Cody Christie

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2914[/ATTACH] It has been three seasons since Brandon Webb has thrown a pitch at the major league level but this isn't going to stop teams from being interested in the former Cy Young winner. Following the holidays, the 33-year old will get on the mound in front of a handful of teams to try and prove that he has something left in the tank. The Twins will be among those in attendance but there will be plenty for Webb to prove after multiple shoulder injuries. In the middle of September, Webb did a web chat with some fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks. At that point, he hadn't thrown a baseball in awhile but he made sure to let them know that he wasn't officially retired. The man that finished first, second, and second in the NL Cy Young balloting from 2006-08 has been trying to get back to that form. Shoulder injuries can be devastating and it has clearly taken away a big chunk of Webb's career. Why are the Twins interested in Webb? Most of the word out of the Twin Cities this offseason has been that the Twins are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding starting pitching. This means looking at options with some risk but with the chance of bringing the team some reward. Webb has been a front of the rotation starter in the past and the Twins haven't had anyone fit this mold in multiple seasons. If Webb can produce at a level anywhere close to before his injuries, there will be plenty of teams interested in his services. A pitcher with Webb's track record could be a valuable addition to a club if the price was right. Webb would most likely be looking for a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. This type of contract can offer less risk for the club signing him and there could be other incentives in the deal if he made the big league roster. Offering Webb a contract is still a long ways off so the first step will be trying to figure out what version of Webb is on the mound after the holidays. What kind of Webb will teams be getting? Before his shoulder started acting up, Webb was a workhorse in Arizona's starting rotation. In his last four full seasons, he averaged 232 innings pitched with a 3.23 ERA and 182 strikeouts per season. He led the NL in innings pitched in 2007 and he led the league in wins in 2006 and 2008. After leading the NL with 119 walks in 2004, Webb gained control and he has averaged 62 walks per season since that point. This is the version of Webb that any team would love to sign. The other version of Webb is one that teams wouldn't want to get near. During his last comeback attempt with the Rangers in 2011, Webb showed diminished velocity while struggling in the minor leagues. Texas sent him to their Double-A affiliate and he started four games with a 9.75 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP. His shoulder issues would flare up again and he went under the knife last August for a rotator cuff issue. If a team signs Webb, he might have to prove himself in the minor leagues before getting another shot at the big league level. Is Webb just this year's version of Joel Zumaya? Last season, the Twins went after a player similar to Webb in the fact that he had been dealing with his own injury prone past. Joel Zumaya was brought in to try and add a spark to the Twins' bullpen but that spark was more of a flicker. He would injury his elbow in his first throwing session of spring training and he was forced to have his sixth arm surgery. At age 27, Zumaya's once promising career is most likely finished and he left the Twins wondering what could have been in 2012. Fans of the Twins can probably foresee a similar situation playing out with Webb if he were to sign with the club. There would be talk of Webb helping the team in 2013 before his shoulder would most likely begin to act up again. Webb could end up playing great but it seems much more plausible for it to go the other direction. Gambling on players can pay off but the Twins might not want to take that risk. Minnesota was willing to take a chance in 2012 so maybe they want to stay away from this kind of deal in 2013. From Webb's point of view, the Twins could offer him one of the best chances of cracking into a starting rotation for next season. Minnesota has Scott Diamond, Vance Worley, Kevin Correia, and Mike Pelfrey ready to prove themselves in the rotation Recently signed Pelfrey might not be ready for the start of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. If Webb showed enough to the team in spring training, there is a chance that he could break camp with the club. There is a better chance that he would need to start the season in the minor leagues and work his way back to the major leagues. The Twins might not want an aging pitcher tying up innings in their farm system. Minnesota could always make room for him to fit into one of their minor league starting rotations. If he had to start at the Double-A level like he did in Texas, it seems like those innings might be better suited for a younger arm that has some upside. Webb could be worth the risk but there is a lot riding on how he looks in his upcoming throwing session.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2898[/ATTACH] Word came out on Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking to deal away Nick Punto. Shortly after this happened, the Twitter universe exploded across Twins Territory with thoughts of the former infielder returning to Minnesota. The Twins might need to add some depth at their middle infield positions and there has been plenty of talk about the club bringing in someone to push Trevor Plouffe for the starting job at third base. Punto could be the man to do both of these jobs. Since he left the Twins following the 2010 campaign, he has made stops in St. Louis, Boston, and Los Angeles. He won the World Series with the Cardinals back in 2011 and he was part of the blockbuster trade last season between the Red Sox and the Dodgers. It seems that the Dodgers and their bloated payroll are trying to dump the scrappy infielder and the Twins could be a possible trade partner. What could Punto add to the middle infield? Currently, the Twins have a quartet of players vying for the starting middle infield jobs in 2012. Pedro Florimon, Jamey Carroll, Brian Dozier, and Eduardo Escobar are in the mix at second base and shortstop. None of these names really stands out as a front-runner and Punto's history with the club could give him the leg up in the competition. He has experience at basically every infield position and this could make him a more intriguing utility man than Escobar. The thought of having Punto and Carroll at the top of the Twins line-up might be hard to swallow for some Twins fans but both of these players would be free agents after 2013. Punto is only due $1.5 million next season and the Twins have given him a lot more money than that to be mediocre for the club. Is Punto the man to push Plouffe at third? Terry Ryan has talked all offseason about bringing in someone to challenge Trevor Plouffe for the starting job at third base. One of the most rumored names on the free agent market had been Jack Hannahan, a native of St. Paul. Unfortunately for the Twins, Hannahan just finalized a two-year deal for $2 million with the Reds. This took one name off of the Twins' list and it could mean that the team has more interest in Punto. Punto played the most games of his career at third base for the Twins back in 2007. Last year, he made 31 appearances at third for the Red Sox and the Dodgers. His ability to make some spectacular defensive plays was one of his calling cards during his time with Minnesota. At age 35, it's easy to imagine that Punto might have lost a step or two. This could take away from some of his value as a defender. What if Punto is on the decline? In recent years, Punto has struggled to stay healthy and on the playing field. He has averaged 79 games played since 2010. That followed a stretch of five seasons where he averaged over 124 games played. There can be plenty of bumps and bruises that will stick with a player longer in his 30s than in his 20s. All of those things seem to be adding up for Punto to make him a frequent visitor to the disabled list. Going into last season, Punto was a career .249/.325/.327 hitter but those numbers took a dive in 2012. He ended the season hitting .219/.321/.281 with only eight extra-base hits to his name. Those were his lowest totals since 2003 when he played in 64 games for the Phillies. Obviously there is some decline with players as they age but it might be too late for Punto to have a resurgent year. The Twins have plenty of Punto-type players on the roster so it might be a fools errand to bring him back for a return trip with the Twins. That being said, Ron Gardenhire loved him some Nicky Punto when he was here. If Gardenhire is in his last season as Twins manager, maybe the club will wrap him up a Punto present for the holidays.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2884[/ATTACH] Today's date is one of those weird dates that only come along once in a lifetime. It is the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of the 2000's or in other terms, the date is 12-12-12. Last year on 11-11-11, I counted down the top 11 players to ever wear the number 11 for the Twins. This was fun because it looked at players from every decade of Twins baseball. It covered guys like Chuck Knoblach, Jacque Jones, and Ben Revere. I even named Tom Nieto as the worst player to wear number 11 for the Twins. Below you will find the rankings of the top Twins players to wear number 12. These rankings are strictly based on their time with the number 12 on their backs in a Minnesota uniform. 12. Lenny Faedo (wore #12 from 1982-84) WAR 0, .256/.291/.321, 5 HR , 46 RBI Faedo was a part time player for the Twins in the early 1980s as he played most of his time at shortstop for the club. There were some struggles on the defensive side of the ball and he never really hit well enough to stick at an important up the middle infield position. He would play his last game with the Twins in 1984 and he never made it back to the big leagues. 11. Adam Everett (wore #12 in 2008) WAR 0.1, 213/.278/.323, 2 HR, 20 RBI The Twins wanted a veteran presence in their middle infield for the start of the 2008 season. Unfortunately, Everett would struggle during his time in Minnesota and injuries figured into some of this equation. He only made appearances in 48 games for the club but he got a nice tour of the minor leagues during all of his rehab time. 10. Chip Hale (wore #12 in 1996) WAR 0.1, .276/.347/.368, 1 HR, 16 RBI Fans of the Twins will remember Hale as a scrappy infielder on Minnesota club's of the mid-1990s. Over his six seasons for Minnesota, he only wore the number 12 during 1996. Hale would play in the most games of his career that season, 85, but it would be his last for the Twins. The 31-year old had never put it all together for the club and he would play only one more year at the big league level. 9. Tom Prince (wore #12 from 2001-03) WAR 1.4, .219/.300/.374, 13 HR, 44 RBI Prince didn't join the Twins until near the end of his career but he had some of his best seasons while wearing the #12 for Minnesota. He was dangerously close to Drew Butera's range in batting average but he had a little bit more pop in his bat. He could also draw a walk or two and that helped him to get on base. He played most of his last professional season with the Twins before finishing up his career in Kansas City. 8. Jason Tyner (wore #12 from 2006-07) WAR 1.6, .297/.337/.354, 1 HR, 40 RBI During his time in Minnesota, Tyner was most known for his inability to hit a home run. He did hit one ball over the fence while wearing #12 and it would be the only home run of his career. At age 30, he played in over 110 games for the first time but he would only play in one more game at the MLB level. The Twins used him at every outfield position and even at DH, which is kind of laughable considering his inability to hit for power. 7. Todd Walker (wore #12 from 1997-00) WAR 2.0, .290/.349/.425, 21 HR, 124 RBI The Twins took Walker with the number eight pick in the first round of the 1994 draft but he wasn't ever able to live up to expectations. He hit for average and showed the ability to get on base but his power stroke never developed. He had shown some power in the minor leagues so it was disappointing to never see him shine for Minnesota. The Twins would part with him during the 2000 season for Todd Sears, a man that would play a little over 30 games for the club. 6. Bernie Allen (wore #12 from 1962-63) WAR 2.0, .257/.323/.383, 8 HR, 21 RBI Allen's rookie season would come in a #12 jersey and it would be his best season as a professional. He finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year after hitting .269 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. These were strong numbers for a second baseman but he never was able to reach those numbers again. The Twins gave him multiple opportunities before he left the organization in 1965. He still added some value to the club as it was trying to make its mark in Minnesota. 5. Mark Salas (wore #12 from 1985-87) WAR 2.4, .279/.320/.440, 20 HR, 83 RBI Salas might be more remembered for the trade he was part of than his time actually wearing a Twins uniform. In the midst of the team's run for their first championship, the club traded Salas to the Yankees for the services of Joe Niekro. This added a little more pitching depth to the team heading for greatness. Before the trade, Salas had been used behind the plate for multiple seasons. He finished eighth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1985 but he would never catch more than 100 games after that season. 4. Alexi Casilla (wore #12 from 2010-12) WAR 4.2, .256/.309/.355, 4 HR, 71 RBI One of the more recent names on the list, Casilla just finished wearing #12 for the Twins this past year. Minnesota gave him plenty of opportunities to earn a starting job with the club but he was never able to hold the spot. Inconsistencies at the plate and injuries kept Casilla from reaching his full potential but maybe he was never destined to be more than a back-up middle infielder. His career will continue in Baltimore and the Twins will move in a different direction. 3. Eric Soderholm (wore #12 from 1973-76) WAR 8.3, .283/.363/.405, 22 HR, 118 RBI Soderholm was taken by the Twins with the first pick of the first round of the January Secondary Draft in 1968. He wouldn't waste much time in the minor leagues as he made his debut for the club in 1971 at 22-years old. He struggled hitting for average in his first couple tastes of the big leagues but he was able to perform decently when given a regular job in 1974-75. 2. Brian Harper (wore #12 from 1988-93) WAR 12.2, .306/.342/.431, 48 HR, 346 RBI After winning the World Series in 1987, the Twins brought in Harper to help solidify their catching position. He would play backstop on the team through 1993 and he helped the club to their second World Series title in 1991. He was one of the best catchers in the American League from 1989-93 and some would say that he ranks at the top of the list. His average was above .300 in every full season for the Twins except 1990. Harper ranks as one of the top three catchers in the history of the club. 1. Cesar Tovar (wore #12 from 1965-72) WAR 24.0, .281/.337/.377, 38 HR, 319 RBI The easy winner in this contest of the best players to wear #12 for the Twins is Cesar Tovar. He played for the club in the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. His ability to play all over the field came in handy for these clubs and he was able to put together some great offensive numbers along the way. The speedy player was a fixture at the top of the line-up for a generation of Twins fans. His short stature and enthusiastic attitude made him easy for fans to like. Tovar might be best remembered as being one of a handful of players to play all nine positions in a big league game. BONUS: The Worst Player to Wear #12 Michael Ryan (wore #12 from 2004-05) WAR -1.2, .234/.282/.314, 2 HR, 20 RBI And still Gardy would keep playing him...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2883[/ATTACH] The Twins got one step closer to filling out their starting rotation this week with the addition of Kevin Correia. He signed a two-year deal that was worth $10 million. Free agent starting pitchers have been doing pretty well so far this offseason but this deal still seems like a lot for a mediocre pitcher. Minnesota needed bodies to fill out the rest of their rotation and Correia will be given every opportunity to succeed with his new club. It just might not be too pretty for the fans to watch. Correia has spent his entire career in the National League. He broke into the big leagues back in 2003 with San Francisco and he would pitch for them until 2008. During his time with the Giants, he split time between the bullpen and the rotation with a 4.59 ERA, 1.492 WHIP, and 6.5 SO/9. These are not exactly eye-popping statistics but he would be given other chances in more recent years. His next couple of stops would be in San Diego and Pittsburgh. He won more games than he lost during the last four years but it came with a high 4.51 ERA. a 1.362 WHIP, and his strikeouts per nine dropped by almost a full strikeout (5.7). Everyone knew the Twins weren't going to be in the market for a top of the line starter but Correia is completely underwhelming. In recent memory, the Twins have acquired a few different starting pitchers that seem to fit the same type of mold as Correia. If he follows the path of Carl Pavano, the Twins might be happy with the deal that was just signed. On the other hand, the Twins will be in the hurt bag if he turns out to be this year's version of Jason Marquis. Carl Pavano 3 Seasons Prior to Twins: 14-10, 5.41 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 171.1 IP Minnesota Year(s): 33-33, 4.31 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 579.2 IP Minus his injury-plagued season in 2012, Pavano was a nice addition to the Twins staff during his time in Minnesota. He pitched over 220 innings in back-to-back seasons and he had a rebirth in 2010. He was the league leader in complete games that season and he helped the Twins to 94 wins and a trip back to the playoffs. The team wanted to keep him around for multiple seasons and his second best season as a professional came during this time. When the Twins acquired Pavano, he had shown some semblance of health as a pitcher for the 2009 Cleveland Indians. The Twins needed some depth in their rotation for a run at the top of the AL Central. This had followed some horrendous years for the Yankees where Pavano had undergone multiple injuries and poor performances after signing a big free agent contract. Before coming to Minnesota, Pavano had a couple of 200 inning seasons to his name but that came during the early part of his career. His resurgence with the club was fun to watch at times. The Twins can only hope to get these kinds of results from Correia. Jason Marquis 3 Seasons Prior to Twins: 25-28, 4.54 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 406.2 IP Minnesota Year(s): 2-4, 8.47 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 34.0 IP Last season was a disaster for Marquis in a Twins uniform. The team was hoping he would be able to fill a spot in their rotation especially with injuries to Scott Baker and Kyle Gibson. A terrible accident with Marquis' daughter during spring training took him away from the club and maybe he never fully got ready for the start of the year. He looked lost on the mound and other team's pounced on this. Much like Correia, Marquis spent his entire career in the National League before joining the Twins. He spent most of 2010 and 2011 in the rotation of the Washington Nationals with an ERA close to 5. At the end of 2011, he made a brief pit stop in Arizona with some equally as disastrous results as his time in Minnesota. This still didn't scare the Twins away enough to sign him to a 1-year, $3 million deal. The similarities between Correia and Marquis might be closer to what the Twins can expect. Both played their entire careers in the NL with about the same results. If that's the case, the Twins have to deal with Correia for multiple seasons instead of being able to dump him like they did to Marquis. This could be scary to watch if he is putting up the same kind of numbers as Marquis. Kevin Correia 3 Seasons Prior to Twins: 34-32, 4.77 ERA, 1.387 WHIP, 470.0 IP Minnesota Year(s): ??? It would be great if Correia could become Pavano 2.0 for the Twins and eat up some innings at an efficient rate. There have been brief glimpses of a solid pitcher in the past. There were bad seasons for Pavano before he got to Minnesota and something seemed to click. If this same kind of epiphany could occur for Correia, this deal might not turn out as bad as it seems at the outset. It wouldn't be so great if Correia became Marquis redux for the Twins by struggling with the transition from the NL to the AL. There are some question marks with the Twins infielders and a ground ball pitcher like Correia could find some hardships if the defense isn't there behind him. Plus the multi-year contract makes it difficult to get rid of him if he plays poorly. Maybe the friendly confines of Target Field will help to make Correia into the next Pavano. Otherwise Twins fans are stuck with two years of Correia putting up Marquis-type numbers at the back of the rotation. Settling into a spot somewhere between Pavano's good years and Marquis implosion might be the destiny for Mr. Correia

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2853[/ATTACH] The buzz around the baseball world is the big trade between the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays. Kansas City sent some of the best young prospects in the game to Tampa Bay for two pitchers, James Shields and Wade Davis. The Rays pick up last year's minor league player of the year Wil Myers, pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi, and two other minor league players. For the Royals, the future is now as they bet some of their best prospects on contending in 2013. Kansas City hasn't had a winning team since 2003 and they are desperate to get back to the postseason. The addition of Shields and Davis to the pitching staff in KC should help their team to improve but only time will tell if the Royals gave up too much to reach this goal. After looking at the AL Central last year, it is hard not to think the division could be winnable for any team and that includes the Royals. Since the Tigers made the World Series last season, it is easy to think that they will be the favorite again in 2013. The Royals have been busy this offseason by signing Jeremy Guthrie and acquiring Ervin Santana. This should help in their hunt for October baseball but it still doesn't seem like it will be enough to pass the Tigers. So what does this newest blockbuster trade mean for the Twins and the rest of the AL Central? Adding Shields and Davis will help the Royals to improve but this is a team that finished 16 games out of first place. Last season, Shields had a WAR of 2.2 and Davis had a WAR of 1.4; so by doing the math, it doesn't seem like the Royals are going to be able to overcome that much of a deficit. They would need some more help from some of the other pieces on their club. Eric Hosmer was supposed to have a tremendous year in 2012 but that didn't happen. He could be in line for a bounce back season to help the Royals on the offensive side of the ball. This is still a club that had a run differential of -70 so they are going to need more than just help from Hosmer. Other everyday players are going to need to step up and help the club to win. From the Twins point of view, it sure seems nice to see some of the best prospects in the minor leagues heading to the AL East. It's hard to know if they will amount to anything at this point. In a couple of seasons, the Royals will be left without Shields and their farm system will look a little emptier. With all of the moves in the last couple of weeks, it's much easier to get excited about the future of the Twins than it is to be excited about the future of the Royals. Shields hasn't exactly been a Twins killer during his career but this could change now that the club will have to face him on a more consistent basis. He has a 4-2 record against Minnesota but that comes with a 4.08 ERA and a 2.19 SO/BB rate in just over 70 innings pitched. Last year he started two games against the Twins and threw 16.0 innings by allowing four runs and striking out nine. On the other hand, Davis has yet to lose to the Twins with a 2-0 record but he has a much smaller sample size of 30.1 innings. His ERA of 4.75 is higher than Shields against the Twins and he has a 1.22 SO/BB rate. The Twins offense wasn't exactly out of this world last year but they will have to find some way to compete against the likes of Shields and Davis. The Twins and the Royals finished at the bottom of the AL Central last season and each team is trying to get back to the top in a different way. The Twins have traded away some of the big league players to add some strength to their farm system. This likely means the club is looking at being more competitive in 2014 versus 2013. Kansas City has traded away many of their top prospects for a chance to make a run in 2013. Both of this paths might work for the clubs involved but I'd much rather be in the shoes of a Twins fan. If Minnesota had traded away the likes of Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, and other prospects for Shields and Davis, I probably would have been able to live with the deal but I wouldn't have been happy about it. One good starting pitcher and one mediocre starting pitcher aren't worth betting the farm.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2845[/ATTACH] On Saturday evening, word slowly started to trickle out about Zach Greinke, the best starting pitcher on the free agent market, signing a six-year, $147 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The new ownership team in LA is not afraid to spend money as their team payroll is well over $200 million for next season and they might not be done yet. With Greinke now off the market, some of the other big name free agent starters should begin to sign. Those teams that missed out on the Greinke sweepstakes will now have to turn their attention to the other available arms. Kyle Lohse, Edwin Jackson, and Anibal Sanchez are the next three best free agent starters and their demand might have gone up slightly in the last 48 hours. There might be a few more needy teams calling these player's agents as Christmas is quickly approaching. The Twins weren't going to be in the running for Zach Greinke because the club hasn't exactly been known to hand out $100 million contracts to free agents. Last season's signing of Josh Willingham for 3-years and $21 million was the largest free agent contract in club history. They might have to break this dollar total if the Twins want to sign one of the big free agent starters left on the market. When the offseason started, the Twins had a little bit of cap room to work with to try and lure free agents to come to Minnesota. The recent trade of Denard Span also freed up a little more money that could be used for starting pitching. He was set to make $4.75 million in 2013 and now it is clear that the Twins will be using a cheaper option in center field. It doesn't seem likely for the Twins to go to hard after Kyle Lohse because he left the team on such bad terms. He took a baseball bat after Ron Gardenhire's door the last time he was in town and the same manager is still in charge. This isn't saying that the team wouldn't make him an offer but the odds wouldn't exactly be in favor of him returning. Anibal Sanchez is another big name starting pitcher and he might have already priced himself out of consideration for the Twins. He is looking for a six-year, $90 million contract and one AL executive thinks he will probably get that much. There is no way the Twins are going to give a starting pitcher that kind of contract and Sanchez will probably be able to pick from a few different clubs that will be interested. Since breaking into the big leagues as a 19-year old rookie in 2003, Edwin Jackson has been on quite the baseball tour. He has played for seven different teams in his 10-year career and that includes multiple seasons in the American League and the National League. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged a 3.91 ERA, 195.0 IP, and a 1.330 WHIP. These aren't great numbers but he has been a workhorse by pitching over 180 innings in every season since 2007. Jackson was a free agent during last offseason and the market dried up for the right-handed hurler. Some of this might have come from the fact that his agent is Scott Boras, one of the toughest agents for teams to work with. In the end, Jackson had to settle for a one-year deal with the Nationals worth $11 million. This is still a decent amount of money but he will most likely be looking for a multi-year contract this offseason. Reports from this weekend stated that the market for Jackson is cool again this offseason. This could allow a team like the Twins to slip in and make an offer for the pitcher. This same report says that Jackson could end up having to accept a deal close to three-years and $36 million or even as low as three-years and $27 million. If the Twins ended up somewhere in the middle of those two numbers, they could have Jackson set to be the third member of their starting rotation for 2013. The Twins could put themselves in a decent position for the future if they were able to pounce on the cold market for Jackson. He might not be a front of the rotation starter but he could help add some stability to the starting staff for the next handful of seasons. With their recent trades, the Twins got some good young arms but those players might not be ready for a couple of years. Jackson could help the Twins for multiple seasons by being a healthy arm that eats innings. If other teams don't want the services of Mr. Jackson, the Twins should definitely be making the call to inquire about him coming to Minnesota. He might not be an ace but he can fill a hole and bridge a gap to the future.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2829[/ATTACH] Another week and another center fielder has been traded away by the Twins. Ben Revere was dealt on Thursday afternoon to the Philadelphia Phillies for starting pitcher Vance Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May. Worley has about the same amount of service time as Revere but the Twins are desperate for pitching and he will slide nicely into the rotation for next season. May was considered the best pitching prospect in the Phillies system before the start of last season. He spent all of last year at the Double-A level so he probably won't crack the Twins rotation until 2014. Twins GM Terry Ryan said the team will have a three way try-out for the Opening Day job in center field. Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, and Darin Mastroianni will all attempt to win the role. My vote would be for Hicks but I could see one of the other players getting the job until Hicks gets a little experience at the Triple-A level. Hicks has the most up-side and it could be a case where the Twins would want him to learn the ropes in center field from the start of the year. Without looking too far into the future, let's take a look back at Revere's short career with the Twins. The former first round pick quickly became a fan favorite for his all-or-nothing defensive ability and his speed on the bases. His smile was infectious and he seemed to be a great all around person. There were plenty of good moments for Revere in a Twins uniform but two specific incidents will stick in the mind's of Twins fans for the foreseeable future. The Catch It was named the best defensive play in 2011 because of the athleticism that it took to complete the play. Revere had to track down the ball over his shoulder and make a tough catch against the wall. The play was shown over and over again in highlight reels. It also made a long run in the top spot of SportsCenter's "Top Plays." It left Vladimir Guerrero, the batter, shaking his head. Reminiscent of Willie Mays and his famous over the shoulder grab, Revere added a little more difficulty to his catch by banging into the outfield fence. He even had to look up at his glove to make sure the ball was still in the webbing. Dick Bremer called it "one of the greatest catches you will see all year long." It might be one of the best catches in the history of the Twins. CLICK HERE for Video Clip The Somersault Even as a fan in the stands on this night, it was hard to believe what just happened. Revere knocks a ball down to the fence down the right field line and then he was off to the races. Jeff Francoeur was the outfielder for the Royals and he tried to get the ball back in as quickly as he could. It looked like it would be an easy triple for the speedy Revere.... but things got interesting after second base.Revere stumbled on his way to third and he started to fall forward. Instead of falling flat on his face, Revere gracefully (or not so gracefully depending on how you look at it) started a somersault before continuing on his path to third base. By the end of the play, Revere was in a pile at third asking for time to catch his breath. CLICK HERE for Video Clip It's sad to see both Span and Revere sent to other clubs but these were the right moves for the direction of the organization. The Twins were desperate for pitching and they had extra outfielders in the organization. The club got one major league ready arm and two very good prospects for the future. The Twins might not contend in 2013 but the future is looking much brighter after these two deals.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2815[/ATTACH] There have been plenty of rumors surrounding the Twins over the last couple of days at the Winter Meetings. The team still has plenty of holes to fill in their starting rotation and there is talk of adding a third baseman to challenge Trevor Plouffe for the starting role. It would be nice to see the team add some middle infield depth since there are plenty of question marks at those spots. Even with all of this talk, there hasn’t been much action on the home front. By the time the offseason is over, the Twins will likely sign more than one free agent starting pitcher but there are other ways to go about adding talent. There have been rumors swirling about the Twins shopping a couple of their regular players from last year, Justin Morneau and Ben Revere. As I wrote about in my post on Tuesday, Revere is set to take over center field and to be the leadoff man. Morneau has dealt with a plethora of injuries during the last few seasons and it’s hard to know what the market would be like for him. If the Twins trade either one of these players, there are multiple ramifications for next season. Let’s take a look at each option and see what would happen to the roster. Option 1: Trade Ben Revere The Twins already sent one center fielder to another team this offseason when they traded Denard Span to the Washington Nationals for pitching prospect Alex Meyer. It seems odd that a team would also trade his replacement within a couple of weeks. Revere is under team control for multiple seasons and he should be making a relatively small amount through the arbitration process. This kind of team control can be valuable to clubs looking for a deal. With Revere gone, the Twins would have an interesting situation playing out for next year’s roster. Who would step in to play center field? Joe Benson has some brief experience at this spot but he is coming off of a terrible 2012 season that was filled with injuries and poor play. Aaron Hicks would also be an option but he hasn’t seen any major league playing time. Last season was a breakout year for Hicks so the Twins might think that now is the time for him to shine. Here’s what the starting nine might look like with Revere gone: [ATTACH=CONFIG]2814[/ATTACH] This option would put a lot of pressure on a young rookie to take over the starting role in center field. Two other defenders that aren’t the fastest on their feet would also surround him. It would be hard to know if the Twins would throw Hicks into the leadoff spot as well or if they would let someone else take that role. It seems like the Twins would need to get overwhelmed by a trade for Revere before he would be sent packing. The Twins are lined up to rely a lot on him next season. Option 2: Trade Justin Morneau Chris Parmelee seemed like he was ready to take over a starting role at the beginning of last season but that didn't go exactly according to plan. He spent time back and forth between the minor leagues and the big league squad without really settling on a position. He has spent more of his minor league career as a first baseman so it might be better for the team if he were to play that position. The only problem is that Justin Morneau is standing in his way. It's the last year of Morneau's deal and reports from a couple weeks ago said that the club had yet to approach him about a contract extension. This could mean that the club is ready to move in a different direction. If Morneau isn't traded before the start of this season, there is a good chance that he could be dealt at some point before the trade deadline. A contending team might be willing to give the Twins a nice package for a left-handed slugger like Morneau especially if he has been productive though the first half of the year. Here's what the starting nine might look like with Morneau gone: [ATTACH=CONFIG]2813[/ATTACH] The Twins could have an open competition among some of the young players in the minor leagues for the final spot in the outfield. This would mean Arcia, Benson, or Hicks would be lined up for a starting job on Opening Day. If the Twins bring in another third base candidate, the team could move Plouffe to a corner outfield role. Between Revere and Morneau, it seems more likely that Morneau would end up traded before the start of 2013. This doesn't mean that the Twins won't be open to listening to offers from other clubs. Revere is a dynamic player and Morneau has shown leadership skills. The Twins might be getting offers that are hard to refuse and that could lead to a very different line-up by the start of next season.

In an interview with reporters on Monday night at the Winter Meetings, Twins General Manager Terry Ryan wanted to make sure to tame expectations. When asked if the Twins will be competitive in 2013, he said, "We will try to have that happen... We have to be realistic on all fronts." This most likely means that the Twins won't be handing out buckets of cash to front-line starting pitching but that could be expected from the start of the offseason. There could be some other deeper meanings that are going to transpire in the rest of this offseason or before the end of the year. If the Twins aren't planning on being competitive in 2013, what else should the club accomplish before the start of next season? [ATTACH=CONFIG]2806[/ATTACH] Is it time to dump Justin Morneau and/or Josh Willingham? From the sounds of reports, neither one of these men will be changing jerseys before the start of the year. Morneau will be entering the last year of his contract and he is due a $14 million. Willingham only joined the club last season but his value might be the highest it can be after a career year in 2012. If the Twins were able to trade both of these players for talent that would be ready in the next couple of seasons, it could be a step in the right direction. Morneau's money will also be off the books for 2014 so this could help if the Twins need to add some depth at other positions. Will the outfield of the future be able to breakout by 2014? Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks each had fantastic seasons in 2012 but this came at the Double-A level. Both players will likely start at Triple-A in 2013, which could mean their debuts at some point next season. An outfield with Arcia, Hicks and Ben Revere seems like it could be in place for multiple seasons if all of these players can stay healthy and productive. The jump from Double-A all the way to the big leagues can come with some bumps and bruises so the Twins might have to continue to be patient with their rising prospects. Could the rotation be stronger by the start of next season? Entering next season, the Twins have plenty of question marks in the rotation. By the start of next season, some of those question marks might be dissolved. Kyle Gibson will most certainly be on an innings limit in 2013 after coming back from Tommy John surgery and he might not even start the year in the rotation. In 2014, he should be able to pitch a full season and he should be in the starting rotation from the start of the year. Newly acquired Alex Meyer will most likely start next year in Double-A, which could mean he debuts with the Twins by the end of 2013. If Gibson and Meyer can put together positive seasons, these two pitchers along with Scott Diamond could make up three-fifths of the rotation in 2014. The hope of 2014 might mean that a lot of things have to go right in 2013. The Twins need Arcia and Hicks to continue to progress and the health of the three pitchers mentioned above needs to be good. When relying on younger players, there can be a learning curve and that might be why the Twins would want to trade other player this offseason. By giving some of these younger players time to iron out the kinks, the team could be better set up for success in the future. Most fans know the Twins aren't going to be on pace to win 100 games next year. It would be nice to see the Twins be competitive in what has been a very winnable division during the last few seasons. The time doesn't feel right for the Twins to charge back in the Central so it might be more important to focus on the future and make moves that will help the Twins to succeed in the long run.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2795[/ATTACH] One of the fallouts from the Denard Span trade last week is the promotion of Ben Revere to leadoff hitter and starting center fielder. Revere has served in this capacity at various times over the last couple of season when Span was dealing with a variety of injury issues. His defense has been exciting to watch and he has shown tremendous speed on the base paths but will Revere be able to handle the hitting approach it takes to be a lead-off hitter for a big league club? Revere has played in parts of three seasons with the Twins but the bulk of his playing time has come in the last two years. He has hit .278/.319/.323 with not much power but that follows his minor league track record. During last season, Revere made some solid jumps by boosting his batting line to .294/.333/.342 with a little bit more power and consistent base stealing ability. These were steps in the right direction for Mr. Revere but his light hitting approach might make it hard to be consistent at the top of the order. Scouting reports have made it easier for defenses to move in their defenses when Revere steps into the box. Looking at the spray chart shown below from Texas Leaguers, Revere seems to be able to find hits to all over the field but there isn’t a lot of damage done in the deep outfield. Opposing players are able to move their defense in considerably with Revere to try and take away some of his short hits. The Twins are relying on him continuing to improve his on-base skills and his ability to hit at a consistent level. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2796[/ATTACH] Revere has one of the highest groundball percentages in the major leagues and this can be an offensive flaw if he isn’t hitting the ball to the right spots. His speed helps him to beat out a few base hits and he is always a threat to steal when he reaches first base. Speed is a handy attribute to have and Revere needs to continue to use this skill to his advantage. The Twins might be looking to him to get more bunt base hits to start an inning and he will have to continue to improve on his skills in this department. One skill important for leadoff hitters is the ability to work counts from the top spot in the order. Out of his 553 plate appearances in 2012, he reached a three-ball count 93 times. It will be even more important to work ahead in the count as the first batter of the game. Last season he was ahead in the count more than he was behind and the Twins will want him to continue this trend as he settles into the full-time leadoff role. During six seasons in the minor leagues, Revere showed the ability to get on base at a very good rate (.383). Most of this was driven by a very high batting average of .326, which is a number that he most likely won't be able to duplicate at the big league level. His batting average went up this year in his second full season and that average was higher than all but one full season from Denard Span. If Revere can continue to stay close to the .300 mark and make slight improvements to his OBP, the Twins will be happy with his results at the plate. With other outfielder like Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia waiting in the wings, the Twins needed to trade Denard Span. Revere might not offer the power of Span but his speedy style is something fans already love. He is the latest man to follow the lineage from Kirby Puckett to Torii Hunter to Denard Span and Twins fans hope he is ready for the job.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2790[/ATTACH] At the beginning of last week, the ballot for the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame was released. This year's ballot includes 18 former players including players from five decades of Twins baseball. Since the original class of six was selected in 2000, the Twins have regularly inducted one to two former players or other important people in the club's history. Last season, former pitcher Camilo Pascual was inducted and this followed pitcher Jim Perry and shortstop Greg Gagne in the two previous seasons. There are a wide variety of players on this year's ballot. Early members of the Twins like Dave Boswell, Mudcat Grant, and Cesar Tovar helped the franchise to their first World Series birth. Plenty of players are on the list from the Twins World Series runs in 1987 and 1991. There are even players from the rebirth of Twins baseball in the early 2000s. Here is a look at the top five players on the ballot according to their Wins Above Replacement with the Twins. When it comes to picking out members of the Twins HOF, there is more that goes into it than just their numbers on the field but it is a good starting point. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2791[/ATTACH] If a person looks at the list above, it seems obvious that Knoblach should be elected to the club's HOF. His offensive numbers with the team put him near the top of a variety of offensive categories so it seems likely that he should be elected at some point in the future. He didn't exactly leave the team on good terms and many people might remember the ugly day when fans started throwing hot dogs at him when he was playing in the Metrodome outfield. In recent years, the push has been for players from the early years of the Twins. This could bode well for a player like Cesar Tovar and Dave Goltz. Tovar played parts of eight seasons with the Twins as an outfielder. For his career with the Twins, he hit .281/.337/.377 with a little bit of power. Goltz was a pitcher for the Twins in the 1970's that amassed a 96-79 record with a 3.48 ERA. He won 20 games in 1977 and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting that season. It could be time for the Twins to look to a player from more recent years with a little more fan appeal. Roy Smalley sees a lot of time during the FSN broadcasts and this has allowed fans to get to know him better in the last few seasons. Corey Koskie was always an appreciated player and the third baseman has stayed close with the organization since his departure. One of these players might have the upper hand in this year's voting. This season doesn't seem like the right time for Knoblach to get the nod in the election process. There just hasn't been enough time since his falling out with the club. He should get in at some point but the timing definitely needs to be right. I would love to see Corey Koskie get recognized for his time with the Twins. He was under-appreciated during his time in a Twins uniform and I think that has become more noticeable in recent years as the Twins struggle to find a reliable man at third base. As a Twins fan from the new generation of Twins baseball, Koskie is the man I would like to see elected.