(in Newark)

In a drastic change of pace Minnesota Twins fans found out today that their team is willing to pay market value for free agents. Now, they still are not willing to pay up to market value for Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, Alfonso Soriano, Adrian Beltre, Casey Blake, etc., ad nausea, onwards into infinity, but the Twins are willing to pay market value (and then some!) for “utility infielders.”

Nick Punto, two years, $8.5 million.

Now, first things first, we here at Twinscast love and appreciate Nick Punto. If you go all the way back to the very first podcast that we ever recorded you will hear Bryant and I praise Nick Punto as one of the best players in baseball that does what he does. That may be confusing but we were simply saying that Nick Punto is a great utility player. If that is his role on your team then you’re team is on the right track. If Nick Punto is your starting shortstop your team may be coming up a little short.

Two years, $8.5 million, that’s a starting shortstop. Nick Punto will be your 2009 starting shortstop.

There is no real problem with giving Punto this money - look to the Jamey Carroll signing in Cleveland (two years, $4 million) to see that utility players are getting fairly lucrative deals throughout MLB - the problem is that Twins fans want more. We all want more. We have waited years, and years, and years for more. Again, not to beat a dead horse, but Bryant and I screamed about this on our most recent podcast: with the team so close to being a World Series contender, with the new stadium coming 2010, with a number of positive young stars coming into their own, Twins fans want that big, extra piece. We want a risk. We want to take a chance. We want the team to spend the money, to make the team better, to hold up their end of the bargain.

When the winter meetings roll around we expect a free agent signing, something to get us excited for spring training, for the start of the season.

So, while signing Punto may be a wise move for the team (and seriously, the man is a very good defensive infielder and had a great rebounding 2008 after a miserable 2007) it makes Twins fans feel a little, um, how should we say…underwhelmed…kind of like playing a big gig in Central Park, only, you know, not.