Trade opportunities -players dropping like flies

[drjim]

The world is a twitter prospect world now. Unfortunate. I have never seen how it is beneficial to trade ones best players for prospects. The Cubs and Kansas City have been doing that for years......... and the future never arrives. A team is not made of prospects, it is made of players who are no longer prospects. Those that keep some of the core (including Billy add prospects, and there is a good mix that gels and can grow quickly into a champion. Champions are not made from always selling the best players for a hope.

 

I think you make a great point. I love prospects as much as the next person, but I think people vastly overrate them in the current climate.

 

That said, it is the right move to trade guys in the last year of their deal if they don't have a future with the team (Willingham, Correia and eventually Morales) or to move bullpen arms if the return is enough (Fien). Suzuki is the tricky one for all the reasons discussed.

[Kwak]

Every other team knows the Twins have several veterans with expiring contracts. The perceived negotiating leverage in trading Suzuki (and the others) is impacted by that fact.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Every other team knows the Twins have several veterans with expiring contracts. The perceived negotiating leverage in trading Suzuki (and the others) is impacted by that fact.

 

Yeah, there's a lot that goes into leverage. The big thing the Twins have in their favor is that Suzuki, Morales, and Willingham in particular appear to be impact players for whomever needs them. Suzuki in particular given the position of need factor should give the Twins enough leverage to get a prospect on the low end of the top 100 I think. That and he's cheap. Not quite as sure on the other two as their value is tied to their bats, so they need to hit well.

 

Where I don't see a ton of leverage is for guys like KC, Guerrier, and Burton. I could see Fein generating a nice return given his level of play, but still more in the higher risk high reward type prospect. I suspect a pitching desperate team might trade a Sulbaran/Gilmartin type guy for KC, but it's going to have to be a team who has been yo-yoing guys in the 4/5 spots of their rotation in order to stay in the race.

[jorgenswest]

Thoughts on Suzuki from Viva El Birdos

 

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2014/7/11/5888935/st-louis-cardinals-trade-rumors-kurt-suzuki-yadier-molina-twins

[Rosterman]

The #1 THOUGHT in all this trade talk. Someone HAS to want any of the players the Twins have. And when we are dealing with potential free agents, the Twins have three choices: Keep this season and lose for nothing, discuss resigning them now rather than later, or trading for something, anything. The worth of a potential free agent to a new team is a low-end minor league guy or someone who is out of 40-man roster options next season. So you get an unproven guy with maybe some upside, or someone that no longer has a spot in the organization that you could probably claim thru waivers next year if you wish or sign as a minor league free agent yourself. What will be more interesting, if the Twins don't make any/many moves, is what happens when they put players on waivers in August to potentially clear their contracts. Do they just let them go, take a rookie or A-ball prospect, or let them block guys you really want to see for potential play in 2015 and beyond!

[drjim]

Thoughts on Suzuki from Viva El Birdos

 

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2014/7/11/5888935/st-louis-cardinals-trade-rumors-kurt-suzuki-yadier-molina-twins

 

More fans overrating their own prospects. I'm as guilty as anyone admittedly. If the Cardinals actually do acquire Suzuki, it would be fun to check back and see the response based on what they are assuming the cost in prospects would be.

[jokin]

It's hard to see anybody getting very excited about what the Twins could probably get for Suzuki. He's had a nice little run, but most teams won't overpay for a guy who's almost 31 and likely to regress.

 

If they don't move him it's not the end of the franchise. But if the Twins keep running him out there for two or three years while Pinto rots in AAA and they wait and hope for one of two long shots to develop into a good MLB catcher, well, that sounds like planned mediocrity, which unfortunately has a high probability of success.

 

But Bombo, anyone looking to acquire Suzuki is only doing so on the basis of a 2.5 month rental, not based on his current age. It's better to analyze his trading value based on what he's worth as an experienced player at a position of need in that time frame alone. I don't know what comps are out there, but I would think he would have more perceived value to a team with a huge need at catcher coupled with a GM, field manager or coach who has past ties with Suzuki- (or the Dodgers, who apparently love overpaying for catchers ).

[jokin]

It's hard to see anybody getting very excited about what the Twins could probably get for Suzuki. He's had a nice little run, but most teams won't overpay for a guy who's almost 31 and likely to regress.

 

If they don't move him it's not the end of the franchise. But if the Twins keep running him out there for two or three years while Pinto rots in AAA and they wait and hope for one of two long shots to develop into a good MLB catcher, well, that sounds like planned mediocrity, which unfortunately has a high probability of success.

 

And that's the reality of the situation if Gardy is still making out the daily lineup card over the life of Suzuki's possible extension, Suzuki would play as much as possible, no matter the numbers, look no further than Gardy purposely finding as many PAs as possible for Doumit last year.