C'mon JR, Make a Move!

[stringer bell]

The Twins are in the midst of their third consecutive losing season. They have a roster with a lot of 30+ y.o. veterans who are not stars. This is not how to build toward contention and then championships.

 

I understand that patience is a virtue and that there is more than 24 hours before the trade deadline, but this roster needs to be shaken, not stirred starting with the trade deadline. Move some bodies, save some salary (to be spent in the offseason), and find out who can play among the guys in the high minors.

[Badsmerf]

Move guys for the hell of it? You don't just trade guys because your team sucks. In order to get better you have to make better baseball decisions than in the past. I agree that part of that wasn't trading Cuddy and Kubel when he had the chance, but this year is different. The only real trade-able pieces are Morneau, Burton, Fien, Pressley and Perkins. The only real payroll consideration is Morneau, and he is no longer the big Canadian. Unless he makes some kind of great turn-around elsewhere, he might not be in baseball much longer.

[drjim]

The move I care most about is Arcia and Tonkin getting called up and to a lesser extent Parmelee, Escobar and some of the AAA starters.

[Winston Smith]

The team needs buildable pieces. What players on the team right now are building blocks for a world series run? Maybe Hicks and Gibson? Mauer, Perkins will be getting old by that time and all the other guys are replacement level or worse.

I disagree, when the team sucks is the time to trade guys with the hope of finding guys that don't suck. We've had enough sucktitude the last 3 years.

The only downside is finding guys that suck worse than the guys you have, which will be a good reason to fire TR if that happens.

http://www.cineol.net/galeria/fotos/4531_40239.jpg

[nicksaviking]

Terry Ryan was the traitor in the Dirty Dozen too?! I knew it!

[cmb0252]

The move I care most about is Arcia and Tonkin getting called up and to a lesser extent Parmelee, Escobar and some of the AAA starters.

 

Agreed. Don't know what you have till you give it a chance. Arcia is killing AAA. He needs at bats in the majors.

 

Other teams around us are finding decent returns for their players why not us?

[LastOnePicked]

It won't happen. And it's too bad, because weakening the team right now is actually a net positive with regard to draft pick order. I wouldn't trade Perkins or Pelfry, but I would certainly give Morneau a chance with a contender (and I'd do this for peanuts -- if for nothing else than to let Colabello and Parmalee play out the season). I'd also trade Burton and Duensing. A weakened 2013 club has a better chance at being a stronger future club -- particularly for a team that doesn't sign free agents.

[LewFordLives]

" I wouldn't trade Perkins or Pelfry..."

 

Why wouldn't you trade Pelfry? He has no contract after this year and I think it can be safely assumed he's going to want to test the free-agent waters.

[luckylager]

Who's saying there have been any offers?

[stringer bell]

Move guys for the hell of it? You don't just trade guys because your team sucks. In order to get better you have to make better baseball decisions than in the past. I agree that part of that wasn't trading Cuddy and Kubel when he had the chance, but this year is different. The only real trade-able pieces are Morneau, Burton, Fien, Pressley and Perkins. The only real payroll consideration is Morneau, and he is no longer the big Canadian. Unless he makes some kind of great turn-around elsewhere, he might not be in baseball much longer.

No, move guys to make room for guys who are younger, cheaper and have more upside. Doumit, Duensing, Burton, Fien, and Roenicke are guys that aren't going to get better, healthier, or less expensive. I doubt more than one of them will be around when the team truly contends. This club has had a 40-man roster clogged with bottom quartile talent. Just clearing room on the 40-man would be a good move. Beyond that, I would prefer to see Pinto, Albers, perhaps May, and a couple of other high minors guys over the talent that is here.

[Mike Sixel]

I'm with Stringer. Time to cut the old chaffe, and see what you have in others. Keeping these guys on the roster does nothing at all for the future, and given how they hit, for the present.

[raindog]

This topic might be more relevant tomorrow. As far as we know, TR is working the phones like crazy.

[old nurse]

If any of the minor league players were viewed as ready they would be up. If the team thought Collabello/Parmelee was a viable short term option as rf/1b they would be entrenched there now.

[stringer bell]

This topic might be more relevant tomorrow. As far as we know, TR is working the phones like crazy.

I certainly hope so. On a related note, now is the time to tie up any free-agent-to-be. I think that the Twins should consider locking up only one guy and that is not a sure thing. That guy is Pelfrey, who has a chance to get better and healthier in the coming seasons.

[SpitefulRabbit617]

Just let Andy McPhail's Os take Morneau to the land of castoff Twins. I'm pretty sure its too late to move Morny back to catcher and make him back up his buddy Mauer, that would rock cuz you know his noggin would be protected all game... but I digress

[Badsmerf]

Why wouldn't you trade Pelfry? He has no contract after this year and I think it can be safely assumed he's going to want to test the free-agent waters.

I'd rather watch Pelfry put up a 4.5 ERA the rest of the season than trade him now for a prospect that has a ceiling of a back-up. Those guys have little value and are already abundant in the system. While I agree about getting talent, no GM will give anything of value for Pelfry right now. I also place value in watching an acceptable baseball team play. Keeping a few guys that make that happen isn't a bad thing.

[LimestoneBaggy]

Couldn't help myself.

[cmb0252]

From Jim Bowden on the odds of Morny getting traded (take with a grain of salt):

Justin Morneau | 1B | Minnesota Twins | Odds: 65 percent

The Twins have decided they are not moving Glen Perkins, but they do want to move Morneau. The only question is: Are the Orioles, Yankees, Rangers or Pirates willing to give up a midlevel prospect and take on Morneau’s salary?

[jctwins]

This topic might be more relevant tomorrow. As far as we know, TR is working the phones like crazy.

 

Do they really still work the phones? Wouldn't you think they have Instant Messaging and E-mail? Everyone is saying work the phones.

[Rosterman]

The trade deadline options. You have Morneau and Pelfry, both potential free agents. You either bite the bullet and sign Pelfry, now, to an extension or let him go for something. His last few starts have increased his value. Morneau, you sell for something, anything. You send him to a contender, he's happy. In the off-season, you can sign him if you can reach an agreement, none of this making a qualifying offer or only cutting his base 20%. If he wants to come abck and retire a Twin, he just ahs that Harmon Killebrew blip in his stats. But there is no reason not to trade him. Duensing is tradebait. Isn't as tight as the lefties that are currently being traded, but he is a lefty with control for a team, and just opens up an opportunity for, say, Aaron Thompson or maybe Hernandez as a lefty who can actually pitch more than an inning (which I thought Duensing was). The Twins have other players to move, but will probably be waived during August and take what you can get: Roeincke, Carroll, Thomas, Ramirez. At some point, you aren't keeping them as anything but a minor league free agent at the most during the offseason and they are all replaceable. You also see if anyone bites on Correia and Willingham. Doumit, for some reason, I want to see remain another season. But there are basically 6-8 guys that SHOULD be gone before September 1 and he Twins should have at least a dozen new faces playing the field in anticipation of 2014. Then they can argue about how to spend $40-50 million on other guys to build a strong a strong 2015 team!

[Mike Sixel]

I'd rather watch Pelfry put up a 4.5 ERA the rest of the season than trade him now for a prospect that has a ceiling of a back-up. Those guys have little value and are already abundant in the system. While I agree about getting talent, no GM will give anything of value for Pelfry right now. I also place value in watching an acceptable baseball team play. Keeping a few guys that make that happen isn't a bad thing.

 

One of the worst hitting teams in baseball is "acceptable" to watch? The lineup they are putting out right now should embarrass the men who said they be playing meaningful games in the fall. And, they have 1-2 pitchers right now. It's a sad team.

[Badsmerf]

Stop. The Twins organization will never have a fire sale. Organizations that respect their fans don't do this. They will move players that make sense, not move them because they have nothing better to do.

[Shane Wahl]

I'm just going to say this so that it is clear. I would trade now or waive/trade later, or still later trade (offseason):

 

Morneau, Duensing, Burton, Fien, Doumit (top 5), Correia (unlikely), Pelfrey, Carroll, Roenicke, Thomas, Swarzak (off), Willingham (off)

 

That's 12 players. Say they get 12 back ranging from low-A to AAA. Even batting .250 with them and getting 3 good players for the Twins in 1-4 years is going to be acceptable to me. Why? They are all replaceable. If the Twins can get a couple guys for a few of them (Willingham and Morneau, maybe) then all the better.

 

I doubt the Correia and Roenicke are going to go away though. Carroll maybe for some cash and/or a PTBNL.

[Shane Wahl]

Stop. The Twins organization will never have a fire sale. Organizations that respect their fans don't do this. They will move players that make sense, not move them because they have nothing better to do.

 

Is it more respectful to keep a bunch of marginal minor league players and aging veterans for no good reason instead of turning them over and seeing if they can get any kind of return and fresh blood to fill the ranks? Is it more respectful to keep toying with players like Parmelee and Arcia? How about Herrmann, Pinto,Albers, Tonkin, etc. etc.?

[Spicoli]

Mauer is definently one of the players we need for a WS run in the next few years. He just turned 30 and with the way he plays he will be hitting good for a long time. He will be hitting good til hes 35,36,37... Even though hes missed the last few games hes still the best catcher in the league this year. He has the highest WAR and OBP of any catcher and is 2nd in OPS and has the 3rd most doubles in the league and was 2nd before he took time off. I might be rambling but my point is Mauer will be an elite hitter for a long time.

 

Mauer, Perkins, Hicks and Gibson are the only players on the team now that are gonna be apart of the team in the future when are are trying to contend.

[Mike Sixel]

Organizations that respect their fans have more than 1 legit MLB hitter in the lineup.

[Winston Smith]

Do they really still work the phones? Wouldn't you think they have Instant Messaging and E-mail? Everyone is saying work the phones.

 

TR's phone:

http://fourthsocial.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Old-Phone.jpg

[Winston Smith]

TR's stat guy:

 

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/braverabbit/braverabbit1006/braverabbit100600012/7258915-3d-rendering-illustration-of-a-cute-cartoon-boy-standing-in-front-of-an-abacus.jpg

[cmb0252]

Stop. The Twins organization will never have a fire sale. Organizations that respect their fans don't do this. They will move players that make sense, not move them because they have nothing better to do.

 

I don't want respect. I want a respectable team. Staying ideal when your team is as bad as the Twins gets us no where.

[Blackjack]

You guys crack me up with all your anger and angst over whether Terry Ryan makes a trade or not.

 

My prediction, he'll make one trade, I'll go out on a limb and say Duensing is gone.

 

If he makes more than two I'll eat my mouse.