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We're going on hiatus until the end of the year and will back at it full-board in 2010. In the meantime, check out Joe Posnanski's wonderful book about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, The Machine. It's not too late to put it on your holiday list, and you won't be disappointed. Also check out Hardball Times writer Chris Jaffe's book, Evaluating Baseball's Managers. This wonderful book contains everything you ever wanted to know about baseball's pilots, and has plenty to say about some of the men who have called the shots in the Twins' dugout over the years.
For Twins' fans, 2009 was a fun season, and there's plenty of which to look forward as we move toward 2010:
- Joe Mauer's extension
- Inaugural season of Target Field
- Off-season decisions remaining at second base and third base
- Spring training beginning in just seven short weeks
We'll have you covered here at BP Baseball, along with our friends on the blogroll. As Twins' fans, we are blessed with some of the best baseball writers and analysts right here in Twins Territory. From Joe C., LEN3, Kelsie Smith, The Twins Geek, Aaron Gleeman, Nick Nelson, Parker Hageman, Seth Stohs, Josh Johnson, and many more, we are lucky to have the best and most level-headed coverage of any team in this market. I am proud to be associated with this group, and I thank you all for your support as I got the ball rolling here in 2009. Thanks for sticking with my sporadic posts on Donny Puck, to my foray with the Examiner, and finally on my permanent home here.
I wish you a joyous holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or nothing at all, may the peace of the season be with you all and your family.
The decade of the "00s" concludes in a few days and the Minnesota Twins have just completed the team's most successful ten-year span since moving to Minnesota in 1961.
The numbers bear this out:
- Team Record: 853-755
- Winning Percentage: .530
- Home Record: 472-335
- Home Winning Percentage: .585
- Run Differential: +310
- Division Titles: Five
- Attendance: 19,705,865
The team's record is the best of any decade other than the 1960s, when the Twins recorded a winning percentage of .542. Of course, if one includes the team's final season in Washington, 1960, the winning percentage drops to .536, still better than the 00s, but on par. The 853 victories is a decade-high mark for the Twins, as are the 472 home victories and the attendance figure. Although no World Series appearances were made in the 00s, the team won an unprecedented five division titles and lost a tie-breaker game in still one more season.
For a decade which started out with the Twins riding a streak of seven-consecutive losing seasons, plus still one more sub-.500 season in 2000, the Twins certainly righted the ship. Threats of franchise contraction abounded in 2000 and 2001, but the Twins had a solid core of young players which were given opportunities to learn at the Major League level in 1999 and were emerging by 2001. Players such as Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, Corey Koskie, Cristian Guzman, Doug Mientkiewicz, Eric Milton, and A.J. Pierzynski (and Johan Santana in 2000) formed a solid nucleus of talent which would lead to three-consecutive AL Central Division titles between 2002 and 2004, plus another in 2006. Manager Ron Gardenhire replaced longtime skipper Tom Kelly after the 2001 season, and the Twins have won five division titles under his tutelage.
The decade of the 2000 also featured just two losing seasons (2000 and an injury-plagued 2007 campaign), which is the fewest in any decade since the team moved to Minnesota.
The winter meetings were somewhat quiet last week in that the off-season's biggest potential prize, Roy Halladay, remained in Toronto. One week later, the baseball world was rocked by deals involving not only Halladay but Cliff Lee as well.
The Blue Jays sent Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Joe Blanton and three minor leaguers: pitcher Kyle Drabek, catcher Travis d'Arnaud and outfielder Michael Taylor. The Jays will send Taylor to the Oakland Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace. The Phillies also signed Halladay to a three-year extension worth $20M annually with a $20M vesting option for 2014, which eliminates his testing the free agent market after the 2010 season.
Drabek and d'Arnaud were first round draft picks for the Phils in the 2006 and 2007 drafts, respectively. Taylor is a power-hitting outfielder who reached AAA for the first time last season. Wallace was a first-rounder in 2008 for St. Louis who was acquired by Oakland last summer in the Matt Holliday trade.
In a companion deal, the Phils sent left-handed starter Lee to the Seattle Mariners for minor league pitchers Phillippe Aumont and Juan Ramirez and outfielder Tyson Gillies. Lee had said he wanted to stay in Philly but wished to test the free agent market after this season regardless.
Aumont is a highly-touted prospect who first received wide attention pitching for Canada in last season's World Baseball Classic. Ramirez is a 20-year-old strikeout machine who reached high-Class A ball last season. Gillies is a career .321/.419/.447 with no power, but stole 40 bases in Class A ball last season.
ESPN's Keith Law breaks the deal down in this effort and gives the edge to the Mariners and Jays and the disadvantage to the Phillies. Jayson Stark calls the deal historic in this piece, and it's hard to argue. With Cy Young winners effectively being dealt in the same swoop, it is a big deal.
Time will tell whether the prospect acquired by Toronto and Philadelphia will pan out. The Blue Jays will have a very difficult time selling tickets next summer with Halladay as a drawing card, but fans saw this day coming for a very long time, and the Jays managed to snag Kyle Drabek in the process. The Phillies were glad they held Drabek and J.A. Happ in last year's trade for Lee. Blanton will help next year's rotation. The acquisition of Wallace should also be noted, as the Jays may have found their third baseman of the future and turned a more risky prospect (Taylor) into a more polished one (Wallace).
The Phillies get Halladay, along with a three-year extension. The lose Lee, who is only one year younger, but get a potential late-inning guy in Aumont. I agree with Law that the package for Lee is worse than the package they surrendered for Lee one year ago, and definitely not as good as the prospects sent to Toronto for Halladay. The Phillies will be good again in 2010 and adding Halladay to a rotation with Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ will be a plus.
The Mariners get a legitimate ace in Lee to go along with Felix Hernandez to form a formidable top-two. Seattle did surrender Aumont in the deal, but all will be forgotten if they are able to sign Lee to a deal when he hits the market. The Mariners are re-tooling this off-season with the trade for Lee and the signing of free agent Chone Figgins, and should be a factor in the AL West next season.
All and all, it was a blockbuster deal and one which will pay some immediate dividends. A good old-fashioned four-team deal certainly stokes the hot stove fires in the cold winter months. At first glance, the Mariners and Blue Jays come away looking better than the Phillies, but if Philadelphia returns to the World Series again in 2010, that may be revised.
The winter months have turned cold, but with a market expected to favor buyers, some teams have begun the process of re-tooling their rosters for 2010. Two of the Twins' American League Central Division rivals, the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, recently made moves which affect their lineups for the 2010 season.
The White Sox signed injured reliever J.J. Putz, late of the New York Mets and made a trade for outfielder Juan Pierre, who spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Each move constitutes a low-risk, high-reward scenario the White Sox hope will pay dividends.
Putz was one of the game's elite closers with the Seattle Mariners in 2006 and 2007, accumulating 76 saves in 85 opportunities over those two seasons. He was nearly un-hittable in 2007, allowing just 37 hits and 11 runs (all earned) over 71.2 innings, posting 40 saves in 42 opportunities, notching an ERA of 1.38, and striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings. Not surprisingly, his over-use caught up to him in 2008 and served as a microcosm of the Mariners' disastrous 2008 season in which they became the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a team payroll over $100M. Beset by injuries, Putz saved 15 games and blew eight opportunities. He was limited to 46.1 innings.
Signed as a free agent by the New York Mets prior to the 2009 season, Putz's time in Queens was a nightmare. Expected to bridge the gap to new closer Francisco Rodriguez, Putz instead pitched a total of 29.1 innings, allowed 29 hits, and posted a 5.22 ERA. He underwent surgery in June to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow, and returned with no success. He was finally shut down in August and released a few months later.
The White Sox signed him to a one-year, $3M contract, to serve as a bridge to closer Bobby Jenks. He will complement lefty set-up man Matt Thornton from the right side. The key to this acquisition is health. Putz has gone through two seasons of non-stop injuries and the White Sox are counting on him to provide quality set-up work not seen from Scott Linebrink last season. A $3M contract is rather steep for an injury-plagued pitcher who has struggled mightily for the past two seasons, but shows the White Sox are serious about upgrading their bullpen to keep up with the Twins.
The trade for Pierre, for two minor leaguers, was made to effectively remake the Chicago outfield. Starters Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, and backup DeWayne Wise are out of the mix for 2010, and Pierre will join Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios to form a different alignment. The White Sox also signed Andruw Jones to a free agent deal a few weeks ago. Pierre brings no power to speak of to the table. In ten big league seasons, he has a career slugging percentage of .372. He is a career .301/.348/.372 hitter who seldom walks, but can bring speed to the top of the order. He has led the National League in steals twice and has stolen no fewer than 30 bases in each of his nine full big league seasons.
The Dodgers inexplicably signed Pierre to a five-year, $44M deal prior to the 2007 season. After playing regularly in 2007, Pierre was forced to a backup role after the acquisition of Manny Ramirez in 2008.
The White Sox will only be on the hook for $8M of the $18.5M owed to Pierre over the final two years of the deal. The move is decent for Chicago in that they acquired a true leadoff hitter rather cheaply. He'll hit for average, never walk, hit for no power, steal some bases, and play solid defense (career +5.5 UZR/150 in the outfield) for a changing White Sox lineup.
Over in Kansas City, the Royals effectively swapped catchers this week. The team non-tendered veteran John Buck (who quickly signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays) and signed free agent catcher Jason Kendall away from the Milwaukee Brewers. Incredibly, the Royals gave Kendall a two-year, $6M deal. This for a guy who hit .241/.331/.305 for the Brewers last season. This for a guy who hit 10 home runs in 2001 and then has gone on to hit a total of 20 homers since, including a homerless 2005. This for a guy who has managed to hit no higher than .246 in the past three seasons, despite playing no fewer than 134 games. I could go on, but you get the point.
Kendall is a career .290/.369/.383 hitter who has been on a downward plane for the past five seasons. He will be 36 by next year's All-Star break and is, at best, a replacement-level catcher at this point in his career. As Joe Posnanski points out in his blog, the free agent catcher market is thin this winter and the Royals had no obvious move internally staring back at them. Still, why give Kendall a multiple-year deal? It makes no sense. Of course, trading Leo Nunez for Mike Jacobs (and then releasing Jacobs a year later) makes no sense. Trading J.P Howell for Joey Gathright makes no sense, either. The Royals are stuck in neutral. Despite all the lip service of the "improving Kansas City Royals," the team has shown no obvious improvement anywhere - Billy Butler, excluded - on the diamond. Alex Gordon has not panned out at third base, the team has no starting pitching behind Zack Greinke, and they have too many 1B/DH types. GM Dayton Moore may prove to be solid, but is building a puzzling track record while his team continues to reside in the division's basement.
ESPN's Buster Olney's blog on Sunday noted that there are 266 major league free agents this winter. The staggering amount of available players does not include "big" prizes like Chone Figgins, who signed with the Seattle Mariners during the winter meetings last week in Indianapolis.
The MLB Trade Rumors site noted that 39 players were not tendered contracts before Saturday night's deadline, adding more to the free agent market. Some bigger names were in that list including Yankees' pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, Colorado Rockies' 3B Garrett Atkins, Pittsburgh Pirates' closer Matt Capps, and Oakland Athletics' DH Jack Cust.
The Twins still have holes at third base and second base, and have long had an interest in Atkins. The seven-year veteran has spent his entire career in Colorado and had some solid seasons in 2006 and 2007. However, he hit a paltry .226/.308/.342 last season with 9 HR and 37 RBI and played slightly lower than replacement-level defense at third base. His career URZ/150 at third base is -5.0, but he is a .289/.354/.457 hitter who is much better than last season suggests. At age 30, he made $7M last season on a one-year deal and will certainly make no more than that in this market. He would be worth the risk for the Twins on a one-year deal. He is younger and healthier than last season's 3B free agent signing, Joe Crede, but the Twins lose a lot of defense with Atkins instead of Crede. However, the potential for an offensive bounce back season, coupled with the fact that he will likely not get any cheaper, may suggest the Twins' kicking the tires on Atkins.
The Twins appear to be set in the rotation, having the top four spots filled with Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Carl Pavano, and Kevin Slowey. If the Twins wanted to go after someone like Wang as a fifth starter type, he may be worth the risk, given that he is a more proven commodity and has more experience than any of the team's internal candidates. However, he has been injured the past two seasons, is coming off a shoulder procedure this past season, and probably won't be ready to pitch until May at the earliest. Besides, Brian Duensing pitched well enough last season to earn an inside track to the fifth starter's spot. Wang doesn't seem to fit the Twins' plans at this time.
Had the Twins not gone after Jon Rauch at the August deadline last season, Capps would have been a perfect fit. He was the Pirates' closer the past three seasons, notching 66 saves in 79 opportunities since 2007. He is only 26 years-old and probably projects to being a set-up man with his next team. One has to wonder what the Pirates are thinking in letting both Capps and John Grabow (last season at the deadline) go. Of course, that's probably why they have not had a winning season since 1992. Capps is younger than Rauch, but the Twins have Rauch on the hook for $2.9M to fill essentially the same role Capps would fill in Minnesota. Personally, I'd sign Capps and try to trade Jesse Crain, but it's unlikely the Twins will do this.
There are a lot of free agent options for the Twins to consider this winter, and the Twins would do well to pursue either Orlando Hudson or Felipe Lopez to play second base. The team will likely play it cautious for a while and let the market unfold. It's a buyers' market and will likely be a late-developing one to boot. The Twins may well wait until late in the off-season to make a move, and there certainly promises to be some talented players available and looking for jobs late in the winter.
The baseball winter meetings have concluded and the Minnesota Twins left lovely Indianapolis making the following "moves:"
Although it's far too early to determine the importance of losing two young pitchers in the Twins' low minors, the Rule V losses have no impact on this year's roster. Adding Pavano to the rotation solidifies the top four spots in next year's rotation, while cutting Bonser saves the team not only money for the arbitration-eligible Bonser, but eases the crowded bullpen situation somewhat.
Still, the Twins have obvious holes at third base and second base still to address. It was rumored that the Twins were taking the following action in Indy:
Still, one has to be happy that the Twins did NOT do the following:
- Sign RH set-up man Brandon Lyon to a three-year, $15M contract (What in the world are the Astros thinking? Lyon is a middle-level reliever at best.)
- Sign LHP Randy Wolf to a three-year, $29.75M contract. The Twins have Pavano for one year and between $7-8M, which is a steal compared to the insane length of contract which the Brewers gave Wolf.
The winter meetings always feature the absurdity of some teams and their inability to analyze statistics to determine player value. As frustrating as it is sometimes when the Twins do not make moves to address obvious needs, it's refreshing to see the organization's conservatism when compared to the stupidity of the two contracts listed above.
Still, the off-season has much work remaining. The Twins have holes at 2B and 3B, and the rumors surrounding players such as Kouzmanoff, Beltre, and Feliz (although Feliz ultimately signed with Houston for a respectable one year, $4.5M deal) show the Twins are actively looking to upgrade at these positions. Of course, the biggest situation to address is Joe Mauer's extension, which makes all moves pale in comparison.
Still, by doing essentially nothing at this year's winter meetings, the Twins came out no worse than their AL Central peers with an eye toward 2010. The Tigers made a good move for the near future in moving Curtis Granderson for some young talent and the other teams remained virtually silent.
The free agent market is still a possibility for the Twins to address their holes. Second base options Felipe Lopez and Orlando Hudson are still out there, although all indications are that the Twins had no contact with their representatives at Indianapolis. Still, the marketplace is in its early stages and look for the Twins to make a move via free agency to address these situations.
The winter meetings are great for rumor-mongers. Heck, I found myself refreshing MLBTradeRumors.com far more than I usually do. Still, the Twins' measured approach in the fever swamp that was Indianapolis this week was the right strategy.
Now, on to the business of addressing the Mauer, second base, and third base situations.
The Twins did not make any selections in the Major League phase of the Rule V Draft Thursday morning, nor did they lose anyone.
The minor league phases will get underway shortly.....
UPDATE: The Twins lost two players in the AAA phase of the Rule V Draft. Right-handed pitcher Angelo Sanchez was selected by Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia's AAA affiliate. The 20-year-old Sanchez was signed out of Venezuela two seasons ago and spent all of last season with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League. With E-Town, Sanchez posted a 5-1 record but allowed 64 hits and 37 earned runs in 60.1 innings (5.52 ERA). He struck out 64 batters against 20 walks. He pitched with the GCL Twins in 2008, posting a 4-3 mark in 11 starts. He notched a 3.62 ERA in 54.2 innings, striking out 55 batters against 18 walks.
LHP Winston Marquez was selected by Oklahoma, Texas's AAA affiliate. Also signed out of Venezuela, the 22-year-old split last season between E-Town and Beloit, totaling a 1-2 mark in 30 innings spanning 15 appearances. He allowed 29 hits, 15 earned runs, and walked 15 batters in his 30 innings, while striking out an impressive 45 hitters. Although his ERA was high after his promotion (5.21), Marquez struck out 30 batters in his 19 innings with the Low-A affiliate.
The Twins did not select anyone in the AAA or AA portions of the Rule V Draft.
Both pitchers are young and have potential, and both have impressive strikeout totals for their short careers. It's too early to project their careers, but the Twins lost two potential power arms out of their low minor leagues Thursday.
The Twins will receive cash or a player to be named later from the Boston Red Sox for recently-DFAd righty Boof Bonser. The four-year player was DFAd by the Twins after Carl Pavano's acceptance of arbitration earlier this week.
The Twins couldn't have expected much more from a designated player, and Bonser will seemingly compete for a long-relief role in the Boston bullpen this spring. It could be a good move for Bonser. He threw mid-90s before his shoulder surgery, and if his shoulder responds, he could be a quality reliever.
Twins' fans may be left wondering if Bonser was a better option to DFA than Bobby Keppel, especially if his shoulder responds. Time will tell.
The first day of the baseball winter meetings at the Indianapolis Marriott (stayed there many times, in case you're wondering) was rather quiet. The second day featured a lot of hot stove talk, highlighted by a major three-team trade involving one of the Twins' AL Central Division rivals.
The Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Arizona Diamondbacks hooked up for a three-team deal in which OF Curtis Granderson ended up in New York, pitchers Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson landed in Arizona, and OF Austin Jackson, and pitchers Max Scherzer, Phil Coke, and Daniel Schlereth were picked up by Detroit. The trade was agreed in principle on Tuesday and was finalized Wednesday.
Free agent Chone Figgins accepted a four-year, $36M contract offer from the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, knocking one of the top position player free agents out of this winter's marketplace. The deal also has a vesting option for a fifth year which could end up pushing the total value of the contract to $45M.
Figgins is a career .291/.363/.388 hitter in his eight-year major league career, spent entirely with the Los Angeles Angels. In 2009, Figgins batted .298/.395/.393 with 114 runs, 30 doubles, seven triples, five homers, and 54 RBI out of the leadoff spot. He walked 101 times against 114 strikeouts and stole 42 bases in 59 attempts. He will play third base in Seattle, which is where he has spent the bulk of the last three seasons. With LA last season, Figgins's UZR/150 mark was an impressive 18.8, and he is a positive 8.0 at the position throughout his career.
As ESPN's Keith Law points out here, the Mariners are essentially saying that the power aspect is overrated at third base. They let a good fielder and more productive Adrian Beltre (career .270/.325/.453 hitter; career UZR/150 of +13.9 at 3B) walk in favor of a better OBP and OPS option in Figgins. In an era in which the corner infield spots are viewed as production positions, the Mariners are electing to stray from their past and go for more of a table-setter at third base without giving up much on defense. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out in the Pacific Northwest. As Law rightly points out later on in his post, LA gets Seattle's first round pick in the 2010 draft, which is the 18th overall selection, which should not be over-looked.
Although the Twins were never seemingly in the Figgins market, his contract is not outrageous. A $9M annual salary for a 31-year-old player with a lot of post-season experience and strong track record is certainly not a market-breaker. It seems like a contract the Twins could have probably absorbed. However, the team still needs to pay for someone named Mauer this winter, and throwing $45M at Figgins would be $45M fewer dollars the team could spend on locking up Mauer for the next seven years. As frustrating as the Twins' activity or inactivity may be for some fans, all actions much be viewed through the Mauer prism for the time being until that situation is properly addressed.
The Twins needed a spot for Carl Pavano on the 40-man roster and they created it by designating right-hander Boof Bonser for assignment on Tuesday.
Acquired from the San Francisco Giants with Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano in the trade which sent A.J. Pierzynski westward, Bonser made his Twins' debut in the 2006 season. Bonser made 18 starts for the Twins that summer and finished with a 7-6 mark with a 4.22 ERA in 100.1 innings. He struck out 84 hitters against 25 walks in his rookie campaign, and was a major reason why the Twins caught the Detroit Tigers on the season's final day for the AL Central Division title. He was the Twins' starter in game two of the ALDS that post-season against Oakland.
He made the rotation out of spring training in 2007 but slumped mightily in 30 starts. He posted an 8-12 record with a high 5.10 ERA in 173.0 innings, striking out 136 hitters against 65 walks. Things got even worse in 2008 as Bonser made only 12 starts and lost his spot in the rotation. He finished 3-7 with a 5.93 ERA that season and never got things going. Viewed as a bullpen option in spring training 2009, Bonser showed up with a sore shoulder and missed the entire season after surgery.
With Pavano's acceptance of arbitration Monday night, the Twins have four slots filled in the rotation and have many options both for the fifth starter and for the bullpen. Bonser made $450k last season but was arbitration-eligible this off-season. As La Velle E. Neal III points out, the Twins' payroll will likely approach $90M in 2010 and they needed to let someone walk (also, look for Jesse Crain to be another potential casualty as the deadline to offer contracts to non-free agents passes this weekend).
Bonser would have made an interesting late-inning option for the Twins this spring. Although he is coming off surgery, he still has a fastball capable of hitting the mid-90s. The Twins are crowded in that area, even without Bonser and potentially Crain, with Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares, Matt Guerrier, among others. Bullpen duty is likely his future in the big leagues and someone will definitely take a chance on a 28-year-old with a big fastball, injury or not. Twins' fans may play a little "what if?" with Bonser, but he was a major contributor to that 2006 team but did not provide much else after his rookie campaign.
Right-hander Carl Pavano accepted the Twins' offer of arbitration Monday and will return to the team in 2010.
Acquired from Cleveland in early August last season, Pavano made 12 starts for the Twins, going 5-4 with a 4.64 ERA in 73.2 innings. He won some important games for the Twins down the stretch, including the final regular season game against Kansas City, in which he pitched on three days rest.
In total for 2009, Pavano threw 199.1 innings, finished with a 14-12 record with a high 5.10 ERA, ruined in essence from some very ugly starts early in the season. Especially active against AL Central Division opponents, Pavano made 18 intra-divisional starts last season, finished with a 10-6 record with a 4.34 ERA in 118.2 innings. Against the Detroit Tigers alone, Pavano was 4-1 in 2009.
His performance in 2009 was somewhat of a surprise, given his much-publicized struggles in four seasons in New York. After signing a lucrative four-year deal with the Yankees, Pavano made just 26 starts, won nine games, and missed significant time due to injury. Rebounding with an almost 200-inning performance in 2009 certainly made him a marketable free agent.
Pavano was angling for a multiple-year deal, but instead elected to return to the Twins, confident the team has a good chance to win in 2010 and also comfortable in the clubhouse.
The move is good for the Twins for a number of reasons. First, it solidifies the top four rotation spots for 2010. Pavano will be a #4 starter behind Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey. Secondly, as the Star Tribune article points out, it opens the door for a trade of malcontented lefty Glen Perkins out of the organization. Perkins has much potential, but he drove the Twins' management and coaching staff crazy with his antics last season, even filing a grievance late in the season over service time. His subtraction will be a plus for the Twins. Thirdly, it gives the Twins a veteran starter at a reasonable price for 2010. Pavano looks to make $7-9M through arbitration, and the Twins will be able to have an affordable presence in the rotation with which they are familiar.
One positive or negative is that it creates a logjam of candidates for the fifth starter position, which will pit Anthony Swarzak, Brian Duensing, Francisco Liriano, Jeff Manship, and Boof Bonser against each other. If nothing else, it gives the Twins some trade options for those who may not stick with the big club next spring.
Having Pavano back in the mix makes sense for the Twins and should pay dividends next season. Provided he stays healthy again, he'll give the Twins a serviceable veteran starter at an affordable price who can eat innings and win some ballgames against divisional opponents.
BP Verdict: Good move by Bill Smith.
Every great team needs someone behind the scenes, and my All-Time Twins team is no exception. Tom Kelly is the all-time manager.
I have to admit that selecting Kelly has everything to do with 1987 and 1991. TK managed the Twins for 16 seasons and had a career winning percentage of .478. He averaged almost a fourth-place finish throughout his career, with seven of those seasons coming when the Twins competed in a five-team division (the other nine in a seven-team AL West Division). However, he skippered the Twins to two pennants and two World Series titles, and that warrants a spot overseeing this team.
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Carl Pavano is close to accepting the Twins' offer of arbitration. (UPDATE: The Strib's La Velle E. Neal III says it's a done deal, according to sources).
The free agent was offered arbitration by the Twins, which protects the team in case he signs elsewhere. If a team signs Pavano, the Twins would receive a draft pick as compensation since they made an offer of arbitration to their free agent. The Twins are still able to negotiate with him in the process.
Pavano's camp is seeking a multi-year deal, and Pavano is reportedly pushing for two years from the Twins. However, should be accept the Twins' offer, he will remain with the Twins in 2010 at a salary to be decided (likely $8-9M). Although somewhat expensive for a #4 starter, the Twins know what they're getting with Pavano, who went 5-4 in 12 starts down the stretch for the Twins in 2009 and reportedly enjoyed his time here. Given his injury history, multiple-year offers for Pavano are risky and unlikely, even though he was healthy in 2009 and nearly pitched 200 innings.
A decision is expected by the end of the day, so stay tuned for more information....
Closing things out for the Minnesota Twins 50th Anniversary All-Time team is the club's all-time saves leader, Joe Nathan.
Drafted as an infielder by the San Francisco Giants out of SUNY-Stony Brook, Nathan was converted to a pitcher and made his major league debut with the Giants in 1999. He worked as a starter for his first two seasons before injuring his arm and missing the entire 2001 season. He bounced back nicely as a reliever and recorded a fine season in 2003, going 12-4 with a 2.96 ERA in 78 games and 79.0 innings out of the San Francisco bullpen. When the Twins acquired him along with minor league pitchers Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano for catcher A.J. Pierzynski (in one of the most one-sided trades in recent baseball history), the thought was that Nathan would replace the recently-departed Eddie Guardado as the Twins' closer. This was a bit of a stretch, given that Nathan had recorded a total of one save prior to the trade.
Instead, the Twins' thinking was completely validated by one of the best seasons ever posted by a Twins' reliever. In 63 games, Nathan tossed 72.1 innings, pitched to a 1.62 ERA, recorded 44 saves in 47 opportunities, and struck out 89 batters against just 23 walks. For his efforts, Nathan was named to his first All-Star Game and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young balloting. Not bad for a first-year closer.
Nathan continued his dominance in 2005 for a Twins team which finished third in the AL Central. Nathan's ERA jumped from 1.62 to 2.70, but he still recorded 43 saves in 48 opportunities, and was named to his second All-Star Game. Nathan recorded 36 saves in 2006 and 37 more in 2007, and was considered one of the game's elite closers.
Signed to a new contract in 2008, Nathan responded with a tremendous season. In 67.2 innings, Nathan struck out 74 batters against just 18 walks, recorded a 1.33 ERA, notched 39 saves in 45 opportunities, and made his third All-Star Game for a Twins' team which tied the Chicago White Sox for the division title. In 2009, Nathan broke the Twins' all-time saves mark, previously held by Rick Aguilera, and also recorded a club-best 47 saves (in 52 opportunities).
For his career in Minnesota, Nathan has posted a 22-12 mark with 246 saves in 274 opportunities (a staggering 89.8% success rate), notched a 1.87 ERA, has struck out 518 batters in 418.2 innings, and has walked only 120 men in that span.
Despite his problems against the New York Yankees throughout his career, Nathan remains one of baseball's best closers at the age of 35. He will be in Minnesota through 2011 (with a club option for 2012) and the Twins are set knowing that their bullpen issues lie in the innings leading to Nathan.
Also Considered: Jeff Reardon, Rick Aguilera, Eddie Guardado
Every team needs pitching, and for the All-Time Twins team, we selected a four-man starting rotation as a shout-out to days of yonder. The four pitchers gracing our team are four of the most accomplished starters in Twins' history.
Anchoring the starting rotation is right-hander Bert Blyleven. The Dutchman was a third round draft choice of the Twins in the 1969 MLB Draft and spent just a season-and-a-half in the minor league system before debuting in Minnesota as a teenager in June of 1970. Blyleven looked none out of place in 1970, finishing the season 10-9 with a 3.18 ERA in 25 starts spanning 164.0 innings. He would finish with at least 15 victories in each of the following five seasons, including a tremendous 1973 season in which Blyleven won 20 games for the only time in his career, posted nine shutouts, made the first of two All-Star appearances, threw a staggering 325.0 innings, and completed 25 of his 40 starts. Blyleven was traded to Texas midway through the 1976 season as the Twins were working their way through a decade of mediocrity, and Blyleven also made stops in Pittsburgh (where he won a World Series ring in 1979) and Cleveland.
Placido Polanco signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday worth $18M. The Phils also included a mutual option for a fourth year.
The 34-year-old second baseman was not offered arbitration by the Detroit Tigers, meaning that the Type A free agent will not cost the Phillies a first round pick in the 2010 draft. Polanco has been brought to Philly to play third base, given that Chase Utley is firmly entrenched at second.
Polanco hit .285/.331/.396 for the Tigers last season with 31 doubles, 10 HR, and 72 RBI. He also posted a UZR/150 mark of 11.0 at second base last season. A two-time Gold Glove-winner at second, Polanco has not played third since his 95 games spent in Philadelphia in 2005, but has a career UZR/150 mark of 9.9 at third base.
Polanco would have been a great fit for the Twins at second base and hitting second in the order. The Phillies made a reasonable deal for a servicable veteran, even if they are moving him out of position. I wrote last month that signing Polanco would be a fine goodwill gesture toward keeping Joe Mauer long-term and ensures the team's chances of winning again next season. However, I also stated that they should offer him two years, max, given his age. As Aaron Gleeman points out in Thursday's entry, the Dodgers did not offer Orlando Hudson arbitration, so signing him would also not put the Twins' first round pick at risk. Hudson is younger than Polanco, and would be a perfect fit - along with fellow free agent Felipe Lopez - for the Twins for the next few seasons.
