Minnesota Twins

2006-05-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Twins look for offense at meetings

The name of the game during baseball's Hot Stove season is usually quite often just that -- names.
Free agent names, trade names, you name it.
Lots of players' names have been circulating through the rumor mill, and many more are likely to come up while the Twins contingent attends the annual Winter Meetings from Dec. 5-8 in Dallas. How many of them actually join new clubs remains to be seen.
Will offense-seeking Minnesota, on the heels of Friday's trade for second baseman Luis Castillo, try for free agent third baseman Bill Mueller? What are the chances that Mike Piazza could be the new DH? What's up with Nomar Garciaparra, anyway? What about Reggie Sanders, Frank Thomas and the Twins' own free agent right fielder, Jacque Jones? What about swinging a deal for Cincinnati's Adam Dunn?
All of these names, and many more, have been part of the speculation that's consumed radio airwaves, columnists' notes and beat reporters' e-mail inboxes from inquiring fans.
"I think we've contacted everyone we think can help us, without going into specific names," Ryan said. "Almost everyone that would add and help our offense -- we've talked to their agents."
After the offense sputtered and the defense made fundamental mistakes in the field last season, the Twins have made upgrading their lineup and improving defensively their top two priorities. They made upgrades in both categories by acquiring Castillo on Friday. But starting spots appear to remain open at third base, second base, right field and designated hitter.
Largely inactive until Friday, the Twins marked a growing trend of activity when they acquired Castillo for pitching prospects Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler. Things picked up around baseball around Thanksgiving when the payroll-slashing Marlins traded pitcher Josh Beckett to Boston and first baseman Carlos Delgado to the Mets. Then the White Sox made two big moves when they acquired slugger Jim Thome, someone Minnesota was rumored to have interest in, and locked up All-Star first baseman Paul Konerko with a five-year deal.
The free agent market is considered quite thin this winter, and has grown thinner in recent days with the signings of Billy Wagner, Tom Gordon and Brian Giles. That could drive prices up if bidding wars begin for the few coveted players that are available. Ryan was optimistic that activity would become brisk once everyone converges in Dallas.
"There's a lot of people on that board," Ryan said. "My guess is some guys will start signing at any time. It usually starts with some of the bigger names. And when that happens, we'll see some rapid procedure because people aren't going to want to be left without."

2005-12-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Twins see decisions before deadline

Jacque Jones' career as a Minnesota Twin may be over, pending a decision by the club Wednesday night.
The deadline to offer arbitration to free agents passed at 11 p.m. CT and the Twins had yet to announce a decision on the 30-year-old outfielder. If arbitration is not offered to Jones, it appears that he will have seen his last game in a Twins uniform, with the club unable to sign a player until after May 1 if it does not offer arbitration.
The free agent outfielder has been receiving a lot of attention from multiple clubs and likely would sign with another team. Despite rumors of possible offers by other clubs, Twins general manger Terry Ryan has said in recent days that he believed there was a sliver of a possibility that Jones could return to Minnesota.
Jones is just one of three players to which the Twins could offer arbitration. Joe Mays and Terry Mulholland are also awaiting a decision from Minnesota. It is unlikely, though, that either Mays or Mulholland will be given arbitration.
Free agents offered arbitration by their clubs have until Dec. 19 to accept. A player who accepts is locked into his team, and the two sides can continue negotiations toward a one-year or multi-year agreement before reaching a hearing. Those declining the offer face a Jan. 8 deadline to be re-signed; thereafter, they cannot sign with their old teams until May 1, just as free agents who are not offered arbitration.
Though Jones appears to be eliminated from the Twins' free agent chase if the offer doesn't come Wednesday, there are plenty of other well-known names that are on the Twins' horizon. Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza and Nomar Garciaparra are three of the free agents that Ryan would confirm have been involved in talks with the club.
The Twins are looking at Thomas and Piazza as possible DH candidates, with Garciaparra an option to fill the third base hole. A shortstop for most of his career, Garciaparra moved to third base during the final month of the season for the Cubs when Aramis Ramirez was put on the DL. It was the first time that Garciaparra had started at third in his professional career.
Ryan acknowledged Thomas as a contender for the DH role, but it appears that the likelihood of the Big Hurt becoming a Twin is dwindling. There has been buzz around the Anatole Hotel that Oakland is close to offering Thomas a deal and it appears that an offer from Minnesota is still a long way off.
"We're not even talking about dollars or offers yet," Ryan said of his dealings with Thomas. "I don't see that happening for a few weeks."
Health remains the primary question for Ryan, who has yet to see any of the medical test results for Thomas. Those test results have been sent to the medical staff of the Twins to look at and then report back to Ryan on what they see.

2005-12-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

Gophers to face Virginia

The Minnesota Gophers will face Virginia in the Music City Bowl at 11 a.m. on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn.
The matchup, which will be televised on ESPN, will be the only bowl game between teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big Ten conferences.
“A Minnesota and Virginia match-up is sure to be an exciting game on the field for all the fans,” said Dale Polley, Bowl chairman. “And we think the fact that this represents the only Big Ten/ACC match-up in the postseason will make the Bowl a huge regional draw.”
Minnesota (7-4) features one of the nation’s top running backs, Laurence Maroney, who led the Big Ten’s top-ranked scoring offense by averaging a conference high 135 yards per game.
Virginia’s (6-5) offensive lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson and quarterback Marques Hagans are expected to lead in Virginia’s first postseason bowl appearance in Nashville.
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2005-12-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

Minnesota Gophers love life on the ground

A player capable of rushing for more than 1,000 yards can change the face of an offense.
By the end of this season, Minnesota might have two - for the third year in a row.
Junior running back Laurence Maroney has run for 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season. He leads the Big Ten with 1,345. But the Golden Gophers also have discovered they can spare a few carries for sophomore Gary Russell.
Russell has gained 882 yards and needs 118 more to give Minnesota (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) two 1,000-yard rushers for the third year in a row. He likely will have three more chances - Saturday against Michigan State (5-4, 2-4), next week against Iowa and during the holidays in a bowl.
Running backs seem to sprout from the Metrodome turf in Minneapolis, and developing the tradition is a thing of pride for coach Glen Mason.
"The other night on television they were making such a big deal that USC has a chance to have two 1,000-yard rushers in the same year," Mason said. "It is a big deal. It's a bigger deal if you do that two years in a row. It's a real big deal three years in a row."
Maroney and Marion Barber III each reached 1,000 the past two seasons. Maroney ran for 1,121 yards as a freshman and 1,348 as a sophomore. Barber gained 1,196 yards in 2003 and 1,269 last season.
Maroney is 98 yards away from reaching Chris Darkins' school single-season record of 1,443. But Maroney appears to care more about keeping the twin 1,000-yard streak alive.
"I've been telling them to sit me down and let Gary get his 118," Maroney said. "And like I told Gary, `You're going to get it. You've just got to go out there and run hard. Don't try to change or overwork to get 118. Just do what you've been doing.' "
Whether the running back is Maroney, Russell, Barber, Darkins - or all-time career rushing leader Darrell Thompson - opponents know they have to plug all holes when they face Minnesota.
"What we have to do is get up there and crowd (Maroney) and do what everybody tries to do against them," said Michigan State coach John L. Smith. "Take away the run."