Transactions -- I wish...

If you follow the Twins Minor League teams at all, I'm sure there are some moves you're hoping are made soon. I'm going to start at the top and move down the ranks with all the moves I'd like to see.

First of all, Nick Punto and Scott Baker will be coming off the DL soon. The team will then need to free up two roster spots. Obviously, I think INF Matt Macri's stay with the team will be short, so there is one spot. The other move I would like to see is designating Juan Rincon for assignment. The bullpen needs to be shaken up. The Twins would then have 10 days to trade Rincon or release him. Either way, that is a transaction I wish I would read in the paper.

Moving down in the organization, you would notice that AAA Rochester is not getting much help from the Twins. The Twins have left the cupboard pretty empty down there and haven't given the Red Wings much help from within the organizaion. (They signed light-hitting SS Sergio Santos and called up light-hitting 2B Felix Molina from AA.) They have left their best AA players in New Britain.

First of all, I would release guys that aren't going to ever help the Twins.

• 1B/DH Randy Ruiz (.253, 53/7 SO/K ratio, 3 HR, 30 years old) is supposed to be their power guy, he's been junk.
• UTIL Chris Basak (.237) is 29-years-old. When is he going to help?
• SS Sergio Santos is younger (24) but is batting .202. Not exactly deserving of a major-league job.
• P Heath Totten has been ok and has made some decent spot-starts, but at 29, he's not going to be a difference-maker either.
• You might be familar with 1B/OF Garrett Jones. He's batting .184. 'Nuff said!

This would open 5 spots in Rochester. And they have an open spot already. Macri would take one spot and Denard Span would take a spot when he returns. That leaves 4 spots. I'll give you 3 names that need to be moved up from New Britain.

• 1B Brock Peterson would take Ruiz's spot. Peterson is 24 and has some power (15 HR in AA last year, 4 this year). This move would only seem logical.
• 3B/UTIL Luke Hughes has been the best hitter in the Twins organization this year. With 10 HR and a .348 average, what else is left to prove? He has been mentioned as a major-league call-up, but I think it would serve him best to get some time in AAA.
• SS Trevor Plouffe has re-emerged on major prospect lists. The youngest player on the AA roster (by almost a year) has been hitting .283 and (from what I've read) playing pretty good defense.

Obviously making these moves would leave New Britain very light in the infield. Erik Lis would make the switch from the OF to 1B. And, luckily, there are two infielders (and a pitcher) ready to make the move to AA.

• 3B Danny Valencia is batting .346 with 23 extra base hits.
• 2B Brian Dinkleman is batting .316 with 18 extra base hits.
• P Jeff Manship is 5-2 with a WHIP of 1.25.

With 3 spots open in Ft. Myers, some guys will be heading south from Beloit. OF Ben Revere (.408) is most deserving of a promotion, but he won't be getting the call. The following three guys make sense, based not only on their stats, but also their age and experience.

• 2B Steven Singleton is batting .333.
• 3B Garrett Olson is batting .267 in his second year at Beloit.
• RP Loek Van Mil has a 2.01 ERA in 22 innings with a WHIP slightly over 1.

These opens the door for 3 more guys to come up from EST.

• SS Esartlin De Los Santos - Chris Cates could slide to second for the Snappers.
• 1B Rene Leveret - Chris Parmelee can move back to the OF.
• P Danny Rondon - Was a closer last year, could help in the bullpen.

I think as we approach the middle of June, some of these things will happen. I'm just hoping Smith and Rantz make these calls sooner rather than later.