Pitchers perform

Really, most of the Twins pitchers have done well. But who would have thought that Ramon Ortiz and Carlos Silva would lead the team's starters in ERA (2.05 and 2.00), and that Ortiz would be 3-0 after three starts?

Ortiz has been the pleasant surprise this season. Some bloggers have suggested that he has usually had a big lead to work with. While the Twins have scored runs for him, he hasn't always pitched with a big lead; in fact, against the Yankees, the game was 1-1 when he pitched in the eighth inning, before Minnesota scored 4 more.

Johan Santana has also pitched well, but just not vintage Santana. (2-1, 3.6 ERA) going into today's game. He'll come around.

Boof Bonser (0-1, 6.89 ERA) and Sidney Ponson (1-1, 8.18 ERA) have had some rough spots. Ponson gave up 8 earned runs against New York, but only 2 against Tampa Bay. We need another three or so starts from each to get a better picture of their abilities.

The Twins shouldn't wait too long though. People need to keep in mind that the Twins' minor league teams have suffered from a lot of bad weather, and have not played many games. Thus, we need to make sure our starters' arms are ready before they get called up.

Among the relievers, Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier lead the team in ERA, with no earned runs allowed, as of April 18.

Joe Nathan has shown he's human lately, allowing one loss and nearly blowing another save. He's 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA. He's given up three earned runs so far.

Dennys Reyes – who was so sharp last year, with an ERA under 1.00 on the year – has allowed 5 earned runs in 5 innings for a 9.00 ERA.

Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain, the Twins' two set-up men, have pitched well so far, with 2 and 1 earned runs, so far.

Glenn Perkins is the only Twins pitcher with a double-digit ERA – at 10.12, 3 runs in 2.2 innings, in two outings. He'll get better.

Overall, the Twins' pitching has been pretty good, with some pleasant surprises, and a couple not-so-pleasant ones. They will get a little better, and will make use of some arms at Rochester.

Certainly the Twins are off to a better start than last year. We cannot expect the huge surge they made last year, but even starting out 9-5 is a good start.

Pitchers

The four pitchers on the Twins' staff this spring which have received a lot of discussion are Garza, Silva, Ponson and Ortiz.

I tracked down some interesting stats on these four, all from 2006.

Of the four, Ponson actually has the the best winning percentage (.444, 4-5) for the Cardinals and the Yankees and the worst ERA - 6.25.

Silva, for the Twins, had a 5.94 ERA (second highest among the four) and the second-best winning percentage at .423 (11-15).

Ortiz (Washington) had the lowest ERA of the four, at 5.57, and the second-worst winning percentage at .407 (11-16).

Garza, whom many bloggers wanted to replace Silva in the starting rotation, had the worst winning percentage (.333, 3-6), and the second-lowest ERA at 5.76.

How's that for a comparison? Granted three of these four are in the starting rotation, and one's at Rochester, but perhaps the Twins braintrust hasn't got a brain-block after all. None of these pitchers are Cy Young material, but I'm still expecting Ortiz to pitch well this season (he was the top pitcher for a bad Washington squad last year). He'll have a better defense, offense, coaching staff and catcher helping him out. So while Silva's and Ortiz's records are very similar last year, they played for two very different teams.

Ortiz has pitched well this spring, as has Garza.

Ponson pitched well enough to make the team, and Silva – at last – pitched well in his final game Thursday night, going five innings and giving up zero runs.

Maybe the Twins are getting back on track.

Does your name start with a 'C' Maybe you can play infield for the Twins!

The Minnesota Twins have had a lot of very good infielders throughout the years, but some of the best have – strangely enough – had their names begin with a 'C' Having an 'A' and/or an 'O' in the name seems commonplace, too.

Take for example, one of the best from the past. Rod Carew. Great hitter, very good fielder, one of the best in baseball ever to play the game, in my opinion. He won the batting title in 1977 with a .388 batting average. He's in Cooperstown. (Another C-name)

A few other C-Men have also played at one or more of the infield spots for the Twins. Mike Cubbage comes to mind. For some though, the 'C' was in the first name, like Cesar Tovar, Corey Koskie and Cristian Guzman.

One of my favorite C-men was John Castino, who played some shortstop and third base. Injuries, unfortunately shortened his career.

Lately, though, there have been a lot of C-Men. Juan Castro may have started this resurgence in the last couple of years, before he was traded. Luis Castillo certainly fits the C-bill, along with 2007 newcomer Jeff Cirillo.

And the trend may yet continue, with up-and-coming infielder Alexi Casilla.

Kind of makes you wonder where a Nick Punto and Justin Morneau fit in, doesn't it?

Lineup

My projected Twins 25-man roster for 2007 is:

12 pitchers: SP: Santana, Ortiz, Bonser, Silva and Ponson
RP: Nathan, Crain, Rincon, Neshek, Reyes, Guerrer, Durbin

13 hitters/fielders:
CA: Mauer
1B: Morneau
2B: Castillo,
SS: Bartlett
3B: Punto

LF: White
CF: Hunter
RF: Cuddyer

DH: Kubel

Reserves; Redmond (CA), Casilla (2B, SS), Cirillo (1B, 3B, 2B, SS), Tyner (OF)

Ford begins the year on the disabled list.

The starting lineup: Castillo, Punto, Mauer. Cuddyer, Morneau, Hunter, Kubel, White, Bartlett

This gives the Twins an exceedingly balanced lineup, with four batting right, three batting left, and two switch hitters.


Predictions: 1) Within 1 month, Gardenhire 'tweaks' the lineup, putting Bartlett 2nd and Punto 9th.

2) Within 1 month, Ford is brought up and Tyner is sent down. (Tyner bats well, but nevertheless is sent down). By the end of the season, Ford is traded or released, and Tyner is back up.

3) Within six weeks, Silva is sent to the bullpen, or is traded or released. Slowey is brought up.

4) Garza and Perkins pitch well at AAA, and are brought up before the All-Star break, due to injuries or demotions. Ponson is finally demoted or released.

5) By July 1, Kubel is playing regularly in left field, White is backup OF, and Cirillo and Redmond are sharing DH duties.

6) The Twins vie with Detroit all season long for the AL Central title. The Twins wind up with the AL Wild Card spot, and make it to the World Series.

How's that?

Twins should trade Lew Ford this spring

The Twins should trade Lew Ford, this spring, for perhaps, a minor league catching prospect, or pitcher. They have a plethora of outfielders, right now, and have a need to keep J.D. Durbin (he's out of options) on the team as a long-reliever/spot starter AND Jason Tyner, who with his .300+ average and speed can cover outfield spots in reserve, along with Jason Kubel, who is pegged as the DH.

Something has to give. While we love Lew Ford for what he did as a rookie, and what he's done since to help the team, I think he'd do better in a different environment.

Barring the trade, or injuries, Ford will make the team, and probably Tyner won't.

That's why they need to make the trade.

Like Dangerfield, Twins get no respect

Michael Cuddyer received a $3.575 million one-year deal on Thursday, just before his case was to go to arbitration

That's great. The Twins' creme – Cuddyer – between the cookies – the M-boys – in the middle of their lineup proved last year that he can produce, if given a chance.

Now he has to prove it wasn't a one-year fluke.

Mauer and Punto both received multi-year deals, while Rincon, Morneau, Cuddyer, and Ford all received one-year deals. The Twins avoided arbitration with all eligible players, and saved some money. They also OKed option years for Hunter and Silva and signed Ortiz and Cirillo to contracts for 2007. A bunch of players received minor league deals and will compete for spots this spring.

All in all, none of what the Twins have done has garnered national news – which is just the way the like to Twins operate. Many national pundits have already written off the Twins in 2007, without a single spring training game played yet. Again, very much like the way the Twins operate – under the national radar. Yet ESPN is scheduled to air two Twins games in the first eight days of the season. That's something, given the lack of confidence some ESPN staffers have given concerning the team.

Just like Comedian Rodney Dangerfield, the Twins get no respect.

Well, maybe just a little...

Outfielders out there

The Twins didn't go after Shannon Stewart in negotiations this winter, because they really don't need him.

The talented, yet oft-injured fielder signed a $1 million deal (plus incentives) with Oakland to be a reserve. That's great. he deserves it.

But the Twins proved last year when Stewart went down, that they have several outfielders capable of stepping into the position.

In addition to regulars, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer and Rondell White, they have Jason Tyner and (if healthy) Jason Kubel waiting in the wings, with Denard Span itching for the majors as well. Josh Rabe, who played 24 games with the Twins last year, is a non-roster invitee as well.

All of which may leave Lew Ford out in the cold. Ford did not have a banner year last year, and could wind up being traded or sent back down this spring.

Look for the Twins to either release or trade Ford, and bring Cuddyer, Hunter, White, Kubel and Tyner north.

Signings pinings

Signings pinings...

Joe Mauer... Justin Morneau... Michael Cuddyer... Johan Santana... Joe Nathan... and even Torii Hunter. They all have several things in common – they're great players. They will be potentially EXPEN$IVE to sign to long-term contracts... They all (supposedly) want to stay in Minnesota... They have all played with a lot of heart here.

The big question is, can Minnesota afford to keep them all? Probably not. But who can we afford to lose? An MVP? A batting champ? A Cy Young winner? One of the best center fielders (and former Gold Glove winner) in the game? One of the best closers in the game? Or how about one of the most productive No. 4 hitters in a Twins uniforms since the likes of Herby, Kirby and Gaetti?

I look for the Twins to sign Mauer and Cuddyer to long-term deals this spring, and (I hope) the other four this summer or fall. Who will get left out? Maybe Hunter. If he's smart he would go to the Twins and ask for a low-ball extension (like 6M a year for four years), with lots of incentives, and hope the team will bite. He's a great player, but too often injured, and it's hard to justify spending millions more on a part-time player.

I think Cuddyer could also be signed to a relatively low-priced deal, in the neighborhood of $5-7 million per year.

Mauer was mentioned first, in part because the Twins HAVE to sign him. He's the hometown boy made good; and he's the face of the organization to come.

Morneau, Santana, and Nathan also deserve their chances to have lt contracts. It just remains to be seen who the Twins can afford.

Pitching

As I said yesterday, Ortiz will go north, but not Ponson.

I expect the Twins to start the season with 12 pitchers. The starters are (not in the specific order) Santana, Bonser, Ortiz, Silva and Baker. Garza will also go north, along with Perkins, who will be the second pen lefty. They will be the long men. Joining them in the pen are the familiar Nathan, Neshek, Reyes, Rincon and Crain.

This leaves JD Durbin, the righty in the minors with no options. He'll be traded or released.

Cali, Choate, Ponson, Slowey and Venafro will either go to the minors to start the year, or will be released or traded.

Garza will be there in case any of the starters falter. He needs some major league time. Same with Perkins, but he'll probably stay in the pen as their second lefty, behind Reyes.

Don't look for the Twins to sign any more pitchers; Ryan's run out of ink.

Infield

It's been suggested the Twins will trade Castillo this year and bring up Casilla. Won't happen.
The Twins will likely keep Castillo through the season, barring injury. Casilla is at least a year away yet.

On another note, look for Jeff Cirillo to get some major playing time at 3B, along with Punto. Look for Matt LeCroy to come north with the team as a reserve – one of Gardenhire's big concerns last year was about Joe Mauer and Mike Redmond both playing (one as a DH) because a potential injury could force the loss of a DH that game. With LeCroy waiting on the bench, it gives the team an adequate backup catcher, first baseman and pinch hitter – and puts another .300 hitter (Redmond) into the lineup. And really, Morneau didn't have a good back-up last year. Even though Cirillo has played some 1B, I think he's better suited for 2B, SS or 3B.

Regardless, LeCroy gives Gardy some options he didn't have in 2006.
Look for Redmond to DH/Catch, and Mauer to Catch/DH.

Ponson won't go north, but Ortiz will. He was pitching for a poor team last year, and I think he'll turn it around in 07.

Surprise: The Twins will again contend, and will again take 1st in the division.
Pirannhas Prevail!!!