Minnesota Twins

Coming into the 2011 season, the Twins have a lot of questions marks:

Relief Pitching has been the main concern. After losing Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain out of free agency, only a few bullpen locks remain. Matt Capps was the steady closer for 2010, and Jose Mijares will most likely return with a bigger roll in 2011. Returning All-Star closer Joe Nathan should be ready for spring training, but it doesn't make sense to expect too much from him after so recently undergoing elbow surgery.

The Minnesota Twins are near finalizing a contract with second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka, formerly of the Japanese League's Chiba Lotte Marines, according to reports. Nishioka becomes the overwhelming favorite to start at second base for Minnesota in 2011, and his arrival likely signals the end of Orlando Hudson's brief tenure in the Twin Cities.

Now that the winner of the Cliff Lee sweepstakes has been decided, the attention can turn to the rest of the free agent market. Carl Pavano is now the best free agent starting pitcher on the open market, and with Lee making a surprise move in returning to Philadelphia, teams have been left scrambling.

According to ESPN.com, the Minnesota Twins are making a "serious push" to re-sign Carl Pavano.

Pavano has spent the last year-and-a-half in the Twin Cities after being acquired from the Cleveland Indians in 2009.

Last season Pavano stepped up as a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Twins, going 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA.

Baseball's winter meetings begin this week in Florida.

This can be a time when those hot stoves really get fired up.

Twins' General Manager Bill Smith has needs to be addressed as the team heads into its second season at Target Field.

No longer playing small-market ball, the team's payroll is projected to be around $102 to $120 million for the 2011 season.

If Minnesota is going to successfully defend the American League Central Title and make that step to the next level, then Smith will have to make some moves.

The Minnesota Twins have always prided themselves on the amount of talent available in their minor league system. The organization has also always been known for developing their players at a conservative pace.

Current Twins third baseman Danny Valencia spent a full four seasons in the minor leagues before getting the call to the majors this past season.

He made the best of his opportunity, solidifying his place as the team's starting third baseman for the remainder of the season, and will likely remain there for the foreseeable future.

The 2011 Major League Baseball season seems a long ways away, but it is never too early to take a glance at potential impact rookies for next season.

Jeremy Hellickson, 23, a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, leads a group of 10 players who are ready to make an impact on their respective teams in 2011.

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The Minnesota Twins offseason got quite the jump-start on Black Friday.

News came across the wire that the Twins were the highest bidder, and now have 30 days of exclusive contract negotiations with Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Nishioka, 26, is the reigning batting champ in Japan, and a sleek fielding middle infielder.

The winning bid from the Twins came in at over $5 million. If a contract can't be negotiated within 30 days, the Twins will get their bid back.

As the Twins head into the winter there are some questions that need to be answered.

Among them, who will be the starting outfield for the second season in Target Field?

Will Michael Cuddyer return to right field, pushing Jason Kubel to a backup role?

Perhaps Joe Mauer will move to left field in order to save the wear tear of catching an entire season, and Delmon Young would move to right.

Selected in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Minnesota Twins, outfielder Ben Revere got his first taste of the Major Leagues in 2010 and could be in line to make an impact in 2011. 

The 22-year-old has shown tremendous speed since making his professional debut, and that could certainly make him an important cog in the Twins lineup.

Before we get into what he can bring to the table in 2011, let’s look at the numbers he posted at Double-A in 2010: