We heard E3 — the affectionate term for colleague La Velle E. Neal III — on KFAN both yesterday and today talking about Denard Span and what his call-up for the injured Michael Cuddyer will mean for the Twins and their usual batting order. E3 threw out the possibility of Span moving to the leadoff role, while Go-Go rolls into the ninth spot. That would give the Twins a three-man speed threat, assuming Alexi Casilla stays in the No. 2 spot. Span is a better OBP guy than Gomez, so putting him higher up makes sense. That said, Go-Go has been in that role all year and provides a clear spark. The next question is what happens to the No. 5 spot. If the Twins roll with Kubel, that puts three lefties in a row (Mauer and Morneau preceding), which can be a favorable matchup for an opponent in the late innings. Batting an improving Delmon Young fifth offers better balance. Production-wise, though, Kubel seems like the best fit. Our thought, overall:

1. Gomez
2. Casilla
3. Mauer
4. Morneau
5. Young
6. Kubel
7. Buscher
8. Harris
9. Span

In terms of Gomez, it might make more sense from a numbers standpoint to move him, but there is more to baseball than numbers. Don’t upset the applecart — at least not yet. If a week from now Span has shown he is earning a higher place, maybe consider flip-flopping him with Gomez. For now, it still gives the Twins three fast guys who put pressure on fielders in a row. As for Young, his strong June and right-handed presence earn him a promotion in the order. Kubel is fine at No. 6 and provides balance.

Your thoughts? (By the way, our question should be answered in a few hours after lineups are posted. We’re guessing La Velle’s blog will be the place to be for a continued debate later).

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