Gammons: Morneau placed on waivers

[StormJH1]

http://www.rotoworld.com/images/headshots/MLB/3602.jpg

Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports that Justin Morneau has been placed on waivers.

 

This is standard procedure in August, but Morneau could draw interest from contenders. The impending free agent has seven homers over his last 15 games. We should know more about his status later this week.

 

(From Rotoworld)

 

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Standard procedure, but it sets a timetable for what we thought could potentially happen this month. Timing is good with his recent power surge.

[Oldgoat_MN]

This should be interesting...

 

If Justin can go to a contender and the Twins can finish the year with Colabello and Parmelee at 1B maybe they could learn something.

 

And wouldn't it be sweet to see Justin get a ring?

[cmathewson]

He had such a dismal July that any trade before the deadline became all but impossible without eating much of his salary. But a hot August might entice enough interest to garner a real prospect or competitive balance pick. And if it's positioned as giving him an opportunity for a ring, it might actually be a net positive for resigning him to a "hometown discount" after the season.

[Mike Sixel]

I wish he could get a ring, one of my favorite Twins ever.

[ThePuck]

I wish he could get a ring, one of my favorite Twins ever.

 

 

he's my 2nd favorite all time Twin

[twinsnorth49]

he's my 2nd favorite all time Twin

 

Number one for me

[twinsnorth49]

My inherent response to this "news" is: Duh. What else were you expecting?

 

Now if it included the name of a team that claimed him, then it's actually news. I'm with Oldgoat, though, I'd love to see him get a ring somewhere.

 

Yet you still decide to post.....curious.

[snepp]

he's my 2nd favorite all time Twin

 

He's only my 4th, thus, expendable.

[DaveW]

Ugh, it would suck to see him go. I'd still only give him up for a prospect of value (they would have to fit in the top 20 of our org) if you can only get cash or a player to be named later, then just hold onto him and let him finish the year out as the Twins try to win 75 or so games.

 

Also I have no desire to see Collabero or Parmelee at first base every day, I am pretty confident neither one is a full time major league first baseman, period.

[beckmt]

Nice to see him go to a contender. Would not expect the Twins to resign, so lets get something for him. Too bad though, he was so good at one time.

[PseudoSABR]

I have such mixed feelings about this. If they can't land more than a PTBNL, I'd rather just keep him, and explore resigning him on the cheap after the season. Honestly, I can't see him netting a top 10 prospect from a team, and less than that it's hardly worth it (to me).

[Blackjack]

I wish he could get a ring, one of my favorite Twins ever.

 

Not even in my top 10, I've listened to a lot of his interviews, very cryptic, very sarcastic, when the door hits him in the butt I won't be sad. Lately hes been saying that he wants to stay here but will he leave some money on the table and sign a Twins friendly deal - after collecting 80 million dollars?? Probably not.

[diehardtwinsfan]

He's my favorite player, but this is a business. I'm a bit surprised he wasn't put on waivers right away. Given that he's been heating up, someone might claim him. I'd think the return would be better if he wasn't claimed.

[DaveW]

He's my favorite player, but this is a business. I'm a bit surprised he wasn't put on waivers right away. Given that he's been heating up, someone might claim him. I'd think the return would be better if he wasn't claimed.

 

He most certainly will be claimed. Unfortunately it will probably be the Yankees

[PseudoSABR]

Here's a list of teams in order of the chance they have to claim him. Given his streak, it's not clear that he will make it through waivers.

 

Yankees

Indians

Royals

Orioles

Rays

As

Rangers

Tigers

Boston

NL Teams

 

All these teams have need for Morneau (some more than others) save the Royals, Tigers, and Redsox.

 

Any realistic 'specs you guys like off some top 20 lists? (Link to prospect lists for ease)

[ThePuck]

I'm a bit surprised he wasn't put on waivers right away. Given that he's been heating up, someone might claim him. I'd think the return would be better if he wasn't claimed.

 

I think they were waiting for him to heat up.

[StormJH1]

Not even in my top 10, I've listened to a lot of his interviews, very cryptic, very sarcastic, when the door hits him in the butt I won't be sad. Lately hes been saying that he wants to stay here but will he leave some money on the table and sign a Twins friendly deal - after collecting 80 million dollars?? Probably not.

 

I've heard he was an absolute punk when he showed (there's the famous story about Torii b%$&*-slapping him), but there's reason to believe he grew up. Or, at the very least, he matured to the point where whatever his personal flaws happen to be (and we all have them), they never shined through publicly to embarrass himself or the organization. From the perspective of a baseball fan, there's really no basis to think Mauer is any better of a guy than Morneau.

 

He is one of my favorite Twins since I moved here in 2003, no doubt. Probably the favorite. But I'm also realistic about his decline, so yeah, flip him for a bag of balls if you can. If you don't though, it's not a big deal. It should kept in mind that the value of a Morneau "rental" as of 7/31 was two full months of Morneau. By the time a waiver trade would be completed, it's closer to one month. You'd have to be nuts to give up even a C+ prospect for one month of Justin Morneau at this point.

[Brock Beauchamp]

If Justin lands on another team, that's the team I'll be cheering for in the playoffs.

 

Unless it's the Yankees. I can't cheer for them under any circumstances.

 

And maybe the Red Sox. I hate them, too.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Also, I consider it a pretty massive gaff on Ryan's part that Justin didn't already make it through waivers. No one would have claimed him in the first few days of August. Now, it's a very different story. Even some of the crappier teams might claim him just for the hell of it.

[ThePuck]

I've heard he was an absolute punk when he showed (there's the famous story about Torii b%$&*-slapping him), but there's reason to believe he grew up. Or, at the very least, he matured to the point where whatever his personal flaws happen to be (and we all have them), they never shined through publicly to embarrass himself or the organization. From the perspective of a baseball fan, there's really no basis to think Mauer is any better of a guy than Morneau.

 

He is one of my favorite Twins since I moved here in 2003, no doubt. Probably the favorite. But I'm also realistic about his decline, so yeah, flip him for a bag of balls if you can. If you don't though, it's not a big deal. It should kept in mind that the value of a Morneau "rental" as of 7/31 was two full months of Morneau. By the time a waiver trade would be completed, it's closer to one month. You'd have to be nuts to give up even a C+ prospect for one month of Justin Morneau at this point.

 

yeah, we don't even know who was in the right or wrong in that confrontation between Hunter and Morny. Hunter was talking about how the young guys weren't respecting the veterans. Well, Hunter has always been a loudmouth, so makes me wonder...

[drjim]

I think they were waiting for him to heat up.

 

Perhaps. Or maybe the timing of the roster crunch coming soon.

[Brock Beauchamp]

yeah, we don't even know who was in the right or wrong in that confrontation between Hunter and Morny. Hunter was talking about how the young guys weren't respecting the veterans. Well, Hunter has always been a loudmouth, so makes me wonder...

 

Given their respective histories, I tend to fall on the side of Justin Morneau on this one. Hunter has repeatedly said moronic (and I mean MORONIC) things to the media. One can only imagine the crap he has said to teammates.

 

And generally, I like Hunter.

[Nick Nelson]

yeah, we don't even know who was in the right or wrong in that confrontation between Hunter and Morny.

Punto.

[PseudoSABR]

Also, I consider it a pretty massive gaff on Ryan's part that Justin didn't already make it through waivers. No one would have claimed him in the first few days of August. Now, it's a very different story. Even some of the crappier teams might claim him just for the hell of it.

Right. I'm trying to think of any benefit from waiting until he was hot to put him on waivers, but I really can't. Is his contract really that big of a factor (both in terms of his likelihood of being claimed and ownerships desire to move him)? It makes me worry that if he is traded, it will be all about the money.

[ThePuck]

Punto.

 

When in doubt, that's the safe bet :-)

[Mike Sixel]

He and his wife choose to live here, and are active in the community. Oh, and he was a great player. He's very Koskie like, imo.

[PseudoSABR]

Morneau and Hunter have strong personalities, both seem to have a sense of leadership, loyalty, and goodwill. Neither strikes me as phoney, even if both are pretty full of themselves. That said, people with prominent personalities and different ideas of what leadership and goodwill look like will clash under high stress. Too many cooks in the kitchen scenario.

[striker_86]

Ill take what I can get for him, even if it is next to nothing. He's been swinging the bat well, but the rest of the year he was average. If we keep him, and he has a hot August/September...some team will offer him a decent contract. I honestly wouldn't pay more than $4 million a year for the guy and I think he will get more than that in free agency. I love the guy, but we need to move on.

[ThePuck]

Morneau and Hunter have strong personalities, both seem to have a sense of leadership, loyalty, and goodwill. Neither strikes me as phoney, even if both are pretty full of themselves. That said, people with prominent personalities and different ideas of what leadership and goodwill look like will clash under high stress. Too many cooks in the kitchen scenario.

 

I think if Morny was full of himself, he wouldn't have been a gracious as he was during the HR derby a few years back when they interviewed the runner up before him and then when they did interview him, they called him by the wrong first name...Jason, I believe it was. He was all about giving Hamilton the glory. Players full of themselves would have raised a rukkus.

[jokin]

Ugh, it would suck to see him go. I'd still only give him up for a prospect of value (they would have to fit in the top 20 of our org) if you can only get cash or a player to be named later, then just hold onto him and let him finish the year out as the Twins try to win 75 or so games.

 

Also I have no desire to see Collabero or Parmelee at first base every day, I am pretty confident neither one is a full time major league first baseman, period.

 

Both you and I were just that "confident" that Dozier wasn't a major league second baseman- just an occasional tease destined for inevitable failure. Egg on both our faces as Dozier has been proving since late May that what he's doing at the plate (plus a first-rate glove at second) is no fluke or tease- he's becoming a legitimate team leader.

 

We're rebuilding, get a prospect for Morneau, revisit his status and potential availability in the offseason, and in the meantime, give the 200 or so PAs to someone else to help form more conclusive opinions about them.