This time I didn’t say it, but I stumbled upon an article written by Joel Sherman in Sunday’s New York Post. The article was about the New York Yankees monitoring the trade market on Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia. It’s widely regarded that the Yanks could be a favorite to land C.C. especially after the recent loss of their staff ace Chien Ming Wang. Many belive the Yanks won’t budge at the Indians request of the young Yankee pitchers after the Bronx Bombers refused to part with their young arms for Johan Santana this offseason. I don’t care who he goes to as long as he is out of the division.
Now onto the crazy part. In the same article Sherman mentions the Milwaukee Brewers Prince Fielder as a surprise name that could emerge on the market by the July 31st trade deadline. Sherman suggests the Yankees and Mets as big players if Fielder is on the block, but also suggests the Dodgers, TWINS, and Royals as teams that could also have interest.
I’m not sure what’s more weird, the fact that Sherman included the Twins or the Royals. Now there is no denying we’d love to have a bat like Fielder after Morneau (even more than Adrian Beltre!) in our lineup, but I was shocked to see the Twins mentioned. I don’t know if Sherman heard something or simply thought of teams that could use some offense. First of all, Fielder would have to be the DH as Justin Morneau would win the award as the more superior defensive first baseman, but I would guess the Brewers trade demands would be quite steep.
Again, who knows how big of a rumor this is, and Fielder will most likely still be with the Brewers at the end of the season… but this one is really fun to dream about!
Yesterday’s firing of Seattle GM Bill Bavasi got me thinking… the Mariners, with the worst record in baseball, are entering rebuilding mode. Virtually anyone on the roster not named Ichiro is for the taking. Maybe it’s because I’m sick of watching Mike Lamb take horrible at bats, maybe it’s because I think it’s because I belive this 2008 Twins roster is only a player or two from winning the division, but I think trading for Mariner thirdbaseman Adrian Beltre would be a risky, yet potentially rewarding move that could be a difference maker in the central division.
Now I’ll try to convince you. In 2004, Adrian Beltre had his career year for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a contract year and the young slugger hit .334 with 48 homeruns and 121 RBIs finishing 2nd in the MVP race behind Barry Bonds. It was a classic example of a fluke season in a contract year and the Seattle Mariners fell victim. That offseason the Mariners signed Beltre to an awful, 5-year $64 million deal. Beltre has never matched his ‘04 numbers or even come close.
So you may be asking, why would the Twins want a player like this? Well, for starters Seattle would be willing to give Beltre for roughly 30 cents on the dollar. They want to unload him, get rid of his bad contract, and start over. Yes I admit, the reason this deal will never happen is because the Twins won’t want to take the $6.5 million Beltre is owed for the rest of the season and the $13 million he is owed next year, but what if they took chance. What if, we trade our own bad thirdbasmen Mike Lamb and his 2-year $6.6 million deal and a AA prospect. I truly belive that’s all it would take to pry Beltre away from the Mariners. The remaining year and a half on Lamb’s contract off the books would cover what the Twins would owe Beltre for 2008, and then we’d be taking a chance on his $13 million in 2009. I think Seattle would be so willing to part with Beltre we could even get them to pay part of Beltre’s contract.
Besides the money, do I want the Twins to pull the trigger on some big named player with one good season? Well, although his ‘04 number were a fluke/performance enhanced, Beltre has alwasy been a pretty solid player. This year his batting average is suffering at .225 but he does have 14 HRs, 30 RBIs, and 34 runs scored. His homerun total would be leading the Twins and his offensive production would greatly outweigh that of Mike Lamb or any other Twins thirdbaseman. Beltre also brings a Gold Glove which he won last year at 3B. Despite his poor batting average this year, Beltre is a lifetime .269 hitter who has hit .276, .268, and .255 over the past three seasons since joining the Seattle Mariners. Over those same three seasons Beltre hit 26 HRs with 99 RBIs in ‘07, 25 HRs with 89 RBIs in ‘06, and 19 HRs with 87 RBIs. Beltre’s current homerun pace would actually eclipse his past numbers as he is on pace for 33 homeruns.
Certainly, Beltre isn’t as big of a player as his contract is, but I see this acquistion as a high risk/very high reward situation. I know this is the last type of deal the Minnesota Twins make, but part of me seems like it makes sense. This trade doesn’t fit into the Twins 2010 projected plans, but Beltre’s contract would be off the books after the ‘09 season. Plus, it’s not like Lamb was the long-term solution at 3B either. The Twins have no forseeable quick solution at 3B in the minor leagues and I think Beltre could fill a huge void this year at 3B and in the lineup. Also, as hard as it is to believe since Beltre has been in the majors since 1998, the man is only 29 years old. Next year, he’ll be 30 years old and in his contract year. He’ll certainly never get a deal again like he did from the Mariners, but he will be hungry and looking to prove himself… who knows what type of numbers he could put up for Minnesota after leaving a pitcher’s park in Seattle to the hitter friendly Metrodome.
I’m pretty confident that this random thought of a deal that came to my head last night will never happen, or even cross GM Bill Smith’s mind, but it certainly makes me wonder what if… don’t you???
Alright MVB readers, I am still alive and I apologize for the long delay. My 10 day long roadtrip with no internet coupled with the fact that I thought if I didn’t post about the Johan Santana news maybe it wouldn’t come true, leaves me with a very overdue post.
So as everyone knows by now, last Friday, the Twins officially traded ace Johan Santana to the New York Mets when he signed a 6-year extension for $137.5 million. After a Friday, February 1st, 5 pm deadline had passed for the Mets to sign Santana to a deal it took a two hour extenstion for the two sides to agree on a deal.
I don’t need to link you to all the articles reviewing the trade and experts giving their analysis, but many baseball people have deemed the players on the Twins side as undervalue for Santana. Yet, I sympathize with the situation that GM Bill Smith was in. He was caught in between a rock and a hard place, and when it came down to it the New York Mets were really the only team he had left to deal with.
Smith may have overplayed his hand causing the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to drop out of the race, but in the end it was time for Santana to go. Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire expressed concern over the distraction of bringing Santana back to Spring Training in Fort Myers.
So Santana is gone and the Twins now usher in a new era. I have to admit it would have been nice to see the Yanks’ stud pitcher Phil Hughes, the Sox’s slick outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, or even top Met prospect Fernando Martinez come over in a deal, but a trade like this will always seem unfair until years down the road. Maybe Santana will dominate in the NL, win multiple Cy Young awards, take a very good team to World Series, and the four prospects will never pan out for the Twins. But also, maybe Santana will have a couple solid seasons and begin to deteriorate as Gomez replaces Torii Hunter, Mulvey and Humber become solid starters in the rotation, and the young Guerra develops into an ace. Who knows???
The Santana deal came shortly after the Twins locked up their young stars Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer. This duo along with star Joe Mauer are now the leaders of this very young club. As Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune writes, the Twins are set to contend in their new ballpark in 2010.
A bulk of my blog posts in the past 3 months have been devoted to Santana and the impending trade. If you want a great review of how this deal came to be and all the rumors and teams in between here is the offseason Santana review.
All and all the deal is a tough one to swallow. It is hard to patient and see if these prospects will contribute someday, and it is even harder to see a great player and class act like Santana leave. I’m happy for Santana as he really came out on top. He’s making record money, going to a league with a significantly less quality of hitters, moving to a pitcher’s ballpark, and to a team with much more run support. At the same time, the Twins organization has a history of succeeding in large prospect heavy deals like this, ex. Chuck Knoblauch to Yankees for Eric Milton, Christian Guzman and the biggest steal ever A.J. Pierzynksi to the Giants for Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser, and that one kid named Francisco Liriano.
Someday we will know how this deals turns out, but until then I think the 2008 Twins will be young, inexperienced, raw, but very fun to watch.
MVB readers… I’d love to hear your take on the deal in the comments section?
Also, stay tuned for a position by position preview of the 2008 Twins as we prepare for Spring Training.
Finally, some new developments in the Santana sweepstakes, but don’t get too excited because of course “no deal is imminent.” I’m starting to think that if the Twins cannot find what they want in a trade for Santana, maybe, just maybe it wouldn’t be the craziest thing to open up the wallet and show him the money!
The framework of the deal is believed to be Santana to the Mets for top pitching prospect Deolis Guerra, CF Carlos Gomez, and pitchers Kevin Mulvey and Phi Humber. Christensen gives a good background of each young player in his article. Guerra is a 6-5 righthander with nasty stuff and is only 18 years old. He has a very high ceiling but is still very far from pitching in the majors which means many potential question marks. Gomez could take over the CF vacancy for the Twins in 2008. He has blazing speed (even faster than SS Jose Reyes) but needs work with his bat. The other two pithers, Mulvey and Humber, were once prized prospects in the Mets organizations and now project as solid No. 4 or No. 5 starters.
Reports claim that the Twins would accept the deal if the Mets are willing to trade top prospect, OF Fernando Martinez. Martinez is only 19 and is regarded as one of the best prospects in baseball with an extremely high ceiling. I’ve even heard quite large comparisons to a young Ken Griffey Jr. Not convinced on that one as Griffey was destined for greatness from the day he picked up a baseball bat with no questions asked.
Overall, the deal has lots of talent and is loaded with some potential stars and solid MLB contributors; however, it has many question marks and much more risk than that of the Red Sox and Yankees deal. Although all the deals involve young players and every deal involves risk. Here is MLB.com’s take.
The kicker in the emergence of the Mets as the new frontrunner comes with the news today that the Yankees are considering pulling out of any Santana deal. With the loss of a potential suitor in the Yanks and the Red Sox standing very firm in their current proposals, the Mets may become the Twins best option. The NL team from Queens needs Santana the most, is willing to pay Santana the most, and may be willing to give up the most for Santana.
Tomorrow marks the start of the annual Winter Meetings for baseball general managers. The four day event held in Nashville, Tennessee this year appears to be full of talk, rumors, and even trades.
Here’s the latest on the Santana trade front. It seems that the two teams that have emerged as probable trade partners for the Twins are hated rivals the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Two events occurred over the weekend that significantly impact the scope of the Santana talk.
Friday the Yankees announced that they would be willing to trade young pitcher Phil Hughes in any deal for the Twins’ ace. After a week of trying to avoid putting Hughes in any deal for Santana, the Yankees have changed their stance and are now offering a young pitcher who could in the future become the force that Santana is on the mound today.
Sunday the Red Sox stated they would add young outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury in any deal for Santana. This announcement comes after repeatedly calling Ellsbury “untouchable” in any deal. This option would fill the Twins large void left in centerfield by the departure of CF, Torii Hunter. Ellsbury made a quick name for himself across Sox Nation batting .353 with three home runs, 18 RBIs, and nine stolen bases in just 33 games in August and September for the Boston club. Ellsbury also became a hero taking over the starting centerfield position in the playoffs and responding with a terrific World Series performance.
If you’re the Minnesota Twins the question becomes, do I trade my star player, and if so, do I rebuild with a young star pitcher or a young start outfielder? Hughes or Ellsbury?
One thing is for sure, the flurry of rumors surrounding Santana’s name in the last week are close to an end. The Yankees announced today that their offer will soon be off the table. This means the Twins must make their decision soon, like in the next 24 hours soon. By tomorrow night we may know the future outlook of the Minnesota Twins franchise.
If you acquire Hughes you replace Santana in the rotation. Losing a current start for a future star. If you acquire Ellsbury you receive a stud young outfielder capable of replacing the beloved Torii Hunter who would excel batting at the top of an order with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, and Delmon Young hitting behind him. BUT… what if the Twins decide that neither of these offers are good enough. What if the Twins instead trade some of their younger prospects and open up their wallet to sign a free agent or two and in doing so will their holes in CF, 3B, and DH. If Liriano comes back as good as he was in 2006 and the rotation is lead by Santana and Liriano, Delmon Young develops into a star while the rest of the lineup bounces back from a subpar year, I would label the Twins as a legitimate World Series contender. BUT… are they still good enough to tackle the defending champion, Boston Red Sox?
Think if the Twins decide to trade Santana to Boston, you now have a team that is not only the favorite to win the 2008 World Series but also a team that is developing into a dynasty for the next three to four years. A 2008 rotation of Santana, Beckett, Dice-K, Schilling, and whoever else feels like pitching (doesn’t really matter) with the Red Sox offense is the closest thing to a sure thing in the baseball world.
So I wish I had a crystal ball to tell you what will happen, but at least it appears that we won’t have to wait long to discover the outcome. As a fan, I’m not even sure yet what move is best for the Twins. I think the thought of having Ellsbury patrolling the outfield is at first glance more appealing to me, but Hughes too is a potential dominator on the pound. And all this being said, I’d be completely happy seeing Santana take the hill on opening day still in a Twins uniform.
As mentioned, the first domino has fallen, and it couldn’t be a more clear sign that more are yet to fall.
Yes Twins fans, in what was a move that us Twins fans are not used to after old GM Terry Ryan’s reign of standing pat and sticking to the plan, the Twins completed a 6-player deal with the Tampa Bay Rays today that I guess could be described as a blockbuster.
THE DEAL
Twins trade: P, Matt Garza/SS, Jason Bartlett/P, Eduardo Morlan
Twins receive: OF, Delmon Young/SS, Brendan Harris/OF Jason Pridie
THE REVIEW
My initial reaction… I like the deal!
I like the Twins being in the headlines, I like the excitement, but let’s analyze the deal a bit closer. The main component is Young for Garza. In Garza, the Twins lose a POTENTIAL stud and I emphasize potential. Garza has nasty stuff, great minor league numbers, and rocketed through the Twins minor leagues. BUT… he is a young pitcher who could blow out his arm, become the next “sure thing” like former Twins No. 1 pick Adam Johnson who lasted no more than 9 games in the majors, or simply become a solid No. 3 starter.
I like the deal because I truly think Young WILL be a stud. Former No.1 overall pick in 2003 and younger brother of Nationals’ 1B Dimitri Young, Delmon Young is a 22-year old 5 tool player and future All-Star. In his first full season, where the durable Young played in all 162 games, Young batted .288 with 13 homeruns and 93 RBI’s. Certainly, no All-Star numbers, but for 10 years younger and roughly 1/15 the cost, I’d say just fine numbers to replace Torii Hunter. With those numbers Young actually was the runner-up in the American League Rookie of the Year award.
Known most for his infamous 50-game suspension due to tossing his bat at an umpire during his stint in Triple-A, Young has some questions about his make-up but was an 18-year old No. 1 pick with lots of money and is believed to have grown up. Plus, Garza has had his own run-ins with Manager Ron Gardenhire. My only knock on Young is his plate discipline. Last year, Young walked only 26 times while striking out 127. Hopefully, his maturation as a hitter along with the coaching and emphasis on patient hitting from the Twins will serve Young well.
The second facet of the deal is the swapping of shortstops. The Twins surprisingly swap 28-year old starting SS, Jason Bartlett, for 27-year old SS, Brendan Harris. In Bartlett, you have a very solid defensive player with great speed and an adequate bat. In Harris, you have a bat with a little more pop and some power potential, but an average at best defensive player with average speed. This part of the deal is a clear sign to me of more trades to come. I would be shocked to see Harris as the Twins opening day shortstop, but he could be a great backup middle infielder or split some time with Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla at 2B and possibly 3B. Maybe trading Bartlett opens a spot for Jose Reyes in a Santana deal….maybe?
The 3rd and final part of the deal is the one receiving the most criticism from Twins fans. The original deal would have sent Twins pitcher Juan Rincon, which would have gotten his $4 million salary of the books and eliminated the concern over some arm troubles he has had. However, those arm concerns seemed great enough to the Rays that the Twins were forced to add minor league reliever, 21-year old Eduardo Morlan. Rincon is clearly a bigger name, but my research shows that Morlan is regarded as a stud prospect and could have been a potential replacement for Joe Nathan in the future. I don’t know a lot about Morlan, but this a part of a deal that you can look back in 5 years and say Eduardo who? or… why did we ever get rid of that guy!?!?
No matter your feelings on the deal, it is a big and bold move for new GM Bill Smith and in my opinion, I can’t get over the thought of a middle of the order consisting of Mauer, Young, Morneau, and Cuddyer!
La Velle E. Neal III, gives his thoughts with a glimpse of what is next to come.
Torii Hunter was a tough loss to swallow. The trade of Johan Santana can no longer be discussed as if, but when. But as I said, be prepared.
It appears that Hunter’s signing for mega dollars with the Angels coupled with Santana declining the Twins 4-year $80 million dollar extension was the opening of the floodgates for what will most definitely be a crazy offseason for GM Bill Smith and the Twins.
SANTANA UPDATE
The list of suitors as of today appears to be the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Angels, and Dodgers. The Yankees have made the most headlines admitting they have had “preliminary discussions” with the Twins regarding Santana. Mets GM Omar Minaya has also stated they have talked to the Twins and is reported as saying he will “get creative” to try and acquire the All-Star lefty.
Names thrown around in talks with the Yankees include the big three of Yankee pitching prospects Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy as well as Yankee CF Melky Cabrera and 2B Robinson Cano. Any deal would certainly have to include one of the three pitching studs, one of the two Yankee starters, and one or two more minor league prospects. It has been reported that Chamberlain and Cano are nearly untouchable in any deal.
Minaya of the Mets loves to make a splash during the offseason and this season may actually need to after the Mets catastrophic collapse at the end of the season. One intriguing name quietly mentioned in talks about Santana is the Mets’ electric shortstop Jose Reyes. To me, that may be the one player the Twins could acquire that would at least make up for Santana’s presence and appease the fans. Reyes teamed with Mauer and Morneau could form an exciting young trio for years to come.
The Red Sox are reported as “actively pursuing” but seem to be very unwilling to part with young stars Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Bucholtz. A deal for Santana would seemingly have to include one of the two, but Boston must be mentioned because where the Yankees are the Sox are always close behind.
The Dodgers definitely have the young players to make a deal but may be unwilling to sign Santana to a large extension and the Angels just joined the fray with the intriguing possibility of Santana teaming up with new Angel and former Twin Hunter.
TRADE RUMORS
To keep a long blog short, the rumor mill is swirling and almost every bit of news seems to include the Twins. Names include the obvious Santana, young Twins pitcher Matt Garza, and All-Star stud closer Joe Nathan with names returning to the Twins such as the Red Sox Coco Crisp, the Rays rookie of year runner-up Delmon Young, the Diamondbacks young outfielder Carlos Quentin, and more. It appears that if Santana is (sorry when) he is traded, Nathan will follow him right out the door. Check out the Fox Sports trade rumors to read the MLB hot stove rumors concerning the Twins.
For more news on Santana along with the new Nathan rumors, Star Tribune writer, La Velle E. Neal III writes in his Twins blog.
Also, what’s your opinion? Star Tribune poll asks which team will give the return in a trade for Santana?
So Thanksgiving is over, the leftovers are in the fridge, and Torii’s days in Minnesota are officially over. As Twins fans begin to prepare for life after Torii, I’ve read many different reactions and responses to this move and what the Twins should do next.
Many fans claimed they where upset with Torii’s “false promises.” Throughout the entire offseason Hunter has said the Twins are still in the running and that they too have a chance to resign their star outfielder. Yet, when the Angels offer was on the table Hunter jumped ship without ever looking back. Fans were hurt by this and believed that the Twins never had a chance. Joe Christenson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Torii did want to stay.
Fans who weren’t upset with Torii seemed to be upset with the Twins. In many comments people wondered why the Twins would just let Torii go? What happened to the extra revenue created by the new stadium? When are the Twins going to open up the wallet? But as I said in the last post a big 5-year deal is simply not the right move for the Twins. I do wish when the Twins open up their season at the Metrodome on March 31 against the Angels the man in centerfield is wearing a TC on his hat and not a red A. Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune explains the Twins decision best.
Now what happens next?
It has been reported that the Twins made on contract offer to Johan Santana last week of 5-years, $93 million. This tops the Chicago Cubs recent extension of their star pitcher Carlos Zambrano of 5-years, $91 million. However, Santana rejected this offer and countered with a proposal that would match San Francisco Giants ace, Barry Zito, and his mega-deal signed last offseason. Buster Olney, a favorite sportswrite of mine, writes a daily blog on ESPN.com that compiles the his insight with the lastest baseball news from major newspapers around the country. He offers his view on the Twins and Santana.
It is clear the Twins and Santana currently have a major gap of roughly $33 million. Given the ridiculous markets in professional baseball, it is also clear that signing Santana for 7-years for $126 million is a bargain (if the words bargain and $126 million can be used in the same sentence). However, it has also been reported that the Twins have quietly spoke to a few clubs and asked what they would be willing to trade for Santana. So it seems the Twins are trying to gauge the market for their star pitcher.
Who knows what will happen next? Do the Twins finally break the bank and sign arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball to a long-term deal? Or do they couple the loss of Hunter with a trade of Santana and start to rebuild for the new ballpark in 2010?
Only time will tell, but I want to hear 1) what you think the Twins should do? and 2) what you think the Twins will do? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Be the First to Comment 
I’m not sure what’s more weird, the fact that Sherman included the Twins or the Royals. Now there is no denying we’d love to have a bat like Fielder after Morneau (even more than Adrian Beltre!) in our lineup, but I was shocked to see the Twins mentioned. I don’t know if Sherman heard something or simply thought of teams that could use some offense. First of all, Fielder would have to be the DH as Justin Morneau would win the award as the more superior defensive first baseman, but I would guess the Brewers trade demands would be quite steep.
