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For the first time since the Byung-Ho Park experiment the Twins front office has made a concerted effort to fill the DH position with a capable every day bat. In 2017 the likes of Robbie Grossman and Kenny Vargas filled the DH role in a not so exciting fashion. While Grossman was serviceable due to his high OBP (.361), the ugly three strikeout game in last years playoffs and the lack of home run power left a more than a little to be desired. Next in line was Vargas, whose perpetually declining OBP and 29% strikeout rate have begun to outweigh the power potential that we once dreamed of. All this, has led the front office to move in another direction. The offseason has been slow, but like fantasy football drafters who wait around in the auction for the right guy at the right price, the Twins found their guy late with the addition of Logan Morrison. The burly left hander who hit 3 of his 38 homers against the Twins last summer (including a 15th inning game winner in the 15th inning on on May 28th) will be joining the Twins this spring as the likely first option at the DH spot. There he will bring his .516 slugging % (.433 career) to a spot in the Twins lineup that slugged just .404 in 2017. Morrison had a career year in 2017, but at age 30 the risk of signing him to a one or two year deal seems more than reasonable. The result of all of this is a very strong lineup for the Twins from 1 - 9, a team that scored the 7th most runs in the league in 2017 just got better at one of the worst spots in the lineup.

Aaron and John talk through their projections for the hitters on the Twins 25-man roster and learn from Tin Whiskers owner Jeff Moriarty about how craft beer relates to NASA. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article

I love a good return story as much as the next guy. Plus, that goofy Canadian is better than you think. But the Twins need to steer clear of Justin Morneau. Yesterday the Colorado Rockies confirmed that they would not be picking up the $9M mutual option they had on Morneau, making him a free agent. The news has an even-steven feel for Twins fans; in the same week in which returning veteran team leader Torii Hunter retires, another beloved veteran team leader is suddenly available. If you believe in karma – and after this week, Minnesota sports fans are definitely due some - I won’t blame you for waxing nostalgic a bit.But maybe you don’t believe in karma. Maybe you don’t believe in any knowledge other than scientifically proven knowledge. The bad news is that makes it hard to meet girls. The good news is that there is still some evidence that Morneau wouldn’t be a terrible fit for the Twins. Morneau has been better than you remember. Over the last two years, he’s posted a .850 OPS. Yes, that’s with Coors field being his home ballpark, but his OPS+ (which adjusts for ballpark) was 120. The only Twins batter who exceeded that last year was Miguel Sano. And his health? Well, he missed a good chunk of last year with a combination concussion and cervical neck strain caused when he dove for a ground ball. He was on the shelf for three months, returning at the beginning of September. However, he seemed to have fully recovered, hitting .338/.423/.474 for that last month. So he’s a good fit spiritually. Maybe even theoretically. And he definitely is prosaically. It’s logistically that things get messy. First, signing him requires trading Trevor Plouffe. That might happen regardless of Morneau. First, the Twins have suggested they want Sano to begin his MLB career at third base. Second, with the paucity of free agent third baseman available, the market for Plouffe might never be higher. But there is no reason to force a Plouffe trade. If the offer comes, great. Second, even if Plouffe is traed, whatever flexibility that provides is immediately sacrificed. The Twins have plenty of question marks in both their outfield and at designated hitter, but they also have lots of possible answers. Bringing in a veteran team leader who expects to play full time – and can realistically play only at designated hitter and maybe first base - has the potential to block any prospects who break through next year. If a veteran must be brought in, he needs more positional flexibility than that. Specifically, he probably needs to be able to play in the outfield. If not, he becomes a roadblock to Kenny Vargas or Oswaldo Arcia. Both were a mess last year, but Vargas is just 25 years old and posted a .772 OPS in his first 234 plate appearances in the majors. Let’s not forget that at this time last year, the words “David” and “Ortiz” were those most commonly associated with Vargas. Arcia, despite a dismal year, is even younger. Also, despite numerous struggles, he still has a career OPS of .741 and a home run about every 22 at-bats. Versus right-handers, he’s been even better, with an .807 OPS in over 500 plate appearances. Finally, Morneau’s durability needs to be considered. When a 34-year-old gets a concussion diving in the infield… let’s just say there were some people this June wondering if he might need to be saved from himself. If you’re still hoping for Morneau’s return, that last point, oddly enough, could provide it. It is not inconceivable that Morneau, due to the health concerns, has trouble getting a full-time job with any MLB team because they just can’t trust him to stay healthy. As the offseason ends, maybe he’s willing to take a part-time role and part-time salary. Maybe the Twins have traded Plouffe. Maybe they’re worried about their depth a bit, and don’t want to ask too much from Arcia or Vargas too soon. (Or maybe they just didn’t find an outfielder they really liked on the free agent market.) So don’t give up hope in what has been a tough week. There might be a path toward a reunion. The path could be winding, and maybe not particularly wise, but Morneau has shown he’s still got some gas in the tank. Maybe enough to get him home. Click here to view the article