Trade Sano?

[Willihammer]

Under the new CBA, teams are more reluctant than ever to trade top prospects. So, should the Twins take advantage of this climate and shop their number one prospect, SS/3B Miguel Sano, for a current starting pitcher, in preparation to make a run in 2013-2014?

 

Here are some candidates with 2-4 years of team control remaining, in no particular order:

 

1. David Price, 26 (FA in 2016)

2. Mark Buehrle, 33 (signed thru 2015 for 4/58)

3. Cliff Lee, 33 (signed thru 2015 for 5/120)

4. Felix Hernandez, 26 (signed thru 2014 for 5/78)

 

I'll hang up and listen.

 

-Willihammer

[righty8383]

A team that is considers "sellers" should not trade a top prospect for established major leaguers

[James]

I would have to think that the Twins see Sano as part of a possible 2014 or 2015 run. I would put him on an "untouchable" list and keep him in the organization. There's too much potential there.

 

You listed some good pitchers (As much as I like him, I don't think Buehrle should be on the list of pitchers to look at), but I think there are other ways to get pitching without giving up one of your future core players for a playoff run next year that still looks like a pipe dream.

[Brock Beauchamp]

No. Extra double super no. Sano is a great prospect and the Twins will badly need his infield bat.

[PMKI]

NO!

[Guest USAFChief]

Sano foe David Price? Yes.

 

Otherwise, no.

[Seth Stohs]

I'd say No as well, but it certainly is an interesting way to look at being a seller.

[gunnarthor]

It doesn't make sense for a 90+ loss team to trade a future piece for 2 years of Cliff Lee (Phillies would love that trade). Sano should be part of the rebuilding plan. You could consider trading him if you thought he could bring back the pieces that put you over the top (Twins apparently offered then #1 prospect Hicks and #3 Ramos for Lee a few years back).

[DaveW]

There are 50+ or so players/prospects I would trade Sano straight up for at this point, unfortunately none of those teams would make that trade.

[twinswon1991]

I would trade Sano for Price in a heartbeat but there is no way TB would do that.

[Cap'n Piranha]

If you're trading a guy with the ceiling of the next Miguel Cabrera, you better get more than 1 major league starter back, and that includes David Price. While I don't think Sano is untouchable, I don't think there is any team that would give up what I would want in return for him (I'm talking a King Felix and Danny Hultzen package, or a Taillon/Cole package). I don't think either Sea or Pit says yes to that, even if we included Arcia and another piece.

[rnw24]

i suppose no one is "untouchable" but sano would be about as close as they come to that tag.

[Mike Sixel]

I'd consider Price and King Felix, yes. Sano might not ever hit (though I agree he looks like a future star), and those two are proving it in the majors right now. Everyone is tradable, you just need the right return.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Price maybe, but in all seriousness, for the other names you mentioned this would make Capps for Ramos look tame. I could see if it if Sano was blocked or something along those lines, but at this stage of the game, it would have to be an unbelievable offer to send him packing.

[Oxtung]

I would trade Sano straight up for any of the highly regarded young pitchers that are under team control long term. To me Sano seems a risky prospect. His BABIP has been very high before this year. This year it is at an average level and his batting average and xBH rate have all dropped accordingly. Unless he can reign in those K rates offensively he is Mike Restovich or Adam Dunn.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

That's a clown question, bro!

[James]

That's a clown question, bro!

Nicely done.

[shs_59]

Sano is mightily struggling right now.... 0-4 yesterday

0-3 with 3 K's already today..... and going to be batting in the .230's soon.

 

So if Twins management, player development....think he's only going to do well next year by repeating the MidWest Lg. And probably be a disaster at Ft. Myers in the FSL. Than i'd certainly be open to trading him, if it meant him and Blackburn or him and Hendriks to get a David Price like talent in here. (doesn't mean i'd trade him)

 

However, if you think he'll destroy the FSL or MDWL next year, and are confident he'll stop Striking out 25-30 % of the time, (i'm not sure i do) than you MOST DEFINATELY KEEP Sano. The Walks are there (GREAT) but the K's are toooo much, even for a power hiter like Sano.

 

At this point, he's not even nearly as good as the Cubs 2B/3B prospect Javier Baez in the MDWL..... and arguably a lesser prospect than OF Jorge Bonifacio (royals)

 

He's certainly the best we've got, but his stock, to me, is rapidly dropping.

 

BTW, he's a 3B/1B prospect not a SS/3B prospect.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

He's certainly the best we've got, but his stock, to me, is rapidly dropping.

I'm not going to disagree with you, because I started to feel the same way...

 

But when Sano's name came up in a BA chat the response was something along the lines of, "it's too early to panic, we expected him to strikeout and we expected him to struggle at third. He has the best raw power in the minors and that hasn't changed. He can improve footwork and he's got a cannon."

 

Don't panic.

[shs_59]

Yeah Jeremy, You're right. I mean I may be about ready to relinquish any thoughts/ imagination of him being a future 3B. (I think he'll be our heir 1B)

 

But I"m certianly not ready to be "scared" of the Strikouts and Lack of puting the ball in play more, as a concern.

The guy has enormous offensive potential, power even still. And could wind up even better than many of us may expect.

[Mike Sixel]

I see no stock dropping, it's a matter of Low A player vs proven MLB starting pitcher under control for more than 3 months....and that might be a fair trade. There is great uncertainty about any Low A player ever making the majors, let alone being as good as a proven MLB starting pitcher. Plus, you get the return on the deal now, rather than the future.

[Boom Boom]

The Twins have all the time in the world to trade Sano if that's what they want to do.

 

He's not even been playing particularly well recently, so his stock may be down right now.

[shs_59]

I would trade Sano straight up for any of the highly regarded young pitchers that are under team control long term. To me Sano seems a risky prospect. His BABIP has been very high before this year. This year it is at an average level and his batting average and xBH rate have all dropped accordingly. Unless he can reign in those K rates offensively he is Mike Restovich or Adam Dunn.

somewhat agree....just wanted to add.... or

 

Richie Sexton or dare i say....Andy Marte....gasp

Nooo

 

Adam Dunn like at 1B would be a pretty decent outcome though.

[shs_59]

The Twins have all the time in the world to trade Sano if that's what they want to do.

 

He's not even been playing particularly well recently, so his stock may be down right now.

GREAT POINT....in this case regarding Miguel Sano....Time is most definately the Twins friend. I'm eyeing 2015 as our big competitive bounce back year.

[Highabove]

The trading hysteria has finally reached our top prospect in A ball.

The Twins can acquire a front line starter through free agency. Nobody wants to admit that the Twins have the resources to do it.

[Thrylos]

The Sano for Price trade talk reminds me of a trade of a top Latin American prospect (and others) for a 25 year old former 1st round pick (2nd overall) Starting Pitcher. Of course lots of others were involved... Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox and Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez to the Florida Marlins. This trade (and actually Lowell closed another hole for the BOSox and Mota was flipped to Cleveland) was essential for the Red Sox' championships but I am not sure that they would do it again. Ramirez is a superstar and Sanchez a better than average SP, while Lowell is retired and Beckett has dropped to average level... but 2 rings are 2 rings.

[Thrylos]

The Twins can acquire a front line starter through free agency. Nobody wants to admit that the Twins have the resources to do it.

Well... the problem is that most "front line starters" would like 5+ year deals. The Twins (correctly) are not doing that . So their changes to get a top starter through Free Agency are nil. Unless they offer Liriano 1y $12.5 M contract (if they do not trade him) and he for some reason accepts

[Highabove]

Why would Tampa Trade Price for a Twins prospect in A ball???

Unlike the Twins, Tampa does not have a problem developing their own Star Players.

[Guest USAFChief]

Why would Tampa Trade Price for a Twins prospect in A ball???

Unlike the Twins, Tampa does not have a problem developing their own Star Players.

They wouldn't. It's called a hypothetical.

[Willihammer]

The Twins have all the time in the world to trade Sano if that's what they want to do.

Good point. But, if the Twins trade Liriano in the next few days then it will signal what they are open to doing this offseason, I think. There aren't many unrestricted top flight free agent SP's this year. It is likely that Liriano would be our best option, and so if they stand pat then I would be curious to see if they double down this offseason, and mortgage Sano to get an option better than Edwin Jackson, J. Shields (assuming the Rays don't pick up his '13 option), or Hamels (assuming the Phils don't extend him, or trade him to someone who does extend him).

 

I would explore a Sano-Felix trade. Sure, Felix is supposedly off-limits, but consider: Smoak has been a bust so far, and Ackley not much better.