Exercising options: Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins have put together yet another disappointing season at Target Field, as they sit in a tie for last place in the AL Central at 65-91 with just six games remaining on the year. While some good things have happened for the club -- Josh Willingham doing Hammer-like things, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau being healthy and productive -- most of the season has been marked by poor pitching.

While it is most certainly not the primary cause, Minnesota's almost uniform terribleness on the mound was at least amplified by the loss of two veteran right-handers -- Matt Capps and Scott Baker -- to arm injuries for most (or all) of the season. While the arm injuries still linger for the pair, the Twins will have to make a decision relatively soon on their club options for the 2013 season.

Capps, who holds a $6.0 million option with just a $250k buyout, has missed a majority of the season battling shoulder issues, but has put up respectable numbers when he has been healthy enough to take the mound. The 29-year-old has only thrown twenty-nine and a third innings on the year out of the bullpen, and has a 3.68 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 to show for it.

The Twins have already made it known that they plan to decline Scott Baker's $9.25 million option for next season, but the club has indicated a willingness to renegotiate an incentive-laden contract with the veteran when that does occur. Baker, 31, has missed all of the 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April In seven seasons as a starter with the Twins, Baker owns a 4.15 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.

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Should the Twins hang on to Capps and Baker?