Friday

Good Friday morning everyone! Just a quick reminder. Twins Fest is this weekend at the Metrodome. Starting at 5:00, many current, former and future Twins players and coaches will be available for autographs on the Metrodome floor. There will be other displays and clubhouse tours and much more. I will be there Friday night and Saturday. I'm just going to guess that I will be wearing a navy blue Justin Morneau jersey and my red sethspeaks.net baseball cap. If you see me, please feel free to say hi. It would be fun to meet people there.

Today, I will dive into the AL Central Division hitters in Part 2 of my Fantasy Perspective series. If you would like more detail on why I want to do this series as well as some of the thoughts that go into my 2006 Projections, please click here.

If you have any questions or comments about what I write here, or regarding your league, please e-mail me. If you would be fun, feel free to ask questions or comment on anything down below in the Comments section.

The American League Central Division is the division that most SethSpeaks.net readers are most familiar with, so I better do a good just of analysis, right?! I expect planty of Comments from people agreeing, or more likely disagreeing with some of my thoughts and projections. In previous seasons, it was generally believed and accepted that the AL Central was really weak and very few players would be high draft picks. Things have certainly changed as the division boasts three or maybe four teams who could vie for a playoff spot this year. Also, there are many of these guys are really top-notch fantasy players. So, let’s get going on some analysis. If you have any comments, arguments, agreements, questions or anything, please feel free to e-mail me or leave Comments below. When this project is complete, I would really like to put together a Mailbag issue with many of those comments.

It is always funny when I hear or read comments from people who say that Pierzynski is a good catcher. It's even funnier when he gets credit for the White Sox success and championship in 2005. It's sad when there are Twins fans who actually believe that AJ had much to do with the White Sox World Series win. Yes, he hit more homers (18) than he ever had in any season. However, it was at the cost of his batting average, doubles, hits, slugging percentage, OPS and pretty much every other offensive statistic. Did you see that last week, AJ was listed as the #9 most hated athletes by GQ Magazine? For 2006, I do think that his batting average will come back up a little bit. I think he will improve his doubles, but also that his homers will drop.

Konerko was certainly the big free agent on the market this offseason. He decided to take a little less money to stay with the White Sox. He had an excellent post-season, showing plenty of power. He just came up big when it mattered most, posting his best numbers in August, September and October. Last year, he hit 40 homers and drove in 100 runs. His .909 OPS was the best of his career. Konerko has been very consistent. He has performed very well in six of his seven seasons with the Sox. I expect that he will have another very solid campaign in 2006. Not as good as 2005, but he will still play very well.

Iguchi quietly had a very solid first season in the US. In 135 games, he his .278 with a .780 OPS. He had 25 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers and 15 stolen bases. As Ozzie Guillen said, he does a little bit of everything. He also added 11 sacrifice bunts (which of course are hated by SABRmetricians and worthless to fantasy baseball players). I expect that Iguchi will play in more games next year and for his numbers to go up a little bit in each category.

Crede came up huge in the playoffs. Often considered a disappointment throughout his career with the Sox, he was very instrumental in providing both offense and defense. I think that his performance in the playoffs may have made many forget (or be willing to look past) his past performance. The Sox did make a number of inquiries in the offseason about some 3B, but in the end, they will stick with Crede. He is a career .255 hitter, with just a .742 OPS. Last year, he had another unspectacular .757 OPS, but he did have 22 homers. He is still young, just 28 in late April, so he still has a chance. I actually am predicting that he will hit a little better overall in 2006. A .279 batting average for Crede would be very strong. I also think that he will increase his power numbers. He is still far from a top tier fantasy 3B, but he probably won't hurt your roster if you have him as a backup.

There are some guys you've noticed that I just have a feeling are ready to bust out. Uribe is one of those guys. He has now been in the big leagues for four full seasons. Last year, he struggled with the bat, losing points on his batting average and also in the home run department. I think that the respect he garned from the national media in the playoffs should only help his confidence, and hopefully he will relax in 2006. I think that he is capable of a very impressive season. Like others above, I think that Uribe has a chance to really have a strong season, putting him in line with all shortstops not named Jeter or Tejada.

Last year, Podsednik got a lot of credit for being the guy who pushed the White Sox. I hate to believe that as he really did very little offensively. On the year, he hit .290 with a .351 on-base percentage. He also stole 59 bases which is impressive considering he missed 33 games with a hamstring injury and when he came back he was far from at full strength. For 2006, I think that he will be able to stay healthy. His numbers will fall a little bit, but not significantly. I also think that he has a chance to again steal a lot of bases. I think that's a wrong strategy because it could take the bat out of Konerko and Thome's hands a lot, but it will help the whole "small-ball" theory out.

Although they won't say that they are handing an outfield job to Anderson, the writing is on the table. Aaron Rowand was traded. So was top OF prospect Chris Young. Sure, there will be a competition, but it is Anderson's job to lose. I think he'll take it and run with it. The lone negative that I see in Anderson is his tendency to strikeout, a lot. At AAA last year, he struck out approximately every 3.4 times at bat. I think he'll get the majority of the time. I don't expect him to put up overwhelming numbers because most rookies have one or two adjustment periods.

The World Series MVP is another guy who benefited from the post-season attention. It highlighted the end of what was his first decent season in four years. 63 extra base hits. He also played in 145 games for the first time since 2000. So, what do we expect from Dye in 2006? Well, he won't play as many games. He also won't be quite as good. Just the law of averages really.

It is probably fair to say that Thome is the biggest question mark in the league heading into 2006. He was essentially traded away from the Phillies after an injury-filled 2005 season in which Ryan Howard stole the show as the top rookie and a younger, cheaper and arguably better option for the Phillies. But what about Thome? First, he is heading home as he is from Illinois. However, he is 35 years old and coming off of back and wrist injuries, two injuries that can really take it out of a power hitter. However, in 2004, in just 143 games, he hit 42 homers, and the year before he hit 47. If he can stay healthy, he can power this lineup.

If Brian Anderson has any competition in 2006, it could be from Jerry Owens. The 24 year old lefty outfielder was the team's 2nd round pick in 2003 out of The Master's College. Last year at AA Birmingham, he hit .331/.393/.406 with 21 doubles, 6 triples and two homers. He also stole 38 bases and only strikes out about every seventh at bat. He may be a year away, but if Anderson struggles, it is possible that Owens could be summoned to play, or even just platoon.

Three Questions - Can Thome stay healthy and return to his powerful form? Can Crede use hit 2005 postseason success and finally reach his potential for a full season? How will Brian Anderson do with the centerfield job?

The best offensive catcher in baseball. He should be the top catcher taken in almost every fantasy format. He can hit for average, hit for power, drive in runs. He also is in the lineup a lot compared to a lot of catchers. The 27 year old Venezuelan played in 147 games a year ago. In 2005, he hit .305 despite the fact that on May 27th, he was hitting just .192! I expect him to put up even better numbers in 2006.

Broussard just signed a nice one year deal to avoid arbitration. He has a little bit of power, but he won't hit for average. He also doesn't hit much against left-handers. That is why the 36 year old Perez was brought in. The two will platoon to give the team very good 1B play. Perez posted an OPS of .897 last year against lefties, compared to just .701 against righties. Broussard's OPS against righties in 2005 was .792 while it was just .663 against lefties. Used correctly, both could really help out the Indians lineup.

Broussard 136 429 53 113 27 2 16 192 61 41 82 2 1 .263 .328 .448 .775
Perez 79 180 25 44 5 0 7 70 27 22 31 0 0 .244 .327 .389 .716

The OPS's of Belliard in his two seasons in Cleveland have been .774 and .775. Not bad numbers for a second baseman. He has averaged 41 doubles, 15 homers, 75 runs, and 74 RBI. Hitting 6th in this lineup means there are lots of guys on base in front of him. For 2006, I see him coming back down to earth a bit, however, it shouldn't affect his RBI marks.

Boone had a horrendous 2005 campaign, but the Indians were nice and picked up his option for 2006. Last year, he got off to a horrible start and ended the year hitting .243 with a .677 OPS. Of course, he missed the entire 2004 season with his knee injury. I honestly don't expect much improvement from Boone in 2006. If the rumored deal to bring in Andy Marte come to fruition, I would expect Marte to take a lot of playing time in the second half.

After getting much playing time for the Indians in 2003, Peralta spent almost all of 2004 at AAA Buffalo where he was the International League MVP. Last year, he got off to a slow start. One month into the season, he was hitting just .204. If he played for the Twins, he would have been sent to Rochester, I'm sure! But Erik Wedge stuck by his shortstop, and by season's end, he was hitting third in their lineup. He hit .292 with 63 extra base hits and 78 RBI. In 2005, I expect more of the same. The average is up a little, but 75 extra-base hits are excellent. By OPS, I would put Peralta in the same category as both Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada.

When Coco Crisp came up with the Indians, I remember that he would bunt once or twice a game for a base hit. It shocked me when he showed some pop in his bat in 2004. When he backed that up with an even stronger 2005 season, it was apparent that Crisp is the real thing. I think we all know that he will be patrolling CF for the Red Sox by Opening Day, right? It is just a matter of how that happens. I think that Crisp is likely to have another good year. I think his homers will come back down, but I think that his doubles total will jump a bunch. If he is traded, his stolen base totals will fall even more. Jason Michaels has been a backup OF for the Phillies for a few years now. He is a favorite of stat-heads because of his Isolated Discipline which has been over .080 each of his years. If he comes to the Indians (as is rumored), I think he is capable of a solid OPS, primarily because of his on-base percentage.

Why the Indians signed Juan Gonzalez last spring was astonishing to me? Fortunately, he only got into one at bat the whole year which meant that Sizemore had his chance. He took advantage of it. He became the leadoff hitter and hit .289/.348/.484 with 37 doubles, 11 triples, 22 homers, 81 RBI and 22 stolen bases. And he plays great defense (when he can see the fly balls, that is!). Sure, he strikes out every 5.2 plate appearances, not good for a leadoff man, but not an issue with these other numbers. I think he will cut down on those some, and I think he will take a major step forward and become one of the league's best CF. Power, speed, average. The perfect CF?

Former Twin had a rough 2005 season, at least when talking about batting average. On June 8th, he was hitting .187, so for him to wind up at .241 wasn't so bad. He maintained most of his rates on doubles and homers, only falling a few lower than the previous year. So, I think that he is very capable of a good 2006 season, complete with plenty of extra base hits to go with all those strikeouts! Not bad for a nine hitter!

The North Dakota native hit .305 with 42 doubles, 33 homers and 105 RBI. Imagine if he wouldn't have missed 15 straight games in late July after being hit in the head with a pitch! He occasionally gets a day off against left-handers. Well, last year, his OPS against lefties was a strong .878, not bad. However, his OPS against righties was 1.062! I expect that 2006 will be another very strong year for Hafner. His OPS may fall, but from just over 1.000, to just under 1.000. He is a very good hitter all around.

Gutierrez came to the Indians organization from the Dodgers before the 2004 season in the Milton Bradley deal. He hit over .300 in 2003 and 2004, but really struggled in 2005, hitting just .261 at AA Akron. He was called up to the Indians and went 0-7 at the end of the year. It is an important year for Gutierrez in 2006 as he will need to show that he can succeed at AAA. If he does, he could come up late in the season, or at least give himself a chance for a spot in 2007. He is still just 22 years old.

The Good – Victor Martinez, Hafner, the future of Sizemore and Peralta. (I wrote that last year, but it remains very true. Can add Crisp to the list.)

Three Questions - How good can Sizemore and Peralta be? Will Coco Crisp be traded, and if so, who will the team acquire to replace him in LF? If the team acquires Andy Marte and Kelly Shoppach, how good does their future look!?

Last year, Rodriguez had an OPS of just .736. It was his lowest number since it was .727 in 1993, his second full season in the big leagues. Since then, he had only had one season in which it was under .800 and two seasons where it was over .900 (one over 1.000). Sure, his batting average dropped from .334 in 2004 to just .276 in 2005. However, he walked just 11 times all of last year, so his On-Base Percentage was just .290. He also went from driving in 86 runs in 2004 to just 50 in 2005. Is this a sign of what is ahead for the 34 year old Pudge? I actually think so. I think he will do a little better, particularly in the walk department. However, I also think that he will lose a little more power.

These two players had to be big surprises for the Tigers in 2005. First, the team couldn't have imagined Pena struggling so mightily that he just had to be sent down to the minors. But second, the team could not have imagined just how well Chris Shelton would hit after just a few games at AAA. Shelton hit .299 with an OPS of .860 in 107 games. He was hitting third much of the last couple months of the year. On May 27th, Pena was hitting .181. He was sent down to AAA where he played until mid-August. He went 3-4 with two homers in his first game back with the team. Still just 27 years old, you would think that Pena would have a chance. He always put up good OBP numbers and hit a lot of homers. I actually see this as a potentially potent platoon possibility.

Shelton 137 528 83 152 32 2 26 266 86 59 138 1 0 .288 .359 .504 .863
Pena 103 315 39 78 14 1 21 157 52 42 102 0 0 .248 .336 .498 .835

The 30 year old Polanco came to the Tigers in early June for reliever Ugueth Urbina. At the time, he was hitting. 316. He hit .338 with the Tigers the rest of the way. Together, he hit .331 with nine homers and 56 RBI. He has never been a big power hitter. The Phillies traded him only because they had to make room for Chase Utley. But Polanco has been solid for really the past three or four years. I think in 2006, he will again have a very solid season. Most important, hopefully he will be able to stay healthy.

After the offensive numbers he put up as a catcher, it is hard to imagine that he has put up two decent offensive seasons as a 3B. But he has. Actually, some thought that he could have been an All-Star last year. Last year, in 160 games, he hit .261 with an OPS of .749. Not great numbers, especially for a corner infielder. I think he'll have to play a bunch in 2006. I think that his overall numbers will drop just a little bit again in 2006.

Injuries. That has been the only problem for Guillen. The 30 year old has not played more than 140 games in a season. Last year, he played in just 87 games. He was hitting .320 with an OPS of 802 at the time. In 136 games before injury in 2004, he was hitting .318 with a .921 OPS. He had 37 doubles, 10 triples and 15 homers. I think this could be the year that he stays healthy. I won't go crazy and predict that he'll play in 162 games, but I will put him just over that 140 number. If he can do that, he becomes a very good fantasy option at SS because of the extra base hits and average.

Finally! Finally! Monroe was given a chance to play every day in 2005! He responded by hitting .277/.322/.446 with 30 doubles, 20 homers and 89 RBI in 157 games. That was his first big season of play. I think that he is a candidate for a big improvement in 2006. I project that his numbers will increase across the board next year, including stolen bases.

Nook Logan actually did not play poorly in his first extended play at the big league level. In 129 games, he hit .258 with a .640 OPS. OK, those are bad numbers, but as a speed guy, his main concern is to get on base and be able to run. However, I believe that it is time that Curtis Granderson be given the starting CF job. I think he finally gets that chance. I see a lot of the same tools in Granderson that we see in Corey Patterson (which isn't necessarily good). He has great speed and good power. He could get a lot of extra base hits as well as steal bases. I project a huge season for Granderson in 2006, maybe even a little too high, but I do believe that he is capable of doing it. He has been a triples-machine in the minor leagues. His lone problem is the strikeout. He strikes out way too much! But like Grady Sizemore, I think Granderson can find a way to overcome the K rate. I think Logan will still get plenty of playing time between the three outfield positions.

Granderson 145 558 79 160 31 12 17 266 68 68 156 30 9 .287 .364 .477 .841
Logan 101 232 29 63 10 1 2 81 16 18 37 19 6 .272 .324 .349 .673

I still have no idea how Scott Boras got Magglio his contract, but he did get the rest of it picked up. Ordonez had been one of the league's best all around hitters from 1999 to 2003. Since then, he has battled injuries. He came back last year, but only played in 82 games. I just don't think that Ordonez will be able to stay healthy, but when he is, he can still hit. I think an OPS in the mid .800s is still possible. He also has the type of injury history where you know when he is going to be out. He is out for extended periods, so you do know when to keep him out of your lineup.

Every third season, Young has been able to play in more than 150 games. This would be one of those years, but I guess I'll believe it when I see it! The last two seasons, he has missed a combined 94 games. Apparently he is working out this offseason like never before. If that is the case, it would be good to see because he is a tremendous hitter. In just 126 games in '05, he still had 25 doubles and 21 homers. At 32 years of age though, I don't see him reaching even his career OPS of .827... but he'll be close.

Giarratano was the team's 3rd round pick out of Tulane in 2003. In 2004, after moving up to the Florida State League (Hi-Class A ball), Giarratano hit .376 in half of a season. Last year, he his .266/.334/.373 with 22 doubles in 89 games at AA. He came up to the Tigers at the season's end and hit .143 in just 42 at bats. Clearly he needs more time in the minor leagues. But he has shown a good eye and decent speed. He needs a year at AAA, however, if/when Carlos Guillen gets hurt, Giarratano could be the guy summoned.

The Question Marks – How much more will Pudge decline? Can Granderson make the leap that I project for him? Will Dmitri Young, Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez all stay healthy, or care enough, to stay on the field?

John Buck is a very solid defensive catcher, but he has done very little offensively in the big leagues. He has not been the Royals primary catcher since his callup at mid season in 2004. In the minors, he did show a little power. The last two years for the Royals, he has hit 12 homers each year. I think that 2004 will be a decent year for Buck. As you can see, I actually think that his OBP will hit .300, but he will hit for some power.

Why? So, the Royals wanted to spend some extra money in 2006, something that I think is fine because of all of the revenues coming in to the teams. But why Doug Mientkiewicz? Why would a team sign him? He doesn't hit much at all. Yes, he is pretty good defensively (but vastly overrated at a position where defense is overrated). He has been hurt the last few years for extended time. And, he has never been afraid to voice his concerns about a team through the media, something I wouldn't think the Royals brass would want. I just don't think that you will see a lot of Doug on the field with the Royals in 2006. Someone who was good, and young, and cheap and has big potential... like... Justin Huber! Matt Stairs will likely get time at 1B, DH, and even a little in the OF again. His numbers will go down even further.

Mientkiewicz 91 291 37 73 15 0 9 115 30 33 35 0 0 .251 .327 .395 .722
Stairs 113 343 40 90 19 0 12 145 18 38 65 0 0 .262 .336 .423 .759

Grudzielanek has received a lot of credit the last couple of years, particularly last year with the Cardinals. However, his OPS has dropped each of the last three years, down to .741 with the Cardinals last year. In 137 games last year, he did have 30 doubles. I see further decline from Mark in 2006 as he will have a lot less protection in the lineup than he did with the Cardinals.

The Moneyball kid who came from the A's in a trade had an OK rookie season. In 130 games, he hit .246/.309/.376 with 29 doubles, 4 triples and 7 homers. There are a few pieces around him in '06, so I do think that he should continue to improve. He does have a solid approach at the plate and clearly has power potential. I think we will begin to see that in 2006, but really, 2007 is the year to probably start getting excited about Teahen.

Well, on a positive note, Berroa didn't need to be demoted to AAA in 2005. He played in 159 games and hit .270 with a .680 OPS. He was down to 21 doubles and 11 homers though. I expect both of those numbers to go up, but not excessively. He just hits really poorly on the road.

I think it is fair to say that for just the second time in seven seasons, Reggie Sanders will not be in the playoffs in 2006. Sanders had a decent year in St. Louis in 2005. He hit .271 with 14 double and 21 homers in just 93 games. But that .886 OPS was great, and he came up big in the NLDS! Although he strikes out more than once every four at bats, Sander is a professional hitter in that he does see a lot of pitches and makes the pitcher work. He just wings and misses a lot. He will again miss time in 2006, but he will be very good when he is able to play.

DeJesus was one of my favorite guys to have a breakout year in 2005. What did he do? Well, he hit .293/.359/.445 with 31 doubles and nine homers. However, he played in just 122 games. Some was injury, but some was just a benching for not playing the game the way Buddy Bell felt he should have. Hopefully it will be lesson learned as the 26 year old DeJesus is full of talent. I think that he will put it together in 2006. Good average, good isolated discipline, lots of doubles and a few more homers.

From 1997-2001, Brown got cups of coffee and bit parts each year with the Pirates and Padres. He then spent 2002-2004 in the minor leagues. But last year, he was given a shot with the Royals and he made the best of it. He played in 150 games (previous high was 66) and hit .286/.349/.455 with 31 doubles, five triples, 17 homers and 86 RBI. Not a bad return to the majors for the 31 year old. I think it warrants another year as the team's starting right fielder. I think that he will have another very solid year. No, he's not a top pick, but he is worthy of a fourth OF spot on any fantasy roster.

After missing 54 games in 2003 and 56 games in 2004, Sweeney only missed 40 games in 2005! He did hit .300 with 39 doubles, 21 homers and 83 RBI. It would have been interesting to see what kind of career Sweeney could have had without all of the injuries. He will be a full-time DH this year with other options at 1B, so, maybe he'll be able to play in more games. He should continue to get plenty of extrabase hits, and there should be more players on base for him to drive in.

3B Billy Butler was the team's first round pick in 2004 (14th overall) out of high school. In 2005, the Royals selected Gordon with the second overall pick out of Nebraska. Gordon signed late, but he did play in the Arizona Fall League. I would guess that he will start the season at Hi A, or even AA, but he could move very quickly. Butler can flat-out rake. After signing in '04, he went to the rookie league and hit .374 with 10 homers. He started this season at High Desert in the California Leauge and in 92 games, he hit .348 with 25 homers. He moved up to AA for the final 29 games and hit .312 and five homers. At each level, he showed plate discipline beyond his years (He is still just 19!). I think Butler will start at AA again, but if he continues to hit, a move to AAA is not out of the realm of possibility. These two are both 3B right now. Mark Teahen is still young, so what will happen? Who know! It is assumed that Butler is probably best suited to DH. Gordon is probably the best defensively. Maybe Teahen can move to the OF. I don't know. It will be interesting to follow!

Three Questions - Can Emil Brown replicate his comeback season? Will DeJesus make the leap to star? Can Sweeney and Sanders stay healthy?

Mauer proved a lot of people wrong by staying very healthy throughout the season. Clearly, Mauer is the team's best all-around hitter and should now feel more comfortable as their #3 hitter. In his first full season, Mauer hit .294/.372/.411 with 26 doubles, 9 homes and 55 RBI. With increased protection in the lineup, I would expect that his doubles and homers should increase along with his batting average. I also think that he'll have more RBI opportunities because of Luis Castillo. You have to love his plate approach and ability to take pitches. And, in terms of fantasy baseball, not many catchers add 12 SBs. And he'll still be just 22 years old when the season begins.

Morneau admittedly had a disappointing first full season. Overall, he hit .239/.304/.437 with 23 doubles, 22 homers and 79 RBI. In a bad year. Throughout his minor league career, Morneau also was able to make adjustments and hit for a good average, near .300. So, I do expect that he will look much better and bring his average up a nice amount. He should improve on his pitch selection. And, 23 homers by a 23 year old isn't terrible. Assuming he hits for better average and with better plate discipline, it is easy to project that he will give the Twins a 30+ homer hitter, and I believe a 100+ RBI guy too!

We have heard all about Castillo's career OBP of .370, which is excellent. We know that the team needed to get more guys on base, and Castillo should combine with Stewart to do that. Last year, he strikeout to walk ratio was about 1:2 which is remarkable. We know that he hits for no power, and that is fine with me. But here is a fascinating statistic for Castillo from the 2005 season. Against right-handed pitching, the switch hitter had an OPS of .648 (just five of his 85 hits left-handed went for extra bases). Against left-handed pitching, he had an OPS of 1.115. In 111 at bats, he hit .423 with nine doubles, two triples and four homers. So, as a lefty, he is completely a slap hitter with a great eye. Against lefties, he becomes an entirely different hitter!

Certainly the most controversial acquisition of the offseason, Batista returns to the big leagues after a year in Japan. Known for his home run hitting, Batista is also becoming well known as a guy who makes a lot of outs. He is a free swinger who refuses to do much walking. He also just does not hit for much average. It's hard to imagine a guy with 30 doubles and 32 homers having and OPS of just .727, but that's exactly what Batista did in 2004, his last in the majors. The year before, his OPS was just .663. So, the homers are nice, but it will be all about what he does in the at bats that he doesn't hit a home run. Then again, as Terry Ryan said, if he hits 25 homers and drives in 90 runs, both would have led the team in 2005. Is that worth $1.25 million? For me, to be worth even that, he has to hit 30 home runs.

In 2005, Bartlett was lights out in spring training and won the starting shortstop job. But a month later, he was struggling (with still better than Guzman numbers, even with the Twins) and was sent down to Rochester. He went down and hit .330 and was called back up a couple months later. Defensively, I thought he looked great. We saw him dive more in a couple months than Guzman did in his six years. He shows far more hustle and range, especially up the middle, than Guzman ever did. And he has a rocket for an arm. Offensively, he puts together good at bats. In 2005, it didn't translate at the big league level into good stats. But if he maintains his patience at the place, he will likely hit for a good average, but he should have a better than average Isolated Discipline too. And, the power may or may not come eventually.

After missing 70 games in 2004, Stewart missed another 30 last year. Injuries are part of the equation when you talk about Shannon. Last year, Stewart was not good. Always known as a professional hitter, even Stewart was swinging at bad pitches. He hit just .274/.323/.388. I did a study of all of the leadoff hitters and it showed that in the things that matter to a leadoff hitter, Stewart was the AL's worst in 2005. What will happen in 2006? I would love to tell you that he will come back and hit .300 and get on base 36% of the time and be a catalyst. I do think that he will be better again, but not significantly.

I have been yapping for the Twins to trade Torii Hunter all offseason. There are numerous reasons. First was the fact that when he was at home in Arlington rehabbing after his injury, and the Twins came to play the Rangers, he did not show up. Next, he showed up at the Dome for the final week of the season and said and did some dumb things that led to him punching Nick Punto in an attempt to punch Justin Morneau. He then went to the media and claimed that many of the things that happened negatively with the Twins last year would not have happened if he had been there especially some negative talk about teammates in the papers. Well, first, he wasn't there which was his choice apparently, and second, he was doing the exact thing that he was bashing some of his teammates for. Then after the season, he was in numerous interviews talking about how he wouldn't mind playing in pinstripes and other uniforms. Hunter is anything but a cornerstone player. Yes, he is very good defensively, maybe the best, but we have to be honest and say that he was not even as good as we thought in 2005 with the glove. Second, he can't hit for batting average and doesn't have the plate discipline to get on base. He will hit his share of doubles and some homers by accident to make it look good. Most of his stolen bases last year came on his early jumps against pitchers, but by the end of the year, teams were ready for that, and he never realized how to steal a base the real way. That's a big paragraph of negatives. Would I be as negative if he were only making $4 million? Probably. Why? Because the team has an option for CF who is just as productive offensively for about 1/12th the price (Ford). And that $10 million that Hunter will make this year is just too much. Hey, the Red Sox still need a CF. How about Hunter for Andy Marte? Works for me!

Jason Kubel will also be in this mix, but I will talk about him later. It is my opinion right now that between the two options here, Cuddyer is more likely to be the every day RF to start the season. My reasoning is only that Ford has the ability to play all three OF positions, where Cuddyer is probably only adequate in right. Stewart will need days off as will Torii. So, I think the Cuddyer will be the primary RF to start the season, but Ford will also get a lot of at bats by playing all three spots. Ford is one of very few professional hitters on the team. You have to like his Isolated Discipline numbers. He also beats out infield singles and gets his fair share of doubles. I still have a lot of faith in Michael Cuddyer and think he can still be a very solid starting player in the big leagues. He just needs the opportunity. It would also be important for him to get off to a fast start so that he isn't starting in the hole again.

Ford 98 256 33 73 17 3 8 120 19 29 54 10 4 .285 .358 .469 .827
Cuddyer 108 308 38 83 21 1 11 139 35 32 59 4 2 .269 .338 .451 .790

Great signing by the Twins. White is certainly a very professional hitter. He has been around quite some time yet is just 33 years old. Piazza and Thomas were both options, but Frank Thomas would not have stayed healthy playing (even just DHing) on the turf, so I am fine with him going to Oakland. Piazza is still looking for a team, but he wants to catch, and the Twins have no need for that. White has great extra base power, and can drive the ball out of the ball park sometimes. His lone problem has been staying healthy. This will be the first time that White will be only a DH which should hopefully keep him healthy. He should fit very nicely into that cleanup spot behind Mauer. People can walk Mauer, but White will make them pay whereas Torii would just get too excited and likely hit into a double play.

OK, I am incredibly excited about what Jason Kubel can do. Word is that he has been given the OK to participate completely in baseball activities, which is great news. However, I just have a hard time that after not playing competitively for over a year, that a month of spring training games (or half games as it is) is enough for him to really fully get his legs under him with the bat or in the field. He has to be rusty, for sure in terms of live at bats. I think there is a good chance that Kubel will spend a couple of months in Rochester just to get reaclimated to game situations. The Twins have two very capable right field options to hold down the fort until Kubel is deemed ready to contribute to the Twins. Once he is summoned, I think that he will play a lot, and will be able to hit for average and hopefully a little bit of power.

Three Questions - What can Kubel do in 2006? How Will Gardy stick with Morneau and Bartlett if they start out slowly? Can the additions of Rondell White and Luis Castillo really help the Twins offense score more runs?

Well, that is it for Part 2 of my Fantasy Baseball Preview. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. The same format will be used for the rest of the teams in baseball. Please let me know what you think. Any comments or suggestions would be welcomed! E-mail me.

WOLVES TRADE WALLY

Please Glen Taylor, PLEASE! Get rid of Kevin McHale. I understand you're a loyal man, but aside from drafting Kevin Garnett and one year of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, what has McHale done to help the Timberwolves. Signed Joe Smith to a long, illegal contract? No... that didn't turn out so well. Let point guards like Bobby Jackson and Chauncey Billups leave via free agency for reasonable deals. Fired Flip Saunders as if he was the team's problem? No, that certainly was not a good decision. Signed Michael Olowokandi. Drafted Ndudi Edi? Drafted Will Avery? Signed Troy Hudson to a long-term deal? Signed Trenton Hassell to a long-term deal?

I think you see my point. Kevin McHale helped the team to one good season, but he has really done nothing good since then. Oh, he also drafted a great shooter in Wally Szczerbiak... and last night, he traded him!

That's what I'm really here to write about, the Timberwolves "Blockbuster" trade with the Celtics. Over at Stick and Ball Guy's site, I left a comment on the subject.

Horrible! Absolutely Horrible! I may even have to write about this for tomorrow!

I just don't understand this one at all! Not only do they take on the contract of Blount, but they get two nobodies and a headcase in Ricky Davis! I never understood the team's apparent need to trade Wally. He's an outsider shooter who shoots over 50%. There aren't many guys like that! And yeah, the Wolves give up another 1wst round pick!

This has to be it for McHale! Maybe he'll take a job with his buddy Danny Ainge in Boston!

Horrible!

So, as you can tell, I think that the trade was, ummm, horrible! Some may disagree, and that is fine. Ricky Davis is clearly an excellent athlete that Kevin McHale has drooled over for at least three years, since he signed him to an offer sheet that was matched at the time. But Wally Szczerbiak has done the job. He has done everything asked of him during his time with the Wolves, even coming off the bench last year for the good of the team. Now, Davis is a good scorer too. He has put up better assist numbers and his athleticism allows him to make his own shot and also man-up on defense with people. In that way, it is not a horrible trade. Szczerbiak for Davis is probably a wash, in my mind, as long as Davis's head is in it.

However, that was the entire deal. The Wolves were also able to rid themselves of Michael Olowokandi, something that they have been trying to do for months! As was rumored a month ago, the Wolves got center Mark Blount back for him. On paper, both are huge disappointments. Maybe Blount will suddenly become half-way decent again, which is all he really was when he signed his big contract. The problem I have with this part of the deal is that after this season, Kandi's contract comes off the books. Blount has four years and $28 million left on his contract. If he is disappointing now, imagine how disappoint he will be when he is making $9+ million in three years!

Finally, the Wolves sent Duane Jones (a free agent center that they gave a two year deal to before the season) and a 1st round pick to the Boston Celtics. The Celtics sent PG Marcus Banks (a former 1st round pick), Justin Reed (a former 2nd round pick averaging 2.3 points a game this year) and two 2nd round picks. Apparently Jones wasn't worth taking the time to develop. Maybe Banks will somehow return to the form that made him a first round pick. But don't the Wolves have enough point guards? Marko Jaric has been the starter (although maybe he can move to a 2 or 3 spot?). Troy Hudson is signed for at least three more seasons. Anthony Carter is probably their best true point guard. And now Banks. Reed is just another bit piece. And, what have the Wolves done with their 2nd round picks in the past. It just bugs me that McHale throws around 1st round picks like their useless. I know we haven't had many in the last decade, but they really can help a team! There is a good chance that the Wolves won't make the playoffs and will have to send a lottery pick to the Celtics.

All in All, I don't think that this is a good trade for the Wolves now, and I certainly don't think it is a good trade for the team in the future. But then again, I don't think that McHale will be around for the future so what does he care?

On another Wolves note, the team was able to get another 2nd round pick from the Phoenix Suns for forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili. Skeeter barely saw any playing time, so getting anything for him is probably good.

OTHER THOUGHTS

First, let me apologize for linking to Aaron's site for his choice for #38 Twins player of all-time yesterday. When I posted, it was a little earlier than normal. Aaron had not posted anything new yet, but I assumed he would post his #38 Twins player. But he didn't. Aaron did not post at all on Thursday and today, he discusses the Wolves/Celtics trade in some detail. I am sure that he will continue his Top 40 series next week.
Roger posted an interesting topic on Twinkie Town regarding Twins prospects that could possibly skip a level in 2006.
The Twins had a celebration last night and handed out the year's Diamond Awards. The winners were announced after the season, but the awards were presented last night.
FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry continues to review his Top 100 Prospects by discussing numbers 61-70.
LaVelle E Neal III wrote an article talking to Gardy about last season and the upcoming one. Check it out here.

And on that note, I wish you a great day. If you have any questions or comments on anything you have read above, please e-mail me. Have yourself a great day!