The Minnesota Twins have signed center fielder Denard Span to a five-year, $16.5 million contract extension. "We go through a pretty good checklist of criteria before we enter discussions with a player about a long-term contract and he has been very good for us for two years," Twins general manager Bill Smith said before Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Entering a season filled with excitement and opportunity, the Twins were hit with devastating and potentially season-shifting news when test results on Joe Nathan’s elbow showed a tear in the All-Star closer’s ulnar collateral ligament.

When asked whether Nathan’s tear is full or partial, general manager Bill Smith responded only with, “Significant.” The Twins sent Nathan’s test results to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion and they, along with their closer, said they would take up to two weeks to decide on a treatment option.

Nathan is hoping that window will afford him enough rest and rehab to be able to be able to pitch through the injury, but that’s a mostly unprecedented and certainly optimistic hope.

“I know if I can (pitch), I will,” he said.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy and second baseman Orlando Hudson, the Minnesota Twins' new double play combination, are getting acquainted in the infield. The two are being paired during spring training so they can learn each other's tendencies and get comfortable with a new partner around the bag. And even though they have yet to turn a double play in four exhibition games, both said they expect…

What I’m Reading

• Just imagine a Mauer-less Twinky-Town. Through means of a trade, no less. My head hurts already.

• So Jose Reyes’ thyroid is due to keep him out anywhere from two weeks to two months. Great diagnosis, Doc.

• Now that the Twins’ Joe Nathan is out, the Indians are saying to themselves, “Whoa, whoa whoa! Slow down. You’re telling me that we might actually have a shot at the AL Central crown? Far out. Well, we might as well keep Kerry Wood now.”

• The countdown begins: will the Red Sox be able to snag Josh Beckett long-term before the end of Spring Training? They’re getting closer.

What I Think About It

• I understand that it might come down to a “We might as well get something other than draft picks for him if he’s just going to leave, anyway,” situation, but a trade of Joe Mauer from the Twins would efficiently kill any baseball spirit Minnesota has.

Can’t sign him to an agreeable extension? Try harder. They cannot let him get away.

Obviously he still has a ways to go to reach Jeter status in terms of significance to the franchise and city, but he’s gotta be getting close.

Plus he’s a homegrown boy.

The Twins have made it explicitly clear that they have every intention of maintaining him. He’s still more likely to stay there than head elsewhere, but if doomsday comes for Minnesota, it’s going to be the day that Joe Mauer leaves town.

The bright side is that we should know more as we inch closer to Opening Day. Some sort of report of how well talks are going or how far apart the two sides are will arise sometime in the next few weeks.

After that, though, talks may cool until the temperature rises and the trade deadline is on the horizon.

• Why is it that I can picture the Mets’ shortstop getting a letter in the mail similar to this?

Dear Jose Reyes,

Please sit out two weeks to rest. Or six weeks. Better yet, make it eight weeks just to be on the safe side.

Uhh…yeah.

Sincerely,

Dr. Smith, Ph.D.

Philadelphia, PA

Alright, I shouldn’t make jest of Reyes’ unfortunate thyroid problem, I just find it strange that such a discrepancy in return times could exist.

Two weeks doesn’t necessarily require a DL stint. Eight weeks? Well that’s a different tale.

The Mets can’t catch a break right now. Next thing they know, Carlos Beltran will probably need knee surgery or something. Wait a minute…

There was a lot of optimism heading into the 2010 season for the Mets, but it may be starting to waver.

The team is still packed with superstar names (Reyes, Beltran, Jason Bay, Johan Santana, David Wright) but this seems to be an ongoing trend for the former Shea residents. A proverbially “stacked” that is well overpaid, breaks down, and, in the end, disappoints.

• Is Kerry Wood the key to the Indians’ path to a division title? Well, no. Probably not.

But no team goes into a season with the literal mindset of “OK, let’s rebuild.” It just doesn’t happen.

The beginning of spring not only sees the snow melt away, but also dismal records such as the 65-97 showing Cleveland chose to post last year.

Coming into 2010 Wood is looked at as a valuable asset that could offer teams back of the bullpen help come midseason should things go awry, despite his somewhat expensive contract.

But now that the Twins have the ability to get early leads but not necessarily keep them with Joe Nathan on the mend, the Indians may wait a little longer before they give up hope and deal the former Cub.

And if things do turn sour, then, well…then they rebuild.

• The Red Sox and Josh Beckett are reportedly making progress in contract talks and could potentially have a deal finalized in the coming weeks.

This is great news for Boston long term, as it all but ensures a potential Cy Young candidate in town for at least five more years (Beckett is supposedly even asking for longer).

But in the short term, it’ll be a bonus to this year in general.

Beckett doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who is going to propel himself to bring his game to another level in a contract year. He’s a gritty, hard-worker who goes out there every fifth day and works his tail off regardless of what his contract status is at the end of the season.

He does, however, seem like someone who unfortunately would allow the negotiations to get into his head and let it affect his performance.

Beckett is a creature of habit. He’s an outstanding talent, but he seems to get thrown off his routine far too easily and issue shaky performances in return.

It’s key for the Red Sox to get this done as soon as possible so he can concentrate on getting ready for 2010 and focus on returning to his 2007 form.

— PD

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Rain delayed Francisco Rodriguez's first batting practice session to batters this spring training. Slowed by conjunctivitis, the New York Mets' closer expects to throw BP on Saturday, a step necessary before he appears in an exhibition game. He plans to wear prescription goggles at the direction of doctors.

AL MVP Joe Mauer collected two hits before leaving the Minnesota Twins' 8-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night with a sore right shoulder. Before hitting his second single in the third inning, Mauer fouled a pitch off his shoulder and manager Ron Gardenhire replaced him with Drew Butera in the fourth.

Eddie Guardado, known largely for piling up strikeouts, was given his walking papers today.

The Washington Nationals released the veteran southpaw after two less-than-stellar exhibition performances. Guardado posted an ERA of 18.00 in just two innings of work this spring.

Guardado, 39, is best-known for his tenure as closer for the Minnesota Twins.

He was christened “Everyday Eddie” by Twins fans and sportswriters for his willingness to take the ball whenever he was asked.

Guardado began his career as an unsuccessful starter way back in 1993 and was eventually transitioned to a full-time relief role after stints as an equally-unsuccessful spot starter.

He was a serviceable middle reliever for most of the ‘90s, but “Everyday Eddie” really hit his stride in the 2000s.

Guardado lopped nearly a full point off of his ERA and became an effective late-inning weapon.

During the 2001 season, Guardado seized the closer role from the struggling LaTroy Hawkins and never looked back.

From 2001 to 2003, “Everyday Eddie” notched 98 saves with a 3.11 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, an 11-9 record, and 197 strikeouts in 199.2 innings pitched.

Guardado left the Twins after the 2003 season to sign a big money contract with the Seattle Mariners.

In Guardado’s absence the Twins decided let a no-name middle-reliever they’d acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the infamous AJ Pierzynski trade have a run at the closer’s role.

That no-name middle-reliever was Joe Nathan, undoubtedly the greatest closer in club history.

Nathan, however, may be finished for the year—and perhaps his career—after the announcement that he has a torn ligament in his arm that may require Tommy John surgery.

As such, one has to wonder whether the front office will look to “Everyday Eddie” as a potential solution to the projected vacancy at the back end of the club’s bullpen.

There is certainly an emotional attachment to Guardado among Twins fans and players. After all, he ranks third on the club’s all-time saves list with 116 and is remembered as a big part of the club’s renaissance early in the early 2000s.

The front office is known for making decisions based on emotion rather than practicality (see: Jones, Jacque and LeCroy, Matt ) and it isn’t entirely out of the question to worry it could happen again with Guardado.

The big difference here is that Guardado would—in theory—be expected to fill a major role. Jones and LeCroy were both brought back on minor-league deals intended to give both a chance to jump-start their fledgling careers.

Guardado’s days as an effective late-inning weapon are clearly behind him.

He hasn’t posted an ERA under 4.15 or served as a full-time closer since 2006 with Seattle. That same season he lost the closer’s role to J.J. Putz and was jettisoned to Cincinnati in a mid-season trade.

He showed signs of returning to form in early 2008 with Texas when we went 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and 23 holds. All the while Guardado held opponents to a stingy .220 batting average.

So impressive were those numbers that the Twins brought in the lefty prior to the Aug. 31 trade deadline to bolster the bullpen down the stretch.

Guardado responded by going 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA, and a 2.00 WHIP over seven innings. The only ones basking in Guardado’s homecoming were opposing hitters, who raked to the tune of a .387 batting average off the lefty.

In a season that required the Twins and Chicago White Sox to play a 163rd game to determine the division winner, one has to think that had Guardado stayed in Texas, the Twins would be bringing an extra pennant to Target Field this season.

Long story short: Guardado is toast.

He posted an abysmal 4.46 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and a .267 BAA last season after returning to Texas. At season’s end, the Rangers—who had obviously been looking to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time—wisely parted ways with Guardado.

Despite his history with the Twins, the club would be wise to follow the Rangers’ example and let “Everyday Eddie” ply his trade elsewhere.

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Two of the last four World Series Champions have won it all while playing their first season at a brand new ballpark. The Baltimore Orioles, who opened their state-of-the-art Camden Yards in 1992, needed only two years to reach the second highest payroll in the MLB.

There is ample evidence that new stadiums are an excellent way to increase revenue flow and, in turn, competitive leverage in the free agent and trade markets. That is the premise upon which the Minnesota Twins are banking this season. From a 2009 payroll of just over $65 million, the Twins have assembled a $96 million team for 2010, in anticipation of the opening of their brand-new open-air stadium, Target Field.

From 24th in the Majors, the Twins have already shot up to 12th in spending. If, as many expect, they either extend Joe Mauer or add a reliever via free agency or trade, they could reach two milestones at once. For the first time in the modern era, the Twins would be one of the league’s top-10 spending teams, and for the first time ever, they would exceed $100 million in salary.

For the sake of their fans, the team had better hope that the ballpark improves attendance and revenue to some significant degree. If it turns out not to, the augmentation in spending could be depressingly short lived.

For as long as it does last, though, the Twins will be extremely competitive. Only the loss of right-handed closer Joe Nathan has even threatened their status as American League Central favorites, and already the team is discussing Nathan’s replacement. Jim Thome and his 564 career home runs are already on board. Yhe future Hall of Famer will likely only platoon duty DH.

Catcher Joe Mauer, with his three batting titles and expiring contract at age 27, ought to be impressed by his hometown team’s “commitment to winning.” If Mauer and slugging first baseman Justin Morneau stay healthy, the Twins’ lineup is among the AL’s best. If enigmatic pitchers Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker can discover consistency, their pitching staff is among the league’s best, too.

In any case, the Twins will be competitive on the field this season. The most intriguing storylines about them, however, may be found in the stands of their brand new digs.

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Talks between the Minnesota Twins and American League MVP catcher Joe Mauer have been going slowly and it might…

Now that Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan has suffered an injury, there is lots of talk about how Cleveland…