Twinkie Town

Twins add Morillo to 40 man

2009-11-09T22:15:54Z

Twins add Morillo to 40 man

I expected this. Also, they took Armando Gabino and Justin Huber off the 40-man. Gabino was claimed by Baltimore and Huber cleared waivers.

SB Nation Awards: 2009 American League Manager of the Year

2009-11-09T18:42:08Z

Just like every year, the site managers of SB Nation get together and cast votes for the season's four biggest awards: Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young. Today, the results are in for MoY.

Rk	Manager	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
1	Mike Scioscia	Los Angeles Angels	9	8	3	72
2	Ron Gardenhire	Minnesota Twins	9	5	1	61
3	Don Wakamatsu	Seattle Mariners	6	3	8	47
4	Joe Girardi	New York Yankees	2	4	2	24
5	Ron Washington	Texas Rangers	1	4	4	21
6	Terry Francona	Boston Red Sox	1	1	3	11
7	Jim Leyland	Detroit Tigers	-	2	4	10
8	Joe Maddon	Tampa Bay Rays	-	1	1	4
9	Ozzie Guillen	Chicago White Sox	-	-	1	1
10	Trey Hillman	Kansas City Royals	-	-	1	1

I have a hard time arguing the findings on this list, because if I recall correctly the top three coaches are the ones I actually voted for. (It was either that, or Gardenhire-Wakamatsu-Washington...it was a while ago.) Even if Don Wakamatsu had won, I wouldn't complain--he got one hell of a performance from a team that probably shouldn't have had the kind of season they had.

Poll

Of the top three choices, who gets your vote for AL Manager of the Year?

On Payrolls

2009-11-09T16:00:48Z

I swear, I didn't want to be the guy that keeps harping on payroll discrepancies in baseball. But then I discovered one of the depressing things about payrolls. And then the great Joe Posnanski got in on the act, pointing out that baseball has a tendency to hide dominance - that even if you put together a team made up of the best players in baseball, that team still might lose 45-50 games during the season, and still might not win the World Series. That's just the way it's set up.

So I went ahead and did some number crunching (well, number adding, at least). Using the USA Today payroll database, I went through a decade's worth of payrolls. (Please, no arguments about whether the decade is over this year or next year. It's 2000-2009 for the purposes of this post.)

You won't be surprised to find out that the Yankees top the list; they had the largest payroll in every single season, and all told spent just over 1.67 billion on player contracts over the decade. Only three other teams (the Red Sox, the Mets, and the Dodgers) cleared the $1 billion mark.

I'm not sure that I'm doing justice to how big that gap is, though. The Yankees spent only $9 million less than the Cubs and the White Sox combined. The Yankees spent more than the Nationals, Pirates, Marlins, and Rays - FOUR OTHER TEAMS - combined.

A little closer to home: take the Red Sox payroll, the second-highest payroll in the league. Now add the Twins payroll. THAT is what the Yankees spent; they could afford to buy the Red Sox roster, and add in the Twins roster, every year.

And now, let me address the "money can't buy wins" argument, which is what Posnanski tackled so ably. No amount of money can buy an undefeated season, and the playoffs are such a crapshoot that the best team doesn't always win.

So I ask you to instead look at it this way. Consider this:

The top 13 teams in payroll over the last decade each won at least one division title. Only six of the other 17 teams won even one.
43 of a possible 60 division titles were won by these same 13 teams.
57 of a possible 80 playoff berths were won by these same 13 teams.
The Mets and the Mariners were the only teams in the top 13 that didn't go to the playoffs at least three times in the decade, going twice each. Out of the bottom 17, only the Athletics, Twins, and Diamondbacks made the playoffs at least three times (and the D'Backs had payrolls north of $85 million two of those years).

What I'm trying to say is this. There are, in general, two ways to compete in baseball. You can get lucky with young talent, like the Twins and Athletics. You can hope for one or two good years, like the Rays or the Marlins or the Brewers.

Or you can spend lots of money.

How Good Is J.J. Hardy's Defense?

2009-11-09T02:52:44Z

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

4 months ago: Milwaukee Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy leaps over Los Angeles Dodgers' James Loney to turn a double play on a ball hit by Russell Martin during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 11, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Browse more photos »

The biggest question mark in J.J. Hardy's game, oddly enough, isn't whether or not he can bounce back offensively. It's whether or not his defensive reputation is deserved.

It's likely that Hardy's bat will rebound to some extent in 2010, and it's that upside that makes his pick-up as intriguing as it is. But the constant, the "guaranteed" value, was in the premium defense he supposedly provides at a premium defensive position. Hardy has been one of the league's best shortstops over the last few years. If you believe the numbers.

FanGraphs has been running a series recently about the best and worst defenders in baseball over the last three years combined. As Matthew Carruth states: "Rankings are done by adding a player's UZR with his aggregate positional adjustment so as to level the playing field with regards to difficulty. Essentially, it's removing the grading curve". Or, all things equalized, Carruth gives us the best and the worst. Hardy finished third overall, as the highest-rated shortstop, and is calculated to have been worth 48.7 runs above average with the glove.

For the record, that is stellar.

But since the announcement of this deal on Friday we've started to hear strains of dissenting thought, largely from Brewers fans who have stopped by to deliver their first-hand impressions of Hardy in the field.

From Cheeseandcorn:

Also, he’s slower than you think he is. Way slower. Like, he will continually amaze you with his epic slowness.

This from backtocali:

The numbers used to measure defensive prowess cannot be accurately used when talking about JJ Hardy. He is a very solid shortstop, but do not be fooled, he is not elite. His range is downright awful. He has a solid glove and a very good arm, but if he is not in the exact perfect defensive position, he is worthless.

Another, this time from Ted Simmons Speed Camp:

Hardy IS extremely slow. I never thought his range at SS was all that great, but he maximizes it with good positioning, a soft glove and a great arm.

Push all three of these comments together and we get a fairly comprehensive idea of what Brewers fans saw when they watched Hardy field his position: good glove, good arm, bad range, slow. Two up, two down.

I do find those statements interesting because I do place value on intelligent observations, which these were. But when I evaluate a player in any capacity, I do have a tendency to lean towards what the numbers tell me. Not because I don't believe my eyes, or anyone else's, but because numbers aren't subjective and make visual impressions quantifiable. Ultimately, whether you believe what the defensive metrics tell you about any player or not, the numbers come from somewhere. Which means there's probably a very legitimate reason why Hardy has been tabbed as one of the best shortstops, and best defensive players in general, over the last few years.

Let's skim past UZR/150 for a moment and go to the numbers that strictly talk about range, since that's the specific part of Hardy's defense in question. Using numbers from THT, we'll include Hardy with some of the other great defensive shortstops in baseball (and Derek Jeter because, really, why not) to see if the observations of those Brewers fans match up with cold, hard, objective numbers.

Name	Innings	RZR	OOZ	INN:OZ
Cesar Izturis	2590	.852	122	21.2
Adam Everett	1841	.851	87	21.2
Jose Reyes	3156	.849	110	23.9
Elvis Andrus	1238	.846	45	27.5
Yunel Escobar	2676	.841	124	21.6
Alex Gonzalez	1820	.839	63	28.9
Ryan Theriot	3436	.834	111	31.0
Brendan Ryan	1248	.833	77	16.2
Nick Punto	1231	.831	47	26.2
J.J. Hardy	3488	.826	166	21.0
Jack Wilson	2754	.826	163	16.8
Derek Jeter	3836	.819	89	43.1
Jimmy Rollins	3973	.818	166	23.9
Rafael Furcal	2788	.817	130	21.5
Jason Bartlett	3444	.798	175	19.7

INN = Innings played at shortstop 2007 - 2009
RZR = Percentage of balls-in-zone that were converted into outs; average is about .790 - .810
OOZ = Plays made outside of a shortstop's defensive zone
INN:OZ = An average of how often a play is made outside of the shortstop's zone

A full time shortstop plays somewhere between 1250 and 1400 innings at his position per season; Ryan was a rookie in 2009 but has the same number of innings as Punto, whose totals represent three years combined.

According to the above breakdown, which is about as objective as defensive range metrics can get, Hardy's range is fine. In fact it's better than that, it's above average...consistently. You could chalk that up to (like the above commenters mentioned) great positioning, but a guy who makes plays on positioning alone isn't going to make 166 plays outside of his defensive zone, either. Jeter is the model of this theory--he's the guy who's reliable for making plays on most of the balls he touches, but he does it by playing deep. It robs him of the ability to make plays on balls he shouldn't be making plays on, unless he's chasing it into the shallow outfield.

Bartlett, on the other hand, is the guy on the other side of the curve. His superior range allows him to make plays like few other shortstops in baseball, but he's prone to mistakes more often than some of the other guys on this list. Certainly some of it can be chalked up to bad positioning, but we know there's a little more to it than that.

Looking at older range metrics, like RF/G or RF/9, Hardy comes in around the middle of the pack. Indeed, scrolling through a list of defensive metrics, the worst you will see Hardy ever being is middle of the pack.

Conclusions

So, where does this leave us? We can't ignore the defensive metrics, because all players are graded equally. By the same token we can't just dismiss first-hand accounts...especially since, like most of you, I really haven't had the opportunity to see Hardy play on a day-to-day basis.

The obvious and most probable outcome is that both groups are right. Hardy's speed likely inhibits his range in the field, which is partially made up for by great positioning and an ability to consistently and reliably make outs in situations where he's expected to make them. Is his positioning so great that it allows him to challenge for the most plays made outside his zone every year? Probably not, which implies that it's more than just positioning that allows him to excel and get to that sick number of balls he has no business getting to.

I expect that when we finally get to see Hardy play everyday next summer, we will be a little surprised at how he moves. But that's where the numbers come in. He's obviously making a ton of plays, more than a vast majority of shortstops in baseball, and he's earned his reputation (on paper and on grass) as one of the best defensive infielders in the game today.

Any questions we might have will (obviously) get answers once we actually watch him play. Until then I'm content knowing that we did get a very good defensive shortstop in return for Carlos Gomez.

Ultimately it doesn't matter how you get the out as long as you get it. It's just like picking up the win--just get it. And that's something J.J. Hardy is apparently very, very good at. Both sides agree on that.

A Little Perspective

2009-11-08T01:18:35Z

A Little Perspective

You probably know of the tragedy at Fort Hood this week. Here's something from a soldier, in his own words, from SB Nation site The Phinsider.

Organization Review (Center fielders)

2009-11-07T20:01:22Z

Although the top prospect in the organization probably is a catcher and the best power prospect a first baseman/corner outfielder, center field is clearly the top position in the organization. Not only are the following Top Ten the strongest group of any position, the organization has two very good players capable of playing center field who were included with the corner outfielders...Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni.

The tenth ranked center fielder is a young man taken on the thirty-third round of this year's draft, Nick Freitas. Freitas is a college selection who began his career with the GCL Twins where he hit a respectable .246/.336/.347 in 118 at bats. Freitas, who stole 6 bases in 6 attempts, is my 70th ranked player.

Ranked ninth is Herbert Lara. Lara moved up 15 spots in this year's ranking to 57th following a season at Elizabethton where he hit .218/.288/.240 in 147 at bats following his rookie season in 2008 with the GCL Twins where he hit .281/.329/.349 in 146 at bats.

The eighth ranked center fielder is a young man who shared playing time with Lara, Jonathan Goncalves. Goncalves also moved up from the GCL Twins where he hit .261/.385/.330 in 88 at bats to rank #68 in 2008. This season, Goncalves hit .256/.303/.366 in 172 at bats to move up 12 spots to #56.

The seventh ranked center fielder was this year's DSL Twins lone position player who was an all-star. Romy Trinidad would have been my 52nd ranked player had I included DSL players in the ranking. Trinidad hit .312/.443/.363 in 157 at bats with 1 home run and 15 stolen bases in 20 attempts. Trinidad, who turned 18 shortly before the DSL season began, should move up to the GCL next spring.

The top hitter early this season for the GCL Twins was Wang-Wei Lin who was hitting .364/.432/.545 in 33 at bats when he went down with a season ending injury. After getting only 10 at bats in 2008, Lin's work to improve appeared to have paid dividends when his season came to a sudden end. Lin had 3 doubles and a home run amongst his 12 hits with 2 stolen bases. Lin was my sixth ranked centerfielder and ranked 32nd overall based on only 33 at bats.

The fifth ranked center fielder is a young player many consider to have the highest ceiling of any player in the organization. Aaron Hicks, who was the Twins first round pick in 2008, went on to to hit .318/.409/.491 in 173 GCL at bats. Hicks had 10 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs and 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts to rank as my 25th best player with Baseball America ranking him as the Top Prospect in the GCL. Baseball America again ranked him as the Top Prospect in the MidWest League this year following a season that began in EST before hitting .251/.353/.382 in 251 at bats at Beloit. Hicks, who is a disciplined hitter with 40 walks and 55 strikeouts, had 15 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 18 attempts for the Snappers. A 5-tool player most believe can become a superstar, Hicks moved up one spot in my ranking to #24.

Fourth ranked is a player the Twins received from Cincinnati in a trade a few years ago for Juan Castro. Brandon Roberts hit .316/.370/.396 with 27 steals (stole 50 bases for the entire season) in 71 games following his 2006 all-star break trade. The following year he moved up to AA where he hit .293/.355/.374 in 389 at bats with only 14 steals in 21 attempts. In 2008 Roberts returned to New Britain where he was my 50th ranked player mostly because he missed much of the season with an injury which limited him to only 95 at bats, hitting .200/.269/.253. Roberts was healthy for most of 2009 and responded by hitting .287/.352/.365 in 397 at bats with 21 steals in 28 attempts to be ranked as my 22nd best player. If he is with the Twins next year, Roberts should move up to Rochester where he will be one plane ride away from making his major league debut.

Third ranked is a center fielder some believe has a higher ceiling than Hicks, Angel Morales. Although Morales was drafted in the third round a year earlier out of Puerto Rico, he is about two months younger than Hicks and won't turn 20 until later this month. Morales opened eyes with his phenominal season at Elizabethton in 2008 where he hit .301/.413/.623 in 183 at bats with 12 doubles, 1 triple, a league high 15 home runs and 28 RBI. Morales also stole 7 bases in 9 attempts to rank as my 19th best player. This season began very slowly for Morales at Beloit, yet he made the necessary adjustments and played like the star many believe he will become during the second half. Morales, who played through an injury during much of June, finished his first full-season hitting .266/.329/.455 in 376 at bats with 22 doubles, 5 triples, a team high 13 home runs and 62 RBI with 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts. The only knock against Morales are his struggles to hit some breaking balls and that he strikes out to often. He did make progress this season, however, with 104 strikeouts (27.7%) against better pitching versus a 39.3% strike out rate last year in the Appy League. People who have seen him play comment that the ball explodes off his bat and that Morales could become a superstar at the major league level. Morales was my 20th ranked player this season, however, played as well as anyone in the organization post all-star break. I look for him to blossom as a star next year in the FSL by reducing his strikeout rate to around 20%, hit 20 home runs with an average approaching .300. He should move up to AA as a 21 year old the following year and don't be surprised if you see him called up in September, 2011.

The second ranked center fielder and my 18th ranked player this year is Jason Pridie. Pridie, who was part of the Bartlett/Garza/Young trade, has been up with the Twins several times and certainly is in the mix to battle for the fifth outfield spot on the roster next spring. Pridie was my 15th ranked player in 2008 when he hit .270/.305/.435 in 559 at bats at Rochester with 21 doubles, a league best 16 triples, 13 home runs and 61 RBI. Pridie also stole 25 bases in 34 attempts and was named the International League's best defensive outfielder. Like the entire Red Wing team, Pridie's production dropped off this year. In 513 at bats he hit .265/.295/.382 with 23 doubles, 5 triples, 9 home runs, 53 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 32 attempts. After making his first appearance with the Twins in 2008, Pridie didn't appear in any games for the Twins during this season and wasn't a September callup. Whether or not that is an indication of what Twins plans are for him in 2010 isn't known, however, he appears to be a candidate to claim that last roster spot.

The top ranked center fielder and my #1 ranked player this year has taken almost as much criticism since being drafted as the Twins current center fielder. A common reaction to his selection in the first round was that many believed he should have been a second or third round pick and the Twins were being cheap when they drafted Ben Revere. He doesn't play good defense and doesn't hit for power are other common criticisms. Even though Revere hit .325/.388/.481 in 191 at bats in his rookie season with the GCL Twins the criticism continued. Last year Revere remained in EST to work on his defense before moving up to Beloit. And if he hadn't been injured in late July, wouldn't it have been fun for Beloit fans to watch him try to become the first minor league player in a long time to flirt with a .400 Average? Unfortunately, his leg injury limited his play until the Twins eventually shut him down with minor knee surgery. He didn't have enough at bats to qualify for the league batting championship which he would have easily won at .379/.433/.497 in 340 at bats with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 51 runs scored and 44 stolen bases in 57 attempts to rank #12 in my post season ranking.

Some still weren't believers. What would it take for Revere to earn their respect in the pitcher friendly FSL? After missing the FSL batting championship by two points.....Revere has impressed me and should have quieted many of his critics. Reports that I have read indicate that Revere has made progress in his defensive game. At the plate, he hit .311/.372/.369 in 466 at bats with the league's most hits (145), third most runs scored (75), third most steals (45 in 62 attempts) and fourth best OBP (.372). Revere, who took more walks (40) than strikeouts (34), still has some aspects of his game that needs work, however, I believe my top ranked player in 2009 is a special player who will be an exciting addition to the Twins beginning sometime in 2011.

Ben Revere, Angel Morales, Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni are all solid or better center fielders. Perhaps the biggest problem the Twins will have in a couple years is deciding which has the highest upside as they certainly won't be able to keep all five in the organization.....or can they?

Twins Pick Up Michael Cuddyer's 2011 Option

2009-11-07T17:41:57Z

And here I was, writing about whether or not the Twins should actually do it....

Of course my conclusion was an adament "YES, YES THE TWINS SHOULD PICK UP CUDDY'S 2011 OPTION". Clearly I have a nose for these things.

Cuddyer's 2011 option is worth $10.5 million, but with the buyout an even million in its own right the Twins are essentially paying our right fielder $9.5 million for his services two years from now. Of course we all know that, as one of the team's leaders, Cuddyer hit .276/.342/.520 this past summer with career highs in home runs and slugging percentage.

There will be questions about whether or not Cuddles is worth that much money as a 32-year old right fielder whose range leaves a bit to be desired, but as far as I'm concerned this was a quality decision, and one that was more or less unavoidable.

This decision raises Minnesota's 2011 committments to roughly $42.6 million dollars: Justin Morneau ($15 MM), Joe Nathan ($11.25 MM), Cuddyer ($10.5 MM) and Scott Baker ($5.00 MM), as well as a $500K buyout for Nick Punto and a $350K buyout for Jason Kubel.

Michael Cuddyer

#5 / First Base / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-2

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 27, 1979

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Michael Cuddyer	153	588	93	162	34	7	32	94	54	118	6	1	.276	.342	.520

Poll

If you're Bill Smith, did you just pick up Cuddy's 2011 option?

Cuddyers Option for 2011 Picked Up

2009-11-07T17:19:07Z

Cuddyers Option for 2011 Picked Up

So that answers one more off season question.

Minor League Report...November 7, 2009

2009-11-07T14:22:03Z

A couple items of note this week include the Twins outrighting Brian Buscher to Rochester. This cleared a 40-man roster spot before the five free agents are removed in the next week. Why this was done at this time remains a mystery? My best guess is that the Twins were in discussion on some deal from which they may have needed an open spot on their roster. It turned out to not be the case with the J.J. Hardy deal. Maybe during the Hardy discussions there were other players under consideration or there could have been another deal (perhaps Tampa) being discussed that would have required an extra roster spot.

On a more serious note, Seth Stohs reported yesterday that Wilson Ramos injured his knee in Thursday's game in Venezuela. I had noted when reviewing the boxscore that he was removed from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after drawing a walk. He finished the game with a 1-1 night, a walk, double and 2 runs scored. So whatever the injury was either happened on a play at the plate or he ran the bases, scored and then was removed. I believe that Ramos is a Top 10 prospect and I don't mean in the Twins organization, rather, in all of baseball. He was hitting better than anyone in the VWL (.403/.460/.766 with a league high 6 home runs and 23 RBI in 77 at bats) and getting him healthy for spring training is the most important concern the Twins have this winter....well, maybe second most important behind signing another catcher to a contract extension!

They say when you go to an Arizona Fall League game it is like going to a minor league all-star game. That makes today's AFL Rising Stars Showcase a special day for prospect junkies and scouts. This year's Number 1 overall pick, Stephen Strasburg, has been scratched from appearing in this game because of a strained arm. Strasburg has a 3-1 record in four starts with a 5.28ERA, 15.1 innings and 17K/5BB. The lone Twins representative in this game will be outfielder Rene Tosoni.

Mesa was 4-2 this week to improve their record to 9-12 and move into a tie for second place, 3.5 games out of first in their three team division. Rene Tosoni was 4-18 and is now hitting .254/.338/.390 in 59 at bats. Chris Parmalee was 2-12 this week, yet continues to lead the Solar Sox with 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 53 at bats. Steve Singleton was 4-11 and is hitting .300/.302/.440 in 50 at bats. Steve Hirschfield had his best outing of the fall in last night's 11-1 win, allowing 1 hit in 3.0 shutout innings with 2K/0BB. Hirschfield lowered his ERA to 11.17 with 11K/3BB. It will take all fall to get his ERA down to a good number after giving up 6 earned runs in 0.1 inning on October 20th. Spencer Steedley pitched 2 shutout innings to lower his ERA to 5.00 in 8 games, 9.0 innings with 6K/12BB. Alex Burnett has appeared in 7 games with 6.2 innings, 6K/7BB and 4.05ERA. Michael McCardell has pitched 8.2 innings with a 7.27ERA and 11K/5BB.

Armando Gabino made his first appearance this week for Aguilas in the DWL, pitching 0.2 inning with 1 strikeout. Estarlin De Los Santos didn't play a lot last year for Gigante and didn't get a lot of hits when he did. This is not unusual for a young player in a veteran winter league like the DWL. Although most of the major league players haven't arrived De Los Santos is playing regularly early this year, hitting .277/.320/.319 with a 2-7 week in 2 games this week.

Juan Morillo did not appear in any of Toros games this week, however, Jose Lugo appeared in two. Lugo has been one of his teams better relievers having appeared in 8 games, 8.0 innings with a 2-1 record, 3.38ERA and 7K/3BB. Over in Venezuela, Winston Marquez did not make any appearances this week.

Aragua improved their record to 9-14, moving into a fifth place tie 8.5 games out of first. Frank Mata has been one of their better relievers with a 2-1 record in 10 games, 16.1 innings with 10K/5BB. Mata's 3.31ERA is the best on the staff of any pitchers with over 4 innings of work. Justin Huber hit his second and third home runs with 5 RBI last night in the Tigres 9-6 win. Hopefully Huber, who is hitting .300/.400/.517 in 60 at bats with 14 RBI, will be back with the Twins next season.

With Carlos Gomez gone it will be interesting to see who will be the Twins extra outfielder next spring. Many assume it will be Jason Pridie but Dustin Martin may have something to say about that. After an excellent spring training last year Martin had what must be considered a disappointing season at Rochester. Any chance he has to earn that spot next spring begins with his performance this winter in Venezuela. After a slow first week or so, Martin has raised his average to .293/.400/.467 with 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 75 at bats. With all the top center fielders in the organization at least a couple years from being ready to help the Twins, Martin may be an option to fill a reserve spot next spring.

Saturday Morning Poll: How Do You Feel Now?

2009-11-07T10:47:13Z

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

We'll never see his bat-smelling in a Twins uniform again...(sniff)

Browse more photos »

Happy? Sad? Hung-over?

After yesterday morning's blockbuster trade that sent Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for J.J. Hardy, we had a pretty extensive conversation on not just the merits of both players but also the fall-out for both teams.

But now that you've had a night to think about it, how do you feel? Are you (like me) still happy that Hardy is the new Snoopy? Or are a little broken up over losing Captain Zoom?

Poll

What say you?

The Hosken Powell Memorial Offseason/Hot Stove Linkdump

2009-11-07T02:00:31Z

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

Fortune seekers continue digging in their fruitless search for the legendary Buried Treasure of Junior Ortiz.

Browse more photos »

Item: Big League Stew (no relation) gives the Twins the early edge in the Hardy/Gomez swap.

Nobody asked me, but: I will miss Gomez's defense and remarkable speed. I will not miss his craptacular at-bats and .623 OPS.

Item: Pat Neshek's rehab is an ocean of positivity.

Nobody asked me, but: if I may put on my Captain Obvious hat for a minute, a healthy, effective Neshek would be gigantic for 2010. In a winter where the team needs to/had better address other areas of the team, upgrading the bullpen via trade or free agency seems unlikely.

Item: Cuddyer is priority #1 for Twins. The club has until Monday to pick up his $10.5 million option for 2011 or buy him out for $1 million.

Nobody asked me, but: of course they're going to do pick up his option, and they should. He does magic tricks, for pity's sake! Cuddy-haters, unload on me in comments, but be advised that I will be forwarding your e-mail addresses to Howard Sinker.

Item: autographed Nick Punto jerseys among the items for sale at tomorrow's Metrodome rummage sale.

Nobody asked me, but: all purchasers must show sufficient grit, hustle and moxie in order to acquire the jerseys. If you see Scott Ullger telling you not to buy it, KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN AND GO RIGHT PAST HIM. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? /still bitter

What was your favorite Orlando Cabrera moment?

2009-11-06T18:51:11Z

What was your favorite Orlando Cabrera moment?

If I'm reading Doogie's tweet correctly, Bill Smith spoke w/O-Cab this AM and they're moving on. Given the trade, this shouldn't surprise.

Twins trade Carlos Gomez for JJ Hardy

2009-11-06T16:58:40Z

The first report was from Brewers.com, via Twitter:

Brewers acquire CF Carlos Gomez from Minnesota in exchange for SS J.J. Hardy.

I did NOT see that coming. It's been confirmed pretty much everywhere.

According to MLBTradeRumors, thanks to Hardy's midseason demotion in '09, he's under team control for 2010 and 2011.

Hardy had good seasons in 2007 and 2008 at the plate, putting up OPS+ numbers north of 100 both seasons, but was terrible last year (see stats below). He's decent defensively, though.

J.J. Hardy

#7 / Short Stop / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 19, 1982

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - J.J. Hardy	115	414	53	95	16	2	11	47	43	85	0	1	.229	.302	.357

White Sox Trade for Mark Teahen

2009-11-05T15:34:49Z

White Sox Trade for Mark Teahen

In return, the Royals are getting second baseman Chris Getz and third base/first base power hitter Josh Fields. Getz played quite a bit for the White Sox in '09, while Fields couldn't lock into one position and struggled to find playing time behind Gordon Beckham.

Organization Review (Corner Outfielders)

2009-11-03T23:47:02Z

With all the positions reviewed to date, there aren't many more than ten players in the organization playing at each position. Doing the corner outfielders together means that the top ten will include more prospects that have a legitimate chance of someday playing with the Twins. As with all the previous reviews this isn't meant to be a prospect ranking, rather, it is a ranking of the top ten corner outfielders based on their play this past season.

The Tenth ranked corner outfielder is a former first round pick, Matt Moses. Since being the 21st overall pick in 2003, Matt moved through the system the first few years at a pace expected of a first round selection. His best year was 2005 when he hit .306/.376/.453 with 7 home runs in 265 at bats for the Ft. Myers Miracle. That excellent start earned Moses a promotion to New Britain where he hit .210/.275/.366 in 186 at bats. With the exception of a brief move up to Rochester in 2007 when he hit .224 Average in 174 at bats, Matt has been in New Britain for the past four plus years. This season Moses hit .224/.274/.353 in 255 at bats to be the 47th ranked player in the organization after ranking 45th in 2008. Moses is again a six year minor league free agent and with several outfielders moving up from Ft. Myers, it is unlikely that he will return to the Twins next year.

The ninth ranked outfielder has a name Twins fans are very familiar with, Steve Liddle. Steve was the Twins 15th round selection in this year's draft out of Vanderbilt University. The nephew of the Twins bench coach with the same name, Liddle was the Elizabethton Twins leading hitter following his signing the last month of their season at .360/.441/.520 in 50 at bats with 2 home runs. Liddle's excellent short season earned him my #38 ranking in his first year of professional ball.

The eighth ranked outfielder is a young man who attended college in Mankato, Mark Dolenc. Dolenc, who was the Twins 15th round selection in 2006, began his career in the GCL with promotions of one level each year. Last season Dolenc hit .260/.338/.347 in 389 at bats for Beloit to rank as my 46th best position player. This season Mark moved up another level to Ft. Myers where he had his best season, hitting .288/.332/.394 in 386 at bats with 27 stolen bases in 33 attempts. Dolenc, who moved up 12 spots in this year's ranking to #34, should move up another level next year to New Britain and if he again shows improvement he is someone the Twins will begin to consider as a player who just might join the major league club some time a few years in the future.

The seventh best corner outfielder is a young man who was with the DSL Twins in 2008, Oswaldo Arcia. Arcia was one of the top two hitters for the DSL Twins last year, hitting .293/.343/.432 in 229 at bats. This season Arcia came to the U.S. in late March and went on to be one of the GCL top hitters. Arcia hit .275/.337/.455 in 167 at bats with a team best 11 doubles and 5 home runs which also tied for ninth best in the league. This young man, who turned 18 this past May, ranked as my 30th best player and is another name we will hear a lot of over the next few years when talking about all the top outfield prospects in the organization.

The sixth best corner outfielder was the Twins tenth round pick in 2008 out of Dallas Baptist University, Evan Bigley. Bigley had an excellent rookie season at Elizabethton where he hit .300/.360/.587 in 213 at bats with a league second best 14 home runs and 47 RBI. That perofrmance for the championship Elizabethton Twins earned Bigley my 28th ranking. This season Bigley moved up a level to Beloit where he hit .307/.340/.446 in 101 at bats, earning a mid-season promotion to Ft. Myers. Bigley continued to hit very well for the Miracle, .280/.336/.405 in 328 at bats to move up a spot to #29 this year. Look for Bigley to return to Ft. Myers next spring, however, any improvement should earn him another mid-season promotion to AA.

The fifth best outfielder is a young man the Twins obtained from the Mets in the Luis Castillo trade, Dustin Martin. Martin had an excellent season in 2008 at New Britain, hitting .290/.355/.447 in 510 at bats with 34 doubles, 8 triples, 10 home runs, 72 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 33 attempts. Martin went on to play for the AFL champion Phoenix Desert Dogs where he hit .314/.397/.449 in 118 at bats. Martin's excellent 2008 was rewarded by the Twins with an invitation to join them in spring training. Martin had an excellent spring with the Twins, yet, didn't have the season many expected with Rochester where he hit .254/.319/.351 in 422 at bats. Martin, who did have a team high 26 stolen bases in 34 attempts, finished his season as my 25th ranked player after being ranked 12th best last year. Martin is playing winter ball with the Aragua Tigres in the VWL, where he is off to an excellent start at .311/.419/.525 in 61 at bats.

Ranking fourth best is the Twins second round pick in 2006, Joe Benson. A young man who could also be a center fielder, Benson was a highly recruited running back out of Joliet Catholic with all indications that he would now be at Purdue if he hadn't signed with the Twins. Benson hadn't played a lot of baseball when drafted and has always been considered a "raw" prospect who many believe has the physical ability to develop into a "five tool" player. After solid but unspectacular seasons at Beloit in 2007 and 2008, some were surprised that the Twins promoted Benson to Ft. Myers this year. Last season Benson missed nearly half of his season at Beloit with a back injury after hitting .248/.326/.382 in 254 at bats with 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 28 attempts to rank as my 48th player. Benson was off to a tremendous start this season when he broke his hand hitting the dugout following an at bat in a game that he already had multi hits. Even though Benson missed about two months, he finished his season hitting .285/.414/.403 in 263 at bats with 5 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 21 attempts. Benson took a big step forward this years towards becomming the type of player the Twins have always believed he could be. Moving up 25 spots in this year's ranking to #23, I look for Benson to move up to New Britain next year where he will continue his development so that he is ready to join the Twins sometime in 2011.

The third best outfielder is a young man who was also very raw when drafted by the Twins in the 15th round of the 2004 draft (what is it about drafting outfielders in the 15th round?). Juan Portes was selected out of a Boston area high school as a middle infielder. He played a lot of second and third base, however, with questions about his defense he moved to the outfield in 2008 at Ft. Myers. After hitting .327 Average for the GCL Twins in 2004, Portes had several solid seasons at Elizabethton, Beloit and Ft. Myers in 2005-2007. Portes repeated at Ft. Myers in 2008 where he hit .270/.319/.395 in 456 at bats with 21 doubles, 12 home runs and 54 RBI, finishing as my 29th ranked player. Portes was promoted to New Britain this year and rewarded the Twins by being the Rock Cats second best hitter. Portes hit .297/.366/.434 in 327 at bats with 21 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs and 7 stolen bases in 10 attempts...moving up 10 spots to #19 this year. Portes, who is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic this winter with Aguilas, has played six years in the minor leagues and will be a free agent. Although it is unlikely that Portes will be added to the 40-man roster, it is likely that the Twins will be interested in bringing him back for another season.

The second best corner outfielder is a young man who has also been an outfielder for only the past two seasons. David Winfree was drafted as a third baseman in the 13th round of the 2003 draft. Winfree had several lows in his Twins career including a period in 2006 when he left the team for personal reasons with the high being named the Twins Minor League Player of the year in 2005 when he hit .294 Average at Beloit with 16 home runs and an organization high 101 RBI. Winfree moved to right field in 2008 at New Britain where he hit .252/.319/.450 in 453 at bats with 27 doubles, 19 home runs and 87 RBI. Winfree was invited to spring training this year where he played very well. Winfree was promoted to Rochester this year where he was one of the best players on a team that had a disappointing season. Winfree hit .273/.317/.460 in 422 at bats with a team high 31 doubles, 14 home runs and 61 RBI. After finishing 2008 as my 13th ranked player, Winfree's excellent season at Rochester moved him up five spots to #8. Winfree is another player that likely is on the bubble of those being considered for the 40-man roster. Will he be gone if not added is the question? If not, look for Winfree to return to Rochester next season with a callup to the Twins likely when a powerful right handed bat is needed.

The top ranked corner outfielder is a young man who has played a lot of baseball this year, Rene Tosoni. This young Canadian began his season in New Britain following a year at Ft. Myers where he was the Miracle's leading hitter when he broke his foot and missed nearly two-thirds of the season. Even though Tosoni had played less than half a season of baseball beyond Elizabethton (2007), Tosoni's promotion from a Twins organization that does not rush players tells us a lot about what they think of his abilities. Their evaluation was confirmed when Tosoni was selected as the Twins lone representative in this summer's Futures All-Star game.

Tosoni, who turned 23 this July, hit .300/.408/.414 in 140 at bats for Ft. Myers in 2008 to rank as my 17th ranked player. Tosoni began this season at New Britain in a much publicized slump, yet, made the necessary adjustments to finish at .271/.360/.454 with 25 doubles, 4 triples, 15 home runs and 71 RBI in 425 at bats. Tosoni left the Rock Cats a few days before their play-offs to join Team Canada in the World Cup where he was one of his teams top hitters. Tosoni then joined the Mesa Solar Sox where he is now playing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Ranking as the #3 player this season, Rene Tosoni appears to be a prospect who will have an excellent career with the Minnesota Twins beginning some time after September, 2010.

Rays to Deal Akinori Iwamura to Pirates for Jesse Chavez

2009-11-03T19:10:23Z

Rays to Deal Akinori Iwamura to Pirates for Jesse Chavez

UPDATE: Buster Olney at ESPN says the Pirates are sending reliever Jesse Chavez to the Rays. Chavez is 26 and had a decent season in relief this year. If this turns out to be true, I'm fine with the Twins not trying to match that offer.

Chavez, 26 for 2010, just finished his first full season in the bigs, posting a 4.01 ERA in 73 appearances and 67.1 innings. He struck out 47 while giving up 22 walks and and 69 hits. He throws a 95-mph fastball with a very good hard slider and a plus changeup. His biggest advantage over someone like Jesse Crain: he'll be under team control through roughly 2014.

UPDATE: Hat tip to fischean, it looks like Pittsburgh might be the NL team on the move for Iwamura. Source? None other than Dan Kovacevik. There's also been some unconfirmed talk of the Marlins being involved...which is exactly where the Twins are at: speculationville.

UPDATE: Roger Mooney of BradentonHerald.com says Iwamura’s trade should be completed tonight…to an NL club. He gives no sources.

This from Marc Tompkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Are the Twins a fit? With the Twins clearing space on the 40-man roster today by outrighting Brian Buscher (hat tip to 33MorneauMVP), could Minnesota be trying to get an early start on their off-season?

Twins Outright Brian Buscher

2009-11-03T18:32:31Z

Twins Outright Brian Buscher

The Twins have outrighted Brian Buscher to Triple-A Rochester this afternoon. He can become a minor league free agent 15 days after the conclusion of the World Series. Do not expect Buscher to remain with the Twins.

Should the Twins Bring Back Joe Crede?

2009-11-03T18:18:29Z

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Browse more photos »

Last February, Scott Boras client Joe Crede dropped his asking price enough for the Twins to sign him to an incentive-laden deal. He was exactly as advertised, from the glove to the power to the number of games he was healthy, but with the Twins going into 2010 with third base in essentially the same position it was at going into 2009, should the Twins double-dip on their experiment?

Okay, so the situation isn't exactly the same. Crede will be another year older with another injury-plagued season under his ~~back~~ belt, there are a pair of third base prospects that are nearly major league ready (Are they the next Casey Blake / Corey Koskie tandem? No? Right, then.) and the alternatives will be a bit more expensive. But in spite of all those things, the team is still in a similar position as they don't have the one sure answer that they need.

His '09 deal of $2.5 million base with playing time incentives ($50,000 for 400, 425, 450, 475, 500 and 525 plate appearances) and award incentives made his possible payout a reasonable $7,000,000. Suffice it to say he didn't reach any of those, so the Twins paid just the minimum. But according to the FanGraphs value scale, they still believe that Crede would have been worth $8.3 million on the open market for the performance he gave this past summer. How? Because of his defense and the position he plays, and did I mention his defense, Crede was worth 18.4 runs above replacement.

Among third basemen with at least 350 plate appearances, FanGraphs values Crede's defensive performance as fifth-best in all of baseball (behind Evan Longoria, Ryan Zimmerman, Chone Figgins and Adrian Beltre) in terms of fielding runs above avearge. He also tallied the highest UZR/150 total among third basemen with more than 700 innings in the field.

Long story short? Crede plays some wicked defense. Arguably better than any third baseman on the free agent market.

Joe knows the Twins, and isn't opposed to returning to Minnesota next year. Would playing more regularly on a non-artificial surface play less havoc on his back and knees?

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Joe Crede	90	333	42	75	16	1	15	48	29	56	0	0	.225	.289	.414

We all know the risks involved with Crede, which means the game would be all about how to mitigate those risks to both the player and the club. That means possibly giving him scheduled days off to keep his body as fresh and healthy as possible, not to mention offering a contract that resembles the 2009 version that will pay for good health.

Other free agent options are likely to cost more than Crede. Internal options may not be the health risk, but none of them can flash the leather like Crede, either.

What would you rather do? A Brendan Harris/Matt Tolbert platoon would cost a little less, but not significantly less than a $2.5 million base. Another thought: when (not if) Daniel Valencia gets his callup in 2010, what kind of a player do you want available as a mentor?

There's merit in considering Crede's return, it would just have to meet the right criteria. Where do you sit?

Poll

If you were Bill Smith, would you try to re-sign Joe Crede?

Changes to Twinkie Town

2009-11-03T15:47:29Z

What? More changes?

Well, sort of. Our SB Nation crack squad of technoguysandgirls are on a never-ending quest to perfect not just the interface of Twinkie Town, but also how the site looks. Today there isn't a focus on the former, as much as it's about the latter.

That's pretty much it. The changes you see today are visual, made in an effort to make the content number one visually. By the end of the day these alterations should be completed network-wide.

If you encounter any problems, please feel free to email me or leave them in the contents section.

Twins Offensive Leaders, 2009

2009-11-02T11:51:33Z

2008 incarnation
2007 incarnation

I always like doing this at the end of the year, because there are always a few surprises. Plus, it's good to not do a lot of heavy reading on a Monday morning...

Name	Runs Created	Name	P/PA
J. Mauer	123	B. Buscher	4.26
D. Span	100	N. Punto	4.22
J. Kubel	95	J. Mauer	4.19
J. Morneau	91	J. Kubel	4.05
M. Cuddyer	89	D. Span	3.91
Name	Line Drive %	Name	BABIP
B. Buscher	26.5	J. Mauer	.377
J. Mauer	22.6	D. Span	.358
J. Kubel	19.6	D. Young	.344
N. Punto	19.4	J. Kubel	.332
C. Gomez	19.2	O. Cabrera	.317
Name	Isolated Power	Name	Clutch
M. Cuddyer	.245	N. Punto	4.2
J. Morneau	.242	B. Buscher	3.5
J. Kubel	.239	C. Gomez	2.1
J. Mauer	.222	A. Casilla	1.9
J. Crede	.189	D. Young	0.6
Name	Walk Rate	Name	Strikeout Rate
B. Buscher	15.0	B. Buscher	25.7
N. Punto	14.5	D. Young	23.3
J. Mauer	12.7	C. Gomez	22.9
J. Morneau	12.4	J. Kubel	20.6
D. Span	10.8	M. Cuddyer	20.1
Name	O-Zone Swing%	Name	VORP
D. Young	37.0	J. Mauer	91.0
J. Crede	31.5	J. Kubel	45.2
C. Gomez	29.9	D. Span	37.5
A. Casilla	29.5	M. Cuddyer	34.2
J. Morneau	29.4	J. Morneau	30.0