Welcome Home Mr. Jones!

The Twins welcomed back an old friend Tuesday as they announced the signing of outfielder Jacque Jones to a minor league contract.

Jones was with the Twins from 1999-2005 and was part of the group that catapulted the Twins back into playoff contention back in 2001. The 35-year old has posted a career .277 average with 165 homers in his 10 big league seasons. After playing Independent baseball all of 2009, Jones is looking for his chance to get back into Major League Baseball after approaching the club this past winter.

What do I think about this? I like it. Jones is a non-roster invitee to Spring Training and has already said he would be willing to start the year in Triple-A Rochester if the Twins decided to keep him aboard. Really you are getting a veteran player who knows what this organization is about and has been on playoff teams in the past. Sounds like a deal to me.

As it stands now, the Twins will most likely break camp with four outfielders - Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel (who will primarily DH) and Delmon Young - and most likely won't have the need to carry a fifth on their bench.

I really like the idea of having Jones available in Triple-A should the need arise for him. It's another low-risk, high-reward type scenarios. If nothing else he's a good leader to have teaching those kids who are on the cusp of joining the big leagues.

Putting aside his free-swinging ways, Jones was always a fun player to watch and a good club house guy. It's always nice to see guys get a chance like this to make one last impression especially when its with his former club.

So I say welcome home Jacque. Welcome home.

[Photo courtesy of MarkKelley/Flickr]

Sources: Hudson, Twins on Verge of Contract

Well as if the Jim Thome signing wasn't enough excitement for one winter, now it appears as if the Twins may actually be about to add a legitimate second baseman to their roster for the first time since, um, Chuck Knoblauch?

From ESPN.com:

Orlando Hudson is on the verge of a one-year, $5 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, sources told ESPN.

There are details to be worked out on the contract, but Hudson has chosen the Twins over the Indians and Nationals.

First we trade for an everyday offensive shortstop in JJ Hardy. Then we sign a powerful future Hall of Famer to DH and pinch hit for us in Jim Thome. And now it appears we are about to add a real second baseman to the mix and all of this on the brink of opening our brand-spankin' new stadium this April (oh and we're on the verge of signing one of the top players in baseball to a contract for around $200 million).

Is this all real? Can someone pinch me? Are you sure these are our Minnesota Twins? Because I'm pretty sure this is not how we have done business for the past couple decades.

I really don't know what to do with myself. I can't remember the last time the Twins were rumored as suitors for impact type free agents and then actually got them. And we've done it twice in the past couple weeks!

As with the Thome signing, I will wait until this becomes official before digging into any Hudson impacts again. But what I will say is that this is a helluva time to be a Twins fan!

[Photo courtesy of Malingering]

Are the Twins Still Shopping?

After yesterday's surprising signing of Jim Thome (not surprising because I didn't see it coming, it was surprising to see the Twins add a name that means something in baseball), now it seems the Twins are being linked with a couple more names that are rather intriguing.

According to Foxsports.com, the Twins may be linked alongside the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays to second baseman Orlando Hudson. His defense and ability to slide into the two-hole between Denard Span and Joe Mauer would be perfect for the Twins. The only question is whether he would consider coming here.

The way I see it, it all comes down to what is more important to Hudson - money or winning. If he wants the most money, I'm guessing the Nationals will be willing to dish out the most dough to get him as they have to since no one wants to go there. As for the Rays, they have an outstanding ball club but currently have both the Red Sox and Yankees ahead of them in the pecking order in the AL East. That leaves the Twins who would be his absolute best shot at making the postseason.

For me I would like to see the Twins make an effort to sign Hudson to play second base next season over offering another contract to the broken down Joe Crede. Sure it will be less money but you will also get what you pay for. In fact Hudson's .283/.357/.417 line with 74 runs, 64 RBI and strong defense would be much more valuable than Crede's sub-.300 OBP through 80 or so games until he's hurt again. But that's just this guy's opinion.

The bottom line is if the Twins are serious about adding another player, why not go the O-Hud way and have the Punto/Harris two-headed monster play third base rather than second?

They're already tickling $100 million so what's a few more tacked on?

[Photo courtesy of Malingering/Flickr]

Twins Land Thome

As it stands heading into today, the players that would essentially make up the Twins bench heading into 2010 is absolutely atrocious. Jose Morales, Matt Tolbert, Jason Pridie and someone else isn't exactly given manager Ron Gardenhire much flexibility nor is it striking much fear into opposing pitchers.

That's why the reported one-year deal between Jim Thome and the Twins makes me positively giddy.

Hopefully the Twins don't use him strictly off the bench or on rare occasion. I personally would like to see this mean that Delmon Young's playing time will get chopped off and we see Jason Kubel out in left field a lot more allowing Thome to be inserted into the DH spot.

He's a veteran, he's powerful and he makes our lineup even that much scarier.

Welcome to Minnesota Mr. Thome!

[Photo courtesy of Keith Allison]

Thome Slugging in Target Field?

I’ve seen numerous reports over the weekend popping up around the Internet that the Minnesota Twins may be close to signing the veteran slugger Jim Thome.

Not only would this type of a signing be uncharacteristic of the normally frugal Twins, but it would also make a very left handed heavy lineup even heavier. The Twins currently have an abundance of lefties including Denard Span, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Justin Kubel in their starting lineup.

It’s unclear whether Thome would slide into their DH role (which would surely bump Delmon Young to the bench) or if he would simply play a major role off their bench.

The Twins have most likely jumped in on Thome due to the declining dollar amounts in the free agent market and possibly the fact that Thome has been a Twin killer over the years. In only 662 career at-bats against the Twins, Thome has posted a .311/.410/.628 line with 57 HR and 142 RBI. Now that’s a vicious thrashing he’s given them over the years.

The bottom line is as a lifetime die hard Twins fan, a Jim Thome signing would shock me only to follow that up with a big smile.