All Minnesota. All the Time.

The wait for top pitching prospect Kyle Gibson continues to drag on… and on.

Gibson—who has thrown two complete-game shutouts in three minor-league starts—appears as ready as ever to make his major-league debut following Tommy John surgery 18 months ago. But the reason for the delay may be strictly financial; not performance-based.

The Twins are potentially saving millions by ensuring that Gibson does not reach “Super Two” status in his first arbitration-eligible season.

A “Super Two” player is classified as follows: has between two and three years of major-league service time, appeared in 86 games the previous season, and ranks in the top 22 percent in playing time of players with between two and three years service. This final item is what the Twins are seeking to prevent.

If Gibson ranks in that top 22 percent following his third season (2015, in this case), he would be eligible for arbitration in 2016 through 2019; a total of four years. By holding him back now until the middle of June, the Twins ensure that Gibson will only be arbitration eligible for three years: 2017, 2018, and 2019.

So what difference does one year make? Possibly millions of dollars, depending on Gibson’s success.

An arbitration eligible player gets to lobby for a new deal based on the contracts of similar major-league players. For example, if Gibson went 14-5 in his season leading up to arbitration, he would be able to land a contract that compares to other players of similar age and ability.

Obviously, this type of performance would merit a multi-million dollar deal in arbitration. On the other hand, a player not eligible for arbitration would only receive the six-digit league minimum.

(Here is an article by ESPN Insider Jim Bowden that explains “Super Two” more in-depth.)

While clear standouts like Stephen Strasburg have been held back by the “Super Two” rule, Gibson’s holdup is not nearly as egregious. His last couple of seasons have been full of setbacks.

The 2009 first-round selection was 3-8 with a 4.81 ERA in 2011, and his 2012 campaign was truncated due to Tommy John. This season, despite dealing two shutouts in the month of May, Gibson has only thrown four quality starts in nine appearances.

Nonetheless, the major-league club’s starting staff is in dire need of help. Just take a look at the strikeout numbers.

Up until Vance Worley’s start against Atlanta on Wednesday, the Twins’ top two strikeout leaders were relievers Glen Perkins (25) and Jared Burton (23). Gibson, who owns an 8.1 K/9 for his minor-league career, could step in immediately and, at least, fool a hitter once in a while.

In a season that is beginning to spiral out of control, it feels more and more like Gibson—labeled for so long as Minnesota’s ace of the future—should get his shot. What do the Twins have to lose?

The answer would seem to be dollars.

The following will appear in the next edition of Vermillion, SD’s The Equalizer.

Remember back in the day when the Twins winning the Central Division was as commonplace as a Joe Mauer opposite-field single? Gosh, those were sweet times, weren’t they? Six division titles in nine years, two MVPs, and one glorious new stadium.

Wait… you’re telling me the Twins won a division championship less than three years ago? No way. Minnesota was actually a revered and respected ballclub in this decade? I’m stunned. It feels like four score and seven years ago. How the times have changed.

I suppose it’s easy to forget the successful years when your team literally hasn’t been above .500 at any point during the last two seasons. But can the Twins buck the trend in year three?

Common logic would say that they won’t. Minnesota got worse on paper by letting Scott Baker–arguably the team’s best starter—head to Chicago in free-agency. Then they proceeded to trade starting outfielders Denard Span (Nationals) and Ben Revere (Phillies) for pitching prospects. The Twins now head into 2013 relying on an array of unproven arms and bats.

The expectations are low, yes. However, the low bar gives Minnesota a great opportunity to come out of nowhere, which is really when they’ve played their best ball under Ron Gardenhire.

Let’s be honest, the Twins pitching staff could not have been worse in 2012. Management could have selected five random members of the U.S. Senate and had as much success from the mound as Twins’ hurlers did last year: third-to-last in ERA, second-to-last in quality starts, and second-to-last in opponent’s batting average.

It didn’t help matters that the Twins went through pitchers at an astounding rate. The club used 12 different pitchers last season and had as many ERAs under 4.00 as they did .300 hitters… one.

Therefore, fans shouldn’t flip when they look at the prospect of having “past-their-prime” names like Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey anchoring the rotation. Both can be expected to pitch around 150 innings (something only one Twin achieved last year) and induce ground balls at an above-average rate (a welcome sight for a team that surrendered the second-most home runs last season).

The Twins will fill in the rest of the rotation with a trio of young arms who possess huge upsides. Scott Diamond was a diamond-in-the-rough last year, definitely one of baseball’s top rookie pitchers. He should be joining the rotation in mid-April after minor elbow surgery. Vance Worley is a strikeout machine who Minnesota acquired from Philly in the Ben Revere trade. “The Vanimal,” as they coined him in Philly, will be a great change-up from the Twins’ typical pitch-to-contact philosophy. And the fifth spot in the rotation goes to…

Samuel Deduno, anyone? The ostensibly strike-impaired Dominican native just threw 13 innings in the World Baseball Classic—including five shutout frames in the championship game—and held a 0.69 ERA. If his control issues are truly cured—watch out. Deduno’s name may become a verb by year’s end: “Swing and a miss! Miguel Cabrera gets Deduno’d with another tailing fastball!”

The bullpen appears to be in great hands with Jared Burton and Glen Perkins at the back end. As long as the middle-relievers can bridge the gap between the inevitable short starts and the eighth inning, the Twins should be fine.

FYI: The phrase “as long as” is about as sure-fire as my March Madness bracket this year—up in flames. Don’t count any wins until the 27^th out is recorded.

All things considered, I don’t think the Twins’ pitching staff will be as poor as last season, which, frankly, isn’t saying much. We’re still looking at a below-average product that will likely cost Ron Gardenhire each of the remaining hairs on his head. So can the offense pick up the slack?

It’s frustrating to think that a lineup including Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham could be anything but exceptional, but that may again be the case after table-setters Span and Revere left town. The void at the top of the lineup now looks to be filled with outfield prospect Aaron Hicks and the defensively-challenged middle-infielder Brian Dozier.

Hicks, in essence, is like Ben Revere with power, but is guaranteed to have growing pains without ever having played above Double-A. That being said, Hicks has turned heads with his team-leading four home runs this spring.

Dozier made some challenging plays look routine, but also made routine plays look challenging is his first stint with the Twins last summer. Minnesota hopes to see Dozier move forward as a second baseman while they place the flashy, yet raw, Pedro Florimon at shortstop.

The lineup gets rounded out with the likes of third baseman Trevor Plouffe, right-fielder Chris Parmalee, and DH Ryan Doumit, all of whom have offensive upsides and defensive downsides. They’ll need to step up to compensate for a lineup that may include black holes “Dozier” and “Florimon.”

In my mind, the Twins’ offense is capable of propelling a successful team if it hits with more power and consistency. Minnesota was 11^th in team batting average last season—better than four playoff teams—but they also hit the fourth-fewest home runs and left the third-most runners in scoring position. Minnesota will have to get some pop from outside the heart of their order if they want to sport a balanced lineup.

Ultimately, the 2013 season will be decided by pitching and defense; the characteristics that used to define Twins baseball during that long-forgotten golden age of 2002-2010. Do I think they’ll make a playoff run? Nope. But I can see another small step toward respectability. The big leap comes in 2014 when I rashly pick the Twins to win the World Series. Until then, I’ll give them 75-80 wins and a fourth place finish in the AL Central.

Also read on “The Twins Blog” at KFAN.com.

After losing Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier in the 2010 offseason, the Twins’ bullpen dropped from eighth in the league in 2010 to last place in 2011. Fans expected more of the same when Joe Nathan and Jose Mijares departed last winter, leaving the Twins with an assortment of relative unknowns, but Minnesota surprised many with a fairly consistent group of relievers.

The Twins bullpen threw the third-most innings in baseball last season—thanks to ineffective starting pitching—but posted a respectable 3.77 ERA, good for 17^th in the league.

Though there’s been more turnover in the bullpen pitching staff, Minnesota looks to have an excellent back-end combo set up with Jared Burton and Glen Perkins. It’s the middle-relief that still has question marks.

With 35 pitchers competing at spring training to make a seven-man bullpen, there’s a great chance we’ll see some new faces in the mix this spring.

OFFSEASON DEPARTURES:

Matt Capps: Unfortunately, Capps (whose acquisition cost the Twins a high catching prospect in Wilson Ramos) never amounted to expectations in his two and a half seasons; too many blown saves and no real strikeout pitch. The free-agent signed a minor-league deal with the Cleveland Indians.

Jeff Manship: The long-reliever never nailed down a consistent role in four up-and-down seasons with the Twins. He was signed to a minor-league contract by the Colorado Rockies.

Kyle Waldrop: A former first-round pick in 2004, Waldrop appeared in just 24 career games for the Twins, 17 of them last season. He was signed in free-agency by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jeff Gray: The Twins outrighted the 31-year-old Jeff Gray to Rochester last August after several bad outings. He was signed by the White Sox in December.

OFFSEASON ADDITIONS:

Josh Roenicke: A right-handed pitcher from Colorado, Roenicke put up decent numbers in his first year getting a prolonged look at the major-league level. The 30-year-old has a four-pitch repertoire, featuring a mid-90s four-seam and two-seam fastball.

Rafael Perez: Twins fans should be familiar with this new acquisition. Perez pitched in Cleveland for seven seasons, hurling 329 bullpen innings with a 3.64 ERA. During the Indians’ ALCS run of 2007, he dealt a 1.78 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP. The lefty suffered through an injury-plagued 2012, but hopes to be back to normal for 2013.

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2012 notable relievers: Anthony Swarzak (73.1 IP), Alex Burnett (71.2 IP), Glen Perkins (70.1 IP), Jared Burton (62.0 IP), Brian Duensing (57.0 IP), Jeff Gray (52.0 IP), Casey Fien (35.0 IP), Matt Capps (29.1 IP), Tyler Robertson (25.0 IP), Jeff Manship (21.2 IP), Kyle Waldrop (21.1 IP), Luis Perdomo (17.0 IP)

2013 PROJECTIONS…

LONG RELIEF:

The long-relief role is now in flux for reasons that we truly couldn’t make up. Last year’s primary option, right-hander Anthony Swarzak, is currently sidelined with broken ribs because he wrestled with some teammates at a Twins Fest event. While Swarzak should be healthy by Opening Day, his absence for part of spring training leaves the door open.

Lefty Brian Duensing, the jack-of-all-trades on the Twins’ staff, is capable of pitching long innings in a pinch, but seems to have settled in as later-inning pitcher who can shut down left-handed hitters. It’s likely the Twins will try to keep him focused on that role.

One name to watch closely for is Josh Roenicke, the waiver claim acquisition from Colorado. Roenicke pitched in over 25 games for the first time in his career and was reliable for the Rockies last season, especially in long-relief roles.

In 20 relief appearances that lasted 2.0 innings or longer, Roenicke held opponents scoreless 16 of 20 times and earned a 1.48 ERA in those outings overall. In five appearances going 3.0 innings or more, Roenicke posted a 0.58 ERA—not too shabby.

Also be aware of Northfield native Caleb Thielbar. The lefty has risen rapidly through the Twins’ minor-league system and owns a career strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 4:1 in four seasons.

MIDDLE RELIEF:

The Twins are looking for several stabilizers who can help bridge the gap between a short start and the late innings, and they’ll need depth in this area if they wind up throwing over 550 relief innings again. The club’s ERA in the fifth through seventh innings last year was a combined 4.54, nearly a point higher than AL Champion Detroit’s (3.59).

Alex Burnett and Brian Duensing are seemingly locks entering spring ball. Burnett took huge strides in his third season, lowering his ERA by nearly two points, while Duensing’s newfound role as a seventh inning man has solidified the lefty’s roster spot.

The best of the rest would probably be right-hander Casey Fien, whose 2.06 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 3.3:1 K/BB ratio were excellent last season, but will have to be backed up by a strong spring training.

Right-hander Anthony Slama also seems due for a call-up. He sports a 1.99 ERA for his career in 325 minor-league innings, as well as a 12.4 K/9. Twins’ blogger Seth Stohs wrote a great piece on Slama last year that gives a detailed scouting report.

Another possible candidate is Luis Perdomo who appeared in 15 games for Minnesota in 2012 and pitched to a 3.18 ERA.

SET-UP MEN:

Probably the most pleasant surprise on last year’s pitching staff (other than Scott Diamond) was Jared Burton. The former Cincinnati Red utilized impeccable control and a nasty cutter to notch a career-best 2.18 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 2012.

Burton received a two-year extension and should be the eighth inning man from day one. He’s also the likeliest to step in as closer if Glen Perkins were overworked or injured.

Odds are the Twins will look to have a situational left-handed pitcher in the late innings by way of Tyler Robertson or Rafael Perez.

Robertson (5.40 ERA in 2012) got stronger as his rookie season went on, and he’s only 25 years old. Perez is 30 and is coming off shoulder surgery. He’s reportedly lost some velocity and isn’t nearly the pitcher he was five years ago. This may be the reason Minnesota will experiment with Perez as a starter, a role he’s never been given in the majors, but may suit his current skill-set better.

Robertson seems like the more logical choice to start the season as a reliever.

CLOSER:

Minnesota will place the ball confidently in the left hand of Glen Perkins. The U of M grad has turned around his career to become a clubhouse leader and a high-powered hurler in the late innings.

Coming off his best season, Perkins now enters the first year of a three-year extension he signed prior to his stellar 2012 campaign. The Twins have to love the bargain they’re getting.

Perkins will pitch in March for the USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Projected seven-man bullpen: Anthony Swarzak (long relief; if healthy), Casey Fien (middle relief), Brian Duensing (middle relief), Alex Burnett (middle relief), Tyler Robertson (situational), Jared Burton (set-up), Glen Perkins (closer)

Projected next in line: Josh Roenicke, Anthony Slama, Caleb Thielbar

Next edition will examine the starting rotation.

CLICK HERE for Monday’s infield preview.

Also read on “The Twins Blog” at kfan.com.

When the Twins entered spring training last year, there were still whispers of optimism that they could shake off the 99-loss disaster of the previous season if everything fell into place.

This season, there are no such whispers.

After a grueling 96 losses in 2012, Minnesota went into full “rebuild mode” this offseason, leaving plenty of openings on their 25-man roster.

Over the next several days, AJ Mansour and I will preview the Twins’ roster position-by-position (infield, outfield, starting pitching, bullpen) and attempt to sort out who will be playing where on Opening Day.

Today’s edition: INFIELD

OFFSEASON DEPARTURES

Alexi Casilla: A seven-year veteran, Casilla was given ample opportunity to be an everyday infielder for the Twins, but injuries and ineffectiveness kept him from reaching his full potential. Casilla was non-tendered by the Twins and signed with Baltimore in November.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka: The Twins pulled the plug on their international experiment after two below-average seasons, releasing Nishioka at his own request.

OFFSEASON ADDITIONS

None.

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FIRST BASE

2012 first basemen: Justin Morneau (99 games), Chris Parmalee (38 games), Joe Mauer (30 games)

With Justin Morneau healthy for the first time in several offseasons, it’s safe to pencil the former MVP in as the starting first baseman. However, Morneau’s future will be a major talker as the season moves toward the July 31st trade deadline.

Entering the final year of his contract, Morneau is due to make $14 million in 2013—a scary number for possible suitors. But if Morneau plays like his pre-concussion self and the Twins are out of contention, the team would be likely to pull the trigger on a trade if it means acquiring more rebuilding pieces.

The first baseman hit .267 with 19 HRs and 77 RBIs in 134 games last year; still below-average for the four-time All-Star, but a big step forward after an injury-laden 2011.

If Minnesota does deal Morneau, it appears like they already have a logical replacement in 24-year-old Chris Parmalee. Parmalee has played 58 MLB games at first base and looks to be a full-timer on this year’s 25-man roster after spending multiple stints in the minors last season.

In fact, Parmalee is the leading candidate to begin the year in right field. Fans are eager to see the left-handed hitter get at-bats every game after witnessing several impressive stretches the past couple of seasons.

Parmalee hit just .229 at the major-league level in 2012, but posted a .338/.457/.645 at Triple-A Rochester, as well as a .355/.443/.592 in his 21 games with the Twins in 2011. His $480,000 salary is also very team-friendly.

Joe Mauer, like last season, also looks to get reps at first base, but remains adamant that he wants to catch as often as possible.

SECOND BASE

2012 second basemen: Alexi Casilla (96 games), Jamey Carroll (66 games)

With Casilla’s departure, the Twins will be leaning on the veteran presence of Jamey Carroll and the youthfulness of Brian Dozier.

Minnesota knows they’ll get steady play from the 39-year-old Carroll, but with the veteran in the final year of his contract, the team would love to develop former-shortstop Dozier at a new position.

The rookie struggled mightily in his first season. In 84 games, Dozier hit just .234 at the plate and made 15 errors in the field (tenth worst amongst shortstops).

The Twins’ 2011 Minor League Player of the Year made spectacular plays look routine at times during his first major-league stint, but also made routine plays look difficult. The Twins sent Dozier down in mid-August in favor of Pedro Florimon.

Dozier spent the offseason working hard to learn the tricks of the trade at second base, specifically seeking help from Paul Molitor and spending some additional time in Venezuela. The 25-year-old has very limited experience at the position.

Though Carroll might be the more consistent option—at the plate and in the field—the Twins would like to see Dozier earn the second-base job and solidify his role as an infielder of the future.

SHORTSTOP

2012 shortstops: Brian Dozier (84 games), Pedro Florimon (43 games), Jamey Carroll (37 games)

With Dozier transitioning to second base, the Twins fully intend on having Pedro Florimon take the reins at shortstop.

After a month of watching Florimon last August and September, manager Ron Gardenhire gave the 26-year-old’s defense a glowing review. Ostensibly, Florimon’s late-season “audition” left enough of an impression to make him the front-runner for the shortstop job.

But will Gardenhire’s instinct prove to be correct?

Florimon, through seven minor-league seasons, has averaged 26 errors per season as a shortstop, though that number dropped to 12 last year. With the Twins, Florimon committed seven errors in 43 games, but did appear more comfortable in his position than Dozier.

Offensively, the Dominican Republic native brings little to the table. Florimon holds career-averages of .249/.321/.354 in the minors and has equal or more strikeouts than hits in four of his seven seasons.

Nonetheless, the Twins have always made solid defense a priority. If they see more of this from Florimon and less of this when the season begins, Florimon’s offensive deficiencies may be forgiven.

THIRD BASE

2012 third basemen: Trevor Plouffe (95 games), Jamey Carroll (44 games), Danny Valencia (34 games)

Remember when Danny Valencia was receiving Rookie of the Year votes? Well, the honeymoon stage with Valencia passed very quickly.

The team went through a messy “divorce” with their young third baseman and traded him to the Boston Red Sox last summer, leaving Trevor Plouffe as his clear successor.

Plouffe was enigmatic in 2012, hitting .327 and .302 in June and July, respectively, but batting a combined .186 in April, May, August, and September. His OBP was barely a touch over .300, his strikeout-to-walk ratio sat at an unattractive 2.5:1, and his 17 errors were fifth-worst among third basemen. But his power is what earned him a longer look.

Plouffe went on a mid-summer tear, at one point hitting nine home runs in a 12-game span. He finished the season with 24 home runs, a career high at any level.

The Twins have committed to Plouffe for the time being. The hope is that his offense doesn’t lag and his defense—mostly his throwing accuracy—gets polished. However, if things go downhill, Jamey Carroll or Eduardo Escobar (from the Francisco Liriano trade) could get a look.

Escobar hit .214 in 2012 (50 games played) and made just two errors while playing three infield positions.

CATCHER

2012 catchers: Joe Mauer (74 games), Ryan Doumit (59 games), Drew Butera (41 games)

After a bounce-back 2012, Joe Mauer is ready to take another step toward justifying his $23 million yearly salary. The catcher played in a career-high 147 games last season, but only caught half of them. He’ll look to increase his workload this year after a healthy offseason.

That being said, it’s nice to have Ryan Doumit as an insurance policy on Mauer. The former Pirate caught about every third game for the Twins last season, providing some pop while giving Mauer’s knees the rest they needed.

Doumit earned a two-year extension by posting career highs in HRs and RBIs.

Ron Gardenhire has always been partial to keeping three catchers on the roster, so expect Drew Butera to return as the third-string backstop. Butera signed a $700,000 tender last month.

On paper, the Twins seem to have the catching situation figured out. It shouldn’t be unrealistic to expect Mauer to catch 100 or more games, and while Doumit may not catch more than 50, the Twins will find a way to get him in the lineup as a DH or utility outfielder.

Projected starting infield: Justin Morneau (first base), Brian Dozier (second base), Pedro Florimon (shortstop), Trevor Plouffe (third base), Joe Mauer (catcher)

Projected bench: Jamey Carroll (utility), Ryan Doumit (catcher) Drew Butera (catcher), Eduardo Escobar (utility)

Next edition will preview the Twins’ outfield alignment.