2007 Twins Blog

Twins announce scouting changes

2008-02-07T15:10:00.001-06:00

The Twins made some changes in their scouting department today, shifting around some scouts and announcing a couple of hires. Here's the press release ....

TWINS MAKE CHANGES IN SCOUTING DEPARTMENT

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have promoted/reassigned seven members of their scouting department and added six new scouts to the organization.

The Twins have reassigned their Major League coverage by region. Ken Compton will cover the two Western Divisions along with amateur work in April and May (prior to the draft), Bob Hegman moves from Major League Advance Scout to cover both Central Divisions along with minor league coverage in April and May, and Earl Frishman moves from East Coast Scouting Supervisor to cover the two Eastern Divisions along with amateur work in April and May (prior to the draft).

Shaun McGinn has been hired as the club’s new Advance Scout. He most recently served as the Senior Director of Minor League Operations for the Kansas City Royals (2000-06) and served as a professional scout in 2007. He signed with Philadelphia in 1993 and played in the Phillies minor league system until 1995.

Three area scouts have been promoted to new positions within the scouting department. Sean Johnson takes over as West Coast Supervisor, Mark Quimuyog has been promoted to East Coast Supervisor and Bill Milos has been named Professional Scout.
In addition, Billy Corrigan has been relocated to the Florida territory.

Jeremy Booth will replace Corrigan and oversee Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. After spending five seasons in the Mexican Minor Leagues, he played in the Tampa Bay and Milwaukee organizations in 2001 and 2002. In 2007, Booth was a Regional Scout for the Global Scouting Bureau.

JR DiMercurio will oversee Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. For the last two years, DiMercurio served as the Assistant Baseball Coach at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas, KS.

Jeff Pohl will oversee Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. He served as the pitching coach for the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League from 2002-06 before managing the team in 2007. Pohl was a player in the San Francisco Giants minor league system from 1996-1999.

Jack Powell will oversee Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. He has scouted with four organizations (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Tampa Bay), with 30 years of scouting experience.

Ted Williams will oversee Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. He joins the Twins after serving as the “4 corners” Scouting Supervisor for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1999-2007.

Jason Kubel and wife welcome first child

2008-01-23T11:42:00.000-06:00

Jason Kubel's wife Blake gave birth to the couple's first child early this morning at a hospital in California. Owen Michael Kubel weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

Congrats to the Kubels.

So Long to Silva

2007-12-20T18:59:00.000-06:00

The Twins are confident they can absorb the loss of a $48 million pitcher. That says something about Minnesota’s pitching depth, the market value of .500 starters, or both.

Carlos Silva, who went 47-45 over four seasons in Minnesota and 13-14 last season, walked away from the Twins on Thursday by signing a four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners that will average $12 million per season.

“Good for Carlos. He’s a really good guy,” said Twins general manager Bill Smith, whose own offer, reportedly around $18 million over three seasons, would have paid half per season what the Venezuelan right-hander, the beneficiary of a thin crop of free-agent pitchers, will receive from the Mariners. “We went into the winter hoping we could keep him, but it quickly became apparent he would have some good offers.”

And the Twins quickly determined that they could save those millions by parceling out the 202 innings the sinkerballer pitched last season to their class of young pitchers coming up from their minor-league system.

“It’s the one area we’ve got some depth in,” Smith said. “Carlos provided us some innings here, which was good. But we hope we are able to cover those innings with (Scott) Baker and (Boof) Bonser and (Francisco) Liriano and (Kevin) Slowey. We’ve got (Nick) Blackburn, (Glen) Perkins, (Brian) Bass. We really like this group, and now they have that much more of an opportunity.”

Silva’s 47 wins over the past four seasons for Minnesota were second only to Johan Santana’s 70. It’s also 17 more victories than Eric Milton (30-33) has collected since the pitchers were exchanged for each other in a trade with Philadelphia (which also included Nick Punto coming to the Twins) in December 2002.

“This was a great fit here for Carlos,” Smith said. “We took a guy who was stuck in a relief role and gave him a chance. He performed well for us, and I’m happy for him.”

-- Phil Miller

Twins Add 3B Lamb

2007-12-14T16:38:00.000-06:00

The Twins’ infield is suddenly coming together.

One day after adding former Astros shortstop Adam Everett, the Twins signed free agent Mike Lamb, the Houston third baseman who has played alongside Everett for four seasons, to a two-year contract (with an option for 2010).

The 32-year-old Lamb, who also played four seasons with Texas, has batted .288 or better in three of his four seasons with the Astros, and averaged 12.2 home runs over that span.

The presence of Lamb, who will compete for playing time with Brian Buscher, and Everett likely makes Brendan Harris, acquired last month from Tampa Bay, the favorite to start at second base.

-- Phil Miller

Twins Let Tyner Go

2007-12-12T17:02:00.000-06:00

With Craig Monroe added to the roster and the strong possibility that another outfielder will be obtained this winter, the Twins have chosen not to offer a contract to Jason Tyner next season, the team announced Wednesday.

Tyner appeared in 114 games last season and hit .286, including his first career home run. But the Twins decided to release him rather than offer him the chance to go to salary arbitration. Tyner earned $400,000 last season, now becomes a free agent and can negotiate with any team (including, under a recent change to baseball rules, the Twins).

The move could clear the way for Jason Pridie, acquired along with Delmon Young and Brendan Harris from Tampa Bay last month, to make the team as a reserve outfielder.

The other five arbitration-eligible Twins -- Juan Rincon, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, Matt Guerrier and Jason Kubel -- were all offered contracts for 2008.

-- Phil Miller

Monroe Signs for '08

2007-12-11T17:50:00.000-06:00

Craig Monroe apparently decided the Twins' offer -- by rule, it couldn't go below roughly $3.8 million -- was more than he would receive as a free agent. So Monroe signed a one-year contract with Minnesota on Tuesday, one day before the Twins would likely have cut him loose had he refused.

Monroe, acquired last month from the Cubs for a player to be named (likely a low-grade prospect), adds depth to the Twins' outfield and gives them a right-handed hitter who can potentially get some at-bats at designated hitter.

Monroe is a six-year veteran who suffered a dreadful year last season, hitting just .212 overall. The Tigers dumped him in August to Chicago, and things didn't get much better there. But he's a lifetime .256 hitter who has hit 18 or more home runs in four different seasons. And remember, even his down-year total of 12 homers last season would have ranked fourth on the Twins.

-- Phil Miller

Winding Down

2007-12-06T14:36:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Opryland Hotel is quickly turning into a ghost town. Bill Smith and most of the Twins’ staff is staying until Friday, but there might be only one or two other teams still here.

Smith just spoke about his week, and the gathering with reporters could best be described as “drowsy.” Everybody is exhausted after four straight 18-hour days.

Smith didn’t sound disappointed, exactly, that no transactions had been completed this week, but I think he was a little surprised that all the momentum from last weekend dissipated so quickly. The new GM said this week was helpful, that it's much easier to talk in person than on the phone or via email, but that didn't change the outcome. He also said progress was made on more than just the Johan Santana negotiations.

His phone is still on, he said, so things could change. But it's clear there isn't much talking going on now. If something is going to happen on the Santana front, it doesn’t look like it’ll be this week.

-- Phil Miller

Rule 5: Minus 6

2007-12-06T10:58:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Right from the start, the Rule 5 draft was an unusual one for the Twins. Tampa Bay selected Rochester pitcher Tim Lahey with the first pick, and the scavenging of Minnesota’s organization had begun.

By the time the draft -- actually drafts, since Triple-A and Double-A drafts are held immediately after the major-league portion -- ended a half-hour later, the Twins had lost six players out of their system, more than any other team, while adding nobody. Minnesota ended up with the 11th pick (teams had to have fewer than 40 players on their major-league roster), but when the player they had intended to select was taken ahead of them, the Twins ended up being the first team to pass.

But teams couldn’t pass up the Twins’ eligible players. After Lahey, who went 8-4 with 13 saves in Class AA New Britain’s bullpen before being called up to Rochester in August, was taken by the Rays (and immediatelyl sold to the Cubs), the Twins watched as Seattle chose pitcher R.A. Dickey and Washington took outfielder Garrett Guzman. Dickey, a veteran knuckleballer who was Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year last season for Nashville, had just been signed by the Twins last week. Guzman batted .314 for New Britain.

In the Triple-A phase, the first two players picked were both Twins prospects, outfielder Rashad Eldridge by Tampa Bay and right-handed pitcher Joshua Hill by Pittsburgh. Both played for New Britain in 2007. In the Double-A phase, Fort Myers right-hander Jonathan Martinez was selected by Baltimore. The Twins passed again in both rounds.

“It’s a glass-half-full sort of thing,” said Twins scouting director Mike Radcliff. “We’re disappointed to lose players we’ve invested in, but it means we have talent in our organization.”

Six-year veterans who are not on major-league rosters are eligible to be drafted.

In other news -- well, there's no news, not on Johan Santana's status. But it's early.

-- Phil Miller

Biding Their Time

2007-12-05T18:31:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After talking to Bill Smith, I’m more convinced than ever that Johan Santana will be traded next week, or next month, but not today or tomorrow. It just appears he believes that competition will pick up again at some point, and the offers will improve.

Here’s one way it might happen: It’s now being reported by several publications that the Mets are interested again. Anything that rachets up the pressure on a certain owner’s son in New York – say, the prospect of the “other” team in town making a splash – has to be a good thing for the Twins’ chances of getting their asking price. Same with the growing consensus (not sure I buy it) that the Tigers might be Boston’s top competition next year, not the Yankees.

Until then, some of the rumors going around are getting fairly far-fetched. One of them that caused a few chuckles in the press room involved a three-way deal that supposedly sends Santana and Bobby Crosby to the Mets, Dan Haren to the Twins, and Jose Reyes to the A’s, with a few minor prospects sprinkled around, too. Can you imagine the reaction in the Twin Cities if Smith traded Santana, and all he got back was a starting pitcher who isn’t as good? Yikes.

-- Phil Miller

Santana vs. Lackey on Opening Day?

2007-12-05T14:50:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Well, it looks like the Twins’ big story of the winter meetings is going to be a non-story after all. Some well-connected folks at Baseball Prospectus just quoted a Twins official as saying they are “99 percent certain” Johan Santana will be a Twin when the meetings end tomorrow. I haven’t been able to find anyone to say anything nearly that definitive (mostly the team’s employees say, ‘You know I can’t talk about that’), but it certainly fits the general consensus in the Opryland Hotel.

Peter Gammons of ESPN has also reported that the Twins aren’t moving their ace this week, and various reports keep coming in that other teams, sensing hesitation on Minnesota’s part, are contacting general manager Bill Smith with messages along the lines of “What would it take?” Supposedly the Mets and Mariners have made that call – but apparently not the Yankees, not yet.

The Red Sox offers are apparently still on the table, and a Baseball Prospectus report a couple of hours ago said the Twins might ask that Jon Lester be examined by their doctors to make sure his arm is sound.

Now that the Tigers-Marlins trade is official, it might make sense for the Twins to just wait a while and see whether other teams start feeling pressure to match Detroit’s dramatic move. The Yankees say they are happy with their rotation now that Andy Pettitte is coming back, but as spring training draws closer, it’s hard to imagine that the opportunity to upgrade won’t entice them.

But for the moment, Ron Gardenhire is right: Santana is his opening day starter against the Angels.

-- Phil Miller

Gardenhire Drops By

2007-12-05T10:59:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The reality of the Twins’ current plight really hit home this morning when an out-of-town reporter asked Ron Gardenhire a blunt question: “You don’t know who you’ll have a third, short, second and center, do you?”

Gardenhire smiled and said, “Yeah, everywhere left of first base. First base, I’ve got covered.” But the question pretty much summed up how much work is left to do for the Twins.

They’ll start trying to accomplish it again today, but with general managers in meetings all morning, there are no signs of any movement on the Johan Santana front. Gardenhire, in a half-hour media session this morning, sounded resigned to losing his best pitcher, though he did keep reminding the crowd that “Johan Santana is still my Opening Day starter.” Actually, Gardenhire looked far more alarmed at the prospect of life without Joe Nathan; it’s clear he doesn’t want his closer going anywhere. But he said, if GM Bill Smith decides the move has to be made, "I'm sure we'll have a plan."

The prevailing opinion in the Opryland press room is that the Twins, particularly in the wake of Detroit’s stunning addition to its lineup, may be biding their time, in hopes that New York, Boston or even the Angels decide they need to match that move. So the vigil could last several more hours, days, weeks.

-- Phil Miller

Another Long Night

2007-12-04T19:00:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Boston general manager Theo Epstein just held a briefing session with the team’s beat reporters, and while he wouldn’t comment on what’s being talked about, he said he expected negotiations to go “well into the night,” presumably with the Twins. He also said the teams are being flexible, that no “final offers” have been made.

-- Phil Miller

Big Trade Complete (No, Not That One)

2007-12-04T17:46:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tigers’ acquisition of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from Florida will have repercussions for the Twins, perhaps even immediately.

For one thing, it makes Detroit the new favorites in the AL Central next year, making the Twins’ task of returning to the playoffs immediately that much more difficult. The Tigers now have a lineup that will go something like Granderson-Polanco-Sheffield-Ordonez-Cabrera-Guillen-Rodriguez-Renteria-Thames, which is a little scary.

But by rejecting offers from the Dodgers and Angels, have the Marlins shoved those high-payroll teams back into the Santana Sweepstakes? Both teams have plenty of young prospects to offer, and a thirst to outdo each other that’s only a little less intense than Red Sox-Yankees.

The Angels deny they’ve talked to the Twins, but that was while they were still pursuing Cabrera. Now? Well, this is a team that has a history of making fast and decisive moves, as Torii Hunter could tell you.

The deal also figures to make Brandon Inge available, but he’s probably a longshot for the Twins. He’s 30 years old and coming off a .236 season, but he’s owed $19 million for the next three years. He can field the position, and hit an occasional home run (70 in the past four seasons in spacious Comerica Park), but the Twins probably want a more permanent (or less costly) option.

-- Phil Miller

Not So Fast ...

2007-12-04T17:23:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Couple more hours, couple more denials.

Bill Smith just told reporters that moving Basak off the roster had nothing to do with a pending trade, that it’s a move that’s been in the works for a week. Basak apparently signed a major-league contract last week and then cleared waivers, so the Twins could move him without losing him. Smith said Basak knew when he signed what the Twins planned, so the timing – smack in the middle of trade talks – was just a coincidence.

Of course, the Twins obviously knew a week ago that if they traded Santana, they would need extra roster space for the package of players who came back. So it might fall a bit short of coincidence.

Meanwhile, Angels GM told reporters in the lobby a few minutes ago that not only has he not made an offer for Santana, he hasn’t even talked to the Twins. So the Red Sox are apparently still the front-runners.

-- Phil Miller

Making Room for the New Guys?

2007-12-04T15:21:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Twins have outrighted infielder Chris Basak to Triple-A Rochester, which could be the first solid indication that a trade is nearing completion.

The move reduces Minnesota’s roster to 38, which allows the Twins to absorb two more players – room they will need if they complete a 3-for-1 trade involving Johan Santana.

At any rate, the timing of the move is sure to churn up the rumor mill again. The Red Sox and Twins have been meeting this afternoon, according to several reports from Boston. So the weeklong trade talks may be nearing a resolution.

Basak, by the way, is the infielder the Twins claimed off waivers from the Yankees in August, when call-ups of Brian Buscher and Tommy Watkins left Rochester short of experienced infielders.

UPDATE: Peter Gammons is reporting for ESPN that the Red Sox have added another player to their package, Ryan Kalish, an outfielder from New Jersey who will turn 20 next spring. Kalish hit .368 in 23 games at Class A Lowell last season, but a wrist injury cut his season short. Presumably the addition of Kalish means the Sox are standing by their stance that they will not part with both left-hander Jon Lester and centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

ESPN also reports that the Angels have contacted the Twins, but there is no indication that they made any progress. And the Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that the Yankees have dropped out for good.

-- Phil Miller

More Talks Coming

2007-12-04T12:19:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – According to Peter Gammons, who is well connected in Boston’s front office, the Red Sox and Twins plan an afternoon meeting to continue their discussions. So there could be some news later today.

If Boston remains adamant about not including both Lester and Ellsbury in the same deal, I just heard speculation that Bill Smith might try adding a prospect of his own to the deal, in hopes of making the trade more palatable. If that’s the case, this could be another all-nighter.

-- Phil Miller

Driving a Hard Bargain

2007-12-04T11:41:00.001-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The story making the rounds here is that when the Twins asked for Ian Kennedy from the Yankees, in addition to Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera, the Yankees said no. So the Twins substituted two high-ceiling minor-league prospects in Kennedy's place. The Yankees may have agreed to one, but not two, and that’s when the talks died.

Now, according to SI.com, the Red Sox believe they are close to a deal, and are making an “improved” offer for Johan Santana. The Twins asked that Boston present its best deal that revolves around left-handed pitcher Jon Lester. We’ll see what the offer turns out to be. The feeling in the press room is that if Boston relents in its refusal to package Jacoby Ellsbury and Lester, a deal will be done pretty quick.

Well, “pretty quick” is a relative term. Once the teams reach an understanding, the Red Sox would have to negotiate a contract with Santana. But his demands are pretty well known, so the Sox must have already determined that they can meet an asking price of around $24 million.

-- Phil Miller

Watching and Waiting

2007-12-04T11:00:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The anticipation here is pretty amazing. Everyone is waiting for word that a Johan Santana deal has been struck with the Red Sox, but no hints have come from the Twins that anything is happening yet. Since the talks went so late on Monday – the understanding as we packed up in the press room after 1 a.m. last night was that talks were still going on – you have to wonder, when do these guys sleep?
It seems a given that the Red Sox are the only team in the talks now, given that Hank Steinbrenner has publicly announced his inability to reach a deal with the Twins. So the Twins will have to decide which combo they like better – Jon Lester and Coco Crisp, or Jacoby Ellsbury and a lesser pitcher. A scout I talked to yesterday said the player that most impressed him, of those being offered by Boston and New York, was Philip Hughes, by far. But he agreed that Ellsbury is a great fit for Minnesota, the sort of leadoff hitter Ron Gardenhire treasures.
It feels like something will happen today, but I wonder how long this can go on. As I left the press room last night, a national writer joked that Tuesday would be Boston’s day and that the Yankees would rush back in Tuesday night with another pitch. And the teams would take turns like that all week. After the siege of the past week, I can’t say it’s far-fetched.
-- Phil Miller

A chat with Coco Crisp's agent

2007-11-30T13:29:00.000-06:00

Just talked with Coco Crisp's agent, Steve Comte. He acknowledged the Twins and Red Sox have talked about Crisp.

"Needless to say, Covelli's name has been mentioned in numerous scenarios, a couple of which are with Minnesota," he said. (Comte always uses Crisp's real first name, Covelli.)

"A couple of which" likely means the Twins have approached the Red Sox about a trade for Crisp that wouldn't be part of a deal for Johan Santana and about a trade that does involve Santana.

Also talked with Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson today about his 2008 rotation. Asked if he has any reason to believe Santana will be with the Twins come spring training, Anderson said, "No."

Look for more on Minnesota's pitchers in tomorrow's Pioneer Press.

Phil Miller will be in Nashville starting Sunday night for the winter meetings, so look for blog updates throughout next week from him.

-- Kelsie Smith

Twins acquire Craig Monroe

2007-11-13T12:19:00.001-06:00

The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have acquired outfielder Craig Monroe from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later.

In August, the Tigers designated Monroe for assignment during a disappointing season and after he had been replaced by Marcus Thames in left field. Nearly one week later, Detroit traded Monroe to the Cubs for a player to be named.

Look for more on this in tomorrow's Pioneer Press.

Monroe's stats from the Twins press release ...

Monroe, 30, batted .219 (86-for-392) with 23 doubles, 12 home runs and 59 rbi in 122 games last season (99 with Detroit and 23 with Chicago). He was traded from the Tigers to the Cubs on August 22, 2007. In 2006, he batted .255 (138-for-541) with 35 doubles, two triples, 28 home runs and 92 rbi for the Tigers.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has a career batting average of .256 (628-for-2499) with 135 doubles, nine triples, 104 home runs and 388 rbi in 722 games.

Santana and Hunter win Gold Gloves

2007-11-06T16:37:00.000-06:00

Twins pitcher Johan Santana and center fielder Torii Hunter have been selected as Rawlings Gold Glove winners for the 2007 season. It's Hunter's seventh Gold Glove in as many years (and puts him ahead of Kirby Puckett's six Gold Gloves) and Santana's first.

Look for more in Wednesday's Pioneer Press. For now, here's some information from the Twins press release ...

Hunter, 32, batted .287 (172-600) with 45 doubles, one triple, 28 home runs, 107 rbi and 18 stolen bases in 160 games in 2007 for the Twins. Hunter led the club in games, at-bats, runs, hits and doubles, and was second in home runs, rbi and stolen bases.

He had a .995 (2 E, 394 TC) fielding percentage with five outfield assists last season and has a career fielding percentage of .991 (28 E, 3171 TC) with 72 outfield assists. Hunter becomes just the second Twin to be at least a seven-time winner (Jim Kaat, 11) and the first since Kaat (1962-72) to win the award in seven consecutive seasons. It also marks the 14th time the award has been given to a Twins outfielder.

Santana, 28, was 15-13, 3.33 (219.0 ip, 81 er) in 33 starts, with 52 walks and 235 strikeouts for the Twins in 2007. He had a 1.000 (0 E, 40 TC) fielding percentage last season, and has a career fielding percentage of .932 (15 E, 221 TC). Santana’s four pickoffs were tied for the second most in the American League last season. He becomes just the second pitcher in club history to win the award and the first since Jim Kaat in 1972.

Twins' Minor-Leaguer Suspended

2007-09-24T17:31:00.000-06:00

Hibbing native Eli Tintor, who played for the Twins’ Class A team in Beloit this season, has been suspended for 50 games for failing a drug test, the team announced Monday.

Tintor, who tested positive for a drug of abuse, will serve his suspension at the beginning of the 2008 season. He hit .286 with five home runs in the Midwest League this season, and was not invited to play for the Twins’ fall league or instructional league teams.

Drafted out of Hibbing in the 18th round of the 2003 draft, Tintor has been a catcher and outfielder for the Twins.

Tintor is the second Twins prospect to be suspended under the minor league drug policy this season. New Britain pitcher Anthony Swarzak served a 50-game suspension over the season's first three months.

Punto's Got a Job

2007-09-17T17:41:00.000-06:00

Nick Punto is in tonight’s lineup against the Rangers, and he’s going to be in a lot of lineups next year, too, if his manager has his way. Despite Punto’s disastrous .205 season at the plate, Ron Gardenhire all but handed Punto the second base job on the 2008 Twins.

Punto is the best fielder on the team, Gardenhire said, and while he agrees that Punto doesn’t hit well enough to play third, traditionally a power position, he definitely wants Punto on the field. It’s probably safe to assume that Alexi Casilla’s two-month tryout with the Twins has convinced Gardenhire that the rookie needs another season in Rochester.

For his part, Punto said he plans to work harder this winter than ever before, to make sure there’s no repeat of this horrible season at the plate. And he seemed awfully thankful for Gardenhire’s unwavering support.

One other note: Left-hander Kason Gabbard has been scratched from Wednesday’s start for the Rangers. Vicente Padilla, who ignited a brawl with the A’s on Sunday, will fill that slot.

Tonight’s lineups:

RANGERS
Catalanotto dh
Murphy cf
Young ss
Byrd rf
Botts lf
Wilkerson 1b
Quiroz c
Vazquez 2b
Metcalf 3b

Volquez p

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Kubel dh
Mauer c
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
Jones lf
Buscher 3b
Punto 2b
Slowey p

Good Enough to Win

2007-09-11T17:41:00.000-06:00

It was interesting to listen to Ron Gardenhire after Monday’s 4-2 win. He was OK with Boof Bonser’s performance -- five innings, two runs, in and out of trouble every inning -- but not really satisfied. He liked that Alexi Casilla cut down his swing, as instructed, and hit the ball on the ground in his first at-bat, collecting a base hit. But he wasn’t particularly happy that Casilla’s swing got longer as the night went on, and he popped the ball up in his next two left-handed at-bats.

Both outings were acceptable, mostly because the Twins won the game, 4-2. You got the feeling that his patience might not be so abundant if things had gone poorly.

Glen Perkins was activated before Tuesday’s game, as expected. He says he’s fine and looks forward to facing a few left-handed hitters. Gardenhire sounds a little reluctant to put him in Dennys Reyes’ old role as a one- or two-batter specialist, seeing him as a two- or three-inning guy. But I wonder if that opinion will change when Jim Thome or David Ortiz comes to the plate in the eighth inning some night.

Luis Rodriguez is in the lineup, not because of any particular matchup problem for Brian Buscher -- though Gardenhire said Rodriguez (and Jason Tyner, playing instead of Garrett Jones) might be better able to handle Kyle Davies’ cut fastball -- but just because he intends to play everybody in September.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Kubel dh
Mauer c
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
Tyner lf
Rodriguez 3b
Casilla 2b

Baker p

ROYALS
DeJesus cf
Grudzielanek 2b
Teahen rf
Sweeney dh
Gordon 3b
Butler 1b
Gathright lf
LaRue c
Pena ss

Davies p

Twins add catcher Morales to the roster

2007-09-06T11:24:00.000-06:00

The Twins selected the contract of catcher Jose Morales from Class AAA Rochester today to help out Chris Heintz behind the plate while Joe Mauer (hamstring) and Mike Redmond (finger) recover from injuries.

In 108 games for the Red Wings this season, Morales batted .311 with 25 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 37 runs batted in. He played on the International League team in the Class AAA All-Star Game this July and was also named the catcher on the IL Postseason All-Star Team.

The Twins chose Morales, a converted infielder, in the third round of the 2001 draft. He will join the team in time for Friday's game at Chicago.