Tuesday Night, November 27, 2007
Nine Questions
with La Velle E. Neal
Back again! I am going to start a series of Questions that I sent
to several of the Twins bloggers. They are questions about the offseason, the Twins,
potential moves and a little about their sites.
To start the series, I thought it would be great to get the
thoughts of La Velle
E. Neal of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He is the Twins Beat Writer and
does a great job. He also writes Twins Insider, a Twins blog
with a lot of great information that you could not get in the printed version
of the newspaper. La Velle was kind enough to answer
several questions for us today, and I really appreciate it. You can also find
La Velle as an Expert Panelist in the SethSpeaks.net NFL “Expert” Picks each week!
You will
definitely want to check
out La Velle’s article from today in which he mentioned
that Errol Simonitsch
and Ricky Barrett were both taken
off of the 40 man roster. I have commented that both of them should have been
before, so I find the timing of this very interesting. That’s why I wanted to get
this posted right away, rather than wait. I just have a gut feeling (and I have
a big gut!) that something is going to be happening very soon. I am now
beginning to think that Johan Santana
will be traded by the end of the week, before the Winter Meetings even start,
maybe even sooner. Also, I am hoping the rumors of a Coco Crisp trade might be happening. Of course, should anything
happen, be sure to check back here for my thoughts! Is Boof headed to Tampa Bay to become a Ray? Who would
be involved in that deal?
(oh, and I don’t
buy the rumors
of talk between the Angels and Twins on a deal that would send Justin Morneau
to Anaheim… or LA, whatever… for Casey Kotchman and Ervin
Santana. Makes no sense.)
(oh, and BP just posted
their Top 11 Twins Prospects.)
But for now, let’s get to the Questions and Answers with La Velle E. Neal:
SethSpeaks: Any final thoughts on the
Torii Hunter saga?
La Velle E. Neal: Everything we heard late in the season proved to be true:
Torii was a goner. The Twins end up looking good for their decision because of
the deal Hunter was able to get from the Angels. Is Torii worth a five year deal
at his age? It's a gamble either way. He could break down. He could also age
well.
SethSpeaks: To trade, or not to
trade? What is your gut feeling regarding whether the Twins will sign Johan
Santana to a long term deal, trade him or keep him into the 2008 season? If you
would to give a 'percent certainty' that Johan will be traded, where would you
put it?
La Velle E. Neal: I think the Twins should trade Johan, but it takes two
teams and an agent to make it happen. I'd say there's a 60 percent chance
because of Johan's veto power.
SethSpeaks: The Twins have been
hesitant in the past to trade young pitchers. It sounds like that theory may be
somewhat altered this offseason. Are there any of the Twins young pitchers that
would be considered untouchable?
La Velle E. Neal: No. Everyone should be in play. The Twins have failed to
produce position players the way they have produced pitchers, and it's time to
use their young pitchers to fill in holes elsewhere.
SethSpeaks: As of today, where would
you rank the Twins in the AL Central?
La Velle E. Neal: Fighting with Kansas City for fourth place.
SethSpeaks: What would you consider
the top three things that the Twins need to do this offseason?
La Velle E. Neal: Find a good center fielder. Find a good third baseman.
Lock up Justin Morneau.
SethSpeaks: On a scale of 1 to 10,
how confident are you that Bill Smith will be able to do the things that the
Twins need to compete?
La Velle E. Neal: Five, but it's more reflective of what ownership provides
a GM to do his job. I think Smith is a very smart guy and has a lot of
experience. It's ownership that worries me the most.
SethSpeaks: Tell us a little about
what you try to do on your blog, and what you write about during the offseason?
La Velle E. Neal: I just try to get information
out there as soon as possible and provide readers a place to discuss Twins
issues.
SethSpeaks: Now that you have blogged
for a season (And into an offseason), have your thoughts changed at all on
blogs, blogging and bloggers?
La Velle E. Neal: Not really. There are some great bloggers, good bloggers
and some people who are nuts.
SethSpeaks: Is it possible for
bloggers and the mainstream media to work together?
La Velle E. Neal: Aren't we doing that now? :)
Good point, La Velle, Good Point!! Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. I am sure the readers all appreciate it!