Twins 2013: Once More Into The Cellar

Gulf Coast League Twins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After two years of nearly triple-digit losses, is there anything the Minnesota Twins can do in the 2013 Major League Baseball season that might cause their fans to cancel their vacations and their Netflix subscriptions to come and spend their hard-earned money at Target Field?

The short answer is no.  General Manager Terry Ryan is in the midst of a makeover with this team, with the aim of making them more competitive by 2015.  Until then, he has to deal with an untried pitching staff, the questionable futures of two of his biggest stars, and how long he can stick with a manager who's gone stale.

Want more than that?  OK. 

With the Twins declining once again to participate in the off-season free agent market, the reputation of the Pohlad family for being cheapskates continues into a second generation.  Denard Span and Ben Revere were traded to the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies (in that order) for pitching prospects, none of whom will be ready for years--if ever.  The best (if most erratic) pitcher they're had in the last few years, Francisco Liriano, now toils for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The pitching now?  Let's just say it's a work in progress.  Vance Worley, Cole DeVries, Mike Pelfrey and Kevin Correia will try their best to keep the Twins (and themselves) in the game for as long as possible.  If not, there's always the Rochester Red Wings.

Hitting won't be a problem as long as Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham keep producing.  But their futures here might depend on whether the Twins can make a deal with a contending team for more pitching help later this season.  As for Joe Mauer, will he be a better player now that he's a married man, and will soon be the father of (what else) twins?  Or will his legs give out as the years of crouching down behind the plate with all that catcher's equipment on takes its toll?

The big rookie sensation is centerfielder Aaron Hicks, so the Twins must have felt comfortable in unloading Span and Revere, who used to play that position.  Is Hicks worth it?

Ryan must be the most loyal person in the world to have kept manager Ron Gardenhire on for so long, even after two dreadful seasons.  That will be tested this season if the overhaul in coaches doesn't translate into an improvement on the field.

The Twins will once again bring up the rear in the American League Central division.  There is one silver lining, though.  Thanks to the Houston Astros, who are switching from the National League to the American League West, the Twins won't be the worst team in their own league.

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Our division and wild card picks, for what it's worth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

EAST  Tampa Bay Rays
CENTRAL  Detroit Tigers
WEST  Los Angeles Angels
WILD CARD  Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST Washington Nationals
CENTRAL  Cincinnati Reds
WEST  San Francisco Giants
WILD CARD  Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates