Last year, I actually put out three versions of a 2012 blueprint depending on payroll (110, 105, 100) and I was right about a few things. Jamey Carroll and Ryan Doumit were added, and I even had Scott Diamond as a fifth starter in one of them.

With regard to 2013, I have done a considerable amount of thinking and re-thinking. I had thought for some time that the Twins should trade Morneau for either two varying level prospects or one prospect and one MLB-ready pitcher. It is good to be constantly critical of one's perspective and to re-evaluate one's ideas. So, I have decided that the Twins best bet for 2013 and 2014-on is to not trade anybody in the offseason, instead signing two FA starting pitchers and maximizing the depth of the lineup and bench.

What this means for 2013 is a roster that looks like this, barring injury:

Denard Span

Ben Revere

Joe Mauer

Josh Willingham

Justin Morneau

Trevor Plouffe

Ryan Doumit

Brian Dozier

Pedro Florimon

Chris Parmelee

Jamey Carroll

Darin Mastroianni

Chris Herrmann

Scott Diamond (awarded opening day, on principle)

Edwin Jackson

Shaun Marcum

Liam Hendriks

Sam Deduno (with LR Cole DeVries, Rochester's Kyle Gibson, PJ Walters, Esmerling Vasquez, and David Bromberg on call, and the DL-ed Scott Baker as well--more on all of this below)

Cole DeVries

Tyler Robertson

Deolis Guerra

Casey Fien

Brian Duensing

Jared Burton

Glen Perkins

This roster, including the arbitration guesses and the 3 year, $30 million contracts given to Jackson and Marcum, comes in at somewhere around $97 million (and this includes paying Nishioka and Blackburn). In other words, the Twins could have this team for the same cost as the 2012 team. There was a lot of money tied up in Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Jason Marquis, and Matt Capps, making about 30% of the payroll dead weight.

My 2013 roster removes the dead weight and adds two very good pitchers. Marcum is about to turn 31 and has averaged 193 innings in seven seasons with Toronto and Milwaukee, compiling a 3.78 ERA and a 7.3/2.7 K/BB ratio. Jackson just turned 29 and has been in the majors in some capacity for 10 seasons already. Early in his career it appears he was in over his head, but in 2011 he posted a 3.79 ERA and this year he has a 3.77 ERA and has pitcher near 200 innings each season, combining for about a . . . 7.3/2.7 K/BB ratio. Jackson and Marcum are clearly very, very similar pitchers. And their similarity will be refreshing after the mirror-imaged Blackburn, Pavano, and Marquis this year.

The general idea with the Rochester rotation would be Gibson limited to 5 innings and then 6 innings an outing in April and May respectively. If all goes well, he can be promoted. Walters, Bromberg, Vasquez, and Hernandez would join him while Baker gets rehab time.

Speaking of Baker, Baker would get a base $2 million salary with huge incentive increases based on innings pitched and ERA. That salary would top out at $6 million.

With regard to the bullpen, I include Guerra because he is out of options. Anthony Slama would be next in line if the Twins think Guerra would clear waivers since he clearly needs more time in Rochester. If Fien falters, or there is an injury Slama would be the guy to call on. Alex Burnett has an option, and I think the Twins should use it immediately to get him to work on command and striking more batters out.

The bench is meant to be a return to the "Thome bench." This means that the Twins would have either a good replacement already up with the team in case of injury or one good-great bat on the bench for every single game (pinch hitting for Florimon, Dozier, or possibly Revere. As it turns out, Chris Parmelee appears to be the odd man out for the first several games of the season, but he can be worked into the rotation to give optimal rest for six other guys, especially Mauer, Morneau, Doumit, and Willingham. I still prefer a Willingham-Revere positional flip, but this would still work even if tey stayed where they are right now.

Jamey Carroll might end up being the starter somewhere (I would say SS), but if not that just means he is a late-inning replacement and a backup at 3B, SS, and 2B.

I realize that putting Chris Herrmann on this roster flies in the face with what I have said about AA and AAA, but I also think that Herrmann's value for 2013 is with the Twins has Doumit-lite, certainly getting a chance to take over Doumit's role as Mauer's catching partner in the future. Butera can be given a nice little salary to be the AAA catcher, working with pitchers as they come up through the system. Maybe he can be called up if there is an injury and certainly in September. But there is no reason to have him on the Twins roster. Herrmann, in my view, belonged in AAA by mid-season 2012 at the latest anyway. He also adds LF depth (and likely can adapt to RF and even 1B).

Mastroianni would return in his role as a backup for all three OF positions and a speedster on the bases. It might not be a bad idea to also get him 2B time in emergency situations.

Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, Joe Benson, Rene Tosoni, and Evan Bigley would be the Rochester OF/DH, with perhaps Tosoni or Bigley trying out at 1B. Eduardo Escobar and Chris Colabello would be the other players at Rochester who could factor into the 2013 Twins roster.