Could The Twins Pull Off A Challenge Trade for a Big Cubs Bat?

I love it!  Let's do it.  

2 questions:  When it comes to our prospects, they seem to get old by the age 25.  How come established players are still young at 32?  🤭

And how are we constantly being labeled the best bullpen in the league?  Wasn't that our sore spot last part of last year?  🤔

I still like the trade, though.  👍

I appreciate the write up but dispute the premise;

"For once, the Twins have enough pitching"

A) I do not believe this statement is possible. No one ever has enough pitching.
B) Ryan going down in August is a big issue, and we'll see what happens next year.
C) After Lopez/Ober/SWR/Ryan, no one has proven anything. Our depth is suspect.
D) We finished 2024 very poorly on the mound.

And I am in disagreement with the notion we need a RH corner OF. Buxton/Correa are being paid handsomely to be our RH power, and we need to turn Larnach & Wallner loose and let them both play everyday and see what happens in 2025!

For some reason I cannot read this column. But if the writer is suggesting the Twins pursue either Bellinger or Suzuki, I doubt it. The Twins need a right handed hitting fourth outfielder who can play all three positions. Bellinger is a lefty hitter. Suzuki is under contract for $15 million for the next two years, so that only works if they trade Vasquez and Paddock. Even if they did, is Suzuki a fourth outfielder, or more likely he displaces either Larnach or Wallner as the everyday outfielder. And Suzuki would still be owed $15 million for the following year, so the numbers in a trade for Vazquez and Paddock only match for one year.I don’t see this as a viable option, given the penurious owners.

Sure, they could...I could hit the Powerball too, but that's not gonna happen either. 

No thanks. 

Yo, pass me that doobie.

I just don't see the advantage here , he can hit but not much defense  ...

No way is this happening , it's definitely an over pay for the twins , 2 or more players shedding 17.5 million or more and getting 1 player back at a 18 million salary  , I would be  shocked and disappointed if the twins got fleeced once again  ...

8 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Nothing personal but I just can’t agree with the let’s let younger guys go or guys that have underperformed in a situation, to see what happens. To me that’s just wish thinking and reckless. Maybe Ozk if it’s a 5th OF once or twice a week. Do those two corner guys deserve some more AB’s v. LH pitching - yes! Can the Team play them together and “see what happens” - seems like a huge roll of the dice. Larnach gets nicked too often, historically, and Wallner had some back issues last year, so having a real offensive option to rotate with these two and add needed depth seems prudent!

Then trade one of them. We have to build a team. We've chosen to bet on these guys, like we chose not to bet on Rooker. At some point you need to be consistent and build on what you've been building. If 2025 isn't the year for both Larnach & Wallner to be everyday above average players than we've made a mistake. Just like we should have gone ahead and given Rooker the job and see what happens. Larnach/Wallner and Rooker were all #1 draft picks. I don't want to keep starting over. Draft, Develop and Play. We're making bad choices here.

Pure fantasy, but that's what baseball winters are for.  The trade proposed is basically Suzuki for a backup catcher and a top reliever, as Paddack's utility is a complete unknown. The Twins certainly need power, but they have no minor league catchers and the bullpen is hardly one of the best in baseball, so vast holes would be opened. On the other hand, maybe Suzuki could help them land Sasaki! 

24 minutes ago, Mahoning said:

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Pure fantasy, but that's what baseball winters are for.  The trade proposed is basically Suzuki for a backup catcher and a top reliever, as Paddack's utility is a complete unknown. The Twins certainly need power, but they have no minor league catchers and the bullpen is hardly one of the best in baseball, so vast holes would be opened. On the other hand, maybe Suzuki could help them land Sasaki! 

Depends on what statistic one uses. One of the best by WAR or FIP.. Not so muck by ERA, a bad bullpen by LOB %

I just don’t see trading a top reliever for an $18 milllion bat when you could simply sign a free agent bat at that price? 

This may be one of the better trade suggestions I've seen lately. BUT Paddack and Vesquez plus Duran or Jax is way too much. Paddack, Vasquez and (using MLB) the 10 - 15 range is fair. So maybe Mercedes or Cory Lewis. Suzuki does fit well IMO into the OF/team needs. plus, payroll drops enough to make it work this season and maybe next. I like it

Reviews future payroll projections.....um, I guess this won't work. Thanks tho.

Lets rape the bullpen.

I normally smh at these sort of articles, but Suzuki would be a quality get who's actually gettable.  The problem is what they'd accept back.  If the Cubs accept Vazquez, a prospect will have to be attached.  I'd give them Raya in a second.  Maybe that's the reason we're calling him a top five prospect.  Strategy.  Then, yes, someone like Duran.  So essentially Duran and Raya and Vazquez for Suzuki and cash.

This, though, would require the Twins to spend on a relief a little, because, as dxpavelka says, our relief will have been xxxxxx but good.

28 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

Lets rape the bullpen.

You can always find 2-3 arms for a bullpen. It seems like they used about 37 different ones there last year 

It's an interesting suggestion but even taking back Vasquez and Paddack, throwing someone like Duran/Jax in seems like too much for me.  And the benefit of moving Vasquez and Paddack is to have that $17.5 million available to plug a couple of holes.

Suzuki is a solid RH bat.  But he's not a plus defender.  He could play "some" OF, but at $15-$18 million per season for the next 2 years, while he would make the lineup better, Our OF defense would suffer without anybody above average in our corner OF at all.  

I'd like to see how BBTV's would break down the deal Eric suggested as well as a couple of variations.  What if SWR was included instead of Duran or Jax.  I'd rather keep Duran & Jax at the back of my BP than a #4 or #5 SP.  Heck, I'd give Jax a shot at the rotation and come up with a BP option.  SWR's value has never been higher.  Sell high on him and go with Festa, Matthews and Morris who probably have higher ceilings.  

Thanks for the example though Eric.  It is an interesting idea.  

21 hours ago, In My La Z boy said:

I appreciate the write up but dispute the premise;

"For once, the Twins have enough pitching"

That caught my eye too. No, it's unlikely we will ever have "enough" pitching. 

15 hours ago, Pykkman said:

I just don’t see trading a top reliever for an $18 milllion bat when you could simply sign a free agent bat at that price? 

As per the self imposed budget you don’t have $18M to sign a bat. That’s why you include Vazquez and Paddack. That offsets his Suzuki’s salary. I agree Jax and Duran are too much value to add to the trade. If they are looking for catching and pitching this trade addresses that. I believe you need one more piece though to add value unless the Cubs reject this trade at the door. Either SWR or Mathew’s should be added in and I think you’ll have the Cubs at least pondering this. I think it’s close. It adds another solid bat. You ship out 2 guys that you’re shopping anyways and essentially only costs you a young pitcher. I think this is about the best offer you can get and don’t have to ship out a key bullpen piece.

2 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

That caught my eye too. No, it's unlikely we will ever have "enough" pitching. 

Maybe “enough” is the wrong word. It’s not as though they have 3 #1’s. They do have a core 1, 2,3 though and solid serviceable young relatively high upside 4,5 with some other decent 4,5 types in AAA/AA. A pitching pipeline doesn’t produce aces one after the other. But it allows you to continually replenish from the back end not the top. Every now and again you have a breakthrough and the pipeline produces a 2 or a 3 and in a perfect situation you get a legitimate #1. It’s not as if you have aces overflowing your system. It takes a few years for an ace to develop. Look at Ryan and Ober. They didn’t come out of the box with a #2/3 label.

The Cubs aren't taking 2 cast offs who are salary dumps, despite their needs. No team is taking Paddock without the Twins eating salary or getting a top tier prospect attached IMO. It does have some intrigue with Ballesteros (LH) learning behind someone like Vasquez (RH) for a year. The Cubs would need to probably be sold (and give) Jax a shot at starting, which is something the Twins are most likely not willing to consider. I would rather give up a Festa/Matthews/Morris/Raya than Jax/Duran and you don't have to include cash. Good premise, but you're still in the need for a catcher. Maybe you get Miguel Amaya back also to help balance out one of the 4 prospects

If we are known to have the best bullpen in baseball, I would be willing to pull the wool further over their eyes and offer up the WHOLE bullpen.