Bullpen? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Bullpen!

Time to make a change

After two late-inning blown games in New York, it's time to deem the Twins bullpen an official mess. But it's not just those two losses in New York that appropriate a move to help the team, it's the last two season's worth of poor relief pitching that dictate finding a solution -- and fast.

The Twins starting pitching is solidifying as the season moves along. The Big Five are getting quality starts and the offense is generating enough run support to allow the starters to stay in games much longer than, say, three years ago. This should translate into wins. Instead, it's translated into a .500 baseball team that can't beat anyone outside the division.

The solution may be trading an outfielder. Heck, the Twins have plenty of those. The Twins even have a bunch of catching prospects -- certainly some team is suddenly interested in the skills of Jose Morales. Perhaps a prospect pitcher should be called up (ala Johan Santana, who was a reliever early in his career) or (gasp!) trade for a solid reliever.

Or, better yet, it may be time to move Joe Nathan and spend less on the closer position while dispersing money paid him instead to four solid setup men. Billy Beane and Terry Ryan certainly would agree a closer could be found somewhere in the organization. Beane's long-held postulation that pitching one inning is an easier find than a setup or long reliever has been proven time and again by Ryan. Take a look at: (a) LaTroy Hawkins, (b) Eddie Guardardo and (c) Joe Nathan.

Let's trot out Anthony Swarzak, Kevin Mulvey, Brian Duensing or even Phillip Humber for some relief time. It's time for the Twins front office to act like it actually sees what the fans have been seeing for two years now.

Terry Ryan gone just in time

Terry Ryan's sudden resignation may be a good indication of what the Pohlad family is cooking up for support of the 2008 season. Ryan stepping down indicates what will become obvious when the 2007 season officially ends: the Pohlads will stick to their money-pinching ways and force a change in the Twins roster.

Consider again:

1. Torii Hunter is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He will be very, very expensive;
2. Johan Santana is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2008 season. He will command insane free agent numbers and it would be wise for the Twins to give him crazy money this winter to keep him happy;
3. Michael Cuddyer is at the end of a one-year contract he signed just before heading to arbitration, so he'll be a free agent;
4. Justin Morneau is at the end of a one-year contract and is arbitration-eligible this season;
5. Joe Nathan, is wrapping up his two-year contract that the Twins have an option to extend one more year;
6. Carlos Silva, is ending his one-year contract.

There are more decisions to be made as well, but these kinds of contract conundrums would force any front office person to the "consultant" position. It appears as if the Pohlads are setting a team salary limit similar to the almost $72 million they spent this season (19th highest in the Major Leagues). Terry Ryan is no idiot. He can add. Someone has to go. I'm guessing the owners said they are to keep someone important and drop someone important. Terry Ryan just didn't want to be the one holding the pen on that one.

When the moon hits your eye like a big Piazza pie ..

Amore?

Piazza isn't the answer

By Bullpen Catcher (photo from CNN.com)

Rumors of Tommy Lasorda's little pal landing on the Twins' roster this season seem absurd. Twelve-time All-Star Mike Piazza isn't leaving the Oakland A's for the Twin Cities and anyone who thinks his arrival would change anything for the local team needs to stop picking up packages labeled BALCO at the mailbox.

Piazza cleared waivers and can be traded to any team willing to pick up $2.6 million in salary for the rest of the season.

Piazza is my age. He was also a catcher. That being said, he's probably about done with his stellar career. This season, he's appeared in 43 games with the A's, mostly as the cleanup hitting DH. He has three home runs and 22 RBI, but is hitting .297.

Shooter wrote in his column this week that Piazza has a "gentleman's agreement" with A's GM Billy Beane that allows Piazza to veto any trade despite the fact he doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. But the A's look ready to unload for next year -- they are 12.5 back in the lowly AL West and reportedly passed CF Shannon Stewart through waivers today, when he was picked up by the Chicago Cubs. Piazza apparently has no desire to play in the Twin Cities.

My sources said the Twins pursued Piazza after last season, hoping to make him a power right-handed bat in the DH slot. That pursuit went much the way of the Frank Thomas attempt following the 2005 season: nowhere because the team wouldn't pony up money set aside for Rondell White's doctors.

Besides, Piazza is built for the coasts ... hell his wife is a former Playboy Playmate. He doesn't want to be batting in a Twins lineup that can't score runs and can't/won't pay players.

Cirillo gone, Santana unhappy, Twins losing

Recent moves puzzling
Cirillo latest to go; Twins lose ground

By Bullpen Catcher
Utility player/ponderer of retirement Jeff Cirillo was claimed by Arizona and let go with no compensation. It was another in a series of near dumbfounding moves by the Twins:

1) Trade leadoff hitter/second baseman Luis Castillo for two low-level minor leaguers (one a catcher);
2) Made no trade of any significance to upgrade the team at the trade deadline;
3) Made no trade of any significance to get rid of contracts that were expiring and pick up prospects;
4) Letting Jeff Cirillo go at a time when the team talks about veteran leadership and needs hitting.

I'm not sure what's going through the heads of those at 34 Puckett Place, but it sure isn't looking like things are getting better. The Star-Tribune's story about Johan Santana's unhappiness may be a portent of what is going on in the team's clubhouse.

Santana's right. When does the rebuilding end? When do fans decidedly stop accepting being "that plucky lil' team that almost was contracted" and demand Carl Pohlad and Terry Ryan put together a team that lasts longer than one year?

The time for revolt is upon us. Fans heard a song-and-dance from Twins management that is much like the Scarecrow's song from Wizard of Oz: "If I only had a stadium ..." Well Carl, you got the taxpayer's money and construction has begun.

Pay up.

Time for the Twins to ADD to the team and pay the big players (Santana, Nathan, Hunter, Morneau, Cuddyer) and keep Joe Mauer happy. Add one more veteran pitcher to settle the Kids Rotation of next year down and kick ass for a few years.

So tired of celebrating "being in the wildcard race". So tired.

The Trade Deadline Passes

Thoughts on the Trade Deadline
Bullpen Catcher Will Now Take the Podium

By Bullpen Catcher

The 2007 non-waiver trade deadline passed earlier today and Terry Ryan sat on his phone while across town Kevin McHale was making headlines with his.

No Kevin Garnett for the (rest of the) Boston Celtics trade here folks.

Let me get this correct: The Twins, straddling the line between possible contender and a team set to unload for next year, made one deal. One damn deal. Not to get a power hitter. Not to add a bullpen arm. Not to move big money outfielder Torii Hunter nor Spittin' Carlos Silva. Heck, the Twins didn't even dump Lew Ford for a player to be named nor did they gamble by giving up Joe Nathan (thank goodness!) for prospects.

All Mr. Ryan did was hand off the team's most consistent hitter in a team filled with inconsistent hitters. And what in return? Um, some kids named Drew Butera and Dustin Martin. I know I'm not head of scouting for the big league club, but somehow I doubt this is going in the same category as other Ryan trades of the past. Most notably of those was A.J. Pierzynsky being moved so a kid named Mauer could catch -- in return the Twins got away with robbery (Nathan, Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano). Remember when Rusty Kielty was sent to Toronto for Shannon Stewart? Those deals looked like they had reason and purpose.

What's the purpose here? Does this signify the Twins need another catcher because perhaps Mauer is moving positions soon? Is Morneau headed for an offseason trade because T.R. didn't lock him into a contract before the season? Is Mauer the new first baseman rather than the new third baseman?

Something smells like a conspiracy theory here. Get the Warren Commission together.

Other thoughts...

• Morgan Ensberg was reported to be persued by the Twins by Bullpen Catcher, and while there were discussions, San Diego won out on picking up the worry-free contract (zero dollars) for the rest of the season.
• The New York Mets sealed the National League East title with the Castillo trade. Castillo is a phenomenal fielder -- steady and fundamentally sound -- as well as a great leadoff hitter with speed. What did anyone else in the tightly contested East do? Atlanta made a lot of noise picking up Mark Teixeira and Octavio Dotal in separate trades, but being 4.5 back in the division is a lot to make up when the Phillies and the Mets are ahead of you. The Phillies? They may have crapped out on the trade deadline worse than the Twins. They "bolstered" their rotation with Kyle "Loser" Lohse, picked up 2B Tadahito Iguchi and the "where did he disappear to?" Julio Mateo. Ugh. In Philadelphia, the P.A. announcer can now officially begin each game with: "Gentlemen, start your booing."
• The Twins are done. They'll play scrappy as usual for a bit, gain a game or two on the big boys and drop out of sight for the last time in 2007. Torii Hunter's playing to see how high bidding can get between the Yankees and Red Sox and the rest will be wondering who Spendthrift Carl Pohlad will let go in his prime next.
• Ryan should send a thank-you note to the Timberwolves for putting the Garnett trade on the front page of the paper and top of the broadcast tonight. Instead, it would have been non-stop: "What the hell is going on with the Twins?" coverage.