by By Tom Powers , St. Paul Pioneer Press

Carlos Gomez has talent, the greatest of which is raw speed. He also has the Baseball instincts of an Icelandic grade-schooler. As wonderful as he was to watch play center field, Gomez was a disaster everywhere else. He was clueless in the batter's box. And he was prone to base-running gaffes, one of which probably cost the Twins a playoff game against the Yankees.

If nothing else, his departure to the Milwaukee Brewers will add years to the life of Twins first-base coach Jerry White. Poor Jerry had the unenviable task of trying to keep Go-Go from getting picked off. That was tough sledding.

J.J. Hardy either is an all-star or a bum, depending on which year you check the stats. After a couple of outstanding seasons at shortstop, he actually wound up back in Triple-A last season. When he's right, he can play Gold Glove-quality shortstop and hit 20-plus home runs. Hardy has a terrific arm. When he's not right, he can go into seemingly endless batting slumps.

Perhaps the Twins coaches can help him become more consistent. They could not do that with Gomez. Although they said all the right things about him last season, it was clear that they felt as though they were talking to a cinder block.

What's interesting about this trade is that it says volumes about the direction in which the Twins are going. Obviously, Orlando Cabrera is out at shortstop. Delmon Young is the everyday left fielder, for better or for worse. Denard Span is the full-time center fielder. And Michael Cuddyer, who has a $10.5 million option for 2011, probably is part of the Twins' longer-term future.

It's difficult to imagine the Twins getting rid of a young outfielder if they weren't planning on having Cuddyer around for a couple more years. They have some outfield talent in the minors, but it probably isn't going to be ready by 2011.

Also, I'll give general manager Bill Smith credit for doing something. Yeah, it looks bad to get rid of the remnants of the Johan Santana trade. But Hardy still could make that trade a success. In any event, if something isn't working, it's better to move on to something else.

Which brings us to Young. Up until the stretch run, he appeared to be an unmitigated disaster, and I'd have bet the farm that he was out of here. But he hit very well when inserted in the lineup every day as the Twins made their run. He's still a different bird, but Smith now seems more committed to him than ever. It's a gamble.

This trade fills a need for Minnesota. Current shortstop Cabrera is eligible for free agency. He was a solid performer and good in the clubhouse while with the Twins . But age has robbed him of his range in the field. Plus, his arm has grown weak. Experience can compensate for only so much.

Perhaps the Brewers will find a way to harness Gomez's ability. As for Hardy, at least he has done it before. It's a given that he is capable of competing at a high level. The Twins should do all right with this deal.

Tom Powers can be reached at tpowers@pioneerpress.com .

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