2008: Hope For The Future?

Well, not a lot of exciting things going on right now in Twins land. The possible trade of Johan Santana is currently on hold, though there are plenty of rumours going around. Let's assume, though, for the fun of it, that Santana is traded, and that the trade brings the Twins at least a starting outfielder and a top pitching prospect. Then, let's also assume the Joe Nathan is traded, these days the worth of a first-rate closer is probably even more than that of a decent starter. The question then arises, where does that leave the Twins? Definitely in a re-building mode, but will the re-building process more closely resemble the mid-eighties, when the Twins put together the  team that eventually won two World Series, or will it be more like the mid-to-late nineties, so eloquently described  by Batgirl as the "years of the great sucking?"

If the Twins management is even half-way competent, 2008 should more closely resemble 1985 than 1995. Like the early eighties teams, the Twins have some talent, Mauer, Morneau,  Cuddyer and a talented if young pitching staff to build around. If management blows it, we'll be in for another round of young "sluggers' with massive holes in their swings, (anyone remember David McCarty and Scott Stahoviak?), and a succession of pitchers who all fail miserably in their promise.

Since the off-season is a time for optimism and hope, I'm currently leaning towards the former. The current nucleus of young talent combined with aquisitions from trades of Santana and Nathan, should give the Twins a healthy chance to rebound and be serious contenders again in a couple of years.  Record-wise, 2008 may  not be that good, Cleveland and Detroit are both going to be hard to beat, Detroit in particular has put together what looks like an all-star offensive line-up. But unless managemant completely blows it, or everyone goes down with career ending injuries, Twins fans should be in the position of the fans of the eighties, when you could see the future in players like Hrbek, Gaetti, Puckett and Viola, instead of the fans of the nineties, who often wondered if the team had any future at all.