Minnesota Twins: Has GM Bill Smith Destroyed What Terry Ryan Built?

The 2011 season for the Minnesota Twins has been like the perfect storm. The pitching, hitting and fielding have all failed the Twins this season.

Every starter around the diamond, with the exception of third baseman Danny Valencia, has been bitten by the injury bug forcing manager Ron Gardenhire to use a lineup that looks more like the Rochester Red Wings than the Minnesota Twins.

All of this has resulted in the worst Twins record since 2000, when they finished 69-93—last place in the AL Central.

The 2000 season was the eighth-consecutive losing season for the Twins in a stretch where they had not finished better than fourth in the division. It was also Terry Ryan's sixth year as the team's general manager.

The Twins would replace the right side of the infield in 2001 promoting Doug Mientkiewicz as the starting first baseman and Luis Rivas at second. Both players were signed by Ryan in 1995 in his first season as general manager.

They would improve to 85 wins and a second-place finish in the division. This would be Tom Kelly's last season as skipper of the Twins. 

In a move that was not popular with fans at the time, Ryan named third base coach Ron Gardenhire as Kelly's replacement, eschewing the popular choice of Minnesota native and former player, Paul Molitor.

It's a move that has created one of the most successful stretches of Twins baseball in franchise history.

With the additions of Michael Cuddyer, Jesse Crain, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer—all Minnesota draft picks, along with acquiring Johan Santana, Shannon Stewart, Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Luis Castillo via trades, Ryan was able to build a franchise that would average 89 wins a season from 2002-2010. Only the Twins' teams from 1962-1970 had a better winning percentage, averaging 91 wins a season. 

Ryan would step down as GM following 2007 and his assistant, Bill Smith, would take over.

With Ryan's foundation for the Twins' success solidly in place, Smith was able to keep the Twins on the winning track for four seasons.

While the team's injuries certainly contribute to the Twins fall in 2011, Smith has to take much of the blame himself. 

If anything, we've seen that there is little help coming from the Twins' farm system to help turn around the precipitous drop that has occurred in 2011. 

Following the 2010 season, when the Twins won 94 games and were swept out of the divisional round of the playoff for the third straight time—twice under Smith's watch—it was obvious the team needed to find an ace to anchor the starting rotation. 

Instead, Smith not only failed to add a starter, but allowed the two strongest pieces of the bullpen, Crain and Matt Guerrier, to leave as free agents. 

Since taking over as general manager in 2008, his biggest deal has been to add closer Matt Capps. Capps, who saved 16 games for the Twins in the second half of 2010 has been a huge disappointment in 2011. The $7.15 million the team is paying him may have returned higher dividends if they could have retained either Crain or Guerrier. 

Smith's biggest offseason acquisition was signing Tsuyoshi Nishioika from Japan. In eight seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Nishioka was a five-time all-star, won three Gold Gloves and a batting title.

So far this experiment has been an utter failure. Nishioka has not been able to adjust to major league pitching, batting only .217. His .965 fielding percentage is the second lowest on the team among regular fielders. 

This month Smith traded left fielder Delmon Young to the Detroit Tigers. The deal seems to be working in favor of Young and the Tigers so far. In nine games since the trade, Young is hitting .308 with two home runs—compare that to .266 with four homers in 84 games for Minnesota.

In return for Young the Twins got Cole Nelson, a 21-year old left-handed class A pitcher, and Lester Oliveros, a right handed pitcher who made his major league debut on July 1 with the Tigers. Neither of these additions look to make an immediate impact for Minnesota.

Smith will have plenty of chances this offseason to demonstrate his skills as a general manger.

Outfielders Cuddyer and Jason Kubel are both free agents along with Jim Thome and pitchers Capps and Slowey. Nathan will be paid $12.5 million in 2012 if he remains with the team.

So far Smith's deals have not done anything to improve the Twins, and with the failed seasons of Capps and Nishioka in 2011 have actually made the team worse.

Smith will have to be bold in order to keep the losing confined to 2011 and return the Twins to the top of the AL Central in 2012.