glunn

Twinswon has taken a lot of flak today, but I don't believe that he is making up the fact that scouts have told him this. Such scouts may or may not be correct, but I do not believe that this is a fabrication.

After today's game, I need to join you.

Yes, as proven by how the Twins have dominated the Mariners this year, losing two games by scores of 5 to 2 and 7 to 0 and winning one game by a score of 3 to 2.

Good one Bark. I am disgusted, but not by your gift.

Twins seem to be back to their strategy of losing the game in the first inning.

Great report. I wonder if Buxton will be back in the lineup soon.

I see a lot of creative ideas, but what would be the benefit of bringing back Torii for $6 million per year? The Twins have no shortage of decent outfielders. And don't you think that the Angels or some other team might offer Hunter at least $9 million per year to get a solid right handed batter who is still a capable fielder? Great post, but I don't (yet) see the logic of bringing Torii back.

I think that part of the overall strategy should be to try to get some young starter prospects who have meaningful potential to become #1 or #2 MLB starters. Guys who will be ready when Sano and Rosario etc. are ready. Risky players who might not pan out, but who will be dazzling if they do pan out.

The Big Picture. I have become an ardent Padres fan. I root for them every day. Why? Because they have 54 losses, which is tied with the Astros for worst record in MLB. The Twins have only 50 losses. I am rooting for the Padres (and Astros, Mariners, Cubs, etc.) for the rest of this year, because if they do well, then the Twins may get a better draft position next year. Like the Twins, the Padres are having a TERRIBLE season. Like the Twins, they have every reason to be sellers at the trade deadline, and scant incentive to make any expensive acquisitions. Why They Will Trade With The Twins. The Twins have a wealth of toolsy outfielders in their minor league system -- Hicks, Benson, Morales, Kepler and eventually Buxton. The Padres are less blessed in terms of toolsy outfielders. They have one player at AA who seems promising, Rymer Liriano. Liriano has played 74 games this year at A level and did well at that level -- OPS of .803. But since being promoted to AA he has slumped to an OPS of .387. The Padres have one other toolsy outfielder in their system, who has been at AA all year, Reymond Fuentes. But he has an OPS of only .627. The Twins have a scarcity of toolsy pitchers in their system, i.e. pitchers who have excellent velocity and high upside. The Padres have more of these guys in their system than the Twins. And the Padres' current MLB starters are doing a lot better than the Twins MLB starters. Why They Won’t Trade With the Twins The Padres may not be willing to trade a toolsy pitcher for a toolsy outfielder because they want to keep all of their toolsy pitchers. ConclusionThe Twins and Padres (and Mariners, Cubs, etc.) would be fools not to at least consider and evaluate trades of A and AA players in situations in which one team has a surplus and another team has a deficiency. Not all trades have to involve a contender giving up prospects to get a MLB level player from a team that has given up. Fair trades between bottom dwelling teams can help both organizations. Possible Trade Targets -- Adys Portillo -- this guy can throw 100 mph. He has thrown 85.2 innings at A level this year, with 78 strikeouts and 42 walks. There is talk of him becoming a closer, but he has started 17 games this year. Also, he is ranked #16 out of the Padres prospects on their official website, so the Padres might be willing to part with him for someone who is ranked at a similar level in the Twins' system. Portillo is giving up a lot of walks, but maybe he could learn to throw more accurately at 95 mph than he does at at 100 mph. And it would be nice for the Twins to have a starter who can throw 95+ mph, if Portillo can reduce his walk rate. Keyvius Sampson -- this guy is ranked #8 out of the Padres prospects on their official website and has pitched 84.1 innings this year, with 80 strikeouts and 45 walks. In 2011, at A level, he lead the Padres system in strikouts, with 143 Ks. Sadly, the Padres farm system looks barer than the Twins, and I see no one else there who I think would be better than the prospects the Twins already have.

The Big Picture. I have become an ardent Padres fan. I root for them every day. Why? Because they have 54 losses, which is tied with the Astros for worst record in MLB. The Twins have only 50 losses. I am rooting for the Padres (and Astros, Mariners, Cubs, etc.) for the rest of this year, because if they do well, then the Twins may get a better draft position next year. Like the Twins, the Padres are having a TERRIBLE season. Like the Twins, they have every reason to be sellers at the trade deadline, and scant incentive to make any expensive acquisitions. Why They Will Trade With The Twins. The Twins have a wealth of toolsy outfielders in their minor league system -- Hicks, Benson, Morales, Kepler and eventually Buxton. The Padres are less blessed in terms of toolsy outfielders. They have one player at AA who seems promising, Rymer Liriano. Liriano has played 74 games this year at A level and did well at that level -- OPS of .803. But since being promoted to AA he has slumped to an OPS of .387. The Padres have one other toolsy outfielder in their system, who has been at AA all year, Reymond Fuentes. But he has an OPS of only .627. The Twins have a scarcity of toolsy pitchers in their system, i.e. pitchers who have excellent velocity and high upside. The Padres have more of these guys in their system than the Twins. And the Padres' current MLB starters are doing a lot better than the Twins MLB starters. Why They Won’t Trade With the Twins The Padres may not be willing to trade a toolsy pitcher for a toolsy outfielder because they want to keep all of their toolsy pitchers. ConclusionThe Twins and Padres (and Mariners, Cubs, etc.) would be fools not to at least consider and evaluate trades of A and AA players in situations in which one team has a surplus and another team has a deficiency. Not all trades have to involve a contender giving up prospects to get a MLB level player from a team that has given up. Fair trades between bottom dwelling teams can help both organizations. Possible Trade Targets -- Adys Portillo -- this guy can throw 100 mph. He has thrown 85.2 innings at A level this year, with 78 strikeouts and 42 walks. There is talk of him becoming a closer, but he has started 17 games this year. Also, he is ranked #16 out of the Padres prospects on their official website, so the Padres might be willing to part with him for someone who is ranked at a similar level in the Twins' system. Portillo is giving up a lot of walks, but maybe he could learn to throw more accurately at 95 mph than he does at at 100 mph. And it would be nice for the Twins to have a starter who can throw 95+ mph, if Portillo can reduce his walk rate. Keyvius Sampson -- this guy is ranked #8 out of the Padres prospects on their official website and has pitched 84.1 innings this year, with 80 strikeouts and 45 walks. In 2011, at A level, he lead the Padres system in strikouts, with 143 Ks. Sadly, the Padres farm system looks barer than the Twins, and I see no one else there who I think would be better than the prospects the Twins already have.

My friend, Mr. Lounge. Have you been watching tonight's mess?

No one seems interested in talking about tonight's game any more, and with good reason.

Tough break for Liriano and the Twins as well.

I agree, but if they do trade him, they might get something really good if he can keep pitching like he is pitching tonight. Liriano is the closest to an ace that the Twins may have in the foreseeable future, and I would vote to keep him. But if they do trade him, tonight's performance may greatly enhance his value.

His trade value should zoom if he can sustain this pace.

He is someone who can strike out the side in the first inning, if he is allowed to have his favorite catcher.

Please keep us posted on this!

That makes sense to me. Why wear him down when the season is already lost.

With those guys gone, the rest of 2012 is likely to be filled with a lot more losses. I hope that the Twins hold out for more than this.

Agreed, and it's also nice to see Boras crash and burn. And maybe the Twins can draft Appel next year, if they can continue to lose enough to have another high pick.

Can someone translate this from Smurfish into English?

Those last two games in Texas were blacked out here, so it has been a LONG time since I watched a game. I got so desperate that I had to watch the Yankees and Red Sox and the stinking AAA all star game.

I cannot take much more of this damn All Star break. They need to play tonight even if they have to wear SCUBA gear.

Good point,TG. And it seems at least possible that Pavano or Blackburn will come back and be decent.