These Free Agents Could Help the Twins Change Their Offensive Identity

[chpettit19]

7 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

No need to rehash? Because you won't try to reconcile your desire to cling to the ghosts of the fading vets AND wanting multiple big ticket free agents? You can't have both and it's not about payroll, there just isn't roster space. Larnach gets bumped, but there's no other reasonable offensive players to shuffle off other than the three guys at the end of their productive careers. You can sign ONE big ticket free agent, or let the past go and sign multiple. Your prerogative, but whichever path you go, the payroll will accommodate within reason.

 

No, because we simply won't agree. I see 2 clear starting spots they can upgrade. I don't trust Buxton or Kirilloff to be healthy at all so I'd give both their spots to big ticket guys. Don't even have to be CF and 1B guys cuz I'd be just fine moving guys around the diamond defensively to make it work. And there's a clear and obvious hole in the rotation that could be filled with a big ticket guy. That's 3 spots without having to do any real work before I even have to think about Polanco and Kepler. Once I take care of those 3 so I've actually raised the talent level of the team then I can look at improving on the Polanco and Kepler spots.

You seem to think they have 9 starters better than Polanco and Kepler. I don't. That's why we don't need to rehash it. We simply don't agree. It is about payroll. An extra 30 mil before I even have to touch their spots is absolutely a real factor. I don't get how you don't think it is. But to each their own.

[JD-TWINS]

5 hours ago, Greglw3 said:

I’m with you. Brantley would be just what the doctor ordered for the Twins.

Love watching Brantley hit over his career……he’s too fragile & too much risk for being paid like a normal version of himself. He played 64 games in ‘22 & 15 games in ‘23……great hitter - no availability! Cannot risk this sign.

[MABB1959]

19 hours ago, Patzky said:

The ,'young' guys ain't free agents yet.

So most free agents are 35+?

[TopGunn#22]

I appreciate having the chance to read everyone's thoughts before I comment.  I'm not really interested in mid to late 30ish guys who are limited by what they can contribute in the field.

Turner would be a good solid bat in the #5 hole for our lineup.  He still seems productive.  But I want somebody who can be around when the rest of the young talent starts to blossom.  I agree with those that are of the opinion that with limited resources what money we have to spend should go towards filling the rotation holes that Gray, Maeda and Varland will cause in our rotation (remember, I'm moving Varland to the bullpen for 2024).

So with that said, I'm interested in Lee.  He's 25 years old.  he can grow with Lewis, Julien, Wallner, Jeffers, and later, Brooks Lee, Emm-Rod and Jenkins.  He's a CF with elite contact skills.  I think you're getting someone closer to Steven Kwan than our previous KBL flops.  Hitting at the top of the order with Julien batting 2nd, we've got some serious table-setters.

Since I think Julien is adequate at 2B and I've got Lewis and then Brooks Lee coming soon, I'm trading Polanco.  We will be fine without him.  If it would take $14 million for 4 years to sign Jung-hoo Lee to play CF and lead off, trading Polanco $10.5 and Theilbar $3.0 is about a wash.  I roll with Funderburk and Moran as my bullpen lefty's.  

I would prefer to keep Kepler this season and have an outfield that's primarily Kepler, Lee and Wallner, but this means we still need to scrounge a RH hitting outfielder (unless Austin Martin is that guy).  I may not have a better LF/RF option than Kepler available.  

The final move to make a Lee signing workable is a trade for a SP that doesn't cost much in terms of salary for another 3 years or so.  I proposed this deal on another thread:

Twins Get:  Eduard Cabrera RHP 8.5 value on BBTV 26 years old.  Sixto Sanchez RHP 0.0 value 26 y/o.  Ryan Weathers LHP 0.0 value 24 y/o.  Total value 8.5o

Marlins Get:  Larnach 7.8 OF 27 y/o.  Brent Headrick LHP 1.7 value  25 y/o.  Nick Gordon Utility .20 28 y/o.  You could swap in Misael Urbina 2.3 value a 21 y/o OF for either Gordon or Headrick, whatever the Marlins want. 

A deal like this helps soften the blow of Varland to the bullpen and adds a cost-efficient SP to the rotation in Cabrera.  It also leaves the opportunity to add a SP somewhere in the Giolito/Wacha/Eduardo Rodriguez price range depending on how far the Twins would consider reaching and surpassing $140.

CF Jung-hoo Lee is who I would go after.  

 

[Patzky]

4 hours ago, MABB1959 said:

So most free agents are 35+?

They just aren't 22.

[miller761]

Can we afford Rhys Hoskins? Good RH bat can play 1B.

[Major League Ready]

18 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

I appreciate having the chance to read everyone's thoughts before I comment.  I'm not really interested in mid to late 30ish guys who are limited by what they can contribute in the field.

Turner would be a good solid bat in the #5 hole for our lineup.  He still seems productive.  But I want somebody who can be around when the rest of the young talent starts to blossom.  I agree with those that are of the opinion that with limited resources what money we have to spend should go towards filling the rotation holes that Gray, Maeda and Varland will cause in our rotation (remember, I'm moving Varland to the bullpen for 2024).

So with that said, I'm interested in Lee.  He's 25 years old.  he can grow with Lewis, Julien, Wallner, Jeffers, and later, Brooks Lee, Emm-Rod and Jenkins.  He's a CF with elite contact skills.  I think you're getting someone closer to Steven Kwan than our previous KBL flops.  Hitting at the top of the order with Julien batting 2nd, we've got some serious table-setters.

Since I think Julien is adequate at 2B and I've got Lewis and then Brooks Lee coming soon, I'm trading Polanco.  We will be fine without him.  If it would take $14 million for 4 years to sign Jung-hoo Lee to play CF and lead off, trading Polanco $10.5 and Theilbar $3.0 is about a wash.  I roll with Funderburk and Moran as my bullpen lefty's.  

I would prefer to keep Kepler this season and have an outfield that's primarily Kepler, Lee and Wallner, but this means we still need to scrounge a RH hitting outfielder (unless Austin Martin is that guy).  I may not have a better LF/RF option than Kepler available.  

The final move to make a Lee signing workable is a trade for a SP that doesn't cost much in terms of salary for another 3 years or so.  I proposed this deal on another thread:

Twins Get:  Eduard Cabrera RHP 8.5 value on BBTV 26 years old.  Sixto Sanchez RHP 0.0 value 26 y/o.  Ryan Weathers LHP 0.0 value 24 y/o.  Total value 8.5o

Marlins Get:  Larnach 7.8 OF 27 y/o.  Brent Headrick LHP 1.7 value  25 y/o.  Nick Gordon Utility .20 28 y/o.  You could swap in Misael Urbina 2.3 value a 21 y/o OF for either Gordon or Headrick, whatever the Marlins want. 

A deal like this helps soften the blow of Varland to the bullpen and adds a cost-efficient SP to the rotation in Cabrera.  It also leaves the opportunity to add a SP somewhere in the Giolito/Wacha/Eduardo Rodriguez price range depending on how far the Twins would consider reaching and surpassing $140.

CF Jung-hoo Lee is who I would go after.  

 

I like the Lee idea.  However, I am not following the numbers.  If you trade Polanco, you are at $106.4M (see below) while keeping Thielbar.  The latest budget blurb is that they will cut at least 10% which is a max of $140M.  That gives you $33M to spend.  MLB Trade Rumors projects Lee at 5/50.  Even at $11M AAV for Lee you would have up to $22M to spend on pitching.  The next guy I would move in this equation is Farmer which would give you $38M available for pitching after signing Lee. 

 

[TopGunn#22]

That's excellent how you laid that out Major league Ready !  Lee certainly interests me.  Looks like I've got a little more money to spend than I originally thought.

If I traded Jax 19.1 value, Larnach 7.8 value and Miranda 5.1 value and Hedrick 1.7 value  (total value 33.7) to Milwaukee for Corbin Burnes 32.0 value and added an arbitration salary of $15.1 to Burnes for 2024 that would leave us at $131,738,000 for payroll.  We'd still have another $9 to $10 million to add a SP or RP and a position player.  Trading Farmer adds $6.6 million to that total.  If you had $16 million to work with, you could fit Giolito into the rotation and create some depth.