Minnesota Twins: Grading Terry Ryan's Moves so Far

Minnesota Twins general manger Terry Ryan has been busy signing free agents. So far his emphasis has been to bolster the Twins' minor league system in an attempt to add some talent to a depleted farm system.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Ryan has signed 10 players so far, more than any other organization in baseball.

Unfortunately, most of the players appear to be heading to one of the Twins' minor league clubs, with seven of the 10 signed to minor league contracts.

Among the names you won't find: Pujols, Fielder or Beltran. So far there isn't a Kubel, Cuddyer or Capps signed yet either, and Ryan has already lost one free agent when Joe Nathan signed with the Texas Rangers.

The Minnesota Twins, only two years from the opening of Target Field in 2010, cannot afford to go into rebuilding mode. With the worst record in the American League this past season, Ryan needs to make contender quickly. After a 99-loss system, the second most in franchise history, it shouldn't take much to show some improvement in 2012. 

Last season the Twins had the ninth highest payroll in baseball at $112.7 million. While it is expected that the payroll will be cut back, Ryan will have more payroll to work with than he had in his first stint as general manager. He might be able to work the same kind of magic that produced six AL Central division titles over the past 10 seasons.

I looked at the signings that Ryan has made so far, and graded them as to the effectiveness they could make to the major league club.

Second Baseman/Outfielder Brian Dinkelman

We'll lead off with Terry Ryan's re-signing of some of his own players.

An eighth-round draft choice of the Twins in 2006, Brian Dinkelman has split time between the infield and outfield, playing mostly as second base and in the corners of the outfield.

Dinkelman made his major league debut on June 4th, 2011. A .255 hitter the past two seasons at the Triple-A level, he played in 23 games with the Twins finishing with a .301 batting average in 73 at-bats. His only extra base hit was a double.

Dinkelman seems to fit the mold the Twins have for middle infielders. In six minor league seasons he has only 40 home runs. Other than his second season of Single-A ball, when he hit 13 homers, he has not hit more than eight in any season.

Unfortunately over that same time frame he has committed 43 errors, resulting in a .980 fielding percentage.

Dinkelman will most likely open the 2012 season playing for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. 

Grade: C.

Relief Pitcher Phil Dumatrait

Almost a year to the date that former general manager Bill Smith signed Phil Dumatrait to a free-agent contract, Terry Ryan has re-signed the left-handed relief pitcher.

A first-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox in 2000, Dumatrait made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds seven years later in 2007.

Before joining the Twins major league roster in 2011, he made appearances with Cincinnati in 2007 and Pittsburgh in 2008 and 2009. In 2010 he signed with Detroit as a free agent, but never made it to the Tigers.

In 2010, while playing for the Tigers Triple-A affiliate, he was released and signed to play professionally in Korea. 

The Twins signed him in November of 2010, and he opened the season in Triple-A where he pitched 15.2 innings in 15 games, with an impressive 1.15 ERA.

In 45 games for the Twins, Dumatrait pitched only 41.1 innings with a 1-3 record and a 3.92 ERA.

Minnesota could use a solid lefty out of the bullpen. Hopefully, he continue to show improvement with the Twins, where he has had the most appearances and best ERA than any previous stint in the majors.

Grade: B-minus.

Relief Pitcher Luis Perdomo

Moving on to Terry Ryan's signings of other teams' free agents...

Right-handed relief pitcher Luis Perdomo was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 2003. 

He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in July 2008, and was selected as a Rule 5 draft pick by the San Francisco Giants in December.

Selected off waivers by San Diego, Perdomo would finally make his major league debut with the Padres in 2009 when he appeared in 35 games. He has appeared in only one game since the 2009 season.

In 2011, he pitched in 65 games for the Padres' Triple-A club in Tuscon. He finished with an 0-8 record and a 5.40 ERA—his highest single season ERA in six minor league seasons.

Perdomo is one of five pitchers Ryan has signed. It just feels like he is hoping to find some quality within the quantity. If nothing else, the Twins may have some arms to choose from.

Perdomo will most likely end up pitching for either Double-A with New Britain, or Triple-A with Rochester.

Grade: D-plus.  

Relief Pitcher Samuel Deduno

Right-handed pitcher Samuel Deduno out of the Dominican Republic was signed as an amateur free agent by the Colorado Rockies in 2003.

It would take him seven years to make his major league debut in 2010, pitching 2.2 innings in four games with the Rockies.

Selected off waivers by San Diego, Deduno pitched only three innings in two games in 2011.

In seven minor league seasons, he's pitched in 160 games, starting 131 of them with a 44-43 record and a combined 4.29 ERA.

It only took Terry Ryan two weeks after Deduno was granted free agency to sign him to a minor league contract. 

Based on his limited major league performance, Deduno will most likely start the season at Rochester.

Grade: C.

Relief Pitcher Jason Bulger

A first round draft choice of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, right-handed pitcher, Jason Bulger appeared in nine games for Arizona in 2005.

Traded to the Angels before the 2006 season, he made 116 relief appearances over the last six seasons. He has a 4-2 record with a 4.24 ERA. 

Like relief pitcher Samuel Deduno, it only took Terry Ryan two weeks to sign Bulger after he became a free agent.

Look for Bulger who will turn 33 in December to most likely end up in Rochester.

Grade: C.

Outfielder Wilkin Ramirez

Terry Ryan has signed Wilkin Ramirez to a minor league contract with the Twins.

An amateur free agent of the Tigers in 2003, Ramirez made his major league debut in May of 2009. 

In July of 2010 he was traded to Atlanta. Between the Tigers in 2010 and Braves in 2011, Ramirez has a .270 batting average in 35 games.

In 2010, playing for three different minor league clubs at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, he hit 23 home runs with 70 RBI in 121 games.

In eight minor league seasons, he has 162 stolen bases in 217 attempts, only a 74.6 percentage.

Depending on how the outfield situation shakes out, Ramirez may get a shot to compete for a roster spot with the Twins, but will most likely end up playing for the Red Wings in Rochester.

Grade: C-plus.

Outfielder Matt Carson

Matt Carson was a fifth-round draft choice of the New York Yankees in 2002, and played outfield for seven seasons within their organization.

He progressed to the Yankees' Triple-A club in 2008 before being granted free agency and signing with the Oakland A's.

Carson made his major league debut with the A's in 2009. In 46 games over two seasons, he has 20 hits in 100 at-bats.

Playing at the Triple-A level in 2011, he split time between the Oakland and Tampa Bay organizations. In 112 games he hit 24 home runs with a .279 batting average.

If he can duplicate those kind of numbers for the Twins, Carson will get an opportunity to earn a starting position in the outfield.

If the Twins fail to re-sign either Michael Cuddyer or Jason Kubel, his main competition will be  Trevor Plouffe, Rene Tosoni and Joe Benson.

If Carson can hit 24 home runs for the Twins, he will be a great replacement for Cuddyer.

Grade: B minus.

Relief Pitcher Jared Burton

Jared Burton comes to the Twins with the most major league experience of any of the pitchers signed so far.

An eighth-round draft pick of the Oakland A's in 2002, Burton was picked up by the Reds as a Rule 5 draft pick following the 2006 season. 

Over five major league seasons with the Reds, he has 164 games under his belt with a 3.41 ERA over 169.0 innings.

Arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder limited him to only 20 games in both the minors and with Cincinnati, in 2011.

Signed to a minor league contract, Burton will most likely get a chance in spring training to compete for a bullpen role for the Twins.

In 2008, his best season, he appeared in 54 games and finished with a 3.22 ERA for Cincinnati.

It only took Terry Ryan 10 days to sign Burton after becoming a free agent on November 1st.

Grade: B—again because the bar is set so low, Burton will be an upgrade in the bullpen.

Shortstop Jamey Carroll

Jamey Carroll may be a good stop gap signing until the Twins can find a long-term solution at shortstop.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka may develop into that solution, but based on his first year in North America, it could be a long difficult road.

Terry Ryan signed Carroll to a two-year deal with the Twins that will pay the 37-year-old $6.75 million.

A 14th-round draft choice of the Montreal Expos in 1996, the Twins will be Carroll's fifth team in 11 major league seasons.

Carroll hit .290 last season with the Dodgers and has a .278 career batting average. Again, like most Twins middle infielders, Carroll has little power, hitting no home runs over the past two seasons and only 12 in his career.

Projected to start at shortstop, Carroll will probably find himself batting second in Ron Gardenhire's lineup. 

This is not an exciting signing, but it is certainly an upgrade over the options the Twins threw out there this past season.

Grade: Based off a low bar—B plus.

Catcher Ryan Doumit

Ryan Doumit has been Terry Ryan's best signing so far. With the ability to play catcher, first base or outfield, Doumit will be able to back up either of the Twins' two former MVP's Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

In seven seasons with the Pirates, Doumit has a .270 batting average, making him a huge upgrade over Drew Butera or Rene Rivera offensively.

If the Twins are going to be successful in 2012, they will need to have Mauer and Morneau in the lineup, healthy and hitting effectively. Doumit will afford Ron Gardenhire a lot of flexibility. Mauer can play more first base, and Morneau can move into the primary DH role. This will limit the wear and tear on both players.

Grade: B plus.