Michael Cuddyer

The Minnesota Twins announced today that the club has exercised Michael Cuddyer’s 2011 option valued at $10.5 million.

The option is part of the four-year deal Cuddyer signed in 2008. The right fielder will make $8.5 million in 2010, the third year of the $33.5 million pact.

With a slow grounder to to short, it was all over. The joy of game 163, the September magic, the 2009 season, baseball in the H.H.H. Metrodome, all of it.

It was a good run for the Minnesota Twins and in any evaluation of the season, that needs to be the foundation. The Twins beat their expected wins by six games and won a division in which they were projected to finish no better than third.

But, to borrow a line from the Bard, we come to bury the Twins, not to praise them.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes, (really, it's closer to 15,000) has decided to declare it's top icon of all time—no, not Prince, Tiny Tim, Bob Dylan, or Jesse the "Mind" Ventura.

You might be thinking, "I know, it's Brett Favre!" Well, you're getting warmer, but no.

"A.L. post season expert, Orlando Cabrera?" Almost there.

"Wait, you're not talking about that crappy old Dome are you?"

Yeah. You got it. That crappy old Dome. After the last 48 hours, I think you can agree, with just cause.

For the last 28 years, Minnesota has called the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome it's Metro-home.

The Minnesota Twins are on the threshold of an unexpected berth in the postseason, and it may have more to do with someone other than the guy you'll be thinking about for MVP.

Yes, yes.  Joe Mauer has been spectacular this year, putting up huge numbers while playing the most physically demanding position in the game, and missing the first month of the season.  A .364 batting average, 28 dingers and 96 RBI are stellar, but there may be someone more deserving in that lineup.

Let's get the obvious and painful truths out of the way.

The Twins have been five-and-a-half games back and hovering at .500 for what seems like all season. They haven't gotten into striking distance of division-leading Detroit and probably don't deserve to be playing in October.

But one fact that many Twins analysts, fans and especially the Tigers need to fear is that they're still in it.

Despite beating the Rays and Matt Garza on Sunday, the Twins probably wish he had been their starter.

While both Garza and the man he was traded for, Delmon Young, have been less than their teams may have hoped for, it is clear who got the best end of this deal.

A big part of the reason that the Twins wish they had never made the deal is their need for a solid middle infielder and the performance of Jason Bartlett(1.3 UZR, 31.2 VORP good for third best in baseball).

Still, there is time for the Twins to recoup their losses, right?