Bill Smith did plenty of things wrong during his tenure as Twins general manager, including questionable decisions on three trades — Johan Santana, Matt Garza and Wilson Ramos — that contributed to the ultimate demise of the franchise this decade. He was also on the job when the Twins signed Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a move that came to symbolize Smith's demise.
But we've come here to praise Smith, not bury him — and the praise has nothing to do with the fact that, you know, the Twins won two division titles and almost a third in his four seasons as GM.
If there is one thing Smith can feel particularly good about from his time in that role, it is the work he and his staff did in the international free agent market in 2009. That signaled the start of a recommitment to international signings, with the Twins putting their money where their mouths were.
In particular, they shelled out more than $4.5 million combined for three guys who turned 16 that year: Miguel Sano ($3.15 million) as well as Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco ($700K+ each).
All three — each of whom is now 23 years old — have steadily made their way through the minor leagues, developing at various stages into three of the Twins' best prospects. Sano jumped onto the scene in 2015, carrying the Twins' offense in the final three months and finishing third in the Rookie of the Year chase. Kepler has done the same this year, turning every at-bat into a must-see moment. And the trade of Eduardo Nunez opened up a spot for Polanco in the big leagues recently.
On Tuesday night in Cleveland, they were all in the starting lineup for the Twins. Kepler went 1-for-2 with three walks and a homer. Sano hit a two-run double. Polanco hit two doubles, a night after he had two triples. Kepler batted third, Sano fourth and Polanco eighth.
It was the first time all three started in the same game for the big-league club. It certainly won't be the last — in fact, all three were back in there Wednesday, with Kepler and Sano in the same spots while Polanco moved up one slot to seventh.
In the not-too-distant future, all three could form the heart of the Twins' order. If all goes well, they could be in the same lineup hundreds of times.
If that happens — if they all not only stick in the big leagues but become above-average to great players — they could very well be part of a core that lifts the Twins out of the muck they've been in for much of the past six seasons.
It's a mess Smith very much helped make. But if Sano, Kepler and Polanco help get them out of it, don't forget that all three of them signed in the same year — and don't forget who was in charge when the Twins signed them.
