Book deals aside, the Twins have to start thinking about what their rotation will look like in 2012. Previously, I listed a few free agents who will be on the market as well as few who might be available via trade. But no matter how aggressive the Twins are on the market this offseason, they’ll need to fill out most of the starting rotation with players who are already on the team.

Here are the in-house candidates for the 2012 rotation:

Scott Baker

For about two months this season, Baker looked like the savior of the Minnesota rotation. But then he, like nearly every other Twins veteran, succumbed to injuries that have ruined his second half. When healthy, Baker is a solid front of the rotation starter who won 15 games in 2009 and notched an 8-6 record with a 3.21 ERA this year. He’s a shoo-in for the 2012 rotation, and may even be the Opening Day starter, as long as his arm troubles are in the past. (more…)

A couple weeks ago, I took a look at some of the free agent starting pitchers who should be available this offseason. The bad news for the Twins, who need at least one (probably two or three) new starting pitchers,is that the field is pretty weak. The good news  is that free agency isn’t the only way to get a new starter. Today I’ll discuss trades.

I do not have any sort of insider information here – most big league GMs don’t return my e-mails, and they tend to get annoyed when I eavesdrop on their phone calls. So instead, I’m basing this list on informed speculation. Teams are more likely to trade talented veteran players when they are rebuilding, or when those players are a year or two from free agency, and likely to hit a big payday. I have also (mostly) tried to avoid ridiculous trades. For example, I won’t suggest the Twins should pursue Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay, because their team’s GMs would hang up on Bill Smith even faster than they hang up on me if he suggested those moves.

Ryan Dempster

The Cubs righthander seems to be the subject of trade rumors every year. Like Carl Pavano, he’s a veteran innings eater, good for double digit wins almost any season. Unlike Pavano, he can strike opposing hitters out (an important quality to have, given the Twins’ porous defense). The Cubs are a losing team with over $110 million committed to 2012 payroll, so they’ll probably be looking to trade away some pricy players. A team that wants Dempster might not have to give up too much in return. But he turns 35 next May, and his contract expires after 2012. (more…)