Twins Finalize 40-Man Roster.

The Minnesota Twins finalized their 40-man roster and added the following six players.

1. Danny Valencia-3B. He could be starting at the hot corner very soon for the Twins and has excelled at every level in the minor leagues. He hit .285/.337/.466 with 14 HR's and 70 RBI's in 128 games between New Britain and Rochester. One of the top five prospects in the system.

2. Alex Burnett-RHP. He had a very low 1.85 ERA in 78.0 IP as a reliever between Fort Myers and New Britain in 2009.

3. Deolis Guerra-RHP. One of four players received from the New York Mets for pitcher Johan Santana. The starting pitcher is only 20 YOA and very talented. He had a high 4.89 ERA in 149.0 IP between Fort Myers and New Britain but better numbers are expected in the future.

4. Rob Delaney-RHP. The relief pitcher was dominant at every level until he was promoted to Rochester. He struggled with a steap 4.53 ERA in 47.2 IP but should do better next season if he can make the necessary adjustments.

5. Loek Van Mill-RHP. The towering Dutchman (7-1) had a .279 ERA in 42.0 IP between Fort Myers and New Britain last year. He has a very good fastball and could be very good in a couple of years.

6. Estarlin De Los Santos-SS. The 22 YOA switch hitter from the Dominican Republic hit .290/.330/.397 in 68 games with Fort Myers but struggled to stay healthy. The front office must have been impressed with what they saw from him.

The notable players left off the 40-man roster were middle infielders Steve Singleton and Brian Dinkelman. Third baseman Deibinson Romero was removed from the roster and sent to Rochester. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Talk.

I will be hosting another edition of Twins Talk Wednesday night at 9:00 P.M. with Topper Anton of Curve for a Strike. The show will include special guests Seth Stohs of Seth Speaks and Andrew Bryz-Gornia of Off The Mark. It should be a great show so make sure to tune in. Please leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Unveil New Uniforms.

The Minnesota Twins unveiled new logos, patches, and jerseys Monday at IDS Crystal Court in Minneapolis. The new duds were modeled by Scott Baker and Denard Span in front of a large crowd. This is the first time the uniforms have changed since 1987. The change was made because of the move to Target Field in 2010. Here is the complete breakdown.

1. New Primary Road Jersey-They are grey in color, without pinstripes, and the word Minnesota is scripted on the front instead of printed. The concept for Minnesota being scripted on the front came from the old team jackets. The jersey has two new shoulder patches on it. The 50th anniversary patch and the new Twins logo. The new road cap will contain the TC logo with a red flap. The cap with the M is still in existence but will be worn as an alternate.

2. New Throwback Home Jersey-An updated version of the wool jerseys worn by the team in their inaugural 1961 season. This jersey will be worn for the home opener and on Saturday night home games during the season. The jersey will have the new 50th anniversary shoulder patch. The cap remains unchanged except for a Target Field patch.

3. New Primary Home Jersey-The white jersey with pinstripes has an updated script and the letter S is the only thing different. The jersey will have the new Target Field shoulder patch. The cap remains unchanged except for a Target Field patch.

4. New Alternate Home Jersey-The blue alternate jersey has an updated script and the letter S is the only thing different. The jersey will have the new Target Field shoulder patch. The cap remains unchanged except for a Target Field patch.

5. New Alternate Home Jersey -The sleeveless alternate white jersey with pinstripes has an updated script and the letter S is the only thing different. The jersey will have the new Target Field patch above the logo. The cap remains unchanged except for a Target Field patch.

Go to the Star and Tribune to see photos of the new uniforms. Reports from last night have confirmed the Twins have lost two minor league players to teams in Japan. Reliever Juan Morillo signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, and first baseman Justin Huber signed with the Hiroshima Carp. Vote in my poll and tell me what you think of the Twins new threads. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Roster Updates and Cabrera.

According to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker Twins right-handed relief pitcher Juan Morillo has signed a contract to play for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. This would explain why the Twins decided to put him on the 40-man roster last week. It appears the decision was all about money. Morillo has a blazing 98 MPH fastball but struggled with his control. The Twins bullpen is very crowded right now with the return of Boof Bonser and Pat Neshek from injuries.


It was reported over the weekend that Justin Huber was close to signing with the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese League. Huber was cut from the 40-man roster last week and placed on waivers. After clearing waivers he was sent back to the Rochester Red Wings.

A rumor that refuses to die or go away! Orlando Cabrera returning to play second base for the Twins in 2009. MLB Trade Rumors reported on Sunday the Twins are talking with Cabrera about coming back to play second base. I discussed this on my Podcast and still believe it to be a distinct possibility. There is a chance GM Bill Smith may appease manager Ron Gardenhire by bringing Cabrera back. Cabrera is not the perfect fit in the #2 spot and had a low .316 OBP last season. However, he is a leader on the field and has a great track record for winning everywhere he goes. I would love to see the team go after free agent second baseman Placido Polanco who had a .331 OBP and won his second Gold Glove last year. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Talk.

I will be hosting another edition of Twins Talk Wednesday night at 9:00 P.M. with Topper Anton of Curve for a Strike. It should be a great show with special guest John Bonnes at Twins Geek joining us to talk about the Hot Stove season. Everyone is encouraged to participate by asking questions.

Breaking News!! Catcher Joe Mauer was awarded his second straight Rawlings Gold Glove for his outstanding defense behind the dish in 2009. Mauer had a .996 fielding percentage that was third in the American league but his impresive 3.53 zone rating ranked first. He only committed 3 errors in 758 total chances while playing in 105 games at catcher. The next date to watch on the calender is November 23 when they announce the winner of the American League MVP. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

The Minnesota Twins are on a Roll.

What an incredible week for the Minnesota Twins!! Two days after the New York Yankees buy their 27th World Series title, GM Bill Smith goes to work like a man on a mission. Friday he traded the very popular and erratic center fielder Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy. This deal looks like a steal right now because it only cost one very inconsistent player. Gomez might become a star some day but it was obvious to everyone watching he would not get the opportunity here in Minnesota. Delmon Young took a huge step forward the last two months of the season and the Twins are convinced he will only improve with time. This coupled with the fact manager Ron Gardenhire preferred Young in the outfield made the affable Go-GO expendable.

On Saturday the Twins exercised the 2011 option on right fielder Michael Cuddyer for $10.5 million. They could have refused to pickup the option and pay him a $1 million buyout. This is a large amount of money for the Twins to guarantee but they did it without any hesitation at all. I believe they will try to sign Cuddyer to a longer contract and picked up his 2011 option because it provides them with more time to negotiate.

The Twins had a moving sale on Saturday at the Metrodome and close to 15,000 fans waited outside in long lines just to take a peak at what was being sold. They had everything from bobble heads to wiffle ball bats available for sale. It sounded like it was another very successful promotional event. The front office appears ready to start a new era in Twins baseball when they move to Target Field after Christmas.

On Sunday night the Twins launched a promotional ad about moving into Target Field. It is another clever commercial done by the brilliant advertising people working for this fine organization. Last but certainly not least the Twins are set to unveil their new uniforms for 2010 this week. There is no doubt the Minnesota Twins are on roll right now. Just some advise to GM Bill Smith don't get too cocky because you have work left to do. We still need to sign a veteran pitcher, patch holes at second and third base, and let's not forget sign catcher Joe Mauer to a long term contract.

Twins Exercise Option on Cuddyer for 2011.

In a much anticipated move the Minnesota Twins pickup the 2011 option on Michael Cuddyer for $10.5 million. The Twins had five days from the end of the World Series to exercise the option or pay a $1 million buyout. Cuddyer hit .276 with a career high 32 HR'S and 94 RBI's in 153 games. He led the team back to the playoffs filling in for the injured Justin Morneau at first base the last two months of 2009. More importantly Cuddyer stayed healthy for the entire season and proved everyone wrong.

This was another good move by GM Bill Smith because it gives him some time to negotiate a new contract with Cuddyer. Smith has made two very good moves to start the off-season. He only has about twelve days left to negotiate a contract with starting pitcher Carl Pavano before he becomes a free agent. He also has to decide what he wants to do about second and third base. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.