Twins payroll on the rise

As with any baseball team that tries to keep its core members together, the Minnesota Twins payroll keeps escalating to a higher price. The Twins signed Justin Morneau, Juan Rincon and Jason Kubel, all arbitration eligible players, and all of them got raises.

>>>> Justin Morneau will play in 2008 for $7.4 million

>>>> Jason Kubel will play for $1.3 million (1 million dollar raise)

>>>> Juan Rincon will make $2.475 million (about a half million more than his previous $2 million contract)

I was happy to see Justin Morneau signed on the dotted line…I didn’t want my Justin Morneau jersey to go to waste!

Other Twins still negotiating:

> Relief pitcher Matt Guerrier asking for $1.15 million (Twins offer $750,000)
> Michael Cuddyer is seeking $6.2 million in 2008 (Twins offered $4.7 million)

Twins Can’t Find Groove

Every time Roy Halladay pitches to the Minnesota Twins, the results usually aren’t too pleasant for the Twins. But miraculously, on Monday night, the Twins somehow got to Halladay for five runs, but it was more likely Halladay faltering then the Twins solving the Toronto Blue Jays’ ace. Evidence in point includes the fifth inning wild pitch that Halladay threw that helped the Twins tie the game as Luis Castillo scored with Jason Bartlett scoring on a Gregg Zaun error in the same play. Mike Redmond summed it up when he said, “Halladay was really grinding it out.” But yet the Twins were unable to keep the Blue Jays offense down, as Twins starter Kevin Slowey gave up 5 earned runs in his start.

But the poor pitching performances didn’t end there for Monday’s high-scoring affair. Matt Guerrier, who before Monday had a fourteen inning scoreless streak, gave up three runs in the eighth inning in Monday’s contest. The Twins bullpen might be tired right now, but its time to buckle down before the all-star break in hopes that the club can trim a six and a half game deficit in the Central Division. Twins Tickets for the Jays series are well worth it if you haven’t been to the Metrodome to see the Jays explosive offense yet.