FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -Minnesota Twins general manager Bill Smith walked to the podium at a media luncheon earlier this month, and it didn’t take long for him to deliver a summation on the team’s offseason activity.
“We have had a very, very busy winter,” Smith said, before pausing for a little comedic effect that is rare from this straight-laced executive, “and the net result has been almost nothing. It’s been pretty well-documented.”
Laughter filled the hotel ballroom. Yet the truth in that statement isn’t nearly as entertaining for a fan base that watched their favorite team lose to the White Sox in a one-game playoff for the AL Central, then do nothing to improve the roster.
When the Twins hold their first full-squad workout on Saturday, the team that takes the field at the Lee County Sports Complex will be nearly identical to the one in that 1-0 defeat at U.S. Cellular Field that cost them their division title.
Adhering to the team’s promote-from-within philosophy, the Twins stood pat and are hoping familiarity will breed success.
e-agent signings.
No big trades.
Zip. Zilch. Nada.
“We like this club,” Smith said Friday. “We like the players. We like the makeup. They’re good teammates. They’re talented players. We’re excited to get going.”
To most longtime followers of this team, the approach should not come as a surprise. Offseason spending sprees just aren’t what they do.
“We don’t go out and land huge free agents, but we promote from within and there’s a purpose to our spring trainings,” shortstop Nick Punto said. “We’ve had pretty good success with that.”
This year Minnesota didn’t even bother bringing in the usual washed-up veteran in a desperate attempt to fill a hole.
Three years ago, it was third baseman Tony Batista and outfielder Rondell White. In 2007, the Twins tried pitchers Ramon Ortiz and Sidney Ponson. Last year, shortstop Adam Everett and third baseman Mike Lamb failed miserably while starter Livan Hernandez won 10 games before being replaced by Francisco Liriano.
“We’re in a different situation this year than we were in a year ago,” Smith said. “I can’t sit here and say all of the free agents worked out great, because they didn’t.”
But the failures opened the door for young players like third baseman Brian Buscher, second baseman Alexi Casilla, outfielder Denard Span and starter Glen Perkins to get valuable big league experience.
heir call-ups in the Twins’ surge toward the top of the division. Now Smith thinks they’re ready to build on that.
“We felt on April 1 that they needed more time in the minor leagues,” Smith said. “They needed more seasoning to get ready to play at the major league level. … Now some of those players don’t need that time. We’ve got this young club that played two-thirds of the season together last year. We have the confidence that this group can move forward.”
That confidence can be contagious.
This year, the lone addition is reliever Luis Ayala, who went 2-10 with a 5.71 ERA and nine saves for the Nationals and Mets last season.
“I think it gives everybody in this clubhouse confidence because the front office has confidence in the players that we have in here or else they would have made moves or made personnel changes,” right fielder Michael Cuddyer said.
The Twins have talked with free agent Joe Crede about playing third base, but for now have decided to stick with Buscher and Brendan Harris in a platoon.
All of this status quo means Ron Gardenhire’s guidance will be as important as ever this season, but the manager isn’t complaining.
“I’ve got no issues at all,” Gardenhire said, his tone nearing defiance. “I like these guys. They’re gamers. My kind of players. No issues.”
try only stability can bring.
“I love this team. I love the guys that we have,” catcher Mike Redmond said. “I’ll take this group of guys and go play with them any day of the week, man, and stay like this forever. We all get along so well.”
But will that be enough to get them over the hump and into the playoffs this year? Even owner Jim Pohlad admits to being a little anxious about the situation.
“I am a fan, probably first and foremost,” Pohlad said. “I get excited with transactions. … You like that kind of stuff from a fan standpoint. Certainly we don’t discourage it. Nor are we going to say, since I like that sort of thing, to go do it. Unless you think it’s in the best interest of the team.”
That conservative mantra has been this franchise’s calling card for two decades, for better or worse. And it won’t be changing any time soon.
“If you think that’s the right thing to do, you take the shot and you do it,” Gardenhire said of signing a big name. “Some believe that it might be the right thing. … But we’re fine.
“I’m just worried about the guys I have right now and nothing else.”
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