Minneapolis ? One day after lefthander Johan Santana criticized the direction of the team after it failed to make a deal for a hitter, most Twins players supported their star pitcher.

Santana said the Twins’ inaction might affect his decision to re-sign with the team, and outfielder Torii Hunter he felt the same way.

“Does it make it easier for someone who’s a free agent, and has been here a long time, to leave here at the end of the season?” said Hunter, a free agent after the season. “Yeah. Johan just summed it up.

“The time is now for me. And it should be for everyone else.”

Twins players were disappointed that, instead of dealing for a hitter before Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, the team traded leadoff hitter Luis Castillo because he was a pending free agent who wasn’t going to be brought back.

Santana, who will be a free agent after the 2008 season, sharply criticized the team, saying he hears too much talk instead of seeing steps taken to help the team reach the playoffs this season.

“The move that was made, it’s hard to see a message that’s positive,” Twins closer Joe Nathan said. “So there’s a lot of frustration coming out. We have been close, and some of the stuff (Santana) said was right.

“This organization also has done a lot of good things. They have made a lot of good moves, brought over some great people, developed young players very well, but everybody is not perfect.”

Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday that he had not read Santana’s statements but has heard about them. But he challenged Twins players to come see him if they have something they want to talk about.

“My door is open,” Ryan said. “Come on up. I’ve always had an open door. I believe that if you have something to say, especially if it’s not too positive, you ought to say that to a person’s face.”

If player criticism wasn’t enough, State Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, said in a news release that Twins owner Carl Pohlad should do more to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the team.

“For more than a decade, we’ve been hearing again and again about this organization developing young talent and working toward the future,” Chaudhary said.

Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer was the only player – or politician – reached on Wednesday who offered a different view of the team’s roster management.

“Terry Ryan never came down and asked me why I swung at a 3-0 pitch and grounded out to third,” Cuddyer said. “It’s not my job to make trades or say trades are bad.”