Twins Trade Donaldson, Kiner-Falefa to Yankees for Sanchez, Urshela

[Nick Nelson]

An eventful weekend receives a stunning final twist. According to multiple reports, the Twins are sending Josh Donaldson and newly-acquired shortstop Isiah Kinfer-Falefa to the New York Yankees in exchange for catcher Gary Sanchez and infielder Gio Urshela.

Talk about a blockbuster.

Jon Heyman was first to break the news that Gary Sanchez was heading to Minnesota. Jeff Passan quickly followed up with an elaboration: Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are headed to New York in the deal. We soon learned the Twins are also giving up catcher Ben Rortvedt and getting infielder Gio Urshela, who will presumably be the Twins' new third baseman or shortstop. 

There's a lot going on here, and we'll surely spend the next several days unpacking it, but let's try and wrap our arms around this thing.

To summarize the move, Yankees get: 3B Josh Donaldson, SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa, C Ben Rortvedt

Twins get: C/DH Gary Sánchez, 3B/SS Gio Urshela

It was already a whirlwind weekend before this move. Now the roster has been completely uprooted and transformed over a span of two days.

Donaldson's presence and salary both looked like odd fits with the Twins seemingly entering a transitional year. Shipping him to the Yankees makes sense in terms of their contention status and spending capabilities. Donaldson also feels like a proper personality fit in the Bronx.

Kiner-Falefa's inclusion in the deal is stunning. The Twins acquired him from Texas on Saturday in exchange for Mitch Garver. Were they setting up this deal all along? Did the acquisition pique New York's interest? Either way, the brevity of his Minnesota career would make Jaime Garcia blush (he was also instantly flipped to the Yankees in 2017, incidentally).

Between Garver and now Rortvedt, the Twins have completely wiped out their pre-existing catching depth around Ryan Jeffers.

However, they added some back in the form of Sánchez, who's coming off two tough seasons but is a two-time All-Star with 138 career home runs at age 29. He's due for free agency after the 2022 season. 

Urshela, who is two years from free agency (like Kiner-Falefa was) started 28 games at shortstop for the Yankees last year, and 96 at third base. He had started only 13 total games at short in his previous five seasons.

Do the Twins envision him playing there, with Jose Miranda taking over at third? Or are they clearing salary room for Trevor Story? This feels like a stepping stone to something else. For now, it feels confusing and pretty overwhelming.

Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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[TheMatt]

I truly do not understand what they are doing. I would much rather have Garver than Sanchez

[brockbesler]

Does this mean Story might be the next move?

[MN_ExPat]

Uh… I literally have no words

[specialiststeve]

Quote

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Yankees have agreed to acquire Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt from the Twins in exchange for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez.

Wow.. not sure what to think at this point... I "think" I like it....  

[Game7-91]

[Mike Sixel]

Everyone on this board is a better defensive catcher than Sanchez. And, they have no shortstop again. And urshela? I have no idea what they are doing. They are worse at catcher and still have no shortstop. 

 

[jmlease1]

5 minutes ago, brockbesler said:

Does this mean Story might be the next move?

If it is, then I'm in. Otherwise, I don't know what's going on. If this is all salary savings, then the FO will deserve all the grief it will get. But I'll try to reserve judgment until we're done?

[BD57]

So, basically, Garver & Donaldson for Sanchez .... 

don't know how this makes us better.

[TheLeviathan]

If Urshela is the 2019 and 2020 version....I think I really like this trade.

It's essentially Garver and Donaldson for Urshela and Sanchez.  We save a buttload of money and I think we're a better team for it.

I don't think this team is done wheeling and dealing.

[GNess]

It would appear the Twins are clearing payroll for another move - let's hope that this isn't the last big move.

[LastOnePicked]

I can't even imagine how the Twins can win this trade in the short or long term. I liked Kiner-Falefa, and we needed Rortvedt. If this is about a salary dump, why not take a lottery-ticket pitching prospect?

Yuck. We just shouldn't be dealing with the Yankees at this point. They have some kind of voodoo on us.

[BD57]

2 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

If it is, then I'm in. Otherwise, I don't know what's going on. If this is all salary savings, then the FO will deserve all the grief it will get. But I'll try to reserve judgment until we're done?

There's gotta be more coming, because you're right, we have no SS . . . 

We also don't have a 3B (unless someone things we're putting Sano back over there, & I don't want to see that).

[Dman]

1 minute ago, GNess said:

It would appear the Twins are clearing payroll for another move - let's hope that this isn't the last big move.

Yeah they have to be in on story or none of this makes sense.

[High heat]

Why!?  Gary Sanchez can’t play defense, unless you think you can change something there. 
I don’t see much difference between Garver and Sanchez.  So you basically just gave Donaldson away.

 

[brockbesler]

Now it sounds like the Twins might be trying to trade Sanchez. I have no idea what’s going on, guess I’ll just have to watch and see…

[sandbun]

Just now, BD57 said:

There's gotta be more coming, because you're right, we have no SS . . . 

We also don't have a 3B (unless someone things we're putting Sano back over there, & I don't want to see that.

Don't worry, I bet there's also cash considerations coming ?

[Mike Sixel]

 

[jmlease1]

Just now, BD57 said:

There's gotta be more coming, because you're right, we have no SS . . . 

We also don't have a 3B (unless someone things we're putting Sano back over there, & I don't want to see that).

I'm ok with Miranda competing with Urshela for the job, but...WTF is going on at SS? (and we still need another starting pitcher)

[curt1965]

I can hardly wait for the Twin’s explanation of this.

Looks like a salary dump to me!

[HerbieFan]

Everything that's been reported, posted and discussed the last 36 hours just went out the door.  I have no idea what to think of this one

[Buenos_beisbol]

I literally have no clue what's going on.  Just when I started to think this FO was competent they go and do this.  We not have no shortstop again, our catching got so much worse (Ben Rortvedt is also included in this trade), and now we have a guy at third who can't field.  All of this just to save like 15 mil.  What in the world. 

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

If Urshela is the 2019 and 2020 version....I think I really like this trade.

It's essentially Garver and Donaldson for Urshela and Sanchez.  We save a buttload of money and I think we're a better team for it.

I don't think this team is done wheeling and dealing.

You think the two they got back are better than the two they gave up? I think Rortdvert is also in the deal. 

[Rosterman]

Big salary dump, hopefully, of Donaldson. Clears path for Miranda if Gio can play shortstop. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, we knew you...well, not well.

 

[TheLeviathan]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

You think the two they got back are better than the two they gave up? I think Rortdvert is also in the deal. 

I think Urshela is an upside swing.  2019 and 2020 Urshela is worth Garver and Donaldson by himself.  In fact, that'd be a steal.

If there is more moving with him I'll reserve some judgement.  But yeah...that's a huge win.

[Mike Sixel]

2 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

I'm ok with Miranda competing with Urshela for the job, but...WTF is going on at SS? (and we still need another starting pitcher)

What makes you think there is competition? If Urshela is here, he's the starter. 

[Wax Kepler]

Fire Falvine

[blindeke]

Q: Have the Twins ever made a trade this wild?

[Andrew Sudbeck]

Gio played some short last year. It is reported the Twins have no interest in keeping Sanchez. Something is going on. The Twins are loading up on people who can play multiple positions so Gio makes sense with that. So something is coming. We will need another catcher. Hopefully they dumped Donaldson’s contract to sign Story. Hey atleast they are not being boring

[gunnarthor]

I'm confused. I'll stop defending the FO. Sanchez only has one year of control, I guess. Urshela will be 30 and managed .6 WAR last year. He had one good year in 2019. I'm not sure that's worth betting on. We're worse off at C, SS, and 3B (and we lost depth) then just a few days ago. Of course, we've saved the Pohlads quite a bit of money, which might have been a big reason for this. I think I'll wait to see what happens in the next week or so but this is just strange.