The Milwaukee Brewers just signed Eric Gagne to a minor league contract, officially ending all hope for Minnesota to acquire him. Gagne has performed rather poorly over the past few seasons, but the Brewers seem optimistic that he can return to form. Tom Haudricourt, who broke the story from the Journal Sentinel, suspects that the contract is loaded with incentives and that Gagne should be given the chance to compete for the team’s set-up job.
The Twins however seem to have set their sights on Juan Cruz. Cruz has played for the Cubs, Braves, A’s, and Diamondbacks and has had quite the up and down career, having twice exceeded the 6 ERA mark. However, Juan Cruz’s best year was arguably last season as he produced a 2.61 ERA over 57 games and would almost certainly be the Twins’ set-up man. This is speculation that LaVelle Neal cites, but nevertheless its good hot stove news and keeps the Twins faithful hopeful after a lackluster offseason.
No news out of the Joe Crede-front over the past 48 hours. Given the market, it seems imminent that he will sign a contract with Minnesota as heavy rumors have pointed in that direction last weekend. If healthy, Crede’s bat would vastly improve our lineup – but it’s quite the risk for him to stay healthy playing 81 games. But as for now, we haven’t heard much from the Crede-front since last week.
