Shortstop J.J. Hardy was added two days after the conclusion of the World Series, starting pitcher Carl Pavano was retained through arbitration, the Twins allowed Bobby Keppel to leave to Japan, but added reliever Clay Condrey to take his spot, Jim Thome was brought in via free agency to add power to the bench, and the off-season all but came to a close with the signing of All-Star second basemen Orlando Hudson last week. 

From an Opening Day payroll of $65 million in 2009 to an expected Opening Day payroll of $96 million in the inaugural season at Target Field, the roster has been drastically reshaped in the short time since the franchise said goodbye to the Metrodome and packed and moved across town. 

The additions are almost certainly complete, and the uncertainty is at a minimum. Transactions will still be made up until spring training comes to a close, but Bill Smith, Rob Antony and company have done their damage and the core of the 2010 roster is in place. 

When pitchers and catchers workout in two weeks in sunny Florida, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, and Carl Pavano will makeup the starting rotation. The final spot will be decided in a month-long competition between Brian Duensing, Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins. 

Later that week the full squad will begin play, and the entire lineup will be set with the exception of third base. Brendan Harris and Nick Punto will likely compete for that spot. Meanwhile, Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert may be fighting to remain on the roster as backup infielders, and Wilson Ramos and Drew Butera will compete to backup Joe Mauer to begin the season while Jose Morales finishes healing from his off-season wrist surgery. 

All in all, the roster transition is complete. Competition will ensue when players arrive in Fort Myers, and the stakes will be high as pitchers compete for the final bullpen and rotation spots and position players compete for third base, the final bench spot, and the chance to backup the league's most valuable player. 

The entire infield for Minnesota, outside of mainstay Justin Morneau of course, has been changing year after year. By signing shortstop J.J. Hardy two days into the off-season, the Twins shored up one slot and left two more for work. 

Third base will be taken over by Brendan Harris and Nick Punto, and second base will now be occupied by an All-Star caliber player. Hudson last season hit .283 with 9 homeruns and 62 runs batted in. His numbers are much more than a slight improvement to both the second slot in the lineup and the second base position. 

Last season in the second spot in the order, the Twins hit a combined .232 with 7 homeruns and 66 RBI when Joe Mauer wasn't there. The second basemen combined to hit .209 with 2 homeruns, 43 RBI and an on-base percentage of just .302 (compared to Hudson's .357 mark).

Hudson will earn $5 million on a one-year deal that includes no incentives. There are award bonuses included, and the Twins can't offer arbitration if Hudson qualifies as a Type-A free agent, but the moves was a no brainer. 

After reportedly being rejected by left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn earlier this off-season after the team offered the same one-year, $5 million deal, and after Francisco Liriano stunned the Twin Cities with his winter ball performance, it only made sense for the organization to focus it's attention and money toward the second base options. 

The off-season began with question marks in the rotation, on the bench, and in three of four infield positions. As spring training draws near, the Twins have now addressed each of those questions, and their off-season might just be considered one of the best in baseball (Hardy, Hudson, Pavano, Thome, Condry). 

It'll without a doubt be busy, and there will definitely be some key dates along the way worth noting. From games to events, fans can take advantage of several opportunities leading up to game one in April, so mark your calendars. 

Joe Mauer (with or without a contract extension) and company will report to Fort Myers in less than three weeks. 

The biggest battles on the team's roster stem from the pitching staff. Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Brian Duensing will be among the competitors for the final spot in the rotation, and Pat Neshek will attempt to make the big league roster from day one.

While many of the position players will arrive well before, this day marks the deadline for all players to report. 

Nick Punto is expected to be ready by this day after having cleanup surgery on his wrist. This might be the first chance to see J.J. Hardy in a Twins uniform, and any other players the Twins might still acquire.

The Twins will kick off a month worth of warmup games as they take on their month-long crosstown rival, the Boston Red Sox. Can the Twins walk away with the Mayor's Cup this year?

Regular season tickets will go on-sale midway through March, and while the Opening Series will likely be gone, fans will have the chance to secure the date of their first Minnesota Twins game at Target Field. 

Target Field will be open for an open house to all season ticket holders.

Target Field will open to any other fans of the public wishing to get a first glimpse. 

The University of Minnesota will take part in the first real baseball game at Target Field. Ticket information will soon be available, but no more than 15,000 tickets are expected to be sold.

As the Twins wrap up their spring schedule, they'll get their first game look at Target Field when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols. 

The Twins will play a second game at Target Field to complete spring training, and they'll then head on a road trip to kick off the 2010 season. 

Against former Twin Torii Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels, the Twins will officially get the 2010 season underway. 

For the first time in 28 years, and to kick off a new era in the Twin Cities, the Minnesota Twins will take on the Boston Red Sox to open Target Field. 

TwinsFest first began in 1989, and since that time, the event has brought in more than $4 million for the Twins Community Fund. As one of the largest fan festivals in professional sports, TwinsFest helps bring baseball back to the surface, and it definitely didn't disappoint this year as the Twins prepare to begin a new era.

Some final pictures of newcomer J.J. Hardy and three players of the future: Anthony Slama, Carlos Gutierrez, and Aaron Hicks.

Nonetheless, the seven autograph stations were a big hit. Legends such as Tony Oliva, Bert Blyleven, and Rod Carew were there, current players such as Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Denard Span were there, and the players of the future were there including recent high draft selections, Kyle Gibson, Aaron Hicks, Ben Revere, and Carlos Gutierrez. 

In the second part of a look at TwinsFest 2010 comes pictures of the many players signing their name. 

Nearly every Twin on the roster, several top prospects and several all-time greats were in attendance, and yet another year brought yet another seemingly good outcome for the organization and the Twins Community Fund. 

This is the first of a two part look at TwinsFest 2010, and it includes a few photos of the things outside of the many opportunities for autographs. 

It seems like just yesterday that the team was breaking ground on the construction site and fans were looking at simple renderings of what the future park might look like. Those renderings are now a direct resemblance of Target Field.

(*) The Official Twitter account of the Minnesota Twins was all over the Metrodome grounds taking pictures of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, the newest Twin, Jim Thome, the picture of Denard Span above, and much more. 

(*) There were many quotes from several players, including Joe Mauer's thoughts on the Homerun Derby last season:

TwinsFest 2010 will resume on Saturday at 9 a.m. and will wrap up with a third day on Sunday. No Joe Mauer signing is expected this weekend, but the annual event will help get baseball back in the news nonetheless. 

What exactly Thome will do is hard to tell, but it is know that the signing affects the team's roster, the team's bench plans for the 2010 season, and the current payroll.

For 16 seasons, Thome has been the Twins' nemesis. First the five-time All-Star spent 12 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, and most recently he spent four seasons with the Chicago White Sox. Thome has hit 57, count them 57, homeruns against Minnesota, with the notable one helping Chicago capture a division title over Nick Blackburn and the Twins in 2008. 

After being the bully for 16 years in the American League Central, the Twins are now trying to add the powerful lefty to their own roster in hopes that he'll turn the tide on Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City. 

Thome makes sense for the Twins, a team in need of a powerful hitter off the bench, and a team still searching for a fourth outfielder. 

No, Thome won't be patrolling the outfield anytime soon, but he would indirectly affect the situation. With Thome on board, the Twins would add a powerful pinch hitter off the bench, and a more than capable designated hitter against right-handed pitching.

While Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer are plugged into the outfield, the Twins currently have Jason Pridie as their fourth outfielder. Thome would allow the team to shift current designated hitter Jason Kubel to left field and Young to the bench when necessary.

Outside of Minnesota, the White Sox and Rays are still in on the 39-year old veteran. Chicago is leaving the choice up to manager Ozzie Guillen, and he's expected to make his decision in mere hours. If his former team passes, Thome could choose his 2010 destination by the end of the week.