| 29 September 2009
"I got this."
- Joe Mauer, when asked if he was available to catch the second game of the double-header on Tuesday.
Does it get any cooler than that?
Minnesota struck first in the Battle for the AL Central this morning, but are still just two losses away from elimination. They clinched a winning season with the victory earlier, but can guarantee their continued involvment in this divisional race with a victory tonight. To review, let's go over all the possibilities:
Scenario A: Twins sweep series, take two game lead into final three games.
Scenario B: Twins win three of four, division tied with three games remaining.
Scenario C: Series split, Twins two games back with three games remaining.
Scenario D: Tigers win three of four, clinch division with four game lead and three games remaining.
With the first game under wraps, the Twins are well on their way.
According to various sources, the Twins have signed Miguel Angel Sano, considered by many the top international prospect in quite some time. There were questions about his age, which has reportedly been confirmed as 16, which caused other teams to back down. The signing bonus is reportedly $3.15 million. Sano's comparables have been listed as Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, and Hanley Ramirez.
This season Minnesota has spent over $6 million on international prospects, including 16-year old Max Kepler, considered the best European prospect. The Twins have spent more money on international free agents this year than any other team, which is extremely rare.
It will be interesting to see where these young kids start next season. Sano will almost undoutedly start with the Dominican Summer League Twins, while Kepler could land in either the DSL or the Gulf Coast League. Neither will likely be in the big leagues sooner than five years from now.
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