Twins

Yes, it happened again. Byron Buxton suffered a mid-foot sprain just days before the Twins’ opener. Despite the optics, Buxton said he’s going to play on opening day.

Yes, 2016 was a year that included 103 losses, but it wasn’t all bad. There were a lot of positives during the season as well. As the year comes to an end, and we are fully thinking about 2017 and beyond, today we take one more look back at the 2016 Minnesota Twins season. There were debuts, and there were milestones, plenty of them. Today we’ll take a look back and remember some of them.

Would you look at that? The calendar is well on its way toward football season but there is still anxiety-inducing baseball to be played. In part thanks to a phenomenal season so far from the Twins and a revived Indians team that does not want to relinquish the AL Central title belt, this upcoming series will probably be the most important regular season series for the Twins in a while. While there is still time left afterward to regain what was lost after this series, it still stands as a symbol regarding which team is up to the task in taking the AL Central. Bless the fact that Nine Inch Nails are from Cleveland because this write-up deserves only the best and what could top the band that produced the original (and best) version of “Hurt”? Fight me you cowards, I’m right.

Would the Cleveland Indians, who currently hold the last Wild Card spot and are just five games behind the Twins, really trade away their ace pitcher Trevor Bauer at the trade deadline? Based on a conversation with Indians GM Zack Meisel … maybe? Meisel seems to be taking a pretty big picture view of Cleveland’s competitive window, with an eye at wedging it open regardless of cost.

World Series teams are not constructed during the off season. It's a process that continues as the season goes along. Baseball teams are always under construction and the Twins are already making repairs. Don't expect to drive around without detours and orange cones for awhile.

For example... repairs to Sano in RF were already baked into the process.

And the Twins should not have introduced those red jerseys. The new ones should have been yellow with reflective material.

Here are some things to think about:

Work smarter, not harder.

That’s a mantra which permeates the corporate world, imploring workers to take full advantage of tools and resources available to improve productivity. It’s cliche, to be sure, but there is something behind the notion that production can be improved by simply leveraging existing systems and processes. When it comes to getting the information into the hands of the hitters, the Minnesota Twins appear to have moved in the direction of working smarter.

Word trickled out earlier this week that the Twins were considering Alex Anthopoulos as the team's president of baseball operations. This would be a new position in the organization as part of the front office restructuring following the firing of general manager Terry Ryan.

This is following a growing trend across baseball where a president of baseball operations oversees the hiring of a general manager and other personnel to compose the front office staff. Twins owner Jim Pohlad recently told the Pioneer Press that the Twins might be leaning towards this new trend.

Word came out of Twins camp today that Ryne Harper, Tyler Austin and Willians Astudillo will all be on the team's Opening Day roster. With that, the entire 25-man roster appears to be set. The only question mark seems to be whether Jorge Polanco will be healthy. He's nursing a sore shoulder.

Without question, my first real hero in baseball was Kirby Puckett. Without question, Kirby Puckett was my last real baseball hero. Anyone who grew up a baseball fan in the mid-80s through the mid-90s likely had the same baseball role model as me, Kirby Puckett.

Ten years ago today, Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45, a day after suffering a massive stroke at his home in Arizona. I’ve shared some of the below at various times in the past, but I felt like sharing my thoughts on Puckett. I’m certain, and I hope, many of you will share your memories as well.

Within the last week, the Twins have DFAd Danny Santana and Michael Tonkin, two of the longest-tenured players. Santana was traded to Atlanta, so he’s out of the organization. Tonkin isn’t officially out of the organization, though within the next four to six days, he’ll likely be claimed or traded. It is possible that he will be outrighted and go to Rochester, staying in the organization. Tonkin would be #4 on this list if he stays in the organization.

Since I last wrote the Longest Tenured article a year ago, five players have left the Twins organization. Trevor Plouffe is in Oakland. He was tied for #2 with Glen Perkins as both were 2004 draft picks. James Beresford was #4 on the list. He is yet to sign with another team despite playing for Australia in the WBC. Oswaldo Arcia was #5 on the list. Danny Santana was #6 with Michael Tonkin at #7.

With Zack Wheeler coming off the board, Twins Territory seems to have attached to Madison Bumgarner as the must-have free agent of the offseason. Why? Here’s a look at how MadBum stacks up against two much less heralded pitchers on the free agent market.

With Zack Wheeler signing with the Philadelphia Phillies for $118 million over five years, Minnesota’s interest turns to Madison Bumgarner. Like Wheeler, Bumgarner is now rumored to sign before winter meetings and the Twins are supposedly making a strong push to sign the left-hander.