Follow the Twins as they face the Toronto Blue Jays in Cito Gaston’s final series as a major league manager with us in our game threads! (Game 1, Game 2)

A little lower… little lower… ooh, riiiiight there.

With the playoffs just around the corner, many opinions and ideas are being thrown out about who should take the role of back-up catcher for the Twins postseason roster. This matchup includes the gritty Drew Butera versus the switch hitting catcher Jose Morales. First off I’ll give you a quick look at both of the players.

Drew Butera (undisputed favorite)
– Butera has proven most baseball fans dead wrong. Although most elitists predicted that Butera’s bat would not equate at the major league level, no one thought his glove would be this amazing. He took away the run game for 2 months while Pavano was on the hill and that cannot be overlooked.

Jose Morales (the underdog)
– Jose has come through at the plate in big situations time and time again. Ala pinch hit walk off single late in the year last year against the Sox and yesterday with a run scoring double and a 2 run single. Jose clearly has inferior defensive tools, but his stick could be very useful on the bench.

The way I see it is if Mauer gets injured, the team is screwed with Morales or Butera behind the dish full-time. Gardenhire needs to ask himself, what if someone else gets hurt? What if one of our oft-injured middle infielders goes down? Insert one of Casilla/Punto/Tolbert. Now, what happens when one of these guys is hitting in a key situation late in the game? Would you rather have one of them hit, or have the option of pinch hitting Morales? I tend to side with Morales, I don’t think it’s necessary to carry a defensive specialist on the bench that is a catcher when the only chance he will play is if our star player gets injured. Like I said, Mauer isn’t coming out of the game unless he gets hurt, and at that point aren’t we already throwing in the towel? Another thing Morales has going for him is that he can play first base in a pinch as well.

Here is the breakdown of who wins head to head battles:
Defense= Butera
Offense = Morales
Versatility = Morales
Scrappiness = Butera

Stay tuned to see who wins the battle royale.

Every March, the sports networks and commentators come up with a list of “bubble teams” that might make it to the Big Dance and might not.  It’s a different sport, but the Twins’ brass has to make decisions on the players who can beat the Rays or the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.  By my count there are 11 players competing for seven spots assuming that Morneau is out of the first round and that the Twins are going with 14 position players and 11 pitchers.  The showdown will not be solved by a game of Trivial Pursuit.  Performance will determine who is on and who is out.  Health also could be a determining factor.  The auditions have already started and will continue in earnest through the end of the regular season.

There are five pitchers competing for three spots and I’ve included one longshot.  There are six position players competing for four spots and I’ve also included one longshot there.

Here’s my list with a thumbnail of why each player is on the bubble and what will determine his fate.

Scott Baker:  He has been in the rotation when healthy for the last three years.  He has a winning record and was pitching well coming into September, but his elbow gave him problems for the second time this year.  Baker missed three weeks and returned to pitch yesterday in what turned out to be the clincher.  Baker’s health and the fact that there will only be four starters needed in the first round cast doubt on whether he will make the playoff roster.  When he has been healthy, he has been okay, but not an ace.  Conventional wisdom puts him out of the first round roster, but probably the first one in if there is an injury or ineffectiveness from the guys ahead of him.

Kevin Slowey:  Very similar to Baker, he too has been in the rotation when healthy since 2007, but Slowey has been pitching more in September.  Slowey missed two turns with triceps tenderness and earlier missed a couple turns with a sore elbow.  Again, like Baker, he’s been an okay starter when healthy, but not a #1.  The primary problem for Slowey has been getting deep into games, which is less of a problem in the postseason.  It appears that K-Slow is ahead of Baker, but behind Blackburn, meaning that at this time he will be the long man in the Twins’ bullpen.

Nick Blackburn:  Looking at his line for the season, Blackburn has been lousy and lucky.  A guy with an over 5 ERA should have a losing record, but Blackburn is 10-10.  As al Twins fans know, “Blackie” has had a rebirth.  He was so hittable for so long that he was lifted from the rotation and eventually demoted to Rochester.  However, since his recall, Blackburn has been better than all right.  He’s been very good.  His sinker has been much better and he’s mixed in his other pitches.  He’s pitched at least seven innings in each start and has not allowed more than three runs in any of them.  This is a run of six starts.  Blackburn has the advantage of having pitched in the playoffs and in game 163 of 2008 and performed very well in those games.  He’s currently the favorite to be the fourth starter.

Jose Mijares:  Some may be surprised that I list Mijares as on the bubble.  However, he is coming off an injury and has only pitched 2.1 innings since returning.  More importantly, he hasn’t been effective.  5 hits and 2 walks make for a Flores-like WHIP of 3.00.  Mijares needs to get his head on straight and throw more strikes.  He seems to be continually behind in the count.  He needs to prove to the Twins that he at least can get lefthanded batter out and has ten days to do so.

Glen Perkins:  The lefty alternative to Mijares would be Perkins.  He has tried the patience of the organization, struggled for long periods of time and performed poorly, but just when you want to say “release him”, he starts pitching better.  Perkins last five outings have been pretty good.  He’s throwing strikes and getting some strikeouts.  He’s pitched 6.1 innings in September and not yielded a run, while striking out six.  Perkins can go more than one inning and he can get righthanded batters out, as least as much as lefties.  Right now, he would be on the outside looking in, but if Mijares continues to struggle and Perkins keeps getting outs, he could weasel his way onto the playoff roster.

Now the position players:

Drew Butera:  Drew can’t hit.  Drew can catch and throw.  Do the Twins want him on their bench in a playoff series?  I think they do, reasoning that if Mauer got knocked out of a game or was temporarily injued they would rather have good defense over the possibility of a couple of hits from Morales.

Jose Morales:  A few days ago, I wouldn’t have given him much of a shot, but Mauer suffered his injury and Jose had a couple of big hits in today’s game.  Also, Morales played capably at first base.  The only way Cuddyer goes out of a game in the playoffs is if he’s injured, but that could happen and if an outfielder got hurt, the Twins could move Cuddy to the outfield and put Morales at first for a few innings.  Add to this that Morales is a switch hitter with some success as a pinch hitter and I think he has a chance to be the last man on the bench.

Alexi Casilla:  Most have him penciled in as a reserve.  While I like Casilla a lot, I don’t think he is a lock to make the team.  His competition does what he does–play the infield, run faster than Kubel or Thome, and swithch hit.  I think Casilla has the edge because he is the fastest of the bunch and the best bet to steal a base.  He has also come up big in some memorable lat season at-bats.  He is also the most erratic, which I am sure plays on the manager’s mind.

Nick Punto:  Gritty and experienced, Punto is the most gifted gloveman of the prospective backup infielders.  He probably would be a lock if his health and rustiness weren’t a bit of a question.  He has hardly played since July because of two disabling hamstring injuries.

Matt Tolbert:  Tolbert is not a veteran and he can’t run as fast as Casilla.  However, he has hit well when given the opportunity in the second half and appears more suited to back up Valencia if he were nicked.  I guess Tolbert would be the underdog of the three prospective utility infielders.

Ben Revere:  The Twins like Revere and he offers blazing speed and a pretty good chance to get a single.  However, Revere doesn’t have much power, seems to be a work in progess as an outfielder and is woefully inexperienced.

Barring injury, and there have been plenty of them, the “bubble boys” that I predict will surive are pitchers Slowey (as the long man), Blackburn (fourth starter) and Mijares.  I think Mijares has to earn his way by pitching well a few times in the next ten days.  I think Baker misses out because Blackburn is hotter and Slowey is healthier.  Perkins is the backup plan if Mijares can find the plate.

Butera makes the roster because managers like their backups to be good defenders and Gardy fears the Rays or Yanks running wild on Morales.  Morales makes it as the third catcher, pinch hitter and emergency first baseman.  Casilla and Punto edge out Tolbert because Nicky is gritty and Lexi is fast.  Lexi’s speed also minimizes the need to add Revere, so his bubble bursts as well.

In honor of the victory, we will refrain from making any wise cracks about Jon Rauch, this bucket, and gasoline.