Minnesota Twins

Jim Thome is on the brink of a historic milestone. With his next home run, the 573rd of his career, he will tie Harmon Killebrew for 10th place all-time on the major league home run list.

The Twins have had a knack of signing veteran players just in time to make history.

On September 16, 1993 Dave Winfield became the 19th member of the 3,000 Hit Club with a single against the Oakland A's. It was Winfield's 20th season and first of two he played for the Minnesota Twins.

Originally published at TwinsMVB.com .

After a satisfying series victory over the divisional rival Detroit Tigers, the Twins will end their homestand with a four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Earlier today, I mentioned the Twins' struggles in both the run scoring and run prevention departments. If this June slump continues for the rest of the season, Minnesota may struggle to eclipse the 75-win plateau. In order to get back on track, something needs to start working.

Going four-for-four with three triples last night against Detroit, Denard Span apparently got the memo.

Becoming just the third player in the past 30 years to hit three triples in a game, Span may have kicked off the long-awaited improvement that we've been banking on for weeks.

Last night, former Blue Jay Roy Halladay, now with the Philadelphia Phillies, threw seven shut out innings in a 9-0 win in his first game against his former team.

Johan Santana hoped to have similar success against his former Minnesota Twins teammates as he faced them for the first time since being traded in 2007.

After Orlando Hudson, Jason Kubel and Delmon Young all had doubles in the first inning, Santana found himself in a 4-0 hole already having thrown 40 pitches.

The biggest name in trade rumours this season: Cliff Lee.

There have been lots of rumors about Lee may eventually end up. He has been linked with the Mets, Twins, and Rangers among other teams. Now, there are even rumors that Lee will be traded within the next two weeks.

After getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, the Twins have definitely hit the lowest point of their season. The pitching was awful, and the offense matched that effort.

Again, Nick Blackburn couldn't get out of the third inning, and the offense couldn't muster a single run.

The Twins rewarded Blackburn with a four-year, $14 million contract that includes an $8 million option for 2014 in March of 2010.

The Minnesota Twins are tired of running headlong into the buzzsaw that is the New York Yankees. This is the team that has beaten the Twins in the playoffs three separate times during the managerial reign of Ron Gardenhire.  

In their new 2010 Target Field, the Twins want to win the whole thing this season. They have a potent offense, led by three-time batting champion and 2009 MVP Joe Mauer and former MVP Justin Morneau.

For the 2010 season the Minnesota Twins spent big money.

Their payroll, usually closer to the bottom of the league than to the top, is now the eleventh highest in Major League Baseball at $97.6 million.

They signed Joe Mauer to an eight year $184 million contract extension that will land him among the top five paid players in Major League Baseball in 2011.

All this and a new ball park has the expectations higher than ever for this perennial AL Central contender.

Yet, there is a hint of concern in the air of Twins fans.

Player reports from Advanced A & A ball. Get in-depth stats and reviews of the biggest young players in the game. Plus a close look at the unanimous top prospect in A ball, Aaron Hicks. Deep keeper and dynasty owners circle these names!

POSITION PLAYERS

Aaron Hicks, CF Minnesota Class A Line – .256, 5 HR, 22 RBI

For as long as I can remember, the Twins have been a small market team. Rare were blockbuster trades or multi-year signings for the Minnesota teams of the past few decades.

All of that changed this season. With a new stadium expected to bring a revenue increase, and an owner who isn't afraid to spend some cash, the Twins had one of their most expensive offseasons in franchise history. By bringing in JJ Hardy, Orlando Hudson, and Clay Condrey, as well as extending Carl Pavano and Joe Mauer, the Twins gave a clear message to their fans: We're no longer a small market.