Brad Swanson

That's a delicious scenario. Tim Hudson? It kind of seems like the type of trade Billy Beane would make.

I don't know, if Ryan can't get credit for the good trades, then I guess he just can't win. Nathan may not have been a closer with the Giants, but the Twins clearly saw something in him, as they instituted him as the closer immediately and he saved 44 games in 2004. The quote I shared from Terry Ryan states that they specifically liked what they saw in Liriano in the instructional leagues. Sure, there was luck involved, but the Twins organization deserves credit for this one. That's even considering that Liriano's breakout was derailed by a major injury. The Twins sold from a position of strength. Even if they had only gotten Nathan, it would have been a smart trade. There was nowhere to play AJ and he was a below average offensive player from 2004-2011.

I don't think so. He was identified specifically in the article that I found, which was published at the time of the trade. Even so, he was quite a find.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2124-20-Twins-Trades-The-Pierzynski-Bonanza!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also reviewed the Dave Gassner trade, which you probably remember because Shannon Stewart and Bobby Kielty were involved. You can read it here. The 2004 season marked two important Twins milestones. First, the team was coming off of playoff runs in consecutive seasons for the first time in over thirty years. Second, the Baby Jesus, Joe Mauer was primed for his MLB debut. As a result of the second milestone, the Twins were looking to unload a popular, but expendable catcher, seemingly entering his prime. The Trade: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded A.J. Pierzynski to the San Francisco Giants for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser. Nathan immediately became the Twins closer and a dominant closer to boot. He would save 260 games over seven seasons with the Twins, posting a 2.16 ERA and 0.956 WHIP. Liriano made his MLB debut in 2005, but really made waves in a thrilling 2006 season. He threw 121 innings, striking out 144 batters and posting a 2.16 ERA before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. He was never quite the same, but did post a very good 2010 season with the Twins. Bonser spent parts of three seasons with the Twins, finishing with a 5.12 ERA in just under 400 innings. Pierzynski had a disappointing 2004 season with the Giants, clashing with teammates and posting a mediocre 86 OPS+. He was released at the end of the season and signed by the White Sox, where he played for the next eight seasons. How did I feel at the time? I wasn't super happy, but I wasn't super upset either. I had taken to referring to Pierzynski as "All-Star A.J." because he made the All-Star team and I am super creative. I was also very aware that Joe Mauer was going to be with the Twins the following season and an expensive backup like Pierzynski wasn't a luxury the Twins would be willing to afford. Plus, getting three players for one seems like a good idea. It's literally three times the players. Why make the trade? "It's one of those things that was eventually going to happen," Pierzynski said, reached on a golf course in Hawaii. "I was one of the first guys people had talked about. And they've got the guy coming behind me." That quote is from an AP story I found in an ESPN archive. It's passive-aggressive enough, but not too disparaging. You know for a fact that he knew Mauer's name. However, it does perfectly explain why this trade made sense for the two teams. "That's all part of the reasons we decided to make this trade," general manager Terry Ryan said. "We're dealing from a position of strength. We've got some talent at catching come up and some financial concerns, as far as making sure the pieces fit." Again, "some talent" is Joe Mauer. Plus, Pierzynski was due salary arbitration and was set to make a huge raise. In fact, he went from $365,000 in 2003 to $3.5 million in 2004. That is not an insignificant number, considering Pierzynski would have likely split time with Mauer, and possibly even backed him up. This MLB.com story gives some great quotes about the players the Twins were acquiring. On Nathan: "He's got a good arm and gets people out," Ryan said. "He had a good year with the Giants and he's playoff tested." "He's a stud," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Everything I've heard is he's a horse with a great arm. He should be a big part of our bullpen." Like me, you're probably wondering if the Twins petitioned the league to allow a horse to pitch. Gardy was speaking figuratively. We all learned how playoff tested Nathan really was, right Alex Rodriguez? Ouch. That was cold. On Bonser, considered at that time to be a better prospect due to his closer proximity to the Majors: "He's a young right-handed pitcher with a good arm and good stuff," Ryan said. "We think he's got the strength and stamina to be a future starter in the big leagues." The stamina part was either wrong or a mean, sarcastic joke. He did have a fun name. On Liriano, the wild horse (figurative horse again): "The left-hander has an excellent arm," Ryan said. "We've got a good look at him in the instructional league and we liked what we saw." I'd say! It's borderline remarkable that they plucked a 20-year-old Liriano out of A ball and he made the impact that he did. From the Giants' perspective, this trade was logical: "While it didn't come up easy to give up Joe, we feel we've got some alternatives within the organization," San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean said. "It's not often you can send a right-handed reliever and two unproven prospects for a front-line, All-Star catcher." On paper, that does make a lot of sense. The players involved just didn't line up that way. Here's what Kyle Lohse thinks about the whole thing, if you care: "I like him. He did just about anything you could to get a win," starting pitcher Kyle Lohse said. "He called a great game for me. It's kind of sad. It makes you wonder who else they'll keep and who they won't try to sign. It'll be pretty interesting." No one effing cares what you think, Kyle Lohse. Sit down and shave that ridiculous soul patch. And of course, A.J. did manage a slight dig on his way out: "It's outside, so that'll be very nice," he said. "Playing in the Metrodome all these years gets kind of old and kind of stale." Boom! Roasted. Analysis I'm quite certain the Twins are happy with how this trade worked out. Pierzynski's a nice player, but he's no Joe Mauer. In addition, adding Joe Nathan stabilized the bullpen for about a million years. Honestly, if Mariano Rivera didn't exist, it's possible that Nathan would be considered the best closer of this generation. Liriano never fully reached his potential in Minnesota, but fans will never forget his rookie season when he set the Metrodome ablaze and dominated with that ridiculous slider. Boof is a silly name, which we all look back at fondly. The Giants would probably like a couple do-overs when it comes to this trade. First, they would probably not make it at all. Second, since they actually made the trade, they probably would not have released Pierzynski after one season. He was not great in 2004, but then, he wasn't that much better from 2005-2011. He never posted an above-average OPS+ during that time. In fact, he didn't have an above-average offensive season until 2012, when he posted a career-high 119 OPS+ at age 35. The perception of Pierzynski as a player was quite different with Chicago. He was a pain, but he was a productive and wily pain. It's amazing what a punch to the jaw and a terrible call from an ump can do to change a player's perception. Who won the WAR? Pierzynski for the Giants: 0.3 Nathan for the Twins: 18.4 Liriano for the Twins: 9.5 Bonser for the Twins: -0.3 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary Widely considered one of the best trades in Twins' history, this trade ultimately netted the Twins arguably their best closer of all-time, one extremely talented and frustrating pitcher and a guy named Boof.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also reviewed the Dave Gassner trade, which you probably remember because Shannon Stewart and Bobby Kielty were involved. You can read it here. The 2004 season marked two important Twins milestones. First, the team was coming off of playoff runs in consecutive seasons for the first time in over thirty years. Second, the Baby Jesus, Joe Mauer was primed for his MLB debut. As a result of the second milestone, the Twins were looking to unload a popular, but expendable catcher, seemingly entering his prime. The Trade: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded A.J. Pierzynski to the San Francisco Giants for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser. Nathan immediately became the Twins closer and a dominant closer to boot. He would save 260 games over seven seasons with the Twins, posting a 2.16 ERA and 0.956 WHIP. Liriano made his MLB debut in 2005, but really made waves in a thrilling 2006 season. He threw 121 innings, striking out 144 batters and posting a 2.16 ERA before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. He was never quite the same, but did post a very good 2010 season with the Twins. Bonser spent parts of three seasons with the Twins, finishing with a 5.12 ERA in just under 400 innings. Pierzynski had a disappointing 2004 season with the Giants, clashing with teammates and posting a mediocre 86 OPS+. He was released at the end of the season and signed by the White Sox, where he played for the next eight seasons. How did I feel at the time? I wasn't super happy, but I wasn't super upset either. I had taken to referring to Pierzynski as "All-Star A.J." because he made the All-Star team and I am super creative. I was also very aware that Joe Mauer was going to be with the Twins the following season and an expensive backup like Pierzynski wasn't a luxury the Twins would be willing to afford. Plus, getting three players for one seems like a good idea. It's literally three times the players. Why make the trade? "It's one of those things that was eventually going to happen," Pierzynski said, reached on a golf course in Hawaii. "I was one of the first guys people had talked about. And they've got the guy coming behind me." That quote is from an AP story I found in an ESPN archive. It's passive-aggressive enough, but not too disparaging. You know for a fact that he knew Mauer's name. However, it does perfectly explain why this trade made sense for the two teams. "That's all part of the reasons we decided to make this trade," general manager Terry Ryan said. "We're dealing from a position of strength. We've got some talent at catching come up and some financial concerns, as far as making sure the pieces fit." Again, "some talent" is Joe Mauer. Plus, Pierzynski was due salary arbitration and was set to make a huge raise. In fact, he went from $365,000 in 2003 to $3.5 million in 2004. That is not an insignificant number, considering Pierzynski would have likely split time with Mauer, and possibly even backed him up. This MLB.com story gives some great quotes about the players the Twins were acquiring. On Nathan: "He's got a good arm and gets people out," Ryan said. "He had a good year with the Giants and he's playoff tested." "He's a stud," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Everything I've heard is he's a horse with a great arm. He should be a big part of our bullpen." Like me, you're probably wondering if the Twins petitioned the league to allow a horse to pitch. Gardy was speaking figuratively. We all learned how playoff tested Nathan really was, right Alex Rodriguez? Ouch. That was cold. On Bonser, considered at that time to be a better prospect due to his closer proximity to the Majors: "He's a young right-handed pitcher with a good arm and good stuff," Ryan said. "We think he's got the strength and stamina to be a future starter in the big leagues." The stamina part was either wrong or a mean, sarcastic joke. He did have a fun name. On Liriano, the wild horse (figurative horse again): "The left-hander has an excellent arm," Ryan said. "We've got a good look at him in the instructional league and we liked what we saw." I'd say! It's borderline remarkable that they plucked a 20-year-old Liriano out of A ball and he made the impact that he did. From the Giants' perspective, this trade was logical: "While it didn't come up easy to give up Joe, we feel we've got some alternatives within the organization," San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean said. "It's not often you can send a right-handed reliever and two unproven prospects for a front-line, All-Star catcher." On paper, that does make a lot of sense. The players involved just didn't line up that way. Here's what Kyle Lohse thinks about the whole thing, if you care: "I like him. He did just about anything you could to get a win," starting pitcher Kyle Lohse said. "He called a great game for me. It's kind of sad. It makes you wonder who else they'll keep and who they won't try to sign. It'll be pretty interesting." No one effing cares what you think, Kyle Lohse. Sit down and shave that ridiculous soul patch. And of course, A.J. did manage a slight dig on his way out: "It's outside, so that'll be very nice," he said. "Playing in the Metrodome all these years gets kind of old and kind of stale." Boom! Roasted. Analysis I'm quite certain the Twins are happy with how this trade worked out. Pierzynski's a nice player, but he's no Joe Mauer. In addition, adding Joe Nathan stabilized the bullpen for about a million years. Honestly, if Mariano Rivera didn't exist, it's possible that Nathan would be considered the best closer of this generation. Liriano never fully reached his potential in Minnesota, but fans will never forget his rookie season when he set the Metrodome ablaze and dominated with that ridiculous slider. Boof is a silly name, which we all look back at fondly. The Giants would probably like a couple do-overs when it comes to this trade. First, they would probably not make it at all. Second, since they actually made the trade, they probably would not have released Pierzynski after one season. He was not great in 2004, but then, he wasn't that much better from 2005-2011. He never posted an above-average OPS+ during that time. In fact, he didn't have an above-average offensive season until 2012, when he posted a career-high 119 OPS+ at age 35. The perception of Pierzynski as a player was quite different with Chicago. He was a pain, but he was a productive and wily pain. It's amazing what a punch to the jaw and a terrible call from an ump can do to change a player's perception. Who won the WAR? Pierzynski for the Giants: 0.3 Nathan for the Twins: 18.4 Liriano for the Twins: 9.5 Bonser for the Twins: -0.3 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary Widely considered one of the best trades in Twins' history, this trade ultimately netted the Twins arguably their best closer of all-time, one extremely talented and frustrating pitcher and a guy named Boof.

I once saw Drew Butera at the bank. True story.

I think this comes down to his fastball. Most pitchers establish their fastball and use secondary pitches to generate strikeouts. Deduno's fastball has life, but he can't command it at all. If he can't establish his fastball in the zone, he can't set up batters using pitch progression and he cant really change speeds and locations effectively. But, his fastball looks good enough to hit, so he generates swings and weak contact. That's how I see it anyway.

All of his pitches break downward. I can see how he manages to induce so many ground balls. I'm still not sold on him as a long-term option, but it's a wild ride and should be fun while it lasts.

I can change it in the post, but I can't edit the homepage. I bet if you ask an admin, they would switch the featured image to the Alf card or something. Sorry about that!

Thanks! It's depressing looking at how many guys could easily be playing at AAA right now. The Morneau situation is tough. I guess I hope the Twins get a surprisingly good prospect for him and all will be well.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2109-Monday-Morning-Madness-July-22-2013

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins are on fire. They have won back-to-back series for the first time since late May/early June. In doing so, they have put a little cushion between themselves and the last place White Sox. The Twins really capitalized on the Indians' pathetic defense (most notably Lonnie Chisenhall, who I feel very sorry for at this point) and won two of three games over the weekend. Winning four out of six games is a major accomplishment with this roster. All this forced positivity is exhausting. Don't trade Morneau? Wally Fish of Puckett's Pond wrote a really great piece pleading with the Twins to keep Justin Morneau. I certainly appreciate that point of view, but I do not agree with it. I made a chart of where Morneau ranks in some of the more important basic and advanced stats, among qualifying 1st baseman (29 total): [TABLE=class: grid, width: 576] [/TD][TD]Avg OBP SLG HR RBI wOBA wRC+ fWAR Morneau 0.276 0.334 0.409 7 52 0.325 104 0.7 1st Rank 11 16 26 29 14 26 27 20 [/TABLE] This chart does not support keeping Morneau at any price near what he makes this season. Of course, almost everyone would agree with that. There are really only three reasons to sign Morneau beyond this season: Popularity - the fans love him. Low payroll - might as well spend money somewhere Best they can do - who would replace him? Personally, I think those are all terrible reasons to keep a relatively unproductive player on the roster. I'm an emotionless robot, so I have no time for sentimentality. In addition, I hate spending money just to spend money and I hate the idea that the organization can't find someone better. Lyle Overbay has been roughly the same player as Morneau this season, and he makes $1.25 million. I don't care about keeping the payroll low to layer the owners' pockets, but I also don't like the idea of throwing money away on an average player, just because he's been here for a long time. According to Fangraphs, Morneau has been worth about $3.6 million this season and was worth $1.2 million last season. If the Twins can sign him to a reasonable contract, say 2 years, $14 million, then sure, go ahead. A longer or more lucrative contract is a waste of money. Don't trade Perkins! I am going to get emotional about Glen Perkins. I love to watch him pitch. He's one of the few things I enjoy about this team, especially now that Aaron Hicks is back on the strikeout train. The at-bat Carlos Santana had against him on Saturday night was amazing. It's important to mention that Santana has great plate discipline. Anyway, Perkins got ahead of him and then tried to finish him off with two straight sliders down-and-in. Santana laid off, but I'm not sure many other hitters would have. Those pitches ran the count full. At which point, I'd like to think Perkins just thought to himself "F it, I'm blowing him away." He rifled a 97 MPH fastball at Santana's eyes and he couldn't resist. It was fantastic. If the Twins are offered a top 50 prospect or a productive young MLB player for Perkins, I guess they would have to take it. I'd be sad, but I'd move on. I'd become a fan of his new team too. Plouffe batting 2nd? Right now, the Twins lineup means next to nothing. The team is generally pretty bad and regardless of how you order this lineup, they won't score many runs. However, Trevor Plouffe is second on the team in slugging and his on-base percentage isn't very special at .320. Wouldn't it make more sense to move Plouffe to the clean-up spot and Justin Morneau up to the second spot? Morneau has a slightly higher OBP and a lower SLG. Eh, it wouldn't matter; who cares? Ideally, the Twins would just bat Joe Mauer in all nine positions. Wait. (Movie idea: baseball team only plays best player, uses series of masks to make it work; hijinks) Ok, I'm back. Jason Kipnis You know what would be great? If Eddie Rosario becomes Jason Kipnis. That guy is a player. Time for Madness... Animation! Guess who learned how to make simple animations this weekend? http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aXQy1vhenU/UexFN7vIKNI/AAAAAAAAAz0/vE8J2RXlpko/s320/foxsportswaynegirls_a.gif I promise to only use this power for good: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPnK5IbJ1Mk/UexFUDvagVI/AAAAAAAAAz8/plqUyR8ZJY4/s320/correiadance.gif See? Fun Stat! The lowest slugging percentage in July from a player in Twins' history (minimum 50 PA)? Alexi Casilla back in 2009. He posted a robust .163 SLG that July, but he did produce one double. Star wipe to 2013 where Clete Thomas has a .146 SLG and zero extra-base hits. If he can maintain that awesome rate, he'll be the new record holder! I've said it once and I'll say it again: Clete Thomas looks great in a Rochester Red Wings uniform. Baseball Card from the past/Upcoming post http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s0VVFewBR1s/UexE05kwIGI/AAAAAAAAAzs/i_YaEkojcqs/s1600/1987alf.jpg We all remember Alf's illustrious career with the Dodgers. However, we don't remember the journey that he took to get there. Later this week, I'll be chronicling his meteoric rise, sudden fall, and late resurgence. Check out my blog later this week for more. Former Twin Update - Jose Mijares In 33.1 innings with the Giants, Mijares has struck out 38, walked 10, eaten 65 pork chops and has a 2.43 ERA. His BABIP is .357, so it's possible that he's actually been better than that sparkling ERA. Mijares was hardly popular in Minnesota, but he had his moments. This is probably the best he's ever pitched. Way to go, Terry Ryan. 3 Things about Casey Fien! http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rbwO2fvyiiY/UexEtgVDUmI/AAAAAAAAAzk/ZJf-WcjyOYQ/s320/3+fiens.PNG Last weekend, I wrote in my phone "screen grab Fien 3 things from Sunday - bottom 7, first batter" and now I'm not sure why. Take a look at the photo and try to let me know what I was thinking. It might have actually been Swarzak-related, in which case I was probably going to make a Bigfoot joke. Not sure. LMK. Link to something I wrote Last week, I reflected on the AL and NL award predictions that I made back in March. I changed everything! It was wild. You can find these literary masterpieces here: American League National League Have fun. Responsibly. Parting Poem - Goodbye Justin Oh Juuuuuuuuustin You are so great Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuustin You were MVP Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuustin You will be missed Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuustin Thanks for the prospect Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuustin Have a nice week, everyone!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins are on fire. They have won back-to-back series for the first time since late May/early June. In doing so, they have put a little cushion between themselves and the last place White Sox. The Twins really capitalized on the Indians' pathetic defense (most notably Lonnie Chisenhall, who I feel very sorry for at this point) and won two of three games over the weekend. Winning four out of six games is a major accomplishment with this roster. All this forced positivity is exhausting. Don't trade Morneau? Wally Fish of Puckett's Pond wrote a really great piece pleading with the Twins to keep Justin Morneau. I certainly appreciate that point of view, but I do not agree with it. I made a chart of where Morneau ranks in some of the more important basic and advanced stats, among qualifying 1st baseman (29 total): [TABLE=class: grid, width: 576] [/TD][TD]Avg OBP SLG HR RBI wOBA wRC+ fWAR Morneau 0.276 0.334 0.409 7 52 0.325 104 0.7 1st Rank 11 16 26 29 14 26 27 20 [/TABLE] This chart does not support keeping Morneau at any price near what he makes this season. Of course, almost everyone would agree with that. There are really only three reasons to sign Morneau beyond this season: Popularity - the fans love him. Low payroll - might as well spend money somewhere Best they can do - who would replace him? Personally, I think those are all terrible reasons to keep a relatively unproductive player on the roster. I'm an emotionless robot, so I have no time for sentimentality. In addition, I hate spending money just to spend money and I hate the idea that the organization can't find someone better. Lyle Overbay has been roughly the same player as Morneau this season, and he makes $1.25 million. I don't care about keeping the payroll low to layer the owners' pockets, but I also don't like the idea of throwing money away on an average player, just because he's been here for a long time. According to Fangraphs, Morneau has been worth about $3.6 million this season and was worth $1.2 million last season. If the Twins can sign him to a reasonable contract, say 2 years, $14 million, then sure, go ahead. A longer or more lucrative contract is a waste of money. Don't trade Perkins! I am going to get emotional about Glen Perkins. I love to watch him pitch. He's one of the few things I enjoy about this team, especially now that Aaron Hicks is back on the strikeout train. The at-bat Carlos Santana had against him on Saturday night was amazing. It's important to mention that Santana has great plate discipline. Anyway, Perkins got ahead of him and then tried to finish him off with two straight sliders down-and-in. Santana laid off, but I'm not sure many other hitters would have. Those pitches ran the count full. At which point, I'd like to think Perkins just thought to himself "F it, I'm blowing him away." He rifled a 97 MPH fastball at Santana's eyes and he couldn't resist. It was fantastic. If the Twins are offered a top 50 prospect or a productive young MLB player for Perkins, I guess they would have to take it. I'd be sad, but I'd move on. I'd become a fan of his new team too. Plouffe batting 2nd? Right now, the Twins lineup means next to nothing. The team is generally pretty bad and regardless of how you order this lineup, they won't score many runs. However, Trevor Plouffe is second on the team in slugging and his on-base percentage isn't very special at .320. Wouldn't it make more sense to move Plouffe to the clean-up spot and Justin Morneau up to the second spot? Morneau has a slightly higher OBP and a lower SLG. Eh, it wouldn't matter; who cares? Ideally, the Twins would just bat Joe Mauer in all nine positions. Wait. (Movie idea: baseball team only plays best player, uses series of masks to make it work; hijinks) Ok, I'm back. Jason Kipnis You know what would be great? If Eddie Rosario becomes Jason Kipnis. That guy is a player. Time for Madness... Animation! Guess who learned how to make simple animations this weekend? http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aXQy1vhenU/UexFN7vIKNI/AAAAAAAAAz0/vE8J2RXlpko/s320/foxsportswaynegirls_a.gif I promise to only use this power for good: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPnK5IbJ1Mk/UexFUDvagVI/AAAAAAAAAz8/plqUyR8ZJY4/s320/correiadance.gif See? Fun Stat! The lowest slugging percentage in July from a player in Twins' history (minimum 50 PA)? Alexi Casilla back in 2009. He posted a robust .163 SLG that July, but he did produce one double. Star wipe to 2013 where Clete Thomas has a .146 SLG and zero extra-base hits. If he can maintain that awesome rate, he'll be the new record holder! I've said it once and I'll say it again: Clete Thomas looks great in a Rochester Red Wings uniform. Baseball Card from the past/Upcoming post http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s0VVFewBR1s/UexE05kwIGI/AAAAAAAAAzs/i_YaEkojcqs/s1600/1987alf.jpg We all remember Alf's illustrious career with the Dodgers. However, we don't remember the journey that he took to get there. Later this week, I'll be chronicling his meteoric rise, sudden fall, and late resurgence. Check out my blog later this week for more. Former Twin Update - Jose Mijares In 33.1 innings with the Giants, Mijares has struck out 38, walked 10, eaten 65 pork chops and has a 2.43 ERA. His BABIP is .357, so it's possible that he's actually been better than that sparkling ERA. Mijares was hardly popular in Minnesota, but he had his moments. This is probably the best he's ever pitched. Way to go, Terry Ryan. 3 Things about Casey Fien! http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rbwO2fvyiiY/UexEtgVDUmI/AAAAAAAAAzk/ZJf-WcjyOYQ/s320/3+fiens.PNG Last weekend, I wrote in my phone "screen grab Fien 3 things from Sunday - bottom 7, first batter" and now I'm not sure why. Take a look at the photo and try to let me know what I was thinking. It might have actually been Swarzak-related, in which case I was probably going to make a Bigfoot joke. Not sure. LMK. Link to something I wrote Last week, I reflected on the AL and NL award predictions that I made back in March. I changed everything! It was wild. You can find these literary masterpieces here: American League National League Have fun. Responsibly. Parting Poem - Goodbye Justin Oh Juuuuuuuuustin You are so great Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuustin You were MVP Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuustin You will be missed Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuustin Thanks for the prospect Oh Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuustin Have a nice week, everyone!

Probably a bad post-game buffet. His quotes are certainly interesting. He was clearly not happy to leave Detroit.

I'm going to investigate. I'll need a 24 pack of Mountain Dew. Not to drink. I'll post my findings someday.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2097-20-Twins-Trades-2-Trades-for-1-in-2001

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also wrote about the Todd Walker or Butch Huskey trade, depending on who you ask. You can find it here. 2001 was the first season in what would become a nearly decade-long turnaround of the Twins' franchise. For the first time in ages, the Twins were in a position to buy at the trade deadline, rather than sell. This exciting season was about to get more exciting! Two separate trades signified that the Twins were going to finally do whatever it takes to give Twins fans a taste of the postseason. The Trades: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded Mark Redman to the Detroit Tigers for Todd Jones. The Minnesota Twins traded Matt Lawton to the New York Mets for Rick Reed. Jones would spend just one half-season with the Twins. He only threw 19.1 innings and recorded just two saves. He would leave for Colorado as a free agent at the end of the season. Reed posted an ERA over five in 12 starts with the Twins in 2001. In 2002, Reed won 15 games for the Twins and posted a 3.78 ERA. He regressed in 2003, at the age of 38, and did not pitch another MLB game after that season. Redman was injured when traded, so he only started two games for the Tigers in 2001. In 2002, Redman threw over 200 innings and posted a nearly league-average 101 ERA+. Redman had his finest season in 2003, posting a 117 ERA+ in 190.2 innings for the World Champion Florida Marlins. Lawton posted a .246/.352/.366 triple slash in 48 games for the Mets in 2001. He was traded to the Indians that off-season, and had a couple more productive seasons with the Indians. He played his best baseball as a Twin. How did I feel at the time? It was cool, I have to say. I liked Matt Lawton, so I was sad to see him go. However, I was excited that the Twins were seemingly trying to win more games rather than save more money. Since these trades happened just two days apart, it was hard to separate them. The upgrade from Redman to Reed was significant, and I knew that. Jones was a welcome addition from me, as I hated the Twins bullpen at that time. LaTroy Hawkins was a train-wreck and Bob Wells is my all-time least favorite Twins player. Todd Jones was a proven closer, and I didn't know any better when I was 18. Why make these trades? The Jones trade came first. Terry Ryan clearly explained why he made this trade in this AP story I found on ESPN: "We need some immediate help," Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan said. "This is a situation where we have a chance to win and we want to take it. It's a good feeling to be on this side, looking to add rather than to subtract." It was a good feeling. The Twins were good. They weren't great, but they were good. They were just a game out of first place and adding a decent pitcher to the bullpen made a lot of sense. Redman was just 27 and was a former first-round pick. However, Ryan explains why he was expendable at that time: "Unfortunately, what he's going through now, he can't help us," Ryan said. "You've got to give him time to heal. It's too long for us to wait." It's a bit surreal to see this in print. The Twins putting the future aside at the expense of the present? It was not the M.O. of the front office prior to this season. In a way, this gives me hope for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, if the Twins can get things together a bit. Todd Jones didn't seem impressed with Mark Redman, according to this story from The Blade (awesome name): “I'm mad I wasn't able to bring the Tigers a little more in a trade,” Jones said yesterday after being dealt to the Minnesota Twins for left-handed pitcher Mark Redman. “That's my fault.” Hmm, good thing they weren't going to be teammates. Redman was quite a bit better than Jones the following year, so maybe Jones should have been more happy about the deal. Two days later, the Twins traded away Matt Lawton. Here's the rationale, from an AP story I found on CNNSI: "We're looking to stabilize our pitching staff," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "We've struggled since the break. We felt like Reed was the best available. If you're going to get pitching of his caliber you have to give up something." "He's savvy, he throws strikes, he's a veteran," Ryan said. "He's been through the postseason and the World Series." The rationale makes sense to me. The Twins had other outfielders, and were reportedly still trying to trade for Dmitri Young. The Twins didn't have enough pitching, so getting Reed and his veteran savvy was savvy in itself. The Mets were happy to add to their offense: "I think we have had enough pitching to keep us in the game but not nearly the offense," GM Steve Phillips said. "We need to address that. I understand the importance of pitching to winning, but if we don't score runs at a pace that allows the pitching to be rewarded, it doesn't matter." The Mets' offense was putrid. Only Mike Piazza posted an above-average season. Their outfield was Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton and Timo Perez. Yikes, that's gross. I'd definitely rather have Lawton than those dudes. Analysis Both of these trades made sense. The Twins' bullpen was poor. Eddie Guardado was good, but every other arm was poor. Tood Jones was not poor. A reliever really can't have a ton of impact in two months, but Jones certainly performed better than an injured Redman. Plus, adding Reed two days later pretty much negated any hole that Redman's departure could have possibly created. Reed wasn't The Franchise, but proved to be a solid starter the following season and an important piece on the Twins' first playoff team since their 1991 World Championship. Redman's loss was never really felt. His 109 ERA+ as a rookie in 2000 was promising, but he only eclipsed that number once in his career. I remember Lawton as a popular player. He had great on-base skills and was a decent power/speed player. He was also 29 and the Twins replaced him with Brian Buchanan, who posted a really solid .274/.342/.487 triple slash in 2001. Lawton's loss was probably felt more by the fans than the team. Who won the WAR? Jones for the Twins: 0.3 Redman for the Tigers: 2.7 WAR won by the Tigers! Reed for the Twins: 3.6 Lawton for the Mets: 0.3 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary The Twins were on the verge of an eight-year stretch of good baseball, these trades didn't affect that a whole lot but signified a new direction for the Franchise.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also wrote about the Todd Walker or Butch Huskey trade, depending on who you ask. You can find it here. 2001 was the first season in what would become a nearly decade-long turnaround of the Twins' franchise. For the first time in ages, the Twins were in a position to buy at the trade deadline, rather than sell. This exciting season was about to get more exciting! Two separate trades signified that the Twins were going to finally do whatever it takes to give Twins fans a taste of the postseason. The Trades: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded Mark Redman to the Detroit Tigers for Todd Jones. The Minnesota Twins traded Matt Lawton to the New York Mets for Rick Reed. Jones would spend just one half-season with the Twins. He only threw 19.1 innings and recorded just two saves. He would leave for Colorado as a free agent at the end of the season. Reed posted an ERA over five in 12 starts with the Twins in 2001. In 2002, Reed won 15 games for the Twins and posted a 3.78 ERA. He regressed in 2003, at the age of 38, and did not pitch another MLB game after that season. Redman was injured when traded, so he only started two games for the Tigers in 2001. In 2002, Redman threw over 200 innings and posted a nearly league-average 101 ERA+. Redman had his finest season in 2003, posting a 117 ERA+ in 190.2 innings for the World Champion Florida Marlins. Lawton posted a .246/.352/.366 triple slash in 48 games for the Mets in 2001. He was traded to the Indians that off-season, and had a couple more productive seasons with the Indians. He played his best baseball as a Twin. How did I feel at the time? It was cool, I have to say. I liked Matt Lawton, so I was sad to see him go. However, I was excited that the Twins were seemingly trying to win more games rather than save more money. Since these trades happened just two days apart, it was hard to separate them. The upgrade from Redman to Reed was significant, and I knew that. Jones was a welcome addition from me, as I hated the Twins bullpen at that time. LaTroy Hawkins was a train-wreck and Bob Wells is my all-time least favorite Twins player. Todd Jones was a proven closer, and I didn't know any better when I was 18. Why make these trades? The Jones trade came first. Terry Ryan clearly explained why he made this trade in this AP story I found on ESPN: "We need some immediate help," Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan said. "This is a situation where we have a chance to win and we want to take it. It's a good feeling to be on this side, looking to add rather than to subtract." It was a good feeling. The Twins were good. They weren't great, but they were good. They were just a game out of first place and adding a decent pitcher to the bullpen made a lot of sense. Redman was just 27 and was a former first-round pick. However, Ryan explains why he was expendable at that time: "Unfortunately, what he's going through now, he can't help us," Ryan said. "You've got to give him time to heal. It's too long for us to wait." It's a bit surreal to see this in print. The Twins putting the future aside at the expense of the present? It was not the M.O. of the front office prior to this season. In a way, this gives me hope for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, if the Twins can get things together a bit. Todd Jones didn't seem impressed with Mark Redman, according to this story from The Blade (awesome name): “I'm mad I wasn't able to bring the Tigers a little more in a trade,” Jones said yesterday after being dealt to the Minnesota Twins for left-handed pitcher Mark Redman. “That's my fault.” Hmm, good thing they weren't going to be teammates. Redman was quite a bit better than Jones the following year, so maybe Jones should have been more happy about the deal. Two days later, the Twins traded away Matt Lawton. Here's the rationale, from an AP story I found on CNNSI: "We're looking to stabilize our pitching staff," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "We've struggled since the break. We felt like Reed was the best available. If you're going to get pitching of his caliber you have to give up something." "He's savvy, he throws strikes, he's a veteran," Ryan said. "He's been through the postseason and the World Series." The rationale makes sense to me. The Twins had other outfielders, and were reportedly still trying to trade for Dmitri Young. The Twins didn't have enough pitching, so getting Reed and his veteran savvy was savvy in itself. The Mets were happy to add to their offense: "I think we have had enough pitching to keep us in the game but not nearly the offense," GM Steve Phillips said. "We need to address that. I understand the importance of pitching to winning, but if we don't score runs at a pace that allows the pitching to be rewarded, it doesn't matter." The Mets' offense was putrid. Only Mike Piazza posted an above-average season. Their outfield was Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton and Timo Perez. Yikes, that's gross. I'd definitely rather have Lawton than those dudes. Analysis Both of these trades made sense. The Twins' bullpen was poor. Eddie Guardado was good, but every other arm was poor. Tood Jones was not poor. A reliever really can't have a ton of impact in two months, but Jones certainly performed better than an injured Redman. Plus, adding Reed two days later pretty much negated any hole that Redman's departure could have possibly created. Reed wasn't The Franchise, but proved to be a solid starter the following season and an important piece on the Twins' first playoff team since their 1991 World Championship. Redman's loss was never really felt. His 109 ERA+ as a rookie in 2000 was promising, but he only eclipsed that number once in his career. I remember Lawton as a popular player. He had great on-base skills and was a decent power/speed player. He was also 29 and the Twins replaced him with Brian Buchanan, who posted a really solid .274/.342/.487 triple slash in 2001. Lawton's loss was probably felt more by the fans than the team. Who won the WAR? Jones for the Twins: 0.3 Redman for the Tigers: 2.7 WAR won by the Tigers! Reed for the Twins: 3.6 Lawton for the Mets: 0.3 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary The Twins were on the verge of an eight-year stretch of good baseball, these trades didn't affect that a whole lot but signified a new direction for the Franchise.

It was a lapse in judgment.

Nice breakdown! I remember that Jason Parks tweeted that he was unimpressed with Rosario's defense when he saw him earlier this summer. However, Rosario's bat is going to play somewhere, even if second base isn't in his ultimate future. Plus, he's athletic enough to make it work. I'm hopeful, but it's nice to know that he's a hitter no matter where you put him.

I'm not sure it's as easy to find a good relief pitcher as some posit (me included), but I think it is easy to develop a good relief pitcher. However, that takes time. If a team is contending in July and needs a late-inning reliever, I can understand why they might trade for one. There's not enough time to develop a new reliever, so pounce on one that another team has developed already. Conversely, if a bad team has a good reliever, I can see why they would trade that good pitcher to get back something different and perhaps more valuable in the long run.