Minnesota Twins

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #49 | Joe Testa

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Left/Left

Born | December 18, 1985 (Jackson, N.J.)

School | Wagner College

Height | 5'10''

Weight | 175 lbs.

2009 Ranking | Not Ranked



Breakdown

Among the things that struck me with the arrival of 2010 last night (hmm...I start grad school in four days...) was a new found excitement for the opening of Target Field.

As a lifelong Twins fan, I spent many a night twisted half around in my seat to face home plate instead of somewhere between second base and the centerfielder, phenomenal seats for the Vikings game the next day, but not so great for a pitchers' duel.

In my excitement, I went looking for some press on the new stadium, and there's a lot of excitement around baseball about this new park.

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects

No. 50: D.J. Romero
Position: Third Base
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Born: September 24, 1986 (Perdernales, Dominican Republic)
School: N/A
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 200 lbs.

According to reports by FoxSports.com’s John Paul Morosi, the Twins are still looking for a middle infielder, which is hardly surprising considering just one member of Game 163 ’s infield (Michael Cuddyer, Nick Punto, Orlando Cabrera, and Matt Tolbert) is likely to be in the starting infield next season.

Sure, their projected 2010 infield (Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, J.J. Hardy, and Punto) is better in some places, but it’s weaker in others and not much better overall as a result.

As the first decade of the 2000s comes to a close, it seems like a fine time for a little reflection.

The Twins have arguably been one of baseball’s best franchises during the past decade.

Largely under the watch of underrated skipper, Ron Gardenhire, the Twins have won the American League Central five times.

Even more impressively, the club has maintained a high level of competitiveness all decade long, as Minnesota only finished lower than third one time, way back in 2000.

The success of the club as a whole has come as a result of numerous players over the last ten years.

Even though Chone Figgins, Placido Polanco, and Pedro Feliz have been signed to play third base, the market is far from depleted. Free agents from Adrian Beltre to Troy Glaus are still teamless, which would be more surprising but for last year’s Type-A debacle, where players like Orlando Hudson and Juan Cruz remained on the market long after the winter meetings.

As Matt Holliday and Jason Bay dominate the headlines on the free agent front, one name that we have not heard much from is Troy Glaus. Until now, that is:

Minnesota Twins general manager Bill Smith just got a reprieve.

After sitting idly by and watching a number of the club’s offseason targets sign elsewhere in the past two weeks, Smith now has a second chance at making some major moves this offseason.

Smith’s reprieve comes as the free agent pool just received an infusion of new talent.

This infusion came as a result of the non-tender deadline, which passed at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday.

The Twins have been interested in acquiring Mark DeRosa quite a few times in recent years. He possess a lot of qualities that the Twins look for in players. He also plays a position that the Twins are trying to fill. So it really comes to no surprise that the Twins met with DeRosa's agent at this week's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis.

If you want to know why Minnesotans, myself included, get a little defensive when people talk about Joe Mauer leaving for, well, anywhere else, it comes from something beyond the "favorite son" notion. Mauer's been a story in Minnesota for much longer than the six years he's been with the Twins.