Monday morning update
Posted on July 27th, 2009 – 11:36 AMBy La Velle
Flying back from the left coast this afternoon. Joe C. will be at the park today for the Twins-White Sox throwdown.
Speaking of throwing down, I wanted to throw down a few observations:
The Twins spent the weekend talking with Oakland about shortstop Orlando Cabrera. In fact, according to Susan Slusser of the Chronicle, some recruiting might have been going on during the series last week at Oakland. There seemed to be a lot of chatter going on between the teams, and coaches, during that series.
But if the Twins can’t land reliever Michael Wuertz in the deal, I don’t think it’s the best move for the Twins because Cabrera is not a No. 2 hitter.
And there’s this line under his contract terms in Cot’s Baseball Contracts:
——- club will not offer arbitration after 2009 season if Cabrera ranks as a Type A free agent ——-
Pittsburgh’s Freddy Sanchez is a better fit. And word is that not only is he willing to play for the Twins, he’s willing to stick around for awhile. And while he’ll make at least $8 million next year, it probably won’t cost that much to extend him a year or two.
Perhaps the Twins can pry a reliever from Pittsburgh. I’ve liked Matt Capps in the past but his SO/BB ratio has gone haywire this year. But I wonder if he’s more suited as a set up man than closer. There was a Matt Capps-for-Boof Bonser rumor during spring training. That, of course, won’t work now.
Sanchez is a much better fit. And second base is one spot where you can sacrifice some defense for a bat. And Sanchez is a bat with a decent glove.
By now, you’ve read my story about the Twins All-Stars pleading for GM Bill Smith to make a deal.
When three of the Twins’ key players step up like that, there’s little doubt that there’s some grumbling in the clubhouse about the Twins’ inactivity at the trade deadline. Here are a couple quotes I didn’t have room for in today’s ink edition:
Joe Nathan: “I think a lot of us think this is a special team we have here and have a chance to go out and do some good things. Getting to the postseason is what you wish for. After that, anything can happen. A lot of us feel like this is a time to go out and do some special things.”
Justin Morneau: “I don’t know if we are worried about this new stadium or having a good team in the new stadium. If that’s the case, tell us that. Don’t say, `We want to win,’ then don’t show it. Do we want to win the World Series or be the team that has a chance to be in the playoffs?”
O.K. the heat is really on the Twins’ rectangle of authority - Smith, assistant GM Rob Antony, player personnel chief Mike Radcliff and senior adviser Terry Ryan. But the trap is making a trade just to get the heat off that’s not really good for the team. Is Cabrera better than what the Twins have now? Many of you would argue that he’s an upgrade. I just don’t think he’s the right fit. Sanchez is better.
Let’s see how this week plays out…
152 Responses to "Monday morning update"
I like the idea of Sanchez because he is not for just this year. Capps or Grabow would be fine too. The Twins should have acquired Wuertz this off season just like the A’s did.
It’s time for the front office to make a move for next season as well as this year.
Nice bite on the Vikes’ TOA.
I agree that this team has a core of players that could be a special team. However, there are a couple of pieces that are missing and, without those pieces, it is not going to happen. FO needs to go out and get what is needed now if they have any hope of keeping this team together. Upper level success is not going to happen with the players now on roster and in the minors.
I also don’t think Cabrera is much of an upgrade. Plus he is (almost) 35 and will not be a long-term solution.
“O.K. the heat is really on the Twins’ rectangle of authority”
Rectum of what?
Nice article today LaVelle….Thanks for bringing the frustration to the forefront. Great contrast to the near sickening puff piece about Smith that also showed up (Hartman’s).
A deal with the Buccos sure would be interesting. There would have to be a middle infielder in some fashion coming back to the Bucs in that deal. They have just about zero depth at that spot throughout their organization. I just wonder who that could be.
Oh, and out of curiosity LaVelle, where did you happen to hear that word about Sanchez not only being willing to play for the Twins, but also that he would stick around?
SANCHEZ! SANCHEZ! SANCHEZ!
(…and Wuertz)
LaVelle, what do you think of Ubelman’s idea today at Stick & Ball Guy (http://stickandballguy.com/blog/2009/07/27/my-idea/)? he says,
“Every time someone complains to the media that they would like a player to be added to the team, they should also give the media the names of two or three players that they would like to be taken off the team. But if you’re not willing to say exactly which of your coworkers you don’t have any faith in, you should shut up about it and play ball.”
I’d be curious if Mauer, Morneau and Nathan said where they think the Twins need to address needs AND which of their current teammates they would like to see dropped.
I agree Sanchez is better for the #2 hole…. why not both? I know I’m dreaming, but stranger things have happened. Imagine this lineup:
Span - LF
Sanchez - 2B
Mauer - C
Morneau - 1B
Kubel - DH
Cuddyer - RF
Crede - 3B
Cabrera - SS
Gomez - CF
I’m drooling at the idea. Its probably a pipe dream, but a good one!
Sanchez and Capps… if this happens I will be utterly shocked. Love the sound of it, really want to see this go through, but honestly dont expect it to. Had heard awhile ago(possibly here, cant remember) that Sanchez could be had for Liriano and a prospect. Is this true? what are they waiting for
We don’t have the horses. There are 18 teams that have better records than us. Two months of a decent second baseman and another relief pitcher are not going to dramatically change this club to the tune of championship credentials. Time to look to 2010.
I understand the need at 2nd and for relief pitching - but this time isn’t going anywhere unless the starting pitcher doesn’t get its act together. Is there any chance of any starting pitchers being traded for in the next few days?
With Perkins, Liriano, Swarzak, Blackburn and Baker as the starting rotation, the Twins just can’t match up against the top teams.
A Cabrera, Sanchez and Wuertz for NOTHING trade won’t happen and couldn’t change that situation if it DID happen.
If Wuertz wasn’t from Minnesota, he wouldn’t even be mentioned. He’s a dime a dozen. We might as well go get Jack Hanahan and Robb Quinlan too because of all the homers in this state. Throw in the Hoffman kid from New Ulm too so we can be completely inbred, just like the front office.
Wuertz is the key to the deal, in my opinion. He’s been incredible. Best slider in baseball. That strikeout rate is impressive. There is your dominant 8th inning guy!
Let’s find five or six of our biggest dead beats (i.e. Casilla, Young, Tolbert, Huber, etc) and give them to the Bucs for Sanchez and Capps. We need a reliable #2 and some back up for a bullpen that is getting weaker by the week!
sane, I mostly agree, but a couple of those pitchers could “get hot*” and it would matter. Also, Sanchez fixes the 2B hole for more than 1 year (so even if they add starting pitching next offseason, they have 2B covered).
*get hot doesn’t likely exist. It’s really about luck, as my wife told me they were talking about on NPR the other day.
At least get Sanchez now. I would also go after Cabrera…however, if you can’t land cabrera during the season, try to get him in the off season. This guy was not signed until early march by oakland. Reality…Twins could have had him for cheap in feb/march. But NO..Punto “is our guy.” now we have to give up something for cabrera because…surprise surprise…Punto (still) sucks at the plate.
Look, I’ve been an advocate for the team leaders stepping up and getting vocal about the need for the FO to get them some help, so I’m personally glad that has happened.
But, that said, am I the only one who finds it odd that they spoke out that way exactly one day after the same team leaders held a clubhouse meeting in which they preached “team first”?
Once the decision is made with regard to who gets sent elsewhere (whether to another team, to AAA, or DFA’d), it probably won’t matter, but for the next few days, I would imagine that could be one chilly clubhouse.
“Best slider in baseball.”
Wow!
LaVelle, you seem to have left out two of the more inflammatory remarks (certainly Justin’s is). Why those two? No accusation here, just curious how you make the decision on which quotes make it, and which don’t.
“Wuertz is the key to the deal”
We couldn’t do any wuertz.
“We couldn’t do any wuertz.”
Heck, he’s got the best slider in baseball!
“Let’s find five or six of our biggest dead beats (i.e. Casilla, Young, Tolbert, Huber, etc) and give them to the Bucs for Sanchez and Capps. We need a reliable #2 and some back up for a bullpen that is getting weaker by the week!”
I’m not even sure where to start with a comment like this; First, NO ONE wants our spare parts. They have absolutely no trade value whatsoever. Second: a #2? how about a #1? That’s really what this team is missing, a Johan Santana-Roy Halliday-CC Sabathia-Josh Beckett-Jake Peavy type.
Oh wait…WE HAD THAT.
But in all seriousness, in my opinion, that’s our biggest weakness. Yes, we have a hole in the middle infield and at the #2 spot in the lineup. But the starting pitching has greatly disappointed this year.
“We couldn’t do any wuertz.”
HAHAHAHA!!!
“Heck, he’s got the best slider in baseball!”
As determined by a batters box exit poll.
It wuertz for me!
Great article La Velle!! I agree with you about Sanchez but in the end money is what motivates the Twins front office moves. Sanchez is due a 8 million option for next year and that is more money than they want to pay when they have Casilla. Cabrera is a much better player than he has been given credit for but the A’s asking price is up now because the idiot manager went out and said he wanted him.
My guess is the Twins do not do anything at the trade deadline. The front office is not going to listen to Morneau, Mauer, and Nathan when they did not listen to Johan Santana. I am crying as this is being typed but fear Joe Mauer will be gone after 2010. The Twins will never change how they do business until the Pohlad family sells the team.
Sure we need a 2B, but we actually need a starting pitcher more. Who’s available?
Shore up the starting pitching and our bullpen automatically gets better.
The Twins could have the best bratwuertz in baseball!
I’m not going to say that it doesn’t matter who gets added… of course it does.
But IMO what matters is that some pieces that improve the team do get added… and sooner rather than later.
There certainly appear to be more buyers than sellers right now and that means bidding for the available players is going to go up as we get closer to the 31st.
If the Twins wait to make a deal closer to the deadline, I think there’s a siginificant risk that they get shut out on all fronts. You don’t want to be the team left out when all the deals are done. (Although a true skeptic such as myself might argue that this is EXACTLY what the Twins want… the ability to once more say, “we tried, but couldn’t get a deal done.”)
The only player who’s return may drop below projected value at this point might be Halladay… and that’s just because I think Toronto has significantly overestimated what he would be likely to be worth to other teams.
Something needs to be done to show not only the players, but the fans that we are trying to win. Sanchez and Capps would be nice. Send them Casilla, Perkins/Liriano, Crain, LNP!!
Sanchez in the 2 spot realy sets the rest of the line up. Pushes Crede down to 7 where he fits best, or if something happens to him, it puts the Buscher/Harris combo there, where they fit best. Pushes Kubel/Cuddy to 5& 6, where they fit best. Punto hits 9th, where he belongs. Depending on the OF alignment or Mauer DH’ing, leaves Gomez/Young and Redmond in the 8th spot, where they belong.
Man, I just like the way that sets up the line up.
sane,
I’m not sure if that slider thing was hyperbole or a real opinion. Struck me as kinda funny.
No offense intended Seth. Even Mauer has a KO every so often.
sane, I’ve got a question maybe you can answer. I’ve heard Bert mention the “tight” rotation on curves/sliders/cutters etc. What the heck is he talkin bout? RPM’s?
JC: What hurts Halladay is that he’s got his NTC. So while the Jays may see some good trade partners, Halladay could just as easily go “Uh I don’t want to play there” and kibosh it like that.
I have to agree though with those that say “Why not Cabrera?” Yes, the goal is Sanchez, but why not get Cabrera if you can do so without giving up a piece that could be used for Sanchez?
Cabrera is still an upgrade over Punto/Harris/Casilla, and though he’s not a #2 hitter, he COULD be a hitter elsewhere in the order and leave the #2 spot for Mauer (we’ve already seen Gardy be willing to keep both Punto AND Casilla 8/9 in the order.
I say if Cabrera can be had, the Twins should go for it. The beauty is one is a SS and one is a 2B, so it’s not like getting one means the other can’t still come.
And I think if the Twins were in hte running for Halladay we’d have heard of it. I’m pretty sure ANY trade talks with the Jays begin with “Would he waive the NTC?”
Because why waste time/resources chasing a dead end?
“tight” rotation on curves/sliders/cutters etc”
Paul, if you were to watch a ball thrown in super-slow motion. A ‘tight’ curveball would ‘curve’ on a small axis. In other words, it would almost be like the eye of a hurricane.
The break will be much sharper if it is tight.
After 9 seasons of resurgent baseball in Minnesota it’s kind of ridiculous that this team hasn’t advanced any further than Game 5 of the ALCS (and even that was almost 7 years ago). We built them a new stadium that will make them stacks of cash for the next 30 years–now it’s time for the Twins front office to take things to the next level.
Who goes if Sanchez comes over? I like Sanchez better simply because he is more of a #2 hitter and would be for more than one year. How old is Sanchez?
Twins need to move, every day is a game wasted……….
What’s going on w/ Harris? He’s the odd man out right now. Regardless, Sanchez and its Punto @ SS. Orlando @ SS and Punto slides over to 2nd.
Harris back to his platoon role.
Anyone notice Buscher is starting to hit the ball……4-15 in three games with LAA.
Pull the trigger, if its going to happen.
What happens if the Twins alter philosophy, spend $100-120 million a year, sign some big-name free agents, and don’t make it to the World Series every year?
Two trades:
Liriano and Young for Sanchez and Capps.
Or go the other route and other both plus a prospect for Cliff Lee. Lee would make Perkins a bullpen pitcher when Slowey gets back and help the team in both ways.
Unless the Twins are willing to part with anyone in their minor league system not named Valencia,I don’t see how they make a trade for Sanchez and Capps.Trading crap won’t get it done.The Pirates might take a guy like Delmon or GoGo but only if Minnesota pretty much says take your pick,from the minors.
Cabrera IMO wouldn’t cost as much but also isn’t dynamic enough to be a two month rental.This isn’t going to excite the boys in the clubhouse either.Wuertz is becoming a valuable commodity and every team ahead of the Twins in the standings may be interested in him as well.
If the Twins really feel they need to make a trade they should do so with next year and beyond in mind as well.I think the big three (Mauer,Morneau, and Nathan) would give BS a pass if he got Sanchez and a bullpen arm,and had this coming off season to work on the other holes for 2010.Sanchez is the play.
“I’ve got a question maybe you can answer. I’ve heard Bert mention the “tight” rotation on curves/sliders/cutters etc. What the heck is he talkin bout? RPM’s?”
It means that the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand directly toward the plate without an immediate upward (followed by a later downward) trajectory.
If the ball pops upward out of the pitcher’s hand, it is a giveaway that the pitch is a breaking ball.
The pitcher wants his breaking ball to be “disguised” as a fastball until it breaks LATE.
That is called “tight” spin.
What about Washburn? Twins were interested before, why not now? Sounds like he is available.
It just seems to me that we shouldn’t trade the future for somebody like Sanchez, who is 3 for his last 36, especially when we have Grudz who will be ready in a week or two.
Cabrera would be a better pick-up. I guess Harris can start at 2nd.
“If the Twins really feel they need to make a trade they should do so with next year and beyond in mind as well”
Or wait for Free Agency, when they can spend money instead of inventory.
That’s true… coming into today’s games, Grudzielanek is hitting .333 this year!
In my opinion the Twins need to make three moves being RP, SP, and 2B. It is hard for them to make even one move so I am not going to hold my breath here. Washburn would be a great addition for this year and possibly years to come. A veteran presence in our starting staff would be welcome. Weurtz would definitely fill the bill for the 8th inning guy. Sanchez is the best fit for our batting order (#2 hitter) and the black hole that is 2nd base.
The thing that these three guys have in common is that they all want to play here this year and in the future. I am just hoping that Smith does something to improve this club after watching this team play the past week.
The MI needs to be some combination of Cabrera, Sanchez, Grudz (if he demonstrates he’s still the old Grudz) and Harris.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid the only way this happens is if Punto is included in any deal. I used to laugh when people talked about Gardy’s seemingly irrational attachment to playing Punto daily. It was kind of like the guy who is everyone’s favorite uncle because he tends to drink a little too much at family get-togethers.
But eventually, it’s just not funny any more… and it’s time for an intervention to get the guy to face his addiction and overcome it.
It’s time
MP,
The Twins gave Grudzielanek a place to dust off the cobwebs but no promises.Sanchez is younger,under and contract for next season.I would bet Grudz only appears in Minnesota if nothing gets done on the trade front.
As others have stated,whether its Cabrera or Sanchez,Gardenhire still has a spot for his boy Nicky.If it’s Cabrera,Harris has little chance of playing except once a week when Crede blows up.Gardenhire won’t play Harris at 2b.If Sanchez is the guy,the Manager has at least shown a tolerance for Harris at SS.Just my opinion.
Unfortunately the middle infield free agent class of 2010 is very light. I don’t see too many impact players on that list. Obviously the best 2nd baseman that will be a free agent is Hudson but I cannot imagine the Dodgers not resigning him after the year he is having.
Bob: I doubt the Indians would be willing to deal their ace within the Division.
JC: The time to intervene would’ve been when the Twins were going into the offseason and Punto was a free agent. And like I’ve said a few times, who’s worse…the junkie or the enabler?
Pro: I beg to differ about Cabrera not being a “spark” in the clubhouse. He’s got the personality, and last year had nothing but praise for the “Twins way”. Not to mention he’s a player they are all VERY familiar with from his years with the White Sox.
I don’t see why Cabrera wouldn’t be as much a message to the guys on the team as Sanchez, except for what the fans might think.
What the Twins don’t want is for them to stand pat or get something off the waiver wire. Or worse, dump payroll.
sane I agree some what.I am on record as saying I wouldn’t mind the Twins being sellers instead of Buyers.I’m not convinced Sanchez turns this team around.But do we really feel the Twins will be huge buyers in next years FA pool?
Sanchez is at least under contract for next year.It might placate the Big boys enough,and buy Smith time to re work the rest of the roster over the winter.
It will be interesting to see how BS reacts to all the clubhouse chatter about needing to show them something this year.
T
Except that Cabrera is a rental player.The Twins will never sign him for next year.I think the big three are looking at this year and beyond.Sanchez gives them hope for this year and next.
What do you guys think it would take to land Washburn? The Mariners reportedly asked the Yankees for Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Before that, it was rumored that the Twins might pull a Perkins for Washburn, with us taking on his salary. That doesnt seem equal to Cabrera and Gardner… How about Young and Humber/Plouffe? That really wouldnt subtract much from our current team, or pieces for a Sanchez and Grabow trade.
Interesting point Pro. However, if I think Cabrera gives them a chance to win now just as much as Sanchez…and I think the Twins are also looking for a bit of that from the FO too. You know, strike while things are working.
Either Cabrera or Sanchez would be an improvement NOW. And would hopefully help the Twins get back on track and draw some attention that could help draw Free Agents.
Also, Cabrera now doesn’t mean they can’t pick up Sanchez going into 2010 (when he only has a year left and is thus less valuable in trade)
And since apparently Sanchez is on record as considering an extension if the Twins picked him up, they’d have that bargaining chip as well.
Trading for a 2B and SS would be fine, but the entire season has been made or not on the pitching! Are there any golden arms in the minors, if not we need a pitcher or two. Left handed would be a bonus. Lets go get em!
With the Slowey injury and his status up in the air (possibly for the rest of the year) the Twins cannot afford to trade a starter unless they get a starter back. Maybe if Perkins pitches well tonight the Mariners might rethink that trade especially if we can sign Washburn to an extension. He wants to play for the Twins so I would hope that they could get that done. That still leaves the problem at 2nd and relief help. Maybe Sid was right.. Smith is working hard……… hopefully he gets something done that improves his legacy somewhat..
will someone please break punto knees so we dont have to put up with gardy’s love fest for that moron
Any sane GM would be in firesale mode with this team. You don’t go to the playoffs with a garbage rotation and a half dozen .200 hitters on the roster.
If they were smart, which I’ve seen ZERO evidence of, I would get whatever remaining value you could out of ANY of our starting pitching and try to move Young, Casilla, and Redmond.
They can build around a core group of Mauer, Kubel, Morneau, Cuddyer and Span. They are already committed to Punto and he’s probably immovable anyway so put him in the mix. I think Sanchez would be a great place to start. He would lock in the first 6 spots in the everyday lineup.
Pitching-wise I would move Liriano to the bullpen next season. Along with Nathan, Mijares, and maybe Guerrier you are only about 1 solid arm away from being quite good. I’d keep Keppel and Dickie as back end filler guys.
The starting pitching is a absolute mess. Perkins is almost worthless at this point. I would hope Baker comes back as a decent #2 guy next year and keep either Blackburn or Slowey. They definitely need a #1 pitcher. How they find that I have no idea but I would put any of their top prospects on the block to get it done. I wouldn’t be too upset with keeping Swarzak in the rotation as a #5. He’s earned that I think.
Crain, Buscher, Redmond, Casilla, Young, Tolbert, and Duensing can all be released, traded, or sent to the minors.
I’d try to keep Crede if the price is right and use Harris as his backup.
They have no shot this season. You can’t fix that many holes mid-year. They should work for next year.
sane and Seth,
Thank you both for your thoughts on a “tight” rotation. From what you guys say, and what a little googling confirmed, it seems to be a ball that breaks on the arc of a small radius. From a physics point of view this means, to me, high RPM’s.
Oh oh, people on the Twins speaking up and being vocal and maybe even irritated? Twins better trade these players. Those guys aren’t good clubhouse guys.
T
Believe me,if I thought Smith had it in him (and the bullets to pullit off) I’d be all for Cabrera AND Sanchez.I just think It’s one or the other.Sanchez won’t be available after the deadline,he will be moved.
And as per my previous post,If something gets done,It probably will be Carera because it will cost less.
But If I’m Bill Smith and I’m trying to appease the Big Three as well as improve the team,I go after Freddie for the reasons I stated earlier.
Sad thing is that Harris is not performing very well as of late, either. Doesn’t it always seem when Punto goes on the DL, Harris’s game seems to improve? Last year it was evident when the Twins won 17 of 18 when Harris started at SS when Punto was on the DL, and this year Harris was solid when Punto was on the DL. Now that Harris is part-time, he’s been below average. I think it would be irritating to be a role-player when you clearly know you are the better player, and coming to the park every day never knowing if you’re gonna start or not start.
If you can get Sanchez and Snell from Pittsburg than trading a starter (Liriano) would not be a big deal.
“They have no shot this season. You can’t fix that many holes mid-year. They should work for next year.”
this seems to presume other teams have no holes …
They can build around a core group of Mauer, Kubel, Morneau, Cuddyer and Span
Good luck convincing Mauer to stay once you’ve had your “fire sale” (which really isn’t since you’re not dumping any salaries or many players of actual “worth”
will someone please break punto knees so we dont have to put up with gardy’s love fest for that moron
Will somebody please break this guys fingers s owe don’t have to put up with his hate fest for that moron?
—–
To Pro: I’m guessing what it would take to get Cabrera wouldn’t involve anything it would take to get Sanchez. It’s entirely possible the Twins go after both, and if they succeed then awesome but if they don’t they’ll at least get one (and since Cabrera would be a rental that’d be the easier deal to work)
Also, I seem to recall people getting VERY anxious this year waiting for Crede to sign. To the point where people were thinking “Pay whatever…” going as high as 8 mil in some cases.
Then it came out that he got him for a mil with incentives up to 8, instead of the 5-7 with incentives up to 11 that he had originally been asking.
So while Smith hasn’t done anything yet, his handling of the Crede signing gives me the impression that he’s certainly looking for the right deal. It’s entirely possible that he’s got something and he’s trying to push the price down like he did with Crede (who at least one person was convinced would be a Giant if I recall)
Sanchez went 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in Arizona and remains hitless in his last 20 at-bats.
Spin: Sanchez, who also has just three hits in his last 36 at-bats . Ya he should fit right in.
I agree 100%. Include LNP in any deal!!
Jeff in So Cal says:
July 27th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
In my opinion the Twins need to make three moves being RP, SP, and 2B. It is hard for them to make even one move so I am not going to hold my breath here. Washburn would be a great addition for this year and possibly years to come. A veteran presence in our starting staff would be welcome. Weurtz would definitely fill the bill for the 8th inning guy. Sanchez is the best fit for our batting order (#2 hitter) and the black hole that is 2nd base.
The thing that these three guys have in common is that they all want to play here this year and in the future.
I’m all for Sanchez but, how about Scutaro?
Sherels from Baltimore to set up Nathan?
Eric Bedard - Starter?
Randy Wolf - Starter?
Sanchez yes…. Washburn yes… Wuertz - maybe. Willing to give up Young, Liriano, possibly Gomez in the process
Sanchez will not play here! It makes to much sense!!!
Cabrera: NO
The Twins absolutely need to get some help. I can live with Punto at SS if the Twins can get Sanchez from the Pirates to play 2B and hit #2. The Twins also need some bullpen help and I would go after Bell first but he is probably too expensive. Wuertz second, Capps third and Sherrill is my last choice. Then as a bonus I go back to the Pirates and trade for Snell as insurance for our starters. He wants out of Pirate land and he is a strike out pitcher with some control issues. Give Anderson a shot to “fix” him. The Twins can also fix their OF problem by trading either Young or Gomez in one of these trades. Gardy’s attempt to play the hot hand in the OF is like trying to time the market, it can NOT be done successfully. Admit that we have too many outfielders and move one and let’s get some stability in the line-up.
I start typing and for no reason the text shades and then disappears. Does this happen to anyone else? Is there a fix for it? Very frustrating.
“Give Anderson a shot to “fix” him”
What makes you think Anderson can “fix” him?
Twins management is always claiming that they WANT to get some players, but that there is no one available who can help them.
Now that are quality players available they need to show they are serious. The fans and the team’s top players are losing faith.
I don’t buy the notion that the Twins need to be sellers because there are too many holes to fill for this year. Start fixing it now for next year.
So…. Perkins dropped from rotation after he blows the game tonight?
No…….on DL as something will hurt.
If they get Capp, does this constitute part of Obama’s Cap & Trade? No pun intended on both words!
Sombody is throwing around Ian Snell on here? Yuck.
In order to have a ‘fire sale’ you have to have a willing buyer… good luck.
I love the idea of trading for Sanchez, he would make our lineup virtually unstoppable, and would make it less nauseating to watch Punto swing the bat. I wouldnt lose a minute of sleep if we sent Delmon packing in whatever sort of deal it would take to get Sanchez. Smith should heed the warnings of the M & M boys: Show us you want to get better, or we will not be open to playing out our careers here in MN.”
tlk - I think Bedard would be too expensive since they gave up a ton to get him from Baltimore. I think Washburn would be cost less prospects and be solid for the rotation.
Perkin’s arm is shot! I think his fastball touches 88 mph; there has to be something wrong with his arm, shoulder, elbow, etc..We don’t need another Livan Hernandez 87 mph thrower! “Livan, Livan likes his money……!”=Elton John
Crain throws hard, but his fastball is straight as an arrow=good for hitters timing his fastball right down the middle! They will hit it like “Rocketman……”=Elton John
If the Twins don’t start a solid winning streak soon then there chances will be like a “Candle in the Wind….”=Elton John
Oooh boy!!!!!!! O.K. I’m done!
Sanchez is the play. Cabrera is not. The Pirates have traded other pieces very recently for mid-level prospects - Adam LaRoche, case in point. Boston did not give up anything fantastic or note worthy for his services. LaRoche isn’t the player Sanchez is, but he “could” have similar value if he played up to his potential.
We need to package Young (Pirates always seem to seek OF prospects, and will need to retool in those positions - the Twins need to sell the Pirates that Delmon has major potential yet) Harris, because they’ll need to replace Sanchez at 2nd, and entice them with one of our young arms. At this point, I don’t care who it is. None of them have everyday value (which is what we need right now, they do not) - but they can be sold on potential.
If Sanchez would also agree to a 2 year extension (typical Twin’s contract) this is a no brainer.
Next move is to solidy a bullpen arm and veteran starter. Lets go!
At the Bucs website the only guy they are high on is Garrett Jones. Do we want guys the Pirates fans don’t think are all that great? I do not want to give up on Liriano yet.
How about Mauer for Hanley Ramirez? Morales would be better than Punto or Casilla in the lineup. Just kidding, I don’t think the Marlins would go for it.
In case it hasn’t been said regarding Sanchez, I would assume we are dangling Delmon Young to Pittsburgh as part of the deal, right? If not, we should be . . . maybe we give up Aaron Hicks because I’m sure they are asking for him or Ben Revere. I think Revere should not be traded. We need to get Sanchez, there’s no doubt about that.
BS2 says there are 18 teams with better records than the twins - NOT, ONLY DETROIT AND CHISOX
The Pirates already have more outfielders than they will ever use. If the deal is with Pitt, look for it to involve pitching and infielders.
How about Liriano, Young, a minor league prospect and Casilla for Snell, Sanchez and a current roster middle-reliever?! That would be a very good trade. Young is, no pun intended, still young (the dreaded power potential=could you imagine if he turned out to be a “Big Pappy”?!) and could turn the corner. Liriano may come back to haunt the Twins though (two years removed from Tommy John surgery). All three (plus the prospect) are very young and the Pirates want to rid themselves of salary. The Twins would add about 10-12 million, not refecting games already played or prorated. It would be a win/win for both teams! That would almost be against everthing they stand for, being they’re tightwads!
In order to have a ‘fire sale’ you have to have a willing buyer…
The Twins would have a willing buyer if they actually DID have a fire sale and started dealing guys like Morneau, Mauer, Nathan, Cuddyer, etc.
You typically don’t give away young talent as part of such an event, as the whole goal of said sale is to clean out and restart.
Ironically Dawgzilla you’re right about the “Big Poppy” statement. Remember, like Young, Ortiz never listened to our hitting instructor which is why we let him go in the first place. Many “insiders” said he had a poor attitude like Young. It wasn;t until he got to Boston until he “matured” and listened to instruction. Same could be said for Young
Wow. Talk about an awkward moment…
Just read the “Mending From Within…” article. From the player quotes I think it is easy to see that there is player to player friction on the team.
A possible cancer that needs to be removed? Or guys just justifiably upset by recent performance?
Why would anyone want Snell - he is 2-8 with an ERA of 5.36
Let’s face it. Sanchez is only a better fit because he hits worse than Cabrera. Sad but true. The model we should follow is the Rays. Build from within. Keep your prospects. Develop them. And then win a pennant and take a shot at the whole thing.
T,
Did you read the Foxsports article bout the Rays interested in getting Haliday? Haliday told Rays players he would waive his NTC to play with them. God I’d luv to see him in the east with the Rays. What a dog fight in that div that would be.
It’s all well and goo for the Twins core players to plead for help (and I applaud them for it) but the fact is it won’t matter one bit what Player(s) would be added via a trade UNLESS the starting rotation steps it up a couple of notches.
If Pittsburgh doesn’t send any money…
The deal I’d propose would be something like this
DeVries
Winfree
Casilla
PTBNL- would be dependent on what he bats and how many AB’s he has the rest of the season and whether his option would vest
This is the same GM that traded Jason Bartlett and the fire-throwing Matt Garza. This is terrible. We need more high-velocity guys in the staff, not fewer. Having 5 control pitchers as starters just keeps the other team in rhythm all the time. No, wait, let’s give up three prospects for Garrett Jones. Yeah, it was a great idea letting him go. Stupid.
T, that whole Mets fiasco is just getting stranger by the minute. Now Minaya is accusing the writer who broke the “fight” story of lobbying for a job in player development with the Mets… leading to another shouting match today.
Talk about your organization in chaos.
FYI boys and Girls - Capps has an ERA of over 6 and recently gave up 5 ER in 1/3 of an inning and has given up 8 earned runs in 6+ innings of work this month. Additionally his WHIP is high for a closer (1.73)! Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see him in a Twins uni. Just keep your expectations in check. We are not getting the second coming of Mariano Rivera!
Mauer Power,
Sanchez is a better fit because he hits worse than cabrera?? how do you figure that? they are very similar in everything, in fact sanchez is better in batting average and HR’s right now..and you think giving up garrett jones was stupid? where would he play for the twins?
John, the point you make is valid. I do worry about making a trade with NL teams. While a change of leagues can be good or bad for any given player, I don’t think there’s a lot of doubt that the AL is generally a stronger league. Players that go from AL to NL tend to do better. Players that go from NL to AL… not so much.
Imagine this:
Batting order (BA/HR/RBI)
1. Jason Bartlett, SS
2. Denard Span, LF
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Torii Hunter, CF
6. Cristian Guzman, 2B
7. Jason Kubel, DH
8. Michael Cuddyer, RF
9. Casey Blake, 3B
Bench Players
Garrett Jones, OF
Mike Redmond, C
Nick Punto, utility
Brian Buscher, 3B/1B/C
Starting Pitchers
Nick Blackburn
Kevin Slowey
Matt Garza
Eric Milton
Kyle Lohse
Relief Pitchers
Joe Nathan
Denys Reyes
Matt Guerrier
Jose Mijares
Bobby Keppel
R.A. Dickey
LaTroy Hawkins
Farm system
Carlos Gomez
Alexi Casilla
Anthony Swarzak
Jose Morales
Matt Tolbert
Glen Perkins
Scott Baker
Sean Henn
Fransciso Liriano
That’s the team we would have if management didn’t say goodbye to every strong personality on the club. That’s the team we would have if we held on to our talent.
NOTE: While we had to trade Eric Milton to get Nick Punto, we could have picked up Nick in some other deal later on.
Garrett Jones is hitting .345 with 10 HR and 15 RBI. That compares favorably to our outfielders.
mauer power,
if you want to make teams if general managers didn’t deal anyone away, you could make an all star team for every team in the league..you’re not making much sense with your arguments here
Trade all three of the crybabies.
Mauer will be gone after 2010 anyway, and Nathan is getting long in the tooth.
Morneau could bring back a nice return, and upgrade this club significantly.
Deal all three.
Time to move forward.
How about Alexi Casilla, Jesse Crain & Delmon Young for Matt Capps & Freddie Sanchez?
“I think a lot of us think this is a special team we have here”
I agree with this. Only I have a different definition of special.
Okay, so I’m a contributor to the Pirates blog (http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/) and lifelong Pirates fan. Also have a soft spot for the Twins, to be completely honest, but I digress. I just surfed in to see what you guys were saying about possibly acquiring Freddy Sanchez, and thought I’d add my thoughts.
–Freddy Sanchez has three times been an All Star, twice been a runner up for the Gold Glove, won an NL batting title (same year as Mauer’s first one) and hit over .300 consistently whether at third or second base. (He was, however, injured last year.) He’s a great community guy, hits a ton of doubles, and you will love him immediately.
–Garrett Jones has set a team record for fastest to 10 homers (74 at bats). This team has been around for 120 years, give or take, and had homerun hitters like Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell, and Barry Bonds (well, okay, he was a spindly outfielder with speed for us before his “transformation” but still) and setting a team record for homers is pretty impressive. Obviously he’s not going to be the next Pujols, but Garrett Jones has been spectacular for us. (.345 BA/10HR in July)
–Matt Capps is a typical closer. Not a great one, but a typical one. Throws strikes, gets crushed in non-save situations (its uncanny, actually) and makes it interesting. But he’s a good pitcher.
–WE DO NOT WANT ANY OUTFIELDERS! I can’t stress this enough. We have Andrew McCutchen (22 y.o. blue chip) in center, with Garrett Jones, Brandon Moss (obtained in Jason Bay trade, inconsistent but potential is there — like Delmon Young, but he’s performed somewhat better), Delwyn Young (hitting over .320, can’t field at all) all up in the majors. We have the following blue chip OFs in the minors under the age of 25 and highly rated: Lastings Milledge (AAA), Gorkys Hernandez (AA) and Jose Tabata (AA, but killing the ball and moving up any day). All hitting around .300 in the minors, and getting ready to be promoted. Lower minors include Starling Marte, Wesley Freeman, Robby Grossman and Evan Chambers as OFs we’re high on.
–Ian Snell has a world of talent. He’s also a very fragile emotional player and he does not take criticism well. He’s been worthless since signing a big contract. He pitched aggressively and well early in his career, and timidly and poorly recently. Positively refused to throw inside this season, even when it was new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan’s primary directive to the entire staff all year long.
What we want:
–Live arms. Our GM is obsessed with them. Liriano, obviously, fits this bill.
–Middle infielders. We have very few capable middle infielders at ANY level of the organization. But particularly guys that are close. We’d probably take Casilla in a deal, and we’d definitely take your AAA SS whose name escapes me at the moment.
–Financial relief. Self-explanatory. Its why you could get Freddy Sanchez at all, when he should be plugged into our #2 hole for the next five to seven years.
I’m really tired of having expectations of our front office and their ability to strike a deal. Why do we have to wait until the deadline to make something happen?? Other teams have pulled trades off during the past month or so. We’ve known for at least a couple of months that the bullpen needs help and that the middle infield needs help. Why wait ’til now when teams know we’re desperate?? BS sucks!
Ya, definately Sanchez is the perfect fit for the Twins who are in need of more hitting, a good second baseman, and experienced ball player, and a number two in the lineup guy. There are a multitude of reason the Twins should obtain Sanchez. The additon would help the entire lineup. But you know what, the excuses will come out from the front office as to why they weren’t able to get the guy. The fact is, the Twins organization doesn’t want to put out the money to make the team better. In Sanchez’s case, there really are no excuses they can use. Either you greatly help the team by acquiring him or you don’t. Billy Smith’s record of trades and acquisitions is not good. My guess is he will continue to try to b.s. the fans for the front office and try to keep salaries down by not winning the division or pennant.
Does Eric Milton even play anymore?
I disagree that the players are cry babies for speaking up and applaud them caring about the direction of the team and taking on some leadership. This team does need to be deeper and needs some changes which have been mentioned on here in depth.
Mauer and Morneau will not sign future contacts with the Twins if the organization does not display a serious determination to win the pennant. You can’t blame them. They will show no more loyalty to the Twins than the Twins have to them. They will both take the big money and long term contracts from New York, Boston, or Los Angeles. The Twins will be bottom dwellers and eventually move out of state and adopt a new name for the franchise—all because the Twins front office was too cheap to complete.
I think it is too bad that Billy Smith always tries to appease the fans by making excuses about why the Twins did not obtain players when they could have. Look at the opportunities they passed up for Santana–and don’t tell me that the reason was not to save money because everyone knows it was. Sanchez would like to play second base for the Twins. The Twins organization should give him a good long term contact in order to continue to complete. The players and the fans will soon be fed up with the Twins front office tactics of appeasement in order to skim by on the cheap with a “NOT QUITE GOOD ENOUGH TEAM.”
Fire Bill Smith. It’s time. He’s gotta go.
Just like Doug Risebrough from the Wild, he is happy contending for/winning division titles. He never wants to win American Leagues or World Series. Mediocrity rules his world. He’s gotta go.
The time is now for the Twins to make a move on Sanchez. We only have so many years left with Morneau and Mauer being on the team. They will stay longer if the Twins prove they want to win now. Plus, with a new stadium, they should be able to spend a little more.
Cabrera is worse than Casilla if you also look at how many errors he has. Get Sanchez and we are a way better team.
how about delmon and casilla for sanchez and a reliever?
As far as the players needing to say who they would like to be off the team when speaking out about wanting help. I’d say that consistent poor play usually speaks for itself.
IMO, I would like to see the team get more proactive in the offseason so it does’nt come down to the trade deadline every year. By that I don’t mean big name free agents necessarilly, but looking harder at adding ESTABLISHED veterans that fill needs through trades, and by that I don’t mean second hand junk or somebody else’s utility guys that we again try to turn into starters.
I think we should get Sanchez for sure but no way should we get Capps he has been waaay to up and down this yr. I play fantsay baseball on espn and i thought about getting capps when i didnt i was glad bc he just gave up 7 runs in 1/3 of an inning last week our bullpen alrdy does that and capps at 25 has alrdy appeared in over 250 games so we need help at 2B Sanchez for sure but a different pitcher not capps
O.K. the heat is really on the Twins’ rectangle of authority - Smith, assistant GM Rob Antony, player personnel chief Mike Radcliff and senior adviser Terry Ryan. But the trap is making a trade just to get the heat off that’s not really good for the team. Is Cabrera better than what the Twins have now? Many of you would argue that he’s an upgrade. I just don’t think he’s the right fit. Sanchez is better.
Let’s see how this week plays out…
Lavelle is spot on about just making a trade for trades sake. If it’s not Sanchez then say NO to Cabrera unless you plan on keeping Mauer in the two hole but having Sanchez makes the lineup deeper and better obviously. They also need a RP, if it’s in the same deal as Sanchez then fine but i doubt they could get Wuertz without taking Cabrera.
The Twins management is not going to change. With the new ball park and the added revenues they can pocket the money and just put a .500 club on the field. It will be sold out for a few years because of the novelty of the new stadium. It happened in Phoenix, it will happen in the twin cities. Mark my words……
BayAreaBuccaneer,
Since you say the Pirates need middle infielders, I suggest they keep Freddy.
Freddy can’t field his position up to Gardy’s standards. He’s a bad fit for the Twins, but appears to be a perfect fit for the Pirates.
Regardless of what roster changes a team makes in the offseason, I think there will always be pressure at this time of year to improve your team. Look at the Phillies.
Building a roster is as much art as science, I think. You try to build the best team you can in the offseason, without using up every dollar of your allowable payroll. Then, assuming your attendance levels are meeting projections, you have some room to add salary in July.
I just haven’t seen much evidence that current Twins FO staff have perfected this art.
To the Pirates Fan…
Thanks for the info. In that case, I would be more than willing to send Casilla, Liriano, and one of either Macri, Plouffe or Tolleson ( I’m not sure which AAA infielder you are referring to but I’m guessing its one of those) For Capps and Sanchez… We move Dickey back to the rotation and input Capps into the 8th inning guy with guerrier. Move Morales to 6th/7th inning stuff with Crain and Keppel.
“What happens if the Twins alter philosophy, spend $100-120 million a year, sign some big-name free agents, and don’t make it to the World Series every year?”
Then the Twins would be the Mets.
You’re right JimC. What I meant to say but did’nt get across very well is that if the team did a good job in the offseason for once, they may be just looking for a bench player or specialty reliever instead of always needing to add bigger pieces this time of year.
The first thing the Twins need is a starting rotation that isn’t a disaster waiting to happen. Without that, any other missing pieces will be meaningless.
Garza? He was a head case while here. Didn’t want to be here. Wouldn’t have worked out. Bartlett? How soon people forget how they howled about the many errors he committed his final season here.
As i recall most were in favor of the Garza/Bartlett for Young/Harris trade when it came down. How soon you forget.
As I recall most were in favor of the Bartlett/Garza for
The Bartlett/Garza trade seemed like a good idea at the time, but the results obviously speak for themselves.
Who is this “Bunting Twins” character? His comments are nonsensical.
There is NO WAY we trade Frankie… Especially now that Slowey is out for the season! H e has WAY too much potential to trade him now, especially with his value currently being so low. We offer them Casilla, Tolbert/Plouffe/Tolleson, Duensing/Humber/Fox/Manship/Bromberg, and a guy like Nick Romero. None are stars, but have potential to be solid ML players. If they say no, move on to Cabrera. We cant afford to trade any candidates for the starting rotation!
Only a trade for Sanchez would show me the Twins are serious. And I am sure the 3 superstars would agree.
Punto at his finest
The Garza deal was a bad move… but it is what we were all clamoring for at the time… a young talented hitter.
So while it is ok for us to pan the deal, we all wanted that type of move. We are asking for the same thing right now. If we deal Revere or McCardell or Parmalee… there is a chance they will be all stars and we will regret the deal.
The problem with all of this is, of course, if you do get Sanchez, Punto still plays every day. If you bring up Grudz and get Cabrera or Scutero, he doesn’t. I think the Twins will always be a better team with Punto on the bench, and this recent road trip demonstrates that. If you can ensure that Harris is your SS, then make the Sanchez trade, Otherwise, it won’t do any good. That’s a fact.
Brandon, instead of Manship, how about the guy on the mount tonight? Then, go make a play for Cliff Lee (rumored that a package similar to the one you suggested will get him0 or Washburn to front the rotation, assuming Washburn’s leg doesn’t fall off before then.
The Indians WILL NOT trade Lee within the division. And I HIGHLY doubt it would take anything close to that much to get Washburn. If our front office is going to be smart and go after a solution for each of our holes, then we should go after Cabrera and Wuertz with a package of Delmon Young, Matt Tolbert, and Jeff Manship/Kevin Mulvey. Then offer Alexi Casilla, Brian Duensing, and a low level prospect like Nick Romero for Washburn. That solves 3 problems with just 2 deals. And like it or not, Cabrera IS AN IMPROVEMENT in the 2 spot of the lineup! He is a firey veteran that could spark this team with his swagger. Oh, and dont say that the players wont be convinced the FO is going for it by getting Cabrera, because the M&Ms were telling him they were going after him when on base. And I highly doubt they would bring it up to him if they werent for the move…
Those deals seem very fair to me. I cant say I know what the other teams would be looking for because Im not sure what they have within, but I used some knowledge. Like the As really dont have any notables in their OF since Holliday is gone. And like it or not, Young still has STAR potential. He just really needs work on his mechanics and his philosophy. And the Mariners traded Betancourt, and Im not gunna lie, I have no idea who replaced him? SS is Casillas natural position, and could probably use the change of scenery, same probably goes for Delmon, considering neither are getting much backing from their manager. So how do those deals sound? And I think there is a CHANCE, that after the Slowey news, we do in fact make a move for a SP as well as a MI…
Sanchez makes a million times more sense because, as La Velle stated, it makes the Twins better this and next year. Plus Brendan Harris isn’t that much different than Orland Cabrera. Also, I don’t think Punto will play every day if we get Sanchez. Brendan Harris is clearly the better player. I hope Gardy sees that now.
I thought the twins were waiting on a deal to be completed in toronto with halliday then they were going to work a deal for there starting ss who would be a great 2nd hitter and defensive specialist
Sanchez would be a solid pick up even if harris had to play second base, what most ppl seem to forget is that he is above average at 3 positions. And he has solid experience at 2nd, ss and 3rd. So to say that getting Sanchez would keep punto in the lineup is not true. Sanchez could be at ss with harris at 2nd, or Grudz at 2nd.
the twins might be waiting to see if Sanchez has an injured knee or not - probably want to see him play in a game or two before friday’s deadline as, according the the pitt post gaztte:
“Freddy Sanchez, scratched from the initial lineup, sat out last night’s game just two nights after missing one in Arizona. His left knee remains “sore and tender,” he said. “It’s been sore the last couple of days. So we’re going to give it a day and night, lots of treatment and things like that.”
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09209/986854-63.stm#ixzz0MZ0×0ARA
No malachy…that’s just Smith throwing out more spin (this time masking it as Pittsburgh media coverage)
Don’t believe a word of it.
If we trade Delmon Young to the Pirates, they can platoon Delwyn Young and Delmon Young
The reason for Sanchez being on the trading block is the $8 million dollar option for next year. If you expand the deal to include Capps or Grabow, value needs to go to the Bucs. As much as they seem to be hording pitchers and OF’ers, I don’t see them taking Liriano or Young. Both are too close to arbitration years.
The LaRoche deal was because he’s a FA at the end of the season, wasn’t going to be offered a new deal, and was hovering at the category B/C level FA, the Bucs would get squat and is exactly what they got.
They should be looking for a MI, but seeing how they’ve made something like eight trades since before the 2008 trading deadline and only got the no-hit, AA guy back. Nothing that Huntington (Littlefield, Jr.) takes in return will surprise me.
Brandon, I disagree. I see Liriano as already hitting his highest point and is now on a downward spriral. He still has plenty of trade value as the right manager might see him and his “potential” The pirates aren’t going to let Freddy and Capps go for 3 minor leaguers. They are going to need a MLB ready pitcher. And at this point, Frankie is the only one I don’t trust. Baker had a rough start to the season but his last 5-6 starts have been fair to decent. Blackburn has been great all year minus this latest debacle in Anaheim (which I witnessed first hand) Perkins looked very good last night and if he could stop faking injuries, would be fine. Swarzak, rookie pitcher of the year? maybe!! At this point I would rather have Dickey in the rotation over Frankie and there is no way he would want to move to the bullpen and would cause a mess in the clubhouse if he did. He would ask for a trade, and if we traded him now instead of waiting to be forced to trade him, we will get more for him.
Just my 2 cents.
A fair question on all of this I think is why not hold off on the trade deadline and wait for free agency this off-season. Even if they’re to ink Mauer, they’ll still have some cash to spend.
For instance, guys like Rafael Soriano, Miguel Tejada, LaRouche, Vlad Guerrerro, Carlos Delgado, Chad Cordero, Austin Kearns, Adrian Beltre, Eric Bedard and Rich Harden will be available as f/a’s.
Tejada will be 36 next season. Thus, while the contract may call for 8 figures a year, the Twins would probably be able to sign him on a 2yr deal.
Players like Chad Cordero and Xavier Nady could probably be had for little to nothing coming off the season injuries at that point. While that extreme may not hold on Vlad’s next contract, he’s all but certain to get only a 2yr offer now and may struggle securing $10M per. Same deal for Carlos Delgado who will turn 38 next season-he’ll get less than Vlad for sure.
Billy Wagner, likewise, is an old guy, but he could probably be had on the cheap to compliment Mijares on a 1yr deal w/ 2nd yr club opt deal.
Rafael Soriano hasn’t resigned w/ the Braves, and though he could approach $7M a year or more as a f/a, he’d come as the ultimate set up man for the Twins on a 4yr deal.
They couldn’t afford to sign all of these players, but they should have the $ to bring in an aged veteran like Guerrerro or Delgado and perhaps even Nady or Kearns while securing a borderline ace presence among their pick from the Bedards and Harden, this while having enough left over to sign a decent reliever or two, though that player certainly wouldn’t be Soriano if they made all of the above signings.
I just don’t like these names they’re looking at.
Shuckler, I agree. Maybe its time for Frankie to go. I’m convinced now that he will never be the pitcher he was before Tommy John, its been over two years now. The Twins should part ways with him now while he still has value. Liriano, Mulvey, Casilla, and Tolbert / Punto should be enough to get Freddy Sanchez and Caps from the Pirates. With the emergence of Swarzak we will tread water this season until Slowey returns. I think the only option to fill the rotation out until 2010 will be Dickey. Unless we can acquire Washburn somehow.
