Minnesota Twins Acquire Outfielder Manuel Margot from Dodgers in 3-Player Trade

[tony&rodney]

The Dodgers like Kike apparently and didn't think Margot could make their team and were looking for a team to save them a few million. Deal done.

[darin617]

3 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Ugh, dislike.

I don't care about Miller, he was never going to hit enough, but this just clogs up the 26-man roster. Now the only offensive players with options, are the ones who shouldn't be optioned. Margot and Santana have shut down the Minneapolis-St. Paul taxi service. Roster flexibility is pretty much crippled; they better pray that 2023 wasn't an outlier year for Kepler and Santana and that it was for Vazquez.

I'll give them credit for getting a player without strikeout issues though. Better decision than signing Taylor or Duval from my perspective.

Margot has been battling knee issues as well as Buxton. So not sure what they really did here to improve the team. Now we wait and see what MAT & Duvall sign for before we know how this deal looks. The prospect from LA is a step up over Miller.

[Twinsgypsy]

This was a good deal for both sides. In addition,  Noah Miller was not going to make the Twins roster with all the talent they have in the middle infield positions.    He is recognized as one of the best minor league fielding SS. However, he has yet to show the needed ability to develop as a hitter.   I feel that he has a good chance to develop as hitter with the Dodgers.  They are known to have a pretty good player development when it comes to hitting.  Another good move by the FO to try to make the team better.   Should be an interesting Spring & Summer.   They can be a very good team if they can stay healthy and can continue to help the pitchers develop.    

[DocBauer]

28 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

This is basically where I'm at.  I would have preferred the last spot have options but these things tend to work themselves out.  Just like last year, the rookies will have to break down the door and I'm fine with that.  It's quite a lot to expect Martin to do what Margot will be able to do his first taste of the bigs.  This is supposed to be a championship roster, not a rookie training ground.

To that end, while I agree all the guys with options are guy we would not want to see optioned this is a year where if Kirriloff struggles he goes down.  Wallner or Julien might see some slump time, who knows.  Depth is good and if everyone is beating down the door both Margot and Santana are easy flips at the deadline.

As for Miller, if he can't hit a lick at A ball the glove doesn't matter.  He's behind-well, a whole lot of guys.  I was going to list them but I'm lazy and that's a lot of work.  Please don't be sad for his departure.

This is part of the plan. Draft tons of middle infielders and don't worry about a future fit, they are trade candidates.  Hell, we might be in a spot where the infield is set for 5 years. Whatever will we do to find a spot for Ben Ross?

Or Schobel? Or Keaschall?

[Blyleven2011]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Not in the way you suggest.

Miller was rated as a 2nd-3rd rounder during the draft. Is the attachment to him because he was a 1st round pick (that was a reach) or because he's a local guy from Wisconsin?

 

I wasn't suggesting  anything ...

 

I stated the trade will come down to  Miller for doncon , plus one year of Margot  , no way the twins pick up the option  cause they don't have to pay the opt out of 2 million ,,, 

If you read Roger's post , I was basically responding to that , he didn't like the trade ...

I have nothing against it ...

 

[Jim wyllie]

Not necessarily a bad trade but don't see the positive considering Margot and Buxton both have had trouble staying healthy its likely one of them will be on the IL by the end of april

[sweetmusicviola16]

1 hour ago, PseudoSABR said:

This is sarcasm right?

He has an opinion. I can't say I disagree with him at all on Margot. We didn't need him. As for the Miller Doncon swap, I liked Miller a lot too. I don't like losing him. I hope Doncon makes good on this deal.

[lukeduke1980]

I take the trade as an indicator on the Buxton plan, probably 50 games in CF.  Castro 30, Margot 80.  Buxton DHs for the other 50.  Heavy DH early.  Hopefully Buxton plays 150 in CF but not likely. 

[Beast]

Stupid move.  Margot stinks.  You can get a backup outfielder to play decent defense and not hit a lick for a song.  We have one that’s rotting in the minors (the centerpiece of another fantastic trade).  

We gave up an elite defensive SS just to not pay a backup OFer a few million.  And people are happy about this.

This is an awful move even if Noah Miller doesn’t find his bat. 

 

[South Dakota Tom]

Getting a solid ML player for $4M that is coming off a couple of mediocre seasons marred by knee injuries who makes contact as a 4th OF is a good get.  He’s RH. Plays all 3 spots. Can play CF everyday if needed (assuming his knees are better).  We have 5 solid big leaguers as bench/DH with lots of flexibility in the roster to mix and match and give days off with minimal decline in team production.  
I do get the arguments about blocking prospects but don’t see any of them as mandatory adds right out of the gate.  I think 1-13 this is a great mix of young and old, multi-positional ball players with great upside and an improved baseline.  This team stays healthy and they are rock solid on the position player side.  Other than “Martin comes up and shoves from day one” I haven’t read a post claiming a better deal than MMargot to fill this hole for that money.

[Riverbrian]

 

Short Side Platoon to pair with our young left handed hitting outfielders. Wasn't hard to guess that the Twins were going to search for this guy. 

Someone who can play CF because we will need someone who can play CF. Wasn't hard to guess that the Twins were going to search for that guy. 

Doesn't strike out a lot and he can steal a base. Those are a couple of nice features. 

We should have all known that another player was coming to address the short side platoon.

Here he is. The guy who makes the opening day roster all pretty with that platoon right/left balance. 

Another thought I have. In consideration of the timing this trade and Kike signing with the Dodgers.

I can't help but wonder if the Twins were close to signing Kike... prompting the Dodgers to pick up the phone and interest the Twins in someone else while clearing roster space to sign Kike themselves.

I don't know of course but the timing suggests a plausible hypothesis. The Dodgers had Kike before and they know how to utilize his versatility... while Margot is OF only. Just a thought. 

[karcherd]

1 hour ago, Jocko87 said:

Depth is good and if everyone is beating down the door both Margot and Santana are easy flips at the deadline.

This management does not do this unless we are having a losing season.  Wallner should have been up two months earlier last year, but Gallo was blocking him.  Miranda earned his shot in 2022, remember he was untouchable at the trade deadline, last year he was hurt.  The Twins want mediocre veterans and this is not a sustainable winning model.  You have to develop players, not keep bringing in low ceiling veterans to block the way of higher ceiling players.  

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Boy, you don't look at the news for one day and the Twins make a trade! 

There are plenty of things to like about this deal.  Here is how I see the various factions of it. 

#1.  The straight up trade of Miller for Doncon is probably OK in and of itself.  Doncon is younger with more offensive upside.  Miller may have an MLB glove but right now his bat is nowhere to be found.  That may change, but it hasn't happened yet.  Besides that, we don't need a SS for awhile, so having a younger prospect is more useful/valuable to us than having one closer to the majors. 

#2. Margot is a decent 4th outfielder.  He's not someone to get excessively excited about.  Definitely a step above Garlick, Cave, etc., but a good insurance policy that can play all three OF positions and hit enough to keep a job. 

#3. Prospect Blocking.  Margo blocks Martin in the same way that DeSclafani blocks Varland.  If we give Martin the job, we have no backup plan at AAA with upside.  In the same way that there is value in having Varland in AAA, there is value in having Martin there.  DeSclafani is the fifth starter because it allows them to keep both him and Varland (who will be at AAA).  If Varland is the fifth starter they have nothing to do with DeSclafani. 

#4. Player Development. This move tells me that they weren't ready to give Martin a job and want him to have some additional healthy time in AAA.  They don't want him playing twice a week coming off the bench for the Twins, but would rather he played nearly everyday in St. Paul.  This is true if they see him as a future important piece or if they want to trade him midseason.  IF he's ripping it up in St. Paul, his trade value could go up a lot.

#5.  Setting the floor.  We've seen this move a lot of times.  Margot's floor is higher (or more consistent) than Martin's.  Even though Martin's ceiling is higher, he is less of a sure thing. 

#5.  Midseason moves.  Santana, DeSclafani, and Margot are easy trade-aways at the deadline IF you no longer need them and could be filler for a more substantial trade move for a starting pitcher. 

Your mileage may vary, but I think it's a decent move. 

[David HK]

No, just, no.  Too high a price for "Buxton insurance."

Me no like.

[JD-TWINS]

4 hours ago, DocBauer said:

While I'm not a fan of losing the potential of Miller, I actually like this deal. Not having cash coming back, and not having the young prospect coming back, I would have liked this deal less.

Miller has got a ML glove right now. But there are still real questions about the bat, though that's not unusual for a young 20-21yo kid in A ball. Doncon has primarily played SS so far in his brief career...80 games there....and a split of 52 and 45 games between 2B and 3B. He appears to have some speed (SB ability) as well as XB power. Unfortunately, his actual hitting took a down turn in 2023 after an OK stateside debut in 2022. But the Dodgers are pretty good at finding and signing talent, so while he's a long way from MLB, I don't think this is just a dismissive flier.

Margot is no stud, but he's a balance of Taylor vs Duvall/Pham. Instead of adding a RH bat that could play either CF with speed and some power, OR a corner OF with bigger power, they end up with a player who gives the ability to play all 3 spots and is a little bit of a mix of all options, with speed and at least a little power. He's only a 91 OPS+ for his career, which is not great, when facing RHP. But he's got a career 119 OPS+ against LHP.

Do I like or hate that we traded a prospect that's a bit risky, but offers some potentially high reward, for what is probably a 1yr deal? Well, he fills a need for this year that I like a heck of a lot better than any Kiki Hernandez possibility, and he doesn't block anyone going forward. But unless there's some more $ coming back to help cover his 2025 option, he's a 1 and done. That part I'm not totally happy with, but then again, he's not blocking anyone going forward, and we got an interesting prospect back that I don't think we should easily dismissed. 

I still think I would have just signed Duvall or Pham for 1yr and $5-7M...if possible...rather than go this route. But Margot really does check off a few different boxes. 

IMO, really needed to add for CF 1st and then able to play corner OF as needed.

Pham never fit the bill for me. Duvall seemed reasonable at $8-$9M……21 HR in 90+ ballgames last year.

Taylor had to have been stuck on more than one year or on some elevated salary expectation? Would have thought that each party would have pursued each other. Surely, he wanted more than last year’s $4.5M but l am surprised that the two parties couldn’t finalize anything.

[JD-TWINS]

24 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

 

Short Side Platoon to pair with our young left handed hitting outfielders. Wasn't hard to guess that the Twins were going to search for this guy. 

Someone who can play CF because we will need someone who can play CF. Wasn't hard to guess that the Twins were going to search for that guy. 

Doesn't strike out a lot and he can steal a base. Those are a couple of nice features. 

We should have all known that another player was coming to address the short side platoon.

Here he is. The guy who makes the opening day roster all pretty with that platoon right/left balance. 

Another thought I have. In consideration of the timing this trade and Kike signing with the Dodgers.

I can't help but wonder if the Twins were close to signing Kike... prompting the Dodgers to pick up the phone and interest the Twins in someone else while clearing roster space to sign Kike themselves.

I don't know of course but the timing suggests a plausible hypothesis. The Dodgers had Kike before and they know how to utilize his versatility... while Margot is OF only. Just a thought. 

No point in considering Kike’s fate as a Twin or anywhere, he won’t help anyone. 75 & 74 OPS+ the past 2 seasons.

[jkcarew]

4 hours ago, snellman said:

It looks to me like they wanted an OF that could play all 3 spots.  If Buxton goes down (or when like in the past). I think Martin takes the larger role in CF.

 

Maybe. But I’m doubtful. If they like Martin that much in CF, I would have thought they’d went for more of a bat-first guy…a guy with more upside/power offensively. But, I’m speculating, of coarse.

[h2oface]

If there was a transfer portal in MLB, half the farm would sign up. To block guys that are 25,26,27 for a mediocre player like Margot that gets paid 5 times they do (in Twins money, 10 times total) ....... why stick around if you didn't have to. And another first rounder (kinda anyway, CB-A #36 overall 2021) in Miller that basically was a waste of time now. Development, eh? Yawn. This is the year for very unexciting moves. 

Uber rich people are not like us. They are the cheapest people in the world until they want a friend, or have a passion. Obviously, owning the baseball team and wanting to give the fans a consistent chance of winning is not a passion for Pohlad(s).

Dodgers signed Kiké for $4 mil, less Twins $ than we will pay for Margot, and with no trade.

[JD-TWINS]

21 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Boy, you don't look at the news for one day and the Twins make a trade! 

There are plenty of things to like about this deal.  Here is how I see the various factions of it. 

#1.  The straight up trade of Miller for Doncon is probably OK in and of itself.  Doncon is younger with more offensive upside.  Miller may have an MLB glove but right now his bat is nowhere to be found.  That may change, but it hasn't happened yet.  Besides that, we don't need a SS for awhile, so having a younger prospect is more useful/valuable to us than having one closer to the majors. 

#2. Margot is a decent 4th outfielder.  He's not someone to get excessively excited about.  Definitely a step above Garlick, Cave, etc., but a good insurance policy that can play all three OF positions and hit enough to keep a job. 

#3. Prospect Blocking.  Margo blocks Martin in the same way that DeSclafani blocks Varland.  If we give Martin the job, we have no backup plan at AAA with upside.  In the same way that there is value in having Varland in AAA, there is value in having Martin there.  DeSclafani is the fifth starter because it allows them to keep both him and Varland (who will be at AAA).  If Varland is the fifth starter they have nothing to do with DeSclafani. 

#4. Player Development. This move tells me that they weren't ready to give Martin a job and want him to have some additional healthy time in AAA.  They don't want him playing twice a week coming off the bench for the Twins, but would rather he played nearly everyday in St. Paul.  This is true if they see him as a future important piece or if they want to trade him midseason.  IF he's ripping it up in St. Paul, his trade value could go up a lot.

#5.  Setting the floor.  We've seen this move a lot of times.  Margot's floor is higher (or more consistent) than Martin's.  Even though Martin's ceiling is higher, he is less of a sure thing. 

#5.  Midseason moves.  Santana, DeSclafani, and Margot are easy trade-aways at the deadline IF you no longer need them and could be filler for a more substantial trade move for a starting pitcher. 

Your mileage may vary, but I think it's a decent move. 

Getting Margot is not flashy but he’s a solid, experienced OF from a good organization & he has playoff experience. Pretty decent v. LH pitching.

Can’t sweat every traded young guy! If he had a Gold Glove, the FO knew about it!! The talent evaluators obviously didn’t think his offensive upside was going to come to fruition. Period.

Margot - Vazquez - Santana - Farmer are a good cross section of vets providing depth for the up & coming young nucleus. These 4 with Correa - Kepler - Buxton provide a very stable group for success.

Also, a number of vets in the Pen …….very professional team overall. (Okert - Jackson - Topa - Stewart - Thielbar are all guys in their 30’s)

[jkcarew]

2 hours ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

I don't agree with that take.  He had .823 OPS in August of last year and effectively helped lead the team to the championship last year.  The question is can he continue to improve is plate discipline as he did last year.   An .800 OPS player with his defense is a very valuable piece.  

A guy with a 644 minor league OPS over 1100 PA is going to be an 800 OPS guy in the majors?? If the Twins shared this opinion, I can guarantee you they would not have traded him…not for this guy anyway.

[LA Vikes Fan]

43 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Boy, you don't look at the news for one day and the Twins make a trade! 

There are plenty of things to like about this deal.  Here is how I see the various factions of it. 

#1.  The straight up trade of Miller for Doncon is probably OK in and of itself.  Doncon is younger with more offensive upside.  Miller may have an MLB glove but right now his bat is nowhere to be found.  That may change, but it hasn't happened yet.  Besides that, we don't need a SS for awhile, so having a younger prospect is more useful/valuable to us than having one closer to the majors. 

#2. Margot is a decent 4th outfielder.  He's not someone to get excessively excited about.  Definitely a step above Garlick, Cave, etc., but a good insurance policy that can play all three OF positions and hit enough to keep a job. 

#3. Prospect Blocking.  Margo blocks Martin in the same way that DeSclafani blocks Varland.  If we give Martin the job, we have no backup plan at AAA with upside.  In the same way that there is value in having Varland in AAA, there is value in having Martin there.  DeSclafani is the fifth starter because it allows them to keep both him and Varland (who will be at AAA).  If Varland is the fifth starter they have nothing to do with DeSclafani. 

#4. Player Development. This move tells me that they weren't ready to give Martin a job and want him to have some additional healthy time in AAA.  They don't want him playing twice a week coming off the bench for the Twins, but would rather he played nearly everyday in St. Paul.  This is true if they see him as a future important piece or if they want to trade him midseason.  IF he's ripping it up in St. Paul, his trade value could go up a lot.

#5.  Setting the floor.  We've seen this move a lot of times.  Margot's floor is higher (or more consistent) than Martin's.  Even though Martin's ceiling is higher, he is less of a sure thing. 

#5.  Midseason moves.  Santana, DeSclafani, and Margot are easy trade-aways at the deadline IF you no longer need them and could be filler for a more substantial trade move for a starting pitcher. 

Your mileage may vary, but I think it's a decent move. 

I think this is the best analysis despite all of the hysteria. I understand the issue of blocking prospects like Varland (good example, he may really be MLB ready), and Martin (hasn't shown yet but may be MLB ready by mid-season, I think needs more time in AAA). Yet I think the Twins are contenders and that's why a guy like Margot makes a lot more sense than Martin. 

With respect to the prospects, I think we have to recognize where the Twins are as a team. We supposedly are division favorites and I think contenders to go deep in the playoffs. Manuel Margot fits well as a 4th OF on that team.  If, on the other hand your view is that the Twins might win the division since its fairly weak but are really a pretender in the playoffs, then Margot makes a lot less sense; it would make more sense to give those ABs to a guy that you wanted ready to go when we are really ready to contend like Martin. So, pick your contention window. If it's open this year, Margot is the right choice. If that window doesn't open until 2025 or 2026, play Martin.   

BTW, the thing that should tip the balance on the trade is the prospect swap. Doncon looks as good or better than Miller, but who knows? I think we do know that its at least a close call. 

[Aerodeliria]

Uhmm...gosh, more of nothing...or actually worse than that. Dodgers are smiling on this one. The potential for Miller is super high. If he can hit .230-.240 in the bigs, he's a SS for years.

Hip-hip hurrah for the Twins management....At least they have been honest about gutting their own team. Detroit keeps looking better and better as the days pass. I wish I had been wrong about their direction, but they announced it, so you gotta believe.

[awmonahan]

Margot is a versatile outfielder who typically hits ok. He's also another guy with a good clubhouse reputation. Right in line with what the FO has been up to.

[saviking]

5 hours ago, danielp19653 said:

Don't love it, Margot was worth -5 runs in CF so not really a great option when we have plenty of other options that can play there in the minors. the 80 OPS+ against lefties (Edit: last year) certainly doesn't offer a lot of hope as a platoon option. I don't know if Noah Miller ever ends up helping the MLB roster with the infielders we have but I don't see Margot helping either. Especially if the Dodgers aren't picking up almost his entire salary.

I agree. Taylor is a much better outfielder with more pop in his bat. Margot doesn't hit for average, limited power and doesn't have a very good on base percentage. I don't get it .. 

[JD-TWINS]

2 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

This is basically where I'm at.  I would have preferred the last spot have options but these things tend to work themselves out.  Just like last year, the rookies will have to break down the door and I'm fine with that.  It's quite a lot to expect Martin to do what Margot will be able to do his first taste of the bigs.  This is supposed to be a championship roster, not a rookie training ground.

To that end, while I agree all the guys with options are guy we would not want to see optioned this is a year where if Kirriloff struggles he goes down.  Wallner or Julien might see some slump time, who knows.  Depth is good and if everyone is beating down the door both Margot and Santana are easy flips at the deadline.

As for Miller, if he can't hit a lick at A ball the glove doesn't matter.  He's behind-well, a whole lot of guys.  I was going to list them but I'm lazy and that's a lot of work.  Please don't be sad for his departure.

This is part of the plan. Draft tons of middle infielders and don't worry about a future fit, they are trade candidates.  Hell, we might be in a spot where the infield is set for 5 years. Whatever will we do to find a spot for Ben Ross?

As my wife would say, OMG!! The revelation here that few at TD seem to value………”This is supposed to be a Championship Roster, not a rookie training ground.”

Total respect for the young core the Twins put on display!! Kirilloff - Julien - Wallner - Lewis - Jeffers……..Lee & Martin & Varland & Festa coming.

Vazquez - Castro - Farmer - Margot - Santana ……a group of Vets to guide the guys above.

To me, nobody is “blocked” if they can perform. Don’t recall the Twins stashing talent in AAA too often. FO will make appropriate moves if we have a glut……. i.e. Arraez & Polanco no longer being part of our string of 2B capable at Major League level.

The Yankees have Torres - Rizzo - Judge - Lamahiue - Verdugo - Soto ……..last year starting Volpe as a rookie was a big deal.

Betts - Freeman - Heyward - Muncy - T. Hernandez - Ohtani ………Outman played in CF last year and has excelled. As a rule, they keep adding Vets to Win!

[DocBauer]

56 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

IMO, really needed to add for CF 1st and then able to play corner OF as needed.

Pham never fit the bill for me. Duvall seemed reasonable at $8-$9M……21 HR in 90+ ballgames last year.

Taylor had to have been stuck on more than one year or on some elevated salary expectation? Would have thought that each party would have pursued each other. Surely, he wanted more than last year’s $4.5M but l am surprised that the two parties couldn’t finalize anything.

Not disagreeing on CF as a need. I've just been torn all offseason what they needed more since they only had room to add ONE:

1] A viable CF who can cover for Buxton and help the offense from the bottom of the order, more than likely. Or...

2] Add the power bat like Duvall or Pham and trust Castro with some CF backup duty, knowing you have Martin sitting at AAA waiting, and Helman and Keirsey as non 40 man options that could be added if and when necessary. 

So I began to lean toward the power bat, particularly Duvall as he's neutral on splits and could play daily if someone goes down. 

And we'll never know what conversations took place behind closed doors. But I agree you would have thought Taylor and Duvall would have recognized opportunity with a good ball club like the Twins, as well as their current unemployment situation, and been banging on the Twins door for a job at $5-8M for 1yr. Seems like a disconnect on someone's part.

But I do like that Margot kind of fills both rolls, especially if his knee feels good for 2024, even if he's less of a pure power threat than Duvall.

[JD-TWINS]

1 minute ago, DocBauer said:

Not disagreeing on CF as a need. I've just been torn all offseason what they needed more since they only had room to add ONE:

1] A viable CF who can cover for Buxton and help the offense from the bottom of the order, more than likely. Or...

2] Add the power bat like Duvall or Pham and trust Castro with some CF backup duty, knowing you have Martin sitting at AAA waiting, and Helman and Keirsey as non 40 man options that could be added if and when necessary. 

So I began to lean toward the power bat, particularly Duvall as he's neutral on splits and could play daily if someone goes down. 

And we'll never know what conversations took place behind closed doors. But I agree you would have thought Taylor and Duvall would have recognized opportunity with a good ball club like the Twins, as well as their current unemployment situation, and been banging on the Twins door for a job at $5-8M for 1yr. Seems like a disconnect on someone's part.

But I do like that Margot kind of fills both rolls, especially if his knee feels good for 2024, even if he's less of a pure power threat than Duvall.

I liked Duvall the best - just didn’t like Pham due to defensive limitations.

I think Castro will start 80 games in CF v. RH pitching. Margot, to me, is the #3 guy in CF. Buxton has good reverse splits so he probably starts in 45 games v. RH pitching in CF. Margot gets games there with injury or he’s in LF v. LH pitching……also, plays LF when Wallner shifts to RF to rest Kepler 20 games. Margot also gets time in CF if it makes sense to move Castro mid-game for some strategic reason.

[DocBauer]

13 minutes ago, saviking said:

I agree. Taylor is a much better outfielder with more pop in his bat. Margot doesn't hit for average, limited power and doesn't have a very good on base percentage. I don't get it .. 

Actually Margot has Taylor beat on career BA, OB%, and career OPS. Taylor has a slightly better SLG% by very small 4 points. 

Defensively, Margot has been very good previously. He's battled a knee issue as of late, but had 13 defensive runs saved as recently as 2021. If his knee is good for 2024, we're talking very similar defense.

As far as K %, Taylor has a career K% and Margot sits at 18%. 

Again, if his knee is ready to go, the Twins grabbed a SLIGHTLY better bat, who K's 10% less, who is very comparable defensively.

[JYTwinsFan]

Reading a lot of the comments on this trade, I'm a little surprised by the reaction. A lot of people are overthinking this and reading too much into it.

1) The Twins just signed a right handed 4th outfielder for $4mm. That was gonna happen one way or the other. None of the signings were going to be exciting, All of the options were gonna be in that range if the Twins were to get them. The upside here is that he can play center, which not all of the options out there could, he is controllable in 2025 if they want him, and zero cost if they don't, and he's 29, significantly younger most of the other options. So...plus.

2) They traded a mid 20s ranked prospect for a different kind of mid 20s ranked prospect. Both are young enough and unproven enough that anything could happen. The upside here is that he fits the organizational need better and he's younger so his rep is less set in stone whereas Miller's is starting to develop (all glove, no bat). So...plus.

Ready to move on and play ball.

[arby58]

6 hours ago, LewFordLives said:

Yeah, it's odd. Maybe Duvall and Taylor wanted too much?  I don't know.  They are certainly better players than Margot. 

Margot is 29, Duvall is 35 and Taylor will be 33 this month. Margot has 12.2 WAR in 7 seasons, Duvall 11.9 in 12 seasons, and Taylor 11.3 in 9 seasons. "Certainly better" isn't looking all that certain.