Tsuyoshi Nishioka Reassigned to Triple-A

The Minnesota Twins assigned Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Triple-A Rochester on Monday. The Twins hope the struggling infielder can find a groove, build some confidence and relax a little in the minor leagues.

Nishioka was hitting .240 in nine games this spring. After a difficult first season with the Twins, Nishioka has looked no more comfortable at the plate or in the field this spring training season.

Nishioka was a five-time All-Star, a batting champion and Gold Glove winner in Japan.

The move will shore up Luke Hughes' shot to make the team.

Minnesota Twins Homestand

The Minnesota Twins have the talent - Mauer, Morneau, Thome, Kubel, Cuddyer, Young, Valencia, Span, Nishioka, etc. We know the 7-12 record is not an indication of what they are capable of. A lot of people will say it's the starting pitching or perhaps the new bullpen. Right now, the offense needs to swing the bats better. Let's just say the Twins have more to be desired in the offensive statistics categories and they will need to do more with the bats. The pitching has not gotten a lot of run support and that is part of the issue. We are 30th in runs scored and that stat must improve. Let's get after it on this homestand.

Minnesota Twins Split With Baltimore Orioles

The Minnesota Twins split a 4 game series with the Baltimore Orioles this week at Camden Yards. The Twins took the opener and the closing game, sandwiched in between were two victories by the Birds. So, after 19 games the Twins sit at 7-12. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka have been out of the lineup at times, making it a little harder on the manager without his regulars. After an 8 game roadtrip, the Twins will now have a 6 game homestand. They will host the Cleveland Indians for 3 and the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays for 3. The Indians are 13-6 and lead the AL Central. This series is a nice time to gain some ground.

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Tsuyoshi Nishioka Breaks His Leg

Tsuyoshi Nishioka broke his leg yesterday while playing against the New York Yankees. As if we didn't already have a curse against them and bad luck, our second basemen now has a broken leg. There is no time table yet, but one can think it will be at least 6 weeks, maybe longer. His leg broke on a play that Nick Swisher was attempting to disrupt a double play. It really wasn't anything dirty, just a play that clipped Nishi's leg and landed on it awkwardly. Here's to hoping for a fast recovery. In the meantime, welcome Luke Hughes.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka Has Large Following in Spring Training

The Minnesota Twins have a new infielder this season. Many of us have no idea what to expect from this new infielder. Tsuyoshi Nishioka joins the Minnesota Twins and will platoon the middle infield with Alexi Casilla. One thing we know: Nishioka has a great bat, potentially. I say potentially because he hit .346 in the Japanese League last season, but I'm a tad skeptical because the MLB is the best baseball league in the world and to expect those numbers would be Ichiro like. He has speed. He has 3 Gold Gloves to his name.

Nishioka also has quite the following in Spring Training. Several of the media reporters down in Fort Myers covering the Twins have written various articles discussing how Nishioka is pretty much a superstar in his native land. He's got a translator for him and 20-30 cameramen following his journey. I, for one, am very excited to see this talented player. Can the season start already?

Spring Training Underway

The Minnesota Twins have started 2011 Spring Training. Well, kind of at least. Pitchers and catchers have reported to Fort Myers, Florida. While there are a good amount of players already there, not all position players have to report yet. The first Spring Training game is set for February 27th against the Boston Red Sox. I bet the weather is fairly warmer there than up here. It sounds like Tsuyoshi Nishioka has quite the following down there already. Check out the Minnesota Twins Schedule before the 2011 season starts!

Minnesota Twins Payroll for 2011

The new payroll is expected to be at about $115 million in the 2011-2012 season.
After topping out around $101 million last season, a franchise high, general manager Bill Smith is shattering that mark with the most expensive team in Twins history with a payroll likely to tip $115 million. They cleared up $10.1 million in letting Hardy and Hudson go, where Alexi Casilla and Tsuyoshi Nishioka will make $3.85 million. The bulk of the payroll comes from the fact that he has 15 players under contract worth a guaranteed $89.89 million. I approve of Mr. Smith's moves this offseason.

"Yoshi" is Officially a Twin

Tsuyoshi Nishioka is officially a Minnesota Twin. We got him for 3 years, $9 million. He hit .346 last season with 22 steals and 206 hits. I am excited to see this guy play and hope he can bring his ability to hit and run with the Minnesota Twins. Welcome aboard, Yoshi.

JJ Hardy Traded to the Baltimore Orioles

Shortstop JJ Hardy was traded from the Minnesota Twins to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. The official trade was J.J. Hardy, Brendan Harris and cash to the Orioles for Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson. Hoey and Jacobson are two minor league relief pitchers. The theory behind the trade most likely indicates that the Twins did not value Hardy. That means Tsuyoshi Nishioka will be playing either shortstop or second base and Alexi Casilla at the other position. Hardy did not have a lot of speed, was hurt often, and really did not make that much of an impact to me. Good luck in Baltimore JJ.

Winter Meetings Begin

Over the next four days, the MLB's Winter Meetings will take place. All of the general managers of the MLB meet together in Florida and negotiate with eachother. For the Minnesota Twins there are several hot topics. Will we sign Tsuyoshi Nishioka over the winter meetings? His agent apparently is meeting with Twins GM Billy Smith. If we sign Nishioka, will we deal JJ Hardy? Apparently there are abot 6 teams interested in JJ Hardy's services. Also, will we look for another starting or relief pitcher? Maybe even dare I say, Zach Grienke? Stay tuned.

Minnesota Twins Secure Rights to Tsuyoshi Nishioka

The Minnesota Twins have won the right to negotiate with 26-year-old infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka on a major league contract. Apparently the sum to earn the right to negotiate with the Japanese star costed around $5 million. Nishioka led Japan's Pacific League with a .346 batting average this season and had 206 hits, becoming the first Pacific League player to get 200 hits since Ichiro Suzuki. He led the Marines to this year's Japan Series championship. The Twins have 30 days to work out a deal with Nishioka. He could play either shortstop or 2nd base.