30 Team Marathon: Minnesota Twins

As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 30 teams in Major League Baseball are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this sixth installment we will analyze the Minnesota Twins.

-Minnesota Twins (2009 W/L: 87-76, 817 RS, 765 RA)

Key Additions: SS J.J. Hardy, 2B Orlando Hudson, DH Jim Thome
Key Departures: 3B Joe Crede, OF Carlos Gomez, RP Boof Bonser

Overview: The Twins will enter 2010 looking a little different than they did at the end of 2009. For one, they will be playing in a brand new ballpark, Target Field. They also have a new shortstop in J.J. Hardy and a new pair of veterans in Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome. Hardy was an All-Star with the Brewers in 2007 but after a solid 2008, he fell off in 2009 and was demoted to Triple-A in August before being called back up in September. In exchange for Hardy, the Twins sent centerfielder Carlos Gomez to the Brewers. The centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade with the Mets, Gomez never came close to justifying that title, posting a .645 OPS in 963 plate appearances during his time with the Twins. GM Bill Smith likely looked at this as a “buy low” situation with Hardy, however it is important to note that his declining numbers have coincided with a decline in his line-drive rate, a bad omen for any hitter. The ever popular O-Dog had a solid season with the Los Angeles Dodgers but again had to settle for a one year deal this offseason. Meanwhile Thome also finished his 2009 season with Dodgers after coming over in a trade from the White Sox. While he struggled as a pinch hitter, going homerless in 17 at-bats with the Dodgers, Thome had hit 23 homers with the White Sox.

Infield: The infield is anchored offensively and defensively by Morneau and the 2009 AL MVP, catcher Joe Mauer. Despite losing the last two weeks of the season to injury and suffering a prolonged slump due to the injury, Morneau still posted a 30 home run, 100 RBI season. Mauer just continues to get better, and despite missing time early in the season, Mauer hit .364 and hit 28 home runs and drove in 96 runs. The aforementioned Hardy and Hudson take over the middle part of the infield while Brendan Harris, Nick Punto and Mike Tolbert will compete for time at third.

Outfield: As impressive as the infield will be with Morneau, Mauer and Hudson, the Twins’ outfield is nothing to scoff at either. RF Michael Cuddyer bounced back from an injury riddled 2008 to hit 32 homers. CF Denard Span did what Gomez couldn’t do; get on-base, posting an elite .392 OBP in 578 ABs. After scoring 97 runs last season, Span should be a lock to score 100+ runs in front of this impressive Twins’ lineup. Leftfielder Delmon Young rounds out the outfield. Young has tremendous talent, but has yet to fully harness it. He appeared to turn the corner in ‘08, posting career highs across the board, but regressed in 2009, perhaps due to infrequent playing time. Still only 24, and now with a full-time job, this may be the year that Young finally breaks out.

Designated Hitter: The Twins’ main DH will be Jason Kubel, who had a career year last season, hitting 28 home runs, driving in 103 RBI and posting a .907 OPS. Thome will likely also see time at designated hitter, but barring injury, may only see time as a pinch hitter.

Starting Pitching: Righthanders Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn posted solid, if not spectacular numbers in 2009, combining to go 26-20 in 66 starts last season. Kevin Slowey will look to bounce back after suffering a wrist injury that ended his season prematurely in August. Veteran Carl Pavano returns after providing the Twins some veteran (gasp) leadership and stability after coming over from Cleveland in a mid-season trade. The fifth spot will likely go to Brian Duensing who was impressive in his 84 innings with the team last season. Duensing posted a 3.64 ERA while splitting time between the bullpen and the rotation in 2009.

Relief Pitching: Closer Joe Nathan had another impressive regular season, registering a 2.10 ERA and converting 47 of 52 save opportunities. Unfortunately, his ’09 campaign will be most remembered for his failure against the Yankees in the postseason. Doing his best Trevor Hoffman impersonation, Nathan allowed a game tying, two run home run to Alex Rodriguez in Game 2, a game that the Yankees would eventually win 4-3. However, Nathan remains an elite closer and provides the Twins’ with the late inning stability that so many teams lack. The setup role belongs to 30 year old Matt Guerrier who had a career best 0.969 WHIP last season. Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares and Jesse Crain flesh out the rest of the bullpen, with all three coming off solid 2009 seasons. The Twins should also receive a boost from the returning Pat Neshek, who last pitched in early May of 2008 before heading to the DL and eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery later that year in November. For his career, Neshek has a 2.91 ERA, with 142 strikeouts in 120.2 IP. The Twins will also continue their quest to salvage the career of Francisco Liriano, who after posting solid numbers in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2008, completely fell apart in 2009. Liriano went just 5-13 in 29 games, 24 starts, and posted an abysmal 5.80 ERA.

Projection: The Twins have quietly put together one of the best lineups in baseball. With Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer and Kubel, the Twins potentially have four 30+ home run hitters. Should Young realize his potential and if Hardy bounces back, the Twins’ could truly be scary. As with most teams, the question will be how the pitching staff holds up. The team dealt with injuries in the back end of the rotation last year, leading to the acquisition of Pavano and the thrusting of Duensing into the rotation. You don’t usually see teams be snake bitten by injuries two years in a row, so the Twins should improve on their 87 win season last year. A big question mark also lies in how the team deals with their new home. Granted, opposing teams will also have to deal with the bitter cold of Minnesota early and late in the season, but will grind of playing in potentially 20-30 degree weather for extended periods of time take their toll on the team? If the team adjusts well, the Twins above average pitching and outstanding lineup will stave off Chicago and their weak hitting and excellent pitching.

2010 Minnesota Twins: 93-69, 1st Place, AL Central