Kevin Jepsen traded to the Twins

[jimmer]

 

Several posters here have been saying the same thing, and using that "ain't gonna last" thinking to justify the Twins not making any deals at the deadline.

It would be nice to hear just one of those posters tell us at what point, what position in the standings, they think the Twins should go make a deal.

I have been one of the posters on the side of saying they should have done more, especially with them sliding lately and teams close behind us doing so much at the deadline.  I also am tired of them not doing more.  I think I've been clear on that. I think the main reason TR barely did anything is because that's his nature, especially during the deadline.

 

I very often agree with Dave and quote him on here during debates when I see him talking about the same things and he agrees with my stance.

 

So, I thought it was only fair that I quote him this time as well, even though I disagree with him in this instance.  

[jimmer]

 

I think the Astros gave up several top 20 prospects, maybe even a top 5, I don't have names fresh right now though

I was talking MLB rankings not team rankings. You talking TEAM prospect rankings or MLB rankings? Cause, according the Baseball America's midseason top 50 (published in early June), Astros don't even have ONE top 20 guy.

[Captain Hindsight]

On one hand, some people here are critical because the Twins didn't get good enough player(s) at the deadline. While on the other, others (and oddly some of the same people) are critical they gave up too much to acquire Jespen, though most would agree he is an upgrade over our current options. So for Ryan to make everyone happy all he had to do was acquire better players while giving up nothing of value, easy enough. 

 

Sure, Jespen isn't a cure all for our bp, but he is a definite upgrade and comes with an extra year of control. Those are positives in my book. I did not want to see Hu traded but I would have been more upset if they traded better pieces for a better or, more in, return such as Gonsalves, Kepler, Stewart or even Thorpe. Hu is intriguing, but unlikely to have a big impact and still has a ways to go. Here is a piece of the BA write-up about Hu:

 

"A 21-year-old signed out of Taiwan, Hu is a potential No. 4/No. 5 starter who lacks a true out pitch but is around the strike zone consistently with three fringe-average to average offerings." 

 

I see no problem in trading a potential back-end starter for an upgrade to the major league BP over the next year+. Imagine if it was Duffey/Wheeler instead there might be less grumbling, even though they have similar potential and have had good results in the minors at different stages.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

On one hand, some people here are critical because the Twins didn't get good enough player(s) at the deadline. While on the other, others (and oddly some of the same people) are critical they gave up too much to acquire Jespen, though most would agree he is an upgrade over our current options. So for Ryan to make everyone happy all he had to do was acquire better players while giving up nothing of value, easy enough. 

 

Sure, Jespen isn't a cure all for our bp, but he is a definite upgrade and comes with an extra year of control. Those are positives in my book. I did not want to see Hu traded but I would have been more upset if they traded better pieces for a better or, more in, return such as Gonsalves, Kepler, Stewart or even Thorpe. Hu is intriguing, but unlikely to have a big impact and still has a ways to go. Here is a piece of the BA write-up about Hu:

 

"A 21-year-old signed out of Taiwan, Hu is a potential No. 4/No. 5 starter who lacks a true out pitch but is around the strike zone consistently with three fringe-average to average offerings." 

 

I see no problem in trading a potential back-end starter for an upgrade to the major league BP over the next year+. Imagine if it was Duffey/Wheeler instead there might be less grumbling, even though they have similar potential and have had good results in the minors at different stages.

Fine, Ryan's never going to make everyone happy, but perhaps he waited too long and was forced to give up too much considering how many other relievers were presumably still available but stayed put. You cite BA's short synopsis of Hu but a few guys here on Twins Daily who have seen him in person thought pretty highly of him. A couple guys who do rankings for this site even had Hu breaking their top 15, and that's impressive considering the guys at the front of that ranking. If things had broken differently, Hu might even have went into 2016 as a top 10 or 12 Twins prospect. Admittedly just a prospect, but still.

 

It shouldn't be too much for Ryan to tell the Tampa Bay guys "no one in our top 20, please" for a guy as ordinary as Jepsen. Either that, or raise the stakes, throw in one of our surplus MLB-ready corner bats and make a bid on McGee, who is much more intriguing. Easy for me to say, I know. But the trade deadline this year has a "that's it?" feel to it, while our competitors all made pretty significant deals around us, we basically stood still and then at the very end might have gotten desperate.

[drjim]

If things had shaken out differently, Hu might have been a top 10 or 12 prospect heading into 2016.

Like if Hu was better?

[drjim]

I was talking MLB rankings not team rankings. You talking TEAM prospect rankings or MLB rankings? Cause, according the Baseball America's midseason top 50 (published in early June), Astros don't even have ONE top 20 guy.

I think Phillips was in the mid 20s, so no top 20 guys.

 

It just takes such a unique situation for top 20 guys to move.

[RealTwinsFan357]

I was talking MLB rankings not team rankings. You talking TEAM prospect rankings or MLB rankings? Cause, according the Baseball America's midseason top 50 (published in early June), Astros don't even have ONE top 20 guy.

I was talking team rankings, my bad

[jimmer]

 

I think Phillips was in the mid 20s, so no top 20 guys.

It just takes such a unique situation for top 20 guys to move.

I agree, which is why I would only advocate for trading Berrios or Buxton in the most unique situations. I haven't come across a purported trade scenario where I'd agree to put Buxton in (or Sano for that matter) and the only trade scenario I myself have put for Berrios in was one that involved getting the best shortstop in the game for four years. Those three are top 20 prospects and that group has the highest success rate (and that rate isn't that high either).

[jimmer]

 

I was talking team rankings, my bad

it's all good.

 

Point was that lots of incredible players have moved and when you consider the bust rates of even the top 20 guys, much less the ones not in the top 20, it's not so cut and dry that you are completely boning your team by using some of your prospects in a trade to actually try to win at the major league level and make the playoffs when an opportunity comes calling.