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| Cuddyer cuddle: Michael Cuddyer and his newborn daughters on Tuesday. Twins for a Twin? |
Waiting for an answer from Michael Cuddyer. Waiting for today's Rule V draft.
There were a couple of things that did happen. The Matt Capps signing became official. Cuddyer and Jason Kubel declined arbitration, which keeps them free to sign elsewhere but also ensures that if either (or both) do, the Twins will get compensatory draft picks.
My expectation is that Cuddyer will re-sign with the Twins. He may be a bit preoccupied with his new daughters, and his agent may be trying to stir up some interest elsewhere, but I doubt there is a team as interested in him as Minnesota.
Which raises the question: Should the Twins be that interested in him?
Nobody knows Cuddyer as well as the Twins. He's got his flaws as a player, and he has his strengths -- and those strengths are almost exactly a match for what the Twins need. If he leaves, they will have almost no right-handed power, and they'll be shy an experienced alternative at first base if Justin Morneau has to become a DH.
That the Twins are hot to retain Cuddy not only speaks to the high regard in which they hold him, but to the belief that 2011 was a fluke season, that they have a genuine chance to win in 2012. If Terry Ryan were committed to rebuilding, he should have more interest in the draft choices than in a non-star who'll be 33 before Opening Day.
Has Ryan explicitly addressed the question of rebuilding or contending for next year? I can't believe they seriously consider themselves contenders. Too many question marks about the health of the three main offensive weapons: Mauer, Morneau, and Span.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Nixon AG John Mitchell, watch what we do, not what we say. Ryan is doing things that suggest he sees this team as a contender. And I suggest that he should. They have a lot invested in Mauer and Morneau, and if they are indeed healthy, they wouldn't want to waste the opportunity.
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