The Minnesota Twins... Best offense in the MLB?

I've had a few requests to spend some time examining the Twins' upcoming season, with the somewhat new roster they have bundled as a "forgive me" present to all Twins fans who will freeze to death while attending rain/snowed out Twins games this April.

I've tried to hold off on it, to make sure all the signings are complete before I do this, but considering Bill Smith STILL doesn't call me directly to consult me on the team's management, there's really no telling when the last signing will come.

As is, I can say I am excited about the offensive talent the Twins hold, heading into Spring Training. (Those who just want to see potential lineups can scroll to the bottom... now.)

Denard Span will lead off for the team, having established himself as a solid center fielder and premiere leadoff hitter, and finally has management's blessing to go with this spot, as the biggest mistake to come through Minnesota since Daunte Culpepper, Carlos Gomez, has finally been traded away!

This bodes well for the other two outfield spots as well, as it gives Gardy one less outfielder to work with, which should bring more at bats to a very talented Delmon Young. I think, with 550 at bats, Young could become the player the Twins expected when they traded for him in 2008. We're talking .290, 20 home runs, 80 RBI, and he's only 24!

Michael Cuddyer has flourished as a veteran hitter, after a slow start to his career... kind of reminding me of Torii Hunter in that respect. With protection in the lineup, which he has, I think he will continue to produce in the middle of the Twins' lineup.

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, we already know about these two, and their positions on the team are already set in stone as well. Hopefully we can keep both bats healthy this year.

And of course, the one sure returning bat I haven't talked about is Jason Kubel. I've never been a big fan of Kubel, but even he has made strides for the team, hitting .300 with 28 dingers and 103 RBI last season. Will he improve on these numbers? I doubt it, he had what I would consider a career year last year, but I could see him hitting .280, 24 HRS and 85 RBI this year, which will be good enough as a DH. Just please, keep him out of the outfield.

The non-pitcher positions the Twins needed to fill over the off season included 2B, SS and 3B. So far, we've filled two.

J.J. Hardy, the acquisition in the Gomez trade, isn't coming off of the best year... But let's take a look at last season before we start laying blame on him.

With Hardy, you've got a young guy that proved in 2007 and 2008 that he can flat-out hit at the major league level. Over that two-year span, he hit .280 with 50 homers, but he also accumulated over 1100 at bats. Last season, Hardy ran into a little trouble in April. What happened? The Brewers Ron Gardenhire'd the crap out of him, much like what we've seen happen with Young. And despite a strong showing in May, with Hardy hitting .313, the team continued to give this guy random days off that he, honestly, just isn't used to. They played with his mind a little bit, killed his timing with erratic playing time, and eventually sent him down to the minors to squash any extra confidence he could possibly have, and to also keep him from making a fair amount of money in arbitration.

A new team and fresh start could make a big difference for Hardy, who is still a definite power threat as a shortstop. He'll also hit in a well-protected lineup, so expect him to bounce back this year.

At second base, the Twins signed Orlando Hudson, a sure-fielding second baseman with a little speed and a decent bat. While I enjoyed this signing, I think it might be the one to watch carefully this season. Over the last four years, Hudson has hit .291. But all four years, he's played in the National League. But last year against American League opponents, he hit .274 (season total: .283)

Hudson has already had a stint in the American League, playing four years with Toronto. He hit .270 with the Blue Jays. It will be interesting to see if his more recent success comes from maturity as a player, or from playing in the weaker league. At any rate, Hudson can help keep Nick Punto off the field... hopefully.

Jim Thome was another big name the Twins managed to sign, and while I like this a lot, it does offer one problem similar to the one we had last season: it has potential to take much-needed at bats away from the still-developing Delmon Young.

Thome can still pound the ball, and he would be a decent option as an everyday DH. However, that position currently belongs to Jason Kubel. So in order to get Thome enough at bats to be successful, Kubel will likely play some outfield, spelling the one guy Gardy seems to want to see fail: Young.

To clear up this new logjam, the Twins are almost better off if Thome's at bats stem from an injury to either Kubel or a corner outfielder. Another year of limited at bats for Young can only hurt the team, in the long run.

Without further adieu, here is a lineup I like heading into this season.

1. Span CF
2. Hudson 2B
3. Mauer C
4. Morneau 1B
5. Cuddyer RF
6. Kubel DH
7. Hardy SS
8. Young LF
9. Harris 3B

Use Morales on days Mauer needs a rest, use Thome at first on days Morneau needs a rest, or use Cuddyer at first, Kubel in right, and Thome as a DH on those days. Give Delmon Young CONSISTENT at bats, never resting him more than 1 day at a time, and getting him 550 at bats. Find a way to get Jim Thome at least 400 at bats, and keep Brendan Harris at third base to see at least 500 at bats. (The only season Harris has seen more than 440 at bats was 2007 with Tampa Bay... he rewarded the chance for consistent playing time with a career high batting average (.286) and a career high home run total (12).)

And of course, it wouldn't truly be my analysis unless I briefly considered the 4-4-1 or 4-5 system, and I think the Twins could fit in one of these as well... here's how I would personally arrange this lineup:

1. Span CF
2. Hudson 2B
3. Morneau 1B
4. Cuddyer RF
5. Hardy SS
6. Mauer C
7. Young LF
8. Kubel/Thome DH
9. Harris 3B

Those who feel nauseated at the idea of batting a career .327 hitter sixth, and I'm sure there are a lot of you, can move him back to the two-hole, Harris to the six slot, and Hudson to the nine. I just like Mauer that deep because Hudson is better protected in the two-slot, and Hardy is better protected in the five. With steady at bats, Young would be able to protect Mauer as well as Morneau, minus about 10-15 home runs.

Either way, this team should have no problem being the best offensive team in the major leagues this season. Anything less involves major disappointment.

With this already getting long, we will leave the discussion concerning how questionable our pitching staff is to another day. Thanks for reading, and start the arguments... now.