The Twins had a tough go of things against the Atlanta Braves, but you’d be hard pressed to say that they didn’t play one of the NL’s best all but square. The Twins had a chance, with the bases loaded and Jason Kubel up in the second game, to win the series before game three started, but couldn’t get it done and paid the price.
I feel somewhat obligated to weigh in on the Twins…lack of an optimal Sunday lineup, but I won’t belabor the point. Many managers, league wide, rested stars on Sunday with the day off Monday to maximize their rest, so in that sense, it’s probably a blessing that Joe Mauer was in the squad at all. The only decision that really bothers me was the decision to give Denard Span a day off with Kevin Slowey on the mound. Span’s played a lot, and probably needs a day off, but with Slowey’s flyball tendencies, it seemed to me to be a poor time to give him the day off. Yes, it ended up being moot, but that was what struck me.
No point in dwelling on the past, so it’s on to the future.
Let’s not kid ourselves, games one and two are merely an undercard to the Jimenez/Liriano battle in game three, but every game counts the same, so here’s the breakdown.
Game One
Aaron Cook has been one of the Rockies’ most consistent starters over his nine seasons with the team. Not always consistently good, but typically not despicably bad either. Since becoming a full-time starter, Cook has never posted a full-season ERA+ below 110 but only once has he posted an ERA+ over 120. His career WHIP is 1.44 and his ERA is 4.35; he’s nothing special but not bad either.
In that light, this season has been something of a disappointment for him and for the Rockies by extension. His WHIP and ERA are up, he’s walking more hitters and striking out fewer, all of which has lead to his struggles. While some might try and blame his issues on his hitter-friendly home park, Cook has been substantially worse on the road. At Coors, Cook is holding hitters to a .222/.288/.325 line with 2 HR allowed, but on the road, hitters are tagging him to the tune of .322/.394/.432 line with another 2 HR.
The Twins lefties—Span, Mauer, Morneau, and the DH du jour—should feast on the righty, as Cook has been hard-pressed to retire port-siders. He’s allowed them a .322/.394/.398 line with 20 walks to just 9 strikeouts.
We’ve outlined Pavano’s Jekyll and Hyde tendencies before, but it bears repeating. In wins, Pavano is holding hitters to a .217/.245/.289 line with just 1 HR, but in losses, hitters beat him for a .316/.354/.520 line with 7 HR. If he’s good, he’s really good (WHIP of 0.91 in wins) but when he’s bad, the Twins really have to hit the ball well to back him up (WHIP of 1.46 in losses).
Ultimately, there’s isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to his blow-ups. Some come at home, some on the road. Sometimes he struggles against good teams like Texas, sometimes it’s Kansas City that gets to him. Lefty heavy lineups can do him slight, and the Rockies have just three righties in their expected lineup, so it could be a rough outing for Pavano on Tuesday. Or he could throw a perfect game, you decide.
Game Two
Game two will be a worthy warmup to the main event with Scott Baker squaring off against Jhoulys Chacin.
While Kevin Slowey’s inability to pitch deep into games has been well-chronicled, here and elsewhere, but Baker hasn’t been much better. He’s pitched six innings or fewer in eight of his 13 starts so far this season and has a 6.59 ERA in those eight starts.
Baker’s struggles have come from a few factors in concert. He’s giving up more hits, an above average amount of home runs, and seen his strikeouts fall from by almost a full K/9. Hitters aren’t swinging at as many of Baker’s pitches in the zone as they did last year, but they are making more consistent contact and hitting the ball harder. Baker’s slugging percentage allowed is at its highest level since 2006 and he’s still having the same trouble with home runs that he did in 2009.
For all the trouble he has had, there have been a few really strong starts, though he has yet to put the Twins on his back against a strong opponent. If there’s anyone who has benefitted from the emergence of Francisco Liriano as the staff ace, it’s Baker, who would be under much more scrutiny if he were called on to be the team’s stopper.
Chacin made back-to-back tremendous starts, going 14.2 innings before giving up his first run. Once they came, however, the runs have come in bunches. Since going seven innings in both of his first two starts, Chacin has completed six innings just two other times and he’s yet to allow fewer than two runs in a start. He’s still a high strikeout pitcher, averaging 9.7 K/9 and will keep the Twins at bay with his slider, which he sets up with a low-90s fastball.
Chacin is another pitcher who is tougher on right-handers than lefties, so it could be a tough few games for Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer, though the former has been hitting everything lately, as he’s hitting .371/.378/.657 with 3 HR and 13 driven in during his current 10-game hitting streak.
Game Three
The main event. In this corner, the best pitcher in baseball, a guy putting up video game numbers, and one of the biggest surprises of the 2010 first half: Ubaldo Jimenez. There’s not much to say in terms of his splits. He’s better against rigthies than lefties, but neither are hitting above .200 against him. He’s better on the road than at home, which doesn’t bode well for the Twins, but he’s dangerous everywhere. His ERA of 1.16 is lower than all but 25 starters’ WHIP, but his WHIP of 0.97 is just third behind both Doug Fister—who the Twins beat in Seattle—and Cliff Lee. His only loss came when the Dodgers shut the Rockies out over a month ago. Since then he’s won all six of his decisions.
So, how do the Twins crack his steel shell? Efficiency is the name of this game, if the Twins get a runner into scoring position, they simply have to drive him in. Jimenez isn’t immune from walking a few, which may be the opening the Twins need. To be clear, I don’t like their chances in this game, but I don’t think it’s an impossible task, due in no small part to their starter.
Liriano isn’t as good as Jimenez—shocking, I know—but he has been outstanding in his own right. He’s striking out nearly 10 hitters per nine, he’s keeping the ball in the ballpark, and he’s posting the lowest walk-rate of his career. Both of his starts this month have produced double-digit strikeout totals and seven or more innings of quality work. In his last start against Atlanta, Liriano was every bit as good as mound opponent Tim Hudson and helped the Twins win a close game against a good team, something they have struggled to do this season. I’m not saying he has to throw a shutout to beat Jimenez, I’m just saying it’d really help, and if that is what the Twins will need from their pitcher to win the game, I’m glad it’s Liriano on the hill.
It looks like Orlando Hudson won’t return during this series, which puts more pressure on the lineup regulars to perform. It’s worth watching to see what lineups Ron Gardenhire uses on both Wednesday and Thursday, as it’s unlikely that Joe Mauer would catch both games, but pitting Drew Butera against Jimenez just isn’t going to end well. If that’s the plan, I’d rather start every third inning with an out already on the board, you know, to save time.
The Twins’ saving grace in this series is that all three of the Rockies’ starters is more susceptible to lefties than righties. They’ll need better production from Justin Morneau in this series than they got from him against Atlanta, as his 1-for-10 was certainly part of the Twins’ inability to score runs. Of course it goes without saying that they need more production from Brendan Harris or Trevor Plouffe, as well as Jim Thome when he gets his chances.
At the risk of sounding like Capt. Pessimistic, I think the Twins will lose the series and struggle to win the game they do get. The Rox have been an up and down team, losing 3-of-4 to the Astros, then sweeping the Blue Jays, so it’s difficult to gage their form exactly. That said, I’m not wild about the Twins’ direction right now and I think they’ll struggle against Jimenez and one of the right-handers and lose this series.
When I wrote the scorecard notes for this series a few days ago it looked like it was going to be a battle of the hot visitors striking at a Twins squad that’s reeling a little bit. Now that the series has arrived, it’s quite the opposite. The Braves enter the series having split back-to-back series against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks; splitting with the Dodgers is certainly nothing to sniff at, but they should have done better against the Diamondbacks. Still, the Braves have been at their best when people count them out.
The Braves ended April with a nine-game losing streak and a 9-14 record that had many observers looking past them for other contenders in the National League East. Perhaps the diminished expectations were good for the team, as they quietly played well in May, going 15-8, and ended the month just 1.5 games behind the first place Phillies. However, they’ve done most of the damage at home, where they boast a 13-6 record compared to just 11-16 on the road. Target Field sits about 1100 miles northwest of the Braves’ home in Atlanta, which bodes well for the Twins’ success.
Rookie slugger Jason Heyward has been something of a bellwether for the Braves this season. He hit .298/.411/.617 with four home runs and 16 RBI over the first 13 games of the season and the Braves went 8-5. During the Braves’ nine-game slide, Heyward hit .125/.276/.250 with one home run and just one RBI, but over the month of May, he hit .338/.465/.618 with three home runs and 16 RBI.
A good sign for the Twins is that Heyward is scuffling a little bit. Over his last 10 games, the rookie is hitting .195/.353/.220 with 0 HR and 4 RBI, well below his season line of .272/.398/.505. Still, his slumps haven’t been prolonged and he could break out again at any time.
Game One
Tim Hudson has been outstanding for the Braves this year, bouncing back after an injury plagued 2009 campaign saw him make just seven starts. He’s been the Braves’ best starter this year, boasting an ERA of 2.44 and a WHIP of 1.18. Because of his very low strikeout rate, just 4 K/9, the Twins will have their chances to put balls in play and make the Braves’ defense work. Given that this is their first trip to Target Field, the Twins will have a definite homefield advantage in this game. Jim Thome has had good success against Hudson over their careers; he’s 9-for-16 with four home runs and a double off of Hudson.
After three uneven starts against Baltimore, New York, and Boston, Francisco Liriano looks like he’s back in form for the Twins. He’s had three consecutive strong starts, though he’s won just one of the games for reasons beyond his control, and has been tough on hitters both home and away. Right handers are hitting Liriano better than lefties, due in no small part to the action of Liriano’s deadly slider, but no one is hitting particularly well against him. None of the Braves has more than 6 ABs against Liriano, so past records are pretty useless. It’ll be tabula rasa all the way around at Target Field.
Game Two
Things I am sure of: gravity, France won’t win the World Cup, and game two will feature a ton of balls in play.
Both starters, Nick Blackburn and Derek Lowe, are at their best when they are inducing weak contact. Of course, pitchers can’t always control what kind of contact they induce, so look for a lot of hits and a fair number of runs for both teams. Which pitcher will show up with good stuff, or stuff good enough to win, is something of a crapshoot.
Lowe was on a run of five good starts before getting shelled by Arizona in his last outing to the tune of seven earned runs in just four innings of work. Blackburn hasn’t gotten out of the fourth inning in either of his last two starts, but has allowed a combined 20 hits. He’s been better at Target Field than away from it, but I fear that his May success was little more than a mirage.
Game Three
If game two was a battle of two starters on a questionable run, game three is the exact opposite. Kris Medlin has stepped out of the Braves’ bullpen and given them solid starts in Jair Jurrjens’ place. His start against the Diamondbacks was the first that was anything less than quality, but the fact that he’s been so productive is certainly part of the reason that the Braves have risen to the top of the NL East.
Kevin Slowey seems to have gotten over whatever was keeping him from pitching out of the sixth inning as he’s gone seven innings in back-to-back starts, while surrendering a total of one run. He’s gotten back to what he’s best at, namely, limiting walks and keeping hitter’s off balance. He, like Denard Span, is much better at home, so this should be another chance for him to extend his string of good starts.
The last time the Twins and Braves me, the Twins took swept the Bravos over three games, but that was about three years and a stadium ago. It’ll be a tough series, but I like the Twins to win tonight and Sunday, while losing to Derek Lowe on Saturday.
Hello MVB readers, now that the stockings have been removed from the chimney, the wrapping paper is thrown away, and everyone’s belt loops are loosened a few notches it is time to give out a few more gifts. Here is the 2007 Twins Christmas Gifts…
To- Joe Mauer I give you my healthy knees. We need you to play more than the 109 games that you played last year. I don’t care if you’re hitting in the DH role, catcher, third base, whatever. But Mauer needs 500 at bats. The only time he achieved this in his 4-year career he won the batting title.
To- Nick Punto I bought you a new Mongo bat. This children’s neon green bat with a 10 inch diameter should hopefully raise your dismal .210 batting average.
To- Delmon Young I along with your new home in Minnesota remove the monkey off your back. You came close to a Rookie of the Year award in the pressure of Tampa Bay fans calling you the savior while still not forgetting the “thrown bat” incident. Hopefully you will flourish in Minny.
To- Torii Hunter I place the monkey on your back. Actually, about 50,000 monkeys called Rally Monkeys. Angels fans won’t like seeing your signature whiffs when they’re paying you $90 million. I wish you the best and hate to see you leave, but I think the odds are against you.
To- GM Bill Smith I give you a crystal ball so that you can make sure you make the right offseason moves. In an offseason where Torii left, you traded one young pitcher for a young hitter, signed a new left side of the infield, and will soon trade the best pitcher on the planet you will need to predict the future.
To- old GM Terry Ryan We love you and all the years you made the Twins competitive with a team salary that rivaled ARod’s. But I give you a brown paper bag. Because when Santana, Hunter, and Joe Nathan come back to the Metrodome fans are going to wonder why we didn’t sign these guys to long term contracts earlier. You may need to hide yourself in that new “consultant” role.
To- new SS Adam Everett Just realized Mongo bats are buy 1 get 1 free. So I thought I’d get two so you can learn to hit this season too.
To- Scott Baker I give you two more outs. So that this season Mike Sweeney won’t break up your perfect game with one out in the 9th inning.
To- Francisco Liriano I’m giving you a helping hand. Not only are we expecting you to bounce back to your 2006 form after a tremendous Tommy John surgery, but you may also be expected to replace Santana and become the staff ace.
Finally… To- All Twins fans I give the excitement of a new season approaching along with the patience of a new era. The team that takes the field in 2008 will be very different than last year and may have new expectations. But I like what I’ve seen so far from new GM Bill Smith and I believe at the least the young Twins will be a very exciting team to watch and at best have the potential to surprise the Central division teams as the underdog team.
MVB readers… if you have any last minutes gifts let me hear what you bought for the Twins?
Last night the Seattle Mariners officially signed former Twins starting pitcher Carlos Silva. Silva agreed to a massive 4-year $48 million deal. My first thought to Seattle fans…. thank you!
Not to come down on Silva who pitched four very solid seasons for the Twins, but the pitcher has always appeared temperamental on the mound and inconsistent in his performances. He certainly is a pitcher who will eat innings and fill a spot in your team’s rotation, but the next time I spend 48 million dollars on anything I hope it will buy me a little something more.
Silva went 13-14 last year with 4.19 ERA in 202 IP. He has a lifetime record of 55-46 with a career 4.31 ERA. To Silva’s credit, he picked a great place to move to. He now gets to pitch in the very spacious Safeco Field with one of the best defenses behind him. A sinkerball pitcher who was known for quick grown ball outs and forcing many double plays will benefit greatly with Seattle’s skilled defense.
My fondest memory of Silva, was during his 2005 campaign. That year Silva posted historic numbers walking ONLY nine batters in 180 innings. He threw strikes and let the Twins get outs. I wish him the best in Seattle and I think he may surprise me with his performance. But I’m not sad to see him go and hope the Twins can better spend $48 million.
Check out the poll in the sidebar and let me hear your feelings on Silva’s departure.
About 30 minutes ago the Twins announced their signing of free agent SS Adam Everett. Everett became expendable from the Houston Astros lineup as they acquired SS Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade.
This signing is very peculiar to me. The terms of deal have not yet been released and I’m sure Everett comes at a bargain cost. To his credit he is one of the best defensive shortstops in the Major Leagues; however, I would call Everett a poor hitter (and that is being kind). Last year, Everett hit .232 with 2 homeruns and 15 RBIs in an injury shortened season that limited to 66 games. He is career .248 hitter with only 35 lifetime homeruns and 214 RBIs.
Clearly, we know the Twins value defensive skills and it is true that Everett will be a defensive upgrade over Bartlett who is a good defensive player himself. The Twins now have four infielders in Everett, Nick Punto, Alexi Casilla, and Brendan Harris who can play 2B, SS, and 3B. It will be unknown which player will field which position until the end of spring training in March. Each player has either a defensive, offensive, or baserunning strength coupled with a significant weakness. I would like to think that Twins will still go out and acquire a thirdbaseman who can defend, but more importantly, can hit.
As mentioned, the first domino has fallen, and it couldn’t be a more clear sign that more are yet to fall.
Yes Twins fans, in what was a move that us Twins fans are not used to after old GM Terry Ryan’s reign of standing pat and sticking to the plan, the Twins completed a 6-player deal with the Tampa Bay Rays today that I guess could be described as a blockbuster.
THE DEAL
Twins trade: P, Matt Garza/SS, Jason Bartlett/P, Eduardo Morlan
Twins receive: OF, Delmon Young/SS, Brendan Harris/OF Jason Pridie
THE REVIEW
My initial reaction… I like the deal!
I like the Twins being in the headlines, I like the excitement, but let’s analyze the deal a bit closer. The main component is Young for Garza. In Garza, the Twins lose a POTENTIAL stud and I emphasize potential. Garza has nasty stuff, great minor league numbers, and rocketed through the Twins minor leagues. BUT… he is a young pitcher who could blow out his arm, become the next “sure thing” like former Twins No. 1 pick Adam Johnson who lasted no more than 9 games in the majors, or simply become a solid No. 3 starter.
I like the deal because I truly think Young WILL be a stud. Former No.1 overall pick in 2003 and younger brother of Nationals’ 1B Dimitri Young, Delmon Young is a 22-year old 5 tool player and future All-Star. In his first full season, where the durable Young played in all 162 games, Young batted .288 with 13 homeruns and 93 RBI’s. Certainly, no All-Star numbers, but for 10 years younger and roughly 1/15 the cost, I’d say just fine numbers to replace Torii Hunter. With those numbers Young actually was the runner-up in the American League Rookie of the Year award.
Known most for his infamous 50-game suspension due to tossing his bat at an umpire during his stint in Triple-A, Young has some questions about his make-up but was an 18-year old No. 1 pick with lots of money and is believed to have grown up. Plus, Garza has had his own run-ins with Manager Ron Gardenhire. My only knock on Young is his plate discipline. Last year, Young walked only 26 times while striking out 127. Hopefully, his maturation as a hitter along with the coaching and emphasis on patient hitting from the Twins will serve Young well.
The second facet of the deal is the swapping of shortstops. The Twins surprisingly swap 28-year old starting SS, Jason Bartlett, for 27-year old SS, Brendan Harris. In Bartlett, you have a very solid defensive player with great speed and an adequate bat. In Harris, you have a bat with a little more pop and some power potential, but an average at best defensive player with average speed. This part of the deal is a clear sign to me of more trades to come. I would be shocked to see Harris as the Twins opening day shortstop, but he could be a great backup middle infielder or split some time with Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla at 2B and possibly 3B. Maybe trading Bartlett opens a spot for Jose Reyes in a Santana deal….maybe?
The 3rd and final part of the deal is the one receiving the most criticism from Twins fans. The original deal would have sent Twins pitcher Juan Rincon, which would have gotten his $4 million salary of the books and eliminated the concern over some arm troubles he has had. However, those arm concerns seemed great enough to the Rays that the Twins were forced to add minor league reliever, 21-year old Eduardo Morlan. Rincon is clearly a bigger name, but my research shows that Morlan is regarded as a stud prospect and could have been a potential replacement for Joe Nathan in the future. I don’t know a lot about Morlan, but this a part of a deal that you can look back in 5 years and say Eduardo who? or… why did we ever get rid of that guy!?!?
No matter your feelings on the deal, it is a big and bold move for new GM Bill Smith and in my opinion, I can’t get over the thought of a middle of the order consisting of Mauer, Young, Morneau, and Cuddyer!
La Velle E. Neal III, gives his thoughts with a glimpse of what is next to come.
So Thanksgiving is over, the leftovers are in the fridge, and Torii’s days in Minnesota are officially over. As Twins fans begin to prepare for life after Torii, I’ve read many different reactions and responses to this move and what the Twins should do next.
Many fans claimed they where upset with Torii’s “false promises.” Throughout the entire offseason Hunter has said the Twins are still in the running and that they too have a chance to resign their star outfielder. Yet, when the Angels offer was on the table Hunter jumped ship without ever looking back. Fans were hurt by this and believed that the Twins never had a chance. Joe Christenson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Torii did want to stay.
Fans who weren’t upset with Torii seemed to be upset with the Twins. In many comments people wondered why the Twins would just let Torii go? What happened to the extra revenue created by the new stadium? When are the Twins going to open up the wallet? But as I said in the last post a big 5-year deal is simply not the right move for the Twins. I do wish when the Twins open up their season at the Metrodome on March 31 against the Angels the man in centerfield is wearing a TC on his hat and not a red A. Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune explains the Twins decision best.
Now what happens next?
It has been reported that the Twins made on contract offer to Johan Santana last week of 5-years, $93 million. This tops the Chicago Cubs recent extension of their star pitcher Carlos Zambrano of 5-years, $91 million. However, Santana rejected this offer and countered with a proposal that would match San Francisco Giants ace, Barry Zito, and his mega-deal signed last offseason. Buster Olney, a favorite sportswrite of mine, writes a daily blog on ESPN.com that compiles the his insight with the lastest baseball news from major newspapers around the country. He offers his view on the Twins and Santana.
It is clear the Twins and Santana currently have a major gap of roughly $33 million. Given the ridiculous markets in professional baseball, it is also clear that signing Santana for 7-years for $126 million is a bargain (if the words bargain and $126 million can be used in the same sentence). However, it has also been reported that the Twins have quietly spoke to a few clubs and asked what they would be willing to trade for Santana. So it seems the Twins are trying to gauge the market for their star pitcher.
Who knows what will happen next? Do the Twins finally break the bank and sign arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball to a long-term deal? Or do they couple the loss of Hunter with a trade of Santana and start to rebuild for the new ballpark in 2010?
Only time will tell, but I want to hear 1) what you think the Twins should do? and 2) what you think the Twins will do? Leave me a comment and let me know.
I’m the Minnesota Twins M.V.B. (Most Valuable Blogger). I’m here to provide the most informative and entertaining blog on the web about all things Minnesota Twins. Come here for the latest Twins news, rumors, opinions, trivia, videos, pictures, debates, and more.
I figured there wasn’t a better day to start off the 2008 season on than Thanksgiving. A day where we can give thanks to the Minnesota Twins. But not only can I think of a cheesy, pathetic way to incorporate the current season of harvest and giving of thanks between the pilgrims and the natives, but I have something newsworthy… INCREDIBLY newsworthy!
That’s right Twins fans, no more than 15 minutes ago MLB.com’s Harold Reynolds reported that “former” Minnesota Twins centerfielder and fan favorite, Torii Hunter, signed a 5-year deal with the “Los Angeles” Angels “of Anaheim” (aka the Anaheim/California Angels) worth an estimated $90 million dollars. That’s something to be thankful for! Terms of the contract had not been released and as always was of course pending a physical. Do they ever think these professional athletes are going to show up and surprisingly can’t run anymore? I guess it’s protecting your $90 million dollar investment.
Anyway, the deal happened late Wednesday night early Thanksgiving morning. It comes as quite a shocker as Torii just announced yesterday he was going to take the weekend to mull over his options and make a decision. Even more surprising was that sources said his options were coming from 5 teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, LA Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and the Washington Senators. The Twins were rumored to be steadfast with their 3-year offer of $45 million. So the news of the Angels winning the Hunter lottery comes out of leftfield, not center, as their name had never been mentioned.
Hunter now joins a crowded outfield lead by stud Vlad Guerrero, Garret Anderson, last year’s 5-year mega-deal signee Gary Matthew’s Jr., Juan Rivera, and Reggie Willits. Rumors have it that the Hunter move could be a precursor to moving an extra outfielder on to another team. This free agent sign coupled with the recent trade of Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland could be two moves setting up a blockbuster deal for Marlins All-Star 24-year old thirdbaseman Miguel Cabrera. With one trade and one giant free agent deal under his belt, it has already been a big offseason for 1st-year Angels GM Tony Reagins.
What does this mean for the Twins…
Well, certainly a great player, great teammate, and most importantly a great man is leaving the Twins organization and the city of Minneapolis. It is safe to say that Torii Hunter and all that he has brought to the Minnesota Twins in his career cannot be replaced. Did I want to see Torii in a Twins uniform next year? Certainly, but only at the right cost. I’m not sure if I wanted the small market Twins to pay Hunter $18 million a season 5 years from now when he is 37 years old and still crashing into walls and swinging at any pitch he sees. But I did want Torii to run out to CF in 2010 when the new stadium opens.
In an ideal world, we could have signed Torii to a generous 3-year deal. He would play three great years for us, open the new ballpark as the face of the franchise, and allow 3 more years to develop a suitable replacement within the organization. BUT baseball is a business and Torii Hunter did what was best for Torii Hunter. A hometown discount could not have been expected and the time has come for a Twins great to move on.
It’s a sad day in Twins Territory, but this is the first piece of big news in what will be a big offseason for the Twins. This deal is the first step in the process of the 2008 Twins roster taking shape. Do the Twins look to sign a free agent? (Andruw Jones, Aaron Rowand, Mike Cameron…not likely) Do they trade for a player like Coco Crisp…possibly? Or… GASP… frighteningly likely, do they fill this now huge hole with a player acquired in a trade of Johan Santana?
With the Baseball Winter Meetings starting at the beginning of December we may soon know. So continue to check this blog to see the latest news. Until then, leave a comment and let me know how you feel about Hunter signing with the Angels and life without Torii. Also, what should the Twins do next to fill their hole in CF?
This is the Twins M.V.B. going down 1,2,3 in the 9th.
3 Comments to Read 
