The Minnesota Twins entered the season with low expectations, but will exit the All-Star break just a game and a half out of first place in the American League Central. With a legitimate shot at the post-season the Twins must be considered buyers as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. As such, I've taken a look at some of the Twins best options to improve on offense and on the mound, both internally and externally...

OFFENSE

The Twins biggest need right now is someone who can provide legitimate power for a lineup that ranks at the bottom of the American League in total home runs. The team is near the top in most other offensive categories, but is in dire need of a home run hitter given the power outages of Justin Morneau, Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer.

External Options

Adrian Beltre – 3B – Seattle Mariners

-The Mariners are looking to distance themselves from the Bill Bavasi Era and should be looking to restock their recently depleted farm system in any trade. The Twins could provide the Mariners need while bringing in a Gold Glove third baseman with the potential to hit 20-25 HRs and provide the right-handed power-bat the Twins expected Michael Cuddyer and/or Delmon Young to be between the left-handed duo of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. The upside is that the Twins would control Beltre through 2009 at a reasonably $13.4 million which is roughly what Torii Hunter was making prior to his exodus.

Dallas McPherson – 3B/1B – Florida Marlins

-The Florida Marlins are in a playoff race of their own in the NL East and are currently looking for a veteran catcher to handle their staff and provide some offense now that Matt Treanor has hit the DL. As much as it would hurt to lose Mike Redmond, the potential return of McPherson—who is hitting .296/.403/.674 with 32 HRs and 71 RBI in 300 at-bats at AAA—would probably help the healing process.

Hank Blalock – 3B/1B – Texas Rangers

-Blalock has been injured for much of the previous two seasons, but—when healthy—he has shown glimpses of returning to the player he was from 2003 to 2005 when he made two All-Star teams and hit 86 home runs to go with 192 runs batted in. His lefty bat doesn’t fit the exact need the Twins’ current need, but if he is healthy down the stretch, his bat can help carry an offense.

Richie Sexson – 1B/DH – Free Agent

-Another product of the Bavasi Era who can be had for a prorated portion of the league minimum. In theory, Sexson will probably be gobbled up by the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers or Angels as soon as he clears waivers and won’t even be an issue for the Twins. However, Sexson amounts to the ultimate gamble. After-all it was just two years ago that he crushed 34 homers and 107 runs batted in. It is possible that a change of scenery could rejuvenate the beleaguered slugger. His career .261 average is right on par with Jason Kubel the left-handed portion of the Twins’ DH-platoon, but is roughly 50 points higher than Craig Monroe and his right-handed portion of the platoon. In fact, Sexson is hitting .344 against lefties this season…call me crazy but for a prorated portion of the league minimum that’s not a bad investment.

Barry Bonds – DH – Free Agent

-I know, I know…this is the part where the booing and hissing begins, but let’s be honest there isn’t a better hitter on the market. Bonds led all of baseball in OBP last season and jacked 28 homers in just 340 at-bats. He hits righties, he hits lefties, he just flat-out hits. Throw in the fact that he is willing to play for the league minimum and is focused on winning a championship and this seems like the move to make. Throw in the fact that he is only 65 hits away from 3,000 and there is the chance for him to make history in a Twins uniform while helping the team make and excel in the playoffs.

Internal Options

Michael Cuddyer

-If Cuddyer can get healthy and return to the lineup he could be a large catalyst for the Twins offense down the stretch. Cuddyer is a streaky player, offensively, but provides great defense in right field and is a leader in the clubhouse. A healthy return from Cuddy could propel the Twins offense and allow more options at DH and in the OF with Denard Span proving he belongs on the major league roster.

Delmon Young

-It’s not that Young isn’t producing; in fact, he’s had a fine first season in Minnesota thus far. What’s lacking, however, has been his power stroke. Young has legitimate 25-30 home run power and although he is still growing into that power should probably have more than three. Young is set to have a huge second-half and could provide the big bat the Twins are in need of without costing the Twins a thing.

PITCHING

The Twins aren’t generally one to dabble in the pitching market because of the team’s depth at the position. As such, the Twins are far more likely to make an internal move to bolster both the starting rotation and the bullpen.

Internal Options

Francisco Liriano

-“The Franchise” has been absolutely dominate as of late in Triple-A. Liriano is 7-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his last eight starts and has thrown 21.1 consecutive scoreless innings. Apparently he has returned to his old three-quarters arm angle and has regained his power and control. Needless to say, if the Twins can gain the Liriano of 2006 for the stretch run, the balance of power in the AL Central has shifted.

Bobby Korecky

-Korecky, a minor league veteran of seven years, could serve in a role that the Twins desperately need to fill, the role of eighth inning set-up man. Since Pat Neshek hit the DL, the Twins have struggled to find a dominant set-up man for Joe Nathan and Ron Gardenhire’s policy of using Nathan only in the ninth inning has cost the Twins a handful of games already. Since being promoted to Rochester last season, Korecky has tallied 47 saves, 114 K and 3.57 ERA.

There’s an old adage in sports that championships are won on the field, not on paper and that’s why they play the games.

On paper the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians figured to battle one another all-season long for supremacy of the American League Central. The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals were both expected to improve over dismal showings in 2007 and battle for the moniker of “third-best team in baseball’s best division.”

And then there was the Minnesota Twins, left for dead by most “experts” following a tumultuous off-season that began with the resignation of longtime General Manager Terry Ryan and saw the team lose the face of the franchise in Gold Glove centerfielder, Torii Hunter when he signed a big-money deal to take his highlight reel defense and streaky offense to Hollywood as the second marquee centerfielder acquired in two years by the Angels.

Reliable innings-eater Carlos Silva, channeling Steve Miller, decided to take the money and run when the Seattle Mariners came calling with an ill-conceived four-year, $48 million offer under the assumption that adding the sinkerballer would put the Ms over the top.

Then there was the Johan Santana debacle. Throughout the entire off-season everyone questioned whether the Twins would trade arguably the best pitcher in the game or try to sign him long-term. The answer was both. The Twins made numerous contract offers only to be rebuffed by Santana who was more than content to play out his final season with the Twins and test the waters of free agency.

In lieu of watching Santana walk away for nothing more than two compensatory draft picks, the Twins fielded offers from various suitors only to learn that no one wanted to pony up the price the Twins were asking. In the end Santana became the highest paid pitcher in baseball as a New York Met and the Twins gained a package of prospects that was largely panned by those same experts who predicted a last place finish for the Twins.

That was all before Opening Day. Since Opening Day, things haven’t worked out exactly how they were predicted on paper and that, my friends, is why they play the games.

As we enter the All-Star break, the Twins are nipping at the pale heels of the White Sox for the division lead. The “mighty” Indians have already packed it in by jettisoning team ace, CC Sabathia, to Milwaukee for a package of prospects and letting beleaguered sluggers Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner marinate on the DL instead of rushing back to the lost cause that is the Indians defense of the AL Central crown.

The Tigers who entered the season with what was deemed “the greatest offensive team of all-time” have largely underachieved and are hovering at .500 with just an outside chance of contending. The Royals, are—well—the Royals. They’ve got talent, but they’re underachieving and will have to fight and claw to stay out of the AL Central cellar for a fifth straight season.

There are still 67 games left to be played in this surprising 2008 season and sure the Twins could fall in the second half and both the Tigers and Indians could reverse their fortunes, but even if that is the case, the first 95 games of this magical season have shown us exactly why they play the games. Here’s to hoping the Twins can keep proving everyone wrong…on the field and, now, on paper (or at least pixels) too.

Today is Major League Baseball’s draft, unfortunately the most unheralded of all the professional drafts. There are numerous reasons why this is the case, such as:

• Due to the lack of televised games, college and high school baseball players are far less familiar to the sporting public than players eligible to be drafted in the NBA and the NFL.
• Although the same is true of all drafts, all too often a player who goes in the first-round of the MLB draft is never seen or heard from again.
• Due to the minor league system in baseball, draftees almost never have any sort of immediate impact, thus limiting the number of Rays fans running out to by Tim Beckham jerseys today.

Despite those glaring facts and the fact that the media seems to have no real interest in the draft, I certainly do and I know many other baseball fans do as well. As such, I’ve been scouting the crop of talent available in this year’s draft a lot in recent weeks and I’ve gone through and made a list of the top three players I’m hoping my boys--the Minnesota Twins--can snag with their first pick in the draft (number 14).

-- My Top 3 --

(1) Jemile Weeks, 2B, University of Miami

As we've seen in recent years the younger brothers of former first-rounders (Justin Upton and Stephen Drew) have done pretty good for themselves at the professional level. As such, I'd like to see the Twins take a stab at Rickie Weeks' younger brother Jemile.

Even though he plays the same position as his older brother, Jemile is not the same kind of player. The younger Weeks is a switch-hitter who doesn't have, and likely will never have, the kind of power Rickie does. Weeks is a line-drive, slashing type of hitter who squares the ball up well and can really get things going with leadoff-type skills. He runs extremely well and could steal a ton of bases in the pros. His defense is somewhat in question, but could definitely be improved by coaching at a higher level.

(2) Brett Lawrie, C/3B, Brookswood SS, Langley, B.C.

Lawrie brings two very important things to the table for the Twins. First he has the ability to play third-base, obviously the biggest hole in the Twins lineup since Corey Koskie departed via free-agency. He also has the ability to contribute behind the dish, a move that would allow the Twins to rest Joe Mauer's knees more often and/or eventually move him to a different position.

Due to the fact that scouting Canadian players can sometimes be difficult because of the lack of opportunity to see them the information on Lawrie is a little limited, but scouts know all about Lawrie and his plus power potential. At present he's mostly a pull hitter without a true position, though he's shown the tools -- raw though they may be -- to handle being a catcher and playing the hot corner. It may take a while, but putting that bat behind the plate could one day make him a premium player.

(3) Brett Wallace, 1B/3B, Arizona State

Wallace, from all reports I've read, is one of the best hitters in college and perhaps in the entire Draft class. He possesses unbelievable plate discipline and has the ability to hit .300 with 25+ homers in the majors on a yearly basis.

What limits Wallace--and is driving him down on many people's draft projections--is his body. At 6'1" 245lbs he is a pretty big boy. Odds are this will limit his ability to play 3B at the Major League level and will be relegated to first base detail, which makes Justin Morneau an immediate roadblock. The Twins could groom Wallace as a 1B/DH, but would be more inclined to draft him and put him on a training regimen that would allow him to play third base in the pros, thus immediately increasing his value.

It’s a dark day in Minnesota, but a bright future is on the horizon.

Tuesday’s trade of ace Johan Santana to the Mets for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra is being viewed as drastically lopsided right now, but let’s not forget the Frank Viola, Chuck Knoblauch and AJ Pierzynski trades all looked one-sided at the time as well.

I’ve written plenty about Johan Santana this winter and I’ve spent way too much time dreaming up improbable scenarios where he re-signed with the Twins and led them to multiple World Series titles. The simple fact of the matter is that one pitcher cannot and will not win his team the World Series. A stellar ace is always a plus, but he can’t pitch every game, thus why the Twins--in the long run--are poised to benefit most from this trade.

Any time you gain four players with high ceilings and limited miles on the tires, it’s a positive thing. Here’s a look at what the Twins are getting out of the deal.

Carlos Gomez, OF: The most Major League-ready of the pack, Gomez retained rookie status in 2007 because of a broken bone in his left hand in July, which sidelined him for two months after he made his Major League debut in May. At 21, he was the youngest player in the National League at the time.

Before his call-up, Gomez had been somewhat overlooked when discussing Mets outfield prospects because of all the talk surrounding teenage sensation Fernando Martinez. But Gomez had cruised through the organization, skipping from Class A Hagerstown in 2005 to Double-A Binghamton in 2006, showing no apparent need for some time at Advanced A. He hit .281 with 41 steals in the Eastern League at age 20. He has all the tools you look for in a premier outfielder, with the speed for center and the arm for right. He was hitting .286 at Triple-A New Orleans with 17 steals before his spring promotion, and then batted .232 with 12 more swipes in 125 at-bats with the Mets before his injury.

The Twins' current outfield mix features Michael Cuddyer, newly acquired Delmon Young, Jason Kubel and veteran Craig Monroe battling for corner spots and Jason Pridie and Denard Span in the mix for the opening in centerfield. Look for Gomez to charge right into that pack to make a claim for one of the spots, most likely centerfield.

Philip Humber, RHP: With a strong spring, Humber could factor into the wide-open, but still competitive, battle for a Twins rotation spot. Drafted out of Rice University with the third-overall pick in 2004 and signed for a $3 million bonus, his pro career got off to a sluggish start as he posted a 4.99 ERA at Class A Advanced St. Lucie in 2005 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in July. He's yet to really come back in pre-surgery form, but his trademark curveball is still a plus pitch.

He spent most of '07 in New Orleans, where he was 11-9 with a 4.27 ERA in 25 starts, striking out 120 batters in 139 innings. He finished the summer with three games in New York, posting a 7.71 ERA in seven innings. He is no longer the untouchable can't-miss prospect he was when he signed in '04, but at 25 years old and now two years removed from his surgery, 2008 could be a big one for him.

Kevin Mulvey, RHP: Though his name is not generally mentioned in the same breath as the elite pitching prospects in the Mets system (Guerra, Humber and Mike Pelfrey), Mulvey is no slouch either. Drafted out of Villanova in the second round with the Mets' first pick in 2006, he appeared in just a handful of games that summer before earning the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2007. A Futures Game selection and Eastern League All-Star, the 22-year-old went 11-10 with a 3.32 ERA at Double-A Binghamton before finishing his season with one scoreless start at Triple-A New Orleans. Without one dominating pitch, he mixes four solid offerings highlighted by his slider with good control. He is likely to begin 2008 at Triple-A Rochester and a strong first half could keep his name on people's lips should the need for a starter arise.

Deolis Guerra, RHP: The 6-foot-5 Venezuelan prospect, who won't turn 19 until April, ranked just behind the apparently untouchable outfielder Fernando Martinez when it comes to Mets prospects, but he is likely to be the last to arrive in Minnesota. When he gets there, however, it should be for good.

Guerra made his pro debut in stellar style in 2006 when, at age 17, he posted a 2.20 ERA at Class A Hagerstown, limiting South Atlantic League hitters to a .208 average. In '07, still at 17, he was the Opening Day starter for Class A Advanced St. Lucie and pitched in the Futures Game as well. He battled some shoulder tendonitis, which limited his innings, but posted a 4.01 ERA in 90 innings in the Florida State League with a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and a plus changeup, which ranked as the best in the Mets' system. He continues to work on improving his curveball and refining his overall game.

While he could start the season at Double-A New Britain, it is more likely that the Twins will opt to keep him back in warmer climate of Fort Myers, Fla., before sending him to the Eastern League later in the summer.

…at this point it’s too soon to tell who will ultimately get the better end of this trade. Twins fans have lost a lot of fan favorites this off-season and the loss of Santana only further amplifies the direction the team appears headed in the near future, however, the trade does leave the fans with hope that within a few years time the Twins could be contenders again.

Best of luck to Johan in New York, but as always…

GO TWINS!!

Day two of the 2007 Winter Meetings were, for the most part, pretty quiet…

Well-traveled outfielder Jose Guillen is a Royal for 3 years at $36 million. The Braves and Cubs swapped spare parts. The Yankees decreed they were pulling out of the Santana sweepstakes, only to find that the Twins called their bluff. The Angels were reportedly in the mix for Santana but Halos-GM Tony Reagins is currently denying any link to the southpaw.

See, nice and quiet.

…then, like the drunk guys who took your seat while you were getting a hot dog, the Marlins and Tigers decide to shake things up in a real big way.

The second-biggest name on the trade market—Miguel Cabrera—and teammate Dontrelle Willis were shipped to the Tigers in exchange for elite prospects outfielder Cameron Maybin, lefty starter Andrew Miller. Also heading to Florida will be catcher Mike Rabello, and pitchers Dallas Trahern, Eulogio De La Cruz and Burke Badenhop.

This trade is huge for both sides and immediately sends shockwaves through the rest of the American League.

THE TIGERS

The Tigers have to be considered neck-and-neck with the Red Sox in terms of who will be the favorite heading into the 2008 season. That could all change if the Sox wrangle Santana away from the Twins—a move that seems increasingly more necessary for anyone looking to tangle with the new-look Tigers.

On paper the Tigers have one of the most explosive lineups in all of baseball. Let’s go ahead and take a look at what the Opening Day lineup could look like:

Curtis Granderson, CF
Placido Polanco, 2B
Miguel Cabrera, 3B
Gary Sheffield, DH
Magglio Ordonez, RF
Carlos Guillen, 1B
Edgar Renteria, SS
Ivan Rodriguez, C
Jacque Jones/Marcus Thames, LF

Call me crazy, but that’s a pretty potent lineup; perhaps even more so than that of the Yankees and Red Sox; and definitely more potent than that of the Indians or the Miguel Cabrera-less Angels.

This move also opens the Tigers up to the option of trading incumbent third-baseman, Brandon Inge. With many teams in the hunt for third-basemen and the top dog now off the market, perhaps the Angels, Dodgers or even the division rival Twins would be willing to talk. Perhaps a trade of Inge and Chad Durbin to the Twins for Joe Nathan, if the Twins do—in fact—intend to trade him as well.

Moving on from the All-Star Game lineup the Tigers will be putting on the field everyday, let’s turn to their rotation. At the helm are the three faces of the future Willis, Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander all of whom are 25 or younger heading into this season. Also in the mix are veteran southpaws Kenny Rogers and Nate Robertson.

Assuming Willis is able to turn-around his recent regression—something many believe to be the result of large workloads in recent years—he could return to form as the pitcher who won 22 games as recently as 2005.

The only real weakness the Tigers currently possess is the mystery surrounding the back end of the bullpen. Joel Zumaya is out until mid-season and closer-by-default Todd Jones is, well, Todd Jones. How much magic can that dude really have left? Despite that lone weakness the 2008 Tigers look to be a very talented team which means trouble for the rest of the American League.

THE MARLINS

As much as I don’t want to mention that this move was a salary dump for the Marlins, it was—by all means—a salary dump for the Marlins. With arbitration not treating the Marlins kindly the salaries for Willis and Cabrera were quickly escalating and only figured to continue the trend, as such the move makes a lot of sense.

In adding Maybin the team adds a very young, very athletic five-tool player who can finally take a firm hold on the centerfield job and help cover the ground that fellow outfielders Jeremy Hermidia and Josh Willingham can’t. Maybin has been compared to Ken Griffey Jr on numerous occasions because of his blazing speed, incredible defense and his ability to hammer the ball. His presence alongside Hanley Ramirez at the top of the Marlins lineup will give opposing teams fits on the base-paths all season long.

Miller was taken 6th overall in the 2006 draft by the Tigers and he is widely regarded as the best pitcher from that draft which was laden with quality pitchers. The 6-foot-6 southpaw has only pitched 16 games in the Minors, and it's doubtful he'll spend any more time there now. His pitches include a mid to upper 90s fastball, a late-breaking slider and a change-up. Pitching coach Mark Wiley was recently rehired by the Marlins, due to his reputation for handling young pitchers well; a move that could be a very beneficial for Miller and the Marlins.

The addition of Mike Rabello gives the Marlins a second option at catcher and the addition of three minor league arms only adds to the Marlins seemingly limitless supply of solid, young pitching.

Although the Marlins don’t look to contend any time in the near future, this trade sets the groundwork for the next five plus years. With young pitching and a very dynamic offense, this is a team that may only be a few quality parts away from contention. However, as if seemingly the way in South Florida, that isn’t likely to happen without new ownership, a new stadium or perhaps a move to a new locale. Fiscal elements notwithstanding, the talent factor is there, now it’s all about putting it together.

Here we are--December 3, 2007. Today the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings open up in Nashville, Tennessee. All eyes—at least initially—will be glued on the Twins. The Twins are dangling perennial Cy Young candidate, team ace and the man who is without question, the best pitcher of this generation—Johan Santana.

As is often the case, standing at the front of the line to obtain Santana’s services are the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Thus far, negotiations have played out fairly well for all parties involved. The Twins have requested a Major League-ready pitcher from both sides and both sides have offered up Phil Hughes and Jon Lester, respectively. The Twins have asked for a Major League-ready centerfielder from both sides and both sides have offered up Melky Cabrera and Coco Crisp, respectively.

It’s there that things get murky. The Twins don’t appear to be all that high on Crisp or Cabrera. The Yankees refuse to throw in another high-level prospect such as AA starter Alan Horne or AAA shortstop Alberto Gonzalez. The Red Sox have told the Twins they will trade wunderkind Jacoby Ellsbury, but only if Lester is taken out of the picture. The Red Sox are also offering highly-touted AAA shortstop Jed Lowrie.

The Yankees-- frustrated that the small-market Twins won’t bend-over and take whatever deal is thrown at them—have established a deadline of today. With Andy Pettitte announcing his return to New York in 2008 early this morning, one has to think that perhaps the Yankees aren’t bluffing. However, who in their right mind will honestly pass up the chance to add the ace of all aces to their rotation?

The Red Sox have set no such deadline and, as such, if the Yankees pull out of negotiations they would be the obvious front-runners to land Santana. However, reports out of Boston suggest that Theo and company are growing frustrated with the Twins consistent demands of future ace in the making Clay Buchholz AND Jacoby Ellsbury. Epstein has repeatedly declared Buchholz as untouchable, but with other teams who are perhaps even more loaded with attractive prospects (ie: Angels and Dodgers) set to enter the fray this week at the Winter Meetings, all bets are off.

Santana may have hurt his own trade value when a report was leaked that he would refuse to accept a trade mid-season. If this happened the Twins would be hand-cuffed to a free-agent they couldn’t afford for the entire season. This would essentially mean that they would lose the greatest pitcher in baseball and have nothing more than two high draft picks to show for it. Needless to say Johan will be on the move—probably this week—so keep your eyes peeled.

Okay…so as a Twins fan, these are somewhat trying times.

I knew coming into this postseason that Torii Hunter was as good as gone. You don’t come off a career year and enter a VERY thin free-agent market and actually expect to return to your low-budget, small-market team. Torii knew this. I knew this. All the residents of Twins Territory knew this.

There have been a lot of Torii haters coming out lately, mostly uneducated fans pissing and moaning about how he “took the money and ran” or “turned his back on the Twins” or simply “left.” There are also tons of idiots who are pissed at new General Manager Bill “I have the lamest name, ever” Smith for “letting him go.”

Now I can see where both of these arguments come from, but let’s be honest, everyone (who knows anything about the Twins, that is) knew coming in that they weren’t going to be able to match the offers that Rangers and White Sox would put on the table, heck even the Royals were willing to pony up for 5 years at $75 million. Unfortunately, with Carl Pohlad still alive (and come on…no ill-will intended, honest!) that puts Torii lights years away from anything the Twinkies could offer.

So when the Angels waltzed into town with a five-year pact and $90 million to spend, Torii probably crapped his pants and thought…“Seriously?! Do these guys know that I’m a career .271 hitter with 192 homers?” Honestly, I can’t blame the dude for bailing and I wish him the best.

Then less than a full week later comes the trade rumors. In the last week the Twins realized that they are roughly $40 million apart from Johan Santana’s agent on an extension and—although Alex Rodriguez probably makes $40 million brushing his teeth under his new contract—that’s still a lot of money, especially to the Twins.

As such, the Twins are exploring trade offers for Santana; and low-and-behold who’s first to come knocking at the Twins’ door? Well what do you know; it’s none other than the New York Yankees. The mighty, mighty Yankees; the team that everyone expected to go ahead and scoop Santana up after 2008 when it was apparent the Twins wouldn’t be able to re-sign him. It just so happens that the Twins came to this realization early on and decided that, unlike the Hunter situation, they’re going to be proactive and get more than a compensation draft pick for this big fish. They’re going to rape and pillage anyone who is willing to meet their asking price.

SMART F’n MOVE!!!

As I mentioned in previous blogs, roughly five teams are actually in the hunt for Santana because only those five teams have the coffers to sign him to a long-term deal, a requirement for him to wave his no-trade clause. Personally, I think that’s Johan’s way of doing the Twins a favor. He knows they can’t afford him, so he’s demanding a long-term deal before he accepts a trade. This helps the Twins because they can demand a better return from a big market club and it helps Santana because it—most likely—lands him with a consummate contender.

Anywho, the big five who are in the Santana hunt would include the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Angels and Dodgers. Although recent reports state that the Mariners think they have some sort of puncher’s chance of jumping in and wooing the Twins over with both of the prospects they have in their farm system?! Whatever…it’s the big five and no one else.

The only real uprising I’ve heard from any of these cliques has been from the fans of—you guessed it—the Yankees. Apparently, Yankees fans think that by trading for Santana they are doing the Twins some sort of favor. As such, most fans continue to throw out packages that include Mike Mussina, Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, Shelly Duncan, Wilson Betemit and Ian Kennedy. These same fans have labeled Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera untouchable to the Twins.

Let me get this straight Yankee fans. The Twins will give you the best pitcher of this era and in return you think the Twins should take the fat, bloated contracts and washed up players that the Twins clearly can’t afford—thus the mass exodus of home-grown talent—and you offer career minor leaguers and the third-best of the “big three.”

Hmmmmm…now, correct me if I’m wrong, but the Yankees biggest issue the last, oh I don’t know, hal####ecade or so has been pitching, correct? Wouldn’t it make sense to gamble some prospects (believe it or not Yankee fans—Joba and Hughes are not Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver—they are still unproven rookies) for the single greatest pitcher in baseball?

Honestly, I hope the Yankees own arrogance about their “untouchables” comes back to bite them in the #### and the Red Sox swoop in and offer some sort of three player deal involving Bucholz, Lester, Ellsbury, Crisp, Lowrie, Moss and/or Delcarmen. Then I hope Johan continues his career brilliance (2.66 ERA) against the Yankees and the Red Sox go on to win multiple division championships with the two-headed monster of Santana and Beckett staring down at the oddly-Pulsipher, Isringhausen, Wilson-like trio of Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy.

Wow, that was a lot of Johan ranting and Yankee-bashing. Let’s move on to the trade that is almost complete. That involves sending arguably the Twins best young pitching prospect Matt Garza, starting shortstop Jason Bartlett and set-up man Juan Rincon to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielders Delmon Young, Jason Pridie and middle infielder Brendan Harris.

This one is pretty much a lock right now and I think it benefits both sides. Although I hate to see so much of the Twins core go. I think the return works out pretty well. Clearly the Twins have enough confidence in Pat Neshek and a healthy return of Jesse Crain to assume that Rincon can go. They also must believe that some combination of Alexi Casilla and Harris will work in the middle infield, despite the defensive lapses and obvious offensive short-comings of both men. However, the biggest plus here is the addition of Young.

Young, 22, was second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2007 to the Red Sox’ Dustin Pedroia. As a rookie last season, Young started all 162 games for the Rays, hitting .288 with 13 home runs, 93 RBIs and 10 steals. Young was Tampa Bay's top choice in the 2003 amateur draft, and named “Baseball America's” Minor League Player of the Year in 2005. Adding Young to an outfield that currently includes Michael Cuddyer, Craig Monroe and Jason Kubel is a big coup for the Twins. (Rumor also has the Twins pursuing the likes of Coco Crisp and/or Jacoby Ellsbury in a potential trade with the Red Sox.)

The biggest loss obviously is Garza who is a righty with some nasty stuff and a very high-ceiling. With the expected losses of Santana and Carlos Silva this puts even more pressure on a very young rotation which (barring the return on Santana’s trade) should include #### Bonser, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, Scott Baker, potentially Nick Blackburn, and—returning from Tommy John surgery—new staff ace…Francisco Liriano.

Finally, the Twins current closer and future trade bait, Joe Nathan. Nathan emerged as a huge presence and one of baseball’s best closers after his trade from the Giants following the 2003 season. With Francisco Cordero and Mariano Rivera recently raising the bar for closers’ salaries, smart money is on the Twins moving Nathan this winter. Nathan is a Houston native and the Astros recently dispatched troubled closer Brad Lidge to the Phillies. The Astros have the money to spend; although so do the rival Texas Rangers who are also in need of a late-inning stopper. In addition, many other teams include the Cubs, Brewers, Red Sox, Mets, Tigers and Yankees could all be interested.

If the Twins do, in fact, dismantle and are left with what they view as the “new core” of the franchise—Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer (and potentially Delmon Young)—expect them to dole out long-term deals quickly to avoid these problems in the foreseeable future and to lock up a solid roster for the Twins’ move to their new ballpark in 2010. At the same time, one can expect a hearty return for the likes of Santana and Nathan. Hopefully, new GM, Bill Smith will be able to build the team for the future without completely alienating the fans who have been here all along.

I’ve read some very interesting blogs and theories regarding the Twins potential trade of Johan Santana and some completely ludicrous ones as well. Only five teams–the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Angels--can realistically afford to sign Santana long-term…which is something Santana has made clear would be a necessity for him to agree to a trade.

As such, I’ve taken my stab at determining what it will take for one of the “Big Five” to wrangle arguably the best pitcher in the game. The teams are listed in the order of whom I feel has the best shot of acquiring his services…

RED SOX:

In my mind the Sox probably have the best shot given the depth of their farm system and their desire to keep him from joining the Yankees. Any package with the Red Sox would begin with Clay Bucholz as he is deemed vastly superior to Jon Lester. However, if the Twins prefer Jacoby Ellsbury over Coco Crisp, they’d probably have to settle for Lester; I foresee those four balancing one another out…Ellsbury and Lester or Bucholz and Crisp. That would be the center-piece of the return, but the Twins would probably look to add another bat and/or bullpen help as well. In that regard, I think that a proven spot-start and reliever like Julian Tavarez could be in the mix straight-up middle inning men like Manny Delcarmen or Craig Hansen. As far as bats are concerned I’d expect to see Jed Lowrie or Brandon Moss thrown into the mix.

YANKEES:

The Yankees are probably next in line because they offer a plethora of big-league ready starters to send back in return as well. The Yankees could give up less talent overall by sending Chien-Ming Wang and Melky Cabrera straight up. However, if the team is looking to hang onto Wang, they’ll probably have to send at least one of the young guns with Phillip Hughes being the front-runner with Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy falling in behind. This would still probably cost them Melky Cabrera and/or Robinson Cano and a solid minor league arm such as Humberto Sanchez.

DODGERS:

The Dodgers would probably have to offer roughly the same package they’ve got on the table for Miguel Cabrera if they strike out on acquiring his services. That would include the likes of Matt Kemp, Andy LaRoche or James Loney and either Johnathon Broxton or Chad Billingsley. However, one has to question whether or not the Dodgers are close enough to contend with the squad they have to afford giving up such a large portion of their top prospects.

METS:

The Mets are in an unfortunate place as they are in dire need of pitching and, as such, don’t have much they could afford to send back to the Twins. The best bet to snag Santana would probably cost the Mets Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber…perhaps even both depending on what set of young outfielders the Mets are willing to give up. Any two of Fernando Martinez, Carlos Gomez or Lastings Milledge would net a solid return. Other names that could be in the mix for the Mets to make this work are Oliver Perez, Aaron Heilman and – if the rumors are true – potentially even Jose Reyes.

ANGELS:

The Angels—currently the front-runners for Miguel Cabrera—are probably not in the mix as much as any of the aforementioned teams due to their depth of young arms and lack of offensive firepower. If the team does acquire Cabrera, one would assume they’ll no longer have the prospects necessary to net Santana. Although if they strike out (pun intended) in pursuit of Cabrera expect them to jump into the mix offering roughly the same set of players which includes as a base outfielder Reggie Willits and second baseman Howie Kendrick. After that the Twins would probably want to acquire another bat such as OF/DH Juan Rivera and/or 3B/SS Brandon Wood…although Wood may be untouchable given the recent trade of Orlando Cabrera. On the pitching front the Twins could command any of the following: Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders or class AA right-hander Nick Adenhart.

I guess it’s appropriate that today is, in fact, Thanksgiving because I want to use this opportunity to send a shout-out to one of my favorite baseball players, Torii Hunter. It was reported early this morning that Torii has signed a five-year pact with the Angels for roughly $90 million.

I could get into semantics about how the Angels overpaid for a guy who essentially offers a great glove in centerfield and is in the midst of a two-year offensive spike that deviates from his career norms, but I don’t care about all that. Everyone overpays in this market, and Torii would be a great addition to any ball-club that wants someone who is a leader on and off the field and a great ambassador for the game. Torii Hunter is just that.

Torii has been the face of the Twins franchise for years, pretty much ascending to that roll with the retirement of Kirby Puckett. His highlight reel catches and balls-to-the-wall style of play endeared him not only to the residents of Twins Territory, but to fans and players everywhere.

Torii is worth every penny of that contract, skill notwithstanding. He will be an incredible presence in the clubhouse and in the community, much as he was in Minnesota. He’ll lead the team on the field with his passion and desire to succeed and he’ll lead the team off the field with his compassion and caring for the fans and for promoting the game to the youth of America. Torii has long pushed to get more black youths involved in the game and playing in a bigger market will help him in that cause.

I wish nothing but the best for Torii in Los Angeles and I want to thank him for all of the memories and great times in Minnesota.

Thanks Torii…

It’s that time of year folks. The air is crisp. The leaves are nearly all gone. The lights at your local baseball venue have long been dim. Oh yes, it’s that time of year.

No…I’m not talking about Christmas and all that ####. I’ll let all of the major media conglomerates take care of pimping Christmas and cramming it down your throat for the next twenty-odd plus shopping days that remain…no, no…I’m talking about the down-time lull for baseball fans.

The World Series has been over for nearly a month already and the members of Red Sox Nation have already moved on and are planning their Patriots Super Bowl parties. The biggest fish on the free agent market, Alex Rodriguez has returned to the fold and will don pinstripes for the rest of his inevitable march to pass Barry Bonds’ all-time home run record. A few trades have been made and a few options have been exercised. Tom Glavine has completed his homecoming and will be a Brave once more and all the while the aforementioned Bonds appears to have no home, no suitors and potentially no shot at staying out of jail?!

With all of these storylines running amok its time for me to exercise my right as a fan who thinks he knows it all—and by golly, I am a fan who thinks he knows it all—and rant my #### off about what my team could do to improve this off-season.

Unfortunately, as a Twins fan, I am contractually required [as are all Twins fans] to lead off my ranting blog with a precursor filled with ####ing and moaning about Carl Pohlad and his unwillingness to “loosen the purse strings” and how its hurting his team and blah blah blah. I know Pohlad’s cheap. You know Pohlad’s cheap. We all know the dude has got more money than A-Rod has advisors [Warren Buffet, really?!]…so let’s go ahead and get past the fact that the stingy old #### isn’t going to spend a ton of money and focus on what the Twins can do with what they have.

**DISCLAIMER: This doesn’t, however, change the fact that I’m still pulling for the Twinkies to re-up with Hunter and then promptly sign Cuddyer, Morneau, Santana and Nathan to long-term pacts.**

Okay, now that we’re through with all the formalities and the sad, misguided optimism, let’s look at the most glaring holes the Twins will seemingly need to fill to compete in 2008.

CENTERFIELD

The team will most likely be looking to bring in a centerfielder who can cover some ground to make up for the loss of Hunter and lighten the workload for whichever combination of Monroe, Kubel and Cuddyer is on the field at any given time. At the same time, some sort of offensive presence would be nice, but the team is clearly banking on productive seasons from Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel and Monroe.

[Realistic] Free Agent Options: Torii Hunter [if he gives a home-town discount and/or decides he really doesn’t want to leave the Twins], Corey Patterson, Mike Cameron, Milton Bradley, Darin Erstad, Kenny Lofton and Steve Finley.

[Realistic] Trade Options: Matt Kemp/Juan Pierre – LAD, Elijah Dukes/Delmon Young/BJ Upton/Rocco Baldelli – TB, Johnny Damon/Melky Cabrera – NYY, Lastings Milledge/Carlos Gomez/Fernando Martinez – NYM, Coco Crisp – BOS

BEST BET(S)

Via Free-Agency: I think that the two most reasonable options are probably Corey Patterson and Mike Cameron. Both players offer the same risk and reward. Both have the potential to hit 20-25 HR and play Gold Glove defense. Both will also probably hit in the .250s with 100+ strikeouts. However, that type of risk is generally offset by the defensive skills and the speed the both men possess on the base paths.

Patterson is flying very much under the radar right now with all the hoopla surrounding Hunter, Rowand and Jones and could probably be signed to a reasonable contract if the move is made soon, although I’m sure the Twins don’t want to give Hunter any sort of indication that they’ve already moved on before he makes his decision. Lest us not forget that Patterson was also thought to be the next big thing as recently as 2004 following his 24 homer campaign with the Cubbies.

Cameron has proven his is a big time CF and has played in markets of all-sizes. His gamer attitude would be a great fit in the Twins clubhouse and his work ethic would almost mimic what the Twins were losing in Hunter. However, Cameron also comes with a buyer-beware tag as he’ll miss the first 25 games of 2008 while serving a suspension for using a banned substance.

Via Trade: The majority of the outfielders who could be acquired through a trade are factored in under the assumption that the Twins move Johan Santana. This theory, however, doesn’t apply to the Red Sox and/or Devil Rays nearly as much. I feel that moving one top-tier pitching prospect and a position player could bring a solid return.

If that were the case, I like the thought of Coco Crisp’s above average defense roaming centerfield at the dome. Crisp plays great defense and thrived in the AL Central with the Indians. His offensive numbers have dropped off significantly in Boston, but a return to a smaller market could bring back big rewards for the Twins and the slick-fielding Crisp.

THIRD BASE

Third base has been a relatively barren place for the Twins since the departure of Corey Koskie. Michael Cuddyer tried his hand at the hot corner, unsuccessfully. The highly touted and easily forgotten Terry Tiffee washed out of the Twins system when it was learned he couldn’t play the position he was groomed for. Tony Batista was…well…Tony Batista and Nick Punto’s feel-good story of 2006 turned out to be just that, a story of 2006 and only 2006. As such it is definitely time for an upgrade.

[Realistic] Free Agent Options: Pedro Feliz, Corey Koskie, Mike Lamb, Mark Bellhorn, Russell Branyan, Shea Hillenbrand and Aaron Boone.

[Realistic] Trade Options: Scott Rolen – STL, Ian Stewart – COL, Morgan Ensberg – SD, Andy LaRoche/Tony Abreu – LAD, Wilson Betemit – NYY, Andy Marte – CLE

BEST BET(S)

Via Free Agency: Pedro Feliz is, in my humble opinion, the best option on the free agent market and a player the Twins should pounce on immediately. Feliz will be 33 this season and could probably be locked up in a 3-year pact at a reasonable value given the explosion in the market for third basemen.

The Twins should act quickly given that two of the three highest-profile third basemen have already returned to their respective teams. This leaves the bidding war for Miguel “The Pillsbury Doughboy” Cabrera as the only thing keeping attention off of Feliz for the time being.

In his four years as a regular starter with the Giants Feliz has authored a fairly impressive set of averages that fit right in-line with the Twins’ needs at third base. He has averaged 21 home runs, 84 runs batted in, 31 doubles all while playing a very solid third base defensively. Those offensive numbers would look even better at the Metrodome which is a much better hitter’s park than A####mp;T Field in San Francisco.

Via Trade: Many of the potentially available third basemen in trade talks—that aren’t named Cabrera—bring some sort of baggage and/or buyer beware issues. Rolen may cost too much if the Cardinals stick to their current mantra that they won’t eat any of the remaining dollars on Rolen’s contract. Stewart is an ubber-prospect, currently stuck behind Garrett Atkins. The team is more likely to deploy Stewart at 2B if Kazou Matsui leaves via free agency and if they do move Stewart, he’d still be a rookie and could have an Alex Gordon-like rookie season or a Ryan Braun-like rookie season. Ensberg has a Jeckyl and Hyde complex, but if the Twins get the monster who can mash balls to the tune of 400 feet…that’d be just fine. The trades involving the Dodgers and Yankees are based upon moving Santana and as such, won’t be delved into until that dark, dark day falls upon all fans in Twins Territory.

That leaves Marte. It seems that Marte was a can’t miss prospect in Atlanta where he was saddled behind Chipper Jones but the Indians were less than impressed with Marte and gave the starting third base job to Casey Blake. Rumors have been swirling that the Indians were also sniffing around and kicking the tires on the likes of Lowell, Rolen and a few others implying that they may want an upgrade beyond Blake, thus making Marte, seemingly, expendable. Whether or not either the Twins or Indians would be willing to trade within the division is a large question mark, but it is definitely an option worth exploring for both teams.

In my opinion, snagging Feliz is the smartest move as the trade market for third basemen is guaranteed to be out of hand this off-season, especially once Cabrera has settled into a new home.

DESIGNATED HITTER

The Twins haven’t had a really reliable designated hitter in…um…you know, a really long time. Sure they had David Ortiz, but they were nice enough to let him mosey on over to Boston and become a folk hero. Granted in doing so they gave up one of the most prolific power and clutch hitters of the 21st century, but that’s neither here nor there. What is here AND there is the glaring hole the Twins have had at DH in recent years and the obvious necessity to find a reliable bat.

[Realistic] Free Agent Options: Mike Piazza, Sean Casey, Cliff Floyd, Sammy Sosa, Mike Sweeney, Luis Gonzalez, Jose Guillen, Reggie Sanders and Rafael Palmeiro.

[Realistic] Trade Options: Adam Dunn…yeah, I said it.

BEST BET(S)

Via Free Agency: This one is tough, because of all the names on this list, I feel like I am repeating a bunch of them from last year…which clearly goes to show how right I was last year?! I usually snag one comeback player dead-on. In 2006 it was Frank Thomas. Last year it was Sammy Sosa (sorta) and Dimitri Young. As far as 2008 goes, it could really be anyone on this list.

Piazza may still command too much money, but a rather dismal debut in his first stint as a full-time DH in Oakland might have driven his value down just enough for him to fall into a one-year deal with incentives. If he’s got some pop left in the bat and is willing to grow the ‘70s porno ‘stache back, the Twins would love to add the 20+ homers he could provide.

However, I like some of the bigger gambles on this list. Floyd has proven that when he’s healthy he can be a great offensive contributor. I think if he can be healthy for a full-season and avoid injury by DHing, he has a shot to be a solid 30 HR, 85 RBI producer in the middle of a solid lineup.

Jose Guillen is an intriguing, and oft-injured, option as well. Getting him out of the field most days would be good for keeping him off the DL and for putting runs on the board. His attitude has come into question many a time, but I think Ron Gardenhire might be the right type of manager to help squelch that problem before it starts. Guillen has, however, been linked to Senator Mitchell’s steroid probe and could face a suspension to start the 2008 season.

Easily the most intriguing name on this list is the last one, the long since forgotten about Rafael Palmeiro. He has been in exile for two seasons now. Whether or not he’s in shape or even thinking about making a comeback is entirely up for debate, but if he is and he can still put up numbers even remotely close to his career averages the Twins would be fools not to take a one-year incentive-laden chance on the would-be Hall of Famer. Palmeiro is probably chomping at the bit for a chance to comeback and not only clear his name, but to prove he can still perform and has had two years robbed from him. If he can in fact do so, I’d be more than willing for him to take that gamble in a Twins uniform.

Via Trade: Let’s be honest folks. Not a lot of teams are willing to give up big boppers, especially if they aren’t going to see much on the return. The Reds, however, are in an interesting position. They have a team overloaded with outfielders and prospects who are currently handcuffed to AAA as a result. Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. are probably the two biggest stars on the team and as such, are also two of the most expensive. The Reds probably foresee Dunn walking away via free agency next year to take over left field for the Yankees or Angels and would be willing to move him this off-season, potentially even eating some of his salary, if they received worthwhile compensation in the form of young pitching and a position player. The Twins could make a move and then try to sign Dunn for the same offer they currently have on the table for Torii Hunter. After all, a dude who can mash 40 home runs in his sleep is hard to come by.

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And that ladies and gentlemen concludes my game plan for the Twins to put together a competitive and relatively affordable lineup in 2008. Now I realize that a lot of this hinges on what happens with Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva. If Silva goes, then the direction in the off-probably turns to either a) acquiring a veteran starter or b) shipping Santana and Nathan out for prospects and beginning the rebuilding mode.

Either way, I still feel [as all good fans do] that the Twins are on the verge of being a very good team with the core they have established. I’d like to think that 2007 will prove to be an aberration and the majority of the squad that made the improbable comeback in 2006 will be together again next year working to start another string of division titles in Minnesota.

Tuesday marked the end of an era for Twins fans when Brad Radke officially announced his retirement.

Radke has long been the face of the Twins organization and a pillar in an often unstable rotation. His presence guided a young team through lean years and helped anchor the more polished teams the Twins have put on the field in the past five years.

The past two seasons Radke endured pain in his pitching shoulder but continued to pitch through the pain. The pain is a torn labrum. Radke also developed a stress fracture in the joint which added to the pain. Surgery would have been required to continue, and he wasn't interested in a lengthy rehabilitation.

Radke may not have Hall of Fame numbers; his career record is 148-139 with a 4.22 ERA and he reached 20 wins only once, in 1997, and his lone All-Star game appearance came in 1998. His statistics, however, aren’t why Radke is such a large part of the Twins organization; it is and always has been his quiet leadership and his contributions in the community.

This past season Radke showed his toughness and his desire to help the team when he dug deep and blocked out the pain to go on an amazing run from June through September, where he went 8-3 with a 2.68 ERA in 17 starts.

Twins fans everywhere can appreciate what a momentous decision this is as Radke was one of the few remaining holdovers from the Tom Kelly era and has been the one constant for this team for the past 12 seasons.

Radke’s presence in the clubhouse, on the field and in the community will be missed—not only by the Twins organization, but by his thousands of fans as well.