This is a fun time of year for nerdy baseball people. Fantasy baseball drafts start entering the watercooler conversations, speculation on the upcoming season is rampant, and the oracles of the baseball universe begin to unveil their fortunes for the coming season. Baseball Prospectus has unveiled their predictions for the 2012 season, and with them have listed player comparibles.

Here are a few of the more fun comps.

Joe Mauer: Mike Sweeney, Victor Martinez
Denard Span: Sam Fuld, Johnny Damon
Josh Willingham: Bob Allison
Justin Morneau: Paul Konerko, Eddie Murray, Kent Hrbek
Joe Benson: B.J. Upton, Grady Sizemore
Trevor Plouffe: Jeff Blauser, Cal Ripken Jr., Stephen Drew
Tsuyoshi Nishioka: Adam Everett, Jason Bartlett
Pedro Florimon Jr: Miguel Tejada
Eddie Rosario: Justin Upton
Miguel Sano: Robin Yount
Aaron Hicks: Grady Sizemore (again)
Max Kepler: Robin Yount (again)
Carl Pavano: Brett Saberhagen (that's for you, Bobomojo)
Jason Bulger: Brad Lidge, Lee Smith, Troy Percival
Scott Baker: Javier Vasquez
Glen Perkins: John Smiley
Anthony Slama: Jose Valverde
Terry Doyle: Brett Tomko
Manuel Soliman: Edwin Jackson

Check out the spreadsheet for the rest, but I advise you to stay away from the actual predictions themselves. They aren't pretty, friends.

It doesn't take long for a farm system to turn around. A solid draft or a great trade can imbibe new blood into a system, just like a bad trade or graduating players can leave a system dry and underwhelming. For the Twins it seems they've always been a middle of the road minor league franchise, but over the last few years the trademark has changed.

For the longest time that trademark was pitching. Looking at the hurlers from the turn of the millenium, a vast majority of the staff not only came through the Minnesota farm system but they were good pitchers as well. A few years later another wave of pitchers came through. But we've seen very little since. Remnants of that last wave are still around, obviously: Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins.

That was a wave we were excited about six years ago, and things have changed. There is no "next wave" of pitching on the horizon, only a player here or there. And the calling card of the system certianly isn't pitching.

On the plus side, the system is more balanced. Where years ago there were no position players of note on the rise, now our best prospects play anywhere but on the mound.

SB Nation's John Sickels recently rated the farm systems of Major League Baseball, and pplaced the Twins in the middle of the pack at number 17

Another middle of the pack organization, fairly balanced between hitting and pitching, some potential regulars with several solid role players.

ESPN's Keith Law ranked the Twins a bit higher (Insider required):

I pick on these guys for taking low-ceiling college arms with great control, but they have quietly mixed in some interesting high school bats and added a few high-impact Latin American prospects.

What's interesting is that although Minnesota is clearly a middle-of-the-road system as far as a couple of the game's more respected minor league analysts are concerned, they actually have the consensus second-best system in the AL Central. Nobody likes the White Sox minor league system (ranking dead last on both lists). Cleveland isn't much better; Detroit ranks just a tad higher. The Royals are ranked fifth (Law) and sixth (Sickels) on the two lists, and with good reason.

It doesn't happen often, but every few years the Twins can't work through an arbitration case with a player and they go through the arbitration process. The last player that wasn't able to find a midway point was Kyle Lohse back in both 2005 and 2006, which wasn't a surprise at the time.

Casilla made $865,000, and after hitting .260/.322/.368 with a pair of homers, 21 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 97 games last season has submitted $1.75 million for his 2012 salary. The Twins offered $1.065 million. For an objective look into these numbers, in an effort to see which side is most likely to come out of the arbitration hearing as a winner, let's look at a comp list that we'll swipe from MLBTR's post earlier today.

Join us for the breakdown after the jump.

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In two weeks and two days, the dark and dreary days of winter will lose their icy grip on our souls. In two weeks and two days, a light will appear at the end of the tunnel, beckoning us forward as if to say "Yes, friends, you have made it, and I shall warm your heart." In two weeks and two days, pitchers and catchers report for our Minnesota Twins.

This time two years ago at this time we were still talking about the signing of Jim Thome, with the Orlando Hudson signing just days away while we tried to still our panic about the Joe Mauer contract situation. Last year we were out of payroll space (sounds familiar, right?) and speculating about potential contract extensions. This year, well, it's been about the least exciting off-season in recent memory. But we still have questions about our favorite team.

How much first base will Justin Morneau play?

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It's been four years (or has it been five?) since I've been to TwinsFest, but that has had more to do with my geographical location than a lack of desire to attend. There's no shortage of things to see or people to check out, and I guarantee that no matter how "hard core" of a fan you think you are there is somebody there who will scare you...just a little bit...with their fanatic intensity.

With that in mind, if you were like me and missed TwinsFest this year, here are the top ten storylines from the weekend.

Nishioka Wants to Sing: After attending tryouts for the National Anthem and "God Bless America" and gaining confidence in his growing comfort with the English language, Tsuyoshi Nishioka signs off an interview with "Seacrest, out."

Morris Baseball Booth Popular Destination: At the Jack Morris Limited Edition Baseball Booth, Morris signed 1000 baseballs with his name and the notation "1991 World Series Game 7". Each ball also carried a handwritten special inscription from Jack, most of which were variants on the phrase "[Redacted] right!", with occasional taunts of Sid Bream.

Emo Fad Sweeping Twins Clubhouse: Due to the emotionally draining nature of the 2011 season and the ensuing media backlash, several Minnesota Twins players arrive to TwinsFest adopting emo trends and appearances. Joe Mauer grows his hair out, dies the tips purple and uses hair straighteners. Danny Valencia layers black eyeliner so thick it puts Captain Jack Sparrow to shame. Nick Blackburn grows his beard longer, hoping that qualifies as emo. Denard Span tweets about Ron Gardenhire's ensuing confusion. Justin Morneau pours maple syrup in his shoes, which qualifies as emo in Canada. Fall Out Boy is elected by popular vote as the Official-Emo-Band-of-the-Minnesota-Twins-Clubhouse, and nobody is allowed inside the clubhouse unless they whistfully mention their hopes for new material...FINALLY.

Jamey Carroll's Eyes Fall Out of His Skull Without Warning: Jamey Carroll's eyes fall out of his skull without warning.

Gladden Being Gladden: Dan Gladden, emerging from a bathroom without his pants, was heard to have shouted "OKAY, MORRIS, YOUR MOVE."

Carl Pavano to Start on Opening Day: After announcing that Carl Pavano would be his Opening Day starter, Ron Gardenhire told fans that he didn't have a choice unless he wanted Drew Butera to set his cabin on fire.

Teenager Arrested for Attempting to Buy Alcohol: A 13-year old boy with a painted on goatee and Twins cap was hauled off the premises after being found in line for a beer. Following his inability to produce any identification he was hauled away by security, crying: "But I'm Scott Baker!"

Scott Baker Fined: Scott Baker was fined by the team for missing his weekend autograph session. When asked for comment, Gardy would only say "I'm tired of bailing his teenage ass out of jail".

Zumaya Burns Hand: Joel Zumaya's arm was treated for burns on his pitching hand. While attending Glen Perkins' meat smoking tutorial in the concourse, he reached through the grill to grab burning coals as Perkins had his back turned. When asked why he reached for the orange, glowing coals, Zumaya sighed and answered: "I don't even know anymore."

Gardy On New Right Fielder: During interview sessions, when Gardy was asked about new right fielder Josh Willingham he'd repeatedly call him "Cuddy" in his replies. Initially it was thought to be a mistake, until an intrepid reporter broached the subject. In response to the reporter's challenge Gardenhire visibly bristled, lowered the tone of his voice and leaned closer to the microphone, said "He knows what this is," then tipped the microphone over, threw a chair and walked off the stage.

You'll have to excuse me if this has already been shown, because it actually went down about eight months ago, but if you've seen it then I apologize for taking up your valuable time on this dearth-of-Twins-news Sunday evening. Still, I have to share this with you. Because it's amazing.

Thanks to the Facebook friend who posted this on their page tonight...

If there is one player in the Twins organization who you expected to be on this list, it's Miguel Sano. He's a special talent, appearing at #23 on MLB.com's top 100 list but topping Baseball America's 2012 prospect list for the Twins. Sano is Twinkie Town's top prospect, too.

MLB.com places Sano's ETA at 2014, which would be his age 21 season. This seems a bit early, considering he was still in rookie ball in 2011. When we tried to estimate top prospect arrivals, we looked at the average time it takes a player from a certain position to reach the Majors and concluded that Sano would reach the Twins sometime between 2015 and 2016. That still makes him just 22 or 23, but it also seems like a very, very long way off.

It's feasible that Sano flies through the system, perhaps starting the 2014 season in Rochester and getting a callup later in the season. But if he were to make the Opening Day roster that year, I doubt any of us would be disappointed. This team needs young talent and needs it fast. Unfortunately, 2014 will have to suffice.

Speaking of young talent, the other player on MLB.com's list is Aaron Hicks, who slides in at #72. Hicks was the only other player who I thought had the chance to crack the top 100, although I was no longer sure he would. Particularly since he is no longer a top 10 outfielder according to the same source. Clearly his tools, particularly his speed, his patience (passiveness?) at the plate, and his raw and as-of-yet undeveloped power, still appeal to scouts. Which is good to hear.

Interestingly, Hicks drops to number four on Baseball America's list of top Twins prospects for 2012. Joe Benson is a sneaky and odd choice for number two, while Eddie Rosario is a well-deserved number three. Twinkie Town's top three include Sano follwed by Rosario, Oswaldo Arcia, and then Hicks fourth again.

In the post I referenced earlier, we estimated that Hicks would make his MLB debut in 2013...at the earliest. That would be his age 23 season. MLB.com has him arriving one year later, in 2014, apparently spending all of this year and next between double-A and triple-A.

More Twins top prospect reading...

Chris Parmelee MLB.com's #5 first base prospect
Miguel Sano MLB.com's #2 third base prospect
Anything by Seth Stohs

In any given season, the Twins carry 12 pitchers on their 25 man roster: five starters for the rotation and seven relief pitchers. You can also count off, relatively easily, which position players will make the trip north from Florida at the end of March. Here's our list as of today.

Catchers (2): Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit

Infielders (6): Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, Jamey Carroll, Danny Valencia, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Luke Hughes

Outfielders (4): Denard Span, Ben Revere, Josh Willingham, Trevor Plouffe

With 24 roster spots taken, who gets that 25th spot? Candidates after the jump.

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In terms of arbitration cases, the Twins have had a pretty easy and low-key winter. We're used to them dealing with four, five, seven cases, but this year it's been just three: Glen Perkins, Francisco Liriano, and Alexi Casilla. It's no surprise then that Minnesota is well on its way to securing these players to one-year contracts.

Perkins, in his second arbitration-eligible season, gets a raise from $700,000 in 2011 to $1.55 million in 2012. He more than doubles his salary, but after the year he had he's now the only member of the bullpen who can be tabbed to have anything more than an "okay" season. The Twins need him to be healthy and effective.

Liriano, in his final arbitration-eligible season, gets a smaller raise. He made $4.3 million last season, and will earn $5.5 million in 2012. Assistant General Manager Rob Antony summed it up pretty well (from the Strib):

"It's important to us because if we want to win some games we need to have him pitch more like 2010,'' said Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony, who negotiated the deals.

"The better the season he has the more attractive he is to us and to anyone else in case he ends up on the free agent market. It's a big year for him.''

It's difficult to tell what Liriano's future holds, especially in regards to how that future relates to the Twins. If he's absolutely terrible, or if he's one of the best five pitchers in the American League like he was in 2010, it's possible that he hits the open market. If he's somewhere in between, it's probably more likely that he could stay in Minnesota.

That brings us to Casilla, who is in his second arbitration-eligible season and is the only one of the three unable to reach an agreement before yesterday's deadline to exchange figures. While there's still time to negotiate, as of today they're a little ways apart: the Twins offered $1.065, while Casilla's camp has countered with $1.75 million.

Casilla hit .260/.322/.368 last season, with a pair of homers, 21 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 97 games. After making $865,000 in 2011, it's hard to imagine how that performance justifies more than doubling his salary, but it's also how the game is played.

Most likely, with roughly $700,000 separating the two sides, they will settle around the midway point prior to heading into arbitration. The Twins have a tendency to agree to a number slightly towards the player's side of the figures, so it wouldn't be unthinkable to see Casilla sign his one-year contract at $1.45 or $1.5 million.

Arbitration hearings take place between February 1 and February 21, which means the Twins and Casilla have a little bit of time to hammer out a deal.

There were a number of teams who went to watch Joel Zumaya throw back in December, and even as late as yesterday morning we knew there were a number of clubs interested in the former Tigers' flame throwing strikeout machine. What made the difference for Zumaya though, was that the Twins offered him a Major League contract.

As far as Zumaya is concerned, that's kind of a no-brainer, isn't it? As long as he's healthy, he'll go north with the Twins. Ultimately the most important thing to a Major League Baseball player's career is to play in Major League Baseball. Minnesota gave him that opportunity.

With every other interested club seemingly offering him the same thing (minor league contract, invite to spring training), and with the Minnesota bullpen still shaping up to be a massive liability, Terry Ryan and his front office made a move that could bolster the back end of the relief corps with relatively little risk.

1. The Twins are financially on the hook for a minimum of $800,000 for one year. As far as MLB payrolls are concerned, that's nothing.
2. If Zumaya doesn't throw a pitch with the Twins, they're simply back to where they were on Saturday night: Glen Perkins, Matt Capps, and a bunch of question marks.
3. If Zumaya does work out, $1.7 million (maximum) for what a pitcher like him can provide is more than acceptable.

We'll flash some more justified optimism after the jump.

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We've known the score with Justin Morneau for a while. Concussions are a serious issue. While he returned for stints of games in 2011, the Morneau we've grown to know and love was never truly present. A cascade of injuries across his body took their toll on top of the post-concussion symptoms, sapping his pitch recognition and timing. We saw the fallout: walk rates plummeted, power was sapped, and one of the league's most complete first baseman who could turn on any pitch couldn't touch much besides a changeup.

We all want Morneau to recover fully. Not just because he's such an integral part of whatever success the Twins will have, but because we also care about him as a person.

Unfortunately, it sounds like he's still struggling.

If you can't watch the entire video, here's the important (and somewhat disconcerting) portion of Justin's conversation with Kevin Millar.

"Most days, I wake up I feel pretty good. Usually after I get done—I really exert myself, really working out hard—after a long day, your brain gets tired and everything gets so worn down. It's not functioning the way it's supposed to be, and you kind of get done with the day and you go, 'Something's not right.' And you end up going home and taking a nap for a couple hours or whatever it is, and you wake up and the headache's still there and you kind of grind through it. But it's been a lot better lately.

"Making the eyes work, trying to reset the brain a little bit. You get hit, and the brain gets knocked off a little bit, you feel like you're half a second off. It's not registering properly. When you're trying to hit, it almost makes it impossible to hit. You feel like the ball's behind you by the time you recognize the pitches."

Join us for more after the jump.

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We know that our Twins haven't done a great deal over the winter. They've plugged some holes with relatively little money, and they've made a couple of shrewd if unpopular business decisions (my dad will be in mourning over Cuddyer's departure for at least the next six months). It's also that time of year where, for the most part, the free agent market starts to look pretty picked over.

But we know there are still some intriguing names out there. Prince Fielder has yet to find a home, so he'll be our first baseman. Our center fielder will be one of the most talented Cuban athletes the sports has ever seen, if you believe the hype. We already know there are still plenty of relief options on the market.

With that in mind, after the jump I present you with the 25-man roster for my free agent squad.

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When the Twins signed Jason Marquis, we heard that the team had a bit of wiggle room remaining to sign some relief help. Why this need hasn't been further addressed, considering the sins of the bullpen in 2011, is a question we'll never have an answer to, but if the front office wants to help a middling team preserve as many wins as possible then it still needs to be a major focus. As of today, after having baseball's highest bullpen ERA (4.51), highest opponent batting average (.270) and lowest strikeout rate (6.31 K/9) last season, Minnesota has made one move: re-sign Matt Capps.

Below is a list of free agent relief pitchers who have signed for very team-friendly one-year contracts since the off-season began. This isn't to throw the Twins' front office under the bus for not signing these pitchers, because we don't know the level of Minnesota's involvement in free agents they don't sign, but they're examples that we can use as measuring sticks against a few good relievers who are still on the market who could make this team better.

One-Year Contract RP Signings
Jonathan Broxton: $4,000,000
Octavio Dotel: $3,500,000
LaTroy Hawkins: $3,000,000
Jon Rauch: $3,500,000
Takashi Saito: $1,750,000
George Sherrill: $1,100,000

More after the jump.

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Minnesota has been attached to a number of starting pitchers over the last few weeks, but Jason Marquis is a new one. That doesn't mean he's any different than the others (at least, any of the other realistic targets). Let's take a quick look to see how our new starter stacks up against those other rumored targets.

Jackson, of course, doesn't quite fit the mold set by Marquis, Pineiro, Francis and Garland. But he was never really within the Twins' budget.

Analysis after the jump.

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Twitter is blowing up with the news that the Twins have made the Josh Willingham signing official. He'll get three years, earning $7 million in both 2012 and 2013, with the possibility of adding another million on top of all that in 2014 should he reach 525 plate appearances in '13. It's a good deal, and here's why.

Over the next three years, each win above replacement should cost somewhere just north of $5 million dollars, depending on the baseball and more wide-ranging fiscal markets. With the understanding that we want to be conservative we'll estimate that from 2012 to 2014, when Willingham's contract expires, cost for each win above replacement will average at $5.25 million.

Exactly just how friendly is this contract for the Twins? Very.

Basically, for Willingham to be worth $21 million over three years, and to make the contract equal to on-field performance, he'd have to accumulate 5 wins above replacement. Barring injury or a sudden loss of skill, that shouldn't be a problem.

More analysis after the break.

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For years this was one position where, seemingly every season, the Twins didn't have a good option. The position of designated hitter, in some respects, should be one of the easiest positions to fill because it only requires a single skill set: hitting. If a guy can run or throw or field a position or look good in a uniform, those things are simply positives. Just hit.

Chili Davis did his job in '91. Paul Molitor didn't have much power left, but he was still an exceptional hitter. David Ortiz, when he wasn't hurt or in the minors or in Tom Kelly's dog house, had his moments. But in between those guys, and between Ortiz's departure after '02 and Jason Kubel's breakout '09 season, there was a real dearth of hitters for Kelly and Ron Gardenhire to choose from.

Instead, Minnesota filled the DH spot by selecting the hot bat and by using it to give guys a break. It's part of the reason that Twins fans understand how versatility is important in their players: it's easier to give guys a needed breather if the roster is flexible enough that they can move around the field and, on occasion, DH.

Those days might be back. Much more, and a poll, after the jump.

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Even after everything we've heard about the Twins' interest in Josh Willingham, I never actually expected that roster spot to go to anyone but Michael Cuddyer. But it seems as though the front office felt they either couldn't wait any longer for an answer from Cuddyer, felt he would ultimately say "no, thanks", or felt he was asking too much, because pending a physical it sounds like our right-handed power bat is coming in the form of the ex-Marlins, ex-Nationals and ex-Athletics slugger.

Currently, all we understand about this potential agreement is that it will be for multiple years (obviously). With Cuddyer's rumored offer sitting between $24 million and $26 million over three years, it wouldn't surprise me to see Willingham sign for slightly less per season. That's not as much as I would have envisioned coming into the off-season, and is one of the biggest reasons he didn't appear on my blueprint, but nevertheless it's reasonable to assume the contract will be in the range of two years and $16 million to three years and $24 million. If it's more than that I'd be surprised.

History will spin an interesting narrative on the end of the Cuddyer era. And sadly, the fact that it is probably the end of the Jason Kubel era will likely end up little more than a footnote. Joe Christensen notes the club hasn't made any progress with discussions on that front.

Objectively, this seems like a good move for the Twins. Willingham is likely to sign for a little less money, and by allowing Cuddyer to go elsewhere the Twins net themselves two more picks early in June's draft. Subjectively, there's going to be some sadness with the departure of a life long Twins player. Cuddyer has always been a great guy, by all accounts, and has never given anything less than all of himself for the team. Respect must be paid.

While we're waiting for all of the details to come in, here's a little backlist reading on the Willingham and Cuddyer situation. Read on, and we'll have more for you later.

• Last night's Twins notes
• The market hinges on Cuddyer
• Twins become of of the favorites for Willingham
• Cuddyer allegedly wants more money or more years
• Bobomojo compares Willingham and Cuddyer a couple weeks ago
• Aaron Gleeman did the same thing last night
• Willingham as one of ten right-handed bats the Twins could target

As a parting visual, here's Bobomojo's graphic from his post comparing the two right-handed corner outfielders.

Things seem to be reaching a boiling point for the Twins. There's been a lot more in the media about the Michael Cuddyer situation than what they usually let leak, which is next to nothing. If there's one thing this front office and this organization does well, it's keeping secrets when they want them kept.

With that, here's some news and speculation that should top off the worst day of the week quite nicely.

• The Twins trimmed three off their 40-man roster today. We just talked about Jose Mijares and his non-tender, but Jim Hoey was claimed by the Blue Jays and Pedro Florimon was assigned to Rochester. Hoey had a rough season with Minnesota and will get one more opportunity to be a big league pitcher in Canada, but why Florimon was ever on the 40-man roster in the first place is a bit of a puzzle to everyone. Now, if anyone can tell me why Terry Doyle, Matt Maloney and Jeff Gray are there, I'd be very appreciative.
• It sounds like the Twins have upped their offer to Cuddyer a little bit, to three years and $26 million, but that might be as high as they're willing to go. We know the Rockies are very interested but apparently haven't made an offer (those two points have been on repeat on Twitter all day), but other potential suitors continue to be silent. There are many things that go into a decision like this, for both the team and the player, so it's impossible to guess with any accuracy as to what's factoring into Cuddyer's decision making, but the longer this goes on the more interesting it gets. And the more people will begin to speculate as to why's of the situation.
• With the impending non-tender of Joe Saunders, teams across the league will show their interest. Saunders is a southpaw, accumulates innings and posts some tempting traditional stats, but underneath it all he's a pitcher in the mold of Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing; pitch-to-contact hurlers who don't register many strikeouts and who don't have a big out pitch. On the plus side, Saunders would only cost money (not much at that) and not prospects, and would slide into the Minnesota rotation as the number five starter and second lefty. But he's the guy you pick up when you're just holding spots down for next year...or the year after. He's not the pitcher you go after when you're trying to put together a winning team.
• It's been brought up on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, but if you were the Twins would you attempt to trade for Martin Prado? If so, who would you give up? The Braves don't need pitching but they need outfielders; the Twins don't have much of either they can spare anyway, not at the top levels, and it'd be hard to justify Prado for any of our impressive outfield prospects. Still, if you can work it out, go for it. It's fun to imagine this lineup: Span (CF), Prado (2B), Mauer (C), Morneau (1B), Willingham (RF), Valencia (3B), Plouffe (DH), Carroll (SS), Revere (LF). It's dreaming, sure, but what's an off-season without a little optimism?
• Finally, we'll bookend our night by going back to our first point. With Mijares, Florimon and Hoey off the roster, the Twins now have 37 men on their 40-man roster. There is no speculation to go to here, other than to ask: are we waiting for the other shoe to drop? Minnesota cleared a lot of roster space today. Hopefully something is in the works.

Get some rest, we'll see you in the morning.

With his non-tender today, Jose Mijares' likely puts a lid on his Minnesota Twins career after 153.2 innings of up and down baseball. Well, his performance was more down than up recently, but the weight was always up. That's a cheap shot, but the club hasn't always been happy with how Mijares took care of himself.

Mijares debuted for the Twins with a cup of coffee in September of 2008, pitching in ten games between the 13th and the 30th. He was impressive, striking out just five but not issuing a single walk and allowing just three hits. Not all of his innings were junk, either. Gardenhire gave him a lot of opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings and he wasn't let down.

His strong September set the stage for '09, because although Mijares didn't go north with the team he was one of the first callups late in April. Philip Humber did make the Opening Day roster but was gone halfway through the month, and Mijares made his debut just weeks before Craig Breslow was sold too early. Mijares, meanwhile, became a dangerous set-up man while working along righty Matt Guerrier in front of Joe Nathan. He struck out 55 in 62.1 innings, posting a 2.34 ERA thanks in no small part to stranding 89% of his base runners.

2010 was much the same as 2009, with Mijares improving his strikeout-to-walk ratio but becoming a bit more hittable. He also spent a couple of stints on the disabled list, and as a result pitched in just 47 games for just 33.2 innings.

Then came last year. That's still fresh in many of our memories: an issue with his weight, another issue with his passport, an inability to hit the strike zone with any sense of regularity. Mijares made eight appearances to start the season without allowing a run, but he also walked five, beaned Nick Markakis, and needed 99 pitches to record 5.1 innings of work. All that, and he only allowed two hits. Mijares set the pace of the season in those eight games, missing the strike zone so badly that hitters didn't have to even think about putting the ball into play.

By the end of the year Mijares was in Gardy's doghouse permanently, and didn't see anything other than low-leverage situations from July 22 to September 7. He deserved his demotion. Mijares was ineffective, got into a public argument with Joe Mauer (which should have never happened because Gardy should have ordered an IBB), and for a guy whose off-field effort always appeared to be next to zero it was easy to see the writing on the wall.

In Mijares there's a talented bullpen arm waiting to get out. Unfortunately for him effort and execution weren't there this year, and both Glen Perkins and Brian Duensing are more than equipped to do exactly what Mijares did. And for less money.

Happy trails, Jose.

It seems as though the Twins might be finally starting to move forward with their off-season plans. For the last couple of weeks we've known that much of their larger plans depended on what happened with Michael Cuddyer; the Twins are working with a limited budget and have many holes to fill, meaning if they make one significant move (and signing Cuddyer would be significant) then it would have repurcussions for the rest of their winter.

Earlier today, Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 in Cleveland stated that Josh Willingham's landing spots were down to Minnesota and Cleveland. Naturally this has been somewhat disputed, as over the last couple of days the Mariners have been finalists and then totally out of the running for Willingham's services, and the Rockies continue to be involved where the market for Cuddyer is concerned. Indeed, that seems to be the common theme. It's not just the Twins that are waiting on Cuddyer, but it's also Colorado and, indirectly, the Indians.

With Minnesota being as patient as they can be for Cuddyer, the Rockies seem to be of the same mindset. The Indians, meanwhile, haven't been connected to the longtime Twin but may end up being in direct competition with whichever team(s) don't land him in order to bring in Willingham. If the Indians can find the money.

At some point, whether the Twins get a definitive answer from Cuddyer or not, they'll need to move on. The longer they wait to begin their off-season rebuild, the more other teams will begin to solidify their own plans for 2012, the fewer options the Twins will have to get better. Because the truth is that even if the Twins land one of those two right-handed bats, it only makes them a .500 team. There are a great many things this team needs to do before Opening Day if they plan on putting a winning product on the field.

Considering the similar market for these two players, I have to believe that if Willingham's asking price was an order of magnitude less than Cuddyer's then he'd already have signed with one of these teams. Keeping that in mind, if the Twins are paying millions for this player profile then it's an added bonus that they can help bolster their future at the same time. If Cuddyer wants to hold out for four years or three years and extra money, let him. He's a good player and somebody will sign him.

Because if I'm Minnesota, I'm done waiting. I have a lot of work to get done, I can sign another player for similar money who can hit right-handed pitching, and I can pick up a couple of draft picks in the process. And it all means I can get back to work tomorrow in terms of putting my team together.

It's never easy to say goodbye. If that's what happens between the Twins and Cuddyer, part of me will be sad. But there's more at stake here than nostalgia and familiarity and continuity. We're talking about the success of the team in 2012 and beyond.

Extenuating circumstances or not the Twins are working on some kind of a deadline. If you're Minnesota, how long do you wait on Cuddyer?

For the last few days, Michael Cuddyer has been handling a pair of newborns and considering returning to the organization he's played for his entire career. Over the last few days, the baseball world has been aware of the Twins' three-year, $24/$25 million dollar offer.

Now, according to Lindsay Guentzel, Cuddyer is hoping for a bit more.

This is interesting. I'm a big fan of believing in a player's value, and not going to great measures to stretch that value in order to retain them. So, what's the biggest factor here, if this is true? Is the $2 million the break point, or is it the extra year?

Even more pressing: is that $2 million over the life of the contract, or $2 million per season? An extra $2 million over the life of the contract isn't much of a difference. But $6 million is, and that extra year definitely is.

If this is even true...what do you say, Twins fans?

Eventually the Angels and Marlins will get tired of flashing money they may or may not have, and a free agent will sign with someone else. But this is fun: the Marlins may have actually outbid the Angels for Pujols. Maybe.

Josh Willingham

Susan Slusser (via Twitter) believes that, along with the Indians and Rockies, the Twins are one of the more likely landing spots for the slugging right-handed outfielder. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise as we've been talking about this for weeks, not to mention Willingham's market is very similar to Michael Cuddyer's market. Both players figure to make about the same amount of money, Willingham hits both right and left-handed pitchers, while Cuddyer smashes southpaws and can play a couple of different positions. He also has the local love of the Minnesota market.

Glen Perkins

He sent Cuddyer some home made venison jerky. He's doing his part.

Terry Doyle is a 26-year old right-hander who hasn't pitched above double-A. He has good control (2.0 BB/9 in 100 career double-A innings), keeps base runners to a minimum (1.13 WHIP at double-A), but his strikeout rates haven't been as strong (down to 6.6 K/9).

Can Doyle remain on the active roster all season, in order to avoid being returned to the White Sox? My guess is no. His cutter, effective at inducing ground balls, hasn't been good enough to get him to triple-A. He's been compared to Mark Buehrle for pace, but again, MLB-type comparisons are nice but mean little. (Hat tip to Parker Hageman for the twitter links. He's worth a follow, folks.)

In the minor league phase, the Twins selected Marty Popham from the Indians' system. Popham is 24, and was drafted in the 20th round of the 2008 draft. He's actually made two brief stints at triple-A (totalling just 5.2 innings) where he struck out four and walked four. He has recorded less than 20 innings at double-A.

Footnote: the Cardinals are making up for the loss of Albert Pujols by drafting Shooter Hunt in the rule 5. Au revoir, Shooter.

Update, 9:10 am - Multiple reports have Albert Pujols signing with the Angels for ten years and $250 million. Yikes.

As we head into the final day of the Winter Meetings, there's not too much to keep close tabs on. At least, not as Twins fans. Many teams have swung deals and made moves to improve their 2012 team, and while Minnesota has made a couple of smaller moves they haven't felt forced into action. It's a long winter, and not everything needs to be handled at this week's meetings.

Let's get you set up for what is essentially a half day.

Rule 5 Draft

There are three reads I'd advise you to take a look at which will give you pretty much everything you really need to know about today's draft. First, the same as last night, is Jonathan Mayo's preview. After that, head on over to SB Nation's Pirates site Bucs Dugout for an even more in-depth look at who's available. Finally, LEN III has info on Cesar Cabral. Who, you ask? Read on. We'll have something later today on who the Twins select.

Jason Kubel & Michael Cuddyer

Both players declined arbitration last night, which isn't much of a surprise. Kubel is a free agent for the first time, won't break anyone's bank, and is a sure shot for at least a two-year deal somewhere. Cuddyer, meanwhile, will sign for three years of at least $8 million per at some juncture. Potentially with the Twins, potentially today.

That's all for now. We'll see you later this morning after the Rule 5 draft.

Today's been an odd day, in that there's been a lot of expectation surrounded by a flurry of activity. Neither of the high-expectation pieces have signed today (yet): Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson are still unsigned. Although in Wilson's case, Mark Buehrle may have set the market for the best of this year's free agent starter crop by signing a four-year, $58 million dollar deal with the money-drunk Marlins. Here's what's happening relative to the Twins.

Michael Cuddyer

Once the Rockies shipped Huston Street and most of his contract to the Padres today, they became attached to Cuddyer for the first time in a while. Initial reports had Colorado focusing on starting pitching with the new payfoll flexibility, but it didn't take long for Cuddy's name to surface.

Minnesota is still the favorite, with their three-year, $24 (or $25) million offer still on the table. Ryan and the Twins continue to wait, and while Cuddyer's decision is delayed due to the birth of his twins, the sooner a choice is made the better. At least, for the team.

Jason Kubel

Kubel has until 11pm central time to accept or decline arbitration. If the Twins actually don't have room for both him and Cuddyer under their payroll, what happens if he accepts and Minnesota still doesn't have their answer from Cuddles? I asked the same question yesterday evening, but with the deadline looming it seems even more pertinent today.

Pitching Market

While Buehrle brought down the big cash today, Erik Bedard caught a one-year deal with the Pirates for $4.5 million. Octavio Dotel is making a decision between the Tigers and Cardinals. Takashi Saito has a number of suitors. There are a lot of very good options available on the bullpen market for the Twins to pick from, and one intelligent move for the rotation solves that problem.

Slowey to the Rockies. Street to the Padres. Those are decent deals for the team in receipt. The right deal is out there, a good deal - the Twins just need to find it.

Other Deals Are On the Table

"Some of them have signed, some of them are still out, some of them have gone by the wayside," Ryan said.

This should come as much of a surprise, as this team has already had interest in a number of players: Buehrle, Capuano, Harang, Zumaya, Guillen. It isn't a shock to know they have offers out there that the media hasn't gotten their hands on. Yet.

Rule 5 Draft

Jonathan Mayo has a nice primer for the Rule 5 that I recommend reading. It doesn't happen often, but every once in a blue moon somebody finds a gem. Will this be a year that Minnesota finds a diamond in the rough?