Article: Twins Trade Doumit to Braves

[darin617]

Who cares? Doumit was worth zero (probably held negative value, actually) on the field......and cost money. Now he costs less money, and he's not clogging up space for others. I don't see any downside here at all. Even if they pay 100% of his salary, he's gone, and they get a pitcher (who may be awful, or may not). This makes it easier for Willingham to be the full time DH, imo. It frees a roster spot for them to make a trade, or sign a FA.

 

While I don't love every move TR makes, he is good at these small deals, imo.

 

Willingham needs to play LF to have more value in a trade.

[Tecmo]

I figured there was a good chance that Doumit would just be cut after spring training and they'd have to eat his salary so I love this move for the Twins regardless of the return.

[mikeee]

seem alright to me.

[Tibs]

I really like this deal. Gilmartin is young and has potential to have some kind of MLB impact. It also frees up a 40 man spot while cleaning up the active roster.

[JP3700]

Great deal. Acquire a young arm, clears a 40 man spot and saves cash. Nothing to complain about.

[edavis0308]

I'm on board with the idea that its a positive move ditching one of the many corner outfield / DH types and their salary, regardless what the return is. I'm more pumped for that than the return itself. Seriously, between Doumit, Willingham, Collabello, Parm, Arcia, Kubel?.. and Plouffe though he has the saving grace as being considered an 'infielder'....something had to give. Gilmartin could be useful to us somehow on top of things. Solid trade I would say.

[Gernzy]

Exactly what everyone else is saying. I see no negatives with this move.

[tjsyam921]

Kubel having confidence he would make the Twins roster makes sense now. im sure he was told he would be on the roster after they made some trades. I'm sure he helped them by taking the minor league deal and staying off the 40 man. I wonder if Gilmartin being a stud against lefties will make it easier to trade Duensing and save more payroll for other players.

[ericchri]

Traded a redundant player cluttering up the MLB roster for a redundant player most likely to only clutter up the AAA roster, and cleared salary and a needed roster spot in the process. If Gilmartin never throws a pitch in the majors I'm fine with this trade. I like the notion posited above by markos as well, he would appear to have LOOGY potential on the low end, something which has a little bit of value.

[jay]

Gilmartin was #14 in John Sickels' top 20 and in the rankings the site I write for put together.

 

If you would have told me this morning that the Twins could trade away Ryan Doumit AND his full salary (apparently, even the idea of that is enough for some people to be negative about it) for ANY top 15 prospect from ANY system (particularly with a non-roster guy)...

I would have laughed at you and said 'no way'.

 

This makes so much sense in so many ways.

[Trautmann13]

Good move for Twins. Doumit rather quickly became "that guy" that was really messing things up. He was one of many DH/Outfield types on that roster. Im shocked that Atlanta dealt Gilmartin for such little return in Doumit. Yes, he has struggled with command and staying healthy this year, but he is still only 23! He has plenty of time to become more than the rich man's Scott Diamond that he currently looks like. Even if he stays in AAA for ever, good move by Minnesota opening a roster spot and gaining back $3.5 million

[cmb0252]

I love it how all these Twins fans are experts when it comes to Gilmartin! He was hurt last year and the Twins will never be accused of rushing a pitcher before he is ready to move up.

 

Some of the bloggers around here follow college baseball, the draft, and the minor leagues very closely. While none of us are pro scouts we can still use our knowledge of prospects to come to opinions on players.

 

I personally pay a lot of attention to the draft and remember how the Twins were heavily linked to Gilmartin at the time. Didn't like his scouting reports then and don't like them now. You can be a lefty and have success with a 88-92 fastball but it usually requires great fastball movement, deceptive delivery, or a premium secondary pitch (none of which Gilmartin has). Unless his change up takes a big step forward I have a hard time seeing him being a long term big league starter.

 

Maybe Gilmartin with turn into a back of the rotation starter. Maybe not. Either way I still like the trade for the Twins.

[iastfan112]

I'm not wild about Gilmartin, wasn't excited about the scouting reports before he was drafted, that said, I like this deal for the Twins. Looking at his splits and some of the more recent stuff I've read about him, maybe he turns into Duensing? Doumit is redundant on this team, old, and only signed for this year. This is the sort of moves the Twins should have been making the past several years but for the most part haven't.

[halfchest]

Maybe Gilmartin with turn into a back of the rotation starter. Maybe not. Either way I still like the trade for the Twins.

 

Exactly, Gilmartin may not work out but there's that shot where he could be a starter. Good trade for the Twins, didn't give much up got a prospect who could have value and doesn't take up a 40 man spot. Plus the best bullpen guys seem to be failed starters. Maybe he moves to the pen adds a couple ticks on his fastball and changes his game ala Perk.

[Thrylos]

But when he's on, he's 89-92 with the fastball, slider between 79-81 and a good change up. He was hurt some in 2013, so he could turn it around... Looks like the Braves moved him up too quickly.

 

 

Bingo.

Context:

Now the Twins have 5 of the 1st and sup round picks of the 2011 draft, here are their names, highest level and season achieved, in order drafted:

 

Alex Meyer - AA - 2013

Sean Gilmartin - AAA - 2012

Levi Michael - A+ 2012

Travis Harrison - A - 2013

Hudson Boyd - A - 2013

 

The moved him super fast.

 

And about the question on whether the Twins have scouted him: He played for parts of 2 seasons for the Gwinnett Braves of the International League (same AAA as the Red Wings) so they got first hand experience.

 

His shoulder issues are tendinitis and nothing more serious, which hopefully bodes well...

 

I see him as AAA (and maybe AA which is not a bad idea given the bad season) depth right now. Even if Diamond makes the Twins as a starter, you got Albers, Darnell and Johnson on the 40 man as LHP, and Pat Dean around as well. That can give you an all Lefty Rochester rotation

 

Also this cements the opinion that Kubel was promised a major league job by the Twins (who now have the $ too) when he signed...

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

Fantastic deal and it makes up for signing Pelfrey!! I'm very glad this happened and Terry Ryan fleeced the Braves by not only getting a somewhat decent player, but unloading Doumit's overpaid contract.

[biggentleben]

So, the crazy part of all of this is that Braves message boards love this deal and believe Wren just fleeced the Twins by dumping Gilmartin's shoulder on them for anything of value.

[DaveW]

Anything of value? Steamer has Doumit as a 0.0 WAR player, last year he was a 0.1 WAR guy. He provides zero defensive value period, and though I like him as a player, he is a terrible fit for an NL club at this point.

[The Wise One]

So, the crazy part of all of this is that Braves message boards love this deal and believe Wren just fleeced the Twins by dumping Gilmartin's shoulder on them for anything of value.

 

The fans down there are not into pitch framing?

[Thrylos]

Here here:

Mayo (or rather mlb.com, not sure it was Mayo) has already ranked Gilmartin as the Twins 13th best prospect.

 

I would probably had him in the mid to high 20s someplace, because of the average fastball, low K rate and potential shoulder issues.

[biggentleben]

The fans down there are not into pitch framing?

 

Not sure. I'm just familiar with the fans who I speak with, typically located in the north, even on those message boards I mentioned.

 

Pitch framing is still tremendously inaccurate in measure. Not claiming that Doumit is good at it by any means, but there is a tendency to recite framing numbers in relation to catchers, which is akin to receiving defensive range numbers 10 years ago.

[gunnarthor]

So, the crazy part of all of this is that Braves message boards love this deal and believe Wren just fleeced the Twins by dumping Gilmartin's shoulder on them for anything of value.

 

MLBtraderumors seem to think its a win for the Twins. But whatever. Solid trade, helps both teams. And it's fair to both teams, which is probably why the Twins and Braves have traded together before. Both sides more or less trust the other.

[Thrylos]

Pitch framing is still tremendously inaccurate in measure. Not claiming that Doumit is good at it by any means, but there is a tendency to recite framing numbers in relation to catchers, which is akin to receiving defensive range numbers 10 years ago.

 

Agreed. What mostly bugs me about this measure is that it is not normalized by umpire. Because different umpires have different tendencies. Normalize it for that and then we can talk...

[RedBull34]

Any negativity on this is confusing. Out- 3.5 million dollars, redundancy at C/OF/DH, and a player who will not play any part in the future. In- a young LHP with at least a possibility of an upside.

 

Also, I believe this moves the 40-man to 39.

 

This is nothing but good.

It does but that spot's going to go to Pelfry.

[JB_Iowa]

So, the crazy part of all of this is that Braves message boards love this deal and believe Wren just fleeced the Twins by dumping Gilmartin's shoulder on them for anything of value.

 

I don't think that's crazy at all. Trades between equal partners are often about each party getting what IT needs (or getting rid of what it needs to get rid of in some cases).

[Rosterman]

Well, he is a guy they may have grabbed in the draft and now they have him, got rid of essentially a deadweight player and his contract, and didn't have to pay the bonus money. I say that is a win-win. I liked Doumit as a player, but really don't see him fitting into the 2014 Twins. He is far from the perfect DH. As a catcher, he has suffered.He needs to be more than a backup. He can't really play the field. I'm pleased with the trade and the potential Sean might bring to the rotation in 2015 or 2016 at a very reasonable price.

[Kwak]

Exactly!--Refer to post #81. Gilmartin might get a chance to compete for a SP job, but I believe he will be developed with the expectation he will be a RP--LOOGY, or a disaster repair guy.

[Shane Wahl]

I like the trade quite a bit. There was no point in having Doumit around, and the Twins got someone of value, who won't be 24 until May.

[Steve Lein]

Wonder how long Duensing will be around now. Seem to have a lot of young/cheap/similar lefties who could fill his LOOGY spot pretty easily. (Don't kid yourselves, that's all Duensing is, even if he's not necessarily used that way)

[Major League Ready]

As many have said here, Doumit should not be taking ABs away from prospects that can potentially be part of the future. He was pretty good in 2012 but it was time for him to go. It looks like they got a player with a floor of a LOOGY and a back of the rotation ceiling. I would consider it a win if he was a good LOOGY. Anymore than that is a bonus.