We segue from Duquette discussing Twins in the World Baseball Classic, to a video of Morneau talking about how prepping for the WBC is getting him early work in spring training this year:

Whether the Twins end up trading Morneau at the deadline or signing him to an extension, a big year from the big slugger could obviously go a long ways towards helping the Twins compete beyond 2013.

Aug 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (33) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. The Rangers won 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

This topic has been widely discussed across Twins Territory since the middle of last season. First baseman Justin Morneau has been at the center of trade rumors for quite some time. There is a ton of support in trading him, and even letting him walk in case he does finish out the year with the Twins. Maybe support is the wrong word, but more on why it makes sense. Yes, it does. But I don’t care. I’m a fan first. I’m here to argue why Morneau should remain a Twin all of this season and beyond.

I may be biased, as I have been a huge fan of Morneau for a long time (Realistically, who hasn’t?).

I’m going to lay this out for you.

1. I like Morneau. A lot. He and Joe Mauer are my favorite Twins. I liked Morneau from the time he became the starting first baseman in 2004. Not only could he hit the hell out of a baseball, but the man works hard. Anybody with that kind of work ethic, I will immediately root for to succeed.

Minus the JJ Hardy deal, I was okay when other fan favorites were traded or left through free agency. Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel were good, but not great. With the payroll in 2008, there was no way the Twins could keep Johan Santana around. Torii Hunter bolted for a bigger paycheck, but the blow wasn’t as bad withDenard Span waiting in the wings (even though it took Carlos Gomez sucking to get him in CF).

2. This brings me to my next point. I am not entirely sold on Chris Parmelee. Sure, he had a great September in 2011. Sure, he tore up AAA pitching last year. Sure, he’s got potential. Every player does somewhere in their game. But what happens if he doesn’t pan out? It just doesn’t feel as though he has the same potential as the former MVP. I could be completely wrong, and I think it was smart of the Twins to slot Parmelee in the outfield and see what he can do everyday in the lineup. Parmelee might be more comparable to Kubel, but not Morneau.

3. Some consider the Twins to be “re-building” for the future. I do not. Do they have a playoff team right now? Not on paper, but neither did the Oakland Athletics a year ago. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this game: anything can happen. Say what you want about the pitchers they signed, but the Twins have improved from last season. The point is, The team has potential and a healthy and motivated Morneau should figure to be a very important part of that picture.

4. He wants to stay in Minnesota.He may end up testing the market, but he’s made it clear for a long time that this is the organization he wants to be with. Even if the team has another rough summer, it doesn’t change the fact that Mauer and Morneau are two of the biggest reasons fans come to the ballpark. Keeping fans in the seats keeps revenue high. It’s still a business.

5. Think about this scenario for a minute. The Twins decide they want to re-sign Morneau to a new deal. They need to keep him healthy, along with Joe Mauer. Mauer eventually moves to first base, giving the reigns of catching to someone else. How about Morneau at DH? As long as he is healthy, Morneau could prove very serviceable at the position.

6. He’s still young. I’d understand if Morneau was nearing the end of his career, but he will be 32 on May 15 and still has a lot left in the tank. He’s feeling healthy and finally moved on from the concussion and wrist problems that kept him on the bench for the better part of the past few seasons. Before said concussion injury in 2010, he was enjoying another MVP- caliber season. He showed signs of excellence last season. I’m in his corner, and the Twins should be too.

If the Twins have a long, losing season again and Morneau decides to leave for a contender, then that’s his decision. Much like former closer Joe Nathan did – at the end of the day ballplayers want to win a ring. But I think the Twins should strongly consider pushing to keep him.

But for now, I’m excited to see what he can do this season.

Aug 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (33) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. The Rangers won 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

More than half of the Twins positional starters are basically set in stone, but we’ll take a look at the contenders where there is competition; many of the more interesting battles in camp will play out for backup spots as the spring progresses. And while even a strong camp will still mean relegation to the minors for a lot of these guys, they’ll be just an injury away from seeing time with the Twins at some point over the course of the season.

Earlier this week, we ran down the catchers in camp. Today, we’ll look at the options at first base as we move our way around the diamond over the course of Spring Training.

PROJECTED STARTER: Justin Morneau

After injury-plagued campaigns in 2010 and 2011, Morneau returned to a semblance of respectability at the plate last year, finishing the season with a slash line of .267/.333/.440. His overall numbers were boosted by a strong stretch after the All-Star break–following a slow start to the season–and it’s Morneau’s second half numbers that give the Twins and their fans reason to hope for improved production from the former MVP going into 2013.

PROJECTED BACKUPS: Joe Mauer, Chris Parmelee

September 16, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer (7) during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. The White Sox defeated the Twins 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

We discussed Mauer a couple of days ago with the catchers, and we’ll take a closer look at Parmelee when we get to right field, but both of these players will see time at first base this spring and into the season. As 2012 showed, Mauer is a respectable defensive first baseman, and cutting down his games behind the plate allowed him to stay in the lineup for a career-high 641 plate appearances last year. Morneau is in the last year of his contract and there are a number of high-upside outfielders in the Twins organization on the brink of the Majors, so Parmelee will almost assuredly move from right field back to his natural position of first base as early as the All-Star break.

LONG SHOTS

Chris Colabello is a great human-interest story for the club, signing last year out of independent ball, and raked in both AA New Britain and the Mexican League. At 29, he’s an older prospect with a relatively low ceiling and moderate floor, so he makes sense as a potential bat off the bench this season. Still, while it may not be the sexiest spot on the 25-man roster, solid, reliable, effective and cost-controlled pinch hitters aren’t the easiest thing to find, so it stands to reason that the Twins will look for Colabello to continue his development in AAA this season with an eye on 2014 and beyond. Injuries, trades or a lack of development by stud outfielders in the minors could still give Colabello a shot as a stop-gap starter in the Majors at some point in 2013. Jeff Clement is a converted catcher and former top prospect in the Seattle organization who signed on as a minor-league free agent over the winter.

CONCLUSION

There’s no real competition here, but the Twins will be looking ahead to moving Parmelee to first base full time after Morneau’s situation is resolved. How will it be resolved? If the team can get anything decent for Morneau before the trade deadline, I think he’s gone. If not, I think they let him walk at the end of the season: facing a rebuilding year, moving Morneau for scraps during the season could alienate the fan base and precipitate a PR nightmare. On the flip side, having Colabello in a Twins uniform could be a PR boost for the club, and I fully expect to see him up for a cup of coffee in September, if not sooner.

If you liked reading this, tweet it: traffic helps pay my bills. You can follow me here, and like us on Facebook here.