Cheap Seat Chronicles

Cheap Seat Chronicles at Wordpress...

2010-07-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all-

Just a heads up that as of July 1, 2010, I've decided to stop double-posting all of my stuff, it's just become too much of a pain and it splinters my readership.

As such, my material will no longer be appearing here on Blogger, but rather only on Wordpress.

So if you'd like to continue reading my stuff, please switch any bookmarks you have so that they head to "Cheap Seat Chronicles" on Wordpress.

Thanks,

Jeremiah

2010 MLB Draft: Minnesota Twins Select Alex Wimmers with First-Round Pick

2010-06-07T23:40:00.000-04:00

The Minnesota Twins drafted Ohio State pitcher Alex Wimmers with the 21st overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

This is the second-year in a row that the Twins have used their first-round selection on a highly-touted collegiate hurler.

A year ago the club took a gamble on injured Missouri starter Kyle Gibson with the 22nd pick. Gibson is now healthy and rapidly working his way through the minor leagues.

Keith Law of ESPN.com described Wimmers as “one of the most Major League-ready prospects in the draft.” This evaluation—from one of the top player evaluators in the business—indicates that Wimmers could be on a fast track similar to that of Gibson.

Wimmers was described by Baseball America as having “the best changeup in the 2010 draft crop” and that “few pitchers in this draft can match the depth of his repertoire.”

That repertoire includes the aforementioned changeup, a good curveball that he can throw for strikes, and a solid—if not unspectacular—low-to-mid ‘90s fastball.

His fastball currently sits right around 90-92 mph and touches 94 mph when he really dials it up. It is believed that he could add a little more velocity if he builds arm strength by using it more in pro ball.

He was described by John Manuel of Baseball America as “the closest thing to Brad Radke in this draft” and the Twins had some pretty good success with that Radke guy once upon a time. He is a reliable starter who throws strikes and likes to challenge hitters.

His three-pitch mix, solid command, and excellent presence on the mound should all help him move quickly through the system as he has been very successful throughout his collegiate career.

Wimmers won back-to-back Big Ten pitcher of the year awards after going 9-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 2009 and following it up this year by going 9-0 with a 1.60 ERA for the Buckeyes this season. He struck out 86 and walked 23 in 73 innings pitched this year.

The Twins have had a lot of success with players cut from the same cloth as Wimmers.

He is a strike-thrower who doesn’t have any overpowering raw stuff, but he possesses a very good total package that figures to project out well as a middle-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues.

If his fastball can catch up to his other pitches in a hurry, it’s entirely possible that Wimmers could make his big league debut by late 2011.

2010 MLB Draft: Fifteen Targets for the Minnesota Twins

2010-06-07T20:40:00.000-04:00

The Minnesota Twins are often praised for doing things “the right way.”

This sentiment—although cliché and not entirely accurate—generally defines the organizational importance placed on pitching, defense, small ball tactics, and player development.

Although the Twins have seemingly eschewed the small ball tactics in recent seasons, the club still believes heavily in defense and pitching.

It would seem that the club has an abundance of outfielders already in the system with top prospects Aaron Hicks, Ben Revere, Max Kepler, and Angel Morales all seemingly within a few years of reaching the big leagues.

As such, the Twins could logically be expected to abandon the usual philosophy of drafting the best available player—no matter what position he plays—and instead opt to improve by adding a big-armed pitcher or another infielder to the farm system.

Minnesota possesses the twenty-first overall pick in tonight’s First-Year Player Draft and could use that pick on any of a number of players.

This year’s draft—after the projected top three picks of catcher Bryce Harper, shortstop Manny Machado, and right-hander Jameson Taillon—has been deemed “wide-open” by many experts.

In fact, in describing the quality of the draft pool after those three, one unidentified NL general manager said, “there’s virtually no difference between the fourth and 44th picks.”

With that thought in mind let’s take a look at fifteen players that could join the Minnesota Twins organization tonight during the opening-round of the First-Year Player Draft.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Why the New England Revolution Need Their Own Stadium

2010-05-12T15:50:00.001-04:00

Check out today's post by Cheap Seat Chronicles contributor DGobs.

You’re Doing It Wrong: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox Loyalty

2010-05-11T23:29:00.001-04:00

There is no rivalry in sports more storied than the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox—or so ESPN tells me, constantly—and with that type of long-term, history-laden rivalry comes some serious battle lines, right?

Literally hundreds of books have been written on the subject.

More ink (or is it pixels) have been spilled over this rivalry in newspapers and online than any other in all of sports. In fact, it’s pretty safe to say that this rivalry alone has kept some sportswriters employed.

The rivalry has its own freakin’ Wikipedia entry and a YouTube search for “Yankees vs Red Sox” yields nearly 10,000 results.

Heck, there’s an entire television network dedicated to preaching the prominence of this rivalry.

We’re talking about the type of rivalry that divides families and tears friendships apart.

People have legitimately been beaten and killed as a result of their respective allegiances in this century-old rivalry.

With that in mind you’ve got to think that there is absolutely no reason for something like this to happen:

As much as I hate to give either the Yankees or Red Sox any more press, I can’t help but ask myself, what the heck is going on here??

Like seriously, how is something like this allowed to happen?

I’ve been in those bleachers at Fenway, I’ve been booed unmercifully by an entire section on more than one occasion for wearing Minnesota Twins gear and—on one fateful day—a vintage Tampa Bay Devil Rays t-shirt.

I’ve been to a Sox/Yankees game and seen fight after fight breakout over nothing more than someone doffing the cap of the visiting team.

So explain to me, how is it that this gal’s transgressions are allowed to pass unscathed, by either party.

I would be content if a band of rogue New York fans rose up in arms to slay her with weapons they’d fashioned from those miniature souvenir baseball bats.

I’d be equally approving if the usual Fenway bleacher creatures were to use her as a ritual sacrifice to Jon Papelbon before the ninth (they do that you know).

What I can’t stand is for this to pass, seemingly without any sort of repercussion. She’s just enjoying a beer and watching the game. What the heck is that?

I had a beer vendor refuse to serve me the day I wore the Devil Rays shirt and this is all peachy?

Let’s hear it folks, what’s your take on the situation?

Is she part of some sort of government test study to determine how long a cute gal can survive in hostile conditions?

Has she had too many of those $8 Budweisers and accidentally grabbed the wrong hat (or shirt) on her way out of the powder room?

Or does she simply work for ESPN?

Hat Tip – [Total Pro Sports]

J.J. Hardy Injury: Minnesota Twins Shortstop Lands on DL with Wrist Injury

2010-05-11T18:09:00.000-04:00

The injuries just keep on coming for the Minnesota Twins.

In March, the club lost All-Star closer Joe Nathan for the year after he underwent Tommy John surgery.

Last week, reigning American League MVP Joe Mauer sat out with a heel injury that threatened to land him on the disabled list.

And just today, the Twins placed shortstop J.J. Hardy on the 15-day disabled list with a left wrist contusion. Hardy initially sustained the injury sliding into third base on a triple a week ago.

The move is retroactive to May 4, meaning that Hardy can be rejoin the big league club next Thursday in Boston for the finale of a two-game set against the Red Sox.

Hardy was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers last fall for outfielder Carlos Gomez who—ironically enough—also landed on the disabled list today with a with a left rotator cuff strain.

Prior to the injury Hardy—a notoriously streaky hitter—was off to a less than impressive start at the plate. Through the season’s first 25 games Hardy posted an uninspiring .250/.299/.400 batting line to go with three home runs, eleven RBI, and four doubles.

In essence, the time off could do Hardy some good as it largely believed he’s been pressing at the plate in an effort to prove that his dreadful 2009 was an aberration.

To fill in for the injured Hardy, the club recalled infielder Matt Tolbert from Triple-A Rochester.

Aaron Gleeman of Hardball Talk said it best…

“…the Twins have added to their amazing collection of banjo-hitting utility infielders by calling up Matt Tolbert from Triple-A. Tolbert is anything but deserving after hitting .232 with a .632 OPS and six errors in 27 games at Triple-A, but he's a poor man's Nick Punto and so naturally Ron Gardenhire loves him.”

The move is nothing if not disconcerting.

As Gleeman mentions, the club is already stock-piled with prototypical “small ball” style players in Nick Punto, Brendan Harris, and Alexi Casilla.

The club could have used this opportunity to call up the supposed third baseman of the future, Danny Valencia or bring Luke Hughes back for a second go-around with the big club, but neither is doing anything overly inspiring at Rochester.

Additionally, Valencia and Hughes are both third basemen by trade, although Hughes has spent plenty of time at second base as of late, but neither of those positions appear to be open with the big club.

The Twins appear content to leave Nick Punto at third base—his best defensive position, according to UZR—and Orlando Hudson isn’t going to suit up anywhere but second base.

That leaves current Rochester shortstop Trevor Plouffe as the most logical player to call up in this situation.

Plouffe, 24, is off to a solid start with the Red Wings hitting .278/.344/.452 with two home runs, thirteen RBI, and eight doubles through 29 games.

The Twins, however, appear to be playing favorites and going with one of manager Ron Gardenhire’s favorites, the “scrappy” Matt Tolbert.

Tolbert will likely split time with Alexi Casilla who isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with his paltry .261/.292/.304 batting line.

To their credit, UZR rates both Casilla and Tolbert are above average defenders at shortstop, albeit in very small sample sizes.

The Casilla/Tolbert combo isn’t an ideal solution for the Twins, especially with the division rival Chicago White Sox in town and a weekend series with the world champion New York Yankees looming on the horizon, but the duo should serve as an adequate defensive stopgap until Hardy returns next week.

Philadelphia Phillies Fan Gets Tasered

2010-05-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

When the action on the field grows tiresome too many fans decide to create their own entertainment.

That was the case last night in Philadelphia where a 17-year-old Phillies fan hopped the fence and ran onto the field during the eighth inning.

At the time the Phillies were down 6-2 after giving up a five-run inning to the St. Louis Cardinals. This apparently was enough to encourage the young fan—whose name has yet to be released because he is a minor—to make his own entertainment.

The fan jumped the fence and led two officers on a chase around the outfield at Citizens Bank Park in front of a reported 44,817 screaming fans.

The security officers eventually ended the chase when one of the men pulled out a Taser and "subdued" the 17-year-old.

According to both teams, this is the first time a Taser has ever been used to apprehend a trespasser during a game.

Phillies spokeswomen Bonnie Clark said the police department is investigating the matter and discussing with the team whether using the stun gun was appropriate.

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore told The Philadelphia Inquirer police internal affairs will open an investigation to determine if the firing "was proper use of the equipment."

The 17-year-old will be charged with trespassing and likely suffering years of public humiliation amongst his friends.

After an incident like this, one can’t help but wonder if this is taking things too far.

In the past, officers would make a half-hearted attempt to catch the trespasser and more or less wait until they would run themselves out of energy.

At which point they'd simply escort them off the field and off to spend the evening in jail. Who knew that those were simpler times?

I’m all about keeping people off the field, but the Taser seems just a bit extreme given that this guy was clearly not a threat to anyone on the field.

Let’s hear it in the comments folks, what do you think?

Was the use of a Taser too much or is it a sufficient means of crowd control in this type of situation?

Do the Minnesota Twins Lack a Killer Instinct?

2010-04-26T21:59:00.000-04:00

The Minnesota Twins are living the high life.

The club left behind the antiquated Metrodome and moved into their brand-new, state of the art ballpark, Target Field.

The club has an increased payroll and is coming off one of the most productive offseasons in franchise history.

The club is 13-6—second-best in all of Major League Baseball—despite the fact that much of the lineup sits mired in early season slumps.

The Twins have won six straight series to start the season for the first-time in franchise history. All the while outscoring opponents 101-70 and looking far more polished than their counterparts.

Three weeks into the season, there is very little to worry about in Minnesota, or is there?

The club has dropped the last game of a three-game series four times, seemingly phoning it in after winning the series.

This is one thing that should have the club worried.

The Twins cannot afford to let off the gas early in the season, especially against weaker competition like Kansas City and Cleveland.

If we’ve learned anything about the American League Central in recent years, it’s that every single game matters.

Two years in a row the Twins have been forced to play a 163rd game with the division pennant on the line.

A few extra wins over lesser opponents in April are just as important as dramatic September wins over Detroit or Chicago.

All 162 games count exactly the same and the Twins appear to be treating every third game as a throw-away and not a must-win situation.

Anything can happen in baseball. Much of the offense could stay locked in neutral and not overcome their early struggles. The pitching rotation could struggle as the season stretches on. The currently untouchable bullpen could breakdown at any point.

Every game is important because of those unknown factors that creep up every season.

Right now the Twins are riding high, but so were the Indians in 2002 and the Royals were looking like world beaters a year later. Neither of those teams took home the pennant.

The Twins need to establish a killer instinct and finish out some of these early season series if they want to avoid another late season pennant push that leaves the roster exhausted for the playoffs.

It may be early, but the games are important. It’s time for the Twins to start acting like it.

WWE Extreme Rules: Ten Things We Learned

2010-04-26T01:04:00.000-04:00

After every WWE pay-per-view event, we’re supposed to be left with a feeling of satisfaction; as if all of our questions and concerns have been answered by the events that unfolded at the pay-per-view.

Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. All-too-often we are left with more new questions than answers.

Sunday night’s Extreme Rules was no exception. Following the event there are plenty of important questions to be asked, but there is no doubt we learned plenty of things at the event as well.

Without any further ado, here are the ten things we learned at WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

Check out the slide-show at BleacherReport.com.

2010 MLB Predictions: Better Late Than Never

2010-04-25T19:45:00.000-04:00

It’s pretty obvious that the posts haven’t exactly been coming hot and heavy in the past month or so. Things have been very busy at work and there was a fair amount of travel in the mix as well, but rest assured I’m neither dead nor done writing.

I do want to make one thing clear, these predictions were compiled before the season started, I just never got around to posting them, so anyone who wants to get up in my grill for not giving the currently-surging Rays or Athletics enough love, my apologies.

With that in mind, here are my ~~preseason~~ early season predictions for how things are going to shake out in 2010.

NATIONAL LEAGUE	AMERICAN LEAGUE
NL EAST Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves Florida Marlins Washington Nationals New York Mets	AL EAST New York Yankees Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles
NL CENTRAL St. Louis Cardinals Milwaukee Brewers Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Pittsburgh Pirates Houston Astros	AL CENTRAL Minnesota Twins Detroit Tigers Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals
NL WEST Colorado Rockies San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks	AL WEST Los Angeles Angels Seattle Mariners Oakland Athletics Texas Rangers

NLDS: Philadelphia over San Francisco (3-1)

NLDS: Colorado over St. Louis (3-2)

ALDS: Minnesota over Boston (3-2)

ALDS: New York over Los Angeles (3-0)

NLCS: Colorado over Philadelphia (4-3)

ALCS: Minnesota over New York (4-3)

WORLD SERIES: Minnesota over Colorado (4-2)

There you have it, folks…the Twins are going to top the Rockies in what will undoubtedly be the least-watched World Series of all-time. ESPN will ignore it entirely, choosing instead to focus on whether Tim Tebow’s new haircut implies he can handle the complexities of an NFL offense.

Feel free to head over to your nearest bookie and put some serious cash on these predictions.

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Agree on Massive Eight-Year Contract Extension

2010-03-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

Minnesota Twins fans can now breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The biggest drama of the offseason—Joe Mauer’s contract status (or lack thereof)—has finally come to an end.

The Minnesota Twins have officially inked Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million deal that will keep the reigning American League Most Valuable Player in the Twin Cities through the 2018 season.

The deal reportedly includes a full no-trade clause and will pay the All-Star backstop $23 million per season from 2011-2018.

This is undoubtedly the largest contract in franchise history, but also one of the most important.

Mauer, 26, was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

In high school, he was a multi-sport star at Saint Paul’s Cretin-Derham Hall. During his senior year Mauer became the first—and only—athlete to be selected as the USA Today High School Player of the Year in two sports (football and baseball).

Mauer’s multi-sport prowess led him to make an important decision in 2001 when he turned down a football scholarship to Florida State University to enter the Major League Baseball amateur draft.

The Twins selected the hometown boy with the first-overall pick in the 2001 draft and the club was widely-criticized for taking the “easy pick” over the supposedly more talented Mark Prior, who had pitched at the University of Southern California.

Less than a decade later, Prior is a footnote in baseball history and serves as one of the ultimate “what might have been” cases of the generation.

Mauer, on the other hand, has blossomed into one of baseball’s brightest stars. In the process, he has more than shown he was the right choice and not the easy choice in the 2001 draft.

The hefty payday comes as no surprise on the heels of Mauer’s MVP campaign in 2009 in which he set career-highs with 28 home runs, 96 RBI, 191 hits, and 307 total bases despite missing the entire month of April with a back injury.

He made an immediate impact upon returning to the lineup by crushing a home run in his very first at-bat and never looked back.

Additionally, he led the AL in the new age Triple Crown categories of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage by posting a very impressive .365/.444/.587 cumulative batting line.

After his extraordinary return to the lineup, Mauer played in 138 of the team's remaining 141 games.

Despite missing a month, and starting 28 games at designated hitter, Mauer managed to catch 939 innings, ranking fifth in the American League.

The MVP is just one of many awards that currently adorn Mauer’s mantle as he also won his third Silver Slugger, his third batting title, his second Gold Glove, and was voted the winner of the 2009 Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Player, an award voted on by his peers.

Additionally, Mauer made his third All-Star team and lead the Minnesota Twins back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

The Twins were 11-11 while Mauer was out in April, but went 76-65 after he rejoined the club. In September, Mauer played a big role as the Twins overcome a seven-game deficit to win the AL Central.

His importance to the ballclub is undeniable, but it could be argued that it was even more important for the state of Minnesota that Mauer sign an extension rather than land in Boston or New York before Opening Day 2011.

There was speculation more than a month ago that a deal was imminent—if not completed—but that turned out to be false. Lingering negotiations led fans and media members to wonder if the deal had hit a snag or, perhaps, if Mauer had become trade bait.

Luckily, we now know those fears were unfounded. Although given the club’s history, one can’t fault anyone for being concerned.

The Twins have long-been a small-budget operation. In recent years many fan favorites such as Torii Hunter and Johan Santana exited via free agency or trade as a result of the team’s unwillingness to match the big money offers those players could garner on the open market.

This offseason, however, there were signs of change with the opening of Target Field and an anticipated increase in revenue the club has already increased payroll by roughly $30 million from Opening Day last season.

Signing Mauer to a deal of this magnitude shows that the Twins are not only committed to winning, but to pleasing the fans as well. Losing Mauer would have been devastating to the Twins fan-base and—subsequently—the franchise’s bottom line.

That situation has been avoided on what must be considered a major gamble for the organization.

Mauer is, after all, a catcher.

He plays the most demanding position in the game and has a track record of injuries to his knees and back. At 6’5” and 225 pounds, he is very large for the position and could conceivably have a limited shelf life behind the plate.

Additionally, the Twins are banking on last year’s sudden power surge becoming a trend rather than an aberration.

In the end, I think all parties involved come out okay in the deal.

The Twins have avoided any chance of a being run out of town by an angry, pitch-fork wielding mob of dejected Minnesotans and ensured themselves a pretty solid number three hitter for the better part of the next decade.

Mauer has long-term security and more money than Minnesota has lakes.

This would be a good time to make a comment about how Twins fans are the real winners in this deal, but let’s be honest, Joe Mauer just signed a deal for $184 million.

The fans come in second on this one, but I think we’re all a-okay with that.

Joe Nathan Injury: Minnesota’s All-Star Closer Opts for Tommy John Surgery

2010-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

It’s official, the Minnesota Twins will be without All-Star closer Joe Nathan for the 2010 campaign.

Nathan elected to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery today after feeling continued pain and discomfort following a bullpen session with pitching coach Rick Anderson.

"Didn’t go like we hoped," Nathan said. "We knew it was a long shot, but what this did do is clear my head.”

Nathan was originally diagnosed with a “significant tear” of his ulnar collateral ligament two weeks ago after he abruptly left an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox after just 20 pitches.

At the time he decided to rest the injury and then test it one more time before deciding whether or not to undergo the procedure.

It is believed that Nathan will undergo the surgery as soon as possible in an attempt to rejoin the club by Opening Day next season.

"Any time you’re going to be out for the season—but especially the timing of this, with this ballclub, this new stadium, the excitement—it’s definitely tough," Nathan said. "But right now I’ve got to take care of myself and get myself ready for next year."

Nathan, 35, is coming off a year in which he set the franchise record for saves with 47 and posted a 2.10 ERA, a .932 WHIP and earned a trip to his fourth All-Star Game.

Needless to say, the club will have a hard time finding anyone to legitimately fill Nathan’s shoes.

The club has, however, been exploring potential replacement options for Nathan since the initial word broke two weeks ago.

In that time the Twins have been linked to the like of Heath Bell and Kerry Wood as potential trade candidates.

The more likely option, however, is that Nathan’s replacement will come from within the organization.

Right-handers Jon Rauch and Matt Guerrier are largely believed to be the front-runners with lefty Jose Mijares a distant third.

Rauch has some experience—albeit limited—in the role from his time in Washington and figures to get the first crack at the job.

Mijares has long been touted as having “closer stuff” on the mound, but many—seemingly including manager Ron Gardenhire—question whether he has the mental makeup to handle the role.

Guerrier has good stuff and a cool head to pitch late in important, high-pressure situations. He is also, however, very valuable as a setup man and Gardenhire loves to use him in multiple-inning situations.

It’s entirely possible that Guerrier’s success in his current role will prevent him from taking over as the club’s closer.

A popular dark horse candidate is current Twins farmhand Anthony Slama.

Slama has looked good in Spring Training, posting eight strikeouts, one walk, one win and a 0.00 ERA in four innings pitched.

He has a proven track record a closer in the minor leagues and appears to have all the intangibles it takes to be a big league closer.

With Opening Day just two weeks away, the race for the closer role is now officially up for grabs and—for all intents and purposes—wide open.

If nothing else, today’s unfortunate news should make for a compelling final two weeks of Spring Training.

Minnesota Twins: Six Things Fans Will Miss About the Metrodome

2010-03-15T10:26:00.000-04:00

After 28 long seasons spent cooped up inside a big Teflon bubble the Minnesota Twins will be moving to an exquisite new ballpark for the 2010 season.

Target Field figures to provide the Twins with not only a much better playing environment, but also much larger revenue streams.

The club has already made the most of the revenue increase by bumping the payroll nearly $40 million over last year’s Opening Day payroll. The on-field results, however, are a wait in progress.

The move will obviously have a large impact on the ballclub, but also on the fans that have trekked to the Metrodome for the better part of three decades.

With that in mind, here are six things that fans won’t miss about the Metrodome.

Also available in slide-show format at BleacherReport.com.

The Price

The Twins have long been known for having some of the lowest ticket prices in all of baseball. Undoubtedly the move to Target Field will result in an uptick in overall ticket prices.

The Metrodome may have been—for the most part—an awful venue for a baseball game, but that was also the reason ticket prices were so low.

Granted, a slew of awful teams through the majority of the ‘90s also kept the club from raising prices, but no matter the rationale, the prices were affordable.

The days of $5 tickets and the 81 games for $81 season ticket package may be gone, but Target Field—and the product on the field—should be worth the extra coin.

The Noise

It’s been called many things over the better part of three decades.

Some call it “the tenth man” and some refer to it as the “dome-field advantage.” No matter what you call it, it was technically just noise.

However, it was enough noise to earn the “Thunderdome” moniker during Minnesota’s World Series runs in 1987 and 1991 when decibel levels peaked at 125 and 118, respectively, comparable to a jet airliner and close to the threshold of pain.

The Metrodome has consistently been one of the noisiest sports arenas in the country and this has served a major advantage for the Twins throughout the years as opposing players have trouble communicating with one another and can be completely overwhelmed by the noise.

The Dome Dogs

I’ve already blogged about the demise of the Dome Dog once this offseason, but this feels like the right time to say my final words.

The quarter-pound hot dog was a mainstay in my Metrodome experiences from my first trip to the stadium until my last. To this day, I still rank it the best hot dog I’ve had at any ballpark.

I realize that the Twins have lined up some
exciting new options with local hot dog producer, Schweigert and I’m sure they’ll be great.

There’s just some iconic about going to a Twins game and getting a Dome Dog.

I know I’m not alone on this one; the Dome Dog will definitely be missed.

The Hefty Bag

Fenway may have “the Green Monster,” but Minnesota fans have had “the Hefty Bag” or simply “the Baggie” for 28 great seasons.

Much like it’s counterpart in Boston, “the Baggie” was constructed more out of necessity than to serve a quaint quirk of the ballpark.

The 23 foot wall was put up to hide all of the folded up seats used to expand seating capacity for football games.

Many an opposing player has misplayed balls off of the “the Baggie” resulting in big plays for Minnesota.

In recent years Twins fans have been lucky enough to watch Michael Cuddyer “play the wall” to perfection, often gunning down runners attempting to stretch an extra base hit.

The Golden Seat

Kirby Puckett is arguably the most prominent figure in club history.

As such, his 11th inning, walk-off home run in game six of the 1991 World Series is undoubtedly one of the biggest moments in club history.

Puckett’s heroic home run sent the series to a decisive game seven—often referred to as the greatest game in World Series history—and an eventual World Series championship.

As a result, the club commemorated Puckett’s blast by installing a golden seat—adorned with his jersey number, 34—amidst the blue seats in left-center field.

Back in the days of general admission seats, I watched many-a-fight for the rights to spend a game in the golden seat.

It’ll be sad to leave behind such a large part of Kirby’s legacy, but it also opens the door for a new era of Twins heroes to create their own iconic memories.

The Roof

In 28 seasons, the Twins have only had one postponement. That came way back in April of 1983 when the roof deflated due to a tear caused by heavy snow.

Needless to say, that level of consistency will be lost at Target Field. Two years ago I attended Opening Day at the Metrodome in a blizzard. Inside the dome it was a balmy 72 degrees.

Fans from all over Twins Territory will miss knowing that the game will be played no matter the weather.

Additionally, the games that don’t get cancelled in early April and October figure to be cold enough to cause Twins fans to long—albeit briefly—for the comforts of the Metrodome.

Minnesota Twins: Six Things Fans Won't Miss About the Metrodome

2010-03-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

The Parking

Anyone who has ever been to a Twins game at the Metrodome knows that finding a place to park is privilege and not a right.

In fact, most of the time it’d be better described as a miracle.

The Metrodome is located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and parking was often limited to expensive ramps and garages, sketchy parking lots, and the occasional dark alley.

Target Field won’t offer a drastic improvement to the parking situation, but 28 years of advances in public transportation will definitely get the place off on the right foot.

The Corridors

The corridors at the Metrodome have been described as many things, some of which can’t be published here.

Those that can be published include: small, dark, creepy, claustrophobic, and a whole host of similar adjectives.

In addition to being completely closed off from the field, the corridors at the Dome were also a mere 22 feet wide. This led to a lot of congestion near concession stands during the game and full-on traffic jam of people trying to leave after games.

The corridors at Target Field are—mercifully—open to the field and nearly twice as wide.

The Turf

Obviously the turf is as much a part of the Metrodome as the Teflon roof and the aroma of recycled air.

The turf, which has gotten considerably less awful over the years, has had a major impact on every aspect of the game over the past 28 seasons.

The high hops, the fast grounders, the turf burns, and the plethora of destroyed knees figure to disappear when the Twins begin playing on the Kentucky Bluegrass at Target Field next month.

As much as the fans figure to appreciate the move to real grass, the players are the real winners in the move.

The Restrooms

If there is one place in the entire world that shouldn’t ever have a line, it’s the restroom.

Yet every time I’ve been to a game at the Dome, I’ve seen many-a-hapless Twins fan miss an inning or better simply standing around waiting for their turn to return an $8 beer back to the baseball gods.

Target Field has already trumped the Metrodome in this regard, by a long shot.

This one can be summed up pretty quickly:

Total restroom fixtures at the Metrodome = 448
Total restroom fixtures at Target Field = 667

The Seats

Anyone who has ever watched a game up one of the lines at the Dome is well aware of why “the seats” made this list.

The seating arrangement at the Metrodome was setup for a football venue.

As such, all of the seats face straight-forward.

Seats that face forward aren’t a big deal if you’re sitting behind the plate or in the outfield, but up either of the baselines, fans were forced to turn their heads and sit at funny angles for the entire game.

Not cool.

The Roof

Although it has helped ensure that many a game would be played despite inclement weather, the roof is still a menace.

Flyballs go up and don’t come back down. Balls bounce off of low-hanging speakers or light fixtures. Players—no matter which uniform they’re wearing—lose pop-ups in the baseball-colored Teflon.

The roof keeps the noise in and the weather out, both major advantages for the Twins over the years.

Playing in a controlled environment has also helped the club on either side of the ball over the years.

That having been said, it’s still a roof. Baseball is meant to be played outside. Period.

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins Agree to Five-Year, $16.5 Million Deal

2010-03-13T11:30:00.006-05:00

The Minnesota Twins locked up a talented 26-year-old today, but not the one that fans have been expecting.

While the club still hasn’t finalized a deal with Joe Mauer, they have ensured consistency in the outfield for the foreseeable future.

Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune tweeted today that the Twins and center fielder Denard Span have agreed to a five-year, $16.5 million contract.

The contract buys out the rest of Span’s team controlled seasons, but no free agent years. There is, however, a $9 million club option for a sixth year.

According to Kelsie Smith of The Pioneer Press, Span will earn $750,000 in 2010, $1 million in 2011, $3 million in 2012, $4.75 million in 2013, and $6.5 million in 2014. The club can also reportedly buy out Span’s $9 million option for 2015 for $500,000.

Span has been a revelation in the Minnesota lineup since joining the club as a replacement for an injured Michael Cuddyer in 2008.

In 2009, Span hit .311/.392/.415 with eight home runs, ten triples, 68 RBI, and 23 stolen bases as Minnesota’s primary leadoff hitter.

When he was selected in the first round of the 2002 amateur draft it was obvious the club envisioned him as the eventually successor to Torii Hunter in center field.

Unfortunately, Span’s success in the minor leagues wasn’t immediate. He posted solid—but not spectacular—numbers for five years between rookie ball and Triple A.

In fact, from 2003 to 2007, Span had posted a batting line of .281/.352/.341 while totally just seven home runs and never stealing more than 25 bases in a single season.

After the 2007 season, however, Span underwent LASIK eye surgery and immediately noticed a difference. Most notably that he felt he was able to tell which pitches not to chase.

In addition to increased vision heading into the 2008 campaign, Span also had increased motivation.

Torii Hunter, the man he’d be drafted to replace, had departed via free agency and the job—in theory—should have been Span's lose.

The front office, however, felt otherwise.

The dynamic—if not erratic—Carlos Gomez had been acquired as the key component of the Johan Santana trade with the New York Mets. Gomez was a superior defender to Span and much faster.

He did, however, have one small weakness; a complete and utter inability to get on-base.

His ability to reach base notwithstanding, the Twins—who otherwise had nothing at the big league level to show for the Santana trade—tossed Gomez into the mix for the starting center field job, despite his obvious need for more time in the minors.

Span showed up to Spring Training claiming he was ready to “battle” and had no intentions of being a forgotten outfielder. He lived up to his hype that spring and completely outplayed Gomez.

That fact made it all that much harder on Span when the club chose Gomez to be the club’s starting center fielder and sent Span back to Triple A.

Span responded by tearing the cover off the ball in Triple A. He posted an eye-popping .340/.434/.481 batting line with fifteen stolen bases in just 40 games.

Denard Span was proving the Twins had made the wrong choice.

When Cuddyer went down with an injury and Span was called up he continued doing his best to prove the doubters wrong.

He went on to hit .294/.387/.432 with six home runs, seven triples, 47 RBI, and eighteen stolen bases in 93 games whilst playing all over the outfield.

Span finished sixth in the rookie of the year voting and by season’s end had established himself as a cornerstone of the Twins outfield and one of the most dynamic leadoff hitters in the big leagues.

The five-year pact proves that the club is now well-aware of what they have in Denard Span. The offseason trade of Gomez didn’t hurt matters either.

Span’s defensive range and arm may not matchup to Gomez’s and, in all actuality, may be better suited for left field than center fielder, but he figures to hold down the position for the foreseeable future.

In all likelihood, Span will be a left fielder by the end of the deal with Aaron Hicks or Ben Revere taking his role in center field, but for the time being the job is all his.

Just the way it was meant to be.

Eddie Guardado Released by Washington. Is a Minnesota Homecoming Next?

2010-03-11T13:54:00.000-05:00

Eddie Guardado, known largely for piling up strikeouts, was given his walking papers today.

The Washington Nationals released the veteran Southpaw after two less-than-stellar exhibition performances. Guardado posted an ERA of 18.00 in just two innings of work this spring.

Guardado, 39, is best-known for his tenure as closer for the Minnesota Twins.

He was christened “Everyday Eddie” by Twins fans and sportswriters for his willingness to take the ball whenever he was asked.

Guardado began his career as an unsuccessful starter way back in 1993 and was eventually transitioned to a full-time relief role after stints as an equally-unsuccessful spot starter.

He was a serviceable middle reliever for most of the ‘90s, but “Everyday Eddie” really hit his stride in the 2000s.

Guardado lopped nearly a full point off of his ERA and became an effective late-inning weapon.

During the 2001 season, Guardado seized the closer role from the struggling LaTroy Hawkins and never looked back.

From 2001 to 2003, “Everyday Eddie” notched 98 saves with a 3.11 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, an 11-9 record, and 197 strikeouts in 199.2 innings pitched.

Guardado left the Twins after the 2003 season to sign a big money contract with the Seattle Mariners.

In Guardado’s absence the Twins decided let a no-name middle-reliever they’d acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the infamous AJ Pierzynski trade have a run at the closer’s role.

That no-name middle-reliever was Joe Nathan, undoubtedly the greatest closer in club history.

Nathan, however, may be finished for the year—and perhaps his career—after the announcement that he has a torn ligament in his arm that may require Tommy John surgery.

As such, one has to wonder whether or not the front office will look to “Everyday Eddie” as a potential solution to the projected vacancy at the backend of the club’s bullpen.

There is certainly an emotional attachment to Guardado among Twins fans and players. After all, he ranks third on the club’s all-time saves list with 116 and is remembered as a big part of the club’s renaissance early in the early 2000s.

The front office is known for making decisions based on emotion rather than practicality (see: Jones, Jacque and LeCroy, Matt) and it isn’t entirely out of the question to worry it could happen again with Guardado.

The big difference here is that Guardado would—in theory—be expected to fill a major role. Jones and LeCroy were both brought back on minor league deals intended to give both a chance to jump-start their fledgling careers.

Guardado’s days as an effective late-inning weapon are clearly behind him.

He hasn’t posted an ERA under 4.15 or served as a full-time closer since 2006 with Seattle. That same season he lost the closer’s role to J.J. Putz and was jettisoned to Cincinnati in a mid-season trade.

He showed signs of returning to form in early 2008 with Texas when we went 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and 23 holds. All the while Guardado held opponents to a stingy .220 batting average.

So impressive were those numbers that the Twins brought the lefty back to Minnesota prior to the August 31st trade deadline to bolster the bullpen down the stretch.

Guardado responded by going 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA, and a 2.00 WHIP over seven innings. The only ones basking in Guardado’s homecoming were opposing hitters who raked to the tune of a .387 batting average off of the lefty.

In a season that required the Twins and Chicago White Sox to play a 163rd game to determine the division winner, one has to think that had Guardado stayed in Texas, the Twins would be bringing an extra pennant to Target Field this season.

Long story short, Guardado is toast.

He posted an abysmal 4.46 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and a .267 BAA last season after returning to Texas. At season’s end, the Rangers—who had obviously been looking to catch lightning in a bottle for a second-time—wisely parted ways with Guardado.

Despite his history with the Twins, the club would be wise to follow the Ranger’s example and let “Everyday Eddie” ply his trade elsewhere.

Nomar Hangs Up His Overly Adjusted Batting Gloves…As a Member of the Red Sox

2010-03-11T00:27:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all, today is a special treat. This entry comes from my good friend and new contributor over at the official CheapSeatChronicles.com, DGobs.

This morning, Nomar Garciaparra signed a one-day minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox so that his dream of retiring in a Sox uniform could be realized. After GM Theo Epstein unveiled the signing at a press conference, Nomar took the mic and announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.

It's the end of an era.

Maybe not for your average baseball fan, but it is for the citizens of Red Sox Nation, and it certainly is for me.

You see, Nomar and I go way back. In fact, it's for this very reason that Jeremiah decided to pass the proverbial pen to me today, and why a random contributor is gracing the front pages of CSC. (Hi!) JG knew that Nomar's retirement would mean something to me, and figured I'd have a few things to say about it. And I do. Please bear with me as I get all misty-eyed and rambly.

Growing up, my favorite player on the Red Sox was John Valentin, mostly because he played shortstop like I did. When I heard that he was being shifted to 3rd to make room for this hotshot new guy with a weird name, I have to admit I was a little miffed. Who did this "Nomar" character think he was?!

As the years went by and my waning interest in baseball began to un-wane, I realized that Nomar was - for lack of a better term - freakin' awesome. He had this electric quality that was hard to describe... just the way he launched curving ropes up the middle, or leapt like a gazelle to throw to first after making what was inevitably an amazing snag at short... he was just really fun to watch. I was jealous of his skill with the glove, in awe of the bombs he could hit for such a skinny guy, amused by his OCD glove-pulling and toe-tapping routine at the plate, and, yes, a victim of a massive crush on him. To a 15-year-old girl obsessed with baseball, he was way beyond dreamy. I had a poster of him in my room that declared him "The Blessing" and "The Anti-Curse" (heh...), and for a few-week stretch during junior year of high school, I would start my day by stroking Poster Nomar's nose five times. (I'm weird. I'm okay with that.)

Nomar's prime was cut short when the Sports Illustrated Jinx struck, and after his wrist injury and ensuing rehab... well, he just wasn't the same. He couldn't hit the ball with the same laser intensity, he couldn't come through in the clutch like he used to, he became injury-plagued. And the predatory Boston media started creeping in. People started saying we should trade him. Amidst the encroaching dark clouds, I kindled my flame of hope and love (how's that for imagery?), declaring to any naysayer I came across that I would gladly whup some GM ass if anyone laid a finger on my Nomar. I naively thought he was untouchable. I mean, at the time, he and Pedro Martinez were the Boston Red Sox. They were fan favorites. They couldn't possibly be traded... right?!

The day I found out Theo traded him to the Cubs... well, I'll let a vintage blog post speak for me on that one.

Basically, I was gutted. A shortstop-sized hole was left in my heart... and funnily enough, the same hole was left in the Red Sox. As Jeremiah wrote so eloquently a few months back, the team hasn't had a reliable starting shortstop since The Dreaded Trade. It's been a veritable revolving door out there at short since August 2004, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't shake my head, tut, and say, "told ya so" every time New Shortstop X doesn't pan out.

It's funny how being so enamored with a player can make you blind to the fact that your team might not be better off with him. Sure, the Sox have been weak in that position since Nomar left. But could Nomar himself have made things better? He really never was the same after getting plonked on the wrist by Al Effing Reyes, and it seemed like almost every other month I was hearing reports that he was injured again, on the DL again. He drifted from Chicago to Los Angeles, and then again to Oakland, and it was getting to the point where it seemed like teams were reluctant to give him - and his age, and his numerous injuries - a chance.

And while he may have faded a bit from some memories, I was still kindling that flame. I'm a proud owner of a Nomar Cubs shirt and a Nomar Dodgers shirt, and I even finagled some crappy tickets to a Sox-A's game last season in hopes that I'd get to see him play again. (He sat out the game I attended... figures.)

And you know, only now am I realizing what that little flame of hope was even for. I wanted to see Nomar back in a Sox jersey again, and I wanted to see him finish his career in Boston. If the Hall of Fame comes a-courtin', I want him to be wearing a blue cap with a red B. And I want to see a 5 hanging up among the other retired numbers over right field at Fenway someday.

Those last two may or may not happen, but at least I can gently snuff out my candle with a smile, knowing that Nomar ended his baseball career at home, with the Red Sox.

And I still think he's freakin' awesome.

Joe Nathan Injury: Minnesota Closer Tears Elbow Ligament, Twins Look to Plan B

2010-03-09T08:45:00.001-05:00

Joe Nathan reportedly has a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

At best, it’s partially torn and he’ll be able to avoid surgery and pitch through the pain this season, albeit with a seriously diminished skill-set due to the injury.

At worst, it’s a complete tear and Nathan will have to decide whether or not to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Nathan, 35, is coming off a year in which he set the franchise-record for saves with 47 and posted a 2.10 ERA, a .932 WHIP, and earned a trip to his fourth All-Star Game.

He is also, however, coming off a year that ended with the site of Nathan imploding against the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

That implosion had fans and sportswriters alike calling for his head and demanding that the best closer in franchise history be jettisoned out of town.

This was a notion I completely disagreed with, especially when we later learned that Nathan had bone chips in his throwing elbow. He underwent a procedure last fall to remove the chips and was on track to be ready for Spring Training.

All seemed well through the winter as Nathan was throwing free and easy and reportedly felt great on the hill.

After his first performance this spring—a performance that lasted just two batters and roughly twenty pitches—Nathan felt pain in his surgically-repaired elbow and was pulled from the game for precautionary reasons.

It was initially believed to be some scar tissue that had broken loose. Nathan flew back to Minneapolis to have an MRI done. The results, however, were far more dire than Nathan or the Twins’ staff had anticipated.

The club has decided to give Nathan’s arm two to three weeks to allow the swelling and pain to die down before figuring out how to proceed.

In this morning’s clubhouse mini-press conference, manager Ron Gardenhire said that the final say regarding surgery would be totally Nathan’s decision.

As is often the case, the club will operate under the guise that Nathan is lost for the season and potentially longer. It is a serious blow to a club that has made such big strides this offseason to improve and build for a potential championship push.

Nathan is slated to make $11.25 million in each of the next two seasons and the club holds a $12.5 million option for the 2012 campaign.

The current list of in-house candidates for the closers role is headed big right-hander Jon Rauch who has some experience in the role from his time in Washington.

Following Rauch on the list are set-up men Pat Neshek and southpaw Jose Mijares.

Neshek is probably a long shot as he’s coming back from Tommy John surgery himself and figures to be eased back into late-inning situations.

Mijares reportedly showed up to camp in good shape this year and has made strides as a member of the club’s late-inning attack in recent years.

The Twins other late-inning specialists include Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier, neither of whom figures to legitimately play into the battle for closing duties.

A final dark horse option is Francisco Liriano.

Liriano is coming off a great stint in the Dominican Winter League and currently seems poised to win the fifth starter’s job out of Spring Training.

He does, however, have a number of incentives worked into his contract regarding work done in the bullpen. After last season’s collapse the club envisioned Liriano as a weapon out of the ‘pen and it’s entirely possible that the club could use him as a makeshift closer.

It’s a long shot, but there’s still a shot.

For now the club will monitor the health of Nathan and hope that things progress well in the coming weeks.

All the while, expect an intense battle to heat up for the seemingly-vacant closer role.

Is Mike Lowell an Option for the Minnesota Twins?

2010-03-02T08:45:00.001-05:00

The Minnesota Twins had a great offseason.

Mike Lowell did not.

The Minnesota Twins revamped a previously punchless middle infield, added a big bat to an otherwise lackluster bench, retained an innings-eater for the rotation, and brought in a solid groundball specialist for the bullpen.

Mike Lowell watched the Red Sox sign another third baseman, was reportedly traded to the Texas Rangers (with Boston paying the bulk of his salary), was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his thumb, saw the proposed trade called off, and underwent thumb surgery.

It was clearly a tale of two very different winters for the Twins and Lowell, but the two sides could ultimately have a lot in common by the end of Spring Training.

The current favorite to win the third base job in Minnesota is defensive stalwart Nick Punto.

Although Punto is the real deal with the leather, he doesn’t bring much at the plate and would be best-served in a super utility role.

Right behind Punto on the depth chart is Brendan Harris who—despite signing a two-year, $3.2 million extension—offers no real upside on defense or with this bat.

The club has high hopes for prospect Danny Valencia to serve as the eventual successor at the hot corner, but few expect the 25-year-old to win the job out of Spring Training.

Enter Mike Lowell.

Lowell has no place in the Red Sox future plans.

He is currently being touted by the club as a potential backup at both corner infield positions and as a right-handed compliment to David Ortiz at designated hitter.

In reality, the Red Sox are likely doing their best to appear as though they aren’t desperate to trade the 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player.

Lowell will make $12 million this season and has a no-trade clause.

As such, we won’t be easy to trade and the Sox certainly don’t want to pay him $12 million to ride the pine all season.

The Sox were reportedly willing to pay $9 million of Lowell’s salary in the aborted trade with Texas. Obviously the club will have to eat a big portion of Lowell’s salary in any trade, but first things first, Lowell needs to prove he’s healthy.

Lowell took batting practice Monday for the first time since undergoing the aforementioned thumb surgery and reportedly felt great afterward.

His hitting, however, isn’t what has kept teams from beating down the door to acquire the 36-year-old. In fact, Lowell proved last season that he can still be a major offensive contributor.

Lowell posted a solid .290/.337/.474 line with 17 home runs and 73 RBI in 419 at-bats last season, despite lingering pain in his hip from surgery the previous offseason.

If inserted into a lineup that can get runners on in front of him consistently, Lowell could still be a big-time run producer.

He did much of his damage in 2009 with runners in scoring position, posting an outstanding .313/.359/.516 line with seven home runs and 57 RBI coming in those situations.

His offense figures to play well anywhere, but would prove especially valuable if inserted into a Twins lineup that figures to be very lefty-heavy in the power department.

Michael Cuddyer is the only right-handed hitter on the team who showed significant power last season by hitting 32 home runs. Cuddyer, however, is anything but a sure thing in the power department as his previous career highs were 24 in 2006 and 16 in 2007.

Delmon Young and J.J. Hardy both have significant power potential, but both have obstacles that could keep them from producing at the level at which they are capable.

Hardy is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2009 and figures to be more focused on getting on base rather than swinging for the fences.

Young is simply hoping to hit well enough to stave off the all-too-popular plan of moving designated hitter Jason Kubel to left field and giving Jim Thome the everyday job at DH.

Lowell would provide another reliable right-handed bat with some serious punch and a penchant for getting on base at a good clip.

Mike Lowell can still hit, period.

As I said, hitting isn’t what has kept teams from kicking the tires on the third-sacker.

The real questions surround his defense, or more accurately, his range. Lowell’s glove is still as slick as ever, but he struggled last season ranging after balls hit in the hole and up the line.

As a result, he posted the worst UZR/150 of his career, largely as a result of the aforementioned lingering effects of hip surgery.

Lowell is now more than a full year removed from that surgery and—barring an unforeseen injury—figures to leave Spring Training healthier than he has been in two seasons.

The Twins will see a lot of the Red Sox and, more specifically, Lowell in Florida this spring as both clubs make Fort Myers their home for Spring Training.

The two clubs square off seven times in March, giving Minnesota a front-row seat to see if Lowell has what it takes to play third base on an everyday basis in 2010.

If Lowell is healthy and has regained some of his range, he’d be a huge addition for Minnesota.

For the deal to work the Twins would need to be open to taking on more salary, something that wouldn’t initially seem likely.

The Twins' projected Opening Day payroll has already reached an all-time high of $96 million, an increase from $65 million a year ago.

That figure includes just base salaries for the projected 25-man roster and does not account for any incentives or bonuses.

The Twins probably don’t want to push that figure any higher, but—to add an impact bat like Lowell—it could be worth the investment; especially if that additional investment is largely subsidized by Boston.

Minnesota is currently favored by many to win the American League Central and is considered by many experts to be a dark horse candidate to win the World Series.

Adding a player of Lowell’s caliber could be what it takes to put the Twins over the top.

Lowell has plenty of postseason experience (and success) and is well-renowned as a positive presence in the clubhouse.

Ideally, Lowell would spend most of his time at third base, allowing Punto to shift to the aforementioned super utility role.

Additionally, he could get some starts at DH against tough lefties as he’s a career .288/.355/.494 hitter against southpaws, drastically better than both Thome and Kubel.

With the Twins expected to field arguably the best roster in decades, it only makes sense to go all-in and add what figures to be the missing component for a legitimate World Series run.

Minnesota Twins Part Ways with a Fan Favorite

2010-02-24T23:30:00.000-05:00

The Twins have officially parted ways with one of the most popular figures of the last decade.

Don’t worry Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau aren’t going anywhere, for now anyway.

The Dome Dog, however, has been granted an outright release.

The Twins and Hormel—the company that makes Dome Dogs—released statements today regarding the split, which reportedly only pertains to hot dogs as Hormel is believed to be the supplier for other products at Target Field.

"Hormel and the Twins decided to part ways after a great…corporate relationship," said team spokesman Kevin Smith via e-mail.

The future of the Dome Dog—or some re-branded version of the Dome Dog—has been in limbo for more than a year.

In the end, it seems that the increased cost of sponsorships and advertisements at Target Field was the breaking point.

"After reviewing the change in cost for sponsorships at the new stadium, we decided to focus on different marketing initiatives in 2010," said Julie Craven, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel Foods.

The Dome Dog was a staple at the Metrodome since 2001 when the Twins partnered up with the local company based out of Austin, Minnesota.

Over the years Hormel played a major role in the Metrodome and not just by filling up hungry baseball fans. Hormel has also played a major role in numerous marketing campaigns and special deals for fans.

Hormel sponsored both the “Hormel Dollar-A-Dog Night” on Wednesdays and the “Hormel Hot Dog Row of Fame,” a nightly event that rewarded one lucky row of fans with free hot dogs.

It was on one of the aforementioned “Dollar-a-Dog Nights” that one of the more infamous events in recent memory took place.

Chuck Knoblauch returned to the Metrodome to play left field for the New York Yankees in 2001 and was showered in cheap—yet tasty—hot dogs from the stands.

The situation got so bad that both club’s managers and legendary public-address announcer Bob Casey had to beg the fans to stop so that the Twins wouldn’t be forced to forfeit the game.

Depending on who you ask, Dome Dogs were either one of the best things about the Metrodome or one of the worst.

No matter your opinion, it is undeniable that the Dome Dog has become just as much a part of watching a Twins game as cheering Joe Mauer and waving homer hankies in October.

As such—be it for taste or merely for nostalgia—the Dome Dog will be missed.

Luckily, Target Field will not be without the baseball staple for long as the organization has already lined up a new local vendor to fill the void the Dome Dog will leave behind.

"Hot dogs and baseball go together hand in glove,” Smith said. “We will be making an announcement in the weeks ahead about what the future of the hot dog is in Target Field."

2010 MLB Predictions: Ten Burning Questions for the Minnesota Twins

2010-02-23T22:37:00.001-05:00

Spring has officially sprung for the Minnesota Twins.

Pitchers and catchers for the defending American League Champions reported to Fort Myers, Florida, for Spring Training on Sunday.

That means that the Twins’ incredible playoff run in 2009 is officially part of the past and it’s time to look forward to the season ahead.

The 2010 season figures to be an exciting campaign for a club that is definitely in transition.

After 28 years, the Twins will be leaving the antiquated Metrodome for state-of-the-art Target Field.

Additionally, the club has—for the first time in recent memory—made some significant offseason additions to address some glaring weaknesses.

In doing so, the franchise gave a considerable boost to the usually diminutive payroll.

The payroll isn’t the only thing increasing in Minnesota this spring.

Expectations are also soaring as many are claiming the Twins could be a legitimate World Series contender this season.

While we won’t know if the Twins are championship caliber team until October, we can start addressing some concerns for the 2010 campaign today.

With no further ado, here are the ten biggest questions facing the Twins in 2010.

Can Carl Pavano stay healthy all season?

Carl Pavano is expected to be an innings-eater and veteran presence for Minnesota’s rotation this year, the same role he was brought in for late last season.

He excelled in the position for the club down the stretch and earned himself an encore performance with the Twins when he was offered arbitration last December.

Pavano, seeing a less-than-stellar market for free agents, accepted the offer and signed a one-year, $7 million deal to avoid arbitration.

Although Pavano, 34, was solid last season, going 14-12 with a 5.10 ERA in 199 1/3 innings, he is hardly a safe bet to stay healthy. Prior to last season Pavano spent four wasted years with the New York Yankees.

During his stint with the Yankees, Pavano pitched in just 26 games for a grand total of 145 2/3 innings over four years and missed the entire 2006 season with a collection of small injuries.

The Twins have depth if Pavano suddenly becomes susceptible to the injury bug once again, but with a $7 million price tag attached to his name the club is expecting a full, healthy season out of Pavano.

Who is the odd-man out in the rotation?

Assuming the aforementioned Pavano stays healthy, the Twins are in an enviable position this spring as the club currently has more starters than rotation spots.

The current list of potential starters includes: Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, and Pavano, all of whom figure to be locks for rotation spots.

That leaves a competition between the likes of Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing, Anthony Swarzak, Mike Maroth, and a smattering of other dark horse candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Liriano is coming off a very impressive showing in the Dominican Winter League and is considered the front-runner for the final slot with Perkins and Duensing following closely behind.

Perkins may face a rougher road than the other candidates following a litany of arm issues last season coupled with his since-resolved grievance.

Depending on whom you ask Perkins is either deep in management’s doghouse or in good standing with the club. Either way he’s got a steep hill to climb this spring.

One or more of the odd-men out could land a spot in the bullpen, but the others figure to start the season at Triple-A Rochester where the Red Wings would seemingly boast a top-flight rotation.

Is Francisco Liriano ready to be an ace again?

In 2006, Francisco Liriano was touted as the second-coming of incumbent Minnesota ace, Johan Santana.

By year’s end he’d gone under the knife for Tommy John surgery and his future was in doubt. Since then we’ve seen a lot of Jekyll and Hyde action from Liriano.

He missed all of 2007 recuperating. He struggled out of the gates in 2008, then dominated in the minors and briefly in the big leagues, and finally struggled down the stretch.

In 2009, however, Liriano never got on track. He appeared out of shape and uncomfortable on the mound on Opening Day and was never able to right the ship during the season, eventually losing his spot in the rotation.

As such, Liriano re-dedicated himself this offseason and it showed in the Dominican Winter League.

Liriano was solid in the regular season, but did real damage in the playoffs.

He went 3-1 with a 0.49 ERA in seven postseason appearances for Leones del Escogido, including a one-hit, 10-strikeout, five-inning masterpiece in the championship game. All the while he recorded 47 strikeouts and just five walks in 37 innings.

Scouts say that he looks just as nasty on the mound as he did in 2006 and appears to have found the confidence and swagger that played such a large role in his previous success.

If Liriano can translate his DWL success to the big leagues and become an ace again, the Twins rotation should be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Can J.J. Hardy bounce back?

J.J. Hardy was acquired in November with two goals in mind.

First and foremost, he figures to finally solidify the revolving door situation the Twins have been dealing with at shortstop in recent years.

Secondly, he figures to help add some serious right-handed punch to a lineup that is otherwise very lefty-heavy in the power department. Michael Cuddyer is the only right-handed hitter in the lineup to have hit more than fifteen long balls last season.

Hardy is no sure thing as he is coming off a very rough 2009 that saw his numbers and confidence plummet. Things got so bad that Hardy was demoted to Triple-A for a brief stint in August.

Prior to last season’s struggles, the slugging shortstop had put together back-to-back seasons that inspired a lot of confidence. Hardy put up a cumulative batting line of .280/.333/.470 in 2007 and 2008 while averaging 25 home runs and 77 RBI.

His efforts in 2007—his first full-season as an everyday starter—led to an All-Star bid for the slick fielding shortstop.

Hardy figures to start the season hitting low in the lineup, but a return to form could propel Hardy up the lineup and the Twins to the top of the American League Central.

Another disastrous campaign, however, could derail both Hardy’s career and Minnesota’s postseason aspirations.

Will the Twins miss the Metrodome?

The Minnesota Twins spent 28 long years playing in the albatross that is the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

The Metrodome is an awful venue for baseball, both for players and spectators. There is absolutely no denying that fact.

The Metrodome did, however, offer a significant home field advantage for Minnesota.

Whether it was another club losing flyballs in the white roof, misplaying a ball off the baggy in right field, or simply being overwhelmed by the noise, the Metrodome certainly equated to home field advantage.

Target Field figures to be a drastically better place to watch a game and certainly a better park to play in for the club. If nothing else, getting off the turf should add a year or two to the career of everyone on the 25 man roster.

The weather, a non-factor for the better part of three decades, will suddenly have a major impact on game play. The field itself will be just as foreign to the Twins as any out of town visitor for at least half a season.

The capacity has been cut drastically and with it much of the noise and intimidation factor has evaporated.

The Twins figure to enjoy the new stadium for its aesthetics and the increased revenue streams, but there’s a very real chance that in early April or in a postseason clash, they’ll miss the cozy confines of the Metrodome.

Can Delmon Young reach his potential?

Delmon Young is just that, young.

Despite being just 24-years-old it feels like Young has already been around forever. Most of this is because of the considerable hype he received as baseball’s top prospect during his tenure with Tampa Bay.

Thus far, Young has yet to live up to the hype and is widely believed to be on his last legs with Minnesota as a result.

Last year, Young dealt with plenty of adversity on the field (limited playing time) and off the field (the death of his mother) and struggled accordingly. Late in the season, however, something seemed to click.

With Justin Morneau’s back injury, Delmon Young became a fixture in the lineup and proceeded to go on a tear down the stretch. He hit a combined .353/.380/.576 over the season’s final three weeks and helped propel the club into the playoffs.

Young seems well aware that 2010 may be his last chance to prove he belongs as an everyday outfielder in the big leagues and he’s shown that awareness by dropping nearly 30 pounds this offseason.

He showed up to camp looking chiseled and appears to be in great shape—both physically and mentally—for the first time during his tenure with the club.

The question now becomes whether he can translate that preparation and late-season hot streak into legitimate results all season long.

Will there be enough at-bats for Thome?

Jim Thome is a future Hall of Famer.

With a resume that includes 564 home runs and a cumulative batting line of .277/.404/.557 there’s simply no doubting his abilities.

There is, however, cause to debate whether or not he’ll be able to garner enough at-bats with the Twins to make a significant impact this season.

The Twins already figure to have a very limited bench and Thome’s inability to play the field limits him to strictly pinch-hitting duties and the occasional spot start as a designated hitter.

There was some initial talk of using Thome as the primary DH against right-handed pitchers and moving the incumbent DH, Jason Kubel, to left field.

Doing so would give the Twins the best statistical lineup on the field, but would figure to negatively impact the growth of Young as an everyday player and would expose Kubel’s fragile knees to excessive wear and tear.

Thome is a beast when given ample at-bats, but the roster—as currently comprised—doesn’t figure to provide him with enough opportunities to do what he does best, crush the ball and get on base.

As great as it is to have a legitimate masher like Thome on the bench, one has to wonder if it was the right move given his inability to play the field will likely keep him from garnering consistent at-bats.

Does the club have enough depth?

Minnesota isn’t known for keeping a bench full of mashers like other clubs in the American League.

Manager Ron Gardenhire, perhaps using more of a National League mindset, generally employs a small legion of good glove, no bat types who offer positional flexibility above all else.

That’s a great system, in theory, but in practice is may leave the Twins in a bind this season. The club currently figures to have a four man bench. We already know that one of those four will be a backup catcher and the other will be the club’s backup DH, the aforementioned, Jim Thome.

That leaves two spots and a whole lot of needs.

Brendan Harris was locked up on a two-year deal, so he’s a lock for a bench role despite his less than impressive glove-work and his average-at-best offensive prowess.

The club could still use a legitimate fourth outfielder who can play center field to spell Denard Span.

The club missed out on the likes of Eric Byrnes, Willy Taveras, and Endy Chavez earlier this offseason. Any of those three would have made a fine fourth outfielder and come at a reasonable price.

The club has a small platoon of players vying for the fourth spot, none of whom is overly inspiring.

The biggest victim, however, may be second baseman Alexi Casilla who is out of options and would benefit from a year under the tutelage of Orlando Hudson, but likely doesn’t offer enough positional flexibility to make the club.

Can Michael Cuddyer repeat last year’s success?

Michael Cuddyer has been a mainstay in the Minnesota clubhouse for the better part of a decade.

In that time he’s bounced around the field and the lineup, but has proven that when he’s healthy, he can be a legitimate middle of the lineup force.

Last season Cuddyer hit .276/.342/.520 with 32 home runs and 94 RBI. It was a monster campaign that prompted the club to exercise his $10.5 million option for 2011.

The question becomes whether or not Cuddyer can replicate last season’s success in 2010. He is a career .270/.344/.457 hitter, so most of those averages were in line with his career marks.

His 2009 power spike, however, may not be as easy to duplicate.

Prior to going yard a career-high 32 times last season, Cuddyer had only hit more than 12 home runs in a season twice. He hit 24 long balls in 2006 and then followed it up with his then-second-best total of sixteen home runs in 2007.

Given that he’ll be 31-years old this season, it isn’t out of line to expect a regression in 2010 and another in 2011.

It is entirely possible that the Twins will regret not “selling high” on Cuddyer this offseason.

Can the Twins sign Mauer long-term?

The Minnesota Twins cannot win without Joe Mauer.

Period.

Joe Mauer is the face of the franchise and a local icon. He is also the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, a three-time batting champion, a three-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger, and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

Oh yeah and he’ll be just 27-years old this season. Needless to say, he’s pretty good. He’s also currently set to be a free agent at season’s end.

The Twins have been working to sign Mauer to a long-term deal for most of the winter and— despite considerable hype—have yet to accomplish that feat.

The club is no doubt aware of Mauer’s importance both to the club’s chances in 2010 and the long-term success of the franchise.

If the club is unable to work out a long-term deal, Mauer would undoubtedly become the hottest commodity on the trade market and could reap a huge return for the club.

There is no way that the Twins could withstand the public backlash the club would receive if the biggest star since Kirby Puckett were allowed to simply walk away at season’s end.

Luckily for Twins fans, the common belief is that a deal will get done and is more a matter of when and not if.

Joe Mauer Grows a Spring Training Beard

2010-02-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Awesome.

Simply awesome.

I think we can safely assume that this will be the must-have facial accessory for every dude [and the occasional, overly-Nordic chick] in Minnesota this spring.

I for one will be doing everything I can to muster some semblance of respectable facial hair to emulate his Mauerness and all his stubblicious glory.

Countdown to Spring Training: 1 Day

2010-02-16T22:43:00.000-05:00

We made it. We finally made it.

After more than three months and over 100 days, baseball is back in roughly 15 hours.

It’s been a long and winding offseason full of blockbuster deals, major trades, retirements and plenty of spurned superstars.

Tomorrow all of that ends—except for the spurned superstars thing, sorry Johnny Damon—and the boys of summer return to the fields of spring to begin gearing up for another season in the sun.

I realize that games of any kind are still weeks away and meaningful games are at least a month and a half away, but just knowing that the players will be on the field tomorrow gives me a real sense of excitement and, oddly enough, of peace.

Baseball players belong on the field.

That sentiment segues pretty nicely into today’s Major League Moment, one of the most memorable moments of my life:

September 11, 2001 is a day that holds a huge place in the hearts and minds of anyone who was alive to witness the events unfold.

I’m not going to try and talk about the magnitude of the day or the events, because the entire thing is bigger than me and bigger than anything I can put into words. Plus anything I’d say only goes as far as me. Every person has their own view, their own thoughts, and their own opinions of what happened and why it happened that day.

What I want to talk about is what came after 9/11.

For more than a week, the country sat in a standstill. No one knew what to do beyond grieving and mourning.

But on September 21, 2001, the city of New York gathered together to show that life would go on after the attacks and that things could once again have some semblance of “normality.”

September 21, 2001 was my dad’s 39th birthday. My dad, for reasons I’ll never understand, is a Mets fan. So we sat together in our living room that night watching the first baseball in more than a week.

Our biggest connection has always been baseball and this game was a healing moment for both of us, even though we hadn’t been directly affected by the attacks.

It meant baseball was back. It meant that life, as we’d known it, was slowly coming back.

When Piazza stepped up in the eighth, the Braves were leading 2-1 and appeared to have the game in hand.

It was a game that the Braves wanted to win, but more so a game that New York needed to win.

The entire city of New York needed a win.

Piazza gave them that win when he hit a monster two-run homer to deep center field to put the club ahead.

I still get goosebumps every time I hear the crack off Piazza's bat. Just knowing how important that home run was, and still is, to so many people makes it all the more memorable.

Piazza’s long-ball wound up being the difference as the Mets took the game 3-2 to begin the long, and likely never-ending, healing process for New York.

Both teams proved that night that no matter what the cause for delay—be it a long, cold offseason or something far more serious and sinister—baseball players belong on the field.

Countdown to Spring Training: 2 Days

2010-02-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

The countdown is reaching its final hours, my friends.

As I type this, we’re roughly 38 hours away from the first official day of Spring Training.

Most rosters are set at this point, although plenty of free agents—even the high profile types—are still available, but most figure to find jobs before Opening Day.

Not everyone will break camp with the big league club, however, and that leads right into today’s clip:

FYI: There is a little F-bomb action in today’s video, so if you’re watching it at work or around kids, I’m going to recommend some headphones!

Growing up, Bull Durham was one of my favorite baseball movies of all-time and to this day, I’d say I still pop the DVD in at least half a dozen times a year.

Baseball movies, just like the real game, are as much a part of the history and allure of the game itself.

Who among us doesn’t like to bust out their copy of Field of Dreams, Major League, or For Love of the Game this time of year to get jacked up for the season?

I generally spend all winter watching baseball movie after baseball movie to help get me through until Spring Training and this year was no different.

Although they aren’t real, baseball movies have much of the same lasting impact on fans as the real-deal.

Who doesn’t remember Roy Hobbs home run at the end of the The Natural just as clearly as they remember Bill Mazeroski’s at the end of the 1960 World Series?

Every time I see an image of Babe Ruth’s “called shot,” I immediately think of catcher Jake Taylor’s “called shot” at the end of Major League.

Baseball movies have left such a lasting impression that they have their own exhibit at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

This is the time of year to celebrate the movies and the game.

Heck, you’ve still got 38 hours to kill, why not watch the Bad News Bears series or something…

Fits Like a Glove: Nick Punto Belongs at Third Base for the Minnesota Twins

2010-02-15T19:37:00.000-05:00

Joe Crede ain’t coming back.

That’s the message that general manager Bill Smith relayed to fans and reporters at TwinsFest a few weeks ago and with mere days remaining before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, it’s pretty evident that he was serious.

That leaves the Twins with a hole at third base, yet again.

On paper there are four likely candidates headed into Spring Training.

First and foremost we have the recently-displaced Nick Punto who just lost his job at second base to newcomer, Orlando Hudson.

Punto is heading into the final guaranteed year of his deal with the club and—in a perfect world—would be best-served as a super utility player.

Second is Brendan Harris, most commonly referred to as “that other guy in the Delmon Young trade.”

Harris, who just signed an ill-advised two-year deal with the club, seems to be the frontrunner for the job in the eyes of most fans and sportswriters.

Third in line for the job is super prospect Danny Valencia who was just ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the Twins farm system by Baseball America.

It is largely believed that Valencia isn’t quite ready for the big leagues on either side of the ball and—at best—should be ready in time for September call-ups.

The fourth—and undoubtedly least-likely—option is light-hitting Matt Tolbert.

In his defense (pun intended), Tolbert is pretty slick with the glove. Based on popular defensive metrics his work at both third and short is very solid, but he doesn’t have nearly enough time at either position to legitimately be in the mix.

Those are the four most-likely candidates. Some believe prospects Luke Hughes and Miguel Jean could eventually surpass Valencia, but for now, neither figures to factor into the mix for 2010.

With that in mind, let’s start handicapping the race for the hot corner, starting with Danny Valencia.

Even if Valencia shows up and had a great spring, the club would be wise to keep him in Rochester until mid-to-late May to push back his arbitration by a year, much like the Rays and Brewers did with Evan Longoria and Ryan Braun, respectively.

As such, Valencia is probably out as an option straight out of Spring Training.

Matt Tolbert doesn’t figure to hit nearly enough to win the job and with both Punto and Harris making more than he is, it’s hardly justifiable to leave both men on the bench.

In all likelihood, Tolbert figures to start the year in the minors unless he quickly adapts to the outfield in Spring Training and latches on as a fifth outfielder.

That brings the fight for the hot corner down to the two original frontrunners, Punto and Harris.

Harris seems to be the favorite among sports writers and Twins fans, but the belief is that Punto will win the role out of Spring Training.

Many will jump to the conclusion that Punto is only in the lineup because of his bloated salary and manager Ron Gardenhire’s affection for the scrappy Italian.

In reality, Punto is simply the better option.

That statement may raise some hairs, as Nick Punto is a very divisive figure in Twins Territory.

Some view Punto with incredible disdain and see him as a black hole in the lineup and as that dude who didn’t know when to hit the brakes in the playoffs.

Others view him as a “scrappy sparkplug” in the Twins lineup and one of the few remaining “piranhas.”

Personally, I view Punto for exactly what he is: a great defensive ballplayer that belongs in the lineup.

Punto’s career Ultimate Zone Rating—or UZR/150—at third base is an astounding 19.9. That means that over the course of a season, Punto saves the Twins nearly twenty runs with his stellar glove work at the hot corner.

Brendan Harris, however, has a career UZR/150 of -19.6 at third base. Essentially he’s the exact opposite of Punto at the hot corner. Harris’ glove figures to cost the club nearly twenty runs a year.

Without even looking at what either man can do with the bat, I’ve got to wonder why anyone in their right mind would want Harris in the lineup on a regular basis.

His defense at second base (-6.8) and shortstop (-9.9) is also bad, so he’s not even an ideal utility player.

Had the club not just signed him to the aforementioned two-year deal, there is a very real chance he could have been cut after Spring Training in favor of Tolbert and his more impressive glove work.

Offensively, Harris clearly has more upside than Punto.

Harris is just 29-years old and Punto is 32-years old, so age is clearly on his side.

Additionally, Harris offers more power than Punto. Granted, that’s not saying much, there’s a pretty good chance that everyone reading this article could post a higher slugging percentage than Punto.

Over the past two years—the length of Harris’ tenure in Minnesota—Punto has posted an average line of .255/.340/.331 compared to Harris’ equally pedestrian .263/.319/.379.

The two have largely been equals during Harris’ time in Minnesota, but with Punto posting a higher on-base percentage and playing far better defense.

When it comes to Brendan Harris, we know what we’re getting. He is a .260 hitter with an awful glove and the ability to pop a dozen homers if given sufficient at-bats.

That’s who he is, nothing more, nothing less.

Nick Punto is a wild card. We’ve seen him get hot for stretches and we’ve seen his glove save numerous games.

In 2006, his hot play invoked the “Puntober” phenomenon that still exists to this day, albeit mostly in muted whispers.

Punto is undoubtedly best-served as a super utility player. He’s a very, very poor-man’s Chone Figgins.

Until Valencia is ready for the big leagues or Brendan Harris learns the fine art of fielding, however, Punto is our best option at third base.

Personally, I’ll take a glove that’ll save nearly twenty runs and a .340 on-base percentage out of the ninth-spot in the lineup any day of the week.

Countdown to Spring Training: 3 Days

2010-02-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Since today is Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d post a Major League Moment that I’ve been enamored with since childhood.

Much like yesterday’s video, today’s clip is another that all baseball fans have seen time and time again over the years.

To set the scene, it’s October 3, 1951 and it’s the ninth inning in the third game of a three-game playoff between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. At stake is the National League pennant.

The winner goes on to play the cross-town New York Yankees in the World Series and the loser goes home.

The play—in and of itself—is amazing, but when you factor in the numerous background details it becomes all the more historic.

For example:

In early August, the Giants trailed the Dodgers by as many as 13 ½ games
The Giants went on an absolute tear, winning 37 of their final 44 games to tie the Dodgers on the final day of the season and force the three-game playoff.
In the first game of the series Bobby Thomson hit a game-winning home run off of Ralph Branca, the same pitcher he took deep for this famous home run.

The situation couldn’t have been bigger or more dramatic as this was back before playoffs were the norm.

Prior to 1969 league pennants were awarded to the team with the best overall record and playoffs only occurred in the rare instances in which teams finished the regular season in a tie.

For me, personally, the most memorable part of the entire clip is Giants announcer Russ Hodges screaming “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

Few moments can match the pure adulation and joy in Hodges voice, plus as a fan, you can tell he’s totally geeked-out by the whole thing…and that’s pretty freakin’ cool.

Countdown to Spring Training: 4 Days

2010-02-13T23:22:00.002-05:00

Since Spring Training awaits us all at the end of this long President’s Day weekend, I wanted to post some sort of thematic video involving the Washington Nationals.

Unfortunately, the Nationals don’t exactly have a whole lot of “Major League Moments” to display.

I think the Nationals are definitely a team on the rise, however, and in a few years time the internet could be chockfull of awesome Nats videos.

Today, however, not so much.

As such, I’ve decided to roll with a clip of my favorite player of all-time and a man who is arguably the greatest to ever lace up a pair of cleats, Willie Mays:

Obviously, I wasn’t alive to see that play live.

Heck, my parents weren’t alive to see that catch.

Although it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve seen clips of that catch about ten million times in my life.

It’s become stock footage for every “best of” reel ever produced, much like Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, Jackie Robinson’s steal of home, and Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in the 1960 World Series and a whole host of other classic moments.

Willie Mays is—in my opinion—the greatest center fielder of all-time and without a doubt one of the best hitters ever.

Growing up, my dad would always tell me stories about baseball, but more often than not they circled back to Mays. My dad got to see the end of Mays’ career and always regretted never getting to see Mays in his prime.

I fell into a similar situation with the likes of George Brett, Robin Yount, Nolan Ryan, Eddie Murray, and Dave Winfield among many others, so I know how he felt.

I inherited a lot of fandom for Mays from my father, but having watched hours upon hours of archival footage, I know it is respect and admiration that was well-warranted.

For my money, they don’t get better than Willie Mays.

And they probably never will.

Pat Neshek Gets the Worst Fan Mail

2010-02-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

Minnesota Twins reliever Pat Neshek is best-known for his funky sidearm delivery and his blog.

Fans haven’t seen much of his delivery of late as he hasn’t tossed a pitch since arm troubles and an eventual go’round with Tommy John Surgery sidelined the hurler early in the 2008 campaign.

Neshek is throwing again and expects to make a successful comeback this season.

His prognosis is good thus far and a healthy and effective Neshek would go a long way toward stabilizing the back-end of what figures to be a very good Minnesota bullpen this season.

Neshek feels confident he’ll be healthy and has been giving arm updates on his aforementioned blog.

What they’ll also find on the blog is this gem of a “fan letter” posted on Thursday:

Apparently Neshek—known for being very fan-friendly and a big advocate of autographs and autograph collecting—receives letters of this ilk with some regularity as he handled it with a sense of humor saying:

“For some reason I feel like he's lying about me being his favorite player!”

The worst part of it all is that the letter was probably written by one of the parasites in the memorabilia business posing as a child.

Autograph poachers are some of the worst people in the world. These are the creepy guys in their 40s that you see elbowing kids out of the way at baseball games to get six or seven autographs, all on fresh white baseballs.

They’re pretty recognizable as they all look like the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, albeit usually in a baseball t-shirt of some type.

Either way—whether it really is from a small child who should probably re-take “Keyboarding 101” next fall or some autograph poacher—this pretty much has to qualify as the worst piece of fan mail of all-time.

Countdown to Spring Training: 5 Days

2010-02-12T20:45:00.002-05:00

It’s officially “Truck Day” for most Major League Baseball teams.

For those who don’t know what Truck Day is all about, it’s simply the day when teams load up their bats, balls, jockstraps and other supplies on trucks and ship it all down to Florida or Arizona for Spring Training.

The “tradition” started with the Red Sox, but has expanded in recent years to include a number of other teams.

Personally, it gets me even more pumped for the season knowing that trucks full of equipment are headed down south as I type this.

With that excitement, let’s take a look at today’s Major League Moment.

Today’s installment is another relatively recent moment, a flashback to Game Four of the 2006 American League Championship Series.

Watching this game I was a little disgruntled because, as a Twins fan, I was spending my first fall in Boston and had to bounce from sports bar to sports bar to even find baseball coverage of the Twins.

I watched the Twins get swept (read: slaughtered) by the Athletics in the ALDS after making a magical run and winning the AL Central pennant on the last day of the season.

The Tigers, who came sputtering into the playoffs—thus allowing the Twins to take the division—handled the punchless Yankees in the ALDS and went on to sweep the Athletics before falling to the Cardinals in the World Series.

The Athletics/Tigers series had all the drama of the previous Twins/Athletics series (read: none), but Magglio Ordonez’s clutch ninth inning walk-off home run was still incredibly memorable.

Authors Note: Watching Placido Polanco leap around like a geeked-out 12-year-old kid after the home run is undoubtedly my favorite part of the entire thing.

It Hurts So Good: Slugger Frank Thomas Set To Retire

2010-02-12T01:17:00.001-05:00

Frank Thomas is officially hanging up the cleats.

Thomas, 41, has scheduled a Friday press conference in Chicago—where he spent 16 of his 19 big league seasons—to announce his retirement.

Thomas, one of the most feared sluggers of the past twenty years, will leave the game ranked 18th all-time with 521 home runs, 1,704 RBI, and an impressive .301/.419/.555 batting line.

Known as “The Big Hurt,” Thomas spent most of his career with the Chicago White Sox where he won back-to-back American League Most Valuable Player Awards in 1993 and 1994.

Thomas was undoubtedly one of the top hitters of the 1990s. Throughout the decade he posted an astounding .320/.440/.573 batting line and totalled 301 home runs and 1,040 RBI.

All the while, Thomas was one of the game’s most vocal players in regards to steroids and was the only active player to have spoken to Senator George Mitchell during his investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Additionally, Thomas—a five-time All-Star—earned a World Series ring during his last year with the club in 2005.

After a nasty breakup with the White Sox, Thomas landed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Oakland Athletics and did everything in his power to prove he still had something in the tank.

Thomas went on to finish fourth in the AL MVP voting that year after posting an outstanding .270/.381/.545 batting line and totaling 39 home runs and 114 RBI.

He parlayed that big year into a two-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Although Thomas had a very solid first season with the club in 2007 hitting .277/.377/.480 with 26 home runs and 95 RBI, he slumped in his second-year with the club and was released.

He re-signed with Oakland, but injuries kept him from garnering the same success.

Following the 2008 season, Thomas was unable to find a suitor for his services and sat out the entire 2009 season.

After a year away from the game, Thomas realizes his career is done.

As such, he leaves the game with an impressive dossier that has Hall of Fame written all over it, the only question is whether or not the voters will feel the same way.

Thomas spent 1,311 games at designated hitter and just 971 at first base throughout his career.

Unlike Edgar Martinez—who is believed to be the first real test case for the Hall of Fame regarding designated hitters—Thomas had plenty of success at first base. He won both of his MVP awards while playing in the field and only later in his career, as injuries took their toll, did he become a full-time DH.

On paper, looking solely at the numbers, Thomas is a no-doubt, first-ballot Hall of Famer. Whether or not the Baseball Writers Association of America will see it the same way is another question altogether.

As far as I’m concerned, “The Big Hurt” has my vote.

Countdown to Spring Training: 6 Days

2010-02-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

With less than a week until Spring Training kicks off, I’m getting pretty excited.

I hit up StubHub and snagged some super cheap (read: $16.50) Red Sox/Twins tickets for this coming May at Fenway and I can tell that I’ve certainly got baseball fever as I continue scouring through other ticket options.

Who needs groceries when you can get baseball tickets, right?!

Anyway, I figure after picking on the Red Sox earlier this week with the Boone home run—and receiving an ample amount of flack for it—the only fair thing to do is attack another fan-base that has suffered through numerous close calls and heartaches over the years.

As such, today we’re taking a peek at one of the darker days in recent memory for Chicago Cubs fans, Game Six of the 2003 National League Championship Series:

I remember watching “The Bartman Game,” in my dorm room sophomore year. It was a heckuva game and I really thought the Cubs had the game under control and a trip to the World Series in hand.

Heading into the eighth inning, the Cubbies were cruising. The club was up 3-0 and Mark Prior, the team ace, was on the hill and absolutely dominating the Marlins offense.

Marlins’ leadoff man, Juan Pierre ripped a one-out double to left field and that brought up second baseman, Luis Castillo.

Castillo sent a lazy pop up into foul territory and Cubs left fielder Moises Alou went up to get it, but it deflected off the hands of a fan by the name of Steve Bartman. Alou was enraged and called for fan interference, but the umpires made the right call and the play stood as a foul.

Prior eventually walked Castillo and then—with the help of a costly error by shortstop Alex Gonzalez—went into self-destruct mode. The Marlins rallied to score eight runs in the inning and went on to win the game by the score of 8-3.

The Marlins came back out the next night and beat the Cubs again 9-6 to move onto the World Series where they beat the Yankees en route to the club’s second World Championship.

A lot of people—mostly delusional Cubs fans—blame Bartman for the Cubs losing that game, but the reality of the situation is that the Cubs still lost the game.

Chicago was up 3-0 with one out in the eighth inning when Bartman deflected a ball that was in foul territory. The Cubs couldn’t hold their three run lead and then proceeded to choke again the next night with the team’s second-best pitcher, Kerry Wood on the mound.

Steve Bartman didn’t cost the Cubs a shot at the World Series, the Cubs shot themselves in the foot by letting the Marlins climb back into Game Six and then by rolling over and dying in Game Seven.

Either way, it certainly is a memorable Major League Moment.

Countdown to Spring Training: 7 Days

2010-02-10T21:07:00.003-05:00

For today’s entry on the countdown, I’ve decided to veer away from my hometown team and—for the most part—away from my era.

Today’s Major League Moment is Kirk Gibson’s iconic pinch-hit home run off of Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series.

For those who don’t know, Gibson was in pretty rough shape—as you’ll see in the video—and it was ballsy of him just to go into the game, it would be his only at-bat of the World Series.

Making it even more impressive is the way he fought off a gamer like Eckersley in the at-bat.

Back before Eck was a goofball announcer for the Red Sox, he was a bad-ass closer who was arguably the best reliever in the game at the time. With the stage set, here’s today’s Major League Moment:

I was just four at the time and don’t really remember any of this, but I grew up seeing replays of it over and over and knew it was something special.

It wasn’t until I was much older and realized the magnitude of that home run and how Gibson had picked the club up on his shoulders in a way that every player aspires to do.

The Dodgers were underdogs throughout their entire playoff run in 1988, especially the vaunted Athletics, but Gibson helped get the club over the hump with the first win and the momentum carried them the rest of the way to the World Series win.

It is undoubtedly one of the most historic moments in World Series history and one that forever defined Kirk Gibson’s career.

To see the full at-bat with all of Vin Scully’s legendary commentary CLICK HERE.

Countdown to Spring Training: 8 Days

2010-02-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

Today the fine folks at Yahoo! Sports opened up their vastly-improved fantasy baseball game and that means only one thing, live baseball is right around the corner.

Let’s get right back into the countdown with another Major League Moment.

As a Minnesota Twins fan it seems only right that one of the biggest moments in club history should be included in the countdown.

Personally, I cannot think of a bigger moment than last year’s play-in game between the Twins and the Detroit Tigers, or simply “Game 163.”

As a Twins fan living in Boston, this game didn’t have much appeal to the masses. In fact, it was quite a struggle to even find the game.

Two days prior to this epic clash, I’d wasted an entire Sunday bouncing from sports bar to sports bar looking for a place that was playing the must-win game for the Twins on the season’s final day and failed miserably.

I did, however, manage to find a bar that was playing this game and by the late innings the entire bar was completely enthralled by the game.

As luck would have it there were an inordinately high number of displaced Tigers fans in the bar on the same night, so there was plenty of back and forth between our two sides with many of the otherwise-neutral members of Red Sox Nation choosing sides as the game wore on.

When Alexi Casilla laced that final shot in right field and Carlos Gomez came barreling into home plate the place went nuts. It was awesome seeing so many fans, who otherwise wouldn’t have bothered to watch the game, getting so into a game that didn’t involve New York or Boston.

In the end, I exchanged some final barbs with the Tigers fans and they wished the Twins luck and I drank a long-distance victory brew for the Twinkies.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

(You know, unless you were actually there…)

Seven Suitors for Free Agent Second Baseman Felipe Lopez

2010-02-09T00:04:00.001-05:00

It shouldn’t be like this.

For Felipe Lopez, coming off a career year, it simply shouldn’t be like this.

Lopez, 29, is coming off an incredible season in which he split time between Arizona and Milwaukee.

On the whole Lopez hit his way to an impressive line of .310/.383/.427 with nine homers and a career-best 38 doubles.

Although the numbers were better than his career averages of .269/.338/.400, it isn’t hard to believe that Lopez can continue to post good numbers going forward.

Since becoming a full-time player in 2005, the former first-round draft pick has put up a solid .281/.349/.407 line with five different clubs.

Those numbers get even better if you remove his abysmal 2007 campaign which was marred by constant shuffling in both the Washington Nationals lineup and defensive alignment.

For the same time period, with 2007 removed, his line is an even more remarkable .290/.359/.420.

Needless to say, when he is given a full-time job and a consistent spot in the lineup, he handles himself pretty well with the stick.

On the flipside of the coin is his defense.

While he’s not going to be confused for Placido Polanco or Chase Utley with the leather, he can certainly hold his own. Most statistical metrics ranked him as a top five defender at the keystone corner last season, despite his penchant for piling up errors.

That having been said, it’s February 9th and, according to the fine folks at MLB.com, we’re roughly eight days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training.

For all his talents and the impressive season he just posted, Felipe Lopez is still a man without a team.

Here’s a look at six clubs who could still logically pursue the switch-hitting second sacker.

Cleveland Indians

The Indians were rumored to be the high-bidders for Orlando Hudson before he signed with Minnesota.

If that’s the case and the club was truly interested in landing a veteran second baseman—and not just driving up his price for a division rival—then Lopez makes a lot of sense.

At this point, Lopez figures to be willing to settle for a one year deal at or below the $3.5 million he made last season.

As such, he’s definitely affordable for the tight-fisted Cleveland brass and could provide a steady presence in the field and near the top of the lineup.

The Indians, however, don’t figure to contend in the near future and could view Lopez as an unnecessary expense for a team that figures to finish in the cellar with or without him in the lineup.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels lost versatile veteran Chone Figgins to the division-rival Seattle Mariners earlier this offseason.

As a result, the club is currently slated to go into Spring Training with Brandon Wood as the starting third baseman.

Wood has an impressive minor league dossier but has yet to translate it into success at the big league level.

Lopez would give the club a poor man’s version of Figgins at a fraction of the cost. In the past Lopez has played second, third, shortstop, and has spent some time in the outfield.

His best positions, defensively, are second and third base, but he’d definitely be a boost for a club that took some heavy losses over the winter.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers seemingly closed the door on bringing back Lopez when the neglected to offer him arbitration back in December. That could all change if Lopez’s price is right.

The Brewers have a potent offense, but have question marks at both second and third base. Rickie Weeks has proven to be inconsistent and injury-prone throughout his career and Casey McGehee is still relatively unproven at third base.

The Brewers could bring back Lopez as an insurance policy of sorts if Weeks is injured or suffers any setbacks from his wrist surgery. Lopez would also be there if McGehee falters in a full-time role, which—given his defensive ratings from a year ago—is entirely possible.

Fans may be more excited to see Mat Gamel get the nod as the heir apparent at third, but Lopez is a much safer be than Gamel who has been unimpressive in his brief big league action.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have been linked to Lopez off and on throughout the winter and would, presumably, still welcome him back to the Gateway City.

Lopez spent time with the Cardinals in 2008 after a midseason trade helped him escape Washington.

During his brief 43-game stint with the club he hit an astounding .385/.426/.538 and provided solid defense at both second and third base.

The club currently has question marks surrounding third base and has converted outfielder Skip Schumaker slotted at second.

Lopez would be a great upgrade at either position and would slot well in front of the Holliday/Pujols wrecking crew at the heart of the lineup.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have been looking to add an impact bat all offseason and while Lopez might not offer the raw power they’re looking for, he certainly bring the ability to get on base and earn his keep with the glove.

Martin Prado is currently the club’s starting second baseman, but his defense rates out poorly at the position and he’s far better suited for a corner infield spot.

With injury-prone veterans Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus manning the corners, there’s a legitimate chance that Prado could be shifted as the season progresses.

Omar Infante is currently next on the depth chart, but he’s proven in the past that his bat can’t handle an everyday role. He is better served as a utility player who garners 300-350 at-bats per season.

Lopez would give the Braves some punch atop the lineup and a solid defensive weapon in the field as well.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs needed a lot of things in 2009: a healthy Alfonso Soriano, an effective Geovany Soto, less Milton Bradley, and a legitimate second baseman.

The club traded away Mark DeRosa, the incumbent second baseman, prior to last season and went on to regret the decision all year long.

Chicago’s second basemen combined to “hit” .254/.310/.357 in 2009, much of that work was done by Mike Fontenot who put up a pedestrian .236/.301/.377 batting line with nine home runs and 43 RBI.

Fontenot is currently listed atop the Cubs’ depth chart at second base and Lopez would, undoubtedly, be an immediate upgrade.

The Cubs have reportedly shown interest in Lopez in the past and now that his price figures to be far more reasonable, the Cubs might be able to seal the deal.

Oakland Athletics

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is always looking to add veteran talent on the cheap and Lopez fits the bill.

The club currently has light-hitting Mark Ellis slotted as the everyday second baseman, but Ellis hasn’t had an everyday role since 2007 and his bat isn’t aging nearly as well as his glove.

Lopez seems like he’d be right up Beane’s alley because of his ability to get on base and the fact that he’s no stranger to midseason trades.

Ultimately, much like Orlando Cabrera and Matt Holliday last season, that would be the endgame if the Athletics acquired Lopez.

In the short-term, Lopez would provide the club with a solid top of the order presence and a reliable second baseman. In the long-run, he could probably net the club a few solid prospects at the deadline.

It seems like a solid match if Beane still has some money to work with.

Countdown to Spring Training: 9 Days

2010-02-08T00:30:00.000-05:00

We’re another day closer to Spring Training, so it’s time for another video to get your baseball-blood pumping.

The Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is one of the most well-known in all of sports.

The rivalry—which was, at best, simmering for much of the ‘80s and ‘90s—seemed to reach a boiling point in the past decade.

This is probably because ESPN did everything in its power to convince us that every game is a life or death exchange. Granted plenty of on-field dustups didn’t do much to dispel that notion.

Today’s moment comes from the 2003 American League Championship Series between the Yankees and Red Sox:

[Disclaimer: This isn't the actual video I was looking for, obviously, but the original video wouldn't allow me to embed the video. You can check out the original version by clicking HERE.]

I remember watching that series and, more specifically, that game from wire-to-wire, hoping and praying that the Red Sox would finally get the monkey off their back and rally past the Yankees.

As a Twins fan, I was already disgruntled with the Bronx Bombers for sending my boys back to Minnesota after the first round.

Plus, as a baseball fan, you want to see something special when you watch a game and the Sox finally getting passed the Yanks would have qualified.

Obviously it wasn’t meant to be as Boone crushed the first pitch Wakefield showed him into the seats.

In the end, the Yankees went on to lose the World Series to the upstart Florida Marlins who had rallied to get by another supposedly cursed franchise, the Chicago Cubs in what was an equally exciting NLCS.

Countdown to Spring Training: 10 Days

2010-02-07T00:27:00.006-05:00

The countdown is officially on.

According to MLB.com the first date that pitchers and catchers can report for Spring Training in February 17th.

As such, I’m going to provide my readers with a video featuring a Major League Moment or a clip from a baseball movie or whatever else gets the blood pumping for some live baseball.

So with no further ado, let’s get this thing started with a classic clip from the 1993 World Series:

I’ve actually written about this event once before. This was back in the early days of my blogging career, it was actually written for a long-since defunct baseball website.

In my mind, Carter’s walk-off home run is about as perfect of a baseball moment gets.

Carter was—for the most part—a career journeyman who, if not for this home run, would have otherwise become a minor footnote in baseball’s lengthy history.

Instead, with that one swing, Carter ensured that he’ll be remembered long after he’s gone. It was undoubtedly the biggest moment of his career and was one of the most memorable moments in recent World Series history.

As a fan who remembers watching it on TV and going nuts, it is etched in my mind as one of the first truly amazing feats I remember seeing. Carter got to live the moment all kids dream of while taking batting practice in their backyard and he showed that he wasn’t bigger than the moment in the way he hopped around the bases.

In a word, it was awesome.

Orlando Hudson, Minnesota Twins Agree on One-Year Deal

2010-02-05T06:30:00.001-05:00

Twins fans, feel free to take a minute to pinch yourselves.

Shocking as it may seem the Twins actually signed free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson.

The deal is for one-year and is worth $5 million. There are no additional performance incentives, but reportedly the contract does contain various awards bonuses.

The contract also states that should Hudson rank as a Type A free agent after the 2010 season, the Twins cannot offer him arbitration.

Anyone who frequents Cheap Seat Chronicles has read me rant about general manager Bill Smith’s all-too quiet offseason a time or two this winter.

After Thursday night’s big move and the speculation that he’s closing in on an extension with Joe Mauer, I think maybe I’ll finally cut the guy some slack.

Hudson, 32, will take over as the club’s primary second baseman with Nick Punto shifting over to third base.

Punto is the better defender at this stage of his career, but is better suited defensively at third and will give way to Hudson who has played his entire career at the keystone corner.

Hudson, a four-time Gold Glove winner, may not be the defensive wizard he was earlier in his career. In fact, despite winning a Gold Glove last season, he posted a negative UZR/150 rating for the second year in a row.

While he holds a career UZR/150 of 2.6, he posted a -7.6 in 2008 and -3.7 in 2009.

Hudson will receive much of the same reputation-based praise for his defense that Orlando Cabrera received last year when he was one of the worst defensive shortstops in all of baseball.

Reputation goes a long way in baseball and Hudson will be no exception to the rule.

Despite what any metrics or scouts will say about his defense, he figures to be an adequate defender at second and gives the Twins a boost if for no other reason than keeping Brendan Harris and his dreadful glove on the bench.

Additionally, Hudson immediately becomes the top candidate for the two-hole in the lineup between speedy leadoff hitter Denard Span and Mauer, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player.

Hudson will provide an immediate upgrade offensively both at second base and in the lineup’s second spot.

In 2009, Twins second basemen ranked dead last in all of baseball when they combined to “hit” a putrid .209/.302/.267 with two home runs and 43 RBI.

By that same token, every player not-named Mauer who hit in the two-hole last year combined for an equally-uninspiring—yet markedly better—batting line of .232/.272/.326 with seven home runs and 66 RBI.

For his part Hudson hit .283/.357/.417 with nine home runs and 62 RBI last year.

Where I come from that’s a pretty drastic improvement no matter how you look at it.

I’d like to think that Smith read my last piece and assumed that his life was in danger if he didn’t make a move to lock up Hudson.

Whether or not I had an impact on the situation is irrelevant, what does matter is that the Twins just bumped themselves into the rarified air of World Series hopefuls.

Get ready Twins fans, it's going to be a good year.

Why the Minnesota Twins Need to Go All-In for Orlando Hudson

2010-02-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Twins currently have a good team.

Orlando Hudson could make them great.

As it stands right now—two full months before Opening Day—the Twins are the favorite in the American League Central.

The club is returning the majority of the same roster that roared back from seemingly-insurmountable odds to win the division a year ago.

The difference is that this time around, the club has a solid bullpen, an excellent shortstop, and a veteran starter from day one.

Last year, general manager Bill Smith scrambled to add Orlando Cabrera, Carl Pavano, Jon Rauch, and Ron Mahay down the stretch to improve the club.

Pavano and Rauch will return this year, but Cabrera has been replaced by the younger and, more athletic, J.J. Hardy, thanks to an offseason trade with Milwaukee.

Mahay’s presence is no longer needed thanks to the anticipated return of Pat Neshek and the signing of reliever Clay Condrey.

Additionally, at least one of the club’s three lefty starters, Brian Duensing, Francisco Liriano, and Glen Perkins figure to end up in the re-loaded bullpen.

The club addressed another issue by adding a major offensive threat to an otherwise unimposing bench with the recent signing of future Hall of Famer, Jim Thome.

There are also high hopes within the organization—and the club’s fanbase—that third base prospect Danny Valencia will be ready to join the team by midseason.

In addition to an improved Opening Day lineup is the news that oft-maligned outfielder Delmon Young will be reporting to camp in better shape than he’s been in his entire tenure with the club.

The scouting reports on the progress of the aforementioned Francisco Liriano in the Dominican Winter League have been nothing but glowing and there are rumblings around the league that we may see “vintage Liriano” this season.

Oh yeah, and it’s largely believed that reigning American League MVP, Joe Mauer is nearing a long-term extension with the club.

So where does Orlando Hudson figure into all of this?

Simply put, Hudson is the missing piece.

The Minnesota lineup figures to be an imposing one, but is currently lacking a legitimate number two hitter—and has been for the better part of a decade—and Hudson is the prototypical man to fill that hole.

Hudson has a career on-base percentage of .348 and is a switch-hitter, thus making him the ideal man to have slotted between speedy leadoff man, Denard Span and Mauer.

Hudson may be seeking more than the Twins are willing to spend, but with a new stadium—and new revenue streams—on the horizon, the club can afford to roll the dice and pay big for the O-Dog.

The Twins need to realize that even though the core of the club is young, the window to win a championship is small. On paper, 2010 projects to be one of the best shots the Twins will get.

The American League West has four teams that could legitimately take the division and all four figure to spend the majority of the season beating up on one another.

The American League East has three viable contenders in the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays. Those three figure to do much of the same in-fighting as the clubs in the AL West.

The Twins already play in the most winnable division in the AL and have a chance to add an impact player that could really help the club separate themselves from the pack.

In three of the last four seasons the Twins have taken the division down to the final day of the season. In back-to-back years, the club has been forced to play an extra game to decide the division.

As a result of those late season playoff pushes, the club hasn’t fared well in the postseason.

Adding Hudson gives the offense an edge it hasn’t had in years and could allow the club to run away with the division and come into the playoffs rested and ready, not jet-lagged and battle-worn.

The Twins are the favorite in a winnable division without Hudson on the roster.

With Hudson, however, they have a legitimate shot at the pennant and a World Series.

The rotation is primed for a big year with Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey all taking big steps forward during the 2009 campaign.

Pavano will serve purpose a middle of the rotation innings-eater and the aforementioned Liriano just might return to his old form and give Minnesota a very tough rotation.

The bullpen is stocked with live arms and ready to roll. The bench has a legitimate late-game weapon. The heart of the lineup is one of the best in baseball.

The missing piece is Orlando Hudson.

It’s time for the Twins to go all-in and put the finishing touches on a championship-caliber team.

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Reach Ten-Year Extension (or Maybe Not)

2010-02-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

Joe Mauer has made it clear that he’d love to stay with the Twins for the foreseeable future.

Earlier this afternoon WCCO-TV of Minneapolis/St. Paul reported that the ballclub had granted that wish by reaching a preliminary agree on a ten-year extension with the reigning American League MVP.

That claim was quickly refuted via Twitter by ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Olney followed up his initial tweet with a little nugget of hope, seemingly, keep Minnesotans from leaping into Lake Superior.

“The Twins remain optimistic that a deal will eventually get done, but a deal is not done yet.”

Mauer, 26, is coming off a career-year in which he set highs with 28 home runs, 96 RBI, 191 hits, and 307 total bases despite missing the entire month of April with a back injury.

He made an immediate impact upon returning to the lineup by crushing a home run in his very first at-bat.

Additionally, he led the AL in the new age Triple Crown categories of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage by posting a very impressive .365/.444/.587 cumulative batting line.

He is owed $12.5 million in 2010 and it is believe he could make $20-$25 million on the open market next winter.

The usual suspects have been named as potential suitors for Mauer should he hit the market. Teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets all figure to be in the market for a catcher in the near future as well.

It was believed that if the Twins were unable to sign Mauer long-term the club would look to trade the three-time batting champion rather than let him walk via free agency.

Depending on which report you read, it would seem the Twins are doing their best to avoid any and all scenarios that involve Mauer taking his sweet swing anywhere but the Twin Cities.

Mauer was born and raised in St. Paul and most of his family and friends still reside in the area, so it seems like a perfect fit for both sides to work out a deal before the season begins to avoid any distractions.

Minnesota Inks Twins-Killer Jim Thome, but is he the Best Fit?

2010-02-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

Jim Thome is a member of the Minnesota Twins.

Five years ago, those words would have me jumping up and down, screaming like a madman, and laying claim to the Twins’ inevitable American League pennant.

The problem is that five years is a long time.

Five years ago, Jim Thome was an absolute beast. He could be counted on for 40+ home runs a season, 100 RBI, and an on-base percentage north of .385 year-in and year-out.

Heck, five years ago he was still a pretty solid defensive first baseman.

Five years ago, the Twins were running out the likes of Matt LeCroy, Terry Tiffee, and Shannon Stewart at designated hitter.

All the while a young first baseman by the name of Justin Morneau was struggling to the tune of a .239/.304/.437 batting line in his first full-season of big league action.

Fast-forward five years and Thome, now 39-years old, doesn’t make a whole lot sense.

The Twins have one of baseball’s best designated hitters, Jason Kubel, firmly entrenched in the lineup and Justin Morneau overcame his early career struggles to become one of baseball’s best sluggers.

So where does Thome fit?

He figures to serve primarily as a left-handed bat off the bench and occasional DH against tough right-handers. In those situations Delmon Young—who historically struggles against righties—would ride the pine and Kubel would move to left field.

I can see the pros and cons of the situation.

Thome is a professional hitter who can still rake against right-handed pitching. Every closer in the American League Central is a righty. If you do the math, Thome is the guy you want at the dish late in a game.

The problem is that he doesn’t offer much beyond that scenario.

Thome is a great clubhouse presence, but he shouldn’t be taking at-bats away from Jason Kubel or Delmon Young.

Kubel proved last season he can flourish if given enough at-bats as a DH.

Young is entering a make or break season with the club and by all reports has done a lot of work this offseason to make the most of the 2010 campaign.

As such, I’ve got to wonder why the team didn’t take the money given to Thome and put it toward a position of need such as improving the infield or adding another right-handed power bat to the lineup.

The $1.5 million base salary Thome is set to earn wouldn’t have been enough to land prime targets Orlando Hudson or Felipe Lopez, but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt to have the extra money lying around.

Another option would have been to take that same $1.5 million and invest it in Jonny Gomes.

Gomes, 29, would have been a solid alternative to Thome. Gomes hits very well against left-handed pitching and would be a perfect complement to Kubel at DH and he would help break up a lineup that is very lefty-heavy.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m completely against the Twins bringing in Jim Thome, I just feel like there were some more versatile options available. Most of this stems from the fact that Thome is: a) old and b) a defensive non-entity.

At least we know for a fact that Jonny Gomes owns a baseball glove.

Thome hasn’t played in the field regularly since joining the White Sox prior to the 2006 season.

In fact, the last time Thome played the field at all was June 13, 2007 when Thome’s Sox played against his old club, the Phillies, in Philadelphia during an interleague game.

In the end, I can live with the Thome addition. That is assuming he doesn’t steal too many at-bats away from Young or Kubel over the course of the season.

Thome is a great clubhouse presence and a professional hitter. Sure, he’s old, left-handed, and hasn’t put on a baseball glove since the Bush administration, but he’s still a good addition.

Gomes would have given the Twins some much need right-handed pop without running the risk of stealing full-time at-bats and odds are he could have been had even cheaper, but that’s a non-issue now, because—five years too late or not—it finally happened.

Jim Thome is a member of the Minnesota Twins.

Edge Returns to WWE and Wins the 2010 Royal Rumble

2010-02-01T00:10:00.002-05:00

Well, we all saw that one coming.

In a move that has to be described as “less than shocking,” WWE superstar Edge returned to action Sunday night in Atlanta and won the over-the-top rope battle royal to cash his ticket to WrestleMania 26.

The wrestling world has been abuzz regarding the Royal Rumble this year as, for the first time in years, there didn’t appear to be an odds-on favorite to win the Rumble.

That was, however, unless of course Edge could return in time.

For those who have forgotten, Edge went under the knife in July of last year to repair a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in a match with Jeff Hardy.

The injury was reportedly expected to keep Edge out of action for several months, potentially as much as a year.

Fans of the WWE have grown skeptical regarding injury-timelines in recent years as we’ve been given the same grim diagnosis for superstars like Mr. Kennedy, John Cena, and Batista only to see them make “shocking” returns months ahead of schedule.

As such, numerous WWE fans were anticipating a possible Edge appearance in the Rumble and undoubtedly, if Edge returned he would likely win the match.

As expected the Rated-R Superstar entered the fray at number 29 and eliminated his former tag team partner Chris Jericho and then John Cena to win the Rumble for the first time in his decorated career.

Edge has a championship dossier that is matched by few, if any, superstars in the business today.

He is a twelve-time holder of the WWE World Tag Team Championship, a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion, a five-time Intercontinental Champion, a former WCW United States Champion, a five time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, a four time WWE Champion, the winner of the 2001 King of the Ring tournament, and the first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match winner.

Today Edge can add a new accolade to his already imposing credentials, winner of the 2010 Royal Rumble.

Where the WWE will take the angle from here is anyone’s guess.

Edge seemed to gain a very positive face reaction last night and the obvious matchup would be the Edge/Chris Jericho match that most of the internet wrestling community has been salivating over for nearly six months.

With the ridiculous Elimination Chamber pay-per-view only three weeks away, there is still time to put one of the World Titles on Jericho before WrestleMania and give a sufficient build-up for that main event.

As it stands now, Edge would be choosing between the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Undertaker—a feud we’ve seen a few too many times in recent years—or current WWE Champion, Sheamus.

Undertaker/Edge is undoubtedly entertaining, but both currently are faces and after back-to-back years of having the Rumble winner lose at WrestleMania, it seems far more likely that Edge will garner a win at Mania this year.

I just can’t foresee the WWE putting him over ‘Taker and ending “The Steak.”

Sheamus—if there is a God—won’t be the WWE Champion by WrestleMania.

I’ve made it clear a couple of times now, how I feel about Sheamus and the way he’s been crammed down our throats. Now that he’s got the gold, I can’t help but wonder if there’s ever been a world champion who was so universally ignored by the audience and—seemingly—the writing crew and front office as well.

When the dust finally settles, I’d anticipate that Jericho gets his mitts on one of the big gold belts between now and Mania and we get the match we’re all dying to see.

Is Johnny Damon a Fit for the Seattle Mariners?

2010-01-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

Johnny Damon is a popular subject lately, but not for good reasons.

It’s nearly February and Damon, coming off a very solid season, is finding his pool of potential suitors to be very, very shallow.

It was long assumed that Damon would return to the Yankees, but the signings of Nick Johnson and Randy Winn, coupled with the acquisition of Curtis Granderson have ultimately spelled the end of Damon’s tenure in the Bronx.

The Braves, Tigers, Athletics, and Reds have all been linked to Damon at some point this offseason, but right now there appears to be no legitimate offers on the table.

Damon entered the offseason seeking a three-to-four year deal at roughly the same $13 million per season he made on his last contract.

Needless to say, interest—at that price and length—was tepid, at best.

It was rumored that the Yankees and Damon were close on a two-year pact at one point, but by the time Damon and his agent, Scott Boras, were willing to accept the Bronx Bombers had already inked the aforementioned Johnson.

So where does that leave Damon now?

He’s coming off a very solid year where he put up a line of .282/.365/.489 with 24 home runs, 82 RBI, and 107 runs scored in 550 at-bats.

He is, however, a 36-year-old whose defense is politely described as inadequate and declining speed on the bases.

As such, he is widely-expected to sign something closer to the one-year, $5 million contract Bobby Abreu signed with the Angels last season to re-establish his market value.

This is where the Seattle Mariners come into the picture.

If the Mariners were to sign Damon it would be for one simple reason, the long ball.

As Damon’s speed has waned in recent years, he’s taken to swinging for the fences.

Damon’s home run totals in New York eclipse his totals elsewhere throughout his career.

In Damon’s six years in Kansas City he hit 65 home runs, four years in Boston netted Damon 56 long balls, his lone year in Oakland resulted in nine dingers, and in his four, free-swinging years in New York, Damon launched 77 balls into the seats.

Additionally, his career batting line received a nice boost playing the Bronx. Damon is a career .288/.355/.439 hitter, but in New York he put up an average line of .285/.363/.458, clearly Damon has thrived by implementing a “put it in cheap seats” mentality.

The Mariners projected lineup features some combination of Franklin Gutierrez, Milton Bradley, and Jose Lopez in the heart of the order.

That is if Lopez isn’t traded before Opening Day and if Milton Bradley can prove he belongs on a big league roster after last season’s implosion in Chicago.

Last year, the now-departed Russell Branyan led the team with 31 long balls and trade-candidate Lopez was second with 25 home runs.

After those two Ken Griffey (19), Gutierrez (18), and leadoff man, Ichiro Suzuki (11) rounded out the club’s top five in home runs.

If the Mariners—who seem primed to compete in the cutthroat American League West—want to have a legitimate shot at winning the club’s first pennant since the 2001, the lineup needs some more punch.

Damon just might be a perfect fit.

A rotation of Damon, Bradley, and Griffey at designated hitter and in left field sounds a lot more promising than relying on any one of the three consistently and, if rested and rotated properly, the trio could provide some serious offensive punch.

The Mariners have made some big strides this offseason and currently appear to be just one or two pieces away from becoming a legitimate powerhouse.

The club could still stand to add another starter to round out the rotation and a big bopper to infuse the middle of the order.

At the right price, Damon is exactly what Seattle is missing.

Minnesota Twins: Five Free Agent Options at the Keystone Corner

2010-01-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Twins need to improve the infield.

The club is set at first base and shortstop with Justin Morneau and J.J. Hardy, respectively.

Second base and third base, however, are both wide-open.

Nick Punto figures to be guaranteed a starting job at either of the two positions. As such, the Twins need to add just one more infielder.

Unfortunately, the free agent market—although still loaded with talent—has grown rapidly depleted when it comes to impact players.

The Placido Polancos, Adrian Beltres, Miguel Tejadas, and Mark DeRosas of the world have all signed deals elsewhere and the Twins find themselves still in hunt of an infielder with less than a month before Spring Training begins.

Today I’m going to take a look at five free agents who could potentially play second base for the Minnesota Twins next season.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Curt Schilling Hints at Potential Comeback

2010-01-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

Curt Schilling may be on the comeback trail.

Schilling, who hasn’t pitched in the Majors since Game 2 of the 2007 World Series, hinted as much with this ambiguous tweet earlier today:

“Working out again.....not sure I can add anything to that other than I feel it in every fiber of my being, every step I take....”

Schilling is well-known for tooting his own horn and is a shameless self-promoter, so it is entirely possible that the six-time All-Star is merely trying to get his name in the news during a relatively quiet period in baseball’s offseason.

Schilling, 43, has 216 career wins and is one of the most dominant postseason pitchers of all-time. He is also renowned for having one of the biggest egos in the game and may still believe he can still pitch at an elite level after two years away from the game.

If Schilling were looking to make a comeback it is entirely possible he could find a team to agree to an arrangement similar to the one Pedro Martinez, Paul Byrd, and Roger Clemens have used in the past.

That being, Schilling would sign with a club early in the season, make a few minor league starts, and join the big league club after the All-Star break.

In doing so, Schilling would conceivably be rested and healthy enough to be a reliable starter down the stretch and into the postseason.

Teams may be wary to sign Schilling after he pulled a bait-and-switch of sorts on the Red Sox back in 2008.

After the 2007 season, Schilling signed a one-year, $8 million deal loaded with incentives. Mere months after signing the pact Schilling and his doctor were pushing for season-ending shoulder surgery.

There was a brief tug-of-war between Schilling and the Sox that eventually involved the player’s union. In the end, Schilling never pitched and the Sox paid him $8 million for nothing.

If—and it’s a big if—Schilling is contemplating retirement there are a number of teams that would undoubtedly be interested in his services.

The New York Mets jump to mind immediately as the club is in dire need of another proven starter.

The never-ending arms race between the Red Sox and Yankees could easily draw Schilling into a playoff race as well.

Whether any of this amounts to more than blatant self-promotion remains to be seen.

If nothing else, Schilling has proven he can still get baseball fans talking.

Minnesota Twins: Offseason Options and Fans’ Optimism Dwindling Fast

2010-01-24T00:33:00.000-05:00

Fans of the Minnesota Twins tend to be a nervous bunch.

This is largely due to years of inactivity, false hope, and empty promises from the front office.

It seems that every year we’re given a decry that implies “this offseason the Twins will scour the market to improve the club and prepare for a legitimate push for a third World Series trophy.”

Then Spring Training rolls around and the only additions are past-their-prime veterans who were willing to sign on the cheap and no-name rookies who spent the previous season toiling in Rochester or New Britain.

This offseason—potentially the most important offseason in club history—we were given the same message.

The club was going to improve the infield, add at least one veteran starter to bolster a young rotation, and, most importantly, sign Joe Mauer to a contract extension.

General Manager Bill Smith struck early by trading away defensive wunderkind, Carlos Gomez to acquire an equally-talented gloveman in shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Twins fans assumed that this was the offseason that the club would actually spend money on the free agent market and bring in the talent necessary to push the club to the next level.

After all, the Twins are opening a brand new, state of the art ballpark in 2010 and figure to be rewarded handsomely at the box office as a result.

There was talk of the payroll potentially pushing $100 million.

There was talk of signing the likes of Orlando Hudson, Placido Polanco, Felipe Lopez, Mark DeRosa, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Tejada, Rich Harden, or Ben Sheets to supplement the lineup.

Thus far, that’s all any of it has been, talk.

With Saturday’s announcement that Miguel Tejada had signed a one-year, $6 million deal to return to Baltimore, it become increasingly obvious that the Twins are simply running out of time and options.

Pitchers and catchers are slated to report to Spring Training in less than four weeks and the only names remaining from the initial list of potential signees are Hudson, Lopez, and Sheets.

Thus far, the Twins have been legitimately linked to none of them.

Ben Sheets, after an impressive throwing session that the Twins did not attend, is being courted by up to half-a-dozen teams. Most of those teams are willing to pay him upwards of $10 million in 2010.

The Twins will undoubtedly not match that figure and—sadly—are far more likely to make yet another run at the likes of Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, or Braden Looper.

Personally, I’d rather we make an offer to “Oil Can” Boyd or Jim Bouton than sign any of those three, but that’s just me.

Orlando Hudson has most-recently been linked to the Washington Nationals. The Nats are reportedly willing to give Hudson a two-year deal, as I’d like to assume the Twins would also be willing to do.

Hudson, however, is reportedly seeking a $9 million payday next season, a figure that no team figures to meet. In the end it’s believed he’ll land a two-year deal in the $12-$15 million range, which the Twins could legitimately afford.

That fact notwithstanding, there have been almost no reports of the Twins even contemplating Hudson as the club’s second baseman next season.

Minnesota’s hesitation to sign Hudson is particularly puzzling as he seems to be exactly what the club has lacked for years, a reliable defensive second baseman who can handle the two-hole in the lineup.

Felipe Lopez, well, he seems to have vanished from the face of the earth based on the fact that absolutely no one is talking about him this offseason.

Lopez is coming off a career year and reportedly has only garnered modest interest from the Cardinals who seemingly aren’t willing to pay actual money to acquire him.

Despite the overwhelming availability of all three of these potential game-changers, the Twins have been legitimately linked to none of these men.

The Twins have, however, been linked to the likes of Jim Thome.

Now obviously acquiring Thome would be a huge move, if it were still 2005. The problem is, it's not 2005.

Additionally, the Twins already boast a very lefty-heavy lineup and already have a designated hitter.

In fact, they have a pretty good DH.

His name is Jason Kubel, perhaps you’ve heard of him?

That leads us to where we sit right now, 25 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting and still with glaring holes in the roster.

The top available options are apparently not of interest to the club.

Smith appears more interested in aging, decline-phase sluggers who can no longer play the field.

…and Jarrod Washburn.

Oh yeah, and most reports indicate that the Twins haven’t even begun contract negotiations with Joe Mauer, leading to speculation that the club will be forced to trade the once-in-a-generation catcher before the season’s end.

Yeah, there’s a reason Twins fans are a nervous bunch.

Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles Set for Reunion

2010-01-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

Miguel Tejada is headed back to Baltimore.

The six-time All-Star has agreed on a one-year deal with the Orioles.

The deal, which is currently pending a physical, was confirmed by Tejada during a phone interview with the Associated Press on Saturday.

“I’ve reached a deal for one season and $6 million,” Tejada said. “I know it’s less than what I made last year, but the market has changed and I feel happy to be able to play in the major leagues.”

Tejada, 35, made more than $14 million last season with the Houston Astros. It was the final year of a six-year, $72 million contract that Tejada signed with the Orioles prior to the 2004 season.

When Tejada signed his original deal with Baltimore he was one year removed from winning the American League MVP with the Oakland Athletics and he was regarded as one of the best shortstops in the game.

A lot has changed in the six years since Tejada inked that deal.

Tejada has lost much of his power and his range at shortstop has deteriorated to the point that he’ll be shifting to third base for his second tour of duty with the Orioles.

Additionally, Tejada has endured a number of blows off the field as well.

Just days after being traded to Houston prior to the 2008 season Tejada was named in the infamous Mitchell Report.

In April 2008, he admitted that he’d lied about his age and was actually two years older than he’d claimed.

And finally, last March, Tejada was sentenced to one year of probation for misleading Congress.

All the while, Tejada didn’t let the off-field issues impact his play on the diamond.

In two seasons with the Astros, Tejada hit a combined .298/.327/.435 and made two All-Star teams.

Tejada proved last season that despite diminished power he can still hit at a pretty solid clip. His .313/.340/.455 batting line came with 14 home runs, 86 RBI and a league-best 46 doubles in 158 games last season.

The Orioles hope to get similar production from the veteran who will be replacing the departed Melvin Mora at the hot corner, a career move that Tejada seems excited to tackle.

“I’ll play in third base, which means a change in my career,” Tejada said. “It’s like the beginning of a new career, but I’ll continue doing my same workout routine to be able continue my career.”

Tejada figures to fit nicely into a lineup that includes burgeoning young stars Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, and Matt Wieters; in addition to veteran talents such as Brian Roberts, Luke Scott, and the recently-signed Garrett Atkins.

Surprisingly, interest in Tejada was tepid, at best, this offseason.

The Athletics, Cardinals, Giants, Rockies, and Twins were all linked to Tejada at some point in recent weeks. Nothing ever materialized as Tejada seemed to be everyone’s backup plan.

That’s how the Orioles, who admittedly didn’t expect Tejada to be around this late, were reportedly the only club to make an official offer for his services.

If Tejada is able to match last year’s production at a value price of $6 million there’s no doubt that all of his other suitors will regret not making a more serious play for Tejada.

New York Mets Acquire Gary Matthews Jr.

2010-01-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

It took a while, but Gary Matthews Jr. finally got his wish.

Matthews, 35, has reportedly been traded to the New York Mets in exchange for a yet-to-be named "low salaried pitcher'' off the big league roster.

Matthews’ former team, the Los Angeles Angels, is expected to eat the majority of $23 million remaining on Matthew’s ill-fated contract.

The five-year, $50 million pact was agreed upon prior to the 2007 campaign.

At the time Matthews was coming off a career year in Texas where he’d set career highs across the board posting an impressive .313/.371/.495 batting line to go with 102 runs scored, 19 home runs, 79 RBI and 44 doubles.

To boot, Matthews gained an inaccurate reputation as premier defensive center fielder, based largely on the merits of one spectacular catch.

When Matthews’ 2006-success didn’t carry over with the Angels, he quickly lost playing time.

The Angels signed a legitimate defensive center fielder—and a superior hitter—in Torii Hunter prior to the 2008 season and Matthews was relegated to a fourth outfielder role and by mid-2009 had become the club’s fifth option.

As such, Matthews began lobbying for a trade out of Los Angeles.

Matthews reportedly asked for a trade in Spring Training of 2009, at the All-Star break, and again at season’s end.

Shocking as it may seem, teams weren’t exactly lining up to acquire a mediocre defensive outfielder with a career battling line of .258/.333/.408 and one of the worst contracts of all-time.

As one might expect that left only two options for Matthews, shut up and cash paychecks as a bench player in Los Angeles or the New York Mets.

The Mets are clearly concerned that Carlos Beltran, the club’s star center fielder, won’t be ready to play as soon as expected.

Beltran underwent knee surgery last week and is expected to miss at least twelve weeks recovering, thus ensuring he won’t be available early in the season.

The move appears to be a knee-jerk reaction by the Mets who possess internal options in Angel Pagan and Fernando Martinez.

Additionally, if the club is that worried they’d be better off signing someone like Johnny Damon who can still hit the ball and can play mediocre defense just as well as Matthews can.

Matthews, who will receive $11 million in 2010 and $12 million in 2011, is in his second-stint with New York. He appeared in two games, earning one at-bat, back in 2002.

Matthews figures to play a much larger role this time around as he’ll likely be penciled in as the club’s starting center fielder in Beltran’s absence.

If/when Beltran returns to the lineup, it will be interesting to see how vocal Matthews is about playing time now that he’s been given a second—albeit undeserved—shot as a big league center fielder.

UPDATE: According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Angels will receive big league reliever Brian Stokes in the deal and will pay $21 million of the remaining $23 million on the contract in addition to a $500,000 bonus that Matthews receives for being traded.

Minnesota Twins Debate: Johnny Damon vs Eric Byrnes

2010-01-21T19:44:00.001-05:00

“The Minnesota Twins should sign Eric Byrnes.”

That was the general thesis statement of the article I wrote yesterday.

In reaction to that article, the fine folks at “Baseball Musings” posed a good question.

“Why Byrnes if you could sign Johnny Damon for well below his value?”

It is a solid question and being that it was in response to my original article; I might as well be the one to answer it, so here it goes:

Eric Byrnes is a better free agent signing than Johnny Damon for four simple reasons.

The first reason is the easiest to debate, the overall investment.

Earlier this offseason Johnny Damon was rumored to be seeking a three or four-year deal, valued at no less than $13 million per season. An underdeveloped market has brought down his demands to something in the neighborhood of a two-year, $20 million deal.

If Damon is indeed stuck on a multi-year agreement, I can’t see the Twins wanting to lock up an aging, decline-phase Damon when the farm system is loaded with top outfielders like Ben Revere, Aaron Hicks, Angel Morales and Max Kepler.

Even if Damon were to suddenly give in and accept a deal similar to the one Bobby Abreu received last offseason (one-year, $5 million) he’d still require an investment more than twelve times higher than Byrnes, who would be signing for the league minimum.

The second reason is playing time.

As currently comprised, the Twins appear committed to Delmon Young in left field.

Young, despite all his faults, made some big strides at the end of 2009 and—based on the one-year, $2.6 million deal he received earlier this week—has earned at least one more chance to prove that he can be Minnesota’s left fielder of the future.

His overall numbers in Minnesota have been disappointing to say the least, especially given that he was once touted as a lock for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases every year.

He has obviously fallen short of those projections, but the Twins—in an effort to show that the cost of Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett was worth it—aren’t ready to give up on Young quite yet.

Undoubtedly, 2010 will be a make or break year for Young. Relegating him to a bench role in favor of Damon would only further derail any chance Young has of becoming a legitimate everyday left fielder.

Both Byrnes and his agent have made it clear that they are well-aware that the charismatic outfielder’s future is as a part-time player. That awareness would allow Byrnes to shift into the clubhouse without creating any controversy and disturbing the oft-revered harmony that exists within the Twins’ locker-room.

The third reason Byrnes makes more sense is lineup balance.

Although Damon is the superior hitter, the Twins lineup is already chockfull of left-handers.

Inserting Damon into the two-hole—his primary batting position last season in New York—would give the Twins four-straight lefties atop the lineup. This isn’t a bad thing per se, but allows for opponents to exploit matchups far more than a balanced lineup.

Byrnes is a right-hander who, despite slightly diminished skills, can still rake against left-handed pitching and has respectable speed on the bases.

My fourth, and final, reason that the Twins would be wise to sign Byrnes over Damon is one of the most obvious, defense or a lack thereof by Damon.

Damon’s ability to play center field is non-existent and was, in his prime, below average. His overall defensive rating in left field last season was below average as well.

Byrnes, despite losing a few steps over the years, is still a strong corner outfielder who can play center field in a pinch. He fits the prototypical fourth-outfielder model much better than Delmon Young, who would undoubtedly be relegated to the role if Damon were signed.

In the end, I’d much rather have Byrnes as a fourth-outfielder for the league minimum and take my odds on Delmon Young in left at $2.6 million than drop $5 million-plus on a decline-phase Johnny Damon.

Joel Pineiro Signs with the Los Angeles Angels

2010-01-20T20:03:00.002-05:00

Joe Pineiro is packing his bags for the west coast.

Pineiro has reportedly signed a two-year deal worth roughly $16 million with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels suffered a number of free agent losses this offseason, but recouped some pitching depth Wednesday with the signing Pineiro, who was believed by many to be the best remaining arm on the market.

Pineiro, 31, went 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 32 starts for St. Louis in 2009. Much of that success was due to his impressive, and league leading, 60.2% groundball rate.

The addition of Pineiro seemingly rounds out the Angels rotation for 2010.

Alongside Pineiro will be lefties Scott Kazmir and Joe Saunders and fellow right-handers Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana.

Pineiro comes as a consolation prize of sorts for the Angels who had previously struck out in pursuit of pitching this offseason.

The club made an unsuccessful bid to retain John Lackey when he signed with the Boston Red Sox in December.

At almost exactly the same time, the club came up empty in an attempt to trade for Roy Halladay. Halladay landed in Philadelphia as part of a three-team trade with the Mariners and Blue Jays.

In January, the Angels were reportedly very interested in signing Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. In the end, Los Angeles was beat to the punch by the small-market Cincinnati Reds.

Pineiro himself may consider the Angels a consolation prize as well.

Earlier this offseason Pineiro indicated that he was looking for a four-year deal with a higher annual value than what Randy Wolf received from the Milwaukee Brewers in December.

Unfortunately for Pineiro, his market never really developed and it seemed for weeks that he was destined to land in either New York with the Mets or on the other side of Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

The Angels jumped into the fray earlier this week and quickly become Pineiro’s top choicehttp://twitter.com/SI_JonHeyman/status/8008756702.

Although Pineiro didn’t get the years or dollars he was reportedly seeking, he has landed in a good spot to re-establish his value for his next foray into free agency.

The Angels are a consistently competitive ballclub with a solid defense to back Pineiro in the field. Additionally, he’ll benefit from pitching games in the cavernous parks of Oakland and Seattle on a frequent basis.

He’ll be 33 when he re-enters the market in two years and could parlay two good years with the Angels into one final payday that will be more to his liking.

Los Angeles still has holes to fill, especially given the strides made by the rest of the division this winter, but the addition of Pineiro gives the Angels arguably the best rotation in the American League West.

Is Eric Byrnes an Option for the Minnesota Twins?

2010-01-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

Eric Byrnes is officially a free agent and might be exactly what the Twins are looking for this offseason.

Byrnes, 33, was designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks last Friday when the club signed first baseman Adam LaRoche and was officially released this afternoon.

Byrnes was entering the final season of an ill-fated three-year, $30 million contract he signed on the heels of a career-year in 2007. That season he put up a solid batting line of .286/.353/.450 with 21 home runs, 83 RBI, 103 runs scored, and 50 stolen bases.

In the two seasons since inking the deal, Byrnes has been besieged by injuries and overall ineffectiveness.

In 2008 and 2009 combined, he only appeared in 136 games while putting up a paltry .218/.271/.382 line at the plate. His power and speed have both dropped off precipitously in the process.

As such, it wasn’t a shock that the Diamondbacks couldn’t find a trade partner for Byrnes and the $11 million he’s owed in 2010.

Arizona will be on the hook for the vast-majority of his salary this season while Byrnes’ new team will only be responsible for paying him the league minimum.

This is where the Minnesota Twins come into the picture.

After trading Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy, the once-crowded outfield in Minnesota seems a bit barren.

Gomez was the only “true center fielder” of the bunch, given his speed and ability to seemingly reach every ball hit within his zip code.

Denard Span, although talented in his own right, figures to be a bit stretched as an everyday center fielder. His arm and range both project much better in one of the corners than in center field.

Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young are going to hold down the corner spots, but both have proven to be prone to injuries (Cuddyer) and ineffectiveness (Young) in recent years and either could struggle this season.

Jason Pridie (aka: the other guy in the much-maligned Garza/Bartlett trade) is currently projected as the club’s fourth outfielder.

Pridie, 26, has shown very little in his time with the Twins to convince anyone he’ll ever be anything more than a fourth outfielder. He has virtually no plate discipline, decent speed on the bases, and a little pop in his bat. That’s it.

Pridie has looked overmatched at Triple-A Rochester the past two seasons hitting a combined .268/.300/.409 with a dreadful K:BB ratio of 237:49 over the same span.

Byrnes, especially, at the bargain price of roughly $400,000 would be a significant upgrade over Pridie as a fourth outfielder.

It is entirely possible that Byrnes will never hit .300 or smash 20+ home runs again and it is almost a foregone conclusion that the 50 bases he swiped in 2007 was a major statistical anomaly.

That having been said, he’s still a much better option than Jason Pridie.

Byrnes is still a very strong corner outfielder who could play center field in a pinch, albeit without the same range he flashed earlier in his career. He showed last season that he still has some pop when facing lefties and can still run a little bit on the bases.

Additionally, Byrnes is well-regarded around baseball for being a very good clubhouse presence. His energy and infectious enthusiasm have been mentioned as two things the Diamondbacks clubhouse will miss most in his absence this season.

That type of attitude and enthusiasm seems like a perfect fit for the traditionally loose and fun-loving atmosphere for which the Minnesota clubhouse is well-renowned.

Adding Byrnes obviously wouldn’t be akin to signing Felipe Lopez or Miguel Tejada, but he would definitely provide the Twins with some much needed insurance off the bench and a much better fourth outfield option than Jason Pridie.

It may not be a sexy move, but it just might be the right one.

Maybe It’s Just Me: The Bill Smith Inactivity Edition

2010-01-16T17:46:00.000-05:00

Maybe it’s just me, but I might hate Bill Smith.

I’m not much for hating, but come on, it’s mid-January and all Smith has accomplished this offseason is trading for J.J. Hardy.

Now that move was—admittedly—an impressive exploit by Smith and I have no intention of downplaying the importance of Hardy’s acquisition.

Here’s the problem. That was in November.

That was before the Winter Meetings.

That was before popular targets such as Rich Harden, Placido Polanco, Adrian Beltre, Mark DeRosa, and Kevin Kouzmanoff all landed elsewhere.

There are still solid free agents available in the likes of Felipe Lopez, Orlando Hudson, and Miguel Tejada.

Bill Smith, however, seems more interested in signing the likes of Jarrod Washburn to “bolster” the rotation.

The way I see it, the rotation with Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Carl Pavano, and some combination of Glen Perkins/Francisco Liriano/Brian Duensing/Anthony Swarzak is due for a pretty good year.

As such, why waste the money and starts on overrated, overpaid hurlers like Washburn?

The club needs another infielder and appears to be operating under the impression that Joe Crede is just waiting at home for a phone call from the club.

Rumor has it, he’s not. The club may be quickly working on losing its fallback plan.

Miguel Tejada—who would be an ideal number two hitter—is still on the market. Melvin Mora is out there and on a one-year deal, makes plenty of sense.

Second-sackers Orlando Hudson and Felipe Lopez are both still on the block and either one would be a dramatic improvement in the two-hole next season.

Yet, despite the names available, Bill Smith seems content to continue playing “the waiting game” to see if the prices plummet further.

It’s entirely possible that the prices will plummet further.

Last year, Orlando Hudson didn’t sign with the Dodgers until February 20 and even then he had to settle for an incentive-laden, one-year pact with a miniscule $3.38 million base salary.

Hudson went on to make the All-Star team, win a Gold Glove, and put up a batting line of .283/.357/.417.

Clearly there are gems to be found late in the offseason and clearly they can be found at an incredible discount.

I simply want to know why the Twins—a club that has seemingly been one or two parts away from becoming a legitimate World Series contender—wouldn’t be doing everything to ensure they land a Hudson or Tejada for the 2010 club.

Joe Mauer is supposedly sitting back and waiting to see the club take shape before he’ll begin discussing a contract extension.

If I’m Joe Mauer—and I’ve seen the Red Sox and Yankees re-load in an offseason where neither team needed to re-load—I’d be starting to think that the grass looks a whole lot greener on the other side.

But hey, maybe it’s just me…

Florida Marlins Forced to Increase Payroll, Should Fans Increase Expectations?

2010-01-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

The Florida Marlins are adding payroll, whether they like it or not.

That is the agreement that Major League Baseball and the players’ union have come to after years of watching Marlins’ owner Jeffrey Loria line his pockets with money from baseball’s revenue sharing system, an act which would be in violation of the revenue sharing provisions.

According to MLB’s Basic Agreement, any club that receives money via revenue sharing is committed to use those funds "to improve its performance on the field."

The Marlins clearly haven’t been doing that as the club’s payroll has been the lowest in MLB in three of the past four seasons.

The club’s payroll topped $40 million just four times in the last decade and has only exceeded $46 million once over the same time period.

Poor attendance is often pointed to as the main culprit, but the Marlins are due to open a new ballpark in 2012, the same year the payroll agreement ends.

Club spending typically increases with the opening of a new stadium, but the commissioner’s office and the union wanted the Marlins to reinvest more of their revenue sharing profits into the on-field product prior to the opening of the new field.

The agreement doesn’t state a mandated minimum salary for the club, but it is believed that the payroll will increase significantly beyond the roughly $37 million the team spent last season.

Despite operating with a shoestring budget, the Marlins finished in second-place in the National League East, while the New York Mets were fourth even with a payroll of $136 million.

As such, it isn’t too far-fetched to believe that this “punishment” could turn into a blessing for the Marlins.

The club can now build a winning ballclub prior to the move across town in two years.

Second baseman Dan Uggla, has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason long and interest has been tepid at best.

Much of this is Uggla’s own doing after publicly stating an unwillingness to move his atrociously bad glove to a position other than second base.

The club can now afford to keep Uggla, 29, who figures to make upwards of $7 million in arbitration this winter. This allows the Marlins to either lock up the slugging second baseman long-term or move him later when the market for his services has improved.

Additionally, the club can—and hopefully will—now right a previous offseason wrong and lock up club ace Josh Johnson.

Earlier this offseason the then-stingy Marlins were near an extension with the 25-year-old Johnson, but balked when Johnson’s agent asked for a fourth-year on the deal.

The club would be wise to jumpstart negotiations with Johnson regarding an extension as the balky right-hander could anchor the Marlins staff well into the next decade if the club is smart enough to keep him around.

A third name that hasn’t been brandied about nearly as often is Ricky Nolasco.

The right-hander was the club’s Opening Day starter in 2009 before ineffectiveness relegated him to the minors for a brief midseason stint.

Nolasco, 27, has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career and pairs up nicely with Johnson at the head of the club’s rotation.

If the season started today the Marlins’ payroll, factoring in arbitration raises, would be somewhere between $40-$50 million.

That figure may be all the higher the club is willing to go, but with a new ballpark only two seasons away and the club on the brink of contending it wouldn’t be unheard of to see the Marlins alter course and make some splashes.

With plenty of free agents still available, and many willing to sign at a discounted rate to ensure employment, the club could go bargain-shopping and lock up in-house talent at the same time.

In doing so, the Marlins would become immediate favorites for the Wild Card and a dark horse candidate to unseat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

The other option is that the Marlins will simply comply with the “punishment” and spend the necessary dollars to appease MLB and the players’ union.

Either way, one thing is certain, the 2010 Marlins will have more money invested into the on-field talent; a fact which should create for a more competitive ballclub and may have the rest of the National League wondering who is really getting punished.

Minnesota Twins All-Decade Team

2009-12-25T05:01:00.000-05:00

As the first decade of the 2000s comes to a close, it seems like a fine time for a little reflection.

The Twins have arguably been one of baseball’s best franchises during the past decade.

Largely under the watch of underrated skipper, Ron Gardenhire, the Twins have won the American League Central five times.

Even more impressively, the club has maintained a high level of competitiveness all decade long, as Minnesota only finished lower than third one time, way back in 2000.

The success of the club as a whole has come as a result of numerous players over the last ten years.

As such, I’ve created the Twins All-Decade Team, a full 25-man roster meant to honor those players who played a big part in the most successful period of Twins baseball in franchise history.

Not all of the players listed below are the best players who have suited up for the club in the past ten years, but they are the players who had the biggest impact.

For example, Luis Castillo is probably the best overall second baseman to grace the Twins’ roster in the past decade, but his brief stint with the club didn’t warrant a position on this list. The same could be said about Joe Crede, who (when healthy) was arguably the best third baseman the Twins have had in years.

As such, all of the players listed have spent significant time—at least three seasons—with the Twins.

Some of the decisions were no-brainers and some required a lot more reflection. When you’re done with the slideshow, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Without any further ado, I present the Minnesota Twins All-Decade Team.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Juan Pierre Traded to the Chicago White Sox

2009-12-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Juan Pierre is a free man.

After two long seasons, Pierre’s stint as baseball’s best fourth outfielder is presumably over.

The Chicago White Sox have reportedly acquired the slap-hitting sensation from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for two minor league pitchers to be named later.

Pierre, 32, will give the club an element it has lacked in recent years, speed.

Prior to assuming a bench role, Pierre averaged 52 steals per 162 games played while hitting mostly in the leadoff spot, a role he figures to assume with the White Sox.

Pierre brings more than speed to the Chicago lineup as he is also a solid top of the order table-setter with a career .301/.348/.372 batting line.

Last season, Pierre appeared in 145 games and hit .308/.365/.392 with 30 stolen bases.

Included in that total is a torrid stretch when starting left fielder Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50-games. During Ramirez’s suspension Pierre hit .318/.381/.411 with 21 stolen bases, 17 extra-base hits and 32 runs scored in 240 at-bats.

Despite his obvious skills as a leadoff hitter, Pierre had been deemed largely unmovable as he has two more years and $18.5 million remaining on the five-year, $44 million pact he signed with Los Angeles prior to the 2007 season.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Pierre will cost the White Sox $3 million in 2010 and $5 million in 2011, with the Dodgers picking up the remaining $10.5 million.

Prior to his relegation to the bench in 2008, he’d shown incredible durability by playing in all 162 games in each of the previous five seasons.

His defense and throwing arm are both stretched in center field and he ranks poorly on the defensive metric du jour, UZR/150. However, with Alex Rios in the fold, the club is more likely to shift Pierre to left field, Rios to center, and move Carlos Quentin to right field.

Based on the aforementioned UZR/150 rating, that arrangement would give the White Sox their best overall defensive alignment in the outfield, with the recently-acquired Andruw Jones serving as the fourth outfielder.

The addition of Pierre probably spells the end of Chicago’s tinkering for the offseason. The club is set all around the diamond and the rotation appears solid.

The White Sox now have a dynamic leadoff hitter, something the club hasn’t truly had in years. Pierre figures to be the table-setter the club has desperately needed in recent years.

Overall, the offense appears to be very solid and—given a full, healthy season of Jake Peavy—the club should have one of the best pitching staffs in the American League Central.

After struggling in 2009, Chicago’s under-the-radar roster moves could land the club right back in the thick of the pennant chase next season.

Mike Cameron Signs with Boston and Ends the Jason Bay Era

2009-12-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

Jason Bay? Nope.

Matt Holliday? Pass.

The Boston Red Sox balked at the sticker price on the two marquee left fielders on the market and went a different route by reportedly signing veteran center fielder Mike Cameron.

The signing—which is currently pending a physical—further solidifies the end of the Jason Bay era in Boston and by all accounts should spell the end of any more Matt Holliday to Boston rumors.

It also shows that the Red Sox, after reportedly signing ace John Lackey earlier today, are making a commitment to pitching and defense going forward. A decision that contrasts Boston’s rival, the recently re-stocked powerhouse New York Yankees.

Cameron and the Red Sox have reportedly reached an agreement on a two-year deal worth roughly $15.5 million.

Cameron, 36, is an elite defender in center field and has three Gold Glove Awards to his name as a result.

It isn’t yet known if the Sox will use Cameron in center or left, but given last year’s low defensive ratings of incumbent center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, it would make sense to move Ellsbury to left and allow Cameron to roam center at Fenway Park.

Throughout his big league career Cameron has played 1,699 games in center field, 139 games in right, and just three in left field. He did, however, express a willingness to shift to a corner spot earlier this offseason in an attempt to entice more suitors.

Cameron brings much more to the table than just his glove.

He is a .250/.340/.448 career hitter with 265 home runs in 15 seasons spent with the White Sox, Reds, Mariners, Padres, Mets, and the Brewers.

Over the past four years he has averaged 23 home runs and 75 RBI to go with 16 stolen bases per season.

Cameron could thrive moving from Milwaukee’s spacious Miller Park to the more hitter-friendly confines of Fenway Park.

Cameron also has a reputation for being an upstanding clubhouse presence and a mentor to younger players.

He figures to have a profound impact on Ellsbury who is very talented and has a flair for the dramatic plays. Ellsbury also has a reputation of getting bad reads and taking poor routes to balls, both of which impacted his defensive decline last season.

The Cubs, Braves, Padres, and Mariners were all rumored to have interest in Cameron.

Chicago had waited to pursue Cameron until the club was able to clear salary by moving outfielder Milton Bradley and Seattle was reportedly preoccupied trying to sign the aforementioned Jason Bay.

Undoubtedly, their loss is the Red Sox gain as the club continues to stockpile talent in one of the busiest days of the offseason.

Cameron will no doubt prove to be a great acquisition for the Red Sox and at a substantially more reasonable price than Bay or Holliday would have required.

John Lackey to Sign with the Boston Red Sox

2009-12-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

The never-ending game of one-upmanship continues.

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly on the verge of inking the top pitcher on the market, John Lackey, to a five-year, $85 million contract.

Reports out of Boston claim that Lackey took a physical with the Sox on Monday, an indication that an official deal is close.

The move would serve to counter the New York Yankees' recent acquisition of All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson in a three-team blockbuster trade last week.

The Sox have money to spend after Jason Bay reportedly rejected the club’s latest contract offer. With his rejection, the club had seemingly decided to go a different route and improve the club’s pitching and defense.

Lackey, 31, would play a major part in the club’s new mission, as the Sox would boast one of the most formidable rotations in the American League.

The club has already acquired shortstop Marco Scutaro to shore up the middle infield both defensively and offensively.

Additionally, the Sox are in the process of trading veteran third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

The belief is that the club would then move to acquire free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre or attempt—once again—to trade for San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Beltre is a Gold Glove third sacker who would help solidify one of baseball’s best defensive infields. Gonzalez is one of the game's most underrated first baseman who could legitimately mash 50-plus home runs playing in a different home park.

In left field, the club appears content to let Bay get overpaid elsewhere and has shown limited interest in Matt Holliday.

Recent rumors have the club interested in free agent center fielder Mike Cameron.

Cameron is a top-flight center fielder who would allow the club to move Jacoby Ellsbury to left field, a position he is better suited to play on a full-time basis.

It was reported earlier in the offseason that Lackey was seeking a contract similar to the five-year, $82.5 million deal that the Yankees gave to right-hander A.J. Burnett last offseason, and he seems to have gotten exactly what he wanted.

Lackey entered this offseason as the top starting pitcher on the free-agent market after going 11-8 in 2009 with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts. He helped the Angels advance to Game Six of the American League Championship Series and dominated the Red Sox in Game One of the AL Division Series, hurling 7.1 shutout innings.

Needless to say, adding a pitcher of his caliber to an already daunting front two of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester would be a major coup for the Red Sox.

Lackey has a career record of 102-71 with a 3.81 career ERA in eight seasons. In the postseason he is 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA.

Minnesota Twins: Non-Tenders Provide New Free Agent Targets

2009-12-13T23:24:00.002-05:00

Minnesota Twins general manager Bill Smith just got a reprieve.

After sitting idly by and watching a number of the club’s offseason targets sign elsewhere in the past two weeks, Smith now has a second chance at making some major moves this offseason.

Smith’s reprieve comes as the free agent pool just received an infusion of new talent.

This infusion came as a result of the non-tender deadline, which passed at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday.

Teams had the option to not tender a contract to any player with less than six years of service time, rather than enduring the arbitration process.

In doing so, those players are then released by the club and become free agents.

In total, 39 players were non-tendered last night, including some very big names.

Of those non-tendered, many could be good fits for the Twins’ roster next season.

Making them all the more attractive is that most of these players should be willing to sign one-year, make-good contracts to re-establish their market value and/or build for a solid raise via arbitration next winter.

Obviously signing a non-tendered player wouldn’t inspire the inhabitants of Twins Territory in the same way signing Adrian Beltre, Felipe Lopez, or even Joe Crede would.

These players, despite the lack of fanfare, could still provide a major boost to the Twins’ championship hopes next season and at a fraction of the cost that their heavily-acclaimed counterparts will no doubt require.

With that in mind, here’s a look at five newly-minted free agents that should be of significant interest to general manager Bill Smith in the coming weeks.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

MLB’s Winter Meetings: Winners and Losers

2009-12-11T23:55:00.003-05:00

Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings have officially come to a close.

What we saw this week was a lot of talking and very little action from most teams, but a few intrepid general managers forged headlong into the free agent market, essentially setting the bar for all free agent signings that will follow.

Additionally, we saw a handful of teams able to strike deals with the intent of improving their fortunes heading into next season.

As is often the case, much of the winter’s action will happen in the weeks between the Winter Meetings’ conclusion and the opening days of Spring Training.

Whatever happened or—in some cases—didn’t happen in Indianapolis figures to lay the framework for the rest of the offseason.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five biggest winners and losers of this year’s Winter Meetings.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Rich Harden Signs with the Texas Rangers

2009-12-09T17:35:00.005-05:00

The (AL) West just got wilder.

Rich Harden has reportedly signed a one-year deal, worth a guaranteed $7.5 million, with the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers will pay him $6.5 million in a base salary for 2010, plus $2.5 million in incentives. He gets $500,000 more if he pitches 155 innings and another $500,000 each at 165, 175, 185 and 195 innings.

There is a mutual option for 2011 worth $11 million with a $1 million buyout. Both the Rangers and Harden have the right to turn down the option for 2011 and have him become a free agent.

The deal is currently pending a physical.

The timing of the deal is no surprise as the Rangers traded incumbent staff ace, Kevin Millwood to Baltimore earlier today in exchange for reliever Chris Ray.

The swap netted the Rangers roughly $5-7 million worth of savings, leaving them with enough money to add one of the three big “risk vs. reward” pitchers on the market.

The club showed no real interest in lefty Erik Bedard, but did seem intrigued by Harden and the player they coveted—and nearly signed—a year ago, Ben Sheets.

Sheets priced himself out of the Rangers plans—and likely limited his overall market—when he announced that he was seeking a deal worth $12 million, the same figure he earned when he last pitched in 2008.

As such, Harden immediately became the most attractive option for Texas.

Harden, 28, was not offered arbitration by the Chicago Cubs, but was a Type B free agent and would not have cost the Rangers a draft pick either way.

The right-hander went 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 games last season with Chicago.

Overall he has a career record of 50-29 with a cumulative 3.39 ERA and 783 strikeouts in 753.2 innings pitched.

All of that work, however, comes in just 127 career starts spread over seven seasons.

Harden has a checked health history, there’s no denying that fact. He’s never pitched more than 190 innings in a season and he’s only surpassed last season’s mark of 26 starts once, back in 2004 as a 22-year old.

He does, however, offer exactly what the Rangers are looking for to head the club’s rotation.

He’s young, having just turned 28 at the end of November, he’s got experience pitching in the American League West after spending five and a half years with Oakland, and he’s a lot like team president Nolan Ryan, in that he likes to strike people out.

Harden has a career mark of 9.4 K/9 while allowing just 3.9 BB/9. He isn’t going to waste pitches and he’s got all the making of a legitimate ace on the mound.

The Rangers are definitely taking a gamble that he’ll remain healthy and effective while transitioning back to the American League after a year and a half pitching on the senior circuit.

If Harden is healthy, however, he’ll be a dramatic improvement over Kevin Millwood and could give the Rangers the push they need to leapfrog the Angels and Mariners for division dominance.

With that thought in the mind the Rangers are more than happy to welcome Harden back to the wild, wild AL West.

Texas-Sized Trade: Rangers Deal Ace, Millwood to Baltimore

2009-12-09T14:22:00.004-05:00

Kevin Millwood is headed east to Baltimore after the Orioles and Rangers made a splash in the trade market today.

The Rangers receive former closer, Chris Ray and a player to be named later in the swap.

Ray, 27, closed for the Orioles in 2006, saving 33 games. He started the 2007 campaign as the closer, but underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2007.

He missed all of 2008 while recovering from the surgery and didn’t rebound as the club had hoped in 2009, putting up an abysmal 0-4 record with a 7.27 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched.

Although he wasn’t effective in 2009, he still possesses a fastball that is consistently in the mid-nineties. It is, however, a very hittable, very straight fastball.

The hope is that Rangers’ pitching coach Mike Maddux can help straighten out the youngster and get him back into the form that made him a late-inning dynamo back in 2006.

If Ray is healthy, he could be the right-handed setup man that allows the Rangers to move Neftali Feliz or C.J. Wilson to the rotation.

Millwood, 34, figures to take on the same role he did in Texas, ace by default.

Millwood doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he gets the job done on the hill and has proven to be a reliable innings-eater, which is exactly what the Orioles need.

He has made at least 25 starts for eight consecutive seasons. In fact, he’s started at least 29 games in ten of his twelve full-seasons in the big leagues.

Currently the only other “sure thing” in the rotation is Jeremy Guthrie, and that ain’t saying much.

The rest of the rotation is stocked with young talent and Millwood’s ability to eat up innings and provide stability atop the rotation will be a great asset as the rest of the staff matures.

Millwood has spent the last four of his 13 major-league seasons with the Rangers. He is 155-121 for his career with a 4.02 ERA.

Last season he posted a 3.67 ERA in 198.6 innings with a 5.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9.

The Rangers will pay approximately $3 million of Millwood's $12 million salary for 2010, after which he’ll become a free agent.

Both teams walk away from this deal with exactly what they need.

The Rangers were able to shed some payroll and add a power arm to the back of a bullpen, which should allow them to improve the rotation internally. They could also used the money they’ve saved to sign a free agent starter.

The Orioles, who have money to spend, acquired a solid, albeit pricey, front of the rotation starter to provide much-needed stability to a very young rotation. Additionally, they were able to acquire Millwood without giving up a major piece of the farm system.

In the end, this deal is a win-win for both parties.

Randy Wolf Signs with the Milwaukee Brewers

2009-12-09T12:39:00.002-05:00

Another one bites the dust.

An already weak crop of free agent starters just took another hit as left-hander Randy Wolf has reportedly inked a three-year deal deal worth just under $30 million with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The deal, which is contingent upon Wolf passing a physical, reportedly has an option for a fourth year.

Wolf, 33, is coming off a stellar year with Los Angeles in which he went 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 34 starts. He hurled 214.1 innings, topping the 200 inning mark for the first time since 2003 when Wolf was with Philadelphia.

Along with staff ace, Yovani Gallardo, Wolf will be expected to help anchor a rotation that was one of the worst in baseball last season.

The Brewers tied the Orioles for the worst starters' ERA in the Majors at 5.37 and finished next to last in the National League in cumulative team ERA at 4.83.

Wolf also figures to provide the Brewers with a much-needed innings-eater. Although he’s only thrown more than 200 innings in a season four times in his eleven year career, the club is confident that he is the man for the job and can continue to put up numbers similar to the ones he posted last season.

After making the playoffs in 2008, the Brewers lost both Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia to free agency and fell two games below .500 last season. As a result, the club finished eleven games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and missed the playoffs once again.

Wolf will be expected to help right the ship and push the Brewers back into contention in the traditionally tight National League Central.

That is, if Wolf can stay healthy, something that hasn’t always been easy for the southpaw.

Wolf’s aforementioned 2003 campaign with Philadelphia earned him an All-Star nod and, at 26, he figured to be a pitcher on the rise.

Unfortunately, Wolf was hampered by lingering arm troubles after the 2003 season. In 2005, Wolf’s injuries required Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss parts of the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

The Phillies let him enter free agency following the 2006 season and he signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers.

Wolf started the season well, but landed on the 15-day disabled list in July with shoulder soreness. It was believed that he would recover quickly, but the condition worsened and he underwent shoulder surgery and missed the remainder of the year.

In 2008, Wolf signed yet another one-year deal, this time with the Padres, and he finally managed to stay healthy.

In a season that was split between San Diego and Houston, Wolf went 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA in 33 starts while notching 190.1 innings pitched.

Wolf’s return to health was enough to convince the Dodgers to give him a second chance in 2009 and he made the most of it by anchoring a rotation full of inexperienced youngsters and veteran journeymen.

The Dodgers ran away with the National League West and Wolf’s contributions played a major part.

As such, he had seemingly re-captured the spark he’d shown back in 2003 and put himself in a situation to earn a big multi-year payday, as opposed to another one-year deal.

As a Type A free agent, it was believed that he might once again struggle to find a team willing to offer him a multi-year deal as the signing club would be forced to surrender draft pick compensation to Los Angeles.

There was even talk that Wolf might be better served to accept arbitration and return on yet another one-year deal.

The perennially short-sighted Dodgers, however, were worried Wolf would accept and didn’t want to pay him the $8-10 million it was believed he could earn via arbitration.

As such, the club foolishly chose not to offer him arbitration and he immediately became one of the most desirable free agents on the market.

As a Type A free agent, the Dodgers would have received Milwaukee’s first-round draft pick and a sandwich pick in next year’s amateur draft.

Instead, the Dodgers receive nothing, the Brewers receive a second ace, and Wolf receives nearly $30 million and, something he’s coveted for years, job security.

Curtis Granderson Heads to the Yankees in a Blockbuster Three-Team, Seven-Player Trade

2009-12-08T14:18:00.004-05:00

The New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly completed a blockbuster trade that has seven players switching teams.

All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson goes from the Tigers to the Yankees.

Pitcher Edwin Jackson goes from the Tigers to the Diamondbacks.

Pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth go from from the Diamondbacks to the Tigers.

Pitcher Ian Kennedy goes from the Yankees to the Diamondbacks.

Top outfield prospect, Austin Jackson and reliever Phil Coke go from the Yankees to the Tigers.

Got all that?

Don’t worry, with all of the players who have been rumored to be in on this deal in the past 24 hours, the three teams involved might not be entirely sure who is landing where when it all shakes out.

The deal has been in various stages of completion and dormancy since late last night, but talks heated up this morning and all three teams seemed determined to find the right mix to make it work.

Arguably the biggest catch of the bunch is Curtis Granderson who is trading in his English D for pinstripes.

Granderson, 28, is a left-handed hitting outfielder with great speed on the bases and in the field. He showed some serious power this year and could conceivably be a consummate 30-40 home runs threat in Yankee Stadium.

His overall numbers dipped last year to.249/.327/.453, but his power numbers spiked despite the struggles. Granderson is still considered among baseball’s premier leadoff men and plays above average defense in center field.

The Diamondbacks receive a top-flight pitcher in Edwin Jackson and an elite Triple-A starter in Ian Kennedy who has yet to translate his minor league success into the big leagues.

Jackson, 26, went 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA for the Detroit Tigers last season and made his first All-Star team. The Tigers only incentive for dealing the youngster, who was finally realizing his potential, was the potential cost.

Jackson is arbitration-eligible and figures to earn a significant raise on the $2.2 million he made last season. The Tigers, currently suffering from the down economy, couldn’t afford to take that kind of financial hit.

Kennedy, 24, has an amazing minor league track record, but little big league success. He is 19-6 with a 1.95 ERA in 43 minor league starts over four seasons. In twelve starts at the big league level he’s mustered a 1-4 record with a 6.03 ERA.

Getting out of the New York spotlight, and switching to the lighter-hitting National League, figure to give Kennedy a golden opportunity to finally translate his minor league prowess into big league success.

The Tigers, in addition to shedding the salaries of Jackson and Granderson, have picked up some serious young talent.

In terms of pitching, Max Scherzer is the cream of the crop in the Tigers’ haul.

Scherzer, 25, was one of the Diamondbacks top pitching prospects and has shown flashes of brilliance in his short tenure in the big leagues. In 37 career starts, Scherzer is 9-15 with a 3.86 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 226.1 innings pitched.

Schlereth, 23, is a lot like the aforementioned Kennedy. He’s shown glimpses of brilliance in the minors, but has yet to have the same success in the big leagues. He has limited experience in both the minors and big leagues, but is a power lefty who has the stuff to be a very successful setup man and potentially a closer.

The catalyst in the deal to get Detroit to deal Granderson was a major-league ready center fielder. Enter Austin Jackson.

Jackson is considered the Yankees top prospect and has an impressive batting line of .288/.356/.410 over five seasons in the minors.

Jackson, 22, has shown flashes of both power and speed in his time in the minors and defensively appears ready to take on an everyday role with the Tigers in 2010.

Phil Coke, 27, is a dominant late-inning reliever who has proven very effective in a setup role with the Yankees and figures to serve the same purpose in Detroit.

All in all, the deal seems to give each team exactly what they need.

The Diamondbacks, by acquiring Edwin Jackson, gain a young, but experienced, arm to slot behind Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in the rotation and a wild card in Kennedy who could finally live up to his potential.

The Yankees gain a legitimate center fielder and leadoff hitter for the first time in nearly a decade. Additionally they now have major leverage in any potential negotiations with free agent outfielder Johnny Damon.

The Tigers gain a slew of young talent and considerable payroll flexibility going forward.

Personally, I can’t find a clear-cut winner or loser in this trade. I feel like Arizona could have asked for more, but other than that it seems to be on the up and up for all parties involved.

Brave Decision: Rafael Soriano Accepts Atlanta's Arbitration Offer

2009-12-08T04:12:00.000-05:00

Rafael Soriano just threw a curveball and Frank Wren didn’t see it coming.

In a move that the Atlanta general manager hadn’t planned for, Soriano has accepted the arbitration offer from the Braves and will return to the club for the 2010 season.

Soriano, 29, racked up 27 saves in 31 chances last season. He also posted a 2.97 ERA and a 102/27 K/BB ratio in a career-high 75 2/3 innings.

Soriano made $6.5 million in 2009 and figures to make close to $8 million via arbitration.

On the bright side, with Soriano returning, the Braves figure to have one of the most dominant bullpens in all of baseball next season.

On the not so bright side, with Soriano returning, the Braves figure to have one of the most expensive bullpens in all of baseball next season.

Wren offered arbitration to both of his free agent relievers, Soriano and lefty Mike Gonzalez with the intent of reaping first-round draft picks when the two signed elsewhere.

Needless to say, Soriano’s decision to accept the offer throws a wrench into those plans and the rest of the Wren’s offseason to-do list.

That list included rebuilding the backend of the bullpen after the loses of Gonzalez and Soriano, something Wren took care of last week when he dished out big bucks to sign closer Billy Wagner and setup man Takashi Saito.

After investing more than $10 million in his bullpen, Wren was ready to move on to the second item on his list, adding some offense via free agency and trades.

Soriano’s expected 2010 salary will undoubtedly impact Wren’s already limited funds to acquire a big bat and will definitely force the club down the path of trading from an enviable surplus of starting pitchers.

It is believed that Wren has already dipped his toes into the trading pool, but hasn’t found much interest in either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez.

The Braves figure to struggle to find a taker for Lowe and the three years and $45 million that remain on his contract.

Vazquez is only under contract through 2010 at $11.5 million, but was easily the club’s most reliable starter in 2009 and the Braves would no doubt be hesitant to lose his presence at the front of the rotation.

Additionally, Vazquez has a limited no-trade clause that prevents the club from moving him to any team in the National League West or American League West.

Neither pitcher figures to have much value until after John Lackey is signed to a new deal. After Lackey, the free agent pool of starters is very shallow and many teams could find Lowe and Vazquez to be more attractive alternatives.

The Braves may attempt to trade Soriano, but he’ll be in control of the situation more than the club will.

As is the case with all signed free agents, Soriano now possesses a full no-trade clause until June 15, so the Braves cannot move him to another club without his permission.

Clubs such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles figure to be more interested in acquiring Soriano now that he won’t cost a first-round draft pick.

It is also possible that the club could release him in Spring Training—as arbitration players don’t receive guaranteed contracts—if his performance gives them any reason to do so.

It is conceivable that Atlanta could choose to ride out the storm with Soriano, Saito, and Wagner anchoring the bullpen. All three are proven injury-risks and all three have proven they can thrive as setup men or closers.

The Braves would be heavily invested in the rotation and bullpen, but could bid on some bargain free agent options and/or call up top prospect Jason Heyward to fill the hole in the outfield and, hopefully, in the lineup as well.

Whatever Wren does (or doesn’t do) going forward will undoubtedly be affected by Soriano’s decision to accept arbitration.

If there is one thing Wren is learning about pitchers this offseason, it’s that sometimes they throw curveballs.

Ivan Rodriguez Signs with the Washington Nationals

2009-12-08T00:37:00.005-05:00

An already thin catching market just got a little more barren.

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, Ivan Rodriguez has reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year, $6 million deal with the Washington Nationals.

Rodriguez, 38, hit .249/.280/.382 for the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros last year and is a career .299/.336/.471 hitter who still has modest pop left in his bat.

Many wondered if Rodriguez—a future Hall of Famer—would accept arbitration after a contentious offseason a year ago.

Last offseason, Rodriguez struggled to find a suitor willing to take on his services. An excellent showing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in March netted him a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Houston.

Rodriguez, despite coming off one of the worst-seasons of his career, felt confident enough to reject the Rangers’ arbitration offer and venture onto the free agent market yet again.

Washington promptly proved his confidence was not unfounded.

Rodriguez will take over as the club’s primary backup and mentor to Jesus Flores. Flores is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder and elbow, but is expected to be ready to play by Spring Training.

The signing of “Pudge” essentially ends the tenure of backup catcher Wil Nieves, who is arbitration-eligible for the first time. He is now expected to be non-tendered before Saturday’s deadline.

Rodriguez figures to be the perfect mentor to Flores as he has played in 14 All-Star Games and won 13 Gold Gloves, the most by a catcher and tied for fourth most overall. In 1999 he was named the American League's Most Valuable Player. He also has more career runs, hits, and doubles than any other catcher in Major League history.

Additionally, he has been part of major organizational turnarounds with the Florida Marlins in 2003 and the Detroit Tigers in 2006.

He doesn’t figure to have that type of impact on the lowly Nationals, but he will certainly be a great presence in the clubhouse and a good example for a relatively young and impressionable roster.

Rodriguez’s reported $3 million salary figures to make him the fifth-highest paid player on the roster behind Adam Dunn, Christian Guzman, Ryan Zimmerman, and arbitration-eligible Josh Willingham.

That is assuming, of course, that none of the four are traded this offseason.

Washington will mark Rodriguez’s sixth different team, and fourth in two years. The two-year deal does, however, offer a sense of stability and reassurance that is hard to find for aging catchers.

It is curious as to why the Nationals would give a two-year deal worth $3 million a year to an over-the-hill backup, when Nieves could have served purpose at a much cheaper cost.

It could be perceived as a sign that general manager Mike Rizzo isn’t confident that Flores will be fully-recovered by Opening Day and the club wants to have a reliable Plan B in place.

Rodriguez appeared behind the plate in 115 games last season and proved he could still carry the bulk of the catching load if necessary.

It is also entirely possible that Rizzo wanted a reliable backstop and mentor for Flores and didn’t see a better option on the market and was willing to overpay to lure Rodriguez to Washington.

Whatever the case may be, the Nationals have some stability and insurance behind the plate and “Pudge” Rodriguez is guaranteed at least two more years in the sun.

Brad Penny Signs with the St. Louis Cardinals

2009-12-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

Brad Penny is headed to St. Louis.

According to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney, Penny and the Cardinals have come agreed upon a one-year deal for the 2010 campaign.

Penny, 31, will earn a base salary of $7.5 million and can earn up to $1.5 million in performance bonuses.

The deal is currently pending a physical, which—with Penny—is no sure thing.

St. Louis, the reigning National League Central champion, is facing the loss of three starting pitchers to free agency and all three—Joel Pineiro, John Smoltz, and Todd Wellemeyer—are expected to be plying their trade elsewhere next season.

As such, adding a starter was high on general manager John Mozeliak’s to-do list at this week’s Winter Meetings in Indianapolis.

Penny is coming off a year in which he had very mixed results.

He began the year with Boston and was initially a solid, albeit mediocre back of the rotation starter.

His final five starts with the Red Sox, however, were abysmal. He went 0-4 with a 9.11 ERA and was demoted to the bullpen.

Soon after he requested and was granted a release from Boston.

Overall, he was 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA in Boston.

He signed with the San Francisco Giants at the end of August and made six starts down the stretch going 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA.

He was absolutely dominant in all but one of his starts and finished the year on a high-note, despite his pedestrian totals of 11-9 with a 4.88 ERA.

The Giants offered the two-time All-Star a one-year deal, but he rejected the offer and chose to test his value on the open-market instead.

In doing so, Penny has landed in an enviable position.

He has just joined a rotation that boasts two potential Cy Young candidates in right-handers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright and a lineup anchored by the best hitter in the game, Albert Pujols.

Additionally, his new battery-mate, Yadier Molina is renowned for his ability to get the best out of pitchers.

Molina isn’t the only member of the Cardinals staff known for coaxing solid performances out of pitchers. Pitching coach Dave Duncan’s track record for getting career years out of journeyman pitchers is legendary.

Don’t believe me, ask Jeff Weaver, Kyle Lohse, Jeff Suppan, and, this year’s recipient of the magical Duncan dust, Joel Pineiro.

Penny does, however, have a more impressive dossier than any of Duncan’s previous reclamation projects and it's not just because he dated Alyssa Milano.

He was a 16-game winner in 2006 and 2007 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was an All-Star both seasons. Penny was even elected as the starter for the National League in the 2006 game in Pittsburgh.

Since then, however, injuries and reported attitude problems have hampered his performance.

Despite shaky performances in recent years, the door isn’t completely closed on Penny as middle-to-front of the rotation starter.

His mid-nineties fastball is still there and still as dominant as ever and if he can continue using the pitch-to-contact, groundball-inducing style that worked so well in San Francisco at season’s end, he could completely re-energize his otherwise flagging career.

Penny has certainly landed in the right spot to re-build his value before hitting the market again next season and—at a maximum $9 million investment—the Cardinals have shrewdly added a former ace to an already imposing staff.

All the while, the club’s modest investment still leaves room to pursue more offense for next season.

As it turns out, the Cardinals may have just found the lucky Penny they need to get over the hump and back to the World Series.

Sheamus: Too Much, Too Soon

2009-12-07T19:46:00.000-05:00

Not like this.

It just can’t happen like this.

The WWE is completely botching the push of Sheamus.

I’ve made it clear in the past how I feel about the WWE’s initial build of Sheamus and I still hold the same feelings.

The company has done nothing to adequately build Sheamus as a main event talent and—aside from one cheap-shot and bodyslam—we’ve seen him show nothing in the ring against John Cena.

I’ve got absolutely no problem with the WWE pushing new talent.

I ranted and raved about the direction the company took with Kofi Kingston and I am a converted fan of the way CM Punk is being slowly built as a major heel after his initial quick turn.

Those facts notwithstanding, I still feel that the company is doing itself and Sheamus a major injustice by tossing him into the main event scene.

No one in their right mind actually expects Sheamus to win the title at the upcoming TLC pay-per-view because to the average viewer Sheamus is a nobody.

Since his debut on RAW, just six short weeks ago, we’ve seen Sheamus squash Jamie Noble, dominate a stagehand, kick Jerry Lawler in the face, beat the 600-year old Finlay, win a battle royal in which he avoided confrontation for the majority of the match, cheap-shot John Cena and put him through a table, and we saw him squash Santino last week.

Yep, that’s it.

I know all of this so well, because the WWE has been showing video montages almost non-stop to try and prove to viewers that Sheamus is a main-eventer and worth paying $40 to watch on pay-per-view.

The montages, entitled “The Celtic Warpath,” fall short, because all they show is Sheamus beating up on jobbers and non-wrestlers.

Sheamus has been incredibly overmatched on the microphone and appeared weak by not physically confronting Cena.

The build-up figures to be strong over the remainder of the week to convince viewers that Sheamus could win the match by putting Cena through a table and his brute strength might be all he needs.

They’ll undoubtedly pimp the fact that Sheamus doesn’t have pin Cena or make him submit, all he needs to do is toss him through a table, which he’s already done.

If they’re smart, they’ll have Sheamus obliterate Cena in the “Championship Showdown” at the end of RAW and put him through a table once again, thus proving that Sheamus has what it takes to win the title.

Here’s the problem, even if they build up Sheamus enough to make him seem like a viable number one contender for this Sunday, what comes next?

If Sheamus doesn’t win the WWE Championship, it proves he’s out of his league. What’s worse is that it proves he’s out of his league in a match that is painted as being in his favor.

If Sheamus loses this Sunday, he’ll probably get a one-night rematch on RAW, but any legitimate shot he has at being a main-eventer goes down the toilet with the pay-per-view loss.

John Cena was in a similar situation back in 2003 when he was pushed into a main event program with Brock Lesnar. There was minimal build and an obvious loss at Backlash.

It took Cena two years to legitimately work his way back into the main event picture.

The Miz suffered a similar fate earlier this year when he and Cena had a small feud. Miz appeared to be gaining some real steam before Cena squashed him in multiple matches and forced a dramatic re-boot of his entire persona.

Six months later, he’s the United States Champion, but is currently not on the radar for a main event push any time in the near future.

Pushing Sheamus this quickly leaves two options.

Sheamus can lose the match and, at best, attempt to carry the feud into the Royal Rumble before returning to the mid-card as an apparently failure at the upper echelon.

The alternative is to have Sheamus win the WWE Championship this Sunday.

It is feasible that the WWE could have Sheamus win the title without making Cena look too bad, thanks to the stipulations of the match, but then what?

Sheamus won’t be the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 26, that’s for sure. Any potential title reign would undoubtedly be a short one, after which he would once again return to the mid-card.

Either way you look at it, the end-game is the same. Sheamus returns to the mid-card and John Cena moves into a program that builds for WrestleMania.

I’m glad that the WWE didn’t shove another Cena vs Orton/HBK/Triple H match down our throat, but pushing Sheamus this quickly with no real resume to speak of only hurts themselves (buyrates) and Sheamus (potential) going forward.

Hopefully, the WWE will learn their lesson when, in six months, Sheamus has become another Kane. No longer an unstoppable monster, but rather just a big, bad heel who is occasionally thrown into title matches that he’ll never win.

For Sheamus it’s just too much, too soon.

Seattle Mariners Ready to Play with the Big Boys

2009-12-07T14:48:00.002-05:00

The Seattle Mariners mean business.

General Manager Jack Zduriencik is entering just his second offseason at the club’s helm, but clearly has the franchise headed in the right direction.

Last offseason, he engineered a number of low-risk, high-reward deals and helped turnaround a club that had just 61 wins in 2008 to 85 victories last season.

Aside from adding a solid crop of new players, Zduriencik also took by strides by hiring manager Don Wakamatsu and bringing a more combined approach to the scouting department, by mixing both traditional scouting and modern statistical analysis.

Zduriencik is in an enviable position this offseason.

The Mariners have a very solid core in Felix Hernandez, Ichiro Suzuki, Brandon Morrow, and Franklin Gutierrez.

The club plays in a division that appears more wide-open than it has in half-a-decade and, most importantly, Seattle has some serious payroll flexibility.

The large salaries of Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, Kenji Johjima, Erik Bedard, and Adrian Beltre are all officially off the books.

The total savings amounts to roughly $50 million to spend on free agents this offseason.

Additionally, Zduriencik has plenty of organizational depth to deal from and talented Major League players who could be used in trades.

As such, Zduriencik has wasted no time making improvements.

The club has already reportedly inked third baseman Chone Figgins to a lucrative four-year, $36 million contract and they don’t figure to be anywhere near done shopping.

Earlier this offseason the club signed defensive stalwart Jack Wilson to a two-year, $10 million deal to anchor the infield at shortstop.

The club also brought back future Hall of Famer—and arguably the most popular player in franchise history—Ken Griffey Jr. on a one-year, $2 million for the 2010 campaign.

The club is also in the mix to add at least one front-line starter, as the departures of Jarrod Washburn and Erik Bedard have left the depth chart a little barren beyond ace, Felix Hernandez.

Hernandez, 23, is arbitration-eligible for the first-time this offseason and—after finishing second the American League Cy Young balloting—figures to command a significant raise after earning just shy of $4 million last season.

Talks of a signing Hernandez to an extension have begun, but nothing serious has come out of the talks as both sides are said to be “far apart” in negotiations.

If an extension can’t be worked out, there is a possibility the club could move the young fireballer for a slew of prospects.

Numerous teams were rumored to have inquired about Hernandez’s availability at the trade deadline, and acquiring “King Felix” would no doubt require a king’s ransom.

In addition to bolstering the rotation, the club is also in the market to improve a lineup that ranked last in the American League in runs scored (640) in 2009, as well as tied for last in batting average (.258) and on-base percentage (.314).

Zduriencik figures to be on the lookout for a slugging left fielder, a veteran catcher, and improvements to the right side of the infield.

Jason Bay’s name has been floated as a potential target for Zduriencik this offseason and for good reason.

Signing Bay, who lives near Seattle, makes plenty of sense for both parties.

Bay, 31, has made it clear that he would love to play close to his home and his family and friends in and around Seattle.

The Mariners would love to add his 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs into the lineup that lacked a real home run threat for most of 2009.

Bay has already rejected a proposed four-year, $60 million deal from the Boston Red Sox and could cost more than Seattle would care to pay, but he could also give a hometown discount to gain the comfort of playing close to home.

He may not fit into Jack Zduriencik’s defensive-minded lineup, but he could split his time between left field and designated hitter to minimize his impact. Additionally, with Franklin Gutierrez covering ground in center field, Bay’s defensive ineptitude would be less of a burden.

The club has also reportedly not given up on bringing back third baseman Adrian Beltre, who has until midnight eastern Monday to accept or decline arbitration.

If the Mariners and Beltre did re-unite it would create an interesting situation with the recently signed Figgins. The club would logically want to keep Beltre’s glove at the hot corner and move Figgins to either second base or left field.

Both of those potential moves would hinge on the club’s ability and/or inability to sign Bay and/or trade incumbent second baseman Jose Lopez.

If the club did sign Bay and bring back Beltre, it wouldn’t be out of the question to move Figgins to second and slide Lopez over to first where his defensive shortcomings would be less detrimental.

If Beltre does not return, the club figures to push very hard to acquire Bay to add some power and could look toward Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Lyle Overbay, or even Carlos Delgado—obviously on a short-term deal—to play first base.

The club has not yet ruled out a reunion with Russell Branyan, but the sides still seem far apart on contract negotiations after Branyan rejected a one-year deal earlier this winter.

The Mariners’ other big need, a catcher, offers fewer options this winter.

There are a number of solid, but past their prime options available such as Ivan Rodriguez, Rod Barajas, and Bengie Molina.

None of the three figures to be an impact player, but the club is more interested in having their primary backstop serve as a mentor to incumbent starter Rob Johnson and rookie Adam Moore.

As the Winter Meetings open today, it seems that the Mariners are already pushing ahead of their American League West counterparts.

The Texas Rangers are still in a state of financial flux. The club is set to be sold this winter. In fact, a deadline of December 15 has now been set, so the Rangers don’t figure to be major players in free agency until the ownership situation is resolved.

The Los Angeles Angels entered the offseason with a slew of potential free agent loses.

The club has addressed a few of the holes, having already re-upped with outfielder Bobby Abreu while seemingly deciding to let outfielder/designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero leave.

Losing Figgins to a division rival was no doubt a big blow to the Angels who had hoped to bring back their starting third baseman and leadoff hitter. Figgins will now serve as a catalyst to the arguably the Angels biggest threat for division dominance.

It is also rumored that the Mariners are interested in former Los Angeles ace, John Lackey.

If Seattle is able to sign the right-hander, it would serve as a veritable knockout blow to Los Angeles as the free agent market offers few, if any, pitchers who figure to have the same impact as Lackey.

The Mariners and Jack Zduriencik realize that they have a very limited window to win a championship during the Ichiro Era and/or the second Griffey Era and it seems as though they’re willing to go all-in to make it happen.

That fact should be enough to put the rest of the American League on notice, the Seattle Mariners mean business.

Miguel Jean Officially Signs with the Minnesota Twins

2009-12-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

It’s official…finally.

More than two months after initially agreeing on a deal with a $3.15 million bonus, Miguel Jean is officially a member of the Minnesota Twins organization.

Jean’s application for a work visa was approved Friday by the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic.

Obtaining the visa was the final hurdle that needed to be cleared to finalize the deal.

Jean’s deal included a $3.15 million bonus, which was the largest awarded to an international player this summer and the largest ever for a Latin American positional prospect.

It is also the second-largest Latin American signing bonus ever, behind fellow Dominican Michael Ynoa, who signed a $4.25 million deal with Oakland last year.

Jean, 16, was the jewel of this year’s international signing crop and for very good reason. He is a five-tool prospect with a very high ceiling.

Jean is a 6-foot-3 slugging shortstop from the Dominican Republic who has been compared to everyone from Hanley Ramirez to Alex Rodriguez.

Scouting reports say he has great raw power to all fields and only figures to get better and stronger as he fills out. Although currently a strong-armed shortstop, most scouts assume he’ll transition to third base or the outfield as he grows into his body.

Upon initially signing the deal in September, Jean seemed very confident about his ability to make an impact in the big leagues.

"I'm very thankful to get this chance to sign with the Twins," Jean said. "I'm going to work very hard to try to get to the majors in two years."

A two year romp to the big leagues isn’t entirely unheard of for an elite prospect such as Jean, but it is probably a lofty goal for a player who will be just 17 next season.

It is believed that Jean will begin his professional career next season playing for the Twins’ affiliate in the Gulf Coast League.

2010 All-Free Agent Team – National League

2009-12-04T13:22:00.000-05:00

This year 171 players filed for free agency.

Of the 171 total free agents, 99 are from the National League and 72 are from the American League.

Unlike last year’s class of free agents, only a select few in this crop figure to land blockbuster deals.

In fact, an increasing number of teams are choosing to improve via trade or by promoting young talent from within the farm system.

As such, many of these veterans can expect to sign short-term and/or incentive-laden deals for 2010 and potentially beyond.

I’ve taken a look at all of the free agents left on the market and split them up into two 25-man rosters, one for the National League and one for the American League.

League affiliation was determined by whichever team a player finished out the 2009 season.

In an effort to keep things as realistic as possible, I’ve ensured that each team has a backup catcher, infielder, and outfielder. Additionally, both the NL and AL rosters have been given a 12-man pitching rotation.

These teams certainly don’t reflect an All-Star mentality, but rather they give a good indication of how weak this year’s free agent class can be considered.

It should be noted that some deserving players were left off of the roster due to position-eligibility concerns. As such, you’ll note some sketchy inclusions and unfortunate exclusions.

Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the NL All-Free Agent Team.

Cheap Seat Chronicles

Cheap Seat Chronicles at Wordpress...

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Philadelphia Phillies Fan Gets Tasered

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

AMERICAN LEAGUE

NL EAST

AL EAST

NL CENTRAL

AL CENTRAL

NL WEST

AL WEST

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Agree on Massive Eight-Year Contract Extension

Joe Nathan Injury: Minnesota’s All-Star Closer Opts for Tommy John Surgery

Minnesota Twins: Six Things Fans Will Miss About the Metrodome

The Price

The Noise

The Dome Dogs

The Hefty Bag

The Golden Seat

The Roof

Minnesota Twins: Six Things Fans Won't Miss About the Metrodome

The Parking

The Corridors

The Turf

The Restrooms

The Seats

The Roof

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins Agree to Five-Year, $16.5 Million Deal

Eddie Guardado Released by Washington. Is a Minnesota Homecoming Next?

Nomar Hangs Up His Overly Adjusted Batting Gloves…As a Member of the Red Sox

Joe Nathan Injury: Minnesota Closer Tears Elbow Ligament, Twins Look to Plan B

Is Mike Lowell an Option for the Minnesota Twins?

Minnesota Twins Part Ways with a Fan Favorite

2010 MLB Predictions: Ten Burning Questions for the Minnesota Twins

Joe Mauer Grows a Spring Training Beard

Countdown to Spring Training: 1 Day

Countdown to Spring Training: 2 Days

Fits Like a Glove: Nick Punto Belongs at Third Base for the Minnesota Twins

Countdown to Spring Training: 3 Days

Countdown to Spring Training: 4 Days

Pat Neshek Gets the Worst Fan Mail

Countdown to Spring Training: 5 Days

It Hurts So Good: Slugger Frank Thomas Set To Retire

Countdown to Spring Training: 6 Days

Countdown to Spring Training: 7 Days

Countdown to Spring Training: 8 Days

Seven Suitors for Free Agent Second Baseman Felipe Lopez

Countdown to Spring Training: 9 Days

Countdown to Spring Training: 10 Days

Orlando Hudson, Minnesota Twins Agree on One-Year Deal

Why the Minnesota Twins Need to Go All-In for Orlando Hudson

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Reach Ten-Year Extension (or Maybe Not)

Minnesota Inks Twins-Killer Jim Thome, but is he the Best Fit?

Edge Returns to WWE and Wins the 2010 Royal Rumble

Is Johnny Damon a Fit for the Seattle Mariners?

Minnesota Twins: Five Free Agent Options at the Keystone Corner

Curt Schilling Hints at Potential Comeback

Minnesota Twins: Offseason Options and Fans’ Optimism Dwindling Fast

Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles Set for Reunion

New York Mets Acquire Gary Matthews Jr.

Minnesota Twins Debate: Johnny Damon vs Eric Byrnes

Joel Pineiro Signs with the Los Angeles Angels

Is Eric Byrnes an Option for the Minnesota Twins?

Maybe It’s Just Me: The Bill Smith Inactivity Edition

Florida Marlins Forced to Increase Payroll, Should Fans Increase Expectations?

Minnesota Twins All-Decade Team

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Juan Pierre Traded to the Chicago White Sox

Mike Cameron Signs with Boston and Ends the Jason Bay Era

John Lackey to Sign with the Boston Red Sox

Minnesota Twins: Non-Tenders Provide New Free Agent Targets

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.