Brandon

I imagine if teams know his salary and how much is left for the season. I imagine we could pay down a little so we get more than the league minimum covered. If Tampa offered to cover 3 million of the contract Cron signs I bet they may have found a taker. for us we will need an injury and then Cron would be a good pick up since he only has a 1 year commitment.

This is the best move we could possibly make to handcuff our team for the next 5 years. If you thought the Mauer contract was annoying wait till we pick up someone else's problem with whom we have no history or ties here and wait 5 years for the contract to run its course. I guess on the plus side he could be a help for Sano. I'll pass on this one too.

I am fine with the move provided the Twins keep Grossman and Austin for the time being and do more to improve the team. Grossman has a 3 year track record of .360+ OBP which we can really use especially now that Mauer retired. Also I do hope the Twins sign someone like Cruz to DH. a good 1 or 2 year deal or best yet a 1 year deal with a 1 year option that becomes guaranteed with 400 or 500 ABs give or take. If the Twins want to win on the cheap then beefing up the power department is the way to go.

I think Cron was DFA'd because his career going into last season was 106+ adjusted OPS and last season was 123 adjusted OPS. The Rays think he will regress back closer to 106 instead of remaining at 123. Plus Cron is not that good at getting on base which hurts his value and he is a neutral fielder. I don't think getting Cron will prevent us from getting a DH necessarily. We could go after Cruz. I think Cron provides competition for Austin as neither cost much and if one gets released at the end of spring training the cost will be around 1 million. 1/6th the season wage termination pay. I really hope we go after someone like Cruz cause power is cheap and we could have a powerful lineup next season at a reasonable cost. a low cost lineup with lots of power example: CF Buxton SS Polanco 3B Sano DH Cruz 1B Austin / Cron LF Rosario RF Kepler / Cave 2B Dozier / Kinsler/ Cabrera / or someone else who can hit 10+ HRs C Garver / Castro

This just happened. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/braves-sign-josh-donaldson.html I figured I should post it since we wanted him here.

I think this will get figured out in spring training. So no one will be released before then. Cron has decent power but poor OBP skills. Same with Austin but Austin has more power and less OBP skills.

Sony Gray is a flyball pitcher. We have a bigger stadium and a Buxton for that. If we are going to bet on a Buxton rebound then Gray is a good pitcher to get. There will be a cost to get him. Gray does have value. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it would cost us to get him.

Based on what is mentioned above we can make a package built around the following players: Sano Buxton Kepler Cave Garver Maybe Polanco Gordon Rooker Killeroff Lewis May Rogers We also have several pitching prospects we could trade for other pieces to include in the trade. Maybe trade Romero to the Cubs for Happ (i dont know if we need other prospects to balance trade) But acquired player, Gordon, Garver, and Kepler or Cave and May or Rogers. Getting 5 low cost players will do wonders for the Mets payroll. 3 starters, a role player, and a good reliever. While a reliever will not make or break the deal, one at 1 million who is real good is better than paying 8 million for free agents. This puts the Mets payroll in a good situation we will need a C and reliever to make up for talent traded since we have replacements for the other two. But really we have lots of ways to make a deal work. Its all about making sure we have replacements for who we give up as we dont want too many more holes on our club.

Is his career for sure over? I thought he was supposed to be good for next spring. He could make it back as a reliever. If I were him, that's what I would want to do if I could.

Watch Brian Schales get taken in the minor league section of the rule 5.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/mets-seriously-considering-noah-syndergaard-trade-scenarios.html I came across the trade rumor that the Mets are considering trading Thor and would want close to MLB ready prospects for him. I was wondering what it would take to get him from what we have. It looks like they need position players and maybe a pitcher to replace him in the rotation or pen arm. So we can include Sano, Kepler, Cave, Rooker, Austin, Gordon, Maybe Larnarch and Jeffers if the Mets feel they are advanced enough. On pitchers we have lots of back end started. Romero could be a mid rotation starter. of the 14 prospects we aquired at the deadline, I don't know if any of them but Austin are close to the majors. or close enough for the Mets. same with bullpen May and Hidenburger and a bunch of prospects. Would a package of Rooker, Cave, Romero, May and Gordon work? or would it look better if we replaced Rooker with Sano? Or do we need another combination altogether or do we need to include a third team. And lastly, is this worth pursuing?

I had read he had 95.5 million left on his contract which is why i suggested 20 million earlier.

Once a player is taken the team gets to protect three more not on the 40 man if i remember correctly. Also seattle has a terrible farm system so those available are not great prospects.

I think most teams view Greinke as a 3 year 25 million per season as solid. So Arizona would only need to kick in 20 million in a trade that should net decent talent back. We clearly have the prospects to make that work. I don't think Arizona would take Odorizzi and throw in 20 million. But maybe we could include him and get 15 million and include a few mlb ready prospects. Arizona could use the savings to resign Goldschmidt. So I think Odorizzi, May (an inexpensive bullpen arm) and Mejia for Greinke and at least 15 million to as close to 20 million as possible could work for both sides. As much as I would like Greinke, I don't think the Twins are up for that expense. And if payroll is at most 110 million then neither am I.

I was happy about the trade for Jepsen. Just I was also a fan of Hu too. I always wanted to see him have success in MLB. Just a lot less now that he is with Cleveland. I also wanted to see Jepsen have continued success too but that didn't go well.

Its been quite here lately so i thought Id post about a trade of one of our former prospects we traded to Tampa Bay for Kevin Jepsen was traded to Cleveland to pitch in their pen. Hu was a starter for us in the minors and was mostly up in high A with one successful AAA start. With Tampa they had him start in the minors then moved to the pen in the majors. He is a flyball pitcher who throws 93 mph. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huch02.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_sour https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/rays-trade-chih-wei-hu-indians.html

9 starters and 4 bench and 12 pitchers. I listed Garver and Platoon 1B twice as the second have of the starters and on the bench since they will be on the bench.

Realistically I think we sign Kinsler over Dozier but Dozier has more power for my example lineup.

If we sign a 1B to platoon with Austin that can also play 3B could work. That way we can still sign DH Cruz and 2B Dozier or Kinsler and have lots of power in the lineup. Buxton Polanco Sano Cruz Rosario Dozier Austin / platoon Kepler Castro / Garver Jon Jay as 4th OF Adrianza IF Garver C Platoon 1B - 3B Deep line up and diversified bench. And protection from slumps from Buxton and Sano.

So we sign Adams, Dozier, and Nelson Cruz and our lineup is full of power with Sano, Rosario, Austin, and Kepler all providing 20 - 40 HR pop

I think Nelson Cruz is the best bet as power is the last skill to go. He will hit 30 HR next year. The question will be when his legs give out and he runs like Pujols.

I always enjoy seeing the unheralded players make their way and be successful. Brian Harper is one of my all time favorites as he also transformed himself from a power hitter to a Joe Mauer type of hitter without the walks. other examples include Shane Mack, Jeff Reboulet, Junior Ortiz had a nice breakout season with the Twins. I doubt Nick Punto has the career he had without being on the Twins, Carl Willis had a nice 4 or 5 year run, Juan Berenger, Matt Guerrier, Brandon Kintzler, Johan Santana wasnt supposed to be an ace either or he wouldn't be had in the rule 5.

I have Mejia as a long reliever in my post which i put on a different thread and now cant find it. so i will post a recap here. 2b I like Kinsler the most for defense and some offense. can come on a 1 year and go into mentor roll if Lewis or Gordon come up and take away playing time later in the year. but also have Marvin Gonzales, or Dozier, or Iglesias at SS as other options. 1B as a second 1B to platoon with Austin we could sign Reynolds to a cheap 1 year deal. (this is so 1B is not blocking Rooker after the year if he is ready to come up) for CF insurance I like Jon Jay or Denard Span both have OBP ability as does Grossman but these two guys play better Defense. They can be 4th OF or fill in if Buxton doesnt cut it this year. DH Nelson Cruz Trade for SP. I like the idea of going after Paxton to clear some prospect clutter or going after Sony Grey. For the bullpen we can sign a closer like Familia and another reliever like Clippard lineup CF. Buxton 1.5 million SS. Polanco .6 million 3B Sano 1.5 million DH Nelson Cruz 2 year 30 million or 15 million in 2019 1B Austin 600k and Reynolds 3 million LF Rosario 3 million RF Kepler 2 million 2B Kinsler 10 Million C Garver 600 K, Castro 8.5 million rest of Bench OF Grossman, Span or Jay 4 million C see above 1B Reynolds see above or Astudillo .55 million IF Adrianza 2 million rotation Berrios 600k Gibson 3 year 40 million extension 10 million in 2019 followed by 2 years of 15 million. Grey 9.1 million Pineda 8 million Odorizzi 9 million With Romero and Mejia ready to step in if needed bullpen Familia 11 million Clippard 6 million Rogers 1.5 million Reed 8.5 million Hildenberger 600k May 1.5 million the last two spots are likely to go to Mejia and McGill with Curtis, Moya, Vasquez and Businetz at the ready The payroll should be under 110 million in this scenario give or take a few errors with the arbitration numbers as i dont know what a few of these guys should make next year namely Rosario and Kepler Also there is back up at several key spots though having Reynolds play 3B again at this point if Sano gets hurt may be a stretch. Adrianza and Astudillo could play third as well though a good back up 3B isnt on the list. though Kinsler could move there and we bring up Gorden for 2B....

While I would love to trade for Paxton. I think Sony Grey is the better get for next season. He will pitch better here then at NY and wont cost much as a buy low candidate. We wont be able to trade for Bryant. But signing Cruz to DH gives us a good power bat to pair with Sano and Austin . Ideally we also get a good platoon bat to go with Austin. Next we get a middle IF for either SS or 2B. Someone we can get on a 1 or 2 year deal preferred or Marvin Gonzales who can move around. For the OF I like the idea of signing someone who can play CF like Jon Jay with his high OBP. Now we just need 2 relievers one like Familia and one like Tyler Clippard for example. I guess this is my offseason prediction. CF Buxton SS Polanco 3B Sano DH Cruz LF Rosario 1B Austin / Reynolds RF Kepler 2B Kinsler or Asdrubal Cabrera or Gonzales C Garver / Castro Bench OF Jay IF Adrianza C Castro / Garver 1B Reynolds or Astudillo or Grossman Starting Pitching Berrios Gibson Grey Odorizzi Pineda With lots of pitchers at the ready including Romero, stewart, Thorpe, Gonsalves and more. Bullpen Familia Clippard May Reed Rogers Hildenburger Last 2 between Mejia, Magill, Vazquez, Moya, Curtis, De Jong, and others.... With this team construction 1B is set up to be handed over to Rooker when he is ready to come up, CF has a capable high OBP option should Buxton tank again. 2B is set up so Polanco can move over when Lewis is Ready, and this is it for Kepler to make next step as Lanarch will likely be ready in 2020 at some point. In the rotation we have 3 pitchers who can be FA after next season. Hopefully they sign Gibson to an extension and we have Romero and Mejia ready to step into the rotation among several back end starters and Thorpe and that guy in a ball who throws 100mph will move closer by 2020 as well.

The Twins had a 1rst round pick that was a first baseman. ... Travis Lee i think...