Royals Acquire Johnny Cueto

[Seth Stohs]

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Kansas City Royals have acquired Johnny Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds. No word yet on who the Reds will receive.

 

I'm putting this in the Twins forum because I think that this pretty much means that the Twins are playing for a Wild Card spot. That might (should/could?) alter their trade strategy. 

 

How much future do you want to trade for a chance at a 1-game wild card spot? There's no right or wrong answer to that question, but it should be a factor.

[Winston Smith]

Any trade with decent prospects in it should be for a player that will be here at least thru next year, imo.

 

The Twins are just as close to last place Clev. as they are to the Royals. No reason to go crazy now.

[jimbo92107]

This article

 

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article27425116.html

 

provides insight into KC's thought process before the trade. Their starting rotation was even more confused than Minnesota's. Johnny Cueto gives them one legitimate shut-down ace to lead their rotation.

 

Acquiring Cueto now makes it much more likely that they hang onto their lead in the Central, and allows them to simplify their rotation situation by sending down a couple guys with options if need be. Should be interesting how much they gave the Reds for Cueto.

[Kwak]

I would like to applaud KC for "making their move...".  I have no recollection of the Twins making a mid-season acquisition of this magnitude--ever!  The Twins were shown to be a WC-only team by KC earlier in the season, but that doesn't mean the Twins should half-azz-it--there is no certainty that they will be in this good of a playoff position again!  Even a measly one-game playoff (basically what '08 and '09 season became) is a vast improvement over the previous 4 years.  Oh, and lest we forget, the '10 season--which was supposed to be the year--didn't end all that well. Please recall the Twins wouldn't offer a package of those top prospects to acquire Cliff Lee--so they pleasured themselves with a trade of Ramos for Capps instead.  Yeah...

[Jham]

Can we see what KC gave up before we give up on winning the division?  Cueto would not be the first ace to change NL to AL and struggle.  

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I don't see this as a crushing blow to the Twins. Cueto is strictly a rental and KC likely outbid many other big market teams for him. The Twins weren't likely to outplay KC by 6+ games over the final two months.

[jimmer]

I think TR was going to be ultra-conservative at the trade deadline like he has always been when it comes to providing serious talent for playoff run.  I doubt the fact that KC got Cueto altered anything.

[DaveW]

Twins weren't going to likely catch the royals anyways this year, wild card is still very much in play. Hopefully the royals gave up a lot though so it "helps" us moving fwd

[Brock Beauchamp]

I would like to applaud KC for "making their move...". I have no recollection of the Twins making a mid-season acquisition of this magnitude--ever! The Twins were shown to be a WC-only team by KC earlier in the season, but that doesn't mean the Twins should half-azz-it--there is no certainty that they will be in this good of a playoff position again! Even a measly one-game playoff (basically what '08 and '09 season became) is a vast improvement over the previous 4 years. Oh, and lest we forget, the '10 season--which was supposed to be the year--didn't end all that well. Please recall the Twins wouldn't offer a package of those top prospects to acquire Cliff Lee--so they pleasured themselves with a trade of Ramos for Capps instead. Yeah...

Why do you feel it's necessary to slam the Twins instead of talking about this move and how it impacts the Royals?

 

This is a good get for KC. With Gordon out and the rotation in flux, they needed to make a move of this kind and protect their division lead. Cueto instantly solidifies one of their few team weaknesses.

[DaveW]

Why do you feel it's necessary to slam the Twins instead of talking about this move and how it impacts the Royals?

 

This is a good get for KC. With Gordon out and the rotation in flux, they needed to make a move of this kind and protect their division lead. Cueto instantly solidifies one of their few team weaknesses.

I'm not going to slam them, but looking back it sure would have been nice to make a blockbuster trade like that one of those years the twins were seemingly "in it" every year.

 

Hopefully TR does it sometime in the next 2-4 years while the Twins have a good shot.

[Thrylos]

SSS, but guess which team against which he pitched for 8 innings or more, Cueto has the lowest ERA, WHIP and highest K/9?

 

After this trade, the Royals have a single starter with FIP < 3.59, Cueto.  The Twins have 2 (nevermind that neither is in the rotation right now.)   

 

The Twins should look to close their holes and not be concerned about what others are doing.   The Royals are a couple sweeps away from a tie in the division if the Twins go about their business.  But that they should do.

[Rosterman]

Well, the Twins did add Ervin Santana after the All-Star break. WHich is BIG. Gibson and Hughes are pitching well. Milone had a solid six innings yesterday against the Yankees who then came alive. We have May. Pelfrey should go elsewhere...sorry. So the Twins rotation sits pretty good. The problem is the lineup which is consistently average with players stepping up at certain times and doing the right things. Yet we do have three big holes. Designated Hitter (which Sano is filling well right now...but it is a small numbers base). Incinsistent shortstop. Why not just go with Escobar, please. And a weak catcher. A line-up usually can have one weak spot. Two means you do have two sure outs each time thru the lineup, and don't stack the guys next to each other necessarily (of course, the AL doesn't have a pitcher batting). 

 

Right now the key to the Twins is having the right pieces and playing it close and tight. Don't let that pitcher go the extra inning. Look at matchups. Clean up that bullpen so you know pretty much that results will happen. Get a solid bench in place. If you can imporve a position, externally or internally, do so. Yes, think about the cost and make those considerations. But the REAL FACTOR that I harp on again and again...this is a team that is exceeding expectations. But you don't have to jsut sit back and say "it's working, we won't change." You have to change and you got access to pieces that will be here next year and beyond in place of guys that are just level players and won't be here in 70 days. How much are those players really contributing to the team winning, and the future. They seem to not even be contributing to making their own value worth more for their own future. 

 

If  the Twins want the Wild Card, then you do everything you can to win. Pull a pitcher...don't worry about stretching him. Use ALL you bullpen. Have a bench you can rely on in a bases-loaded situation, or when you need that sacrifice, or a way to get a runner from 1st to 3rd. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'm not going to slam them, but looking back it sure would have been nice to make a blockbuster trade like that one of those years the twins were seemingly "in it" every year.

 

Hopefully TR does it sometime in the next 2-4 years while the Twins have a good shot.

I'm not defending their past choices, simply pointing out there's no reason to insert a pet argument into a thread about Cueto and the Royals.

 

With this move, I'm questioning how much the Twins should "go for it". The Royals were a better team yesterday. Today, they're significantly better. I'm not crazy about giving away assets just to make the WC game.

[Mike Sixel]

Some teams try to win. I applaud those teams.

 

I do think this decreases the Twins odds....I don't want them to give up any real prospect for a rental.

[Danchat]

I could see this going down as a trade that looks good on paper but doesn't go quite as well in reality. He'll have to adjust going from the NL to the AL. I do wonder what the Royals gave up for him...

 

 

The Twins should look to close their holes and not be concerned about what others are doing.

This.

[USAFChief]

Why do you feel it's necessary to slam the Twins instead of talking about this move and how it impacts the Royals?

 

It's in the Twins forum? Has a likely impact on the 2015 Twins?

[Badsmerf]

The royals already had the best record in the al, now they added one of the better pitchers in the league.... Good luck. In my mind the twins are now playing for second place. Forget about tulo or lucroy. Forget about solidifying the bullpen with proven arms.

 

Put Santana at ss and leave him there. Get Robinson out of here and let arcia play. Get the young bullpen arms in the mlb so they can adjust.

 

Just because you go with a youth movement the team doesn't have to start losing. Maybe the young guys come up and start kicking ass. They probably have ass good if a chance as anyone the twins trade for without giving up significant assets.

[spinowner]

Just as LEN III predicted in this morning's Strib. It will be interesting to see the other side of the trade, but with KC's position this type of move makes sense. And I agree that this should have no bearing on any roster changes the Twins may or may not make during the upcoming week.

[jimmer]

 

Well, the Twins did add Ervin Santana after the All-Star break. WHich is BIG. 

I thought they added Santana in the offseason.

 

Ah, TR's master plan!  Sign a guy, have him get suspended, then return at the break to be his 'midseason acquisition' for our push, but be ineligible for the playoffs).  It's just like getting a Cueto :-)

 

Anyway, nice move KC.  I really liked it when they traded for Shields and Davis, and I like this too.

 

 

[Craig Arko]

It's in the Twins forum? Has a likely impact on the 2015 Twins?

Yeah, it's pretty much the established culture here.

[jimmer]

 

Yeah, it's pretty much the established culture here.

I think if you read the post Chief replied to, and then Chief's response, the point he was making is that does have an impact on the Twins chances this year.  

 

And that isn't a conjured up idea, it's reality.

[nicksaviking]

The Royals are in a position to win a WS now. I hope this deal goes through and KC has to pay a steep price, hurting themselves in the long term.

 

The Twins are not in a position to win now. It would be foolish to hurt themselves for the future just to play keep up.

[Riverbrian]

It can be done with money instead of elite prospects. The Astro's got Kazmir without giving top line prospects... I understand that Nottingham kid is highly thought of but the Astro's like the Twins have a lot of highly thought of kids. The Pirates got Aramis for very little. The Cards got Cishek for very little. The Mets got some bats and didn't give up the big farm guy. 

 

These are the types of trades the Twins can make without hurting the farm because we seem to have a bunch of players like this. 

 

Fix the Pen... with #15 thru #25 organizational ranked prospects like everyone else is doing.

 

If you are going to give up a top prospect. Do it for a big bat and I mean big bat or don't bother. 

[Thrylos]

Steep price: 3 LHSPs 

 

22 yo (MLB) Brandon Finnegan (Royals #2 according to BA, MLB #55 according to BA)

24 yo (AAA) John Lamb (MLB #11 in 2011 according to BA)

22 yo (AA) Cody Reed

 

in Twins' terms:  Berrios (but LH), Rogers, and Rosario...

 

for a rental.

[jimmer]

 

Steep price: 3 LHSPs 

 

22 yo (MLB) Brandon Finnegan (Royals #2 according to BA, MLB #55 according to BA)

24 yo (AAA) John Lamb (MLB #11 in 2011 according to BA)

22 yo (AA) Cody Reed

 

in Twins' terms:  Berrios (but LH), Rogers, and Rosario...

 

for a rental.

I like Finnegan a lot, has a bright future in my opinion, but isn't Berrios quite a bit higher on the prospect food chain than #55? BA had him around 20 spots higher going into this year. Sporting News has him at #17 as of June and a few people that were in front of him on that list have since graduated.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Yeah, Finnegan isn't that great. And he has yet to really start as a pro (or even dominate out of the pen).

 

Not a bad prospect to have, but not an elite guy. Not a difficult decision to fill an absolute gaping hole during an otherwise great season.

[jimmer]

They know they need an ace type in the playoffs and they went and got one.  Going for it sometimes hurt.  Worrying all the time about making a trade because you might end up losing the trade in the end is a horrible way to run a team. KC played for and worried about the future for way too long.  They are in the window to worry about now.

[Thrylos]

 

I like Finnegan a lot, has a bright future in my opinion, but isn't Berrios quite a bit higher on the prospect food chain than #55? BA had him around 20 spots higher going into this year. Sporting News has him at #17 as of June and a few people that were in front of him on that list have since graduated.

 

Ballpark.  Finnegan was #55 and Berrios #36 in the BA list in the beginning of the year.  He is a lefty, which is a premium, also he has been successful in the majors.

 

Ballpark.  Hard to find exact comparable, but the closer the Twins have is Berrios.

[jimmer]

 

Ballpark.  Finnegan was #55 and Berrios #36 in the BA list in the beginning of the year.  He is a lefty, which is a premium, also he has been successful in the majors.

 

Ballpark.  Hard to find exact comparable, but the closer the Twins have is Berrios.

When I first read this, I thought you were calling him Ballpark Finnegan  I thought, nice nickname!

[Thrylos]

 

When I first read this, I thought you were calling him Ballpark Finnegan  I thought, nice nickname!

 

esp. for a fly ball pitcher