Five questions about the Twins

Charles Krupa, Associated Press

The Morneau-Mauer show was at its best in 2006. It took a significant dip last season.

2008 TWINS PREVIEW If the Twins are to prove the experts wrong, they will need plenty to go their way.

By DENNIS BRACKIN, Star Tribune

Last update: March 30, 2008 - 12:04 AM

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2008 TWINS SEASON PREVIEW THE RANKING GAME

BEST OF THE CENTRAL: Where do the Twins fit into the new-look AL Central?

JIM SOUHAN: The Twins will find it tough to even reach a third-place finish.

LINEUPS: Which team packs the most punch at the plate?

PITCHING: The Indians are loaded with talent on the mound.

MANAGERS: Where does Gardy rank?

FRONT OFFICES: Bill Smith embarks on his first season as Twins GM.

DOWN ON THE FARM: Do the Twins still own the top prospects?

BASEBALL TOWN: Patrick Reusse weighs in on Central cities.

AMERICAN LEAGUE: Even the champs have some new faces.

NATIONAL LEAGUE: The Mets are holding an ace.

THE TWINS: Five questions and more.

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1. Will the big stars rebound? Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were the AL MVP and batting champion, respectively, in 2006. Each experienced a dropoff last season that was a key factor in the Twins' fall. Morneau dipped from .321 with 130 RBI in 2006 to .271 and 111 RBI. Mauer went from .347 and 84 RBI to .293 and 60 RBI. The Twins can't win without 2006-like seasons from their M&M tandem.

2. Will inexperience doom the rotation? Of the top seven starting pitching candidates, only Livan Hernandez has more than 17 career victories. And Hernandez is clearly on the downhill slide. Scott Baker is No. 2 on the team in career wins, but he's sub-.500 at 17-20. Then it's a crapshoot of youngsters such as Boof Bonser (15-18 career), Francisco Liriano (13-5), Kevin Slowey (4-1) and Nick Blackburn (0-2). And you wonder why some ask whether closer Joe Nathan is a luxury?

3. Can the offense produce more runs? The Twins were 12th in the AL with 718 runs scored a year ago, almost 100 runs fewer than they scored in 2006 (801). The Twins lost Torii Hunter (28 HR, 107 RBI) to free agency but added Delmon Young, Mike Lamb, Brendan Harris and Craig Monroe -- each a proven major league hitter. The club hopes Carlos Gomez, one of four players obtained from the Mets for Johan Santana, is ready to take over in center. On paper, the Twins should be more productive. Whether they are productive enough to overcome the inexperience of the rotation is the season's biggest question.

4. Is Carlos Gomez ready? The Twins know Gomez can run fast and make sensational plays in center field. They also know he can run fast and go the wrong way on fly balls or throw to the wrong base. The Twins will live with those rookie mistakes -- if Gomez can hit. And that's the biggest question. He's only 22 and struggles with breaking pitches, like most young players. The Twins are hoping for a quick learning curve and steady improvement.

5. Will the rebuilt infield click? The Twins will have new faces at three infield positions: Brendan Harris at second, Adam Everett at short and Mike Lamb at third. Harris and Lamb should help the offense, Everett is a defensive whiz. But on the flip side, the Twins might be sacrificing defense to get Harris and Lamb into the lineup, while Everett is a .250 career hitter with little power. We're not talking complete packages here.