Future of Twins' relationship with New Britain in doubt

The New Britain Rock Cats hope to move to Hartford once a new ballpark is built in Connecticut's capital, but those plans are in financing limbo now. The team has new ownership and an understandably iffy relationship with its current landlord.

All of that explains why the Twins have decided to shop around for a new Class AA affiliate, General Manager Terry Ryan said.

"We don't know if they're going to move to Hartford; I don't know if anybody knows," Ryan said. "That's about the only reason we severed [the 20-year relationship] — there's a lot of uncertainty in New Britain right now. The new owners are fantastic; everything is fine. But there's a lot of uncertainty."

The Twins, who have been affiliated with New Britain since 1995, have until the end of the month to strike a deal with another team in a Double-A league — the Eastern League (which New Britain plays in), the Southern League and the Texas League — or sign another two-year deal with the Rock Cats. But realistically, there are only four other options for the Twins; all other franchises have deals with major league organizations for next year and beyond.

The options: Southern League members Chattanooga (Dodgers), Huntsville (Brewers) and Mobile (Diamondbacks), and Texas League member Tulsa (Rockies). Ryan declined to name who the Twins are negotiating with, but said "I'm not sure exactly where we're going to land."

If the Twins haven't signed a new contract by the end of September, an affiliation would be assigned to them.

When Oswaldo Arcia arrived at Target Field on Tuesday, he told manager Ron Gardenhire he was ready to play. The team's athletic trainers advised against it, though.

Glen Perkins' philosophy about being a pro athlete is tinged with irony, given the news of the past week.

"I've always thought that what you're known for off the field is every bit as important as what you're known for on it," the Twins closer said.

Irony aside, Perkins lives up to that philosophy through his charitable works, from sponsoring Fifteen's 5K, a fundraising race for the Cystic Fybrosis Foundation, to the Lefties Lunkers fishing derby for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to dozens of other charities and donations.

For all that, plus his success on the field, Perkins has been named the Twins' finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday. The award recognizes players who make positive contributions on and off the field; former Twin Kirby Puckett won the national award in 1996.

Twins coach Joe Vavra underwent successful hip-replacement surgery Tuesday, and will begin rehab immediately. He could rejoin the team for the season's final week, Ryan said.