Remember, the Minnesota Twins get two draft picks in compensation for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim wooing away our beloved center fielder.

One will be the Angels' 2008 first-rounder -- No. 27 overall. The other will be a sandwich pick taken a few picks later, between the first and second rounds.

Fans have a right to bemoan the fact that we didn't sign Hunter or that we didn't trade him at midseason 2007, when the Twins traded second baseman Luis Castillo and, as they say, "actually got something for him." But maybe the Twins didn't receive an offer for Hunter that would've netted them two fairly high draft picks or players of similar value.

We really don't know. 

The Twins could get eventual Major League stars with those draft picks. Hunter was drafted No. 20 overall in 1993, several All-Stars were drafted much lower, and most No. 1 picks don't even work out.

This is the way baseball goes ...

In some ways, it's a gamble. Given the Twins' recent draft track record, the compensation picks might even be better than the hero we lost.