Gaetti, Watkins, Jones among Twins’ minor-league free agents
Posted on November 10th, 2008 – 9:44 AMBy Joe Christensen
Baseball America compiled a list of 561 minor-league free agents, including the following 13 from the Twins:
RHP: Julio DePaula (AAA), Danny Graves (AAA), Tom Shearn (AAA)
LHP: Ricky Barrett (AAA), Carmen Cali (AAA), Mariano Gomez (AAA), Jason Miller (AA)
1B: Garrett Jones (AAA)
2B: Felix Molina (AA)
SS: Sergio Santos (AAA)
OF: Joe Gaetti (AA), Darnell McDonald (AAA), Tommy Watkins (AAA)
Note: Infielder Howie Clark (AAA) was left off this list, but he also is a minor-league free agent.
Those players are free to re-sign with the Twins or find another organization.
39 Responses to "Gaetti, Watkins, Jones among Twins’ minor-league free agents"
The Twins would be waisting money in acquiring a third baseman when the have two outstanding candidates only a year away from the major leagues in Hughes and Valencia.
Hmm, would any of them be truly missed?
[…] Around the Majors – […]
Hmm, would any of them be truly missed?
Only if the Vikes have several injuries in the bullpen. Didn’t speak well for any LHP in the bullpen that they all got bypassed for Breslow last year.
Cali did a decent job during his cup of coffee in the majors in 2007. Same goes for Watkins and maybe even McDonald. But really, none of them will be largely missed, I don’t think.
I would love to see another Gaetti in a Twins uniform. If not Joe, bring back his dad Gary to the coaching staff.
“Cali did a decent job during his cup of coffee in the majors in 2007″
Really? How so? Here were his numbers during his call up.
14/16 K/BB
1.81 WHIP
Lets compare that to Player X’s 2008 MIN season:
20/16 K/BB
1.75 WHIP
Player X was released by the Twins…. Juan Rincon.
Cali and Depaula were obvoiusly not viable options in 2008 when the Twins were in dire need of bullpen help. I don’t think they will be missed.
I’d keep Baby G-Man though.
I think the issue with potential Twins 3B candidates in the minors is that they probably won’t hit for the kind of power the Twins need at 3B. For some reason other than Morneau all these prospects who are supposed to have power (like Garrett Jones) rarely develop that HR hitting ability with the big club.
Could be the “hitting to all fields” philosophy” or just the fact they aren’t power guys.
There’s a reason these guys are free agents. I don’t see any of them contributing to the big club any time soon. They’re all better off looking for an organization where their paths might be less congested.
[…] – after writing this, I see that Joe Christensen posted about the minor league free agents as […]
The Twins interest in obtaining a Third Baseman certainly doesn’t peak my internet in the least. Last year, if the would have put out a little money and obtained Adrian Beltre, they most likely would have easily clinched the division, if not the pennant. It appears as if the Twins are only interested in short term, second rate players to fill the Third Base position until minor leaguers like Hughes and Valencia are ready for the majors.
At least good ol’ schizo herb waited a few hours between posts this time.
tom
Obtaining Beltre wasn’t a money issue. It was about giving up too much talent for him. They probably would have given up at least one starting pitcher and a good prospect for him. Money had nothing to do with it.
It’s up to the minor league clubs to retain the players they think they need to be competitive next year. Of course, the Twins have a say in that because they don’t want legit prospects blocked by roster fillers. But my guess is the team will sign some of these guys, and others from other teams, to fill out the AA and AAA roster.
If I were signing guys, I would try to sign Barrett, Gomez, Jones, and Gaetti. Barrett in particular showed what he could do with a full healthy season. If the Twins manage to sign those four, Barrett is my pick to be chosen in the Rule 5 draft, as Casey Daigle was last year.
I think the Twins should be real careful about acquiring a third baseman.
Did anyone else read Aaron Gleeman’s blog today? I have the very same concerns about getting Garrett Atkins. I’m starting to think you bring Casey Blake in for the short term if you think Hughes or Valencia can develop into your “third baseman of the future” by 2010 or 2011.
Hmm, would any of them be truly missed?
Potentially Mariano Gomez, 25 year old lefty reliever who had a 2.76 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in Rochester. I would not be surprised if the Twins re-sign him; however another team might offer him a position on their 40 man roster and the Twins could not compete with that.
I just hope that the Twins take the opportunity, not re-sign anyone older than 27 to Rochester and promote the 24 year olds from New Britain. About time that Rochester stops being a resting place or had-beens or will-never-bees.
The As supposedly just acquired Matt Holiday, according to SI.
Could Atkins to the Twins for Blackburn and Cuddyer soon follow? I think that is too much to give up but I could live with Cuddyer and a minor league pitcher for Atkins.
Trade for Atkins and Clint Barmes. It will solves both the 3rd and ss problem. Atkins played alot of 1st this year and hit some cleanup. I’m not sure how many Hr Barmes had, but had to be more than the Twins ss hit. He was also hurt part of the year. In the beginning of the year he was on fire. Not sure if the injury nagged him the rest of the year. Would be willing to give up Cuddy and Blackburn.
I have a hunch the Twins plan to hang onto Delmon so I think the Delmon for Kouzy deal is just a wild rumor started by Charlie Walters. Cuddyer makes more sense to trade since his numbers are going down and not up since 2006.
Clint Barmes = Adam Everett with worse glove
You’re delusional if you think Hughes or Valencia are “outstanding” prospects.
thoughts?
why did oakland trade for matt holiday!
thats my thought
lets get atkins and TULO
send delmon, blackburn, cuddy ???
Anyone saying that Beltre was a money issue surely doesn’t remember what was being said at the time. Looking back though, does anyone really think that trading away one of our under-preforming starters wouldn’t have been a good idea? Guess hindsite is a great thing to have, now if I could go back and pull my 401K money out of the markets back in early October, I would be feeling pretty good now about everything.
Rockies get Huston Street and 2 or three other in exchange for Matt Holiday. Twins trade Cuddyer, Blackburn and lower level prospect to Rockies in exchange for Atkins and Street. Twins trade for Phillies prospect Jason Donald. Harris and Tolbert handle ss while Donald spends part of the year at AAA Rochester to aclimate and make sure he is ready. Donald will be a solid major league ss for many years but he is blocked in the Phillies system by Rollins.
Oakland always makes a deal… whether it makes sense or not to us… they deal more than any other team in Baseball, and it makes it fun to pay attention to them.
I would really like to see the Twins go after JJ Hardy, and pick up Blake in free agency. By doing this they have a great opportunity to keep Delmon Young, and put together an amazing lineup.
Span CF
Mauer CA
Hardy SS
Morneau 1B
Blake 3B
Kubel DH
Young LF
Cuddy RF
Casilla SS
And put Gomez in AAA until he figures out how to take a walk, and not swing at curves and sliders in the dirt!
why dont the twins just trade for yunesky betancourt and call it an offseason
any chance cuddy gets moved back to 3rd?
ryan zimmerman is a minor fix with big upside.. and its the nationals.. they need infielders, outfielders, pitching.
zimmerman for cuddy and boof
Let’s get CRAZY!
Delmon Young, Blackburn, and Tolbert to the Phillies for Jimmy Rollins.
The phillies then don’t have to spend the money to resign Burrell, they have a backup plan in case the young SS in Philly can’t make it work, and they add a great 3rd starter to go with their amazing top two (and moving Moyer to the 4th starter at 301 years old).
Yeah, BC, and with Tolbert gone, it opens up the opportunity to bring your favorite getting-after-it player back into the fold 
Me Too…
I have tried really hard not to bring that man’s name up… lol.
The nationals want everything for Zimmerman, they still think hes the future! It would take way too much to acquire zim! I would like to have him though!
yowzaa!
Money! Are you kidding me?
The Twins slashed payroll to next to nothing last year. The club was successful due to a couple of extremely smart deals and young developed talent. All of which cost nothing.
The ‘08 version of the Twins was one of the biggest bargain basement successes of all time.
This club is not going to spend money till the new stadium is occupied.
If they aquire a costly third baseman, it will be by sacrificing Cuddyer’s salary. Not hard to figure this management approach. Besides if it works, why change it.
klide, terrible post.
“The Twins slashed payroll to next to nothing last year.”
Not true. They went from a $72 million payroll in 2007 to a $62 million payroll in 2008. Not exactly slashing considering they lost Santana, Hunter and Silva. It is true they were still in the bottom third of the league, but Tampa Bay was second to last and still were successful and Florida for that matter (last in the league with $21 million).
“The club was successful due to a couple of extremely smart deals and young developed talent.”
Half true. Extremely smart deals? Hardly. Lamb, Everett, Hernandez, Monroe…all wasted money. They did get by on young talent, maybe not quite developed (Gomez needed a year in AAA).
“All of which cost nothing.”
See above.
“The ‘08 version of the Twins was one of the biggest bargain basement successes of all time.”
See above (re: Florida and Tampa Bay). Also, a Championship would be considered a “success” in my book.
i could have sworn that darnell macdonald was some kind of amazing stud. is he not trad-able? we have to just let him go?
I’m starting to like the idea of going after Adkins. 21 hrs in 377 abs in 08. No! on Casey Blake. BC, you’re too much like the Twins management. Not many players can be healthy and productive after 35. I just don’t think he’s at that level. Remember the Tigers were supposed to score 1000 runs last season but they were too old and decrepit and could not field for beans.
The one positive to signing Blake is he is a free agent. That would free up some players to trade for a SS and relief pitching. I believe Blake has a couple of productive years left buying some time to develop his replacement.
