Twins Offseason Outlook: Changes Ahead for Left Side of Minnesota Infield?

It is well known that Minnesota Twins need a third baseman and a shortstop, or at least a more consistent one. Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher were serviceable last year and had moments that led to hope for them being the long-term fix at third, but, let's be honest, they are backups in this league.

Nick Punto bounced back from a terrible 2007 season and played well at shortstop, but he is an energy utility guy who can play almost every position but should not start, and he is currently a free agent and I believe he will be brought back...Ron Gardenhire loves him.

There are many good options out there for these two positions that are within the Twins' small budget. 

Joe Crede is a great option at third; he will come at a lower price due to his recent back problems, but he plays stellar defense, and, with a full season in the Homer Dome, he will have the best power numbers the Twins have seen at third in, well, two decades.

I am not sold on Garrett Atkins. He can't hit on the road, and with the pitching he will face in the AL, it just seems to much of a risk for a player who can only hit in half of the games you play, especially when you need to give up a guy like Michael Cuddyer, who is well-liked in the clubhouse.

The other name thrown around recently is Casey Blake. The Twins cut him, twice, in 2001 and 2002. He is 35 but plays good defense and has some pop left in his bat, but, again, he is 35, and the Twins need a player who will be around more than a season or two. Players that old usually do not put together back-to-back high-quality seasons, especially when they have bounced around the league.

Yunel Escobar and J.J. Hardy are possible options for the Twins to trade for and get a solution at shortstop. Escobar had a down year in 2008 compared to 2007, but he is pretty young and does not have a ton of miles on him, and, due to his slumping production last year, his price tag will be significantly lower. Hardy has a lot of pop in his bat for a shortstop—he can hit 20-plus home runs—his defense can be suspect, though.

The Twins have some good trade chips on their roster, the most obvious would be to trade an outfielder. The organization is committed to Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez because they were the cornerstones of big trades last offseason. Denard Span ignited the team last year, has a high on-base percentage, and plays great defense, so it would seem he is also safe.

That leaves Jason Kubel and Cuddyer. Kubel played well last year at the DH spot; he turned it on in the second half of the season and is the team's best option at DH. So it seems Cuddyer is the odd man out, and with his large contract ($8 million per) would be good trade bait, despite him being well-liked in the clubhouse and throughout the organization.

The Twins also have a glut of young pitching. I would hope Francisco Liriano would be untouchable, but many people think that he should be traded while his value is still at its peak. Scott Baker showed he can bounce back and be the ace of the staff along with Liriano, so I don't see the Twins trading the cornerstones of their pitching staff.

That leaves Glen Perkins, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Mulvey, Phil Humber, and Kevin Slowey. The Twins have shown a commitment to Slowey; they have refused to trade him in the past few seasons.

Blackburn was solid last season, but I have doubts about him being a long-term consistent pitcher in the league. I like him a lot, but i see him as a No. 4 or No. 5 starter, which makes him expendable.

Perkins is also a No. 4 or No. 5 starter, especially in the AL, but he is a lefty, has bullpen experience, and is willing to pitch as a starter or reliever, and I also think he has less value than Blackburn on the trade market.

Mulvey and Humber have not pitched much for the Twins yet and both were part of the Johan Santana trade last offseason; don't rule out their availability at the right price, but I think the Twins want to give them a look before giving them up.

The Twins are not short of options this offseason. Let's see if they make any big moves like last year, don't expect anything to big, but expect what moves they do make to make a big impact.