What's the Verdict on Previous Twins Trade Deadline Sell-Offs?

[Greggory Masterson]

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images

There’s no real reason to believe that the Twins won’t sell, at least a little bit. You’ve read enough stories here detailing why, who is available, what the Twins could expect in return, yadda yadda.

If you’ve been reading Twins Daily for a while, you’ll also probably know how these articles work—this is the eighth I’ve written in the last 25 months. Below, I’ve listed the 14 times the Twins have sold at the deadline since 2017, Derek Falvey’s first year controlling the team. I’ve roughly ordered them from highest quality to lowest quality, preferring trades that bring back big-league players, even if the Twins didn’t get their money’s worth. You can argue over it if you want.

After getting feedback on these, I’ve slightly altered the format of the information given. I’ve listed player stats: innings pitched or plate appearances, ERA+ or OPS+, and Baseball Reference WAR. For Minnesota’s return (e.g., Joe Ryan). I listed their performance as a Twin first. For the other team’s return (e.g., Nelson Cruz), I listed their performance through whatever team control Minnesota had at that time first. I want to compare what the Twins got out of the deal against the overall value they sent out.

For Twins players, mostly prospects, this excludes value they accumulated elsewhere (e.g., Zack Littell in Tampa), even if they were still on the contract they had with the Twins. For other teams’ players (e.g., Ryan Pressly), I have highlighted what they did on the contract they were on with the Twins, even if they finished the contract with another team, to note the value given up. However, I do not count anything after the player signs an extension. Complain in the comments if you don’t think it’s fair.

I also attempted to add as much context as concisely possible, because stats don’t tell the whole story.

1. 7/22/21: Minnesota acquires Joe Ryan* (587 IP, 114 ERA+, 11.0 bWAR), Drew Strotman (did not reach Minnesota) from Tampa Bay for Nelson Cruz (238 PA, 101 OPS+, 0.4 bWAR), Calvin Faucher (138.2 IP, 94 ERA+, 0.3 bWAR under team control; 47 IP, 64 ERA+, -0.8 bWAR for the Rays), +10.3 bWAR for Minnesota.
This one hurt, as Cruz was a fan favorite and the leader of the greatest power offense in baseball history, but it’s turned out better than most could imagine. Although Strotman washed out of the organization in 2022, Ryan has emerged as a frontline starter who continues to improve. To get Ryan, the Twins gave up two months of Cruz, who was merely league-average for the Rays, and Faucher, who struggled in Tampa but is a nice piece in Miami’s pen after being traded there ahead of the 2024 season.

2. 7/27/18: Minnesota acquires Jhoan Duran* (230.2 IP, 170 ERA+, 7.2 bWAR), Ernie De La Trinidad (did not reach Minnesota), Gabriel Maciel (did not reach Minnesota) from Arizona for Eduardo Escobar (223 PA, 102 OPS+, 0.6 bWAR under team control; 1,544 PA, 102 OPS+, 6.2 bWAR for Arizona), 6.6 bWAR for Minnesota.
Escobar was a solid regular and fan favorite for the Twins on an expiring contract, and he signed a three-year extension with Arizona after the trade, continuing to be a contributor at multiple positions. De La Trinidad and Maciel are out of affiliated ball and on Oakland’s High-A team, respectively. Jhoan Duran debuted in 2022 and has been one of the more dominant closers in baseball ever since.

3. 7/30/21: Minnesota acquires Simeon Woods Richardson* (219.1 IP, 99 ERA+, 3.2 bWAR), Austin Martin* (257 PA, 89 OPS+, -1.0 bWAR) from Toronto for José Berríos* (242.1 IP, 85 ERA+, 0.9 bWAR under team control; 745.1 IP, 103 ERA+, 7.4 bWAR for the Blue Jays), +1.3 bWAR for Minnesota.
We’re years away from knowing for sure who won this trade, and it could get much better or much worse, hence its middling position in this ranking. José Berríos quickly signed a seven-year, $131-million extension with Toronto, but struggled mightily in 2022 before his extension kicked in. He’s been a solid No. 2 or 3 starter from 2023 to 2025, but the Twins had no intention of extending him. Woods Richardson had a bumpy ride in the majors, but has provided meaningful innings for two years. Martin, once a top prospect in baseball, stumbled in his first year of big-league action in 2024 and has not made it back to the show in 2025. There was an opportunity cost to this trade, as it netted two top-100 prospects but meant starting over a bit in the rotation.

4. 7/30/17: Minnesota acquires Zack Littell (63.2 IP, 99 ERA+, 0.2 bWAR for Minnesota; 538.1 IP, 108 ERA+, 7.2 bWAR under team control), Dietrich Enns (4.0 IP, 71 ERA+, -0.1 bWAR for Minnesota, 42.1 IP, 116 ERA+, 0.2 bWAR under team control) from New York (AL) for Jaime Garcia (37.1 IP, 94 ERA+, -0.1 bWAR), +0.0 bWAR for Minnesota.
After deciding that maybe they shouldn’t go for it, the Twins traded Jaime Garcia to New York and retained his salary. In return for 37 1/3 mediocre innings from Garcia, who retired the following year, Minnesota received Zack Littell and Dietrich Enns. Littell was a solid enough reliever for three years, until being designated for assignment after 2020, and he’s reinvented himself as a starter in Tampa. Enns has been unremarkable, pitching in 2017, 2021, and 2025 for three organizations.

5. 7/31/18: Minnesota acquires Logan Forsythe (205 PA, 81 OPS+, 0.2 bWAR), Luke Raley (did not reach Minnesota, 1,175 PA, 115 OPS+, 6.0 bWAR under team control), Devin Smeltzer (140 IP, 106 ERA+, 1.6 bWAR for the Twins; 162.1 IP, 74 ERA+, 1.4 bWAR under team control) from Los Angeles (NL) for Brian Dozier (170 PA, 77 OPS+, 0.1 bWAR), +1.7 bWAR for Minnesota.
Brian Dozier was on the wrong side of 30 and in the middle of a pedestrian year, after the Twins passed on better opportunities to cash in on his talents. Forsythe was acquired to finish the year in Dozier’s spot at second base, and Luke Raley was later traded back to LA in the Kenta Maeda trade. He’s since emerged as a solid bat for a few different teams. Devin Smeltzer was a feel-good story who filled a swingman role on some good Twins teams over four years.

6. 7/30/21: Minnesota acquires John Gant (33.2 IP, 76 ERA+, -0.3 bWAR), Evan Sisk (did not reach Minnesota; 5.1 IP, 259 ERA+, 0.1 bWAR under team control) from Cincinnati for J.A. Happ (54 IP, 98 ERA+, 0.5 bWAR), -0.8 bWAR for Minnesota.
This trade was a salary dump to salvage some money from Happ. Gant came over to offset some of the salary and fill a rotation slot, and he was not offered arbitration after the season. Evan Sisk was part of the trade that brought Michael A. Taylor to Minnesota for 2023. It was impressive to get anything of value in the trade, given Happ's struggles in Minnesota.

7. 7/28/18: Minnesota acquires Gilberto Celestino (409 PA, 70 OPS+, 0.2 bWAR), Jorge Alcala* (187.2 IP, 99 ERA+, 1.1 bWAR, 200.2 IP, 105 ERA+, 0.2 bWAR under team control) from Houston for Ryan Pressly* (77.2 IP, 243 ERA+, 3.0 bWAR under team control; 333 IP, 151 ERA+, 6.4 bWAR for the Astros), -1.7 bWAR for Minnesota.
One that got away, Pressly has made two All-Star Games in Houston since the trade, and the Astros extended him—though it was clear the Twins had no intention of doing the same. Alcala has shown flashes as a late-inning arm, but he has failed to provide any level of consistency and was traded earlier this year. Celestino was rushed to the majors in 2021 and has not seen success in MLB; he's now in the Mets system.

8. 7/30/18: Minnesota acquires Tyler Austin (141 PA, 110 OPS+, 0.3 bWAR), Luis Rijo (did not reach Minnesota) from New York (AL) for Lance Lynn (54.1 IP, 102 ERA+, 0.3 bWAR), +0.0 bWAR for Minnesota.
It was time for Lynn to go. The surly man did not perform in Minnesota, but he has been a quality, reliable pitcher outside of his four months in a Twins uniform. He just retired this spring. Rijo washed out of Minnesota's system after 2022, and Austin spent time at first base and designated hitter but was again traded in 2019, after C.J. Cron emerged as a better first baseman. It was good to get any big-league asset out of this trade.

9. 7/30/21: Minnesota acquires Alex Scherff (did not reach Minnesota) from Boston for Hansel Robles (25.0 IP, 131 ERA+, 0.5 bWAR under team control; 49.2 IP, 95 ERA+, -0.3 bWAR for Boston), -0.5 bWAR for Minnesota.
Robles had a rocky half-season in Minnesota as a setup man in a poor bullpen, so the team was never likely to get much of anything in return. Scherff is currently at Wichita, but his performance has not been anything to be excited about from a minor-league reliever.

10. 7/26/23: Minnesota acquires Dylan Floro (17.0 IP, 84 ERA+, 0.0 bWAR), from Miami for Jorge López (20.2 IP, 85 ERA+, 0.3 bWAR under team control; 11.2 IP, 52 ERA+, -0.5 bWAR for Miami), -0.3 bWAR for Minnesota.
After being acquired at the 2022 deadline to pair with Duran in the back of the Twins’ bullpen, López’s tenure started shaky and only got worse. By July the following year, the Twins sent him to Miami for Floro, who ate a few innings out of the pen and was cut late in the season. López was a functional reliever in 2024, but the Twins weren’t going to wait for that player to reappear. They seemed relieved to get anything for him in the first place.

11.  7/30/18: Minnesota acquires Chase De Jong (18.2 IP, 84 ERA+, 0.0 bWAR for the Twins; 181.0 IP, 78 ERA+, -0.1 bWAR under team control), Ryan Costello (did not reach Minnesota) from Seattle for Zach Duke (14.2 IP, 75 ERA+, 0.0 bWAR), +0.0 bWAR for Minnesota.
Duke was having a decent year as a middle reliever. For the last two months of 2018 Duke, the Twins got 18.2 innings of Chase De Jong, who had a good 2022 in Pittsburgh but has otherwise been unremarkable.

12. 7/31/17: Minnesota acquires Tyler Watson (did not reach Minnesota) from Washington for Brandon Kintzler (26.0 IP, 131 ERA+, 0.5 bWAR under team control; 68.2 IP, 123 ERA+, 1.2 bWAR for the Nationals), -0.5 bWAR for Minnesota.
Brandon Kintzler was a great story for the Twins, improbably rising to become an All-Star closer in 2017. The Twins traded him and his expiring contract for Watson, who never made the majors. Washington extended Kintzler on a two-year deal, but he was traded to the Cubs in 2018 for future Twin Jhon Romero.

13. 8/9/18: Minnesota acquires Dakota Chalmers (did not reach Minnesota), from Oakland for Fernando Rodney (20.2 IP, 108 ERA+, 0.2 bWAR under team control; 35.0 IP, 70 ERA+, -0.3 bWAR for Oakland), -0.2 bWAR for Minnesota.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Twins traded their closer at the deadline. Pulling an Oakland on Oakland, they got back righty Dakota Chalmers, a lottery ticket who struggled with command and is now in independent ball.

14. 7/30/21: Minnesota acquires Stevie Berman (did not reach Minnesota) from Los Angeles (NL) for Andrew Vasquez (63.2 IP, 104 ERA+, 0.6 bWAR under team control; 1.2 IP, 999 ERA+, 0.1 bWAR for the Dodgers), -0.6 bWAR for Minnesota.
Despite the excitement surrounding Andrew Vasquez as a prospect, he was never able to stick with Minnesota and was flipped for a depth catcher who was waived and is now in Toronto’s system.

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There you have it. How do you feel about the Twins’ prospects of gaining assets in trades this season? How much confidence do you have that this front office will bring in beneficial pieces? History is one of our best guides; listen closely to what it's telling us.

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[Major League Ready]

What strikes me most is that they have rarely traded away players that would be expected to return players of any consequence.  The return on good players has been very good.  This year they have a number of good (not great) players expiring.  What is the expectation for expiring players like Casto / Bader / Coulombe and Paddack?  I saw a couple posts suggesting prospects that had a 50 FV which seems high.  What should we expect?

[LewFordLives]

No mention of the disastrous 2022 trade deadline?  

CES, Hajjar, and Steer for Tyler Mahle

Yennier Cano and Cade Povich for Jorge Lopez

Also Gipson-Long to the Tigers for Fulmer

 

EDIT: I STAND CORRECTED. AS NOTED BELOW, THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT WHEN THE TWINS WERE SELLERS.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

I tried some cursory searches, but did not have any luck. Has there been any research done on deadline deals in MLB as a whole and how effective they have been, both short term and long term?

Looking at this article, I see trade wins, trade losses, and a whole bunch of neutral transactions. Before the dumping on the FO begins, I am curious to know how they have performed in comparison to their peers or the league in general.

The other comment I wanted to make was when looking at the moves in hindsight, most/all need to be taken in context. These players were moved because they were not going to paid in the future by MN. Pressly and Berrios are great examples here. The Twins were not going to pay them, so they moved them for something, as opposed to letting them walk and get nothing (not even a flier) in return. 

[FlyingFinn]

3 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

No mention of the disastrous 2022 trade deadline?  

That wasn't a sell-off. We were buyers and many people have problems with our buying decisions.

[LewFordLives]

2 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

That wasn't a sell-off. We were buyers and many people have problems with our buying decisions.

Got it. I guess it does say that right in the title.

[LewFordLives]

7 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

The other comment I wanted to make was when looking at the moves in hindsight, most/all need to be taken in context. These players were moved because they were not going to paid in the future by MN. Pressly and Berrios are great examples here. The Twins were not going to pay them, so they moved them for something, as opposed to letting them walk and get nothing (not even a flier) in return. 

I generally agree with your premise of context, although I have never seen anything definitive as to why they felt they needed to move either Pressly or Berrios. This Twins FO clearly doesn't like to pay relievers, so I guess it wasn't a shock that they moved Pressly. In the case of Berrios, the rumor was that he was going to test the free-agent market no matter what. Yet, once he got to Toronto he signed an extension in the off-season, for an amount that I didn't think would have been a stretch for the Twins. How hard did the Twins try to extend him?  Did he tell them he just didn't want to play here?  We may never know all the details.

[TwinsDr2021]

5 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

No mention of the disastrous 2022 trade deadline?  

CES, Hajjar, and Steer for Tyler Mahle

Yennier Cano and Cade Povich for Jorge Lopez

Also Gipson-Long to the Tigers for Fulmer

what is so disastrous about this? 

Steer was good in 2023, decent in 2024, Cano was great in 2023, good in 2024, Povich has a career ERA of over 5 and an negative WAR in both years he has played. Gibson-Long was good for 20 innings last year and not good in 23 this year.  The Twins tried to improve their team, it didn't go as planned but it really didn't cost them much to try. If we want to debate if Mahle was the right pitcher to go after or if Steer was the right infielder to trade, sure, but if the Twins not having the traded away guys isn't the problem with this or last years team. 

I would argue 2022 is an example of why it should be done (when the time is right of course)

 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

1 minute ago, LewFordLives said:

I generally agree with your premise of context, although I have never seen anything definitive as to why they felt they needed to move either Pressly or Berrios. This Twins FO clearly doesn't like to pay relievers, so I guess it wasn't a shock that they moved Pressly. In the case of Berrios, the rumor was that he was going to test the free-agent market no matter what. Yet, once he got to Toronto he signed an extension in the off-season, for an amount that I didn't think would have been a stretch for the Twins. How hard did the Twins try to extend him?  Did he tell them he just didn't want to play here?  We may never know all the details.

Speculation here, but I am guessing the Twins had a dollar threshold they were willing to go to with Berrios. Berrios wanted more, the Twins knew they could not approach his ask, and the move was made. Same with Pressly.

The point you make at the end is a HUGE point in these comments. We-as-fans criticize and attack for moves that are made, but we will NEVER know all of the factors that go into a move.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

You look at these trades,  or the only other sell trades -  getting Lopez for Arraez,  and dumping Donaldson.  I have always felt the Twins organization has done very well when trying to sell assets and in a position of strength.  My question is how deep will these trades cut.  Do we trade any of the big 3 of Ryan, Duran or Jax.  I honestly feel like you could sell Ryan high.  I do think this is his best year, and he routinely struggles towards the end of the season (was his last start a precursor).  

If we were to trade Jax,  Coloumbe, Castro and Bader that should give us a pretty good return of prospects to add to our current group.  If someone wants to overpay for Ryan, let them and then we can try to find a pitcher in the offseason or go with our current depth.  

[mickster]

28 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

No mention of the disastrous 2022 trade deadline?  

CES, Hajjar, and Steer for Tyler Mahle

Yennier Cano and Cade Povich for Jorge Lopez

Also Gipson-Long to the Tigers for Fulmer

 

EDIT: I STAND CORRECTED. AS NOTED BELOW, THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT WHEN THE TWINS WERE SELLERS.

I will contend the trade for Tyler Mahle was a good decision that just didn't work out.  CES and Steer would not be an upgrade over anything we currently have.

Gibson-Long for Fullmer was also worth the risk.

[Dman]

43 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

What strikes me most is that they have rarely traded away players that would be expected to return players of any consequence.  The return on good players has been very good.  This year they have a number of good (not great) players expiring.  What is the expectation for expiring players like Casto / Bader / Coulombe and Paddack?  I saw a couple posts suggesting prospects that had a 50 FV which seems high.  What should we expect?

I would think it would be hard to get a 50 AV player for a rental or even multiple rentals.  It's possible that Suarez might net something like that from the right team as he has a top to 10 OPS bat in all of MLB.  Cruz brought a larger return than most anticipated for the same reason. We've seen big bats carry teams in the playoffs before so I can see the alure of the overpay for something like that for Seattle or Milwaukee.

I think depending on need some rentals could command a 45FV player in a sort bidding war but it seems most transaction are for 40 or 40+ FV players sometimes multiple players with someone fairly close and flyer on someone further away.  

I would love to know if someone has done research in this area.  Not all available players are equal in value so might be just too subjective to measure.

[LewFordLives]

8 minutes ago, mickster said:

I will contend the trade for Tyler Mahle was a good decision that just didn't work out.  CES and Steer would not be an upgrade over anything we currently have.

Gibson-Long for Fullmer was also worth the risk.

I'm not losing sleep over anyone we gave up (although it would have been nice to have Cano), but no matter how you slice and dice it, it was a bad set of trades for the Twins. It was subtraction by addition.  Mahle was a complete non-factor for the Twins because of injuries and Lopez was just plain bad.

[Blyleven2011]

It's time again to pull the trigger ..

Twins are going nowhere so regardless some of the expiring contracts have to go  , we have to at least try to make this team better , something could be better than nothing ...

Will that happen  , I don't know but E for effort you have to try ...

If the twins trade 1 of Ryan,  Duran or Jax with team control the return must be major league ready talent for retooling  , can't subtract these quality players if you don't get a great haul of quality players back ...

[Dman]

I do feel a distinction needs to be made about deadline deals. When teams are trading for rentals the buyer's aren't planning on "winning" those deals long term.  The worst the sellers can do is get nothing in the end, but they can get good players out of those deals and they have leverage because they have something the buyer needs.

The buyer's motivation at the deadline is that assets that don't help the team in the current moment are expendable to make the team more playoff ready.  So when you look back at deadline deals unless that team won a world series because of their deadline acquisition's (Atlanta. etc.) they are going to lose those deals long term every time and they are fine with that.  The goal is to prep the team for a world series run so they don't care if they "lose" these deals if it helps them strengthen the team.

Granted it doesn't always go according to plan as only one team will be the winner, but I  think the motivation is important to remember when "grading" these deals.

[TwinsDr2021]

26 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

I'm not losing sleep over anyone we gave up (although it would have been nice to have Cano), but no matter how you slice and dice it, it was a bad set of trades for the Twins. It was subtraction by addition.  Mahle was a complete non-factor for the Twins because of injuries and Lopez was just plain bad.

Lopez in 2022 pitched in 23 games for the Twins had 1 loss, 4 saves, 1 hold and two blown saves, 0 WAR. 23 he was bad.

He had 17 games where he didn't give up a run. 3 games of 1, 2 games of 2 runs, 1 of 4, 

That might not be great but it also isn't just plain bad, it was basically replacement level ( what I don't remember is/was that better than they were running out there? 

 

[Guest]

With a couple of exceptions, a whole lot of analysis about inconsequential transactions.  Perhaps I'm worrying too much.  Then again, there is a lot of speculation about some pretty big chips on the table....

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

what is so disastrous about this? 

Steer was good in 2023, decent in 2024, Cano was great in 2023, good in 2024, Povich has a career ERA of over 5 and an negative WAR in both years he has played. Gibson-Long was good for 20 innings last year and not good in 23 this year.  The Twins tried to improve their team, it didn't go as planned but it really didn't cost them much to try. If we want to debate if Mahle was the right pitcher to go after or if Steer was the right infielder to trade, sure, but if the Twins not having the traded away guys isn't the problem with this or last years team. 

I would argue 2022 is an example of why it should be done (when the time is right of course)

 

Agreed. I think we go overboard condemning these 2022 moves. It looks like Steer may not make it in Cincy, he's the "weak spot" they are trying to upgrade at the deadline. CES is doing ok but not great in AAA. Really the only loss was trading Cano for Jorge Lopez. That one should remind us that trading for a failed starter who's had 1/2 of a good season in the bullpen is incredibly risky and probably shouldn't be done. 

[IndianaTwin]

I would simplify the summary...

1. By definition, trading two or so months of expiring contracts in a losing season didn't really cost them anything of value. 
2. Unless I missed one, the only future years of control they traded away were a year of Berrios, a year of Pressley and two years of Faucher.
3. For that, they received Ryan, Duran, SWR, Littell, and assorted riffraff/fillers like Martin, Celestino, Alcala, Smeltzer and Forsyth. Two pieces of the riffraff (Fraley, Sisk) became part of trades that netted Maeda and Taylor.

Seems like the Twins have been overall winners when they were in sell mode.

 

(I'd even go as far as suggesting that their overall success in sell mode has been much greater than the cumulative losses incurred when in buy mode.) 

[terrydactyls]

To me, the verdict is - who gives a gaddum?  (Sorry.  I lived in the South for 35 years.  Somethings are harder than others to get rid of.).  Every year and every trade are new.

[Danchat]

2 hours ago, LewFordLives said:

I'm not losing sleep over anyone we gave up (although it would have been nice to have Cano), but no matter how you slice and dice it, it was a bad set of trades for the Twins. It was subtraction by addition.  Mahle was a complete non-factor for the Twins because of injuries and Lopez was just plain bad.

My issue with the trades is less so with the value of players / prospects being traded, but when A) a player receives some tweaks and improves their game substantially (Ryan Pressly to the Astros, Yennier Cano to the Orioles). I was hoping we'd see more success stories for the Twins in that vein, the primary example being Duran taking a major step up in play in the minors after getting traded. And B) when they've traded for players with current injury issues that even the public is aware of (Paddack, Mahle, less so Dyson). 

[harmlessharmon]

The Twins need to gamble.  Stop nursing so-so teams with no chance of winning the WS.  Trade hard and deep now for as many top pitching prospects as they can get.  They need a pitching staff to gel at the right time before the Twins can no longer afford them (3-4 years from now).  They can always trade good pitchers for high return later if need be.

[gman]

Many if not most of these deals had salary restrictions anchoring them. If all trades are hindered with the "do raise the salary limit" caveat, it's kind of difficult to get the best deals.

There's another whole level of trades that Twins have never been able to reach into.

[TheLeviathan]

We only sell spare parts.  This is article is a shrine to our unwillingness to take chances as an organization.

[Blyleven2011]

6 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

It's time again to pull the trigger ..

Twins are going nowhere so regardless some of the expiring contracts have to go  , we have to at least try to make this team better , something could be better than nothing ...

Will that happen  , I don't know but E for effort you have to try ...

If the twins trade 1 of Ryan,  Duran or Jax with team control the return must be major league ready talent for retooling  , can't subtract these quality players if you don't get a great haul of quality players back ...

The trigger has been pulled , trade rumors confirms twins have traded paddack and yes dobnak to Detroit,  minor league players returns , don't know yet how many ...

How's that for being creative and wait and see ... 

[KirbyDome89]

7 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

what is so disastrous about this? 

Steer was good in 2023, decent in 2024, Cano was great in 2023, good in 2024, Povich has a career ERA of over 5 and an negative WAR in both years he has played. Gibson-Long was good for 20 innings last year and not good in 23 this year.  The Twins tried to improve their team, it didn't go as planned but it really didn't cost them much to try. If we want to debate if Mahle was the right pitcher to go after or if Steer was the right infielder to trade, sure, but if the Twins not having the traded away guys isn't the problem with this or last years team. 

I would argue 2022 is an example of why it should be done (when the time is right of course)

 

Idk if I'd call that deadline a disaster, but it wasn't good. I guess we can breath a sigh of relief that nobody sent out has set the baseball world on fire to date, but those guys all had value, and the Twins didn't capitalize on any of it. What's worse was committing roster spots/playing time to Lopez and Mahle. 

6 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Lopez in 2022 pitched in 23 games for the Twins had 1 loss, 4 saves, 1 hold and two blown saves, 0 WAR. 23 he was bad.

He had 17 games where he didn't give up a run. 3 games of 1, 2 games of 2 runs, 1 of 4, 

That might not be great but it also isn't just plain bad, it was basically replacement level ( what I don't remember is/was that better than they were running out there? 

 

Eh, that's a pretty rose tinted view of Lopez in 2022. He walked/hit as many guys as he struck out and he averaged at least one hit per appearance. He was bad, particularly for a guy that was supposed to be a shut down arm. Handing innings to a replacement level (at best) arm for multiple seasons is awful. 

[Bodie]

9 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

I tried some cursory searches, but did not have any luck. Has there been any research done on deadline deals in MLB as a whole and how effective they have been, both short term and long term?

Looking at this article, I see trade wins, trade losses, and a whole bunch of neutral transactions. Before the dumping on the FO begins, I am curious to know how they have performed in comparison to their peers or the league in general.

The other comment I wanted to make was when looking at the moves in hindsight, most/all need to be taken in context. These players were moved because they were not going to paid in the future by MN. Pressly and Berrios are great examples here. The Twins were not going to pay them, so they moved them for something, as opposed to letting them walk and get nothing (not even a flier) in return. 

Interesting take in both the article and your post about how "the Twins weren't going to pay Berios".

True enough,  as far as it goes.  But Berios (and some agent...)had done everything but shout "f%@k you, never resigning here" to the people signing his paycheck. He wasn't going to get paid by the Twins because he had zero intention of doing so.