Minnesota Twins Report: MacGyver Has Nothing on Twins Management

I like to call the Twins' management the “MacGyvers of Major League Baseball.” Somehow, some way, they manage to put the Twins in the thick of the AL Central race with paper clips, rubber bands, and a few straws.

That may seem like a backhanded compliment, but it really isn’t meant to be. It is just a testament to the organization that the Twins remain competitive despite the limited resources they are given by ownership.

They do a fantastic job of reloading after their stars peak or just get too expensive. Whether you want to call it good fortune or making your own luck, they seem to know just when to cut a veteran loose.

Minnesota has finished below .500 just one time in the past eight years. Last season, they were counted out after losing Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, yet still finished in a tie for first place in the division.

Credit GM Bill Smith with finding players who fit the unusual playing surface of the Metrodome. The team has a clear home field advantage on what can only loosely be described as a “baseball field.”

Starting Pitching

This group did a fantastic job in 2008 and is extremely young. There were quite a few breakout years, and they will look to build upon that success.

Scott Baker was a sub-.500 pitcher going into last year despite his minor league success. He put it all together in 2008 and finished with an 11-4 record and a 3.45 ERA.

Baker finished strong after missing most of May due to injury. He is capable of putting up better strikeout totals as his command and stamina improve.

Francisco Liriano fought with management over how he was handled coming off of Tommy John surgery and missing all of 2007. He thought he was ready while management wanted to coddle him a bit.

Liriano will thank management later. Now a year removed from that injury, he can go back to being the dominant ace he was in 2006 (12-3, 2.16 ERA).

He put together a solid, unspectacular season in his 14 starts in 2008. But Liriano has the makeup to be a Cy Young type pitcher.

Kevin Slowey rose quickly through the Twins system after posting some terrific numbers in the minors. His rookie numbers were good (12-11, 3.99 ERA), but he has a much higher ceiling than that.

Slowey does not have wicked “stuff” like Baker and Liriano, but has tremendous command of all of his pitches. He has a great temperament for a starting pitcher and isn’t afraid to challenge hitters when he needs to.

Nick Blackburn is a solid fourth or fifth starter. He is young as well, but there is not a whole lot of upside with him other than taking the ball every fifth day.

Glen Perkins is a left-handed version of Blackburn who will probably win the fifth spot in the rotation. He was 12-4 last season, but those numbers will come down now that teams have had a look at him.

Bullpen

For any non-Twins fans, Joe Nathan (and not the Mets' Francisco Rodriguez) is the best closer in the game. Some may argue that his save totals are not high enough to make that claim.

Try some of these numbers on for size: 1.33 ERA (his ERA has been under 2.00 for four of the past five years), .179 batting average against, .279 slugging percentage against, 0.90 WHIP. Nathan simply closes the door with a deadbolt.

The rest of the pen could be a problem area for Minnesota. Outside of situational left-hander Craig Breslow, who was spectacular in 2008, there is not much to get excited about.

Jesse Crain is a decent setup man, but he hasn’t been a shutdown pitcher since 2005. He is starting to give up too many fly balls, which indicates that he is leaving the ball up in the strike zone—the death knell for a relief pitcher.

Matt Guerrier had a nice start to the season, but imploded down the stretch. It is possible that two straight seasons of 70-plus appearances have taken their toll.

Luis Ayala was signed as a free agent for depth. Age and a Tommy John surgery in 2007 are beginning to signal the end for the former closer.

It was hoped that Boof Bonser would be a starter, and maybe someday he will. But for all his talent, he is simply too erratic to be counted on in the rotation.

Bonser was once a well thought-of prospect, so the door is not completely closed on him. The big right-hander will try to get his act together in the bullpen

Philip Humber, Brian Duensing, and Anthony Swarzak are mid-level minor league prospects who could get a look this season. Do not expect too much from any of them.

Humber was once a top prospect in the Mets organization, but simply hasn’t progressed.

Catcher

The Twins have the best catcher tandem in baseball, bar none. No catcher in MLB combines the hitting stroke and defensive presence that Joe Mauer does.

Mauer won his second AL batting title last season, which is a tremendous accomplishment for anyone who has to go through the rigors of going behind the plate on a daily basis. He is only 25, so the power numbers will start to climb as well.

Mauer did require surgery in December to remove blockage from his kidneys, but he will be ready to go when the season starts.

Mike Redmond backs up Mauer with a pretty good bat of his own. He has consistently hovered around .300 since he joined the Twins in 2005.

Redmond is getting up there in age (37), but the Twins have solid organizational depth at the position waiting in the minor leagues in Jose Morales (25) and Wilson Ramos (21). Redmond doesn’t have to worry about a big workload playing behind Mauer anyway.

Infield

Justin Morneau doesn’t get enough recognition from the national fanbase for being the elite player that he is. He was the AL MVP in 2006 and was runner-up for the award in 2008.

He is a hitting and RBI machine who is also smooth with the glove. His home run totals were down to 23 last year, but he still had 74 extra base hits.

Morneau is only entering his fifth full season. He will challenge for RBI and batting titles for years to come.

Alexi Casilla is little more than an adequate second baseman. He needs to improve his ability to get on base and steal more bases to be effective because he has no power.

Luke Hughes may get a look at second if Casilla does not improve. He has some pop in his bat, but is a mid-level prospect at best.

Nick Punto is the Twins shortstop for now. He is the kind of down and dirty, lunch-bucket type player that every team needs.

Punto does nothing spectacular, but plays hard every night. In a perfect world, Punto would be a solid utility man instead of being a regular in the everyday lineup.

Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher will be a righty-lefty platoon at third base. Neither should instill much confidence.

There is an outside chance the team will turn to free agent Joe Crede at third. Crede would be a huge step up in talent assuming his chronically injured back is good to go.

Outfield

Center fielder Carlos Gomez had an up and down season in his first full year in the majors. Gomez is an exciting talent, but needs to get more consistent with the bat.

Gomez stole 33 bases last year for the Twins. On the downside, he struggled to make contact, and his power potential will not be realized until he grows into that 6’4” frame.

It might be put up or shut up time for left fielder Delmon Young in terms of realizing his vast potential. He has the tools to turn into a 30-30 type player, but his issues have more to do with maturity and drive.

Young can be a star in the making or an enigma. Only he can answer whether it’s the former or the latter.

Denard Span is an intriguing prospect who put together a nice season when you combine his AAA and MLB statistics. He has very little power but puts the ball in play while stealing 18 bases in just 347 at bats.

The young man earned some playing time after his 2008 season and may force his way into a crowded outfield.

Michael Cuddyer is right now slated for playing time in right field. He had 24 home runs and 109 RBI in 2006, but his career .264 average in eight seasons says he is a reserve.

Cuddyer had an injury-plagued 2008, so coach Ron Gardenhire may give him the benefit of the doubt. However, there are more talented options with higher upsides on this team.

I’m sure no one in the Twins organization cares about my opinion, but given his former experience at third base, he is more valuable as a utility man.

Jason Pridie is a player who might take advantage if others struggle. He is a versatile player with some speed and power who is capable of playing in the infield or the outfield.

Jason Kubel will serve as the primary designated hitter (and occasional outfielder). The left-handed-hitting Kubel hit 20 home runs and knocked in 78 in just 463 at bats in 2008.

Kubel usually takes a seat when the Twins face a tough left-hander. He will continue to do so until he proves to his manager he is ready.

Prediction

The Twins did very little to improve themselves in the offseason. That is not a good sign as the rest of the division added some key players to their lineups.

Every time you write the Twins off they seem to buck the odds, so I will not completely discount them. They have three of the league's best players at their respective positions, and a good, young starting pitching staff.

That being said, they just have too many holes in the lineup and in the bullpen. It is not uncommon for young starters to take a step back after having some success when the opposition gets a better read on them.

As a result, I see the Twins' win total dropping from 88 to somewhere in the 78 to 82 range.