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***OFFICIAL 2012 MINNESOTA TWINS THREAD*** (2 Viewers)

Frostillicus

Bad Manager
The other AL Central teams are stocking up for next year, while things remain relatively quiet for the Twins. We have:

- Possibility of signing Carl Pavano long-term. Sounds like it's looking fairly likely at this point. If it's more than 2 years it's a terrible deal.

- Signing Tsuyoshi Nishioka from Japan. Paid $5 million for the exclusive negotiating rights and it sounds like they're close to signing him for 3 years/$10 million. Hopefully he's more Ichiro and less Kaz Matsui.

- Trading JJ Hardy and Brendan Harris to Baltimore for a couple minor league pitchers. Not sure of the rush to get rid of Hardy. He's affordable and an above average defensive shortstop with average offensive skills. That's not all that easy to find. I haven't looked up the pitchers they're supposed to be getting, but I heard some speculation that this may be them trying to get more prospects to go after Greinke. This I can support.

- What else did I miss?

 
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Hardy deal is basically official at this point. Here are scouting reports on the two guys the Twins have coming back:

Brett Jacobson – A 6-6, 205 pound right-hander, Jacobson throws hard. He hits between 95 and 98 with his fastball. He was the team’s fourth-round pick in 2008 out of the University of Vanderbilt. He was traded in 2009 from the Tigers to the Orioles in the Aubrey Huff deal. He went back to Hi-A in 2010 to work on his secondary pitches, and he was very good. He is the type of power arm that the Twins should be looking for. He just turned 24 years old in November and should advance quickly in 2011.

Jim Hoey – He was a member of the Orioles’ bullpen in 2006 and 2007. He had Tommy John surgery in 2008 and missed the entire year. He slowly returned in 2009. In 2009, he threw 52.2 innings between AA and AAA and struck out 70 in 52.2 innings of work. He also walked 34 which isn’t ideal, but he will certainly play a part in the Twins bullpen in 2011. The 6-6 righty will turn 28 years old later this month.

Sounds like a couple of decent relievers. I would still rather have Hardy/Nishioka than Nishioka/Casilla as my starting middle infield. I also read somewhere that Japanese shortstops often have trouble with the position after coming over, so there's that.

 
If they go get Grienke then great but...this is the Twins we're talking about.

While other teams strengthen themselves, they do nothing.

Win the division last year? Big F!n deal. You bowed out AGAIN in three straight to the Yankees. You won't even win the division this year.

 
Twins select lefthander Diamond from Atlanta during Rule 5 draft

The Twins selected lefthanded starter Scott Diamond in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft Thursday. Diamond must remain on the major league roster throughout the season or be offered back to the Atlanta Braves, the organization from which he was selected.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

The Twins selected lefthanded starter Scott Diamond in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft Thursday. Diamond must remain on the major league roster throughout the season or be offered back to the Atlanta Braves, the organization from which he was selected.

Diamond, 24, was 8-7 with a 3.46 ERA in 27 starts between Class AA Mississippi and Class AAA Gwinnett. In 158 2/3 innings, Diamond walked 54 and struck out 123 while giving up only six home runs.

"This guy has been good throughout his career," said Vern Followell, the Twins' director of pro scouting. "He's had solid numbers. He's thrown it over. He's got a big body [6-3, 215 pounds]. We think he's got a chance to start.

"Certainly, he's a guy who has pitched at higher levels and has a chance to maybe make a 25-man club."

Diamond likely would land in the Twins bullpen as a reliever if he shows enough in spring training. The Twins could always compensate the Braves if they want to send him to the minors. Followell said Diamond has an average fastball to go with a curve, slider and changeup.

The Twins lost three players in the minor league phase of the draft. Righthander Michael Allen was drafted by Washington, lefthander Jean Mijares was drafted by St. Louis and righthander Eliecer Cardenas was selected by Atlanta.

 
The timing of the Hardy trade is more surprising to me than the trade itself. I guess they did it to show their commitment and confidence in Nishioka as their SS for the near future? But they also gave him more leverage in contract negotiations.

 
This could be a big week for the Twins as they work on a deal for Japanese infielder Nishioka. There are rumblings that he is going to travel to the Twin Cities this week for a physical maybe a deal is near.

 
This could be a big week for the Twins as they work on a deal for Japanese infielder Nishioka. There are rumblings that he is going to travel to the Twin Cities this week for a physical maybe a deal is near.
I'm very nervous about Nishioka. Here's some info from Aaron Gleeman:
As for what type of player the Twins are now trying to sign ... well, that's difficult to say with any kind of certainty. Nishioka won the batting title this year by hitting .346 and notched 206 hits in a 144-game season for the most by any player since Suzuki in 1994. However, he came into the year as a career .280 hitter in six previous seasons and batted just .260 in 2009. He also has limited power, with a career-high of 14 homers and just 11 in 596 at-bats this year.No doubt one reason why the Twins pursued Nishioka is that they wanted to add speed to the lineup after becoming more of a station-to-station team in recent years. Whether or not that makes sense is up for debate, as the Twins' offense during the past three seasons has been better than it was since the early 1990s, but Ron Gardenhire has repeatedly singled out the middle infield as a spot to add that speed.Nishioka has averaged 28 stolen bases a season, including 22 this year, so he certainly would bring significantly more speed to the lineup than J.J. Hardy or Orlando Hudson. On the other hand his career success rate on the bases is a poor 72 percent, which is below the standard break-even point where attempting steals is actually beneficial to a team, and Nishioka's raw speed is considered merely good rather than elite like Suzuki or Iwamura.Defensively he's won the Japanese equivalent of a Gold Glove award three times, receiving the honor as both a shortstop and second baseman. However, some reports have questioned his ability to play shortstop full time in the big leagues and the only previous Japanese shortstop to sign with an MLB team, Kaz Matsui, was a four-time Gold Glove winner in Japan and proved to be shaky enough at the position that he quickly moved to second base.Matsui's disappointing seven-year run in the majors also provides some reason to be skeptical of Nishioka's offensive upside. Even in winning the batting title with a .346 average Nishioka's overall numbers this year pale in comparison to Matsui's gaudy production in Japan. Nishioka posted a .905 OPS this season and has a .790 OPS for his career. Matsui averaged a .920 OPS during his final five seasons in Japan, batting .320 with 25 homers and 25 steals per year.Nishioka's career-year is basically what Matsui did every year, and Matsui ended up hitting just .267 with a .321 on-base percentage and .380 slugging percentage in the majors. Obviously it's not fair to assume Nishioka will follow in Matsui's footsteps just because they're from the same country, particularly since guys like Suzuki and Hideki Matsui thrived here, but as of now there's no precedent for a Japanese shortstop thriving offensively or defensively in MLB.Power hitting in Japan hasn't translated to MLB, with Kaz Matsui perhaps the most prominent example of someone who went from a slugger there to a slap-hitter here. Prior to a crippling knee injury Iwamura was a nice top-of-the-order bat for the Rays, using his speed to rack up infield hits while getting on base at a .355 clip, but he was actually a 40-homer guy in Japan. Nishioka is unique in that his power in Japan hasn't even been impressive.Nishioka is coming off a breakout season in which he hit .346/.423/.482, but as a 26-year-old career .293/.364/.421 hitter any attempts to project MLB performance that take into account pre-2010 production in Japan aren't going to be very kind. Going from Japan to MLB has turned middle-of-the-order monsters into bottom-of-the-order slappers, so Nishioka's already modest power may prove to be nearly non-existent.With that said, if he can maintain a batting average around .275 and get on base at a decent clip after showing solid plate discipline and contact skills in Japan he'd still be a decent-hitting middle infielder, and if that comes with good defense a total investment of approximately $14 million for three seasons could certainly be worthwhile. Nearly everything about Nishioka boils down to an educated-guessing game, but his defense in particular is a huge key.If he can stick at shortstop and/or be a major asset at second base Nishioka looks like a solid player, although how exactly he fits into the Twins' plans for 2011 is unclear. Hudson is still in the picture for now after the Twins offered him arbitration Tuesday, but that was reportedly only done because the two sides have a behind-the-scenes agreement that he will decline the offer before almost surely signing elsewhere.
 
I have enough faith in the Twins scouting department that I think it's unlikely he'll be a flop. It's not often that they go after someone this hard. That said, he's not going to hit many HRs in Target Field and he's probably never going to be a star. If the rumors are correct, the contract sounds like a pretty decent deal.

 
Twins ready for quirks in contract

Tsuyoshi Nishioka's deal figures to contain some clauses unique to him.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Negotiating with the agent for Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been far from typical for the Twins.

Agreeing on who interprets for Nishioka and how many round-trip tickets between the United States and Japan the club will be on the hook for are just a couple of items Major League Baseball teams must go over in deals involving players from the Japanese Leagues.

"There are a few different pieces to it," Twins General Manager Bill Smith said at baseball's winter meetings last week in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Twins hope the pieces have fallen into place as the sides close in on an agreement to get the switch-hitting star to Target Field.

There were indications that Nishioka, represented by Rick Thurman of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, was headed to the Twin Cities this week for a physical. That would have been another hint a deal was close.

Travel plans were delayed, but the sides continue to work to get him to town at a later date.

The Twins, who bid more than $5 million for the rights to negotiate with Nishioka, have until Dec. 26 to sign him to a multiyear contract. There have been no indications that a multiyear deal won't get worked out.

Throughout the process, the Twins have talked about ways to help Nishioka feel comfortable with the club once he does sign.

It might lead to a crash course in Japanese culture on their part. The Twins feel strongly about Nishioka's talents -- especially the addition of his speed to their lineup -- to believe he is the right player at the right time for them.

"There will be challenges with the language, the culture, a lot of things we are looking at," Smith said. "That mix of things. We don't want to change the whole culture of the clubhouse for one player. We have the confidence that he wants to be on a winning team and that he will be able to make that transition."

Smith stressed that it's also important Nishioka adjusts to the way the Twins do things.

"We have some premier players on our ballclub, and we want him to come in and fit in and be a teammate and not be a group of one and then have a group of 24," Smith said. "If this is going to work, if we are going to be successful with it, we need him to come in and be a teammate, and the group of players we have will embrace him as a teammate."

Nishioka, 26, won the Pacific League batting title last season with a .346 batting average and also had 11 homers, 59 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 144 games. His career batting average is .293 over eight seasons. He's played shortstop and second base in Japan, but the Twins would wait until spring training before deciding where he and Alexi Casilla figure to play in the middle infield.

Nishioka would be the first player the Twins have signed from the Japanese Leagues.

"This is a negotiation where we talked about all of [the different details] well in advance," said Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president of player personnel. "[Assistant GM] Rob Antony is the guy doing the bulk of the negotiation. Other than that, it has been a unique situation thinking about how this guy can fit in."

 
Talk starting to heat up on the Twins trying to trade for Joe Blanton.

Several other teams that according to the website MLBTradeRumors.com could be a fit for Blanton include Washington, Minnesota, Seattle, Baltimore, Kansas City and Oakland.

 
Talk starting to heat up on the Twins trying to trade for Joe Blanton.Several other teams that according to the website MLBTradeRumors.com could be a fit for Blanton include Washington, Minnesota, Seattle, Baltimore, Kansas City and Oakland.
I just got in...so this means no to Pavano?
 
Talk starting to heat up on the Twins trying to trade for Joe Blanton.Several other teams that according to the website MLBTradeRumors.com could be a fit for Blanton include Washington, Minnesota, Seattle, Baltimore, Kansas City and Oakland.
NO.NO NO NONONONONOONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO.
 
Crain gets 3 years, $14 million from Chicago while Guerrier gets 3 years, $12 million.

I don't think I would have signed either of them at those numbers.

 
John Heyman of Si.com is reporting that the Twins have agreed to a three-year contract with infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Nishioka flew into town earlier today and indicated that the sides were close to a deal.

Looking forward to seeing this deal done :yes:

 
Rockies acquire catcher Morales from Twins

Associated Press

DENVER - The Colorado Rockies have acquired catcher Jose Morales from Minnesota, sending minor league pitcher Paul Bargas to the Twins.

Morales hit .194 with seven RBIs in 19 games with the Twins last season. The 27-year-old has a .297 batting average in three seasons.

The Rockies are searching for a reliable backup for Chris Iannetta after trading Miguel Olivo in the offseason. The team also has Michael McKenry, Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario on the active roster.

Bargas, a 22-year-old lefty, was 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA and five saves in 58 appearances for Single-A Asheville last year.

He was picked by Colorado in the 13th round in 2009 out of the University of California-Riverside.

Always liked Morales, hate to see him go

 
Nishioka, Twins agree on $9 million, 3-year deal

The Associated Press • December 17, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS — Japanese batting champion Tsuyoshi Nishioka and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a $9 million, three-year contract that includes a club option for the 2014 season.

The Twins announced the agreement and the terms of the deal today. They’ve scheduled a news conference for Saturday to introduce the 26-year-old Nishioka, who led the Pacific League with a .346 batting average last season.

The Twins submitted the highest bid to his team in Japan for negotiating rights to Nishioka.

 
Nishioka, Twins agree on $9 million, 3-year dealThe Associated Press • December 17, 2010 MINNEAPOLIS — Japanese batting champion Tsuyoshi Nishioka and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a $9 million, three-year contract that includes a club option for the 2014 season.The Twins announced the agreement and the terms of the deal today. They’ve scheduled a news conference for Saturday to introduce the 26-year-old Nishioka, who led the Pacific League with a .346 batting average last season.The Twins submitted the highest bid to his team in Japan for negotiating rights to Nishioka.
w/ the $5M posting fee, it works out to 3/$14M. It's a risky move but not without upside at that price.
 
Mauer has 'minor' surgery on left knee

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: December 17, 2010 - 12:33 PM

45Comments +Add commentPrint this story

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0diggsdiggTWINS NOTES

The Twins claim that's all Mauer had last week when doctors operated on his left knee -- the same one that had meniscus removed in 2004. his rookie year.

Mauer is expected to be 100 percent by the time spring training opens. Twins General Manager Bill Smith said the surgery does not affect anything pertaining to his status for the start of camp.

"He had a minor scope of the left knee," Smith said. "A little irritation around the plica band around his knee, the same knee he had surgery on. He's doing much better."

When asked if something flared up during the past season, Smith said: "Some of it is a little bit of wear and tear off the surgery from six year ago."

Mauer, 27, batted .327 with nine homers and 75 RBI last season, the year after winning the AL Most Valuable Player Award. In addition to the knee, Mauer also battled a sore shoulder that required a cortisone shot, as well as other bumps and bruises.

Morales dealt

Being out of options with the chance of being caught up in a numbers game, catcher Jose Morales was traded on Thursday to Colorado in exchange for minor league lefthander Paul Bargas.

Morales. 27, batted .194 in 19 games last season but his hitting is the best part of his game. A former infielder, Morales switched to catching while coming up through the minors, but injuries have slowed his development.

Bargas, 22, was 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA with five saves at Class A Asheville last season. Reports are that he has a good breaking ball and an average fastball.

With the recent signing of catcher Rene Rivera to a minor league contract, the Twins believe they are covered in case Mauer or Drew Butera are injured.

Etc.

• Righthander Matt Guerrier signed his three-year, $12 million contract with the Dodgers on Thursday, officially marking the end of his seven-year run with the Twins. The departures of Guerrier and righthander Jesse Crain, who has agreed to sign with the White Sox, leave a hole in the Twins bullpen.

• Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Thursday that he would like to have infielder Nick Punto back as a utility player. The Twins declined to pick up Punto's $5 million option for 2011 in October, making him a free agent, and he remains unsigned.

Recent Twins stories

AP sources: Hudson, Padres agree to contract - December 17, 2010 AP sources: Hudson, Padres agree to contract - Two people with knowledge of the deal tell the Associated Press that the San Diego Padres have agreed to an $11.5 million, two-year contract with second baseman Orlando Hudson. More Carlos Gomez agrees to $1.5M deal with Brewers - December 17, 2010 Carlos Gomez agrees to $1.5M deal with Brewers - Carlos Gomez agreed Friday to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, a $400,000 raise. More

 
We're going to win Twins....

I like the Twins getting Nish. I thing it's a good gamble.

Now get some pitching.

 
Pavano's Market

Posted by John Bonnes

Minneapolis Star & Tribune

Last update: December 23, 2010 - 3:02 PM

With Cliff Lee signing and Zach Greinke traded, many sports writers are predicting that Carl Pavano is finally the most desirable starting pitching on the market this offseason. But the market isn’t so sure.

Certainly the pitcher that is getting the most interest is Brandon Webb. Webb has been mentioned locally as an alternate option if Pavano signs with another team, but the truth might be that he is even more desirable to most teams. He has tremendous upside, having been a Cy Young winner in 2006. He’s also four years younger than Pavano. He’s coming off an injury, but that hasn’t scared away teams in the past. Last year the A’s signed a pitcher in a similar position, Ben Sheets, to a 1-year $10 million deal.

But Webb isn’t the only pitcher that might rank higher. When Lee signed with the Phillies, many thought the Rangers would suddenly be interested in Pavano. But not only has that not yet happened, it meant another pitcher was added to the market. The Phillies have made it known that starting pitcher Joe Blanton is available, probably because the Phillies need to cut some payroll to pay Lee.

Blanton is unlike Pavano in that he is a flyball pitcher whereas Pavano was more groundball-oriented this last year. Critics will wince at Blanton’s 4.82 ERA in 2010, but for his career, he has a 4.30 ERA, compared to Pavano’s 4.34. Blanton has consistently “eaten innings.” Most importantly, he’s five years younger than Pavano and locked into a contract that will pay him $8.5 million over each of the next two years. That’s less than Pavano is seeking.

Of course, a team would need to trade for Blanton – but a team would essentially need to trade for the free agent Pavano, too. That’s because any team that signs Pavano is forfeiting a very high draft pick, comparable to the Twins first round picks the last few years. Those have been turned into Kyle Gibson, Alex Wimmers and Aaron Hicks - significant prospects within months of being chosen. Giving up a 1st round pick is similar to giving up a top prospect, which is something the Phillies likely won’t be able to demand for Blanton. So trading for Blanton might actually be cheaper than just signing Pavano.

If that surprises you, you’re probably not alone – I think Pavano and agent Tom O’Connell might be surprised too. They had the opportunity to accept arbitration from the Twins and make $11 to $13 million from the Twins for next year, but that ship has sailed. Instead, they’re watching an $8.5M pitcher who teams need to trade for AND who had a bad year last year leapfrog Pavano. That’s doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in one’s position.

Of course, it all could change. All it takes is one team to lose their head, as the Nationals have already shown us once this offseason. That’s why Pavano – and the Twins – continue to wait. But so far, waiting has helped the Twins far more than Pavano. And it appears Pavano will want to wait at least a bit longer.

Hoping the Twins sign Pavano, but maybe he Signs with the Tigers and we get the Tigers first round pick :confused:

 
What will Danny Valencia do this year? Should I still have him on my sleepers list?
I think Danny V will hit close to 300 this year, but will disappoint in the hr/rbi area, but a good sleeper for where you should be able to draft him at
I think the term sleeper implies some upside. Valencia isn't going to steal bases or hit for power. He'll probably bat near the bottom of the order. He won't hurt your team but he's one of those guys who's better in real-life than in fantasy baseball.
 
Eephus said:
Gopher State said:
de Tocqueville said:
What will Danny Valencia do this year? Should I still have him on my sleepers list?
I think Danny V will hit close to 300 this year, but will disappoint in the hr/rbi area, but a good sleeper for where you should be able to draft him at
I think the term sleeper implies some upside. Valencia isn't going to steal bases or hit for power. He'll probably bat near the bottom of the order. He won't hurt your team but he's one of those guys who's better in real-life than in fantasy baseball.
:thumbdown: Eephus on the money
 
Official list of 2011 breakout bullpen pitchers for the Twins:

Anthony Slama - It amazes me that many Twins fans seem to think he can't contribute to the team. Are people really willing to say that a poor 4.2 inning debut in the big leagues tells us that he can't pitch up there? Really? His 1.95 ERA over four minor league seasons mean nothing? His 12.5 K/9 means nothing? His 1.06 WHIP? His 2.44 ERA in one-plus seasons at AAA mean nothing? Bloggers and blog commenters have been clamoring for Slama for a few years, and now they'll give up on him? Because of 4.2 bad innings? I think Slama can be a solid 7th inning guy.

Alex Burnett - he has a chance to be really good. He came up as a starter, a successful starter, but in 2009, he moved to the bullpen. Despite not pitching in AAA, and only a short time in AA, he was on teh Twins Opening Day roster and spent most of the first half with the Twins. He struggled as the season went along, but he has great stuff and will definitely be back with the Twins, eventually pitching late innings.

Pat Neshek - It amazes me how quickly some Twins fans turned on the sind-winding reliever. Yes, his velocity was down. I get that. But this year, he will get an actual offseason of working out and preparing, not an offseason of rehabilitation. Will he come back and be as incredible as he was in 2006 and 2007? Maybe, maybe not, but I'm willing to give him that opportunity.

James Hoey - Similarly, there was a lot of excitement about Hoey with the Orioles in 2006 and 2007. The righty throws hard and was generally thought to be the closer of the future with Baltimore. And then he had shoulder surgery, and he worked his way back up the ladder. His velocity is back. The strikeouts are back. He will need to cut down walks, but he is a power arm that the Twins bullpen needs.

Rob Delaney - Delaney was undrafted in 2006 and dominated the lower levels of the minor leagues, including AA. AAA has been more of a struggle, but consider that in 80 AAA innings, he walked just 23 and struck out 92. Sure, his one inning in the big leagues last September wasn't pretty. He looked nervous and gave up a homer, a single and a walk before getting the three outs. But again, I've heard some say that he can't handle the big leagues because of that one outing.

Kyle Waldrop - It surprised a lot of people that the Twins didn't protece Waldrop after a terrific 2010 season with the Rochester Red Wings. Since returning from his shoulder surgery, he has been incredible out of the bullpen. After 20 games in Ft. Myers, he posted a 1.46 ERA in 31 New Britain games. He posted a 2.57 ERA in 2010 in Rochester, but his ERA was at ONE halfway through the 2010 season. Yes, he was not good in the Arizona Fall League, but he still has a chance to be a very good, groundball reliever.

Glen Perkins - A left-hander who did succeed a few years ago as a starter, he looks to be a lefty reliever in 2011. Of course, he doesn't get left-handed batters out, so I just don't know how he can contribute, but stranger things have happened when players get opportunities.

Eric Hacker, Yorman Bazardo, Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak, Chuck James - These guys could all get an opportunity for a long relief role. Manship filled the role toward the end of 2010 and could do so again, but the others are options.

Carlos Gutierrez - In a podcast just last week, Gutierrez stated that he that he wants to pitch out of the bullpen, that it is where he is 'at home.' However, he acknowledged that spending the last couple of years as a starter has been valuable in helping him develop secondary pitches.

Go Twins

 
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Twins have moved their annual fan festival to the suburbs, with the Metrodome still unusable because of a collapsed roof.

The team announced Thursday that TwinsFest will be held at the National Sports Center in Blaine, a multipurpose complex north of Minneapolis. The Friday-through-Sunday event will remain scheduled for Jan. 28-30.

TwinsFest is a fundraiser for the team’s charities, bringing most of the current roster and dozens of former players for autographs and interaction with fans. There’s also a sports memorabilia show.

The Metrodome’s roof gave out on Dec. 12. It won’t be fixed until at least March, forcing out hundreds of college baseball games and other non-sports events.

TwinsFest always a good time :lmao:

 
TWINS 2011 line up should look like:

Span, cf; Nishioka, 2b; Mauer, c; Morneau, 1b; Kubel/Cuddyer, rf; Young/Kubel, lf; Thome/Cuddyer, dh; Valencia, 3b; Casilla, ss.

Rumor Thome signing to happen during Twins fest.

Go Twins

 
Price must be right to keep Pavano, Thome

The Twins have had a quiet offseason after they missed on two aces.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

There are 47 days until Twins pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. Plenty of time for the Twins to salvage an offseason in which infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka is the only newcomer.

The Twins do have a track record for late offseason moves. Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson were signed after Jan. 1 last year. Most of the team had reported to camp when Joe Crede signed in 2009. The Twins have had success with waiting out the market and signing players for what they feel are reasonable prices.

It looks as if that tactic is being employed once again as they try to retain Thome and righthander Carl Pavano.

There are indications the Thome camp raised its eyebrows when Lance Berkman signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Cardinals. Thome made $1.7 million last season while batting .283 with 25 homers and 59 RBI. Clearly, he outperformed what he was paid, and their thinking could be that it's time make up for what he didn't earn last season while he swats career homer No. 600 in a Twins uniform. How much should the Twins pay for a part-time slugger, even if he's a future Hall of Famer who provided several thrills last season?

Pavano has been an interesting case. The Twins didn't appear to have a chance of bringing him back after he went 17-11 last season. After all, Ted Lilly is the same age as Pavano, 34, and signed a three year, $33 million deal to stay with the Dodgers. Pavano has every right to ask for a similar deal.

Then Pavano began telling everyone how much he wanted to return, suggesting he would take less to remain in a good situation rather than going to, say, Washington, where the Nationals would have trouble outscoring the Capitals on many nights.

There are no indications Pavano has a three-year offer from anyone. Have the Twins even offered a two-year deal? If Pavano will settle for two years, the Twins should get this one over with. He was the only Twins starter to pitch at least 200 innings last year. That's pretty significant.

This will determine the Twins offseason, because if Pavano settles for a $10 million salary for 2011 and Thome accepts, let's say, $5 million, the Twins might be done spending. In fact, the Twins might not be able to afford both of them.

They have 11 players under contract at $78.725 million. Six more -- Alexi Casilla, Delmon Young, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey and Matt Capps -- are eligible for arbitration. If we go by Joe Christensen's projections before free agency began, the six arbitration cases could cost the Twins $19.35 million. That's roughly $98 million for 17 players.

If Pavano stays and makes $10 million and Thome stays and makes $5 million, that's $113 million for 19 players. The rest of the roster would be made up of players making around the minimum.

This is why the Twins couldn't keep relievers Matt Guerrier or Jesse Crain. First of all, they appear to be among the group of clubs who have done studies and concluded that giving three-year contracts to middle relievers is too risky. And taking on another $3 million to $4 million salary might tap them out.

The best the Twins could have done this offseason was to keep as many good players as they could have. The only way they could have had the type of offseason fans would get excited about was to add an ace pitcher.

Cliff Lee signed with Philadelphia, where he was the most comfortable. The word on Zack Greinke, who was dealt by Kansas City to Milwaukee, is that the Royals never wanted to talk to the Twins about a trade within the AL Central. Cleveland apparently reached out to Kansas City about Greinke and also was shot down. Right now, there's not another ace available.

The best thing about this offseason for the Twins is that every day marked off the calendar is another day Justin Morneau distances himself from his July concussion and another day removed from Joe Nathan's Tommy John surgery back in March.

La Velle E. Neal III • lneal@startribune.com

 
—The Twins' bullpen remains a work in progress. One of the team's strengths last season, it's remarkably thin after the loss of free agents RHP Jesse Crain and RHP Matt Guerrier. They still have RHP Matt Capps, acquired from Washington to be the closer, and LHP Jose Mijares, who at times is an excellent setup man.

They're also counting on LHP Glen Perkins and RHP Pat Neshek, 2010 call-ups with considerable major league experience. The wild card will be RHP Joe Nathan, the team's career saves leader, who missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery.

"I have a feeling (the Twins) definitely are going to do something in January," Nathan told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

That could include re-signing RHP Jon Rauch, who was solid for the Twins last season but became a free agent. He's still unsigned, and his salary ($2.9 million in 2010) might be workable.

Source USA Today

It's January lets go Twins and get some pitching help

 
I can't wait to see what Nathan will look like this year. I'm not exactly confident about the first year back, but the entire pitching staff needs help

Unlike the above troll I like our chances even though we were swept in the playoffs. I think we're the early favorite to win the division, because I just don't see any other team in the central with two MVPs in their prime.

 
MEDICAL WATCH:

—1B Justin Morneau (concussion) is expected to be ready for spring training.

—INF/OF Michael Cuddyer (arthroscopic right knee surgery) expects to be fully healed by spring training.

—RHP Joe Nathan (Tommy John surgery in March 2010) is on track to be ready for spring training.

—C Joe Mauer (left knee surgery) underwent the procedure during the offseason, but it was said to be minor. He would never let on just how much his knee was bothering him toward the end of the season. He had a cortisone shot in it in the waning days of the regular season and did admit it wasn't 100 percent in the playoffs.

—RHP Scott Baker (arthroscopic right elbow surgery in October 2010) is expected to be healthy by spring training.

—RHP Nick Blackburn (arthroscopic right elbow surgery in October 2010) is expected to be healthy by spring training.

—OF Jason Repko (left thumb surgery in October 2010) should be ready for spring training.

Copyright © 2010, The SportsXchange. All rights reserved.

Here's to the above Twins getting well :goodposting:

 
Report predicts Blyleven will get 80 percent of votes, cruise into Hall of Fame

Michael Rand

Chris Jaffe over at The Hardball Times has had a pretty good run of success predicting the vote totals in recent elections into the baseball Hall of Fame.

He says Roberto Alomar well get in with 87 percent of the vote (75 is the benchmark for election). More importantly locally, Jaffe has former Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven getting in pretty comfortably at 80 percent of the vote. While most people have generally assumed Blyleven's election would happen, Jaffe's methodology firms up that assumption. Of both Alomar and Blyleven (and their totals last year) he says:

More importantly, Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven both broke 70 percent. The odds on both making it are now overwhelmingly strong. To deny either would fly in the face of all precedent.

Good luck Bert. Say what you will about Blyleven as a broadcaster, there is no doubt he was a great player

 
Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven voted into the Hall of Fame

The voters forgave second baseman Roberto Alomar's spitting incident and overlooked pitcher Bert Blyleven's lack of sheer dominance, but once again voiced a strong stance against players tied to performance-enhancing drugs.From 1991 to 2001, Roberto Alomar led all second baseman in average, hits, home runs and OPS while winning 10 of 11 Gold Gloves and two World Series titles.

By Jim Mone, AP

Alomar and Blyleven were easily elected Wednesday into Baseball's Hall of Fame, but Rafael Palmeiro was not even close to receiving the 75% vote total needed. Alomar received 90% of the votes, Blyleven 79.7%. Palmeiro, who joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray as the only players to hit 500 homers and produce 3,000 hits, received just 11% of the votes. He was the first star player to fail a steroid test in 2005 during his final season. Palmeiro continues to insist his positive test was the result of a tainted B-12 shot administered by former teammate Miguel Tejada.

Blyleven, on a conference call with reporters, struck a tone of vindication after finally earning a nod to Cooperstown.

"It's been 14 years of praying and waiting," Blyleven said. "And thank the baseball writers of America for, I'm going to say, finally getting it right."

In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Palmeiro said he "received" the message the voters were sending.

"Not good actually, it's disappointing, really disappointing that it was only 11%," Palmeiro said. "I wasn't expecting to be going in this year with the feedback I have gotten throughout the last few weeks or so. But I thought more voters would look at my overall career and put more emphasis or weight on what I have done and not just on a positive (drug) test at the end of my career. There was a message there to be sent and it was received."

Barry Larkin received the the most votes without earning election. He got 62.1% of the votes.

Mark McGwire, an admitted steroid user who hit 583 home runs, 10th-most in history, also did not come close in the balloting. This was his fifth year on the ballot, and he got fewer votes (19.8%) than last year (23.7%).

congrats Bert :unsure:

 
Pavano update: Will patience pay off for the Twins again?

La Velle E. Neal III Minneapolis Star & Tribune

Interesting stuff today in the Washington Post about the Nationals' interest in Carl Pavano.

Most notably this comment from Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo:

"I hear we are 'the finalist' along with the Twins," said Rizzo, acerbically. "We've never spoken to Pavano and we haven't talked to his agent since the winter meetings."

If that's the case, then who exactly IS in the running for the veteran righthander? The Twins want him back,but indications are that there's no way they'll give him a three-year deal.

The Twins have waited out the market in recent years to land good players. The same thing might be happening here.

What will be interesting to see is if the Twins can sign Pavano and afford to bring Jim Thome back.

But for now, I'm guessing a few eyebrows raised over at Twins Way after they read Rizzo's quote.

A side note: Alexi Casilla is batting .303 with a .374 OBP in 40 games for Gigantes of the Dominican Winter League.

 
Pavano nears deal with Twins to return

Last update: January 7, 2011 - 7:48 AM

Minneapolis Star & Tribune

The Twins and righthander Carl Pavano are closing in on a contract, a source with knowledge of negotiations said Thursday night. The deal is believed to be for two seasons.

Pavano, who turns 35 on Saturday, made $7 million last year while going 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA.

Pavano, regarded as the best free-agent starting pitcher still available this offseason, was believed to be seeking a three-year deal, but indications are that the Twins aren't willing to make that long of a commitment. Pavano indicated this offseason that his preference was to re-sign with the Twins.

If the sides reach a deal, the Twins would bring back the only starter who was able to pitch at least 200 innings last season, giving the Twins a capable 1-2 punch with Pavano and lefthander Francisco Liriano at the top of the rotation.

Good news if the deal is done. Pavano pitched so well against central teams, the Twins really need him back

 
Tweeted by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman, up until this point, the Twins had been extending a one-year contract to the Pavano camp but have recently added a second year in their offer. Unless another club swoops in and sweetens the deal with that mythical third year which Pavano has been requesting, the likelihood he returns to pitch in Minnesota in 2011 appears imminent.

 
Thome back for one more year

At one-year at what I'm hearing is either $3 or $4 million this is a good signing. Hopefully Gardy will do the smart thing and start him at DH against righties and sit either Delmon or Cuddy, assuming Cuddy doesn't end up playing first base all year.

 
Dear Twins,

We have your Punto. Let's meet to discuss his safe return. Your quick response is appreciated.

Signed,

"Redbird"

 

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