A not so sweet season has left the local boys of summer and their fans with a dugout full of questions for next year. Although the Minnesota Twins have won three straight, they recently ended a six game losing streak. They have lost 10 of their last 15 games. A year ago the Twins were more than 20 games over .500 and on their way to the Central Division championship. Today they are one game under .500 and 13 games out of first place.
Injuries and disappointing performances have taken the Twins from the major league feel good comeback story of 2006 to a 2007 season that has frustrated management, players and fans. General manager Terry Ryan isn’t accepting interviews from the media until the season is over but he and others in the organization can anticipate a lot of questions during the off-season. Here are 10 on our list:
How is the team’s locker room chemistry? The players have loved each other’s company in the past but frustration and criticism can hurt relationships. It’s always a plus to have camaraderie with fellow employees in the workplace.
Have the players lost confidence in management’s ability or willingness to add and keep quality players on the roster? The Twins not only didn’t add veteran impact players before or during the season but star second baseman Luis Castillo was traded away during the chase for the Central Division title and the move reportedly shook up some players.
Will management ask ownership for a larger payroll than in the past? On the contractual list of important need-to-sign players, only Joe Mauer got locked in long term so far this year. What’s to become of Torii Hunter, Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer?
Do the above mentioned players want to remain Twins? Nobody is staying here just to play in the new ballpark if there’s a lot more money and possibly a better team to join elsewhere.
Can Mauer find answers to his health problems? He’s extraordinarily gifted and valuable, but injuries have lessened his playing time in two of his four major league seasons.
Will the Twins solve their power hitting needs at designated hitter, third base and left field? The Twins probably will look within for some answers. Jason Kubel is hitting .382 with 10 RBI in his last 10 games and might be the regular left fielder next season.
Can Alexi Casilla, 23, be a major league second baseman by next season? He’s made mental errors and hasn’t been ready for the job given to him after Castillo was traded to the Mets.
How effectively can promising young starting pitchers Francisco Liriano, Matt Garza, Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker contribute next season? It’s easy to be all over the board in answering this one. These guys have talent but there are plenty of ifs based on inconsistent past performance and whether Liriano can recover from elbow surgery.
If the Twins lose Hunter to free agency and don’t make any significant changes to the roster, can they expect to be in the Central Division race next season? Better luck with injuries would certainly help and so too would the emergence of the young pitchers to give the Twins one of baseball’s best starting staffs (assuming Santana is still here). Needed, too, would be near career years for Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel and Jason Bartlett.
Fans have been excited about the Twins in recent years but how will they respond in ticket buying next season? The new ballpark, opening in 2010, helps build and cushion season ticket sales but overall fans are looking for answers.