Wow, just wow…that is all I can say.

Right now there has to be a short term view of changes that can be made. Uncertainty about Perkin’s, Crede’s and Cuddyer’s availability and Kubel’s knee means that, in the absence of emergency-type call ups, possible changes are limited.

By default, Harris has to be the shortstop, Casilla has to be the 2nd baseman and Tolbert has to back up those two, and maybe 3b as well.

In the medium term as soon as it becomes clear that Crede and Cuddyer are able to play I would make two “changes”…bench Delmon and tell him he has only one job…find a swing. And I’d bring in Carew or Molitor to help him. Install Gomez as the CF with Span and Cuddyer flanking him. Send Buscher down to Rochester and bring Morales up to PH, DH and play catcher as needed. If you want to give him a glove and play some at first, fine, but I’m not hung up on him just being available as a bat and backup C.

If the 3 outfielders need a spell I would put Kubel in the outfield.

Send Tolbert down when Punto comes back and install him as the super sub and rest-giver. He can play virtually everywhere but catcher so use him where he does best.

Perkins’, Lirano’s and Swarzak’s performances in the next two weeks will determine who goes where. Any of them can move to the bullpen and, IMO, you ride the best two out of those three for the starting rotation. Baker has to get fixed or it really doesn’t matter.

As for Casilla, his fate rests on whether you get to July 1 and believe you can win the division. In essence he has the month of June to prove he is an answer. If he still blows then you have to decide if you are in the race and you bolster second or short accordingly. In it? Find a stop gap player from a non-contending team. Not in it? Start making trades that get you up and comers in the middle infield (Briniac is intriguing but I’m gunshy about doing anything with Tampa)

For the long term the personell dept. needs to address three areas: Short, second and power arms. The middle infield may have to come via trade. The power arms can be found in a week or so by drafting college power arms. Screw the “pitch to contact” idea for one draft, acquire as many flamethrowers as you can and sort em out as to whether they are starters or relievers as you go along. You may surprise yourself and find another Garza, Price, etc. by doing that.

As for Delmon, you have to use a roster spot for him or lose him…but no law says you have to play him. Get a work plan for him going and make him follow it. If he won’t/can’t do it then cut your losses. It’s clear Vavra hasn’t been able to get to him, bring in someone like Carew for two weeks and see what happens. The way he’s going now isn’t working so what do you have to lose. He’s still not worth jettisoning…sometimes you have to try different keys to get in the door before you use the battering ram and knock it down. Get creative.

Speaking of creative…would it crush Anderson’s ego if Baker and Liriano spent a couple of hours with Blyleven? He’s already around. Despite the buffoonery he knows a lot of stuff about pitching and seems to be screaming to share it. So what if he tweaks a mechanic? So what if he changes their mental approach or pitching plan? What is going on ain’t working.

I’m sure I can think of more but that’s about it for now.

Most of the improvement needs to come from the current players, and the managers use of said current players.

The first step is getting the right mix of guys on the 25 man roster, each with a known roll to play.

Harris as the starting SS. As a result, the infield coach needs to work twice as hard to make sure Harris is positioned correctly on every pitch. Harris fields everything he can get to, but does not have the ability to make up for positioning errors like a healthy, on his game Punto can.

Young is a bench player. Lucky to get one start a week. By using Mauer as a DH more (see next point), it will mean Kubel has to play the OF more. Kubel should start more games in the OF than Delmon does. I don’t even think Delmon deserves this roll, but he is out of options.

Morales on the squad, in place of Buscher. Mauer simply can’t be out of the line up. That means he probably needs to DH 2 or 3 times per week, with Redmond getting 1 start per week, and Morales getting 1-2 starts per week. Buscher simply does not offer the Twins enough pop or versitility.

It’s not that easy to just go out and get a front line starter. There are a number of teams that need pitching help, so if someone became avaialbe the Twins would be bidding against teams like the Phillies and White Sox who are also in the market for a starter.

* Bench Delmon until he works with Vavra to get back to his approach last year.

* Insert Harris as the starter at short.

* Work to acquire a shortstop of the future, such as Reid Brignac.

* Give Casilla two months to get back into a groove. If he doesn’t, move on to Tolleson.

* Give Liriano two more starts to demonstrate that he can pitch more than two effective innings in a row. If he doesn’t, move him to the bullpen when you activate Perkins.