MINNESOTA TWINS

Starting Lineup
RF Denard Span: impressive rookie season with a .387 OBP and 18 SB's
2B Alexi Casilla: improved greatly in his second ML season with a .281 BA, 7 HR, and 50 RBI
DH Jason Kubel: crushed RHP's in 2008, hitting .283 with 17 HR's and 61 RBI's in 364 AB's against them UPDATE 3/21 - it sounds like Gardenhire will go with Kubel in the #3 hole while Mauer is out
1B Justin Morneau: while his 23 HR's were a decrease from '06 (34 HR) and '07 (31 HR), he still hit .300 with 129 RBI's and set a career high with 47 doubles
3B Joe Crede: hit .252 with 16 HR's and 49 RBI's in the first half of the season as he was named to his first all-star team but he only batted 39 times the rest of the way because of a back injury
LF Delmon Young: former #1 prospect in all of baseball has been rumored to be on the trading block after just one season in Minnesota
SS Nick Punto: re-signed to a two-year deal after hitting .284 with 15 SB's while playing mostly SS and 2B
C Mike Redmond: career .292 hitter plays an important role on this team because of the injury history of Mauer UPDATE 4/7 - injured groin, will be re-evaluated today
CF Carlos Gomez: exciting young player needs to work on his plate discipline (142 K's, .296 OBP) but his future is bright after stealing 33 bases in his first full ML season

Bench
C Jose Morales: UPDATE 3/9 - could make the opening day roster if Mauer starts the season on the DL; hit .312 over the past two seasons in AAA Rochester UPDATE 3/20 - looks like he'll be the backup to Redmond on opening day unless the Twins make another move before spring training is over UPDATE 3/21 - will have to beat out Butera for the backup job to start the season UPDATE 3/31 - officially named the team's #2 catcher
IF Brian Buscher: hit .316 with 4 HR's in 174 AB's vs RHP's
3B Brendan Harris: hit .265 vs LHP's and .265 vs RHP's but 6 of his 7 HR's came against RHP's; expected to split time with Buscher unless the Twins acquire a 3B before spring training UPDATE 2/21: the Twins signed Joe Crede UPDATE 3/21 - defensive limitations at 2B could cause him to lose his job to Tolbert
OF Michael Cuddyer: Manager Ron Gardenhire has stated that the 29 year-old will not move back to 3B, which leaves him competing in a crowded OF coming off of a mediocre season (.249 BA, 3 HR in 249 AB's)

Starting Rotation
LHP Francisco Liriano: came back strong in 2008, winning 6 of 7 decisions and posting a 2.74 ERA after being called up from the minors in August
RHP Nick Blackburn: solid rookie season as he went 11-11 with a 4.03 ERA in 193.1 IP
RHP Kevin Slowey: 24 year-old walked only 24 batters in 160.1 IP while winning 12 games with a 3.99 ERA
LHP Glen Perkins: 25 year-old had the highest ERA of the group (4.41 ERA) but the best record (12-4)
RHP R.A. Dickey: knuckleballer went 5-8 with a 5.21 ERA for the Mariners in 2008 UPDATE 3/21 - in the mix for the long-relief job UPDATE 4/2 - likely to join the rotation with Scott Baker starting the season on the DL UPDATE 4/2 - named to the starting rotation

Bullpen
RHP Joe Nathan: averaging 40 saves per season and a 1.83 ERA in five season with the Twins; it doesn't get much better than that
RHP Jesse Crain: 27 year-old had a solid season in '08, posting a 3.59 ERA in 66 relief appearances
LHP Craig Breslow: was outstanding after being claimed off waivers early in the year, posting a 1.63 ERA in 42 relief appearances for the Twins
RHP Matt Guerrier: struggled with a 5.19 ERA in 76 games in 2008 just one year after posting an impressive 2.35 ERA in 73 relief appearances
RHP Luis Ayala: struggled badly in 2008 with a 5.81 ERA with the Nats and Mets but had posted a 2.82 ERA in his previous four seasons with the Expos/Nationals
LHP Brian Duensing: UPDATE 3/20 - making a case for a roster spot with just 1 ER allowed in 8 IP this spring UPDATE 3/31 - chances look good after Mijares was optioned to AAA
RHP Phillip Humber: 26 year-old has the inside track on a bullpen job as he is out of options and the Twins would risk losing him on waivers if he doesn't make the opening day roster UPDATE 2/25 - chances to make the roster just improved with the news that Bonser will likely miss the season

Disabled List
RHP Boof Bonser: after losing his spot in the starting rotation and struggling badly early in the season, he settled down and posted a 4.66 ERA out of the 'pen in 24 second half relief appearances; UPDATE 2/25 - likely out for the season with a torn right labrum and rotator cuff
RHP Pat Neshek: out for the season after Tommy John surgery in November
C Joe Mauer: no catcher had ever won the AL batting title and the 25 year-old has already done it twice UPDATE 3/9 - questionable for opening day because of lower back trouble UPDATE 3/20 - says he's unlikely to be ready by opening day; no timetable for his return
RHP Scott Baker: the Twins had a few young pitchers step up in 2008 and Baker was the best of the bunch with an 11-4 record and 3.45 ERA in 28 starts UPDATE 4/2 - will start the season on the DL with shoulder stiffness

Reassigned to Minor League Camp
LHP Mike Gosling: 28 year-old spent 2008 in AAA Syracuse, posting a 3.67 ERA in 58 games
RHP Kevin Mulvey: team's #8 prospect, according to BA, could battle for a rotation spot if the Twins decide to trade one of their current starters or if an injury occurs
LHP Sean Henn: former Yankee prospect has a 7.56 ERA in 66.2 IP in the big leagues UPDATE 3/27 - reassigned to minor league camp
RHP Jason Jones: one of the many Yankees farmhands taken out of the Rule V draft, the 26 year-old was 13-7 with a 3.33 ERA for AA Trenton in 2008 UPDATE 3/18 - rule V pick has done nothing to hurt his chances of making the team this spring (9IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) UPDATE 3/28 - placed on waivers, cleared, and had his rights officially acquired when the Twins sent another a Class A pitcher to the Yankees; he was assigned to AAA-Rochester

Optioned to AAA
C Drew Butera: UPDATE 3/21 - likelier option than Morales because he is better defensively UPDATE 3/31 - optioned to AAA after losing out to Morales for the backup catcher job
LHP Jose Mijares: allowed just 1 ER and 3 hits in 10.1 IP after a September call up; expected to be top setup man in 2009 UPDATE 3/7 - struggling early in camp UPDATE 3/20 - the Twins are looking at other lefty options with Mijares struggling badly this spring UPDATE 3/31 - optioned to AAA after a disappointing spring
IF Matt Tolbert: had a nice debut with the Twins in '08, hitting .283 with 7 SB's in 113 AB's UPDATE 3/2 - likely to start another season in the minors UPDATE 4/3 - optioned to AAA