The Twins replaced general manager Bill Smith today, announcing that longtime GM Terry Ryan will run the team once again — at least for the interim. Here’s more on the Twins' front office, plus some hints about the composition of the 2012 roster:
- Ryan said he anticipates a payroll of roughly $100MM next year, according to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links).
- Ryan confirmed that former Reds GM and Twins assistant GM Wayne Krivsky will join Minnesota’s front office, according to Bollinger.
- Hisashi Iwakuma, the Japanese right-hander who nearly signed with the Athletics last offseason, is on the Twins’ radar, according to Bollinger. Minnesota bid on the 30-year-old a year ago, but Oakland earned his rights through the posting system. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes placed Iwakuma 22nd on his list of top free agents, ahead of Kelly Johnson, Josh Willingham and many others. Tim’s predicted destination for Iwakuma: the Twins.
- Ryan said he won't make any changes to the team's coaching staff unless manager Ron Gardenhire wants to bring in different people, according to Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (on Twitter).
- For a detailed look at the challenges the Twins face this winter, here's my offseason outlook piece.
