On the way home from Beliot yesterday, I was very interested in a question during post game show KSTP following the victory over the Red Sox. The question was about what the starting rotation will look like going into next year. Maybe some of you will disagree with me, but, here is one guess. I believe that we will use the money that was spent on Capps, Liriano and Pavano to get a very good FA to fill our #1 spot. Scott Baker gets resigned to claim the second spot. Scott Diamond has definitely earned the three spot with his performance this year. Then, things get interesting..... HOPEFULLY, Liam Hendrichs figures it out and joins the staff next year and then we have a potpourri to choose from in the fifth spot. I think it comes down to PJ Walters/Deduno/Gibson. Although i believe the Twins will want Gibson in Rochester to start the season. By now, you've notice that the name of Nick Blackburn hasn't been mentioned. We can only hope it won't be in 2013. To summarize, I see a rotation of 1. FA 2. Baker, 3. Diamond, 4. Hendrichs, 5. Deduno or Walters. Your thoughts?

I think 4 is up for grabs with the performance of Hendriks this year. He has to prove, and I mean really prove, that he can win against MLB hitters before I would put him in the rotation next year. I would honestly put Walters and Deduno in before him right now.

free agent pitcher? terry ryan? hmmm bartolo colon or jaime moyer?maybe resigning kevin slowey...

I totally agree a FA needs to be signed to lead the rotation. When we do our "offseason blueprints" I'll no doubt include a FA to lead the rotation (as pretty much all of us did last year). Maybe TR will sign one this year, but I'm not going to expect it until it happens. If it does happen, I'll just be pleasantly surprised. Until then, I expect the rotation to look very, very familiar.

Before Pavano the last ace they traded for was Smiley in 92, the last free agent was Morris. There was a lot of filler signed. I doubt there would be a change of behavior. There will be someone out there that they sign to fill out the rotation. The will last a halff a year before being jettisoned.

I'll actually be surprised if they DO NOT secure a #2-3 type starter either via trade or FA this winter, and I'll only be a bit surprised if they trade for one #2-3 guy and sign a second. My guess id Gibson is ready to go at the beginning of the season. He's making great progress and looking sharp right now. Baker, Diamond, Hendriks next. Then Walters, Deduno, DeVries, Hermsen, an unknown minor league pick-up, maybe Bromberg to the rescue from AAA. Blackburn is a name that I have difficulty typing.

The "change of behavior" from signing only bargain basement types to spending more aggressively has already taken place. They made sufficiently generous offers to a number of players last winter, including Cuddyer, Kubel, and Willingham, so it's not so far-fetched to expect an aggressive effort to improve the rotation this winter. I'll join the critics if they don't.

Baker? who know if he will ever pitch again. High hopes!

Let's face it, Diamond will be the de facto "ace" going into 2013. Any free agent starter the Twiins sign will be coming off either an injury or ineffectiveness. They really do have to sign a starter though. I've seen Jeremy Guthrei's name mentioned and he is probably exactly the type, although I doubt it will be him. But just as a placeholder, I'll use his name: 1) Diamond 2) Guthrie 3) Duensing 4) Hendriks 5) Blackburn/Deduno. I am also hoping that Gibson blows them out of the water in the spring and I am far more optimistic about that than seeing Scott Baker toe the rubber next year for the Twins.

I really do expect the Twins to upgrade the pitching staff next year. How they do it, trade or FA signing I don't know. I have no clue either who they might target. Stilll, I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of guys.

I don't expect Pavano back, and Baker is kind of iffy. He won't likely be ready at the beginning of the year and who knows what it will cost to sign him. They won't try very hard to go after Liriano either if he is a free agent.

Blackburn will be back, I think. I don't know that, that is a bad thing. He is not that expensive and he has certainly contributed as much as Baker or Liriano, when healthy. Diamond will be in the rotation, anyone else in the system is speculation at this point. I think Hendriks could be good. Gibson, they will have to be careful with. Everyone else is likely a step below Blackburn.

I have hopes for Bromberg but he kind of went backwards this year. Hermsen is probably going to be pretty good, but I doubt if he will be quite ready next year.

Why are people so hard on DeVries. He pitches his heart out and adapts as the game happens. He should be in any mix. Blackburn is here until they decide they can eat his salary. Baker is up-in-the-air...and probably would be as ready to return to the Twins as Gibson would be -- midseason. I doubt that Walters will be kept on the 40-man. Deduno, if he keeps pitching, will be. Hendriks will get a chance to shine. B.J. Hermsen might be the dark horse in all of this.

But they still need a free agent. Claim Cliff Lee on waivers!

As it stands today, here is your starting rotation for next year:

$5 mil FA

Diamond

Blackburn

two of these: Hendricks/Gibson/Deduno/DeVries

I'm holding out hope for Cliff Lee, Edwin Jackson, Scott Diamond, Deduno/Devries/Hendricks/Blackburn competing for 4th and 5th spots.