Friday Thoughts

Here are my thoughts for Friday, October 24:

• Bill James, a pioneer in statistical analysis and a baseball mastermind, ranked the Minnesota Twins #1 in terms of youth talent within the organization. Certainly an item of note! James ranked Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, Justin Morneau, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Carlos Gomez, Nick Blackburn, Jason Kubel, Denard Span, and Glen Perkins in the top 150 young players. "The average team has five players in the top 150; the Twins have 10," James said.


• In an announcement that is close to home for me, the Twins announced that Daktronics Inc., based out of my hometown Brookings, SD, will construct the new scorebard for Target Field set to open in 2010. The board will be the 4th biggest in Major League Baseball. You got to love the idea of a 101 x 57 foot HDTV!


• Matt Garza gets the start in game 3 of the World Series. He's looked great during these playoffs, but I feel that for every great game he pitches on the national stage Bill Smith and Twins fans feel more and more compelled to trade Delmon Young. I admit being a fan of the Cain rumors, you can read my comments below on Brett's post, but you got to have a short term memory as a general manager and as a fan. Because don't get me started on David Ortiz!


• The Seattle Mariners announced their new GM, Jack Zuduriencik, who is known for his great drafts and scouting success. In this article, Rob Neyer, uses the Minnesota Twins as a great example of what the Mariners could be with a new approach. In contrast to the Seattle organization Neyer says, "What happens if you take the Twins' scouting success and add $40 million to the budget?" Good question Rob??? I do think this new rebuilding, youth emphasis in Seattle may make it easier for the Twins to pry Adrian Beltre out of Seattle.

A Crowded Outfield

As the postseason truly begins to heat up and the bitter tie breaker loss to the Chicago White Sox slowly cools off, it's time to start my favorite part of the season... the offseason!

This is the time where rumors fly, speculation lifts, and we fire up what has now become known as the Hot Stove! How is ESPN so powerful that it can just make up terms for certain times of year in the sports calendar???

It is my favorite time because I get to live out my teenage, well and current dream, of being the Twins General Manager. The time where we get to tell Bill Smith everything we think he should do and then criticize everything he does after it is complete. Now I've already heard lots of Twins rumors and have read many different names already been tossed around, but I want to start with something we know. The Twins have a crowded outfield!

Between Carlos Gomez, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, and Jason Kubel the Twins do not have enough at bats. There are four positions (LF,CF,RF,DH) and five players who all make the case to be everyday players. Part of me thinks they should just keep all five guys for depth, injury possibility, and if anyone struggles, but then I think of our holes as shortstop and thirdbase and how maybe one of these outfielders could be the piece to move to fill our own puzzle.

I know the initial idea is to simply move Michael Cuddyer back to thirdbase and we kill two birds with one stone. Figuratively, Cuddy being one stone and crowded outfield and thirdbase vacancy being two birds! But I think the Twins organization has been quite clear of their desire not to do this and I think it is definitely one of those easier said then done circumstances.

I feel confident in saying that the Twins will not move Carlos Gomez or Denard Span. Gomez was the centerpiece of the Johan Santana deal and despite some ugly moments in 2008, his defense and speed alone are enough to keep him on. Span became a huge spark plug that showed incredible leadoff hitter potential, web gem defense, and good speed on the bases. Although, based on Span erratic Minor League track record I think now is the best time ever to trade this kid, but alas I think both of these guys will be in Fort Myers come next February.

I really don't want to waste my time proving while Jason Kubel should not be traded. So I'm not going to. I hope the Twins would not make a foolish move like this and so I'm just going to tell myself they won't. So that leaves us with Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer.

Both have reasons to stay and to leave. Young was the centerpiece of the Matt Garza deal and it would appear as giving up early if we moved him in a deal. The second year player struggled in the first half but came alive in the second half of the year to post decent numbers at best, but showed more hints of a potentially great hitter. Yet Young often appeared as if he didn't care too much and I've read rumors he "didn't fit in" too well in the Minnesota clubhouse which is the nice way to say no one really likes him.

Michael Cuddyer's 2008 campaign was nothing short of a bust due to injury. He played in just 71 games and hit .249 with 36 RBIs. Cuddyer have a great arm in rightfield and is certainly one of the faces of this team. He plays the game hard and is a good guy, but we all know nice guys finish last. On many plays made by Span this season I thought to myself, "Self, there is no way Cuddyer would have made that play!" Plus, we all know Cuddy hit .284 with 24 HRs and 109 RBIs in 2006, but we all should know that he's never since come close to that!

It will be difficult to move Cuddyer with two remaining years on his 3-year $24 million deal plus his value is way down after missing so much time. I don't really want to move Delmon and see him go hit .300/20/100 for some other club, but he clearly would bring more value in return. Only time will tell. You know who I think is the odd man out... but who do you think should be moved in this crowded situation?

Thoughts from a Fellow Fan

Here is another installment of "Thoughts from a Fellow Fan," Taylor speaks his mind on the hot Minnesota Twins...

It certainly has been awhile since my last blog from mid June, but in that blog I said that the Twins season would be full of ups and downs because of the pitching. This statement was both right and wrong for me in that I was right in saying the Twins would be up and down, for after the blog the Twins started struggling for a bit and then absolutely have been on fire as of late. But then I was terribly wrong as somehow this group of no-namers to many MLB junkies have came in night in and night out and been unbelievably consistent. So in what has been a very exciting time for "Twins Nation" since my last post I thought I would reflect on why the Twins have become red hot.

1. Pitching - As I reference earlier, the Twins supposed biggest weakness coming into the season, has now become the Twins biggest strength. The young studs of Baker, Blackburn, Slowey, and Perkins now have Twins fans asking the question Johan who? At the beginning of the season I was encouraged with mediocre stars such as 6IP and maybe 4 earned runs. Now those type of starts are viewed as huge disappointments in my mind. The bullpen has stayed also stayed strong, even though they lost their 8th inning specialist in Neshak early in the season. But in usual Twins fashion the Twins bring up more then capable bullpen pitchers year in and year out, this year those guys being Brian Bass and Craig Breslow. Then there is Joe Nathan. Enough said.

2. Piranhas no more - I hated the piranhas. This may not be a popular comment, but I despised of the term used by Ozzie Guillen about Punto, Tyner, and Bartlett, or whomever else batted in the bottom of the Twins order, in reference to their lack of power and used in stead infield hits and bunt singles to get on base. Well much to my pleasure the guys now filling this void, Casilla, Span, and Punto have emerged as more of a complete MLB hitter. Sure they all have speed, but they also are capable of hitting the ball hard and far. Casilla now has two hit streaks of over 13 games since being called up, and has hit 4 home runs in the short amount of time he has been in the big leagues. Span just added more depth the the already loaded outfield for the Twins, and he seems to just keep getting hits nightly. Then as much as it pains me to say, Punto has shown his inner A-Rod by hitting .360 with a homerun and 6 RBI's in June. The ability of these guys to come in and drive in the Morneau's, Kubel's, and Young's has been very important to the Twins.

3. Delmon Young - Peter Gammons said Sunday on Baseball Tonight that the key for the Twins in this incredible run has been none other then Delmon Young. Delmon has raised his average to near .300 during this win streak, and has provided many clutch hits along the way. Yes he may be first pitch happy, and when I say happy I mean he swings at the first pitch 99 percent of the time, but somehow he has finally turned it on and has been an integral piece in this marvelous stretch for the Twins.

On the campaign trail

The Twins faltered in the finale in Milwaukee, but still were able to pick up a series win taking 2 of 3 from the Brewers. With the Colorado Rockies handing the White Sox two losses the Twins reduced their deficit to 4.5 games; however, the Twins are still two games under .500 and only one game ahead of the Indians and a game and a half ahead of the Detroit Tigers. After a day off today, the Twins head home to the dome for six game homestand that included three games against the Washington Nationals and three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. I'm excited for the Diamondbacks series, but lets hope the Twins can first sweep the Nationals starting tomorrow.

Speaking of Washington D.C. and politics, two Twins are making their case to start in the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium next month. As catcher Joe Mauer has seen his batting average rise, his All-Star votes also rise. Mauer now trails Boston catcher Jason Varitek by just 41,000 votes. Mauer clearly deserves the starting nod over the old Red Sox catcher, but it's always tough to pass the big media markets of the Yankees and Red Sox.

Justin Morneau also sits in second place for AL 1st baseman trailing another Sox member, Kevin Youkilis, by nearly 300,000 votes. Certainly a hefty amount of votes, but Morneau has enough time to make up this difference. The reason I dedicate today's post to this topic, well... the Twins are now offering a chance to win four lower club tickets and a ball autographed by both Mauer and Morneau if you cast your votes for the two Twin stars. If you have 10 minutes to waste, you're eligible to vote up to 25 times so let's get our stars in the starting lineup on July 15th.

VOTE HERE!

Interesting thing to look for in the National/Twins series, the Young brothers - Dimitri and Delmon - take the field together for their first time in a regular season game.

I have internet!

Long story short, I have internet access, I'm moved into Minneapolis, and I'm ready to start blogging again!

In honor of this big day, I'm headed to the day game today against Baltimore. Scott Baker (2-0) returns from the DL to make his start against Baltimore's Garrett Olson (4-1).

The Twins remain just 1.5 games behing the AL Central leading White Sox. The Twins are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are really playing solid baseball. Each day it seems like a new hitter steps up and has a big day. The other night Delmon Young had 3 doubles and 3 RBIs and its been great to see Joe Mauer hit 2 homeruns this week including 1 last night that went with his 3RBIs. I know Mauer doesn't hit for power and I'm ok with that as long as he hits above .300 but it's still very nice to see a little pop from his bat. I'm still waiting for Delmon to hit his first homerun of the year. I certainly haven't been thrilled with Young's play not only at the plate, but even in the field. But I haven't given up on him yet and there is a lot of season left to play.

Let's hope the Twins can win the series this afternoon and finish this homestand above .500 at 4-3 before they hit the road for an 11- game roadtrip.

DRAFT NEWS

The 2008 MLB First Year Player Draft commences this afternoon. The Twins have three selections in the first round including the 14th, 27th, and 31st picks. The 27th and 31st picks are supplemental picks from the loss of Torii Hunter to free agency. Look for coverage of the new Twins tomorrow!

Off Day and an Amazing Catch

Twins off tonight after they completed a 2-4 West Coast roadtrip to Oakland and Texas. The trip saw Francisco Liriano hit an ultimate low showing no command and being sent down to minor leagues, a offense stymied by Oakland's pitching scoring only 5 runs in three games, a surprise offensive burst of 12 runs in Texas to claim a victory, Michael Cuddyer hit his first homerun of the season in his first game back from the DL, and of course the return of Livan Hernandez to earth as he was roughed up by the Rangers.

All in all, not a great road trip, but the Twins remain at 11-14 and are right in the pack of a crowded AL Central through the first month of the season.

THINGS I NEED TO SEE

- With the return of Cuddyer, Ron Gardenhire has decided to move Delmon Young down in the order. This should put less pressure on Young who seems to be pressing at the plate, but I need to see him start hitting! He has no homeruns and only 8 RBIs.

- We knew the rotation would have some question marks this year, but we thought our bullpen would be very solid. Gardenhire can't be afraid to use Joe Nathan in non-save situations and the rest of the bullpen (excluding Dennys Reyes) needs to step up.

- As figured with a young club, the Twins seem to score 1 run one night and 9 runs the next night. I need to see some more offensive consistency. With Cuddyer healthy, hopefully the Twins can settle into a set batting order.

I'll be in Minneapolis tomorrow evening for the opening game of the 2 game series against the White Sox. This will be my first game since opening day, so hopefully I will see the THINGS I NEED TO SEE.

Until then, see this... an amazing catch made from college baseball that was the #1 play of the week on Sportscenter!

Delmon and the Sages

A hilarious new ad (the third released of the season) features new Twin Delmon Young showcasing his acting skills. Also, the hitting sages Tony Olivia, Harmon Killebrew, and Rod Carew, see if you can guess who makes a cameo in his hunting hat and gear.

Leftfield

After another trip kept me away from the internet, I am back and ready to finish the team preview and prepare for the upcoming season. With only 20 days left until the season opener, there is a lot to talk about and a lot that still needs to happen for the 2008 Twins.

Thankfully, the leftfield position which has been a question mark ever since Shannon Stewart left is now a certainty. Newcomer, Delmon Young, will be manning the leftfield wall with his cannon arm and immense amount of potential.

In his rookie season, Young hit .288 with 13 HRs, 93 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, and finished 2nd in the AL Rookie of the Year award to Boston's Dustin Pedroia. Young who is incredibly young, only 22, comes to the Twins as a former #1 overall pick (the Twins now have two on the roster with Young and Joe Mauer) with loads of potential and a tarnished reputation. Known mainly for his infamous bat throwing incident at AAA Durham which cost him 50 games, Young is believed to be a bad boy across MLB but the Twins say he has since cleaned up his act and has shown nothing but maturity and hard work during Spring Training.

I believe Delmon has the capability this year to hit .300 with 20 HRs, knock in 100 RBIs and steal 20 bases. This is obviously a big year, but Young's ability is too good and in his second year in the Majors it is fair to predict bigger and better things. However, without putting too much pressure on the 22-year old, the Twins need Young to have this type of a season. Young was acquired to fill the void left by veteran Torii Hunter and although those are big shoes to fill, I believe he can do it.

I'm excited to watch Young this year and I hope to see him become a mainstay and a star in the Twins lineup for the next 10 years. I'm confident that Young has moved on from his troubled past and I think the Twins clubhouse will be a positive place for him and will give him the opportunity to start over.

SPRING TRAINING NEWS

Looks like new pitcher Livan Hernandez will be starting the season opener. One word: Yikes! I sure hope this visual does not describe the Twins 2008 season.

The centerfield battle is still in full swing but may have lost one competitor. Manager Ron Gardenhire hinted that the starting role is now between speedster Carlos Gomez and Denard Span.

FANTASY ZONE

Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez represent the two Twins in camp with the most potential as well as the most question marks. ESPN Fantasy Baseball looks at these two young stars from a fantasy perspective.

Rightfield

The Twins rightfield job will belong to Michael Cuddyer in 2008. As of this winter, Twins fans can know that they will be able to watch Cuddyer for at least another 3-years.

Cuddyer's new 3-year deal will provide some stability to a young Twins roster in the lineup and in the dugout. Over the past two years Cuddyer has solidified himself as a consistent contributor for the Twins. In 2007, he hit .276 with 16 HRs and 81 RBIs in 144 games. It was a solid season for Cuddyer, but like every other player on the Twins roster '07 was a dip from Michael's '06 campaign when he hit .284 with 24 HRs and 109 RBIs. This year with a young lineup the Twins are going to need Cuddyer to match those '06 numbers or even improve on them.

Cuddyer brings a great arm in rightfield 19 outfield assists in '07. Manager Ron Gardenhire confirmed yesterday at Spring Training that Cuddyer will remain the rightfielder in 2008 and newcomer Delmon Young will fill the vacancy in left field. It does remain to be seen where Cuddyer will bat in the lineup. Gardenhire also stated on Sunday that he wants to have his MVP Justin Morneau bat in the cleanup spot at No. 4. "Gardy" hinted at the possibility of Joe Mauer batting in the No. 2 spot because of his high on-base percentage. That will leave the No. 3 and No. 5 spot to be filled in by the likes of Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young. I believe Gardenhire would put Cuddyer in the No. 3 spot, but if it were up to me and Young develops a little more patience at the plate I would put Young as the third hitter.

All of these questions will be answered in the following weeks as practices conclude and Spring Training games begin. One thing is for certain, Michael Cuddyer is an important part of this team and the Twins will need him to hit, field, and lead in 2008.

For proof of Cuddyer already taking a leadership role, check out the new T-shirts Cuddy had made for the team on Saturday.

Garza Out, Young In

As mentioned, the first domino has fallen, and it couldn't be a more clear sign that more are yet to fall.

Yes Twins fans, in what was a move that us Twins fans are not used to after old GM Terry Ryan's reign of standing pat and sticking to the plan, the Twins completed a 6-player deal with the Tampa Bay Rays today that I guess could be described as a blockbuster.

THE DEAL

Twins trade: P, Matt Garza/SS, Jason Bartlett/P, Eduardo Morlan

Twins receive: OF, Delmon Young/SS, Brendan Harris/OF Jason Pridie




THE REVIEW

My initial reaction... I like the deal!

I like the Twins being in the headlines, I like the excitement, but let's analyze the deal a bit closer. The main component is Young for Garza. In Garza, the Twins lose a POTENTIAL stud and I emphasize potential. Garza has nasty stuff, great minor league numbers, and rocketed through the Twins minor leagues. BUT... he is a young pitcher who could blow out his arm, become the next "sure thing" like former Twins No. 1 pick Adam Johnson who lasted no more than 9 games in the majors, or simply become a solid No. 3 starter.

I like the deal because I truly think Young WILL be a stud. Former No.1 overall pick in 2003 and younger brother of Nationals' 1B Dimitri Young, Delmon Young is a 22-year old 5 tool player and future All-Star. In his first full season, where the durable Young played in all 162 games, Young batted .288 with 13 homeruns and 93 RBI's. Certainly, no All-Star numbers, but for 10 years younger and roughly 1/15 the cost, I'd say just fine numbers to replace Torii Hunter. With those numbers Young actually was the runner-up in the American League Rookie of the Year award.

Known most for his infamous 50-game suspension due to tossing his bat at an umpire during his stint in Triple-A, Young has some questions about his make-up but was an 18-year old No. 1 pick with lots of money and is believed to have grown up. Plus, Garza has had his own run-ins with Manager Ron Gardenhire. My only knock on Young is his plate discipline. Last year, Young walked only 26 times while striking out 127. Hopefully, his maturation as a hitter along with the coaching and emphasis on patient hitting from the Twins will serve Young well.

The second facet of the deal is the swapping of shortstops. The Twins surprisingly swap 28-year old starting SS, Jason Bartlett, for 27-year old SS, Brendan Harris. In Bartlett, you have a very solid defensive player with great speed and an adequate bat. In Harris, you have a bat with a little more pop and some power potential, but an average at best defensive player with average speed. This part of the deal is a clear sign to me of more trades to come. I would be shocked to see Harris as the Twins opening day shortstop, but he could be a great backup middle infielder or split some time with Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla at 2B and possibly 3B. Maybe trading Bartlett opens a spot for Jose Reyes in a Santana deal....maybe?

The 3rd and final part of the deal is the one receiving the most criticism from Twins fans. The original deal would have sent Twins pitcher Juan Rincon, which would have gotten his $4 million salary of the books and eliminated the concern over some arm troubles he has had. However, those arm concerns seemed great enough to the Rays that the Twins were forced to add minor league reliever, 21-year old Eduardo Morlan. Rincon is clearly a bigger name, but my research shows that Morlan is regarded as a stud prospect and could have been a potential replacement for Joe Nathan in the future. I don't know a lot about Morlan, but this a part of a deal that you can look back in 5 years and say Eduardo who? or... why did we ever get rid of that guy!?!?

No matter your feelings on the deal, it is a big and bold move for new GM Bill Smith and in my opinion, I can't get over the thought of a middle of the order consisting of Mauer, Young, Morneau, and Cuddyer!

La Velle E. Neal III, gives his thoughts with a glimpse of what is next to come.

Rob Neyer of ESPN asks, so who won?

I'd love to hear how you feel about the deal? Good/Bad/Ugly?