Article: Twins Trade Lewin Diaz for RHP Sergio Romo, 2 Minor Leaguers

[Mr. Brooks]

This seems like a really good trade to me in terms of improvement to the org. You get a piece to boost the bullpen now and an intriguing starting pitching prospect for later. Diaz is having a great year, but the position player depth in the org right now is crazy deep.

 

I wouldn't have hated Diaz for Vallimont straight up.

 

As for Romo, he doesn't throw hard, but his 14.2 swinging strike rate suggests he still manages just fine. That's better than anybody currently in the Twins bullpen. For reference, Taylor Rogers is at 10.5%

Yeah I love the deal. I don't get why people don't like it.

He's clearly better than our worst reliever, and for net prospects exchanged, we gave up very little.

 

I think people are letting perfect be the enemy of good.

 

If this is all they get, it's not enough and they should be ripped.

But that's independent of THIS trade. This trade in no way prevents them from continuing to improve the roster.

[tvagle]

Any chance the PTBNL is Caleb Smith?

[MABB1959]

I followed a CaringBridge page for a terminally ill little girl when Romo was in SF. He was good to her. Seems like a good guy. Sometimes you need to think about fitting in too. Also he has playoff and World Series experience.

[Dman]

Seems like kind of a savvy move by both FO's.  Marlins get a big young bat that looks close to MLB ready and the Twins swap the bat for a very intriguing arm that doesn't need to be put on the 40 man anytime soon.  On top of that the Marlins sweeten the pot by giving us Romo. 

 

Our FO accomplished two things with this trade.  They get Bullpen help and they swap a strength 1st baseman Hitter for a weakness in the system which is Pitching.  Too early to tell who got the best deal but this move really helps us in two ways so I give our FO the early edge on this one.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Dman

[lukeduke1980]

Replaces what parker was earlier in the year. A 2 or 3 run lead bullpen option.

[Andrew Thares]

Why does everyone care so much about Romo being a soft tosser? He has always been a soft tosser and has put together a pretty good career and a pretty solid 2019.

 

Besides who cares how hard Romo throws his fastball when he throws his slider as often as he does, and that slider is really good. 

[Roaddog]

If it's the only move I don't like it. But he's still tough on righties, and has a ton of experience.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Roaddog

[SwainZag]

Without Romo it looks like a win for this team. Diaz is blocked pretty heavily on the depth chart.

[AZTwin]

Really like Lewin Diaz so tough pill to swallow but I really like this deal. Maybe reports are true that Mets want pitching and this will help keep some pitching depth in our minors as well. Diaz was expendable given his position. Hope he does well in Miami. Will be rooting for him

[Seth Stohs]

 

Any chance the PTBNL is Caleb Smith?

 

Ha!

[amjgt]

I assume Romo isn’t signed past this year?

[Twins33]

I assume Romo isn’t signed past this year?

Right

[ashbury]

I got very tired of trading away one guy and getting two or more back, under the old front office. Today's trade harkens back to an era that said you can't forecast anything, so just get quantity and you'll come out ahead of the smarty-pants teams in the long run. Yes, we struck gold with Eduardo Escobar that way, but my memory is that most of those trades turned out exactly as you would imagine - no impact and within a couple of years all the pieces so-acquired had scattered to the four winds. Maybe that trading record is a topic worth someone's time as a careful study

 

Given Diaz's imminent need for 40-man protection, he is of value to only a few teams, so I guess Miami had us over a barrel. But I still long for a time when we're the ones packaging someone like Diaz with a couple of other pieces that don't really fit, to get someone of enviable value in return.

 

Meanwhile, Romo probably is better than the relievers we've recently DFA. But he hasn't been anything close to lights-out in years. A minor piece, someone no other team will envy, that should have cost less than Diaz.

[shmigheghi]

 

Marlins fleece us again. Nice job FO.

 

We've literally never been fleeced by the Marlins. Like, not even close.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/trade-partners.cgi?franch_ID_1=MIN&franch_ID_2=FLA

 

We've fleeced THEM twice in three attempts.

[amjgt]

This feels like the kind of deal that’s made to get an incremental amount of leverage on other teams you might be dealing with to get relief pitching

[Blake]

I think the bullpen can use the experience, so, not a bad move.

[Otto von Ballpark]

We've literally never been fleeced by the Marlins. Like, not even close.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/trade-partners.cgi?franch_ID_1=MIN&franch_ID_2=FLA

 

We've fleeced THEM twice in three attempts.

I'm guessing that poster was referring to the Nick Anderson trade from this past winter.

[Tom Froemming]

 

Even though I really like this deal in a vacuum, I do still agree with others in that if this is it then I'm very underwhelmed.

 

Throwing together a (very low quality) video on Vallimont now.

[Highabove]

There is some fear that this might be their signature bullpen move. 

 

The Front Office deserves to get ripped if this is the case.

 

It's a good move if this in front of some high end bullpen acquisitions. 

[Mr. Brooks]

Even though I really like this deal in a vacuum, I do still agree with others in that if this is it then I'm very underwhelmed.

 

Throwing together a (very low quality) video on Vallimont now.

Well of course. Everyone would (and should) be underwhelmed if this is the only deal. I don't understand why, with more than 100 hours left until the deadline, people are already judging this as if it will be the only move.

[Tomj14]

Looking strictly at this deal, I think it is very good. Looking at the whole trade deadline it is very underwhelming, but they still have time.

I think they could have made the same deal weeks ago as well.

[DocBauer]

Absolutely want and need a power arm better than this. But what's not to like about this deal on it's own merit???

 

Diaz is solid, probably not great, rule 5 eligible, stuck behind a couple higher ranked prospects. Romo is on fire since May, having a solid year, has had a quality career with fine SO and SO/BB numbers and brings a great deal of post season experience to a bullpen that has how much? Oh yeah, none.

 

And we get an A ball pitcher drafted just last season in the 5th round?

 

Unless Diaz turns out to be a stud, this is a real win.

[ashbury]

We've literally never been fleeced by the Marlins. Like, not even close.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/trade-partners.cgi?franch_ID_1=MIN&franch_ID_2=FLA

 

We've fleeced THEM twice in three attempts.

Outstanding first post, IMO. Welcome to the site.

[IndianaTwin]

Outstanding first post, IMO. Welcome to the site.

Yes, Shmegheghi, great first post. With the bonus of showing us what looks like a cool baseball-reference.com tool that I wasn’t aware of.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Kind of seems like Romo has an impeccable track record. Good move. Diaz might have been something, I suppose, but seems like a good deal worth a shot. Getting a live arm in return, too, bonus.

[Dman]

We've literally never been fleeced by the Marlins. Like, not even close.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/trade-partners.cgi?franch_ID_1=MIN&franch_ID_2=FLA

 

We've fleeced THEM twice in three attempts.

Initially the article only stated Romo in the trade and not Valimont or player to named later. I don't think that Diaz for Romo would have been a good trade. I deleted my post after more info was added. Nick Andersson would have been nice to have right now but the Marlins got him for a prospect who hasn't done much for us yet so if it would have been Romo for Diaz straight up we would have been fleeced two out of three IMO.

[Cornholio]

Seems like a good fit. Hopefully he will provide a calming force for the others in the pen. Much like adding a Thome, or Hunter, or Nelson Cruz seems to help the offense. Veteran leadership. But I hope a few more moves are coming.

[Mr. Brooks]

Initially the article only stated Romo in the trade and not Valimont or player to named later. I don't think that Diaz for Romo would have been a good trade. I deleted my post after more info was added. Nick Andersson would have been nice to have right now but the Marlins got him for a prospect who hasn't done much for us yet so if it would have been Romo for Diaz straight up we would have been fleeced two out of three IMO.

Nick Anderson has 0.2 career bWAR.

We're calling that a "fleecing"?

[Rosterman]

Well, the Twins would need to protect Diaz sooner rather than later. Is he the first abseman of the future? Who knows. Seems the Twins are getting not one NUT TWO otehr prospects besides. Be interesting to sww how he pitches for the Twins.

 

[Tom Froemming]

MLB Pipeline has already updated its rankings. Vallimont checks in at No. 29 in the system. My knee-jerk reaction was that he should be somewhere close to Cole Sands, who they have at 26. 

 

Prior to the trade, Vallimont was No. 23 for Miami. They now have Lewin Diaz ranked as their No. 21 prospect.