Thread: Bowden: Next Top Prospects to Be Traded

Originally Posted by gunnarthor

LH power doesn't play well at TF

Tell that to Jim Thome.

Coming to these kinds of conclusions about Target Field after 3 years of play is...premature. Dangerous, even.

People were convinced TF was death to RH hitters, too. Then the Twins put Willingham in the lineup, and now you have people convinced it's a haven for RH power.

There is nothing about TF that should make it exceptionally difficult to hit for power. From either side of the plate. If you want to trade Arcia for pitching, fine, but TF should have no part in the analysis. None.

Originally Posted by jay

Which is exactly why the Twins should still consider moving him this offseason, as hard as it might be to justify trading away a third starting OF.

There is a difference between considering and getting an offer that makes sense. If Hultzen or Walker is offered by Seattle for Willingham. It's possible that TR is listening.

If the offer is Blake Beaven... TR just might hang on to Willingham and let the Twins Dialy folks rake him over the coals for not considering a trade for Hultzen.

Trades require two GMs to agree. I don't believe TR was planning on trading Revere... The Phillies came along and said Worley and Mays and Terry said OK... If the Mariners come along and say Walker for Willingham. Terry Ryan just might say OK. I just doubt that offer is on the table.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

Tell that to Jim Thome.

Coming to these kinds of conclusions about Target Field after 3 years of play is...premature. Dangerous, even.

People were convinced TF was death to RH hitters, too. Then the Twins put Willingham in the lineup, and now you have people convinced it's a haven for RH power.

There is nothing about TF that should make it exceptionally difficult to hit for power. From either side of the plate. If you want to trade Arcia for pitching, fine, but TF should have no part in the analysis. None.

It seems to me that pull hitters do well (Thome, Willingham, Plouffe). Oppo-field hitters, not so much. Like PetCo, I think the gaps of Target Field are death valley and the lines down the pole are just big enough where it's hard to hit one out to opposite field (see Mauer, Joe).

Originally Posted by Riverbrian

There is a difference between considering and getting an offer that makes sense. If Hultzen or Walker is offered by Seattle for Willingham. It's possible that TR is listening.

If the offer is Blake Beaven... TR just might hang on to Willingham and let the Twins Dialy folks rake him over the coals for not considering a trade for Hultzen.

Trades require two GMs to agree. I don't believe TR was planning on trading Revere... The Phillies came along and said Worley and Mays and Terry said OK... If the Mariners come along and say Walker for Willingham. Terry Ryan just might say OK. I just doubt that offer is on the table.

I think that's a pretty fair way to look at it. I think the TD folks would be hoping (with no way to ever verify) that TR has at least floated the idea out there instead of sitting back and waiting for a team like the Mariners to put something on the table. The unknown amount of communication that actually takes place is what I think leaves folks frustrated.

Originally Posted by Riverbrian

There is a difference between considering and getting an offer that makes sense. If Hultzen or Walker is offered by Seattle for Willingham. It's possible that TR is listening.

If the offer is Blake Beaven... TR just might hang on to Willingham and let the Twins Dialy folks rake him over the coals for not considering a trade for Hultzen.


Trades require two GMs to agree. I don't believe TR was planning on trading Revere... The Phillies came along and said Worley and Mays and Terry said OK... If the Mariners come along and say Walker for Willingham. Terry Ryan just might say OK. I just doubt that offer is on the table.

Rather than respond to all of your posts today, let me just give one blanket comment on all off them here. Spot on bright on a cold dark winter day.

Originally Posted by old nurse

Rather than respond to all of your posts today, let me just give one blanket comment on all off them here. Spot on bright on a cold dark winter day.

Ahh Thanks!!! You Charger and I are needed for balance.

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

It seems to me that pull hitters do well (Thome, Willingham, Plouffe). Oppo-field hitters, not so much. Like PetCo, I think the gaps of Target Field are death valley and the lines down the pole are just big enough where it's hard to hit one out to opposite field (see Mauer, Joe).

HR hitters are typically pull hitters. But Thome did hit more than his fair share of power hits to LF and CF.

Hultzen will not be traded for anything less then a really good young player with a lot of team control. It would cost much more then Willingham or Arcia.

Though he doesn't have the extreme ace type upside, Hultzen if he doesn't progress any more is basically a solid #2/#3 on a team, and if he continues to develop could be even more special.

The Mariners would be idiots to give up any of the young Pitching they have at this point.

It's the only way they can compete in the AL West eventually. They have stated over and over again that they are not moving King Felix... In a year or two. Walker, Hultzen and Paxton will be in Seattle to join him. I also like this Iwakuma Guy. Seattle could be a tough team... Giants Like in the very near future is everything pans out.

All they have to do is protect that core and start adding in the offensive pieces. Zunino will come up to catch... Montero can also catch and DH. Morales at 1B. Ackley if he devolops at 2B. Who knows on Seager at 3B... maybe... Franklin could be a SS when the pitching core is in the Show... That leaves the OF... and Seattle has never really been afraid to spend some dollars on players. There will be another Hamilton type available next year.

I would protect that young core in Seattle. Trading any of those young players would set the franchise back in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Kwak

HR hitters are typically pull hitters. But Thome did hit more than his fair share of power hits to LF and CF.

Only 7 of his 25 HR in 2010 were to RF and only 3 were to RF in 2011. Even though those are season stats, not TF specific, they would seem to support your theory.

Originally Posted by mike wants wins

If Willingham could net Hultzen, you would do that instantly.

Me too, but I don't think Willingham plus Benson would get it done.

I'm all for moving Willingham and Morneau this offseason or at the deadline since they aren't part of the long term Twins but I think people need to control themselves when they think about this overabundance of hitters in the minors. There's only one good MLB hitter (Mauer) on the team aside from Morneau and Willy. Hopefully a few of Parmelee, Plouffe, Hicks and Arcia show that they are MLB hitters this year but this offense could get scary ugly fast.

I also think the Twins will be very lucky to get a top 50 prospect for Willingham. Forget about Hultzen.

I'm not sure if you're saying the Twins should be trading for younger bats or just floating a warning.

Hultzen would be quite the get, but Span brought back a top 50 prospect (by most rankings) in a deal some analysts thought we got short-changed. Then, Revere fetched a bunch. It doesn't seem outwardly crazy to think Hammer could bring back a top 50 prospect, especially as the market for power continues to develop.

The Dodgers need a left handed reliever - Perkins for Zach Lee ?
Is a top pitching prospect worth your closer

Can someone give a little background/detail on Biddle and Ruf?

Originally Posted by Otwins

The Dodgers need a left handed reliever - Perkins for Zach Lee ?
Is a top pitching prospect worth your closer

I've been asking for ideas on what we can fish out of the Dodgers for Perkins. He has to be at the top of their need list.

Originally Posted by jay

I'm not sure if you're saying the Twins should be trading for younger bats or just floating a warning.

Hultzen would be quite the get, but Span brought back a top 50 prospect (by most rankings) in a deal some analysts thought we got short-changed. Then, Revere fetched a bunch. It doesn't seem outwardly crazy to think Hammer could bring back a top 50 prospect, especially as the market for power continues to develop.

I'm saying that the Twins shouldn't be trading away any of the hitting prospects because this organizational strength could easily flip in a couple of years. They don't need to trade for bats but I wouldn't turn down a trade for a non 1B/OF prospect.

I think the Span and Revere trades are kind of a guide for value although the Phillies overpaid. Meyer barely squeezes into the top 50 if does while May is probably going to be just outside of the top 100. Those are about as good as it's going to get in a willingham trade.

Originally Posted by kab21

I'm saying that the Twins shouldn't be trading away any of the hitting prospects because this organizational strength could easily flip in a couple of years. They don't need to trade for bats but I wouldn't turn down a trade for a non 1B/OF prospect.

I think the Span and Revere trades are kind of a guide for value although the Phillies overpaid. Meyer barely squeezes into the top 50 if does while May is probably going to be just outside of the top 100. Those are about as good as it's going to get in a willingham trade.

I think you are a bit low on May, especially noticing that he improved pretty significantly during the final couple of months of 2012...

That said, I have one quibble. The Twins SHOULD be looking at middle infield bats. They have Dozier, who isn't much of a prospect but could surprise, and Rosario who won't be up until 2015 at the earliest. They had a couple of interesting options in their short leagues, but those guys are even further out.

They might not want a ringer, but a good glove with a bit better than average bat is definitely something they should be targeting to help man the middle. I agree they should still be looking at Meyer/May/Gibson type guys as well. I'm not sure what Hammer would net, but they have to be looking at AA middle infield help as well.

Most sites have ranked May with Gibson, Berrios and Kepler and these prospects are barely cracking top 100's.

I have no problem with your one quibble. i agree. People have focused so much on the pitching issue that they ignore the MI/C (and potentially even 3B) lack of depth. I also think they overestimate the strength of the OF'ers and 1Bman in the system. The Twins have Hicks, Arcia and Parmelee (and maybe Benson) that are close to the majors. The next group Buxton and Kepler were in rk ball last year and are probably 3+ yrs away. Trading a guy like Arcia puts the OF in a pretty scary situation for awhile imo.