As I watch the bullpen collapse after a strong effort from Francisco Liriano in the final game against Toronto, I’ve decided to tackle a different topic concerning the early season state of the Twins:

What to do with the outfield?

The only player who seems to be agreeing with the current rotation situation Coach Ron Gardenhire has going on, is jack-OF-all-trades, Denard Span. The reason?

Despite being rotated around to all the OF positions, Span is the one guy who has been in the same role in the lineup every day: Playing in the field and leading off. Consistency.

With Joe Mauer not available, there has been little consistency in the lineups Gardenhire has put together behind Span, and the offense has sufferred overall in the early going. The stats:

In their 11 games so far, they have failed to put a crooked number up on the final scoreboard in 4 of those contests including a pair of shutouts, and in 2 other games, tallied only 2 -all losses. The starting rotation has been unable to dominate opposing lineups like the opponents starter’s have the Twins so far in this young season.

P.S. I didn’t forget. Poor Glen Perkins is all I have to say.

Take out the one game where they uncharacteristically went off on the White Sox, scoring 12, they are averaging 2.5 runs a game. Add it in, and they still only average 3.36. Perspective:

This would translate to the worst overall offense in all of Major League Baseball by FAR if the year were 2008. This information is given only to give you an idea of the offense’s currently functioning pace.

If we look at it right now, the Twins rank 21st of 30 in the league. Not near the bottom overall, but depending on the glass half full / half empty view of the beholder, they are very close.

LF/DH Delmon Young is batting .148 after an 0-4 night in the series finale, though he did pick up one of the 2 RBI’s in the second inning on a score book reading fielders choice grounder to second.

RF/DH Michael Cuddyer’s average stands at only .238, but he did pick up the other RBI with a solo shot in the eigth inning, his first HR of the season.

CF Carlos Gomez, despite all his speed and how many supposed runs he saved us last year, has only 3 hits in 29 at bats, striking out 9 times compared to taking only 1 walk. He has also missed saving a couple runs on some robbable HR balls. Though, in Gomez’s defense, hard hit line drives are tough regardless, and those runs wouldn’t have mattered anyway. (I still think he’s one of the best in MLB in the field).

OF Denard Span has a .408 On-Base Percentage from the lead off spot, and is 2nd on the team in RBI’s with 6, behind Justin Morneau’s 8.

I like Delmon’s and Cuddyer’s bats in the lineup over Gomez’s at this point, and the defense isn’t a big enough factor right now to even that out.

When Mauer comes back, the offense should pick up, but there is little that changes in the lineup when this happens. The prospective solution:

Bench Carlos Gomez. He would make a perfect late inning pinch runner or defensive replacement, and this would give him a defined role he would have aspirations to play himself out of. I love his enthusiasm, but he also needs to know when to slow down.

This leaves the everyday outfield as LF Young, CF Span, and RF Cuddyer, and the ability to stick them in the same spot in the lineup every game.

If nothing else, try it for as long as you’ve tried the OF and lineup carousel, then compare the results. There’s just enough time for that until Joe come’s back, and it has been demonstrated so far that the Twins have nothing to lose by experimenting.

Los Angeles Angels (4-5) @ Minnesota Twins (4-7) Series Preview:

FRI: (1-0) Dustin Moseley (R), 3.86 ERA. vs. (0-1) Nick Blackburn (R), 5.73 ERA.

SAT: (0-0) Darren Oliver (L), 2.45 ERA. vs. (1-0) Kevin Slowey (R), 7.94 ERA.

SUN: (0-0) Shane Loux (R), 3.38 ERA. vs. (0-1) Glen Perkins (L), 1.69 ERA.

-We all know about the tragic loss of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart along with two others in a car accident, following a six-inning effort on the mound a few hours prior, this past week, my thoughts and prayer’s go out to their families. It’s effect is also being felt on the field, as the Angels have had to piece together a starting rotation with journeyman pitchers Oliver and Loux, while they also wait for Kelvim Escobar, John Lackey, AND Ervin Santana to return from injuries.

Headlines:

-About 200 friends, teammates, and family members attended the private service remembering Nick Adenhart, (1986-2009).

-Pitchers Shane Loux and Dustin Moseley are looking to make an impression on Coach Mike Scoscia.

-The Twins are glad to bid goodbye to the birds after losing 3 of 4 at home to the Blue Jay’s.

-RF Michael Cuddyer tells the team and media “Were better than this. And we’re going to prove it.”