Borzi at MinnPost has some very interesting quotes from the M&M boys.  First, Justin Morneau pretty much apologized for criticizing the front office last week when he said the front office needed to do something at the trade deadline:

"Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as I did," Morneau said. "I don't think it made much impact anyway. They were going to do what they were going to do regardless. Sometimes you get frustrated and say more than you need to.

"At this point, we want to be selfish and win this year. At the same time, they've got to build a successful franchise. What if you trade all your prospects and then you don't win? Then you have a team that's got nothing coming for five years."

I don't have a problem with players speaking up and criticizing the front office when its called for, but I think Justin hit it on the head here.  I think they all realized this weekend those Yankee games weren't a fluke.  The Twins can't compete with the elite teams in the league at this point.  They need major help, not just a plug in a hole.  I commend him for taking it back; it's more evidence that he's a stand up guy who will admit when he's wrong.  (Even if he was only a little wrong.) 

Then, Borzi pulls a rabbitt out of his hat and gets Mauer to open up.  He obviously wants to win here.  That's his first proirity, and everyone knows that.  Borzi asked him about his future free agency:

"I don't have to make the decision for a long time," he said. "It'll happen when it's going to happen. I'm not a guy who'll say, 'Let's get it done right now.' "

"What I want to do is win a World Series…I grew up here. I played here. I feel my home is here. How great would it be to win a World Series here? I get the chance to have my grandparents come to every home game. They've missed maybe three games in six years. It would mean everything for me to win (a World Series), and especially to win here."

Nothing new there, but Borzi then questions him about comments made about how his new cabin in northern MN might mean he's here to stay. Joe makes it clear that won't play a role:

"That doesn't really have anything to do with it," he said. "I haven't been able to enjoy it very much, but my family and friends are certainly enjoying it. I don't think it's going to play a role."

Okay, so a cabin is a crappy reason to stay, but I think any time you have Joe Mauer even entertaining the idea that he'd call somewhere else home has to send chills down a Twins fan spine. The Twins have the AL HR leader and the best catcher in the game who's in the hunt for his 3rd batting title. Lightning has struck in MN twice. They have to take advantage of this. They owe it to the franchise to find just average players to fill in the gaps. The guys they have in there now aren't even average. They're bad.