Twins Trade Nick Gordon to Marlins for Left-Handed Reliever Steven Okert

[specialiststeve]

8 minutes ago, PseudoSABR said:

Adam Duvall or MAT don't have a place on this team as a part time options? Isn't there TV money incoming?

Yeah, no thanks to Kyle Garlick or Jake Cave. 

Not sure who "MAT" is but Duvall SUCKS... no thanks.  Much rather have Martin get a shot. 

Unless we get a quality level OF'r back in a deal there is no point. Spending 5 mil for a Mendosa line OF would be stupid spending. 

[Doctor Gast]

I thought a later Gordon trade was more imminent. I agree with Jocko it wasn't the LHP I was hoping for (actually I had him included in a bigger trade on BTV) but I still like the trade. Now is a good time for the Twins to start to work on Okert. 

[Brett]

Maybe we’re going with 4 starters and 10 in the bullpen. Starters go 4 innings, then 5 one-inning relievers in a row.

Yes, I’m kidding. Please. Somebody tell me I must be joking.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

2 minutes ago, specialiststeve said:

Not sure who "MAT" is but Duvall SUCKS... no thanks.  Much rather have Martin get a shot. 

Unless we get a quality level OF'r back in a deal there is no point. Spending 5 mil for a Mendosa line OF would be stupid spending. 

MAT   are you serious . . .   Michael A Taylor

[PseudoSABR]

7 minutes ago, specialiststeve said:

Not sure who "MAT" is but Duvall SUCKS... no thanks.  Much rather have Martin get a shot. 

Unless we get a quality level OF'r back in a deal there is no point. Spending 5 mil for a Mendosa line OF would be stupid spending. 

[darin617]

6 minutes ago, specialiststeve said:

Not sure who "MAT" is but Duvall SUCKS... no thanks.  Much rather have Martin get a shot. 

Unless we get a quality level OF'r back in a deal there is no point. Spending 5 mil for a Mendosa line OF would be stupid spending. 

So you are a Twins fan and MAT doesn't mean anything to you?  wow. so sad. also, what makes Duvall so bad? I hate guys that hit 21 hrs.

[PseudoSABR]

6 minutes ago, Brett said:

Maybe we’re going with 4 starters and 10 in the bullpen. Starters go 4 innings, then 5 one-inning relievers in a row.

Yes, I’m kidding. Please. Somebody tell me I must be joking.

 

[singlesoverwalks]

So the Twins are now thin in center field. Assuming we don't have some legit reason to believe that Buxton is going to make 100 starts there this year, our best options are:

- Willi Castro, who is good as a switch-hitting utility player, but would definitely be over-exposed as a starter, especially against right-handed starters. Bad plan.

- Play Kepler in center, Wallner becomes the everyday right fielder, and call up Larnach to play left? This only works if Larnach figures it out this year, and even then, they're all lefty hitters. This is a less attractive  plan than Castro.

- Call up Austin Martin - an unproven right-handed bat who wasn't great in AAA last year, but can play center and second. I'd rank this as a better chance of working out than Larnach because Martin is a right-handed bat with more upside (at this point), but still not as good as Castro for a team trying to make the playoffs.

-Sign a right-handed-hitting free agent. Per the Fangraphs free agent tracker, right-handed center fielders who could be had for less than $10 million per year include Michael A. Taylor (2 years, $14 million), Adam Duvall (1 year, $8 million), Randall Grichuk (cheap), and Tim? Locastro (CHEAP). This is the best plan assuming we've only got a little bit of money to spend, especially if it's one of the first two guys.

- Sign Cody Bellinger. This would be a Correa-like stroke: an estimated 6 years, $144 million. Bellinger hits left-handed, but he's almost as good against lefties as righties for his career, and in 2023 he was better against lefties. This would be the Pohlads reinvesting the new TV money in the team and making the most of our window. Our world changes drastically. We start talking about trading Kirilloff for pitching. I'm hoping for this. Hope springs eternal.

 

 

[specialiststeve]

6 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

MAT   are you serious . . .   Michael A Taylor

He was nice last year ... would be fine with him coming back as a "cheap" alternative. Doesn't help our corner RH bat situation but given Buxton is so Brittle.. 

[Mike Sixel]

I don't need another mediocre veteran. Just cycle thru Martin and others in the minors until one sticks. Kepler isn't playing center.

[specialiststeve]

Quote

- Sign Cody Bellinger. This would be a Correa-like stroke: an estimated 6 years, $144 million. Bellinger hits left-handed, but he's almost as good against lefties as righties for his career, and in 2023 he was better against lefties. This would be the Pohlads reinvesting the new TV money in the team and making the most of our window. Our world changes drastically. We start talking about trading Kirilloff for pitching. I'm hoping for this. Hope springs eternal.RE

5 years 125... deal done. Not happening but... would look REALLY good in CF. Would be and could also be a 1B option in the next few years if the young guys don't get it done. 

[rwilfong86]

I like this trade, Gordon didn't really have a position and the bullpen could use another lefty. 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

Bellinger is a pipe dream.   I truly think MAT is the final move.   Get your defensive backup,  unless you really trust Martin to be on the big league team.  

[wabene]

Looks like Okert has been used for between 50 & 60 innings a year. Last year he started out poorly through his first 5 appearances in April, then got hot. He did then decline every month as the season wore on. Does he routinely wear down? Even only pitching less than 60 innings? With the bullpen depth they have they shouldn't have to ride him hard. The strikeouts look good. 

 

[PseudoSABR]

13 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I don't need another mediocre veteran. Just cycle thru Martin and others in the minors until one sticks. Kepler isn't playing center.

No one like replacement level players (though the names mentioned are better than that), until they realize that their system is full of far below replacement level players along with the pixie-dust hope prospects.  

[PseudoSABR]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

Bellinger is a pipe dream.   I truly think MAT is the final move.   Get your defensive backup,  unless you really trust Martin to be on the big league team.  

Is there any depth beyond Martin/Castro?  That's my fear, Buxton getting hurt, one of those two getting plugged in, struggling, with zero depth behind them

[lecroy24fan]

17 minutes ago, specialiststeve said:

He was nice last year ... would be fine with him coming back as a "cheap" alternative. Doesn't help our corner RH bat situation but given Buxton is so Brittle.. 

Actually he would be a perfect fit for corner OF if Buxton plays more than not in CF. He is above average defensively no matter where he plays in the OF.

[USAFChief]

Best use of Gordon. Well done.

[Jocko87]

20 minutes ago, PseudoSABR said:

 

Fangraphs has the bullpen projected #1 in the AL, #2 overall.  The starters are projected as #2 in the AL, #5 overall.  An established #1 or #2 is very expensive but 3-4 innings of Ryan/Ober/Paddack backed by a dominant bullpen is another feasible way to do it.  It would have been my plan at the deadline last year, load the pen.

They'll pitch just fine, even if its a less traditional way.  The season will ride on the bats.  A RH slugger would be great but they really need the in house bats to produce at level.  A RH bat should be cheaper at the deadline anyway. 

[singlesoverwalks]

25 minutes ago, singlesoverwalks said:

So the Twins are now thin in center field. Assuming we don't have some legit reason to believe that Buxton is going to make 100 starts there this year, our best options are:

One more possibility would be a right-handed hitting corner outfielder, allowing Kepler to be a backup center fielder. This could be Whit Merrifield, who probably costs about the same as Taylor. I think Michael A. Taylor is the better player at this point, but Merrifield hits well against lefties and can still sort of play second - so he could be a good platoon option with Julien. If Buxton is injured, Kepler starts in center, Julien at second, and Wallner in right against righties, and it's like Castro, Merrifield, and Farmer against lefties. Not that bad.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

8 minutes ago, PseudoSABR said:

Is there any depth beyond Martin/Castro?  That's my fear, Buxton getting hurt, one of those two getting plugged in, struggling, with zero depth behind them

Prato and Kiersey are decent options as well, just not as well known.  Really helps if  Bubba Thompson passes through waivers.  Gives another option.  Right now Options are what the Twins are trying to create.   

[Nashvilletwin]

Excellent trade for the Twins. I had thought that Gordon was going to have spring training to essentially audition for a new club.  This trade eliminates any risk of a bad spring and reduced value.

Love the deep bullpen strategy. It’s a big part of how small/mid-markets teams can compete in this day and age.

A RH OF bat surely has to be coming.  At the moment we really only have four OFs on the roster, plus three untested possible call-ups: Larnach (who is also LHed), Martin and Keirsey.  Theoretically, Kiriloff could play corner OF as well.

I wouldn’t rule out Soler still, may be on a two year deal with an opt out after one. CF depth would be Buxton, Castro, and Martin (awaiting call up in St. Paul). Corner depth is Kepler, Wallner and Soler (who can also DH).  

[sweetmusicviola16]

Getting Okert for Gordon shows that Gordon does have value.

[Otaknam]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

LOL,  for a team that has just kind of thrown a bullpen together,  we seem to want to try to build an elite bullpen by accumulating as many options as possible.  Not sure how we can carry them all.  

The shuttle to St. Paul will be busy this year, especially if the starters can’t go six innings consistently. This guy will likely be riding it. 

[beckmt]

52 minutes ago, notoriousgod71 said:

Castro still should not be the primary center fielder for the 100+ games we'll need someone out there.

That will probably wind up being Martin

[CRF]

I think there has to be a RH bat in our future. At least I hope so. Wonder who it'll be. 

[singlesoverwalks]

12 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

Bellinger is a pipe dream.   I truly think MAT is the final move.   Get your defensive backup,  unless you really trust Martin to be on the big league team.  

Oh yeah, I think if we're projecting what the team is going to do, Michael A. Taylor is probably the best we can hope for. But if we're talking about what they should do, it's Bellinger. They do - for the record - owe the fans for all the money we've given them over the decades, including via stadium taxes.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

6 minutes ago, singlesoverwalks said:

Oh yeah, I think if we're projecting what the team is going to do, Michael A. Taylor is probably the best we can hope for. But if we're talking about what they should do, it's Bellinger. They do - for the record - owe the fans for all the money we've given them over the decades, including via stadium taxes.

200 million for a player who has had 2 good seasons out of the last 5 with sub mendoza years thrown in, does not sound like a good use of that money.  

[Jocko87]

3 minutes ago, singlesoverwalks said:

Oh yeah, I think if we're projecting what the team is going to do, Michael A. Taylor is probably the best we can hope for. But if we're talking about what they should do, it's Bellinger. They do - for the record - owe the fans for all the money we've given them over the decades, including via stadium taxes.

 

Nevermind Bellinger isn't a good fit, nobody owes you chit.

[PseudoSABR]

Obligatory, but meaningless.