What if Twins stand pat? It's always been better than 50/50 that they will. And it will forever be as long as TR is the GM. He has his strengths. Fortifying a team for the post-season isn't one of them. Come Friday at 3:00 will hear about how exhaustively they worked the phones, but there just wasn't the right 'fit.' Maybe they'll call up Arcia as a consolation prize?
Gibson, Meyer and Kepler for Reyes? Good god no. I wouldn't trade any one of them for him, much less all 3. I'm not opposed to the idea, but given his salary, he shouldn't require a massive haul. Maybe Meyer for him straight up.
I feel like if this team is going to do anything unexpected, it'll be because Dozier, Sano, Buxton and co. lead them there. -Trade for a bullpen arm. -Trade for AJ. Neither should cost major prospects. -Put Pelfrey in the pen (or trade him.) Either put May back or call up Berrios. -Send Santana down for Arcia (I cannot believe this hasn't happened yet.)
Good for the Royals. Mid-market teams have to pick years to 'go for it' and this is their year. The problem with Terry Ryan isn't that he won't go for it this year. It's that he has never gone for it. I'll never forgive him for refusing to acquire a bat in 2006, even if it probably wouldn't have won us a WS with what happened to Liriano and Radke after 7/31. Unless they run up against the Twins, I hope the Royals win it this year. The Twins will just be over in the corner hoarding prospects for a tomorrow that never quite comes. (FWIW I'm not advocating anything big this year, but some RP and C at least.)
This is also why I don't buy the 'we're not a play-off team, we don't need a closer' line of thinking. Losses like this are demoralizing whether your 9 games over or 9 games under.