#AsExpected: The Twins Decline Santana, Morrison Options

[Seth Stohs]

No surprise here, but the Twins have officially announced that they have bought out the option years for Ervin Santana and Logan Morrison's 2019 contracts. They become free agents. 

[Mike Sixel]

Good decisions.

[Riverbrian]

Morrison was a no brainer. He may become a nice pick up for someone on a minor league contract next year but I’m glad it won’t happen in Minnesota.

 

Santana... I’m fine either way. I still think he can get some batters out if healthy but he has a pile of arms gaining on him from behind in the organization and maybe his dollars can be better spent elsewhere.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

For myself, I'm sorry to see ESan go. I don't think his 2019 option would have been too much more than any other one year contract they might pick up this season (Lynn was 1/12). Adds to my suspicion that they are going to dip low with the payroll for 2019.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Of course there's the whole thing about whether ESan can even be effective anymore. I think he can. Seems like some team will sign him back but not at $15 million.

[DocBauer]

Of course there's the whole thing about whether ESan can even be effective anymore. I think he can. Seems like some team will sign him back but not at $15 million.

I am also sorry to see Santana go. But with other options available out there, and the guys in the system, the money can be spent better elsewhere.

 

I do wonder if reports have him hitting 90's again consistently and feeling good in a couple months, would there be interest in a 1 year deal???

[mlhouse]

Maybe we should have traded him at his peak value??????

[notoriousgod71]

 

Maybe we should have traded him at his peak value??????

 

You can't trade your ace during a push for the playoffs. No one would ever come to a game again.

[Vanimal46]

Maybe we should have traded him at his peak value??????

It was a short lived peak...

[Vanimal46]

Of course there's the whole thing about whether ESan can even be effective anymore. I think he can. Seems like some team will sign him back but not at $15 million.

Can't see him getting a guaranteed contract until he shows he can throw 92+ MPH again. His game was built around a great fastball at 93-94 consistently and his hard slider. It's a tough ask to change to a finesse pitcher in your late 30s.

[nicksaviking]

I’d think he’s most likely headed for a MiLB deal, and if he ends up with a guaranteed contract it won’t be prohibitive. Unless they burned bridges I’m sure the Twins can get him back.

 

But I hope they aim much, much higher.

[beckmt]

No surprises here, doubt either will be back.  ESan may be through, Morrison will probably get a minor league contract with an invite.  Long fall for these fellows.

[mlhouse]

 

You can't trade your ace during a push for the playoffs. No one would ever come to a game again.

 

We never really were in a "push" for the playoffs.  We made a one game wild card appearance and got blown out by a much superior team. The 2017 Minnesota Twins were a mediocrity, not a playoff contender.  

 

And, as I said during the 2017 season, that pretending cost the team over the long run.  We could have used it as a rebuilding year which could have included trading an All-Star pitcher who had arguably his best season of his career in 2017 and had a very desirable contract for a pitcher who placed 7th in the Cy Young voting.  The trade return would have been significant.  

 

Using the 2017 as a proper rebuilding season rather than a pipe dream could have set up 2018 as a situation were we got the same mediocre results but with a developing team.  

 

I get that we Twins fans have been hit over the head for so many years with so much disappointment that just getting to 85 wins felt like a huge season.  But that is mediocrity at best.  Of course, with perhaps the exception of the 2006 Twins, even our playoff teams of the 2000s were mediocre teams as the 6-21 playoff record demonstrates (if the ownership would have put even a reasonable amount of money adding players that team could have been competitive).

 

 

[Battle ur tail off]

 

We never really were in a "push" for the playoffs.  We made a one game wild card appearance and got blown out by a much superior team. The 2017 Minnesota Twins were a mediocrity, not a playoff contender.  

 

And, as I said during the 2017 season, that pretending cost the team over the long run.  We could have used it as a rebuilding year which could have included trading an All-Star pitcher who had arguably his best season of his career in 2017 and had a very desirable contract for a pitcher who placed 7th in the Cy Young voting.  The trade return would have been significant.  

 

Using the 2017 as a proper rebuilding season rather than a pipe dream could have set up 2018 as a situation were we got the same mediocre results but with a developing team.  

 

I get that we Twins fans have been hit over the head for so many years with so much disappointment that just getting to 85 wins felt like a huge season.  But that is mediocrity at best.  Of course, with perhaps the exception of the 2006 Twins, even our playoff teams of the 2000s were mediocre teams as the 6-21 playoff record demonstrates (if the ownership would have put even a reasonable amount of money adding players that team could have been competitive).

 

 

I don't agree with this at all. After last season, what was everyone thinking this year would have been?

 

We thought we would compete. And we wanted guys like Santana around to help out that rotation. A healthy Santana producing like he did in 2017, a Berrios that was improving and a Gibson that looked like he finally figured it out is what they had going into 2018. That looked pretty good to most of us. 

 

What do you really think Santana would have brought back in a trade? Or who else would you have dumped?

 

 

 

 

[howieramone2]

 

We never really were in a "push" for the playoffs.  We made a one game wild card appearance and got blown out by a much superior team. The 2017 Minnesota Twins were a mediocrity, not a playoff contender.  

 

And, as I said during the 2017 season, that pretending cost the team over the long run.  We could have used it as a rebuilding year which could have included trading an All-Star pitcher who had arguably his best season of his career in 2017 and had a very desirable contract for a pitcher who placed 7th in the Cy Young voting.  The trade return would have been significant.  

 

Using the 2017 as a proper rebuilding season rather than a pipe dream could have set up 2018 as a situation were we got the same mediocre results but with a developing team.  

 

I get that we Twins fans have been hit over the head for so many years with so much disappointment that just getting to 85 wins felt like a huge season.  But that is mediocrity at best.  Of course, with perhaps the exception of the 2006 Twins, even our playoff teams of the 2000s were mediocre teams as the 6-21 playoff record demonstrates (if the ownership would have put even a reasonable amount of money adding players that team could have been competitive).

All of our writers except one or 2, predicted we would make the play-offs last season. 

[mlhouse]

 

All of our writers except one or 2, predicted we would make the play-offs last season. 

 

While I admire the spirit of all of the writers at TD, and they are very knowledgeable about the Minnesota Twins, they are also homers who sometimes let their fandom interfere with their evaluation.  

 

We were just the best of the bad teams in 2017 and this meant we got to let the Yankees prove it in the one game wild card playoff.  

 

And, as I stated, I get why Twins fans were excited to even get to that level of mediocrity, but my point is at what cost was that achieved?   Winning a handful more games to get to that single playoff loss at the cost of improving the long term competitiveness of the team.  I go with the later, particularly if I am a first year front office with a lot of room to manuever.