starters (if you still count Boof Bonser)?

 

Meanwhile, the Chunichi Sports paper says the pool of MLB teams wanting this year's other Japan prize, former Dragons ace pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, is down to three clubs: the Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins. japantimes

 

I guess the Braves are the fourth team that's interested. Seems strange that so many teams are shying away from Ben Sheets, and yet the Braves and Yankees were willing to sign AJ Burnett for $80 million, and he's just as big an injury risk.

 

Or this just the precursor for a deal sending Blackburn or Perkins to Seattle for Beltre?

because the Twins always have money that they are more than willing to throw away towards the end of the offseason. How else do you explain Rondell White, Tony Batista, Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, Mike Lamb, and Livan Hernandez?

But those guys were brought on for positions where there are/were obvious holes.

 

The Twins' rotation already has five starters, sixth if you count Bonser, and I'm sure he'll get another opportunity to start somewhere (like Lohse did) before all is said and done.

 

Why would they need another starter if they already have Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn and Perkins? It doesn't make much sense. Maybe they're looking for some veteran leadership in the rotation w/ Hernandez, Santana and Radke gone, but their pen is loaded with lefties, and Blackburn doesn't profile as an 8th inning set-up guy for Nathan, so the only thing that would make sense would be trading Perkins as part of a deal for Beltre/Atkins/Kouzmanoff...someone like that.

Edited January 5, 200917 yr by caulfield12

But those guys were brought on for positions where there are/were obvious holes.

 

The Twins' rotation already has five starters, sixth if you count Bonser, and I'm sure he'll get another opportunity to start somewhere (like Lohse did) before all is said and done.

 

Why would they need another starter if they already have Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn and Perkins? It doesn't make much sense. Maybe they're looking for some veteran leadership in the rotation w/ Hernandez, Santana and Radke gone, but their pen is loaded with lefties, and Blackburn doesn't profile as an 8th inning set-up guy for Nathan, so the only thing that would make sense would be trading Perkins as part of a deal for Beltre/Atkins/Kouzmanoff...someone like that.

 

Is it really a problem to have too many starters?

I guess, in a backwards way, I'm saying how is it that the Twins can corner the market on starters and we only have 3 (maybe 4) of them? We're acting like a true small market club this offseason, hopefully something changes in the next month.

I guess, in a backwards way, I'm saying how is it that the Twins can corner the market on starters and we only have 3 (maybe 4) of them? We're acting like a true small market club this offseason, hopefully something changes in the next month.

 

Because last year they traded their stars for kids and also brought up their own kids. In other words, the Twins did last year what we are all b****ing about the White Sox doing this year, giving their young pitchers a shot.

 

They didnt corner the market on anything, they arent buying pitching like the Yankees

 

I guess the Braves are the fourth team that's interested. Seems strange that so many teams are shying away from Ben Sheets, and yet the Braves and Yankees were willing to sign AJ Burnett for $80 million, and he's just as big an injury risk.

 

While burnett is an injury risk, Sheets hasnt been able to stay healthy for an entire year. At least AJ accomplished that last year. It may not mean much, but it means something

Edited January 5, 200917 yr by kyyle23

the Twins also have a perennially good minor league system. Just within the past 2 years, they've had Baker, Blackburn, Slowey, and Perkins step up and become legitimate major league starting pitchers, and they have more on the way too.

 

I also don't see Bonser getting another chance to start in Minnesota. Somewhere else he might, but he'll be a reliever for them. If he can avoid the long ball, which is a huge question mark, he'll be a damn good reliever.

Twins owner Carl Pohlad died today, so it'll be interesting to see what happens with the Twins now.