Go Bold: Trade for Gerrit Cole

[Thrylos]

If the Pirates decide to rebuild, to get close to Cole (who is at a reasonable contract with a couple more years of arbitration left) you'd need to pick up some $, so you'd need a package.  And if you are about to do that, you might as well got for one of the best closers in the majors who is about to get expensive for them.  So you go after:

Gerrit Cole (2 yrs of arbitration), Ivan Nova (2 yrs/$18M), Startling Marte (2 yrs/$18M), and Felipe Rivero (4 yrs of arbitration) and give up something like

 

Kepler (replaced by Marte; def. buy low who has higher potential than Kepler), Mejia (replaced by Nova as the number 4), Gonsalves, Gordon, plus let them pick any reliever other than Rogers or Jay they want.

 

Still, for the Twins to compete in the postseason, they will need another end of the bullpen arm (Brandon Morrow is a free agent and Righty, will be a great compliment with Rivero) and another younger top of the rotation starter (with E.Santana, Dozier, and a whole bunch of minor leaguers still around as possible chips).

 

So you are looking at a rotation of:  Cole, Berrios, Nova, Gibson, plus a guy right on top, and a bullpen ending with Morrow and Rivero.

 

I can live with that.

[drjim]

If the Pirates decide to rebuild, to get close to Cole (who is at a reasonable contract with a couple more years of arbitration left) you'd need to pick up some $, so you'd need a package. And if you are about to do that, you might as well got for one of the best closers in the majors who is about to get expensive for them. So you go after:

Gerrit Cole (2 yrs of arbitration), Ivan Nova (2 yrs/$18M), Startling Marte (2 yrs/$18M), and Felipe Rivero (4 yrs of arbitration) and give up something like

 

Kepler (replaced by Marte; def. buy low who has higher potential than Kepler), Mejia (replaced by Nova as the number 4), Gonsalves, Gordon, plus let them pick any reliever other than Rogers or Jay they want.

 

Still, for the Twins to compete in the postseason, they will need another end of the bullpen arm (Brandon Morrow is a free agent and Righty, will be a great compliment with Rivero) and another younger top of the rotation starter (with E.Santana, Dozier, and a whole bunch of minor leaguers still around as possible chips).

 

So you are looking at a rotation of: Cole, Berrios, Nova, Gibson, plus a guy right on top, and a bullpen ending with Morrow and Rivero.

 

I can live with that.

There is no reason Pittsburgh would consider that trade, even if they were blowing it all up (which I doubt they want to). You need to give up some real value.

 

And I do respect your dogged determination to acquire a guy popped for steroids. Even if the would want to unload him. Pirates aren't selling him for quarters on the dollar.

[DocBauer]

Just my opinion and $.02.

 

1] I think multiple ML player trades are just too complicated to make and speculate on.

 

2] I am very hesitant to trade either Rosario or Kepler. I really, really like both and I'm still of the opinion Kepler may be the better overall player on a year or two.

 

3] I'd really rather target Cole, or someone similar, with a package of prospects, though it may hurt a bit to do so, and keep this roster intact.

 

When Cleveland traded for Bauer from Arizona, for example, does anyone recall the pieces involved? I think the depth of the system allows for us to give up 3 or 4 really nice pieces without sacrificing the future for one quality young arm.

[drjim]

Just my opinion and $.02.

 

1] I think multiple ML player trades are just too complicated to make and speculate on.

 

2] I am very hesitant to trade either Rosario or Kepler. I really, really like both and I'm still of the opinion Kepler may be the better overall player on a year or two.

 

3] I'd really rather target Cole, or someone similar, with a package of prospects, though it may hurt a bit to do so, and keep this roster intact.

 

When Cleveland traded for Bauer from Arizona, for example, does anyone recall the pieces involved? I think the depth of the system allows for us to give up 3 or 4 really nice pieces without sacrificing the future for one quality young arm.

This was the trade: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8738415/shin-soo-choo-acquired-cincinnati-reds-three-team-deal-involving-cleveland-indians-arizona-diamondbacks

 

Choo was in the last year of his deal, the rest were bit parts. Also got Shaw in the deal.

[DocBauer]

This was the trade: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8738415/shin-soo-choo-acquired-cincinnati-reds-three-team-deal-involving-cleveland-indians-arizona-diamondbacks

Choo was in the last year of his deal, the rest were bit parts. Also got Shaw in the deal.

Thanks for that! Very revealing yes?

 

3 team deals are always complicated, but they do work from time to time. From the Indians perspective, they essentially ended up trading Choo for Bauer. I don't think the Twins really have an equivalent player like Choo for anything similar. By that I mean Rosario and Kepler may be less proven but are also young, under control for a few more years, and each have big upsides still.

 

I would be loathe to trade either Kepler or Rosario unless the payback was just too good to turn down. But I think the organization, and the current roster, could survive some combination of Gordon, Gonsalves/Romero, a top bullpen arm and maybe one more solid top 20-30 prospect for a Bauer caliber arm. I'd rather do something like that than part with Rosario or Kepler.

[The Wise One]

 

If the Pirates decide to rebuild, to get close to Cole (who is at a reasonable contract with a couple more years of arbitration left) you'd need to pick up some $, so you'd need a package.  And if you are about to do that, you might as well got for one of the best closers in the majors who is about to get expensive for them.  So you go after:

Gerrit Cole (2 yrs of arbitration), Ivan Nova (2 yrs/$18M), Startling Marte (2 yrs/$18M), and Felipe Rivero (4 yrs of arbitration) and give up something like

 

Kepler (replaced by Marte; def. buy low who has higher potential than Kepler), Mejia (replaced by Nova as the number 4), Gonsalves, Gordon, plus let them pick any reliever other than Rogers or Jay they want.

 

Still, for the Twins to compete in the postseason, they will need another end of the bullpen arm (Brandon Morrow is a free agent and Righty, will be a great compliment with Rivero) and another younger top of the rotation starter (with E.Santana, Dozier, and a whole bunch of minor leaguers still around as possible chips).

 

So you are looking at a rotation of:  Cole, Berrios, Nova, Gibson, plus a guy right on top, and a bullpen ending with Morrow and Rivero.

 

I can live with that.

All that is missing from your package is Brian Duensing's current Twin  clone.  Well, 3-4 decent prospects to close the deal. 

[Longdistancetwins]

 

In Twins history, the players who pushed back against position and/or role changes or being dropped in the lineup included Kirby Pucket, Joe Mauer, Glen Perkins, Rick Aguilera, Kevin Slowey, Kevin Tapani, Scott Erickson, Dave Winfield,  ...

 

Athletes have big egos and don't want to be told they can't do something anymore. That's not a big issue for me.

 

Your Twins-memory is very impressive!  Just hope you don't remember every time a friend or family member grumbles. 

[kab21]

 

If the Pirates decide to rebuild, to get close to Cole (who is at a reasonable contract with a couple more years of arbitration left) you'd need to pick up some $, so you'd need a package.  And if you are about to do that, you might as well got for one of the best closers in the majors who is about to get expensive for them.  So you go after:

Gerrit Cole (2 yrs of arbitration), Ivan Nova (2 yrs/$18M), Startling Marte (2 yrs/$18M), and Felipe Rivero (4 yrs of arbitration) and give up something like

 

Kepler (replaced by Marte; def. buy low who has higher potential than Kepler), Mejia (replaced by Nova as the number 4), Gonsalves, Gordon, plus let them pick any reliever other than Rogers or Jay they want.

 

Still, for the Twins to compete in the postseason, they will need another end of the bullpen arm (Brandon Morrow is a free agent and Righty, will be a great compliment with Rivero) and another younger top of the rotation starter (with E.Santana, Dozier, and a whole bunch of minor leaguers still around as possible chips).

 

So you are looking at a rotation of:  Cole, Berrios, Nova, Gibson, plus a guy right on top, and a bullpen ending with Morrow and Rivero.

 

I can live with that.

I see what you are doing but this trade really doesn't work for the Pirates. Not even at all.

 

For starters, both Marte and Nova have positive trade value and wouldn't be included in a trade as salary dumps. And why on earth would they include Rivero in that package?

 

[Doomtints]

Kepler is a tradeable asset.  Not sure this is the right return, but I'm not in charge.