The number one goal the Twins gave Boof Bonser for the off-season was to lose some weight. Anyone who watched him pitch last year could understand why. He looked chunky on the mound, and his performance reflected it. There weren't too many times when Boof made it past the seventh inning, he was usually out in the fifth or sixth at the latest.
The good news is that Bonser came through, reporting to spring training 29 pounds under last year's playing weight of over 270 pounds.
The importance of this is not just a matter of Bonser's personal fitness. One of the things the Twins really need to have happen this year, if they want to be competitive in the AL Central, is for a couple of the young pitchers to step up and become consistent starters. No one person is going to replace Johan Santana, it's going to take a group effort to replace all those innings and wins. But if at least two of the Twins young pitchers, a group that includes Bonser, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn can emerge as reliable six to seven inning starters, it will go a long way to stabilizing the rotation, and protecting the bullpen, which figures to be one of the strengths of the team.
But if the starters don't come through, an over-worked bullpen could be full of sore arms by the end of June, and the Twins season would be effectively over.
As you've probably noticed , I left Francisco Liriano off the list. Liriano is coming off of Tommy John surgery, and conventional wisdom is that it takes a pitcher two full years to recover their form. Like it or not, Liriano, for this year, should be viewed as a work in progress. As we saw in his rookie season, the potential is enormous. For this season, though the Twins and their fans need to be patient with Liriano's recovery. The odds are against him coming back and immediately being the ace of the staff.
Keywords: Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Minnesota Twins, Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker
