Kuzul

The Minnesota Twins have a sticky situation where they have a lot of players that can hit the ball for power, but few that can hit for average. On top of that, sluggers like Trevor Plouffe, Ryan Doumit and even Justin Morneau have gone through slumps this year. The one player that does hit well for average, Joe Mauer, topped out at around .360 early in the 2013 and has recently dropped below .300. In order to get the most out of its roster, Minnesota must make adjustments that will give guys days off and get other players at-bats. The following are a few lineups manager Ron Gardenhire could use in the near future.   The Chris Parmelee at First Base LineupI think Parmelee is Plouffe’s long lost brother. Not only are they both in their mid-20s, from California and begin their last name with the letter P, but both ...

The Twins can’t sell beer at Target Field anymore this season. Why? Because they lost the opener! That joke is admittedly juvenile, but what the heck. In April you can joke a little bit about a 4-2 loss. In life you need to laugh, especially if your life is a baseball season. Baseball is a marathon of 162 games; if you can’t kick back and joke or relax, you’re going to drive yourself insane. It’s not good practice to totally hinge opinion on one game, but that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Despite the Twins losing their Opening Day contest to the division rival Detroit Tigers, there were a handful of positives and a huge negative to break down.  Vance Worley Bounced Back As the game got rolling, Twins fans’ hearts sunk to the bottom of their stomach. The optimism of a brand new season came crashing to reality ...

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins introduced Major League Baseball to Target Field. The new stadium replaced the dump that was the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome as the home for the franchise.It's been hard to get a ticket to a Twins game since, as the team ranked 12th in the major leagues in total attendance in 2012, according to ESPN.The reception for the ballpark has been great, even when the product on the field hasn't. ESPN Magazine called Target Field the best stadium in North America in their 2010 Ultimate Standings. The stadium dropped to 13th in 2012, but it still has its reputation as one of the best in baseball.Still, with all of the accolades, some Twins fans have a problem with the crown jewel of downtown Minneapolis:It's too cold in April.Twins fans are beginning to moan as the team has their first season opener at Target Field on Monday ...

Headed into the 2012 season, the Minnesota Twins’ farm system was arguably among the worst in the game. What a difference a year can make. Entering spring training, the organization houses five top-100 prospects with more on the way. The team netted two of their top-10 prospects in the first round of the 2012 draft in outfielder Byron Buxton and right-hander Jose Berrios. Furthermore, numerous prospects enjoyed breakout seasons at the plate in Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler. More importantly, the Twins finally have a few legitimate pitching prospects in recently acquired right-handers Alex Meyer (from the Nationals) and Trevor May (from the Phillies). Furthermore, last year marked the return of former No. 1-pick Kyle Gibson, who missed most of the previous season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Expect all three pitchers to play a crucial role in the team’s starting rotation as early as late 2013. Here’s a look ...

The number of Minnesota Twins participating in next month's World Baseball Classic is now six. In addition to catcher Joe Mauer (USA), closer Glen Perkins (USA), first baseman Justin Morneau (Canada), and catcher Drew Butera (Italy), pitcher Samuel Duduno and utility infielder Jamey Carroll have been added to WBC rosters.  RHP Deduno has been added to the pitching staff representing the Dominican Republic. He was 6-5 with a 4.44 ERA for the Twins last season. Deduno, who was left off the 40-man roster last November, could use the WBC as a springboard to audition for the Twins' pitching staff in 2013. “He was frustrated when he was taken off the roster because he felt like he’d earned a spot, but he understands,” Paul Kinzer (Deduno's agent) told the Minneapolis Star Tribune last November. “He feels like he’s going to come to spring training and earn a spot in the rotation.” The eleven-year MLB veteran Carroll, who ...

Justin Morneau, in the final year of a six-year, $80 million deal that will pay him $19 million this season, will likely be shopped around if the Twins fall out of contention in the AL Central. The 2006 AL MVP told 1500ESPN.com's Judd Zulgad that he hopes to remain with the Twins this season, and beyond...but with a hitch.  "If it looks like there's a chance we're going to win, I'd love to stay here. I've been here my whole career and this where I hope to be in the future. It's hard to say otherwise. But sometimes those decisions aren't yours. So we'll see. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Morneau also told Zulgad that he was able to go full speed with his offseason workouts and didn't have to worry as much about his health as he did a year ago when he was coming off ...

As we all take our guesses on whether or not the Minnesota Twins will improve on their back-to-back last place finishes in the American League Central, the 2013 Twins already look very different from the team that took the field in 2012.With another descent to the bottom of the AL Central, there's reason to believe that the 2014 team will look even more different.But how different, exactly?Like most people with their heads screwed on straight, I don't anticipate much of a "Cinderella" team in Minnesota this year. Rather, I think the time is now to build for 2014 and beyond.In a division that is getting older, the Twins would be keen to part ways with some of their older cogs if they fall out of contention before the trade deadline.That means Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham (as well as others) could be on the hot seat soon. Assuming the Twins do in ...

The end of the National Football League season means that the sports calendar is about to give way to Major League Baseball.This is the time of year when baseball fans' minds start to cut through the clutter of sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow to find green grass, blue skies and warmer climates.By the time that the last strand of confetti is swept off of the turf of the Super Bowl, optimism springs in the minds of fans across MLB's 30 teams, thinking that their team can be this year's surprise team.That optimism may be hard to come by for the Minnesota Twins, who are coming off of their second straight season at the bottom of the American League Central standings.It's been a cold winter under the watch of Terry Ryan, who has sent both Denard Span and Ben Revere packing while restocking a farm system that desperately needed an overhaul.That's ...

Minnesota Twins prospect Alex Meyer has a tall order on his hands as he attempts to climb the ladder for his new team in 2013.As the prospect sent over from the Washington Nationals in the Denard Span trade, Meyer was the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft.Between Low-A Hagerstown and High-A Potomac, he went 10-6 with a 2.86 earned run average in a performance that will make him a top-100 prospect on many lists this spring.With Meyer expected to begin the season at Double-A New Britain, it's unlikely that he'll be able to crack the major league rotation.However, Meyer will already make an impact in 2013 at the major league level even if he doesn't debut for the Twins.Meyer has assumed the position of the top pitching prospect in the Twins' farm system. For a system that used to be loaded with young talent, Minnesota has ...

It's a travesty. It's a downright shame. Why is minor league closer Anthony Slama still just that—a minor leaguer?In six seasons spanning from rookie ball to Triple-A Rochester, Slama has put up a ridiculous 1.99 ERA. He's racked up 100 saves and 446 strikeouts in 325 innings. His career WHIP sits at a cool 1.089. The Twins have always preferred pitch-to-contact pitchers, but even the Twins cannot deny Slama's 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The crazy thing? His stats hold up at every level. There is no reason to believe that this 26-year-old career minor leaguer can't get major league hitters out.He hasn't even had the opportunity.Since being drafted in 2006, Slama has tossed a grand total of seven innings at the major league level.Is it the mentality of the front office? Players that haven't gelled with the "Twins way" have found their tickets out of Minnesota in the past (see: Delmon ...