, 0 BB

★ Star of the Night ★

Doubling your homerun total for the season with a 2 homerun game? I have a hard time looking past Fred Lewis for last night's start of the night performance.

Goat of the Night

I'll stay in Buffalo for the horns, handing them to Matt Den Dekker for a very ugly 0-5 night.

Who Will Be the Twins' 13th Man?

Jesse — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:26:58 -0000

In any given season, the Twins carry 12 pitchers on their 25 man roster: five starters for the rotation and seven relief pitchers. You can also count off, relatively easily, which position players will make the trip north from Florida at the end of March. Here's our list as of today.

Catchers (2): Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit

Infielders (6): Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, Jamey Carroll, Danny Valencia, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Luke Hughes

Outfielders (4): Denard Span, Ben Revere, Josh Willingham, Trevor Plouffe

With 24 roster spots taken, who gets that 25th spot? Candidates after the jump.

Drew Butera

At 28, we know what we're getting with Sweet Drew: a light-hitting, mediocre catcher who's familiar with the pitchingstaff. He's a known quantity who does whatever the Twins ask of him, and there's value in that. But I have to believe that the liklihood of his making the active roster will have more to do with A) Mauer's health, and B) whether the Twins are forced to pencil in Doumit at another position on a regular basis. And whether or not he and Pavstache get caught while lighting things on fire, obviously.

Chris Parmelee

Parm turns 24 next month, and after his showing last September I know there are a few people with itchy trigger fingers who want him to make the roster straight out of spring training. Like Butera, however, the liklihood of that happening is tied into other players more than his own merits of performance in March. If Morneau needs to be protected, and as a result has to be the team's everyday designated hitter, then Parmelee might be that 13th position player. But right now the Twins want him to play everyday, want to protect him as much as they can in terms of development, and the best way to ensure Parmelee gets both of those things is to give him the first base job in Rochester.

Joe Benson

Minnesota's next Joe turns 24 in May, and along with Dustin Martin, Steve Pearce, Brian Dinkelman, Matt Carson and Wilkin Ramirez is one of six reasons why Tosoni is likely to get that 13th spot with the Twins. The Red Wings will have their choice of outfielders, and while it might be a luxury for the Twins to sign a veteran for that defensive replacement in the late innings, there's just not room in Rochester for Tosoni.

Rene Tosoni

Tosoni is still just 25, and while he's another left-handed bat he has the most experience of any player on the 40-man roster in terms of a fourth or fifth outfielder. And like I just mentioned, the Twins (and Tosoni) are at a point where everyone needs him to step into the role. There were times that he looked overmatched last summer, but he also showed flashes of promise and came up with a few big hits. He's not the most complete player, and his ceiling isn't as high as Ben Revere's, but he's capable of playing all three outfield positions and that might be enough.

Poll

Who would you give that 13th position player roster spot to?

Drew Butera

158 votes

Chris Parmelee

358 votes

Joe Benson

118 votes

Rene Tosoni

267 votes

901 votes | Poll has closed

Minor League Report...August 13, 2011

roger13 — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:29:47 -0000

The organization began this extended week dropping eight of ten last Thursday and Friday. They recovered to finish their eight day week (through Thursday) two games over .500 at 26-24. They were led by the DSL Twins who were perfect at 7-0, with Elizabethton (5-3) and Ft. Myers (4-3) also playing winning ball.

There was a lot of player movement, led by the Twins placing Scott Baker on the disabled list and optioning Trevor Plouffe back to Rochester. The Twins recalled Kevin Slowey, activated Alexi Casilla and recalled Justin Morneau from his rehab assignment with Rochester. To make room for Morneau, the Twins placed Jason Repko on the disabled list. Two moves I missed last Wednesday at Rochester were Kyle Gibson going on the disabled list with Carlos Gutierrez coming off. The Red Wings also placed Jeff Manship on the disabled list. Gibson and Anthony Slama both had their elbows examined in Minneapolis, will undergo a rehab program in Ft. Myers and are lost for the season. Gibson was replaced at Rochester by Cuban Deinys Suarez, who was promoted from New Britain.

The Twins released John Krogstad and promoted Logan Darnell to New Britain with Madison Boer and Pedro Guerra going to Beloit from Elizabethton. Tim Atherton and Marcus Limon moved up to Elizabethton where they were joined by recently signed Corey Williams and Matt Koch. Matt Tomshaw returned to Ft. Myers who placed Estarlin De Los Santos on the disabled list. Other moves related to the disabled list include Beloit (Ben Tootle and Michael Gonzales going on the DL with Kyle Knudson and Nate Roberts coming off), Elizabethton (A. J. Pettersen coming off the DL with Garrett Jewell going on), and Ft. Myers (Shooter Hunt returned with Brad Stillings and Jhon Garcia going on the DL). One of Elizabethton's top hittiers, Kennys Vargas, was suspended for fifty games following his testing positive to phentermine.

With the signing deadline on Monday, the Twins signed their eleventh round pick, Tyler Jones, and twelfth round pick, catcher Matt Koch. They have signed twenty-four of their June draft picks, including ten of the top fifteen. It has been reported that lefty Brett Lee will sign following a physical, however, they have not yet signed their three top picks.

Joe Benson was last week's Player of the Week with 44% of the votes. La Velle E. Neal III published his Top Ten on Wednesday and Thursday. http://www.startribune.com/blogs/78692842.html

There aren't a lot of teams in contention for playoff spots or with winnings records so today, I will concentrate on a few bright spots on the four full-season teams.

The Red Wings (2-6) remain in last place at 46-72, twenty-one games behind Pawtuckett. The good news is that with twenty-six games remaining, it is unlikely they will have ninety losses for a second consecutive season. No Red Wing team has lost ninety in consecutive seasons since 1903-1904.

They dropped three of four at Norfolk last weekend before winning Sunday, 8-0. Kevin Slowey was the loser Saturday, 4-1, when he allowed two runs in five innings in his last start before returning to the Twins. Andy Baldwin pitched his best game of the year Sunday, seven shutout innings with only four hits. The Wings moved on to Durham where they also dropped three of four. Their only win was Wednesday, 11-3, when Cole DeVries picked up his fourth win with three innings of shutout relief. After three quality starts, Liam Hendriks struggled, allowing seven earned runs in two innings against Norfolk on Saturday and six runs in five innings at Durham on Thursday.

Justin Morneau returns to the Twins after playing seven games with the Wings. He was 11-30 (.367 average) with four doubles, a home run, eight runs scored and eight runs driven in. Luke Hughes had three multi-hit games with Chase Lambin getting two. The top player this week was Dustin Martin, who was 10-28 (.357 average) with two doubles, a triple, home run, seven runs scored and nine runs driven in. Martin is hitting .269/.349/.442 with 21 doubles and thirteen home runs.

There haven't been a lot of bright spots for the Wings, who have seen their best players spend much of the season up with the Twins. Chuck James has been very good out of their bullpen with a 2.02 ERA in 31 games (49.0 innings) with 56 strikeouts. Kyle Waldrop had a poor first half (4.86 ERA), however, has allowed only five earned runs in 18.0 innings (2.50 ERA) following the all-star break. Their best player has been Trevor Plouffe, who has a .313 average with fifteen home runs in only 51 games.

The AA Rock Cats (2-5) are in fourth place with a 57-60 record, 8.0 games behind New Hampshire. Although not mathematically eliminated, the Cats most likely goal is to finish with a winning record.

Their week began with a pair of losses to Erie, 12-2 and 6-0. They split a two game series with Akron, winning 4-3 on Saturday when Andew Albers pitched five innings with only two runs. Bobby Lanigan hasn't been the same pitcher he was earlier this year, allowing seven runs in five innings in Sunday's 10-2 loss. Altoona came to New Britain on Wednesday with the Cats dropping both ends of a double header, 5-0 and 14-1. David Bromberg made his second start since returning from his broken arm, allowing four runs in four innings of the opener. They beat Altoona on Thursday, 6-5, when Blake Martin allowed three runs in five innings for his second win. Steve Hirschfeld, who is one of several pitchers in the organization who has been moved to the bullpen as he approaches his innings limit for the year, made his first two relief appearances.

Joe Benson had a big game in Saturday's win, going 3-4 with his tenth home run. Mark Dolenc had two multi-hit games including a 3-3 game on Wednesday. The top hitter this week was a young man who is having as good of a year as anyone in the organization, Brian Dozier. Dozier, who has hit safely in his last ten games, was 10-27 (.407 average) with two doubles, two runs scored and a stolen base. In 210 at bats for the Rock Cats, Dozier is tied for the team lead at .324/.383/.467 with fifteen doubles, six triples, a home run and ten stolen bases.

Other bright spots at New Britain included the pitching of Liam Hendriks, before his promotion, and Steve Hirschfeld. Hendriks had a 8-2 record with a 2.70 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 90.0 innings. Before moving to the bullpen, Hirschfeld had a 3.54 ERA in twenty starts (114.1 innings) with a 8-6 record. Another interesting story is Deolis Guerra. Guerra had a 3-5 record and 9.00 ERA in ten starts (43.0 innings) with 30 strikeouts, before moving to the bullpen. He has been very good as a reliever with a 3.32 ERA in 38.0 innings with 51 strikeouts. Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee are both top prospects who are having very good seasons. Parmelee is hitting .286/.371/.443 in 433 at bats with eleven home runs and 25 doubles. Parmelee has struck out only 77 times while taking 59 walks. Benson has his average up from last year by nearly 40 points to .289, while hitting 25 doubles and ten home runs. Benson has cut down his strikeouts (84) substantially from last year while stealing thirteen bases in seventeen attempts. Benson continues to be one of the organization's best outfielders with only one error this season. Yangervis Solarte has played a lot of second base for the Cats while putting up the fourth best batting average in the league (.324).

The Ft. Myers Miracle (4-3) have slipped into fifth place with a 19-27 second half record, 9.0 games behind Bradenton.

The Miracle dropped two at Bradenton on Thursday and Friday, 9-3 and 12-10, with Tom Stuifbergen allowing six runs in 5.1 innings and Logan Darnell allowing nine earned runs in 4.0 innings the next day. Edgar Ibarra had his best start of the year on Sunday when the Miracle beat Palm Beach, 6-0. Ibarra pitched five shutout innings for the win with Alex Wimmers picking up a save by pitching four shutout innings with two hits, six strikeouts and one walk. They were no-hit by Bradenton on Monday, losing 10-0 after winning the opening game of a double header, 7-2. Matt Tomshaw made a spot start, pitching three shuotut innings with Matt Hauser picking up the win with two shutout innings. They won the series on Tuesday, 6-3, behind Stuifbergen's quality start. B. J. Hermsen made his debut on Thursday against Palm Beach, pitching 4.2 innings with four earned runs in a 6-5 win.

Angel Morales got off to a big start with a 3-3 game on Thursday and 2-4 on Friday with another multi-hit game on Tuesday. Oswaldo Arcia had two multi-hit games while hitting two home runs and driving in nine runs. The top hitter this week, however, was catcher Dan Rohlfing who hit safely in all six games he played in. Rohlfing was 10-23 (.434 average) with a home run, three runs scored and five runs driven in.

Several everyday players are having very good seasons, including third baseman Anderson Hidalgo. He is hitting .280/.331/.398 in 314 at bats as he continues to be one of his team's top hitters on every team he has played with. James Beresford has successfully taken another step, hitting a solid .278 average with only 49 strikeouts in 413 at bats. La Velle Neal's second ranked prospect, Aaron Hicks, is hitting .240/.350/.368 in 367 at bats. He has struck out 92 times, however, continues to take a lot of walks (63). He is hitting .290 average right handed while continuing to struggle from the left side at .210. Perhaps the two brightest stars shining on Ft. Myers are two young outfielders who missed a good part of their season with elbow surgeries. Oswaldo Arcia spent only a month in Beloit, where he hit .352/.420/.704 in 71 at bats with five home runs before going on the disable list. Rather than returning to Beloit, he moved up to Ft. Myers when he returned in late June. In 138 at bats, Arcia is hitting .268/.290/.464 with ten doubles and five home runs. The other injured star is Angel Morales, who joined the Miracle a few weeks ago. After going 6-26 in his first six games, Morales is hitting .321/.344/.571 in August with four doubles and a home run.

The Beloit Snappers (4-5) are in fourth place with a 21-25 record, 7.0 games behind Quad Cities. Like the Rock Cats, the Snappers are battling to finish their second half with a winning record.

The Snappers split the last two games of their series with Kane County, winning on Friday, 4-3 in twelve innings when B. J. Hermsen allowed three runs in 7.2 innings of his last start for the Snappers. The Snappers then split a four game series with Quad Cities, winning 8-2 on Sunday and 12-6 in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader. Manuel Soliman pitched five innings with two runs for the win on Sunday. Adrian Salcedo, who is nearing his innings limit, pitched a shutout inning of relief with recently promoted Madison Boer pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Bart Carter picked up his first win with two shutout innings of relief on Tuesday. The Snappers moved on to Wisconsin where they split two, winning 6-4 on Thursday in a game they had only four hits with ten walks. Ryan O'Rourke had a quality start with Boer picking up his first save.

Tyler Grimes had three multi-hit games with Michael Gonzales having two before going on the disabled list. The Snapper's Player of the Week is Lance Ray, who also had three multi-hit games in a 9-33 (.272 average) week with eight runs scored, four runs driven in, a double and two home runs. Ray is hitting .268/.352/.456 in 388 at bats with a team best 32 doubles and thirteen home runs.

The Snappers may have the organization's top hitter this year, Jairo Perez. Perez returned from missing all of 2010 to put up the organization's top batting average, .338. In 201 at bats, he has fourteen doubles and twelve home runs with eight stolen bases. Michael Gonzales is another top hitter who was hitting .286 average with thirteen home runs. Adrian Salcedo had an excellent 3.19 ERA in twenty starts (121.1 innings) before moving to the bullpen last week. B. J. Hermsen had a 11-7 record with a 3.10 ERA in twenty starts (124.2 innings) before moving up to Ft. Myers. Ryan O'Rourke has been a pleasant surprise for the Snappers with a 4-2 record and 3.45 ERA in thirteen starts (62.2 innings) with 66 strikeouts after posting a 1.85 ERA in seventeen relief appearances.

The Elizabethton Twins (5-3) are in second place, two games ahead of third place Kingsport. They are 28-22, six games behind Johnson City as they fight for the second playoff spot.

After winning the opener, the Twins dropped two to Kingsport last Thursday and Friday, 6-1 and 7-4. JaDamion Williams was 5-7 in the two losses with Miguel Sano having a double and his ninth home run in three at bats on Thursday. The Twins moved on to Pulaski where they won the first two of three, 7-0 and 11-3. Derek Christensen pitched five shutout innings on Saturday with Todd Van Steensel allowing two runs in five innings on Sunday. Sano, Max Kepler and Roy Larson all had multi-hit games on Saturday with Sano, Tyler Koelling and Matt Parker hitting home runs on Sunday. The Twins moved on to Danville where they would sweep the Braves, 3-2 in ten innings, 3-0 and 4-0. David Hurlbut pitched six innings with two runs in the opener with Tim Shibuya pitching five shutout innings on Wednesday and Christensen pitching six shutout innings on Thursday.

A. J. Pettersen, who returned from the disabled list on Saturday, had a multi-hit game on Monday. This year's fourth round pick, Matt Summers, had a perfect week. He made three appearances with no hits, runs or walks and six strikeouts in 3.0 innings. Eddie Rosario was 10-32 (.312 average) with six runs scored, six runs driven in, three doubles and a triple. Max Kepler also had a big week with three multi-hit games. Although there were several hitters deserving recognition, the Player of the Week is starter Derek Christensen. He made two starts, winning both by pitching 11.0 innings of shutout ball with eight hits, four walks and nine strikeouts. Christensen has a 4-2 record with a 2.11 ERA in 42.2 innings with 44 strikeouts and 18 walks.

The GCL Twins (2-3) are in last place with a 20-25 record, 7.5 games behind the Orioles and a game behind the third place Rays.

They opened their week last Thursday with a 2-1 win at the Orioles. Hein Robb allowed an unearned run in four innings with Luis Nunez picking up his fourth win with 3.0 shutout innings with only one hit. They lost, 8-6, to the Red Sox on Friday and again on Saturday, 4-3, when Angel Mata pitched 3.1 shutout innings. They wasted a solid start by Nate Fawbush in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Rays. Fawbush pitched 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. They beat the Orioles for a second time on Thursday, 4-3. Tyler Herr picked up his third win with 2.0 innings of shutout relief. Hung Yi Chen picked up his first save since moving to the bullpen, pitching 2.0 shutout innings with four strikeouts.

Kelvin Silvania and Stephen Wickens both had two multi-hit games. The Player of the Week is this year's eleventh round pick, catcher Phillip Chapman. Chapman was 5-17 (.294 average) with a double and four runs driven in. In 81 at bats, Chapman is hitting .284/.375/.432 with a team leading ten doubles and seventeen runs batted in.

The DSL Twins (7-0) had a perfect week as they moved into a first place tie with the Orioles, with a 38-22 record.

The Twins had rainouts on Thursday and Friday before beating the Rockies, 4-0 on Saturday. Randy Rosario pitched 4.0 no-hit innings before turning it over to Javier Vargas who picked up the win with 2.0 no hit innings. The Twins took two from the Reds Monday, 5-4 and 3-0. Sterling Bonilla allowed three earned runs in 5.0 innings of the opener with Junior Subero pitching 5.0 shutout innings in the nightcap. Jose Abreu picked up the win over the Padres on Tuesday when he pitched 3.0 shutout innings of relief as Twins hitters took thirteen walks in a 18-3 win. Yorman Landa pitched 4.0 shutout innings of Wednesday's first game win over the Diamondbacks, 9-1. They also won the nightcap, 2-1, when Francisco Nunez pitched 4.0 shutout innings of relief with six strikeouts. Javier Vargas allowed three runs on Thursday when the Twins came back to beat the White Sox, 7-5.

Shortstop Ronald Jimenez had four multi-hit games with a 8-14 (.571 average) week with nine runs scored, three runs driven in, four walks, two strikeouts and three stolen bases. Jimenez is hitting .260 in 154 at bats with a dozen stolen bases. Outfielder Adonis Pacheco had three multi-hit games, 10-21 (.476 average) with seven runs scored, six runs driven in, two triples, three walks, two strikeouts and two stolen bases. Pacheco is hitting .283 in 159 at bats with fifteen stolen bases. My nod goes to Jimenez as this week's DSL Twins Player of the Week.

Poll

Who is this week's Player of the Week?

Dustin Martin

11 votes

Brian Dozier

43 votes

Dan Rohlfing

73 votes

Lance Ray

7 votes

Derek Christensen

7 votes

Phillip Chapman

1 votes

Ronald Jimenez

6 votes

148 votes | Poll has closed

Picture of the Day: Thinking About the Future of the Twins Outfield

Jesse — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:15:35 -0000

I find it oddly poetic that, behind Delmon Young, the advertisement on the scoreboard in the background is for Waste Management. Not because Delmon is a garbage player, because he's not. But he did take a rubbish route to that ball. And constructing a baseball team is, in many ways, about waste management. It's the duty of every front office to manage waste, because every single organization will have a certain amount of it.

How each team manages its waste will depend on available resources. Money for free agents, the intelligence and foresight of the front office for moves outside of the organization, and the strength of the farm system are three of the biggest examples. Each organization must also manage waste on the field, with the players available to them.

The Twins, for example, manage waste on Joe Mauer by resting him more often than some people would like. They manage the defensive inabilities of Jim Thome, at this point in his career, by never putting him on the field. They also manage potential waste of Thome himself by limiting playing time, when he is actually healthy.

With the unique situation the Twins are in this season, they've had to manage waste by attempting to piece together a lineup with the best bats they have available. For whatever reason, whether we have agreed with it or not, whether it's the right decision or not, the Twins have decided that putting Young in left field even when a legitimate designated hitter is unavailable is the best way to put their team together.

Last night was a shining example of why this probably isn't the best showcase of waste management.

But it's just not Delmon's bad routes in left field. Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer are both not just sub-par defenders, but they're sub-par defenders in part because they don't cover a lot of ground. All three of them have plus armstrength, but if the choice is between armstrength and range (yes, I know it's not that simple) I'm going with range in my outfield every time.

In the next few seasons the Twins will have many interesting decisions to make in regards to their outfield. If they want to add speed and athletecism to their lineup, if they're looking for a quick turnover, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer are impending free agents. If they're really disillusioned with Delmon, he could be non-tendered this winter.

Denard Span is under a good contract and isn't going anywhere, and Ben Revere will play a part in the Minnesota outfield for at least the next six seasons. Jason Repko would probably come back in 2012 if the Twins wanted him, but there are a few internal candidates the Twins could turn to in their system.

Rene Tosoni and Brian Dinkelman are both useable in the corners as competent glove men, although offensively they aren't ideal. Dustin Martin and Brandon Roberts are both unproven commodities, with Roberts perhaps having more upside but it's been difficult to tell with the challenges he's faced this season. There aren't a lot of good options at triple-A, at least not in terms of a starting outfielder.

If the Twins choose to turnover those three Major League outfielders and stay internal for a starter, their best chance still lies in double-A. Joe Benson has hit .294/.380/.489 as a 23-year old, with 23 of his 53 hits going for extra bases. He plays center field, has a stronger arm than either Span or Revere, and even if he doesn't stay in center he projects to have far more power than either of those two. It will be a surprise if he doesn't finish the year in triple-A.

There's a lot of summer left. And even after that summer is over, a lot of things need to happen before we see the outfield of the future. But after watching the trainwreck that was Saturday night's game, sometimes it's just fun to think about.

Minor League Report...March 26, 2011

roger13 — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:05:45 -0000

With less than a week to opening day, the Twins got their roster down to 29 players. Lefty Phil Dumatrait and catcher Danny Lehmann will remain with the team thru Monday, then report to the minor league camp. Pitchers Carlos Gutierrez, Chuck James and Kyle Waldrop together with catcher Rene Rivera, infielder Chase Lambin and outfielder Brian Dinkelman will travel with the Twins to Atlanta. They will return to Ft. Myers following the Braves games where they will join the Red Wings who open their season on April 7th.

Earlier this week, the Twins attempted to get Pat Neshek through waivers so he could be assigned to the Rochester without remaining on the 40-man roster. The best explanation of this move that I have seen was written earlier this week by our friend, Seth Stohs. Seth believes that this move was done because the Twins believe that several of the younger relievers have passed Pat and that they doubted he would ever return to his pre injury form. For all of us who knew Pat, we wish him well in San Diego.

One of the four cuts will come when they decide who will get the utility infielder spot, Luke Hughes or Matt Tolbert. With over 450 votes last week, the readers of Twinkie Town said they expected Luke Hughes to get the spot by nearly a two to one margin. With Tolbert's bat heating up this past week and Hughes cooling off, would the vote be different if held today?

Anthony Slama threw only one inning early in camp and appears that he will open the season either at Rochester or on the disabled list. The final two cuts will come from a group of five relievers, three of whom will make the opening day roster. They are lefties Glen Perkins, who is out of options, Scott Diamond, who was a Rule 5 pick, and Dusty Hughes. Also included are right handed relievers Jeff Manship and Jim Hoey. I am not aware of any way to make our weekly poll a best three of five, so today's question will be who is the most likely of the five to make the opening day roster. Will our reader selections agree with Twins management when they make their decision next week?

After the jump I will touch on a few highlights from minor league camp.

Ryan Mullins was one of the Red Wings top starters last year, before missing the last couple months with an injury. It is great seeing Ryan back on the mound, pitching two shutout innings and picking up the win on Thursday versus Pawtuckett. Rene Tosoni had a big three run home run in that game off Red Sox starter, Tim Wakefield.

Anthony Swarzak made a couple starts this week, pitching three innings in each while allowing only one run. Yorman Bazardo and Kyle Gibson each threw three shutout inning in Monday's 1-0 win. Dustin Martin had a pair of hits and drove in the winning run. Martin also had a home run in Wednesday's win while Juan Portes had a two run homer in Tuesday's 5-5 tie. Eric Hacker got the start in the tie, allowing three runs in 4.0 innings.

All indications are that the New Britain Rock Cats will have a roster very similar to opening day last year. One difference will be Tony Davis, Billy Bullock, Dakota Watts and a healthy Spencer Steedley and Steven Hirschfeld who are candidates for their bullpen. A strong bullpen will be a huge improvement as the Cats try to rebound from one of the worst seasons in league history. It appears an improved Deolis Guerra will be the Ace of the staff. It will be interesting to see if Liam Hendriks moves up to the Cats on opening day or if the Twins wait and Hendriks and former first round pick Alex Wimmers join the team in late May or early June?

Poll

Three of these five relievers will be on the Twins opening day roster. Who do you believe is the most likely to open the season with the Twins in Toronto?

Scott Diamond

33 votes

Jim Hoey

27 votes

Dusty Hughes

162 votes

Jeff Manship

64 votes

Glen Perkins

230 votes

516 votes | Poll has closed

Twinkie Town 2010 Top 50 Review...41 thru 45

roger13 — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:08:45 -0000

After several groups including prospects with limited upside, this group includes several players who could someday play with the Twins. Included is a player who is worthy of consideration as the top prospect in 2011, and possibly the organization's top shortstop. The five players are: Steve Hirschfield (41), Brian Dozier (42), Dustin Martin (43), Oswaldo Arcia (44), and Derek McCallum (45).

41 - Steven Hirschfield

Steve Hirschfield was a pitcher New Britain was counting on this year. A capable starter or long reliever, Hirschfield was coming off a strong 2009 season at Ft. Myers where he had a 7-7 record with a 2.23 ERA. He followed up his 2009 season with one of the Twins assignments to the AFL. Following his excellent season and fall, Hirschfield was one of several pitchers the Twins could envision pitching for them a few years in the future.

As was the case with several pitchers on the Rock Cats roster, Hirschfield spent most of his season on the disabled list. He appeared in only eleven games for the Cats, pitching 22.0 innings with a 5.32 ERA. He would receive a late season promotion to Rochester where he made one start, pitching 6.0 innings with three earned runs.

With all the free agent signings the Twins are making this winter, look for Hirschfield to begin next season back with New Britain. If healthy, he should be an asset to the Cats most likely as a starter.

42 - Brian Dozier

Dozier was the lone member of the Miracle to be a post season all-star. This followed his rookie season in the Appy League where he was also named an all-star after hitting .353/.417/.432 in 218 at bats. With his first two seasons under his belt, Dozier just may have claimed the right to call himself the best shortstop prospect in the organization.

The 2009 eighth round pick out of the University of Southern Mississippi began this season in Beloit where he was .278/.347/.338 in 151 at bats. Dozier also stole six bases in seven attempts while striking out and walking an equal number of times (16). He would move on to Ft. Myers where he would continue his strong season, hitting .274/.352/.354 with ten steals in fourteen attempts. He continued to limit his strikeouts to only 41 in 350 at bats while walking three times more than he struck out.

With the 2010 season behind him, Dozier is poised to to take that big step to AA either out of spring training or by the all-star break. A solid defender who will hit for a good average with great plate discipline and decent speed, we just might see Dozier in a Twins uniform a couple years from now.

43 - Dustin Martin

Following a 2008 season when he would hit .290/.355/.447 for AA New Britain, Martin appeared to be on the Twins radar as evidenced by his invitation to spring training in 2009. Following an excellent spring training, Martin would struggle in Rochester where he hit only .254 average with five home runs. Martin demonstrated his desire to improve by going to to Venezuela to play with Aragua a year ago, where he would hit .298/.395/.477.

For whatever reason, the Twins didn't offer Martin an invitation to spring training this past spring. He began last year back in Rochester and on fire, hitting for a .302 average in April and May as he earned recognition as a mid-season all-star. His success wouldn't hold however, as he finished with very similar numbers to the prior year at .257/.329/.404 with twelve stolen bases and eleven home runs.

Jim Mandelaro wasn't kind last summer as the Rochester franchise went thought one of their worst seasons in their 100+ year history. With the Twins signing several free agents recently, including Jeff Bailey, Mandalero complimented Martin when he wrote, "The Wings could have a strong outfield next year with Dustin Martin in right, top prospect Ben Revere in center and Bailey in left." Does Martin still have a future with the Twins or will he be lost in the dust of players such as Revere and Joe Benson?

44 - Oswaldo Arcia

I recall that Arcia was included in last year's balloting several times before finally earning a spot in the Top 50 at Number 44. What a difference a year makes as he just might take away the honors this year as our top prospect.

There isn't much that hasn't already been said about Arcia, who was Baseball America's third best prospect in the Appalachian League as a nineteen year old. Arcia led the Appy League in most offensive categories while finishing either second or third in a few. An excellent defensive outfielder who played both center and right field, Arcia played in 64 games without a single error.

He is a long way from Minnesota and lots of players have put up big numbers in the Appy League, players who were never heard from again. Yet, most of those players were older college players out of the draft and none of them dominated the league as did Arcia. I for one cannot wait until this coming spring to see how he does in A Ball at Beloit. My intuition tells me he is going to dominate that league, or is that the fan in me? In any case, it will be fun to take a late spring trip to southern Wisconsin to see this young man play!

45 - Derek McCallum

McCallum was another member of the Twins 2009 draft class when the Twins selected him out of the University of Minnesota in the fourth round.

After putting up solid numbers at Elizabethton in his first exposure to professional ball, McCallum was promoted to Beloit this past spring. Unfortunately, his year would be mostly wasted as he spent a good part of the season on the disabled list and played through injuries when he did play. In a season limited to 162 at bats, McCallum hit .228/.323/.296 with eleven doubles.

McCallum has the potential to develop into a solid second baseman, one who could someday play with the Twins. If he will is unknown, however, his first step is to get himself healthy so that he has the opportunity to gain experience and improve his game. Lets hope this young man from Shoreview has put his physical problems behind him.

Twins 40-Man Roster Decisions

Jesse — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:25:44 -0000

As we head into the winter and beging to think about who the Twins can or cannot add, it will be good to know how many spots we have to work with. Or don't have to work with, as the case may be.

Total: 32

Notes, and we'll also see which minor leaguers could become get taken in the rule 5 draft if they aren't added to the 40-man roster.

The 32 total does not include options for Jason Kubel and Nick Punto.
The total doesn't include impending free agents.
The total DOES include every arbitration-eligible player, so if somone is non-tendered then we can obviously take that into consideration.

Potential minor league free agents

Thanks to Seth Stohs, who kindly pointed out some not-so-subtle differences in how players can be lost off while in the minor leagues.

Minor league players become available for the rule 5 draft if they have spent four years in the minors without being added to the 40-man roster, if they were signed when they were 19 years of age or older. If they were 18 years of age or younger, they can become free agents after five years. As an example, Aaron Hicks was drafted in 2008 as an 18-year old. This means the Twins must add him to the 40-man roster after the 2012 season, or risk losing him in the rule 5 draft. Players who have been in the organization for six years without being added can become minor league free agents, like Brock Peterson. Again.

So, which minor leaguers are eligible for the rule 5 draft this season? Quite a few. And it's a testament to the strength of the Twins system that so many of those players could make an impact.

David Bromberg, RHP: Bromberg is a no-brainer--he'll be added. He's seen as one of the "next batch" of starting pitchers coming through the system, and along with guys like Kyle Gibson and Alex Wimmers are expected to contribute sooner rather than later. In 52 innings at Rochester this summer, Bromberg started nine games and pitched 52 innings following his promotion from double-A. His base runners and strikeout rates were actually better after his promotion, when he struck out 47 while allowing 47 hits and 13 walks. The nine homers allowed isn't pretty, but he still posted a very good 3.98 ERA.

Cole DeVries, RHP: DeVries was an undrafted free agent, but even so, he's just completed his fourth season after signing with the Twins at age 22. He's an interesting case, as his strikeout rates have gone through the roof since spending more of his time in the bullpen.

Ryan Mullins, LHP: He doesn't profile as an impact arm, but along with Jose Lugo might be worth the Twins trying to keep around because they're left handed. Are either Mullins or Lugo worth adding to the 40-man roster? Probably not.

Kyle Waldrop, RHP: Waldrop, like Bromberg, is as close to a sure bet to be added to the 40-man roster as you can get. He induces ground balls, and while he pitches to contact he does what the Twins love and avoids walks. At his best he only allows a hit per inning, which isn't bad. Waldrop could be a part of the bullpen next season.

Tyler Robertson, LHP: Robertson had a tough year, but he'd been a guy flying under the radar for a couple of seasons prior to 2010. In spite of his number this season, largely in double-A, he's the best southpaw starter that's closest to the Majors, and there's a legitimate shot he'll be added.

Erik Lis, 1B: After flashing some wicked power potential early in his career with the Twins, Lis has become a bit of an afterthought. He couldn't adjust to triple-A this season, hitting just .205/.256/.355 in his first stint at Rochester as a 26-year old. The Twins will need a place for Chris Parmelee in Rochester next season, so we might see Lis move on.

Brock Peterson, 1B*: Like Lis, Peterson is blocked by Justin Morneau. While Brock wasn't as impressive as he was in 2009, he still hit 19 home runs. He's had a chance to leave the organization before, and this season I think he takes that opportunity.

Brandon Roberts, OF: Unlike Brian Dinkleman or Dustin Martin, whose time might be short with a glut of outfielders on the rise, Roberts had a pretty good season in Rochester. In 38 games he raked, hitting .333/.386/.425 while playing a good center field. He turns 26 early next month, and no doubt the Twins will do what they can to keep him around. Roberts will likely compete with Ben Revere for the fourth outfielder spot next spring.

Mike McCardell, RHP: McCardell spent all of 2010 in double-A, where after a promising partial season there in '09, his numbers fell off the table. The strikeout rates went through the floor, while hits and home runs spiked in a big way. You can blame a lot of that on a terrible June and July, but there were a lot of people hoping for more out of McCardell. That promise might see him added to the 40-man roster.

Chris Parmelee, 1B: After starting the season in double-A, Parmelee was struggling so bad he was sent back to Fort Myers. He murdered pitching there, was brought back, and responded with an amazing July and a good August before a bad month of September. Parmelee turns 23 in February, and he's shown that he can kill the ball when he hits it and take a few walks along the way, so Parmelee is probably a lock to be added.

Juan Portes, UT*: Portes raked back in spring training, if you remember. At least he did right away. There's pop in his bat and he can play a couple different positions, but I think he'd probably make it back to the Twins if he isn't added to the 40-man.

Steve Singleton, IF: This will depend a lot on how the Twins plan to put together their Major League roster for next season. Singleton doesn't hit well and doesn't walk a lot, but he plays good defense and can play the middle infield. I doubt he gets added.

Rene Tosoni, OF: He was hurt this season, but along with Roberts I expect Tosoni to be added to the 40-man roster...or traded to someone who will add him. Tosoni is a .284/.381/.440 minor league hitter who isn't limited to one outfield position, and will be in his age-24 season in 2011.

Joe Benson, OF: More of a sure-shot to be added than Tosoni or Roberts, Benson isn't 23 until March, and is seen to have more upside than either of the other two. He's often described as a guy with tools. While he's displayed occasional contact-hitting skills, he's definitely an outfielder with power--23 home runs and a .527 slugging percentage in 2010.

* denotes player who will become a minor league free agent if not added to the 40-man roster

Conclusions

We've already said that the Twins will have some difficult decisions to make this winter, and here are a few more. How many players do the Twins add? They don't want to lose Bromberg, Benson, Waldrop or Robertson, surely. There are additional players who are eligible to be added, not to mention the possibility of the Twins adding a player who doesn't need to be added in order to avoid being lost.

Even with the recent news that the Twins will likely decline Punto's option, if Minnesota adds five players that brings their roster total to 37. If they pick up Kubel's option, that's 38. We've seen the Twins operate with just two spots open over a winter in the past, and they could viably do it again as long as they're especially selective about potential free agents. Non-tendering Condrey, which seems to be all but gauaranteed, and any other arbitration-eligible player would give them a little more room to maneuver.

Which of these players do you add? If you're Bill Smith, how much room do you want to leave yourself to make moves?

2000's Twins Trade Deadline History: 2007 - 2009

Jesse — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:42 -0000

Twins deadline history 2000 - 2003
Twins deadline history 2004 - 2006

July 30, 2007

Minnesota Twins trade Luis Castillo to the New York Mets for Dustin Martin and Drew Butera

At the time of this trade, the Twins were in a frustrating third place. In spite of having plenty of talent the team wasn't meeting expectations (sound familiar?) and so, in a bit of a surprise maneuver, Terry Ryan "sold" at the deadline by dealing their leadoff hitter. Players were upset, the fanbase was confused, but ultimately Ryan thought that these two players were better than any compensation they might get from Castillo in free agency if they received any at all. He wasn't a part of the team's future.

After the trade, the Twins still weren't able to shake off the gallows of third place and finished the season with a sub-.500 record for the first time since 2000. Castillo's replacements (Alexi Casilla, Nick Punto and Luis Rodriguez) were all terrible, each finishing with a sub-.600 OPS.

Meanwhile, Castillo hit .296 with a .371 on-base percentage the rest of the season. After which the Mets signed him to one of the stupidest contracts in recent memory, which still doesn't expire until after next season...when Castillo will be 36.

Butera we're already familiar with, and was hailed as a defense-first catcher from the start. Martin was an uninspiring outfielder, but he's become a respectable piece and is now batting .259/.335/.425 as a 26-year old in Rochester.

Here's part of what I had to say at the time:

I've never really been of a "ONE-OF-US, ONE-OF-US" kind of mentality, but it's still hard to part with a guy who played like Castillo. He didn't have any power but he did have his attributes, and he definitely wanted to stay with the Twins. You know how when you break up with a girl and you think you'll be cool with it, and then she starts to cry and suddenly there's a chink in your armor?

Castillo was on the field during batting practice when bench coach Steve Liddle tapped him on the shoulder and led him upstairs to the clubhouse, where the news was delivered...Castillo, who joined the Twins following a December 2005 trade, seemed to take the news pretty hard, speaking to reporters with watery eyes.

"The hardest part for me is I think this team is still fighting -- we're still in the race," Castillo said. "I've seen this team come back 10 games before, and now we're 6 1/2 games. I think this team can turn around; we can get better. It was a surprise. I've been waiting for him to make a decision, and he made it."

Dammit, Luis. YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU.

August 15, 2007

Minnesota Twins trade Ramon Ortiz to the Colorado Rockies for Matt Macri

This merited such a lack of attention that I didn't write anything about it at the time. Ortiz had started the season hot for the Twins, finishing April with a 3-1 record in five starts, accompanying a 2.57 ERA in 35 innings. Over his next five starts he was 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA in 21.1 innings. He was then removed from the rotation to the bullpen, logging 34.2 innings in 18 appearances while still not being effective.

I remember waiting and hoping for him to be dealt. It was almost as if the Twins were keeping him on the roster not just for mop-up duty, but to hang onto any shred of trade value that he might have. The waiting game paid off (it's all relative) in the form of Macri.

At the time Macri was a 25-year old minor league infielder, who hadn't seen much time above double-A. Once at triple-A he initially struggled, unable to keep up with some decent numbers that he'd been able to post in lower levels. While he made an impressive stint in 18 games with the Twins in 2008, batting .324/.361/.441 in 36 plate appearances, he's still in Rochester now. This year he's hitting .273/.336/.429.

August 25, 2008

Minnesota Twins trade Mark Hamburger to the Texas Rangers for Eddie Guardado

The talks had gone on for a while, and even after they put a claim on him in August they didn't think the Rangers would budge. But it happened as the Rangers fell further out of contention in the West.

After a terrible year with the Reds, Guardado had experienced a bit of a renaissance with Texas. He had a solid ERA and kept the ball in the yard. Upon his move back to Minnesota, the reunion wasn't quite as sweet as a nervous fanbase had hoped. Looking for some stability is what brought Everyday Eddie back into the fold, but in spite of a better walk-to-strikeout ratio than he'd posted with the Rangers he just couldn't keep baserunners from scoring.

Guardado went back to the Rangers at age 38 to finish his career last season. He retired with some enduring numbers in Minnesota: 648 games, 704.2 innings, 116 saves. His peak was '01 to '03, when he recorded 98 of those saves while posting a 3.11 ERA.

Hamburger was a St. Paul native, who was 21 and floating around the rookie leagues. He's now in his age-23 season in high-A ball for the Rangers. He's still striking people out.

July 31, 2009

Minnesota Twins trade Tyler Ladendorf to the Oakland Athletics for Orlando Cabrera

Remember when Billy Beane thought he was going to get Danny Valencia for O-Cab? Man, that was hilarious.

Cabrera immediately energized the entire team, starting hot and coming up with big hits in big spots. He continued this trend to the end of the season, posting positive WPA numbers and hitting a very respectable .289/.313/.430. It was even more respectable considering who the Twins had been playing at shortstop previously. He forged a bond with guys like Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla as well, and he became a clubhouse mascot and leader almost overnight. I can't say enough good things about him...we just got him at the wrong end of his career.

His numbers have fallen off a cliff this season with the Reds, as in 90 games he's batting just .249/.291/.334. But in 59 games with the Twins he was a legend, and the team was 35-26 after his arrival. Watching replays of his home run in game 163 still gives me shivers.

Ladendorf was a poor-hitting infielder. He's appeared in four games this season for Oakland's triple-A affiliate, but has spent most of his time in high-A ball at age 22.

August 7, 2009

Minnesota Twins trade Yohan Pino to the Cleveland Indians for Carl Pavano

This was Twinkie Town's initial reaction. A lot of people believed Bill Smith gave up too much for Pavano. Obviously, those people now know they were wrong. The Twins rotation was careening and needed some stability, and Pavano provided that. He dominated the Tigers and, even if he wasn't an ace, he made the rotation better.

Plus, we now know how important he's been to the Twins this season. But what about Pino?

Pino had always been a decent strikeout pitcher who controlled the number of baserunners he allowed. To be fair he was extraordinarily effective at triple-A last season for both Rochester and the Cleveland affiliate. This season, though, hasn't been so kind. At 26 Pino's upside is limited, and his numbers don't match those of Anthony Slama (for comparitive purposes). In 18 starts for Columbus he's 8-5, but also has a 5.54 ERA and has the highest walk rates of his career. The strikeouts aren't quite as impressive, either.

August 28, 2009

Minnesota Twins trade Kevin Mulvey to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jon Rauch

The third and final deadline trade for the Twins last season came in the form of a man who looked like he'd rather shank you than look at you. But turns out, he's a nice guy. And he's also a work horse and a good middle reliever.

Unlike Guardado the season before, Rauch came in and immediately bolstered the bullpen. He managed 17 games between the end of August and the end of the regular season, striking out 14 in 15.2 innings with an impressive 1.72 ERA. Just like Cabrera and Pavano, the presence he provided to this team was just as important as the numbers he provided.

Mulvey was the second piece of the Johan Santana booty to leave the organization (the first being Philip Humber, who was removed from the 40-man to make room for Rauch). He made two appearances with the Twins and six with Arizona before the end of the season, and has made two more appearances this year. The numbers at the Major League level aren't impressive, but his minor league peripherals imply that he can be of value to somebody's bullpen if not the back end of a rotation, even if only on a part-time basis.

Red Sox 11, Twins 5

Jesse — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:01:34 -0000

Mauer homers, but Pavano gets rocked.

Denard Span led off the game just the perfect leadoff man, reaching base and putting a duck on the pond early for Joe Mauer. Mauer's two-run shot off Clay Buchholz put the Twins up 2-0 before they even took the field. It was Joe's first bomb of the spring, but it just wasn't the Twins' afternoon.

The Red Sox peppered Carl Pavano with base runners. He only walked one, but Pavano was unable to escape the fourth inning and was eventually chased after giving up his twelvth hit. By the time Pat Neshek got him out of the inning, Pavano's damage was eight runs over three and two-thirds. Already down 8-4, Tug Hulett's three-run shot off of Jose Mijares in the seventh put the nail in the proverbial coffin.

A few guys got a few innings in the field today that hadn't seen much time this month: Joe Benson (0-for-1, K), Dustin Martin (0-for-1, K), James Beresford (0-for-1, K) and Nicholas Romero (0-for-1). Santos Arias pitched a perfect eighth inning.

It's easy to chalk up Pavano's poor start to being "just a spring performance". Whether you believe that or not, it's just one start. Every pitcher gets banged up, and on the plus side this one doesn't really count.

It counts in eight days.

Plus
Denard Span (1-for-2, RBI, R)
Joe Mauer (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R)
Jim Thome (2-for-3, 2B, R)
Jason Kubel (Assist at the plate)
Jacque Jones (1-for-1, RBI)
Pat Neshek (1 IP, H, 2 K)

Minus
Justin Morneau (0-for-3, K)
Michael Cuddyer (0-for-3, 2 K)
Carl Pavano (3.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 2 K, 1 BB)
Jose Mijares (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 K)

SB Nation - Dustin Martin

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report: 7/4/12

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report: 6/25/12

Who Will Be the Twins' 13th Man?

Who would you give that 13th position player roster spot to?

Drew Butera

Chris Parmelee

Joe Benson

Rene Tosoni

Minor League Report...August 13, 2011

Who is this week's Player of the Week?

Dustin Martin

Brian Dozier

Dan Rohlfing

Lance Ray

Derek Christensen

Phillip Chapman

Ronald Jimenez

Picture of the Day: Thinking About the Future of the Twins Outfield

Minor League Report...March 26, 2011

Three of these five relievers will be on the Twins opening day roster. Who do you believe is the most likely to open the season with the Twins in Toronto?

Scott Diamond

Jim Hoey

Dusty Hughes

Jeff Manship

Glen Perkins

Twinkie Town 2010 Top 50 Review...41 thru 45

Twins 40-Man Roster Decisions

Pitchers: 17

Catchers: 3

Infielders: 8

Outfielders: 4

Total: 32

Potential minor league free agents

Conclusions

2000's Twins Trade Deadline History: 2007 - 2009

July 30, 2007

Minnesota Twins trade Luis Castillo to the New York Mets for Dustin Martin and Drew Butera

August 15, 2007

Minnesota Twins trade Ramon Ortiz to the Colorado Rockies for Matt Macri

August 25, 2008

Minnesota Twins trade Mark Hamburger to the Texas Rangers for Eddie Guardado

July 31, 2009

Minnesota Twins trade Tyler Ladendorf to the Oakland Athletics for Orlando Cabrera

August 7, 2009

Minnesota Twins trade Yohan Pino to the Cleveland Indians for Carl Pavano

August 28, 2009

Minnesota Twins trade Kevin Mulvey to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jon Rauch

Red Sox 11, Twins 5

Mauer homers, but Pavano gets rocked.