3 Right-Handed Bats Minnesota Twins Should Target at MLB Trade Deadline

[Sampson5]

3 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

To clarify, we should give someone a modest prospect in order to get a rental right-handed bat?

While a lot of folks on TD suggest we trade Jeffers for a modest prospect?

it seems like it would be easier to just keep Jeffers. 

Shouldn't trade Jeffers unless it's for a starter close to mlb ready who you could have start a few times in St Paul then immediately call up to the mlb or trading him for a mlb arm . Trading him for a prospect who's years away really makes no sense unless they fold between now and the deadline and are forced to sell . Honestly if it was me id extend Jeffers and trade caratini 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I think the concept that we should trade for right-handed bat is a good one and Lane Thomas is not a bad idea as a 4th outfielder/platoon mate for Larnach. Gleybor Torres leaves me cold, Taylor Ward is decent but expensive for what he brings, and Christian Walker, Lars Nootbar (love that name), and Michael Massey can't hit left-handed pitching very well. It would be fun to have a guy named Lars Nootbar playing in Minnesota though. I mean, where else should he play?

I think if don't trade for an outfielder like Thomas, the idea of trading for a 1B or 2B makes a lot of sense to me. I watched Royce Lewis run home with the lead run yesterday and one thing is pretty damn clear, he is not fully recovered from his knee surgeries. He runs like a 40-year-old man carrying a refrigerator uphill. I've had a torn ACL and I will tell you that it takes long as two years or even more to get back to where ever it is you're going to get to and that is nowhere near as good as where you started. It also messes with your balance for a while and doesn't give you a lot of confidence in planting your legs, all of which might help explain how much trouble he's having at the plate. Football players can come back faster because it's a different type of movement. All of this means to me that having three guys that can play 1B and 2B that you can move around would be a great thing to have and I think improve the team against left-handers if you got the right one.

I've looked and frankly though there's only two possibilities, our old friend Luis Arraez and Anthony Volpe. Arraez is actually hitting 313/.336/.443 (.779) against lefties this year which is almost as good as his OPS against right-handers (about 815). He ain't cheap and he's probably gone after this year but he would help us in the short term. I would be up for if we can get him for a top 20 – 30 prospect type. Volpe is interesting in that is really not hitting great against anybody with a .657 OPS against lefties and a .666 OPS against righties but he is a good fielder and we can have a much improved defense with him at second and Clemens at first. He also gives us another shortstop if Kriedler's bat completely falls off the table, which looks like might be happening. Once again, depends on the cost. Maybe we can get him for a 15 – 30 prospect or thrown in as an addition in the trade to the Yankees of Jeffers for one other high-end pitching prospects. If we can, he might be worth it. Other than that, though, the pickings are pretty slim.

So I like the concept but it's hard to find anyone that really fits other than Lane Thomas or maybe Luis Arraez. All comes down to cost and this is an additional move, it does not stop the necessary move for pitching. My fantasy is we trade Jeffers and Roden or one of our AAA OFs other than Jenkins to Seattle for Emerson Hancock and Jose Ferrer or Gabe Speier.  We get a mid rotation starter and a 7th or 8th inning reliever, they get a starting catcher to help for the rest of this season with Raleigh injured and really not performing well at all (.573 OPS), plus a fully controllable prospect with upside like Emma, GG, or Mendez. Both have a chance to win their division or make the playoffs as a wildcard this year and both teams get immediate help and guys they can keep for a while. I would then add to that a trade of a 15-30 prospect for Luke Weaver and a similar prospect for Luis Arraez. 

[Andy MacPhail]

Twins are top in offense in the AL. A bat is not a priority, an arm is. We've been at the bottom of that category all season.

[Greglw3]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

I think Lewis will continue to make adjustments to improve his results and improve his swing path. Either you can be critical of his low batting average or you can criticize swing adjustments to attempt to produce more line drives which will increase his batting average.

Lewis' body is changing. He's healthy, his leg strength is returning. His speed is returning. This will allow him to make approach and swing changes that can take advantage of it. Since re-joining the team, he's been an above average hitter at the plate, and there's reason to believe there's more in the tank.

I hope you’re right, they really need him. I’d much rather him take an approach like Keaschall. I had seen improvement but there’s been a decided dip recently. I’m a Twins fan, first and foremost, so I want all their players to do well.

 

[Greglw3]

2 hours ago, HarmonK03 said:

What has changed in the front office, you still have all the same personnel.  The only change is Falvey is gone.  And Zoll has been a key Falvey confidante for the last 5 years at least.  Why would you expect a change in philosophy now.

I think Falvey was the real problem and ultimately the real GM over Thad Levine and Jeremy Zoll. The whole organization is functioning better since they cleaned house and handed the reigns to Shelton, Zoll, Sizemore, Latroy Hawkins. That is obvious in a thousand ways to me - Shelton far batter manager and culture setter than Baldelli and Zoll much better than Falvey. 

Let’s give Zoll credit for Yoendrys Gómez, Tommy Nance and Jack Anderson. They have helped. Anderson and Nance were huge in a super critical game yesterday. Zoll went and got both.

[1985Fan]

I’d like to see a SP or two added. If they are buyers and not sellers. That would push Prielipp (necessary to manage his innings limit), and Matthews to the BP. That would make the BP better and fortify the rotation for the stretch run. Hancock would be great and add depth to rotation next year. Otherwise a veteran innings eater to be 5th starter that wouldn’t cost much. If they pay Gausman’s full salary for the rest of the year, that would keep the prospect cost down. Maybe he is a possibility… 

[HarmonK03]

1 minute ago, Greglw3 said:

I think Falvey was the real problem and ultimately the real GM over Thad Levine and Jeremy Zoll. The whole organization is functioning better since they cleaned house and handed the reigns to Shelton, Zoll, Sizemore, Latroy Hawkins. That is obvious in a thousand ways to me - Shelton far batter manager and culture setter than Baldelli and Zoll much better than Falvey. 

Let’s give Zoll credit for Yoendrys Gómez, Tommy Nance and Jack Anderson. They have helped. Anderson and Nance were huge in a super critical game yesterday. Zoll went and got both.

I don't understand your comment.  Falvey was the President of Baseball Operations, Levine was the GM until 24 when Zoll was promoted to GM to replace him.  So Falvey has always had total responsibility.  But Zoll has been very instrumental in the personnel moves since before he was promoted to GM.  This is per Falvey when he promoted Zoll.  

There has been no cleaning house for the baseball operations off field staff.  Falvey has been removed but the same staff is still advising and supporting Zoll.  Shelton fields the lineup based on the players given to him.  How much does he makes suggestions to Zoll, no one knows.  But his focus is on the field not on St. Paul or Wichita.

Zoll has hit on Gomez that was a good pickup but he also has churned thru multiple others that did not.  I like the potential of Anderson but I am not ready to hand him a high leverage role based on two outings.  He is the type I wish they would target more, younger, maybe got caught up a little bit on the options game similar to Gomez.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

24 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

I think Falvey was the real problem and ultimately the real GM over Thad Levine and Jeremy Zoll. The whole organization is functioning better since they cleaned house and handed the reigns to Shelton, Zoll, Sizemore, Latroy Hawkins. That is obvious in a thousand ways to me - Shelton far batter manager and culture setter than Baldelli and Zoll much better than Falvey. 

Let’s give Zoll credit for Yoendrys Gómez, Tommy Nance and Jack Anderson. They have helped. Anderson and Nance were huge in a super critical game yesterday. Zoll went and got both.

Falvey effectively set up the team this year.   Hired Shelton,  was the reason for the trade sell off and theory that you can rebuild a bullpen.  Which is the reason why we have Bradley.   

Zoll is much more of a rubber stamp than Falvey which is part of the reason why Falvey left he wanted more autonomy and realistic expectations than Zoll.  Zoll took the position because it was a step up - but he has done very little in the position.   

As to the bullpen this is entirely Falveys philosophy that you can build a bullpen by rolling through DFA's - its not like they players wouldn't have been available if Falvey was here and we would have avoided them.    If you want to give credit you should give it to Latroy Hawkins.  Its still not a good to great bullpen but its becoming a functional bullpen and still needs some pieces.      

[Trov]

We lead the AL in runs scored, but we need to trade for more offense?  I am not saying adding a possible RH hitter could help in a short series if loaded with lefty starters, but if we are looking to add to the team, adding pitching is where we need to spend. 

[Mike Sixel]

3 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I think the concept that we should trade for right-handed bat is a good one and Lane Thomas is not a bad idea as a 4th outfielder/platoon mate for Larnach. Gleybor Torres leaves me cold, Taylor Ward is decent but expensive for what he brings, and Christian Walker, Lars Nootbar (love that name), and Michael Massey can't hit left-handed pitching very well. It would be fun to have a guy named Lars Nootbar playing in Minnesota though. I mean, where else should he play?

I think if don't trade for an outfielder like Thomas, the idea of trading for a 1B or 2B makes a lot of sense to me. I watched Royce Lewis run home with the lead run yesterday and one thing is pretty damn clear, he is not fully recovered from his knee surgeries. He runs like a 40-year-old man carrying a refrigerator uphill. I've had a torn ACL and I will tell you that it takes long as two years or even more to get back to where ever it is you're going to get to and that is nowhere near as good as where you started. It also messes with your balance for a while and doesn't give you a lot of confidence in planting your legs, all of which might help explain how much trouble he's having at the plate. Football players can come back faster because it's a different type of movement. All of this means to me that having three guys that can play 1B and 2B that you can move around would be a great thing to have and I think improve the team against left-handers if you got the right one.

I've looked and frankly though there's only two possibilities, our old friend Luis Arraez and Anthony Volpe. Arraez is actually hitting 313/.336/.443 (.779) against lefties this year which is almost as good as his OPS against right-handers (about 815). He ain't cheap and he's probably gone after this year but he would help us in the short term. I would be up for if we can get him for a top 20 – 30 prospect type. Volpe is interesting in that is really not hitting great against anybody with a .657 OPS against lefties and a .666 OPS against righties but he is a good fielder and we can have a much improved defense with him at second and Clemens at first. He also gives us another shortstop if Kriedler's bat completely falls off the table, which looks like might be happening. Once again, depends on the cost. Maybe we can get him for a 15 – 30 prospect or thrown in as an addition in the trade to the Yankees of Jeffers for one other high-end pitching prospects. If we can, he might be worth it. Other than that, though, the pickings are pretty slim.

So I like the concept but it's hard to find anyone that really fits other than Lane Thomas or maybe Luis Arraez. All comes down to cost and this is an additional move, it does not stop the necessary move for pitching. My fantasy is we trade Jeffers and Roden or one of our AAA OFs other than Jenkins to Seattle for Emerson Hancock and Jose Ferrer or Gabe Speier.  We get a mid rotation starter and a 7th or 8th inning reliever, they get a starting catcher to help for the rest of this season with Raleigh injured and really not performing well at all (.573 OPS), plus a fully controllable prospect with upside like Emma, GG, or Mendez. Both have a chance to win their division or make the playoffs as a wildcard this year and both teams get immediate help and guys they can keep for a while. I would then add to that a trade of a 15-30 prospect for Luke Weaver and a similar prospect for Luis Arraez. 

Volpe is a terrible fielder.

Who are people getting rid of to add these mediocre players, who aren't difference makers? 

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, Greglw3 said:

I think Falvey was the real problem and ultimately the real GM over Thad Levine and Jeremy Zoll. The whole organization is functioning better since they cleaned house and handed the reigns to Shelton, Zoll, Sizemore, Latroy Hawkins. That is obvious in a thousand ways to me - Shelton far batter manager and culture setter than Baldelli and Zoll much better than Falvey. 

Let’s give Zoll credit for Yoendrys Gómez, Tommy Nance and Jack Anderson. They have helped. Anderson and Nance were huge in a super critical game yesterday. Zoll went and got both.

Nearly every player in the organization was brought in by falvey...... And he's the problem? 

It's the owners, and their budget cuts. I don't understand how this is difficult?