MORE TWINS!!!
That's right, this die-hard Seattle Mariners fan has Twins Fever and I can't help it anymore. I would never break my allegiances with the M's, but I finally broke down and bought a piece of Twins paraphenalia last night to wear to the Twins/Tiggers tilt tonight when I got with TheBigSam (it's his last night in Minnesota. SAD BIGSAM! SAD!) and my roomy Kris. I'm hoping this won't be my last Twinkies game this year, and I probably need to stop wearing Mariners stuff to the Dome- especially when Minnesota isn't even playing them. So I picked up the Justin Morneau jersey/tshirt, justifying that as supporting a hometown guy (we're both from different suburbs of Vancouver, BC) while maybe kinda sorta admitting I'm getting caught up in this incredible Twins run. You've heard the numbers by now: 34-8 and now right smack dab in the middle of the wildcard race. And if they can take 2 of 3 from Detwah this weekend (a very good possibility) they'd be welcomed back into the division race too.
I just love being in a town with a team in a pennant race. After their awful April and parts of May, the Twinkies have been baseball's best team the past two months, and don't think the fine citizens of the Land o' 10000 Lakes haven't noticed. Usually walk-up tickets are easy to come by at the Dome, especially on a summer Friday night, but with all the hype (and with The Cisco Kid on the mound) for this series, we had Sammy go pick up tickets yesterday to make sure we got them. It's like playoff baseball in July, and I'm absolutely loving it.
What makes this even better for Twins fans is that the Little Engine That Could is scaring the bejeezus out of the rest of the league right now. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, wants to face this team in the playoffs. Nobody wants to see Santana and Liriano 4 times in a 7 game series, because if that happens your chances of beating those guys 4 times (which just also happens to be the number of games you need to win a playoff series) are slim to none. Add a lights out bullpen and a rejuvenated Brad Radke to the pitching mix, and the Twins should be the favorites in baseball to win it all- IF they can just get in.
I've been a proponent of having the LETC (Little Engine That Could) spend some serious money on a cleanup hitter, which will probably not happen for the umpteenth trade deadline in a row. However, this time around I actually agree with it. There's only one guy the Twins could get that would be worth giving up P Matt Garza and some other top prospects for. It's not Alfonso Soriano, who's price tag according to most sources is 2 or 3 top-level prospects, or the Carlos Lee, who was just dealt today to the Texas Rangers (also dealing a major blow to any playoff chances my M's had in the AL West). Both of those guys are the corner-outfield thumpers the Twins needs. But considering their both free agents at year's end, and would be unlikely to get a big contract offer in the offseason, it's just not worth it give up some top prospects for a two-month rental.
The only guy who COULD be on the market that would be worth it for me is Baltimore Orioles SS Miguel Tejada. The Orioles are going nowhere again this year, and Peter Angelos might finally be ready to trade away his most prized trade chip to blow it up and start over. It would cost the Twins Garza and at least one other top guy, but I think it'd be worth it. He not only solves the cleanup-hitter conudrum, but he could slide over to comfortably play third. I know, I know, I know Twins fans...what about Nick Punto? Punto's been hitting .385 in July, but there's a reason he's a .261/.331/.349 career hitter. He won't keep this up all year, and when the playoff chase comes, would you rather have Punto or Tejada up in a big situation? I thought so.
I don't expect Terry Ryan to make this deal, but if there's one out there to make a splash, that's the one. Although the backend of the Twins rotation has struggled, it doesn't make any sense to try and add another starter because there's so few guys available and none of them (not counting Barry Zito) are any better than the guys the Twins already have. If Silva can keep the ball down and the sinker sinking, he'll be fine as the #4 guy, and they can mix and match (possibly Garza) for the 5th rotation spot.
I'm expecting Ryan to let this team play out and not make any moves, but I DO think there's one deal that makes a lotta sense for the Twins. It would give them a big bat without compromising their, um, fiscally responsible (read cheap skate) mentallity, and also wouldn't cost them any prospects. The Twins should deal righty Kyle Lohse to the Red Sox for outfieled Wily Mo Pena. Lohse and his $3.9 million salary won't be returning to the Twins next year, and although he's out of the rotation in Minnesota, he's better than the guys the Sox have been trying to put in their 4th and 5th starter slots.
Like Loshe, Pena has fallen out of favor with the Red Sox. He's not a good defender, but at 24 with ridiculous power, he'd be worth the gamble to add the power bat the Twins crave (remember, despite their torrid pace, the Twinks are still 2nd to last in HR's in the league). And he's only making $1.25 million. Even if the Twins had to throw in a marginal prospect along with Pena, it would definitely be worth the risk.
Whether Ryan makes a move or not, the Twins have to be the frontrunners for the Wild Card and will challenge the Tiggers the rest of the year, and that means Twins Fever should continue to sweep the upper Midwest the rest of the summer. Remember, the Twins put their pants on one leg at a time just like you. Except they make gold records- wait no they win lots and lots of baseball games.
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