After nabbing AL Central crowns in 2002, 2003, & 2004, the Minnesota Twins faltered in 2005. They weren’t horrible, but the Chicago White Sox sealed the deal. As a result, some hard decisions were made on fan favorites during the offseason to re-load for another competitive window.
Let go in free agency were…
Two significant trades were also consecrated…
On the flip side of the coin, the FA acquisitions clearly demonstrated a search for some slug…
One could, I suppose, make a fairly compelling case that Twins GM Terry Ryan was still shopping in the scratch-and-dent section of the acquisitions market. Only the Luis Castillo trade featured an incoming talent both proven and in-or-close-to his prime. But at least Ryan was filling up his cart. If the 2006 Twins didn’t capture the Central flag, it wouldn’t be for lack of offseason finagling.