LA Vikes Fan

I hear you on Robbie Ray. Tom Pohlad is saying he's willing to spend. Ray is making $25m this year and is then a FA, so the cost is about $9.3M for the rest of this season if trade happens now over the ASB (he costs $136,612 a day; man did I get in the wrong business). The cost is about $8.5M if we pick him up around July 31. No buy out, no commitment for 2027. No reason for SF to pay part of the salary unless they want to so they can get a better prospect and then I would resist depending on who they want. I think he's definitely an option as long as we are realistic about what we're getting, a rental of a 4th starter who can eat innings and potentially start a playoff game if someone gets hurt. That's worth a top 20-30 prospect like Olivar, Amick, or Rosario to me. The only one in that 20-30 group I wouldn't give up for Ray is CJ Culpepper.

The issue with our current roster construction isn't really because were carrying three catchers; it's because we have a utility infielder that can't play a competent SS. Jackson actually helps our flexibility as the 13th guy because he can play a corner 0F spot, and both Jeffers and Caratini can play 1B and hit well enough to be viable at the DH spot. You can actually put Jeffers and Caratini both in the lineup as long as you have Jackson sitting on the bench to be the backup catcher in case of injury so you don't have to lose the DH spot if your catcher gets hurt and has to come out. Add to that the fact that Jackson has played RF in the minors and assumedly can be at least a somewhat viable corner outfielder or IB in a pinch, and you actually have a guy who has some value as the 13th player, particularly a guy who is hitting .296/.321/.407 (.728) with very sporadic playing time. Guys that can hit without regular playing time are not easy to find. The problem is we have the wrong utility infielder in Tristan Gray because he can't play SS or 3B very well. I think the answer is coming soon though. I think Gray should get demoted as soon as Buxton comes back and we run with Lee as the backup SS until a decision is made on catching. Now if you want to also keep both Roden and Martin on the Twins and get Culpepper up to the Bigs, one of the three catchers needs to be traded. I would trade Jeffers unless we thought we could re-sign him now or at the end of year so we don't lose him for nothing, but I can see the argument to keep him for the rest of this year, give him the Q0, and get draft pick compensation. You either have to trade him or give him the QO. If you make the latter decision, I think Jackson's performance this year has been good enough that he actually has some trade value for like an A ball lottery ticket or as a throw in on another trade so we won't have to just DFA him but if we do, we do. Culpepper can then come up to the Bigs. We can ease Culpepper into the SS position with Kriedler playing SS a couple of days a week and use Kriedler as the utility infielder the rest of the time. He's actually perfect for that role, a guy with a great glove and inconsistent bat who can also be the backup CF or at least one of the backup CFs. Get Culpepper up and you have 5 IFs for 4 spots, a quality backup SS regardless of whether Culpepper or Kreidler is starting, plus 2 catchers who can both play 1B if Lewis gets injured or needs a day. We would also have 5 OFs, 3 RHs and 2 LHs, and it doesn't really matter if any of them are great in CF because you have Kreidler who can play an above average CF while Culpepper plays SS. If Culpepper is still hurt or isn't ready, Twins might want to think about Ben Ross for that same role given his age (25) and his stellar performance in AAA so far. He might be worth a look in any event. So I think there's a pretty simple solution that allows us to keep Jackson in the short term, create playing time for Culpepper or Ross by the end of the month (or sooner if we make the trade sooner), and create space for one of the formally AAA outfielders that we think could actually be a real contributor by next season like Roden. The key is to demote Gray when Buxton is ready to come back. I actually think that leaves us with a better roster.

Jackson actually played some RF in the minors so I could see them putting him in a corner OF spot if someone gets hurt during a game, second game of a doubleheader (do they still have those), or to effectuate an extra inning pinch hitting thing. Besides, both Caratini and Jeffers have played a fair amount of 1B or DH, so having Jackson around actually increases our flexibility to put both of those guys in the lineup and still have a backup catcher. Add in catching once a week in a 7 game week, and I think he adds plenty of value for the 13th guy.

I think you're right, but we don't need Robbie Ray to be a #2 or really even a #3 with Ryan, Bradley, and Ober on the roster. We need him to be a #4 or #5 depending on how one views Matthews and how many more innings we can get form Prileipp. Now, Ray might have to move up if there's an injury to the guys ahead of him but frankly the Twins are toast if Ryan or Bradley goes on IL for more than 15 days from here on out. I'd be open to Ray depending on the required return. A top 15 prospect? Hard No. A prospect in the 21-30 range? Sure.

I have to say I don't agree with this with respect to either Fedko or McCusker. Yes, Fedko only got 16 ABs. There's a reason for that. He looked completely overmatched at the plate and struck out in 8 of those 16 ABs, plus 2 walks. McCusker had 29 ABs, five hits, and 16 strikeouts with 1 walk. The bottom line is neither one of them was ready for the MLB level or, frankly more likely, neither is good enough to play at the MLB level. McCusker is now playing in Japan and hitting pretty well there. He may have found his level and who knows, maybe he'll make some improvements with regular playing time at a level that is probably as good or better than AAA but less than MLB such that he can come back to the States and catch on with somebody. But let's not kid ourselves that he and Fedko didn't perform because he didn't get enough of an opportunity. They didn't perform because they aren't good enough at this point in their careers. I do agree that it's time for the Twins to think about trading Fedko through a bad team that could give him a longer run to see if he can find his footing. The only question is whether somebody would give him a chance seeing that he is already 26 and is just now breaking out at the AAA level. I think it would be great if he was a throw in on a trade with a team like the Angels or Rockies where we got some bullpen help or a mid rotation starter by giving up some good prospects, plus Fedko. That would be a good way to treat the young man. Who knows, with 150 at bats the rest of the way in a low-pressure, losing environment playing five days a week, Fedko might show a lot more. He will never get that opportunity with Twins.

I'm guessing Bradley pitches Friday, Ryan or Ober Saturday and the other Sunday. There is no reason to trot out Matthews early when he's been so inconsistent. He can pitch against Oakland, no Sacramento, no Las Vegas, next week. It just feels like the situation with Jeffers will be resolved sooner rather than later. While I'd love to see him re-signed, I expect him to be traded to for prospects, one pretty good one and one long shot. I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded over the ASB so the team van have a full compliment going out of the gate.

I'm a little more bullish although not too much more. Would you agree that this year is an improvement in FO performance?

I think the team is doing exactly what they should do with respect to the bullpen. The Twins are over performing what was expected in a down year for the rest of the league. That creates opportunity. We need a better bullpen. So what they’re doing is grabbing guys now while there’s still three weeks to look at them before we have to trade for a bull pen help. Bullpen arms are very expensive in terms of prospect cost at the deadline. You wind up trading one of your top 10 prospects for a slightly above average MLB reliever and that reliever is usually over 30. If you trade someone in the 15–30 range you get a guy that is 35 or older and is usually a free agent at the end of the season That’s trading a lot for not very much. The better route to Shore up your bullpen is get a guy you think you can tweak a little to improve, if you can find that guy, and if you can make the tweaks, or someone who is being dropped for contract reasons. That’s why you pick up a Jack Anderson, Go, or Nance, or you pick up Danny Coulombe because Boston doesn’t want to pay his contract incentives since their bullpen is very good. You pay the contract incentives because your pen isn’t very good. Coulombe is more valuable to the Twins than he is to the Red Sox so we’re willing to pay and they don’t have to. You start there while you’ve got a few weeks to figure out if these guys are enough to get you over the hump. If they aren’t, then at the end of the month, you trade for another reliever and give up the prospects you would rather keep. I’m actually encouraged by what the front office is doing. They are actually trying to improve the team. I think the players see it. Royce Lewis was at the press conference that introduced Nance so he could introduce himself and he mentioned that he had Buxton talked about it and were excited by the acquisition. That’s how you take a good thing and make it better and that’s how you keep players around, you show them you’re willing to invest in them. This is actually competent management. It’s weird to see from this team, but I think it’s actually happening.

Trade for Jose Soriano or Reid Detmers. Spend money extending Ryan and Jeffers if they’ll talk to us. Trade for Sam Bachman. Be willing to give up any prospect not named Jenkins or Culpepper to get it done if you can get both one of the starters and Bachman.

I don't know if this is our official "trading deadline thread" but I wanted to raise an interesting possibility. Word is that the Padres would consider trading Mason Miller, best closer in the business who is arb eligible in 2027 and isn't even a free agent until 2030. They gave up DeVries for him so the return for him now has to be something similar plus, and they need position players in the worst way with an aging and ineffective lineup. How about something like this: Twins get: Mason Miller Padres get: their choice of Emanuel Rodriguez, Kaeden Culpepper, or Gabriel Gonzalez, plus their choice of Royce Lewis, Henry Mendez, Brandon Winknour or Marek Houston, but they can't have Culpepper and Houston. If necessary, the Twins also throw in Trevor Larnach, or Matt Wallner and another prospect from the 20-30 range in the rankings. What does everyone think? Is that enough? Too much?

I hadn't thought of this problem, and I think you're right. It does make one wonder if maybe a trade of Jeffers is happening sooner than waiting for the actual deadline. It could also be that if Roden looks like he's ready that Larnach will be traded earlier. Buxton is eligible to come off the 10 day IL Friday the 17th for the Cubs series and even if you think they'd be willing to let him sit out that series, he is coming back by Tuesday the 21st for the Guardians series unless there's something really wrong. We're kind of betwixt and between because that doesn't give us too much time to evaluate Roden, trade Jeffers, or trade Larnach. Here is my guess assuming Buxton is ready to come back no later than Tuesday, July 21 in Cleveland. Most likely possibility is Jeffers is traded before then for prospects which opens a roster spot. Next possibility is Larnach is traded for a relief pitcher or for prospects, Martin and Roden become the left-field platoon, and Adams goes to AAA for that relief pitcher. If neither one of those has come to fruition and there is no injury we can use to create a spot, Roden or Martin has to go down because we have to keep at least one utility infielder.

I agreed that Gray is providing very little value at this point. I think the biggest flaw in keeping him on the roster is that we only really have one utility infielder spot and Gray cannot play shortstop at anything close to an MLB quality level. Culpepper is the obvious replacement but you can't bring up a guy who can't stay healthy. So effectively we are playing without a competent backup SS and the starter has a history of not be able to hit although Kreidler is doing better this year. Not a great situation. The issue is who else can be the replacement. Frankly, the two best replacements in AAA are Arcia and Ross and neither of them is on the 40 man roster. Orlando Arcia can play a decent MLB shortstop. He's not much of a hitter with a .654 MLB OPS this year, but at least he can field the position. He also easily be jettisoned when Culpepper is ready. Ben Ross is an interesting choice but I don't know if he can field well enough to play SS in the Bigs. He hit well in AA and is holding his own in AAA. Again though, he is not on the 40 man roster. I think everything depends on when Culpepper is likely to be ready. If it's soon, I would expect them to just roll with Gray for now or maybe replace him with Arcia. If it may be mid August or later before we see Culpepper, I would like to see them lose Gray and bring up Ben Ross. Banda is out for the year so he can be moved to the 60 day IL to create space on the 40 man roster. Let's see if Ross can play SS and whether he can hit MLB pitching. If he can, he gives you another utility option if Culpepper can't come up this year or tanks when he does get a shot. Kreidler can hold down the position for now and provides a viable utility option when another shortstop comes in so the opportunity probably goes away when Culpepper or Houston is really ready. Now might be a good time to take advantage of this window and get a look at Ross to see if he might fit in our future plans.

I agree that there will be a lockout. I think the only question is will it get resolved in time for an entire 2027 season, for just a partial one, or if the entire 2027 season is wiped out. How the system will or will not change is a complete crapshoot at the is point. No one knows. But I don't think that changes the analysis unless you assume there will be no 2027 season at all, which I see as very unlikely and are far and away the least likely outcome. The chances for a lockout will be factored into every trade decision at the deadline and will be in the off-season. It really doesn't change the calculation unless the entire 2027 season is wiped out and then the chance to have a guy like Ryan during 2027 will have no value, but only if the 2027 season is wiped out but still counts towards free agency. I also see that as a very small possibility; if the season is lost and then a deal is made the players are not going to get a years worth of time to free agency from that lost season. So to me, the upcoming lockout is relevant only in the fact that the value of a contract that extends through 2027 and then ends may be lower than it would be in other similar circumstances but the upcoming lockout will affect the return equally regardless of whether the trade is at the deadline or the off-season. I don't see a lot of risk from waiting till the off-season based on the lockout unless there is no 2027 season at all and I see that as highly unlikely. Based on that, I think past history is instructive and we are likely to get a better or just as good return for Ryan in the upcoming off-season as we are at this year's trade deadline.

While I agree that the Twins either need to extend Ryan or trade him, there is no urgency to make that decision at the 2026 trade deadline. The urgency domes in the offseason. History tells us that teams overpay for relievers at the deadline by giving up quality prospects for average guys. That is not equally true of starting pitching. I think you actually get your best deal in the offseason for starters, not at the deadline, because you can t get MLB proven talent at the deadline. You only get unproven prospects at the deadline. They are simply not as valuable as controllable proven talent. There's also a business and team imperative that has to be considered here. Ownership is trying to reestablish trust with the fan base. There also trying to create team camaraderie, something Shelton is doing a great job with. Both of those things would be almost irretrievably broken by trading Joe Ryan at the deadline in a year when the Twins have an actual chance to sneak into the playoffs. Sure, if the they do sneak in they probably only last one round and if they get lucky and win the first round, they probably get blown out by the big boys in the second round. Still, a year like that can really help with the fan base and help in recruiting free agents to come and improve the team in the future. Those are real and important considerations and both of them point strongly away from trading Ryan at the deadline. Ryan stays in 2026. You try to sign in the off-season and, if you can't, you trade him before spring training.

Good concept by Passan, wrong guys. Use some of our better minor-league assets and trade for Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano of the Angels. Both are controllable for 2.5 seasons and the rumor is both are available for the right package of MLB ready talent. The Angels need hitters, including outfielders, which happens to be what we actually have to trade. We will probably have to give up some of our favorite children but trade a package highlighted by Emma, GG or Roden (basically anyone other than Jenkins or Culpepper), and add in a top 15 guy like Young, Quick, or Ellwanger. Throw in Wallner if they need another warm body. He needs to go somewhere, he's done here. That's who you concentrate on, not a rental

I think this is article ignores the real reason to trade Jeffers - it looks like he isn't going to be on the team past 20026. Look, I would love to keep him if I thought he would be here next year. I would be willing to pay him 50-60m for 4 years to keep him. But everything you read says that he is determined to test free agency and that is is unlikely the Twins will want or be able to outbid teams like the Yankees to keep him. The real choice isn't whether it would be a good idea to keep Jeffers for the next few years. That's easy. It is a good idea. It's just not the real choice. The real choice is do you keep Jeffers for the rest of this season only and lose him for nothing, or do you trade him now and get some decent or better prospects in return? That's also easy. You trade him and get something for him now rather than losing him for nothing. My vote is to sign him to a three or four year deal before the end of the month and keep him around with Caratini in a timeshare. Unfortunately, everything I read those tells me that is not actually an option. If your choice is to keep them just for 2026 or trade him for a couple of good to very good prospects the choice is easy; you have to trade him.

I agree that were not too far off. I want to add that I do think we should trade Jeffers for prospects assuming he's not going to be re-signed. My beef was more with trading top 10 or top 15 prospects for guys like Sonny Gray. I think you and I are in agreement that that's just not smart. This year and next year's team are not worth that kind of investment and he won't be worth much after next year, maybe not even after this year at his age. I am intrigued by the idea of trading even two top 15 prospects plus others for a real star. I just haven't seen anybody like that being mentioned as available. If there was a true middle of the order bat or established top of the rotation starter under 30 with at least a couple years still in the arbitration process or on an affordable contract with at least a couple of years left after this one, I would be all over trading pretty much anyone we got except for Jenkins for that player. I actually don't care what position he plays, we'll make room. I just haven't read anywhere that there is a guy like that available. I love to hear about someone like that if there is and I just have missed it.

Agreed in part. No giving up top prospects for Sonny Gray and his $30 million salary with a $10 million buyout for next year. Besides, he is a no trade clause and wants to go to Atlanta. Let's stop talking about Sonny Gray; he is not coming to Minnesota even if we wanted him. I wouldn't trade to top 15 prospects to get him. Boston ain't trading Gray for a couple of 15 – 30 prospects. He will probably cost a top-five prospect other than Jenkins and another in the top 15. Think Culpeper and Mendez. That's the price, deal with it. Don't agree with you on Chapman if the price is right. I wouldn't give up a top 10 prospect, but someone in the 12 to 30 range would be worth it, or two guys if neither is in the top 15. Maybe even go as high as Young or Ellwanger (#s 12 and 14), just not a top 10 guy. That may mean we can't get him, but I can live with that.

I respect your opinion because it actually makes sense based on your premise, but I don't agree with your basic premise. I do think this is a team worth investing in. Perhaps not so much for this year, but I think they've actually begun to put together a core group that can be competitive for the next two or three years and maybe longer. Lee, Keaschall, and Martin all look like solid MLB contributors at various levels, and I think Buxton, Larnach, Caratini, and Clemens will still be effective contributors for the next two or three years. The Starting pitching staff is coming together and one can actually begin to see outlines of a younger group that can be part of an effective bullpen. Don't get me wrong, we are a few players away from having a truly competitive core but I think it's only a few, not several. We need a long-term answer at SS, 1B (or 2B if the Lewis experiment fails and Clemens moves back to 1B), two mid to late 20s late inning bullpen pieces, one more long-term mid rotation starter, and the solid middle of the order bat regardless of position. That's not a ridiculous shopping list and some of that may come internally from guys like Culpepper, Houston, Roden, Jenkins, GG, etc. on the field position side, and Abel, Rojas, Matthews, Festa, and others on the pitching side. That's why my outlook for this trade deadline is focused on getting guys will help us over the next 2 to 3 years, not guys for just this year and not guys who are 3 to 4 years out from really helping us. Even if we trade for a guy at AA or AAA and he advances quickly, he probably needs at least another year of minor league ball and then a year or two of experience at the MLB level before he can really help us. Brooks Lee now really helps us; two years ago and even last year he had some tantalizing upside but was of limited current utility. I'm willing to make a move now by trading guys 2 to 4 years out to get guys that will help us over the next 3 to 4 years. I think the pipeline's robust enough to support trading from it, especially when you have to think were going to get at least two pretty good prospects from the Yankees or someone else when we trade Jeffers. Let's invest in this group.

Hey, was that Tom Pohlad showing up with more 20s for Plouffe and Span to give out fans who are actually in attendance? Same guy then showing up in the booth with a large hot dog? It's almost like this guy understands he is running an entertainment company and is trying to connect with the customer. Since when did that become a thing for the family? A guy who actually cares running the team? Who knew? That must've been an imposter in a Tom Pohlad costume. Seriously, really smart, savvy move. Gotta give the guy credit for that. Little things like that can start to change the narrative about the team and about ownership. Good for him.

You may be right on the cost and it's a cost I think we should be willing to pay for Detmers or Soriano. I would be willing to trade Emma plus someone in the 10 – 15 range to get one of those two players, say, Emma plus Young or Riley Quick (or Mendez but why would they want to left-handed hitting outfielders). If we do that we are trading from surplus to get what we need and it really is a twofer because the acquired player slides into the rotation for the next 2.5 years, and some of our starting pitching candidates then become high-octane relievers and fallback options if we can't re-sign Ryan or Lopez, or Lopez can't come back from the Tommy John surgery. To me, that is exactly the kind of deal we should pursue - trading from our surplus of high potential AAA outfielders to get younger, proven quality controllable pitching. I really don't like the idea of trading a top 15 prospect or more for an aging reliever, even Aroldis Chapman, although he might be worth it since he has a vesting option for next year at $13 million that looks likely to vest so you might actually get a 1.5 year quality backend guy. Still, at age 38 he could fall off the cliff at any moment. The other guys that have been mentioned like Kirby Yates, Kenley Jansen, or if it's a starter, Sonny Gray, Seth Lugo, or Robbie Ray, leave me pretty cold. I would rather not trade even top 30 prospects for one of those guys and a guy like Sonny Gray may cost two top 15 prospects. This year's Twins team is becoming fun and exciting to watch but let's be realistic, the ceiling is likely a Wild Card or winning a weak division, one competitive playoff series that they could actually win, and then getting hammered by one of the big boys. Still fun stuff, but I'm not willing to trade a lot of the immediate future just to improve our chances of reaching that level. I want to trade in a way that makes is better over the next two or three years, or more if possible, not for a quick fix for just 2026 and maaaaybe 2027, and also not for guys who aren't going to help us until 2029 or later. I know that's tough to find but we're not so desperate that we have to sacrifice the short-term future for either a quick fix or something that can't help us until the long term. Plus, we are likely trading Jeffers for prospects so replenishing the farm is already in the works. I hope they've already talked to the Angels about the price for Soriano or Detmers, and also the price on a lower wattage trade like for Yates or Bachman, and are thinking about getting one of the starters. To me, that's the one possible trade I've heard about that makes a lot of sense other than trading Jeffers, which they have to do.

I agree with the idea that acquiring a starting pitcher could be a twofer by both strengthening the rotation and moving a quality starter like Preilipp into the bullpen. Prielipp will not last the season in the rotation because he is on an innings limit this year after the injuries and surgeries, so I think following the Dodgers model of having him start into August and then moving him to the bullpen is a great idea. It has worked really well for the Dodgers. The part I can't understand is that I see a lot of sentiment here towards acquiring Sonny Gray. I just don't think he's a realistic target and I think acquiring him isn't a very good idea considering what is likely to cost. We have to remember that he has a no trade clause and publicly stated a desire to go to Atlanta since I think he's originally from that area or a surrounding state. He doesn't have to come to the Twins if he doesn't want to. Moreover, he is going to be expensive both in his $31 million salary ($10 million of which is being paid by St. Louis) plus $10 million buyout for next year if either side declines his $30 million mutual option, and in terms of prospect cost. I think you have to assume that he is going to cost one of our top five prospects other than Jenkins plus a 10 to 15 prospect. Think something like Culpepper or Emma plus Mendez or Riley Quick. And that's just for Gray, we don't get Chapman with that. Chapman will fetch a top 10 prospect just all by himself. Add to that the fact that Gray is 36 and I just don't think he makes sense given our competitive timeline either. I think it makes a lot more sense to target younger starter if available, and the rumor is that the Angels are willing to entertain trading either José Soriano or Reid Detmers for controllable bats. The prospect cost might very well be the same, but the player we would be getting back is substantially younger and controllable through arbitration for the next 2.5 years, although not as accomplished. Still, they would fit our timeline better. The Angels also need an outfielder and guess what, we have lots of those. I would be much more interested in trading an Emma plus say Mendez or Young type package for one of those two guys. That's the trade I would be pursuing.

I agree with the bullpen as the biggest need but trading for a starting pitcher would kill 2 birds with one stone. We need BP help, but it's expensive for unreliable guys and unpredictable results. Plus, our surplus is quality OFs that are worth more than a BP pitcher unless we're getting a dependable closer. I think we can vastly improve the bullpen if we trade for a Starting Pitcher and move Prielipp into the BP along with Ober replacing Paredes who also goes to the BP. Why Preilipp? Because his innings have to be managed coming off injury and he'll be shut down before the end of the season. Moving him to the BP gets him through the season and gives us a valuable BP arm, even a late inning arm. The Dodgers have done this a bunch of times with Sasaki, Maeda, Stripling, Sheehan, even Glasnow. We did it successfully a couple of years ago with The Sheriff. The Angels appear willing to trade controllable starting pitching for young, controllable quality hitting. With that in mind, here's my proposal: Emma for Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano of the Angels. Alternatively, Emma and either Wallner or Ross for Detmers (or Soriano) and Sam Bachman or Kirby Yates. Why Emma? Because he's worth a lot, like a quality SP with 2.5 years of control left like Soriano or Detmers, and we have a glut of LH hitting OFs. I realize that Emma is out of options after this year, has been hurt a lot and hasn't seen the MLB field yet, so his value is down a little and we might have to sweeten the pot just to get Detmers or Soriano . We are going to have to keep or DFA Emma next season and we haven't even had the chance to see if he can hit MLB pitching. He's also fallen behind Jenkins, Roden, and probably Mendez in the LH hitting OF hierarchy for the reasons his value is a little down. Conversely, the Angels need hitters bad, can be patient while he develops, and Soriano's and Detmers 2.5 year controllable timeline ends before they are likely to be relevant while our guys 6 year clock hasn't even started yet. I l think it's a win/win short and medium term for us, longer term for them. What do you think?

That makes sense, especially with the schedule and rotation. We have a night game followed by a day game so this would be the prefect time. Jeffers tonight with Prielipp, Caratini with Zebby tomorrow, and then Jeffers with Ober on Friday when I expect him to be back. Paredes goes to the BP and Adams goes to AAA when Ober comes back.

By the way, I'll start with a trade scenario. We need BP help, but it's expensive for unreliable guys and unpredictable results. Plus, our surplus is quality OFs that are worth more than a BP pitcher unless we're getting a dependable closer. I think we can vastly improve the bullpen if we trade for a Starting Pitcher and move Prielipp into the BP along with Ober replacing Paredes who also goes to the BP. Why Preilipp? Because his innings have to be managed coming off injury and he'll be shut down before the end of the season. Moving him to the BP gets him through the season and gives us a valuable BP arm, even a late inning arm. The Dodgers have done this a bunch of times with Sasaki, Maeda, Stripling, Sheehan, even Glasnow. We did it successfully a couple of years ago with The Sheriff. The Angels appear willing to trade controllable starting pitching for young, controllable quality hitting. With that in mind, here's my proposal: Emma for Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano of the Angels. Alternatively, Emma and either Wallner or Ross for Detmers (or Soriano) and Sam Bachman or Kirby Yates. Why Emma? Because he's worth a lot, like a quality SP with 2.5 years of control left like Soriano or Detmers, and we have a glut of LH hitting OFs. I realize that Emma is out of options after this year, has been hurt a lot and hasn't seen the MLB field yet, so his value is down a little and we might have to sweeten the pot just to get Detmers or Soriano . We are going to have to keep or DFA Emma next season and we haven't even had the chance to see if he can hit MLB pitching. He's also fallen behind Jenkins, Roden, and probably Mendez in the LH hitting OF hierarchy for the reasons his value is a little down. Conversely, the Angels need hitters bad, can be patient while he develops, and Soriano's and Detmers 2.5 year controllable timeline ends before they are likely to be relevant while our guys 6 year clock hasn't even started yet. I l think it's a win/win short and medium term for us, longer term for them. What do you think?