Colorado Express
12-01-2007, 10:34 PM
I for one am jumping on the Bill Smith bandwagon! I love what he is doing with this ballclub. I hate to see the players that we've learned to love move on as they become stars, but I think he has used great judgement to date.
Hunter was way over-priced at $90 million/5 years. If he could have been retained for $45 million over 3 years, I would have been on board with keeping him.
I hated to see Garza and Bartlett get traded, but he did well by dealing from a strength (good young pitching arms) to get a weakness (power).
Although Young won't help replace the defense that has been lost in the OF, I believe that the Twins easily replaced his bat and have added another potential future MVP candidate to the middle of their lineup (along with Mauer and Morneau). I think that we'll have to wait and see how the rest of trade turns out. Bartlett has lots of potential, but also could have more down side. I think Harris provides a bit more stability, so depending on how Bartlett develops will determine the significance of the trade.
Depending on what the Twins come away with for Santana, I still expect to feel good about the move. Assuming that they get either Cabrera, Hughes or Kennedy and a 2nd-tier prospect from the Yankees or Crisp or Ellsbury, Buchholz or Lester and another top prospect (Lowrie) from the Red Sox, I'll feel that they made a good move.
The one major gap that the Twins MUST resolve is 3B. There aren't a lot of options out there, so I would love to see them add Pedro Feliz. I recognize that he's not a permanent fix, but at least a short-term solution until we can either develop someone or find a replacement in free-agency (or via trade) in the near future. Although I wouldn't expect them to do it, Cuddyer could provide a viable option. He's not very good there, but he's played the position and it allows us to put out a pretty decent lineup with what we have.
Liriano
Bonser
Hughes/Kennedy/Lester/Buchholz (whoever is received in the Santana trade)
Baker
Slowey/Perkins
Cabrera/Crisp/Ellsbury (whoever is received in the Santana trade)
Mauer
Young
Morneau
Cuddyer
Kubel
Monroe
Harris
Casilla
It's sad to say, but that would be the best lineup that the Twins have put on the field in 15 years!!! ...again, assuming some development from Kubel (don't forget, the guy was great in the minors) and Casilla and a healthy Mauer. The rotation is loaded with potential and "what if's", so this is the area that will make or break the team.
Hunter was way over-priced at $90 million/5 years. If he could have been retained for $45 million over 3 years, I would have been on board with keeping him.
I hated to see Garza and Bartlett get traded, but he did well by dealing from a strength (good young pitching arms) to get a weakness (power).
Although Young won't help replace the defense that has been lost in the OF, I believe that the Twins easily replaced his bat and have added another potential future MVP candidate to the middle of their lineup (along with Mauer and Morneau). I think that we'll have to wait and see how the rest of trade turns out. Bartlett has lots of potential, but also could have more down side. I think Harris provides a bit more stability, so depending on how Bartlett develops will determine the significance of the trade.
Depending on what the Twins come away with for Santana, I still expect to feel good about the move. Assuming that they get either Cabrera, Hughes or Kennedy and a 2nd-tier prospect from the Yankees or Crisp or Ellsbury, Buchholz or Lester and another top prospect (Lowrie) from the Red Sox, I'll feel that they made a good move.
The one major gap that the Twins MUST resolve is 3B. There aren't a lot of options out there, so I would love to see them add Pedro Feliz. I recognize that he's not a permanent fix, but at least a short-term solution until we can either develop someone or find a replacement in free-agency (or via trade) in the near future. Although I wouldn't expect them to do it, Cuddyer could provide a viable option. He's not very good there, but he's played the position and it allows us to put out a pretty decent lineup with what we have.
Liriano
Bonser
Hughes/Kennedy/Lester/Buchholz (whoever is received in the Santana trade)
Baker
Slowey/Perkins
Cabrera/Crisp/Ellsbury (whoever is received in the Santana trade)
Mauer
Young
Morneau
Cuddyer
Kubel
Monroe
Harris
Casilla
It's sad to say, but that would be the best lineup that the Twins have put on the field in 15 years!!! ...again, assuming some development from Kubel (don't forget, the guy was great in the minors) and Casilla and a healthy Mauer. The rotation is loaded with potential and "what if's", so this is the area that will make or break the team.