The Minnesota Twins and the Difficulty of Rebuilding

Sep 15, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher

Ervin Santana

(30) delivers a pitch to a Washington Nationals batter in the fifth inning of their game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins are in a tough spot. After experiencing a decade of success starting in 2001, the bottom has completely fallen out. The team has lost over 90 games for four consecutive seasons. Things could not have gone much worse for the various faces of the franchise that have come and gone through the clubhouse. Francisco Liriano never fully came back to form after his Tommy John surgery, and has played his best ball in a Pirates uniform not a Twins one. Justin Morneau never fully got back to form after his concussion issues, and played his best ball in a Rockies uniform, not a Twins one. Joe Mauer has struggled through a multitude of injuries and had to switch positions, although the criticism of his game has gone much too far from some corners of the fan base. He has not reached the highs of his MVP season, but is still a very good hitter. The problem he has is the amount of money he received in his last contract suggests a level of production that has not been reached the last couple of seasons. So clearly the team has had more than its share of issues of late. The problem is now not what has already happened, it is how to pull themselves out of this years-long tailspin.

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When it comes to free agency, the Twins are between a rock and a hard place. They are simply not now, nor really ever, in a position to nab the top-line free agents. They have not been competitive the last few years, so do not have the draw of a championship contender, nor will they ever have deep pockets like the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers. Because of this, they need to go after the next tier, and hope to hit on them. Last offseason was a perfect microcosm of this reality, as they shelled out for both Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco. At the time, the Nolasco signing was seen as safer, as he had been more consistent even though it was longer and for more money than the Hughes pact. Obviously, this presumption could not have been further from the truth, as Nolasco was a tire fire while Hughes was one of the best pitchers in the American League. This offseason, the team brought Ervin Santana into the fold. I personally like the move, as it brings a proven, if not dominant, arm into the mix. One of Santana’s biggest issues, much like Hughes, is giving up too many long balls. Moving into the spacious confines of Target Field will hopefully work out as well for him as it did for Hughes.

Perception is difficult for a team that has been as bad as the Twins as of late. Do nothing or only make marginal signings, and you are accepting mediocrity. Spend too much on the wrong guy and you are tying up valuable money, and just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. One perception that has been blown out of the water is that the franchise is unwilling to spend money, as they have dumped over $100 million into their rotation in the last two years. The key will be if the team ever does get their collective heads above water, will they continue fortifying the team through all available avenues? Only time will tell.

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The rebuilding plan being employed currently by the Twins is very similar to the one used by the Minnesota Wild on the other side of the Mississippi River over the past several years: Build through the draft, cultivate talent in the minors, then fortify through free agency. It is not a perfect comparison by any means, as the likes of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are superstars, whereas the free agents signed by the Twins are hopefully above replacement level. Still, the template is there. Ideally, the Major League team will continue to improve so that once Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and others are ready for prime-time, the team they are joining will be better than a bottom dweller. Baseball is interesting as it is the most individualized team sport, yet is one of the most difficult for one player to make an enormous difference in the win-loss column. Even if Buxton becomes Mike Trout, that alone will not cure what ails the Twins. What is necessary, and seems to be what they are attempting, is a cohesive rebuild from the ground up, with a structure build to help the youngsters grow. It looks good on paper. As Twins fans, we now must hope it looks just as good on grass in the coming years.

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