Thread: Kubel and Cuddyer

Yes, maybe would've been best to kept one, like Cuddyer...but there was no hometown discount and except that he could've fit into the 1st/3rd/2nd/DH/OF mix...well, offensively Ryan did good on the free agent market with Doumit (better to have a DH/back up catcher than a DH/sluggish outfielder). It allows Revere to shine. But maybe have a weakness if we lose Span. All dictated by salary. If Cuddyer and Kubel would sign for what Doumit and Willingham did, then we'd still have them.

If we have a gripe, it was that Ryan played lowball in the back-up starter department, not going after a semi-first liner, and then also offering some bucks in Minors/majors splits to some hasbeen (Marquis, one, Francis another). It is better to have too many 1-2 starts than too many 3-5 starts, in reality.

Cuddyer is still my favorite all-time player. Performance on the field trumps everything else and it was good for the Twins to let him go. Willingham has been more than a replacement--he is a true cleanup hitter.

I was hoping the Twins would sign Kubel but I think he wanted out. He was a much better bargain than Cuddyer (maybe even better, straight up). Three years younger and cheaper, 2 years for $16M (or three for $22.5M) versus Cuddyer's 3 year $31.5M deal.

Willingham, Revere and Doumit, as replacements, have worked out well (as much as anything can be said to have worked out well for a last place team).

Originally Posted by a-wan

Where's the chart that factors in Cuddyer's veteran presence and his ability to keep people loose by doing illusions???

Cuddyer's illusions have been replaced and maybe even exceeded by Willingham's allusions. The guy is like Dennis Miller and never gets credit for it.