Minnesota Twins: 7 Battles We Hope Emerge in Spring Training

For the Minnesota Twins, pitchers and catchers are set to report on Feb. 18, with full workouts set to begin on Feb. 24.

It sure would be great if Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Denard Span all came to Fort Myers completely healthy and ready to contribute at 100 percent. That Morneau will return to the MVP caliber of play he was at before suffering the concussion on July 7, 2010 (a date that I still remember without question) and be able to play in over 100 games in 2012. 

We can dream that Mauer will be ready to win his fourth batting title and be an everyday member of the Twins batting order, driving in runs from the third spot in the order. 

According to Twins MLB.com beat writer Rhett Bollinger, the roster is pretty much set, with only a couple of positions up for grabs. 

Here's hoping he's wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that Bollinger is completely in tune with what general manager Terry Ryan and the Twins are planning for 2012. I'm just hoping some players step up and make a case for shaking up the Twins starting lineup and put some pressure on the veterans in order to make sure the Twins head north with a competitive lineup that can once again compete for a division title.

Here's hoping the following battles emerge during spring training.

Struggling for Second: Alexi Casilla and Tsuyoshi Nishioka

After former general manager Bill Smith signed the Japanese import to a three-year deal, current Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan indicates that Tsuyoshi Nishioka does not have a starting spot in the lineup, according to Phil Mackey at ESPN1500.

With the signing of veteran Jamey Carroll to play shortstop, that would indicate that Alexi Casilla has the nod as the Twins second baseman.

Casilla and Nishioka have a lot in common. Both are imports to the US, they both turn 28 in July, both are switch hitters with little power from either side of the plate and neither has performed to the level that got them to the majors.

In his minor-league career, Casilla hit .296 in the Twins farm system, while his major league average is only .252 over parts of six seasons.

Nishioka's average over eight seasons in Japan was .293; in his major league debut, he only hit .226 in 68 games.

While neither player brings any power to the plate, they both have the potential to steal some bases. Last season, Casilla had his most steals in a season, with 15. Nishioka averaged 27.8 stolen bases over his last six seasons in Japan.

Here's hoping the battle for second rages to the point that raises their level of play to the point that perhaps Carroll ends up coming off the bench.

Of course, with 409 games at the major league level, there's no reason to believe Casilla has it in him.

There's still hope that Nishioka can make the adjustment and the player Smith thought he was getting when he signed him to a three-year contract.

Starting Left Fielder: Trevor Plouffe or Ben Revere

If you looked at this slide title and said to yourself, "this guy must be crazy!", you had the same reaction I did when I saw this report on rotoworld.com.

After the type of season Ben Revere had for the Twins filling in for Denard Span last year, there should be no question who deserves to be a starter in the outfield between Revere and Trevor Plouffe.

Then I thought about for a minute. If Plouffe can produce to a level that makes manager Ron Gardenhire take note and question whether he want to go with power or speed, it would be a great thing for the Twins indeed.

Last season, Revere led the Twins with 34 stolen bases in 117 games. The last Twin to steal that many bases was Otis Nixon in 1998, when he stole 37 bases in 110 games at the age of 39. 

Revere was only 10 years old in 1998.  

The problem is Plouffe would need to hit home runs with somewhere near the proficiency that the departed Jim Thome did while he was in Minnesota to make this anywhere near a close call.

Plouffe has averaged 32.7 at-bats per home run over the last two seasons with the Twins, while Thome hit them at the rate of one every 13 at-bats while in Minnesota.

Plouffe may have the stronger arm, but Revere would definitely have the edge playing better defense.

Perhaps a more appropriate battle would be...

The Battle for Centerfield: Ben Revere and Denard Span

The plan is for Denard Span to return to centerfield in 2012 and push Ben Revere over to left.

I really like the idea of having both Span and Revere standing next to each other in the outfield. Their speed will make Target Field a little bit smaller for opposing batters, as they will cover a lot of ground.

It would also be great to have the Twins' top two base stealers in the lineup at the same time.

Looking back at Span's numbers since joining the Twins, he has done better when he need to battle for the starting centerfield position. 

When Span was dueling with Carlos Gomez for center field in 2008 and 2009, he was batting .305 with 41 stolen bases.

After the Twins traded Gomez and named Span the full-time centerfielder, his average decreased to .264 with 32 stolen bases in 2010 and 2011.

Perhaps it's time to declare an open competition for centerfield .

After all, how can you deny the man with baseball's Catch of the Year a shot at the position?

Battling for 1st Base: Chris Parmelee and Justin Morneau

Perhaps one of the toughest transitions for a player to accept would be to that from a field player to designated hitter.

Being relegated to only one-half of the game can be demeaning. For many, it's a signal that they are on the downward side of their career.

Justin Morneau might be at that point.

Since playing in all 163 games in 2008, Morneau has averaged 95 games the last three seasons, with only 69 last season.

The Twins will be looking to protect their most explosive hitter by having him play more games as the designated hitter.

This could open up an opportunity for Chris Parmelee.

In 21 games last season, Parmelee, who has never played a game at Triple-A, hit four home runs in 76 at-bats. If he could maintain that average of hitting a home run every 19 at-bats, he would match the proficiency of Morneau.

Over his nine seasons with the Twins, Morneau has hit 185 homes runs in 3,749 at-bats, an average of 20.3 at-bats per home run.

This one really isn't a battle. As much as it could turn out to be a win-win for the Twins by protecting Morneau, making him the full-time designated hitter and finding another bat in the lineup would bring some power.

Battle at the End of the Bullpen: Glen Perkins vs. Matt Capps

One of the few bright spots for the Twins last season was the emergence of Glen Perkins as an effective shutdown reliever at the end of the Twins bullpen.

He led the Twins pitching staff with a 2.48 ERA over 61.2 innings in 65 games and earned his first two saves of his career.

With the departure of Minnesota's saves leader, Joe Nathan, there needs to be some competition for his replacement.

When the Twins lost Nathan in 2010 to Tommy John surgery, they opened the season with Jon Rauch as the closer and picked up Matt Capps just before the trading deadline in a deal with the Nationals.

Capps finished the season with 16 saves and a 2.00 ERA in 27 games.

Unfortunately, the success did not continue in 2011, as his ERA ballooned up to 4.25.

The Twins will most likely open the season with Perkins as the set-up man and Capps as the closer no matter what happens in spring training. Hopefully, the Twins will have the same flexibility in 2012 as they did in 2011 when they moved Capps from closer to set-up man to eventually to a middle reliever.

Rumble for the Rotation: Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing

With the free-agent signing of Jason Marquis to the starting rotation, it looks like there will be some competition for the fifth starter.

Carl Pavano, Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano are locks to join Marquis in the rotation. That leaves Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing to battle out for the last slot in the rotation.

After being the Twins' best pitcher in 2010 with a staff best 2.62 ERA and a 10-3 record, Duensing was promoted to the starting rotation for 2011.

A move that did not work out as well as Duensing or the Twins had hoped.

While he tied for the team lead with nine wins last season, his ERA of 5.23 was the highest of any starter. 

On the other hand, Blackburn has never finished a season with with a winning record, and in five seasons, he has a 4.50 career ERA.

How Blackburn continues to make the Twins roster befuddles me.

Battle for the Last Roster Spot: Luke Hughes and Rene Tosoni

The addition of Ryan Doumit gives the Twins some of the flexibility they lost when Michael Cuddyer signed with the Colorado Rockies.

Doumit's primary position is catcher, where he played 426 games, but has also played first base and right field.

Most likely, Tsuyoshi Nishioka will be the Twins utility infielder and Trevor Plouffe will be the fourth outfielder. If Drew Butera makes the team as the back-up catcher, that will leave one spot remaining to be claimed.

Who earns this last roster spot may depend on where the Twins feel they need more defensive help. Last season, Luke Hughes has played first, second and third for the Twins in 96 games. He hit seven home runs and batted .223. 

If the Twins decide they need more help in the outfield, they might turn to Rene Tosoni. Last season, Tosoni made his major league debut with the Twins. In 60 games, he hit five home runs with only a .203 average. 

Hopefully, this battle doesn't turn into selecting the best of two bad players.