Time for Twins to show fans they're serious

The Twins head into the final few games before the All-Star Game break with the sixth best record in the American League. Granted, they lead the Tigers by one game, but teetering on the verge of being ousted from consideration of a Wild-Care berth if Detroit overtakes them is unsettling.

Twins management have built a darn good team for the inaugural season of Target Field.   And inordinate amount injuries to key players Joe Nathan, J.J. Hardy, Pat Neshek, Jose Mijares, Nick Punto, Alexi Casilla, and Orlando Hudson haven't helped.

No matter. It's time for the team to step up and show that challenging for a World Series berth is the goal rather than another showdown for the title in the weakest division of both leagues, the AL Central.

With Michael Cuddyer filling in well enough at third base, the Twins lineup seems strong as ever (especially since they are apparently following the Bullpen Catcher's assertion they should get Jim Thome's bat in the lineup more often). It's the pitching that's causing the trouble right now.

It's time for the Twins to pop off a good, strong, message-sending trade to players, fans and the league. Sources claim the Twins had a deal in place with Seattle to pick up Mariners ace Cliff Lee for a package of catcher Wilson Ramos, left-handed pitcher Brian Duensing and a low-level minor leaguer. The deal was delayed or nixed due to Ramos landing on the disabled list (players on the DL cannot be traded).

I'm going to guess the Twins will try again on that trade. Ramos is again trade-eligible (he's played the past two days for the Rochester Red Wings). According to former Twins Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola, Minnesota is best to do this sooner rather than later for the simple reason that the six other teams interested in Lee may up the ante quickly the longer negotiations go on (teams interested: Rangers, Cincy Reds, LA Dodgers, NY Mets, NY Yankees and his former team, the Philadephia Phillies).

Also available: Houston Astros starter Roy Oswalt and Arizona Diamondbacks starter Dan Haren. The Twins have the prospects and a few guys on the MLB team right now that would make a nice package to any team in trade.

Here are the numbers:
Cliff Lee (7-3, 2.45 ERA, 95.2 IP, 78 SO, 5 BB)
Roy Oswalt (5-10, 3.55 ERA, 104 IP, 97 SO, 29 BB)
Dan Haren (7-6, 4.56 ERA, 116.1 IP, 115 SO, 22 BB)

Lee would be most team's top pick given he's the lone left-hander in this list. Lee turns 32 in August. He signed a $9 million one-year contract for just this season.

Oswalt, 33 in August, is at the tail end of a massive five-year contract which pays him $15 million this year and around $14 million in 2011.

Haren, 30 in September, is making $8.25 million this year -- the second year of a four-year, $44.75 million contract. He will make similar money in 2011 and 2012 and then his contract has a $15.5 million club option for 2013.

While helpful, it's unlikely the Twins would pick up a closer and are more likely to make a minor deal for a middle reliever or setup man to strengthen the top bullpen in the American League.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest/implore the Twins to re-sign whomever they trade for and keep them for longer than the "rent-a-player" duration.

If nothing else, the Twins can appease 2001 MLB entry draft naysayers and pick up this guy. [That was indeed sarcasm, FYI]

Cliff Lee photo by Charlie Neibergall/The Associated Press; Wilson Ramos photo from MinnPost.com

Twins take 3 of 4 from Red Sox

Twins playing as well as they look
in those cool sleeveless jerseys
By Bullpen Catcher

Monday's win over the defending World Champions gave the Twins the series and legitimatizes their chances to challenge for a playoff berth this season. Livan Hernandez improved to an unbelievable 6-1 overall while several other Twins are showing similar look again stats. Joe Mauer is supposed to hit .333. Justin Morneau is supposed to hit around .282 and be on pace for 122 RBI (which is his current rate). Joe Nathan is supposed to be impressive and dominating (as he's been all season). But what the heck is with Adam Everett popping off a home run? How about Craig Monroe hitting .284 with four home runs? I'm not sure anyone thought someone named Tolbert would be hitting .274 or that Nick Blackburn would be so darn good already.

Spaz Neshek's injury will test the bullpen, but Jesse Crain seems to be recovering better from his arm problems of last year. Maybe Glen Perkins will stick around long enough to provide a solid left-handed starting slot for the Twins.

Either way, this team is overachieving and chugging along. I've said it all season, but if the Twins can just hang around .500 they've got a chance to get into the Wild Card standings leaders at the end of the season. With the Central so darn mediocre, who knows?

A final surprise: The Twins are currently playing better than the Yankees, Blue Jays, Indians, Tigers, Mariners, Phillies, Mets, Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Rockies and Padres. [I won't mention that the Tampa Bay Rays have a better record than the Minnesotans, though.]

Twins lose opener in Chicago

Pat Neshek was throwing the pitches too flat in the Twins loss at the White Sox Monday and my prior comments about him looking more seasoned and strong this year are on the back burner.

Nick Blackburn was again serviceable as a starter, going five innings, but he still allowed seven hits, two walks and two earned runs. It's not a surprise by any means that the young Twins pitchers are praised when they get into the sixth inning, but the relief crew is going to become overworked at this rate.

News from Rochester tonight wasn't great, either. It was also expected news to those of us in the Bullpen: Francisco Liriano had a rough outing. I've predicted Liriano won't be with the Twins for several weeks because pitchers just don't come back from major arm tendon surgery quickly. He needs to build arm strength and endurance. It doesn't even matter the quality of his outings so long as he throws 80 pitches in game situations.

So no miracles in Class AAA, but it's good news everyday the kid isn't back on the DL. If he can possibly recover enough to make the Twins again, it'll be as a middle reliever first. Of course, true to my optimistic demeanor, I don't think Liriano will be a true big league pitcher until 2009 and I'm not that sure about it then.

Shut Out Again

Twins futility at the plate painful
Minnesota leads American League in being shut out

By The Bullpen Catcher
You can't ask much more of your fifth starter than what Scott Baker gave the Twins Tuesday night in Toronto. Let's be clear about it, Baker isn't exactly Jim Kaat in his prime, but he has worked himself into a doable fifth man in a wobbly rotation.

Baker was OK for a little over six innings, allowing just four runs in seven innings of work. He held a solid Blue Jay lineup at bay (three runs) until he would have normally given way to the bullpen. But, alas, the Twins bullpen is a geldingpen these days.

It's enough to have Paul Simon singing: "Where have you gone Ed-die Guar-dado? Everyday Eddie's arm is blown away. Hey, Hey Hey ..."

The bullpen is left to Matt G-R-R-R and Spaz Neshek. Guerrier is the typical journeyman long reliever and Spaz looks like he has a tired arm finally (wonder how that could happen with such good mechanics?). Last year, The Big Fat Dennys Reyes, Steriods Rincon and Billy Goat Crain would have stopped those Canadian bats and held Baker's ERA a little lower than his 5.30 showing. I'm not Baker's biggest fan by any means, but six hits, one walk and five strikeouts against the likes of Kelly Gruber Jr. (Troy Glaus), Lawrence Taylor (Big Hurt), Boomer Wells, and Grand Rios should make Ron Gardenhire happy.

The biggest problem wasn't the geldingpen. It sure wasn't Torii Hunter's idiot baserunning. It wasn't Baker.

It's the problem that should have Terry Ryan now in trade-for-the-future mode. The time to trade back into any race is over for 2007. Why? The offense.

The Twins offense has been as anemic and tempermental as a high school girl the week of prom.

Where are the runs? Justin Morneau can only hit so many homeruns to get this team to within four of the other team. Joe Mauer is the best bases-empty, down by five hitter in baseball and Torii defines sporatic at the plate. The Twins lead the American League by being shutout nine times this season. Time to get some middle relievers for next year and maybe someone to hit in that lineup for Gardy's boys.