Casilla on the comeback trail

Alexi Casilla will give his sore thumb a test tonight at Class A Beloit. The second baseman has been one of the nicest surprises this season solidfying the starting 2B role making great plays in the field and being a terrific table setter at the top of the order for Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, and Young. Casilla's breakout year consists of a .313 average with 39 RBIs and a .351 OBP.

Some may argue the Twins have been fine with all their middle infield depth, but in my opinion the loss of Casilla has hurt. This injury has allowed Nick Punto to play nearly everyday and even bat second in the order. With Casilla expected to rejoin the team on the 14-game roadtrip starting midweek Punto better be ready to fight for some playing time.

Getting Casilla back will hopefully provide a little boost as the Twins begin a grueling roadtrip. I believe Punto, Adam Everett, and Brendan Harris should be platooning at shortstop with Punto and Harris giving rookie Brian Buscher a break every few days at thirdbase. Now if we can just get Pat Neshek back to help our bullpen!!!

The Twins pulled off the sweep of the Mariners this weekend and now get to play another struggling AL West team. Tonight at the dome, Nick Blackburn faces off against Oakland's All-Star Justin Duscherer.

Second Base

As we move across the infield more questions open up for the Twins lineup. After Mauer and Morneau, the starting second baseman for 2008 is a little more uncertain. The candidates for this 2008 campaign include the veteran Nick Punto, the youngster Alexi Casilla, and the newcomer Brendan Harris.

Each player offers their own combination of strengths and weaknesses. Punto is the veteran and has always been a favorite of manager Ron Gardenhire because of his intense approach to the game. Punto brings the best glove of the trio but also the worst bat. Last year, Punto severely struggled batting only .210 with 1 homerun and 25 RBIs.

Casilla has the most potential of the bunch but also needs the most work. The 23-year old hit .222 in 189 at bats last year and at the end of the season was basically handed the starting 2B role. However, he faltered having defensive issues as well as the Twins questioning his motivation and work ethic. The speedster did steal 11 bases in 12 attempts.

The newcomer Harris was brought over in the November trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. Besides the swap of P Matt Garza for OF Delmon Young, the Twins and Rays swapped infielders Jason Bartlett for Brendan Harris. The 27-year old Harris had a solid season last year for the Rays batting .286 with 12 HRs and 59 RBIs in 137. Harris brings the strongest bat of the bunch which is a plus for the Twins weak offense. His glove is average at best, but Harris can play 2B, 3B, and SS which he played last year in Tampa.

I believe on Opening Day, Gardenhire will pencil in Brendan Harris at 2B. I believe the Twins will need Harris' strong bat and because the Twins are going defensive at SS with newcomer Adam Everett (who does not hit well) the Twins will want a little more pop in their infield. Punto will certainly make the team and can be a back up at three positions. He will also offer a veteran presence to a young team and a spark off the bench. My guess is that Casilla may very well be the second baseman by the end of the season, but the Twins feel like he is still rough around the edges and they will want him to play everyday. Thus, Alexi will be starting at AAA Rochester this spring.

I think Harris will be the man, but anyone can win or lose this position battle during Spring Training. So only time will tell.

YOUR OPINION: Who do you want to see as the starting 2B on March 31 in the Metrodome? Check out the poll.

The Star Tribune offers 10 Questions the Twins must answer this spring training.

Curious move as Twins sign Everett

About 30 minutes ago the Twins announced their signing of free agent SS Adam Everett. Everett became expendable from the Houston Astros lineup as they acquired SS Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade.

This signing is very peculiar to me. The terms of deal have not yet been released and I'm sure Everett comes at a bargain cost. To his credit he is one of the best defensive shortstops in the Major Leagues; however, I would call Everett a poor hitter (and that is being kind). Last year, Everett hit .232 with 2 homeruns and 15 RBIs in an injury shortened season that limited to 66 games. He is career .248 hitter with only 35 lifetime homeruns and 214 RBIs.

Clearly, we know the Twins value defensive skills and it is true that Everett will be a defensive upgrade over Bartlett who is a good defensive player himself. The Twins now have four infielders in Everett, Nick Punto, Alexi Casilla, and Brendan Harris who can play 2B, SS, and 3B. It will be unknown which player will field which position until the end of spring training in March. Each player has either a defensive, offensive, or baserunning strength coupled with a significant weakness. I would like to think that Twins will still go out and acquire a thirdbaseman who can defend, but more importantly, can hit.

Here's a link to the Everett news.

Let me know how you feel about Adam Everett? I'm off to watch the Mitchell report!