LA Vikes Fan

I think there's a bit of a difference between starting and relief opportunities. If you actually look at the deadline moves there really wasn't much quality starting pitching moved outside of Fedde, Flaherty, and Kikuchi. I absolutely would not trade Lee, Jenkins, or Emma for any of those three. I'm even a little surprised that Keaschall was dangled but Fedde does have another year so I guess I can of see it. Can't see anything even in our top 10 prospects for Trevor Rogers. When you look at the returns these teams got, I understand why the FO was hesitant to match. On the relief side, the prices for Tanner Scott and Carlos Estevez were astronomical for a reliever. No way do we pay that. We could and should have tried to get Luis Garcia, Gregory Soto, or even Ryan Yarborough. They we available at much better prospect prices and all would help. To me, the bottom line is where you think the team is in terms of competing for a WS spot. If we're close and 1 or 2 guys can get us there, you go for it and overpay, and worry about the fallout later. If not, you only do something that makes long term sense. I don't think this team is 1 or 2 guys away. I think we're at least 3 or 4 in the form of a strong middle of the order 3-5 bat to go with Correa hitting 2 and Buxton 6, a #2 type starter, a LH late inning reliever, and a solid RH hitting OF to platoon with Larnach. It's possible that Ober will become a true #2 next season, moving the need down to a #4 (much easier to find). It's possible that Mirnada/Lewis/Wallner will become a strong 3-5 hitting group, or that Emma, Lee, or even Jenkins can fill that role soon, and that Martin can become a solid RH OF platoon option. We don't have the LH reliever in the system. I still think this team is one year away because I think those things can only happen with experience and MLB ABs, including playing Wallner against LH pitching. That's the way to play it this year. If it looks like those things can work, then overpay for a high end LH reliever over the winter.

The Twins can make waiver claims if they take on the salary of the player. They can also sign free agents. Any player DFA'd with 5 years or more in the majors can elect free agency, get their contract paid by the waiving club, and sign with another club. The signing club is only on the hook for the prorated remainder of the 740k minimum salary. Opportunities tend to rise into circumstances. One is where the player has a relatively high salary, his team waives him hoping someone will pick up the contract for salary relief and, if no one makes a claim, the player is either released or elect free agency. Classic example is Rafael Montero being released by the Astros. The second is where a team either winds up with too many pitchers for their 40 man or 26 man roster's after making trades or takes on the contract of someone they can't fit on the roster to facilitate a trade with a team that wants to unload that pitcher's salary, and then has to waive that player who becomes available. Two examples here are Vinnie Nattoli just elected free agency after being DFA'd by the Orioles, and Ryan Yarborough, who the Dodgers just got in a trade and then DFA'd, who will also probably elect free agency. Both Vinnie Nattoli and Ryan Yarborough are pitchers the Twins should take a look at. Both will be very cheap at the prorated amount of the league minimum and both could help.

Hey, Vinny Nittoli just elected free agency after a DFA by the Orioles. He's 0-1, 1.5 ERA, 1.00 WHIP in 12 innings, 9 games. Can go 2 innings a pop and has the last 3 times out against Miami, KC, and the Yankees - 6 IP total, 1 earned run. Came off the IL about 3 weeks ago. He's RH but has better stats against lefties (.188 BA). He could be a find if this is anywhere near real. Also, Jake Diekman (LH) and Adrian Houser (RH) have been waived/released by the Mets. Both pretty meh to meh minus this year but both have previous good previous track records. The bullpen is the one place where you can get actual decent pieces on the waiver wire or post DFA free agency. Nittoli is worth a look. Probably an upgrade on Okert and maybe on Dobnak. Worth looking at the waiver wire as a way to upgrade the BP.

Has to happen. Couldn't agree more. Move him to the BP and get him up to Minnesota.

Lee is killing us on offense and bad luck puts him up with men on base a lot. We've seen enough now to know that he isn't offensively ready for the MLB level. No shame there, lots of guys need multiple shots to stick. Lee should and probably will go down to AAA when Correa is ready to come back. I hear that's most likely this weekend but haven't seen anything official.

Was curious about the schedule so I went to Tankathon. com where they track ease off remaining schedule by your opponents winning percentage. They show the Twins with the 16th hardest remaining schedule in baseball, seventh hardest in the American League. By comparison, here's the remaining scehdule strength for our likely competitors, with the opponents' winning % in parentheses: Kansas City (.521) - 2nd hardest schedule in baseball, 2nd hardest in the American League. Cleveland (.520) - 3rd hardest schedule in baseball, 3rd hardest in the American League. Boston (.507) - 10th hardest schedule in baseball, 4th hardest in the American League. Houston (.503) - 15th hardest schedule in baseball, 6th hardest in the American League. Minnesota (.503) - 16th hardest schedule in baseball, 7th hardest in the American League. Seattle (.502) - 18th hardest schedule in baseball, 8th hardest in the American League. Baltimore (.498) - 20th hardest schedule in baseball, 10th hardest in the American League. Yankees (.479) - 27th hardest schedule in baseball, 12th hardest in the American League. See, not all the news is bad this morning. You got to figure that Baltimore and the Yankees are pretty close to locks since both upgraded at the deadline, both have relatively easy schedules, both have good records already, and both play two teams that are now tanking the season as part of their divisional games at the end, Toronto and Tampa Bay. That leaves the Twins with the division race and, assuming Cleveland went to the division, the race for the final two wildcard spots with Kansas City, Boston, and either Houston or Seattle which ever one doesn't win the West. We have a pretty significant schedule advantage against Kansas City and Cleveland, a slight advantage against Boston, and basically the same strength of schedule as Houston and Seattle. Not bad, not bad at all.

You're right, the rule was changed. All players DFA'd must be placed on outright or relaese waivers. These players can be claimed with the claiming team picking up the contract. The player can be assigned to AAA if they pass through waivers, but any player with more than 5 years of MLB service time can reject that assignment, become a free agent, and sign with any team. That player forfeits their existing contract and is paid whatever the new team negotiates. Those two players above both have more than 5 years of service time so they could be signed as free agents or picked up on waivers. I'll revise the post. Good catch, thanks.

Well said. For all of the Sturm und Drang one reads here regarding the front office and management, I think the record shows that Falvey and Levine have done a very good job upgrading and updating the organization. I also think that Baldelli has done a very good job as manager, although he is a little too reliant on probabilities. I think all three of them would have little difficulty finding similar positions with other organizations, particularly midmarket or smaller market teams. It may be that they wouldn't move unless called by a bigger market organization but I don't think they would have any trouble finding another position. The clear problem is ownership. We can talk about how the Twins do as a business and all that is interesting, but to me it's ultimately irrelevant. I'm a fan, not a stock analyst or business valuation expert. I want my sports teams to be owned by someone was willing to spend the money to play with the big boys and give their team a chance to be successful on the field. The Vikings have that kind of ownership. I live in LA and I can tell you that all of the teams here have that kind of ownership (now even the Chargers) and would be toast in the marketplace if they didn't. The Twins deserve that and I just don't think they have it. I was hopeful the new guy in charge would be more competitive and more willing to invest but it sure doesn't look like it.

This. Richard improves the bullpen simply because he's better than Staumont, better than the guys we currently have at AAA, and may be better than Okert. We didn't trade a player who appears to have much of a future to get him. Richard is now the number seven man in an eight-man bullpen, ahead of Okert (#8) but behind Dobnak. To the extent one considers that an "upgrade", that's pretty much it. Any bullpen improvement is going to have to come from a combination of Topa, Varland, and our old friend Randy Dobnak. I know we have to keep Varland stretched out as a starter for depth for the next month but after that he should be up in Minnesota in the bullpen. The interesting part is going to be who goes to create space for Topa and eventually Varland over the next few weeks. Given the prices paid for Trevor Rogers and Kikuchi, I guess I'm okay with us not trading for a starting pitcher. The Dodgers got a good deal for Flaherty although it is a little concerning that the Yankees had a deal in place for him with Detroit and backed out after looking at his medical records. I'm not a fan of trading for a backend innings eater type like Cal Quantrill. I'd rather play the long game with the #4 and #5 spots and give those starts to a combination of SWR, Festa, and Paddack, with maybe even two or three starts to Zebby Matthews thrown in now that we have a long reliever in Dobnak to use as a piggyback. Now that the dust has settled, I guess I'm both disappointed and relieved. I'm disappointed we didn't make a higher profile move for a better reliever and I think we could have done that if we had been willing to sacrifice some better prospects. Having said that, I do think this roster is really one year away from being a true contender so I wouldn't want to sacrifice much of the future for that reliever. Overall, I can live with this.

At this moment, I would say Ober yes, Ryan.... maybe. IF the playoffs started today i would pitch Lopez, then Ober, then Ryan. Hopefully, we'll be playing in October, both these guys and Lopez will be healthy, and we'll get a chancel out see.

This Deadline was a hard one. Lots of teams overpaid for decent but not great pitching. Really, only the Dodgers made a reasonable deal on Flaherty, Yet this Twins team seems like its good enough that one capable starter and one capable reliever could make the difference. I'm normally not a big fan of the usual Deadline overpays but this year I would have gone for it and moved a guy or two off the top 10 for a top tier starter like Flaherty or even a couple from the top 20 for Trevor Richards or Kikuchi. Just because that window isn't often open and this year feels like it might be …. Or that breeze I feel is just my own hot air blowing back on my Face . . .

No, Sweeney may be roster fill but Liranzo has a real shot.

I wouldn't say Flaherty went for a song, but certainly for more reasonable price than most of the starters that moved today. I live in LA and kinda follow the Dodgers as my secondary team. Detroit got Thaylon Liranzo, who is actually a pretty highly regarded prospect within the Dodgers top 10. I think he's like number 8. I looked and he has an overall prospect grade of 50 with a cannon arm that rates as a 60. He's overall only a 50 because he is a 30 run rating which basically means he runs like El Tortuga. He's a catcher which adds value. Trey Sweeney is their number 22 prospect and is their shortstop at AAA. Overall prospect grade of 45. Pretty athletic guy who may stall out as a AAAA player, but there is a chance that he could break through as a utility guy or solid regular. In most years this would be considered a pretty solid return for two months of a rental starter who stunk last year. This year it's an absolute bargain.

You're right. I had the wrong guy. Too bad. Still, Cole Irvin is left-handed, breathing, and has an ERA under 5 with some starting pitching cred to his name. Who knows, might be worth a look?

Well, the trade deadline is come and gone and the Twins have picked up Trevor Richards. No, not Trevor Rogers, Taylor Rogers or even Mr. Rogers (it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood), Trevor Richards. I frankly never heard of him but he apparently is a mediocre right-handed reliever who tends to get lefties out but not righties.. Still, all hope is not lost. Some of the big boys that made the big boy trades now have to jettison players off their 40 man rosters. Every now and then, you see somebody that might be worth trying to get. First, the rules (a revision from my first blog, thanks Karbo). All players DFA'd must be placed on outright or relaese waivers. These players can be claimed with the claiming team picking up the contract. The DFA'd player can be assigned to AAA if they pass through waivers, but any player with more than 5 years of MLB service time can reject that assignment, become a free agent, and sign with any team. That player forfeits their existing contract and is paid whatever the new team negotiates. The two players below both have more than 5 years of service time so they could be signed as free agents or picked up on waivers. I don't know if the rules allow a team to call a DFA'd players agent to let him know that the team would sign the player if he rejected an assignment and chose free agency but I'll bet that type of communication occurs. With all that said, I've seen two guys who I think are worth a waiver claim or free agent call by the Twins front office. I'd love to know if anybody sees anybody else. My two are: Cole Irvin - A 30 year old left-handed starting pitcher, Irvin is 6-5 this year with a 4.85 ERA, 4.48 FIP. He has relatively low strikeout totals (6.3/9) and a relatively high WHIP (1.4), but he is left-handed and breathing and he does have 14 starts this year plus 7 relief appearances. Better than Okert? He very well may be and is on a farily reasonable contract - $2m for the season, so about 750K remaining. Jake Diekman - Diekman is at 37-year-old left-handed reliever that has been DFA'd by the Mets to make room for their acquisitions. He is not having a great year with a 5.63 ERA and a 6.12 FIP, but in 2023 he had a 2.18 ERA/3.21 FIP/1.125 WHIP in 45 innings with Tampa Bay. He started with the White sucks, so his total for 2023 is a 3.34 ERA/3.75 FIP, 1..324 WHIP. He was also decent to good in 2021 with Oakland, but not so good in 2022 with Boston and our good friends from Chicago. Once again, he is left-handed and breathing so he has that going for him, which is nice. He also leads the Mets in appearances from the bullpen. He's on a one year $4m contract, so about 1.5M remaining. He might be worth a try while Okert sat on the IL. Something has to be wrong with that guy given the way he's pitching. I would consider a claim on these these two guys and I think there will be more as good teams have to shed players to welcome new additions for whom they traded prospects. What you think of these two guys? Any thoughts on others that might be soon hitting the waiver wire or DFA land?

Here is some interesting news. The Orioles just designated call Ervin for assignment. Remember him? He was part of what we traded to get Jorge Lopez in that ill-fated trade a couple seasons ago. He has been in the Orioles rotation and is 6-5 with a 485 ERA, 4.48 FIP. There you have to run him through waivers. Wonder if he is worth a call to see if the Twins can trade for him for a non-40 man lottery ticket.

Fair point. Blackburn actually looked like a decent deal for both sides. Big risk there though in that he just came back from a stress fracture in his foot, something that could go again at any time. His overall record with the As is 21 – 26 with a 4.78 ERA in eight seasons during which he started a grand total of 77 games in 81 appearances. That's less than 10 appearances a season. Guy has talent but is always hurt. His upside is he gives you 10 starts this year and pitches like a #3 or #4 starter. Certainly nothing to sneeze at, but might be hard to pull the trigger on sending a top 30 prospect just for that. I think the return reflected the risk. Having said that, there probably are a couple of guys in the Twins 20 – 30 prospect range I would have given up to get him. Sorry, I just get frustrated because when the Twins don't get someone people start posting that we could have traded for him for a bag of balls and 3 half off coupons to Arby's. At least it's better than the Athletic where any article about the Twins results in pages of posts about how the Pohlads are cheap and we should take the stadium back. At least here there is some intelligent commentary. I will say though, the constant drone of negativity gets pretty old especially when were talking about a team that is definitely in the playoff hunt and appears to be on the way up as the schedule gets easier and the hitter start coming back from injury. Thanks for letting me vent.

You know Alex Cobb hasn't pitched an MLB inning yet this season, right? And that he suffered a "setback" in rehab as well. Also the Giants got a PTBNL in addition to the 19 year old who has 66 SOs in 50 Low A innings. This guy is closer to Carlee Soto than Questad. That doesn't count whoever the later named player is an Cobb is strictly a rental, free agent at years end will pick somewhere else next year. Look, I'm as disappointed as the next guy that the Twins didn't pick up a decent starter. Let's not pretend that we could have gotten the quality starting pitcher for prospect at the back and of our top 30. Based on what we've seen, a quality starting pitcher would have cost us at least one prospect in the top 10 if not in the top five or six, plus another prospect in the top 20. I'm happy to discuss whether that was a price that was worth being paid for rental starter like Kikuchi or Cobb but let's be the real on what the price was.

No surprise there. The wheels had come off.

Available yes, but not at "reasonable prices". So far KIkuchi cost the Astros their #2 prospect who may go right into the Blue Jays rotation, and their #9 prospect. That's like us trading Walter Jenkins or Emma AND Charlee Soto or CJ Culpepper. Two guys who haven't even pitched this year due to injury - Paul Blackburn and Alex Cobb - went for top 30 guys in the Mets and Guardians systems. Trevor Rogers fetched a top 100 prospect in AAA and another AAA guy who is in the Orioles top 25. I'd like to get a quality starter too, but the prices have been high.

I think the question here is whether this guy is better than the current back end of the bullpen. In other words, is he better than Okert or Staumont? Frankly, he may be better than both of them and looks to be better than Okert or Funderburk. I would include Theilbar in that last sentence but I have a feeling he's getting better and may be back to something approximating his old self through the stretch. This guy is probably a small upgrade to the soft underbelly of the bullpen. Better than nothing, but only marginally better.

Well, I learned something today. I'd never heard of Trevor Richards that I can recall, and I'm very confident I've never heard of Jay Harry before today. Pretty exciting stuff. Well, at least we are not the only team in MLB not to make a trade the season. Wonder who the Twins will send down to make room for Richards since Dobnak is already up to replace Brock Stewart. Looks like Stewart came off the IL too soon. Maybe there is a deal in the works to move Okert or Staumont, or even DFA one of those two.

Twins acquired Trevor Richards from Toronto according to MLB Trade Rumors. Price not yet reported. RH reliever, not too exciting stats. UFA at season's end.

You're right. Kikuchi to the Astros. One more possible starter acquisition down.

Kikuchi to the Astros. One more possible starter acquisition down.