MLB Team by Team: 2008 Minnesota Twins

It's not often that a team can lose players the caliber of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, can play in a small market, could possibly lose their All-Star closer midway through this year, and even have daydreams of finishing anywhere near .500. But most teams aren't the Minnesota Twins, where they face these questions just about every year.

The future is bright, with a new downtown ballpark in the works, which looks to be an absolute beaut. Starters like Scott Baker and Boof Bonser will have another year's experience under their belt and could be poised to bust out, and there's still an MVP candidate at first base. How well will the never-say-die Twins bounce back from the latest cuts and jabs?

OFFENSE: C-

Justin Morneau hit 31 homers and drove in 111 runs last season, and did it about as quietly as you could possibly imagine. Catcher Joe Mauer had a disappointing season for him, hitting .293, still a number most guys would kill for. And, yes, they're still in the lineup. However, there are a lot of questions around the field. Will Delmon Young continue to improve (playing in all 162 games last year, he hit .288 with 13 homers for Tampa Bay last year)? Is Carlos Gomez going to be a bust, especially compared to what they lost for him (he was one of the chips in the Santana trade, and takes over for Hunter in center field)? Can they goose a little more production out of Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer? All important questions, and the answers may tell in the standings come year's end.

PROJECTED LINEUP: 1 Gomez CF 2 Mauer C 3 Morneau 1B 4 Young LF 5 Cuddyer RF 6 Kubel DH 7 Lamb 3B 8 Harris 2B 9 Everett SS

STARTING PITCHING: C

The questions of potential and production continue into the starting rotation. Both Baker (9-9, 4.26 ERA) and Bonser (8-12, 5.10) showed flashes of what could be. The Twins went out and got a veteran to help anchor the rotation in Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4.93), Francisco Liriano returns after a year away due to injury, and if he regains his 2006 form (13-5, 2.74), there's no telling where he'll end up after this year. And Kevin Slowey did well in limited action last year also (4-1, 4.73 in 66.2 innings). While a lot depends on improvement, it's still not a bad sight to see any of these guys on the hill in Twins red and blue.

BULLPEN: D

However, once they leave the game, it could get verrry interesting. Closer Joe Nathan has been the rock of the 'pen for the last four years (37 saves in 41 chances last year, 161 of 179 career), but, with no contract extension in place going into the season, he could be dangling on the trade hook come mid-season. There's solid arms at lefty specialist in Dennys Reyes, and at middle relief in Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier. The big problem may be that bridge from the eighth to the ninth innings, since the possible set up men (Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain) spent much of last season doing good impressions of Christmas trees. With a relative lack of offense, there will be a lot of close games, and manager Ron Gardenhire may end up completely bald because of them due to this 'pen, especially if/when Nathan departs.

CONCLUSION

The Twins have always been that team on the cusp. In the mid to late nineties, on into the early part of this decade, they came back from the cellar of the West/Central Division to be in the running every year. Over the past couple of seasons, they've been on the outside looking in by the skin of their teeth. This season, they look to be the dividing line between the big guys (the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians) and the hungry guys (the Chicago White Sox and the improved Kansas City Royals). Rock, meet hard place, and welcome to the Twin Cities.

PREDICTION: 79-83, third in American League Central