It’s unbelievable to realize how many Twins fans are whining about the front office lack of activity during the off-season. No…check that. It’s actually not the lack of activity that has fans worked up but more of a demand to sign a marquee free agent to supplement the club. Why? I’m not sure at all. How quickly so many forget that the Twins extended the regular season by one game – losing a winner-take-all showdown with Chicago for the AL Central crown. The Twins were a very young club entering into 2008 and were not expected to be competitors but proved to be vastly different than those early perceptions. There’s no reason to believe that will be any less competitive going into 2009 – in fact I honestly believe they have improved with the few additions they made (minus the R.A. Dickey signing). First I want to address those whiners who are complaining – and quite vociferously – that we resigned Nick Punto to be our everyday shortstop and are entering into the season with a platoon of Brian Buscher and Brendan Harris at third base. Bear in mind that when the Twins won the World Series in 1991 they did it with a platoon of journeyman Mike Pagliarulo and rookie Scott Leius at 3B.
I don’t understand what all the urgency is behind some fans clamoring for the Twins to sign former White Sox 3B Joe Crede. This one boggles my mind and I have just one thing to say about it – ENOUGH ABOUT CREDE!!! Let’s look at a few stats OK? Crede has been an active MLB player for nine seasons now. He had a career year in 2006 hitting 30 homers, driving in 94 RBIs and posting a .283 BA. Previous to that he had just 1 year where he drove in 75 RBI. Yes, that’s right – just 1 year. His best OBP was .323 (that’s less than one-third of his plate appearances!) and in four full seasons only once has he hit over .261 and his career BA is .257. As stated he hit 30 HRs once and has 22 & 21 in two other seasons, 19 and fewer in all other seasons. In terms of the MLB definition of a 3B he is a below average hitter. Period. His last two years combined he had 502 ABs posting a .237 BA, a .412 slugging %, his OPS was a lousy 649…in other words very Puntoesque. Also, he’s been sidelined repeatedly with back pains for most of the last two years and his defense has become marginal at best. And he’s asking for a 40% increase in base pay? Is it any wonder nobody else has signed him??? For all of you crying we need Crede you are simply not looking at the facts. Give your collective heads a shake to clear the cobwebs. Punto brings well above average defense and is capable of producing as good or better BA, OBP and maybe even OPS numbers than that over a full season. And I have no doubts that Buscher and Harris can combine to produce the kind of run production we need from the third base position.
Relief pitcher Luis Ayala is the other recent signing that has caused some others to hang their heads. Again why? I’m very happy with the acquisition of Ayala who I believe will develop into the setup man the team needs. The Twins pitching coaches have a great track record of getting pitchers back on track and I just don’t see Ayala as either erratic or in decline. Sure, he’s had consecutive bad seasons but he’s coming to us at the right price and after playing for a perennial loser for 4 1/2 seasons (Nationals) he’ll be revived and I predict we will see the Ayala of 2004-2005 & 2007. Instead of the Ayala signing many Twins fans preference was for a Juan Cruz signing. Cruz, recently of the Angels, is a solid reliever and I agree he would have been a great pickup for the team. But as a Type A free agent the Twins would have lost their 2009 first round draft pick to the Angels and it just isn’t worth that cost. Now, before any of you assume that first round draft picks don’t matter here’s a recent sampling of current & former Twins who were drafted in the first round:
1997 – Michael Cuddyer; 2001 – Joe Mauer; 2002 – Denard Span; 2004 – Glen Perkins; 2005 – Matt Garza. Not bad at all…
Filed under: AL Central, Twins Baseball
