No Surprise: Quentin Selects Free Agency

[Seth Stohs]

Paul Molitor informed assembled media that Carlos Quentin asked the Twins for his release and they granted it.

 

I assume the Twins were hoping he would stick with the organization at least through his June 1 opt-out. However, Quentin may have hit well enough to garner some interest from other teams, and frankly, Quentin just doesn't really have a path to the big leagues with the Twins. He's a DH/PH,  who can play some in LF or 1B. 

 

With Max Kepler and Kennys Vargas in AAA and pretty much ready, Quentin doesn't really have a spot.

[dxpavelka]

See ya!

[70charger]

Probably the better career move for him, but it might've been nice to have him as depth in AAA. Oh well. An experiment without much of a downside.

[DaveW]

Yankees should pick him up.

[h2oface]

Great News!

 

What a waste of at bats that could have gone to youngsters and prospects. Oh well. 

[Willihammer]

Damn, would've been great insurance for Park/Arcia.

[Danchat]

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Quentin is probably going to retire.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Why didn't he just have a March 28 opt out date?  Why bother negotiating a June 1st opt out?

 

While I have no problem honoring a gentleman's agreement to ignore the terms of the contract, I feel like these kind of things set a bad precedent for future minor league signees to use as leverage.

[Vanimal46]

I wonder if the knee or shoulder was starting to bug him again if he's deciding to hang it up for good? 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I like Quentin as insurance depth but I completely understand why he opted for FA. Here's to hoping he picks up with an NL team and has a nice season.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Given how he retired suddenly last May, then came back this winter, only to ask for release this spring so he could probably retire again, I am getting the sense that Quentin wanted to go out on his own terms, then wanted to play as long as a team gave him an opportunity, and now wants that opportunity to come on his own terms.  I liked him as low-cost bat upside, but had he hung around, I could see him being more trouble than he is worth.

[Squirrel]

 

Yankees should pick him up.

Or maybe the White Sox.

[TRex]

 

Why didn't he just have a March 28 opt out date?  Why bother negotiating a June 1st opt out?

 

While I have no problem honoring a gentleman's agreement to ignore the terms of the contract, I feel like these kind of things set a bad precedent for future minor league signees to use as leverage.

I agree about it being a slippery slope, but not very many 9 year veterans with multiple All Star appearances are forced to sign minor league deals.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I agree about it being a slippery slope, but not very many 9 year veterans with multiple All Star appearances are forced to sign minor league deals.

Sure.  But past experience indicates that it doesn't take that kind of resume to leverage the Twins into giving you a roster spot.  I'd prefer our minor league contracts with a June 1st opt out (or no opt out, in the case of Sweeney), to not come with side promises that effectively moves that date up by 2+ months, increasing the likelihood of future Bartlett/Kubel/Guerrier situations.

[TRex]

 

Sure.  But past experience indicates that it doesn't take that kind of resume to leverage the Twins into giving you a roster spot.  I'd prefer our minor league contracts with a June 1st opt out (or no opt out, in the case of Sweeney), to not come with side promises that effectively moves that date up by 2+ months, increasing the likelihood of future Bartlett/Kubel/Guerrier situations.

I think, without such assurances, you are unlikely to sign those types of veterans... but I get the feeling that you would be happier without signing them anyway!

 

OBTW, do we know that other teams do not also make such gentleman's agreements?

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I think, without such assurances, you are unlikely to sign those types of veterans... but I get the feeling that you would be happier without signing them anyway!

 

OBTW, do we know that other teams do not also make such gentleman's agreements?

I am sure that other teams do it too, and that's fine if your team knows where to draw the line regardless.

 

The Bartlett one still boggles the mind.  It wasn't even a mandatory opt out (for free agents with 6+ years MLB service time who finish out their previous MLB deal and sign a minor league deal) -- we actually negotiated a March 30 opt out for a guy who was terrible in 2011-2012, injured in May 2012, released in August 2012, and sat out all of 2013.  (And TR signed that deal with the opt out, even if Rob Antony was technically in charge when he was added to the roster.)  Then when he got injured and asked to retire a couple weeks into the season, we asked him to think about it over the weekend first, instead of freeing up the roster spot right away...

 

I think I should be forgiven for being a little gun-shy about such deals and promises.  Thankfully they seem to have handled Sweeney and now Quentin just fine.

[TRex]

You know, the more I think about it the more gun-shy I am about these multi-year vets. I can think of several under-the-radar or waiver-claim guys who have given us good value (mostly relievers), but I can not think of a single Bartlett/Kubel/Quentin/Guerrier (version 2.0) signing that panned out.

[Platoon]

There are always two sides to an issue. On the face of it the Twins were/are stacked with DH style hitters, so why would a guy who's only real slot was DH come to this particular team. We're the Twins his only option? Or did he look at the teams history, which has been veteran oriented, and hope it would sway things in his favor. This never seemed a match made in heaven. Be that as it may, good luck to him. I bet it is not easy to hang it up when you still want to play!

[stringer bell]

Quentin agreed to a minor league deal with the agreement that he would go to the minors if he just needed more at-bats to claim a spot on the Twins' roster. He got his at-bats in camp and showed that as a hitter, there is something left. He can't play in the outfield and he had never played a game at first base in his career.

 

The days of the pinch-hitter are gone. DHs and now 12 and 13-man pitching staffs have left the benches so short that a true bench bat is as rare as a designated runner.