In Memoriam
February 12, 2010
Was reading Kelly Thesier’s mail bag today and got to thinking about those Twins from last year who are not projected at this time to be with the club.
OF Carlos Gomez: Carlos Gomez was an exciting young center fielder who always had a smile on his face. When he arrived in 2008, he was a welcome sight in the injury prone out field of 2008. His addition along with that of Denard Span in 2008 gave Twins fans a lot to be excited about going into 2009.
Gomez came into the organization and swung the bat well to begin with, but towards the end of the year as pitchers got to know him, his numbers dropped. Unfortunately, Gomez continued to struggle in 2009 and was relegated to being the 8th-9th inning defensive substitution through most of 2009.
Two days after the World Series, the Twins announced that Gomez had been traded to the Brewers in exchange for shortstop JJ Hardy. Any true Gomez fan knows this was a great opportunity for the young out fielder as he will get a chance to be the everyday center fielder with the Brewers organization.
SS Orlando Cabrera: There was a lot of buzz before the 2009 season began about the Twins landing Cabrera. The organization tried to whew the almost 34 year-old shortstop to play with them. Cabrera chose to play with the Oakland Athletics, but late in the season the Twins made another offer to obtain Cabrera to help them close the gap with Detroit.
Picked up late in 2009, Cabrera brought the spark that the Twins needed to catch up to the division leading Tigers. His enthusiasm and presence in the club house was infectious and he is given much of the credit for the Twins winning the AL Central title.
With the off season acquisition of JJ Hardy, the Twins did not have a role for the 35 year-old shortstop and his service were not sought after by the Twins. Cabrera recently signed a contract to play with the Cincinnati Reds.
Mike Redmond
3B Joe Crede: Crede was a gamble that didn’t really payoff for the Twins. Skeptical that he had really resolved previous back issues, the Twins signed the former White Sox to a heavy incentive laden one-year deal. He wasn’t a bust, but he wasn’t a boom either, going .225/.289/.414 with 15 home runs in 367 plate apperances. He was unable to shake the injury bug and underwent his third back surgery in three years just before the end of the season. Crede says he is healthy but still remains an unsigned free agent.
LHP Ron Mahay: Mahay was picked up late August 2009 from the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named later. Mahay pitched a total of 9 innings of relief in 16 games. He racked up 8 SO/3BB and ended the season with a 2.00 ERA. The Twins had expressed interest in re-signing the reliever before the end of the year, but the left-hander remains unsigned.
RHP Bobby Keppel: Who could forget Bobby Keppel’s last game for the Twins. In one of the most thrilling games ever played in baseball, Keppel was called in to relief during extra innings of game 163 against the Tigers. His efforts in that game were rewared as he left the game with his first and so far only Major League win. Keppel requested a release from his contract after the 2009 season to pursue a pitching career in Japan.
Jarrod Washburn retired? Just fire your agent!
February 5, 2010
The Twins made a statement this off-season.
Quickly after the season ended, they announced the trade of Carlos Gomez for Milwaukee Brewer’s second baseman JJ Hardy. As we have mentioned many times, this trade was a win win for both teams and players.
The rest of the year was relatively quiet, but the Twins made another surprise move by offering Carl Pavano arbitration. Pavano and his agents didn’t accept immediately, but after checking the market, Pavano agreed to arbitration.
The Twins were on a roll, shedding the frugal small market team label. Next on the list for the organization and fans alike was a third baseman. The Twins put out feelers and at one time a rumored trade of Glen Perkins to San Diego and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff looked to be the path to filling some holes. But the deal never materialized as reports that San Diego wanted more exchange then the Twins were willing to part with.
After that the Twins seemed content going forward with their current options at third base with Brendan Harris, Matt Tolbert and Nick Punto. Bill Smith even went as far to say that if they felt the time was right, they would bring up Danny Valencia from triple A Rochester.
The Twins looked to shift their focus to pitching. Jarrod Washburn made it known to the media that he was very interested in returning home to the Wisconsin area and both the Twins and the Brewers were both interested in landing the powerful lefty. The Twins reported went so far as to offer the 35 year-old a $5MM one-year deal.
Now regardless if you think it was a fair amount, it was obvious that Jarrod Washburn was not truly interested in coming back home to play. Shortly after Washburn and his agent Scott Boras rejected the offer, Washburn was fielding offers for teams like the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and even the New York Mets.
Jarrod Washburn
Washburn and Boras were not able to negotiate anything to their likings so now Washburn is rumored to be contemplating retiring if he doesn’t get the right offer from the right team.
Thank your agent for that Mr. Washburn.
Now that the Twins have sealed the deal with Orlando Hudson and the club is excited with the off season work of Francisco Liriano, there doesn’t seem to be much interest from the club.
Right now your value to most major league clubs is not even worth a $5MM one-year contract. Your stint in Detroit was not stellar ending the year there with a 7.33 ERA. The Twins might be willing to offer $2MM-$3MM with some incentives, but that would be a gift.
If you really want to play, do yourself a favor and drop Scott Boras and pick up an agent like Ron Shapiro. Sure you might not make as much money, but you will be in a better place.
Should Twins fans start to panic?
January 15, 2010
The off-season started off strongly for the Twins who picked up JJ Hardy for Carlos Gomez in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The trade was good for both players as it will give them a chance to play in 2010 and not ride the pine.
The Twins followed that up by offering arbitration to Carlos Pavano and after talking it over with his agent, Pavano agreed to accept arbitration.
Since early December, the Twins have quietly did little. Shortly after after Pavano accepted arbitration, the Twins announced that Boof Bonser was designated for assignment. He was quickly picked up by Boston Red Sox a few days later.
Then the rumors started to fly about the Twins trying to shore up the hot corner and the Twins seemed interested in the likes of Adrian Beltre, Mark DeRosa. Adrian Beltre and Mark DeRosa seemed like long shots as they were reportedly asking for more then the Twins were willing to spend. Beltre has since signed a 1-year $9MM deal with the Boston Red Sox and Mark DeRosa signed a 2-year $12MM deal with the San Francisco Giants. Both deals were made after the new year 2010.
Then the Twins started talking about how good Francisco Liriano has looked this off season with his fastball in the mid 90′s and his slider being nasty as ever. A few days later there were rumors that Seattle and the Twins were discussing a trade, with Liriano going to Seattle for Jose Lopez. That would be another great trade for both teams, but nothing seems to have developed after the rumor was first reported.
It was also leaked before the end of the year that the San Diego Padres were interested in pitcher Glen Perkins and dangled out Kevin Kouzmanoff as possible trade bait. The reports are that the Padres were looking for a little more then Perkins for the powerful third baseman , but the Twins wouldn’t budge. Today it was reported that the Oakland Athletics have reached an agreement with the Padres to acquire third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.
The top third base free agent prospects are gone and the one good fit for the Twins (Kevin Kouzmanoff) looks to be going north with another Padre minor leaguer for Aaron Cunningham and Scott Hairston. Unless the Padres were asking for Delmon Young, Denard Span or Michael Cuddyer, the Twins should have pulled the trigger on a Perkins-Kouzmanoff trade.
Most recently, it was reported that the Twins made an offer to Jarrod Washburn, but after confirming the offer, it was reported that Washburn declined the $5MM 1 year offer.
The Twins have also seen a bevy of minor league players exodus to Japan to play ball in 2010.
So as the 2010 pre-season rolls around in seven weeks, the early promise the Twins back office showed to Twins fans has dwindled to a trickle. The club’s options at third base continue to dwindle and there are reports now that the Orioles are taking a serious look at Joe Crede who many felt would be the emergency plan B option if the Twins were unable to sign a free agent or trade for a quality man for the hot corner.
And to top everything off, it is the middle of January and there is still no word on the Joe Mauer signing. This shouldn’t bother most people as Mauer’s agent is notorious for keeping negotiations out of the media, but it makes some Twins fans worried that Mauer is holding out on signing as he is waiting to see if the Twins are serious about competing next year and in the future.
As it stands at this point in the year, most of the “good” options for third base are gone (waiting for the better deal as the Twins often do, means often getting nothing). Currently Crede is still available, but the Orioles are looking at both Hank Blalock and Crede. Two other options would be Miguel Tejada and Felipe Lopez.
- Hank Blalock can explode offensively with the bat, but has some questions about his health. He has has problems the past few years and the Rangers ended up moving him from 3rd to 1st last year to avoid shoulder injury.
- Joe Crede did what he was expected last year, but many were hoping for the return of a healthier Crede who would return back to the form he had in 2006. Crede struggled most the season with injuries and left the team at the end of the year for yet another back surgery.
- Miguel Tejada has surprisingly remained on the market. If reports are correct, his asking price could be the number one reason. The other reason is that his offensive production seems to have been reduced in the post-steroid era.
- Felipe Lopez has the offense, but defensively he struggles. Lopez tied for the major league lead in errors by a second baseman in 2009.
Where do we go from here? Should Twins fans start to panic now? Well, probably not right now, but as the month of January slips away and the options for a solid third baseman with a bat and the options for good veteran pitching dwindling, we might need to wipe the sweat off our brows.
SIGN A VETERAN PITCHER
The Twins have the luxury of having six good young pitchers, all of which have been in the starting rotation in the last year. The bullpen is expected to get a shot in the arm with the addition of Pat Neshek and the recent signing of Clay Condrey to replace Bob Keppel. If the Twins could add another veteran pitcher for the starting rotation, it could allow for the Twins to pursue the trade of Liriano and Lopez further.
SIGN A QUALITY 3RD BASEMAN
Given the list of remaining players, there are not as many “good” options as there were in December. If the Twins think that Danny Valencia is the future at third, then they need to spend the money on a one or two year deal for someone that will bring results. A good defensive third baseman that can give you 20 or more home runs a year would be perfect until Valencia is ready.
SIGN JOE MAUER BEFORE THE END OF FEBRURARY
It is likely Joe Muaer is doing the same thing we are… waiting to see what the Twins do to improve the club. The theory is that Joe Mauer doesn’t want to play the rest of his career in Minnesota if they are not competitive and who can blame him. If the season were to start today, it is unlikely the Twins could win a series with either the Yankees or the Red Sox without improved pitching or the continued success of the offense. The Twins exploded in 2009 and the core group of that power (Morneau, Mauer, Cuddyer and Kubel) will all be back in 2010. But the Twins need to have better starting pitching and could use the extra insurance of a third baseman or second baseman that could add another 20 home runs. If the Twins do either or more preferably both, the Twins will not only get Joe Mauer, but might be willing to give the Twins a hometown discount of a 10-year $180MM deal.
Options at the ‘Hot Corner’
December 9, 2009
With Carl Pavano agreeing to arbitration, the Twins should turn their attention to shoring up some holes in the infield, mainly either at third base or second base. It is safe to assume that Nick Punto will fill either role that is left unfilled. Also, for reasons probably due to service time, the Twins don’t want to push Danny Valencia, the heir-apparent third baseman of the future, up to the majors too early. Here are a few realistic options that have been tossed around this offseason.
Adrian Beltre
Beltre is one of the higher sought after third basemen on the free agent market this season. The Seattle Mariners offered arbitration, however, Beltre declined to test the free agent market. The amount of teams trying to acquire Beltre, though, will more than likely drive up his asking price. This, along with Valencia potentially waiting in the wings, could lead to the Twins to pass on pursuing Beltre for third, even though he probably is the best option out there.
Pedro Feliz
Feliz is an aging third basemen but still has a good glove and some power, which would fit nicely for what the Twins would need. Feliz spent most of his career with the San Francisco Giants before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. The Phillies declined picking up his option for a third season and have already appeared to replace him with Placido Polanco. The Twins have been rumored to be interested in Feliz although reports state that they haven’t contacted his agent yet. A one-year deal for his services at third could be a decent, and inexpensive, option.
Kevin Kouzmanoff
The San Diego Padres have been rumored to have been shopping around their third baseman and reports say that the Twins offered Glen Perkins in exchange but the Padres declined the trade wanting a little more than that. Kouzmanoff would be a decent pickup for the club but would fit better in a long term role. Again, with Valencia close to being ready it wouldn’t make sense to trade for Kouzmanoff, unless it was to get rid of a few extra expendable players such as Perkins.
Mark DeRosa
It was reported today that the Twins had talks with DeRosa’s agent about coming to Minnesota. DeRosa is getting up there in age, which is perfect to take over the duties at third for a short time period. DeRosa is also versatile and could make a move to second base if Valencia is called up or can even fill in one of the outfield positions if needed. DeRosa doesn’t have the power that Beltre, Feliz or Kouzmanoff have, but he is a consistent hitter that could be an asset to the Twins. Although he will be 35 before the start of next season, DeRosa would fit probably better than the previous three third basemen on the list.
Joe Crede
If worse comes to worse, Joe Crede could be a viable option if he is still on the market. Crede fit in well with the team and seemed to be made of the same mold when he was healthy. His history of back problems, though, will make him a tough sell to any team unless he is given another incentive based contract. The Twins move outdoors next year and his back may hold up longer on a natural surface instead of the field turf, which could give the Twins enough time to finish developing Valencia in Triple-A. Crede doesn’t hit for average, but he can hit for power and would also give the Twins another pinch hit option off the bench.
Out of all of the aforementioned options, I would like to see DeRosa join the club the most with Feliz and Crede behind him. Kouzmanoff would be a good addition, but he would be more of a long-term option. As good of a player Beltre is, I doubt the Twins could afford to sign him to a contract.
Outside of that, another option could possibly be Garrett Atkins, who will more than likely not be non-tendered this weekend. Either that or the unsightly platoon of Nick Punto/Matt Tolbert/Brendan Harris at third until Valencia is brought up. Here’s to hoping the Twins make a move and spare us from that sight.
Why Joe Mauer will stay in Minnesota
December 4, 2009
With the season over and baseball taking a backburner to football, basketball and hockey, many Twins fans are interested in what the direction of the Twins will take for the upcoming season. Despite the country mile hole at third base, the need for a shut down starter, and the fact that they have three second basemen, all of who are the same talent-wise, most of us are more concerned about the future of Joe Mauer in a Minnesota uniform. If you are a die hard Twins fan like myself, nothing makes me want to go on shooting spree more than the thought or sight of Joe in a Yankee uniform. But I am here to tell you that day is not going to happen. Joe Mauer is going to resign with the Twins and I’m going to tell you why!
There are several reasons why Joe will sign with Minnesota but let’s start with a few obvious ones shall we. First of all, Joe Mauer was born and raised in St Paul. That makes him a Minnesotan by birth. So he is playing in the state that is near and dear to him. Loyalty above all else except honesty. He was already a legend in the state long before he even was drafted by the Twins in 01 draft. At Cretin-Durham High School he was all-state in baseball four times, twice in basketball, and was the National Player of the Year in football his senior year. He chose the Twins over a full ride scholarship to play football for Bobby Bowden at Florida State. He chose to sign with the Twins, loyalty above all else except honesty. Secondly, Joe has been quoted saying that playing in front of his grandparents as one of the “highlights of his career”. He has that opportunity 81 times a year right here in the great state of Minnesota. He owns a home outside of the Twin Cities where he told Sports Illustrated, that he still mows his own grass and enjoys doing that on a day off. To Joe Mauer, his family is his home, and his home is Minnesota.
Anyone who knows anything about the Minnesota Twins know that they are a club that rewards loyalty. Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek were both offered more lucrative contracts by other teams to sign with them. Each time, Twins management would step up and sign them for similar money. After his MVP season of 06, Justin Morneau was rewarded with a 6 year 80 million dollar contract extension. Both Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire were promoted to manager of the Twins after years of instructing and coaching in the Minor Leagues. I only mention this because on October 21, Joe’s older brother Jake was named the Manager of the Fort Myers Miracle, a Class A advanced team in the Minnesota Twins farm system. So not only is his family in Minnesota, but his older brother and hero, Jake, is now a manager in the Twins organization. And again I mention the word Loyalty!
Let’s not also ignore the fact that the Twins have a really good young team. There is an advantage to being on a team that can fly under the radar. Although that may be tougher with a former MVP hitting clean up, and the current MVP hitting in front of him. The Twins have alot to look forward to with the talent they have on the roster. Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, and Jason Kubel are coming of great productive seasons. Delmon Young seems to be over the hump and is clear to play everyday with the trade for JJ Hardy. Four starting pitchers, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn and Brian Deunsing under the age of 30.And in Joe Nathan, one of the three best closers in the game. Not to mention a healthy Justin Morneau back, who just happens to be Joe Mauer’s best friend. Loyalty. Joe has mentioned that he wants to be in a place where he can win. That place is right here in Minnesota.
My last point on this issue lies with Ron Shapiro. He is the man who has been the agent for Joe Mauer since he was drafted eight years ago. Ron Shapiro has ties to Minnesota as he was the agent for Twins great Kirby Puckett. Ron Shapiro isnt one of those agents that has hundreds of clients. He runs a small operation with his client list looking like a who is who of professional baseball. Aside from Joe and Kirby Puckett, he also has represented Cal Ripken Jr, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Murray, Sean Casey, and Raul Ibanez. Now when I look at that list a couple things jump out to me. One, he has a thing with representing Oriole players. But the second point is one who have to look deeper at. He represented and negotiated contracts for 4 players that played all of their careers with one team. Now with Murray, Casey and Ibanez, they are all modern day players where people switch teams like underwear. Robinson, Palmer, and Ripken all played 20 plus years with one team. Kirby would have played forever with the Twins had glaucoma not shortened his career. Shapiro is noted to be one of the most well respected agents in sports, and has written a book titled, “The Power Of Nice: How To Negotiate So Everyone Wins- Especially you!”. To me he seems like the perfect agent to represent Joe, because he isn’t driven by money, much like Joe, and he will stand up to the players union reps when they try to pinch him to sign with someone else for a ridiculous amount of money.
So in a round about way that is why Joe Mauer will sign with the Twins. Baseball may be a business, but it is still a game. It is the game that still motivates Joe to be the best, not money. Money may make some people rich, but is loyalty that will keep Joe Mauer in Minnesota for the next decade.
Don’t forget the infield
November 13, 2009
The Twins started the off season making a bold move with the trade of Carlos Gomez for JJ Hardy.
The trade made so much sense for several reasons. The Twins need a good hitting defensive short stop, Hardy is friends with Joe Mauer, it gives Denard Span a chance to stay in one position, and Gomez gets to go to a team where he can start.
“You can observe a lot just by watching.” -Yogi Berra
The trade also helps focus a light on some issues the Twins have going into 2010.
Orlando Cabrera
Ron Gardenhire has expressed to the media that he would like to re-sign Cabrera and move him to second base. He would then move Nick Punto to third base.
Picking up Orlando Cabrera late last year was not my favorite move, but it ended up proving to be a good one for the Twins. I am willing to take my lumps and admit that without his presence in the line up, that the Twins would have had a much harder time taking the Central Division Championship. That doesn’t mean he should get a blank check for 2010.
Orlando Cabrera moving to second is the only place on the field he still has a chance to be successful defensively. The type A free agent is unable to play short stop with his aging 35 year old body. Last season he had to overcome a slow start with the bat. After moving to Minnesota from the Oakland Athletics, Cabrera picked himself up on offense, but his numbers are still those of a below average short stop.
Gardenhire sees Cabrera hitting in the two hole in 2010, but Cabrera has struggled in his career to get on base, as his .322 career on-base percentage .
Unless Cabrera comes with an extremely small price tag, the Twins should politely decline re-signing him and look to either keep Punto at second or upgrade.
Joe Crede
Crede offers another option at third if he can be signed to another contract that incentive based like this years. The 31 year old third baseman could hold onto the 3rd base position long enough for Triple A prospect Danny Valencia is ready. The problem is he has a back injury that keeps reoccurring. Crede is a gamble, but one that can pay off with his power at the plate and good defense. 2010 will get Crede off the hard concrete of the Metrodome and onto the dirt and grass of Target Field, which could also help keep his back healthy.
Options at 2nd
The Twins already have about $80 million in salary tied up for next year and that is without any new signings. The dream list of infielders would include players like Chone Figgins from LAA, Adrian Beltre from Seattle, Placido Polanco from Detroit, and Orlando Hudson from LA.
The fact is that we are talking about the Minnesota Twins, and I highly doubt that they will sign any Type A free agent at this juncture. So just who might the Twins sign as a free agent and or trade for?
My short list of affordable “Twin Friendly” players are as follows.
Felipe Lopez: Turning 30 in 2010, Lopez could be very attractive considering he hit .310 last year with a .383 OBP, 88 runs, nine homers and 57 RBIs. Lopez split his time between Arizona and Milwaukee last year. Lopez had an OPS of .855 as a Brewer in the second half of the year.
Jamey Carrol: The Cleveland second basemen could be a good pick up. His numbers are consistently good and his OBP has been over .360 for the last seven years.
Luis Castillo: Rumored to be on the trading block as part of a three player deal going to Chicago for Milton Bradley. This trade is a long shot, but means the Mets are willing to deal him. Castillo hit .302 last year and had an OBP of .387. Castillo was traded to save $2 million on the roster and the pickup of catcher Drew Butera and OF Dustin Martin are just making there way to Triple A Rochester this last year.
Adam Kennedy: Had a big-time resurgence after being traded to Oakland. The 34 year old Kennedy hit .289 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs in 529 at-bats in 2009, the most at-bats he’s had since 2000. He’s a solid defender at second base and has tried third base where he struggled a bit in the field while trying out for the first time in his career.
I knowing pitching needs to come first at this point, but there is an opportunity for the Twins to look at shoring up the infield this year. There are several options and at this time the worse case scenario is Punto at second base and Harris at third base, leaving the Twins without a legit bat in the two spot of the line up.
Dissecting the Gomez/Hardy Trade
November 7, 2009
Carlos Gomez’s career has seen tremendous highs and lows in his two years with the Minnesota Twins. Many will remember Gomez popping up after scoring the winning run in the tiebreaker against the Detroit Tigers. Just as many will also remember his base running blunder that cost a run in Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
Those two moments, which happened four days apart for each other, really sums up the time Gomez spent with the Twins. Gomez, a highly talented centerfielder with an amazing amount of speed, has all of the potential in the world but is still rough around the edges and is prone to making mistakes.
With that said, I was still surprised when I found out that Gomez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for shortstop J.J. Hardy.
Hardy was on my personal short list of potential shortstops to look at before possibly resigning Orlando Cabrera. I thought Hardy, along with Marco Scutaro, would both fit well in the Twins organization. Since the Brewers are in need of pitching, I figured Hardy would be a prime target ever since his playing time has diminished due to the emergence of Alcides Escobar.
Both Gomez and Hardy had seen their playing time drop in 2009 due to falling on the depth chart, however, with all things considered, the trade is great for both teams. They are both young, talented, players that should be playing everyday. With Hardy coming to the Twins and Gomez going to the Brewers, both teams are turning bench players into everyday starters.
What was the most surprising over the trade was on how quickly it was done. The trade happened just a day and a half removed from the final game of the World Series. With free agency looming and Orlando Cabrera being eligible, it was necessary for the Twins to act fast and explore other options before possibly looking at Cabrera once again.
Cabrera provided a huge spark for the Twins midway through the season and instilled a winning attitude and a veteran presence to the young team. With the Twins acquiring Hardy, Cabrera’s time with the team should all but be over. The next question is, will Nick Punto be shifted over to second base or will the Twins be looking to fill a player to fill that role as well?
Since his time in the General Manager role for the Twins, Bill Smith has been heavily criticized for his trades and acquisitions. For all of the bad moves he has made, one has to give him credit for his work over the past four months by picking up Orlando Cabrera, Carl Pavano, Jon Rauch, and now J.J. Hardy.
It is yet to be seen, but picking up Hardy may just be Smith’s best move yet.
J.J. Hardy
The Twins traded for a young, defensive shortstop who is just a year removed from an All Star season in 2008. Hardy is a career .262 hitter with 75 home runs, 265 RBIs and a .428 slugging percentage. Hardy is also only 27 years old and could hold on to the shortstop position for a while. He isn’t eligible for free agency until 2011.
Carlos Gomez
The Brewers got a 5-tool player who hasn’t quite lived up to his potential. Gomez has an extraordinary amount of energy and speed, which translates well when he is patrolling center field. Gomez is one of the better defensive outfielders in the game today and will get better with regular playing time and coaching. At the age of 23, Gomez is a career .246 hitter with 12 home runs, 99 RBIs and 59 stolen bases.
A busy November
November 6, 2009
The Twins organization will definitely be busy in the next few weeks. At least one would think they would be.
The organization has until Monday to decide whether they will pick up right fielder Michael Cuddyer’s $10.5 million option for 2011 or exercise a $1 million buyout.
Twins GM Bill Smith
The Twins front office also has an exclusive negotiating window through November 19 with pending free agents Orlando Cabrera, Joe Crede, Ron Mahay, Carl Pavano and Mike Redmond. Crede, Mahay and Redmond have already filed for free agency.
Again, the JJ Hardy Twin likely means Orlando Cabrera is no longer a priority and many are skeptical that the Twins will re-sign Mike Redmond (even Redmond is doubtful but optimistic).
This means the Twins can focus on Crede, Mahay and Pavano before the November 19 deadline.
Questions still loom about Crede and minor league third base prospect Danny Valencia. Crede has continued to struggle with back injuries and although he gave Minnesota what they were looking for with his solid defense and occassional power, his health will remain a detractor. Valencia has been considered the number one prospect out of Rochester, but never got the nod last year and their are many who feel he is still not ready for the big leagues.
Mahay was picked up in late August and the left-handed reliever went 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 16 relief appearances (nine innings). At 38 years of age, it is hard to know if the how bad the Twins want him in the bullpen. The Twins right now have Joe Nathan, Matt Guerrier, Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares, Jesse Crain, Bobby Keppel and Armando Gabino. Francisco Liriano has likely moved his way to the bullpen as well. Barring further injury one would expect Pat Neshek and Boof Bonser back next year as well. If the Twins are looking to sign another starting pitcher this off season such as Carl Pavano, the bullpen should be shored up well with Liriano moving there and Neshek and Bonser back.
Carl Pavano was another great late season pick up. After signing with the Indians last off season for a one-year, $1.5 million contract, he saw his numbers jump after joining the Twins. It is very unlikely that he will sign for so low this next year simply because he avoided the injury bug for a full year. Signing Pavano will depend on what the market demands for him. If his stock goes up considerably and he is being offered $6 million a year, look for the Twins to pass on him and focus on some of the other pitchers Rich Harden, Erik Bedard, or Ben Sheets.
Rich Harden is in his late 20′s and is the Cubs top free-agent, but he has a history of shoulder problems and would come with a big price tag of around $7 million a year.
Erik Bedard will be 31 and is the type of strike out pitcher the Twins so desperately need. Erik Bedard will likely command about a $6 million a year contract.
Ben Sheets will also be 31 this season and is another overpowering strike out pitcher. He recently had elbow surgery to repair the torn flexor tendon. His salary could be as low as $7 million a year or as much as $10 million.
The Twins seem to have started the off season with a great head start, trading for Hardy. The infield is not solidified yet, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. These moves also clear up some early questions about the ball clubs infield and outfield as well as letting the organization focus on pitching issues.
ALDS Game 2: Text Messages
October 9, 2009
Throughout the course of the regular season, the two writers of Twins Digest, Andrew Alba and Jason Graening, have shared their in-game thoughts with one another via text messages.
With the Twins making it to the postseason, emotions were high as the Twins traveled to New York to face the Yankees. As Game 2 of the ALDS progressed, the two fans went through a bevy of emotions over the span of three hours.
The following is the series text messages (edited for content) sent between Andrew and Jason as they watched a two run lead turn into a one run defeat at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
After five innings
AA 6:37 PM: As usual, Blackburn pitching well only to have the bats fail to score RISP!
JG 6:38 PM: What else would you expect?
Top of the eighth
AA 7:55 PM: RISP with Punto up. Queue sadtrombone.com
JG 7:56 PM: Now batting, number 8, rally killer… Nick Punto!
AA 7:58 PM: Have never enjoyed being wrong so much! (Nick Punto’s RBI single)
JG 7:58 PM: No kidding.
JG 8:02 PM: That ball was fisted for an RBI. (Denard Span RBI single)
AA 8:03 PM: I am sick of that term on TBS!
Bottom of the eighth
AA 8:07 PM: What I wouldn’t give to have Matty go 1-2-3.
AA 8:11 PM: Yes! Now it is up to Nathan!
Top of the ninth
AA 8:14 PM: Nathan’s going to have his work cut out for him in the 9th… Tex,A-Rod and Matsui.
AA 8:17 PM: Kubel needs to get back to the dome. He is horrible @ Yankee stadium. (After Jason Kubel’s fourth strike out of the game)
Bottom of the ninth
AA 8:29 PM: Nathan looks rattled already.
AA 8:32 PM: What do you do? Can’t beat the F**KING Yankees! (After Nathan gave up 2-run homer to Alex Rodriguez to tie the game)
Top of the tenth
AA 8:40 PM: What are our odds now in extra innings? I can handle Wednesday’s loss, but this one will sting for a while!
JG 8:41 PM: Nathan is on my s**t list.
AA 8:42 PM: He has been on mine since the end of August.
AA 8:45 PM: Gardenhire better not even put Nathan in with the Yankees again. His numbers are horrible.
JG 8:46 PM: I hope Span fists one over first base.
AA 8:46 PM: lol
AA 8:47 PM: I hope Gardenhire fists Nathan in the 10th.
AA 8:51 PM: Please get a hit Orlando Cabrera! (Two on, two out in which Cabrera would hit a fly ball to right field to end the inning)
Bottom of the tenth
AA 9:03 PM: Who’s team is he on? (Nathan’s failed pick off attempt at second base)
AA 9:07 PM: Crain has a good pick off move & should have come in.
Top of the eleventh
AA 9:10 PM: Twins are killing me! I wish they could just win or lose!
AA 9:20 PM: Nice they can have an extra umpire right there to MISS the call. (Joe Mauer’s ground rule double ruled a foul ball)
AA 9:23 PM: Bull s**t Delmon Young.
AA 9:24 PM: Bull s**t Gomez.
That was the final text message of the night as the Twins had just left the bases loaded in the top of the eleventh. Shortly after, the Yankees would win Game 2 in dramatic fashion with a walk off home run from Mark Teixeria. It was the fourth walk off win the Yankees had over the Twins this season in New York.
Could Gardenhire use more patience?
October 8, 2009
Yogi Berra is credited for saying “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” Perhaps we here tend to be too mental.
It is easy for most of us arm chair managers to sit and criticize managers and players, so after watching yesterdays game, it was decided that some time to cool off would be in order before remarking on manager Ron Gardenhire’s decision during yesterdays game.
Watching some of the Twins post game shows, it appeared most analyst were making an argument that his decision was the right one. What decision is that? The decision to remove Duensing from the game in the 5th inning.
Duensing pitched well and if you look at the ball placement of the hits he did give up, he was working the plate like a veteran.
Here is a reap:
In the first inning gave up a hit to Derek Jetter on a pitch that was kept low and inside.
In the third inning Melky Cabrera took a low outside pitch and ended up with a single on what would have likely been a ball. Derek Jetter then took a belt high inside slider on the yard to tie the game.
In the fourth inning, Jorge Posada took a 4-seam fastball that was in the upper inner corner and drove it to short right field for a hit. Two batters later Nick Swisher took low slider (good pitch except Swisher likes them) and drove it down the third base line to score a run.
In the fifth his only mistake was to let Jetter walk. He followed the walk up with two outs and was abruptly replaced by Fransico Lirano after 4.2 innings. Of course as anyone who watched the game knows, Lirano gave up a two run home run to the very next batter.
Duensing had 79 pitches in 4.2 innings with 59 of them being strikes and 3 strike outs. The only walk he had was to Jetter who already had two hits in the game. So why did Gardenhire take Duensing out?
Watching the post game they showed a graphic that showed the Yankees were 2-9 during the first trip through the order and then 4-9 during the second trip. What they didn’t say is that of the four hits during the second trip, only one was off of a ball left up. All the other pitches were on the corners or out of the strike zone.
Earlier in the year, some arm chair coaches were wondering if Gardenhire wasn’t leaving his pitchers in too long. Perhaps Gardenhire was worried about leaving his rookie out there too long or perhaps he saw something in Duensing that we couldn’t see on the television, but either way, the decision to remove Duensing stings a bit. We will have to see how Gardenhire manages his pitchers for the rest of the series as he has made some poor choices in the recent week in the opinion of many arm chair managers out there.
