Depth Chart Analysis: C & 1B

There’s a popular phrase in the NFL that goes something like this: “You’re only as good as your back-up quarterback”. The sentiment meaning that a great NFL team can be derailed by an injury to their most important position.

In baseball, this occurrence is less common as there are no “quarterbacks” in a baseball lineup. Any given night, any of the starting nine can put together an offensive (or defensive) performance solid enough to carry a team to victory.

Still, the original sentiment is interesting – you’re only as good as your back-up implies that if a team wants to contend, they need not only have the stars to get them to the World Series, but also the bench depth to help bridge gaps caused by injuries or ineffectiveness.

Of course, with this being a Minnesota Twins focused blog, I had to apply this theory to the Twins roster as it currently stands. We’ll look at the starters and the next players and line, and see if we can find any decencies that the Twins should look to address in the coming offseason. Let’s get started by looking at the “quarterback” of the diamond:

Catcher:

Starter

Joe Mauer 

2013 Stats: (113 Games) .324/.404/.376, .880 OPS, 11 HR, 47 RBI

We’re not even one player in to the depth chart and we’ve already got some controversy brewing. The big debate of the Twins offseason (so far) has been what to do with Joe Mauer. His late season concussion has some fans (myself included) worried about the longevity of Mauer’s career if he’s allowed to catch full time. Catchers take a lot of abuse behind the plate, and concussion symptoms are nothing you want hanging around a player (See: Koskie, Corey & Morneau, Justin).

The popular opinion is that Joe Mauer should shift to 1B fulltime, thus increasing his chances of being in the lineup on a consistent basis. The Twins have stuck to the “Joe wants to be, and will be a catcher” line so far when asked about their intentions with Mauer – but I think deep down they (and Joe) know that he’ll need to change positions sooner rather than later. I think Mauer gets between 70-80 games behind the plate this season, while spending a majority of the other games at 1B. That will allow the team to transition him to 1B fulltime in 2015.

So, for now when we list catchers on the Twins roster – Joe Mauer sits atop the list.

Next In Line

Josmil Pinto

2013 Stats (21 Games) .342/.398/.566, .963 OPS, 4 HR, 12 RBI

Josmil Pinto’s 2013 stat line is the very definition of “small sample size” and Twins fans need look no further than Chris Parmelee’s 2010 September stats to be reminded that late season call-up stats do not indicate future success. With all that being said, I’m still very excited to see what Josmil Pinto can do with a full season at the big league level.

Pinto had been a slow riser through the Twins system; he spent 2006-2011 in the low minors, never rising above A+ Fort Myers. In 2012, something clicked for Pinto and his bat began to heat up. He posted a combined split of .295/.362/.482 between Fort Myers and New Britain. In 2013, Pinto posted a split of .309/.400/.482 before getting called up to Minnesota and posting the respectable numbers listed above.

These past two seasons seem to indicate that Pinto’s figured something out at the plate, making him an offensively viable big leaguer. His defense has always been the question mark – with his slow footwork being listed as the largest detraction from his game.

Pinto is young enough to learn good defense from the Twins coaches, so that doesn’t concern me too much right now. I’m more interested to see how his bat will play in spring training. A strong performance there will likely earn him a spot on the Twins opening day roster – which means he’d likely split games with Mauer behind the plate (and maybe even DH on occasion).

The Twins have a deep farm system with some very impressive names on the verge of the big leagues. It’s always a wonderful surprise when a player that had been overlooked (like Pinto) bursts onto the scene and makes as much of an impact as some of the bigger names are expected to make. His emergence, if true, greatly helps the Twins going forward.

Also In Consideration:

Chris Herrmann

-          Coming into 2013, Herrmann looked to be the ‘next in line’ for the catcher job if Mauer were to go down for a long period of time. Defensively, he holds his own quite well but offensively he’s swung a fairly weak and inconsistent bat. Josmil Pinto’s strong September basically guaranteed that Herrmann will see more time in the outfield than behind the plate next season– but I think that versatility will help Herrmann stick around as a utility player. He can provide that coveted “emergency catcher” coverage that Ron Gardenhire enjoys while also being a solid defensive replacement in the outfield. He may not catch too many games, but if Mauer & Pinto go down next season (eek!) he’d be the next man up.

Ryan Doumit

-          Doumit makes this list only because he used to catch and I suppose, if the Twins were absolutely desperate (Mauer, Pinto AND Herrmann get in a car accident or lost in an airport) they could put him behind the plate. Defensively, Doumit is a nightmare behind the plate, frequently ranking at or near the bottom in defensive efficiency and pitch framing among all big league catchers. His bat is his only contribution, and while it’s solid, it’s not good enough to override his poor defense. Doumit is a DH now and should never make an appearance behind the plate again for the Twins.

Overall Grade: Even if Mauer isn’t listed at catcher anymore, the depth of Pinto / Herrmann is solid enough to earn the Twins a “B” ranking at catcher. With Mauer topping the depth chart, that ranking bumps up to an “A”.

1^st Base:

Starter

Good Question

With the trade of Justin Morneau, the Twins have opened up a spot in their infield that has yet to be claimed. Chris Colabello and Chris Parmelee split time manning 1B to finish out the season, but neither one hit well enough to be named the outright starter.

This spot could easily be Joe Mauer’s or, perhaps the Twins will sign a veteran slugger to man first in a “timeshare” situation with Mauer. The Twins could also shift Trevor Plouffe to 1B fulltime once Miguel Sano is promoted to the big leagues.

The problem is there simply isn’t much in the way of quality players that the Twins can state with authority “This is our first baseman heading into 2014”. They have contenders in Parmelee, Colabello, Plouffe and a veteran free agent  as well as players like Kennys Vargas and Travis Harrison in the minors who look to be first basemen in training – but there’s no one immediately here to help. Clearly this is a position the Twins will need to find a solution for in the offseason and during spring training.

Overall Grade: Simply because Mauer “might” be playing 1B in 2014, I’ll give the Twins a “D” here on the potential. Without Mauer, this is easily an “F”.

I’m going to break these depth evaluations down into parts so they’re easier to read. We’ll stop at C / 1B today. I’ll put up my overview of 2B / SS / 3B on Monday and the evaluations of LF / CF / RF on Tuesday.

Regular Season Awards

I’m not going to beat a dead horse (to borrow the overused turn of phrase) and recap just how terrible 2013 was for the Minnesota Twins. Instead, I’d like to point out the silver lining – even bad teams have good players. Even though the Twins themselves would like to forget 2013, there is a group of players whose effort is worth noting.

We’re only a few weeks away from the MLB MVP, CY Young and other awards being handed out – so let’s take that concept of ‘award season’ and turn it towards the players on the 2013 Twins. Specifically, let’s find the Twins’ season MVP, CY Young, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

Season MVP:

The candidates

Joe Mauer: .324/.404/.376, 144 OPS+, 11 HR, 47 RBI, 5.4 WAR

The obvious leading candidate for MVP is the Twins’ starting catcher. Mauer had a down year in RBI, largely due to the Twins’ inability to put any consistent hitters ahead of him in the lineup. Going beyond the RBI and homeruns and you’ll see that Mauer put together another outstanding season. His 144 OPS+ ranked him 11^th (in both leagues), showing that Mauer was still the on base machine he’s always been. His wRC of 83, shows that he didn’t add many runs to the team’s final ledger, due in large part to no one being on base ahead of him. These were hardly career lows for Mauer, but missing the last month of the season with a concussion and failing to crack 50 RBI does feel like a low point for the Twins’ best hitter.

Brian Dozier: .244/.312/.414, 100 OPS+, 18 HR, 66 RBI, 3.8 WAR

There was a short list of ‘players who needed to improve’ coming into 2013. Fans and experts frequently cited Trevor Plouffe, Chris Parmelee, Scott Diamond, Aaron Hicks and Pedro Florimon as players that needed to give a greater contribution for the Twins to win. Left off those lists was Brian Dozier, who many looked at as a lost cause, following an underwhelming 2012 rookie season. Dozier responded by becoming one of the best hitters in baseball after July. (He admittedly started very slow and likely only kept his roster spot due to his improved defense). Dozier lead the majors in extra base hits following July 31^st, and went on a bit of a power tear, hitting 13 home runs in the last two months of the season. This offensive improvement combined with his incredible defense at 2B (his .992 fielding percentage was well above the league average of .985) make him one of the best Twins players of 2013.

Glen Perkins: 2.30 ERA, 177 ERA+, 36 SV, 2.1 WAR

Glen Perkins transferred beautifully into the closer role in 2013, providing a near guarantee save in the back of the ‘pen. There was little to enjoy with the Twins in 2013, but Perkins was certainly on the short list of highlights. The only downside to Perkins’ MVP race is role – it’s hard to name a closer on a 96 loss team as the most valuable player. When you’re losing, you don’t need a closer – an argument that effectively saps Perkins’ chances before they get off the ground.

Winner: Brian Dozier

You could rightly name Joe Mauer as the MVP and receive little in the way of argument from anyone. I give the advantage to Dozier due to his defensive improvement at a position of huge need. The Twins have not had a reliable second baseman who could also hit in many years. Dozier fills a void in the Twins’ lineup and adds a valuable bat. His second half performance was strong enough to override the slow start, making him my 2013 Twins MVP.

2013 Twins CY Young

The Candidates

Absolutely none of the starters qualify for consideration for any Cy Young award. Scott Diamond, Mike Pelfrey , Kevin Correia, Vance Worley, Cole DeVries, Samuel Deduno, Liam Hendriks, Andrew Albers, Pedro Hernandez and Kyle Gibson each had underwhelming or downright horrid years. The bullpen had some stronger performances, especially from Jared Burton, Caleb Thielbar and Anthony Swarzak but they didn’t do quite enough to win the award either.

Winner: Glen Perkins

Perkins may not have done enough to make him the Twins’ MVP, but he was certainly the MVP of the entire pitching staff, making him the default Cy Young simply due to a complete lack of competition. If you think another Twins pitcher deserved the award, I’d love to hear it.

2013 Twins Gold Glove

The Candidates

Brian Dozier: .992 FLD%, 9 rDRS (defensive runs saved), 6 Errors

We’ve touched on Dozier’s improvements already, but its worth pointing out last season’s second baseman (Alexi Casilla) numbers: .930 FLD%, 15 rDRS, 9 Errors. Casilla made more flashy or out of the zone plays (as evidenced by his higher defensive runs saved) but he also missed move of the routine plays, evidenced by his lower fielding percentage. Casilla’s errors always seemed to come at the most inopportune times – typically allowing an inning to explode and putting the Twins in a deep hole. Dozier was much more consistent, something the Twins defense desperately needed.

Pedro Florimon: .973 FLD%, 12 rDRS, 18 Errors

Florimon may never develop into an offensive threat, but if he can keep making defensive improvements (2012 numbers: .965, 7 rDRS, 7 Errors) he won’t need to carry a threatening bat. Much like second base, the Twins have been searching for a short stop that can make the routine plays for many years. Florimon looks to be the solution to that problem. His .973 FLD% is exactly league average and his defensive runs saved is towards the top end of short stops. His defense was certainly a welcome addition to the Twins this season.

Aaron Hicks: 1.000 FLD%, 2 rDRS, 0 Errors

Hicks may have had a disastrous rookie campaign at the plate, but he was Major League ready in the field. The speedy centerfielder made some difficult plays look routine and even managed to rob a couple of home runs from Carlos Gomez and Adam Dunn. Without a full season under his belt, it’s hard to list Hicks as a favorite to win the Twins’ Gold Glove, but he performed well enough to earn an honorable mention

Winner: Brian Dozier

It came down to consistency versus difficulty. Dozier made the routine plays almost every time he had an opportunity, while Florimon made a few more difficult and out of range plays. When a team is as bad as the Twins were in 2013, you tend to value consistency a little more – thus, the award goes to Dozier.

2013 Twins Silver Slugger

The Candidates

Trevor Plouffe: .254/.309/.392, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 93 wRC+

Plouffe slumped through most of the season, but a late August and September hot streak (that saw him bat over .300 during the final 8 weeks) drew his numbers back up to respectable levels. It’s telling that a player with numbers as average as Plouffe’s were this season is the leading candidate for what essentially amounts to the best offensive player on the Twins. They’re not great, but given his competition (or lack there of) Plouffe moves to the top of the heap.

Brian Dozier: .244/.312/.414, 18 HR, 66 RBI, 101 wRC+

Like Plouffe, Dozier benefited from a hot streak to end the season. Dozier’s streak was longer (starting in July) and a bit more consistent, but the fact that he didn’t put a full season together really does hurt his case. That being said, with a slightly above average wRC+ and an ISO of .170, Dozier is easily one of the best bats in the 2013 Twins lineup.

Josmil Pinto: .342/.398/.566, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 169 wRC+

Yes, small sample size for Pinto makes it hard to distill any real truth from his September numbers (he was limited to just 83 at bats in the last month of the season). But you cannot argue that the rookie took advantage of the opportunity he was given. Pinto absolutely crushed the ball in September, hitting for average and boasting an impressive .224 ISO. It’s hard to put him at the top of the list simply because one month does not a season make – (See: Plouffe, Trevor 2012) but his performance cannot go unnoticed. Pinto should be back with the Twins full time in 2014, here’s hoping his September trends continue if and when he gets a chance.

Oswaldo Arcia: .251/.304/.430, 14 HR, 43 RBI, 103 wRC+

This award was Oswaldo Arcia’s to lose starting the year. The rookie burst on to the scene, hitting for decent average, displaying solid power and providing a threat to the Twins lineup that they desperately needed. Unfortunately, Arcia battled injuries and his own discipline for much of the season, tarnishing what was otherwise a very good rookie campaign. He struck out too many times (117) to cover his solid ISO (.173) and injuries sapped some at bats away from him towards the end of the season. Still, a very good outing worth noting from the rookie outfielder.

The Winner: Brian Dozier

The theme of these awards has been consistency, and seeing as Brian Dozier was nearly the most consistent Twins player this season (behind Joe Mauer) it’s not much of a surprise that he’s taken 3 of the 4 awards (had he thrown an inning of relief like Jamey Carroll did during the year, I may have considered him for Cy Young too…) Dozier lead the team in home runs and extra base hits while boasting a solid average and above average ISO and wRC+. Arcia’s bat may be a bit more dangerous and Plouffe may hit for better average, but Dozier’s blending of both aspects makes him the Twins’ Silver Slugger winner in my book.

Twins Remove 4 From 40 Man Roster

For teams that have been noncompetitive for most of the regular season, the offseason (also known as the ‘hot stove’ season, due to the frequency players change places) is the most exciting part of the year. It lets fans get an early look at how their team intends to address their shortcomings from the previous year.

Each offseason typically begins the same; teams evaluate their roster and cut loose the players they feel they can move on without. Teams will then scan the players cut from other teams, attempt to claim someone they like and then reevaluate their roster. The process repeats until the team feels they’ve churned out all of the old and have sufficiently replaced with new talent. Teams then add minor leaguers who they want to protect from the Rule 5 draft and then move on to the free agency period.

The Twins began the first phase of this process on Wednesday by announcing the removal of four players; Cole DeVries, Clete Thomas, Shairon Martis and Josh Roenicke, from the 40 man roster. Thomas, DeVries and Martis are eligible to be claimed by any team. If they are not claimed, they will be reassigned to the AAA Rochester roster. Due to his service time, Roenicke and decline the assignment and elect free agency. That would mean he was free to sign with any team of his choice.

There’s little in the way of surprises from this first batch. Cole DeVries was far too inconsistent to warrant a 40 man spot, and he’ll likely be given a minor league spring training invite and have a chance to work his way back on to the 40 man if he can perform more reliably next season (assuming, of course, he goes unclaimed).

Martis was simple filler, someone the Twins wanted to give an extended look to as the season drew to a close. He didn’t little to impress and the Twins are stocked full  of arms just like Martis. He’ll be good minor league depth if he clears waivers.

Clete Thomas was rendered useless by the acquisition of Alex Presley. Presley plays the same positions as Thomas, is younger and looks to be able to hit for better average than Thomas ever could. I’d look for Thomas to be claimed by a team needing a 4^th outfielder or one simply interested in a bit more outfield depth.

Roenicke caught some fans by surprise (I was not one of them) simply because at first glance his numbers seem decent. He finished the season with a 4.35 ERA (after keeping his ERA at or around 3.00-3.50 for most of the season) and his WHIP ballooned to 1.597 after a rough September. Roenicke was always an average to below average reliever – he didn’t particularly excel in any one area and once teams started to figure out his pitches, he lost what little value he provided to the ‘pen. With the plethora of bullpen arms in the Twins’ farm system, plus the usual fare of released players, the Twins will replace Roenicke (who I believe will opt for free agency) with ease.

These moves drop the Twins 40 man roster to 36 names. Of which, I think there are still 4 to 6 that will be let go (Eric Fryer, Doug Bernier, BJ Hermsen, Wilkin Ramirez and possibly Andrew Albers, Liam Hendriks). The Twins will also likely add some names from other teams’ discarded players (they’ve done well in this regard lately, adding Jared Burton, Darin Mastroianni and Clete Thomas through this method) so the 40 man will continue to take shape for the foreseeable future.

Recapping The Pre-Season Projections

Before the start of each season, I (like many others) like to make projections and predictions on how the coming MLB season will play out. I name division winners, list the teams that I think will be duds and take a closer look at the teams I think will make things interesting.

Following the season, I like to look back at those projections and see just how far off I really was. Let’s start by looking at my projections from April 2013.

Projected AL East:

Tampa Bay 95-67

Boston 90-72

New York 88-74

Baltimore 82-80

Toronto 75-87

Actual AL East:

Boston 97-65

Tampa Bay 92-71

Baltimore 85-77

New York 85-77

Toronto 74-88

Recap: Outside of flipping Boston and Tampa Bay around, I had the AL East pegged pretty well. I didn’t like Toronto’s overhaul and was one of the few that didn’t believe the revamped Jays would contend. I had Baltimore and New York finished close, with the edge going to the Yankees who I felt were a little more talented. (Instead, they tied). All in all, not too bad of a prediction.

Projected AL Central:

Detroit: 90-72

Kansas City 85-77

Minnesota 78-84

Cleveland 77-85

Chicago 70-92

Actual AL Central:

Detroit 93-69

Cleveland 92-70

Kansas City 86-76

Minnesota 66-96

Chicago 63-99

Recap: I predicted Detroit would win the division with a fairly comfortable margin over the Royals, who I had thought would play a bit more consistent baseball that what they actually played. I wrote off Cleveland – citing a pitching staff full of question marks and my worry that they wouldn’t be able to keep the runs low enough for their offense to win their games. (Oops) I felt the Twins would have a turnaround season and at least be in the conversation late in the season (bigger oops) and I predicted that the White Sox would regret letting all of their talent walk and would easily be the worst of the central teams – what I didn’t correctly account for was just HOW BAD the White Sox were going to be.

Projected AL West:

Texas 93-69

Oakland 92-70

Los Angeles 88-74

Seattle 65-97

Houston 60-102

Actual AL West:

Oakland 96-66

Texas 91-72

Los Angeles 78-84

Seattle 71-91

Houston 51-111

Recap: I felt that the Rangers and A’s would be neck and neck heading into the final weeks and that either were solid candidates to win the division. I hedged towards the Rangers because of their pitching staff and a slight offensive edge. While the race was close, it was the A’s that boasted a more consistent offense and a superior pitching staff. I felt the Angels would hang around the division for a while before fading late in the year. Instead, the faded nearly instantly and made a strong surge late to make their final numbers look better than they actually were. Seattle was an interesting team, but in a stacked division I didn’t see them making it to .500 and I was actually a bit too optimistic on how terrible the Astros actually were. Still, another division in which I wasn’t too far off from the actual results.

Projected NL East:

Washington 97-65

Atlanta 89-73

Philadelphia 80-82

New York 78-84

Miami 50-112

Actual NL East:

Atlanta 96-66

Washington 86-76

New York 74-88

Philadelphia 73-89

Miami 62-100

Recap: I had the right idea, but the wrong teams when it came to predicting the NL East. I thought it would be a two team race for most of the season, but the ultra talented Nationals would pull away in August and have an easy division win. Instead the Nationals played poorly all year while the Braves looked like a powerhouse. I had Philly being a bit better than they actual were, while the Mets were projected to be worse than their actual result. Miami surprised me by not being the worst team in baseball (finishing 12 wins better than I thought they would). Outside of picking the Marlins last, I had the division completely wrong. I did get the ‘winner pulls away by a wide margin’ right though. That counts for something…right?

Projected NL Central:

Cincinnati 95-67

St. Louis 93-69

Pittsburgh  89-73

Milwaukee 70-92

Chicago  65-97

Actual NL Central:

St. Louis 97-65

Pittsburgh 94-68

Cincinnati 90-72

Milwaukee 74-88

Chicago 66-96 

Recap: I thought the Reds could be the best team in baseball. Their offense and pitching staff, to me, was the complete package. While not being sold on the Cardinals, something told me they’d hang around the top of the division and could even win it. I also felt Pittsburgh would finish above .500, but given their division, would miss the playoffs. Milwaukee and Chicago were also-rans who would be out of contention early and finish distantly behind the cream of the crop. In the end, the Reds weren’t the best team in baseball, they weren’t even the best two teams in the NL Central! The Cardinals rolled all season like I thought the Reds would and the Pirates outplayed even my raised expectations. I was on the right track, but undersold just how good this division would be.

Projected NL West:

San Francisco 89-73

Arizona 88-74

Los Angeles 87-75

Colorado 80-82

San Diego 70-92

Actual NL West:

Los Angeles 92-70

Arizona 81-81

San Diego 76-66

San Francisco 76-66

Colorado 74-88

Recap: This was my biggest miss and I admitted prior to the season that I was largely hedging my bets on this division. I didn’t have a good feeling on any team, and could argue my way into the Dodgers, Giants, D-Backs and even the Rockies putting things together and winning the west. I thought this would be the most interesting division, simply because none of the teams were good enough to run away with it. Oops. Turns out, it was a close race…for second place. The Dodgers WERE good enough to run away with things and they did. San Francisco was underwhelming, the D-Backs couldn’t put enough good games together in a row and the Rockies were not as close to contending as I originally thought. Swing and a miss on the West.

Projected Playoffs:

AL Wild Card 1: Oakland

VS

Al Wild card 2: Boston

Winner Oakland

Divisional round

Oakland VS Tampa Bay

Winner Tampa Bay (3-1)

Detroit VS Texas

Winner Detroit (3-2)

Championship Round

Tampa Bay VS Detroit

Winner Tampa Bay (4-3)

NL Wild Card 1: St. Louis

VS

NL Wild Card 2: Atlanta

Winner: St. Louis

Divisional Round:

Washington VS St. Louis

Winner: St. Louis (3-2)

Cincinnati VS San Francisco

Winner: Cincinnati (3-0)

Championship Round:

Cincinnati VS St. Louis

Winner: Cincinnati (3-2)

World Series:

Tampa Bay VS Cincinnati

Winner: Tampa Bay (4-3)

Actual Playoffs:

AL Wild Card 1: Cleveland VS AL Wild Card 2: Tampa Bay

Cleveland / Tampa Bay VS Boston

Detroit VS Oakland

NL Wild Card 1: Pittsburgh VS NL Wild Card 2: Cincinnati

Pittsburgh / Cincinnati VS St. Louis

Dodgers VS Braves

Updated Projections:

Tampa Bay over Cleveland

Tampa Bay over Boston (3-2)

Oakland over Detroit (3-2)

Tampa Bay over Oakland (4-2)

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati

St. Louis over Pittsburgh (3-0)

Los Angeles over Atlanta (3-1)

Los Angeles over St. Louis  (4-3)

World Series:

Tampa Bay over Los Angeles (4-3)

I’m sticking with the Rays as my world series favorite. They’ve got quite the hill to climb, but I think they have the talent to get it done. On the NL side, I’ve abandoned by position on the Reds, simply because it’s so clear that the Dodgers are truly the best team in the NL. I think they’ll have all they can handle in the Cardinals, but they will get past them in 7 games. I look for a Dodgers / Rays World Series to be quite the back and forth affair – with the Rays holding on and winning it all.

Why Ron Gardenhire's Extension Makes Sense

The Minnesota Twins made waves yesterday afternoon with the announcement of Manager Ron Gardenhire’s 2 year contract extension. Gardenhire’s entire coaching staff was extended for one season as well, effectively telling fans that the owners and front office are happy standing pat with the coaches the Twins have.

The Twitter world and Twins’ blogosphere exploded into a fit of debate and chaos. Fans hated it, fans loved it. There were two distinct sides of the aisle, and both had as much passion and vitriol as their opponent.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what the fans think. All that matters is that the players stand behind their manager (following the final game of the season, many players, including Joe Mauer, voiced their support for their long time manager) and that the front office believes he’s capable of turning things around.

The fact that Gardenhire earned a two year deal is hardly a surprise as the front office likely wanted to avoid another lame duck season for Gardenhire and all of the questions and speculations that follow such an event. The Twins are notoriously loyal to their employees, and the front office showed that loyalty by giving Gardenhire the rope in which to pull himself out of the muck or hang himself.

I’ve always leaned on the ‘protect Gardy’ side of the coin, as I feel it wasn’t his fault that he’s had to manage with a roster composed of AAA / AAAA caliber players and a pitching staff full of problem arms. I’d like to see any manager that could take the meager roster the Twins had thrown out there over the past two seasons and do much more than Gardenhire did.

I’d also argue that Gardenhire’s extension shows the Twins won’t be departing from their current rebuilding strategy. In fact, I have a hunch this season they’re going to embrace it even more. Coming into the 1985 season, the Twins jettisoned all of their veteran talent and let youngsters like Kent Hrbek and  Gary Gaetti play. The payoff came two years later when a young but experienced Twins team took the World Series crown.

This strategy appeared again in the 2000 season. A team on the verge of being contracted decided to simply play their rookies and let them grow. The result was a youthful surge that lead to a decade long stay atop the AL Central.

Ron Gardenhire was at the helm during that first youth movement (in 2000), and I think the Twins expect him to be the best man for the job when the undergo such a move again this season.

General Manager Terry Ryan’s comments during the season about no player being safe and the team needing to do evaluations of all their talent (at all levels) was very telling, in my opinion. I think his comments mark the start of the Twins embracing another youth movement. I would hardly be surprised to see Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit traded during the offseason. Players like Chris Parmelee, Trevor Plouffe, Darin Mastroianni and Chris Colabello should hardly feel comfortable either, as they could easily be used as trade fodder to add depth to the team.

Players like Clete Thomas, Wilkin Ramirez, Eric Fryer, Cole DeVries and Liam Hendriks should keep a bag packed as I think the Twins will be cleaning them off their 40 man roster.

Much of the filler will be gone, including players who had seen a regular role with the team. In their place, I believe the Twins will embrace their youth in the minors and call up Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, Trevor May and maybe even Byron Buxton by midseason. It’ll be a rough season – and there will need to be a lot of coaching and learning on the fly – which is why the Twins were keen on keeping Gardenhire on the job.

Gardenhire has been part of a youth movement before and the Twins feel he and his staff do well with teaching players the fundamentals of the game. I think his extension is a sign. Not that the Twins are afraid to change or are complacent with losing. After all, I think if the team though they could win with this roster, Gardy would be on the curb and a new manager who could get it done with this group would be introduced. Instead, I think Gardy’s extension shows the Twins are about to undergo a massive shakeup, and they want their longtime coach at the helm when it happens.