Minnesota
Twins

News: De Los Santos was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster.
Impact: He hit .290/.330/.393 after being promoted to High-A Fort Myers last season with 11 stolen bases. While De Los Santos has good speed, it's not clear he has the on-base skills or power to advance to the majors. Still, he could be a sleeper to advance rapidly in 2010. 

News: Delaney was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster. He had a 4.53 ERA and 38:15 K:BB ratio in 47.2 innings with seven saves after he was promoted to Triple-A in June and took over as Rochester's closer.
Impact: While Delaney has been a bit old for his competition (he'll turn 26 next season), he's shown strong control and strikeout numbers, although his numbers did fall off in his first exposure to Triple-A. He could be a factor in Minnesota's bullpen at some point in 2010. 

News: Van Mil was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster.
Impact: Van Mil had a 2.79 ERA and 28:23 K:BB ratio in 42 innings between High-A and Double-A last season. He needs to improve his control, but his 7-1 height makes him an intriguing prospect. 

News: Burnett was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster. He had a 3.38 ERA and 11:10 K:BB ratio in 10.2 innings in the Arizona Fall League.
Impact: Burnett had a 1.85 ERA and 78:26 K:BB ratio in 78 innings between High-A and Double-A last season. While a minor league reliever, he could move up quickly after a strong season and perhaps be a factor in the majors in 2011. 

News: Romero was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester and removed from Minnesota's 40-man roster.
Impact: He hit just .225/.311/.319 last season with five home runs at High-A Fort Myers. 

News: Guerra was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster.
Impact: Guerra was thought to be the hidden jewel in the Johan Santana trade, but looked like a bust after a disappointing 2008 season. However, he turned the corner in 2009 with a 106:42 K:BB ratio in 149 innings between High-A and Double-A (despite a 4.89 ERA). He had a 49:18 K:BB ratio in 63.2 innings at Double-A as a starter. He'll be just 21 years old next season and could advance rapidly since it looks like he's finally putting things together after he was probably rushed early in his career (playing at High-A at age 18). 

News: Valencia was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster.
Impact: Valencia hit .337/.337/.446 with 14 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He could be the future at third base for the Twins, but it's not clear if he'll get a shot at the starting job in spring training. If the Twins don't sign or trade for a veteran third baseman, Valencia could be in the mix before too long next season. 

News: Morillo has signed a one-year, 50 million yen deal to play in Japan with the Rakuten Eagles, the Kyodo news service reports.
Impact: Morillo has a high-90s fastball, but has struggled with his control (87:51 K:BB ratio in 67 innings at Triple-A). If he can improve his control in Japan it's possible he could return to the majors since he'll just be 26 years old next season. 

News: Morillo is close to signing with a team in Japan, the Minneapols Star Tribune reports.
Impact: The Twins may get some compensation since he's on the 40-man roster. 

News: The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Twins are interested in bringing back Orlando Cabrera to play second base in 2010. Cabrera his .284 between Oakland and Minnesota last seaon.
Impact: Cabrera made a nice impression in his stint with the Twins last season, and he might be a better fit a second base than he was at short. He can still hit, and should have no problem finding a job for next season. 

News: Huber is in the process of being acquired by the Hiroshima Carp, the Chugoku Shimbun reports.
Impact: Details are still being worked out, but the Twins recently removed Huber from their 40-man roster, indicating that he's not a part of the organization's long-term plans. 

News: McCardell left the Arizona Fall League to have bone chips removed from his elbow, Seth Speaks reports. He had a 7.27 ERA with a 11:5 K:BB ratio in 8.2 innings before departing.
Impact: McCardell had a 4.10 ERA with a 40:16 K:BB ratio in 48.1 innings after moving up to Double-A New Britain last season. His age (25 next season) will keep him from being considered a top prospect, but he continues to show strong strikeout rates with good control. He could reach the majors at some point in 2010 if the elbow surgery is indeed minor. 

News: Huber cleared waivers and will remain with Minnesota at Triple-A Rochester, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: He'll add depth at Triple-A and likely won't get called up unless there are a few injuries. 

News: Minnesota is interested in signing Crede (back) to a contract for next season, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: With three back surgeries in three years, Crede will likely get an incentive-laden deal with a low base salary. Despite hitting .225 with just a .703 OPS, Crede had a good glove and provided some needed right-handed power. He wouldn't be a bad option for a team needing depth at third base if he comes cheap. 

News: Perkins (shoulder) dropped his grievance against the Twins on Wednesday after reaching a settlement with the team, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Impact: Perkins' grievance was about whether the Twins shortchanged his arbitration eligibility by activating him from the DL and optioning him to the minors. What's interesting here is that he settled with the team without gaining his arbitration eligibility. 

News: Slowey says he will likely miss the rest of the season after having surgery to fix a bone chip in his right wrist.
Impact: Slowey told reporters before Monday night's game against the Chicago White Sox that the operation requires two to four months of rehab and recovery. Slowey says he had a bone chip that was aggravated when he was hit by a line drive during a start last September. He pitched with the injury until July 3, when he left a game after three innings. He went on the disabled list the next day. 

News: Bonser will have exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his ailing pitching shoulder, and he's likely to miss the entire season.
Impact: Bonser was experiencing persistent soreness in the joint and sought a second opinion. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Tuesday the doctor's recommendation after the latest MRI exam was to "go in there and clean up.'' 

News: Neshek was placed on the 60-day disabled list Saturday because he's still recovering from right elbow surgery that's expected to keep him sidelined for the entire 2009 season.
Impact: Neshek was 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 15 games spanning 13 1-3 innings in 2008. He last pitched May 8. 

News: Crede plans to have another surgery on his injured back.
Impact: Crede, out for the season, said the procedure by Dr. Andrew Dossett, a Dallas orthopedist, will remove fluid from a herniated disk that is impeding on a nerve. Crede expects to have the operation Friday. The date will be finalized Monday. 

News: Cabrera filed for free agency, the Twins' official web site reports.
Impact: With Minnesota trading for J.J. Hardy, the Twins informed Cabrera they won't be offering him a contract for 2010. He's once again a Type A free agent, which hurt his value last offseason because it cost a team a high draft pick to sign him. However, his current contract doesn't allow the Twins to offer him arbitration. As a result, his Type A status shouldn't be an issue this offseason because no team will have to give up a draft pick to sign him. 

News: Morillo was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: He cleared waivers in May when the Twins dropped him from the 40-man roster, so it's not clear he needed to protected this offseason. He's got a high-90s fastball, but has struggled with his control. He had 87 strikeouts in 67 innings at Triple-A Rochester, but also had 51 walks. He could be an impact player as a set-up man if the Twins can reduce his walks. 

News: Huber cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: He had a chance at some playing time in September with Justin Morneau hurt, but missed the final three weeks of the season with an oblique injury. It's not clear if he'll accept the assignment or look for a job elsewhere. 

News: Gabino was claimed off waivers by Baltimore from Minnesota, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: Gabino had a 2.94 ERA and 64:24 K:BB ratio in 98 innings at Triple-A before making just two appearances with the Twins. His upside seems limited at age 26, but he should have a better shot at a regular role in the majors with the Orioles. 

News: Ramos left Thursday's game in the Venezuelan Winter League because of a knee injury. "We're waiting on the doctors and trainers and our staff down there," Twins General Manager Bill Smith told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I think the preliminary report said he was just going to miss a couple days. ... I don't think anybody thinks it's serious."
Impact: This doesn't sound serious, but track his progress this winter. 

News: According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Twins starting pitcher Carl Pavano has filed for free agency. Pavano finished 2009 with a 5.10 ERA between Minnesota and Cleveland.
Impact: The ERA might not look all that great, but the fact that Pavano was able to pitch a full season without suffering a serious injury is a win in itself. He shouldn't have much trouble finding a team interested in his services for next season. 

News: Pavano filed for free agency Saturday.
Impact: Pavano went 5-4 with a 4.64 ERA this season for the Twins after starting the season with the Indians. 

News: Pavano filed for free agency, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: The Twins may want to re-sign Pavano as they may want to add a veteran to their rotation, but his comeback season (his most starts 2004) will likely push his price beyond Minnesota's budget. 

News: The Minnesota Twins have picked up Cuddyer's $10.5 million option for 2011. The option is part of a contract Cuddyer signed in 2008. He will make $8.5 million in 2010 and be paid $33.5 million over the life of the four-year deal. If the Twins had declined the option, they would have owed Cuddyer a $1 million buyout.
Impact: Cuddyer hit a career-high 32 home runs to lead the team. He also had 94 RBIs and was sixth in the American League with 73 extra-base hits. When slugger Justin Morneau went out with a back injury in September, Cuddyer moved from right field to first base. He hit .352 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in the next 19 games as the Twins leapfrogged the Tigers and won the AL Central title. 

News: Minnesota exercised a $10.5 million club option for 2011 in Cuddyer's contract.
Impact: Cuddyer had a career year in 2009 with 32 home runs while hitting .276/.342/.520. He's become a much needed right-handed power source for the Twins, but has been injury-prone during his career. 

News: The Twins have acquired Hardy from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez. The move, announced Friday, relieves a crowded outfield for the Twins, who also have Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer.
Impact: The 27-year-old Hardy batted .229 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI in 115 games for the Brewers in 2009. A 2007 All-Star, he is just the third shortstop in Brewers' history to hit more than 20 home runs in a season twice (Robin Yount and Jose Hernandez). 

News: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers have traded shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez. Hardy batted just .229 in 414 at-bats last season.
Impact: This move makes a ton of sense for the Brewers. With Alcides Escobar ready to take over at shortstop, and the Brewers thin in the outfield, Hardy was a perfect piece to trade away after he was benched and even demoted last season. The move almost surely signals the end of the short, but successful, Orlando Cabrera era in Minnesota.  

News: Young will likely be the everyday left fielder for the Twins in 2010 after the trade of Carlos Gomez, and GM Bill Smith said the team will definitely tender him a contract for next season, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: Young had a disappointing season by posting just a .733 OPS and .308 OBP and playing poor defense in left field. However, he hit .340/.364/.544 with four home runs in September when given more regular playing time. There was some thought he could be traded this offseason, or even non-tendered, but it looks like the Twins are sticking with him as a regular for next season. 

News: Neshek has been throwing all his pitches at full speed and says his velocity is almost back to where it was before November 2008 Tommy John surgery, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: Neshek has recently started throwing sliders which was the last step in his rehab process. It sounds like he'll be ready for the start of spring training and could be a key set-up man for the Twins, but he may struggle with his control initially in his return from Tommy John surgery. 

News: Hardy has been traded to the Twins from the Brewers for Carlos Gomez, the Brewers' official web site reports.
Impact: Hardy should take over at shortstop for Minnesota, although there's a chance he could be moved to third base if Orlando Cabrera is re-signed. Still, this likely means the Twins won't re-sign Cabrera. This has been a much rumored deal and it's odd the Twins didn't have to include pitching prospects to obtain him. 

News: Mahay filed for free agency, the Twins' official web site reports.
Impact: Mahay was a disappointment after signing with the Royals, but pitched well for the Twins after coming over in a trade in late August (2.00 ERA and 8:3 K:BB ratio in nine innings). Overall he was still effective against lefties (.743 OPS against left-handed batters), so he'll find suitors for a set-up role. 

News: Redmond filed for free agency, the Twins' official web site reports.
Impact: Redmond may not return to the Twins with Jose Morales showing he's a capable backup to Joe Mauer. 

News: Crede (back) filed for free agency, the Twins' official web site reports.
Impact: Crede had a third surgery on his back in three years in September. He's had each of his last three seasons cut short by back problems. He says he'd like to return to the Twins, but he's likely going to have to sign a non-roster deal and show he's healthy with any team. 

News: Mauer, who had been playing with hip flexor pain during the playoffs, was given a clean bill of health by doctors, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The exam also found no problems with the sacroiliac joint in his back which caused him to miss the first month of the season when it became inflamed.
Impact: He looks fully healthy heading into 2010 despite some late season concern when he had an issue in his hip. Now Mauer and the Twins can turn their attention to extending his contract as he's currently set to be a free agent after the 2010 season. 

News: Brian Buscher has been removed from the Twins' 40-man roster and has been assigned to Triple-A Rochester, according to the Associated Press.
Impact: Buscher will become a minor league free agent later this month. He batted .266 over parts of three seasons with Minnesota.  

News: The Minnesota Twins moved Buscher off their 40-man roster on Tuesday and assigned him to Triple-A Rochester. He will become a minor league free agent 16 days after the end of the World Series.
Impact: Over parts of three seasons, Buscher batted .266 in 436 at-bats with eight home runs and 69 RBIs while going back and forth between the Rochester club and the Twins. With Joe Crede becoming a free agent this fall following an injury-plagued year, third base is again unsettled for the Twins. Matt Tolbert and Brendan Harris were the primary options at that position down the stretch while Crede was hurt, and Buscher rarely played. He hit .235 in 136 at-bats this year. 

News: Buscher was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester in order to remove him from the 40-man roster, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact: He may refuse the assignment and become a free agent. However, he could return to the Twins on another contract. He may have value to another club as a left-handed platoon player at third base. 

News: Minnesota Twins' catcher Joe Mauer has been voted the AL's Most Oustanding Player by the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Impact: Mauer is in a tight race for AL MVP with the Yankees' Mark Teixeira, but apparently the players believe he was the best in his league. Mauer's .365 average was outstanding this season, not to mention he added 28 homers and 96 RBI.