Rumor: Twins Fielding Calls On Their Left-Handed Outfielders

[Brock Beauchamp]

Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com has reported that Derek Falvey mentioned the Twins have received calls on their glut of left-handed outfielders.

It's not terribly surprising, as the Twins have more lefties than they can possibly use while other teams are looking to shore up that side of the plate, either with a full-time or part-time bench player.

Among the Twins corner left-handers are Max Kepler, Joey Gallo, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner. That's not even including another bat currently on the 60-day injured list, Nick Gordon.

 

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[USAFChief]

Start by offering to pay for Gallo's first class ticket if someone will take him. We don't need anything back, and if need be send along a low level prospect so someone takes him.

 

[Dman]

I think they do need to move an outfielder and I wish they could move Gallo.  Early in it looked like it was going to be a decent signing but I think I would rather have Nick Gordon in the box than the Gallo that is showing up these days.  If the Twins plan to keep just 18 position players on the 40 man then someone needs to be moved before Gordon comes back to make room.

They still technically have one 40 man spot open when they move De Leon to the 60 day IL.  I assume that spot will be used by Kuechel or another reliever they pick up.  Depending on Stewarts status he could be moved to the 60 IL as well but if that is the case they would need a replacement arm for him as well.

They could try to run Sands or Winder through waivers and see if they make it or not but odds are Oakland or KC would grab them so it would be risky.

With Gallo, Kepler, Larnach, Wallner, Gordon they have too many lefty outfielders which is why many on this board questioned the Gallo signing to begin with. They can still carry them all if they want to but removing one would be a good thing IMO.  Gordon and Gallo would be the most expendable IMO.  They still lead the division so can't imagine they trade Kepler as they can just wait until the end of the season to do that and they might need his defense and his bat is heating up.  Trading Wallner or Larnach seems like it might end up like trading Steer and CES.  They are young and cheap and should produce as well as Gallo or Kepler at the plate so it would take a monster deal to move one of them IMO. When it is time for Gordon to come off the 60 day if Gallo isn't gone IMO they should consider bumping Gallo off the roster.

That is my two cents. 

[gunnarthor]

I'm not sure what they mean by a "high bar" and I know this is posturing but I hope our FO is being realistic in what we can get back for them.

[tony&rodney]

So much angst follows Twins trades. They go for it and try to improve and the bottom falls out (Steer, CES, Hajjar, Cano, Povich, etc. for J. Lopez and Mahle). The fan favorite goes for a good pitcher (P. Lopez for Arraez). These were fair ideas and good trades. Previously, guys like Larnach, Winder, Martin, and others were off limits. Trades are hard to make because there must be a real interest in your players as well as a return offer that makes sense. 

I want to know what San Diego wants for Hader. Varland? Larnach and Winder? I don't have any idea but hopefully Falvey has some active, friendly conversations about a whole host of possibilities. The Twins have been fun since the All Star break but they still are pretty close to a .500 team. I'm listening on virtually every player, but mostly looking to just add a relief pitcher.

[Mike Sixel]

DFA Gallo, trade Larnach for a RP. Put Wallner in left. I hear Kepler lollygagged a flyball today.... But he's not going anywhere. 

 

[Rosterman]

Yep, I'm sure the Twins would love for another team to absorb the salaries of a Kepler or Gallo. So, low level prospect at best.

At some point, who goes when Polanco, Lewis and Gordon all return?

 

 

[karcherd]

Give Gallo away to the first team that calls, get a bag of balls or send one to get rid of him.  The last two games they have pinch hit for him because he can't make contact.  Why is he even in the lineup.

[Dave Borton]

9 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Start by offering to pay for Gallo's first class ticket if someone will take him...

 

He deserves a Greyhound ticket (strictly as baggage) but given the circumstances, I will pick up the tab for 1st class air.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Why are people so quick to trade Kepler? He's been the Twins' best hitter since the ASB. Yes, not a big sample size, but nonetheless....

[FlyingFinn]

9 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Why are people so quick to trade Kepler? He's been the Twins' best hitter since the ASB.

Trade high rather than low would be the thought. He had 3 straight bad years, and people think that is where he will return to.

[FlyingFinn]

9 hours ago, Dman said:

With Gallo, Kepler, Larnach, Wallner, Gordon they have too many lefty outfielders

Not to mention Stevenson, who has the best #'s in St. Paul - great speed, good fielder and he now has 12 homers with a .325 batting average. He's different than our Larnach and Wallner's as his K rate is in the lower 20's. 

[mickster]

9 hours ago, Rosterman said:

Yep, I'm sure the Twins would love for another team to absorb the salaries of a Kepler or Gallo. So, low level prospect at best.

At some point, who goes when Polanco, Lewis and Gordon all return?

 

 

Gordon shouldn't see Target Field again.   

[CRF]

Baloney. That's GM speak. "High bar"? All smoke-screen. Yeah, I'm sure teams are lining up for our left handed corner outfielders. I've got some ocean front property in Arizona I want to talk to you about too! If Falvey can find a taker for one of two of our stellar OF's...please feel free to make the deal. They have to do something with a couple of those guys. As for Gallo...one way or another, he HAS to go. DFA him or if they can find a team stupid enough to take him, DO IT! 

[terrydactyls]

53 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Not to mention Stevenson, who has the best #'s in St. Paul - great speed, good fielder and he now has 12 homers with a .325 batting average. He's different than our Larnach and Wallner's as his K rate is in the lower 20's. 

Absolutely!!!  He would be an upgrade to either Gallo or Kepler, and maybe to Larnach.  Or good trade bait.

[DJL44]

9 hours ago, Rosterman said:

At some point, who goes when Polanco, Lewis and Gordon all return?

This is almost never a real concern. The roster is never all healthy at the same time.

[DJL44]

25 minutes ago, CRF said:

Yeah, I'm sure teams are lining up for our left handed corner outfielders.

They're calling about Larnach and Wallner, not Gallo and Kepler.

[chpettit19]

I'm with @tony&rodney, I want to know what San Diego wants for Hader. They're still in win now mode moving forward so I'd guess they want young, controllable MLB, or close to MLB ready, talent. Larnach would be who I start the call with and see where it goes from there.

Or maybe they'd be interested in Polanco? I hate the idea of trading him because I think he's a huge part of a successful Twins lineup in it's current form, but if I can turn him into Hader, and extend Hader using the Polanco and Gallo contracts that won't be around next year, I'd be a fan of that. Hader and Duran would be the best 1-2 punch in baseball at the end of games.

[CRF]

11 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

They're calling about Larnach and Wallner, not Gallo and Kepler.

100% agree. If there's any interest at all, it's Larnach and Wallner. I could maybe see some team having interest in Kepler based on what he's doing since the ASB. Gallo? He's about as close to poison as a player could possibly be. Below zero value, if there is such a thing. They'll have to make some kind of sweetheart deal with Boras to get rid of Gallo. 

[DJL44]

8 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I'm with @tony&rodney, I want to know what San Diego wants for Hader. They're still in win now mode moving forward so I'd guess they want young, controllable MLB, or close to MLB ready, talent. Larnach would be who I start the call with and see where it goes from there.

Matt Capps for Wilson Ramos redux.

[chpettit19]

5 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Matt Capps for Wilson Ramos redux.

I actually don't see any resemblance at all between trading Larnach for Hader and Ramos for Capps. Hader is significantly better than Capps, and Larnach isn't a 22 year old, top-65 global, MLB ready prospect.

[DJL44]

3 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I actually don't see any resemblance at all between trading Larnach for Hader and Ramos for Capps. Hader is significantly better than Capps, and Larnach isn't a 22 year old, top-65 global, MLB ready prospect.

I don't want them to give away the career prime of a first round draft pick for 25 innings of relief pitching. There are much, much cheaper options for obtaining 25 innings of relief pitching. Last year they traded basically nothing for Fulmer and a LOT for Lopez and Fulmer outperformed Lopez.

[chpettit19]

12 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I don't want them to give away the career prime of a first round draft pick for 25 innings of relief pitching. There are much, much cheaper options for obtaining 25 innings of relief pitching. Last year they traded basically nothing for Fulmer and a LOT for Lopez and Fulmer outperformed Lopez.

You believe in Larnach more than I do. He's a 26 year old who can't hit major league offspeed pitches. I don't find that to be a valuable "career prime" to trade away. Lopez and Hader are also a bad comparison. Lopez was showing that maybe a move to the pen would give him a career, but he was a half-season success story. Hader has been arguably the best relief pitcher in baseball for the last 6 years. Hader would have a far greater impact on the Twins 2023 division race, and playoff appearance, than Larnach will. Especially since Larnach is heading back to AAA real soon, and doesn't have a clear path back since he's already been jumped by Wallner.

I also said I'd like to extend Hader. If getting him in house allows me to also extend him before he hits the open market I'd absolutely give up a 26 year old replacement level player for him. Without a second thought. It's actually going to cost more than just Larnach to get Hader I'd guess. Larnach simply isn't very valuable anymore.

[Nashvilletwin]

Let’s keep in mind if the FO moves Wallner and Larnach, then we will be down FOUR outfielders at the end of the season when Kepler and Gallo move on.  Maybe FIVE if Taylor does not return. We are then left with two super utility players, Gordon and Castro (if they are even back) and our everyday 1B, Kiriloff, as our only OFers with major league experience.

The fact is we are already short in the OF with no Buxton and a bunch of players who are, or should be, departing.

Please, please do not sell our young, controllable talent.  Even if the FO and Rocco’s jobs are on the line without a playoff win, we cannot mortgage the future and wind up next offseason signing a bunch of one and dones like this year. Invest instead!

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

They're calling about Larnach and Wallner, not Gallo and Kepler.

The first name I would ask about as an opposing GM is Kirilloff. He would be the most expensive to acquire, but you know they’re asking. 

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

This is almost never a real concern. The roster is never all healthy at the same time.

Julien was literally stuck in AAA this year..... So, it just happened. 

[TopGunn#22]

I've been pushing for Hadar ever since trade rumors started percolating.  His value (on BBTV's) is only 2.9.  Hader is 29 years old and a free agent at the end of the season.   Larnach's is 3.7. and he is 26 y/o and his value is sinking.  You wouldn't even need to throw in Winder unless the Dodgers or some other team with a rich farm system started upping the ante.  Winder's value is 7.4.  He's 26 years old.  Blake Snell's value is 7.2 (Snell is 30 y/o).  

Hader and Duran for the stretch run and playoffs would put the Twins in a great position to make some noise.  Add a RH bat like Hunter Renfroe, Adam Duval or Randall Grichuch to balance the lineup and things could get interesting.  

Keeping Hadar would be very difficult as he would want to be the #1 closer someplace else (I would install him as the Twins #1 and use Duran for the 8th if we acquired him).  But with Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda moving on after this season it would be great to retain Snell to go with Ryan, Lopez and Ober.  

[Mike Sixel]

39 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I actually don't see any resemblance at all between trading Larnach for Hader and Ramos for Capps. Hader is significantly better than Capps, and Larnach isn't a 22 year old, top-65 global, MLB ready prospect.

Agreed. Not even close to the same thing. Larnach can't beat out Gallo. He's not a rookie at a super scarce position. 

[TopGunn#22]

I agree with chpettit19.  I'd be thrilled if we acquired Hader and were somehow able to retain him with an extension.  I'd make him the #1 closer and possibly even consider Duran as a SP.  It's not often an arm like Hader comes on the market at what would appear to be an eminently affordable cost.  Larnach?  Come on!  If you wouldn't do that trade, you would never make a trade for anything.  I just look at a team like the Dodgers, who we simply can't compete with checkbook-wise, and their closer situation (or lack thereof) and I can't see us outbidding them for a closer like Hader.  Maybe the Padres just refuse to deal him to L.A. but the Dodgers wouldn't break a sweat beating Larnach in a trade.  

[DJL44]

17 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Please, please do not sell our young, controllable talent. 

I would flip Larnach or Wallner (though I like having the local player around to root for) for other young, controllable talent (like a RH hitting OF). I don't want to send them to another team for a rental player.