Which will be surprise teams in 2008?

[Outdoors Junkie]

A nomination for a team that has hardly been absent from recent main stages. However, given the Twins' offseason, little is expected of them, except to just go away for a while and hibernate.

By midseason, the AL Central could be wishing for that. Talk about being lulled to sleep -- shedding 81 starts and 33 wins (Johan Santana, Carlos Silva, Garza) and an All-Star center fielder (Torii Hunter) certainly hums a lullaby in frontrunners' ears.

It could be a decoy. The Twins know all about on-the-fly adjustments without losing much altitude. They once totally turned over their pitching staff between winning World Series in quick succession (1987 and 1991).

Bill Smith is new in the GM seat but has been a member of the Minnesota front office for 22 years, and he knows the drill.

"We've had to turn our roster over every four or five years," Smith says. "We've been down this path. We're not afraid to do it. We have faith in our scouting and our farm system to produce talent that if we reach that point, we do it."

And still have plenty of bullets left: Any lineup with Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Joe Mauer and Delmon Young won't be soft. Ex-Astros Mike Lamb and Adam Everett could perk up the left side of the infield (where the 2007 starters contributed six homers and 68 RBIs in 982 at-bats).

Yes, the burden is on the pitching, where the Twins have had the most attrition. Reclaiming a healthy Francisco Liriano and holding onto 40-save closer Joe Nathan is a start. And who knows what Boof Bonser, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker and Philip Humber will do with their opportunities?

They could be the guys lurking behind the couch, poised to leap up and yell, "Surprise!"

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com