Juan Cruz signs with Kansas City - Updates
Posted on February 28th, 2009 – 2:47 PMBy La Velle
Free agent reliever Juan Cruz has passed a physical and has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with Kansas City. There’s a $3.5 million option for 2011. Correction: The option year is $4 million with a $500,000 buyout.
And get this: It’s not a sign and trade. The Royals will give up a pick in the June draft (I think their first round pick is protected because they’re in the top 15 in the draft). The Twins made an offer to Cruz last week but soon felt they would have to give up too much in a sign-and-trade and backed off. Now they get to face him a few times this season.
Update: The Twins offered Cruz a one-year deal. Don’t know the money.
And, yes, it looks like Corey Koskie has signed a minor league deal with the Cubs. Here’s the link. Warning: Looking at Gordon W.’s face might make you sleep with the light on!!!
200 Responses to "Juan Cruz signs with Kansas City - Updates"
Disappointing.
I think the Twins will regret not strengthening the back end of the bullpen.
If I’m not mistaken KC will lose their second round pick, rather than first round. I think the first 15 picks are protected.
Ah, I think you are right
The Royals have pick #12. So they will lose their second round pick.
This is extremely disappointing. The money is definitely reasonable and the Twins could have swung this deal. It seems like the team did not do it research into what it would truly cost them to get Cruz. Another disappointing move (or lack of move) by Smith! I am really starting to lose confidence in his ability to bring us a championship caliber team!
IMO it would have been worth it for the Twins to sacrifice their first rounder to add a quality arm to the pen.
Penny wise and pound foolish.
KC was just in a better position to do a deal like this. I hope Cruz likes the view from the cellar.
Cruz and Soria will be a very 8-9 inning guys. Looks like the Royals might actually be in 3rd place after this signing…
KC was just in a better position to do a deal like this
How?
How?
they did not have to trade anyone or lose a first round pick
Cruz would have been nice. It would have made the Twins bullpen one of the best out there. As is, I still think they’re pretty solid. They should also be able to squeeze a few more innings out of the starters this year as well. I think they’ll be fine.
It is kind of disappointing knowing that the guy is off the market and the Twins chances of signing him drop from slim to none.
KC was in a better position b/c they didn’t have to give up their 1st round pick.
Rule #1: do not overpay for relief pitching.
I am not sure if 2nd rounder and 6 mil for Cruz is overpaying. But I think 6 mil and a top 25 pick might be. I am not that angry.
But the Royals definatly look better.
Despite the Cruz news, it was a very encouraging outing by Crain today. His fastball hit 94 and has some movement and his curve had a nice sharp bite that it did not have last year. And he faced Texeira, A-Roid and Swisher. Not Trenton kids.
A team with one of the first 16 picks can’t lose their 1st rounder no matter how many type A’s they sign.
I’m guessing the idea is they finished in the bottom half the previous year and need all the help they can get.
Crain actually looked like he had struck out A-Roid too on a nasty curveball but he did not get the call. He definitely looked real sharp today!
I like Cruz, but I never got why the Twins were interested in him. His biggest problem is thowing strikes, the Twins love pitchers that can throw strikes.
Sounds like it would have been a boatload of frustration for Cruz, fans and Gardy…
Cruz would have been nice, but not worth risking a first round prospect.
Thrylos,
Can you imagine Crain following RA Dickey out of the bullpen?
Kansas City just pushed there payroll up past 76 million I think.. I wonder how many of these teams if they fall out of contention early are going to want to unload some of these salaries a little earlier then normal this year.
Can you imagine Crain following RA Dickey out of the bullpen?
yes I do 
Can Gardy imagine it? This is the question…
how many of these teams if they fall out of contention early are going to want to unload some of these salaries a little earlier then normal this year
The problem is that there will not be too many takers for those salaries this year…
If Crain followed Dickey out of the pen they probably would not be facing the same batters anyway. Hopefully Humber can on track and contribute for us too.
Koskie a Cub- signed minor league deal…
Patience is a virtue. Things will work themselves out. I hope if the “veterans” in the bullpen prove they are incapable of getting the job done in Apr/May that the Twins give a shot to some of the promising kids in the minor leagues (see: Mulvey, Swarzak, Duensing, Delaney, Slama).
Also, don’t look now but Delmon is on fire. Take Spring Training with a grain of salt, but he is raking early on.
The starting OF should be RF Cuddyer, CF Span, LF Young…Gomez to AAA (even though it’ll never happen in a million years) as Go-Go still has options and could use the seasoning in Rochester….
“Can Gardy imagine (Dickey)? This is the question…”
Or Gardy may imagine something differently. Probably something to do with favoritism or nepotism.
Right, thrylos? Just ribbing, you know.
While disappointing, can you imagine throwing Dickey and Crain into the game at Target Field when the temp is hovering around 35 degrees?
How about the Delmon-ster!? 6 for 7 with a couple RBI through 3 games! Watch out cuddy! Ride the PINE!
None of the outfielders will be riding the pine much. What with inevitable injuries and DH.
Delmon was on fire last spring…
The Twins have there own version of Murderers Row so far being Young, Buscher, and Kubel. If those three guys step it up offensively like they have shown so far it will be huge for us this year and take the pressure of the our version of the M & M boys!!
Wow. KC gets Cassell and Cruz within a couple hours of each other. They would have been key parts of the Minnesota juggernauts.
It looks like the Cubs just signed Koskie. They like him as a back up 3rd baseman. The blurb doesn’t list contract specifics though.
most on here would be happy trading humber for cruz. humber was a #1 3rd overall. the 23rd pick is a crap shoot and cost a 1.5m signing bonus. would have been worth it for cruz while our core guys are still in their prime to take a chance imo.
Thrylos,
What do you think the chances of RA Dickey coming north are? Do his numbers in relief justify putting him in the bullpen?
If you don’t take a lead against the Royals going into the 8th inning, watch out!
Why would a guy like Cruz go to KC of all places? Unless KC’s hoping he does well and they can spin him for something in July.
T,
Didn’t Soria have some health issues last year?
Maybe Cruz hopes to back into closer role.
Regards,
Delmon is batting .857.
This is a complete failure by Bill Smith. Unacceptable. What are the chances that your first round pick will pan out anyway? Whomever they draft is several years away from sniffing the big leagues. Cruz would’ve solidified their bullpen and made them the most complete team in the division on paper. And at a reasonable price. Billy deserves praise for the Crede signing but was bidding against himself, so it was a relatively easy deal. His incompetence as a GM shows up again in the Cruz negotiations. Look out for KC this year if their starters pitch well.
There are just too many pitchers MLB ready or nearly so for the Twins to let anyone be claimed on waivers. I still think the Twins will trade some pitching away. For example, Humber & Guerrier would make quite a few teams pitching staffs. Sure would like to see the Twins be able to pick up a high A or AA quality SS prospect. To me, the SS position is the far & away weakest in the system. It would be cool to bring in Dickey as our long reliever & then follow with Crain & or Mijares. Oh well, we’ll see what happens by the season opener.
What do you think the chances of RA Dickey coming north are?
if he keeps going on like he has in ST and Humber does not pick it up, I’d say pretty good.
Man, it’s been a while since the Royals have fielded a better bullpen than the Twins. Because it just happened.
Just added a couple updates
FIRE BILL SMITH!!!
Why does he think draft picks are worth anything?
NO impact player has EVER come through the draft, AND they just pick names out of the hat anyway.
FIRE BILL SMITH!!!
Regards,
My, how perceptions change…
If the Twins starters pitch deeper into games this year thereby lessening the load on the bullpen we’ll be fine. If they don’t, it won’t matter who the arms bullpen arms are. It’ll be another late season meltdown.
Disappointing would be an understatement. He would’ve been worth giving up the pick for.
I do wonder often about when the Twins will take upgrading their bullpen seriously.
Will they wait until it’s too late and upgrade it if they end up 9 games back at some point of the season??
Count me in for those thinking they are too confident in guys like Crain and Guerrier. Waaaaaayyyyy too confident.
Can you imagine if the Twins would have had to give up a 1st round pick AND a starting position player and/or pitcher.
Who knows what the D-Backs would have asked for in return if Cruz had agreed to the Twins offer. The price tag wouldn’t have been cheap.
Can you imagine if the Twins would have had to give up a 1st round pick AND a starting position player and/or pitcher.
nope.
They would have given up a pick if they signed him but only players if the Dbacks signed him (to the Twins’ terms) and traded them to the Twins…
It is done. It does not matter right now. I just hope that 2-3 arms emerge in the pen.
Twins prove again that they are cheap. Sorry, no other excuse…other than GM Billy Smith might have had a lobotomy a few years ago. His GM office moves are proof positive.
Hey Wobble,
Don’t forget to stop at the FLA location of Giordano’s in Brandon on the way home….
This was an intentional move by the Twins FO. After Crede was signed they realized that traffic on the Strib boards was dying down to whiners and moaners having nothing to complain about.
Thanks Twins FO. The Vocal Majority appreciates your consideration for our efforts.
May normalcy return.
For the past week these blogs have attempted to do “Pollyanna”. It has been obvious that Pollyanna is a huge uncomfortable/painful leap for most.
Thank you FO for shocking us out of our discomfort zone, back to the comfort of “Chicken Little = Pollyanna”
Regards,
Nice to see T and Dragon still have nothing to add to the board.
Has there ever been an original thought from either one?
The Padres left Soria unprotected and the rest is history. Heath Bell yikes!
USAF Chief said: “Has there ever been an original thought from either one?”
Probably not, but the beauty is, IF one actually happens to show up, we will leave you in the dust
Regards,
I hope they find a way to upgrade the bullpen, but a first round pick in exchange for a reliver is a little much.
“No impact player has ever come from the draft”???? Um.. I think every impact player comes from the draft because, you know all of them do (except foriegn ones).
And you know, our entire starting pitching staff, right fielder, second baseman and those Mauer and Morneau guys were pretty decent draft picks. I would rather have a future Ben Revere or Aaron Hicks than Juan Cruz.
[…] Twins Insider – […]
Nice to see T and Dragon still have nothing to add to the board.
And that you’re still not above calling people out.
It’s irony at its most delicious.
If the Twins can draft and sign “another” Aaron Hicks at #23 next June, then passing on Cruz was OK.
The problem is, the Twins have drafted only Hicks, Joe Mauer, Matt Garza and Denard Span who are (IMO) more valuable than Cruz.
All their other #1 picks in the last 12 (or more) years have been what scouts call a JAG. (JUST A GUY)
I should add that it must REALLY suck for some people that the Twins are 4-0 in ST so far.
Hopefully they can get this winning streak turned around and back on track.
Nice to see T and Dragon still have nothing to add to the board.
Has there ever been an original thought from either one?
You mean other than the incessant whining about others opinions?
sane,
Revere too for sure, and Hunt and Gutierrez maybe
Before everyone starts to anoint the Royals’ pen as the best of the division here are some numbers from last season:
Royals pen: 4.26 ERA opp hit .245/.321/.396
Out went Ramon Ramirez 2.64 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
In came Juan Cruz 2.61 ERA 1.26 WHIP (in the national league)
for a comparison, the Twins’ pen last season (Juannie and Bassie and Guerrier’s ghost, Boof and all) had: 3.91 ERA and opponents hit .257.324/.409. The addition by subtraction makes the Twins’ pen better this year than last year.
The Royals’ pen has Soria, Cruz and ??????
Revere is also a maybe.
He has to learn to play outfield with a so-so arm, and currently takes bad routes to the ball which should be correctable.
Poor arm and limited power make him a 3-tool player who should make it, but he is not as likely as Hicks.
Poor arm and limited power make him a 3-tool player who should make it,
Doesn’t that describe Span a bit? 
(not to mention that Revere did lead the minors in BA last season)
question-is there any other relief pitcher they might be more interested in like cordero?
i guess my point is that i’m not that disappointed in not getting cruz because it seems to me that the twins are looking for good deals like the rest of us and appear to be very good bargain shoppers thus far (crede/ayala)
Sounds like it was’nt the money or the compensation that prevented the Twins from getting Cruz, maybe it was the 1 yr deal as opposed to the 2 K.C gave him. Either way it’s not like half the league was clamoring for this guy. He was NEVER a type A FA to begin with.
Chad Cordero threw for about 15 scouts last week (including the Twins) and was throwing in the mid 80’s. He is coming off of shoulder problems and that is why the Nationals did not offer him arbitration. If healthy he would be a great addition to any bullpen. His agent is also Boof Bonser’s agent who according to an article last week here is not too happy with the Twins.
miguel,
the problem is that really there is not much room in the Twins roster right now.
Nathan
Crain
Guerrier
Ayala
are locks
Breslow* is close to a lock
Gardy wants 11, they might have to go with 12.
the last 1 (or 2 spots) will be a battle between
Mijares*
Humber
Jones
Dickey
Henn*
Keppel
Gosling*
(* = lefty)
they need a long/mop up man. Nobody of the locks can be that. Neither can Mijares or Cruz.
Thrylos,
Kelly Theiser said last week that it was unlikely that the Twins would go with anything less then 12 pitchers. My guess is that Mijares has made it and it will come down to Humber, Dickey, or Jones for the last spot.
Jeff,
realistically, a lot of the 11 vs 12 will depend on Mauer’s (and Crede’s in a lesser degree) situation. If you need to bring a 3rd catcher up, it is highly unlikely that they go with 12 pitchers. If Mauer and Crede are 100%, they might go with 12. Something tells me that the Twins are not done dealing this spring…
Thry
Guerrier was a mop up guy before he got converted to a 1 inning guy. Breslow pitched 2 inningson a regular basis last year. and i really believe dickey has a shot, and he was a starter last year.
Guerrier can go back to long relief, especially if his performance is closer to last year then the two years prior.
thrylos-i agree with you i like the way the bullpen is shaping up (anderson/gardy) know their players well and appear to be ready to go to war with the group they’ve got (6 one-inning pitchers). i’m also concerned about long relief (as i agree that is the only ? position left to decide in order to fill out 25. my thought is i hope the 5 SP’s can get stretched out to pitch 6-7/night but my fear is that they are somewhat over rated i feel we have (3 #3’s, a 4, and a 5) and therefore believe we will take 12 pitchers and sacrifice a guy like tolbert.
Royals could contend this year. Gordon and Butler need to continue to improve. Their pitching is going to be real solid. Kyle Davies only 25 turned the corner last year so they have a very good 1 through 3.
Their Bullpen is very good. Soria, Cruz, Farnsworth, Mahay, Tejada, and two more of the following guys: Gobble, Yabuta, Watchtel, Bale.
msm,
if Breslow is the long guy you loose the LOOGY (and Gardy loves his LOOGIES).
As far as Guerrier and the long man goes, here are some eye opening splits from last year:
Guerrier:
pitch 1-25 OPP BA: .269. pitch 26+ OPP BA: .346.
not good for a long man.
Dickey can be the long man (and there are a lot of advantages of having him as the long man)
Thrylos
I agree with you on the catching with the Mauer situation. I don’t think Crede’s health will be that much of a difference maker to the roster. Especially if Buscher continues to keep pounding the ball! If Mauer is good to go and they take two catchers then I would think at this time that Tolbert is the odd man out. Unless of course Gomez hits a buck fifty for the spring or something.
Humber, Jones, and Dickey all have a lot of experience in starting. I would imagine they could all do the long relief role and would be happy to do so. It will be interesting to see how these three do in spring training.
lol at the loogy (i love me some loogy)
im not saying he IS the long man, i am just saying he’s an option. also, guerrier had a crap year last year because of head issues. and he was quite effective as a long man a couple years ago. and i love me some knuckleball (it looks as effective as wakefield’s in his prime, although if he ws a reliever and not a starter)
i feel we have (3 #3’s, a 4, and a 5) and therefore believe we will take 12 pitchers and sacrifice a guy like tolbert.
I think we have a potential #1 (Slowey) 2 #2 (Baker, Liriano) a #5 (Blackburn) and a #6 (Perkins). If Andy forgets his clicker and lets the first 4 go past 100 pitches (all indications are that he will do that), and if Dickey goes up north, a combination of Perkins for 5 innings, Dickey for 2 innings (every time Perkins starts) can probably make a #5 starter combined.
Thrylos…
we have a #1 Liriano, a #2 in Baker, a # 3 in Slowey, and a 4 and a 5 in Blackburn and Perkins respectively.
I have seen all your arguements, but until Slowey wins his first Cy Young, or gets to an all star game… I won’t be convinced he’s more than a solid 3rd starter.
Liriano has been to an all star game, out pitched Clemens on Steroids! For 2 months he was the most dominating pitcher on the planet. And Baker I would put ahead of Slowey because Baker’s earned that right.
I still think that Slowey might be as good as he ever will be. A 5 2/3 inning pitcher that gives up 2-3 runs, doesn’t walk anyone, and strikes out 4-5 guys a start.
thrylos98,
“Poor arm and limited power make him a 3-tool player who SHOULD MAKE IT”
“Doesn’t that describe Span a bit?”
Absolutely!
But, the difference is: Span is a 3-tool player who DID MAKE IT.
If Revere hits in the Big Leagues, then he becomes the new Denard Span,
although Span’s arm is better than Revere’s.
thrylos98, I pretty much agree with your ranking of our starting pitchers except that if Liriano comes all the way back he will definitely be a #1. Perkins can also be a definite strength in the BP if we develop ANOTHER “top 3″ starter to replace him.
Last years era
Dickey 5.21
Ayala 5.71
Guerrier 5.19
None of there players should be in a three or less run ballgame. Yet we might have all three on our roster. I hope they have something else in mind. Besides being cheap.
How is Matt Guerrier a lock after last seasons meltdown?
I really think that the Twins will use Ayala in a way that he’ll have a really good shot at turning his career around like Reyes did here.
How is Matt Guerrier a lock after last seasons meltdown?
He was offered arbitration and signed a $1.5 (?) million contract. He is not going anywhere…
Shazel,
He would be deemed pretty much a lock after what the Twins just gave him in that new contract. He has always been a great producer for the Twins except for the last month or so of last year. He only had a few bad weeks of a pretty good career for the Twins. I think that Guerrier will do fine this year as we won’t have to wear him out so much this year.
BC,
thrylos is not alone on the Slowey train. SI’s fantasy guy picked him as the 7th best starter fantasy wise in the majors.
I don’t quite consider him a can’t miss…. but there is alot of people away from this blog that think he is a star this year.
I have to wonder how good Cruz really is. If Arizona isn’t willing to dish out 2 years $6 million, shouldn’t other teams be skeptical (especially with the lack of control)? Remember when Guardado signed a big deal with Seattle and everyone in Minnesota thought they were nuts?
From SI.com,
7. Kevin Slowey, Twins
Talk about someone who’s physically ready for a “shock the world” type of breakout season. Slowey reminds me of Roy Halladay so much … that I’m willing to pencil him in for 18 wins, 2.93 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 168 strikeouts — essentially Halladay’s stats from his breakout campaign in ‘02, at age 25, coincidentally.
Arizona is in a severe money pinch as far as payroll goes. That is why they let him walk and I would not be surprised if they raise the white flag early this year and dump a guy like Haren too.
Juanie,
You have to remember who you are talking about here too. That same Seattle team gave unbelievable contracts to three pitchers named Washburn, Batista, and of course Silva. They would love nothing more right now to rid themselves of all three of those contracts!
Dang. I wanted him. But I can’t blame Smith. No way do you part with a #1 for a set up man. KC was just in a better position to make this deal than we were.
Re: Slowey:
with my calculations (based on component stats) he was the 9th best pitcher in the majors last year behind
Haren, Beckett, Halladay, Ervin Santana, Sabatia, Nolasco, Lee, Harden and ahead of Lincecum, Big Unit, Musina, Hamels, Shields and Johan.
http://tenthinningstretch.blogspot.com/2008/11/something-about-pitching-or-why-kevin.html
This year I was a bit more optimistic than the SI guys and projected him at:
21-6, 2.12 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 187 K
(bear in mind, had he had Perkins’ run support last year he would have been a 19 game winner)
If Crain pitches this year anything like he did today we won’t give Cruz a second thought. Crain’s fastball was moving and it was consistently in the 94 MPH range. He buckled A-Roids knees on a nasty curve too! Remember that last year was his first year back from surgery and he said he is stronger then ever. He might even be the closer for Team Canada this year so hopefully he does great!
2.12 ERA and .98 Whip is the kind of year that gets you on a top 10 greatest list…. that would be great.
I think Crain will have a good year. He did look really good today?
not sure why i added the question mark.
Shawn,
Crain has a nice bite (tight, fast, downward spin) in his curve nowhere to be seen before (even in 2006), a decent lateral movement in his 4-seamer (that was not there last season) and he threw some change ups. I think that he will be the 8th inning guy. Let’s see how he does as Canada’s closer for the WBC.
2.12 ERA and .98 Whip is the kind of year that gets you on a top 10 greatest list
not even close, but I think that he will have a year similar to the last year Maddux had with the Cubs (albeit with a better team than those Cubs)
I meant Maddux’ first Cubs iteration as a 25 year old.
Slowey has been likened to Maddux
top 10 greatest is a good estimate
We have a Canadian Clubber (Morneau) and now a Canadian Closer (Crain)
aren’t we lucky?
It sounds like Crain has made a mechanical change to his wind up allowing him to stay “on top of the ball” better & that he has come all the way back from his surgery. & he says he is hiding the ball better from the hitters also! All from an observation from another organization’s catcher.
Let’s do a poll - best improvement seen so far:
Buscher? Crain? Young? Other?
number one.. A tie between Delmon, Buscher, and Crain! They all look really good so far this year to me! Very encouraging to say the least.
coco,
the one thing that I observed today that he does different that before is that he takes the ball off his glove earlier in his windup and hesitates for a moment before he finishes up. For sure this makes him hide the ball better.
looking at Buscher’s defense at first base today, sorry folks, I am not convinced… and there is only one DH spot on the team and has Kubel’s name all over it.
anyone that makes ARoid look silly is ok in my book
when is crede going to get more work anyway? guy had a couple AB’s as DH, but everyone wants to see his glove (his main asset). is he starting tomorrow?
Thrylos,
Speaking of Kubel he looks like he is really locked in so far this spring too.
medschoolmatt
I guess to be fair to your poll I would honestly have to say Delmon is number one. He looks like he is just in a groove and his confidence is growing every at bat. Then Buscher, Crain, and then Kubel.
medschoolmatt
gardy had said that he is not going to have Crede go on any bus rides so I am sure you will see him get at bats in Ft. Meyers
Kubel had a very efficient day - 2 walks, a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI
Young was even better - 3 hits, 2 runs scored and an RBI
Gomez finally got a hit - he went yard. other than that, he’s looking pretty sad at the plate right now
Span - am a bit worried, but he’s got the best eye on the team (save Mauer) and I am hoping he’ll come around.
Kubel just missed another home fun earlier in the at bat where he walked. It hooked foul but he belted it.
no bus rides? but, but… the environment!
Kubel looks locked, Gomez has been taking pitches, Machado exhibited some great glove work, Dustin Martin is moving ahead of Pridie in the depth chart, Cuddyer I am sure has been doing some great magic tricks, Ramos has been throwing runners out, Valencia has been incredible on the field and almost perfect with the bat…
but it’s early…
the way Gomez is hitting….
Span CF
Mauer C
Young LF
Morneau 1B
Cuddy RF
Kubel DH
Crede/Buscher/Harris 3B (I am not convinced any has won the job yet)
Casilla 2b
Punto SS
you give up speed with Gomez, but since he hardly gets on base, it hardly matters. his glove saves some runs, but his lack of offense/plate discipline stifles that.
moving Mauer up puts in arguably the guy who can be a great #3 hitter on this team - Delmon, with his increasing average and power potential. and he’s a righty, so you can split up the M&M boys. Cuddy can hopefully hit a few dingers and protect Morneau; then he’s backed up by one of the most improved guys in Kubel. Finally you get speed/slap hitters in Casilla and Punto, then Span.
Makes for the best offensive lineup we’ve had in awhile.
msm,
how about the way Cuddaver has been hitting?
Span LF
Young RF
Mauer C
Morneau 1B
Crede 3B
Kubel DH
Gomez CF
Casilla 2B
Punto SS
Thrylos,
Ya I know it is really but it is very encouraging to see these guys perform so well so early too. Your right about Martin passing up Pridie too I think. I only wish we could get to see Tolleson play a little soon. Maybe Seth Stohs is right on about Valencia. After the AFL season he had I was not so sure.
ooppps I meant early
Thry
o no you didn’t 
Gomez can be a #7 type, if he connects. otherwise he’s bottom of theorder material (Casilla ahead of him imo)
msm,
I am going with the left right thing. Wait for Gomez to hit 4-5 more go go gones this spring…
Jeff,
Valencia does have a chip on his shoulder. And he is probably the best defensive third basement the Twins had for a long while… His swing needs work and he needs to develop more power, but I expect him to be there in 2010. Tolleson will push Tolbert the way Martin is pushing Pridie (but Tolleson is less stiff on the field than Martin is)
Span LF
Mauer C
Young RF
Morneau 1B
Kubel DH
Crede 3B
Casilla 2B
Punto SS
Gomez CF
I would like it better if we had better run producers up the middle myself..
Why wouldn’t Crede go on the road? I doubt it has to do with injury concerns…
yes, but Casilla is a switch hitter
but hey, if he continues to develop some power, manages to get on base at a .300 clip, and bats around .260, I’m all for it.
T
A long bus ride is not what a guy that is recovering from back surgery needs so that is why you won’t see him on any. Possibly all spring.
msm,
this was the first time I saw Gomez on TV since last season. Next time you look at him, check his lower body. His rear end and legs are close to twice as big as they were last season. The top will fill up. Legs drive power.
Jeff in So Cal: I like that lineup for the most part. I don’t nkow how easy it’s going to be for Cuddy to get bumped from the lineup often enough for that to work out.
I would still like to try Mauer in the #2 spot again since they’ve got Cuddy AND Young to take the #3 spot.
I said it last year, and I’ll say it again this year. If he hits between Mauer and Morneau…you hope that Span or Mauer (or both) can get on base ahead of him.
With one or two on base and Morneau up next…they’re not going to have much wiggle room to screw around with him.
And I think Kubel protects Morneau better than Young. At least right now. Of course, if Young keeps up this ST….
oh ok; since I am out of the country I’ll have issues doing so, but I’ll take your word for it.
i dare you to tell Gomez he has a big butt though
i dare you to tell Gomez he has a big butt though
he does not have a big butt (that’s Hrbie and Kirby territory) but let’s say that he is beginning to fill in his uni
you can derive power from the butt too (think Kiby, Herby)
and Harmon!
msm,
I can see how this discussion can decline fast…
I have LL Cool J lyrics in my head
Hey Thrylos,
I forget what you had predicted for IP and W-L for the other starters. Did you use your new formula for all of them?
hey its saturday night; i worked hard all day; give me a break 
Hey maybe we can get a Schilling or a Pedro for our number five starter this year! I hear they are looking for work. Who would have thought that a couple of years ago that they both would be available in March.
Still left on the FA reliever market.
LOOGY
5-1 2.02 49IP 71Games 21BB 32K
Joe Beimel
I think if the Twins were looking for a certain “LOOGY” they would just bring back Reyes.
Jeff,
here is what I projected for W-L and IP (it’s over at Twins Territory at the community projections: )
Slowey 21-6 240 IP
Liriano 17-7 208 IP
Baker 15-5 211 IP
Blackburn 12-11 199 IP
Perkins 2-7 61 IP
(and I know I will hear it about the last one, but it is what it is and I hope he is better than that)
sane
bet we could get him for cheap - 1 yr 1 mill ?
Hey Sane,
I hear that Cordero threw for scouts at Shawn Greene’s Dad’s place. He has a baseball school off of the 55 and Edinger.
And, yes, I’d love the Twins to get Pedro (but that’s an old story)
When/if Reyes signs elsewhere, the Twins pick up a sandwich pick that they won’t get, if they (the Twins) sign him.
Beimel will cost them no draft picks.
Beimel
another one of Andy’s success stories
I coached against Ira Greene (Shawn’s Dad) whem he had a Pony All-Star team with Shawn Greene, Aaron Boone, and about six future NCAA Division I players.
and because baseball is such a stupid, stupid game (that I love), we beat them twice and eliminated them.
It NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED!
and if that was cryptic, Beimel was with the Twins in 2004. He had a close to 7 ERA in Rochester and close to 45 with the big club. Ain’t happening (esp. from Beimel’s side)
Sane,
Ira and Shawn’s Mom work at the baseball academy all the time still. I don’t know if he still has a Pony team but he did a few years ago. He was always involved with the Tustin Titans. I remember a few years back a former relief pitcher for the Twins during the Tom Kelly years gave a few talks there. Dan Naulty if you remember him.
thrylos98,
Beimel’s choices:
1) Sign with the Twins
or
2) Bag groceries at Von’s Markets
Beimel’s decision:
TBD
Dan Naulty
I bet the talks were inspirational. The guy found God after he was a steroid cheat.
The team that we beat was Tustin Pony All-Stars, coached by Ira and Tim O’Donaghue, both excellent coaches with a great team.
Can’t explain how we won.
I still think that Beimel can sign with a NL team and I am sure that the Twins had enough of him (and he had enough of the Twins). Von’s or Albertson’s not much of a choice there…
Steroid cheats are not murderers, rapists nor child molesters.
I think that God can fit a steroid cheat into his schedule.
As of a couple of years ago Tim O’Donaghue was still very much involved with the Tustin Titans. My Son played for that Pony ball system for three years. The best players in this area either played for the Placentia Mustangs or the Tustin Titans.
sane,
agreed. And it was good for Naulty to be forthcoming about it and understand what he did to his peers. Cudos to him.
I talked with Dan Naulty for awhile at one of those gatherings and from I understood from him he definitely did not like Tom Kelly!
Tim O’Donaghue is in excellent coach and an even better person.
Tim O’Donaghue is AN excellent coach and an even better person.
It was worth saying it twice.
There is another recent alum from the Tustin Titans that you might be hearing alot about in the near future. Freddy Freeman was a 2nd round draft pick by Atlanta from El Modena High here in Orange. He tore up A ball for Atlanta last year. I have known that kid since he was 8 and he tore the cover off of the ball then too.
There’s an article about Crain in the Pioneer Press, a BP catcher for the Astros noticed he was tipping his pitches so he’s changed that now.
Buscher looks like a beast right now and he only hit .148 last year. He’s my choice.
Young is just doing what he did last ST. No thoughts on Crain yet but he looks great too. Span has looked the most disappointing.
sane,
I was going to mention to you that Lutheran High now has three pitchers that have signed letters of intent already. Two with Irvine and Wheatley with USC. They are playing in a tournament in Stockton this weekend. If you would like to see there baseball website it is at lhsoc.org If you go to rosters my Sons name is Cody if your interested.
Jeff,
Freddy Freeman played for the Orange Pony All-Stars against us in 2003, and Ira Greene was at the games when we eliminated that team. That was the last time that I had a chance to talk to Ira.
And you are right.
Freddy Freeman was a 14-yr-old MAN.
He probably pitched in that tournament against you too I would imagine. That kid had a blazing fastball
Four game slumps (or streaks) mean NOTHING.
Every hitter that ever played has had one followed closely by the other many times.
Sane,
Did you ever coach against another local kid named Mark Trumbo?? He was drafted by the Angels out of Villa Park High.
Hardest throwing 14-yr-old pitcher I have ever seen in SoCal was Robert Stock of Agoura. (now USC catcher-pitcher)
I would have been more confident with Cruz, but I think the Twins are ready to give some other pitchers a chance (Humber, Dickey). I also believe the Twins feel Gurrier and Crain should be relied upon for one more season. If the bullpen falters, the Twins will look stupid for not signing Cruz. But, if they hold up, it will be smart, considering Neshek will be back next season.
Yes, we played against Trumbo and Villa Park.
One of his HS Head coaches played for me in LL and Pony League All_Stars.
hey guys,
how’s traffic on 405 these days?
thrylos98,
“how’s traffic on 405 these days?”
I NEVER drive the freeways during rush hour anymore…………..so not bad.
Thrylos,
the 405 is bad but 35W or 35E did not look too damn good the other day with that snow storm you had. A friend of mine commuted from St. Paul to Burnsville and it took her almost two hours! At least we get to see pretty girls driving while we are in bumper to bumper traffic.
Thrylos,
Let me re-word that as there are beautiful women in Minnesota too. They just have so much clothes on in the winter is all. I had to do that as my girlfriend lives in Burnsville.
Jeff,
I just checked the OLU schedule.
We have a 5 in 32 chance of playing OLU in the Anaheim Elks Tournament over Spring Break.
My bad!
The Anaheim LIONS Tournament.
No wonder none of those clubs want me as a member.
The Newport Elks tournament is in a couple of weeks. I know we play ML King and Paramount in the first couple of games. I think the Anaheim tournament is not until April. You will have to let me know if your school makes it in.
so.. some guy says..
This is extremely disappointing. The money is definitely reasonable and the Twins could have swung this deal. It seems like the team did not do it research into what it would truly cost them to get Cruz. Another disappointing move (or lack of move) by Smith! I am really starting to lose confidence in his ability to bring us a championship caliber team!
thanks for sharing..
is anyone ever satisfied? geez, trade for arod, get hanley, i am all for utley.. you guys want morneau? or should we get TEX? how about holiday in left? sizemore in center and hmmm. lets leave cuddy in right.. ohh wait.. someone will complain.. i guess we better get josh hamilton and put him in right.. geez..
buncha never satisfied people in here!
Jeff,
The Anaheim Lions Tournament is over Spring Break (April 11-15).
OLU and our team are already in that tournament along with 30 other teams.
Sane,
Well maybe I will see you there then! I won’t be wearing any Twins stuff as that is a Lancer wear day of course! If you noticed my Son wears # 33. He loves Justin Morneau.
Jeff,
I don’t have room in my closets for Twins’ stuff, because of having coached football at four different high schools, plus baseball at many different levels for many years.
Too damn much stuff!
sane
I understand that! Have a great evening and I am sure we will talk again!
Jeff,
I drove on 405 more recently than I drove on I-35W in the cities
I-95 is my menace now
you kiddin’ me??
No offense, but what in god’s name are you talking about?
Capcom67:
This team did rely on Crain and Guerrier plenty last season. And we all saw how that played out.
Thrylos and Jeff,
heading up the 5 then 405 from San Diego to Simi for my son’s last hockey game of the season. Midget AA. They win their in. Lose their out. Moving to MD this summer. I hate the 95. Worst freeway in North America.
I could only stomach reading about the first couple hours’ worth of comments here, but it was enough to see that the normal bitching and moaning have returned. Thank God. We wouldn’t want things like good performances from most of the regulars and several of the kids in camp to impair the general negativity here.
No friggin way do you ever give up a #1 pick for a non-closer relief pitcher… ever. Criticizing Smith and the Twins for not doing so is just silly and people really should know better.
bigdawg,
Where in MD. I’m in Montgomery County.
95 is just fine, as long as you know ALL the alternatives. Let everyelse park there
Regards,
In light of the Cruz news, which btw, was PROBABLY a good call on the FO’s part, new sig.
*PLAY DY*
I think Crain will wipe the floor with Cruz this year
Poor Cruz faces a distinct disadvantage this season. He has to face the Twins offensive juggernaut a number of times & the rest of the AL not the nambi pambi NL DH-less lineups. By the way, I agree with JimCrickket, you don’t give up a 1st round pick for anything less than a closer. Good job Bill Smith. Continue to search for good values just like we do as shoppers. You don’t spend money or assets just because you can unless you are fiscally irresponsible.
What pick do the Twins have in the 1st RD?
“What pick do the Twins have in the 1st RD?”
#21
Thanks Sane
Sane - wasn’t it 23?
msm,
My flawed memory said #23, but BA has it at #21, and they are more reliable.
Why do the Royals even waste money signing anyone worth a darn? It almost seems silly for them to make moves when they are garbage year after year.
Their bullpen might be one of the best in the league now though. Who knows, I would like to see them up near the top of the division with the Twins.
[…] Royals will instead give up a second rounder.LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins “offered Cruz a one-year deal,” but doesn’t say whether they were willing to lose […]
Why do the Royals even waste money signing anyone worth a darn?
It almost seems silly for them to make moves when they are garbage year after year.
Funny thing is that if you go to their blogs they are consistently more upbeat about their team than we are about ours. That goes for the Tigers, Indians and Sox as well. Their teams all spend more money but between them have won 3 titles in 7 years and the fans are all happy. The Twins win games and either win titles or come close, and the fans are not happy. Anyone else see a disconnect here?
