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The Twins have decisions to make
After being swept by the Detroit Tigers this week, the Minnesota Twins have been eliminated from postseason contention. Now that the 2007 season is lost, the Twins must look forward to the future. It is absolutely vital for the Twins (to do whatever it takes) to sign either Torii Hunter or Johan Santana, if not both.
Twins owner Carl Pohlad has always been criticized for the low budget he provides for signing players. The Twins payroll in 2007 was just over $71 million, according to CBSSportsline.com. Coincidentally, 90-year-old Pohlad, is worth 2.8 billion dollars according to Forbes.com.
Fans have come to expect Hunter to make diving catches and rob batters from homeruns, and only outfielders like Gary Matthews Jr. and Jim Edmonds can play comparable defense in center field.
This stellar defense has earned Hunter six consecutive Golden Glove Awards. Hunter made $12 million this past season. By having a career year, Hunter is making himself a hot commodity for 2008. He currently has a .290 average along with 101 RBI and 88 runs scored. With general managers like the Yankees's Brian Cashman or the Red Sox's Theo Epstien, who have books full of blank checks, it seems unrealistic to bring Hunter back.
The Twins are in the same boat with Johan Santana. Santana will be with the Twins for the 2008 season, but becomes a free agent after that. He has been, without a doubt, the most dominating pitcher in baseball over the last four and a half seasons. Since the start of the 2004 season, Santana is 70-31 with a sub .300 earned run average. He led the league in strikeouts for the past three seasons and could do it again this year now that Eric Bedard is out.
Santana has been an All-Star for three straight years and won the Cy Young award in 2004 and 2006 while also leading the league in ERA those seasons. His track record contains all the ingredients to become the highest paid pitcher in baseball.
The San Diego Padres gave Barry Zito a seven-year, $126 million contract. Carlos Zambrano inked a five-year, $91 million deal with the Cubs. These large contracts will likely be a mere starting point for Santana.
Unfortunately for the Twins, new GM Bill Smith doesn't have a book of blank checks signed by Pohlad. Still, they need to find a way to sign these players now. By letting Hunter go and replacing him with a Garret Jones (player from AAA), the Twins will find themselve with a very inexperienced outfield.
Meanwhile, our arch-nemeses, the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians have established center fielders in Curtis Granderson and Grady Sizemore. This is bad because the Twins's offense is extremely weak. They are 21st in runs scored this season. By losing Hunter, the Twins would lose not only the best defensive outfielder in the league, but also their second best run producer
Justin Morneau has proved to be an offensive stud having back-to-back 30 homers and 100 RBI seasons, but it's nothing without
Hunter's production.
Santana is the best pitcher in the league, and losing him would be a downgrade on every level. Some argue that resigning Santana is less crucial because of the Twins young pitching corps. However, there are many questions about the young starters.
Francisco Liriano will likely return to the starting rotation next season to compliment Santana. However, coming off Tommy John's surgery, there is no guarantee he can return to the 90+ mph slider slinger he was in 2006. Matt Garza has gone 0-10 at the Metrodome in his career and has yet to establish a solid curve ball.
Boof Bonser was a reliable starter for the Twins late in 2006. His 2007 numbers show that he can pitch at the major league level, but he needs to be more consistent. Kevin Slowey has not yet lost as a major leaguer, but gives up far too many homeruns to be considered a legitimate starter.
Santana would provide a solid base to the young rotation, and at the same time Santana can mentor the young guns as they continue to adjust to the "Big League" style of play. Losing Santana leaves the Twins with an unproven, uncertain rotation that could not compete with Cleveland in the AL Central.
Other pitchers are having great years as well. C.C. Sabathia is having a Cy Young year for the Indians, while Fausto Carmona has emerged as a top starter. Veteran Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook give Cleveland one of the best rotations in the majors. The Twins have already signed Joe Mauer through 2010 and have the rights to Justin Morneau until the 2011 season. Morneau doesn't need to be signed until then, but it would be better for the Twins to sign him earlier rather than later. Mauer has shown that he can hit, but it's hard to believe he will ever repeat the success he had in 2006, making it all the more important to sign the players the Twins know they can count on.
Joe Nathan is also a free agent after 2007. Nathan produces an important stability in the Twins bullpen. He would be cheaper than Hunter and Santana, so it is much more likely he would be signed.
The new Twins stadium plays a big part in the Twins salaries. One could argue that the new stadium will give the Twins more revenue to use on payroll. Unfortunately, Pohlad has shown that he wants to die with his money and not invest it in his team. The new stadium could have the opposite effect on the Twins, too. Once the season opens, the Twins will not have to win to generate revenue. The new stadium will draw crowds whether the Twins are winning or not. With the resignation of small-market genius Terry Ryan last week, the Twins off-season has become a very interesting topic. Pohlad could go either way, giving the GM Smith more buying power in anticipation of revenue or cutting the payroll for the same reason.
We'll see what happens.
