J.D.

Durbin

J.D. Durbin and Matt Guerrier are two of the candidates for the job. The decision will depend on whether the game will have any impact on home-field advantage in the playoffs.

He has long considered himself one of the Twins’ top pitching prospects and will now have a chance to prove it. We like Durbin and his 95 MPH and solid breaking pitch. We also like the fact that he appears a little more humble than he has in the past when he described himself to the media as the “real deal”. Watch him as he has a chance to be in the Twins’ rotation in 2005.

“Durbin is ready to be activated,” said Jim Rantz, Twins director of minor leagues. “He’s thrown simulated games and the boys are telling me that he’s throwing it pretty good.”

Durbin had an MRI, the results of which have yet to be released. Minnesota’s top pitching prospect is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts for New Britain.

Durbin probably will join Matt Guerrier in a mop-up role. He might be an upgrade over Kyle Lohse or Terry Mulholland in the rotation, but he didn’t pitch well enough in Triple-A to earn the opportunity.

They also announced their staff for the playoffs: Johan Santana, Brad Radke, Carlos Silva, Lohse, Terry Mulholland, Joe Nathan, Juan Rincon, J.C. Romero, Grant Balfour and Jesse Crain.

If Durbin is going to make the Twins next season, it would probably have to happen as a reliever. The team will re-sign Brad Radke or bring in a veteran replacement, leaving two rotation spots for Kyle Lohse, Joe Mays and Grant Balfour. Lohse will probably be all but guaranteed his place, so Durbin looks like a long shot.

Durbin is 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA, 14 H and 20/5 K/BB in 16 IP this fall.

That’s two awful starts Durbin has had since his promotion, though most of the runs were unearned in the first one. His chances of pitching meaningful innings for the Twins last month are becoming slimmer.

He lasted pitched in the majors in 2007 for the Phillies and went 6-6 with a 6.19 ERA over two seasons in the bigs.