Minnesota Twins: 5 Keys to a Successful 2012 Season

As early observations roll in from spring training, the news looks dire for the Minnesota Twins. As a team that lost 99 games a year ago, it's hard to deny that the Twins are staring an era of turnover in the face. The only question is whether this era is a bump on the road or a full-fledged road block.

In order to compete in 2012, the Twins will need several things to go their way. Because they are not a team like the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees that could just slug its way to a win, the Twins will have to play smart baseball.

This is the challenge that general manger Terry Ryan faces as the Twins attempt to become competitive again in 2012. While it's possible the Twins can do it, they'll need to succeed in several key areas where they failed last season.

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer Must Rebound from Injury-Plagued Seasons

Prior to the opening of Target Field in 2010, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer could have run for governor and lieutenant governor of Minnesota and won in a landslide (Hey, if Jesse Ventura could do it, why couldn't they?)

However, 2010 was the last time both cornerstones of the Twins lineup were productive at the same time.

Morneau suffered a concussion in July 2010 and hasn't been able to rebound since. While the concussion issues subsided enough for Morneau to play regularly over the first couple months of the season, nagging injuries to his neck and wrist made him seem very pedestrian.

Of course, all of that was before Morneau suffered another concussion at the end of last season.

For Joe Mauer, 2011 was a season of ridicule and embarrassment. The fans got on Mauer even after he posted a respectable .287 average, and he only played in 82 games due to a rash of mysterious injuries.

Although the Twins have looked lackluster in spring training, the good news is that Mauer and Morneau have not had any setbacks and have the potential to have a better year in 2012.

However, with Morneau just one bump to the head away from a concussion, there has to be concern about whether the "M&M Boys" will ever be the same again.

A Starting Pitcher Must Step Up

The Twins had an abysmal rotation in 2012 that was destroyed by injuries. On paper, it shouldn't have looked like that much of a surprise.

The Twins have what some people would say is a rotation with "five No. 3 starters." When you're in a division with Justin Verlander, you need a pitcher who is able to exceed expectations and become a streak-stopper.

That's what the Twins are hoping to develop after making no major moves to their rotation in the offseason.

A candidate could be Scott Baker, who was pitching some of the best games of his career before an elbow injury put him on the shelf around mid-August.

The Twins could also turn to Mr. Wild-Card himself, Francisco Liriano. "The Franchise" has looked pretty good in spring training, and he's said that his shoulder problems from last season are now gone. The only question with him is how long can the Twins rely on such an inconsistent pitcher to finally get it.

There are also candidates at the minor league level who could step in and give the Twins rotation a boost. Liam Hendriks was named the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year last year and should make his full-time rotation debut in 2012.

Regardless of who it is, the Twins will need someone to exceed expectations in 2012.

The Revamped Bullpen Must Perform

One year ago, the Twins double-barreled shotgun approach to the end of games failed miserably. When it wasn't Matt Capps or Joe Nathan blowing a save at the end of a game, it was the rest of the bullpen failing to hold a lead to get the ball to either of them.

That's what will make the bullpen important again in 2012. The Twins have made plenty of moves that will hopefully improve on the bullpen's abysmal performance in 2011.

For starters, the Twins will move Brian Duensing back to the bullpen. Duensing may want to be a starter, but his career stats suggest that he's better out of the pen.

The Twins also will have the services of Glen Perkins, who signed a three-year extension with the team just last week.

However, the key to the Twins bullpen will be Capps. He had one of his worst seasons last year, and it's been rumored that he was dealing with a nasty forearm injury for most of the season. Capps has said he wanted to make things up to Twins fans by signing a one-year deal to try to rebound.

The only question is whether Capps will be helping or hindering things by returning.

Terry Ryan's Free-Agent Acquisitions Must Perform

The Twins already have gone 0-for-1 in the free-agent market this offseason, as Joel Zumaya tore his UCL fewer than 10 minutes into facing live hitters for the first time in more than a year. If the Twins have something similar happen to another acquisition, it could be fatal.

The Twins brought in several relief pitchers to try to solve the bullpen woes, but what might be just as important is the performances of Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham.

Willingham was brought in to try to replace the power that left when Michael Cuddyer signed with the Colorado Rockies. With the Twins signing him to a three-year, $21 million contract last December, Willingham will need to be able to drive in runs not just this year, but beyond as well.

Doumit came over from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had seen enough of his unfulfilled potential. Doumit is a pretty solid hitter, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency. Doumit will try to fill Cuddyer's other role as a solid player who can play every position.

It will be just as important for Doumit to perform in the field as well as at the plate.

Then, there's Jason Marquis, who needs to lock down the Twins' No. 5 starter role out of spring training. While there is a fallback option in the minors with Liam Hendriks, the Twins would like to see Marquis provide time for Hendriks to get more innings at Triple-A Rochester.

If the Twins want to compete, the new guys will have to step up.

Ron Gardenhire Must Be More Aggressive

Last year marked just the second time that Ron Gardenhire endured a losing season with the Minnesota Twins. He can't be happy about this and needs to show it when handling his players this season.

Gardenhire was criticized last season for being too soft with his players. He would usually ask if a player wanted to play. If they said no, they would automatically get a day off.

This has to end. With the way the Twins dropped like flies last season, Gardenhire has to get some of his players to play through the pain.

While situations like Denard Span and Justin Morneau (concussions) deserve a free pass, the treatment of Joe Mauer was something that really had Twins fans raising their eyebrows.

I'm not saying that Gardenhire should go Captain Blood and break out the whip when a player makes a mistake. However, it would be refreshing for the manager to hold some of the Twins accountable for the decisions they make on and off the field.