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With the addition of [B]Eddie Guardado[/B] to the [B]Minnesota Twins[/B]’ Hall of Fame two weeks ago, I got to thinking about the opposite end of the spectrum from great players. When I began watching the Twins in the early nineties, [B]Kent Hrbek[/B] was retiring, [B]Kirby Puckett [/B]was at the tail-end of his career and the Twins were about to be enveloped by a period of mediocrity that would damage the franchise for a few seasons. During that time, I grew up expecting mediocrity, but I also got to see the complete spectrum of players the Twins had to offer.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] In addition, the Twins have been criticized over the years for signing or bringing in players who were cheap, over-the-hill, underwhelming and unproductive; players the team hoped could be revitalized or that they would find some value in. Often, the Twins wasted money on players who had nothing left to offer and had no business being in the majors; yet, the FO gave them their one last chance. [attachment=6215:2768.attach] Photo Courtesy of Ben Tesch [CENTER]~~~Article originally published on [URL="http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2013/06/30/5-nominations-for-minnesota-twins-hall-of-shame/"]RantSports.com[/URL]~~~ [/CENTER] With that in mind, I started to have an idea that could recognize some of these moves and players scattered throughout Twins’ history. My idea led me to the Twins’ Hall of Shame. While this idea may not be fully unique, I think it’s a great forum that could generate great conversation. In order to be nominated for the Twins’ Hall of Shame, my only requirement is that the player had to play/be on the team a minimum of 40 games with the Twins, which is the equivalent of one-fourth of a season, or be acquired via trade/signed at some point during the season. This would allow for a good enough sample size to be considered worthy of the Hall of Shame, but also would allow for a player who was acquired via trade or signed during the season and quickly released again a chance to make the list. Without further ado, I will release the five nominees for the inaugural Hall of Shame class of 2013. I will release an article next week revealing the players who will be selected to enter the Hall of Shame based on your votes. Players must receive a minimum of 75 percent of the votes in order to be selected. You can vote on my group page on [URL="https://www.facebook.com/BrianWilleRantsportscom"]Facebook[/URL] or via Twitter at [URL="https://twitter.com/BeeWill15"]@BeeWill15[/URL]. [SIZE=4][B]Bret Boone[/B][/SIZE] Boone was a career .266 hitter with 252 HR and 1021 RBI, with 22.6 WAR over his 14-year big-league career, but his brief time with the Twins was shameful. Boone was acquired from Seattle after the team designated him for assignment and the Twins put in a claim to trade for him. The Twins agreed to pay the balance of his $9.25 million salary and also agreed to send Seattle a player to be named. General Manager Terry Ryan had this to say about Boone when he was acquired, "I'm not saying that Bret Boone is going to be a savior, but he might be a guy that can help. There's a lot at stake for him, obviously." If those aren’t inspiring words, I don’t know what are (sarcasm). Ryan went on to say that, "This is a high-reward, low-risk situation. I don't think there's any downside." Besides paying a player a portion of 9.25 million dollars to appear in 14 games (58 AB's) with a .170 batting average, zero HR and three RBI in 58 at-bats, the Twins also missed the playoffs after hoping Boone was the player who would revitalize the team. All in all, Boone made himself a strong candidate to enter the Hall of Shame as a first-ballot member. [SIZE=4][B]Jason Marquis[/B][/SIZE] The typical off-season pitcher signing of the Twins was well beyond his productive years; the Twins thought they’d take a chance on signing the starter in hopes of catching lightening in a bottle like they did when they acquired [B]Carl Pavano[/B]. In reality, the Pavano acquisition working out probably was the worst possible thing to happen to the Twins because it was validation for their ridiculous strategy of acquiring players to fill out a roster. At any rate, in 2012, Marquis was horribly ineffective with a 2-4 record, 8.47 ERA, 1.941 WHIP and a not-good 13.8 H/9 in seven starts with the Twins. Marquis was a 10 game winner for a six straight seasons in the mid-2000s, but he hadn’t won more than eight games since then and had an ERA near 4.00 over that time. The Twins figured he was better than what they had and so they made a move to sign him and ended up getting what they paid for. Marquis did have a nice run in San Diego after he left town, but his performance with the Twins was bad enough that he wound up on the ballot for Hall of Shame in 2013. [SIZE=4][B]Pat Mahomes[/B][/SIZE] Mahomes wasn’t your one-year wonder with the Twins and in fact, he spent a total of five years with the team. Well, while that may be more an indication of how bad the team was in the mid-1990s, he still lasted longer than other players on this list. During his five-year run with the Twins, Mahomes went 18-28 with a 5.82 ERA, 1.617 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 9.9 H/9 and a total of 237 earned runs allowed over 366.2 career innings. Mahomes was seemingly always trying to work himself out of trouble and never really seemed to have a plan when he was on the mound. The image of Mahomes consistently taking off his hat to wipe the beading sweat off his forehead because he was in a difficult situation is engrained in my memory; he, in my opinion, best represents the ineptitude of the Twins’ starting pitching during the mid to late 1990s; thus, he is a candidate for the Hall of Shame. [SIZE=4][B]Tsuyoshi Nishioka[/B][/SIZE] Nishioka was supposed to be the solution to the Twins’ problems at shortstop when the team signed him from Japan and traded away [B]J.J. Hardy. H[/B]e ended up being a huge bust and cost them a valuable shortstop in the process. Hardy wound up having a couple great seasons in Baltimore and Nishioka ended up being vastly overmatched by American baseball and seemed lost and overwhelmed on the most routine plays and situations. Even time in the minors couldn’t save Nishioka’s career in Minnseota. The Twins signed Nishioka to a three-year, 9.25 million dollar contract before the 2011 season after the team gave more than $5.3 million to his Japanese team to gain negotiating rights; talk about money wasted. In his two years with the Twins, Nishioka wound up hitting .215 with zero HR and 20 RBI over 71 games with a WAR of -2.4. If you watched the Twins during Nishioka’s two-year run, you’ll understand why he is Hall of Shame-worthy. [SIZE=4][B]Butch Huskey[/B][/SIZE] No list of Hall of Shame candidates would be complete without Butch Huskey. Before the start of the 2000 season, the Twins were looking to add a player with DH experience. They threw half a million dollars at Huskey and gave him the role over a young [B]David Ortiz[/B] who was also fighting for at-bats at DH; ultimately, the experience factor mattered more for the Twins. In the end, playing Huskey over Ortiz may be Hall of Shame-worthy in itself. Huskey was a career .267 hitter and put up seasons of at least 15 HR and 49 RBI in four of five seasons from 1996 to 1999. Those weren’t great stats, and expectations of him as a power hitter and run producer on a team that didn’t possess those qualities in abundance were never fulfilled. At any rate, in 2000 Huskey hit .223 with just five home runs and 27 RBI in 215 at-bats with the Twins. Huskey wound up being dealt to Colorado; the shameful part of his time with the Twins can, unfortunately, be seen by the team not playing a man who became David Ortiz and instead choosing to play an over-hyped, not very good player on a team that was young and emerging as a playoff contender. These are the candidates for the inaugural Hall of Shame class of 2013. Remember to vote via Twitter or Facebook on who should be placed into the Hall of Shame and also let me know if I missed anyone who could be included on next year’s ballot. [I]Brian Wille is a [URL="http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/teams/minnesota-twins/"]Minnesota Twins[/URL] writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter [URL="https://twitter.com/BeeWill15"]@BeeWill15[/URL] or “Like” him [URL="https://www.facebook.com/BrianWilleRantsportscom"]on Facebook[/URL] or add him to your network on [URL="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101730027510780138135"]Google[/URL] To view more articles by Brian Wille, click [URL="http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/author/brianwille/"]here[/URL][/I] View full article

With the addition of Eddie Guardado to the Minnesota Twins’ Hall of Fame two weeks ago, I got to thinking about the complete opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to great players. When I began watching the Twins in the early nineties, Kent Hrbek was retiring, Kirby Puckett was at the tail-end of his career and the Twins were about to be consumed by a period of mediocrity that would damage the franchise for a few seasons. During that time, I grew up expecting mediocrity, but I also got to see the complete spectrum of players that the Twins had to offer. In addition, the Twins have been criticized over the years for signing players or bringing in players who were cheap, over-the-hill, underwhelming and unproductive players that the team hoped they could revitalize or find some value in. Often times, the Twins were left wasting money on players who had nothing left to offer and had no business in the majors anymore; yet, we gave them their one last chance. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4640[/ATTACH] Photo Courtesy of Ben Tesch ~~~Article originally published on RantSports.com~~~ With that in mind, I started to think of an idea that could recognize some of these moves and players throughout Twins’ history. My idea led me to the idea of creating a Twins’ Hall of Shame. While this idea may not be fully unique, I think it’s a great chance and forum that could generate great conversation. In order to be nominated for the Twins’ Hall of Shame, my only requirement is that the player had to play/be on the team a minimum of 40 games with the Twins at the majors which is the closest equivalent of one-fourth of a season or be acquired via trade/signed at some point during the season. This would allow for a true enough sample size to be considered worthy of the Hall of Shame, but also would allow for a player who was acquired via trade or signed during the season and quickly released again a chance to make the list. Without further wait, I will release the five nominees for the inaugural Hall of Shame class of 2013. I will release an article next week revealing the players who will be selected to enter the Hall of Shame based on your votes. Players must receive a minimum of 75 percent of the votes in order to be selected. You can vote on my group page on Facebook or via Twitter at @BeeWill15. Bret Boone Boone was a career .266 hitter with 252 HR and 1021 RBI with a 22.6 WAR over his 14-year big-league career, but his brief time with the Twins was shameful. Boone was acquired from Seattle after the team designated him for assignment and the Twins put in a claim to trade for him. The Twins agreed to pay the balance of his $9.25 million salary and also agreed to send them a player to be named. General Manager Terry Ryan had this to say about Boone when he was acquired, "I'm not saying that Bret Boone is going to be a savior, but he might be a guy that can help. There's a lot at stake for him, obviously." If those aren’t inspiring words, I don’t know what are (sarcasm). Ryan went on to say that, "This is a high-reward, low-risk situation. I don't think there's any downside." Besides paying a player 9.25 million dollars to only appear in 14 games with a .170 batting average with zero HR and three RBI in 58 at-bats, the Twins also missed the playoffs after hoping Boone was the player who would revitalize the team. All in all, Boone made himself into a strong candidate to enter the Hall of Shame as a first-ballot member. Jason Marquis The typical off-season pitcher signing of the Twins was well beyond his years and the Twins thought they’d take a chance at signing the starter to a contract in hopes of catching lightening in a bottle like they did when they acquired Carl Pavano. In reality, the Pavano acquisition working out probably was the worst possible thing to happen to the Twins because it was almost verification for their ridiculous strategy of acquiring players and filling out a roster. At any rate, Marquis was horribly ineffective with a 2-4 record, 8.47 ERA, 1.941 WHIP and a horrific 13.8 H/9 in seven starts with the Twins. Marquis was a 10 game winner for a period of six straight seasons in the mid-2000s, but he hadn’t won above 8 games since and had an ERA that was near 4.00 over that time. The Twins figured he was better than what they had and so they made a move to sign him and ended up getting what they paid for. Marquis did have a nice run in San Diego after he left town, but his performance with the Twins was bad enough that he wound up on the ballot for Hall of Shame in 2013. Pat Mahomes Mahomes wasn’t your one-hit wonder with the Twins and in fact, he spent a total of five years with the Twins. Well that may be more of an indication of how bad the teams were when he pitched on them in the mid-1990s, he still lasted longer than other players on this list. During his five-year run with the Twins, Mahomes went 18-28 with a 5.82 ERA, 1.617 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 9.9 H/9 and a total of 237 earned runs allowed over 366.2 career innings. Mahomes was always seemingly trying to work himself out of trouble and never really seemed to have a plan when he was on the mound. The image of Mahomes consistently taking off his hat to wipe the beating sweat off his forehead because he was in a difficult situation is engrained in my memory and he, in my opinion, best represents the ineptitude of the Twins’ starting pitching during the mid to late 1990s; thus, he is a candidate for the Hall of Shame. Tsuyoshi Nishioka Nishioka was supposed to be the solution to the Twins’ problems at shortstop when the team signed him from Japan and traded away J.J. Hardy, but he ended up being a huge bust for the Twins and cost them a valuable shortstop in the process. Hardy wound up having a few great seasons in Baltimore and Nishioka ended up appearing vastly overmatched by American baseball and seemed lost and overwhelmed at the most routine of plays and situations. Even some time in the minors couldn’t save Nishioka’s career in Minnseota. The Twins signed Nishioka to a three-year, 9.25 million dollar contract before the 2011 season after the team bid more than 5.3 million dollars to his Japanese team to gain negotiating rights; talk about money wasted. In his two years with the Twins, Nishioka would up hitting .215 with zero HR and 20 RBI over 71 games with a WAR of -2.4. If you watched the Twins during Nishioka’s two-year run with the team, you’ll understand why he is Hall of Shame worthy. Butch Huskey No list of Hall of Shame candidates would be worthy without Butch Huskey. Before the start of the 2000 season, the Twins were looking to add a player with DH experience. They threw half a million dollars at Huskey and gave him the role over a young David Ortiz who would also be fighting for at-bats at DH; ultimately, the experience factor mattered more for the Twins. In the end, playing Huskey over Ortiz may be Hall of Shame worthy in itself. Huskey was a career .267 hitter and put up seasons of at least 15 HR and 49 RBI in four of five seasons from 1996 to 1999. Those weren’t great stats, but his expectations as a power hitter and possible run producer on a team that didn’t possess a lot of power was expected and never fulfilled in Minnesota. Those expectations are what ultimately doomed Huskey in Minnesota. At any rate, Huskey hit .223 with just five home runs and 27 RBI in 215 at-bats with the Twins in 2000. Huskey wound up being dealt to Colorado, but his time with the Twins can be summed up best by the team not playing Ortiz and instead playing a player who was overhyped on a team that was young and emerging as a playoff contender. Those are the candidates for the inaugural Hall of Shame class of 2013. Remember to vote via Twitter or Facebook on who should be placed into the Hall of Shame and also let me know if I missed anyone who could be included on next year’s ballot. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google To view more articles by Brian Wille, click here

One of the bright spots for the 2013 Minnesota Twins’ season, so far, has been the performance of their bullpen, specifically their closer Glen Perkins. With this being the first full season that Perkins has been the closer for the Twins, Perkins has performed like a stable and clutch veteran and the rest of the league certainly has taken notice. According to a Tweet sent by ESPN Baseball Expert Buster Olney, if the Twins were to make closer Glen Perkins available this July, prior to the trade deadline, a major bidding war would break out. Olney told 1500 ESPN that he's spoken to several people who think Perkins would be the "No. 1 guy on the market". [ATTACH=CONFIG]4607[/ATTACH] Photo Courtesy of: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports While that information certainly shouldn’t be shocking to Twins’ fans or baseball fans around the league, due to the low amount of impact closers available or impact relievers available for that matter, it should make fans wonder if it’s worth it to trade Perkins. In addition, it does also pose the question as to what the Twins could receive if they ever did decide to make Perkins available. Some of the teams that have been rumored to be interested in Perkins, or could have strong interest in Perkins based on their current bullpen situation, are Detroit, Toronto, Colorado or Pittsburgh. Those certainly aren’t the only teams likely interested in Perkins, but they are some of the first teams that come to mind, with Detroit being at the front of the list. ~~~Article originally published on RantSports.com~~~ This year, Perkins is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA, 20 saves, 41 strikeouts, a 0.84 WHIP and a 5.86 strikeout to walk ratio over 29.2 innings. The Twins currently sport a 35-40 record and with Perkins saving 20 out of those 35 wins, with only two blown saves, his value and consistency have demonstrated how important Perkins has been to the Twins and how attractive he has become to other teams. Perkins is currently making 2.5 million dollars with three years and 12 million dollars—the last season being a team option for 4.5 million dollars—left on his contract. That affordability, coupled with his value and performance out of the bullpen, is what makes him such an attractive and sought after commodity to many teams. What could the Twins expect to get in a trade for Perkins? I would say it all depends on the team and their willingness to sacrifice future pieces for an emerging closer. If I were the Twins, I would demand two things: a player who is close to being ready to contribute in the majors or is young and already contributing in the majors and/or a top three prospect in the organization. Now the price may be a little steep and there could be other movable parts included in the deal, but the value that Perkins currently sports for the Twins and the value that he could have for the team as they return to contenders over the next few years is very high. It is rare that you find a young and affordable closer like the Twins currently have and in order to be a contender, you have to be strong in the backend of the bullpen; thus, trading Perkins is a complicated situation. The question the Twins must now ask themselves is: is it worth sacrificing a current and future asset now in order to hopefully maximize his value and get future rebuilding pieces in return? I personally would say no, unless the deal includes a big-league ready youngster—who must develop into an impact player—and an organization’s top three prospect who would preferably be a pitcher. Even at that rate, I’d be hard-pressed to trade away a proven closer that may only get better over the next few years. It certainly is a tough situation for the Twins to be in, but it is a situation of privilege and shows that’s the Twins do possess valuable players that may return them to contention once the prospects in their minors progress and are ready to contribute. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google To view more articles by Brian Wille, click here

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1964-Which-Pitcher-Will-Lose-His-Job-Due-to-Kyle-Gibson’s-Promotion

I'd love to add a piece at the deadline to help build for the future puzzle, but what the Twins' would have to offer in order to get one of those type of players would be one of their young prized prospects. The idea of getting a solid player without sacrificing one of our young prospects is tough to fathom.

With all of the hype and excitement surrounding the Kyle Gibson promotion to the majors, the Minnesota Twins behind closed doors are likely pondering a much more complicated question: who is going to get the axe to make room for Gibson long-term? Twins’ General Manager Terry Ryan stated that once he called up Gibson—baring some historically awful performances—it would likely be for good, which means that someone is going to have to be removed from the rotation unless the team opts to go to a six-man rotation or move Gibson into the bullpen. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4560[/ATTACH] Photo Courtesy of: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Moving Gibson to the bullpen would save some innings that the team plans on limiting for him this season—his first full season back from Tommy John surgery—which would mean that he could pitch longer this season, but Ryan and manager Ron Gardenhire have made no inclination that they have any plans for putting Gibson anywhere but the starting rotation. With that in mind, the Twins could opt to go with a six-man rotation—which I have discussed in a previous Twins’ article accessed by clicking here—to limit the wear on Gibson’s arm for the rest of the season and to keep all of their current starters in the rotation at least until the trading deadline where they then could trade one of them and open up a spot that way; however, Kevin Correia is currently the only one in the rotation with any real trade value and a trade for him isn’t likely until the deadline gets closer and the price for him hopefully goes up. ~~~ Article originally published on RantSports.com ~~~ With Correia the most likely trade candidate—which could happen before the deadline once Mike Pelfrey returns from injury if the right deal presents itself—that leaves Pelfrey, P.J. Walters and Scott Diamond as the three most likely candidates to receive a demotion to Triple-A due to Gibson’s promotion. Samuel Deduno seems safe for now and I’m inclined to believe that Diamond also will be kept around, which essentially cuts the choice for the Twins down to Walters and Pelfrey. With Pelfrey—who has been pitching better of late, but still hasn’t pitched great—on the disabled list for the next week or more, the Twins can use the time as an audition for who should be sent down or dealt to make room for Gibson long-term. This could mean demoting a player or also waiting for the right trade possibility to present itself for a team looking to add starting pitching at a great value before the deadline. Don’t forget, the Twins also have Trevor May rising through the minors and he could also be threatening for a position in the rotation by season’s end so don’t be so sure that the makeup of the rotation isn’t going to be undergoing even more changes after the Gibson situation is settled. It also wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities to see the Twins promote Vance Worley sometime this summer if he continues to pitch well in Triple-A. While the Twins may fall out of contention at some point this season, watching youngsters like Gibson pitch and develop is something to look forward to if you are a Twins’ fan; although, watching how the game of musical pitchers works itself out might also be quite entertaining during the dog days of summer. If I were a betting man, I’d say the rotation will consist of Gibson, Diamond, Deduno, Worley and Walters by the July 31 trading deadline with May joining the rotation to replace Walters by September. While the Twins may not be actively pursuing a division title come August and September, they certainly will have plenty of headlines surrounding them that will make them an interesting team to follow as the season trudges on. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google To view more articles by Brian Wille, click here

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1933-No-Matter-What-the-Minnesota-Twins-Should-Not-be-Trade-Deadline-Buyers

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4510[/ATTACH] Photo courtesy of: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Article originally published on RantSports.com Following the sweep of the Chicago White Sox, the talk around Minnesota water coolers has been whether or not the Minnesota Twins will be buyers or sellers on the July 31st trade deadline. The Twins are currently 33-36 and are entering a stretch of games that could bring them at or over .500 when the trade deadline approaches. With that in mind, would it make sense for the Twins to become buyers if they continue to play well and are firmly in contention as the trade deadline approaches? In one word: no. When the Twins entered the season, expectations were low and fans and analysts stated that if the Twins could find a way to stay around .500 for the majority of the season, it would be a successful year. Many around the organization and media were looking toward the future with this team due to the immensely talented farm system the team had assembled. As a result, the team was not very active this past off-season and championed their moves by making cheaper and short-term moves in order to assemble stop gaps on the roster until the next wave of talented prospects is ready to take over full time in the majors. The fact that some of these stop gap moves have worked out and the team is suddenly approaching contention should not alter the strategy and plans by which this team has operated under as of late. This team has assembled a talented farm system by trading away current pieces for future prospects, making great international signings and drafting solid high school and college players. Now that the pieces are beginning to fall in place in the minors, the Twins must now play the waiting game for these prospects to mature and make it to the majors. Once that vision materializes, it is expected that the Twins will, yet again, become perennial contenders. Why would the Twins jeopardize that vision and progress for a team teetering on being simply relevant? Typically, trade deadline deals are made for teams who believe they are one player or one trade away from making their team a legitimate playoff or World Series threat. As they are currently constructed, the Twins are not one player or one trade away from making their team a legitimate playoff or World Series contender unless that trade is historically lopsided. Even so, a trade that would make the Twins “instant contenders” would certainly cost their entire farm system, leaving the team bare in the future and setting themselves up for future failure and mediocrity. Thus, becoming buyers at the trade deadline makes little sense for the Twins. If the Twins were to rattle off a run where they win 30 out of 40 games—or something similarly impressive—the temptation will be for the team to add another piece to solidify this team; but in my opinion, if the team goes on a run of that caliber, I’d rather stand pat with the guys we have assembled and see what happens while waiting for the team to improve even more once the talented prospects can contribute. If the team is good enough to get themselves in contention via a long winning streak, they’d be good enough to go to battle with in the playoffs where—I still believe—the Twins would still be huge underdogs because of their lack of pitching depth in the starting rotation; one player or trade cannot and will not alter that perception. Standing pat and not selling out the future for a minimal post-season run is how teams can become perennial contenders. By not sacrificing their future and operating with the idea of “what is best for the franchise long-term”, the team can continue to compete without relying on free agency or trades to supplement their talent; the team would essentially become self-sufficient like the St. Louis Cardinals who, despite losing Albert Pujols, have remained a perennial contender and legitimate threat at winning a championship year in and year out because they remain committed to not sacrificing the future for the present. While it may take restraint on behalf of the Twins’ organization, the team must resist the urge to make a deadline trade to improve a team that is not constructed to win a championship this season. Winning championships is the ultimate goal in professional sports, not simply contending. If the Twins become buyers at the deadline and sacrifice their future in the process, they will never reach that ultimate goal. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google To view more articles by Brian Wille, click here

Photo Courtesy of: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Article originally published on RantSports.com On June 12, the Colorado Rockies designated outfielder and leadoff hitter Eric Young Jr. for assignment and recalled right-handed reliever Chris Volstad from the team's Triple-A affiliate. While you already may have heard this news, and since no corresponding move has been made regarding Young since last Wednesday’s DFA, it should come as no surprise that I believe it is time for the Minnesota Twins to step up to the plate and grab a very talented and useful outfielder from the Rockies. Since Young was designated for assignment, the Rockies have 10 days to trade him, release him or place him on waivers. If the player clears waivers, he can then be outrighted to the minor leagues; however, if you read Young’s Twitter account, it sounds like Young has closed the chapter of playing with the Rockies. In a Tweet sent on June 12, Young stated, “Best wishes to the Rockies organization. Thank you for my time with you. Truly a blessing to be with the city of Denver. Thank you all for the support. Love you all. Always have faith in the man upstairs and in yourselves.” If you take that message into consideration, it sounds fairly certain that Young will be traded or placed on waivers instead of being sent to the minors. If he were to be placed on waivers or traded, the Twins should sprint to the front of the line to acquire this talented youngster. Young has appeared in 57 games this season and batted .242 with one home run, six RBIs and eight stolen bases. Over his career, Young is a .261 hitter with six HR, 40 RBI, 70 SB, a .329 OBP and -0.1 WAR over 313 games in five big-league seasons. Young also has the ability to play second base, which he has done periodically throughout his career, which should make him even more attractive to the Twins. The Twins currently are in dire need of a leadoff hitter, a short-term replacement for Aaron Hicks in centerfield and a solid everyday second basemen. Young, in my opinion, would meet all of the required characteristics that I have mentioned above. Sure he may not be an All-star caliber player or an above-average second basemen, but he surely could do better than what we are getting right now at second base and he could likely be acquired at a bargain price. You could argue that Young’s talents may not be maximized under manager Ron Gardenhire and his hesitation to steal a lot of bases, but I believe Young could still flourish if given the chance to earn a meaningful role on the Twins If you look back at his career, Young has never really had a chance to play on an everyday basis. That could be related to performance or it could be related to organizational depth, but right now the Twins have needs at multiple positions that Young could fill and he easily could become an everyday player with the team or, at a minimum, become a valuable player off the bench. While there have been no indications that the Twins are interested in Young, let this be the official notice to the organization that the team should pursue and look into acquiring Young’s services from the Rockies. This is your typical low-risk, high-reward type of move that the Twins love to make, so why wait to pull the trigger on such a transaction? The time is now to improve the team and fill it with talented players who could help the team out over the next few seasons at a relatively low cost. Young fits the mold; it’s time to bring him aboard. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

Photo Courtesy of: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Article originally published on RantSports.com On June 12, the Colorado Rockies designated outfielder and leadoff hitter Eric Young Jr. for assignment and recalled right-handed reliever Chris Volstad from the team's Triple-A affiliate. While you already may have heard this news, and since no corresponding move has been made regarding Young since last Wednesday’s DFA, it should come as no surprise that I believe it is time for the Minnesota Twins to step up to the plate and grab a very talented and useful outfielder from the Rockies. Since Young was designated for assignment, the Rockies have 10 days to trade him, release him or place him on waivers. If the player clears waivers, he can then be outrighted to the minor leagues; however, if you read Young’s Twitter account, it sounds like Young has closed the chapter of playing with the Rockies. In a Tweet sent on June 12, Young stated, “Best wishes to the Rockies organization. Thank you for my time with you. Truly a blessing to be with the city of Denver. Thank you all for the support. Love you all. Always have faith in the man upstairs and in yourselves.” If you take that message into consideration, it sounds fairly certain that Young will be traded or placed on waivers instead of being sent to the minors. If he were to be placed on waivers or traded, the Twins should sprint to the front of the line to acquire this talented youngster. Young has appeared in 57 games this season and batted .242 with one home run, six RBIs and eight stolen bases. Over his career, Young is a .261 hitter with six HR, 40 RBI, 70 SB, a .329 OBP and -0.1 WAR over 313 games in five big-league seasons. Young also has the ability to play second base, which he has done periodically throughout his career, which should make him even more attractive to the Twins. The Twins currently are in dire need of a leadoff hitter, a short-term replacement for Aaron Hicks in centerfield and a solid everyday second basemen. Young, in my opinion, would meet all of the required characteristics that I have mentioned above. Sure he may not be an All-star caliber player or an above-average second basemen, but he surely could do better than what we are getting right now at second base and he could likely be acquired at a bargain price. You could argue that Young’s talents may not be maximized under manager Ron Gardenhire and his hesitation to steal a lot of bases, but I believe Young could still flourish if given the chance to earn a meaningful role on the Twins If you look back at his career, Young has never really had a chance to play on an everyday basis. That could be related to performance or it could be related to organizational depth, but right now the Twins have needs at multiple positions that Young could fill and he easily could become an everyday player with the team or, at a minimum, become a valuable player off the bench. While there have been no indications that the Twins are interested in Young, let this be the official notice to the organization that the team should pursue and look into acquiring Young’s services from the Rockies. This is your typical low-risk, high-reward type of move that the Twins love to make, so why wait to pull the trigger on such a transaction? The time is now to improve the team and fill it with talented players who could help the team out over the next few seasons at a relatively low cost. Young fits the mold; it’s time to bring him aboard. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4455[/ATTACH] Photo Courtesy of: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Article originally published on RantSports.com On June 12, the Colorado Rockies designated outfielder and leadoff hitter Eric Young Jr. for assignment and recalled right-handed reliever Chris Volstad from the team's Triple-A affiliate. While you already may have heard this news, and since no corresponding move has been made regarding Young since last Wednesday’s DFA, it should come as no surprise that I believe it is time for the Minnesota Twins to step up to the plate and grab a very talented and useful outfielder from the Rockies. Since Young was designated for assignment, the Rockies have 10 days to trade him, release him or place him on waivers. If the player clears waivers, he can then be outrighted to the minor leagues; however, if you read Young’s Twitter account, it sounds like Young has closed the chapter of playing with the Rockies. In a Tweet sent on June 12, Young stated, “Best wishes to the Rockies organization. Thank you for my time with you. Truly a blessing to be with the city of Denver. Thank you all for the support. Love you all. Always have faith in the man upstairs and in yourselves.” If you take that message into consideration, it sounds fairly certain that Young will be traded or placed on waivers instead of being sent to the minors. If he were to be placed on waivers or traded, the Twins should sprint to the front of the line to acquire this talented youngster. Young has appeared in 57 games this season and batted .242 with one home run, six RBIs and eight stolen bases. Over his career, Young is a .261 hitter with six HR, 40 RBI, 70 SB, a .329 OBP and -0.1 WAR over 313 games in five big-league seasons. Young also has the ability to play second base, which he has done periodically throughout his career, which should make him even more attractive to the Twins. The Twins currently are in dire need of a leadoff hitter, a short-term replacement for Aaron Hicks in centerfield and a solid everyday second basemen. Young, in my opinion, would meet all of the required characteristics that I have mentioned above. Sure he may not be an All-star caliber player or an above-average second basemen, but he surely could do better than what we are getting right now at second base and he could likely be acquired at a bargain price. You could argue that Young’s talents may not be maximized under manager Ron Gardenhire and his hesitation to steal a lot of bases, but I believe Young could still flourish if given the chance to earn a meaningful role on the Twins If you look back at his career, Young has never really had a chance to play on an everyday basis. That could be related to performance or it could be related to organizational depth, but right now the Twins have needs at multiple positions that Young could fill and he easily could become an everyday player with the team or, at a minimum, become a valuable player off the bench. While there have been no indications that the Twins are interested in Young, let this be the official notice to the organization that the team should pursue and look into acquiring Young’s services from the Rockies. This is your typical low-risk, high-reward type of move that the Twins love to make, so why wait to pull the trigger on such a transaction? The time is now to improve the team and fill it with talented players who could help the team out over the next few seasons at a relatively low cost. Young fits the mold; it’s time to bring him aboard. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4239[/ATTACH] Image courtesy of: onlineathens.com Article originally published on rantsports.com Once part of the young and emerging outfield known as the “soul patrol” along with Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones, Matt Lawton seemed to have a bright future and career ahead of him as an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins; but things never materialized like Lawton or the Twins could have predicted. Lawton spent the better part of seven seasons with the Twins before being traded to the New York Mets in 2001 in a trade deadline trade for pitcher Rick Reed. During his time with the Twins, Lawton made one All-Star appearance, in 2000, and accumulated career numbers of a .277 batting average with 739 hits, 72 HR, 384 RBI, a .379 OBP and 96 stolen bases in 771 career games. After the Twins traded Lawton, Lawton’s production and potential began a gradual decline that ended with his retirement following the 2006 season. Lawton did make one more All-Star appearance in 2004 with Cleveland, but never put up the type of consistent numbers that he did during his tenure with the Twins. For his career, Lawton ended up with 1,273 hits, a .267 batting average, 138 HR and 631 RBI over 1,334 career games. While those are respectable career numbers, based off the career trajectory of Lawton when he was with the Twins, some may see his career totals as underwhelming. However, few would rate his post-career life as anything close to “fulfilling his potential”. In August 2005, while he was still playing in the majors with the New York Yankees, Lawton tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. At the time, Lawton was only suspended 10 days during the 2006 season. After the test results were made public, Lawton told The Associated Press, "I made a terrible and foolish mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life." Unfortunately for Lawton, the suspension from baseball was only the start of bad things to come. Seven years after he retired, Lawton would yet again make a decision that he may end up regretting for the rest of his life. On April 11 of this year, Lawton was arrested by police in Harrison County, Mississippi and remained in custody a week later with no bond. Since the reporting of this case, no further information has been given regarding Lawton’s criminal status. The case was being heard in a court that handles family disputes, child support, and child custody issues so it is safe to assume that the arrest was made due to a family matter. Lawton does have two children, one boy and one girl, who both are under the age of 21. This is a troubling end to what once appeared to be a promising career for Lawton. One has to wonder what kind of crime that Lawton committed or what could have provoked him into committing such a crime, especially involving his family. Athletes are human and they do make mistakes, but it remains unfortunate that one of the players we watched turn around the fortune of the Twins in the late 1990s and early 2000s has made such poor decisions in his post-career life. We often like to pedestalize athletes for being part of a great turnaround or performing well for our favorite team or organization, but there is no rationalizing or justifying criminal actions whether it is before, during or after an athlete is in the media limelight. Sometimes, athletes do not know how to adjust to life after sports or how to live life without the spotlight. Lawton wouldn’t seem like a logical candidate to fall into this category, but he has succumbed to some of the many problems that athletes seem to run into after their careers are over. Now I’m not trying saying that athletes are the only type of people that succumb to crime and domestic problems, but it is alarming to see the number of times a former professional athlete has a run-in with the law. The reason we hear so much about these problems is likely due to the fact that they are the focus of media attention even after they retire and thus, we still hear about them when they make a mistake. I sincerely hope that this is lowest point that Lawton and his family must endure during Lawton’s post-career life. Hopefully, for Lawton and his family, they can move on from this incident and come away from it better people and a stronger family. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

[attachment=6037:2529.attach] Photo Courtesy of: Jesse Johnson- USA TODAY Sports Article originally published on [URL="http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2013/05/30/minnesota-twins-is-glen-perkins-recent-struggles-cause-for-concern/"]rantsports.com[/URL] [COLOR=#000000][FONT=arial][COLOR=#222222][FONT=Tahoma]Since [B]Joe Nathan[/B] suffered a season-ending injury prior to the 2010 season, the Twins have seen a vast array of pitchers audition to fill the role of closer. Even Nathan himself came back for the 2011 season to nail down a few saves, but the Twins have seen [B]Jon Rauch[/B], [B]Matt Capps[/B], [B]Jared Burton[/B] and [B]Glen Perkins[/B] try to lock down the closer job.[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR] Of all of the candidates to emerge since 2010, Perkins has been the most dominant and successful of all, though he ranks second among the players listed in blown saves with nine in 37 career opportunities; only Capps has more, with 12 in 57 opportunities over three seasons with the Twins. Now you can look at Perkins’ blown saves statistic and you may start to worry, but I caution you to take into consideration all the factors before you worry yourself over nothing. Compared to the other candidates besides Capps, Perkins has appeared in more save appearances during his time with the Twins and since being named closer to start this season, Perkins has blown only two saves in 12 appearances. Compared to the days when Capps was blowing—whoops, I mean closing—games for the Twins, fans and coaches were on edge every time he took the mound; each save attempt was a journey and Capps never looked confident or comfortable when he faced adversity or had to work out of tough situations. Perkins, on the other hand, has the pure stuff and mindset to dominate hitters in any situation. Compared to Capps, Perkins is a welcome sight for a Twins’ bullpen that has been relied on heavily during the early portion of this season. The fact that Perkins has blown two saves early on this season and that Perkins has allowed a run in two of his last five appearances should be nothing to worry about for Twins’ fans. Perkins did come in to lock down his 11th save of the season on Wednesday night for the Twins in a 4-1 victory over the [B]Milwaukee Brewers[/B], but the irregularity of his save opportunities has to be taking a toll on his effectiveness; he can sometimes go days or weeks without a save appearance. This might affect his ability to remain sharp in save situations in spite of the appearances he makes in non-save situations. When given the ball during save opportunities on a consistent basis, Perkins can and will remain one of the more dominant closers in baseball today and will only get better as he gains more experience. Although Perkins ERA is a bit on the high side at 3.20, he still posts very strong overall numbers with a 1.02 WHIP, 13.98 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.83 strikeout to walk ratio. Batters are hitting .194 against him on the season. Those numbers, plus the eye-test, should be what Twins’ fans and analysts should focus on instead of his ERA or blown saves. The season is early and like the rest of the Twins, Perkins is still growing into his role. It is crucial that Perkins gets the necessary development and experience now so he can be the dominant closer he is capable of being when the Twins return to contention. This is not the time for concern with Perkins, nor do I foresee where there should be any concern with Perkins during the rest of this season. Make no mistake about it, Perkins is the Twins closer. He’s the best option they have at closer and he will remain the most dominant reliever and best option to close out games for the Twins for the remainder of the season and into the foreseeable future. [I]Brian Wille is a [URL="http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/teams/minnesota-twins/"]Minnesota Twins[/URL] writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter [URL="https://twitter.com/BeeWill15"]@BeeWill15[/URL] or “Like” him [URL="https://www.facebook.com/BrianWilleRantsportscom"]on Facebook[/URL] or add him to your network on [URL="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101730027510780138135"]Google[/URL][/I] [COLOR=#000000][FONT=arial] [/FONT][/COLOR] View full article

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]4227[/ATTACH] Photo Courtesy of: Jesse Johnson- USA TODAY Sports Article originally published on rantsports.com Since Joe Nathan suffered a season-ending injury prior to the 2010 season, the Twins have seen a vast array of different pitchers to audition to fill the role of closer. Even Nathan himself came back for the 2011 season to nail down a few saves, but the Twins have seen players such as Jon Rauch, Matt Capps, Jared Burton and Glen Perkins try to lock down the closer job and few have succeeded. Out of all of the candidates to emerge since 2010, Perkins has seemed the most dominant and successful of all of the pitchers, even though he ranks second among the players listed in blown saves over his Twins’ tenure with nine career blown saves in 37 career opportunities; only Capps has more with 12 blown saves in 57 opportunities over three seasons with the Twins. Now you can look at Perkins’ blown saves statistic and you may start to worry, but I caution you to take into consideration all of the factors before you worry yourself over nothing. Compared to the other candidates besides Capps, Perkins has appeared in more save appearances during his time with the Twins and since being named closer to start this season, Perkins has only blown two saves in 12 appearances. Compared to the days when Capps was blowing—whoops, I mean closing—games for the Twins, fans and coaches were on edge every time he took the mound because each save was a journey and Capps never looked confident or comfortable when he faced adversity or had to work out of tough situations. Perkins, on the other hand, has the pure stuff and mindset to dominate hitters in any situation and has lived up to that mantra so far as a closer; so compared to Capps, Perkins is a welcomed sight for a Twins’ bullpen that has been relied on heavily during the early portion of this season. The fact that Perkins has blown two saves early on this season and that Perkins has allowed a run in two of his last five appearances should be nothing to worry about for Twins’ fans. Perkins did come in to lock down his 11th save of the season on Wednesday night for the Twins in a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, but the irregularity by which Perkins has been asked to operate on has to be taking its toll on Perkins’ effectiveness because he can sometimes go days or weeks at a time without a save appearance. This can affect his ability to remain sharp on the mound despite the opportunities and appearances he makes when there isn’t a save opportunity in place. When given the ball during save opportunities on a consistent basis, Perkins can and will remain one of the more dominant closers in baseball today and will only get better as he gains more experience in the position. Although Perkins ERA is a bit on the high side at 3.20, he still posts very strong overall numbers with a 1.02 WHIP, a 13.98 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.83 strikeout to walk ratio with hitters hitting a combined .194 against him on the season. Those numbers, plus the eye-test, should be what Twins’ fans and analysts should focus on instead of his ERA or blown saves statistic. The season is early and like the rest of the Twins, Perkins is still growing into his role. It is crucial that Perkins gets the necessary development and experience over these next few seasons so he can be the dominant closer he is capable of being when the Twins return to contention over the next few seasons. Now is not the time for concern with Perkins, nor do I foresee a situation where there should be any cause for concern with Perkins at any point during the rest of this season. Make no mistake about it, Perkins is the Twins closer, he’s the best option they have at closer and he will remain the most dominant reliever and best option to close out games for the Twins for the remainder of the season and for the foreseeable future. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google