Kuzul

The Minnesota Twins once again will be watching the fall classic at home. The good news is that they bought new 3D TV’s.

So they have that going for them.

But just because they are done for 2010 doesn’t mean it’s time to be sitting around. There are many decisions to be made in the coming months. The Twins must decide on who to keep from their own crop of free agents, who they can target from other teams and possible trades they may be able to swing.

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins payroll eclipsed $100 million for the first time. They were in the top five teams in attendance (thank you Target Field), and had the second highest TV ratings in baseball, trailing only the St. Louis Cardinals.

It may seem odd, then, that we are going to have to slash some payroll, but it’s true.

The most obvious area the Twins need to cut is in the bullpen. They have two closers in Joe Nathan and Matt Capps making a combined $20 million dollars if Capps goes into arbitration. Brian Fuentes made $9 million last season and is in free agency, While Jon Rauch made $2.9 million and is a free agent. 

I think Capps will be around to start 2011, but will be traded once Nathan can prove he is back.

Fuentes will be gone. Too pricey, and he wants to close in a bullpen full of closers. Additionally, Fuentes is a type B free agent, so the Twins could get a compensatory pick after the first round for him.

Rauch is gone too I believe. Again, another type B free Agent.

The biggest decision is on who to keep between relievers Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier. Crain is a type B free agent, which could lead to more interest from other teams on him. Guerrier somehow is a type A free agent, and I have a tough time believing a team would give up a first-round pick to the Twins to sign him.

So I think Crain may be gone (with yet another sandwich pick in first round) and Guerrier is back. Anthony Slama and Carlos Gutierrez will need to step up and be big contributors for the Twins next year.  

Other decisions on the team need to be made on Carl Pavano and Orlando Hudson. Orlando Hudson is most definitely gone in my opinion. Alexi Casilla is sitting in waiting. Hudson also had the fortune of being labeled a type B free agent, so once again the Twins could receive another draft pick. (If you are counting, that is already four extra picks for the Twins).

Carl Pavano may be the most sought after pitcher in free agency this year (this is not including Cliff Lee, which is partially due to lack of team who can afford him). He will be a type A free agent, which could net the Twins two more first-round picks if he leaves.

Pavano will be pricey to re-sign. Probably somewhere in the $10 million-a-year range. This wouldn’t be too bad, except Pavano is going to want three or four years, which I don’t believe the Twins will be willing to risk. Mustache or no, I believe Pavano is gone too.

J.J. Hardy, Delmon Young and Francisco Liriano are all due raises through arbitration next season.

Liriano is definitely coming back. I expect the Twins to try and lock him up for up to three years this offseason.

Delmon Young will probably be on the roster next spring with a good raise (unless he is traded…more on that soon). J.J. Hardy had a rough year with injuries, and it showed on the field. For up to $7 million dollars next year, Hardy is not a viable option at this price. I would expect the Twins to either trade him, or non-tender him, making him a free agent.

Possible trades could get exceptionally interesting. The talk around the web is of a possible Zack Greinke trade. He is locked up for the next two years at $13 million a year, which is a relative bargain for an ace.

The Twins could be possible trade partners here. I would look for them to offer a package of Delmon Young, Kevin Slowey and possibly Aaron Hicks or Kyle Gibson. I would do it if Hicks were not included. Hicks will be our starting right-fielder starting in 2012 and hopefully for many years after.

To lose him would not be worth it, unless Greinke pitched the Twins to a World Series title over the next two years, which I don’t believe he could. I think Young will be back and possibly traded next offseason, so the Twins can set their new outfield of Revere (in left), Span (in center) and Hicks (in right).

The Twins are among the best organizations in baseball in getting value for their dollar. I expect them to lose almost all these free agents in the coming months, and yet still compete in the American League.

Minnesota is one of the best teams in the league in scouting and development, so an extra three or four first-round draft picks could pay major dividends for years to come.

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Here lie your 2010 Minnesota Twins. April 5, 2010-October 9, 2010.

In a game that seemed inevitable, the Twins once again were swept out of the playoffs by the New York Yankees. This is the 12th straight home playoff loss for a franchise which used to flourish come October. The second longest such streak in history. Behind only the Boston Red Sox from 1980-1995 which lost 14 straight. I myself was at Target Field for both home games in the playoffs (and every playoff game since 2004). The atmosphere was great, and the crowd was optimistic for our chances against Derek Jeter and the hated Yanks. This was supposed to be our year. We were no longer the “little Twinks” who beat you with small ball and luck. We were a team sporting a new stadium, two MVP’s in the lineup and a former All-Star batting ninth. We had three, count them three closers in our bullpen with over 20 saves on the year. We had Jim Thome who hits baseballs farther then Happy Gilmore could hit a drive. We were primed for the postseason…

That’s until we got a look at those sexy pinstripes. As Christopher Walken so neatly put it in Catch Me if you Can: “Do you know why the Yankees always win the World Series? It’s because the other team can’t stop looking at the pinstripes.” And I think that’s what is happening here. The Twins were the best team in baseball since June turned over to July. Mauer had hit .379, Thome was putting dents in the flag pole in right field and the “Pavstache” was making girls drool all over the country. The Twins ran away from the White Sox and clinched the division earlier then any other team in baseball. And none of it made a difference once the Yankees showed up to Target Field last Wednesday.

Game 1 was the pivotal game here. Liriano was pitching great through five innings and had a 3-0 lead (thank you Michael Cuddyer). Then the wheels fell off. After giving up two runs already in the sixth, there were two men on for Curtis Granderson. Gardy decided to let Liriano pitch to Granderson. A triple later and the score was 4-3. I don’t blame Gardy to leave Liriano in at that point. Granderson was atrocious against lefties all season (to the tune of .234 on the season). Mijares could have come in and gotten him out, but I’m siding with Gardy on this one. Liriano is your best pitcher and best bet to get Granderson.

The game was lost in the next half inning however. The Twins loaded the bases and actually scored a run with a bases loaded walk. The next batter was retired, and the Twins left three men on base (a recurring theme in the three games). Of course, Crain comes in and leaves a hanging slider to Tex and the game is 6-4. Once No. 42 came trotting out the pen for the Yanks, game over.

Game 2 was a must win for the Twins. I wont spend much time on this because it is a week ago already. Pettitte was great. Berkman was great. Twins once again had no clutch hitting. And shockingly they lose 5-2. Ho hum. Better luck next year. Twins were not going to waltz into Yankee Stadium and win two games, then come home and win Game 5. And they didn’t. After a 6-1 loss to Phil Hughes, the season, which had such high hopes, was over.

Over the next week or so, I will go over what I think the Twins should do with their impending free agents, and who they might be able to acquire in free agency or through trades. This will be an interesting offseason, and the 2011 team will look quite different then the inaugural Target Field team.

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