Right-hander Manuel Antonio (Montas) Hernandez did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system for most of 1989. He was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic, and signed with Houston as a free agent in 1978. He was very young, of course, and as a result he was in rookie ball for two years and Class A for three more. He pitched well in every year except 1982. He jumped to AAA Tucson in 1984 and stayed there most of the next five seasons, getting some cups of coffee in Houston in 1986 and 1987. His numbers in AAA were neither good nor terrible, but he never really seemed to improve while he was there. He made fifteen appearances with the Astros, seven of them starts, and went 2-7, 4.56 in 49.1 innings. He became a free agent after the 1988 season and signed with Minnesota for 1989. He did all right in Portland, going 9-8, 3.91 with a 1.15 WHIP. He was sold to the Mets on August 1 and got back to the majors for one inning, retiring all three batters he faced. That was his swan song in the majors. He remained in the Mets’ organization in 1990, split 1991 between the Mets and Brewers organization, and then his playing career was over. At last report, Manny Hernandez was living in Ocala, Florida.
Right-hander Samuel Isaac Dyson appeared in twelve games for the Twins in 2019. Born and raised in Tampa, he attended the University of South Carolina and was drafted by Toronto in the fourth round in 2010. He had Tommy John surgery, so he did not make his professional debut until 2012. He pitched well in AA and even made two appearances in the majors in July. He was waived after the season, however, and was claimed by Miami. He did well in a 2013 season split between AA and AAA, started 2014 in AAA, came to majors in mid-June and stayed there ever since. He was a starter in 2013, the only season of his professional career in which he started. He did well for the Marlins, but was traded to Texas at the July deadline in 2015. He continued to pitch well through 2016, but got off to a very poor start in 2017 and was traded to San Francisco. He pitched much better and was a solid reliever for the Giants through the July trade deadline in 2019. At that point, he was traded to Minnesota for Prelander Berroa, Kai-Wei Teng, and Jaylin Davis. It seemed like a good idea, but unfortunately for the Twins, he was injured and they didn't know that. After a couple of disastrous games he went on the disabled list, and he pitched better after that. He became a free agent after the season and did not sign with anyone for 2020. He was suspended for all of the 2021 season for violations of MLB's domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. He signed with Tijuana in the Mexican League for 2022, for whom he is pitching well As a Twin he was 1-0, 7.15, 1.77 WHIP in 11.1 innings (12 games). It seems very unlikely that he will make it back to the major leagues, but I suppose you never know.
Outfielder Keon Darell Broxton has not played for the Twins yet, but is currently in their minor league system. Born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, he attended Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida, and was drafted by Arizona in the third round in 2009. He reached AA in 2013, but was unimpressive at the plate and was sold to Pittsburgh prior to the 2014 season. He batted very well in AA, had a decent half-season at AAA in 2015, and got a September call-up that year. He was traded to Milwaukee before the 2016 season. He went back-and-forth between AAA and the majors through 2018, although he played almost a full season in the majors in 2017. He played good defense but did not hit, and was traded to the Mets prior to the 2019 season. The Mets sent him to Baltimore in late May, and he was selected off waivers by Baltimore in late July. It was his first full major league season, but he again did not hit for any of those teams and became a free agent after the season. Milwaukee signed him back for 2020, but he never made it past the alternate site and was again a free agent after the season. The Twins signed him for 2021 and sent him to AAA St. Paul where, predictably, he did not hit. The Twins released him in mid-August, and he finished out the season in AAA for Milwaukee. He is playing for Monclova in the Mexican League in 2022. He turns thirty-two today. In over a thousand plate appearances he has a line of .209/.297/.388, so it seems safe to say that he's never going to hit. He can play defense, however, and he can also steal some bases. In the old days, he'd have been a valuable man as a pinch-runner/defensive replacement. In the present days, however, it seems very unlikely that we will see Keon Broxton in the major leagues again.
Right-handed reliever Emilio Enrique Pagan came to the Twins in 2022. He was born in Simpsonville, South Carolina, the second major leaguer to come from that town (Red Barbary, 1943). He went to high school in Greenville, South Carolina, attended Belmont Abbey College and Gardner-Webb University, and was drafted by Seattle in the tenth round in 2013. He pitched very well throughout his minor league career, reaching AAA in 2016 and making his major league debut with the Mariners in May of 2017. He spent roughly half the season in the majors that year and has pretty much remained in the majors ever since. He was traded to Oakland for 2018, was traded to Tampa Bay for 2019, was traded to San Diego for 2020, and was traded to Minnesota with Chris Paddack and a player to be named later (Brayan Medina) for Taylor Rogers, Brent Rooker, and cash. Through his major league career he has posted very low WHIPs but somewhat high ERAs. He strikes out a lot of guys and doesn't walk that many, but has tended to give up home runs. So far for the Twins he has posted a low ERA and a high WHIP, due to walking seven batters in 6.2 innings. He has not had control problems in the past, so we're willing to attribute this to the vagaries of small sample size. He turns thirty-two today, and should be an important part of the Twins' bullpen this season.
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