
The Minnesota Twins may be looking into acquiring either Brandon Lyon or Eric Gagne as soon as this week.
The Twins have been on the hunt for 8th inning setup man this offseason, and signing either of these players to a short term deal should be a welcomed upgrade to the pen. Both are Twins-type signings: past their prime players that management hopes can return to previous form.
But are they really any better than what we already have (Boof Bonser)?
Let’s break down the stats:
Boof Bonser: WHIP: 1.48, Opponents BA: .333, Opponents Slug: .443
Brandon Lyon: WHIP: 1.48, Opponents BA: .335, Opponents Slug: .458
Eric Gagne: WHIP: 1.46, Opponents BA: .335, Opponents Slug: .494
Clearly, Boof does in fact have a slight statistical edge on Lyon and Gagne and all three have been suspect to giving up the long ball rather consistently. However, adding someone who has the upside of either Lyon or Gagne certainly is a plus. Gagne at one point was the top reliever in baseball and actually finished last season up rather well. Lyon also performed exceptionally well as a setup man in 2007, but was shaken in 2008 when given the closing role, something he would not be asked to do with Minnesota.
A move of this nature would be welcomed at this point. It gives the Minnesota fan base new life and shows that management didn’t completely have a stagnant offseason. Both Lyon and Gagne wouldn’t hurt in a short term deal. If they pan out, we have a lethal 1-2 late inning punch combination with Joe Nathan. If they don’t, we could look to deal them at midseason or just eat their contract. Who knows if another Pat Neshek is brewing down on the farm and in worst case Boof isn’t that bad of a replacement.
In other news, the Twins finally inked a two year deal with Jason Kubel this afternoon. This is a great signing that was due to happen. Kubel is entering the prime of his career and nothing indicates that his stats should falter from previous seasons.
The Chicago White Sox added Bartolo Colon this week. He hasn’t had a good season since 2005 and shouldn’t be too much of a factor as he will be battling for a spot in the rotation, but nonetheless he has good potential and if he finds his form, would be dangerous. This is another upside type of signing at little to no cost.
The White Sox also avoided arbitration with closer Bobby Jenks today signing him to a $5.6m extension.
The Colorado Rockies appear not to be extending their contract on Garrett Atkins. The Twins were formerly in talks with the Rockies about acquiring the third basemen and it now seems fairly apparent that they don’t want him. Atkins may not be the strongest candidate as our third base replacement, but he would nonetheless be an upgrade as long as he didn’t cost an arm and a leg.
TwinsFest kicks off this Friday! Look for updates from the action after the weekend.



