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Home , Alexi Casilla, Camilo Pascual, Chris Parmelee, Ervin Santana, Joe Benson, Johan Santana

Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Monday, December 15, 2014

➢ Twins feel armed, durable with Santana. Star Tribune (Miller) pg. 1 ➢ Here's one more position for Tovar: A spot in Twins' HOF. Star Tribune (Reusse) pg. 2 ➢ Rand: Expecting returns on Twins' rotation investment. Star Tribune (Rand) pg. 3 ➢ Twins: Signing about more than the arm. Pioneer Press (Berardino) pg. 4 ➢ : No payroll 'ceiling,' but it won't go to $150M. Pioneer Press (Berardino) pg. 5 ➢ Twinsights: Doug Mientkiewicz leaning toward return in 2015. Pioneer Press (Berardino) pg. 6 ➢ Twinsights: designated for assignment. Pioneer Press (Berardino) pg. 6 ➢ Twinsights: Ervin Santana enters smiling as he opens Twins career. Pioneer Press (Berardino) pg. 7 ➢ Santana ready to get started with Twins. MLB.com (Sandell) pg. 7 ➢ Why spend now? says, ‘We’re going to be better’. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) pg. 9 ➢ Chris Parmelee designated for assignment to make room for Santana. 1500ESPN.com (Wetmore) pg. 9 ➢ Owner Jim Pohlad says Twins don’t have a payroll ‘ceiling’. 1500ESPN.com (Wetmore) pg. 10 ➢ Wetmore: Twins probably got Ervin Santana on a discount. 1500ESPN.com (Wetmore) pg. 11 ➢ Twins' link with Ervin Santana has history. FOXSportsNorth.com (Mason) pg. 12

Twins feel armed, durable with Santana

Phil Miller / Star Tribune – 12/13/14

Ervin Santana once wanted $100 million, but didn’t get it. By coincidence, signing Santana means the Twins have to contemplate that round number, too.

But both sides seemed delighted, or at least satisfied, by the terms they signed their names to Saturday.

“It was just negotiations. I ended up with a good contract for a good team,” Santana said after pulling on a Twins jersey, No. 54, at an introductory news conference at Target Field. Santana entered ’s free-agent marketplace 13 months ago with a target price of $100 million over five years but ended up agreeing, after an interim season in Atlanta, to General Terry Ryan’s offer of a four-year, $55 million deal. “I hope it’s fair for both sides,” Santana added.

So do the Twins, whose return on the first year of ’s four-year, $49 million pact didn’t live up to the price, and whose $11 million, two-year investment in last winter bought mostly time on the disabled list. And now, with Santana becoming the fourth free-agent starting signed by Minnesota in the past two winters (along with Nolasco, and Pelfrey), Minnesota’s payroll projects to eclipse $100 million for the first time since 2011.

“It’s not going to go to $150 million or anything like that, but it’s headed north of [$100 million],” owner Jim Pohlad acknowledged. The rise in payroll from last season’s $85 million — the exact number won’t be known until arbitration-eligible players agree to contracts next month — was triggered by the signings of Santana and , transactions that happened because he became convinced the price was worth it, Pohlad said. “It’s being able to sign when the players are available. They can add to it if we feel good about the risk when we sign them,” Pohlad said. “It’s not like we made a concerted effort to get the payroll up. You know Terry — Terry doesn’t spend money for the sake of spending money.” That’s true, though Ryan sounded enthusiastic over adding the durable Santana, who has averaged roughly 207 over the past five seasons. The signing will cost the Twins their second-round pick, currently No. 44, in next June’s draft, but Ryan said it’s worth it to add a stabilizer to the starting rotation.

“He’s got enough velocity. He’s got a , which is probably his best . He is the type of guy who doesn’t want to come out of games,” Ryan said. The former Angels and Royals righthander “is not afraid of the , which is another good thing.”

And like Hunter, the 32-year-old Santana might serve, Ryan believes, as a veteran example for the young roster the Twins are assembling. “This guy’s makeup is pretty solid, Torii Hunter’s makeup is pretty solid,” Ryan said. “We’ve got a couple veterans here to help show the way.”

For Santana — who went by his given first name, Johan, while in the minor leagues a decade ago but changed it to avoid confusion with the Twins’ former winner — the signing is a way to settle in after playing for three different teams the past three seasons. He said ex-Twins and both recommended the organization, and “I like the city. I like the fans. I like the [ballpark].” Santana has a 3.10 ERA in three career starts in Target Field.

His contract is guaranteed for four years, which seems to be the limit to the Twins’ comfort level. “It’s a big gamble when you sign a player to a long-term contract. ... I’ve said all along, the term is the big wild card in any of these [contracts]. Not the annual amount, but the term,” Pohlad said. “Terry told us, this guy has been durable and performed well. That’s what you worry about, of course — a contract where they can’t give you the innings.”

Ryan worries about it, too, and he’s no fan of the free-agent market. “This isn’t exactly the blueprint we had in mind, going out and signing a guy for $55 million,” Ryan said. “Jim Pohlad gave us the ability to do that, and hopefully it’ll pay off, but the ideal is to keep [prospects] coming through the system, through player development.”

Here's one more position for Tovar: A spot in Twins' HOF

Patrick Reusse / Star Tribune – 12/13/14

The Twins started a Hall of Fame in 2000. As someone who had watched them since the first-ever game at Met Stadium, I felt as if the Twins Hall of Fame was a hollow place as the years went by without being elected as a member.

That was rectified in 2012, when the Twins’ original ace and master finally made it past the voters without the strong tie to ’s first decade on the Bloomington prairie.

Camilo was inducted, and I’m now at peace with the Twins Hall of Fame.

A year ago, we decided to vote in , ignoring his link to steroids, his demand to leave the Twins and the ugly reception given to him as a Yankees’ left fielder by Metrodome customers with cheap hot dogs to spare.

The voters decided to recognize Knoblauch as an excellent Twins player, while also providing an opportunity for a Minnesota reconciliation.

No surprise, Knobby messed it up, getting charged with domestic assault against an ex-wife. The honor and the induction ceremony were canceled (not postponed).

The new ballot arrived last week with 16 names and a limit of five selections. I voted for one: Cesar Tovar, the marvel of versatility here for seven full seasons from 1966 to 1972.

The headline on most Internet searches of Tovar is that he played nine positions on Sept. 22, 1968. That was a desperate attempt to sell tickets at the end of a noncontending season.

There was no gimmick to Tovar’s adaptability. In 1967, he played in 164 games (two ties) and started from four to 70 games at six positions. Max Nichols, the baseball reporter for the Minneapolis Star, voted for Tovar as the MVP, notoriously costing Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski’s unanimous selection in his Crown season. 2

I can’t defend Max’s vote. I can say that a man of Tovar’s skills would be even more valuable in today’s baseball, with its three- and four-player benches.

A guy who could some, steal bases and field adequately at six positions … 30 clubs would covet that.

Plus Three from Patrick Three things to know about Cesar Tovar: • Small and wiry, he died of a heart attack in his home of Venezuela in 1994 at age 54. • Acquired at ’64 winter meetings from Cincinnati; a surprise deal with Twins giving up young lefthanded starter Gerry Arrigo. • ”Pepi’’ led the American League in doubles (36), triples (13), hit 10 home runs and had 30 steals in 1970.

Rand: Expecting returns on Twins' rotation investment

Michael Rand / Star Tribune – 12/15/14

The 2010 Twins had a middle-of-the-road starting rotation, ranking 16th in MLB in starters’ ERA, but it was enough to get the teams to the postseason.

From there, of course, everything fell apart. From 2011-14, the Twins starters’ ERA ranked, in order, among the 30 teams in baseball: 26th, 29th, 30th and 30th.

In 2011, the Twins could be excused because a reasonable plan fell apart. , Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Brian Duensing and Nick Blackburn, who took the bulk of the starts after anywhere from adequate to promising performances the previous year, regressed. In 2014, the Twins again had the makings of a better plan … and again, it fell apart.

The plan in the two middle years … that was a wing and a prayer, which wasn’t answered.

The objective here, then, is to look at the rotation in 2012 and 2013 — both seasons in which the Twins lost 96 games — and see just how much better, realistically, we could expect the rotation to be in 2015 given only average performances from the three free-agent to whom they committed more than $125 million: Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana.

• Nolasco: He was a disaster last year. Nobody would disagree. He was 6-12 with a 5.38 ERA and only made 27 starts because of a midseason injury (though with the way he was going, it was no great loss). With three years and more than $35 million left on his contract, he simply has to be better. And the good news for the Twins is that he should be. He might never pitch to his contract, but both his five-year average from 2010-14 and the projection for 2015 from FanGraphs puts Nolasco on pace for close to 200 innings with an ERA of around 4.50.

• Hughes: He was the exact opposite of Nolasco last year: durable, productive and a relative bargain at $8 million a season. Expecting him to win 16 games with such impeccable control again is tough, but expecting 200 innings with an ERA under 4 is what FanGraphs projects.

• Santana: This is the recent prize, of course, and the biggest outside free-agent contract in team history. Like Nolasco, he’s more of a midrotation pitcher. But he, too, projects in an average year to pitch around 200 innings with an ERA around 4.

If that sounds pretty average, consider this: Those “average” seasons for those three pitchers would add up to a WAR (wins above replacement) of about 6. All three of them could very well top a WAR of 2. In 2012 and 2013, the leanest of the lean pitching years, the Twins had one starter each year perform even close to that well. They didn’t have any starter top 186 innings.

Long story short: This is the best starting pitching plan the Twins have had in half a decade, and there is a reasonable expectation that, led by those free agents, Minnesota will move back toward the middle of the pack like it was in 2010. That probably isn’t enough to get the team back to the postseason, but a return to respectability would be a start.

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Twins: Signing Ervin Santana about more than the arm

Mike Berardino / Pioneer Press – 12/13/14

The Twins didn't hand Ervin Santana the richest free-agent contract in franchise history for his pitching prowess alone.

His outsized personality is a big part of the equation, too.

"He's a really cool guy," Twins CEO Jim Pohlad said after Saturday morning's rollout at Target Field. "He's got a great smile. That's important. You have to be able to connect with fans. Not just standing on the mound, but we want players to connect with fans in other ways, too, because they're cool guys."

Before Santana signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Twins, the outgoing right-hander from the Dominican Republic said he received good reports on the organization from three of his best friends in the game: ex-Twins Francisco Liriano and Alexi Casilla and the recently re-signed Torii Hunter, who teamed with Santana for five seasons on the .

"I like the city, I like the fans, I like the stadium," Santana said. "I love the game. I'm very happy. Work hard. Never give up."

He's even coined a Twitter term for his philosophy: #SmellBaseball.

"That's the passion," said Santana, who turned 32 on Friday and was accompanied by his agent, Jay Alou; wife Amy and their two children: Jonathan, 6, and Sofia, 4.

Asked to explain the origin of "Smell Baseball" to the uninitiated, Amy Santana smiled.

"It was him. It's what he loves. He loves baseball," Amy Santana said. "Anytime you go anywhere, certain smells remind you of something. For him it's the smell of a dirty baseball, rubbing it in his hands."

Ervin Santana has been known to hold the baseball to his nose, even while on the mound.

He does this as a reminder of what's important in his professional life. "Some people go to the field, and it's popcorn, the smell of the hot dogs and the beer," Amy Santana said. "It's significant for everybody now. But for him, it's actually showing up and playing. For him, a baseball with a little bit of dirt on it smells good. That's what he means."

Santana's deal includes a fifth-year vesting option based on -- either 200 in 2018 or a combined 400 in 2017-18 -- but it does not include a no-trade provision.

As they did with Ricky Nolasco's four-year, $49 million deal a year ago, the Twins will take out an insurance policy on Santana, who has been pitching since March 2009 with a sprained ligament in his throwing elbow.

All he has done since then is put up five straight seasons of 30 or more starts, averaging 207 innings with a career high of 228 2/3 with the Angels in 2011.

"He's been very, very durable," Twins Terry Ryan said. "He's got enough velocity (92-94 mph). He's got a slider that is probably his best pitch. He's the type of guy that doesn't want to come out of games. He's not afraid of the American League, which is another good thing. The (cold) weather is not scaring him off either, which is another good thing."

The Twins actually had interest in a return engagement with Liriano before the veteran left-hander re-signed Monday with the for $39 million over three years. The Twins quickly pivoted and were in talks with Alou within 24 hours, finalizing the agreement Thursday morning.

Santana, who is 2-0 with a 3.10 earned- average in three career starts at Target Field, didn't need much convincing to pick the Twins over the , and , all of whom showed interest in the 10-year veteran. Twins manager Paul Molitor called Santana "a huge upgrade" to a starting rotation that has finished in the majors' bottom two in ERA four years running. Ryan called Santana's commitment to conditioning "almost freakish" and said he could see him becoming a mentor to younger Latin American players in the Twins clubhouse. Amy Santana said her husband takes two weeks off after each season before resuming his grueling workouts. Those start with 6 a.m., trips to the gym; Sundays are his only day of rest.

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Ervin Santana said the elbow scare in 2009 didn't change his regimen, but he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

"I don't try to change anything," he said. "I just try to be consistent. Keep working the same way I have over the years." Nor, he said, does he draw motivation from doubters around the game who wonder how he hasn't crumpled yet beneath one of the modern game's heaviest workloads. "I don't try to prove anything, either," he said. "I know what I got. I know who I am. I trust myself. I trust my pitches and just go out there and perform."

Minnesota Twins: No payroll 'ceiling,' but it won't go to $150M

Mike Berardino / Pioneer Press – 12/13/14

With the Twins' projected 2015 payroll unofficially at $103.5 million, which would be the second-highest in club history, club owner Jim Pohlad was asked Saturday how much higher it could go.

"I wouldn't say that there's a ceiling," Pohlad said after Ervin Santana's introductory news conference at Target Field. "I'm just telling you it's not going to go to $150 million. You just know when this thing becomes unreasonable." Pohlad wouldn't confirm the $103.5 million projection, saying the team's budget is still being finalized, but that would represent a 21 percent increase over the $85.5 million at which the Twins opened 2014.

Did the Twins simply decide, after four straight seasons of 92 or more losses and amid declining attendance, that it was time to ramp up the payroll in order to better compete in a suddenly ferocious American League Central?

"It's not about that," Pohlad said. "It's being able to sign (players). If the players are available and we want to sign them and they can add to us and we feel good about the risk, then we sign them. That's all it is. It isn't like we made a concerted effort to get our payroll up."

This week, just as he recently did before signing Torii Hunter for $10.5 million, Twins general manager Terry Ryan went to Pohlad and asked for clearance to spend $55 million over the next four years on Santana, a proven, durable right-hander with an all-star selection and a no-hitter on his resume.

For the second time in recent weeks, Pohlad gave his approval. "You know Terry," Pohlad said. "Terry doesn't spend money just for the sake of spending money, but he will spend it. He has the ability to do that." The Twins' below-average local broadcast deal with Fox Sports North, which brings in a reported $29 million per year and runs through the end of the decade, puts them at a disadvantage when trying to compete with big-market behemoths. Yet the Twins, it might be said, are getting out ahead of their next TV deal by signing a pair of right-hander starters to franchise-record free-agent deals the past two offseasons.

"We're either out ahead of it or behind it now, depending on how you look at it," Pohlad said. "But we're happy with our agreement. Fox (Sports) North is a great partner. They've stuck with us here through these thinner times."

And those back-to-back record deals for Ricky Nolasco and now Santana?

"That sounds good -- richest free-agent deal -- but it doesn't mean anything," Pohlad said. The Twins offered Santana a three-year, $33 million in the spring, when he also would have cost them a second-round compensatory pick, but obviously they convinced themselves to go further this time.

"I'm not sure how Terry came up with (that number) back in February versus what he came up with now," Pohlad said.

A broader market, combined with a fifth straight 30-start season for Santana and a fourth straight year of losing for the Twins, no doubt played a role in that adjustment. "As I've said all along, the term is the big wild card in any of these things," Pohlad said. "Not the annual amount, but the term. I think four years, what do I know? I make a judgment. Terry tells us that the guy's been durable and performed well. That's what you're worried about, of course, is having a contract where they can't give you innings." 5

Twinsights: Doug Mientkiewicz leaning toward return in 2015

Mike Berardino / Pioneer Press – 12/14/14

Doug Mientkiewicz, one of the top managerial prospects in the game, has yet to decide if he will remain with the Twins organization in 2015. “I’m probably going back,” Mientkiewicz said Sunday in a text message to the Pioneer Press. “Just not 100 percent.” Twins general manager Terry Ryan agreed Saturday with the idea that Mientkiewicz was “disappointed” at being passed over for Paul Molitor despite interviewing twice for the big-league managerial opening. There was some thought Mientkiewicz might land a coaching position on Molitor’s staff, but that didn’t happen. Ryan said it was his belief the former big-league first baseman still “wants to manage,” but a precise assignment for 2015 was still being worked out with Twins director of minor league operations Brad Steil. Ryan said he would not involve himself in the process, leaving that to Steil. The Twins finalized Molitor’s coaching staff on Dec. 1 but they have yet to announce their 2015 minor-league managing and coaching assignments. Mientkiewicz, 40, has drawn raves for his work the past two seasons at Class A Fort Myers. In 2014, he led the Miracle to their first title in more than two decades as a Twins affiliate. A South Florida product and offseason resident, Mientkiewicz has a 9-year-old son and might prefer to remain to home. According to sources, -A manager Jeff Smith, also 40, has requested a return to Class A Fort Myers, where he led the Miracle to the in two previous seasons (2008-09). Smith attended Naples (Fla.) Senior High School and still makes his home in the area. The Twins switched their Double-A affiliation from New Britain of the Eastern League to Chattanooga of the Southern League after another disappointing season in 2014. , the minors’ top-rated overall prospect, figures to open 2015 at Chattanooga and could be joined by the likes of right-hander Jose Berrios, shortstop Jorge Polanco and possibly even Miguel Sano. The Twins also have a manager opening at Triple-A Rochester after Gene Glynn was promoted to Molitor’s staff as third-base .

Twinsights: Chris Parmelee designated for assignment

Mike Berardino / Pioneer Press – 12/13/14

Former first-round draft pick Chris Parmelee was designated for assignment Saturday to make room on the 40-man roster for newly signed right-hander Ervin Santana. A first baseman/outfielder, the 26-year-old Parmelee played 16 games for Licey in the Dominican Winter League last month. In 63 at-bats, he hit .270 with a .708 combined on-base/. The Twins’ Opening Day right fielder in 2013, Parmelee has failed to seize a full-time role despite multiple opportunities. He cleared waivers in March and was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester, where he posted a .920 OPS and was back in the majors by mid-May. Because he was previously outrighted, Parmelee has the option of choosing free agency should he clear waivers. The Twins have 10 days to trade, release or place Parmelee on waivers. In 901 plate appearances over parts of four seasons in the majors, Parmelee has hit .249 with a .317 on-base percentage and .392 slugging percentage. He has 24 homers in the majors and 101 in the minors. Parmelee was drafted 20th overall in 2006 out of Chino Hills (Calif.) High School.

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Twinsights: Ervin Santana enters smiling as he opens Twins career

Mike Berardino / Pioneer Press – 12/13/14

As usual, Ervin Santana entered smiling. Before signing a four-year, $55 million deal with the Twins, the outgoing right-hander from the Dominican Republic said he received good reports on the organization from three of his best friends in the game: Francisco Liriano, Alexi Casilla and Torii Hunter. “Before I chose this team, Francisco Liriano was playing here,” Santana said Saturday morning at his introductory news conference at Target Field. “I always asked him about this team, and he told me a lot of good things about this team. That’s one of the reasons I chose Minnesota.” Interestingly, the Twins had interest in a return engagement with Liriano before the veteran left-hander re-signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $39 million over three years. After Liriano made his decision on Monday, the Twins quickly pivoted and were in talks with Santana within 24 hours. Santana’s deal includes a fifth-year vesting option based on innings pitched (either 200 in 2018 or 400 combined in 2017-18) but does not include a no-trade provision. Santana, who is 2-0 with a 3.10 average in three career starts at Target Field, didn’t need much convincing to pick the Twins over the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees, all of whom showed interest in the 10-year veteran. “I like the city, I like the fans, I like the stadium,” Santana said. “I love the game. That’s the passion. I’m very happy. Work hard. Never give up.” Santana also takes the ball with regularity, posting 30 or more starts for five straight seasons. “He’s been very, very durable,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. “He’s got enough velocity. He’s got a slider that is probably his best pitch. He’s the type of guy that doesn’t want to come out of games. He’s not afraid of the American League, which is another good thing. The weather is not scaring him off either, which is another good thing.” Santana, who turned 32 on Friday, attended the news conference along with agent Jay Alou and the Santana family: wife Amy and children Jonathan, 6, and Sofia, 4.

Santana ready to get started with Twins

Nate Sandell / MLB.com – 12/13/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Intent on bolstering a starting rotation that owned the American League's highest ERA in 2014, the Minnesota Twins opted to make a major splash in the free agency market this offseason.

The result was the largest deal given to a free agent in franchise history as the Twins locked down right-hander Ervin Santana to a four-year, $54 million contract on the final day of the Winter Meetings on Thursday.

With the deal now official, the Twins introduced Santana on Saturday, decked out in his newly minted No. 54 jersey.

By signing Santana, the Twins hope they have found the additional veteran presence they need to anchor a rotation looking for an upgrade. And given the price tag that came with the contract, Minnesota is investing heavily on making that happen.

"We were looking at pitching and he was still on the board," general manager Terry Ryan said. "We had a lot of interest in him, not only this year, but last year as well. I want to thank the Pohlad family for allowing us to extend this contract to Ervin."

Santana has posted a career ERA of 4.17 with 1,507 across 10 seasons that have included stops with the Angels, Royals and Braves.

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The Twins pursued Santana a year ago, offering up a three-year, $33 million deal. Santana ultimately declined and chose to sign with the Braves on a one-year contract. For the 32-year-old starter, his lone season in Atlanta was about proving he could still reliably stack up among the best in baseball. He went on to go 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 31 starts.

"It changed a lot," Santana said. "A lot people were saying I wasn't deserving of a three-year deal or anything like that. I just wanted to prove I was healthy. It was very good for me."

Santana is set to make around $13.5 million per season over the next four years. His contract includes a $14 million vesting option for a fifth year and a $1 million buyout that gives his deal a maximum value of $68 million. Minnesota's push for Santana was helped along thanks to a couple of former Twins players. Paired with a strong recommendation from former Twins shortstop Alexi Casilla, Santana said he was a drawn to the Twins partly due to conversations with Francisco Liriano, who spoke highly of his seven years with Minnesota.

"I was asking about this team and he told me a lot of good things," Santana said. "That's one of the reasons I chose Minnesota." Phil Hughes, owner of a 3.52 ERA in 209 2/3 innings last season, was the bright spot in a tough year for the Twins' rotation. The Twins went into the offseason still in need of additional help for a starting crew that also includesKyle Gibson and Ricky Nolasco.

Ryan noted Santana's durability and familiarity with the American League as key reasons that fueled their interest in landing the veteran free agent.

Santana, who spent his first eight seasons with the Angels after debuting in 2005, has made at least 30 starts in each of the past five seasons. He has pitched more than 200 innings in five of his 10 seasons, missing out on doing so in 2014 by only four innings.

The Twins haven't had two pitchers go for 200-plus innings in the same season since 2009. Santana could help change that this year paired with Hughes.

Santana has a no-frills attitude when it comes to how he has maintained his longevity.

"Work hard. That's my main thing," Santana said. "I always get to the stadium early, work hard and just pitch. I don't try to do too much."

The addition of Santana came as a welcomed boost for new Twins manager Paul Molitor, who is tasked with revitalizing a franchise that has lost more than 90 games in four straight seasons.

"It's obviously a huge upgrade," Molitor said. "As our interest increased, I got a chance to check out different things about him, his career, his video. Obviously, just tremendous stuff. ... It's just a great upgrade. Increasing the depth of our rotation is a big thing that we've been trying to do. Obviously, we landed a very solid guy, and we're very excited to have him." To make room for Santana on their 40-man roster, the Twins designated Chris Parmelee for assignment on Saturday afternoon.

The Twins may still have a ways to go in their pursuit of the top spot in the AL Central, but Ryan said he feels the Santana signing could be a critical step forward.

"We're closer," Ryan said. "We've got some guys here that are just not quite ready. We need to ultimately get some direction here with a few veterans, but I would hope between some of the young position players and some of the young pitchers that we have coming that this will help the cause."

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Why spend now? Terry Ryan says, ‘We’re going to be better’

Phil Mackey / 1500ESPN – 12/14/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Over the past 12 months the Minnesota Twins have been more active in free agency than at any point in franchise history, adding five significant players to the roster: Ricky Nolasco (four years, $49 million), Phil Hughes (three years, $24 million), Kendrys Morales (prorated $12 million), Torii Hunter (one year, $10 million) and now Ervin Santana (four years, $55 million).

How they've spent the money is debatable in some respects -- Morales didn't work out, and Nolasco struggled mightily in his first full season in the American League -- but this is by far the most the Twins have spent in such a short period.

So, why go after significant free agents now, over the past 12 months, when the downslide began four seasons ago? Well, payroll availability is one factor; the Twins spent $113 million on 99 losses in 2011, and Step 1 for Ryan was stripping away some of the bad money (Nick Blackburn,Matt Capps, , , Delmon Young, etc... even ) and rebuilding the core.

A second reason for why the Twins have been more aggressive in the market lately, by their standards, might have more to do with how well some of the younger core has performed. Is it fair to say the front office feels like the roster is getting close to playing relevant baseball in August and September? "I would say so," general manager Terry Ryan said Saturday. "We're closer." "We've got some guys here that are just not quite ready. We need to ultimately get some direction here with a few veterans," Ryan said, "but I would hope between some of the young position players and some of the young pitchers that we do have coming that this would help the cause and show them the way to some extent. (Ervin Santana's) makeup is pretty solid. Torii Hunter's makeup is pretty solid. We've got a couple veterans here to help show the way on the mound, on the position side." In 2011 and 2012, the "younger" core consisted of players like , , , Luke Hughes,Rene Tosoni, Chris Parmelee, , and Scott Diamond. Adding an extra $35-40 million in payroll to this collection still wouldn't have brought the Twins anywhere near playoff contention - nor did free agents have much of a desire to put themselves in such a tumultuous situation.

But now it's actually possible to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Danny Santana, and Kennys Vargas emerged and showed significant promise in 2014. Brian Dozier has the 8th-best WAR (Wins Above Replacement) among second basemen over the past two years. , with a 3.80 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) was formidable and will probably improve. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, , J.O. Berrios, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Polanco are all knocking on the door.

"We're going to be better, and we're getting better," Ryan said. "And some of these guys like (Danny) Santana and Vargas and Arcia and so forth, you saw this year, but we have more coming."

Chris Parmelee designated for assignment to make room for Santana

Derek Wetmore / 1500ESPN – 12/13/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins officially signed Ervin Santana on Saturday, and the team needed to make room on the 40-man roster. They announced that Chris Parmelee has been designated for assignment to clear a spot for Santana. The Twins made Parmelee the 20th overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft, and he debuted with a strong September in 2011, in which he hit .355/.443/.592 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 88 plate appearances. But Parmelee's overall body of work in the Majors has been underwhelming, as the first baseman/outfielder has hit just .249/.317/.392 with 24 home runs in 901 plate appearances. The Twins exposed him to waivers at the end of last year and he cleared, at which point they sent him to Triple-A Rochester. As with all DFA'd players, the Twins will have 10 days to trade, release or put Parmelee on waivers. If the Twins choose the latter and he clears waivers, Parmelee will get to choose if he wants to accept a minor league assignment or become a free agent, since he's already been outrighted to the minors once.

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Owner Jim Pohlad says Twins don’t have a payroll ‘ceiling’

Derek Wetmore / 1500ESPN – 12/13/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins dipped their toes in free agency by signing Torii Hunter to a one-year deal, and then they made a splash by adding starting pitcher Ervin Santana to the fold. The Twins officially introduced Santana on Saturday morning at Target Field. With his signing, Minnesota's 2015 payroll projects to be a little bit more than $100 million by opening day with the current roster. It seems that the Twins intentionally have kept it a secret how much flexibility they have to spend on the Major League roster. Will they make any more additions? Specifically, will they look to add any more starting pitching to further beef up an area that's been an extreme weakness in recent years? "I don't think in the starting area, but we certainly are looking at the 'pen and other areas as well," said Twins general manager Terry Ryan. "Starting I think we've got enough people to pick from." That list includes Santana, Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer, Trevor May and perhaps a handful of other pitchers that will report to spring training as starting rotation candidates. As for looking to add any more position players, Ryan didn't have a definitive answer, but this statement may offer a clue: "We've got a pretty good group around the diamond, now we've got to find some pitching to make that worthwhile so that's what we've tried to do," Ryan said after the Santana introductory press conference. Pohlad on the payroll Twins owner Jim Pohlad attended the press conference, and he addressed a few questions about the team's payroll with reporters afterward. Given that the Twins are a mid-market team, Pohlad was asked if there's a payroll ceiling. "You just know when it becomes unreasonable. ... I wouldn't say that there's a ceiling, I'm just telling you it's not going to go to $150 million," Pohlad said. Ryan had to ask Pohlad for permission to sign Torii Hunter (one-year contract worth $10.5 million) and had to do so again before signing Santana to a multi-year deal. Ryan apparently asked Pohlad's permission while in San Diego, at baseball's annual winter meetings. Was Pohlad surprised by that request, which came on the heels of signing Hunter? "No, no no, we knew" Pohlad said. "We talked about what he wants to try to improve. So you know the areas, you know the specific players that are available in the pool, but you don't know where it's going to end up. At least I don't." "Terry's made a really concerted effort at all levels to bring in additional [pitching] talent," Pohlad added. First impressions What did Pohlad think of Santana upon meeting him? "He was a really cool guy and he's got a great smile," Pohlad said. That drew a chuckle, but Pohlad explained the significance of what he had said. "That's important, you have to be able to connect with fans. ... Not just on the mound, but we want players to connect with fans in other ways, too, because they're cool guys," Pohlad said.

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Wetmore: Twins probably got Ervin Santana on a discount

Derek Wetmore / 1500ESPN – 12/13/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins have been interested in Ervin Santana for a long time. They made a contract offer last season to the free agent, but he turned that down to sign a one-year contract with the Braves in which he essentially bet on himself. But the Twins' interest in the 32-year-old starter out of the Dominican Republic goes back even further than that foray in free agency. "Actually, ever since he's been at Cedar Rapids, which is a long time ago. That's about fourteen years ago, we saw him and everybody got excited," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Saturday. "Of course, at that time his name was "Johan" and we already had one. ... Just like everybody does, you recognize and put it in your evaluation process where if you ever have a chance to do something with the Angels, that wouldn't be a bad guy to get." Ervin Santana used to go by his birth name, Johan Santana, but to avoid confusion with the dominant Venezuelan lefty on the Twins, he changed his name some time ago to model instead after another dominant athlete, Ervin "Magic" Johnson. The Twins officially introduced Ervin Santana on Saturday morning at Target Field. Discount? Although the contract reportedly could reach as high as $68 million is the fifth-year option in his deal vests, the Twins may actually have signed Santana on a discount. Draft pick compensation attached to his signing might have suppressed his market of suitors. It appears to be a contract right around the market rate for players like this--good and durable starting pitchers around the age of 30. That's what Twins GM Terry Ryan said when asked if the team might have got a good deal on Santana, because some teams might balk at giving up a high draft choice to sign him. "I don't think so. We paid a hefty price for him, it's not like he came [cheaply]," Ryan said. "In terms of years and dollars, I think we probably paid the going price to get him. I don't know where he was [getting other offers], because I don't get that type of information. But there is competition for a guy like this. Whether or not we paid the most years or the most dollars, I don't know. But I'm sure it was competitive." But it's hard not to think his market was affected by the draft pick compensation attached to his signing. Any player who played for the same team for a full season and is extended a "qualifying offer" can accept or reject that offer. The value of a one-year qualifying offer is set by averaging the top-125 highest paid players, which was around $14 million last season and around $15 million this season. Santana rejected that offer from the Royals a season ago and signed with the Braves, who gave up the 28th pick in the 2014 draft for the right to sign Santana to a one-year deal. The Twins didn't have to give up a pick quite that high, and they have Santana for at least four years. Last year, Santana reportedly was seeking a deal in the $100 million range, but he fell way short of that. Santana wound up signing with the Braves in March after a wave of injuries hit their starting rotation. He pitched on a one year deal and once again was extended a qualifying offer and once again rejected it-meaning that once again signing him required a team to give up a draft pick. Limited market? Santana's agent, Jay Alou, described the difficulty he faced a year ago in free agency. "Initially, it was difficult last year, obviously. But [Santana] was not afraid of the one-year deal. He actually welcomed it and wanted to prove to everybody that, you know, 'I'm healthy and I have no issues pitching for one year and we'll go at it again,'" Alou said. But one small thing in the Collective Bargaining Agreement might have played in their favor: teams with the first 10 draft picks have those picks "protected." So the Twins don't have to five up the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft, but are projected right now to forfeit the 44th pick. "This year, there were several teams, including the Twins, that were not going to lose a first-round pick, but [rather] a second," Alou said. "And [when] you're getting a quality pitcher, I'm sure it's very worthwhile." I tend to agree with that, especially for a draft pick in the mid-40s, where a successful pick is far from a guarantee. One other thing: if a team already has signed a free agent who had rejected the qualifying offer, they obviously can't surrender their first round pick again, so they forfeit their next draft choice. If, for example, a team has a draft picks between No. 11 and the end of the first round, it may place a high premium on that selection, and shy away from giving it up to sign a free agent with draft pick compensation attached. 11

So perhaps those teams inside the top-10 were competing for Santana, or teams that already had signed a free agent who had rejected a qualifying offer, but that's not necessarily the full market of teams looking to sign free-agent starting pitchers. It seems logical, then, to assume that the market for those players is significantly limited -- to the teams most willing to surrender a draft choice. Ryan noted in the introductory press conference that he's not sweating the draft pick. "We forfeited our second round pick, but to combat that, we have a competitive balance pick. So if anybody is worried out [our] draft choices, I am not. This is certainly worth that signing," Ryan said. The Twins in July were awarded a "competitive balance" draft pick, which will occur after the second round. The Twins will pick fourth in that "comp round," which is currently projected to be the 71st pick in the draft. It's possible the Twins made an offer that wasn't impacted by the market, but I think it's fair to wonder if that market was suppressed.

Twins' link with Ervin Santana has history

Brian Hall / FoxSportsNorth – 12/13/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Scouting the Midwest League in 2002, theMinnesota Twins stumbled upon a pitcher named Johan Santana in which they saw the potential for a long major-league career.

Santana was playing for Cedar Rapids, now an affiliate in the Minnesota organization. But in 2002, Santana's rights belonged to the AnaheimAngels. The irony struck Twins general manager Terry Ryan.

Johan Santana -- the lefthander from Venezuela -- was in his first full season with Minnesota, the start of a six-year run in which he became one of the top pitchers in Twins history, winning two Cy Young awards. The Johan Santana who so intrigued Ryan in 2002 was a 19-year-old righthander from the Dominican Republic.

Twelve years later, Ryan has the other Johan, better known as Ervin Santana.

Santana signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Twins on Saturday, the richest free-agent contract in team history which includes an option for a fifth year. The interest back then was realized this week.

"We saw him and everybody got excited," Ryan said Saturday after Santana was introduced in a press conference. "Of course his name at that time was Johan and we already had one, so it was kind of ironic. . . . just like everybody does, you recognize and you always put it into your evaluation process where if you ever had a chance to do something with the Angels that Johan Santana wouldn't be a bad guy to get. So, that's kind of about the first time anybody recognizes he was going to be a pretty good pitcher."

Of course, Ervin Santana heard plenty about his namesake back then as well. He was a tall, lanky starter who was in his second year of after being signed as an amateur free agent by the Angels in 2000. Santana went 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 147 innings for Cedar Rapids in 2002.

Ervin was known by his birthname, Johan. He would get cards in the mail asking for autographs of the Twins' budding star. He decided he'd be better off changing his name and chose Ervin as a nod to basketball great Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

"I like Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, so everybody call me Magic," Santana said Saturday. "So that's why (he chose Ervin). I like Magic Johnson."

No matter the name, Ryan was interested. He just never had the chance to bring Santana to the Twins.

"When you see a guy that's 18 or 19 in the Midwest League succeed, those types of guys aren't exactly just people that they're going to push over to another club," Ryan said.

Ervin made it to the major leagues in 2005 and has averaged over 188 innings, 11.9 wins and 150.7 strikeouts in 10 seasons, nine spent in the American League. After eight seasons with the Angels, Santana pitched one year with the Kansas City Royals before one season in the last year with the in which he went 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 196 innings.

Ryan and the Twins had also discussed signing Santana last season before the he signed a one-year deal with Atlanta. 12

For Santana, the connections to Minnesota are numerous, and had more to do than just a familiar name. Unbeknownst then, Santana was doing his background research on the Twins' organization by talking to his neighbors, Francisco Liriano and Alexi Casilla.

Santana also played five seasons with Torii Hunter in Los Angeles. Hunter, the former Twins' outfielder who re-signed with the team two weeks ago, started making calls to recruit Santana.

"It started with Francisco Liriano a long time when he was pitching here in Minnesota," Santana said. "I was asking about the team and the clubhouse and everything. He just told me good things, and same thing with Alexi Casilla. And a few days ago Torii Hunter was calling me and talked to me about it."

Santana said he chose the Twins, in part, because of the things he had heard from Liriano, Casilla and Hunter.

"We had a couple built-in people there that have been with us a number of years that helped us, I think," Ryan said. And Minnesota landed its next Santana.

To make room for Santana on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated Chris Parmelee for assignment.

Parmelee, 26, was a first-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2006 and made his major-league debut in 2011. Splitting time between outfield and first base, Parmelee hit .256 with seven home runs and 28 RBI last season for the Twins in 87 games. He played in a career-high 101 games in 2013, hitting .228 with eight home runs and 24 RBI.

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