The Apocalypse Doesn't Include Drew Butera

Some very knowledgeable Minnesota Twins fans spent 7 hours on Twitter yesterday debating the merits of Wilson Ramos and Drew Butera for the backup catching duties to start this season. This topic deserved seven hours of back and forth typing on the computer? While that fact alone may be a sign of the Apocalypse, Drew Butera being named the Twins backup catcher is not. Remember he isn't going to be the backup the entire season. Switch hitting Jose Morales will be back. Don't worry. It may take 8 weeks for Morales to heal, but he will return, I promise. Drew Butera may get 10 at bats in a week if he's lucky. This may go down as 10 weekly at bats his .214/.296/.317 career minor league line says he doesn't deserve, but it's not the end of the world. You won't get any argument from me, he probably doesn't deserve those 10 at bats, but you also won't get any argument from me if Wilson Ramos had made the team either. Ramos is a superb defensive catcher and can hit around .290, but he's only 21 years old. In addition, he has played only 65 games above single A. Some refining and gaining experience are most likely in order. In a perfect world the Twins would like Drew Butera to at least hit his weight, which is 205. If he doesn't then what? More back and forth typing on this rather dull topic? I'll pass. Don't forget, many clubs have their own Drew Buteras. We should be lucky our Drew Butera is only staying temporarily.

Twins' Mount Rushmore Has an Addition: Joe Mauer

As expected Joe Mauer has signed for the Minnesota Twins. He will be paid $23 million a year for the next 8 years. His $184 contract is the 4th largest in baseball history. While everyone is pleased that Mauer is now under contract the deal will eventually be questioned if the Twins don't surround him with an adequate supporting cast. The hope is that his contract doesn't keep the team from pursuing top shelf players. Only time will tell on that one. Short of 1987 and 1991 has there ever been a better time to be a Minnesota Twins fan? Fans have a new stadium, the team has finally gone out and signed players to fill spots who are not leftovers from the free agency market and Joe Mauer is under contract until he is 35. The only rain cloud is Joe Nathan's injury and that is a sizeable rain cloud, but let's not dwell on the negative. By signing with the Twins, Mauer has put himself forever in the top tier of Minnesota sports legends. You now have Killebrew, Puckett and Mauer occupying a very small space atop the Minnesota sports mountain. It's difficult to name any sports individual who has played in this town that would bump any of those three down a notch. Fran Tarkenton, Kent Hrbek, Alan Page, Kevin Garnett, Neal Broten and even George Miken can't do it. The Minnesota Twins have their own Mount Rushmore and Joe Mauer is the newest addition.

This Pain is Good for Twins Fans

This morning Joe Nathan played catch with pitching coach Rick Anderson. The session was short lived as Nathan felt pain in his elbow. It was determined he will have Tommy John surgery and his baseball career for the next 12-18 months is now in flux. In an odd way his feeling pain this morning is a good thing. Imagine if he had felt nothing as he threw and then went back into a somewhat regular pitching routine. He would have done more damage and likely prolonged his recovery time. Now the team has a concrete plan and timetable in place to treat the injury. Next for them is solving who will close this year and next year. I'm against the Twins trading prospects Wilson Ramos or Ben Revere for San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell. Bell has had only one year as closer. His 42 saves last season showed he may be made for the job, but I don't like that weight has been an on going issue for him. I feel the Twins should go in-house for their closer solution. I'm not opposed to having a young arm eventually get the job this year or most likely next year. Arms such as Anthony Slama, Rob Delaney or Alex Burnett should be the focus of any future closer talk for the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins' Catch 22%

I hope fifth grade math doesn't trip up the Minnesota Twins. If their payroll is near $100 million and they pay Joe Mauer roughly $22 million that's 22% of the team's salary going to one player. It's not difficult math, but a little mind numbing at the same time. The Twins are stuck in the proverbial Catch-22. Not signing Mauer destroys their image in the minds of fans and players around the league, trading him would get nowhere near equal value in return and signing him financially hamstrings the team possibly for 10 years, but they must sign him. Baseball is a business, but a business where emotions still play a part in decision making. Minnesota sports fans are born with fragile emotions. Losing Mauer to the Yankees would be the baseball equivalent of an atomic bomb directed at the fanbase. If he wants 10 years then Twins have to sign him for 10 years. No one is excited to pay a catcher $20+ million when he's 34 years old, but the hand the Twins have been dealt is drafting and developing one of the best catchers ever. Is 22% of a payroll too much to pay just one player out of 25? Yes, but after losing Torii Hunter and Johan Santana the Minnesota Twins have no choice.

Mike Maroth's Final Call

Like many baseball careers Mike Maroth is not in control of when the end comes. It usually arrives like the suddenness of a 2:00 AM phone call. Maroth is a a left handed starting pitcher the Minnesota Twins have invited to spring training with a history of arm and knee injuries. He wants to avoid that final call that ends a career, but when you are a 33 year old finesse pitcher with a career ERA of 5.05 and a record of 50-67 the end is knocking. A coaching position at the lower levels of the sport beckons. Maroth's only notable resume item doesn't help matters, which is being the last pitcher to lose 20 games (21 games exactly) as he did on the 2003 Detroit Tigers. There's no doubt Mike Maroth came to Twins came looking to impress and hope his softly tossed arsenal of pitches could land him the final spot in the bullpen. Praying his left arm could last a few weeks longer and act as if it is ten years younger than it is was his goal. The body seldom cooperates in such matters and the brain soon follows which leads us to the 6th inning of the first spring training game against the Boston Red Sox. The Twins are leading 1-0 in what is a meaning less game for most players in uniform. For Mike Maroth this game is anything but meaningless, his career and future rest on the first impression he gives the Twins' coaching staff during this brief one inning of work. That first impression may also be the last impression he makes. Maroth yielded in succession a double, a walk then an RBI single to tie the game. A double play bailed him out of further damage. Double plays save innings, but not careers. Mike Maroth may end up pitching for the Twins AAA Rochester Red Wings, but his final pitch is nearly here. Spring training is suppose to be a time for optimism, but for aging pitchers like Mike Maroth it's a reality check they'd rather not face.

The Mysterious Fifth Outfielder

As a fan when the largest debate on your favorite baseball team is who will be the fifth outfielder good things are in store for you. That is where the Minnesota Twins are. Fans are concerned, writers have something to write about, but really it's not as large a problem as many make it seem. Yesterday Ron Gardenhire announced Michael Cuddyer would be the primary backup when Span needs a rest. The Twitter boards lit up saying he's bad enough in right field why give him more ground to cover? I was even involved in a short debate with people who felt Delmon Young was a better outfielder than Cuddyer. You can throw all the numbers at me that support that argument and I will never believe it. Delmon Young is an outfielder who is diametrically opposed to anything that resembles a straight line, especially when that straight line is towards a fly ball. Cuddyer is the better outfielder and it's not close. Alexi Casilla in yesterday's game already alligator armed a fly ball by the warning track so his future will most likely remain in the infield. Matt Tolbert was once a centerfielder so there remains hope he can play that position competently. As John Madden would say Nick Punto is Nick Punto. He can do no wrong, especially with a glove so Gardy will not hesitate to put him out there if need be. Jacque Jones was the early frontrunner for the backup backup outfielder, but his inability with the lumber the last two years hurts him, but he does have the former Twin badge which will take him to at least the last cut in spring training. So what do we have?

Alexi Casilla: Out of the running and maybe not on the Twins opening day roster.

Delmon Young: Unable to patrol left field, never considered.

Michael Cuddyer: Playing centerfield won't create the defensive quadmire many believe.

Matt Tolbert: Dark horse, hustles in Punto-like fashion and knows his ability to play any position will keep him the majors. He may win by a nose from the outside.

Nick Punto: I think his task will be mainly infield related this season. Punto is like Gardy's blanky, he needs him close by. Outfield is too far away.

Jacque Jones: Twins nice in play here, if he hits and shows some range he can win the spot. Past two years show this may be unlikely.

The Winner: Just like Tic Tac Toe there is no winner here, but that fifth outfield spot will be Cuddyer's and Tolbert's. They are more than capable of handling this opportunity and hopefully will not wake up the echoes of Rich Becker patrolling centerfield.