Rumor: Yankees Discussing Trading for Twins Outfielders

[h2oface]

Kepler for Volpe. We need another SS prospect.

Trading Kepler before we see how he does with the new shift rules feels awfully short sited.

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, h2oface said:

Kepler for Volpe. We need another SS prospect.

The Yankees have held their SS prospects for two years now. I can't see them dealing one for Kepler. Volpe is the 10th rated prospect in all of baseball, by Fangraphs......ya, no chance.

I'd guess you can get someone else in the 5-10 range on their list.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2022-in-season-prospect-list/summary?sort=-1,1&team=nyy

[tarheeltwinsfan]

5 hours ago, Squirrel said:

That is no longer an issue so I think we can now move on from this subject

I understand your position. 

[Rosterman]

Kepler for Rortvedt and we'll take back Donaldson as our needed right-handed bat, if the Yankees eat his salary.

[SwainZag]

1 hour ago, Rosterman said:

Kepler for Rortvedt and we'll take back Donaldson as our needed right-handed bat, if the Yankees eat his salary.

But why?  They don't need Rortvedt with Vasquez/Jeffers on the roster.  Donaldson was pretty awful at the plate last year, is 37 years old and will just take ABs away from Miranda.  While I agree the Twins do need a RH bat, I feel this person should be able to play the OF.  

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, SwainZag said:

But why?  They don't need Rortvedt with Vasquez/Jeffers on the roster.  Donaldson was pretty awful at the plate last year, is 37 years old and will just take ABs away from Miranda.  While I agree the Twins do need a RH bat, I feel this person should be able to play the OF.  

Third string catchers who have minor league options remaining are a pretty good use of a 40-man roster spot IMO.  Better than a non-roster retread who has to pass through waivers to be moved back down after an injury fill-in.  I disliked trading away Rortvedt for that reason.

[MGM4706]

People keep forgetting the change in the shift rule. That is going to give Kepler 30 points on his average!!

[Fatbat]

Don’t the Yankees have a RF guy thats kinda good? Can’t remember his name tho atm??‍♂️

[nicksaviking]

14 hours ago, ashbury said:

Third string catchers who have minor league options remaining are a pretty good use of a 40-man roster spot IMO.  Better than a non-roster retread who has to pass through waivers to be moved back down after an injury fill-in.  I disliked trading away Rortvedt for that reason.

Catchers who can't hit are a dime a dozen though. If you need a 3rd catcher does it really matter who it is?

[LewFordLives]

On 12/12/2022 at 9:11 PM, Doc Munson said:

Yankees have intriguing prospects. but kepler wouldnt command them. cant add additional player value to Yankees to get better prospects, as we do not have anything that would match their value. would have to take on a bad contract or two (Yanks desperate to move Hicks & Donaldson contracts)... hmmm if only someone had a proposal that would get the twins multiple top prospects while trading Kepler to NY and Twins taking on contracts to do it.   LOL....  again I know my proposal would NEVER happen, btu always fun pretending it would.

Don't laugh, I think that is exactly how it would go down. Kepler (or other outfielder) to Yankees. Twins get Clarke Schmidt or another major league ready prospect, and agree to take Hicks and all of the $30 million he is still owed. Yankees add another quality prospect, with quality contingent on the outfielder they are sending.

The Twins should have significant payroll flexibility the next few years. If they can't get the good free-agents, that payroll can be used to their advantage in other ways. 

[tony&rodney]

Ok, I'll bite. The Yankees want Kepler and to be rid of Hicks, they send back Oswaldo Cabrera and Roderick Arias with Hicks.

[Mike Sixel]

If the Twins won't sign elite players, they should be willing to take bad contracts for better prospects.

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Catchers who can't hit are a dime a dozen though. If you need a 3rd catcher does it really matter who it is?

I choose not to believe the book is closed on Rortvedt's bat. That's another advantage of your 3rd catcher having minor league options, because then he's probably young and still has room for reaching a higher level of hitting.

In any case, "saving" a 40-man spot by going with two catchers could be a false economy, because the first time one of your two gets injured, you'll be adding someone else.  And it won't be at a time of your choosing, so you might have trouble slipping another player through waivers, plus then later on you'll need waivers to drop your 3rd catcher if he's a veteran.  If you go with that, that one 40-man spot had better be used on someone really valuable.

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

If the Twins won't sign elite players, they should be willing to take bad contracts for better prospects.

As long as they're willing to DFA said contracts when needed.

I don't want a guy like Aaron Hicks getting playing time over Larnach/Kirilloff/Walner.

[Mike Sixel]

18 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

As long as they're willing to DFA said contracts when needed.

I don't want a guy like Aaron Hicks getting playing time over Larnach/Kirilloff/Walner.

Oh, I'd just cut him. 

[Paul]

If Kepler goes to the Yanks he’ll play in at least 2 all star games.

[SanoMustGo]

Maybe he needs a change of scenery.  If I was him I would would want to play for a better organization.

[SanoMustGo]

On 12/14/2022 at 1:36 PM, Mike Sixel said:

Oh, I'd just cut him. 

I don't want Gallo getting ab's over those three either.  But apparently the FO isn't smart enough to see this either.