Kuzul

Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins is only a week away.

On Wednesday Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire had the first glimpse of what his Opening Day lineup would look like as right fielder Michael Cuddyer finally made his spring debut with the major league club after three minor league games. 

Two of the up-and-coming stars for the Twins from 2010 have picked up right where they left off—third baseman Danny Valencia is hitting .340 and right fielder Delmon Young is hitting .424 this spring—and Minnesota’s biggest acquisition, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, has a .357 batting average and appears ready to face major league pitching.

All’s well in Twins’ Territory—right?

Maybe not. Here are the biggest questions facing the Minnesota Twins as they look to win their third consecutive AL Central Division title.

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Everybody loves Brian Wilson because of that crazy beard. Mariano Rivera is…the…best…closer…ever. However, the closer position, perhaps more than any other position, provides more value picks. Average Draft Positions are from Mock Draft Central.

Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers: Broxton had just 22 saves last year, and even lost his gig to Hong-Chih Kuo, but was one of the top closers in 2009 when he saved 36 games and struck out 114 batters in 76 innings. He has the closer gig back, and if he can hold onto it, a return to 30 saves with 90 strikeouts is a strong likelihood. His ADP is 164, making him the 15th-ranked closer, though he has top-five potential.

Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies: Lidge bounced back last year to save 27 games and post a 2.96 ERA. With the Phillies four aces, he should get plenty of save opportunities. With an ADP of 192 he’s a terrific value.

Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds: Cordero has averaged 39.3 saves over the past four seasons. His WHIP is usually a little more robust than you want from your closer, which can explain his 196 ADP, but if you’re looking for steady saves, Cordero is a great option.

Matt Thornton, Chicago White Sox: Thornton has been one of the best setup men in baseball the past few years and finally gets his crack at the closer position. Chris Sale is there if he falters, but he should be a solid value with his 203 ADP.

Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals: Franklin had 27 saves last year and 38 in 2009. His ERA jumped from 1.92 to 3.46, but his WHIP fell dramatically from 1.20 to 1.03. His ADP is 204.

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins: Judging by Nathan’s 209 ADP, he’s at a discount because of concerns surrounding his return from Tommy John surgery. He was a top-five closer before being injured, so he’s worth the risk.

David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners: Aardsma comes at a discount (217 ADP) because he will miss the start of the season as he recovers from a hip injury. He had 69 saves the past two years so he should be a nice value pick when he returns.

The Rest

Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves (226) gets his first crack at closing.

Fernando Rodney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (227) is wild, but will accumulate saves as long as he can lock down the gig.

Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates (230) has waiting in the wings if he struggles.

Kevin Gregg, Baltimore Orioles (236) will get first crack at closing in Baltimore, but they have options if he isn’t up to the task.

Frank Francisco, Toronto Blue Jays (248) faces a similar situation in Toronto.

Brandon Lyon, Houston Astros (249) is a decent option.

Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins (317) has anything but a firm grip on the Marlins’ closer gig.

Also check out:

2011 Fantasy Baseball Value Picks
2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Catcher Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Catcher Rankings
2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings
2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Closer Rankings
2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Closer Rankings

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With catchers and pitchers reporting to camp and spring training just around the corner, anticipation for the baseball season is at its highest. With the season a little more than a month away, it is the perfect time to make predictions for the 2011 MLB season.

The defending AL Central Champion Minnesota Twins have many questions going into the 2011 season. The offseason has had its ups and downs, and two of their biggest stars are coming off major injuries.

The Twins’ biggest question is their bullpen. Last year, the Twins’ bullpen was one of the best in the American League with an ERA of 3.49, fourth in the league. During the offseason, however, the Twins lost Brian Fuentes, Jesse Crain, Jon Rauch and Matt Guerrier to free agency. Those four players combined to pitch for over 200 innings out of the pen.

Another question for the bullpen is closer Joe Nathan. When healthy, Nathan has been one of the best closers in baseball, but he is 36 and coming off of Tommy John surgery, which did not allow him to play last year. On the bright side, Matt Capps should be one of the best set-up men in the majors.

The Twins’ rotation is almost identical to last year’s, which put together the fifth-best ERA in the American League but struggled with consistency, especially Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker.

Carl Pavano and his mustache, along with Brian Duensing, were the two bright spots in the rotation. Pavano put together All-Star numbers and has developed into the team’s ace, but he has been vulnerable to injuries, and at age 35, isn’t getting any younger. I believe the key to the rotation this year will be the continuing development of Liriano into an ace for the future.

Last year, the Twins were fifth in the American League in runs scored, but they lost second baseman Orlando Hudson, and All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau is coming off a lingering concussion that caused him to miss most of the second half of the season. Morneau will likely not repeat the MVP season he was having before his injury.

The Twins signed Japanese star Tsuyoshi Nishioka (good luck trying to pronounce his name), who has a lot of upside offensively and defensively but has never played a Major League Baseball game. All-Star catcher Joe Mauer, is one of the best hitting catchers of all time, but he has struggled with injuries on and off throughout his career.

Former first overall pick Delmon Young had a solid season, batting just under .300 with 112 RBIs. The resigning of Thome made sure they will have a power source in 2011.

AL Manager of the Year Ron Gardenhire and the Twins’ small-ball style will keep them in the division race all year, but I see them finishing behind the long ball happy Chicago White Sox in the Central. Though I do not have them winning the division, I feel that they have a great shot at an American League Wild Card spot. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers are set to report to Fort Myers in less than two weeks!

The start of spring training means that the warm spring weather cannot be far behind.

After the type of winter that has pounded most of the country this year, I know I can be counted among many who cannot wait for the snow to melt away!

With every spring training there comes a renewed hope. Hope that this will be the year, the year the Minnesota Twins turn the corner from being a consistent AL Central division winner and make it to the next round of the play offs. 

It’s been 20 years since the Twins last won the World Series, and with the new smell still hovering over Target Field, the question is has the team done enough to make their fourth World Series appearance and possibly win a third World Series Championship?

As the team gets ready to open spring training here are some questions that will need to be answered.

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The Minnesota Twins won the American League Central last season despite injuries to some of their biggest stars.

Joe Nathan, an All-Star closer, was lost after a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament forced him into Tommy John surgery last March.

From 2004-2009, Nathan was one of the most dominating closers in all of baseball. Nathan’s 246 saves over six seasons are the most in the majors during that span.

The 36-year-old Nathan is in the final season of a four year, $47 million dollar contract that pays him $11.25 million this season with a club option for $12.5 million for 2012.

Nathan is expecting to start back up from where he left off in 2009, as the Twins‘ closer.

“My mind-set right now is that I’m closing and getting ready for the season. That’s my plan. We’ll see how it goes. There’s always going to be a question mark,” said Nathan.

Another big question mark is the health of 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau.

Morneau missed the second half of the 2010 season after suffering a concussion July 7 in Toronto while sliding into second base.

General manager of the Twins Bill Smith spoke on the health of Joe Nathan to a local ESPN radio affiliate in Minneapolis: “It’s still a work in progress. He is not 100 percent, but I’ve talked to his doctors, I’ve talked to him. He’s getting better all the time, he’s doing very good workouts.”

Morneau still hasn’t been cleared to fly on an airplane and was given instructions to stay in Arizona and to skip the annual “Twinsfest” this past weekend in Minnesota.

Michael Cuddyer has filled in for Morneau the last two playoff runs for the Twins, and with Jim Thome re-signing two weeks ago, Jason Kubel could shift to RF should Morneau not be ready to go.

The Twins will be hoping that Morneau will be manning first base for them come April. Last season, before the concussion, he was hitting .345 with 18 HR and 56 RBI in only 81 games played.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Minnesota Twins are coming off a banner season.

They won their sixth American League Central title since 2002, opened Target Field, which ESPN named the “best fan experience in all of sports,” and set an attendance record of over three million fans.

So what will define 2011 for Minnesota Twins fans?

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The 2010 Minnesota Twins, while having a great season with a 94-68 record, won their 6th American League Central Title since 2002.

The post-season struggles of the Twins have been well documented. The Twins will need to have another stellar season to stave off the reloaded Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.

The Twins should have the following list of New Year’s Resolutions in order to get back to the playoffs, and wreak some havoc should they make it there.

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Trades are a funny thing.

They are a part of every sport, and the one common characteristic that can describe their nature is their inherent volatility. Trades can be a savior to teams, bringing them to the pinnacle of success. Or they can be the perpetual oppressor, blamed by fans for years of struggle and hardship. Sometimes, the same trade can be viewed either way, depending on the point of view of the fan.

No sport has such a voluminous history of transactions as America’s pastime, so it’s no surprise that deciding which were the absolute worst was no small task.

Think I have anything out of place or that I haven’t included a trade that deserved to be on here? Let me know.

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The Minnesota Twins start their 50th season in Minnesota next season.

I thought it might be fun to choose the best starting lineup possible from the last 50 years. I also included the top five pitchers for a starting rotation and a closer.

There were a few rules to make the list. They must have either been a Twins player for at least five years, or done something extraordinary on the field (such as a World Series victory, MVP award, batting title, etc.).

They also must have spent most of their time at the position they played at, so I wasn’t allowed to DH someone who wasn’t a designated hitter during their time in Minnesota.

So who made the cut? Read on to find out.

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