Recent skid sours Twins' mood at halfway point of season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Twins reached the halfway point of the season Sunday one game over .500, 14 games better than a year ago. Sure doesn't feel like it, they said. That's what a long and lately lousy road trip will do.

"These last eight games have been terrible," second baseman Brian Dozier said after the Twins lost three out of four to both the Red Sox and Royals, concluding, at 5-6, their first losing road trip this year.

"I notice we've had two starts past six innings in the past [18 games]. It takes its toll," manager Paul Molitor said, as does losing lopsided games, as the Twins have done several times this year. "It can be a little bit mentally depleting when you're losing games like that."

Still, 41-40 is a winning record, something unthinkable at this point last year, when the Twins passed the halfway mark at 27-54. And many in the Twins clubhouse, first and foremost the manager, see a postseason opportunity within reach. With a few alterations, perhaps.

"We've got to get better at home if we want to make a run at this," Dozier said of his team's 16-25 mark at Target Field. "We've got to throw the ball better."

With the Twins at home for a week leading into the All-Star break, Molitor said he and his bosses — Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine — have set aside some time to review what's happened so far, and what should happen next.

"Conversations are ongoing between the front office and myself and my coaches about how we want to shape our roster to give us the best chance each day we play," Molitor said. "Throughout the homestand, the plan is to have some meeting time between me and Derek and Thad, kind of a first-half evaluation, to [put on the] table some ideas about how we shape things."

Dominican SS signed

Jelfry Marte, a 16-year-old Dominican shortstop who is ranked among the top five infield prospects on the island, agreed to a contract with the Twins that will pay a bonus of $3 million, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said. Marte, ranked among the top five available international infielders by Baseball America, will undergo a physical and then report to the Twins' new baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.

The bonus eats the majority of the Twins' $5.25 million budget for international players, as allowed by MLB rules, but they are expected to sign as many as 10 others, most if not all Dominicans, in the coming weeks. Players cannot sign until their 16th birthday, and must turn 16 before Sept. 5 to be eligible this year.

Marte "is a true shortstop" who is "a safe bet to stay at the position," according to Baseball America's scouting report. "He's quick and agile, with good body control and range to both sides, along with soft hands and an above-average, accurate arm. … However, many scouts questioned how much impact he will provide at the plate."

The Twins also selected a shortstop, Royce Lewis, with the No. 1 pick in last month's draft; will send shortstop Nick Gordon, their 2014 top pick, to the Futures Game next week; and have an 18-year-old Dominican who signed two years ago, Wander Javier, playing shortstop at rookie-level Elizabethton.

Adrianza to return soon

Infielder Ehire Adrianza, who went 1-for-10 in three rehab games with Class AAA Rochester, will be activated from the disabled list this week, Molitor said, though it's not clear when. "The timing could be a pitching-related decision," Molitor said.