My personal top 5 rivalries

Last night, Dick Vitale spent much of the evening saying how there was no argument that Duke-UNC was the greatest rivalry in the world. Well, I think there is an argument. First off, it depends on your definition of what makes a rivalry great. Is it the number of people involved with a rooting interest? Well, then it's probably an international soccer rivalry, like China versus Japan. Lots of people in both countries, and historic animosity. And really, more people hate both teams than pick a side with Duke-UNC. Is it the level of animosity between the two sides and their fan bases? More than 70 people were killed after a match in Egypt this past week. When was the last time there was that kind of an incident at Duke-UNC? (This is a good thing that this hasn't happened, for the record).
No, the greatest rivalries are all personal. I couldn't care less about the Yankees and Red Sox or Duke and North Carolina. These are rivalries I actually care about. Matchups that, when they occur, really get my blood boiling, because of my own personal experience.

5) Purdue vs Wisconsin (college football): This is a matchup that will likely only ever appear on my own personal list, but since I grew up in Minnesota and learned to hate Wisconsin, and then had the team rip out my heart in 2004, thanks to a Kyle Orton fumble and subsequent Wisconsin touchdown return, they have always been a source of anxiety, every time I see them on the field.

4) Purdue vs Indiana (college basketball): Purdue is a basketball school, first and foremost, and their annual games against the Hoosiers are always a highlight. I learned early that the Hoosiers are not to be trusted.

3) Twins vs White Sox (Baseball): The Twins are my favorite team in all sports, and I have a high level of disdain for all American League Central teams (and the Yankees, but that's not really a rivalry, so much as a complete destruction), but having lived near Chicago for a few years, and having a team that more or less is on the same overall success arc as the Twins over the last decade pushes the Sox to the top of my "greatest rivalry" list. Well, in baseball, anyways.

2) Wild vs Canucks (Hockey): Ever since Matt Cooke, I just can't ever take it upon myself to wish anything but harm on the Canucks. I actually hate Vancouver so much, that I am glad the NHL is realigning, so I don't have to see their ugly faces as much.

1) Colts vs Patriots (Football): I am a pretty mellow sports fan, especially when it comes to the NFL. I am what you might call coldly analytical. I am OK with watching games in silence, because I usually do. That would be the reason for surprise when I yell at my TV whenever the Colts and Patriots play. While this Super Bowl proved to me that I don't unconditionally hate the Patriots, it did prove to me that I do feel that way about Indianapolis. Why else would I feel so passionately about the Colts beating New England? There is no greater feeling than the Colts beating the Patriots.

At least, not in my book. Like I said, this is all about your own perspective.

How does the rotation look?

I visited my brother for his birthday today, brought him some beer, some pizza, and he lamented the state of the Twins rotation. He was "sick of it" he said, in someone more colorful verbiage. I have long preferred a strong offense, because that means one has a deeper team. If you rely on pitching, injuries are much more problematic. This is why I I loved the Garza-Young trade at the time. Trading a pitching prospect for a hitting prospect. Too bad the Twins don't really develop hitters, pure hitters. Torii Hunter never would have had the chance to find his bat if he couldn't hit. Morneau and Mauer can play the field, otherwise they wouldn't be up. The Twins needed a right handed bat after Hunter left, but they couldn't put up with shaky fielding.
ANYWAYS.
I am here to ask whether or not the Twins rotation is really all that bad. In my opinion, Scott Baker is an ace pitcher if he can pitch at Target Field. It's perfect for a flyball pitcher, and especially one that has Denard Span and Ben Revere playing every day.
Next is Carl Pavano. He's just... old. No, he's not bad, or wimpy or anything like he has been accused of before. He's just wearing down. If you look at his peripherals since he has arrived in Minnesota, his stats indicate that he should perform about the same as he did last year, and probably should have in 2010 as well. He doesn't strike anyone out, which will eventually come back to get him, and is becoming more of a ground ball pitcher, which, while typically good, isn't so great with the Twins.
The third stalwart is Francisco Liriano, who has been on a steady three year rotation. Awesome, injured, struggling with a comeback. Last year was "struggling". This year, he should be coming back with an awesome year. Healthy Liriano gets a lot of strikeouts, AND allows some fly balls. He is a more groundballing, higher strikeout version of Baker. Maybe not perfect, but certainly a more attractive pitcher to other teams than anyone else on the roster, if we are talking about trade candidates.
Nick Blackburn. Ugh. He doesn't strike anyone out, and last year, he started walking people. He get's a few ground balls, I guess, but is mostly a fly ball pitcher. It's just that in the past couple of years, his fly balls went really, really far. He can't possibly be as bad as he was in 2011. Or can he? I would rather see Duensing in the rotation.Well, maybe not quite that, but at least he's there.
Then, of course, there is Jason Marquis. Carl Pavano Jr.? No no, Jason Marquis. He is sort of a blend between Pavano and Blackburn, really. Groundballs, a few strikeouts. He won't be BAD, so long as we realize he is just the 5th starter. So, Marquis fits. The problem is the ground balls, of course.
That said, what if, on days Marquis was on the hill, we move the better defensive infielders into the lineup and maybe give Ben Revere an off day on those days? We'll probably need the help.
I guess, what I'm trying to get at is that the Twins rotation isn't a disaster. I think a lot of the Twins problems can be mitigated with the right defense depending on the pitcher. Is Ron Gardenhire smart enough to plan this way? We will certainly find out.

Prepare for the Kevin Slowey show

I have been saying for a while that Kevin Slowey, a fly ball pitcher with a great K/BB ratio would have been a great addition to the Twins rotation last year, especially when the aggressively terrible Nick Blackburn held down a spot, and the underqualified Brian Duensing also managed to crack the opening day rotation. Slowey was branded as a bad influence on the team and a malcontent because he was smart enough to realize that moving him to the bullpen was a terrible thing for the Twins as a team and Slowey as a professional.
Well, you don't question the dumbass decisions Ron Gardenhire or the front office make without repercussions. Because old people with money are the principle source of revenue (see: season ticket holders in the really pricey seats) and they tend to listen to people like Sid Hartman and Jim Souhan, rather than stone cold logic or facts, there was no way that Slowey was ever going to be accepted as a valuable member of the Twins organization. So, Slowey was getting forced out.
To make the humiliation complete, the Twins sent him to Colorado, the place where flyball pitchers go to die. It looks like the Twins, in their bullheaded attempt to crush any insubordination had won this battle.
Alas, this was not to be. First off, let's point out that Kevin Slowey, given the chance to play against the AL Central and his away games at places like Detroit, Minnesota and Kansas City will be very successful. He has a decent outfield behind him which should bring down his BABIP, and he will start in the rotation, meaning no transition to the bullpen to throw off his chi.
Also, another aside from the whole Slowey fiasco. The Twins drove Slowey's value down to the point that all they could get was a never going to make it reliever. With a nominal some of cash, Slowey was sent to the Indians for Cleveland's 10th best prospect (according to Baseball America), Zach Putnam, a guy who is expected to join the bullpen right away. Colorado didn't drive down the value, despite having 35 starting pitchers on the roster, including Jamie fricking Moyer.
So, bang up job all around, Twins front office.

Twins Sign Joel Zumaya, earth's axis tilts

After a chilly early season schedule last year, the Twins decided they needed to find heftier players, ones that would be able to easily endure the chilly weather. This obviously explains why Matt Capps has been retained as a closer. Yesterday, the Twins added oft injured Joel Zumaya to the fold. (Good decision, by the way. If any team can patch him up, it's the Twins training staff) Below is a picture of Zumaya.

Zumaya is listed at 6'3, 215lbs. I am listed at 6'2 1/2, 208lbs. There's no way he outweighs me by a mere 7 pounds, unless it's 7 pounds of LIES. 

Anyways, good, low risk move. If he comes back healthy, dominant. If not, it's not like the bullpen is worse.

Reasons for optimism?

People have continued to lament the Twins and their seeming propulsion to more ineptitude, but I have to say... I'm growing optimistic about the team's chances. To wit:
The primary concern last year was almost certainly injuries. Just like you couldn't assume last year that essentially every player of value would be hurt, you can't assume that this year either. A healthy Mauer, Morneau, Casilla, Span and even Nishioka will do nothing but help. That's more than half of a lineup. That, and they added two players that can hit for power from the right side, an issue for the Twins since they moved to Target Field. The offense is going to be so, so much better. It has to be.
And the pitching, is, well, not as good. The bullpen, additionally, has nowhere to go but up. Matt Capps is an up and down player, which means this year has to be an "up" (terrible logic, but it gives me hope) which may help the bullpen. The rotation, too, could stand to be healthier. Francisco Liriano is now going to be a couple years removed from major injury, and Scott Baker will take advantage of the spacious outfield and the speedy outfielders behind him. Even potential new Twin Jason Marquis has ramped up his ground ball rate and improved his control over the past couple of seasons. He won't be an ace, but, if used properly, will certainly be an asset.
And now, because there will be an injury or two, the team has experienced minor leaguers to step in. At the very least, the step down won't feel quite as dramatic, given that we will all have seen it before.
So, you know what? Go Twins. I don't think it will be so bad.

What do the Twins 2011 calendar and the Twins lineup card have in common?

The Twins release a calendar every year and give it away, and then my parents wrap it and give it to me as a present. Again, my parents wrap a free giveaway and give it to me as a gift.
Anyways, I finally reached December, and there seems to be something awry. Just like the Twins daily lineup card so many times this season, the calendar appears to be missing a "7".

I have good news, and I have bad news

The Twins bullpen was excoriated last season. Nobody liked it, they had no friends, and most people wanted massive changes. Well, you all go your wish. Jim Hoey was placed on waivers and picked up by the Blue Jays. Then, the Twins non tendered Jose Mijares, making him a free agent. So that's good news, right? The Alan Cumming look alike and the fat, petulant lefty are gone!
Well, I suppose that's the good news. The bad news, of course, is that the Twins don't have anyone better to replace them. Perhaps were both cause of consternation because Hoey was acquired in a bad trade and Mijares has had a few years to sort himself out but never did, but going forward, if the Twins were using those guys, it's because there was nothing better in the system. Barring some massive changes in the next couple of weeks, the Twins bullpen will still be very, very bad.

What do the Twins care less about, winning or you?

The Twins had three free agents going into the winter meetings, and if I were to rank them in order of fan popularity, it would look like this:
Cuddyer
Kubel
Capps.
Those same three in order of how much they would help the Twins next year:
Kubel
Cuddyer
Capps
And lastly, the value in those three signing with another team (because of the draft pick to value ratio):
Capps
Cuddyer
Kubel

So basically, there was, in my opinion, no good reason for the Twins to re-sign Matt Capps. He was not popular with fans, and the draft picks he would have garnered would likely have been more important than having a closer. Michael Cuddyer is extraordinarily popular, and has a few tools in his toolbox. I can't understand why, if the Twins were dead set on sacrificing draft compensation, they did it for Capps to little advantage instead of Cuddyer. Of course, Cuddyer hasn't made his decision yet, but the Twins actually have a back up plan and a lowball offer, so the Twins have made it clear he isn't a priority.
I have no comment yet on Kubel, because I can't get a feel for the market for him, or the Twins intentions. But so far, the Twins are confusing me.

The Twins offseason makes as much sense as this video

- Say they are out on Johnathan Broxton because of the money, then pay Matt Capps more.... CHECK

- Say they saw greater problems with the team than Bill Smith seemed to, fire Bill Smith, slash payroll and use any available funds to sign the exact same players .... CHECK

- In the mean time, giving up draft picks by re-signing players like Matt Capps, or inevitably Michael Cuddyer while lamenting the lack of depth in the system... CHECK

- Jamey Carroll..... CHECK

- Trading Kevin Slowey because he was right about the way they used him, and the Twins didn't like that ... CHECK

Yeah, the Twins make as much sense as Stanley singing an R&B pop song.

The bullpen just got hilarious

As you may be aware, the Twins just saw long time closer Joe Nathan sign with the Texas Rangers. This leaves the Twins in a bit of a lurch, since now the bullpen is Glen Perkins and, well, nobody. Obviously, this is not a great situation for the team to be in, a crappy bullpen, only made worse this year. But it can get worse. Here are a few possibilities.
1) The Twins overvalue the closer position and spend a lot of money on a free agent
  1a) That free agent is Matt Capps
2) The Twins overvalue the closer position and move Glen Perkins to the closer role
 2a) To fill the gap in the bullpen, the Twins move Francisco Liriano to long relief
3) More Jose Mijares.
 3a) More Jim Hoey
 3b) More Phil Dumatrait
 3c) More Alex Burnett

So, yes, it's bad. But just wait.

The Ryan Doumit signing

First off, there is something vastly unsettling about Doumit's face. Is it the steely black eyes? The change in skin tone around said eyes? I feel like there must be better pictures of Doumit, far less unsettling pictures out there.
Nope.  Still no. Yeah, I don't think there are.

Anyways, some thoughts on signing Doumit.
1) I like the idea of a low cost switch hitting bat. He will probably see more playing time (assuming he is healthy) than he ever did in Pittsburgh, and if he hits from the right side, could certainly get up to 20 home runs. Assuming again, he gets in the lineup.
2) If the Twins are bad this year, Doumit will be traded at some point this season. Even though it's a stopgap solution, Doumit IS a component for the future.
3) It is really frightening and more than a little sad how excited the fans have been about signing a back up catcher. How far has the team fallen, that Ryan Doumit is a big deal? And I have seen a lot of people expressing their excitement because this may mean the demise of Drew Butera. I would be willing to bet 14 dollars that Butera breaks camp with the team. He is a defensive catcher, and Doumit is a liability. And Doumit and Joe Mauer are both injury prone. The team will go with three catchers. Especially since Doumit will DH.
4) The team must be absolutely devoid of prospects for Terry Ryan to hit the free agency market this early and this often. I have decreasing faith that the team will have much come up from the minor leagues in the next couple of years.
5) The Twins still have, like, a ton of holes.

Jamey Carroll is an older, crappier Nick Punto

Hold on, let me see if I can't drum up a little optimism
/surfs internet
Aw hell

Well, Christina Kahrl doesn't pull punches. The winter in Minnesota is bleak, and Jamey Carroll doesn't help. That's stupendous.
But what about Jamey Carroll SHOULD excite me? The Twins signed freaking Methuselah to play short, while maintaining a training staff Jack Kevorkian would be proud of, a guy who doesn't hit for power at all (12 CAREER home runs, and non since 2009, despite being, more or less, an every day player)  Oh, and as Kahrl points out, hes not much of a shortstop either, and suggests moving him to 2nd, and going with a God awful trio of Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Trevor Plouffe and Alexi Casilla at short. But, actually, Carroll is supposed to be the short stop.
You know the saving grace that people claim when talking about Carroll? He hit .290 last season! Great! He has no power, isn't a great fielder, he's old, he looks like an alien and he's making way too much money, but hey! He almost hit .300 hundred last year!
Every loss, every single loss this season, I will blame on Jamey Carroll. He may not provide the critical error, or a crucial out, but in the back of my mind, I will know that we could have used the money on something that the team could have actually used, like a big right handed bat, a starting pitcher, a relief pitcher, a back up catcher, a designated hitter, a second baseman, a better third baseman, a left fielder, a right fielder, a close, trees for center field, or, of course, a short stop.

So much for that active offseason

The Twins have made their first, and probably last move of the offseason. Yes, last season was a train wreck, but so is the continued Twins decision making process. Today, the team let go of Bill Smith and renamed Terry Ryan to the role. Fan-freakin-tastic.

I will be the first ti admit, I LOVED the first year of Bill Smith. He actually did something. I was happy to see Terry Ryan go, after years of utter refusal to go for it, trading prospects for skill players that definitely would have helped. But really, it's a good thing the team held on to Kevin Slowey. Bill Smith in his later years as the GM was almost entirely the opposite. This year, when long time Twins absolutely should have been moved. Smith refused to give in. 

Terry Ryan's philosophy probably worked best when the team was becoming a threat in the American League again. Smith put together the best Twins team (in my opinion) in almost 20 years in 2010 because he was so aggressive in "going for it". Both have their strengths. Both have their frustrating, glaring weaknesses. Neither are good fits for this iteration of the Twins.

The real winner is the Timberwolves, because now baseball fans in Minnesota will have almost no news to keep abreast of and can watch all the NBA they want.

So, free agency

The thing with having an array of bad teams to follow (the Twins, the Colts, the Purdue football team, Blackburn Rovers, the Gophers everything teams et al) is that one can always look to the future and hope. This winter, having no teams (besides Purdue basketball! Go Boilers! And the Wild, who might barely make the playoffs!) to really be enthusiastic about, I can spend the baseball offseason in eager anticipation. What might happen? What might not? Anything that happens is all opinion, rather that wins or losses or other things that can be taken as fact. Even if the Twins make signings or trades I'm not a fan of, they might still work out! It's all about optimism!
Now, I linked to a post from MLBTR earlier that had a look at the potential free agent signings, so I thought I would comment specifically on the players that Tim Dierkes thought would sign with the Twins and what, specifically, I thought of those individual players and their fits with the Twins. And the best part? If I don't like them, I could be WRONG!
Michael Cuddyer - With two right fielders on their way to free agency, obviously the better choice is to keep the righty when the team is chalk full of lefties. THAT SAID, I think the Twins are missing an opportunity if they simply offered Cuddy arbitration and signed Josh Willingham, who is a similar player, but without the disadvantage of being put in situations where he won't be any good, like playing 2b or something. If this trade off is made, there is a slight dip in batting average (unless Willingham reverts to offensive form, which means a closer to comparable average with Cuddy), but two draft picks come to the team as well. Still and all, I guess I wouldn't really feel anything if Cuddyer re-signed.
Hisashi Iwakuma - I know nothing about Iwakuma, except that he is a reliever, which isn't so bad. I found this video of Iwakuma in action, and I learned a few things. He can through 145km/h, which is pretty good, I think. He throws red pitches 50% of the time, and grey only 3%. Also, according to the description, he gets a lot of ground ball outs, which sounds good until you look at the Twins infield.
Clint Barmes - Look at him! He just looks afraid at the plate! And this is BP!

Yes, he will do nicely in Minnesota.
Joe Nathan - Eh. He's popular, I suppose, and the Twins need to fill out the bullpen. I'm not really confident that he will ever be the same again. If he is though, watch out! The games the bullpen doesn't blow before the 9th inning, he will shut. Them. Down.

But hey, four of the top 50 free agents! I suspect that this will be, if nothing else, a fun offseason.

My if this doesn't sound familiar.

A nod to Awful Announcing for the Joe Buck/Jack Buck David Freese/Kirby Puckett homage.

The Key to Nick Punto

It may be frustrating to see Nick Punto in the World Series for Twins fans. How could a player that caused such consternation for Twins fans be 3 games away from winning a World Series? Why isn't he ruining the Cardinals like he ruined the Twins?
Well, part of the reason is that, in small doses, he isn't a disaster. Tony LaRussa is a famous micromanager, and Punto is often inserted as a defensive replacement. In St. Louis, he has played defensively in 60 games... and started in barely half of them. In Minnesota, he was supposed to be the regular third baseman, if you'll recall, last year and was eventually a regular starter at second. The same could be said for Punto earlier in his career. He was foisted into starting roles all too often. With the Cardinals he is not a key component, truly a utility player.
This is where Punto is an asset. In small doses, he can  be a spark at the plate and an asset in the field. He is a good as a utility player, such as he is in St. Louis. As an every day player, like he was often called upon to be, he is nothing less than a catastrophe. The fact that he was so scorned in Minnesota says more about the Twins organization than it does about Punto himself. (and the fact that he would be an improvement on the 2011 team is a depressing reminder of how bad the organization is this year)

Making the Twins' plan work

This is Joe Benson. He is part of one of the two assumptions this plan takes. The other is that the Twins stay healthy next year. Joe Benson is a prospect in the Twins system who, like other Twins prospects, is known for his glove, a little bit for a his speed, and maybe a little bit for his bat. Still, the assumption here is that his glove is going to be above average. He is hitting .284 with 16 home runs in AA ball, so there is hope that he could be an offensive asset, but really, the Twins are high on Ben Revere, and he can't hit at all.
Ah yes, Revere. The outfield. This is the most vital component of the plan to make the Twins work next year. What the Twins need to do, obviously, is improve the pitching staff, starting with the rotation. To do so, I propose this: Let Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer (and Joe Nathan, and Matt Capps) go. Use this money on pitchers and a designated hitting right handed bat.
Now, with an outfield potentially featuring Revere, Span and Benson, the Twins suddenly have one of the better defensive outfields in the game. This means, of course, that the team should then go after flyball pitchers, especially ones who may be coming off of years where their stats don't reflect their true skill. The flyballiest of flyball pitchers tend to keep their jobs by being strikeout pitchers as well, which tends to increase their salary, so I looked further down the line for some players that might work. First, as a free agent signing, I propose the Twins sign the Cubs' Ryan Dempster.His ERA is 4.74 this year, however his peripheral stats lend him to a FIP of 3.85 and an xFIP of 3.50 (fielding independent and park related fielding independent ERA projections, based on other stats). With a year with the proposed outfield, he gets immediately better.
That's part of the equation. The next is to execute a trade. The trade I propose involves the Florida Marlins and the acquisition of Ricky Nolasco. There are two years left on Nolasco's contract, which is still of the rookie variety. He has improved almost every year, though he had a break out 2008, regressing in 2009 a bit. The Marlins being the Marlins, would certainly like to unload Nolasco before he gets too expensive, and would surely enjoy getting something back. How about some of the detritus from the rotation we are rebuilding, I don't really care who.
Well, I do a little bit. If we want a cost controlled, fly ball staff, we will want to keep Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker in the rotation. Of the remaining rotation prospects, I guess Brian Duensing is the most palatable, because he is the best flyball guy. His season hasn't been quite as bad as his numbers suggest either. Perfect as a 4th or 5th starter in this rotation. Carl Pavano can and should be moved for almost any asking price, though help in the bullpen would be most appreciated, and a year of Pavano should bring some sort of return. Nick Blacburn is virtually untradeable do to his his contract and lack of skill. That leaves... Liriano. Perfect! The Marlins, I think, would love this trade: Francisco Liriano/Matt Tolbert for Nolasco/Steve Cishek. Liriano would only have one year left on his deal, which means that he would be trade bait at the deadline, should he turn it around and become Liriano of old. More prospects for the team to build with. If not, he is off the payroll next year, no worries! Matt Tolbert, believe it or not, actually would be better than any of the utility players the Marlins have in the system right now. Ozzie Martinez and Alfredo Amezaga are each batting below .150. Horrible. As for Cishek, he is a young, first year reliever who has done fairly well for himself. Actually, the Marlins actually have a pretty good bullpen. There is a lot of depth there to work with.
All right! The rotation is set! Nolasco is the ace, Baker, Dempster, Slowey and Duensing. The bullpen is better, with Cishek and whomever comes over in a Pavano salary dump. The offense, though, is still pretty bad. We would need Mauer and Morneau to be healthy. We would also need to go after a designated hitting type. But who? How about Josh Willingham? The right hander is a free agent this year and has had 23 home runs with Oakland. While his batting average is down, you could certainly make a case for that having a lot to do with his time in the Coliseum. He has been an injury concern in the past, but the goal here is to use him as a designated hitter. Instant right handed offense!
I don't foresee a lot of movement in the infield, excepting Tolbert. The idea here is that Valencia is young, Nishioka is unmovable, a healthy Morneau is a vital component to next season's success and frankly, the way Alexi Casilla has come around, you aren't going to get much better at second, no matter what you do. Still, Tolbert is now gone, and the Twins can use a little bit more Luke Hughes, which I think would eventually be very beneficial to the offensive prospects of the team, especially if he can spell pretty much anyone in the infield.
The rotation is more fly ball than ground ball now, so the problems with the defense are somewhat nullified. Still, the Twins, using this plan, have saved themselves some money, and defensive infield (and catching, please) depth shouldn't be too hard to acquire.
So, what does everyone think? Good ideas? Especially the part about trading Tolbert, right?
We're all counting on you, Joe Benson.

The Twins are batting Rene Tosoni 6th today

I feel like the Twins season is best analogized and summarized by the following image.

Awww, it's a heart broken doggie.

(apologies for the lack of involved posts lately. I have some stress, what with dealing with a hurricane.)

Executed to perfection

So the Twins decided to get rid of JJ Hardy for next to nothing (which is great, because they were going to non-tender him, apparently) in order to sign Tsuyoshi Nishioka.
They didn't use any other money to shore up any other positions, letting all of the bullpen go, as well as 2nd baseman Orlando Hudson. But Joe Mauer re-signed! So obviously this is a rebuilding year, right? Plenty of time for prospects to develop.
The deadline came and went without the Twins doing a thing, because they were contending in a rebuilding year (6 games out!)! Great job! Instead, they went on a losing streak, gosh darnit and are now putting players on waivers. They will likely not get anything in return for Jim Thome or Jason Kubel, because there isn't any real competition for their services if any player is claimed.
I find it difficult figuring out where things went wrong in Bill Smith's plan. Sounds like everything went exactly as expected. Handshakes and raises all around!

So now what's the plan?

The Twins have traded Delmon Young and intend on offering extensions to both Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. Word on the street is that the Twins intend on fielding an outfield of Ben Revere, Denard Span and Cuddyer, probably with Kubel as a DH. Here are my two primary issues with this plan.
1) The Twins since moving to Target Field should have learned that it is a death trap for left handed hitters. So what do they do? Bring back Kubel and insert Revere, a lefthanded hitter who can't freaking hit anyways.
2) They are throwing a ton of money at Kubel and Cuddyer. It hasn't come out yet how much since the contracts aren't actually in place yet, but they will be throwing a ton of money at them. The problem has been the pitching, and it's been depth, and it's been the lack of right handed bats. Signing Kubel and Cuddyer implies that they think the offensive woes can be immediately solved if Justin Morneau comes back healthy. Everyone else has been more or less healthy that will be back next year. They couldn't win, even with Mauer, Casilla, Nishioka, Valencia, Span, Kubel and Revere healthy. I may be a little brash when I say this, but Nishioka, Valencia and Revere are terrible at the plate, more specifically when they are compared to other players at their position, particularly Valencia and Revere, if he is a corner outfielder.
So what do they think? Suddenly a lineup that features 5 lefties and 2 switch hitters will suddenly be able to hit in a left handed hitter's nightmare? Of course, it's not all bad. I have stated frequently that the emphasis on speed was a mistake, but only when the emphasis was on the infield. Target Field is a pitchers park, and a spacious outfield meant the team would benefit from speedy outfielders. Flyball pitchers are going to love this outfield. Scott Baker is having a great year, and with Revere and Span out there, he will be even better next year. Kevin Slowey will love it to -- oh, wait. They wasted money on Nick Blackburn, so even though Slowey is the superior pitcher, he won't get the chance.
As for the rest of the pitchers, Brian Duensing has actually shown the most promise, as his strike out rate has gone up and his ground ball rate has gone down. He might yet be of service! Nick Blackburn, however, has never been good. Maybe as a back of the rotation starter, but he shouldn't EVER block someone like Slowey. If Liriano can reign in his control, he may be redeemed. Carl Pavano doesn't strike anyone out but has prevented opponents from hitting home runs. I don't trust him.
So by my count, if the Twins want to win next year, they need to add 2 or 3 arms to the rotation. They also need to reconstruct a bullpen, especially since Joe Nathan and Matt Capps are free agents.
So what does this leave the Twins to work with? They will have a lot of big contracts for players that haven't worked together this season. They have a shaky rotation. They still won't have a bullpen. They don't have much by way of infield prospects. They have hopes pinned to a guy who hasn't been able to perform in a year and a half. They have next to nothing.
Jason Kubel should have been traded at the deadline. A lot more money could have been saved and more holes patched if Kubel and Cuddyer aren't brought back. The farm system would have more and better prospects as a return on Kubel. Whatever the plan is, it's either beyond my comprehension or simply isn't very good.