The Twins have made their first trade of the offseason, acquiring a power-hitting outfield prospect in exchange for backup catcher Chris Herrmann.
Daniel Palka, who batted .280 with 29 home runs last season for Class A Visalia, was acquired from Arizona in the deal, the team announced Tuesday. Palka, 24, the Diamondbacks' third-round pick from Georgia Tech in 2013, has 60 home runs and 80 doubles in 315 games at three levels of Arizona's system.
Despite having no experience above Class A, the left-handed hitting Palka was assigned to the Arizona Fall League last month, where he has hit .317 with two home runs in 15 games for Salt River.
Herrmann, 27, was originally drafted in 2009's sixth round as an outfielder, but converted to catcher and appeared in 142 games with the Twins over the past four seasons, batting a cumulative .181 with six home runs. He was the primary backup to catcher Kurt Suzuki last season, starting 32 games behind the plate.
