Twins Team Report

INSIDE PITCH

At this time last winter, general manager Bill Smith needed a third baseman. Now, well into another offseason, Smith is facing the same issue.

The Twins have labored to find a consistent answer at third base since Corey Koskie(notes) left the team as a free agent after the 2004 season.

The organization has had stopgap solutions, such as the one-year deal the Twins agreed to with Joe Crede(notes) after spring training had started last season, but hasn’t been able to develop a major league caliber player at the position.

With 25-year-old prospect Danny Valencia, the Twins think they might finally have their third baseman, but Valencia is unproven and wasn’t major league ready enough last season to be a September call-up.

All of that means that Smith continues to explore third basemen via free agency and trades.

During the winter meetings, Keith Grunewald, the agent for free agent third baseman Mark DeRosa(notes), confirmed to multiple media sources that the Twins had contacted him about his client but said any talks were only preliminary.

The Twins were interested in DeRosa last offseason as well but couldn’t swing a deal with the Cubs. DeRosa ended up in Cleveland, via trade, and then in St. Louis, via another trade.

Shortly before Christmas, SI.com reported that the Giants have offered DeRosa a two-year deal worth $12 million. But Smith certainly hasn’t placed all of his hope with DeRosa.

In Indianapolis, the Twins also contacted the Padres, according to multiple reports, about a possible trade for third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff(notes), who apparently garnered heavy interest during the winter meetings.

Some rumors circulated that the Twins could be interested in former Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins(notes), if he was non-tendered by Colorado. Atkins was indeed non-tendered but quickly agreed to terms with the Orioles.

If all else fails, the Twins could end up back where they were last year by signing Crede, who is coming off his third back surgery in three years, to another one-year, low-risk contract.

Or they could hope Valencia readies himself quickly, with infielders Brendan Harris(notes) and Nick Punto(notes) the other options at the hot corner.

NOTES, QUOTES

• RHP Pat Neshek(notes) reported on his blog in late November that he’d finished up the last bullpen session of his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He won’t throw another until January. He wrote that he threw about 30 pitches, his velocity ticking up from that bullpen to his previous one. The Twins expect Neshek to be ready for spring training and back for the 2010 season after missing 2009 and nearly all of 2008 recovering from an elbow injury and subsequent surgery.

• INF Miguel Angel Sano became a Twin in early December, months after the club agreed to a deal with the Dominican prospect, pending the receipt of a work visa. Sano got that visa and will be at spring training in February, the proud owner of a $3.15 million signing bonus. The Twins expect that the 16-year-old, who has been a shortstop, will develop into a third baseman.

• C Joe Mauer(notes) will be the new face of Anytime Fitness, not long after it was announced that he will be the cover boy for the Playstation Game MLB The Show. Earlier this offseason, the 2009 AL MVP and three-time batting champion signed up with the IMG marketing group.

• INF Brendan Harris played host to his third annual youth baseball clinic, this year for 300 participants, in his hometown of Queensbury, N.Y., late in November, according to MLB.com. “I enjoy putting the clinic on and being accessible to the kids. Seeing how much fun the little guys have when they’re out there running and diving around is a lot of fun,” Harris told the website. “I started it because when I was growing up there weren’t any professional athletes from the area, and looking back, if there was, I would have wanted to meet and talk with them.”

• 1B Justin Morneau(notes) is marketing his own version of the famously mocked “Snuggie.” Morneau’s website labels his version the “Sluggie.” It looks like the original but features the first baseman’s own logo—a silhouette of his swing inside a Maple leaf, which pays homage to his Canadian roots.

By The Numbers:   16—The age of three of Minnesota’s recently signed international players—INF Miguel Sano, INF Jorge Polanco and OF Max Kepler.

Quote To Note:   “It’s a chaotic time for our franchise in terms of getting ready for opening day. But nobody is complaining. It’s a pretty exciting time. I’m sure Wednesday (Dec. 23) will be emotional for some, but the most dominant emotion will be excitement.”—Twins president Dave St. Peter, quoted on the team’s website, about the move from the Metrodome to Target Field, which took place the week of Christmas.

ROSTER REPORT

The Twins tendered contracts to all 30 of their unsigned players on the day of baseball’s tender deadline, setting them up for seven arbitration cases this offseason.

Biggest Needs:   The Twins need to sign or trade C Joe Mauer this offseason. They need to search for one or two veteran starters, and mostly, they need to be aggressive in addressing their hole-riddled infield.

Arrival:   SS J.J. Hardy(notes) (trade with Brewers).

Departures:   RHP Philip Humber(notes) (free agent, signed minor league deal with Royals), RHP Boof Bonser(notes) (traded to Red Sox), OF Carlos Gomez(notes) (traded to Brewers), RHP Armando Gabino(notes) (claimed off waivers by Orioles), INF Justin Huber(notes) (minor league free agent, signed with Japanese team), RHP Juan Morillo(notes) (minor league free agent, signed with Japanese team).

Free Agents:   C Mike Redmond(notes), LHP Ron Mahay(notes), SS Orlando Cabrera(notes), 3B Joe Crede.

The Twins won’t likely bring back Redmond or Crede but might have an interest in re-signing Cabrera.

Arbitration-eligible:   RHP Jesse Crain(notes), RHP Matt Guerrier(notes), SS J.J. Hardy, INF Brendan Harris, LHP Francisco Liriano(notes), RHP Pat Neshek, OF Delmon Young(notes).

The Twins don’t have a history of going to arbitration with their players, though this year Minnesota’s front office will have a long list of arbitration-eligible players to address. It’s likely all of these players will be offered arbitration.

In Limbo:   You’d think that re-signing SS Orlando Cabrera would be a top priority for the Twins, given his performance after he joined them last season, but his status figures to be in doubt for a while as they sort out their offseason issues.

Medical Watch:  

1B Justin Morneau (stress fracture in vertebra, right wrist surgery in October 2009) should be ready in time for spring training.

RHP Joe Nathan(notes) (minor elbow surgery in October 2009) is expected to be ready in time for spring training.

3B Joe Crede (back surgery in September 2009) said the procedure went very well and immediately provided pain relief. He’s hoping to be ready to go by spring training.

C Joe Mauer (strained right hip flexor) is healing well.

RHP Kevin Slowey(notes) (right wrist surgery in August 2009) will continue to rehab in the offseason.