Twins Tender Contracts to All Six Arb-Eligibles

[Seth Stohs]

Rhett Bollinger tweeted that the Twins tendered contracts to all six of their arbitration-eligible players. They are:

 

Trevor Plouffe

Brian Duensing

Tommy Milone

Jordan Schafer

Casey Fien

Eduardo Nunez.

 

I know some will be surprised, but I think these all make sense, at least to some degree. 

[drock2190]

SMH!!

[Otwins]

I thought that signing Hunter and hearing that Santana will play shortstop that Nunez may not be retained. But for the money that is projected hard to get too worked up.

[scottz]

I'm very surprised about Duensing and Nunez being tendered contracts. The others I expected.

[gunnarthor]

Do the Twins have any 40 man space left for a potential rule v pick-up now?

[Paul Pleiss]

Someone please explain why the Twins have tendered a contract to Eduardo "I don't need no stinkin' helmet" Nunez.

 

How many utility infielders named Eduardo does one team need?

[Seth Stohs]

Someone please explain why the Twins have tendered a contract to Eduardo "I don't need no stinkin' helmet" Nunez.

 

How many utility infielders named Eduardo does one team need?

 

One or two. Nunez's "value" is that he can play 5 positions and pinch run. If Santana is at SS, Escobar goes back to being the primary utility infielder, and Nunez can be the 25th man, able to play almost anywhere if needed. For $800,000, that versatility is worth it. 

[Seth Stohs]

Do the Twins have any 40 man space left for a potential rule v pick-up now?

 

Right now they're at 39. Assuming they sign Hunter before the Rule 5 draft next Thursday (9 days), and I assume they would, they'd be at 40. So, yeah, if they want to make a Rule 5 pick, they'd have to DFA a player or more. Certainly could. Several options.

[Thrylos]

With the Hunter signing the Schafer tender does not make much sense.  The Nunez signing never made sense since Santana and Escobar can at least rotate at the SS/UT position.  Issues:

 

a. The Twins' bench was just made worse. 

b. Sano, Rosario and Polanco will likely not make it to the bigs before September (and I'd rather see them than Hunter, Schafer and Nunez.)

 

Of course, the Twins can trade any of the players they offered arbitration.

[Mike Sixel]

Gotta keep all the guys from last year on the roster.....they were THIS close to being in the WS last year!

[gunnarthor]

Gotta keep all the guys from last year on the roster.....they were THIS close to being in the WS last year!

http://ct.fra.bz/ol/fz/sw/i59/2/1/21/frabz-Strawman-arguments-Strawman-arguments-everywhere-712e1b.jpg

[Mike Sixel]

How is this a straw man? They just kept 6 mediocre players on the roster, rather than replace them.....or maybe I misunderstand the process here. Are some of these 6 going to be not on the team now?

[gunnarthor]

How is this a straw man? They just kept 6 mediocre players on the roster, rather than replace them.....or maybe I misunderstand the process here. Are some of these 6 going to be not on the team now?

I guess I must have misunderstood your post.  I thought you were arguing that people ok with the move thought the Twins must be this close to the world series.

 

Of the six, Nunez is the closest to "mediocre" but they have other people on the 40 man roster that I'd rather they got rid of than just letting these six guys walk.  (Colabello, Herrmann, Parmelee)  So i don't see any huge downside of keeping these guys at this point.

[Mike Sixel]

Ah, got it......sarcasm is so hard on the interwebs......

 

Nunez and Duensing should not, imo, be on this roster next year. The other four? I am good with those four, given where they are and their positions. 

[brvama]

To me, this isn't a big deal.  Each has some value and the cost is reasonable.  With Duesing and Nunez, letting them go for nothing at this point is simply not wise.  They could be included in a trade to help sweeten the pot.   Or they could find better replacements later and deal with them later.  But for now, we know the minimum the roster has.  

[nicksaviking]

Nunez's arb salary is still going to be pretty minimal.  I doubt he's going to get paid enough to promise him a roster spot.  Just because they offer him arbitration, doesn't mean he's going to be on this team opening day.  He's probably the favorite to get the utility job, but the Twins are just paying him to be a safety net at the moment.

 

Plus, if he does get $1 million+ but the Twins decide he doesn't warrent a roster spot, that just means he's less likely to get claimed if the team tries to pass him through waivers.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I think Schafer, Plouffe, Milone, and Fien were easy decisions.

 

I was iffy on Duensing.

 

WTF Nunez.

[maxisagod]

With how many 5-10 day 'disable list' guys go down for having two Unti guys on this team is a must. I like Nunez over a lot of the other choices we've had over the years, and he can be nontenured next year if a beter option comes along. I'd take him over Colabello, Herrmann, Parmelee at this point, those are the guys yo let go of if you want to sign another FA or Rule 5 pick. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

With how many 5-10 day 'disable list' guys go down for having two Unti guys on this team is a must. I like Nunez over a lot of the other choices we've had over the years, and he can be nontenured next year if a beter option comes along. I'd take him over Colabello, Herrmann, Parmelee at this point, those are the guys yo let go of if you want to sign another FA or Rule 5 pick. 

But if Santana is truly moving back to short, there just isn't room on the roster for a middle infielder who can't field or hit. Nunez is a butcher in the field so he's not a late inning guy. He doesn't hit enough to play a corner spot. Escobar is a better player in every respect.

[gunnarthor]

But if Santana is truly moving back to short, there just isn't room on the roster for a middle infielder who can't field or hit. Nunez is a butcher in the field so he's not a late inning guy. He doesn't hit enough to play a corner spot. Escobar is a better player in every respect.

Maybe Plouffe is getting traded?  There's no harm in keeping a guy like Nunez at this point when we still have Parmelee and Colabello on the roster.

[stringer bell]

There was a solid case to keep each guy. However, if this is an indication of business as usual and status quo for roster decisions, I don't like it. Duensing will be relatively expensive for his role and there were a number of LH relievers non-tendered. I don't trust Thompson/Darnell to fill his role, and I believe adding a second lefty (non-closer) is a good move. I hope BD can be moved, either before or during spring training. I like what Nuñez has to offer and think he could be a nice piece.

 

It does figure that the Twins will have more injuries in their infield (Plouffe was the only 2B-SS-3B to be disabled (besides Nuñez himself), plus Nuñez played an OK OF for the Twins last year. Having someone who can legitimately pinch-hit and pinch-run with experience at five positions is far better than carrying "spirit leader" Bartlett in that spot.

[MWLfanV2]

Not a big deal. Shifting deck chairs around.  But Nunez is a mystery to me. Not sure what he adds versus say giving Beresford a shot. So he can play sub major league skill level outfield.  Chris Hermann would be more valuable to me then him, he plays better outfield and can be a sub major skill level catcher in a pinch with maybe slightly less offensive production. Duensing? Meh. Maybe Allen can get s something out f him byond what we have seen, but how valuable is that. In the long run I don't see him as a contributer, and would b more interested in seeing a young arm come up from Rochester or even Chattanooga. Seems we have a lot of arms, not all of them particularly good, coming to Fort Meyers in February. But in the long run, no big deal. We should be able to find room on the 40 man if needed. There is some people to discharge if needed, but  would have put Nunez and Duensing on that list.

[Major League Ready]

Why discard any assets until you are not forced to do so?   Make a move later as the team's needs become better defined.  This was a no brainer.  What's the worst that could happen by keeping them under contract for now?

[nicksaviking]

But if Santana is truly moving back to short, there just isn't room on the roster for a middle infielder who can't field or hit. Nunez is a butcher in the field so he's not a late inning guy. He doesn't hit enough to play a corner spot. Escobar is a better player in every respect.

 

They haven't given him a spot on the 25-man yet, they just bought themselves time to evaluate the situation further.  $1 million salary isn't going to be enough to stop someone else from winning the job away from him.

[Brock Beauchamp]

They haven't given him a spot on the 25-man yet, they just bought themselves time to evaluate the situation further.  $1 million salary isn't going to be enough to stop someone else from winning the job away from him.

Yeah, I get that, I just don't see the point in wasting a million bucks on that guy.

[Mike Sixel]

Why discard any assets until you are not forced to do so?   Make a move later as the team's needs become better defined.  This was a no brainer.  What's the worst that could happen by keeping them under contract for now?

 

Well, if they had not done what they did last year with Kubel, Guerrier, and Bartlett.....I'd have more faith they'll turn over the roster even after this. But, I am coming over to your side on this. As long as not all 6 are on the 25 man roster in spring, this is no harm.

[USAFChief]

  What's the worst that could happen by keeping them under contract for now?

They think they have the pieces in place and make no further moves to improve the team? They add Hunter to last years 90 loss team and think that's good enough?

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, I get that, I just don't see the point in wasting a million bucks on that guy.

Actually, it's just half a million.  If they released him, they'd still have to pay some other guy 500K so it's really just 500K or so over the next guy in line.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

Actually, it's just half a million.  If they released him, they'd still have to pay some other guy 500K so it's really just 500K or so over the next guy in line.  

True. I just believe Nunez is dead weight on the roster.

[nicksaviking]

True. I just believe Nunez is dead weight on the roster.

 

I agree, I don't want him on the roster.  I am often critical of the front office, but I'd still guess that he'd be among the first head on the chopping block should the Twins need to clear more 40-man space.