How does Brandon Webb grab you ending up as the "Big FA Acquisition"?

Has it really come to this? (I hear TR is secretly bringing in Roy Hobbs on a minor league deal to inevitably play RF, too).

It's Doogie, so take it FWIW The Scoops: Wolves may be interested as Cavs shop Anderson Varejao | 1500 ESPN Twin Cities ? Minnesota Sports News & Opinion (Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild, Gophers) | Sportswire: Minnesota Timberwolves:

• The Twins will be among the teams at free agent pitcher Brandon Webb's throwing session after the holidays. A former Cy Young winner, he hasn't thrown a major league pitch since 2009 because of shoulder issues.

Technically, he hasn't pitched ML-ball since 2008, so at least he's had little arm wear- over the last 4 years- heck, in pitcher's years, it's like getting a 20-something, dominant-in-command innings-eating SP coming off a Cy Young year. Maybe both he and Joel Zumaya are the double-secret-probation one-two punch of 2013- Ace Starter/Ace Closer- that the birdwatcher knew all along were still up Ryan's sleeve.

Maybe you can fool people with Roger Clemens but not Brandon Webb.

It just says they're one of several teams that are going to watch him throw. At this point, I don't think that's such a big deal. When you've got an entire rotation to rebuild and don't have many marketable assets that you are wiling to part with in a trade,it doesn't hurt to at least kick the tires on a guy like Webb. What have you got to lose?

Let's at least wait until they sign him and pencil him into a rotation spot before getting too worked up over it.

Maybe Ryan can play a Charlie Finley and sign Barry Bonds too. That should draw a crowd!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Top Gun

Maybe Ryan can play a Charlie Finley and sign Barry Bonds too. That should draw a crowd!

---

Instead of Bonds ,how about looking to trade 1 of our suspects to Boston for Juan Linares?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by one_eyed_jack

It just says they're one of several teams that are going to watch him throw. At this point, I don't think that's such a big deal. When you've got an entire rotation to rebuild and don't have many marketable assets that you are wiling to part with in a trade,it doesn't hurt to at least kick the tires on a guy like Webb. What have you got to lose?

Let's at least wait until they sign him and pencil him into a rotation spot before getting too worked up over it.

---

Well said, jack. What would you have the Twins do, guys? NOT go to see Webb work out?

I guess if a minor league free agent signing can be called a Big Acquisition, then Brandon Webb would at least be a Big Name Acquisition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by one_eyed_jack

It just says they're one of several teams that are going to watch him throw. At this point, I don't think that's such a big deal. When you've got an entire rotation to rebuild and don't have many marketable assets that you are wiling to part with in a trade,it doesn't hurt to at least kick the tires on a guy like Webb. What have you got to lose?

Let's at least wait until they sign him and pencil him into a rotation spot before getting too worked up over it.

---

Pretty much this. No matter what, Webb is going to get the league minimum with potentially some incentives... If he can throw, I have no problems with tehTwins burning a 40 man spot on that. I'd have more of an issue if there's no backup plan.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnnydakota

Instead of Bonds ,how about looking to trade 1 of our suspects to Boston for Juan Linares?

---

Clete Thomas part 2 would be why.

If we signed Brandon Webb at this point he would spend time in the minor leagues.

I would be disappointed if they didn't go watch him pitch. At this point, we need to still be active in every available avenue to acquire arms. Talk to every agent, scout every international prospect and talk with anyone that may want to make a trade.

I was hoping that TR would sign four quality arms this offseason, it appears that he traded for one, still holding out hope that he will sign one more. After that, I think he is just relying on numbers. As he mentioned in an article earlier this week, bring in enough guys to compete and hopefully one or two take advantage of the opportunity.

Webb didn't forget how to pitch in the last four years, it's just a matter if he still have any life in his arm. Why not invest the time to find out?

Prior to his shoulder problems... His sinker was among the best pitches in baseball... What if his shoulder is much better and his sinker is sinking again.

Another point... The Twins have evaluators... Evaluators who are on salary... They might as well go evaluate something.

OK, time for a rant. What would everybody have the Twins do? Trade Benson and Deduno for Price? Sign Grienke for $10M per year? The team has a serious deficit in major league arms--they really can't afford to trade as much as other teams to get young promising major-league ready pitchers. Failing to get top pitchers and top prospects they are shopping in the clearance aisle. If they can find someone there, great. You can argue that the Twins could go after the top-shelf talent, but I don't know if they can compete with the Angels, Dodgers, Yanks, and Sawks. Besides, I don't think the results are positive for the kind of investment made in the Pujolses, Hamiltons, and Grienkes of the world.

Yeah I don't quite understand the hostility to gathering information.

Suppose the Twins were not one of the teams watching him throw. And suppose he threw well, signed with someone else, and became an effective starter for them in 2013.

There would be rants about how stupid the Twins were for not even looking at him because he was an inexpensive, low-risk way to improve the rotation, which was their prime need, and Ryan got outsmarted again.

I think Acquisition means signing not watching. Big means top notch of the year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by one_eyed_jack

Yeah I don't quite understand the hostility to gathering information.

Suppose the Twins were not one of the teams watching him throw. And suppose he threw well, signed with someone else, and became an effective starter for them in 2013.

There would be rants about how stupid the Twins were for not even looking at him because he was an inexpensive, low-risk way to improve the rotation, which was their prime need, and Ryan got outsmarted again.

---

Right. And jokin, you of course would refrain from ripping on Ryan. Right.

Absolutely agree!! The cat was a darn good pitcher for Arizona. If he can even regain 80% of that form, he would probably be our #2 or #3 starter. The cost should be pretty minimal. Definitely worth a flier. For that matter, I would not mind taking a run at Rich Harden either. If he got that muscle capsule issue taken care of, that is another guy worth seeing if he has anything left.

Heck, it worked for the Braves and Ben Sheets last year!!!

I am kind of surprised so many comments and no reference to the Joel Zumaya signing last season. Everyone should recall how great the went for the Twins. More money wasted by the Twins...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by darin617

I am kind of surprised so many comments and no reference to the Joel Zumaya signing last season. Everyone should recall how great the went for the Twins. More money wasted by the Twins...

---

---I don't know why that's surprising. They haven't signed him, it just says they're one of multiple teams scheduled to watch him throw. Also, just because Zumaya's comeback failed doesn't mean that all future attempts to come back from injury are doomed to fail. Each situation is unique. Again, what do the Twins have to lose by checking him out?

If they sign him and pencil him in the rotation with no backup plan, then it's fine to start carping about it.

The consensus within the TD community was that the Zumaya signing was a good idea. It didn't work out. Apparently we were wrong.