As in: "Why don't we package our remnants and get someone's stud." You fill in the names.
I promise the Padres will not give up Heath Bell, who has 42 saves last season and a $4 million contract this year, for Casilla and Perkins. Bell would be a much more viable option for the Twins if he was eligible for free agency after this season instead of 2011. Would you give up a Top 5 prospect and a couple of other promising young players for Bell?
The Twins winter dealings made it clear that management was looking to make a serious run into the postseason in 2010. Nathan's arm kind of tears a hole in those plans and, even if the Twins speak publicly with one voice, I'm sure there are all kinds of scenarios being batted around at all levels of the organization. And that's good.
In the short run, the majority view (which I'm OK with) is that Gardy will find a closer from within. Jon Rauch has experience in that role, Francisco Liriano is intriguing, Matt Guerrier has heart, Jesse Crain throws hard and Pat Neshek would be higher in the mix if there wasn't his own Tommy John comeback to deal with. Jose Mijares scares me, too.
As the season plays out, decisions can be made about pursuing Bell or liberating George Sherrill from the Dodgers. The Tigers basically pulled Fernando Rodney, now with the Angels, from the ranks of their set-up men, so that kind of promotion is certainly reasonable for the Twins.
Fans will have to get used to seeing someone not wearing No. 36 come in at the end of a game, and Gardy will have to figure out either the right match-up for a given situation or when to make a switch if a hot hand cools off. You can't do an "our closer, right or wrong" routine.
