Twins Acquire Lefty Reliever A.J. Minter from Mets for 2 Prospects

[jorgenswest]

11 minutes ago, Ricky Vaughn said:

Get Robbie Ray from the Giants, he's available and they are willing to pick up some his salary. 

Commitment from owners is picking up all of the salary and limiting the prospect loss.

[ashbury]

I'm a prospect-hoarder but this is acceptable use of two bats.  Neither bat is attached to a glove that is special so the bar is set very high for the offense carrying them.  If Amick has a few years as a semi-regular in the majors, I'm okay with that as the cost, likewise the younger Agbayani as a corner outfielder.  I imagine the aggregate WAR for the careers of the two batters will exceed the WAR we get from the reliever; but you can't build a winner with players who contribute 1 WAR a year since roster sizes are the limiting factor.   I'd make this trade.

[jkcarew]

A Rental. Exactly what they shouldn’t be doing, IMO. Cheap? It would appear so. So, there’s that.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

Well, that's likely because our priorities are slightly different; like a year off. Which is also OK. I'm really happy the team is playing competent ball this year, and I don't want to take that excitement away from anyone. It's just that my belief is if they play their cards right, next year could be the real deal; and maybe for a good long stretch.

That's the thing about these deadline deal discussions. We all come from different places. 

I understand those who want to sell. I was one of you back in the off-season. I would have sold Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers in the off-season. I would like to have seen the addition of a couple young close to ready infielders... primarily at SS and 1B.  

The club didn't take that route... I don't want them changing now when they have been successful. I get that we are not as successful as some want and I know there are many who don't believe in the talent assembled but there is no way I can justify going for it... not failing and now selling anyway. Trading Ryan and Jeffers now at a possibly reduced value that they may have gotten with more service time to work with.

That would drive me crazy. Contention is contention and this team is in contention. We are 1 Game out of a wild card and just three games out of an AL Central title. Yes the American League sure seems to be weaker than the National League. That isn't a reason to not go for it... that's a reason to go for it. .500 baseball has you clearly in contention while in the National league we would be just 2.5 games behind the Phillies for the final wild card spot. 

I don't recommend trading Jenkins types to pick up Skubal for two months. However... mid-level prospects like we just dealt for Minter for additional bullpen help. Go for it. Get more bullpen arms because we need it. 

But Yeah... I'm a buyer now. 

 

 

 

[LyleCole]

On paper this is a good move.   I am not sure what the reality will be though.   It is the rental of an older left handed relief pitcher who has only pitched 68 innings over the last three seasons.   His K/9 rate is under 8 (7.8) which is way below his career 10.7/9 indicating perhaps reduced velocity.   He has compensated for this with a very low BB rate/9 that is under 1.0, far below his career level of 3.1/9.

This move seems to me to be the type I would expect out of this ownership and is a continuation of their low end team building with minimized cost.  Unless there is a LOT more to come, this is just a move designed to perhaps, maybe, potentially, possibly allow us to sneak into the last wild card spot in a very weak playoff race.  

[Andy MacPhail]

I like it. I'd like more to see a solid SP, especially now with Ryan dragging. Transferring Prielipp & Zebby to the the BP, where they can be elite to very good.

[nicksaviking]

37 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

That's the thing about these deadline deal discussions. We all come from different places. 

I understand those who want to sell. I was one of you back in the off-season. I would have sold Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers in the off-season. I would like to have seen the addition of a couple young close to ready infielders... primarily at SS and 1B.  

The club didn't take that route... I don't want them changing now when they have been successful. I get that we are not as successful as some want and I know there are many who don't believe in the talent assembled but there is no way I can justify going for it... not failing and now selling anyway. Trading Ryan and Jeffers now at a possibly reduced value that they may have gotten with more service time to work with.

That would drive me crazy. Contention is contention and this team is in contention. We are 1 Game out of a wild card and just three games out of an AL Central title. Yes the American League sure seems to be weaker than the National League. That isn't a reason to not go for it... that's a reason to go for it. .500 baseball has you clearly in contention while in the National league we would be just 2.5 games behind the Phillies for the final wild card spot. 

I don't recommend trading Jenkins types to pick up Skubal for two months. However... mid-level prospects like we just dealt for Minter for additional bullpen help. Go for it. Get more bullpen arms because we need it. 

But Yeah... I'm a buyer now. 

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to sell either. I want to retain Ryan and Jeffers, even if only through 2027. I also want to make sure any needed key young players in 2027 are getting the experience and reps needed. Winning games in 2026 is a bonus and I hope they continue to do so. 

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, LyleCole said:

On paper this is a good move.   I am not sure what the reality will be though.   It is the rental of an older left handed relief pitcher who has only pitched 68 innings over the last three seasons.   His K/9 rate is under 8 (7.8) which is way below his career 10.7/9 indicating perhaps reduced velocity.   He has compensated for this with a very low BB rate/9 that is under 1.0, far below his career level of 3.1/9.

This move seems to me to be the type I would expect out of this ownership and is a continuation of their low end team building with minimized cost.  Unless there is a LOT more to come, this is just a move designed to perhaps, maybe, potentially, possibly allow us to sneak into the last wild card spot in a very weak playoff race.  

If Minter has accumulated his season stats with a largely unimpressive Mets defense he should be expected to do the same here. Keeping BB and K to a minimum does put the onus on the defense to defend. 

[Patzky]

35 minutes ago, Andy MacPhail said:

I like it. I'd like more to see a solid SP, especially now with Ryan dragging. Transferring Prielipp & Zebby to the the BP, where they can be elite to very good.

I wondered how long (maybe two, three more starts?) before they rest or bullpen Prielipp.. Rojas is the only other guy right now that might start in a piggyback format (five planned innings would be great if he could pull it off) A starter via trade seems almost imminent. 

[Patzky]

37 minutes ago, Andy MacPhail said:

I like it. I'd like more to see a solid SP, especially now with Ryan dragging. Transferring Prielipp & Zebby to the the BP, where they can be elite to very good.

Wonder how much Flaherty would set us back

.

[Fatbat]

7 hours ago, Patzky said:

Mets game saw AGBAYANi and they are all enamored as well. Could it be a win-win..

The kid is gonna be a solid MLB’r! In 4 yrs. 

[howeda7]

3 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

Commitment from owners is picking up all of the salary and limiting the prospect loss.

They should be willing to do that. The payroll is way under where they need it to be, especially if Pablo's contract was partially insured. 

[DJL44]

15 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

The kid is gonna be a solid MLB’r! In 4 yrs. 

He would need to be a LOT better than his dad to achieve that.

[The Great Hambino]

All else equal, I'd prefer targeting guys with future control.

But other than that, I like this a lot.  Especially the part where they minimized the prospect cost by taking back all the money.   We now have something tangible that puts Tom's words about investing in the roster into action.  They still have a long way to go to start winning fans back, but that was never going to happen in a single transaction.  To quote the poets of Rage Against the Machine:

It has to start somewhere

It has to start sometime

What better place than here

What better time than now

[incoherent yelling]

[TNtwins85]

5 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Raya, Culpepper, Klein (Matthews). I'm good giving Anderson a longer look too.

I get that and I would’ve loved to have seen more of those guys instead of the waiver wire/cash considerations carousel but at this point we’ve seen enough of those guys. They’re your depth now or should be. At this point you go get someone. If it costs you a #31 and #35 prospect you just go get the guy you want. If someone gets hurt then you get on the phone to St. Paul. Until then they need to just get established guys you hope you can count on to make the push.