The Twins will likely pursue starting pitching, relief pitching, a backup catcher and middle infield help this offseason after finishing with the worst record in the American League. Here are some notes on the club's offseason plans…
- La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune hears from people in the Twins’ front office that the club recently examined the free agent market for starting pitchers and shortstops. They’re determined to find a reliable shortstop this offseason and Neal suggests free agents Ramon Santiago and Alex Gonzalez could be targets.
- The Twins will “push hard” to re-sign Michael Cuddyer, according to Neal.
- Earlier today, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian suggested the Indians will likely "kick the tires" on Cuddyer once he reaches the open market.
- Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com explained why the Twins traded Delmon Young to the Tigers in August. He was struggling in Minnesota and the Twins weren't likely to tender him a contract through arbitration.
- I looked ahead to the Twins’ offseason earlier in the month.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
Dear Twins:
Please sign Gonzalez so that the Braves can’t bring him back.
Thanks,
A Braves Fan
John 87
Dear Braves fan, blow me.
Lunchbox45
thanks again for escobar. you guys are sweethearts
DerekC
As a Braves fan, I’m hoping someone gives us competition for A-Gonz so we can appreciate him and give him a fair contract, determining if we really want him or let him walk for a better opp. The guy is looking for a multi-year deal, possibly to end his career, and I’m not sure we (ATL) have that particular need with some of the guys we have coming up, but we’ll see.
Lunchbox45
braves should sign rollins or reyes. . I don’t see how it doesn’t make sense to do so
you guys have 25% of the best pitching prospects in the game… move a couple to plug a few other holes. That team is a bat or 2 away from being a force.
Baseballfan83 2
I like the idea of signing Rollins, as long as its not a 5 year deal, then trading for a big bat to play left. Move Prado back to super utility where he is best. My personal dislike for Reyes clouds my judgment but i don’t want that guy at all
rundmc1981
While I would love to see one of those guys in ATL, we don’t have enough salary room for either. Best thing about A-Gonz is his production for his price ($2.5M). We have a handful of middle-IF prospects that should be ready in the next 2-3 years tops, so giving Rollins his 5-year contract knowing he’ll be as gimpy and unreliable as his 3B teammate (Jones) would be a mistake. If Prado and Heyward had even decent seasons and gave us hope that we wouldn’t need to possibly think about the OF, then maybe management could scrape together enough to give Rollins, but we’re not there.
As for Reyes. No. We need him. Imagine a line-up with Reyes and Michael Bourn. Arguably the 2 best base-stealers of the last 5 years or so. Wow. But we’re stingy and Reyes should get $90M+, give or take — I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone throw him $110M for the showmanship. But, that won’t and can’t be us. Over the next 2 years we have some big contracts coming off the books (Jones (though he has an option for 2013), Hudson, Lowe) with McLouth/Kawakami coming off the books now. Some of that money needs to go Bourn’s way. While I would love for us to go after one of those SS, I would be absolutely blown away if we even make them an offer, knowing management.
Brv Rocks
I was getting ready to say the same thing. I sincerely hope the Twins sign Alex Gonzalez so that we don’t have to look at his ugly mug swinging for the fences in every at-bat. Tyler Pastornicky should hopefully be ready by next season. I would even rather have Jack Wilson back than Gonzalez.
twins33
Remember in 2010 when we had a legit SS? Those were the days.
Kyle Buttermore
No, that “legit” SS was always on the DL.
twins33
And for the other 100 games he was an above average defender at the position. I will take that any damn day. He also hit for an above average line for a SS after he was taken off the DL.
Plus there’s the fact that he’s a billion times better than Nishioka for about the same price. And Hardy played in 60 more games than Nishioka in 2011.
The middle infield D of Hardy and Hudson was sorely missed in 2011, which a lot of people knew before they were even officially gone. Losing Hardy was a gigantic mistake, which I was saying all along…
He wouldn’t have hit as well in Target Field but his D would have been greatly appreciated. First legit shortstop on the Twins since Gagne and now they’re out looking for another because they were stupid. They don’t grow on trees…
BuyBuyMets
The corpse of Zoilo Versalles would be an upgrade at shortstop.
vtadave
So would Jeff Blauser.
Slopeboy
What happened with Nishioka? I know he missed most of the season due to the broken leg. The Twins had so much hope in the guy, did he never recover or does he just suck?
BuyBuyMets
The corpse of Zoilo Versalles would be an upgrade at shortstop.
JacksTigers
Sorry Twins, Ramon’s one of my all time favorite players. You cannot have him.
JacksTigers
Sorry Twins, Ramon’s one of my all time favorite players. You cannot have him.
vtadave
Maybe the Twins should grab J.J. Hardy…. oh….
twins33
Jacobson and Hoey should be enough…
twins33
Jacobson and Hoey should be enough…
twins33
In reply to Slopeboy regarding Nishioka:
He played in about 70 games (had the broken leg, back issues and muscle issues). The time he was on the field, it looked like he had never played baseball in his entire life…especially defensively.
He will be fighting for a spot next year. I don’t see him winning one…
JacksTigers
The last time the Twins played Detroit. He looked afraid of the ball and afraid of turning double plays. It’s like the Swisher play scarred him.
twins33
Yeah, he was definitely gun shy. They don’t play hard like that in Japan so he’s not used to people coming to take him out. Still even ignoring that, he wasn’t good.
twins33
In reply to Slopeboy regarding Nishioka:
He played in about 70 games (had the broken leg, back issues and muscle issues). The time he was on the field, it looked like he had never played baseball in his entire life…especially defensively.
He will be fighting for a spot next year. I don’t see him winning one…
twins33
Okay…I guess the website has decided to do the whole “put at the bottom of the page instead of who I’m replying to” thing again.
twins33
Okay…I guess the website has decided to do the whole “put at the bottom of the page instead of who I’m replying to” thing again.
ricky clark
please sign mark ellis twins..
optionn
Twins going to have 1 player makin 30 million a year and the rest makin under 1 million. That team has almost no talent and a catcher about to start making more trips to the DL than behind homeplate.