Four Trades for the Twins to Add a Right-Handed Power Bat

I really don't think the team will add anyone near the salaries these guys will require.  We have young internal options like Miranda that they will likely turn to instead to try and add a right handed bat.

I like the Goldschmidt deal first, then the Mountcastle.   I don't want Alonso.   1 year and fear of a Donaldson like clubhouse presence isn't worth it to me.

If the Mets would do that trade, IMO that is very easy to say yes to.  I also like the Mountcastle trade. Not sure I give up Raya for only one year of Goldy.

2 hours ago, mickster said:

I like the Goldschmidt deal first, then the Mountcastle.   I don't want Alonso.   1 year and fear of a Donaldson like clubhouse presence isn't worth it to me.

There was one pundit on the NYC KFAN who hinted at Alonso being an attitude problem.  But then Mets Broadcaster, Keith Hernandez, promptly spoke up and said Alonso is “good teammate”.  

I would do any of them except the last one. And I would prefer not to give up Festa. I think I like the Angels trade the best, it only adds 1.5 million, and it may give Helman a shot at the bigs.

That being said, if the Mets would trade Alonzo for that, that trade needs to be done in a heartbeat.

29 minutes ago, Eris said:

 Can they swing a trade of one of their surplus outfielders (Larnach e.g.) for an equivalent RH bat.  

I keep seeing this, the Twins have a surplus of outfielders. Currently on the Twins 40 man there seems to be 4 outfielders (one being Buxton), two utility guys, one A ball (probably AA this year) and AK.

I am really not sure how people think this is a surplus?

Looking for possible trades is always difficult and i commend the efforts to do these ideas. One of the sticking points in trades or in signing free agents remains the self inflicted roster budget. This reality could put a damper ona number of good ideas.

Alonso for Mercedes and Sabato - sure. Are the Mets doing more salary dumps? Mercedes has been talked about using good words, although he had a tough time last summer.

Drury is a decent little player but I'll stick with Farmer and Helman.

Baltimore should not be looking to trade Mountcastle. My personal weakness is not listening on Festa or Jenkins, but i understand that others see these guys differently.

Goldschmidt has a no trade and is close to retirement. He was not excited when he was traded to St. Louis because he like Arizona and at that time (if I'm remembering right, which seldom happens) goldy said that the Cardinals would be the last team he would play for. Goldschmidt is still really good though.

Alonso deal? Yasser!!! Today if possible.

Otherwise, I'd like to see where Miranda is with his shoulder injury. He was darn good in 2022, but derailed last year. If he's healthy and gets his timing back, he could be the answer. Very salary friendly too.

There are players with no trade contracts who can be paid off with a bonus plus a rich extension. There are others who are actually serious. We actually never know. 

So let's say Goldschmidt will agree to be traded if he gets an additional 3 years at $25 M per year plus a $2 M bonus. Goldy had a $1 M bonus if traded in his last contract and added a no trade when he resigned in St. Louis. 

Does this change anything for those who want to trade for Goldschmidt?

We also read a ton of suggestions to trade Correa and Buxton, both of whom have no trade clauses in their contracts. I'm genuinely confused why folks just ignore these details when the players are so specific about their wishes. I do understand that anyone can change their minds. 

Lastly, were the Twins just kidding when they suggested there would be a reduced budget? Dan Hayes was the one who hinted at a window of $125-140 million for player payroll in 2024. Unless the Twins step back from Falvey's comments I'm not seeing any additions of guys who cost a pile of money. What am i missing that others are clearly seeing differently? I'm just wondering how to view the perceptions of others in consideration of what has been published.

It is tempting to go for it in 2024 by swinging a big trade. But Raya is one of their few top pitching prospects. They already traded Chase Petty for Gray, which was fine in the short term. But unless they are willing to pay a big contract for a free agent pitcher, trading your small stable of young starters could hamstring the team down the road. 

If anything, this post demonstrated that some of these guys wouldn't be nearly as expensive as we think to acquire in a trade prospect-wise.  Exhibit A is Alonso.  As much as I like Goldy, I wouldn't do that trade.  The others are intriguing.

But the most pressing NEEDS of the Twins remain SP & CF.  I can see a platoon of Castro and Nick Senzel in CF for the Twins.  Works for me for 2024.  Austin Martin is also a possibility if Senzel disappoints and he's playing well in St. Paul.

It's time to sell high on Kepler and Polanco to fill the rotation question marks.  I'd like to see the Twins trade for for SP and sign Frankie Montas.  That should fit within their self-imposed budget reduction.  Correa will have a bounce back season offensively in 2024.  But we struggled against LH pitching and Lewis is the only other RH hitter to fear on the roster at this time.  I'm not counting on anything from Buxton. 

So if you moved Kepler and Polanco.  Went with a Castro/Senzel platoon to start the season in CF and or added Adam Duval for another RH power bat and OF depth you could maybe make that trade with the Mets and play Kirilloff in LF with Wallner in RF.  It's going to be an interesting and probably at times frustrating off season as players land on teams not called the Twins.      

It's hard to imagine a team that has stated it plans to cut payroll adding the 26M Goldschmidt or 24M Alonzo contracts.