Twins General Manager Terry Ryan insists this isn't a rebuilding project, but his club is coming off a 99-loss season, and fans can't help but wonder if there are more lean times ahead. After all, no team since the start of division play in 1969 ever has lost as many as 99 games and rebounded to make the playoffs the next season. Ryan points out that the team in 2010 won 94 games and a division title with many of the players who still are around.
The Twins hope to prove that last year was an aberration -- not the start of another long stretch of losing seasons like the team had from 1993 to 2000. To be sure, this is a different era at Target Field, where the Twins have the financial resources to turn things around more quickly. Even though the Twins lost three prominent free agents last winter -- Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Joe Nathan -- they did invest a combined $33.5 million in Josh Willingham, Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit and Jason Marquis. But for this team to turn things around, there are some key areas of focus. Read on. JOE CHRISTENSEN
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