Orioles cooled on Morneau talks

[Parker Hageman]

One potential landing place for Twins first baseman Justin Morneau was the Baltimore Orioles but now that option looks dead, according to league sources.

 

Now, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweeted that the team has “decided it wasn’t a fit for production and money” as well as the team being more interested in right-handed help. Former GM and current ESPN analysis, Jim Bowden, says that his sources in baseball have said the key to moving Morneau will be for the Twins to eat Morneau’s salary.

 

The third-place Orioles had needed production from their designated hitters, who had amassed an unsightly line of .202/.264/.379, well below the average. Morneau’s recent slump had done nothing to inspire the Baltimore organization to pursue him at the deadline.

[Badsmerf]

He has really been disappointing this season. If the Twins wont eat salary there is no way anyone trades for him. He's been one of the worst 1b in the entire league. Tough way to end his career as a Twin.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Good grief, eat some of that salary if it gets a decent prospect.

[Shane Wahl]

If they don't just pay Morneau's salary to get some potentially valuable player back I am going to lose my mind. It looks like I am going to lose my mind.

 

Why not just do it!? Otherwise . . . you pay him the same amount, get nothing back, and are still in the exact same situation in the offseason.

[PseudoSABR]

If they can't get acceptable value now; Morneau surely would pass through waivers and could be traded in August when teams needs become more clear and desperate.

[Kwak]

After last night's disaster, who would want Morneau--even for nothing? Sorry folks, Morneau's is spiraling in the vortex.

[Monkeypaws]

Bold prediction:

 

After the trade deadline expires and Morneau remains a Twin, he goes on a tear.

 

I see it plain as day.

[Alex]

If they can't get acceptable value now; Morneau surely would pass through waivers and could be traded in August when teams needs become more clear and desperate.

 

I've loved seeing Morneau play as a Twin, but now he's one of the worst hitting first basemen on one of the worst hitting teams in the league. What team is he actually a legitimate upgrade for?

[Badsmerf]

If they don't just pay Morneau's salary to get some potentially valuable player back I am going to lose my mind. It looks like I am going to lose my mind.

 

Why not just do it!? Otherwise . . . you pay him the same amount, get nothing back, and are still in the exact same situation in the offseason.

Define "potentially valuable." I would trade a BP pitcher for Morneau, that is kinda potentially valuable.

 

Morneau is probably not being traded because he is one of the worst 1b in the league, not even mentioning the financial obligation. He isn't worth anything right now, GMs have no reason to trade a potential MLB player (i.e. top 10 in organization type prospect).

 

This is why it is depressing. Not too long ago he was considered one of the best hitters in the game, young, a leader on a playoff team. Now, he isn't even worth a marginal prospect across the league. I hope he can turn his career around and be productive for a few more years, but he is showing little signs of doing that.

[jorgenswest]

Paying his salary doesn't make him a better hitter. I don't think it is his salary that makes Morneau hard to move.

[NC-Twins]

If they can't get acceptable value now; Morneau surely would pass through waivers and could be traded in August when teams needs become more clear and desperate.

 

No way he makes it through waivers...

[Badsmerf]

No way he makes it through waivers...

I hope you're kidding? He passes waivers faster than aunt Sally at a buffet. He doesn't get traded he will placed immediately on waivers to allow him to pass through quickly and be available immediately.

[TheLeviathan]

Paying his salary doesn't make him a better hitter. I don't think it is his salary that makes Morneau hard to move.

 

No, but if it will cost you money and a prospect, it gets a bit more easy to swallow if you eliminate the money.

[NC-Twins]

How Morneau stacks up against other 1B in MLB (among statistically qualified):

 

AVG: 13th of 24

OBP: 19th of 24

SLG: Dead last

OPS: Dead last

 

RBI: 14th (though the Twins pathetic lineup doesn't help)

HRs: 29th

 

Fielding %: 2nd of 21

Range Factor: 1st of 21

 

So, it looks like his bat really is among the worst for the type of hitting that most teams want out of their first baseman. However, it looks like his fielding is among the best.

[NC-Twins]

I hope you're kidding? He passes waivers faster than aunt Sally at a buffet. He doesn't get traded he will placed immediately on waivers to allow him to pass through quickly and be available immediately.

 

Yes, of course they will place him on waivers if he doesn't get traded. They do that with everyone. Some team probably thinks that his recent performance isn't indicative of his potential value and will place a claim on him.

[Shane Wahl]

Morneau passing through waivers!? No way on earth that would happen. Of course someone is going to claim him.

[Badsmerf]

You both know what waivers are right? If a team claims him they have 48 hours to make a trade or the Twins can pull him back. The Twins aren't powerless if he is claimed. The other team also has to pay the entire salary remaining. I would be extremely surprised if he didn't pass through it. Much better players have passed in previous years.

[amjgt]

It was mentioned about but per Buster Olney on Twitter....

 

The Orioles are not strong on Justin Morneau, reports @Kurkjian_ESPN; the money just doesn't match up for them.

 

I agree with the above poster... this drives me crazy.

 

With the structure of draft pool and international signing pool, as people have stated before, it doesn't do a ton of good to save money on payroll, because it's difficult to spend it somewhere else.

 

Trading Morneau to the Orioles and eating the salary is a PERFECT way to take advantage of the fact that we are under the payroll that we "should" be at and take advantage of teams that are higher than they want to be with their payroll.

 

Couple this with what seems to be disinterest in the 24+ (uncapped) international free agent market and it's been a frustrating last month.

[Kwak]

You both know what waivers are right? If a team claims him they have 48 hours to make a trade or the Twins can pull him back. The Twins aren't powerless if he is claimed. The other team also has to pay the entire salary remaining. I would be extremely surprised if he didn't pass through it. Much better players have passed in previous years.

 

Absolutely! If Morneau is claimed the Twins have the option of just accepting the claim (I think this happened with Alex Rios) and say "he's your's, salary and all"--for nothing!

[amjgt]

And right on cue....

 

Buster just retweeted this:

 

Bob Nightengale ‏@BNightengale4m

The #Twins believe that Morneau would clear waivers in August and could be moved then

[amjgt]

MN Twins:

So.... if you're a team thinking about trading for Justin Morneau.... don't bother.... he'll be available in about 12 hours via waivers.... and he's so valueless, that we think he'll fly right through unclaimed

[raindog]

It's amazing that fans still don't understand how waiver trades work. Several happen every year. Much better players than Morneau have been traded after the July 31st deadline.

 

Read this, guys: How August Trades Work: Your MLB Waiver Season Primer, 2012 - Twinkie Town

[amjgt]

I wouldn't expect most fans to understand, but I would expect most people on here to understand.

[LimestoneBaggy]

Someone help me out here. I'm not seeing the problem with letting the trade deadline pass for Justin in lieu of the waiver deadline. Crappy July, kind of crappy season, not much trade value, and I'm guessing the O's or any other team is offering a D level prospect (org filler guy). Personally, buying a D (or maybe even a C prospect) at 6M is overpaying. It seems to me that an acceptable risk is to wait it out, hope Justin turns it around and try to get better value in August. If he stinks in August, at least you didn't overpay for a bad prospect (of course this assumes the Twins would eat the entire salary remainder).

 

Glaring assumptions aside.....

[pab]

Good grief, eat some of that salary if it gets a decent prospect.

 

What if it got a long shot prospect in the low minors. Would you eat the entire salary for Brett Lee and Jhonathon Gonclaves?

[pab]

Personally, buying a D (or maybe even a C prospect) at 6M is overpaying. It seems to me that an acceptable risk is to wait it out, hope Justin turns it around and try to get better value in August.

 

Exactly.

[Badsmerf]

What if it got a long shot prospect in the low minors. Would you eat the entire salary for Brett Lee and Jhonathon Gonclaves?

Gonclaves yes.

[Mr. Brooks]

Someone help me out here. I'm not seeing the problem with letting the trade deadline pass for Justin in lieu of the waiver deadline. Crappy July, kind of crappy season, not much trade value, and I'm guessing the O's or any other team is offering a D level prospect (org filler guy). Personally, buying a D (or maybe even a C prospect) at 6M is overpaying. It seems to me that an acceptable risk is to wait it out, hope Justin turns it around and try to get better value in August. If he stinks in August, at least you didn't overpay for a bad prospect (of course this assumes the Twins would eat the entire salary remainder).

 

Glaring assumptions aside.....

 

We are already leaving $30 million on the table this year, and will likely do so again next year (if not more). Why should anyone care (aside from the Pohlad's) if that money saved or not? It's not like it is going to be earmarked for future use, the Pohlad's have NEVER operated that way.

If the money is not spent, it goes into the Pohlad's pockets and next year starts with a clean slate, there is no carry over.

[amjgt]

The difference of opinion is that you (pab and a couple others) view eating his salary as paying $6mil.

 

$6,000,000 is a sunk cost.

 

If Ryan was able to move Morneau and get the other team to take on a bunch of salary, it might supplant Erickson as what he views as his best trade deadline deal.

[S.]

This argument is a bit wonky because that $6M is already spent (unless some other team takes on part of his salary, but that ain't happening). If you keep him and he sucks, that $6M is just as spent as if we pay the contract and trade him for a prospect that may or may not suck. I understand what some people are saying about waiting it out for an August trade in hopes that his value rises, but the money argument isn't helping anyone's case