FEB

19

I wrote this piece in September, changed a few things, commented on others: As we look at the end of the Minnesota Twins' 2007 season, there are some bright spots that we hope will carry over. Some things are near locks such as Jason Kubel's strong finish has probably assured him the 2008 opening day start in LF (Actually will go to Delmon Young and Kubel will be pushed to platoon DH duty with Craig Monroe), Carlos Silva looking just good enough to assure him $4 Million/year (Got $12 Million/year from the Seattle Mariners, who actually then traded for an even better pitcher), and Jason Bartlett's play has only gotten better as the season has progressed (While true... we traded him, so we won't reap the benefits). But other things are not so certain. Things like Torii Hunter (curretnly on the Angels), Johan Santana (traded), Justin Morneau (signed a Contract Extension), Billy Smith, and a starting rotation. In this two-part series, I will look into the crystal ball and predict the Minnesota Twins 2008 season. So... what can look forward to in 2008? Aside from what every fan, columnist, and talk-show host thinks, Joe Mauer will be the starting catcher in 2008, with Mike Redmond backing him up. As long as Joe stays healthy, which he seems to be able to do every other year...that position should be very strong. What about the infield? At first base, the Twins have Justin Morneau, who, unfortunately, is having an opposite year from 2006. He was hot early, but has cooled (and now at ice cold) down, making him the target of angry fans. Next year, he will hit 30+ HR's, drive in 100+ RBI's and still play pretty good defense. That will be what Justin Morneau does year in and year out. If Nick Punto and Jason Bartlett man the middle of the diamond (which Gardy has said they will), we know we will get stellar defense and pretty good hitting (What was I thinking??). The nice thing would be if both of the players did both of those things. Bartlett's fielding will get better, ...

Read the full post at ArmchairGM

• Bugs and Cranks Sandy Koufax Is Scary, Magical. Dodgers Arrive At Camp Feb 19
• The Big Lead Top Shelf: The Devils Are Going the Distance Feb 19
• Epic Carnival THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 10 Feb 19
• Yardbarker Pressure on Pettitte, in many ways Feb 19
• AOL Fanhouse International Pastime: One Man's Hope for Baseball in Cambodia Feb 19
• Bugs and Cranks Reactions to Pettitte's press conference Feb 19
• Ball Hype La Salle Shocks St. Joe's, Fans Storm the Floor at the Palestra Feb 19
• Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Newman Has Friends in Low Places, Literally Feb 19