Deadline Deal: Twins Trade Brian Dozier to Dodgers

My take on the trades. I would not have traded Escobar who was valuable for the many positions he plays and as a decent hitter. I would have signed him for 2 years if they even made an offer. The others were expendable, though Lynn also could have been made an offer. He missed Spring training and thus was bad in the first month but decent after that (except for a recent slump that they all go through). It would not surprise me to see him do much better- especially next year. Dozier was really expendable because, even though he hits a lot of home runs, he is making too much money. I never really liked Duke but he was effective after a slow start. It seems we got a few possible decent hitters and one pitcher who could make an impact down the road. As with all trades, we won't know until a year or two. Our minor leagues are not doing well overall and do not seem to be able to give us anyone for next year at this time. Just my take. 

Apparently, they tried to extend Escobar before they traded him. So, it wasn't from a lack of trying in that area.

It all came crashing down in 2011.

 

Next year will be 2019.

 

When you look back at each way talent can be acquired. I'm not so sure we can check any boxes in the satisfactory column for the organization.

 

Including talent acquired at the trade deadline during what has been a long stretch of out of contention at the trade deadline seasons.

 

Falvey and Lavine are clearly a different animal at the trade deadline then what we had before.

It all came crashing down in 2011.

 

Next year will be 2019.

 

When you look back at each way talent can be acquired. I'm not so sure we can check any boxes in the satisfactory column for the organization.

 

Including talent acquired at the trade deadline during what has been a long stretch of out of contention at the trade deadline seasons.

 

Falvey and Lavine are clearly a different animal at the trade deadline then what we had before.

2011 was the final season with Bill Smith as GM. The problem was re-hiring Terry Ryan who clearly was out of touch with the changes that had happened in baseball since he started as a scout in the early 1980s. The Twins should have gone outside the organization and cleaned house then. Now those are wasted years and while the people at the top have changed, I don’t feel there have been enough changes in the scouting and player development areas. For the most part, the same people Terry Ryan hired are still there. If this organization is going to move forward, Falvine needs to eliminate the old boys network.

A few points to add to this interesting discussion, which seems to be a catch-all on the FO moves, not just the Dozier move.

1. Dozier called the FO out for trading at the deadline last year. That helped the team motivate for the playoff run...but doesn’t necessarily ingratiate yourself heading into potential contract extensions.

2. Falvey and Levine signed a number of one year contracts this offseason, which are flippable at the deadline in case things don’t pan out. This is something Ryan rarely did, either the signing or the trading. They should get credit for Duke and Lynn in that regard—turning nothing into something. (And maybe Morrison and Rodney this month?)

3. Dozier insisted on batting leadoff for a long time, when his bat would have been more productive lower in the order (specifically, after Mauer).

4. Dozier made it pretty clear he wanted to test free agency, which is perfectly fine.

5. Falvey and Levine made the clear-eyed choice to sell when they saw that the team wasn’t going to make it this year. That took some cojones, given their attempt to sell last year bit them in the ass. I think their assessment was correct, and they stockpiled some intriguing prospects in the process, at very little cost to the future. Maybe none will pan out, but the odds are actually pretty good that at least 2 or 3 of the 11 will turn out to be something. Kudos to them for making a plan and sticking with it.

And, for what it’s worth, I’d be thrilled resigning Escobar for something like 3/33.

2) They signed a bunch of one year contracts, because that is what the market allowed. Wasn’t just the Twins. I think it’s the beginnings of a trend. The great players will get their multi-year 8 and 9 figure deals. Machado, Harper et al. The second tier may have to be prepared to prove themselves year after year. Even Addison Reed, who has a very good track record, had to take just a two year deal.

5) I wouldn’t say selling bit the Twins in the ass last year. They really only sold Kintzler, who was more than adequately replaced by Belisle, who up to that point had been largelh ineffective. So it didn’t drastically change the rest of the pen.

The bottom line last year was that the Twins were BY FAR the worst team in the AL playoffs. They would have needed to add 5 or 6 guys to change that. If you are that far away, does it really make sense to sell the farm for a shot at that point?

So it's a good idea to keep a player who will not extend? Makes zero sense.  

We don't know the details of the extension, do we?  It could have been a low ball 2 year extension offer.

I think the poster was referencing a contract extension, different than a qualifying offer.

 

And I still also think they get a lot more out of letting the fan favorites play out the season. Just my opinion but even stronger opinion now that the deadline has happened. Losing begets lots of ill effects. I'm seeing a lot of ticket promotions on social media all the sudden. Some not so awesome. (Hey! buy frozen pizza, get free tickets! was one of the promotions-- about one step up from "someone broke into my car, and there on the dashboard...")

But if the goal is to win a championship, it may mean doing something that is unpopular in the short term. For example, letting Mickey Hatcher go after 1986. Trading Frank Viola in 1989.

Dozier having a revival in LA. 3 run homer tonight.

I think this revival was totally predictable. Playing on a new team, contender and all. Plus, he is surrounded by better payers in the lineup. He will probably go on the late season tear now. 

BD gets a chance to hit that jackpot if he keeps it up. Never was happening here.

Thad lavine and Derek favely don't know how to run a team .. twins got talent in the minors but none of them are ready so what did the great front office do went out and got guys who are more not ready for the MLB .. so that's you keep guys like dozier and Escobar around for 2 to 4 years more.. People keep saying Escobar didn't want to extend but no proof of that.. they say dozier wouldn't have sign with the twins.. I mean since Derek favely and Thad lavine have gotten here they have made it know they want to get rid of dozier..

In the 1st few months of their tenure, they didn't accept "penny's on the dollar" for dozier, last off season they hired a bunch of people that were widely considered to be great hires by non-Twins fans.  They haven't even been given a chance/time to start to change the culture of this organization; and the culture needed to change, judging by the lack of prospect development in the past decade.  NFL GMs are supposed to have 3 years, I've read that in MLB, it's more like 5 considering the developmental curve of prospects.  I love their approach because it's focused on solid, sustained, success and not just emotional "here and now" immediate gratification.  Who knows if it will work out, but I'm willing to give it a chance, which takes more than 20 months to determine.  The Astros, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees have all focused on building from within and it's working for them.  Sure they can afford to take more financial risks than the Twins (Dodgers the most obvious example), but that doesn't take away that they've built their foundation on internal development.