Covering the Twins beat with notes and comments:
The team’s awful bullpen has a major league worst 5.58 ERA, according to stats from espn.com. Last season Minnesota’s pen finished eighth best in the big leagues with a 3.49 ERA.
The Twins’ front office chose to rid themselves of bullpen pitchers fans are now seeing in their dreams. Without relievers Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier, the franchise now has a bullpen that might not even be that effective in Triple A which is where some of their pitchers belong.
Contrast the work of the Twins’ front office with the low budget but successful operation in Tampa Bay. Last season the Rays’ bullpen had a 3.33 ERA, the fourth best in the majors and tops in the American League. This season the Rays’ relievers, despite a rebuilt pen, are still effective with a 3.60 ERA, sixth best in the AL.
Sports Illustrated reported in its May 23 issue that the Rays lost their six top relievers during the offseason. “The Rays have built another good bullpen by chasing skills rather than last year’s statistics,” according to S.I.
Twins fans looking for encouragement will be tracking much hyped infielder Miguel Sano this summer when he plays in the Gulf Coast League. Sano, who turned 18 last month, might be the organization’s best position prospect.
The 6-3, 195 pound native of the Dominican Republic was ranked last year by Baseball America as the best power hitting prospect in the Twins organization. Twins general manager Billy Smith compared Sano on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle last month with Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, a muscular player who has been among baseball’s premier hitters and sluggers the last several years.
The Twins signed Sano to a bonus contract in 2009 for a reported $3.15 million. In 41 games and 148 at bats with the Twins entry in the Gulf Coast League last year, he hit .291 with four home runs and 19 RBI. He will be back with the same team in the Gulf Coast League when the schedule starts later this month.