Free agent frenzy

I nickname Quick “Aflac” for a reason. He is like a lame duck with lame arguments, lame opinions and lame discussions. I will put our disagreements aside to discuss information of actual importance.

Free Agency has started and the Vikings are on the verge of breaking the bank for players that will truly change the team outlook for 2008. Based on numerous reports, the Vikings are heavily pursuing wide receiver Bernard Berrian, defensive end Justin Smith and safety Madieu Williams.

WR - Bernard Berrian
Although we are using all efforts to bring Berrian to Minnesota, the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers might be players in this as well. Supposedly, the Titans and 49ers will be in a potential bidding war with the Vikings for Berrian’s service. With the addition of Berrian, the Vikings will have the deep threat they have been missing. Last year, Tarvaris didn’t have the tools to throw the ball deep even with eight men in the box to stop Adrian Peterson. Berrian will force defenses to respect our passing game with his ability to make the big play. With the addition of Berrian, the Vikings can wait to draft a wide receiver until the second or third round where they will most likely have their pick of James Hardy, Mario Manningham, Devin Thomas, Earl Bennett, DeSean Jackson, Donnie Avery, Andre Caldwell or Jordy Nelson (personal favorite in third round). Imagine these five receivers:
Bernard Berrian
Sidney Rice
Mario Manningham
Bobby Wade
Aundrae Allison

DE – Justin Smith
Justin Smith was a force on the D-line for six years with the Bengals averaging close to seven sacks a year. Smith saw a drop off in his numbers in his 2007 campaign where he had two sacks. The Bengals were a mess last year, and it doesn’t make it easier on stats when the team is losing horribly. Also, imagine Smith lined up next to two Pro Bowl defensive tackles commanding double teams in the Williams’ boys. Smith could be visiting the backfield frequently with the help his new defensive line would provide. Also, bringing in an experienced veteran would solve our never ending headache of drafting young, unproven defensive ends.

S – Madieu Williams
I will not get into this argument again. What Aflac fails to understand, is that I do not have extreme interest in Madieu Williams. The Vikings have widely reported interest in signing him. You need to recognize the players the team is interested in regardless of talent. The Vikings have to fill a need and Madieu will fill that need. He is a great character guy, which is always a plus. Also, the Vikings will draft a safety for depth in the first three rounds. I won’t only discuss players I want the Vikings to sign, but also will discuss the players I don’t want them to sign, unlike my cohort.

QB- Sage Rosenfels
Sage would be a solid veteran QB to have. However, for a third round draft choice? I don’t agree with that. Let’s evaluate. At age 29, Rosenfels is coming off a season where he went 4-1 as a starter with 1,684 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 84.8. Other than a noticeable blip on the radar in 2007, since he was drafted in 2002 he has limited game time experience in four seasons with the Dolphins and one season with the Texans. Although, I am not convinced, Rosenfels could quickly make me a believer with a few great games as a Viking.

Madieu Williams...Really?

For some unknown reason, Shea has developed some serious man love for safety Madieu Williams of the Bengals who is a free agent this offseason. As mentioned in his post about how he feels the Vikings needs to make a big splash in free agency, as well as in several offline conversations between the two of us, Shea has said repeatedly how he thinks Williams is the Viking's answer to replace Dwight Smith. I have one response to that...WRONG!

Let's think about this for a moment, shall we? Williams has been in the league for 4 years, with the 2004 season being his rookie campaign. Starting with that season, the Bengals have ranked 13th, 26th, 31st, and 26th again last season. Sure there are multiple players in the system and there are a lot of contributions to these poor rankings, but this guy really just has not been the impact player the Vikings need in the secondary. Certainly it has been seen that a player like Bob Sanders can change an entire defense from terrible to the top. While I am not demanding any such criteria from Williams, it would be nice to see some improvement somewhere. Why pay top dollar for an average player at best in a secondary that obviously needs some improvement.

In fact, looking at his tackle totals each season leading up to this last one starting with Williams' rookie year, his tackles have gone from 103, 88 and 74, excluding 2005 in which he only played in 4 games. Not exactly a trend that is favorable to Williams being the impact player Shea claims him to be. In a secondary that relies on turnovers as does the Vikings, Williams' career best 3 interceptions in one season is poor as well.

Sure Kevin Williams and Pat Williams are phenomenal players, but let's be real now, adding another Williams to the mix in Madieu Williams would be a mistake. This is not only because Madieu Williams is simply not an impact player, but can you imaging trying to listen to a broadcast of the game? It would be a broadcaster's dream as no matter what happens on a play he or she can simply give "Williams" credit and the odds of being correct will certainly be in his or her favor. This, however, would be a nightmare for anyone listening and you'd never know who did what.

In all seriousness, however, I reiterate that the draft is where this position most likely needs to be addressed, unless a diamond in the rough like C.C. Brown can be had. Sure, it is a little risky plugging a rookie into your starting lineup, but it sure beats overpaying someone that has shown no promise to being the impact player the Vikings need in their secondary. At least the rookie gives you the chance of having that impact player, a much greater chance than a veteran like Williams.

With two posts now done concerning the safety position I will now turn my attention to other positions of need on the Vikings in upcoming posts. Well, that is unless I have to set Shea straight on some Twins issues that he butchers. Look for a breakdown on defensive ends for the Vikings to consider or run away from soon.

Twins: Position Battles

Since my cohort and I tend to disagree frequently on basically everything in life, I will quickly point out where his statements are false. I'll admit, my partner never mentioned that we shouldn't pursue free agents. However, I know him personally and in our discussions he has stated vehemently, "none of the free agents are worth taking." With that, when you have a team on the brink of making the playoffs and needing that extra push, free agency is the answer. He is correct in saying, "free agents are free agents for a reason." However, many times it has to do with money which is something the Vikings have plenty of. Of course, spending money is never preferred, but how else do you solve all our needs at safety, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, wide receiver and tight end? You solve all your needs through the draft with a young, unproven players? Good luck! To put it in perspective, he would rather us continue to finish average at 8-8 each season by never adding experienced free agents that could help provide that needed push to the playoffs. There is no better time than now to spend in free agency while we have the money and the talent to make a run in the playoffs while we are so close. Also, he analyzed safeties available on the market last week but failed to mention the one player the Vikings have been rumored to be after most earnestly this offseason, Madieu Williams. Ignoring the Viking's interest in Williams' availability is an unavoidable and unacceptable error. However, I digress.

Let’s move away from the Vikings until free agency is in full stride. The Twins are in Spring Training and ready to have the position battles begin. It would be advantageous to discuss the players fighting for positions on the Twins and why each deserves his chance. In the coming days, we will discuss and compare the following positions and players:

CF: Denard Span, Carlos Gomez and Jason Pridie

2B: Brendan Harris, Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla

4th and 5th Rotation Spots: Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Phil Humber, Glen Perkins, Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing

25th man: Brian Buscher, Jose Morales, extra pitcher, extra outfielder

My 'Cohort' is an Idiot: New MN Sports Talk Format

Waking up today I had to take a look at what Shea had written for Monday's post. After a quick (no pun intended) read, I felt some rebuttal was surely in need.

To say that I was misinterpreted in my post from last Thursday is an understatement. In yesterday's post, a claim was made that Shea disagreed with my assessment that the Vikings do not need to get a safety. Clearly, I said nothing of the kind. In fact, I said the exact opposite, writing an entire post on who the Vikings may look at to replace the infamous Dwight Smith in the defensive backfield, stating that safety was the number one position the Vikings needed to address.

I am of the opinion that free agents are free agents for a reason. With teams being able to place a franchise tag on their top free agent each year, the market is rarely good. In fact, more often than not average players get paid like top players just because there's nothing else out there. This is why I emphasize smart spending in free agency and focusing primarily building through the draft.

The only big impact players worth getting in free agency are those ranked consistently at the top of their position (see Steve Hutchinson). Those types of players are worth "overpaying" at the time as over time, given the inflation in the league, as long as such a player maintains such a high level, the price paid will be a bargain just a few years into the contract. Heck, Derrick Dockery got paid Hutchinson money last offseason.

Some people, such as my partner on this blog, think just because you have room under the cap means you better go blow it in free agency. Terrible idea. With that theory every time you get into a cab you may as well tell the driver to take the "scenic" route home, just to make sure you can give him all the cash in your wallet. Spending excessively leads to money trouble down the line when you have average players locked up in huge contracts and then you can't afford the top players when one does hit free agency. This is why I feel the draft is the best place to address the Vikings' safety need (see last Thursday's post for more on this).

Shea, however, decided to just make something up regarding what I said to try to make himself look better. As you all will find out over time (and thus you should check back here often), Shea has to pull this business for one of two reasons: either he wants to get under my skin or to try to make himself look better than me. Unfortunately for him, he's failed miserably.

This argument and banter between us today has lead to a change in the format to this blog, starting this week. Given that we feel people will enjoy the two of us ripping each other's opinions on various Minnesota sports team's topics, we will switch to an opinion/rebuttal format. This will allow each of us to attach a specific topic, as well as each other, all for your entertainment.

We certainly welcome any comments anyone has on this new format. Make sure to check back daily as the heated debate is about to begin. The gloves have been thrown down and now it's time to see who's ready to bring it each and every day.

Vikings: Offseason Agenda

Unlike my cohort, I believe this is the year the Vikings need to make a splash into free agency. The Vikings are coming off a year in which we barely missed the playoffs, witnessed significant improvement from our quarterback and discovered our future in Adrian Peterson. With 2008 as the third year under Coach Brad Childress, we need to make the playoffs. He's had two rebuilding seasons and with over $38 million in salary cap space, the team should finish its construction by adding the needed pieces. Since Friday, Feb. 29, marks the beginning of NFL Free Agency, the following analysis shows the moves the Vikings should make.

QB: Tarvaris Jackson proved he is a quarterback capable of leading. Although he only showed flashes, he deserves at least one more year to display his talent. However, as an insurance policy, signing a proven veteran quarterback would ensure stability at the position. Trent Green would fit the bill quite nicely.

WR: We needed an air game in 2007, and it was non-existent. Other than Sidney Rice, our receiving corps needs a facelift. Aundrae Allison serves as a quality fifth receiver/kick returner and Bobby Wade provides a veteran presence on a team in desperate need of one. Trade or release the disappointing Troy Williamson and with our second round draft pick, get a deep threat. Possible targets include DeSean Jackson (California), Mario Manningham (Michigan) or James Hardy (Indiana). Also, signing another experienced receiver would dismiss any doubt about the talent surrounding Tarvaris Jackson. Bryant Johnson, D.J. Hackett and Andre' Davis are players the Vikings should consider. Projected wide receivers are Sidney Rice, Bryant Johnson, Mario Manningham, Bobby Wade and Aundrae Allison.

TE: Although we signed Visanthe Shiancoe to a large contract in 2007, he never seemed to fit our scheme. Since drafting a tight end isn’t preferable, signing a free agent is a good solution. Shiancoe is a capable blocker, however his pass-catching abilities are decent at best. Therefore, going after a receiving tight-end such as Ben Utecht (RFA), Eric Johnson, Bubba Franks, Alge Crumpler or Jeb Putzier would be wise. Utecht would be a great choice considering he played his college career in the dome and after being stuck behind Dallas Clark in Indianapolis, he has something to prove.

OT: With the recent arrest of Bryant McKinnie, offensive tackle may suddenly become a position of need for both left tackle and right tackle. The Vikings front office has been determined to remove all detriments on the team, and this is strike two against McKinnie. Regardless of McKinnie’s contract, it would not be surprising to see him traded before the season starts. Unfortunately, the offensive tackle position is thin in free agency and is a position that usually requires experience for success. Signing a player such as Travelle Wharton or Maurice Williams would be the way to go as long as it came inexpensively. Draft a tackle in the middle rounds for depth and progressive grooming.

DE: This is by far the most glaring need on the Vikings. We have attempted to solve our need at defensive end through the draft on numerous occasions (Erasmus James, Kenechi Udeze, Ray Edwards, Darrion Scott and Brian Robison). With two dominant pro bowl defensive tackles, a proven defensive end should thrive on the double teams placed on the tackles. It's time to get the best available defensive end and stop messing around. Justin Smith would be expensive, but he would be the solution to our never-ending headache. Solidifying defensive end is the key to our offseason.

S: Although my cohort thinks we don’t need a safety, I beg to differ. It has been well noted that the Vikings have interest in Madieu Williams from the Bengals, and this would be the perfect pickup with the recent departure of Dwight Smith. Williams has experience, good character and previously played under Coach Leslie Frazier. Also, there is a good possibility there will be two attractive safeties available at pick 17 of the draft. Kenny Phillips from Miami and Reggie Smith of Oklahoma could be available to solidify our safety position for years to come. Since Darren Sharper only has a couple more years left in his tank, Phillips or Smith will be able to fill the void when he leaves.

Timberwolves: Preparing for the future

Now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, the Timberwolves need to evaluate their priorities as they prepare for the draft. We can comfortably say the Timberwolves are ready for their future. They have a beast of a scorer in Al Jefferson who could be considered a center or a power forward. Corey Brewer has shown the potential to be a shutdown defensive presence as a small forward. Sebastian Telfair has proved he has that special vision and speed needed at the point guard position. Ryan Gomes has been a pleasant surprise at power forward this season with his consistency which has proved he wasn’t just an “extra” in the Garnett trade.

This season has given us a better look at the players we should keep, let go at season’s end, or trade. At the end of the season Kirk Snyder, Michael Doleac, Theo Ratliff and Craig Smith need to go. I like Smith, but he never will get playing time with Al Jefferson at his position, and he will most likely cost too much to keep. Some decisions in the draft will affect if the Timberwolves should keep players such as Telfair or Gomes. The Timberwolves are on pace to have at least a top four pick in the NBA Draft. This would allow them draft to a future star player such as Michael Beasley (Kansas State), Derrick Rose (Memphis), Eric Gordon (Indiana), Jerryd Bayless (Arizona) or Brook Lopez (Stanford).

I have seen Beasley play in person and he is a monster. However, his attitude seems more noticeable than his talent. Beasley would allow us to play Gomes off the bench or release him and move Jefferson to center. Rose is a strong, smart true point guard that would permit us to use Telfair off the bench or release him and move Randy Foye to shooting guard. Gordon is a shooting guard with the ability to score on any play, slash to the basket and take over a game. With Gordon, we would be able to trade either Foye or Rashad McCants and have a second scoring option to Jefferson. Bayless is a tough, elusive point guard with the ability to lead a team. Bayless allows us to do the same as drafting Rose. Lopez is a large, quick and agile at center which would allow us to keep Jefferson at power forward and retain Telfair.

Just imagine this starting lineup in 2009:

PG- Derrick Rose
SG- Demar DeRozan (2009 potential draft pick)
SF- Corey Brewer
PF- Al Jefferson
C- Carlos Boozer (2009 Free Agent)

The Timberwolves will dump close to $18 million in salary this offseason which makes us one step closer to take a dip into free agency in 2009. They need to continue to let contracts to expire, retain the players who have proved their worth, avoid signing long-term contracts, draft carefully and trade unwanted contracts for less years on another player’s contract. In other words, if the Timberwolves can trade Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner or Mark Madsen for less years, they need to do it!

Plugging the Holes: A Look at Filling Positions of Need for the Vikings

Pardon the interruption from the Twins chatter to bring you a quick (no pun intended) look at some issues with the Vikings.

With the NFL free agency and the draft approaching, it would be worthwhile to begin to take a look at weaknesses in the Minnesota Vikings’ roster on how they could be addressed. Over my next several posts I will take a look at a different position of need each time, discussing the best and more realistic options at each.

In light of the recent release of S Dwight “Stairwell” Smith, safety has become a top priority for this team. Even as early as last season, many Vikings fans were hoping for Laron Landry to be the Vikings 1^st round pick, whether that be because they didn’t think Adrian Peterson would still be around or that safety was a greater priority than running back. I think at this point we can all breathe a little easier with the decision that was made (nothing against Landry). With that being the case, however, Darren Sharper is not getting any younger and with Smith gone and both Mike Doss’ and Tank Williams’ contracts expiring, safety is now the top position to fill on the roster. Also, since running on the Vikings is futile, the only way to move the ball is through the air and in order to have an elite defense, that is an area that needs improvement.

So without further ado, let’s begin with the potential top free agents:

Ken Hamlin
Obviously Hamlin had a breakout season this year, not only making the Pro Bowl roster but being named a starter as well (although at the expense of the late Sean Taylor). Dallas does have money to spare, being well under the salary cap. With this being the case, I really do not see them letting him walk. Even if they have to drop the franchise tag on him, I just do not see him leaving. Let’s just assume he is let into the free agent pool for open bidding, Hamlin will demand and receive top dollar. I don’t know about you, but he’s been a pretty average safety up until last year and cutting into the Vikings’ allotted salary on this guy would be risky (just think of Nate Clements).

Gibril Wilson
Wilson is another guy having a breakout season at the exact right time. With 92 tackles and 4 picks, Wilson was a solid piece in an otherwise rotational defensive backfield due to an extensive amount of injuries. As was described with Hamlin, I do not see the Giants letting Wilson walk. In fact, the Giants have even more cap room than the Cowboys so letting him go just does not seem plausible.

C.C. Brown
Not a well known player but at age 25 and on the upswing, if the Vikings are going to make a move in free agency for a safety, this is the guy to go for. As stated, he is still young, set a career high in tackles at 84, and is still developing. It will be interesting to see if the Texans retain him but if he is let loose, this is the guy the Vikings need to go after.

While there are more free agent safeties floating about, I don’t see much of a need to discuss any more of them as I do not feel that anyone remaining is starting safety material on a top-notch defense. If a top free agent safety cannot be acquired through free agency at a semi-reasonable price (let’s face it, most free agents coming off a good year get way overpaid) , then a first day pick must be used on a safety.

For those that have been starting to look into the draft prospects, Kenny Phillips from Miami is the most NFL ready safety in the draft. This is a guy that will most likely just miss the top 10 but in the off chance that he slips, he’s a must pick for the Vikings. Aside from Phillips, Reggie Smith out of Oklahoma would be a more realistic option to be there when the Vikings pick in the first round. I will reserve breaking down these players until we get closer to the draft and the combine has happened so stay tuned.

While offense in general is the side of the ball most in need of improvement, with the release of Dwight Smith, safety has now become the top priority position to fill. While the pool to pick from is not phenomenal, there surely are some players who would look nice in purple and could help bring this team to the next level.

Early projection of Opening Day lineup

For baseball fans, March 31st represents the unofficial beginning of spring. It is the Home Opener of our Minnesota Twins. Every Twins fan plans their daily schedule around the Home Opener weeks in advance in order to ensure their attendance. Whether you plan to tailgate around the dome and stagger to your outfield seats, watch the game from home with Dick and Bert or listen to Gladden and Gordon on the radio, it’s an exciting day. Personally, I am planning to attend the game with general admission seats where diehard fans reside.

In just over a month, we’ll know how much our starting lineup has changed over the offseason and the players set to replace familiar faces such as Jason Bartlett, Torii Hunter, Lew Ford, Johan Santana, Carlos Silva and Matt Garza. With Spring Training determining position battles and potential injuries giving way to younger players, the Opening Day lineup could shift dramatically over the next month. Below I have provided my initial analysis.

Starting lineup:
1.) Jason Pridie, CF
This may surprise people. Unless Carlos Gomez puts up crazy numbers during Spring Training (which is very likely), he should start in Rochester in order to avoid the Super-2 situation. For financial reasons, this only makes sense to the Twins while also giving an opportunity to Pridie who was never given much of one in Tampa Bay. Gomez is most likely the future center fielder, but we don’t need him to contribute this year. We need Gomez for the new stadium in 2010. Pridie proved his worth with an impressive performance in AAA Durham last year. Pridie is fast and has the tools to lead off and attract attention on Opening Day. Don’t be quick to assume Gomez has this locked because Pridie will make it difficult, and he helps to keep Gomez with the organization longer by negating the Super-2 situation.

2.) Joe Mauer, C
Who didn’t see this one coming? The only thing surprising about Mauer in the lineup is his position. I will continue to say that Mauer must be our No.2 table setter unless he develops his power. He has a high career on-base percentage at .394. He isn’t afraid to go deep into counts with his ability to make contact, and his eye at the plate is near perfect. Not to mention he can bunt, which seems to be a rarity on this team. Can you say table setter? I can!

3.) Delmon Young, LF
This is probably expected. Young was brought to this team to make us all forget about Torii Hunter. Before the 2007 season, Young was declared by most analysts the No.1 prospect in Major League Baseball. He proved them right with a solid season for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007. Young had problems in Tampa Bay staying out of trouble but playing for the worst team in baseball can make you do crazy things. Remember, he is only 21 years old. The sky is the limit with this kid.

4.) Justin Morneau, 1B
No surprises here. Morneau can’t just stay here and not product, he needs to solidify the cleanup spot. If the Twins expect to have any chance of making the postseason again, Morneau will be the key to their success. With a contract signed that will guarantee him to be here for the next half decade, expect a repeat of his 2006 MVP season.

5.) Michael Cuddyer, RF
As the savvy veteran of the team and the new “friendly” face of the organization (see Torii Hunter), expect the standard from Cuddyer. I like to call him “Mr. Consistent.” Don’t expect the world, but he will produce. After seeing his homeruns drop from 24 in 2006 to 16 in 2007, expect an increase in power with the arrival of Young. Cuddyer will see more pitches and drive in more runs with experience and speed in front of him.

6.) Kubel/Monroe, DH
I see this as a platoon between Kubel and Monroe with both playing the outfield on occasion. I don’t see Monroe here frequently if Gardenhire goes with the right-left combination in the lineup. If he was to follow standard lineup configuration rules, Monroe would switch with Lamb when he is the designated hitter. This is the last chance for Kubel to shine. If Kubel doesn’t put up the numbers he is capable of (25 homeruns, .300 average), he should be shown the exit. Monroe on the other hand could provide that pop we would desire against lefties. If he is able to show flashes of his 2006 campaign, playoffs won’t be a thing of the past.

7.) Mike Lamb, 3B
Brought in as a free agent to replace the dreadful production of Nick Punto, Lamb should at least provide consistency. As long as he can prove his worth defensively, he should maintain his spot in the lineup. Expect above average numbers from Lamb but nothing more. At age 31, Lamb is simply a stopgap in order to track the development of players such as Deibinson Romero, Matt Tolbert, Danny Valencia and Matt Moses.

8.) Adam Everett, SS
Defense! That is what Adam Everett will provide. Think Nick Punto of 2007, but a glove that is close to impeccable. The nice thing about Everett is that he provides veteran leadership and will allow players such as Trevor Plouffe and Alexi Casilla to further develop their skills and learn from one of the best. You might be wondering why I don’t have him batting last if he is so bad. Read below to find out why.

9.) Brendan Harris, 2B
Coming over from the Garza trade, Harris could be an overlooked centerpiece of this team. He should bat last because he hits for average and will help to round off the bottom. Everett would only cause outs in the ninth spot which makes it more difficult on our young lead-off hitter to succeed. With Harris here, Mauer will have many more opportunities for RBIs, and it will provide an extra table setter for the heart of the order to generate runs. Although his defense could force his quick demise, expect consistency from Harris along with a much needed bat from a position that lost a dependable player in 2007 with Luis Castillo.

Cloning a Rotation

The Minnesota Twins success this decade has never been attributed to an explosive offense. Rather, their defense and pitching have been highly regarded as the main contributors to their division championships in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.

While the pitching rotation for this season has only been speculation, a quick glance at the primary candidates to fill each slot shows a strong resemblance to the rotations of previous successful seasons. Using the rotation posted yesterday (Liriano, Baker, Hernandez, Bonser, Slowey), let us compare to the 2006 rotation of Santana, Radke, Silva, Loshe and Baker.

After Liriano’s immediate dominance during his rookie campaign, it was no wonder that comparisons were quickly made to Santana. Both showed to be dominant southpaws, at least for the time being (we don’t know how Liriano will come back from injury) and both could be deemed power pitchers.

Baker is certainly no Liriano, at least in terms of power and dominant hitters. Instead, Baker relies on his control to be an effective pitcher. This showed true, especially last season, as it was obvious when Baker was hitting his spots and when he was not. Without control, Baker was simply not an effective pitcher but when the control was there, he showed the ability to be a very solid MLB pitcher. Remind you of someone from recent past? Yes, this would be the same type of pitcher as Brad Radke.

While the Twins certainly like to lean on the youth of their strong pitching development in the farm system, they have always looked to have at least one solid veteran around each year. Some have little success (Sidney Ponson and Ramon Ortiz are the most recent examples), while others, such as Carlos Silva fill the roll nicely. This strategy seems to play a prominent role in overall team success as obviously Silva had more success than Ponson or Ortiz. With Silva leaving for Seattle and a ridiculous contract, Livan Hernandez has been brought into seemingly fill his shoes. Can Hernandez be the consistent but not spectacular inning eater that Silva was? If Hernandez can produce good results, he might play to be more of a key to success for the Twins than many think.

Bonser is similar, at least in terms of success (not so much in the size department) to that of Kyle Loshe from his days as a Twin. With outings showing brilliance on start to the next start being a complete disaster, it’s all about consistency. Both pitchers had their days and showed solid talent at times, but consistency has been the problem. This spot in the rotation is usually the biggest wild card in the rotation and seems to be once again.

Finally, Kevin Slowey has been labeled to be an up-and-coming Brad Radke type control pitcher. Scott Baker was that same prospect just emerging in the majors just a couple years ago. Given how it took Baker a couple years to adjust, I don’t expect huge things from Slowey, should he make the rotation. However, if he can be consistent and show control, we have good things to look forward to from this young pitcher.

The 2002 – 2004 rotations, while a little different in construction from the 2006 team, did have strong similarities as well with inning-eating veterans like Rick Reed and Terry Mulholland, inconsistent pitchers such as Joe Mays and wildcards like Eric Milton, the blueprints are still there, despite evolving slightly. While the 2008 Twins rotation is not nearly as refined as the recent past, the similarities can surely give Twins fans hope.

The youth have arrived

In an offseason riddled with blockbuster trades, free agency additions, multi-year deals for the core of the team, as well as the departures of beloved superstars Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, it is difficult to envision what the team will look like on Opening Day.

The Twins haven’t had to worry about their starting rotation for a long time. For the last decade, the Twins rotation has been stable, refined and predictable. With the departures of Carlos Silva, Matt Garza, and Santana, the rotation is suddenly unreliable but potentially the best young rotation in baseball. Below I have detailed the projected starting rotation.

Starting rotation:

1.) Francisco Liriano, LHP
This might be a surprise but who is slotted as the Opening Day starter will be the most important decision the Twins organization will make. In an offseason where they trade the ace of the staff and possibly the best left-handed pitcher ever in baseball, they need to make a statement. If what the organization says is true, and Liriano is 100 percent healthy, then declare him the ace by starting him Opening Day. Tommy John surgery takes 12 months to recover from and Liriano’s had 18 months. In order to ensure he doesn’t get hurt again, the Twins need to monitor his pitch count. The only way to keep his workload consistent is to start him on day one. If the Twins want to erase any questions about Santana’s departure, this will quickly accomplish that goal.

2.) Scott Baker, RHP
If it weren’t for Liriano’s return, Scott Baker would be the successor to Santana. However, he shouldn’t feel too bad about taking a back seat to a talent like Liriano. Baker showed flashes of greatness last year with a near no hitter and a noticeable increase in confidence. He has the potential to become an ace, but will need to continue to mature mentally. With Baker, it’s his confidence that tends to fluctuate and with it goes his talent. Baker is the key to this staff because he can either stabilize it or continue to provide question marks.

3.) Boof Bonser, RHP
Bonser has had impressive moments. I still remember in one of his early starts as a Twin, Boof loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs and then proceeded to strike out the next three batters swinging. That team was the Seattle Mariners. The three players he struck out? All Stars Richie Sexson, Carl Everett and Adrian Beltre. However, his weight has held him back but that might be a thing of the past. Boof lost 20 pounds in the offseason, which could be the difference needed to make him a formidable threat.

4.) Livan Hernandez, RHP
Although I disagree with this signing and was content moving forward with a young rotation, Hernandez might be a pleasant surprise. He always has been known as durable which would justify his nickname as an “innings eater.” Hernandez could lead this team and mentor the pitching staff. He has the tools to be a dependable starter and by signing a one-year contract, he will be playing for his 2009 salary. Since it is likely the Twins will miss the playoffs, Hernandez could be a mid-season trade that brings us a special player ready to contribute for the new stadium in 2010.

5.) Kevin Slowey, RHP
Kevin Slowey makes me nostalgic for Brad Radke. This kid could be something special. He has the control of Radke and the poise of a veteran. His rise through the minors didn’t take long, and his numbers were more impressive than his counterparts Liriano and Baker. If Slowey‘s numbers can transition from the minors to the majors, he could be fun to watch. Many may prefer the lefty Glen Perkins saying he deserves his chance, Nick Blackburn or lefty Brian Duensing because of their recent success in the minors, Phil Humber because of his potential from being a third overall draft pick or maybe even Kevin Mulvey due to his comparisons to Carlos Silva. Though these are all viable options for the fifth spot, Slowey will provide guaranteed stability. Compared to his counterparts, Slowey has impeccable control - walks barely exist in his resume. With this young rotation, less walks is the preferred attribute.

The Twins youth movement has arrived, and it all starts with Liriano taking over the throne left empty by Johan Santana.

Right around the corner

In Minnesota, the dreary weather forces us to scurry into our frigid cars in order to avoid ten minutes of potential frostbite, watch endless sporting events from the comfort of our couch while we dread the next day’s busy schedule and eating endlessly imitating the act of hibernation. All of this is done anxiously awaiting the beginning of the end - the end of winter and the beginning of Spring Training. There is no smell quite like the start of baseball season. The air is fresh, the grass smells crisp while appearing dewy soft, and the birds begin to chirp as though to announce the arrival of America’s pastime. As a great player once said:

“People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” ~Rogers Hornsby

Hornsby’s perspective couldn’t be more accurate.

We need to look toward the positives this time of year including Spring Training starting soon, NFL free agency gaining gossip steam, March Madness on the horizon, not to mention Opening Day of MLB and the NFL Draft (best day of the year) right around the corner. These are positives, these are reasons to ignore the dreary weather, and these are things to look forward to.

Stay positive and keep your head up because winter is almost over and the most exciting time of the sports season is almost here!

Upcoming topics:

Twins Spring Training Rotation and Pitching Battles

Projected Twins Opening Day Lineup and Rotation

NFL Free Agency Rumors and Vikings needs

March Madness Analysis and Brackets

NFL Draft Analysis with Mock Draft

Preview of the NBA Draft with Analysis

First Blog Entry (Background)

Well, this is the first entry on MN Sports Chat. I guess I will make you a little aware of my background. My name is Shea McGinnity and I was born and raised in Minnesota. I grew up in Shoreview, MN and graduated from Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, MN. I went to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing Management and a minor in Psychology. Two years out of college (which would make me 24), I am working at a medical software company in Minnetonka. I played baseball through my senior year in high school and helped coach the Tri-City Gold Senior Babe Ruth team in the summer of 2006. I will be rejoining the coaching ranks again when I have time around my busy work travel schedule.

I think when it comes to analyzing sports; baseball is definitely my strongest subject. I have been a diehard Minnesota sports fan since youth and I don't plan on giving that up ever. I don't view myself as a Homer...but I guess that will be your decision to evaluate. I analyze every sports decision Minnesota makes and I will most likely talk about all of them. I will admit right now, hockey is not my best subject. I pay attention to the Wild and the Gophers, but I don't know enough to get into details. If it is Baseball, Football, or Basketball you can ask away but Hockey will never be my strong point.

My cohort on this blog will explain himself as well, but I guess I should explain how I know him and why we are doing this. My associate on this blog is Steve Quick. I graduated high school with Steve and he was actually the head coach on the baseball team I coached in 2006. Steve is a good friend of mine and he is an excellent resource for Minnesota sports analysis as well. Steve and I have been reading Aaron Gleeman's site for years and we have wanted to start this ever since. I greatly respect Gleeman's analysis and admire what he does. I think this blog will provide a great analysis of both Minnesota and national sporting news, however, I strive to have it become as dynamic and intriguing as what Gleeman's site offers. I will attempt to update the blog on a daily basis but if I am unable to, I am sure my cohort will.