Minnesota Twins Whatnot: July 2

Another week, another Whatnot. This week the panel will discuss the possibility of playoffs for Minnesota, as well as diving into the minor leagues. I won't be able to join the experts this week, but please sit back and relax as we peruse this edition of Whatnot!

When is the next year Minnesota will make the playoffs?

Marty Andrade: If I were Bill Smith, I wouldn't give up on this year quite yet. This team can't make the playoffs as constructed, but with a few moves, maybe a trade or two and some other team upgrades, and I think 2008 is in play.

Dropping Hernandez for either Liriano or Duensing (even Mulvey and Humber look ready-ish for the big jump) and taking Korecky over Brian Bass will strengthen the pitching staff.

Dropping Mike Lamb for Matt Macri, Craig Monroe for Denard Span (or Darnell McDonald), dropping Everett (once off the DL) for Tolbert (when he comes off the DL, if ever) or Trevor Plouffe, and dropping Nick Punto (for some maple bats) will add some needed speed, offense, and defense to the Twins.

I would also like Bill Smith to really look at making some trades (the future topic of an upcoming column of mine) which could help the Twins with their march so far this year.

Let's understand one important fact: the Twins are playing over their heads. Their Pythagorean win/loss projection is right at .500, and some of the other adjustments made by the Baseball Prospectus people put the true "ability" of this team to be slightly below .500.

As for predicting the future, I think the Twins will have the pitching staff to be in contention next year; it's just a matter of finding some offense. Some players are coming up the pipes, and they look to make the team stronger in 2009 and 2010.

However, we need to temper our crystal-ball instincts. It's easy to talk about the future in grandiose terms and make predictions. But players get hurt, some don't pan out at all, and others move on. The situation is always changing. Trying to build a team to win "down the line" can often lead franchises into cycles of defeat that are hard to work out of.

Trying to win "in the now" (to channel my inner Zen) is often the more profitable and effective way to look at things, as long as the GM is smart about it.

Belthezar Bumperdingle: I vote 2009, next year. This year, while I maintain confidence that we do have a chance, probability has us finishing where we are, second or third in the Central and missing out on the wild card to the second-place finisher in the East. There are way too many variables and shortfalls with the Twins this year.

Next year, the Twins probably won't make any monster changes to their infield, so we will know come opening day who our everyday third baseman, shortstop, second baseman, and left fielder will be. At the beginning of the year, we didn't know that. Gardy had to chose from Lamb, Everett, Tolbert, Harris, Punto, and his prospects.

It's becoming more and more clear that Lamb and Everett are not answers. Tolbert's injury made him miss the bus. We learned in this winning streak who our long-term answers are—something between Harris, Buscher, and Casilla.

Tolbert and Punto might be good utility infielders. And between Kubel, Span, and Delmon Young—if he can turn his fielding around—we'll find a left fielder. With Liriano fully healthy, he could make quite a bang next year in the rotation.

For the Twins, there are plenty of questions that have answers. But without knowing the right answers, the Twins are one big question mark (if that makes sense).

Dhruv Kalra: I wouldn't quite count them out this year, yet. The month of July will probably be the most telling evidence about whether the Twins are a true contender or not.

Barring the playoffs this year, though, I'm going to throw 2011 out there. They'll be fresh off revenue from the new ballpark and some of our kids will be really hitting their strides.

Dan Wade: I think, realistically, next year, but I’m not counting this year out at all. The Twins have a knack for playing their best when everyone expects the worst from them. Making it this year will take a move or two between now and the stretch run, but I think they could do it.

List the top-five prospects Minnesota fans should be excited about. (Does not necessarily mean skill or current level in the organization.)

Marty Andrade: Trevor Plouffe. The Twins need a long-term solution at SS and Plouffe fits the mold. He's going to be a great hitter or a great glove, but just about average will do the Twins just fine.

Ben Revere. This guy can hit. He has power and he's learning some plate discipline. This guy could become the face of the franchise, like Torii Hunter used to be (but I would rate him better than Hunter).

Luke Hughes. Another player who's hitting well right now. If the Twins can get him to keep hitting, the offensive upgrades could push the Twins into regular playoff contention, as long as the pitching staff stays strong.

Anthony Swarzak. Keeping a strong pitching staff is what the Twins do best, and Swarzak is another in a long line of promising pitching-prospects from this franchise.

Tyler Robertson. Ditto on Tyler.

Belthezar Bumperdingle: Denard Span, Matt Macri, Chris Parmelee, Matt Moses, and Luke Hughes.

Span and Macri have both shown how well they can adapt to major-league life—Span was a respectable eight-for-31 at the plate, and even had two assists in the outfield while he filled in for Cuddyer in RF back in April/May.

Macri was nothing short of brilliant in his brief 14 games. He went 11-for-30 (.367 average) with a home run, a double, and four RBI, and only one error in the field. Both could be very fun to watch as they fight for a spot on the roster next year.

The rest of them haven't seen anything beyond AA. Parmelee and Moses are both first-round picks by the Twins, who seem to have good luck picking their first rounders—half of their picks since 2001 are already in the majors. These two have put up solid numbers for AA New Britain, and their presence with the Twins in '09 and beyond could be great.

Dhruv Kalra: Alexi Casilla, Luke Hughes, Deolis Guerra, Chris Parmelee, and Matt Moses.

Dan Wade: 1. Luke Hughes  Hughes came on in a huge way this year, and the worry is that he is a flash-in-the-pan guy, but everything I’ve read says that he changed his approach at the plate, and that made all the difference.

To give perspective on how shocking Hughes’ development this season has been, when BYTO compiled a list of the Twins' top prospects, Hughes wasn’t even in the top 30.

2. Ben Revere

When the Twins took Revere in the first round of last year’s draft, they received unholy amounts of criticism. One year later, they look pretty smart, as Revere has knocked the cover off the ball so far in the minors.

In 49 games at Class-A Beloit, Revere has hit .418 with a 1.038 OPS and 25 steals. An OF of Gomez, Revere, and either Young or Span would almost certainly be the fastest in the majors.

3. Danny Valencia

Valencia recently got promoted to AA and has struggled, but it's just an adjustment period. His OBP is 100 points higher than his BA, which shows pretty good plate discipline for a kid in high-A or AA ball. He has shown good range and hands at third; so if Hughes makes the move to short, look for Valencia to become the newest third baseman of the future.

4. Deolis Guerra

Guerra was very much an integral part of the Johan Santana deal, so it’s a safe bet that the Twins scouts saw something that made Guerra a must-have. His body of work is projectable, and he’s already got a major-league ready fastball and is developing off-speed pitches that are already looking pretty good. Did I mention he was 19? No? Ok, P.S. he’s 19, and threw a three-hit shutout last night.

5. Anthony Slama

Top prospects are usually hard-throwing starters, corner players who can crush the ball, or center defenders who can hit. So what the heck is a relief pitcher from low-A doing on here? When you put up numbers like these: .84 WHIP, .42 ERA, and 73Ks in 29 appearances, you turn some heads.

The addition of Pat Neshek last year, and the bullpen’s struggles this year, ought to illustrate how important an airtight pen is, and Slama has the look of an unhittable set-up man or closer.

Can you imagine knowing that the seventh was Slama, the eighth was Neshek’s, and waiting in the ninth was Joe Nathan? The game would be six-innings long. Now imagine that Slowey or a healthy Liriano was pitching the first six innings.

This doesn’t even include guys like Casilla, Span, and Slowey, all of whom are absolutely crucial for the Twins already. Waiting just off this list is Anthony Swarzak, who took a huge step backwards this year in terms of stats, but still has all the talent needed to be a solid contributor at the major-league level. Jeff Manship and Kevin Mulvey are waiting in the wings as well.

I have to ask an NBA Draft question. Do you approve of the trade that sent O.J. Mayo to Memphis for Kevin Love, Miller, and others?

Marty Andrade: I approve of the trade only because it made a fool of Sid Hartman, a local sports columnist in the Twins Cities. Otherwise, I have no opinion.

Belthezar Bumperdingle: I'm not much more than a casual basketball fan, but I've heard that the trade at least LOOKS great for the Timberwolves. Of course, knowing our luck it'll be a dud—Delmon Young-esque if you will.

Dhruv Kalra: Not really an NBA fan, so I'm indifferent.

Dan Wade: Yeah, it's exciting to get a player like Mayo, and so losing him is frustrating. However, Mayo wasn’t an unforgettable talent, and the trade will ultimately help the T-wolves rebuild, which is what they need. If they were one piece away from a playoff run, this trade makes no sense, but a team this bad just needs to start over.

And a fun one (sort of): What was the lowest point you have ever had while being a fan of the Minnesota Twins?

Marty Andrade: There were so many failed players in those losing seasons during the Clinton administration. Scott Klingenbeck, David McCarty, Scott Stahoviak, Travis Miller, Marty Cordova, even Todd Walker failed to produce much for the Twins.

I think the worst of those years, the realization that there really was no hope, was when Ron Coomer made the All-Star team in 1999. Coomer was a good ballplayer, one of my favorite players in fact. He never got a fair shake in the game until really late (he didn't make the majors until he was 28), and I like the fact that he made an All-Star team.

But it showed just how weak the Twins, as a franchise, had been in the 1990s when Ron Coomer was the best we could do.

Luckily, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. In December of 1999, less than six months after Coomer made the All-Star team, Johan Santana was sent, with cash, to the Twins for Jared Camp. Thank you Florida Marlins (and to the Houston Astros for leaving him unprotected).

Belthezar Bumperdingle: Well, when I really started caring about baseball was around 2001, when the Twins started winning, so a big 100-loss season never happened in my following. I think probably the biggest disappointment was the 2006 ALDS. We had just gotten a big, surprise finish by winning the AL Central on the last day of the year, and then came out and looked like the Royals out against Oakland.

Dhruv Kalra: I would have to say watching a hung-over David Wells throw a perfect game against the Twins in 1998.

Dan Wade: As a baseball fan in general, it would have to be 1994 when we lost a great season to the strike. Specific to the Twins, I’d have to say either Puckett’s retirement or losing in the 2006 playoffs. I had to go to class after the Game Three loss, and the professor asked if someone close to me had died.