3 Trades the Twins Must Make Today

[TwinkieFan4life]

4 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Cano? If you're going to point to a 29 year old reliever with massive walk problems who figured it out for half a year as a point of concern you're arguing to never make trades. 

Go look at the "success" the "KC bullpen arm throwing 100" had the last 2 years. He's not exactly Rivera out there. Sure, it'll take more than SGL type to get him, but I'd certainly hope they learned their lesson to not give out Lopez type packages to half season reliever success stories after those pitchers were incredibly bad the rest of their major league career.

If Pham or Duvall are costing much more than an SGL type return the Twins should be selling any and everyone of their expiring contracts cuz apparently they're all worth significant returns in this sellers market. Tommy Pham is having the 2nd best year of his career at the age of 35. You don't get big returns for that guy, especially when he's a rental. Adam Duvall is having the best year of his career at age 34, in 45 games. Again, you don't get big returns for that guy, especially when he's a rental.

Yes, I do. Rental 34 and 35 year olds with outlier spike seasons don't get huge returns. The Royals can ask for a big return for Hernandez's 4 months of good pitching when he had 2 plus seasons of DFA worthy pitching before that, but the Twins shouldn't pay it, and Finnegan is a 31 year old decent reliever so they shouldn't pay much for him either. Suter is basically a left handed Fulmer. Raley is 1 step up because of his extra year, but he's nowhere near a Mahle or Lopez so he'd get a slightly better prospect than SGL. Nobody on this list would demand a top 15 prospect outside of Hernandez, but they shouldn't go after him anyways since he's basically Lopez 2.0 and they should've learned their lesson there, and maybe Raley.

If the players are flash-in-the-pan types, old, just not that good, or all of the above, why trade for them?  Would they make the team contenders?  Why not turn to in-house options and cross your fingers they play better?

[RJA]

IF he is healthy, I would look at Bader.  He is on an expiring contract, hits lefties well, and can play some CF.  Yankees apparently open to a trade.

[chpettit19]

7 minutes ago, TwinkieFan4life said:

If the players are flash-in-the-pan types, old, just not that good, or all of the above, why trade for them?  Would they make the team contenders?  Why not turn to in-house options and cross your fingers they play better?

I'd do a bit of both. I think making the playoffs, and breaking "the streak," has value to this franchise. I think getting that monkey off the organization's back would have value even if they don't go super deep. So I think improving on the margins (Finnegan to replace whoever you view as the bottom arm in the pen, or Pham over Gallo) has some value, and makes sense. If I can't replace a couple dime a dozen 45 FV prospects to bring them in I don't deserve to be running a major league team anyways.

But I'd also turn to some of the younger in-house options and see if they can provide a second half spark. I'd buy and sell. My big splash would be trying to turn Wallner and Polanco into one of the young Seattle arms. That'd allow me to trade Gray or Maeda to back fill the prospect depth I traded for Finnegan and Pham. That'd be my "improve on the margins to win a playoff game in 2023 while also looking to the future and setting myself up nicely there" plan.

It doesn't have to be buy or sell. It can be buy and sell.

[TwinkieFan4life]

11 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I'd do a bit of both. I think making the playoffs, and breaking "the streak," has value to this franchise. I think getting that monkey off the organization's back would have value even if they don't go super deep. So I think improving on the margins (Finnegan to replace whoever you view as the bottom arm in the pen, or Pham over Gallo) has some value, and makes sense. If I can't replace a couple dime a dozen 45 FV prospects to bring them in I don't deserve to be running a major league team anyways.

But I'd also turn to some of the younger in-house options and see if they can provide a second half spark. I'd buy and sell. My big splash would be trying to turn Wallner and Polanco into one of the young Seattle arms. That'd allow me to trade Gray or Maeda to back fill the prospect depth I traded for Finnegan and Pham. That'd be my "improve on the margins to win a playoff game in 2023 while also looking to the future and setting myself up nicely there" plan.

It doesn't have to be buy or sell. It can be buy and sell.

I could get behind that plan.

[JD-TWINS]

I look at Lewis - CC - Farmer - Solano & Jeffers for our IF………..Castro - Taylor - Kirilloff for our OF……Buxton at DH………...these guys v. LH pitching are a decent line-up. This adds Lewis & Jeffers to the team that started this past Sunday. Those two, displacing Vazquez & Wallner are a big upgrade over Sunday v. LH starter.

Kyle Garlick is not my favorite guy but if we are going to roster a RH hitter for corner OF play, he isn’t much less output than the rentals discussed above. Teoscar has stats lower than Kepler & he LEADS the AL in strikeouts……..can’t imagine going after him! Only 25-30% of pitchers are LH.

Please focus on Pen!

LH Relief……… Raley/Suter/Hand…………maybe Headrick internally?

RH Relief………who ??? maybe Varland internally?

I know this sounds nuts but I like the idea of Maeda starting in playoffs and either Ryan or Gray in a relief role. They have good stuff but seems to be for shorter stints. Again, sounds nuts but starting Maeda or Kuechel for 3-4 innings and following them with Gray, that’s a big contrast in styles, and he gets us through the 8th. Ryan would be similar.

Really need the one reliever to hedge against the Thielbar/Stewart unknown health. Two arms would be preferred! Need to get through August-September!

[Otaknam]

No trade if it costs a top prospect. This team may win the division by default, but they aren’t going anywhere if Correa and Buxton keep bottoming out. Even then at best they might win a playoff series. The reality is they need to focus on the young players they want to keep for next year. I can understand if they trade Gray and/or Maeda because it is about planning for next year.

[Sjoski]

1 hour ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

If the Pohlad's haven't handcuffed the front office from making moves - and honestly, if they did, no one should be upset after last year - I expect them to make 2-3 trades. Their jobs depend on it. They don't win the division in 2023 and people are going to be or at least should be fired. 

Not sure how the Pohlads have handcuffed Falvey and Levine, 11M to Gallo, 200M to Correa, 73M to Lopez, etc, etc.....this FO just does not know how to trade well or who to dish the money out to. Personally I  hope the 2023 season blows up, (repeat of 2022) signaling a need for a change in leadership, FO and on the field. 

 

[Beast]

They should be selling some things off, IMO.

This FO just never seems to make the right call.  They don’t have the stones to go after a premier player at the deadline when they should.  They don’t have the stones to sell off expiring guys like Gray, Maeda, etc when they should. 

It’ll be another half-assed milquetoast deadline that won’t accomplish anything meaningful for the current or future years.  They may get some washed reliever with shoulder problems, or maybe some marginal RH bat.  The media will then praise the savvy and roll out the old faithful, “Lewis, Thielbar, etc. coming back later is like making a trade.”

The deadline has been the same for Twins fans going back decades.  Aside from Shannon Stewart and maybe Orlando Cabrera, I can’t think of a meaningful, highly successful move as a buyer. It’s typically guys like Kevin Jepsen, Matt Capps, Tommy Milone, etc.    With the team looking dead in the water, there’s no point and trading controllable assets for something like that.

[Maybebaby]

Just get rid of Gallo and bench BB.  Let the young lefties play everyday regardless of pitcher.

[Parfigliano]

45 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

I look at Lewis - CC - Farmer - Solano & Jeffers for our IF………..Castro - Taylor - Kirilloff for our OF……Buxton at DH………...these guys v. LH pitching are a decent line-up. This adds Lewis & Jeffers to the team that started this past Sunday. Those two, displacing Vazquez & Wallner are a big upgrade over Sunday v. LH starter.

Kyle Garlick is not my favorite guy but if we are going to roster a RH hitter for corner OF play, he isn’t much less output than the rentals discussed above. Teoscar has stats lower than Kepler & he LEADS the AL in strikeouts……..can’t imagine going after him! Only 25-30% of pitchers are LH.

Please focus on Pen!

LH Relief……… Raley/Suter/Hand…………maybe Headrick internally?

RH Relief………who ??? maybe Varland internally?

I know this sounds nuts but I like the idea of Maeda starting in playoffs and either Ryan or Gray in a relief role. They have good stuff but seems to be for shorter stints. Again, sounds nuts but starting Maeda or Kuechel for 3-4 innings and following them with Gray, that’s a big contrast in styles, and he gets us through the 8th. Ryan would be similar.

Really need the one reliever to hedge against the Thielbar/Stewart unknown health. Two arms would be preferred! Need to get through August-September!

In my opinion any lineup with Buxton as DH is non-competitive.

[Sjoski]

"Here’s a list of prospects who have exited the organization in the past two years: Chase Petty, Cade Povich, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, Steve Hajjar, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Casey Legumina (and Yennier Cano, if you want to count him as a prospect). Steer and Cano are already productive big leaguers, and Encarnacion-Strand was recently promoted by the Reds." -- Do-Hyoung Park

[Dave Borton]

I am in the sell mode.

Falvey has traded 17-20 (?) prospects during his reign (IMSM) and it has resulted in a .500 team 27-35 record against other teams above .500. Don't delude yourself into thinking this team is going anywhere.

Forget the buys, sell free agents and live with youth. Re-examine minor league development program and hitting philosophy and training program to strengthen them. Find one strong SP during next winter's FA window as well as BP.

[TopGunn#22]

When Cleveland traded Civale they essentially conceded the division to the Twins.  I would be sellers much the way Cleveland is.  They gave up a solid #3 starter and got a heck of a hitter back who is very close a full time spot in the majors.  I'd deal Sonny Gray for the biggest haul I could get.  Would the Reds part with a young OF??  I'd move Maeda if the deal was right.  I'd get Varland back up and in the rotation.  

Anyone from the major league roster Polanco, Kepler, Gallo, Taylor, Gordon and including Larnach and Miranda I'd listen on,  Start the revamping of this roster NOW.

[Captian Hook]

If you can get Tommy Pham or Adam Duval for Joey Gallo or Max Kepler, then do it.

If you can bring back Luke Raley for the leftover of Gallo or Kepler, do that.

Activate Dallas Keuchel and go to a six man rotation. Caleb Thielbar is already back, and Brock Stewart will be soon.

If you can get a boatload of prospects for Sonny Gray, do ahead and do that and Dallas Keuchel cn go into a five man rotation. 

[Schmoeman5]

3 hours ago, USAFChief said:

No, it most certainly cannot and will not be addressed internally. 

Cannot is absolutely correct. Will not is questionable. I believe come 6:00 PM EST. Falvey will tell everyone that all is well. No need to panic. Reinforcements are on the way. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

59 minutes ago, Sjoski said:

Not sure how the Pohlads have handcuffed Falvey and Levine, 11M to Gallo, 200M to Correa, 73M to Lopez, etc, etc.....this FO just does not know how to trade well or who to dish the money out to. Personally I  hope the 2023 season blows up, (repeat of 2022) signaling a need for a change in leadership, FO and on the field. 

 

I meant in regards to trades. The Pohlad's aren't the issue. At all. I was referring to last year's trade deadline. Was it enough for them to tell the front office to stand down and keep the status quo?

[HoskenPowell]

Every other team in cental is dumping players and conceeding. And yet the Twins still look they cannot hold on and win this pathetic division.   Clap for Falvey and his wonderful team he constructed.   Barley .500 in the worst , sinking division in all of baseball.   This isn't Falveys 1st try....How many more years does he get??????  He took the top spot after 2016......MORE than enough time to construct more than this.  Bomba squad was a fluke , everything else has been bad.  He's had his time.   Time to fire him and fire Rocco as well.........Castros out at 3b the other day was as bad as anything even airhead Eddie Rosario ever did , yet no benching.    I gave up on Rocco long ago and he's not proven me wrong since.

Unless Falvey can trade Pagan and Gallo for Ohtani and Ocuna he needs to go.

[terrydactyls]

6 hours ago, Linus said:

Gray is not getting traded because a team would have to give us something better than the comp pick. That won’t happen for ten starts of Gray. 

I looked up all the #31 to #39 (the most likely spot for a comp pick for Gray to be) draft picks from 2010 to 2020.  That's 99 selections over 11 years.  About 15% of these guys made any impact in the major leagues.  Personally, I don't like those odds.  I would much rather take a chance on a known player (AAA and ready to move up or a young, controllable ML player) than roll the dice at 8.5 to 1 odds.

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Sjoski said:

"Here’s a list of prospects who have exited the organization in the past two years: Chase Petty, Cade Povich, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, Steve Hajjar, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Casey Legumina (and Yennier Cano, if you want to count him as a prospect). Steer and Cano are already productive big leaguers, and Encarnacion-Strand was recently promoted by the Reds." -- Do-Hyoung Park

So what?

No one has the magic dice that say who will sink and who will sail, such is life in sports.

[insagt1]

FWIW--is Cano becoming Pagan? He came on to preserve a 2-1 Orioles win against Philly last week (Bautista had the night off) He blew the save and the game. Sunday he came on in the 9th of a game the O's led 9-3...no pressure, struck out the side. Last night he came on in the 8th of a 4-1 O's lead. Immediately gave up a HR and then walked 2 of the next 3 hitters, forcing Hyde to bring in Bautista for a 5 out save.

Lately, when it matters, Cano has flamed out. Inability to throw strikes besides right down the middle has really hurt Cano. He is no longer a reliable late set up man in close games. Twins hardly need anymore pitchers like that.