Hicks will be traded

[dougkoebernick]

I've been thinking about posting this for awhile but now seems like the right time. A few years ago I called my shot that both Revere and Span would be traded and it happened. I now think TR is shopping Hicks for these reasons:

 

1) His value is decent - nothing exceptional but he's shown glimpses to tease other teams;

 

2) He doesn't have a spot in CF past the first few months of 2016...if that; and,

 

3) He really isn't a corner outfielder and I don't think he ever will be. I hope I'm wrong for his sake but I just don't see it (I think that's a scientific term for "feeling in my gut").

 

With that said, I actually wouldn't be surprised if Rosario was floated out there as well but I think is worth more to the Twins in the long run and can be a productive corner outfielder. 

 

I'm not sure what the plan is for Kepler and sure wish I knew what they were thinking because he truly is intriguing.

 

Finally, I think this opens a spot for Sano in RF and then Plouffe stays at 3B if they truly want to keep both of them. 

[dgwills]

The last thing I want to see is Sano in the outfield, but I have to agree with you about Hicks. To be fair I've never been really high on him though. There's really not a spot for him here. Oddly I've seen more people talk about trading Rosario. Doesn't make sense to me as I think he's a better prospect, not to mention he could play at second if you needed him to.

[drjim]

I agree. I always thought it was going to be Plouffe, but probably not the case anymore.

 

I think Sano is in LF and Rosario in RF and then Kepler is AAA depth (probably needs at least a half season anyways).

[Rosterman]

Rosario is NOT a second baseman anymore, just like Danny Santana is NOT REALLY a centerfielder. But, yes, right now Hicks may have more value that Rosario or Arcia. But do you see keeping Hicks longrange anyways (Rosario could be the 4th outfielder if you have Sano out there and/or Kepler or even Walker down the line...confusing where Park will be playing, still... I don't want to be general manager of the Twins right now. Players you maybe shouldn't get rid of (Arcia for one). Players you can't get rid of (okay, you can release Noalsco, yes you can). A love for middle-of-the-road guys (Fien, Pressley, Nunez for example). It's a tough job, especially coming off a halfway successful year in which you paid heavy on a starting rotation that eally didn't produce for the bucks spent.

[Shane Wahl]

Rosario-Buxton-Hicks is the OF of the near and far future. No way that they are actually going to be serious about Sano in the OF.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

You are right. I think Hicksie is the first one on the trading block.

 

But that still doesn't solve the OF jam.

 

I cannot envision why we would trade away Rosario. Did people not notice the D he played last year? I wouldn't even move him to right. He should be our left fielder for the next 5-6 years. Not to mention he outhit Plouffe. So unless we get an amazing return for Rosario we need to keep him.

[Dantes929]

Hicks has shown himself to be a pretty good outfielder and a very good hitter from the right side.   Major improvement from the left side this year but that only means he went from below .200 to above .200.   Maybe he improves some more but I have always thought of him as a platoon player.   A valuable platoon player.    If he sticks with the Twins I hope I am proved wrong.   If he doesn't I guess I don't care.   I would keep him until it is proven we don't need him or we get a good offer for him.   

[Dantes929]

 

Rosario-Buxton-Hicks is the OF of the near and far future. No way that they are actually going to be serious about Sano in the OF.

If you are right, and I don't think you are or should be if Kepler continues to develop, the outfield is set.   Ok, you are and should be mostly correct.  As described above I could see Hicks as a 4th outfielder in a mostly platoon situation.

If that is the case, you now have Plouffe, Sano, Mauer and Ho manning 1b, 3b, and DH.  I think Ho is suspect but if they sign him they are going to play him.    That leaves Plouffe as the odd man out until Mauer is gone.   

 

[jsteve96]

 

Rosario is NOT a second baseman anymore, just like Danny Santana is NOT REALLY a centerfielder. But, yes, right now Hicks may have more value that Rosario or Arcia. But do you see keeping Hicks longrange anyways (Rosario could be the 4th outfielder if you have Sano out there and/or Kepler or even Walker down the line...confusing where Park will be playing, still... I don't want to be general manager of the Twins right now. Players you maybe shouldn't get rid of (Arcia for one). Players you can't get rid of (okay, you can release Noalsco, yes you can). A love for middle-of-the-road guys (Fien, Pressley, Nunez for example). It's a tough job, especially coming off a halfway successful year in which you paid heavy on a starting rotation that eally didn't produce for the bucks spent.

rosario may not be a second baseman but his value is way higher than hicks right now.

[USAFChief]

For the record, "Pak" (or Bak, depending on which Korean to English system you use) is his family name. His "last name" if you will. Koreans typically list their family name first, he is known as Pak Byungho in Korea.

 

"Park" would be another common westernization of his family name.

 

But...

 

"Ho" is the second half of his given name (his first name). Perhaps we should refrain from calling him by that.

[Danchat]

Not sure if Hicks has very much value...

 

However, I do know one thing. I'm confident the Twins see Rosario as a CF and not as a corner OF. His defensive game is good enough to be in CF, and his bat resembles a CF more than a corner OF because he lacks the power. 

 

It's not the end of the world if Rosario stays in LF - he's nice defensively there and Buxton will likely be the CF. But Rosario has more value as a trade piece... it's a very interesting scenario.

[Shane Wahl]

If the Twins trade away Rosario they will have almost no one who hits well from the left side other than a hopefully-resurgent Mauer. They view Kepler as not yet ready. Hicks is improving from that side.

 

I cannot imagine Sano making it in the OF. There is no reason to be so damn attached to Plouffe either. That value peaked in 2014, man. How is that writing not blatantly on the wall? Trade him during the winter meetings either alone for a setup type, or with some prospects for a young catcher.

[h2oface]

May as well trade the whole team. That is how you win championships, eh? Build a defensive outfield that can protect your mediocre # 3 and 4 pitchers, and then get rid of them and let lumbering big men play out of position. You think Ryan would have learned form the last purge of defensive outfielders. 

[KGB]

Agree, Hicks is the most likely to be traded.  Centerfield is actually a position that many teams are looking to fill, so he has value.  Molitor doesn't appear to be a big fan of him, like he is with Rosario.  SD is looking for a CF, so he'll be in the Norris trade and the Twins get a catcher.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I don't think Hicks is traded in the offseason unless Ryan gets an offer that blows him away.  I don't think they want a repeat of 2012 when they emptied out CF and had no capable replacements.  That's not to say that Buxton won't figure things out, but I think Hicks or Rosario is traded when Buxton is ready, not until then. 

 

Besides, as pointed out, Hicks really needs to show that his improvement wasn't an abberation.  He's not going to fetch a whole lot (I would think) until he shows that he can consistently hit well enough at the  ML level. 

[Boom Boom]

I think it would be a very bad idea to trade Hicks. His OBP was only behind Sano and Mauer as far as regular players go, and this team has a big problem with getting on base/not striking out that Byung-Ho Park is not going to help.

[HitInAPinch]

Agree with Boom Boom, who posted about a second before I started typing  

 

Buxton will not start the season with the Twins.  From what Ryan and Molitor have said, he needs more time, maybe a lot, to work on all things hitting.

 

Re: Sano in the outfield.  You better get used to the idea.  And in RF.  This was posted really early this morning:

 

http://video.startribune.com/ryan-if-twins-sign-korean-slugger-sano-would-move-to-outfield/344132022/

 

The gist of this is:  IF the Twins sign Byung-ho Park to a players contract, Terry Ryan did not do so to subtract players.  He wants to add talent.  The rundown is:  Mauer still at 1st, Plouffe still at 3rd, Park is the DH and  Sano [with his are strength]  will be in RF.  

[Buford_T_Justice]

Maybe Ryan is telling other GM's that Sano can play OF so it looks like he doesn't have to trade Plouffe.

 

These reverse-psychology things rarely work in sitcoms, so I'm not sure it will work on GM's.

[Major League Ready]

 

Agree with Boom Boom, who posted about a second before I started typing  

 

Buxton will not start the season with the Twins.  From what Ryan and Molitor have said, he needs more time, maybe a lot, to work on all things hitting.

 

Re: Sano in the outfield.  You better get used to the idea.  And in RF.  This was posted really early this morning:

 

http://video.startribune.com/ryan-if-twins-sign-korean-slugger-sano-would-move-to-outfield/344132022/

 

The gist of this is:  IF the Twins sign Byung-ho Park to a players contract, Terry Ryan did not do so to subtract players.  He wants to add talent.  The rundown is:  Mauer still at 1st, Plouffe still at 3rd, Park is the DH and  Sano [with his are strength]  will be in RF.  

That's what I would want the other teams to think if I were the Twins.

[USAFChief]

That's what I would want the other teams to think if I were the Twins.

Sssshhhhhhhhhh!

[Monkeypaws]

I will be angry if the Twins trade either Rosario or Kepler.

 

I will be sad if they trade Arcia.

 

I'm neutral on Hicks: he looked good by the end of the season, but with Buxton waiting in the wings, he seems least likely to regret trading later.

[Mike Sixel]

Wait, everyone here is "smart" enough to know this is a bluff, but GMs are not? Really, people think that?

 

I think one of Hicks or Rosario is traded this offseason. Not sure which. But they are both more valuable in CF than in the corners. But then, maybe not. I really don't know. There is little evidence over the years that the Twins value defense in the OF....so I have no idea.

[gopherman23]

There should be no rush to trade Hicks. He is 25 and and under team control for the next 4 years. He is an above average defensive centerfielder and has improved at the plate every year, so far. Maybe you trade Hicks down the road, once Buxton establishes himself, but trading him now would be incredibly stupid.

[USAFChief]

If one of Hicks or Rosario is dealt, I'd deal Rosario.

 

I think Hicks ends up the better player.

 

But I'm not convinced the Twins are going to put Sano in RF.

[brvama]

Except for the few off limits, anyone is subject to trade. But when you look at the free agents and available trade candidates, Hicks likely has a lower probability to be traded before Plouffe. Reasons:

1- More CFers available than 3B as FA. Span, AJackson, Rasmus, Fowler, to start; plus others lesser known.

2- Plouffle has better track record than Hicks and is considered better at his position than Hicks is at CF.

3- Hicks past performance is not one of excitement.

4- Twins need to start with a true CF while Buxton is in AAA.

The only way I see Hicks traded is as a throw-in to acquire a much needed player. Plouffe is still the top of the trading list IMHO.

[stringer bell]

Hicks appeared to turn a corner last year, but IMHO he isn't proven. The team is at a different place and Buxton is a different prospect than Hicks in 2013. I just don't think Hicks will ever hit enough from the left side to be an everyday corner outfielder.

[bluechipper]

I think Hicks and the Twins would benefit from another year of him showing improvement before thinking about a trade. And, like many others, I like the idea of seeing an extremely athletic outfield help out a pitch to contact staff.

[Major League Ready]

 

Except for the few off limits, anyone is subject to trade. But when you look at the free agents and available trade candidates, Hicks likely has a lower probability to be traded before Plouffe. Reasons:
1- More CFers available than 3B as FA. Span, AJackson, Rasmus, Fowler, to start; plus others lesser known.
2- Plouffle has better track record than Hicks and is considered better at his position than Hicks is at CF.
3- Hicks past performance is not one of excitement.
4- Twins need to start with a true CF while Buxton is in AAA.
The only way I see Hicks traded is as a throw-in to acquire a much needed player. Plouffe is still the top of the trading list IMHO.

These are all good points but Hicks will not cost nearly as much as the FAs. Fans don't care about the money but GMs and owners have a very different point of view.

 

Like you, I am a proponent of starting the season with Hicks and waiting until Buxton is ready before Hicks is made available.  However, I think you have to be open to the right deal.  It might make sense to deal Hicks for Norris or if someone offered a top of the rotation arm.

[brvama]

These are all good points but Hicks will not cost nearly as much as the FAs. Fans don't care about the money but GMs and owners have a very different point of view..

True, but don't you think they may try one of the lesser CF FAs or one from their own system before they take on a still inconclusive candidate like Hicks first? Hicks has some value here - not sure it's the same or elsewhere. That's way I think he's not going to the center of a trade, IMO.

[Pardon My Dinger]

I'd trade Buxton. No telling what you could get back for him. That could seriously alter the trajectory of this team.