Twins Trade Tidbits
Posted on July 30th, 2008 – 10:42 PMBy La Velle
There’s more in my story for the ink-on-paper version tomorrow, but here are a few juicy nuggets about what the Twins are up to as the trade deadline nears.
The Twins have been shopping Boof Bonser, perhaps as a way to make room for Francisco Liriano. The Rangers, according to a report out of Arlington, are interested. And the Giants had a scout at Wednesday’s game.
As for Liriano, I heard tonight that he could be called up in a few days. I’m not sure who would come out of the rotation.
The door may not be closed on Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre. I heard that the Twins have had many, many, many conversations with Seattle. But the Mariners have asked for Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins or Denard Span as part of a package, and the Twins won’t go there. It’s a matter of Mariners coming down in their demands but, as I wrote recently , it could be tough for these teams to find common ground.
The Twins have called the Orioles about second baseman Brian Roberts, whom they were interested in during the offseason. Indications are, however, that they’ll be unable to land him.
Some people in the clubhouse tonight were very disappointed that LaTroy Hawkins is an Astro and not a Twin.
The Rays have been scouting Craig Monroe.
171 Responses to "Twins Trade Tidbits"
Thanks La Velle…should be an interesting few hours
So why is so hard to go with any 3 of Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, and then add Liriano as the 4th?
The 5th would be Livan. If it’s this 5th guy that makes things so horrible, then get rid of Livan now and NOT trade for Beltre.
Otherwise get Beltre already!
It’s a no-brainer.
I would love to hear the Twins’ rationale, La Velle for not trading 1 of the 4 “untouchables”.
What about Melvin Mora?
i agree. i would be willing to part with perkins or span to get beltre. if it is only one of those 5, plus a lower prospect, how can you not get a deal done?
I would love to hear the Twins’ rationale, La Velle for not trading 1 of the 4 “untouchables”.
Because that’s all the starting pitching the Twins have. Other than Liriano, there’s no one in the minors that’s anywhere near major league ready.
well…
I bet that Liriano will be starting Fri for the Twins against Cleveland.
the Monroe news is a welcome surprise. Anything in return at this point would be great. I think that Bonser will be a Ranger before the day ends.
Not many tears about the non return of Hawkins. Guerrier needs to be installed as the 8th inning man and Gardy to use him consistently in this role.
re: Beltre, if they get Cuddy out of the DL tomorrow, he and Swarzak would probably get it done.
I can’t let go…….
With Beltre’s D at 3B and his HR’s in the lineup, the core-4 of Liriano/Slowey/Blackburn/Baker is wonderful.
For both this year and next year.
Twins are pathetic. They have Humber, Mulvey, Liriano all ready to go rotting in AAA and they won’t give up someone as easy to replace as Perkins or Blackburn to get Beltre.
Damn Marlins are about to get Manny Ramirez and the Twins can’t even part with a pitcher they don’t need in order to fill a giant hole.
What a shock, another Minnesota team that doesn’t give a crap about winning or it’s fans…..what a joke !!!
BTW, Pam The-Silicone-Pig Anderson is on Letterman right now.
The other thing that needs to be said and heck, I’ll say it, is that Perkins does not have a great make up. Screaming at a teammate at the dugout after he made a mistake and after you make a mistake failing to cover 1st, just ain’t cool. Especially when that teammate is a young guy who when he came up really turned the team around with his energy…
I wouldn’t shed a tear if Perk goes (and his numbers ain’t that great btw)
Beltre Sucks, give up Span for him? Fools!
Pam The-Silicone-Pig Anderson is on Letterman right now.
And [Minneapolis’ own] Atmosphere is the musical guest tonight.
Ombudsman says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Beltre Sucks, give up Span for him? Fools!
if a gold glove third baseman that averages over 20 homers a year and over 85 rbi a year sucks, I bet most players wish they sucked so bad.
Nico: Humber, Mulvey, and Duensing aren’t rotting - they’re not ready.
Nico, right on!
Liriano is bound to be as effective as Perkins. Losing Perkins and replacing him with Liriano is a zero-sum deal.
The problem will remain with Livan**. The other 4 pitchers will be as effective as they are now. The starting 5 will be as effective as they are now.
BUT we’ll have good D at 3B and the RH HR-hitter.
A marked improvement for this year and next.
Of course, there’s still the BP problem. But you can’t solve all your problems in one trade.
**(Mulvey/Humber can’t be any worse than Livan.)
Bullmoose says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Nico: Humber, Mulvey, and Duensing aren’t rotting - they’re not ready.
first 2 were ready coming out of spring training and the 3rd isn’t available due to being in the olympics.
The Twins will stand pat. Maybe dump Monroe for a AA non-prospect. That’s how they roll. All this talk is noise so that they can say “Well, we tried”.
Bullmoose, Duensing ain’t ready.
Humber and Mulvey can’t be any worse than Livan.
And ESPECIALLY can’t be any worse than Bonser out of the pen.
after tonight, Bonser’s era out of the pen is over 9
Bullmoose,
“Nico: Humber, Mulvey, and Duensing aren’t rotting - they’re not ready.”
You are correct.
Humber and Duensing have PCL-like numbers in the International League, although Mulvey is actually improving.
Humber 6-7 5.38
Duensing 5-11 4.32
Mulvey 4-8 3.89
15 wins total for the trio.
hmmm… I wouldn’t mind being “sellers” at the deadline if the people being sold are Craig Monroe and or Boof Bonser.
Good thing they aren’t going after Beltre for this year.
This teams is NOT one player away from winning the world series. Especially with the loss of Alexi Casilla. The Twins can go for the Division. It’s a good goal to go after. But they aren’t going to Boston or L.A. when they have the home field advantage most likely unless they get Colorodo Rockies hot.
However this team has gelled and are more likely to be world series contenders in 2009, 2010, and 2011 if they can continue to develop (AND STAY HEALTHY). So might as well not mortgage (i.e. trade Blackburn, Baker, Slowey, or Perkins) for a player that isn’t goin to help the team win the World Series (Beltre)
*they aren’t goin to beat boston or L.A.
Humber and Mulvey can’t be any worse than Livan.
No argument there. I just don’t see any advantage to trading any of the other starters or Liriano because no one other than Liriano has been lighting it up in Rochester.
Mulvey is probably the one to hold on from the 3, given the facts that he is 3 years younger than the other 2 and has lower WHIP. I think that Humber is a goner sooner or later, since he either has to be in the 25 man roster for 2009 or be a minor league free agent.
“Humber and Mulvey can’t be any worse than Livan.”
Yes, Humber can be and IS WORSE.
Humber’s ERA (5.38) is worse in the IL than Livan’s (5.31) in the AL.
Humber and Mulvey were in no way ready out of spring training, and Humber has recently move to the bullpen…
Dustin F,
this team might be about 2-3 players short of the world series:
A reliable starter; let’s say that Liriano can fulfill this role
Another bullpen arm
Someone who can bash LHP and hit 5th
thinking about tomorrow and disregarding today has been the mantra of this team this century. About time that it ends. And it would not take trading Slowey/Baker/Blackburn to make than happen…
Livan’s (5.31) in the AL
Is that all? It almost always feels like double digits when he pitches 
perkins and blackburn have something mulvey and humber and any of the other twins pitching prospects have. experience. perkins and blackburn have proven this year that they can and will be adequate major league starters, while any of the formentioned twins minor leaguers have never pitched an inning in the minors. liriano can replace livan as far as i’m concerned, but to give up one of our young starters and span for 1.3 years of adrian beltre? hardly worth it.
here comes rich aurilia, and hopefully a bullpen arm.
sane says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Bullmoose,
“Nico: Humber, Mulvey, and Duensing aren’t rotting - they’re not ready.”
You are correct.
Humber and Duensing have PCL-like numbers in the International League, although Mulvey is actually improving.
Humber 6-7 5.38
Duensing 5-11 4.32
Mulvey 4-8 3.89
15 wins total for the trio.
AAA stats mean almost nothing when determining if a pitcher is ready or not. I guarentee you that if Humber or Mulvey started for the Twins tomorrow, they’d put up a great showing.
Had to take a second from the Wild blog to check this one out. If there is truth to the statement that the Twins could bring in Beltre but do not want to part with Glenn flippin’ Perkins, then somebody in Twins management needs to have his ass removed. Also, hopefully tonight was the last we’ll see of the over-inflated, 84-mph throwin’, 47 pieces of Bubble yum in my mouth Hernandez. What kind of dirt, exactly, does this guy have on certain members of the front office that he is still allowed to trot out to the mound every 5th day? What are teams hitting against this clown, .400?
“although Mulvey is actually improving.”
YES! Look for the appropriate stat, people.
Before Casilla’s callup, his BA was low (.240?) but he had a .400 OBP.
Mulvey is the one here. He’s come around. What’s his ERA the past month?
Bullmoose,
You are right.
Livan’s 5.31 ERA must be pregame, although I just took it from the mlb.com website.
The Twins boxscore shows it as 5.48 postgame.
AAA stats DO mean something, especially the fact that Humber sports a 1.59 WHIP and an abysmal 1.67 Ks-to-walks ratio. Yuck-o-rama. Humber is almost AA material. Livan is sticking in the rotation for the rest of the year (unless he somehow miraculously gets injured). He’s a worn-out workhorse, that’s for sure. But he lightens the workload for the bullpen and serves as a veteran mentor for the rest of the staff. He’s gone after the season, then Liriano takes his spot in the rotation. The Twins have never been a team that throws Band-Aids at spots - they build to be competitive for the long haul.
thrylos98 says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Mulvey is probably the one to hold on from the 3, given the facts that he is 3 years younger than the other 2 and has lower WHIP. I think that Humber is a goner sooner or later, since he either has to be in the 25 man roster for 2009 or be a minor league free agent.
He only has to be on the 40 man roster which he already is.
Once again, Humber has proven himself, he deserved a rotation spot out of spring training. Don’t let his AAA numbers fool you. Players are at their best when they are motivated. What motivation does Humber have in AAA? Liriano is the guy that will be called up, not him. He’s not likely to be dealt. As of right now, unless the Twins get off their asses and start making deals, Humber won’t be up til September. His current numbers in AAA don’t mean squat.
for a second I thought that Livan’s ERA was 4.20
The Twins boxscore shows it as 5.48 postgame
It’s not a huge deal to me if they don’t make a trade this year, but they cannot seriously think of giving Livan another start - that would truly be a sign that they’re not trying to win.
Nico,
if a player is on the 40 man roster for 3 years (like Humber has been for the last 3), if he does not make it to the 25 man roster the next, he will be a minor league free agent (that’s why Bass started in the majors this year)
nico,
” I guarentee you that if Humber or Mulvey started for the Twins tomorrow, they’d put up a great showing.”
REAL experts could not guarantee that Josh Beckett would “put up a great showing” in his next start.
So your guarantee is 100% delusional.
Beltre’s BA continues to be ordinary in his demoralized season for the M’s this year. But his 401 AB’s and 18 HR’s looks real good (with 117 HR’s from 2004 - 2007!!! And 23 HR’s average for the past three years with the M’s).
He is GREATLY more valuable to this and next year’s Twins than Perkins.
So if the Twins are talking to the Rangers, does this open the door for a Boof-for-Everyday Eddie swap, seeing as how they didn’t get The Hawk?
sane says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
nico,
” I guarentee you that if Humber or Mulvey started for the Twins tomorrow, they’d put up a great showing.”
REAL experts could not guarantee that Josh Beckett would “put up a great showing” in his next start.
So your guarantee is 100% delusional
beckett’s mediocre, overrated, and injured. i wouldn’t guarentee beckett to make a good start either.
See? You guys don’t know Livan’s ERA either.
Put the note on Smith’s pillow!!
romer says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Beltre’s BA continues to be ordinary in his demoralized season for the M’s this year. But his 401 AB’s and 18 HR’s looks real good (with 117 HR’s from 2004 - 2007!!! And 23 HR’s average for the past three years with the M’s).
He is GREATLY more valuable to this and next year’s Twins than Perkins.
SAFECO is a terrible stadium to hit in if you are right handed. Beltre would be fine elsewhere.
I would be all for a Beltre-for-Perkins swap, but is Perkins all Seattle would want? They want other teams to overpay for their current crop of “talent” because they were swindled in the offseason (thanks for taking High Ho Silva off our hands! And Erik Bedard is as useless as everyone thought he was).
romer says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
See? You guys don’t know Livan’s ERA either.
Put the note on Smith’s pillow!!
Livan’s era before the game was 5.31, it’s 5.48 now
in 3 post all star break starts, Livan is 1-2 with a 5.68 era
“But he lightens the workload for the bullpen…”
Anybody with a 5.48 ERA can lighten the BP workload.
What an accomplishment.
Big Jimmy says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
I would be all for a Beltre-for-Perkins swap, but is Perkins all Seattle would want? They want other teams to overpay for their current crop of “talent” because they were swindled in the offseason (thanks for taking High Ho Silva off our hands! And Erik Bedard is as useless as everyone thought he was).
give them Perkins and Manship and some crappy prospect too. Who cares really. The Twins have a giant hole that needs to be filled and have a ridiculous amount of arms they can deal.
nobody ‘took Silva off the Twins’ hands’. The Mariners were stupid enough to overpay for him as a free agent.
Beltre has a limited no-trade clause that blocks 8 teams (one is San Diego). Is Minny one of the other 7?
thrylos98,
According to La Velle, it’s going to take Blackburn/Slowey/Perkins/Baker in order to get Beltre. So if you pulled off that move, then you’d need 2 quality starters.
And I might have agreed with you last week, but I think the Casilla injury is huge. Personally I felt like he was the 3rd most valuable position player behind the M & M boys this season because his great batting average and ability to take pitches seemed to make Mauer and Morneau better hitters.
The Mariners DID take Silva off our hands. He said he wanted to re-sign with the Twins and at a bit of a discount, but thankfully Seattle was stupid enough to make re-signing him a non-issue. If they didn’t sign him, the yahoos here would be screaming for his head, too. Thanks for keeping our blood pressure lower than it could have been, Seattle!
Nico,
” I guarentee you that if Humber or Mulvey started for the Twins tomorrow, they’d put up a great showing.”
“REAL experts could not guarantee that Josh Beckett would “put up a great showing” in his next start.
So your guarantee is 100% delusional”
“beckett’s mediocre, overrated, and injured. i wouldn’t guarentee beckett to make a good start either.”
If you think Humber and Mulvey are an MLB slam-dunk compared to Josh Beckett, then I have underestimated the extent of your delusion.
Nico,
who are these rediculous amount of arms to deal? Because they need Pen help, and they have four good starters, one crappy vetern starter, and one good AAA pitcher who’s coming off injury…. and then that’s really all there is… at least till the AA and A guys develop. AAA is dried up.
“SAFECO is a terrible stadium to hit in if you are right handed. Beltre would be fine elsewhere.”
As you already agree, Nico, he’s fine now. He has — at worst — Kubel numbers this year.
AND he’s a GOLD GLOVER!!
And Perkins is still capable of doing a fart-brained balk.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about Perkins on this team. But we have 4 other pitchers I’m more excited about.
Question on the waiver trading process. Let’s say the deadline passes and the Twins have not yet traded Craig Monroe. But suppose they put him through waivers in order to trade him. Isn’t it easier to trade him to the Rays, who can put one of the first claims on him by virtue of last year’s record?
Dustin F says:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
thrylos98,
According to La Velle, it’s going to take Blackburn/Slowey/Perkins/Baker in order to get Beltre. So if you pulled off that move, then you’d need 2 quality starters.
And I might have agreed with you last week, but I think the Casilla injury is huge. Personally I felt like he was the 3rd most valuable position player behind the M & M boys this season because his great batting average and ability to take pitches seemed to make Mauer and Morneau better hitters.
right now, losing Casilla isn’t as big a deal as if they lost Morneau, Span, or Young.
“Is Minny one of the other 7?”
Dunno. But the Twins are in exploratory talks with the M’s. So “Minny” must not be on his list.
Wouldn’t Beltre love playing with Gomez, Young, Casilla, Nathan, Punto, M&M, and the 4-core?
cmathewson says:
July 31st, 2008 at 12:07 am
Question on the waiver trading process. Let’s say the deadline passes and the Twins have not yet traded Craig Monroe. But suppose they put him through waivers in order to trade him. Isn’t it easier to trade him to the Rays, who can put one of the first claims on him by virtue of last year’s record?
you sure it’s last year’s record and not the current standings ?
Dustin F,
please re-read LaVelle’s original post
http://ww3.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/19/trade-for-beltre-doesnt-look-possible/
and see where he inferred that a Blanton-like return (which btw did not have any major league players), would mean that the Twins would have to part with one of their young ML starters…
(LaVelle, please clarify this point dude, ’cause people are taking it for gospel 
)
That said, as far as any trades with Seattle go:
a. their interim GM is way over his head
b. they are asking for the stars and the sky
c. their prices will go down tomorrow.
d. not many other teams are looking for 3B help
So I think that the Twins do have a good chance to make Beltre happen, without giving any major contributors this year…
the waiver order is based on team finish last season
Dustin F, did La Velle really mean to inform us that Seattle was demanding the whole 4-core for Beltre?
Of course THAT would be an ultra-ridiculous trade for the Twins.
People act as though Beltre is some stud hitter or something. The guy is hitting .257 with 51 rbi’s and has a horrible OBP.
I just can’t justify trading a young Blackburn or Perkins who are having solid seasons with the best ahead of them….for 18 hr’s, good defense at 3B and all that money.
The M’s should demand at least one current MLB performer plus one or more prospects in any Beltre trade. That’s SOP, correct?
He’s worth it too.
romer,
ok.
how about Cuddyer + Plouffe
or Perkins + Santos
or something like this…
Beltre’s a proven lifetime .270 hitter with about 25 HR’s a year. And he’s on track for 25 this year. And his OBP is not horrible but merely concomitant to his current inadequate BA. Inadequate because he’s playing for a super-failure team who this year was expected to compete. And I’m sure he’s demoralized by it all.
And his defense isn’t good, it’s superb.
And he’d have specific worth every night for the Twins — not just every 5 games.
And he’d have FOCUSED specific worth for the Twins because they have a half-hole at 3B (dearth of power and inadequate defense).
And now, Ole, you can read my 11:10 post and reassure yourself that the Twins starting staff will not be less effective after they trade Perkins.
Say “Hi” to Lena for me.
The Twins need
Grabow Lefty from Pittsburgh… maybe they can get fast Freddie from them as well to play 2nd base?
They could pick up Buddy Carlysle from the Braves who would be a 1000% better reliever than Booflet or Bassackwards
We don’t need Beltre.
I like Brandon Phillips from Cincy to come in and play 2nd base.
I would also like to talk to the Nationals about Guzman… to hell with the new contract!
And as for the Rangers wanting Boof… can Frank Catalanotto still play any 2nd base? That guy would be a great bench player to bring in here as well…
And I kind of like Grudzy and DeJesus from the Royals though we don’t need DeJesus (unless we can dump Cuddyer).
Romer…
Beltre is a solid player, but he is not worth what they are asking. You cannot give up one of the top 7 starters in the organization (Livan is not on that list) for a guy who has 12 million guaranteed next year, and has never been a clutch player (off steroids).
The past three season with the M’s, Beltre has 193 extrabase hits!
He’s 29 until next season.
Is there any dirt on him? Bad scouting reports? Is he injury-plagued this year?
I’ll take back my “superb” description of his defense. But his defense is very good to excellent. And he’s a 10-year veteran who’s only missed 2 or 3 games this year, and who will undoubtedly be revitalized and reborn if given a chance at the post-season with this young Twins team for years to come.
And he’s on track for 27 HR’s this year.
You couldn’t SCRIPT a better player to take over 3B for the Twins.
And thrylos, I’D sure be willing to give up more than a Cuddy/Plouffe or Perkins/Santos for him.
Romer
There is no way you can give up one of the top starters for Beltre. It’s just a really really bad idea…
“Is there any dirt on him?”
“…has never been a clutch player…”
Like he should apologize for his 25 HR’s and 90 RBIs a year for a crapped-out team.
Maybe he’s never felt like being a franchise player in the constant limelight for the rainy-day M’s. No worry, M&M have that role covered already for the Twins.
But if he isn’t clutch, please explain. Seriously, is he a bad teammate? Self-absorbed?
If someone knows something, I’ll defer.
Because, on paper, he looks better than Hunter was for the Twins the past 2 or 3 years.
“There is no way you can give up one of the top starters for Beltre.”
Okay, BC. I’m listening.
But it’s a helluva lot better than giving up such a starter for D. Young.
And THAT “really really bad idea” worked out okay with the Blackburn/Slowey/Perkins progress shown this year.
Granted there isn’t this type of prospect coming through AAA this year. But there’s always the second-tier FA market coming off-season, Mulvey coming this year, and Livan still as a starter this year.
So, not totally insecure.
And Buscher has blown some games this year on defense — and always will. And Lamb has done the same from the offensive side.
That’s insecurity for ya.
“We don’t need Beltre.”
But we need RH power hitting.
What you’re really saying is we don’t need to make the post-season this year.
You could be right.
Beltre is an above average player that is out of the Twins pay scale, and the Mariners want to make a killing on him, and I don’t think he’s worth giving up one of our top starting pitchers for, or Span (and I hated Span for his lack of potential coming into this season)… I will admit when I’m wrong, but I’m not sold on Beltre because of his mysterioius 40 homer season, big huge contract… his numbers are offensively kind of similar to Hunter except Beltre has better plate dicsipline, and doesn’t steal bases like Hunter could.
I just don’t want to give up one of our top pitchers for him. Make a trade offer that is realistic without them and I’m listening, but to give up a major league starting pitcher to a team that is dead in the water for the next 3-4 years thanks to the power of the Angels, and the Managing Genius of the A’s…
Sorry, part of me says, you F’d up on forcing Griffey and Johnson out to keep Arod to make him the focal point (like he wouldn’t have been with his talent anyways)… the Retard/Retread…. I mean Bedard trade, and signing Carlos Silva to an obscene amount of money…
I’m a sadist I guess, but I kind of like watching the Mariners choking on their own crappy decisions… No way I would bail them out. They want to move Beltre… they are GIVING HIM away, or they are going to stay putrid for years, and we just kick their asses for the next 3-4 years. Buscher might not be GREAT defensively, but they said the same thing about Morneau for years and years… Now he’s one of the very best 1st baseman in the game. Morneau will make him better, and he’s been pretty clutch for the Twins.
Romer…
Kouzmanoff, or Khalil Greene would help this team out more, and cost less, and take less to bring in.
Greene’s shown 20 homer power in the past, and he’s an amazing SS… he can’t get on base much so he’s a 7th hitter in a lineup, and Kouzmanoff is a very solid fielder with power potential.
I also think that Greene could play 3rd base if need be. He has a cannon for an arm.
I mean, have you been watching the moves that EVERY SINGLE ONE of our competitors for and in the coming post-season just made?!!
LOL
I just think the Twins need 2 relievers, and Franchise up here. I wanted to see Livan for 2 starts after the All Star break… and he has looked like a two dollar whore with a 100 dollar bill in his back pocket, and sore knees.
Trade Bonser for Aurillia, and cut Adam Everett.
Talk to the Dodgers about LaRoche… now that DeWitt has passed him on the food chain due to an early season injury…
Look at Grabow from the Pirates and Carlysle from the Braves. Both would be easy to pick up, and both would be impact relievers for this squad.
BC, Buscher has to throw to 2B as well. That’s been a laughable problem for him. And Morneau was young and inadequate on D with a long learning curve ahead of him.
Buscher’s been through his learning curve.
Someone posted a couple weeks ago that Kouzmanoff was crap on D.
I’ll give ya that Beltre’s contract is a little high. But he’s worth more than Hunter dollar-for-dollar this year, next year and undoubtedly the year after that.
Welcome to the real world of player contracts (I mean, if you want to go to post-season). And I don’t believe the Twins are asking for the M’s to cover part of Beltre’s contract.
So it comes down to BC’s mantra that you can’t trade one of your top 5 pitchers for a premier player because pitchers #6 or #7 might not be good enough.
Pretty conservative.
If you don’t get Beltre but get Greene, that might be okay (but definitely not conservative because Beltre is proven and Greene isn’t). But if you don’t do either or something equal, then that would be…
Pretty god-damned conservative.
well, I am not conservative by any means.
I just thinking that the Twins shouldn’t give up the world for Beltre.
I’m a bit bias. I like Buscher. I like how he’s been playing, and I’ve seen a lot of progress in him. I think having a regular 2nd baseman and SS would help him out a great deal as well.
Greene is a pretty proven commodity. He’s normally a .265 hitter with 15-20 homers, and a laser for an arm. Kouzmanoff is a solid fielder… he’s not as good as Beltre, but he’s a lot better than Buscher.
And I think you and I disagree on Beltre’s level of greatness because I wouldn’t consider him a Premier ball player at all.
BC, your suggested moves and trades all look fine to me. And I’m not a candy-store baseball card trader trying to get the best fantasy 3B out there and ignoring the basic TK mantra of starting pitching, starting pitching, starting pitching.
I know giving up the starter puts the Twins in an uneasy position (in case of injury, or a Liriano failure). Good pitchers are the hardest to come by and the easiest to get injured.
And I’ll admit I’m shooting for ultimate success for this year. So I’m saying that isn’t possible without the power 3B.
You just can’t count on run production coming from a group of back-to-back rally hitters over and over like the Twins have been doing. They’re gonna wear down. Guys like Mauer even.
And that’s another uneasy deal.
You have to have another HR-hitter. Kubel and MVP can’t get it done by themselves.
Or wait till next year.
“…wouldn’t consider him a Premier ball player…”
Okay I’m done for the night.
Just one more time:
193 Xtrabase hits in the past 3 years for the crap M’s.
25 HR’s a year constant.
90 RBI-per-year man.
Gold glover.
Not old, but a veteran.
Plays almost all the games.
So that would put him in the top 20 of MLB players?
And I’m not worried about putting the screws to the M’s because of their past crap and decisions. I don’t look at the Mariners box scores, I look at the Twins box scores.
Huff wouldn’t be a bad pickup
the 3rd baseman from Houston that we almost got last year from the D. Rays???? The Astros surely don’t consider themselves contenders, but then again this is the state that has been psychologically nuked by Bush for the last 20 plus years so maybe they are all just stupid there?
Romer?
top 20 at his position? That’s silly, he’s a top 10 guy as a 3rd baseman
The guys I’d want if all things were equal at 3rd
1) Arod
2) Longoria
3) Wright
4) Zimmerman
5) Chipper
6) Ramierez (Cubs)
7) Beltre
Rolen
9) Glaus
10) Kouzmanoff
11) Lowell
12) Buscher
13) Gordon (love his potential still)
14) Feliz
15) Huff (more of a DH)
16) Encarnacion
17) Crede (would have been 12th if he wasn’t hurt)
18) Hall
19) Figgins
20) Blalock (would have had him higher, but he’s always hurt!)
That’s just my opinion, but ranking out the 3rd baseman in the game right now…
and if you were thinking top 20 in the American League, or top 20 in baseball.
I wouldn’t have him in the top 40 in the AL, and top 75 in baseball for players regardless of position (not even including pitchers)
If you look at the Twinkies road record, it truly shows the character of this team. We are not a playoff caliber team. We win at home and beat bad teams on the road. When faced with a challenge on the road, we lose.
Teams in the race make big trades and try and improve. If we do nothing before the deadline, then we know what mgmt, led by stingy Pohlad, think of the team.
Yeah they are great and fun and exciting, but holding back Liriano? While handing the ball to Boof, Bass, Livan is just dumb. Livan is here for his leadership I guess and no one else would take him at this stage. Without a gritty veteran power hitting infielder and bullpen arms, we are a team of the future. Nothing but one and done this season at best.
Not that anyone cares, but that’s what this for right?? My favorite trade idea was: Liriano, Bonser, Span, and Buscher to the Rockies for Holliday, Fuentes, and Atkins! I would pull the trigger. Never would happen but fun to imagine.
BC —-
You omitted Garret Atkins in your 3rd basemen rankings. Great power and pretty solid D.
Starting pitchers (other than Hernandez) should be untouchable.
If you think Beltre would make up for having Livan in the rotation, that’s one thing.
But are Mulvey and Humber really as ready as we think?
Liirano comes up, if’s an Ace no problem. If he struggles, that’s it this year.
I hope people realize that’s the risk the Twins would be taking on a trade such as the one that would bring in Beltre.
I don’t think Cuddyer will be of any value. Sure he’s got some average numbers, but he’s going to be JUST coming off the DL (if that is scheduled for today). I have trouble believing a team would be willing to give up a guy like Beltre to bring in a guy who hasn’t played for almost a month.
Twins have got to be thinking about Livan to the pen and either trading boof or sending bass through waivers. That gives 5 starters down the stretch who we can count on (after bringing up liriano). And livan will be there if someone breaks down.
I’d go for roberts before Beltre to shore up second, then use harris/buscher as platoon at third and punto or everett at short.
Did you see that slow roller to harris’ left last night that he didn’t even come close to? We need a defensive shortstop.
Beached Viking, it’s a fun trade to imagine…but every thing I’ve read is that Atkins is now untouchable (unless the Rox are no longer considering themselves buyers after yesterday’s game)
The Mariners also have interest in Span. I would center the trade around him. He has no position with the Twins and we don’t know how he will be the 2nd time around.
As far as Perkins, I wouldn’t do it. You don’t trade a lefty that has good movement on his pitches and will pitch inside.
Above all don’t trade the future because imho we are not a play-off team.
Looking back, I think we should have taken Boston’s offer. Lowery & Ellsbury would be looking really good right now.
Also, as of this posting…Manny hasn’t gone anywhere yet.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3512122&name=mlb_trade_deadline
Send Monroe to the Rays in exchange for their worst minor leaguer. Sending them Monroe would be sweet revenge on the Rays for the Garza fleece.
No Beltre, is great news. Hopefully, the Mariners keep their demands ridiculously high.
Out of curiousity…if 09 Span turns into 07 Punto, will those who are clamoring that he’s untouchable now be the same ones clamoring that Smith was dumb to not give him up for Beltre when he had the chance?
Remember Jacoby Ellsbury and the concept of “selling high”?
I’m not saying trade Span. With Casilla out the top of the order is already in trouble enough. That sorta through a bugger in the whole works. Cuddyer is on the DL (don’t know when he’s coming back) so there’s no idea if he’d be able to jump right back into the playoff race.
I would trade a Perkins or Blackburn for Beltre, but my concern right now is that it leaves Livan in the rotation and leaves NOBODY in the minors who could step in if (god forbid) somebody goes down with an injury.
In summary: Remember what the Tigers gave up to get Cabrera and Willis? Left their pen and rotation essentially screwed when injuries started coming.
Let’s face it - this team is more than a “Beltre” or “Aurilia” away from making it out of the first round of the playoffs (if they even make it). Why trade off good young arms that will contribute in 2010 when the World Series is much more realistic?…
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8398348/Reds,-ChiSox-agree-on-Griffey-trade,-await-approval
Ken Rosenthal is reporting the the Whities have an agreement with the Reds to bring Ken Griffey, Jr. to the southside, pending Griffey’s approval.
This could be an interesting day.
Whities just got Griffey
Brendan Harris, and especially Craig Monroe, have done nothing against left hand pitching. This is where the Twins need to improve.
Rich Aurilio would be a nice upgrade over either. He can’t really play in the middle INF anymore, except in a pinch, but neither can Harris.
Griffey is a dog. He won’t even back up a play in the OF. He is indifferent about the game. If the White Sox get Griffey, it would be to the Twins advantage.
If the Sox got Griffey, hopefully he’s not in uniform in time for the end of this series.
Whatever the case, this should be the final motivator. And depending on what the Sox give up, it could end up benefitting the Twins in their own dealings (comparitive values and all)
I was wondering when the Sox would make a move. But where would Griffey play? Don’t they have a pretty steady OF?
And from the article: Griffey, 38, is batting .245 this season with a .355 on-base percentage, 15 home runs and 53 RBIs in 359 at-bats. Earlier this season, he hit his 600th home run.
That .245 average doesn’t impress. And the 15 HR/53 RBIs….that sounds like Kubel but hitting for a lower avg.
Griffey playing center…., but since Swisher would play first that would be an upgrade just to get Konerko out of the lineup.
It’ll be interesting to see what it took to get this to happen.
Good article by Ruesse today: “Get Livan out of the rotation but make a trade for an IF!”
Unfortunately as we’re learning those two are not mutually exclusive. Twins are going to have to give up one of their four youngins to get that bat this year.
Casilla’s injury hurts a lot…and it may be that it happened to late for the Twins to get talks going. (Shift from looking for bullpen/3B to suddenly a 2B/#2 hitter?)
If they CAN land a solid RH bat, it may benefit the team to put him either 3 or 4 and let Mauer (maybe Morneau) slide up a spot.
Span
Mauer
Morneau/RHer (3/4 or 4/3)
Young
Kubel
Buscher/Harris/Punto (depending on what position the new guy plays)
Gomez
If Griffey makes it to the Dome before the game today I will project in advance that he will hit a HR. SI is also reporting he has been traded.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/31/griffey.whitesox/index.html
Griffey wearing Black is annoying, but does not scare me. Kenny Williams is hell bent on making sure the Sux have no one in thier system. After selling the (already depleted) farm for Swisher, they must have given their last mediorcre prospect for Griff…
It sounds like Everett’s shoulder still isn’t 100%, according to Ev himself. That means the Twins need a middle INF. Tolbert and Machado could help soon. They may have to go outside the organization, for a short term fix. Marco Scutaro is a good player.
I might actually be with you Craig… give Machado a shot.
I think Everett’s only with the team because it gives them a few days to try and make a deal vs. DFAing him.
I don’t know how I feel about trading Monroe. On one hand the guy is 2nd in HR on the team…on the other he’s an abyssmal hitter.
It WOULD make room when Cuddy comes back. If that’s anything. Means they’re not forced to make a decision on Span until year’s end. Which is nice (make a decision on your terms vs. somebody else’s)
The way it sounds, Tolbert is over a week away from even rehabing. I see the the twins using Howie Clark if they need a short term fix as he has some ML experiance and didn’t ebarrass himself earlier in the season.
That said, I would be open to a trade for Grudzielanek. If it is an option, do it.
from a seattle article:
“Maybe the most encouraging news for Mariners fans is an emerging farm system; it’s quickly becoming strong and fertile. Left desolate by Bavasi’s predecessor, Pat Gillick, Bavasi and the scouting and player development departments have rebuilt it to the point that it’s on the edge of producing everyday big leaguers. The revived farm system might well be Bavasi’s legacy in Seattle.
The minor league system is stocked with young, tool-rich outfielders such as Vladimir Balentien (Triple-A), Michael Saunders (Triple-A) and Greg Halman (Double-A). Of the three, Balentien is closest but Saunders and Halman may have higher ceilings.
Catching depth is another strength. Rob Johnson (Triple-A), described by an AL East scout as a “Danny Wilson type,” is ready to go. Adam Moore (Double-A) is close behind. Moore probably has the best combination of offense and defense among the organization’s catchers.
Starting pitching, the backbone of any contender, remains thin. The Mariners’ most promising pitching prospects, 2007 first-rounder Phillippe Aumont (Low-A) and hard-throwing Juan Ramirez (Low-A), are at least three or four years away from Seattle.
Although the Mariners aren’t going anywhere in the second half, ownership would be wise to stay away from major trades at the deadline, suggests an NL executive.”
-minor league SP is thin…we can help with that…
and since some people are wondering who would replace any talent we lost at SP, I want to share my thoughts on the systems Pitching Talent (this is long, skip to bottom if you just want a summary).
MLB: Livan, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Perkins.
-I would not ‘blink’ at losing one of Slowey, Blackburn, or Perkins. Preferably Perkins. No matter who they lose, the Rotations still gets BETTER because Liriano gets moved up to fill. I don’t see why this is a negative, We lose a good ‘young prospect’ but still fill the hole with a proven DOMINATOR.
AAA: Duensing, Liriano, Mulvey, Humber.
-Humber got moved to the pen and gave up 2 hits and 1 ER in 4 games and 5.2 IP to earn back his rotation spot. In 2 starts since he has thrown 12.2 IP, given up 3 ER, and struck out 15. Is still high on the SP ‘prospect’ list.
-Liriano is Liriano, i.e.-> needed in MLB starting rotation.
-Mulvey would not be any worse than Livan right now, and he’d fill the ‘young prospect’ lost role just fine with any trade. He will get a call this year(when roster expands), and be in running for a rotation spot next year. another so called ‘problem’ with this type of trade that is already ’solved’.
-Duensing will also get a call this season after he returns from olympics. I thought he was gonna win the 5th spot in spring training, but has regressed a little this season, still high on ‘prospect’ lists.
AA: Anthony Swarzak, Jeff Manship, Oswaldo Sosa, Ryan Mullins.
-None have been all that spectacular this season but are still high on the Twins lists for prospects. Manship is still adjusting to the call up but has 5 very good outings out of his 8 starts at AA and 4 of the ‘quality’ variety. He’s a guy the Twins really like.
-Swarzak was just called up to AAA to replace Duensing and pitched 5 innings giving up 1 ER in his first start.
This is where the Twins prospects for SP get interesting, tons of potential at these levels…
A and A+: Alex Burnett, Cole Devries, Deolis Guerra, Tyler Robertson, Micheal McCardell, Shooter Hunt.
-In all honesty, I think Shooter Hunt gets called up at some point next season ala’ Garza’s run through our system. He is throwing lights out and dominating, K’ing near 2 batters per IP to start his MLB career and has given up only given up 7 Hits and 2 ER in 24 IP while striking out 43 and walking only 8. Garza came up in about 1 year of Minor league service, and Hunt’s numbers are blowing his away at this point in comparison.
-Tyler Robertson is #1 on several Twins Prospect rankings, but has had recent shoulder problems and hasn’t pitched since July 7th. low 2.72 ERA.
-Deolis Guerra, adjusting to ‘Twin’ style of pitching, is kind of the Livan Hernandez of the minors, gets wins while giving up runs, but has shown flashes of dominance…and he’s only 19.
-Summary: My point with all this information is its a load of B.S. from the Twins front office when they say they can’t lose one of those young starters. There are others in our minors system that would be in the rotation of several other MLB teams already, and we’d be replacing that guy we’d lose with Francisco ‘Franchise’ Liriano for christ sake, you improve 2 facets of the team with one move. Rotation-Better, Lineup-Better(from player received in trade).
I still do not see the logic in this being a ‘Bad deal’. You can argue that you don’t want to screw up chemistry of the young guys, BUT, why can’t you spin it as: “we love you all you guys and didn’t WANT to move anyone, but your playing so well we want to give you the chance to be even better because we can afford to”. how does that NOT motivate a team to go ‘all right, lets get after it, we have the confidence, and they’re showing confidence in us to win by making an effort to improve our ballclub.”
I mean look at the Angels, they were already considered by many to be the Favorite’s for the World Series, but they still weren’t satisfied with what they had and went out and got a GREAT player in Texiera to improve them even more.
A move like this is not ‘Bad’ in any sense to me.
sorry for rambling on and on and on…
The idea of Griffey playing CF for the BitchSox the last two months is enough to make me smile. This is NOT your father’s Ken Griffey Jr we’re talking about, kids. The guy is getting complaints from the Reds’ own broadcast analyst that he can’t cover enough ground in RF any more. If your own homer media knocks on you, you’ve got problems.
I’m holding out hope for a last minute Beltre trade. Mariners almost have to make SOME kind of deal today for a variety of reasons. If that doesn’t happen, wth, send Boof to the Giants for Aurilia. He’s got some versatility. I guess. I just hope that Giants scout at the game last night left before Boof’s last inning.
the white sox may pick up houston street today and the tigers could be still looking and are only 4 gms behind us. in-action could mean 3rd place before long.
but we have a veteran presence in livan. the 3 run double was on a 77 mph pitch that’s high school speed.
any odds on the twins making a meaningful move? 5%?
Thanks for the breakdown TNG. I think more than anything, trading one of the “4″ at this point makes me queasy because of Liriano’s ugly start earlier this season.
I just have concerns in a playoff race about trading away what would be an insurance policy THIS season if Liriano struggled. Because then you’ve got Livan (or Boof) that would be in the rotation and a struggling Liriano.
Like I said earlier, Twins seem to almost be handcuffed by their own success. They signed guys they didn’t plan on using for anything more than a year…and now go figure the Tigers suck and the Sox aren’t interested (at this point anyway) of pulling out in front and staying there.
This Casilla thing ticks me off to no end. It was hard enough trying to scout for a 3B, but now a #2 hitter and 2B? Ouch.
I’d feel better with a strong RB bat, but still not as well as I would’ve felt a few days ago when Casilla was still healthy.
I point to my post a few up in regards to the best outlook this lineup could put together at this point.
Shawn,
Machado has only played 2B at Rochester this year. I wonder how he is throwing after his shoulder surgeries. He used to be a SS, but he could play anywhere, except catch and pitch.
Machado has talent. Takes a walk, rarely strikes out, good speed, superior glove skills. He is known to be very sound fundamentally. He was in the Red Sox organization. I think he refined his skills at drawing a walk in that organization. He’s not a huge hitter, but he can get on base. Said to be a really nice guy.
Maybe we could get Roberts by agreeing to take Mora as well?
trade Perkins for Beltre
trade Boof
bring up Liriano
bring up Mulvey
put Livan at the back of the bully for some spot dome starts only
Sox looking at Street? Wonder what that would take to bring him over? I know we as fans want him…but at this point I’m guessing at this point every team the Twins are asking for help are asking for the same guys in return.
If only we could clone Span…
T,
I think your lineup suggestion is a good idea.
I prefer moving up Mauer one slot and slotting the RHer in the third slot.
If it’s Beltre, I think they should also bring in Aurilla as the DH against lefties. Trade Monroe if possible.
The Lineup
Span
Mauer
Beltre
Morneau
Kubel against RHer/Aurilla against LHer
Why Aurilla in the 5th spot against lefties?
He has power and hits lefties fairly well.
For example, ISO power against LHer is .224 in 2008, .171 in 2007, .333 in 2006.
Next year when Casilla is back, the Twins can shift the lineup back with Beltre batting 5th.
TwinsNotesGuy,
Wow! What a post. I didn’t read it, but I am impressed by the volume.
I am crushed that we didn’t get Latroy back.(sarcasm) But the Reds will be crushed when they find out they could have had Boof in a trade for Ken Griffey Jr. I’m almost positive Griffey will OK the trade to one of the world’s major cities with World Championships in every major sport.
The rich get richer.
Getting Griffey is no big deal as evidenced by saying they could have had Boof for him. He’s a name long past his prime.
TwinsNotesGuy should change his name. Great post though.
How about TwinsManifestoGuy?
Gardy is the manager, which means Punto will bat second most of the remaining games. Gardy loves Punto. Punto is a fine player and will do a nice job batting in that spot.
T - Liriano wasn’t ready when they called him up the first time, and everyone knew it except gardenhire, its different now.
I’ve said this before, but his first start against cleveland is the only Twin game I’ve been too this year and he looked horrible. I went to that game specifically becuase I wanted to essentially ’scout’ him and see how he was doing… The highest I remember him hitting on the domes gun was 91. He couldn’t locate his fastball and walked a bunch of guys, and couldn’t use his changeup effectively because he wasn’t throwing his fastball for strikes. His slider did look good then though, was by far his best pitch that game AND he was throwing it for strikes. Still need fastball location to pitch well in any league though. He wasn’t doing that then.
Lets break down the difference from then and now:
in 3 starts for twins at beginning of year:
3 games, 10.1 IP, 15 H, 13 ER, 7 K’s, 13 BB. (thats over 1 BB per INNING!)
at AAA(entire season):
19 games, 118 IP, 102 H, 43 ER, 113 K’s, 31 BB, 1.13 WHIP.
From those numbers you know he’s located pitches FAR better now, and he’s been K-ing > 1 guy per inning, which is the sign of a dominant SP. Now, I don’t expect those numbers to remain exactly the same in MLB, but they’d be relative, and those numbers still would be a huge improvement over anyone in the current rotation besides Scott Baker.
And we’ve seen it before, Franchise’s mere presence with the twins gives them confidence.
I will (again) go to Liriano’s First start when he gets recalled, and I am sure that I won’t have the same feeling in my stomach after the game
Iowa:
Getting Griffey, to me, is exactly like the year the Twins picked up Don Baylor and won it all. I suppose it’s called Clubhouse Presence.
(presents? whatever)
My crystal ball says the Twins will make two trades within the next week (there’s a decent chance the guys the Twins want would go through waivers because of their salaries so not every trade needs to be completed today). Each trade will immediately be followed by criticism here because the deals:
a) were not enough to do any good,
b) were too much to give up,
c) were for the wrong guys,
d) mortgaged the future, AND
e) paid too much attention to the future when there’s a shot at winning now.
I would think someone would make one helluva sales pitch to the Red Sox on how an underachieving Twin would be their next all-star and MVP candidate in a trade for Manny.
Not a straight up trade like Manny’s Brett Favre trade, but, maybe Kubel and the “player to named later” deal.
TWIN_NOTE:
Chris Carpenter looked OK for four innings last night after his Tommy John surgery. Liriano should be safe to go, get him here.
I predict no big deal today for the Twins. They are too paranoid and conservative to do it. Frankly, how many teams have 5 good starters, even among the best teams? 5-8 starters is a luxury, especially when you are short in the field.
I just don’t like saying “well, we’ll be better next year, so then we’ll make a trade”, because there is always a year after that that is next year. There are a ton of variables and risks in this game, and when you are close, you should try to win. But, I’ve typed that enough the last few days….
I hope last night’s start puts some thought into the FOs head that Livan is not as good as they think, and that Francisco should be in the rotation. Personally, I’d love it if Punto got hot and really contributed, but I have my doubts. I wonder how many runs less they’ll score with Casilla out. Was it a coincidence they were so much better with him on the team, or was he really that much of a catalyst (along with Span and Young’s improved hitting). Hopefully it will remain an entertaining run…
fantasy blogger baseball trade time:
liriano, plouffe and boof to texas for young. mullins, sosa and harris to balt for roberts. manship, duensing and buscher for beltre.
roberts 2b
mauer c
young ss
morneau 1b
beltre 3b
kubal/cuddy dh
young lf
span rf
gomez cf
throw in livan, monroe, lamb, everett, bass any other junk (broken bats, balls telly hughes) into any of these.
keep punto so the skipper has his little security blanket.
Mudcat– under no circumstances do I want to see Manny in a Twins uniform. I would rather have Barry Bonds– and I don’t want him either!
I agree with Mike– I don’t think the Twins will make a trade today. Last winter Smith surprised me with all his deals and signings– but with the success below average on those transactions– I would be he would be leary to pull the trigger on any major deal now.
Was the Livan start last night worth it, if it means he loses his rotation spot and doesn’t start 10 more games for us, worth it? It cost us 2 games in the standings.
Beached Viking
Atkins was supposed to be 5th, so move everyone down. Forgive me it was 3am, and I’ve not been sleeping well for the last month… I kept forgetting people, and rewriting, and I knew I’d miss someone, but he was top 5.
Reusse and Joe C both essentially call for Livan’s head. Will that be enough to turn the tide?
The main reason Liriano hasn’t been called up for two weeks is that the Twins FO would look like they were caving to Liriano’s agent. What a huge mistake that agent made, both for Liriano and the Twins.
For less than 300K we can bring in Bonds. I honestly think that after being out of baseball for almost a year, with all the crap on his plate… he would embrace the fact that he could get to play for a team that needs him, and that could get to the playoffs, and win the world series.
The reasoning isn’t just because I’m a fan of Bonds… it’s because he is the one player we could pickup without having to give up anything. He would instantly make us better without having to sacrfice any of our kids.
Slowey and a midlevel for Beltre (Ms pay some of his contract)
Bring up Liriano
A midlevel and a low level for Grudzy
Span
Grudzielanak
Mauer
Morneau
Beltre
Kubel
Young
Punto/Harris/Everett
Gomez
Buscher gets spot starts against tough righties.
Baker
Liriano
Blackburn
Perkins
Livan
How about Duensing + another lower level prospect for Beltre? Perkins and Duensing are very similar players going into this year; if Duensing had won the 5th spot, he might be the untouchable one right now rather than Perkins.
Would that get it done?
BC–I’ve long advocated for Bonds, but it just isn’t happening.
For those who have time today a good place to get a handle on what’s going on around the country is here:
rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=MLB
Among the tidbits you can glean from there are that the Rangers aren’t just interested in the Boofster but also Zach Grienke.
You can also read how ridiculous the interim GM for Seattle is in his requests and can get a sense just how difficult (and expensive) to get Beltre or Putz. The Mets and Yankees apparently are also shaking their heads over Seattle’s demands. I don’t think their brain trust knows what it’s doing…they really need a seasoned exec soon.
I think the article about acquiring Jason Bay is rediculous. If the Twins were goint to obtain him, they would have during the off season when he was available and the Twins needed outfielders. Pohlad will not part with any money for more players to help the team unless they are bagain basement types like Hernandez.
god bless the Rays and Giants if they are willing to take Bonser and Monroe off our hands.
Can Duensing be traded if he’s going to the Olympics? There may be concerns that if the team wanted to use him they couldn’t.
Or would they just say “You can’t go.”
I would have to question the logic of the Twins organization when it comes to trades and obtaining free agents. They have been just one deal away from securing the pennant on numerous occassions, but refused to pay for the deal. They have kept insignificant players at the expense of adding personnel that would improve the team. Billy Smith’s comment that he would make a deal if he thinks it would makes the club better is obsurd. There have been many occassion when the Twins could have acquired personnel to improve the team, as with the Santana options, but they did not do it. Obtaining Jason Bay is a pennant winning type of move, but Billy Smith and the Twins organization just don’t get it.
I would have to say the chance of the Twins pulling off any major deal at less then 5% but if for some reason pigs fly today and cheap carl opens up his wallet. Go after Roberts in Baltimore or Young in Texas.
Getting either one of them allows for Harris to platoon with someone. Be it Buscher or Punto.
Trade Monroe if it is possible. Even though after watching Kubel leave his bat on his shoulder again I might send him out as well.
Ooops, meant to post this hear instead of Joe C’s blog:
Rays are asking about Dunn as a fallback to Bay if Bay goes to Boston. I wouldn’t expect them to consider Monroe unless they got desperate.
Two words: Edwin Encarnacion
Encarnacion is on a very publicized ‘Untouchable’ list by their GM. Pipe dream.
Rumor has it, they almost dealt him for Garza last summer and TR was the one that backed out.
The title of this blog entry should be
Twins No Trades Tidbits
how about we offer seattle revere for beltre? its not like were gonna have room for him on the big club in the near future.
Whywould people on this side even dream up players to be included for potential trades?
Names are riduculous and lets see what Mr. Smith can do!
Win Twins!
Can’t believe the White Sox scored Griffey for basically nothing. Masset and Richar? I never even heard of Richar, he’s putting up mediocre numbers in AAA. If they landed him with that the Twins certainly should have been able to land him with some of their expendable arms. Richar plays 2b and don’t know if the Twins could have produced somebody, maybe float Macri or whatever, maybe throw in an extra big league arm. But STILL, Griffey would be a big upgrade at DH.
But STILL, Griffey would be a big upgrade at DH.
.245/.355/.432 OPS+ 103
.266/.329/.452 OPS+ 111
One of those two is Griffey, the other is Kubel. Where is the “big upgrade” at?
The big upgrade is not in a direct comparison Kubel for Griffey. The upgrade is that Griffey is the 5th or 6th option for run production for the Sox and Kubel is our 2nd or 3rd. You get past Morneau Kubel and Maybe Young on a good night and you have to wait til you come back again in the order for any run production… We Need a bat!
snepp, please don’t let the facts get in the way…Kubel is horrible and Griffey has the big name.
Eric, yet some magical way the Twins continue to score runs at a high rate…
Hernandez and Bonser, otherwise known as the blubber boys, were soundly defeated by the leaner and better WSOX power offense. If either of those two stay on the roster, the Twins can expect to be far out of first place at the end of the season.
LOL. When Liriano’s called up, LEN isn’t “sure who would come out of the rotation.”
I can’t stop laughing. Hey, I know, maybe Baker!
LEN, you’ve been covering the Twins way too long; you’ve bought into their glossy, shiny, nauseating political machine. I mean, this organization is slicker than Norm Coleman.
Hey Lala, maybe Glen’s not sure who comes out of the rotation because beyond the trade deadline there’s no certainty who would be in it…
hmmm?
*LEN*
Dan typos.
T, I know you love to argue, but it won’t happen. There’s no way the Twins trade a starter. No way. You can bank on it.
Besides, if they TRADE a starter, then there’s no starter to REMOVE. Get it?
“I can’t stop laughing. Hey, I know, maybe Baker!”
I can understand what you’re saying but how could Gardy honestly look at one of our starters and tell them that they’re moving to the bullpen for a guy with an 0-3 MLB record this year. All our starters have 7 or more wins and should all reach 10 or more. These are against good MLB teams. I’m not trying to diminish Liriano’s talent, but I would like to see him beat someone out of the spot rather than just be handed it.
Plus, I’m the guy that was right about Santana, Hunter, and Silva in the off-season, while you were dead wrong on all accounts. Remember those discussions??? I’m sure you do.
I’m the prophet. You’re the reactionary one.
Liriano starts Friday. There’s a prophecy.
“Liriano starts Friday. There’s a prophecy.”
I’ve got tickets for Friday night’s game. If you’re right I will come on here and publicly praise you. If you’re wrong, you fall into average sports-fan predictability.
BC Beneke said — “and if you were thinking top 20 in the American League, or top 20 in baseball.”
I posed the Beltre claim as a question based on the past 3 years’ performance of all players.
And a person would have to do an exhaustive type search to see if he ranks in the top 40 players.
If Beltre isn’t a premier player, he would be on the Twins — ranked only behind M&M.
Lala,
“Remember those discussions??? I’m sure you do.”
I remember you telling us that you could diagnose sports injuries because you were a massage therapist.
Just like my ex-girlfriend who’s a hooker.
Just like my ex-girlfriend who’s a hooker.
She could probably do a reasonable job of diagnosing various types of VD.
