Afternoon update: Delmon Young rumors
Posted on December 8th, 2008 – 3:29 PMBy La Velle
For a team that claims it’s not shopping Delmon Young around his name sure keeps popping up around the Bellagio.
The Phillies apparently are doing due dilligence on Young now. The Twins do like shortstop Jason Donald, who’s coming off of a huge Arizona Fall League run.
I’ve talked to two baseball officials who know Donald. One described him as a true baseball player with great instincts. The other thought he needed to at least begin the year at Class AAA. Both felt Donald might wind up at third.
Also heard from one official that Giants might be interested in Young. This rumor was tossed out earlier this offseason, but it might be true because a Twins official told me right after the Casey Blake thing fell through that they would contact teams they’ve talked to in the past about infield help. Not sure who the Twins like on the Giants roster.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Twins are interested in Jack Wilson. This isn’t surprising because a Twins official indicated to me over the weekend that Wilson could land on their radar.
My problem is that Wilson is not that great of an offensive upgrade. They might as well bring back Nick Punto, who gets abused here way more than he should.
Adam Everett has signed with the Tigers.
Dennys Reyes might be on the Reds’ radar.
Add the Diamondbacks to teams interested in Punto.
More later….
160 Responses to "Afternoon update: Delmon Young rumors"
Then add the Diamondbacks as my potential new favorite team. Not because they have Nick Punto, but because the Twins do NOT have Nick Punto! (disclaimer: I love Nicky as a utility player, just not as a starter.)
Are the Twins shopping him or are teams just asking about him? I think the Twins are trying to unload him because he doesn’t see eye to eye with Gardy.
I would greatly prefer Donald to Jack Wilson, in whom the Twins are rumored to have an interest. All Wilson brings to the table is a large salary.
Talk is the Astros are looking to cut salary. I would love to see the Twins make a run at Wigginton.
I like the JJ Hardy deal or Atkins and Street
la velle,
how about something like cuddyer perkins buscher mulvey and bonser for wigginton and tejeda? that would fill both holes..
have a lineup like this,
span
casilla
mauer
morneau
wigginton
kubel
tejada
young
gomez
perfect!
LaVelle If you get a chance check out the free fountain show and also if you get the opportunity go up to the top of the eiffel tower at the Paris. I almost threw up in the see through glass elevator as I am not great with heights
How about both Wilson and Donald? New left side completely.
I agree with AJ, I like Punto as a utility player. Re-sign him Bill Smith.
Good news that Adam Everett signed with the Tigers - and we thought they were going to get better this off season - not!! If the Diamondbacks end up with Punto - that’s great - really, it’s great for anyone but the Twins to get him - he isn’t the starter we need. If the Astros are looking to cut salary, let’s get them talking about Tejada. Go Twins - be bold!!
liondragon,
And we would be giving up 5 guys we don’t want for two guys we do want.
Sounds like a great deal for the Astros! (sarcasm)
If Punto is back and Young is gone, then I am no longer a Twins fan.
TC - if punto signs he will not be a utility player, barring the team getting legit SS AND 3B.
jimmy bee, I barely have time to eat here. I’m trying to determine when I should stake out the lobby or elevator bank and when to go back to the media room to write. This place is huge, and every five minutes an outrageously beautiful woman walks by and everyone loses their train of thought…
Everybody’s coming knocking about Young because of Gardy’s comments. The *think* he’s available. But I doubt Smith would deal him unless there was a young stud that would help NOW in return.
Span/Gomez/Young to me is better offensively (and will be around longer) than Span/Gomez/Cuddyer.
Focus LEN III, focus. No time for beautiful women. You need to keep us baseball dorks in the know. THanks btw.
La Velle stay away from the Rio then the outfits the ladies wear there are unreal. Don’t forget In N Out Burger is also in Vegas.
Need more offense than Wilson. Punto would do fine and not give anything up.
Tejada would be a great upgrade or Wiggington. I still like the idea of Crede and work him until we have grass.
Win Twins!
Medschool,
Re-signing Punto is only one small piece of the puzzle that I have my doubts that Bill Smith is capable of putting together. If signing Punto is all they do for the infield, then, don’t they shouldn’t do it.
Agreed that Wilson is the same production as Punto. If they go the defense-only route, take Punto who is much cheaper dollar-wise and totally free prospect-wise. Or, try to get a real SS and avoid repeating 2008 where Punto ends up replacing the crappy defense-only SS picked up in the offseason.
Vegas will do that you LEN III. Keep your focus haha. Thanks for the updates and keep up the good work. What are your thoughts on what you know about Donald. Would you prefer him over Wilson? I agree that I would rather re sign punto than trade for Wilson if those are the choices. Thanks again
“This place is huge, and every five minutes an outrageously beautiful woman walks by and everyone loses their train of thought…”
Great quote La Velle! Sounds like a writers nightmare. 
Why does it show that I posted as Powerslave??
It doesn’t.
Yeah I definately wish I had the problem of all those beautiful women distracting me from getting my work done. Instead, reading your Twins updates are doing that. “outrageously beautiful woman walk by and everyone loses their train of thought” I always love that one
Yeah I jumped the gun on that one and realized it didn’t right after I posted. My bad Powerslave
In N Out Burger is in Vegas
Some comments on the Pittsburgh Post are under the impression that jack wilson would be enough for DY. Really?
Makes me wonder what outsiders think of some of the deals spun on this blog.
How about Pablo Sandoval?
He came up for the Giants last year as a catcher and ended up getting 12 starts at 3rd. He’s a big switch hitter with some pop in his bat and if hitting San Fran seemed easy for him: imagine Minny.
La Velle, see if the Twins have any interest in Daniel Cabrera. He’s a got a great arm, I wonder if Anderson would be able to hone it. Leo couldn’t get it done, maybe Rick can? Would be nice to have that rotational depth if Cabrera is affordable.
La Velle,
Is there any chance the Twins will consider signing Joe Crede?
Wilson is the same production as Punto.
Career numbers:
Wilson: .269/.312/.375 , 56 HR
Punto: .252/.319/.332 , 11 HR
against LHP:
Wilson: .282/.340/.417, 20 HR
Punto: .260/.316/.329, 1 HR
not that close.
I like the idea of getting Donald. Then trade for wigginton and resign punto to hold down SS until Donald is ready and then he can be a full time part time player. I would be more than happy with that.
LaVelle,
You should see the emails I’m getting for forgetting Dick Allen, and calling Ron Santo’s stature into question. You Chicago people are tough, lol.
Guys we need a PROVEN MLB shortstop …
He sounds like an impressive ballplayer, but we need a SS who can play now!
Unless you guys are more interested in Rochester …
I haven’t been keeping up on a daily basis, but why in the world would we trade Delmon Young? One year and done? What, is he too young for us? Too much potential? Doesn’t take enough pitches while he is batting .289 for the season? Somebody please explain why the Delmon Young bashing after one season in the Metrodome? What about what he’ll bring to the team in the new stadium? I’d be happy with Young, Gomez, and Span for years to come.
Thrylos.
Nick Punto (whom LaVelle alluded to me with)… is a mediocre player at best, but he will play for 2 million.
Jack Wilson whom I like is 7 million…
compare those numbers with their stats, and they are pretty similar.
So if Punto is a free agent, why wouldn’t we get a draft pick if he signs with another team? Oh yeah, that’s right. It’s based on the past 2 years of production. I’m surprised the Twins don’t have to send a draft pick to whoever signs him.
Phillie fans don’t like DY at all just for Donald either
BC Beneke Dick Allen was Manny before Manny was being Manny. Dick Allen is one bad Mutha. Think if Shaft played baseball. He was a great player and I have met him numerous times. Wampum
BC Beneke Dick Allen was Manny before Manny was being Manny. Dick Allen is one bad Mutha. Think if Shaft played baseball. He was a great player and I have met him numerous times. Wampum
BC,
check Rentaria’s and Ellis’ new contract. Punto will be paid $4M for 3 years minimum. Thats $12M. Wilson will cost $7.5M over a year. The Twins will save $4.5 M if they trade for Wilson instead of re-signing Punto.
Lavelle,
Those women are probably prostitutes. Donald is a rising prospect. Many of the less than gleaming reviews on him are probably from last season. He hit over 400 in the fall league and Donald also had a good year in AA. He is a year older than Delmon but is in a position of need.
Jack Wilson is a complete waste. Might as well keep Punto.
Macleod…
Reasons to trade Delmon Young
1) Bill Smith isn’t good at making decisions
2) Bill Smith realized he made a mistake
3) Delmon Young was credited as being the problem in Tampa… then they win without him
4) Delmon Young had too many terrible at bats
5) Delmon Young showed about as much passion to play (which is a Twins trademark) as a dead dog on the side of the road… not caring if he just grounded out to SS, struckout on a ball in the dirt, or hit a double off the wall… it all seemed to just not matter to him at all.
6) Did I mention that Bill Smith might not be very good at his job?
7) Gardy love slap hitters, and Cuddyer (cuddaver as Sane put it).
Wilson in 09’s production at age 31 is likely to be the same as Punto’s at age 31. Especially considering Punto’s average, HR total, OBP, RBI total, SB total were all better last year than Wilson’s, why trade?
Hitting Stats: Next Stats >>
SEASON TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
2000 Chicago White Sox 7 14 2 5 1 0 0 3 6 0 3 0 0 .333 .429 .357
2001 Chicago White Sox 17 50 1 11 1 1 0 7 14 3 11 1 0 .273 .280 .220
2002 Chicago White Sox 53 200 28 57 10 0 12 35 103 8 40 0 2 .311 .515 .285
2003 Chicago White Sox 151 536 68 140 31 2 19 75 232 32 75 1 1 .308 .433 .261
2004 Chicago White Sox 144 490 67 117 25 0 21 69 205 34 81 1 2 .299 .418 .239
2005 Chicago White Sox 132 432 54 109 21 0 22 62 196 25 66 1 1 .303 .454 .252
2006 Chicago White Sox 150 544 76 154 31 0 30 94 275 28 58 0 2 .323 .506 .283
2007 Chicago White Sox 47 167 13 36 5 0 4 22 53 10 24 0 1 .258 .317 .216
2008 Chicago White Sox 97 335 41 83 18 1 17 55 154 30 45 0 3 .314 .460 .248
Career Totals 798 2768 350 712 143 4 125 422 1238 170 403 4 12 .306 .447 .257
is Daniel Cabrera a freeagent or would we have to trade for him if he is a freeagent sign him
joe crede stats: better even hurt than what we have had
Is Koskie still damaged. If not we should get him back
I would love to go into next season without either Nick Punto OR Jack Wilson.
Thrylos…
I am not a Punto fan, I am a Jack Wilson fan in comparison, but if that is our solution… it is not a solution to the problem. That’s all I’m saying.
I like Wilson but it doesn’t do anything to help this team long term, or short term.
At this point in time I would go with Cabrerra 3 years 27 million???
what do you guys think of this
Twins Interested In Tejada?
By Tim Dierkes [December 8 at 4:10pm CST]
According to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
Can’t vouch for its veracity – not sure I really believe it myself — but I just heard in the gossip scrum that is forming at the edge of the Bellagio lobby that there was at least a phone call between the Astros and Twins regarding Miguel Tejada, the long-ago MVP shortstop.
Coming from a “gossip scrum,” it’s hard to know what to make of it. But, Miller felt it was worthy of publishing.
mlbtraderumors.com
joe crede stats: better even hurt than what we have had
Crede career OPS+: 93
Harris career OPS+: 97
Buscher career OPS+: 93
Problem is Cabrera isn’t a huge upgrade at the plate and is fringe average in the field all of that on top of being older and a clubhouse problem.
Daniel Cabrera is still under Oriole control, but is likely to be non-tendered before the season begins. Therefore, he could be had for an extremely low level prospect. Something to at least think about…
Tejada a Twin. I don’t believe it at all
Not at all crazy about Tejada. 13 homeruns as a righthanded hitter in Houston doesn’t transate well to the dome.
I think Young was really coming around this past year and I for one hope they do not swap him unless they really get something valuable in return. There must be some reason Cheap Carl is scheming to get rid of Young to increase his vast holdings, supplemented by Hennepin County taxpayers.
Joe Crede will never come here. The Twins don’t like Boras or his players… The back injury history, and Boras will keep him out of Minnesota though he would be perfect for the 5th spot in the lineup.
I think that Cheap Carl has nothing to do with the Young rumors (or with running the team for that matter)… The manager of the millennium on the other hand, surely does…
The weather outside is frightful, so I’m going to bail on the day and come back here and hang out again tomorrow.
the twins are beginning to resemble their soon to be next door neighbor. How do you trade a number 1 hard thrower, and your defense up the middle for A left fielder that has upside- then sign often injured Cuddy to an untradeable deal. Then sell your fans on trading that left fielder for another prospect. Are you serious? Now they are looking for defense up the middle, still looking for a 3rd baseman and now bullpen help. All because BS couldnt make the right deal for Santana and signed Everett and Lamb. Give me a break!
14 million a year for Tejada this rumor at MLB Trade Rumors must be some kind of joke. Maybe he will go somewhere but in all honesty probably not to the Twins
The Tampa trade from last year is over. Even if the Twins now think they made a mistake, it is over. Focus on our options for today. Trading away Delmon so early would be a mistake. Is Cuddyer coming back from injury better than Delmon? I don’t see how. Delmon bats .290 with 14-15 HR’s and 75 RBI this next season, at age 23. And his defense wasn’t as bad as people think. Yes, his style out in left field looked goofy, ugly, brutal. But how many errors did he actually make? He stumbled, bumbled, and then caught the ball. And he swings at way too many pitches outside of the strike zone….while batting .289. I seem to recall a young Torii Hunter doing the same thing. And I still recall an old Michael Cuddyer swinging at breaking balls in the dirt all the time. I’d rather get rid of Gardy than get rid of Delmon. My god, Delmon is a very good solid player, AT AGE 23!!!!!
thrylos98, we’re not looking for a third baseman with a great OPS, we need power at the hot corner, so maybe you should be comparing RBIs and HRs, not OPS. You have the wrong stat dude!
so Tejada at SS and Beltre at the hot corner?
Lets keep in mind that Delmon was the #1 prospect in baseball for a few years. He hasn’t panned out as expected but the guy is a .290 hitter at 23 which isn’t too shabby.
what I read about Tejada is the Astros would eat a big part of his salary. That is the kind of deal Cheap Carl likes.
Macleod,
Agreed. Not to mention the fact that Delmon played hurt for the second half of the season and had to be practically tackled by the trainers to sit down a couple of games, where the ‘face of the franchise v2.0′ couldn’t play with a finger boo-boo (compare cuddyer’s and casilla’s response going through the same injury last year)…
Tejada is several years past his prime. Yep, that sounds exactly like the player the Twins will get.
Keep everyone. Cuddy @ 3rd, Keep Buscher,
Keep Tolbert, Keep Harris, and our 4 outfielders.
Loose PUNTO
Carl Pohlad is 93 years old. He turned over the club to his boys.
I am now angry I decided to check out a Twins update. Trading Delmon would turn me off this team real quick. I think he is a piece of the puzzle that can be placed out there for a long, long time. I would take his last years numbers every year for years to come. And I am absolutely positive his numbers will get better as he matures and has a better eye at the plate. Again, look at Torii Hunter.
[…] Twins Insider – […]
Macleod, exactly, always going after these retreads and it rarely works. I cant remember. Was Chili Davis past his prime in 91? If so, that did work that time.
I want Beltre. Of course with Borus, we will not get Beltre. I cant even blame CC for that one.
and for the person that said that DYoung left Tampa and then they won…Wow buddy! Here are the facts… We gave them a gold glove player who was voted by his team in Tampa as the MVP. A rock solid starter who Gardy couldnt micro-manage and was a bit of head case… and a some guy name Evan at 3rd based who they gave a 10 year deal to 1 month into his mlb career. Yeah DYoung was the reason they didnt win. WOW!
Macleod, I agree. I think Young is a solid player. It all comes down to Gardy not liking him on a personal level. Also agree on Tejada. Have we not tried this retread route enough? Has it ever worked? I cant remember. Was Chili Davis a retread back in 91? If so, it worked that time.
Stats may not come to minnesota but these are accurate
Buscher
Min 33 82 8 20 1 0 2 10 10 16 1 0 .244 .323 .329 .652
2008 Min 70 218 29 64 9 0 4 47 19 42 0 2 .294 .340 .390 .730
Total – 103 300 37 84 10 0 6 57 29 58 1 2 .280 .335 .373 .708
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
Season 97 335 41 83 18 1 17 55 30 45 0 3 .248 .314 .460 .773
Career 798 2768 350 712 143 4 125 422 170 403 4 12 .257 .306 .447 .753
For some reason, I had a posting go out under someone else name.
codytwo,
thrylos98, we’re not looking for a third baseman with a great OPS, we need power at the hot corner, so maybe you should be comparing RBIs and HRs, not OPS. You have the wrong stat dude!
Alright, let me give you that comparison then:
Crede: 125 HR 2768 AB (22.1 AB/HR) career .447 SLG
Tony Batista: 221 HR 4568 AB (20.7 AB/HR) career .453 SLG
So Batista was a great signing too?
but Batista career OBP: .299 and Crede career OBP: .306
(btw Batista was just one year older than Crede is know when the Twins’ singed him, so the washed out argument will not work…)
Actually, based on Crede’s medical history a RonDL comparison would have probably been more appropriate…
But why keep Young if he is going to take playing time from other players. Lets be realistic whether or not Cuddy deserves it he is going to be the starter. We have Hicks, Revere, and friends coming up. If we can move Delmon now to adress a need and it prevents a logjam in the future why not do it. I think Delmon is going to be a very good but not great player. I just don’t think he fits into the future plans because of some of his drawbacks and if they could pick up a guy like Donald that could help now and in the future its a good move.
thrylos98, correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that Batista was playing in Japan prior to signing with the Twins. I can’t remember, but I think Crede was an All-Star last year. So your arguement is invalid. I agree that Crede is very injury prone, but he has an awesome upside.
Tejada is washed up, or will be very soon. Donald, YES. Wilson, NO = Punto.
I am comparing Young straight up to Cuddyer. I will thank Cuddyer for his years of service, say good bye, and keep Young. You absolutely have to factor age into the equation. I think they are pretty much equal players, IF Cuddyer is healthy. And I can’t say that will stay true. So then I look at the age factor again. Now, I will say no player is ever untradeable. But you aren’t going to get a “blow away” deal for Delmon, so why trade him?
Don’t get rid of Delmon. It has been one year, and looking at our outfield, offensively, he did not have that bad of a year. What makes this all so tough is that Cuddy contract. As stated often, he is only 23. Package Cuddy, Korecksi (sp) and another pitcher and lets work for a legit 3′rd bagger. You cannot trade Boof, with a name like that his curveball is bound to be magic one day….
So your arguement is invalid.
hmmm… I just saw you that Batista was more of a “home run hitter” than Crede, why is that an invalid argument? As far as the fact that he was in Japan before he played with the Twins, I think that he was probably a better choice than a player who was in a physical rehabilitation unit, like Crede…
If you’re going to spend Crede money, might as well use it on Furcal instead. Similar injury risk, with Furcal holding down a position in greater need of an upgrade.
Keep Nicky. They gave away Bartlett and they should not make the same mistake again. Nicky is just getting his groove back again. He will be much better this season.
Cuddyer and Korecky isn’t going to land a whole lot of anything. Possibly a bag of balls or a bat bag if we eat some money.
Speaking of In N Out Burger. How about a Double Double Animal Style w/ Animal Fries or better known to me as ‘Heart Attack in Box’. For those unaware it’s a double burger smothered in cheese, fried onions, and thousand island, and a pile of fresh cut fries smothered in the same toppings. That being said I didn’t know there was In N Out anywhere but California…delish!! Anyways…keep Punto as utility at the right price (if the price isn’t right, adios), and pool the money for the 4 washed up free agents (Everett, Rondell, Lamb, etc.) they usually sign with Young and a prospect or two and go get 3 mid-tiers (Kouzmanoff, Beltre, etc.) or ready to play prospects (Hardy, Donald, etc.) to fill the role at either 3B, SS, and/or Middle Relief.
MLB trade rumors says the braves are interested in Corey Hart. Is he available? If so they would need a replacement correct?
[…] (5:42 p.m.): La Velle Neal writes the Twins like Jason Donald: I’ve talked to two baseball officials who know Donald. One […]
[…] the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a look at what a Twins scribe is hearing: The Phillies apparently are doing due dilligence on Young now. The Twins do like shortstop Jason […]
Tedd…bartlett has about the same chance of getting a gold glove as any of us do…
jack wilson….my god, why not just bring back jerry terrell—-are they nuts?? ….need i ask?
thrylos don”t be bitter!
Skips,
The Brewers are about to lock Mike Lamb for another year or so; not sure why and not sure what part of the equation he will play (other than a LH PH), but here is a sort of a replacement
greg,
not bitter at all
Is all I’m saying is that the Twins have had a track record of making crazy acquisitions (Ponson, Ramon Ortiz, Batista, Monroe, Sierra, Rondell White) and that even though none of them worked out in the past, sooner or later one will work out in their favor, and I feel that Crede has an awesome upside. Batista was in Japan because no one wanted him in the US (kind of like Lew Ford). Crede on the other hand has proven that he can perform after injurying his back. I remember a couple of years ago I wanted the Twins to pick up Frank Thomas, but he ended up going to the A’s. Do you remember what he did to the Twins in the first round of the play-offs? Also, an example of a risky acquisition paying off is Carlos Quentin to the White Sox. BTW, even though I have mentioned many White Sox players above, I want to reiterate that I HATE THE WHITE SOX, in case you were wondering, which brings me to my last point….How great would it be to kill the White Sox with one of their favorite players, Joe Crede?
Macleod you make valid points, the problem, however, as thrylos hinted at, is that Gardy does not like DY. Gardy wants to keep and start his favorite player, the older dude, Cuddyer, not the younger, more talented, more upside potential guy. If the Twins resign Punto and trade DY it will show that Gardy is running the FO, not Mr. Smith.
I feel that Delmon is not truely a Twin player….he does not have the heart, does give the effort, and is a terrible outfielder….only reason for his put outs is runners were caught jogging when he botched plays that our other outfielders would call routine. He needs to be traded for some bp help. Let’s get something right this off season…go Twins!!!
SORRY….DOES NOT GIVE THE EFFORT!!!
SORRY….DOES NOT GIVE THE EFFORT!!!!
Save Delmon!
What defines a “Twins player?” Diving headfirst into 1st base? Battling your tail off?
I could imagine the things that would have been said on here back in the day about Torii Hunter after his 1st season in the bigs. Look at how long it took him to hit 30+ HRs.
While Delmon is not a Twins farmhand and way not totally play the “Twins way” I think it would be incredibly stupid to trade him away after one year. The ONLY way I would give him up would be for JJ Hardy.
Give Delmon more time…patience people. It was one freaking season. People do change as they become more accustomed to their surroundings. I guarantee his trade value will be higher mid season or next season if he plays every day this year. If he still doesn’t play “Twins baseball”, trade him then.
Coincidence Punto had his 2 best years in contract years? Will next year be another .210 25RBI year again?
so we are willing to give Valencia another year or 2 to develope(when he will be 26) but we should give up on Delmon? I understand people didn’t like the fact that we gave up garza for young, but we gave up santana for gomez. I like both players but u can’t tell me gomez is better than young, and they are the same age too.
I agree with Powerslave….
Give Young some time, he will produce.
Let POP UP Punto go for god sake, wht are we hanging on??? And Im telling you, let Brian Buscher play third, he is another in time that will produce, go back and look at Casey Blakes first years, Buscher is a much better player and will continue to improve. Why do they always have to make things so difficult??? They seem destine to always do the wrong things.
Cuddyer has never hit 289. Have you all forgotten him looking at nothing balls down the middle and then swinging at a curve ball 2 feet outside. Or swinging at 2 pitches 2 ft outside and then looking at fastball down the middle. I could have gotten rich betting what he would do after one pitch every atbat. Its not that I don’t like him but he is not close to Young.
Dantes is actually right. Cuddyer is the king of guessing at pitches. If he’s guessing curveball and it’s a fastball, he’s dead meat. But if he’s guessing curveball, and it’s curveball…lash down the left field line.
“The Brewers are about to lock Mike Lamb for another year or so; not sure why and not sure what part of the equation he will play (other than a LH PH), but here is a sort of a replacement”
Probably because Mike Lamb isn’t anywhere near as bad as his numbers last year would indicate, and is still a valuable player.
I say keep Delmon unless you get the deal you can’t refuse. I disagree with those of you who think he lacks passion, doesn’t play the Twins way, or believe that Gardy doesn’t like him. It’s all just speculation. Delmon played through the ankle injury and would not have gotten the AB’s he did if Gardy didn’t like him. Delmon kind of has that expressionless look on his face all the time which I think leads people to conclude he lacks passion for the game. I don’t agree.
One question. Who would the twins want from the Giants? Matt Cain do we need another pitcher
If Delmon stays in shape, he can run to. Something Cuddyer is very poor at. It’d be nice if the Twins would utilize that part of his game. He was projected to be at least a 30/30 guy, maybe flirting with 40/40. Surely we can do better than 14 SBs. He only had 19 attempts.
Jimm Bee and Liondragon -
Really, both of you guys need to check into an Idealists Anonymous meeting. JJ Hardy, Garret Atkins, Ty Wigginton, and Miguel Tejada will never, ever be Twins. Ever!
So, tune into reality here, boys. Donald looks like a realistic proposition. In the process, we’ll get to unload an overhyped defensive liability. We’ll also get to say goodbye to Nick Punto and his man-love relationship with Gardy. But, if the Twins are not willing to roll the dice on guys like Blalock or Crede, they won’t be getting any third baseman. What they’re looking to do is UPGRADE, not turn the left side of the infield into a $30 million a year all-star club.
The team will not re-sign Punto. Tolbert & Machado will play for league minimum. The Twins will acquire EITHER a 3B or a SS, not both. The other position will be filled by internal options. These of course are my opinions & I still would like to see Cuddyer at 3B.
am i alone in thinking farnsworth would be a wonderful addition to the twins bullpen…8th inning guy??
La Velle,
totally irrelevant with this discussion, with winter meetings and all that, but since you were talking about blogs & blogroll a month or two ago, you might want to know that Kevin Slowey resurrected his blog. Here is the link:
La Velle, good news on the lobby stalking front. Boy George is on the shelf.
BC Beneke-Very clever with your list says about three times what a lousy GM BS is.Why is he a bad GM ?Because he traded your boy Garza(ACE)for that lousy Delmon,who is washed up at age22.Last time i checked,he was the #1 draft choice.What do those professional scouts know anyway.We will know in 5years if the trade was any good,not the day it was made as you contend.
Trade Delmon Young!?! Super! That means we gave away shortstop Jason Bartlett and pitcher Matt Garza for utlityman Brendon Harris and minor league prospect Jason Priddie…BRILLIANT
As for Nick Punto, I have no problem keeping him as a utility player or as a third base combo with Buescher IF the Twins fail to sign or trade for a good thirdbaseman.
mj1 says:
December 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
jack wilson….my god, why not just bring back jerry terrell—-are they nuts?? ….need i ask?
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Phuck yeah!!! And while they are at it they can bring back outfielders Bombo Rivera and Willie (Not Mays) Norwood.
Gaaa!!! Please stop! If I read “Twins baseball” one more time….. What is Twins baseball? Hit to the opposite field, advance the runner at all cost, etc. When Ortiz got to Boston he was doing those things. They yanked his chain, telling him “You’re the big man, you hit the ball” That seemed to work out fine! He would never have been much if he hadn’t get out from under the Twins coaches. And lay off the Cuddyer to third stuff. Read my lips! That was a failed experiment. He wasn’t even average in the field, and worrying about even affected his hitting.
I wouldn’t mind the Twins signing Joe Crede, how much can he be asking for after having back surgery? But as someone else above pointed out, his agent is Scott Boros…But Crede if %100 would give us that righthanded power hitter we’ve missed for…ever.
1-Span-RF
2-Casilla-2B
3-Mauer-C
4-Crede-3B
5-Morneau-1B
6-Young-LF
7-Cuddyer/Kubel-DH
8-Tolbert/Harris/Punto-SS
9-Gomez-CF
La Velle~ What are you hearing on the Tejada front? Any chance of it happening? Who would it cost us?
I think I can safely say that anyone who is so full of themselves to say that unless the Twins make the deal he wants, he won’t be a Twins fan, needs to grow up.
The Twins may deal Young, they may keep Punto. They may do neither. What they will do is what is in the best interest of the Twins and their fans.
Anyone who is so self obesssed should take their ball and go home. It just does not get any dumber.
All the answers…..Right on.
Get a SS, you a have 3rd baseman that will greatly be improved in 09.
Thyros
seth had that up on thursday
Don’t trade Young
Don’t trade Young
I repeat: Don’t trade Ortiz, woops I meant Young
Have Fun !!! GO TWINS !!!
Please don’t make another stupid move by getting rid of Young.
Keep Young and Gomez and Span for the outfield….PUPS all will get better. Keep Cuddy as the 4th OF. Keep the PUP pitchers, they will only get better. Keep M and M, Keep Casilla. 3rd and SS will fall into place, with or without Punto. We are so close to a dominant team in MLB. TWINS will rule for a decade. Minnesota Twins, the up and coming 2009 World Champions. GO PUPS!!! GO MADDOG MUTTS!!! Gardy for Mgr of the Year, 2009. Gotta Love It!!!!
I cannot imagine they would trade Delmon Young for a prospect. And infield prospect nontheless! Here’s a memo to Bill Smith: you’re not Theo Epstein and you’re not going to find a diamond in the rough like Dustin Pedroia.
It seems way too early to be giving up on Young. I’m thinking they’d regret that move. On another topic, LaVelle surely you have time for a quick trip to the Spearmint Rhino, a quick cab ride and you’re there.
DrDon-I Agree with the Doctor’s prescrition for for the Twins long range health”
Does anyone else here believe the Delmon talk is just the proverbial red-herring and all the chatter is just to create more perceived value for the real deal, shipping out “old man” Cuddy?
I don’t get paid to comment on baseball but what baseball mind would say Cuddy is more valuable to the Twins than Young? Cuddy can’t stay healthy, hasn’t been able to put together consistent play from year, and is approaching the down-side of his career in post-steroid baseball.
C’mon, the kid is 23. Check out his stats versus the hometown phenom’s at the same age.
Remember the Twins gave up on David Ortiz? Delmon Young is in his early twenties. Since when do Minnesotans give up on a guy after one year? Keep playing him. He should come into his own for the state.
as you say, cuddy was injured for the most part in 2008. can you imagine how
potent the twins lineup would be with adrian beltre in it??
The problem with Beltre is that he’d be gone after one year.
Dump Punto, Gardy, and Cuddy and keep Delmon. Dump John Gordon, too!
Thank you GENO. THE Dr.Don has spoken and provided his prescription to cure all Twins fans Bellyachers. Have a cold beer (brand of your own choice, as long as it is cold), relax, and listen to the good Dr.Don. GO PUPS!!!! TWINS RULE!!!!!
Walter: John Gordon does not PLAY for the Twins, He just announces a darn good game, and with GladMan are fun to listen to. Please read my prescription, and relax. Thank you.
DrDon: If Gordo were to play for the Twins I’m guessing he’d be about as talented in the field as he is behind the mike. Worst ever.
Keep Delmon and the rest of the OF. you never know when Cuddy will get hurt again or when Gomez will go flying into the outfield wall and hurt himself.
Walter: Your opinion on JG means nothing. I’d rather have a warm Blatz (bad as it gets) than listen to you. Your have an opinion. If you think JG is the worst ever, do NOT listen to him. Listen to bongo drums on a music station instead. The DrDon has spoken. relax, Walter, have a cold one, kiss your significant other goodnight, and go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully a good one for you.
Delmon is a terrible outfilder. He is an OK hitter who does not have great vision at the plate. I am very hopeful that they get rid of him. It was a terrible trade when they acquired Young. I can’t believe there are people writing on this board who think he is worth keeping. Apparently your guide dogs don’t know baseball.
[…] dismissed this, but it now appears that the Twins are actively setting up shop and plopping Young in the center of their […]
Getting rid of Young now would be premature. I’m willing to give Young another year to tap into his unlimited potential. Getting rid of him now would be the definition of selling low. He is an aggressive free swinger (much like Hunter though a much better contact hitter). He will develop the power and I can see him being a 25-30 HR guy in another two years.
I don’t particularly appreciate Delmon’s
attitude, but GUYS, he only 23 and has
the possibility to be a stud. If you have 5 very good OF, you keep them and
eventually everything will play out.
I can’t believe why none of the talk is
about Aikins-all he does is hit 30+
HR’s each year, hit .300+, an above average glove, and a good clubhouse guy.
However, I imagine the Twins will do
nothing, and keep signing the Hernandez’s, Everett’s, and perenial end
of the career type to player. Smith needs to show some serious balls, and get us a player that “fits.”
sign Burrell
platoon buscher/harris/tolbert between 3B/SS
Trade Kubel for a +middle reliever
i’m not sure what it would take to sign Burrell, but just tag it onto the following savings:
$6.5 mill for Blake
$3.5 mill for Punto
that’s $10 million plus you could spend on the real deal power RH bat you need to protect Mourneau.
keep DY and he will develop power and that’s just gravy power you didnt count on at the beginning of the year.
Curt, if you think Atkins can put up the same numbers away from coors you are crazy. His avg last year at home was .342 and away was .233. He wouldn’t put up anywhere near the numbers you are talking about in your post at the dome or especially out new stadium outside. Sure he would be an update from what we have, but definitely not worth giving up what they want for him.
Also, I can’t believe the people that don’t see how great Delmon Young will be…let alone how good he already is at 23. He is in better shape now and his ankle is better. He is NOT a bad outfielder…he may not always look good out there, but he makes the plays, and he has a very good arm. He will do nothing but improve every year. I HATE the fact that Gardenhire plays his favorites, and would rather play Cuddyer, Mr. double play himself who swings at way more pitches out of the K zone than delmon does, over young. He’s a good coach but he needs to learn that coaching means that you sometimes have to motivate ALL your players, not just the ones that suck up to you.
Always a great article and solid info. I seem to be in the minority in that I like D. Young, however he has great upside & trading for an infielder with great upside would be a fair exchange
Crede for 3b, he will be eager to play 20 games against the WSox,cost should be reasonable.. spell him with Harris or even Cuddyer once in a while so he doesn’t break down. Cuddyer can be rotated in the outfield, 1b as well. He is a our in house version of Casey Blake and younger to boot. Although I wouldn’t have minded Blake, this is the next best scenario.
Agreed the twins need to make a big move to protect Morneau in the lineup and Crede is a start. Don’t think Tejeda is the answer and I hate the idea of paying $12 million for a shortshop like Furcal no matter how good he is. Do you think Jeter would be worth $12 million if he was outside of NY? Go out and see what it’ll take to get JJ Hardy ( no to Bill Hall) and give them 3 of our pitchers and a prospect or two. DY will be OK with another year under his belt and has more upside that Cuddy and much younger to boot. MC has to little to no trade value and we still need his right handed bat, too so why not keep him?
I for one like to see new additions to the Twins roster and if we can get two legitimate players this fan will drive the 400 miles to cheer on the Twins. If we could really land a legitimate star to our lineup, the turnstiles will be full and our pitchers will be able to relax and they and the bull pen don’t have to be perfect every time out.
Back to the Type “A” free agents: Who’s got the scoop on how high the Yankees will go to get Chad Allen locked up in their outfield?
Hey DrDon, there are times when I am traveling in my ‘77 Chevy Nova (enjoying a warm 3.2 Blatz) and I can’t pull in the other team’s broadcast on my AM radio, so I am stuck listening to Gordo until I get home. He’s terrible. Back to the topic, I say keep Delmon Young, he’s at least as good as Cuddy and way cheaper. And one more thing….Blatz isn’t all that bad!
If the Twins loose Young for a bag of beans then the Graza deal was sure a huge bust…wasn’t it?
Casey Blake signs with the Dodgers for 3 years. Way to go Pohlad. Take that last dollar to your grave, clown…
Blake signs with the Dodgers for 3 years. Way to go Pohlad. Take that last dollar to your grave, clown…
“Trade Delmon Young!?! Super! That means we gave away shortstop Jason Bartlett and pitcher Matt Garza for utlityman Brendon Harris and minor league prospect Jason Priddie.”
I have not read too many bloggers or columnists who don’t already believe the Twins got smoked on this deal. That does not mean the Twins should make it worse by giving Young away for low return.
Reason to trade Delmon:
- He still has some ‘top prospect’ value to many teams.
- If he has a 3rd straight lukewarm season (or worse) most of the ‘top prospect’ trade value he has left will likely be gone.
Reasons not to trade Delmon:
- He’s still young and could turn things around yet (http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/breakout-party-delmon-young/).
- He’s still cheap, so if you can’t find a good return there is no good reason to deal him now - may as well hope for the best in that case.
[…] dismissed this, but it now appears that the Twins are actively setting up shop and plopping Young in the center of their […]
It figures, why the hell would you wanna give blake a 3 year deal…no way has he got 3 good years left in him. Then you are stuck with him for 3 long years. I’m really glad we didn’t do that. 2 years is a risk that coulda been worth it, but 3, not at all!!
