Jacque Jones is back

Yes, he is. The Twins signed their former mainstay to a minor league deal Tuesday, and also lost Jason Pridie, who had figured to compete for a spot on the 25-man roster, on waivers to the New York Mets.

See the Twins announcement here.

I continue to doubt that the Twins want to go without a legitimate reserve outfielder. There is a genuine function there beyond spelling Denard Span, and I don't see Ron Gardenhire being comfortable using Nick Punto to sub for Delmon Young or Jason Kubel in the late innings.

That said, if I'm Matt Tolbert, I'm bringing an outfielder's glove to Fort Myers. 

Whether Jones is a viable option is unknown. He's played very little the past two seasons — little and poorly, at least in the majors. I believe he was playing in an independent league last summer, and he was at the winter meetings in December looking for a team. He turns 35 in April.

But the Jones of 2007 was a legitimate center fielder defensively. If he can still move, and if he can hit righties, there may be a job for him.

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The other item in the press release — the invite to major league camp for Toby Gardenhire — is nothing. With Jose Morales' surgery, the Twins simply needed another catcher in camp to catch the pitchers in their throwing sessions. Don't read nepotistic implications into it.

Notes, quotes and comments

One reason the Mark Rosen notion — that the Twins and Joe Mauer have the framework of a deal in place awaiting the final details — made sense was the possibility that the two sides were working on a schedule of deferred payments.

That theory was shot down Monday by Jim Pohlad:

We try to stay away from deferred compensation. There's a ton of real-life examples of that kind of thinking. It's either going to be somebody else's problem, or we'll worry about it later. Eventually, you've got to worry about it and then, at that point, it affects your current operation. So it's really not a good thing. In the end you've got to pay the money no matter what. You may as well try to do it when the player is playing for you.

Another indication that the Pohlads are in it for the long haul. Many of the deferred comp cases came from owners who intended to sell the team before they started paying out big bucks to players no longer active.

I think the Pohlads are right to stay away from deferred comp. But it does raise the question: If Rosen's report was accurate, what would be delaying the deal?

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When is a retired number not retired? Usually it's when the player himself returns to uniform. If Rod Carew, for example, had taken the Twins batting coach position a few years ago when it was open, he'd be wearing his retired No. 29.

In the case of the Chicago White Sox, however, it's more open. On Monday the Sox announced that Omar Vizquel would wear No. 11 — officially retired in honor of Luis Aparicio, the Hall of Fame shortstop. (With, I should add, Aparicio's blessing.)

Vizquel has worn No. 13 through his career, but that's Ozzie Guillen's number, and the manager was keeping it.

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The Yankees inked veteran OF Marcus Thames to a contract Monday, adding to a crowded field of candidates for the left field job.

Given the Yankees affection for veterans, the general expectation is that Thames and Randy Winn will platoon in left. Then there's Brett Gardner, who is faster than the other two — and the NUN, New Ulm Native Jamie Hoffmann, the forgotten outfielder on the champs' roster.

It gets increasingly difficult to see how the Yankees can carry that many outfielders.

Meanwhile, I keep looking at the Twins roster and seeing a need for a reserve outfielder who can play defense ... and wondering if there's a fit there for Hoffmann.

Statues of limitations

One of the big things in the modern era of ballparks is statues of heroes of the past.

The new stadium in Minneapolis is to have statues of Kirby Puckett, Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew. (I've not seen what they're supposed to look like, and other aspects of Target Field have gotten more attention, but as of Sept. 8 of last year they were expected to be in place on or around Opening Day.)

PNC Park in Pittsburgh has Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente — and a few days ago the model for a fourth work of bronze, of Bill Mazeroski running out his famous home run in the 1960 World Series, was unveiled (photo above).

Miller Park in Milwaukee has Robin Yount and Hank Aaron — and, it was announced Monday, will this summer add one of Bud Selig. I'm not a big fan of his work as commissioner, but he certainly is a crucial figure in the history of baseball in Milwaukee.

Comerica in Detroit is littered with them — Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Al Kaline, Charlie Gehringer and Willie Horton. (One of these is not like the others.) The White Sox' stadium sports bronze replicas of Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio turning two, among others. Wrigley Field features one of Harry Carey.

Then there's St. Louis, home of perhaps the most famous ballpark statue, that of Stan Musial. Supposedly the Cardinals commissioned a second statue, this one of Mark McGwire, and then the steroid scandal erupted, and the work went into storage.

The Selig news in particular got me thinking about this. Such works used to be fairly common pieces of public art — military or political figures of importance immortalized as civic inspirations. John Johnson outside the Nicollet County Courthouse. Col. William Covill Jr., hero of Gettysburg, on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul.

That practice has fallen out of favor — except at the ballparks.

Eight points about Orlando Hudson

1) He is a switch-hitter who is notably stronger against right-handed pitchers (career OPS as LH hitter .796, as RH hitter .725). As a counterpoise to the Twins left-handed bats (Joe Mauer-Justin Morneau-Jason Kubel-Denard Span), he's lacking.

2) He is slated to hit second for the Twins, but he has actually been a more effective hitter batting third — OPS .793 in 979 plate appearances in the three-hole, .770 in 1,264 PA second.

That is more likely to be the result of environment than batting order. Most of his time hitting third came with Arizona, and the Diamondbacks' home park is a very good place to hit, certainly better than his home park last season.

3) His highest OPS in four American League seasons: .779 (2004, with Toronto). His lowest OPS in four National League seasons: .774 (2009, Los Angeles).

4) He has been the regular second baseman for two playoff teams in the past three seasons, but has a total of four postseason plate appearances — part of a pattern of late-season injuries.

In 2007, when Arizona won the NL West title, Hudson broke his thumb in August. Done after 107 games. In 2008 — not a playoff season — he dislocated his wrist in September. In 2009, with Los Angeles, he got benched late in the season in favor of Ronnie Belliard. There was speculation that his wrist was bothering him last September and October, but he denies it.

5) He is not particularly fast — mobile enough to handle a middle infield job, but not a true burner. Even in his 20s, he never hit double digits in triples and only once stole as many as 10 bases. Last year he was eight of nine stealing — a very good percentage, but not a lot of attempts.

Baseball Info System's baserunning stats make him +8 last season, most of that from the base stealing.

6) His career is following a pattern that appears to be a new standard — the first four (cheap) seasons with his first team (Toronto); the late-arbitration/first free agency seasons with a second team (Arizona); and a nomad phase now that he's in his 30s.

We are seeing few long-term contracts these days for non-superstars ages 30 and up. Blame (or credit) the Bill James influence for this; increasing numbers of front offices now know that the vast majority of players peak at age 27, and that from age 30 on, half of the players wash out of the majors every two years.

7) Hudson was selected in the 43rd round of the 1997 amateur draft, Not many players selected that late make it to the majors, much less enjoy the success Hudson has.

In 2002, when he was regarded as the Blue Jays' top prospect, he lost out on the second base job in spring training to Joey Lawrence, who had been a first-round pick in 1996. Lawrence washed out, and Hudson got the job a bit belatedly.

This might be seen as evidence that first-round picks get more chances than 48th round picks. Or it might be linked to a Hudson quote that spring about then-new Toronto general manager J.P. Riccardi:

“When I first met J.P., I thought, ‘Smooth cat – smooth-lookin’ cat. He looks like he was a pimp back in his day.”

Riccardi, it is safe to say, was not amused.

7) Through all the shifts in context, he has been remarkably consistent in overall value. His high in win shares since 2003 is 21; his low is 15. To put that in context, Alexi Casilla has 14 win shares in his entire career.

8) He is a very pronounced ground ball hitter. Last season, according to Baseball Info Systems, he had 2.17 grounders to every fly ball — the sixth highest such ratio in the majors.

Twins land their infielder

Second baseman Orlando Hudson — four-time Gold Glover, two-time All-Star — agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins late Thursday.

Hudson's 32, and while there is chatter that his play has fallen off since he dislocated his wrist late in the 2008 season, it's difficult to find evidence of that in his stats.

Pondering now the implications for the Twins roster ... Here's a likely default lineup, from which Ron Gardenhire will vary for reasons of injury, slumps, matchups, periodic days off and managerial whim:

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Jason Kubel, DH
6. Michael Cuddyer, RF
7. J.J. Hardy, SS
8. Delmon Young, LF
9. Nick Punto, 3B

I can imagine Hardy and Young being transposed. I figure Punto ranks ahead of Brendan Harris because Punto is the better fielder and baserunner and has the better on-base percentage. Harris' one advantage over Punto is power, and we're not talking Jim Thome here.

That's a pretty solid lineup.

The bench, on the other hand:

• Thome, hitting specialist
• reserve catcher (Jose Morales, Drew Butera or Wilson Ramos)
• reserve outfielder (Jason Pridie has the edge) — to be a defensive sub for Young or Kubel, back up Span, to pinch run for Kubel or Thome. Legs and a glove.
• Harris or Punto, whoever isn't playing third

There's no room there for either Alexi Casilla or Matt Tolbert, and both (I believe) are out of options. It's certainly possible that the Twins could slip either through waivers, although I can think of a couple of teams in the Twins division that might be better off with Tolbert in their lineup than with the infielders they currently have.

I rather suspect that Gardenhire would prefer Tolbert to Harris. But Harris has a new two-year contract. And I have difficulty imagining Gardenhire feeling comfortable with Punto or Tolbert in the outfield in anything other than an emergency or a blowout.

A surplus of utility infielders is not normally regarded as the basis from which to make a trade. But if the Twins can move one of those guys — Punto, Harris, Tolbert or Casilla — for a more reliable fourth outfielder, they should.

The Mauer talks and unnamed sources

Mark Rosen (WCCO) says (citing an source he doesn't name) that there's agreement on the framework of a 10-year contract between Joe Mauer and the Twins.

Peter Gammons tweets: "Mauer contract is far from done, and could be quite some time before it's completed."

Who's right? Neither. Both. Either.

Wake me, boys, when you have sources you can name. Until then, you can be making this up or being fed something by somebody with an axe to grind.

It'll be news when it's done and gossip until then.

Orlando Cabrera and other roster issues

Orlando Cabrera has reportedly reached an agreement with the Cincinnati Reds, pending physical and other formalities.

Ron Gardenhire, even after the Twins traded for J.J. Hardy, talked about wanting to keep Cabrera to play second base. From this distance, it's unclear if Cabrera didn't like that idea or if other people in the Twins organization didn't like that idea. At any rate, Cabrera and his diminishing range will be deployed at short again this year, just not in Minnesota.

All this further drives down the possibility of adding another veteran infielder. Reports out of TwinsFest this weekend downplayed the Joe Crede notion, and I had already written off the notion of a third base acquisition anyway because of the pinch-hitting implications.

Orlando Hudson might still be a possibility, but one must remember — he lost his job in L.A. to Ronnie Belliard last summer.

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When the Jim Thome signing is finalized — he was supposed to have a physical while in town for TwinsFest — somebody will have to come off the 40-man roster. That should happen in the next day or so.

While I still expect Glen Perkins to be traded, it now appears that won't happen until he's demonstrated in exhibition games that his shoulder is sound. And for that matter, one never knows that injuries will pop up among the Twins pitchers. They may still need Perkins.

Alexi Casilla had a good playoff series in the Dominican this winter, and unless the Twins do bring in a veteran infielder, he's in the mix for a lineup spot. He and Matt Tolbert are both out of options, and it's difficult to see both of them making the 25-man roster.

LaVelle Neal suggested that the Twins could carry them both over Jason Pridie, but I believe the only way that's happening if if Gardenhire is comfortable with the notion of playing one of the infielders in center for three or four days if and when Denard Span gets one of those day-to-day nagging injuries that don't merit putting him on the disabled list.

Yeah, Michael Cuddyer played some center last season, but that was in Wrigley Field, the smallest center field area in the majors. In normal parks, Cuddyer in center is an invitation to triples.