Seattle frees up money and third base

[tony&rodney]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/mariners-trade-eugenio-suarez-dbacks.html

Seattle is serious about cutting their strike outs apparently. They previously traded for Luis Urias (3B), but will be looking to add both an infielder and and a corner bat. 

One can wonder if there are some ideas going back and forth between the Mariners and Twins. This feels like a year ago in some respects but it may be a case where Falvey fears losing depth or the wrong guy. Seattle is setting the bar high for their arms and willing to trade.

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[Nashvilletwin]

Hmm, an infielder and a corner bat?  We have both of those - and good ones - in Polanco and Kepler. What could we get back for either or both?

I still think we want to keep Kepler, but his price will probably never be higher.

[nicksaviking]

I would be thrilled to get one of Seattle's starters. I go back and forth on how to rank them, but would likely be willing to pay the price for any. 

[harmony55]

59 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Hmm, an infielder and a corner bat?  We have both of those - and good ones - in Polanco and Kepler. What could we get back for either or both?

I still think we want to keep Kepler, but his price will probably never be higher.

An astute contributor suggested a trade of Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler to Seattle for righthander Emerson Hancock and infielder Jose Caballero:

https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades/147266

[JD-TWINS]

2 hours ago, harmony55 said:

An astute contributor suggested a trade of Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler to Seattle for righthander Emerson Hancock and infielder Jose Caballero:

https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades/147266

Twins can’t trade for any infielders other than at 1B - & that’s a stretch…………pitching makes sense, but I can’t see stabilizing a potential playoff foe with Polanco & Kepler.

Pitching FA’s are available, ability to trade for excellent reliever for less assets is best approach!

[nicksaviking]

51 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Twins can’t trade for any infielders other than at 1B - & that’s a stretch…………pitching makes sense, but I can’t see stabilizing a potential playoff foe with Polanco & Kepler.

Pitching FA’s are available, ability to trade for excellent reliever for less assets is best approach!

The Twins have never, and likely will never, sign a top end free agent starter. They’ll have to trade for one. 
 

Also, top relievers will be only minimally less expensive. And if you’re not trading for a top reliever, than you’re just playing Russian roulette, because non-elite relievers are as reliable as a Magic 8-Ball.

Finally, unless “stabilizing” the opponent means unpredictably being injured or an offensive meltdown followed by a hot stretch about a week before they would have been DFA’d, I don’t think we’re talking about Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler. 

[tony&rodney]

To be specific, Seattle is going to discuss Wallner, Kepler, Lee, Lewis, Julien, and Polanco. Certainly not all, but looking for a package if the Twins have any interest in the Mariners pitching, which is something assumed but not known.

You are the person who is entrusted to improve the Mariners for 2024 and beyond. Who do you want from the Twins?

[JD-TWINS]

39 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The Twins have never, and likely will never, sign a top end free agent starter. They’ll have to trade for one. 
 

Also, top relievers will be only minimally less expensive. And if you’re not trading for a top reliever, than you’re just playing Russian roulette, because non-elite relievers are as reliable as a Magic 8-Ball.

Finally, unless “stabilizing” the opponent means unpredictably being injured or an offensive meltdown followed by a hot stretch about a week before they would have been DFA’d, I don’t think we’re talking about Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler. 

So - I’d try to do all I could to trade for Devin Williams - is he good enough? They want to rebuild and get control pieces - shed salary. 2 yrs of control & a current salary of $6.2M……pretty reliable & affordable & 2 years.

Rodriguez - Gordon - Festa - Miranda ……2 solid prospects, a potential inexpensive solution at 2B, & Miranda for some throw in potential upside, to fill in for loss of Telez.

Varland back into rotation. A reasonably priced FA to add depth.

Not trying to sign deGrom or Scherzer types……Lugo for 2 years $22-$25M or Maeda for similar amount or Severino for a year with big upside.

If Kepler & Polanco are such low value dogs why did the organization pick up their options? So, I get Kepler seems to have found himself the last 3.5 months of ‘23 & was brutal prior, going back through ‘20……Polanco played 108 & 86 games respectively the last 2 years - hitting is diminishing no matter what people say her in the forum. That said, they have some value…..I trade Polanco with other’s, potentially for an arm & to reduce salary ……worst case him alone for prospect.

[nicksaviking]

12 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

So - I’d try to do all I could to trade for Devin Williams - is he good enough? They want to rebuild and get control pieces - shed salary. 2 yrs of control & a current salary of $6.2M……pretty reliable & affordable & 2 years.

Rodriguez - Gordon - Festa - Miranda ……2 solid prospects, a potential inexpensive solution at 2B, & Miranda for some throw in potential upside, to fill in for loss of Telez.

Varland back into rotation. A reasonably priced FA to add depth.

Not trying to sign deGrom or Scherzer types……Lugo for 2 years $22-$25M or Maeda for similar amount or Severino for a year with big upside.

If Kepler & Polanco are such low value dogs why did the organization pick up their options? So, I get Kepler seems to have found himself the last 3.5 months of ‘23 & was brutal prior, going back through ‘20……Polanco played 108 & 86 games respectively the last 2 years - hitting is diminishing no matter what people say her in the forum. That said, they have some value…..I trade Polanco with other’s, potentially for an arm & to reduce salary ……worst case him alone for prospect.

That package for Williams would be close to what you need for a top starter. And doing this would mean replacing Sonny Gray with Varland, which is a HUGE step back for the rotation. 
 

 

[SteveLV]

I strongly suspect one of those Seattle starters are going to cost the Twins Lee.  They probably ask for Lewis and the Twins decline.  Lee plus Kepler should get them in the door.

That would be a tough decision.

[nicksaviking]

15 minutes ago, SteveLV said:

I strongly suspect one of those Seattle starters are going to cost the Twins Lee.  They probably ask for Lewis and the Twins decline.  Lee plus Kepler should get them in the door.

That would be a tough decision.

I think Miller is the Seattle pitcher I like the least (my opinion on this seems to change regularly) so I'd probably not trade Lee for him, but I'd include Lee for the others.

Not that I'd hand Lee over without a fight. I'd push to keep him until it's clear it can't be done.

[tony&rodney]

There are so many unknowns, which is a topic I have posted before. What does Seattle want?

A number of people have pointedly stated that neither Gilbert nor Kirby would be available in any trade. This may be so, but again we just don't know. Last offseason MLB was surprised that the AL batting champion was available. We have all been surprised by some of the trades we see. I'm keeping an open mind on the possibilities. 

[arby58]

On 11/22/2023 at 10:03 PM, tony&rodney said:

To be specific, Seattle is going to discuss Wallner, Kepler, Lee, Lewis, Julien, and Polanco. Certainly not all, but looking for a package if the Twins have any interest in the Mariners pitching, which is something assumed but not known.

You are the person who is entrusted to improve the Mariners for 2024 and beyond. Who do you want from the Twins?

Of course, they will want Lewis first, but the Twins aren't trading Lewis - that's a non-starter. I still think one of Julien or Lee can be had, but not both. If one of them goes, Kepler is the logical next from the Twins perspective, to maintain infield depth with Polanco. I'd guess Seattle asks for Wallner second, and the Twins would only give up Wallner if they get back one of Seattle's already proven starters with some team control (since Wallner is controllable for a long time).

[harmony55]

Seattle is unlikely to trade George Kirby or Logan Gilbert for anything short of an equally impactful and controllable bat.

The Mariners would seek quality, not quantity.

The Twins probably don't match up, especially if Royce Lewis is off the table.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, harmony55 said:

Seattle is unlikely to trade George Kirby or Logan Gilbert for anything short of an equally impactful and controllable bat.

The Mariners would seek quality, not quantity.

The Twins probably don't match up, especially if Royce Lewis is off the table.

I don't think anyone should dispute your point, although there have been some weak offers put forth.

Remember that the Twins traded a batting champion just last year.

The question is whether the Twins feel another trade of that magnitude is worth the risk. Pitchers are always one injury away from disaster, much more often than position players.

Is Lewis off the table?