Article: My Day as GM

[jtkoupal]

Mauer isn't moving to right field. Get over it

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

It's either going to be not enough or too much... regardless, I'm going to get him. Having a stud reliever on a brutal team is a wasted asset. They should move him while his value is so high.

I'm definitely with you on acquiring a reliever.  But would you add Polanco to your deal?  Or Kepler?  Or Gordon, or Jay?

 

Smith is a good setup man now, and that's what your offer represents.  But even if he stagnates, he's got 4 years of control left so the Brewers can still get that "good setup man" return 6-12 months from now.  And there's a chance he breaks out in the closer role and his value goes way beyond that too.

 

And Gonsalves is nice, but alone does very little for a desperate Brewers club.  They need to take a chance at swinging for the fences here, something closer to the Ken Giles blockbuster return.

[TNLooky2015]

..............The Brewers talk Smith first and settle for Alex Meyer;  Jorge Polanco;  and  Oswaldo Arcia.  They ask for Gonsalves, but we felt he was too much for a reliever. 

 

Once settling on the Smith Deal, we talk on Lucroy.  We (Twins) start by offering Susuki and paying half his salary for 2016.  Then we talk prospects and players:  Gonsalves (LHP) comes back into the talks.  Mitch Garver ( C) and Adam Brett Walker II (OF/1B) are  added to the list along with Trevor Plouffe (3B).  The Twins originally balk on Walker, but eventually agree to terms after both teams add players: Twins add Brandon Peterson (RP) and the Brewers add  Will Middlebrooks (3B).  DONE  DEAL

 

 

 

In those two deals, the Brewers would be giving up 2 guys from their 40-man roster, and taking back 6. That's not happening, especially not for a rebuilding team like Milwaukee clearly would be.

 

I'm sure the 68 - 94 (2015) Brewers would be willing to designate for assignment a few of their current 40 man roster guys in an attempt to gain more talent.

40 MAN ROSTER BREWERS DFA

MIL -Junio Guera (RHP / MN - Alex Myer (RHP)

MIL - Garin Cecchini (3B) / MN - Trevor Plouffe (3B)

MIL - Colin Walsh (2B) / MN - Jorge Polanco (2B)

MIL - Andy Wilkins (1B) / MN - Adam Brett Walker II (OF/1B)

MIL - Kirk Nieuwenhuis (LF) / MN - Oswaldo Arcia (LF)

 

Would you have a problem designating these Brewers for our guys?

Our guys are either younger or better or both.  The Brewers 40 Man is designed to have a team for 2016 - not win.  Nobody is sacred on their team.

 

MIL - Jonathan Lucroy ( C) for  MN - Kurt Susuki ( C)

MIL - Will Smith (RP) for  MN - [Gonsalves; Garver; Peterson (Non 40)]

MIL - Will Middlebrooks (3B) - bonus baby for Twins

 

This is essentially how the trade breaks down even if it wasn't formatted that way.  Everything else is collateral damage for the Brewers.

 

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by TNLooky2015

[DaveW]

Instead of right field, why doesn't Mauer just move back to catcher?

[Mike Sixel]

I think everyone is taking this too seriously.....

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I'm sure the 68 - 94 (2015) Brewers would be willing to designate for assignment a few of their current 40 man roster guys in an attempt to gain more talent.

I was just letting you know that real trades rarely work that way (acquiring 40-man roster players en masse).  Rebuilding teams generally want 40-man flexibility too, so they can claim guys, make Rule 5 picks, etc.

[cjj td]

"Cespedes because, let’s be real, he would be awesome at Target Field"

 

 

I've been thinking about this the last couple of days.  Other than making us really right handed, wouldn't this be the move to take us from a pretty good line-up to a downright scary one?  Doesn't cost prospects, only $$$$.  Would be a little crowded in the outfield until Plouffe is traded, but I believe that's a when, not if, deal.

[dgwills]

The Mets would not move Duda to make room for Wright. Wright hasn't hit in 2 years and they can't rely on him. Moving him to 1st would be as bad as us moving Mauer to first. I do like your creativity in moving Mauer to the outfield, but I think he's way to slow. If we were to acquire another first baseman we would have to get rid of Mauer. Better of just keeping Arcia and hoping he can be the left handed power bat and play outfield. 

The simple solution is just moving Plouffe for a reliever.

[Otto von Ballpark]

The big question: if your day as GM had been today, would you have claimed Mike Strong?

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

My guess is that Jeremy would just hang out with the scouts all day prepping for the June amateur draft.  Get him a conference room with whiteboards on all four walls and he'll be happy as a clam!

 

You're probably not wrong.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

Sorry for having the audacity to have an opinion on what needs to be changed in the Twins' organization to make this team a winner, which might conflict with yours  

 

You're entitled to your opinion. I'm just not sure that firing everybody would get you more than a few minutes in the big boy seat. You still have to answer to someone. 

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

Mauer isn't moving to right field. Get over it

 

Not until people get over the fact that he's not moving back to catcher first. But if that's the only qualm you have... great.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

I've been thinking about this the last couple of days.  Other than making us really right handed, wouldn't this be the move to take us from a pretty good line-up to a downright scary one?  Doesn't cost prospects, only $$$$.  Would be a little crowded in the outfield until Plouffe is traded, but I believe that's a when, not if, deal.

 

I would sign Cespedes and trade Rosario, personally. But while I was in the middle of writing this it sounded like Cespedes was close to signing... and I didn't want to re-write it. 

 

Sano and Cespedes the best back-to-back punch in the MLB? Arguable.

[TNLooky2015]

 

I was just letting you know that real trades rarely work that way (acquiring 40-man roster players en masse).  Rebuilding teams generally want 40-man flexibility too, so they can claim guys, make Rule 5 picks, etc.

I agree.  But when you suck - it calls for some new GM thinking / action.  At this point before ST, I'm looking for near ready prospects who can get thrown into the fire for a season and learn on the job with no true expectations.  And again these moves were made on January 21st.  [i'm talking about the purpose of the Brewers GM moves]

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

The big question: if your day as GM had been today, would you have claimed Mike Strong?

 

Phew. After my day yesterday, I probably would have slept all day today.

[Thrylos]

 

You're entitled to your opinion. I'm just not sure that firing everybody would get you more than a few minutes in the big boy seat. You still have to answer to someone. 

 

Um, you seem to forget what Terry Ryan, you and I (and most people who are reading this and their first name is not Andy) have in common:  We all led the Twins in the same number of World Titles as General Managers.  Just one of us had that chance to do better, but he (and his hand picked buddies who were around after he "retired") failed to do for 21 years.

 

Got to clean house, if one has a chance to.  First things first.

 

So that's that.  But that's my point of view

[diehardtwinsfan]

Like the Plouffe trade.  Not a bad one in my opinion. You gave up way too much for Will Smith though, or were you thinking the actor was part of the deal too?

[howieramone2]

 

Dave's day as GM:

8:30 wake up
8:31 call up Jim Pohlad telling him I want to cut bait on Nolasco (trade him and 50% of salary for a PTNBL to an NL team)
8:32 tell Pohlad I want to offer Cueto a 5 year deal (for less AAV then what we currently are paying for Nolsaco, Hughes and Milone)

8:33 Pohlads fire me and rehire Terry Ryan (who said 2 days earlier he was stepping down from GM)

All's well that ends well.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

I'm definitely with you on acquiring a reliever.  But would you add Polanco to your deal?  Or Kepler?  Or Gordon, or Jay?

 

Smith is a good setup man now, and that's what your offer represents.  But even if he stagnates, he's got 4 years of control left so the Brewers can still get that "good setup man" return 6-12 months from now.  And there's a chance he breaks out in the closer role and his value goes way beyond that too.

 

And Gonsalves is nice, but alone does very little for a desperate Brewers club.  They need to take a chance at swinging for the fences here, something closer to the Ken Giles blockbuster return.

I would move Polanco, though I like him to replace Nunez in 2017. I wouldn't move Kepler. I'm much too big of a believer in Kepler.