Terry Ryan regroups with an old legend and a new workhorse pitcher
Heading into 2015, the Minnesota Twins ownership group was under the gun. Four utterly unfun—save for a Josh Willingham home run here or a Chris Colabello cowbell there—seasons had taken the bloom off the Target Field rose.
The first domino to fall: Ron Gardenhire’s dismissal—replaced by Paul Molitor. Ever the shrewd scout, I’m sure GM Terry Ryan also noticed the following about the roster:
- An intriguing young core of Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Aaron Hicks, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, & Byron Buxton either MLB-proven or knocking on the door.
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- Veterans like Joe Mauer & Kurt Suzuki in place to preserve professionalism.
- Role players Eduardo Escobar, Danny Santana, & Eduardo Nunez poised for platoons.
So, with time running out on “rebuild patience”, Ryan made two moves to bolster 2015’s chances for success…
A Legend Returns
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For his role in restoring the Twins to the relevance, Torii Hunter was always a fan-favorite. After balking at the Twins’ middle-of-the-road contract proposal in 2007, he spent the next seven seasons in Anaheim & Detroit doing his thing: hitting for some pop, playing dazzling OF defense, and providing unparalleled leadership.
With Hicks slated to start in CF and Buxton in the pipeline, Torii would be stationed under the limestone. Hunter just seemed thrilled to no longer worry about Metrodome rug burn!
A Stable Starter
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Whether in Anaheim, Kansas City, or Atlanta, Ervin Santana built a track record of stability. Not only were 200 IP a near-lock, but his yearly ERA would reliably fall between 3.00-4.50.
For a team that had regularly deployed Vance Worley, Rickey Nolasco, Kevin Correia, & Mike Pelfrey in search of quality starts, Erv represented a legitimate top-half-of-the-rotation upgrade to pair with 2014’s Phil Hughes renaissance. A 4-year commitment was made.
Though the on-field results would have to play out, it was clear the ‘15 Twins were finally making moves toward competing—not just biding time in the basement.