Using drugs to over come injuries is some thing that most likely was common in the past; I do not mean performance increasing drugs, I mean the kind that reduces the pain/s so one can push harder than without the drugs.
Baldelli is dumped on for babying his players but at the same time he lets players with minor but play affecting problems play on till it becomes a serious problem.
He did that with Farmer, Kepler maybe Lewis and now Larnach.
Small physical problems can have major effects.
i would say that applies to Julien, Lee and Martin more than Santana.
Next season is still a long ways off, and whether or not Baldelli is still here is the decider on Santana.
If Santana is not, there will be some other vet/s picked up as the rookies tain't what so many wishful thinkings wanted.
Why?
To show how truly bad to mediocre they really are?
Julien should Never have left AAA.
Miranda is no worse at 3rd base than Lewis , so the Twins really need a good 3rd baseman also.
.953 fielding average with 28 errors this season; that is FAR from good defense.
Last fifteen games a .170 batting average with a 30 percent K rate, average at best.