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Your article doesn't even address Dozier, despite making many valid points. When I look to assign blame, I keep thinking back to the way the ship sank. Out of the gate, the pitching was acceptable and the offense was unforgivable. Dozier was counted on to lead the offense. He batted top 3rd of the order and through 51 games, he put up a triple slash line of .206/.299/.351 Absolutely pathetic. He "led the team" to a 15-36 record at that point. Molitor had failed to drop him in the order. His patience has been rewarded by a resurgence that came so late in the season, it is meaningless. Just one of many failures, but it shouldn't go unmentioned, especially if his failure is rewarded with all-star honor. Yuck.

Thanks for the thoughtful response. The Suzuki point is especially well-taken. I was surprised to see Chris Herrmann fetch Daniel Palka last year.

Dozier should be on the list if you care about return. If they want any chance at an impact pitcher, they're going to have to give up an established cornerstone player. Dozier is probably the only guy that might fit that description. ...and after the way he sunk this offense for the first 50+ games of this season, I'm sick of him. I'd trust him to be a team's 6th most important hitter. I imagine there's a contending team out there that agrees.

Nice read, but I was hoping for a little more insight on realistic return value. Last year, the Twins gave up Chih Wei Hu and Alex Tapia for Kevin Jepsen. This year, he really looks like a dfa candidate. No trade value. Is Plouffe likely to bring a proven mlb middle reliever, an A-ball starting prospect, a high-upside hitter who is out for the season with an injury or suspension? I doubt it. If we were to set Oswaldo Arcia as neutral value, based on the fact the Twins just let him go for nothing, then I see one player on your list that has any potential to retrieve positive value. That's Nunez. Truthfully, I'm not confident he can retrieve a player with as much proven value or potential value as Arcia. I think this year's trade deadline picture is all going to be about freeing up playing time for existing assets. If Nunez goes, it is to let Polanco play. If Plouffe goes, it is to let Sano play (and Park by domino effect.)

I'm so sad it has come to a point where I agree with this. Sorry Terry, I was last guy whose support you'd ever lose, but you lost me.

Kepler: .306/.375/.571 56PA, 9XBH, 2HR, 9RBI I didn't include him simply because I see him as a dramatically different player, but he is part of the congestion that pushed Arcia out. I can see the reasoning in adding him to the watchlist. Still, I think Arcia's natural role is more comparable to those currently filled by Park or Sano, not Kepler. The team could've just as easily dfa-ed Santana or not picked-up Grossman, so they belong on the watchlist.

Yeah, I am. You can think it's crazy, and I understand where you're coming from. The experts project Sano to be an elite power hitter, and we've seen some of that arrive. Arcia has never been touted as a sure-thing like Sano. I openly acknowledge that my perception is not necessarily reasonable. I look at this as a fan who would love to see a Twin hit 40. With my untrained eye, I've seen 3 Twins hitters in 30 years of watching that have looked like potential 40 home run hitters. Ortiz, Arcia, Sano. I'm not a scout, but Ortiz turned into the great hitter I envisioned. I worry Sano will have a few great years and then break down. Arcia looks like the kind of guy that can become great and hold up. I don't have strong feelings about Park. I can imagine him hitting 30. Maybe Rob Deer-esque? More importantly, Danny Santana and Robbie Grossman look to me like they come from the same bin as Jordan Schafer, Darin Mastroianni, Clete Thomas, Erik Komatsu, Sam Fuld, Wilkin Ramirez, Dustin Mohr, Lew Ford. In short, 4th outfielder. I can certainly be wrong. We'll see how the numbers stack up in time. Let the fun begin!

I have loyally followed the Twins since the late eighties. My father would tell stories of Harmon Killebrew while I watched Ron Coomer lead my version of the Twins with 16 home runs at a time when league leaders were hitting mid-60's. I anxiously awaited a true power hitter and in walked David Ortiz. I could see him hitting 40+ home runs. He was in a Twins uniform. I had a favorite player. ..and Terry Ryan gave him up so I could instead watch Matthew Lecroy hit 60 bombs. Except over the course of 8 seasons. I was sickened at that decision though it seemed everyone else was just fine with it until David Ortiz proved to be the guy I was convinced he was. Years pass. I keep watching. I don't see another 40 HR potential player put on a Twins uni until 2013 when Oswaldo Arcia arrives, albeit prematurely. He's incomplete and flawed but young, brash, powerful. He's built like Jose Canseco, but he's testing clean. It's going to take a few years for the payoff, but I have a new favorite player. ...and Terry Ryan gives him up for "future cash considerations" so I can watch Danny Santana? Robbie Grossman? Byung Ho Park? At least this time I'm not alone in my disgust. So here's the simple exercise. I'll track side by side by side by side these players' production from June 15, the day of the dfa. I'm going to also include Miguel Sano. Firstly, because I think Sano and Arcia are both best suited to play DH eventually, and secondly, because I believe they are the two most comparable as hitters. I am personally higher on Arcia's upside and I believe everyone else is higher on Sano's. FWIW, I just think Arcia's build looks more likely to stay muscular and healthy and Sano looks like he's going to have the joint problems of a Great Dane. Hope I'm wrong about Sano. Every few weeks, I'll feel the sickness in my gut and take a fresh snapshot. Here's today's: Arcia: .438/.444/.750 18PA, 3XBH, 1HR, 4RBI Grossman: .163/.281/.245 57PA, 2XBH, 1HR, 2RBI Santana: .125/.158/.313 19PA, 2XBH, 1HR, 2RBI Park: .074/.129/.185 31PA, 1XBH, 1HR, 4RBI Sano: DNP

This will prove to be the single worst decision the Twins make this year. Maybe decade. Arcia's career will fall in the range of Nick Swisher to Manny Ramirez. Danny Santana's will fall in the range of Darin Mastroianni to Lew Ford... and we already saw Danny's one good season. I have not felt this sick about a piece of sport's news since I was the seemingly lone voice crying over the release of Ortiz. Hitters like this don't come through the pipeline everyday. To give up on this one is as bad an idea as it would have been to cut bait on Morneau after '05. World class stupid.

Ortiz was my favorite Twins player when they let him go, and even though I wanted him to stay, letting him go didn't seem crazy at the time. Today, I want to see them hang onto Arcia and get rewarded for it. Seems like it would be a good way to replace a bad taste that's been in my mouth for 15ish years.

Brunansky did a much better job tonight!

I really think Plouffe would have some value to the Royals. He's a known commodity. He isn't all that far off his career norms, which are good- beyond what you can expect from Cheslor Cuthbert, and he's still cheap. I don't know what they'd offer in return, but they have to have some bullpen arms that are blocked, don't they?

Whoa! Good at bats back to back to back from escobar, Dozier?!?! And Santana?!?! Is this 2014?

Well that sure was an embarrassing strikeout.

I really hope you're wrong, but I'd bet you're not

I wish to rescind all the negative stuff I ever said about Nunez. Dude has be ome a real ball player

I approve of that grounder to third

Thanks all for softening the misery

All season, this team has been the best in the league at trailing by 3 runs. I'm glad they've gotten this game back to their comfort zone. PS-this is the eight, not ninth, Mr Bremer

I should probably make sure you know I don't mean to take your close-call lightly. I don't know you as a person, but in this forum, you're gold in my book. Really glad you and she came away unharmed.

Reminded me of a story. I was driving somewhere with a passenger who was blonde and sweet. At a stop, she read a traffic sign. "Frontage Road. Oh I know where we are, Frontage Road goes past my house." Long pause. I replied, "Do you know where stereotypes come from?" She asked, "What is a stereotype?" That's when I gave up and committed the conversation to memory.

"like" is not emphatic enough. I LOVE this comment

I liked that steal.

Nope.

How 'bout "Dangrand Slamtana"