Zulgad: What are Twins doing? That’s difficult to say at this point
December 23, 2011
Terry Ryan's return as general manager of the Minnesota Twins in early November was met with unanimous approval from a fan base that had decided Bill Smith was the one responsible for the franchise's problems.
Ryan had held the job for the 13 years before Smith took over in 2007 and most seemed to have forgotten it was Ryan who was in charge as the organization stumbled through much of the 1990s.
Instead, Ryan was remembered for being the guy who through development of prospects and crafty deals oversaw the Twins' resurgence that started in 2001 when the team...
AL Central Notes: Cespedes, Darvish, Twins
December 22, 2011
The White Sox agreed to sign John Danks to a five-year, $65MM extension yesterday. MLBTR has you covered if you’re wondering what the deal means for similar pitchers, trade candidates and Danks himself. Here are more details from around the AL Central...
- The White Sox may be “in strong” on Yoenis Cespedes, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. One White Sox person forcefully told Knobler "we are not rebuilding," despite Kenny Williams' statements to the contrary.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski confirmed to James Schmehl of MLive.com that the team didn't submit a bid on Yu Darvish.
- The Twins, who announced a one-year, $3MM deal with Jason Marquis today, likely have $1-2MM remaining for a relief pitcher, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN.
Twins sign veteran right-hander Jason Marquis to one-year, $3M deal
December 22, 2011
The Minnesota Twins have added a starting pitcher.
The team announced on Thursday afternoon that veteran right-hander Jason Marquis has agreed to terms on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Marquis, 33, was 8-6 with a 4.43 earned-run average, 76 strikeouts and 43 walks in 132 innings over 23 starts last season with Washington and Arizona, which acquired him in a trade from the Nationals on July 30.
His season ended on Aug. 16, when he suffered a fractured fibula after being struck with a line drive.
"We're looking for pitching, and Jason fits that...
Twins To Sign Jason Marquis
December 22, 2011
The Twins announced that they have agreed to sign right-handed starter Jason Marquis to a one-year, $3MM contract. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last night that the Twins were nearing a deal with the 33-year-old ACES client.
Marquis made 23 starts for the Nationals and Diamondbacks this past season, finishing the year with a 4.43 ERA in 132 innings. His rate stats (5.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 55.1% ground ball rate) were right in line with his career averages (5.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 50.4% ground ball rate) and his average fastball checked in at 89.3 mph.
Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing and Anthony Swarzak are options for the Twins' rotation in 2012. Liriano may be able to bounce back from an up-and-down 2011 season, but the Twins will need improvement from others as well if their rotation is to become respectable in 2012. Twins starters finished the 2011 season with a 4.64 ERA (26th in MLB) and 5.8 K/9 (28th in MLB) in 961 innings (21st in MLB).
The Mets also had interest in the New York native this offseason. Marquis signed a two-year, $15MM contract with Washington on this date two years ago the last time he was a free agent.
As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, Terry Ryan's first offseason back in the GM's office has been a busy one. The Twins have also signed Matt Capps, Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham this winter. Marquis ranked 45th on MLBTR's list of top free agents this year.
Mackey: Don’t laugh, but healthy Mauer, Morneau vault offense near top
December 22, 2011
OK, fine.
The headline of this column might be slightly misleading, as it's almost impossible to pinpoint exactly what will happen offensively over the course of 162 games.
But by all indications, the Minnesota Twins have put the finishing touches on their offensive acquisitions this offseason by signing Josh Willingham, Jamey Carroll and Ryan Doumit while letting Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel walk.
The pitching staff is still a work in progress. As of Wednesday, the Twins were still looking to add a starting pitcher to the back end of the rotation -- December 21, 2011 The Minnesota Twins need a starting pitcher, and they don't have much money to spend. So it's only fitting that 33-year-old right-hander Jason Marquis would be a candidate for the job. Multiple reports Wednesday night indicated the Twins were in deep discussions with Marquis, who posted a 4.43 ERA and 4.05 FIP in 132 innings with the Diamondbacks and Nationals last season. Marquis owns a career 4.55 ERA and 4.79 FIP with 5.23 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.46... December 21, 2011 The Twins are nearing a deal with free agent starter Jason Marquis, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). ACES represents the 33-year-old right-hander. Marquis made 23 starts for the Nationals and Diamondbacks this past season, finishing the year with a 4.43 ERA in 132 innings. His rate stats (5.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 55.1% ground ball rate) were right in line with his career averages (5.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 50.4% ground ball rate) and his average fastball checked in at 89.3 mph. Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing and Anthony Swarzak are options for the Twins' rotation in 2012. Liriano may be able to bounce back from an up-and-down 2011 season, but the Twins will need improvement from others as well if their rotation is to become respectable in 2012. Twins starters finished the 2011 season with a 4.64 ERA (26th in MLB) and 5.8 K/9 (28th in MLB) in 961 innings (21st in MLB). The Mets also had interest in the New York native this offseason. Marquis signed a two-year, $15MM contract with Washington when he hit free agency after the 2009 season. December 21, 2011 Roy Oswalt is believed to have drawn some interest from the Red Sox, Nationals, Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Rangers and Twins, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. However, Oswalt is waiting for trade candidates such as Gio Gonzalez to be dealt before agreeing to a contract. Interest in the 34-year-old right-hander spiked with yesterday’s news that he’s looking for a one-year deal. However, the Rangers won the bidding for Yu Darvish and already have a full rotation, so their interest in Oswalt may be fading. The Yankees seem to have prioritized others and the Twins may not be able to afford the Bob Garber client. December 20, 2011 The Colorado Rockies officially introduced their new free-agent acquisition, Michael Cuddyer, on Tuesday afternoon. But in order to tie up some loose ends and answer questions that still linger, Cuddyer, a member of the Minnesota Twins organization since 1997, spoke with local reporters on a conference call Tuesday evening. The highlights: - On the overall dynamics of choosing the Rockies First of all, it was extremely tough. Obviously you guys know the relationship that I've had with... December 19, 2011 The Minnesota Twins' veteran free-agent exodus appears complete. Jason Kubel has agreed to terms on a two-year, $15 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, FoxSports.com reported on Monday morning. Per the report, the deal is pending a physical and also includes an option for 2014. Kubel, 29, was one of three longtime Twins whose contracts expired after the season. Now they're all gone, with Michael Cuddyer in Colorado and Joe...
Reports: Twins in discussions with veteran starter Jason Marquis
Twins, Jason Marquis Nearing Deal
Many Teams In On Roy Oswalt; No Deal Close
Michael Cuddyer ‘just as much a part of that 99-loss team as anybody’
Report: Jason Kubel signs with Diamondbacks for 2 years, $15 million
