The finger pointing at Twins’ general manager Bill Smith is on the rise. Frustrated Twins fans want a new player or two to strengthen a team that’s been focused on .500 baseball much of the season and lost yesterday to Oakland 16-1. They see baseball’s July 31 trading deadline coming and the clock ticking on the dream of a Central Division title and American League pennant.
In fairness to Smith, significant roster changes in July are only a bit easier to pull off than passing national health care legislation. But it’s not just this summer that the “Blame Billy” crowd grumbles about. They criticize the general manager’s work since he took over from Terry Ryan in 2007.
During Smith’s time, pitcher Johan Santana and outfielder Torii Hunter left via trade and free agency for the Mets and Angels. His signature trade that sent shortstop Jason Bartlett (hitting .342) and pitcher Matt Garza (the Twins no longer have a power pitcher) to Tampa Bay is a flop so far. The deal with the Mets that brought outfielder Carlos Gomez and three pitchers to the Twins organization is not so good either, but the timeframe was tight and the pressure heavy to move Santana.
Reality is the Twins aren’t as good today without Bartlett and Garza. They aren’t even close to the 2006 team that had Santana who didn’t want to stay here and Hunter who did.
Smith impressed, with the signing of free agent third baseman Joe Crede last off-season. But Smith and the Twins haven’t been aggressive in personnel changes and part of it could be that the general manager is hesitant after the infamous Tampa Bay trade.
The Twins have three All-Stars in catcher Joe Mauer, first baseman Justin Morneau and closer Joe Nathan. Their roster has exceptional players, too, in Crede and outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel, and starting pitcher Nick Blackburn. But the roster flaws, including better starting pitcher and a top of the order good hitting second baseman or shortstop, are obvious and have been for awhile.
Manager Ron Gardenhire probably wonders when the reinforcements are coming. He’s an emotional guy and puts his heart into leading the club on the field. Losses like the two late inning games that got away earlier this week in Texas and Oakland remind everyone that a little more help can make a difference.
The next nine months will either see a jump in criticism of the front office, or a retreat. If the Twins win the division with their present roster, that will lessen the rhetoric, and so too will a popular player acquisition between now and next April.
Throw in the signing of Mauer to a new contract and things could be giddy. The Mauer deal will cost a lot but the public believes that the Twins will spend more money because of increased revenues in the new ballpark opening next year. That logic is supposed to apply to other personnel, too.
This much is for sure: Twins fans will still be keeping score during the off-season.