Spring Training Review

I am a little late in issuing this as the Twins have already played 2 regular season games.

My plan for this blog is to post an entry for each series so I'll comment on the Angels series on Friday morning.

Spring Training Highlights

MLB Players

• Delmon Young had a great Spring and came to came having shed 30 pounds in the offseason. Looks like he has rededicated himself to having a breakthrough season. I can't help but wonder if the early offseason trade of Gomez spurred Delmon on, since the trade basically gave him the everyday left fielders job for 2010 (as long as he performs).
• Francisco Liriano had a great off-season some saying his trademark nasty slider from 2006 looks to be back. He carried over his play in Dominican Winter league into spring training and won the 5th starters role, hopefully he will soon move up the ladder and show he is a top of the rotation guy we all think he is capable of being.
  
• Michael Cuddyer scorched the ball this spring leading the team in batting average throughout spring. Hopefully he continues to deliver from the right side of the plate.

Prospects

• Anthony Slama had a very impressive spring and I believe will be called up sometime this season to help in the bullpen.
  
• Wilson Ramos impressed everyone with his offense and defense and is a better catcher that Drew Butera but it was determined he needs to play everyday and get more experience in AAA. With Jose Morales, Butera, and Ramos behind Joe Mauer the Twins have no shortage of catching depth in their organization.
• Danny Velencia was the best everyday third baseman offensively in camp. He will most certainly get a chance in Minnesota if Punto, Harris, or Casilla get injured or flounder.
  

Spring Training Lowlights

With the good there is always the bad.

• Losing Joe Nathan for the season is by far and away the biggest lowlight of the 2010 Spring training for the Twins. It is impossible to fill his shoes but hopefully the depth in the bullpen will help us fill the void. Jon Rauch was named his replacement after it was initially said we were to do the "closer by committee" approach. Everyone in the bullpen has to step it up and see it as an opportunity to have a bigger role for the team.
• Jose Morales had to have wrist surgery shortly before camp opened. He was slated to be the backup to Joe Mauer for the Twins this year, but missing Spring training and at least the first few weeks of the season is not the way Jose wanted to start the season. Luckily the afore mentioned catching depth will fill the gap in the short term, lets all hope he comes back and plays well backing up Joe.

Clearly there is more in-depth analysis of more prospects and other players who I could cover in detail, however many of the Twins blogs out there have covered it all in detail. This is just a rough overview of players I think will/could impact the success of the 2010 Twins.

Nathan is a big blow, but no other injuries to major players is a good sign. We know each year there will be injury challenges to overcome. Hopefully our depth within the organization will get us through whatever other things come up as the season progresses.

2010 Opening Day Roster

The big league lineup is the best I have ever seen a Twins lineup:

1. Denard Span
2. Orlando Hudson
3. Joe Mauer
4. Justin Morneau
5. Michael Cuddyer
6. Jason Kubel
7. Delmon Young
8. J.J. Hardy
9. Nick Punto

Top quality table setters in 1 & 2 ... and 3 - 8 can all hit for power. Punto is the weak link, but its an even year and he seems to play better on even years. Clearly the most promising looking lineup I've seen the Twins have since... well... since I've been watching (since '85)!

Staring Rotation is solid if not spectacular:

1. Scott Baker
2. Nick Blackburn
3. Carl Pavano
4. Kevin Slowey
5. Francisco Liriano

Baker is probably a #2 or #3 but will start the season as the Twins Ace. Blackburn, Slowey and Pavano are #3 or #4 quality starters going by their numbers. Liriano is the wildcard, if he can show some semblance of the slider he threw pre-surgery, he could become the Ace, but he could also be the Liriano who looked lost in 2009 and be demoted to the bullpen.

Bullpen

Closer: Jon Rauch
7/8th inning RH: Matt Guerrier
7/8th inning LH: Jose Mijares
6/7th inning: Jesse Crain
6/7th inning: Pat Neshek
Long man and LH specialist: Brian Duensing
Long man RH: Alex Burnett

A strength coming into camp looks a lot shakier without Nathan, however still looks very serviceable. Crain and Neschek will be the key to keeping Guerrier from being over used. Mijares is the wildcard here. If he can demonstrate an ability to get out right handed hitters his role will become bigger and more valuable than just a lefty specialist.

Bench:

Jim Thome - PH/DH and emergency 1st basemen
Drew Butera - Backup Catcher (until Morales returns)
Alexi Casilla - Middle infielder
Brendan Harris - Utility infielder (could platoon against lefties at 3B with Punto)

Thome is the clear upgrade from years past. We finally have a legitimate pinch hitter off the bench that can scare some people, we haven't had that since, well... I'm not sure, maybe Randy Bush? Brendan Harris is our next best bat off the bench and is a right handed to compliment to the left handedness of Thome.

Losing Nathan is a blow, but this team is too good to let that change the outlook. I have high hopes that this team could win the division again, and more importantly do damage in the post-season.

Go Twins!