(The idea for this piece came during a conversation with @jdschultz)

In the Terry Ryan era the Twins found themselves sitting on their hands quite often during the Hot Stove League. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it irked the majority of Twins’ fans. It seemed that whenever they had a chance at an established All-Star the Twins balked at the asking price, which undoubtedly included at least two or three top prospects.

Since Bill Smith came aboard we’ve seen a slight jump in roster moves, but nothing too drastic. It seems that Smith values his prospects the same way Ryan did (who is still a member of the Twins’ organization, by the way).

Some Twins’ bloggers have guessed that there is a list hanging somewhere in Smith’s office that names those on the no-trade list. Obviously, they have not made that supposed-list public, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate, does it? Here are some names that are probably on the Twins’ no-trade list.

(The names in italics represent names that the Twins wouldn’t want to give up, but would be willing to part with were the price right. All prospects are going to be held with a tight fist, either way.)

There are 49 names on this list, and, if I were to guess, it is one of the lengthier in all of baseball. Please comment and discuss these choices, adding and removing names as you see fit.

Minnesota Twins

1. Scott Baker
2. Nick Blackburn
3. Carlos Gomez
4. Francisco Liriano
5. Joe Mauer
6. Jose Morales
7. Justin Morneau
8. Joe Nathan
9. Glen Perkins
10. Nick Punto
11. Kevin Slowey
12. Denard Span

Rochester Red Wings

1. Rob Delaney
2. Luke Hughes
3. Philip Humber
4. Trevor Plouffe
5. Jeff Manship
6. Dustin Martin
7. Anthony Swarzak
8. Steven Tolleson
9. David Winfree
10. Danny Valencia

New Britain Rock Cats

1. Cole DeVries
2. Matt Fox
3. Carlos Gutierrez
4. Erik Lis
5. Jay Rainville
6. Wilson Ramos
7. Anthony Slama
8. Rene Tosoni

Fort Myers Miracle

1. Joe Benson
2. David Bromberg
3. Deolis Guerra
4. Steven Hirschfeld
5. Michael McCardell
6. Chris Parmelee
7. Ben Revere
8. Tyler Robertson
9. Steve Singleton
10. Spencer Steedley

Beloit Snappers

1. Daniel Berlind
2. Aaron Hicks
3. Shooter Hunt
4. Daniel Osterbrock
5. Angel Morales

Elizabethton Twins

1. Tyler Ladendorf

GCL Twins

1. Shooter Hunt
2. Daniel Ortiz
3. Estarlin De Los Santos

Freddy Sanchez

As the Twins’ roster currently stands, there aren’t many fans who think that the Twins have a serious shot at the World Series. Because of the mediocrity of the AL Central the Twins may be able to reach postseason play, but anything beyond that is probably wishful thinking.

Unless, of course, the Twins sign a game-changer. Freddy Sanchez could be that game-changer.

At 31 years of age there are certainly younger options on the market (Ian Kinsler, for example. But that’s for another day.) Sanchez, despite his age, remains one of the best defensive second baseman in the league. In Ultimate Zone Rating he ranks seventh in the league at his position. His Range Factor/Game is good enough for fourth in the league.

There is no doubt that this is an upgrade over who the Twins currently have occupying second base. Whether it’s Alexi Casilla, Matt Tolbert, or Nick Punto, it seems second base is where offense goes to die. None of those players have batting averages anywhere near .300 (two are under .200) and their on-base-averages aren’t much better. Sanchez’s .316/.355/.477/.832 would be considered other-worldly by fans who are starved for offensive production from that position.

Most Twins’ fans would love to see Sanchez in the infield every day, but are skeptical about the asking price. They’re not alone; the Twins are renowned for over-valuing their prospects and it would take a lot to convince them to move players like Kevin Mulvey or Anthony Swarzak.

It’s safe to say that Alexi Casilla will probably be the centerpiece of any trade the Twins work out, if any. He currently resides in Gardy’s doghouse and most likely won’t be with the Twins again as long as Gardy is manager; which could be forever. Casilla is loaded with talent and could be an All-Star threat were he provided with a change of scenery.

As they stand now, the Twins could manage to squeak by both the Tigers and White Sox for the division title. They may even manage to win a few games in the postseason. But a deep playoff run cannot be enjoyed without a game-changer like Freddy Sanchez. And wouldn’t you know - the Twins seem to be in talks with the Pirates right now, inquiring about Sanchez and releviers Matt Capps and John Grabow.

Just as a reminder, there will be a live blog tonight during the Twins/Tigers game here at TwinsFix.com. Please join us as we talk about the game, the division race, potential trades, and everything Twins-related! 7:00 central time is when I’ll open it up.

I will be hosting a live blog here tomorrow during the Twins/Tigers game. Join me a few minutes before the game kicks off!

Today the Twins made another bullpen move, calling up Brian Duensing and demoting Sean Henn.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/11916738