Terry Ryan continued his torrid offseason pace filing holes for the Minnesota Twins since taking over for Bill Smith. He and Ryan Doumit agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3 million. There are performance incentives associated with the deal which could make it worth more. Doumit is expected to back up Joe Mauer at catcher and Justin Morneau at first base. He could also serve time in right field (hopefully not too much time) and as designated hitter.
Doumit was not part of my offseason plan because he drew so much interest from other teams. I also had more interest in Josh Willingham. There were up to 10 teams interested in Doumit this offseason, which made me think his asking price would be higher than the $3 million, one-year deal Ryan extended and Doumit accepted.
Doumit has always impressed with the bat, but his defense behind the plate leaves something to be desired. Looking at the big picture though, anything is better than Drew Butera with a bat in his hands. Doumit had a .303/.353/.477 line in 236 plate appearances for the Pirates last year.
This is an another absolute score for Terry Ryan. After signing Jamey Carroll to play shortstop, Ryan is showing no sign of slowing down. He’s already filled two glaring holes in the Twins lineup and has done so at minimal cost. Ryan now has nearly $24 million to throw at a free agent starter like Hisashi Iwakuma or CJ Wilson and a right fielder/designated hitter like Jason Kubel or Michael Cuddyer. I wouldn’t rule out Cuddyer now that Ryan can afford a $10 million-a-year contract, but my eyes are still set on Jason Kubel at around $6 million a year.
This team has really got me excited for 2012. It already has more depth than last season. The lineup has improved offensively and improved defensively up the middle. The only things missing are a right fielder/designated hitter, a top of the rotation starter, and lots of bullpen help. Terry Ryan certainly has his work cut out for him rebuilding the American League’s last place team, but he’s made all the right moves so far.
