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Does anyone else feel like this one is inevitable?

The Twins had interest at the trade deadline this year.  There were trade rumors involving the Twins and Washburn back in February.  Back in August of '08, the Twins placed a waiver claim on Washburn and actually won it, but the Mariners in another moment of moron-mania screwed it up by asking Minnesota for one of their young starters instead of just taking the salary dump.  This is a romance that's been brewing for an awful long time, and with the Twins seemingly on the verge of becoming a premier team in baseball with one or two more quality additions I have little doubt that Washburn will do whatever he can to don a Twins uniform.

Bill Smith has already dropped hints that the front office will be taking a look at the starting pitcher options on the free agent market.  Washburn, apparently, fits the bill.  He wants to be here, he qualifies as a veteran (he turned 35 in August), and he's been a lock for averaging six innings a start over the course of his career.  Those are some pretty basic qualifications, but that doesn't mean they're bad ones.

As long as they're not the only ones.

I haven't made a secret of my reservations about having Washburn in a Twins uniform.  Allow me to illustrate why using the simplicity of the numbers, in case you remain unconvinced.

To make sure we're on the same page:  Washburn isn't getting any better as he gets older.  Which should surprise absolutely nobody.  In fact he's been on a steady decline for a couple of years, and his rebound in Seattle this summer (which I'll take a pit stop at in a moment) seems more like a blip on the radar than a sign of a late-career revival.

The best thing Washburn has going for him, apart from the fact that he should (note:  should) cost less than some of the other free agent starters on the market this winter, would be his durability (at least 28 starts seven of the last nine years).  But that should probably be a slight concern considering the problems with his knee at the end of the season, in spite of the arthroscopic surgery.  It's just another red flag for a guy who:

• Has averaged a strikeout-to-walk ratio of less than 2:1 over the course of his career.
• Can lose control at any time; first of the strike zone, then of his emotions.
• Is a flyball pitcher (bad for next year's outfield defense) who is going to give up more than his share of bombs.
• Isn't likely to out-play Minnesota's current top starters (Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, possibly Nick Blackburn)

Washburn had a bit of a revival in 2009.  Before his injury in Detroit he made 20 starts for Seattle and averaged 6.7 innings a go.  His fastball was legitimately a good pitch for the first time since 2002, and his slider was better than it ever had been.  He was stranding 80% of his base runners and opponents were managing a meager .249 BABIP.  None of that is sustainable.

Conclusions

Where this gets tricky for me is when I know the answer to this question:  does Jarrod Washburn make next year's rotation better?  Because as long as he's healthy, he probably does.  On paper, giving him 200 innings instead of Anthony Swarzak or Brian Duensing or Glen Perkins just might actually yield better results.  And in that sense, he could make the Twins better by stengthening the back end of the rotation.  We all know how the Twins like their depth.

Would it be a bad signing?  Depending on the contract, probably not.  I'm just hoping for something more.

I'll leave you with a conversation I had with a friend over Facebook.

Jesse wishes the Twins would stop flirting with Jarrod Washburn.  STOP IT.

Ben:  Dodgers are flirting with Smotz... Have you ever been at a bar, and your friend is SOOOOO wasted drunk that he's chatting up the ugliest chick in the bar? Do you see them touch hands? Maybe even noses? You try to stop him but he's too drunk to believe you? At least the twins are chatting up a hottie. Who cares if they are let down, at least they're trying. All my teams gonna get is a hang over, crabs, and a rude awakening come tomorrow.

Jesse:  yeah but at least your friend is going after a cougar. i mean, at least she USED to be hot, right? the twins are just going after the girl because she's there...she's only a hottie because the twins just drank all the way through happy hour.

Ben:  Point taken.

Top o' the mornin' to ya...

• Here's a Q&A with Joe Mauer over at the Strib online.  There are some good quotes, all about his game and his rewards and no contract talk, but if you've read the Twins coverage at the Star Tribune at all this week then you've probably already seen most of this.
• The boys over at FOX Sports say that the Brewers only went with the Twins after the Pirates tried to pull in J.J. Hardy with Matt Capps or Ryan Doumit.  Apparently Milwaukee was looking for either Paul Maholm or Zack Duke.
• This has already been talked about here, and there's been a lot of good discussion--the Twins will unveil new-look road uni's (along with "subtle" changes to the home threads) on Monday afternoon.
• Be sure to check out Han Joelo's gem.
• After a week to get healthy the Vikings are back in action this afternoon.  It looks like Antoine Winfield will take another week, but hopefully the Lions won't give the Vikings too much trouble and they won't miss him for one more game.  Be sure to head over to Daily Norseman for all your Vikings needs.

More photos » by Bruce Bisping - AP

Fans waited in line for hours at the annual Run Your Fingers Through Anthony Lapanta's Thick, Luxurious Hair Charity Event. Proceeds go to the Twins Community Fund and Roy Smalley's pomade expenses. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Bruce Bisping)

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Item: Buster Olney thinks Joe Mauer's contract negotiations might be the most important story of the offseason.

Nobody asked me, but: well, duh.  Obviously, this is a big story for Twins fans.  But, as Olney notes, the question of parity and the gulf between the haves and the have-lesses (or, if you'd rather, the Yankees and everyone else) is a big story everywhere.  (See also: Joe Posnanski, Jon Marthaler.)  One thing that I can guarantee: whatever changes are or are not made to the system, the Royals will continue to blow.

Item: Your 2010 Twins 3B is...Joe Crede?

Nobody asked me, but: Scott Boras swears that Crede's third back surgery in as many years did the trick.  Since agents are nothing if not scrupulously honest, consider me sold!  (Seriously, though: Joe C.'s article lists the current in-house options.  They are LNP, Brendan Harris, and Matt Tolbert, with Valencia and Hughes in the wings.  Is Crede at a not-insane, incentive-laden price that bad of an idea?  I'm starting to waver.  Commenters, attack!)

Item: the Twins have not made a single roster move as I've been writing this.

Nobody asked me, but: I fully expect to post this and see that we've signed Jerrod Washburn.

Item: MPR took a walking tour of Target Field.

Nobody asked me, but: that was pretty cool.

Enjoy your weekend, kids!

Scioscia...Andrus...Greinke...and looky looky who completes the puzzle!

YES!  Clearly there were five people who weren't watching the same baseball season as everyone else, but look at that point differential between first and second place.  And nobody voted Joe lower than third place, so kudos to all voting parties for that.

Having to vote for ten candidates means this is a pretty large chart with a lot of stragglers, and after Mauer I can't honestly remember who I voted for.  I know I voted for one of Cuddyer and Kubel, although I can't promise full homerism by saying I voted for both.  Still, I'm positive that Longoria, Cabrera, Zobrist, Jeter and Youkilis were in there somewhere.

The only two AL teams not represented on this list?  Oakland and Chicago.

So far Mike Scioscia has picked up AL Manager of the Year, and Elvis Andrus took home AL Rookie of the Year.

Any surprises here?  I know I went Greinke-Hernandez one-two, but I can't recall if I voted Verlander or Halladay for the bronze medal.

2:27 pm:  Twins begin extension talks with Joe Mauer's agent.

1:10 pm:  Some post-lunch news from around the league...

• The Miama Herald thinks Dan Uggla is still likely to be dealt.  So...no changes there.
• It sounds like Rich Harden is healthy, at least.  I'm sure the Twins are still an outside shot to sign him.
• Remember when some of us really wanted the Twins to chase Garrett Atkins?  Well, he might be had for next to nothing pretty soon.

2:45 am: That's right, I get an early start!

• It sounds like the Reds will need to cut payroll. With the Twins still in "adding" mode, would they take a hard look at starters like Aaron Harang or Bronson Arroyo? Or would they attempt to take a run at second baseman Brandon Phillips?
• We already knew that Carl Pavano would test the free agent market and that he would garner some interest from around the league, and it sounds like Cleveland could host a return.
• HOW DOES LIVAN HERNANDEZ KEEP GETTING WORK?
• Some people think the Phillies would rather chase Mark DeRosa than Adrian Beltre. If that’s true it’s one less major hurdle the Twins would have to overcome, if they have interest in him.
• Wednesay morning Joe Mauer question: If you’re offering Joe an extension this off-season, what’s your opening offer?

Check back periodically for updates...

4:00 pm:  Afternoon updates from Joe C.

• Congrats to Joe Mauer, who wins his second Gold Glove.  Well deserved.
• Apparently the GM's are expected to discuss intant replay?  I had no idea.  At any rate it hasn't been discussed yet.
• Bonser, Neshek and Slowey have been reinstated from the 60-day DL.
• Joe promises more tonight.

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Next round of the year's awards!

I feel pretty good about these results too because, if I remember correctly, I voted pretty closely here too.  I want to say I went Andrus-Bailey-Porcello.  Beckham's year was underwhelming, Wieters was disappointing considering the hype and, as the tally shows, there were really only two choices for top pick.

My only question:  RICK PORCELLO IS JUST 20 YEARS OLD!

Okay, so it's not a question...