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Twins health news; Mauer OK

By Erik Hoff | January 5, 2009 | Twins Killings

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Twins C Joe Mauer underwent minor surgery on his kidney recently at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The issue was discovered after Mauer complained about abdominal problems. The surgery was a success and Mauer is expected to join the Twins pitchers and catchers as scheduled when Spring Training starts. Last year's batting champion may have lost his spot on Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, though. Meanwhile, Mauer's teammate RP Pat Neshek is still recovering from an arm injury that kept him out most of 2008. A 2009 return is not likely, making bullpen depth an offseason issue for the Twins....

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The Twins Sign P R.A. Dickey

By Brad Berreman | December 26, 2008 | Twins Killings

It has been reported that the Minnesota Twins have signed right-handed pitcher R.A. Dickey to a minor league deal. Dickey, a knuckleballer, went 5-8 with a 5.21 ERA in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. He pitched in 32 games last season, including 14 starts. Dickey was 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA as a reliever last season, which is where he's likely to fit in with the Twins. He should compete for a set-up role in Spring Training. Minnesota had signed Dickey as a minor league free agent in 2007, but lost him to the Mariners when they took him in the Rule 5 Draft. It would be a big surprise to me if Dickey makes an impact with the Twins in 2009. He has never had an ERA below 5.09 in the three major league seasons where he has made 20 or more appearances, and has never won more than nine games in...

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Dickey signs with Twins

By TD | December 26, 2008 | Rain Delay

According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, knuckleballer RA Dickey has chosen to sign with the Minnesota Twins. Now if you recall last year, Dickey signed a free agent deal with the Twins only for the Mariners to snag him in the Rule 5 draft before even so much as putting on a Minnesota Twins uniform.Here's what Dickey had to say:"They seemed to be the team that had the most interest in me," Dickey said on Wednesday. "Not only that, they also seemed to have a real plan for how they want to use me. More than the other teams."Baker goes on to say that the plan is to have Dickey work out of the 'pen and maybe even collect some spot starts down the road for the Twins. Kinda sounds like what Dickey did last year for the M's. Honestly this move doesn't move me either way, though...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Geoff Baker, Mariners, Minnesota Twins, MLB, RA Dickey, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Times

Twins Rumors

By Brad Berreman | December 20, 2008 | Twins Killings

Various media reports have suggested that the Twins are interested in a couple of Japanese pitchers. Both 33 years old, Kenshin Kawakami is a starter, while Koji Uehora is a relief pitcher who has been a closer in Japan. There are a few teams thought to be interested in Uehora, so his market value may be driven up some. If they were to acquire Kawakami, that may allow the Twins to trade a starting pitcher for some offensive help. Uehora would probably have a chance to step into Pat Neshek's eighth inning role as the setup man to closer Joe Nathan. Signing either man would be the first time the Twins signed a Japanese player, as far as I know. Another note from the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Joe Christensen said that the Twins have expressed interest in pitcher Brett Tomko. Tomko was released by both Kansas City and San Diego...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Brett Tomko, Kenshin Kawakami, Koji Uehora, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Twins Killings Blog

What Will The Minnesota Twins Do During The Rest Of The Offseason?

By Brad Berreman | December 15, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The Minnesota Twins were fairly quiet during last week's Winter Meetings, with the only move they made being re-signing IF Nick Punto. But the team's offseason activity may not be done. Rumors have surfaced that OF Delmon Young could be on the trading block after a dissappointing first season with the team in 2008. The team has an abundance of outfielders with Carlos Gomez, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel all likely to have a role in 2009. Cuddyer is coming off an injury riddled 2008 campaign, but is unlikely to be moved. The team has it most glaring needs at 3B and in the bullpen. Right-handed set-up man Pat Neshek will miss the entire 2009 season after Tommy John surgery, while left-handed reliever Dennis Reyes is a free agent and is likely to leave. It remains to be seen if the Twins will make a move to upgrade the bullpen in front of closer Joe Nathan, or if they...

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The Twins Re-sign IF Nick Punto

By Brad Berreman | December 11, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Reports out of the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas say that the Minnesota Twins have re-signed infielded Nick Punto to a two-year, $8 million contract with a club option for a third year.. Punto had some interest from the Philadelphia Phillies, but returned to the Twins instead. He's likely to see more playing time with the Twins anyway, as he will probably be the team's starting SS. Punto hit .284 last season while playing 99 games, including 61 at shortstop. He has experience playing 3B, SS, and 2B during his major league career, but now looks like he'll primarily be a SS for 2009....

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Pillaging the Minnesota Twins' Farm System in Search of a Return for Jack Wilson

By Nicolas A. Lewis | December 9, 2008 | Pirate Revolution

Delmon Young: Not for Jack Wilson - steffofsd/Flickr.com

The Detroit Tigers went and gave Adam Everett a one-year deal, making it unlikely that they will trade for Jack Wilson. There are still suitors for the Pirates' shortstop out there, and one that I'd like to take a look at is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins' current shortstop is Brendan Harris, who was an afterthought for the Rays and is really starting in Minnesota because there's nobody else to play regularly (at the MLB or AAA levels). He posted a .269/.721 line last season and is more a utility, Jose Bautista-type than a player you really want out there every day. Why would the Twins have an interest in Jack? Well, they've had some good young hitting in the form of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, and they now have the young rotation to go with it. Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins...

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Links: December 8, 2008

By Cory Humes | December 8, 2008 | Pirate Revolution

Benson, left, with Parmelee - mwlguide/Flickr.com

At his PBC Blog, Dejan reports that the Detroit Tigers have turned their attention to free agent shortstop Adam Everett, and so the man-crushing Alan and I did over Matt Joyce and Jeff Larish is all for naught. In the same piece, Dejan mentions the Minnesota Twins as a potential suitor for Jack Wilson. Of Minnesota's top 10 prospects (as determined by Baseball America), two project as center fielders without above-average power (Aaron Hicks and Ben Revere) and a handful of others are intriguing young pitchers (Jose Mijares, Anthony Swarzak, Shooter Hunt, Kevin Mulvey and Carlos Gutierrez). Those names would appear out of reach in negotiations for a player of Wilson's caliber at first glance.No. 10 prospect Angel Morales, a right-handed hitting outfielder, is described as having "wicked raw power, with plenty of leverage and strength in his swing." The Twins' 2006 No. 1 pick, Chris Parmelee, a left-handed...

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What Will The Minnesota Twins Do During The Rest Of The Offseason?

By Brad Berreman | December 15, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Outsider, Twins Killings Blog

The Twins Re-sign IF Nick Punto

By Brad Berreman | December 11, 2008 | MVN Outsider

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Top Prospect Profile: Ben Revere

By EJ Fagan | November 29, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Ben Revere / flickr.com, gcl_twins

Ben Revere - Twins OutfielderAge: 20Height: 5'9"Weight: 166Bats: LeftPosition: CenterfieldRelevent Statistics: .379/.433/.497 in 83 games for the Beloit Snappers in the Single-A Midwest League in 2008. 44 stolen bases and 13 CS. 31 strikeouts, 27 walks.Scouting Report: He's fast. Revere doesn't grade out as an 80 foot speed prospect on the 20-80 scouting scale, but he's close. He is not a slap hitter - Revere hit a solid 15% of his balls in play for line drives, and managed to hit 28 extra base hits in his half-season. Revere's hitting ability compares favorably to Jacoby Ellsbury on a good day. He was stopped by a minor knee injury in the late summer, which shortened his season, but is considered healthy. He has superb control of the strike zone, with a career K/BB ratio of 1.275.His defense is comparable to Juan Pierre's - with a lot of speed but a poor...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Milb, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Prospect Profiles, Prospects

Being the GM: 2009 Minnesota Twins

By Evan | October 19, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Justin Morneau is a perennial MVP candidate - gamergirl27

The Minnesota Twins just barely missed the playoffs, forcing a one-game playoff with the Chicago White Sox for division champions. They did all this without Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. It sounds improbable, but those are the Twins for ya. Unfortunately, I see them taking a step back this year.Read more

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MLB Power Rankings

By Daniel Rathman | September 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The MLB Power Rankings will run on Outsider every Monday night until the conclusion of the regular season.� This is the second-to-last edition of the Rankings; next Monday's edition will be the last.� The final week of the regular season is upon us.� Yeah, already.� Hard to believe, isn't it?� The Halos, Rays, and Cubs are into the playoffs.� The Dodgers and Red Sox are, for all practical purposes, in.� Two of the Mets, Phillies, and Brewers will make it, as will either the White Sox or Twins.� All the other teams will be hitting their La-Z-Boys when the final outs of their games are recorded on Sunday.� Here's how the league stacks up in the penultimate edition of the Power Rankings. Note: some of the statistics and records below are through SATURDAY's games. 1.� Los Angeles Angels, 95-59 With the AL West division locked up and home-field advantage essentially...Read more

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