Jake McGee

[DaveW]

+1+1

Thanks for writing this Dave. You saved me some time. You don't give up one of the few pitchers we have with potential Ace stuff. He throws 95 and has a potential top end slider. He's a ways from getting there, but it's way too early to give up on him.

Yeah, people need to remember that he would still be in college at this point. I imagine the plan is for him to start in A+ again, if he does well and somehow makes it to AA by the end of the year, that is such a huge win for the Twins overall, having a guy 21 at AA would be awesome.

[nytwinsfan]

 

I wouldn't trade two top 10 prospects for him.  I'm not sure I'd trade either of them straight up.  Much rather just spend the money it takes to get Bastardo.

 

Id guess the Rays considering what Giles and and Kimbrel got. Surely with the current going rate for closers another team will top Polanco and Stewart by quite a bit.

I choose to conclude from the fact that one of you thinks the Twins shouldn't do it and the other thinks the Rays wouldn't do it, that my suggestion is somewhere around what it would take for the Twins to do it if both sides were interested.

[nytwinsfan]

 

Buxton is part of a package that gets you Jose Fernandez, not Jake McGee.

 

Sorry but Fernandez is not happening. It just isn't. Give up.

[TwinsTerritory]

 

Sorry but Fernandez is not happening. It just isn't. Give up.

I don't really want them to go after him.  Just making a point that you don't trade Buxton for a relief pitcher.  I wouldn't have traded Buxton for Kimbrel, much less McGee.

[milanooco]

 

I think I'd rather sign Bastardo and keep the specs personally. I like the Blevins idea too.

Minnesota is interested in Bastardo,

[David HK]

 

TR has already said he has no interest in Bastardo. 

 

I'm with Stringer on May:  I think he will end up in the bullpen, a victim of the success he had there last year.

 

Perkins can not be the closer on his own.  At least not the way the Twins have been using him.

 

Perkins and Jepsen as co-closers

May and a pitcher to be named later

Nolasco long

and whomever amongst the young arms who shows the most in spring training

 

Who to trade for McGee?  If the Twins are serious about him, start with Buxton.  People are overrating the Twins prospects and grossly underrating the value of quality RP's this year.

 

But it won't matter.  Jon Morosi says:  "The Twins are also known to be looking for left-handed relief help, and indications late in this week’s Winter Meetings were that Minnesota isn’t likely to make a play for top-of-the-market free agent lefties."

I didn't see that.   Why the Fork would he say that?  Geez, TR.  Now, I spend my time schlepping a day job, not evaluating pitching 24/7, but I've seen plenty of Bastardo in games, and like the hell out of what I've seen of him.  

 

I swear, if he comes out in the spring with anything like Thompson, Boyer, or Stauffer, I'll start bleeding from my eyes.

[Riverbrian]

The Twins were in contention until the final weekend in 2015.

 

It isn't time to think 2nd tier players.

 

Think and aim high.

 

Go get McGee or Miller or Doolittle.

 

You need a left handed reliever. Look at the top of the pile please.

[Linus]

I didn't see that. Why the Fork would he say that? Geez, TR. Now, I spend my time schlepping a day job, not evaluating pitching 24/7, but I've seen plenty of Bastardo in games, and like the hell out of what I've seen of him.

 

I swear, if he comes out in the spring with anything like Thompson, Boyer, or Stauffer, I'll start bleeding from my eyes.

I would see the source confirming Ryan has no interest before reaching any conclusions.

[HitInAPinch]

Len III: "Was told by two people that Tony Sipp and Antonio Bastardo are NOT on Twins radar. A trade might be the best route to add a LHP."

 

[Linus]

Len III: "Was told by two people that Tony Sipp and Antonio Bastardo are NOT on Twins radar. A trade might be the best route to add a LHP."

 

https://twitter.com/LaVelleNeal/status/674741795432046592

This may be correct but hardly a direct declaration by Ryan.

[nicksaviking]

+1+1

Thanks for writing this Dave. You saved me some time. You don't give up one of the few pitchers we have with potential Ace stuff. He throws 95 and has a potential top end slider. He's a ways from getting there, but it's way too early to give up on him.

From our minor league gurus and posters who have seen him in person, Stewart doesn't throw 95, he's 92-94 and the slider that he was drafted for has all but been scrapped because it is ineffective.

 

If this info is inaccurate, I'll reconsider his prospect status, but if he's throwing low 90's with no usable breaking pitch those strikeouts will never come around and he won't amount to much.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Looking only at the stat line, McGee looks like a younger, better version of Glen Perkins. That's worth something.

[Thrylos]

Living where Bastardo played most of his career, got to say a huge no to him.  He frustrates the living daylight out of people as he can strikeout the side or walk 6 in a row without reason or rhyme.  No thank you, I'd rather have Duensing. 

 

As far as what the Twins should do with the pen is: a. see what TX wants for Jake Diekman, then b. go and see what the Nationals want for Storen (feel free to include Perkins), and for the cherry on top, c. go buy low on Chapman.  Diekman, Storen and Jepsen can hold the fort until he serves his suspension, and the Twins will have him for a full season in 2017 as well, if suspended...

[stringer bell]

I saw a lot of resistance to trading prospects for a good player (in this case lefty reliever), but isn't it true that the Twins have enough prospects in the minors and young players in the majors that they are going to lose several of them anyway? For example, especially if the Twins add a veteran OF, I really don't see a way for Walker to get a chance. Already, we have Arcia and Santana out of options slated to either be bench players or lost for nothing. Vargas has about a year worth of experience, but is really blocked from any chance to play full-time, and there are about eight guys that look like capable starting pitchers vying for five spots.

 

IMHO, it is time to add quality for quantity. Yes, somebody might be lost who will turn out to be a good player, but the Twins need to add high-end talent, particularly on the mound.

[jimmer]

 

I saw a lot of resistance to trading prospects for a good player (in this case lefty reliever), but isn't it true that the Twins have enough prospects in the minors and young players in the majors that they are going to lose several of them anyway? For example, especially if the Twins add a veteran OF, I really don't see a way for Walker to get a chance. Already, we have Arcia and Santana out of options slated to either be bench players or lost for nothing. Vargas has about a year worth of experience, but is really blocked from any chance to play full-time, and there are about eight guys that look like capable starting pitchers vying for five spots.

 

IMHO, it is time to add quality for quantity. Yes, somebody might be lost who will turn out to be a good player, but the Twins need to add high-end talent, particularly on the mound.

You're right, but IMO the time to start using our supposedly awesome farm system to get proven players was about two seasons ago

[stringer bell]

 

You're right, but IMO the time to start using our supposedly awesome farm system to get proven players was about two seasons ago

???? Really? Adding a high-quality player or two before Sano, Buxton, and Rosario were ready would make no sense to me.

[jimmer]

 

???? Really? Adding a high-quality player or two before Sano, Buxton, and Rosario were readywould make no sense to me.

By the way you wrote that, I think you're being sarcastic, but not quite sure.  So I'll do two responses.

 

If it was sarcastic: Yeah, I know, crazy idea.

 

If it wasn't: Two seasons ago, we didn't know the injuries to Sano or Buxton would happen.  Even so, I think it would have been a sound strategy especially when one considers how often prospects fail and considering the talent we had in the majors.  With so many supposedly quality prospects, they could have traded some to try and get better proven players. Like you said, we may end up losing some guys who had trade value a couple years ago for nothing.

 

 

[USAFChief]

Living where Bastardo played most of his career, got to say a huge no to him.  He frustrates the living daylight out of people as he can strikeout the side or walk 6 in a row without reason or rhyme.  No thank you, I'd rather have Duensing. 

 

As far as what the Twins should do with the pen is: a. see what TX wants for Jake Diekman, then b. go and see what the Nationals want for Storen (feel free to include Perkins), and for the cherry on top, c. go buy low on Chapman.  Diekman, Storen and Jepsen can hold the fort until he serves his suspension, and the Twins will have him for a full season in 2017 as well, if suspended...

Why would Chapman be under contract in 2017?

[DaveW]

Why would Chapman be under contract in 2017?

if he is suspended enough games it would push his FA back a year for some reason.

 

But if he does get suspended that means he did in fact do some terrible awful ****, the Twins shouldn't welcome him if that's the case IMHO. It's bad enough we let Peterson back in the Twins cities when we had the perfect chance to trade him to the Cowboys or cut him.

 

I don't mind rooting for flawed athletes, but beating the **** out of women and children is where I draw a hard line. I was all for bringing in chapman last trade deadline and this off season, but with this stuff coming out? Hard pass. I'm not gonna root for him regardless if he wears a twins uniform or not, he is a terrible human who should be in jail.

[HitInAPinch]

 

This may be correct but hardly a direct declaration by Ryan.

 

So, you're going to make this comment about every comment made here, which are posting comments about other articles or Tweets being made?

 

Wait, what ?!?!

[nicksaviking]

 

If it wasn't: Two seasons ago, we didn't know the injuries to Sano or Buxton would happen.  Even so, I think it would have been a sound strategy especially when one considers how often prospects fail and considering the talent we had in the majors.  With so many supposedly quality prospects, they could have traded some to try and get better proven players. Like you said, we may end up losing some guys who had trade value a couple years ago for nothing.

 

But the guys you would have traded for two years ago would now start becoming free agents when the Twins are hopefully ready to compete.

 

You need to build your club first and then plug the holes. You can't predict where the holes are going to be.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I saw a lot of resistance to trading prospects for a good player (in this case lefty reliever), but isn't it true that the Twins have enough prospects in the minors and young players in the majors that they are going to lose several of them anyway? For example, especially if the Twins add a veteran OF, I really don't see a way for Walker to get a chance. Already, we have Arcia and Santana out of options slated to either be bench players or lost for nothing. Vargas has about a year worth of experience, but is really blocked from any chance to play full-time, and there are about eight guys that look like capable starting pitchers vying for five spots.

 

IMHO, it is time to add quality for quantity. Yes, somebody might be lost who will turn out to be a good player, but the Twins need to add high-end talent, particularly on the mound.

A few notes: Arcia, Santana, and Vargas aren't getting pushed out because of a numbers game, they were just bad last year.  Otherwise there would absolutely be spots for them to contribute in 2016.

 

And I don't think you're going to get "high-end talent" for a guy like Walker (or in the past for Santana or Vargas either).  A few years ago for Arcia, maybe, but the current equivalent to 2012-2013 Arcia (young top 100 prospect excelling at an advanced level) is Kepler, not Walker.  Perhaps Polanco too.  Or you're going to dip into lower minors guys like Gordon, and it's a lot harder to predict if you will need them down the road.  And for what, two years of McGee at ~$12 mil salary?

 

I'm not opposed to a potential trade, but I don't really understand it if we're not even going to seriously compete in the FA market first.

[jimmer]

 

But the guys you would have traded for two years ago would now start becoming free agents when the Twins are hopefully ready to compete.

 

You need to build your club first and then plug the holes. You can't predict where the holes are going to be.

First, we don't now if that's true.  Players CAN be extended.

 

Second, it's never a bad time to make your team stronger.  This idea that we can magically predict when we'll be competitive again in order to start trading for (or signing) quality players is just wrong. That year turned out to be this year. Not sure if it continues next year.