Weekly Twins Organizational Transactions

All three Rookie Leagues are in full play, draft picks get singed and this is a good time to start keeping tract of the Twins' organization transactions in a weekly basis, since a lot of player movement will be occurring in all levels.  I am not going to list the transactions and assignments that formed the Rookie Leagues' Team's Rosters.  You can find the Advanced Rookie Elizabethton Twins' Roster here, the Rookie GCL Twins' Roster here and the Foreign Rookie DSL Twins' Roster here. 
All these weekly transaction lists are here.  When transactions involve a Twins top 40 prospect from my most current prospect list (here), that will be indicated next to the player's name by his ranking (see Sean Gilmartin below for example).

The transactions from 6/14 to now were:


06/21/2014 RHP Mark Hamburger assigned to AAA Rochester Red Wings from AA New Britain Rock Cats.
06/20/2014 A Cedar Rapids Kernels sent 2B Logan Wade on a rehab assignment to Rk GCL Twins.
06/19/2014 MLB Minnesota Twins selected the contract of RHP Yohan Pino from AAA Rochester Red Wings.
06/19/2014 C Jairo Rodriguez assigned to A+ Fort Myers Miracle from AA New Britain Rock Cats.
06/19/2014 LHP Jason Wheeler assigned to AA New Britain Rock Cats from A+ Fort Myers Miracle.
06/19/2014 IF Stephen Wickens assigned to AA New Britain Rock Cats from A+ Fort Myers Miracle.
06/19/2014  C Alex Swim assigned to A Cedar Rapids Kernels from A+ Fort Myers Miracle.
06/19/2014 A Cedar Rapids Kernels placed C Michael Quesada on the 7-day disabled list.
06/19/2014 A Cedar Rapids Kernels sent OF Jeremias Pineda on a rehab assignment to Rk+ Elizabethton Twins.
06/19/2014 RHP Dallas Gallant assigned to A Cedar Rapids Kernels from Rk+ Elizabethton Twins.
06/19/2014 LHP Josue Montanez assigned to Rk+ Elizabethton Twins from A Cedar Rapids Kernels
06/19/2014 MLB Minnesota Twins placed LF Eduardo Nunez on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 15, 2014. Right hamstring strain
06/19/2014 MLB Minnesota Twins transferred RHP Mike Pelfrey from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. June 2014 right elbow surgery
06/18/2014 Minnesota Twins sent CF Aaron Hicks on a rehab assignment to AA New Britain Rock Cats.
06/18/2014 2B Jonatan Hinojosa assigned to Rk+ Elizabethton Twins from A Cedar Rapids Kernels.
06/17/2014 LHP Sean Gilmartin (Twins prospect ranking: 32) assigned to AAA Rochester Red Wings from AA New Britain Rock Cats.
06/15/2014 MLB Minnesota Twins recalled SS Pedro Florimon from AAA Rochester Red Wings.
06/15/2014 MLB Minnesota Twins placed 3B Trevor Plouffe on the 15-day disabled list. Inflammation between the ninth rib and the costal cartilage on the left side.







 

Preliminary Twins mid-season top 40 prospect list (including 2014 draftees)

I released my extensive off-season 2014 Minnesota Twins top 40 prospect list last winter.  You can find the full off-season 1-40 list and links to individual reports on each prospect here.  The 2014 draft is over,  I have seen several Twins' prospects play for the first time last Spring, and the full season 2014 minor league seasons are close to mid-point, so it is time to revisit the Twins' prospects and release my mid-season top 40 list.  This is a preliminary list, which means that there are not full reports about each player, as I do that during the off-season, and several players have not even appeared in a single game.

Housekeeping notes:  in parenthesis there is the off-season prospect ranking.  When a player was with the Twins but not ranked in the top 40, there is (---) and if a player was not with the Twins then, there is the (NEW) indication.   Players who have played in the majors (Danny Santana, Logan Darnell and Mike Tonkin notably) are not included in this list.   Also, as a reminder, my criteria are slightly different that others' (e.g I value actual results at a higher competition level more than most) and the Twins have such a deep system, that some players who are listed in other lists and/or have been drafted in early rounds recently or have received large international signing bonuses will be conspicuously absent from this list.

Without further ado, with some one-liner commentary about my thought process:

1. Miguel Sano 3B (1)

2. Byron Buxton OF (2)

I felt I should not punish these guys for getting hurt.  On the other hand, having Tommy John surgery due to repetitive injury, and re-injuring you wrist sliding and being out because of it, are two different situations.  I did think hard about dropping Buxton to number three because of injury prone-ness and lack of execution in the games he played so far, but I did not.  However, the distance from Sano, which was not much before, is larger now because of those reasons. 

3. Alex Meyer RHP (3)

The best arm in this list and in the organization

4. Trevor May RHP (9)

The second most MLB-ready pitcher in the list and the first starter.  Made the jump up here because he finally broke through to the next level as a pitcher in AAA

5. Kennys Vargas 1B/DH (7)

The most MLB-ready bat in the list, Kennys will likely replace Kendrys as the full time DH in 2015 and his bat can play in the majors right now.

6. Jorge Polanco SS (6) 

Playing full time shortstop and while there are some concerns about his sure-handedness with the glove, he has one of the best contact tools in the organization

7. Kohl Stewart EHP (5) 

He dropped simply because of the strikeout rate decrease and because he has proven that he is touchable in Cedar Rapids.  There is time to remedy that the rest of the season 

8. Nick Gordon SS (NEW)

The 5th overall draft pick for the Twins in 2014.  Good tool set.  If he can stick at SS and show that he can make contact in the pros, he will stay a top prospect

9. Jose Berrios RHP (8)

If anything, Berrios has been better this season.  Just there are others ahead of him in this deep organization at this point.

10. Eddie Rosario OF (4)

The drop is not as much about the suspension, it is mostly about the position change.  A second baseman with his contact skill and speed is much more rare and valuable than an outfielder.  So part on Rosario, bigger part on the Twins. 

11. Amaurys Minier 1B/3B (14)

Fully expect that he will have a monster season coming up

12. Max Kepler OF/1B (16)

13. Adam Walker OF (17)

14. Nick Burdi RHP (NEW)

The Twins' 2014 second round pick, is ["upset"] that he was selected that low and he is the most MLB-ready pitcher in this list.  With an 103 mph fastball and low to mid 90s slider he can probably be as effective (or more) as any RHP in the Minnesota Twins' bullpen today.  If he harness his changeup, he will be a dominant closer for a long time.  I should probably have ranked him higher in the list, and this might happen in the off-season.

15. Lewis Thorpe LHP (18)

Highest LHP in this ranking and in most Twins' prospect lists

16. Travis Harrison OF (13)

Change in position hurts his ranking

17. Mitch Garver C (---)

The Twins' 9th round pick in the 2013 draft was not much on the radar this off-season.  Really impressed my this Spring Break with his bat, his athleticism and his ability to handle pitchers, and is the best position player in Cedar Rapids so far, thus he is my highest ranked catching prospect in the Twins' organization

18. Mike Cederoth RHP (NEW)

The Twins' 3rd round pick in 2014 is another triple digit FB/slider pitcher who has drawn comparisons to Stephen Strausberg.  Unlike Burdi, he has the potential to be a starter, but his stuff is a tick lesser than Burdi's.  Signability is an issue.  If he signs and turns into a starter and develops a third pitch, he will jump up in this list 

19. Ryan Eades RHP (11)

20. Stephen Gonsalves LHP (10)

These guys suffered a sizeable drop because they really did not show me much during Spring Training and Eades has not performed in the Midwest League as expected.

21. Engelb Vielma SS (---)

Another player who was flying under the radar last season who impressed me this Spring.   Excellent speed and great instincts both with the glove and on the base paths.   He can be a starting shortstop in the majors right now, but his bat will look like Florimon's, if not like Deduno's.  He needs to cultivate his hitting ability.  Young and very slim, he can fill in.

22. Nico Goodrum IF (27)

Starting as the every day third baseman for the Miracle, the former 2010 second round draft pick who has disappointed so far, might actually start to show his potential making solid contact and being fine with the glove.  

23. Felix Jorge RHP (12)

Same situation as Eades.  Disappointing season, but his spring was excellent.  Might be a temperature issue.

24. Lewin Diaz 1B (NEW)

The seventeen year old who was signed as an international free agent last July has started his pro career in the DSL and it will be a good one.  A lot like Minier with the bat

25. AJ Achter RHP (---)

Achter has been quietly turning into one of the best arms in the organization and might finish the season in Minnesota.  Better pitcher than Mike Tonkin at this point.

26. Aaron Slegers RHP (---)

Another 2013 draftee (5th round) who impressed me last spring.  Very tall pitcher with potential to add velocity if he works with his mechanics

27. Jose Abreu  RHP (23)

28. Matthew Koch C (22) 

These guys got caught into the numbers game

29. Zach Larson OF (36)

I think that my off-season prospect list was the only one that Zach was in, but I am sure that he has opened a few more eyes with his Midwest League performance.

30. Alexis Tapia RHP (21)

Might jump back up depending on E-town play

31. Zach Jones RHP (19)

Lost season, the emergence and draft of other relievers drop Zach, but the potential is there.

32. Sean Gilmartin LHP (NEW)

When the last list was made, Ryan Doumit was still a Twin

33. Brian Gilbert RHP (20)

Proven hitable in Fort Myers.

34. Argenis Silva RHP (---)

The 18 year old will finally show his ability injury free in his third DSL season

35. Sam Clay LHP (NEW) 

The Twins' 4th round draft pick in 2014 projects as a starter, might end up as a long reliever.

36.  Brandon Peterson RHP (---)

All the 13th round pick in 2013 does is strikes hitters out and does not allow runs to score.  Moved 4 spots in 2 seasons, he is fast-tracked and ready to jump these rankings the off-season

37.  DJ Baxendale (15)

One of the biggest drops in this list. He has not figured out AA or AA has figured him out. The 23 year old is back at Fort Myers for fine tuning.  Needs to prove himself the second half, but hard to give up on him at this point, because I have seen him do amazing things

38. Levi Michael 2B (---)

Is the former first round draft pick figuring it out finally with the stick in his third FSL stint?  He is leading the Miracle in Batting Average and OBP.

39. Fernardo Romero RHP (34)

40. Randy Rosario LHP (---)

Excellent skills have not translated in results in 3 games started at Cedar Rapids, but there is a lot of potential. 

Graduated:

Danny Santana, Logan Darnell

Dropped: 

DJ Hicks (24)

JD Williams (25)

Stuart Turner  (28)

Josh Burris (29)

Mason Melotakis (31)

Deibinson Romero (32)

Mike Gonzales (33)

Logan Wade (37)
Tyler Grimes (38)

Tyler Jones (39)

Alex Wimmers (40)

Mini Profile and Scouting Report of the Twins 2014 1st Round Draft Pick: SS Nick Gordon.

With the 5th overall pick of the 2014 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins select...

Nick Gordon, SS from Olympia High School, Orlando, FL.  The 6-2, 175 lbs left hand hitter, is the son of former long time MLB reliever Tom (Flash) Gordon, and younger brother of Dodgers' middle infielder Dee Gordon.   Scouts admire his globe, speed and arm, however there are several worries about both his contact and plate discipline skills.  Nick is a different player than Dee, but Dee's career .262/.308/.328 MLB slash line should be surpassed to justify a 5th overall first round draft pick.  I am disappointed by the selection, especially when C/OF Alex Jackson, whom I had on top of my draft board, was still available. I hope that the Twins will prove me wrong here.

You can see MLB.com's scouting video of Nick Gordon here.

Here are three recent videos of Gordon:



and


and



You can find all the Twins' 2014 MLB Draft coverage including commentaries, profiles and scouting report for each player picked here.

Twins Eduardo Nunez was a Yankee Killer Today and it was Payback Time

Earlier this season the Minnesota Twins were happy to claim 26 year old Eduardo Nunez off waivers from the New York Yankees. Nunez had been billed as the heir apparent to Derek Jeter at Shortstop by the Yankees and has been a great corporate citizen for them, going out of his way to train with Robinson Cano, even though it meant a 3 hour daily round trip for him 2 winters in a row or flying to the States from the Dominical and then back the next day to participate in an official/unofficial fundraiser last February, for example. So, even though Nunez is too nice (and too smart) of a guy to say something about it, I am certain that when the Yankees chose Dean Anna over him this Spring, was not a peaceful, easy feeling. And today, when he hit with the bases loaded in the 9th inning off the Yankees reliever Matt Daley with the Twins just up 3-2 on the top of the 9th, he took his revenge full time: He pulled a two run double in the right field corner, putting his former team in a 5-2 hole that was proven too deep for them to climb out of, even in their familiar Bronx' surroundings. I am sure that a lot of accolades will (and should) be written about former Yankees' top prospect's Phil Hughes' return to the Bronx, not sure that enough will be written about Eduardo Nunez' return, so here is one.

Here are some of Nunez' highlights both with the bat and glove when he wore Yankee pinstripes last season:



Mike Pelfrey is about to be lost for the season and the Twins are being quiet

This season Mike Pelfrey has been very ineffective for the Twins.  Earlier this month, the Twins attributed the reason for Pelfrey's ineffectiveness to a groin injury, and placed him on the 15-day disabled list.   One of the obvious signs of concern was that even in his rehab assignment at AAA Rochester, Pelfrey could barely touch 90 mph with his fastball, losing a good 5-6 mph from last season.  After his last start at Rochester, he complained about his shoulder and the doctors concluded that it was his elbow that was "irritated".

Between then and now, additional information has been disclosed: 

• In addition to his Tommy John Surgery 2 years ago, Pelfrey had Ulnar Nerve Transposition surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews.
• His elbow has been hurting, since Spring Training and there was "tinkling" in his fingers
• He is on his way to visit Dr Andrews and the Twins are hoping that medication will take care of it, but he might have surgery if needed "there and then".

So Mike Pelfrey is about to get under the knife early next week. This is really bad news for the Twins, because these type of surgeries take 2-3 months before someone resumes activities with that arm and 4-6 months before someone can even challenge that arm in a game.  It is not "minor" as indicated in multiple places in that piece, likely based on the Twins' acting GM words.  4 to 6 weeks from now is October and November.   This explains a lot about Pelfrey's performance, but it does not help the Twins.  At least there is potential help at AAA Rochester in Trevor May and  Alex Meyer.

Ben Revere does something he has never done before

Aaron Hicks Stops Switch Hitting

It was just announced that Aaron Hicks has decided to stop switch-hitting and will exclusively hit as a Right Hand Batter.  This decision (which he made, suggesting that he lost confidence on hitting left-handed) was bless by the Twins' manager.  Hicks was hitting 263/.417/.342 (109 OPS+) as RHB and .149/.284/.209 as LHB so far in 2014.   There might be some adjustment hitting from the right side against RHPs, however it is a worth-while decision, which might give the Twins a reliable bat (and glove, who has been named as a top 100 prospect by Baseball America in 4 different seasons, and as late as 2013) at Center Field, without having to deal with transactions involving replacement level players.

Play it again, Sam: Deduno's secret weapon

Phil Hughes is having an All-Star season and were several signs that this would be the case

Phil Hughes so far (8 starts, about a quarter of the season) has been the Minnesota Twins' best pitcher and should definitely have All-Star consideration.   In addition to his old school 4-1, 3.61 ERA, he has 7.6 K/9, 6.7 K/BB, and 1.225 WHIP.  This translates to a 41.6 PE, which is in Ace territory.  Take into consideration that he achieved that with a .326 BABIP (thanks to the Twins' playing catchers, shortstops and designated hitters at the outfield), and his numbers become ever more impressive:  Adjusted WHIP: 1.09, xPE: 46.8, FIP 2.94.  The strikeouts (20.3% K-rate and 7.6 K/9) are especially a welcome departure from the usual for the Twins.



Last season was a horrible season for Hughes, but still his K-rate was high (and has been,  it has 18.9% and 20.3%, last season and the season before last, respectively) and was going deep into games.  This game, against the eventual AL West champions, could have been a mirror image of his last appearance with the Twins:









All in all, Phil Hughes is up to a great start and it should not be all that surprising.  According to this analysis, he was a solid two to three starter last season, and based on this analysis, he was a good, but not a top 3, pitcher for the Twins to target last off-season.

Eduardo Escobar is not a stranger to success

From last winter. The Venezuelan Winter League. Good Spanish practice

Full Game Video: Game 7 of 1965 World Series Los Angeles Dodgers at Minnesota Twins

Great video of the original telecast. Full length. Plus introductory highlights of the earlier games. Great opportunity to see some of the Twins' greats play.

Exclusive: Mystery new player in the Twins' dugout

Might be the fourth shortstop, the next center fielder, or the fifteenth pitcher, but there is a new guy in the Twins' dugout (all the way to the right)

Making sense of the Twins 13 roster moves the last 3 days that involved 10 players

The Minnesota Twins must have broken a non-trading deadline and a non-camp breaking record for most roster moves in three days.   If you lost counting, here they are, chronologically:

Wednesday: Brooks Raley is Designated For Assignment.
Wednesday: Raley is claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Los Angeles Angels
Wednesday: Matt Guerrier is added to the 40-man roster
Wednesday: Logan Darnell is optioned to AAA Rochester Red Wings
Wednesday: Guerrier is added to the 25-man roster
Thursday: Sam Fuld is placed on the 7-day concussion Disabled List
Thursday: Eduardo Nunez is placed on the 25-man roster
Thursday: Pedro Florimon is optioned to AAA Rochester Red Wings
Thursday: Chris Herrmann is optioned to AAA Rochester Red Wings
Friday:  Kenny Wilson is Designated For Assignment.
Friday:  Chris Parmelee is added to the 40-man roster
Friday: Parmelee is added to the 25-man roster
Friday: Aaron Hicks is removed from the  7-day concussion Disabled List

These moves that involved 10 players could quickly become 14, if Kenny Wilson get claimed by another team.

For reference, here is the current 40-man roster.  The Twins still have 14 pitchers and 3 shortstops on their MLB 25-man roster.

Big League Bar Options at Target Field

Target Field is universally known as one of the nicest and most state-of-the-art ballparks in the MLB. One of the reasons for this reputation for the relatively new ballpark is the high prevalence of bar space throughout the concourses. In fact, Target Field has the most square footage of bar space of all MLB stadiums. These bars can be found all over the ballpark, but there are a few in particular that fans should be sure to check out.

Right behind home plate near Section 114 on the Main Level is Hrbek’s Pub, named after Kent Hrbek. Even though there are only stand up tables and no places to sit, the large outdoor patio is the best part of the area with a great view of the game while having a drink at the bar.

Near Section V down the third base line of the Club Level is the Town Ball Tavern. Fans can come here for many options of beer on tap as well as the option to drink alcohol after the 7th inning of the ballgame, something not found in many areas of this ballpark.

On the Terrace Level behind home plate near Sections 317 and 318 is the Two Gingers Pub. There are actually two bars in this area and this is the only bar in the stadium that serves exclusively alcohol and no food. The big draw in this area other than classic Minnesota whiskey is the opportunity to see Sue Nelson, the legendary organ player for the Twins, in action throughout the game.

Looking to buy tickets near one of the exciting bars or want to find other great seats for socializing at a Twins game? RateYourSeats.com helps you find the best seats at Target Field by providing in-seat photos, seat ratings and reviews – all on a super-charged Target Field Seating Chart. Next time you’re looking to buy Twins Tickets, use RateYourSeats.com to get the best seats!

The hottest hitter in the Twins' organization, in the worst jersey

What to expect from the series between the Twins and the Indians.

Next week the Minnesota Twins are starting a four game series at Cleveland against the Indians.   Before the 2014 season started, plenty of writers predicted that these teams will have diametrically opposing seasons, with the Indians fighting the Tigers for the American League Central Division title with about 90 wins, while the Twins would be hovering in the basement of the Division again with about 90 losses.  You can see a sampling of predictions from a major neutral newspaper (the Philadelphia Inquirer) here.   An ESPN expert, Jeff Bennett, even predicted that the Cleveland Indians will win it all in 2014 (Scroll down to the end of the predictions in this link.)    Even long time Twins' bloggers, predicted another slim cows season for the Twins, examples here, and here.   Add the observation that the Twins would have the toughest schedule at the American League, and the expectations were that the Twins and Indians will be in opposing places on the Central Division Standings. 

The reality could have not been much different.  With Sunday's games pending, both teams have won  13 games while the Twins lost 2 less than the Indians (15 vs. 17) and both teams see themselves in the bunch of the Division that includes everyone but the Tigers from 4 to 5.5 games behind the Division leaders.  Regardless what your favorite predictions for the series are, and you can view the latest odds for the Twins and Indians here, this is an important series.  The rest of the games in the AL Central Division are: The Chicago White Sox are playing at the Chicago Cubs, the Kansas City Royals are playing at the San Diego Padres, and the Detroit Tigers are hosting the Houston Astros. Unless the Astros go above and beyond what they have shown this far, the winner of the Twins-Indians series, will simple keep up with the Tigers at that four to five games behind, while the loser will likely fall in the Division basement with a long climb ahead.

Hard to see this as a critical series this early in the season, and for many, what the Twins have done already (based mainly on an unexpected capability to score runs) is a bonus.  The starters are Kyle Gibson vs Zach McAllister in the first game, and Gibson took the win in Cleveland pitching 5 innings allowing an earned run on April 5th when the Twins beat the Indians 7-3.  Samuel Deduno vs Josh Tomlin in Tuesday, with Deduno making his first start this season.  Deduno is 3-2 with a career 4.00 ERA against the Indians, while Tomlin is making his first start in the majors in the last seasons and was just promoted from the AAA Columbus Clippers.  Wednesday sees the Twins number one starter Ricky Nolasco matching up with the Tigers youngster Danny Salazar.  Both Nolasco and Salazar had no decisions in their respective teams' wins in the Cleveland match ups earlier in the season (Nolasco on April 6th when the Twins won 10 to 7, and Salazar on April 4th when the Indians won 7 to 2.)  The series will close with Kevin Correia battling the Indians ace Justin Masterson on Thursday early afternoon.  Masterson had a lackluster appearance against the Twins on April 6th and took the loss (3.7 IP, 6 R) while Correia did not face the Indians this season, but last season in two starts he has a split record of 1-1, while allowing the Indians batters to hit just .214 off him.

All in all, it will be an important and interesting series, and the Twins do have the pitching match ups to get ahead in this one.

MLB players are "outraged" about some of their colleagues being on steroids? Think again.

Just a quick thought that came to me after I saw Nelson Cruz hit a long home run against the Twins tonight. 

After the whole Biogenesis "scandal" situation, a whole bunch of players adamantly were on record saying that they are totally on board with the suspensions and how horrible it is for players to do steroids and cheat and all that jazz.

Put your money where your mouth is then MLB players who do not like your colleagues who do steroids (and cheat another of your colleagues out of a paycheck potentially) : You bean someone who bunts or steals a base in a blow out game, but you pitch to players proven to have used steroids. 
"Unwritten Rules". 

Please.  Let me know how can Nelson Cruz or Jhonny Peralta and company are not being held accountable (i.e. retaliation) for what they are doing, compared to someone who was admiring a long ball he hit at a plate.

Consistency.

And if the MLB players wanted to clear that mess up, they could.  Just write some more unwritten rules...

Video: The Sam Fuld Story

A bit old, from his time with the Rays, but still entertaining.

What did I see from Eduardo Nunez last weekend

As I indicated earlier, in addition to seeing Alex Meyer, one of my goals last weekend when I attended the Red Wings' last 3 games at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, was to have a good look at the newest Twins' player Eduardo Nunez.  Nunez, once the heir apparent to Derek Jeter and a Yankees top prospect, was traded by those Yankees to the Twins for Miguel Sulbaran (quick scouting report from this Spring Training here.)   Even though I am deeply enshrined as an Eduardo Escobar supporter for the Twins' starting Shortstop job,  any improvement over Pedro Florimon, is more than welcome, so I was extremely intrigued at seeing Nunez on the field and at the plate.

In the three games I saw, Nunez played Shortstop, DH, and Right Field.  There has been a reputation built around Nunez indicating that his defense is poor.  Looking at the various measurements, which are all affected by the smallish sample size, UZR, fangraphs "Defense" and RZR does not like him much, but it also looks like he made 50 plays out of the zone at shortstop in 152 games, so color me intrigued.  Here is what I saw:

In his game as a shortstop he handled several balls and made good accurate throws to first base.  Adjusts well on different batters and is pretty aware.  On a particular grounder he juggled the ball, but still initiated a double play, so that did not hurt.  As a right fielder he took good routes to the ball, had to dig a ball from the corner and did it exceptionally well and made strong throws to the correct cut off man.  On one occasion he tried to barehand a ground ball and he overran it by a foot, but recovered.  All in all he looks like an average fielder to me out there, if a bit eager to make a play.   I am not sure about where the reputation of a bad fielder comes from (maybe from WFAN 660 callers?) but for someone like me who have seen the Twins play Buscher, Nishioka, Harris, Delmon Young, and still play Plouffe and Willingham on the field, I think that Nunez will be an improvement over all of them.

As far as his bat goes, I was really impressed by the quality of his plate appearances.  You can see a video of a plate appearance here.  He is tied for the lead in Home Runs for the Red Wings with 3 and he has not played that much.  His ability to adjust and put the ball in play is excellent.  Something that the Twins can really use in the bottom of their lineup.  In addition to the video example mentioned above,  here is a sequence of photos that shows what I described:

Pitch 1:  Slider low and outside, swing and miss:

Pitch 2: Same pitch. Moves inside a more, times it better and fouls it:

Pitch 3: Same pitch. He gets the fat piece of the bat and turns it in for a double:

I cannot remember how many times I have seen Twins' hitters in the majors failing to do this.

All in all, I think that Eduardo Nunez will be an asset for the Twins and part of the solution in the future.

Video: Eduardo Nunez at Bat , Red Wings at IronPigs 4/13/2014

This is not all I have to say about Eduardo Nunez this weekend, but I decided to put it up since I have it now.   The one thing that Nunez impressed me with (and I have to admit that this video is not the best example over the last 3 games I saw - but his only PA I took a video of) is his ability to adjust to pitches, and to make contact.  This is really important in a team like the Twins that has a lot of strikeout prone players.



Eduardo Nunez Red Wings at IronPigs 4/13/2014 .