Twins Arbitration Decisions

[Rosterman]

Sorry to see Hildenberger leave. Not sure why now and not earlier, or still keep him on the roster to remove when you add a free agent. Of course, then they might have to pay him.

[AZTwin]

Also I wouldn't mind if they try to lock up Sano or Berrios long term with the money savings.  I imagine Buxton and the team would be too far apart on any medium-long term deal.

[DocBauer]

I don't believe Cron was rostered this long for anything other than more time to evaluate after surgery, continue to plan, and maybe even discuss finances with he and his representatives. But I never expected arbitration.

 

At this point, unless there was an easy compromise on a deal, you let him test the waters. As much as I actually like him and think I want him back...healthy...I would let him sit for a bit and see what happens in the market.

 

$7.7 bump from $4.8 while being injured for about half a season and then having surgery just sounds like too high of a jump to me.

 

I'm with Mike on something around $6M for 1yr.

[operation mindcrime]

So long CROM!!!!!!!!!!!

[jorgenswest]

I think it is reasonable that one of Larnach, Kirilloff or Rooker will be ready with an outside chance that Raley is ready in a platoon role.

 

Riverbrian (challenge me if this take is wrong) writes about the cost of signing and playing a short term veteran performing at a mediocre level instead of giving a younger player an opportunity. We watched Perez give the team performance 10% below league average for a starting pitcher. How much different can we expect from Cron?

 

Either pay up and sign a really good player or put the money elsewhere and give the opportunity to the players with a future. They have three or four rolls of the die with this group of prospects. I think they hit on one of these rolls and get inexpensive near league average performance.

[Otto von Ballpark]

If Hildenberger wasn't in their plans, they should have cut him loose sooner, so he had more time to work out his options.

Although non-tendering him now makes him a free agent, free to sign with any team he wants. If they wanted to cut him earlier, I think he would have had to go through waivers (either outright waivers or release waivers) and if another team claimed him, he would have been stuck with them with no choice in the matter. So ideally, he could find himself an org that's a better match now as a FA. (And if he was claimed, then waived again and outrighted, he would have been stuck in the minors for another team not of his choosing too.)

 

Non-tendering him might have saved him from the waiver merry-go-around, although now he has the tough task of catching on with another org.

[Danchat]

 

I don't get the timing of this. Why not have done this a week ago and protected Jax? I guess they just don't see Jax in their future plans?

They left a couple of open spots on the 40 man roster even after the additions (likely for free agents), so it's a sign that they either didn't feel the need to protect Jax or they're fine with losing him.

[Riverbrian]

 

I think it is reasonable that one of Larnach, Kirilloff or Rooker will be ready with an outside chance that Raley is ready in a platoon role.

Riverbrian (challenge me if this take is wrong) writes about the cost of signing and playing a short term veteran performing at a mediocre level instead of giving a younger player an opportunity. We watched Perez give the team performance 10% below league average for a starting pitcher. How much different can we expect from Cron?

Either pay up and sign a really good player or put the money elsewhere and give the opportunity to the players with a future. They have three or four rolls of the die with this group of prospects. I think they hit on one of these rolls and get inexpensive near league average performance.

 

There is no challenge forthcoming. You are spot on!

 

While I wouldn't break camp with any of those 4 on the opening day roster... you do have to plan for the possibility of one or more of them charging out of the gates like Arraez did last year when the phone call comes.

 

At 8 Million... Cron has to be a clear upgrade over what these 4 guys could produce or he becomes a Logan Morrison shaped locked door for what could be quality 600K talent. 

 

The other consideration is this... Cron was released at 4M by the Rays... This allowed the Rays to: 

 

1. 850K Choi and 600K Nate Lowe... Both either performed equal to, if not better than Cron did. It also allowed them to dice roll with Aguilar to see if he could recover the old magic. If the Rays can find 3 less than 1M options of similar talent to Cron when Cron was out priced at 4M. It kinda suggests that there are a ton of average 1B out there. Thames for example is out there. Better numbers than Cron and he can play occasional OF. If the Rays can succussfully replace him at 4M 3 times... 8M isn't going to make much sense unless you have no other alternatives. 

 

2. Rotate Yandy Diaz from 3B into 1B from time to time so they could cycle 5 other players through the 3B position from time to time. Find the combinations that work, keep important depth. The Twins could do the same thing with Sano... play him at 1B from time to time. This would open the door for Marwin, Arraez and Adrianza the chance to play some 3B. Or Yes... Sign a big hitting 3B that will actually hit much better than what Cron produced. 

 

3. With Rooker, Larnach, Kiriloff and Raley knocking on the door and all of them 1B candidates. The Combination of Cruz and Cron on the same roster makes them a 22 million dollar Rooker tar pit. 

 

Cron not on the roster saves 8 million and unclogs a roster full of MLB talent. 

 

[Riverbrian]

It takes guts to let a player like Cron go. However... it's ultimately a good thing that this front office has those guts. 

 

The Twins took a long time to put together a roster that can compete and the reason it took so long was because we treated Trevor Plouffe (and others) like he was Nolan Arenado. This type of spending on average, and you keep your job commitment to average stopped us from finding someone who could play like Arenado. 

 

I like that this front office is stopping this practice. 

[rdehring]

 

Will go on record Seth, and predict that the Twins will retain Cron.  Don't know if they will offer arbitration or finalize a one year deal prior to 7pm?  But expect he will be their firstbaseman next season.

OK, that didn't go as I expected.  Should be interesting to see how they put next year's team together.  After a successful offseason last year, could they do too much tinkering to the everyday roster?

[Battle ur tail off]

 

It takes guts to let a player like Cron go. However... it's ultimately a good thing that this front office has those guts. 

 

The Twins took a long time to put together a roster that can compete and the reason it took so long was because we treated Trevor Plouffe (and others) like he was Nolan Arenado. This type of spending on average, and you keep your job commitment to average stopped us from finding someone who could play like Arenado. 

 

I like that this front office is stopping this practice. 

 

Maybe. Like, maybe it takes guts to do this. It could also been seen as cheap if we think Cron will produce simlar to last year. My take is that he isn't healing as well as they would like. He also doesn't play good defense and his drop in the ALDS killed the team. 

 

It's gutsy if they intend to bring someone substantial in to play over there or 3B and move Sano. It's also gutsy if they name one of their minor league guys the starter from the start. However, if they try to patch it together with Marwin, etc, or sign some guy on a smaller deal, and don't use the money savings on a couple of nice starting pitchers, it will just look like more of the same for me anyway. 

[Riverbrian]

Maybe. Like, maybe it takes guts to do this. It could also been seen as cheap if we think Cron will produce simlar to last year. My take is that he isn't healing as well as they would like. He also doesn't play good defense and his drop in the ALDS killed the team.

 

It's gutsy if they intend to bring someone substantial in to play over there or 3B and move Sano. It's also gutsy if they name one of their minor league guys the starter from the start. However, if they try to patch it together with Marwin, etc, or sign some guy on a smaller deal, and don't use the money savings on a couple of nice starting pitchers, it will just look like more of the same for me anyway.

That’s the gutsy part. If the Twins fail to get the average production that Cron has provided at 1B. The team takes a hit.

 

I believe the decision is cost per analysis. They believe they can at least match or surpass his projected production for a lot less money or even more money with bigger projected production.

 

If they are right... they improve the team. If they are wrong... we will let them have it on Twinsdaily.

 

For me... I don’t want them to ever settle for average out of fear they can’t do better.

[Mike Sixel]

BB-STC
3:33 Where does CJ Cron end up and can he get more than one year? His number were pretty good before the thumb injury

 

Steve Adams
3:35 He's a good-not-great bat that is limited to first base when he's healthy, and he doesn't get on base all that much due to pretty middling walk rates. There's a reason the Rays cut him at a projected $5MM and why he was non-tendered a year later. Teams don't really value that skill set all that highly anymore (see: Jesus Aguilar).

He could end up with the Brewers, White Sox, Rangers, Red Sox or anyone with semi-need at 1B/DH, but it'll be on a pretty low-cost one-year deal.
3:36 Could even return to the Twins or Rays on a lesser deal, though a new team is likelier.

 

https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with-mlbtrs-steve-adams-12-3-19-6526.html