When I wrote this, I was saying there is a match.  I didn’t mean literally Seattle is targeting Polanco as I am not a reporter just a blogger.  But Polanco is one of the best players available at 2B.  I think the Orioles have lots of talent to trade as well.  But our biggest need is a #2 starter and Seattle needs a good 2B and 3B. So a Lee Polanco package or Farmer and Polanco package could lead to us getting that pitcher.  Both teams do have other options.  But the matchup is there now.  I’m just  pointing that out and watching every thing happen as the Twins will move slowly this winter.

29 minutes ago, Brandon said:

When I wrote this, I was saying there is a match.  I didn’t mean literally Seattle is targeting Polanco as I am not a reporter just a blogger.  But Polanco is one of the best players available at 2B.  I think the Orioles have lots of talent to trade as well.  But our biggest need is a #2 starter and Seattle needs a good 2B and 3B. So a Lee Polanco package or Farmer and Polanco package could lead to us getting that pitcher.  Both teams do have other options.  But the matchup is there now.  I’m just  pointing that out and watching every thing happen as the Twins will move slowly this winter.

The headline "Seatle wants Polanco" suggest that .... Seatle wants Polanco... Probably should have said.. Seatle a good match for a trade .... they clearly have guys we could use!! 

On 11/26/2023 at 9:59 PM, Jim wyllie said:

I say trade Polanco, farmer, and Festa for Gilbert,   it gives Seattle 2 infielders and a future pitcher and the twins get a front of the rotation pitcher in return.   It also clears twins payroll  to bring in a bat, or even to retain gray

Yeah, I don't get all the Woo and Miller chatter here when the one Seattle SP known to be on the trade block is Gilbert. Don't overcomplicate this.

2 hours ago, specialiststeve said:

The headline "Seatle wants Polanco" suggest that .... Seatle wants Polanco... Probably should have said.. Seatle a good match for a trade .... they clearly have guys we could use!! 

Satire.  There is no link to an article or request to do so.  so…….

But it does make sense that there is a good match no matter how I titled the blog post.

Would Jorge Polanco represent a significant upgrade over Seattle's in-house options at second base (and third base)?

Compare how Polanco stacks up in fWAR over the past two seasons:

Polanco 3.3 fWAR in 184 games

Luis Urias: 2.2 fWAR in 171 games
Josh Rojas: 3.8 fWAR in 230 games
Jose Caballero: 2.2 fWAR in 104 games (2023 debut)
Dylan Moore: 2.8 fWAR in 171 games

Seattle also has an intriguing second-base prospect in Ryan Bliss, who is projected to make his MLB debut in 2024 after posting these numbers split across Double A and Triple A this year in his age 23 season:

612 PA, .304/.378/.524/.902, 110 R, 23 HR, 86 RBI, 34 2B, 8 3B, 55 SB, 15 CS, 58 BB, 119 K

 Bliss was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Arizona Fall League where he slugged a grand slam in the championship play-in game.

The Mariners are unlikely to trade a starting pitcher for Polanco.

On 11/28/2023 at 7:09 PM, Minny505 said:

Yeah, I don't get all the Woo and Miller chatter here when the one Seattle SP known to be on the trade block is Gilbert. Don't overcomplicate this.

Logan Gilbert is not “known to be on the track block.”

Reports are that Gilbert is coveted by many teams as a righthander under team control for four years after matching the production of Pablo Lopez over the past two seasons.

On 11/30/2023 at 7:24 PM, harmony55 said:

The Mariners are unlikely to trade a starting pitcher for Polanco.

The Mariners are a good trading partner for the Twins, but the Twins aren't necessarily a good trading partner for the Mariners. Seattle has guys like Kirby and Gilbert to drool over, but Seattle is only going to listen if the offers begin with Lewis, Lee, or Julien.

Additionally, there are a number of teams who could offer Seattle quite a bit, starting with Tampa Bay.

31 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

The Mariners are a good trading partner for the Twins, but the Twins aren't necessarily a good trading partner for the Mariners. Seattle has guys like Kirby and Gilbert to drool over, but Seattle is only going to listen if the offers begin with Lewis, Lee, or Julien.

Additionally, there are a number of teams who could offer Seattle quite a bit, starting with Tampa Bay.

If Julien could be the headliner for Kirby, plus a good pitching prospect that we only hope becomes as good as Kirby, plus a couple of low-minors lottery tickets, I'd be really aggressive about making it happen.  My interest in Gilbert would be only slightly, slightly lower due to one less year of control.  Of course I'd defer to my player evaluation team for more in depth insight as to which one I want.  But I especially see no black marks regarding injury or durability (*cough* Mahle *cough*).

44 minutes ago, ashbury said:

If Julien could be the headliner for Kirby, plus a good pitching prospect that we only hope becomes as good as Kirby, plus a couple of low-minors lottery tickets, I'd be really aggressive about making it happen.  My interest in Gilbert would be only slightly, slightly lower due to one less year of control.  Of course I'd defer to my player evaluation team for more in depth insight as to which one I want.  But I especially see no black marks regarding injury or durability (*cough* Mahle *cough*).

 

Yup, I believe this is the conundrum for Falvey. He has to give up some really important guys to get what he wants or it doesn't happen. That, and he needs to outbid the competition. 

I have zero idea what Yamamoto offers other than what I have read. I don't believe the Twins bothered to put in a call, although I have no idea. It sure seems like a gamble on him, if the reports of his potential are true, would solve a host of concerns for the Twins. 

Then again, here we go ... back to the budget. A budget of $120-125M puts a real squeeze on any move. A budget of $140M allows for a player. So it goes in Twinsland.

4 hours ago, ashbury said:

If Julien could be the headliner for Kirby, plus a good pitching prospect that we only hope becomes as good as Kirby, plus a couple of low-minors lottery tickets, I'd be really aggressive about making it happen.  My interest in Gilbert would be only slightly, slightly lower due to one less year of control.  Of course I'd defer to my player evaluation team for more in depth insight as to which one I want.  But I especially see no black marks regarding injury or durability (*cough* Mahle *cough*).

 

Any trade for George Kirby or Logan Gilbert would require the Twins to add substantially to package headed by Edouard Julien.

Baseball Trade Values assigns surplus values of $91.1 million for Kirby, $65.9 million for Gilbert and $34.5 million for Julien.

Seattle reportedly seeks a selective righthanded bat to reduce this season's high strikeout rate. Julien is an unlikely Mariner target with his lefthanded bat, 30+ percent strikeout rate and severe platoon splits.

Brooks Lee, with a BTV surplus value of $48.1 million, would be a likelier target for Seattle.

1 hour ago, harmony55 said:

Any trade for George Kirby or Logan Gilbert would require the Twins to add substantially to package headed by Edouard Julien.

Baseball Trade Values assigns surplus values of $91.1 million for Kirby, $65.9 million for Gilbert and $34.5 million for Julien.

Yes, I can see the values, and they actually kind of line up with my back of the envelope way of valuing the players being discussed.  (You'll note that I said I'd rather have Kirby, of the two pitchers mentioned, for example.)  Really all I was doing was responding to our three young infielders being mentioned in the same breath, to say that Julien is the one I'd part with most willingly in such a deal.  Which, again is borne out by BTV. 

Not that BTV is meant to be taken as gospel, and any two front offices may value their respective players much differently than BTV or any of us can know.

What BTV does is reinforce how difficult it will be to obtain controllable and truly top-tier pitching via trade.   Close to impossible, even.

If BTV is right and the whole league views our assets as mediocre, then let's keep everyone and go win some World Series with them - Shock The World!