Funds for 2010 are 'substantial'

INDIANAPOLIS -- Twins general manager Bill Smith doesn't know how it feels to stand at the podium during Baseball's winter meetings with television cameras rolling and a swarm of reporters eager to ask questions. So as Baseball's annual gathering began emptying out of downtown Indianapolis on Thursday, Smith thought maybe he'd find out. Not by making a blockbuster trade, of course. Instead, Smith joked that he might sneak up to the podium, to know, just one time, what it's like up there. Minnesota's lack of activity at winter meetings has become somewhat of a running joke, but even without a big trade, the Twins' 2010 payroll will climb to a historic level. With $62 million committed to eight players and seven more players eligible for arbitration, the Twins are looking at a payroll that could reach $90 million, and that's just with players currently on the roster. The Twins still need a third baseman, a right-handed hitting utility player and, perhaps, one more veteran starting pitcher. The club's previous record-high payroll was just more than $71 million in 2007. Does Smith have the leeway to add any substantial salary to the books? "We'll let you know," he said. "There will be limitations, but our ownership has set out what we think are certainly substantial funds to get our club ready for the start of the season. We're going to have a ceiling to all of this, but we've been able to make a couple of moves so far, adding J.J. Hardy and bringing Carl Pavano back. We're very pleased with those moves." The other move on Smith's checklist is one that certainly would get him behind a podium -- re-signing catcher Joe Mauer. Asked if the Twins' front office now would turn its attention to negotiations with Mauer, Smith said, "We've got a lot on our plate, and we'll tackle all of those things at the appropriate time." Mauer's contract will be a heavy load for the historically small-spending Twins , but Smith has had success locking up his best players. Before the 2008 season, Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau signed long-term deals, and during spring training that year, Smith signed Joe Nathan to an extension. But the Twins traded Johan Santana when the left-hander's price got uncomfortably high and opted not to re-sign center fielder Torii Hunter. Mauer, though, is not Santana or Hunter. He's the best catcher in Baseball, the face of the franchise and a hometown hero loved by a fan base the Twins need to impress with a new ballpark opening this spring. "We're trying to keep our good players. We've got a very, very good core of players," Smith said. "There will continue to be turnover among our players, but we're very optimistic that we're going to be able to keep the core players and we're going to be able to acquire players from other clubs, be it through trade or free agency, that can keep our club competitive and hopefully get us to the World Series." Still, with a payroll jump like this market has never seen, Smith couched that statement with another. "We're always going to strive to operate responsibly. Our revenues are certainly going to increase, but we've operated the same way for 24 years that I've been here," Smith said. Bonser to Boston: The Twins sent Boof Bonser to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash, though Smith said Minnesota will get a player from Boston's minor league system, most likely Class A or Class AA. The player has to be determined by March 1. The Twins designated Bonser for assignment on Tuesday to make room for Carl Pavano on the 40-man roster after Pavano accepted arbitration. Smith said multiple teams called about Bonser, and ultimately Smith decided Boston was the best fit both for the pitcher and for the Twins . Briefly: The Twins lost two players in the Rule 5 Draft, both in the minor league phase. The Phillies took right-handed pitcher Angelo Sanchez, and Texas snatched left-handed pitcher Winston Marquez. Both pitchers were signed out of the Twins' academy in Venezuela and were on Class AA New Britain's roster.