To be fair, Josh Willingham and Michael Cuddyer have some similarities: They were born 38 days apart in 1979, grew up playing baseball in the southern U.S. and overcame whatever physical limitations they had with a tenacity that made managers appreciate them and scouts remember them.
And if the Twins were going to lose Cuddyer, one of the most reliable and well-liked players in their recent history, they certainly weren't going to pass up a chance to recoup some of his talents, especially if those attributes came at a lower cost.
But Willingham isn't in Minnesota solely to be Cuddyer. On Friday morning, when he was being introduced to reporters shortly before news broke that Cuddyer was headed to Colorado, Willingham tried as best he could to establish his own foundation.
"I know and respect Michael Cuddyer, being a competitor and playing against him," he said. "But (replacing him) is not something I thought about when I was making my decision."
Still, the comparisons to Cuddyer probably will be part of how Willingham is judged in Minnesota, whether he likes it or not. Cuddyer, who agreed to terms with Colorado on Friday, endeared himself to fans by playing anywhere the team asked and carrying more weight in the lineup than he probably should have the past two years while Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were hurt.
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Willingham has many of the same traits as Cuddyer -- he learned how to catch in the minors as a way of improving his chances to reach the majors
- but he has dealt with his own injury issues, averaging only 121 games over the past four years as back, knee and heel problems put him on the disabled list.
He'll bring more power and a higher on-base percentage to the Twins' lineup than Cuddyer did, though, and he comes at a cheaper price. The team will pay Willingham $3.5 million less than it paid Cuddyer last year and will get two draft picks as compensation for Cuddyer leaving.
"Everybody knew we were looking for a corner-profile outfielder and a right-handed bat," general manager Terry Ryan said. "Josh fits that role perfectly. He takes good at-bats, and I think his arm's adequate enough to play right field."
When it came to the possibility of replacing Cuddyer with Willingham, though, the Twins knew they had to step carefully. They pursued an extension with Cuddyer during the season, but by that point, the outfielder wanted to let the year play out and see how he might fare in free agency. So the Twins kept trying to bring him back, but they contacted Willingham as soon as he became a free agent.
"It was tough for us, because we knew Terry had a lot of loyalty to Michael," said Willingham's agent, Matt Sosnick. "He was going to give Michael every chance to come back."
As it became clear that Cuddyer's asking price was going to stay out of the Twins' comfort zone, though, they pushed to get a deal done with Willingham so they'd be assured of having a right-handed power hitter in their lineup.
So on Friday morning, as Cuddyer was closing in on a deal with Colorado, his replacement was being introduced to reporters in a conference call on which Sosnick said, "There is no organization in baseball that sets itself up more as a family than Minnesota."
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That may be true, but there was also business involved. So the Twins did what they could, extending one hand to Cuddyer and another to Willingham, even hoping at one point that they could land both players.
When financial interests intervened, the Twins knew they got at least one outfielder, and by most accounts, he'll have a big presence to replace.
"It's sensitive when you draft and sign players along the way," Ryan said. "It started to get to a point of no return, and we didn't want to be left without. It seemed to be the right decision at the time (to sign Willingham), and I suspect it's going to be a good fit. But it is sensitive (with Cuddyer and Jason Kubel, another free-agent outfielder). I think everybody agrees with that."
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
