Random opinions on the Twins who finish spring training this week and play the season and home opener at the Metrodome a week from tonight against the Los Angeles Angels:
Willie Mays, the 76-year-old hall of famer who once played for the San Francisco Giants, is about as likely to join the Twins as Barry Bonds. Suggestions that the Twins sign the home run king, who wasn’t pursued by the Giants after last season, don’t make a lot of sense. Bonds is 43-years-old and controversial. The Twins are rebuilding with younger players and value their clubhouse chemistry. The Twins may already have added a player or two during the off-season that might test the chemistry, but not the way the ego-centered Bonds could.
The prediction here is the Twins won’t bring Francisco Liriano home from spring training if there’s doubt he’s ready to take his turn in the starting rotation. Liriano, 24, is potentially the Twins’ most valuable pitcher, but he has a challenging comeback ahead because of his famous elbow surgery that sidelined him all of last season. Management has a team desperate for quality starting pitching but won’t do anything to jeopardize his comeback. If Liriano needs special work and confidence building in the minors, the Twins will send him down, probably letting him work in Florida.
The Twins’ commitment to patience and investing in future results will apply to whether they keep high potential, so-so on fundamentals Carlos Gomez throughout the year. The 22-year-old center field candidate played in the majors for the first time last season, 58 games, 125 at-bats and a .232 batting average with the New York Mets. In spring training he’s made news with his extraordinary speed, base stealing and live arm. He’s also been labeled a wild swinger at the plate and in need of improved fundamentals in the field and on the bases. Although the Twins can look good showing him off as the center piece of the Johan Santana deal, they would send him to the minors if needed rather than play the public relations game.
The Twins did make a statement today (Monday) about Gomez when they sent his spring training center field rivals, Jason Pridie and Denard Span, to their Triple A Rochester farm team. Pencil Gomez in as next Monday’s starting center fielder and lead off hitter.
Santana, 29, must feel like a kid again and not just because the New York Mets gave him a six year, $137.5 million contract. The Mets have talent but a lot of players are in their 30’s including starting pitchers Pedro Martinez, 36, and Orlando Hernandez, 38. Infielders Carlos Delgado and former Twin Luis Castillo are 35 and 32, while outfielder Moises Alou is a geezer at 41.
The Angels team that comes here next week to play the Twins has a deep, experienced and talented outfield foursome. Vladmir Guerrero, 32, had the most impressive numbers last year hitting .324 with 27 home runs and 125 RBI. Former Twin Torii Hunter, 32, will be the best of the foursome in the field, giving the Angels perhaps the game’s best center fielder while he tries to exceed last year’s batting totals that included a .287 average, 28 home runs and 107 RBI. Gary Matthews, 33, hit .252 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI. Garrett Anderson, 35, batted .297 with 16 home runs last season.
The Sporting News baseball issue distributed last week picks the Twins for a fourth place finish in the five team American League Central Division, suspicious as everyone else is about the team’s starting pitching. The magazine predicted the Indians will win the division.
Sporting News rates the five best teams in baseball as the American League’s Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, Angels and Yankees. The Twins rank No. 21 among 30 teams, just two spots ahead of the Royals who are predicted to finish last in the Central Division.