Do the Twins make a good trade partner?

[brewtank34]

With Santana leaving, the Twins are in need of SP. We have excess SP as everyone is aware of. I looked at the Twins current depth chart and didn't see anything that the Crew could really use right now, but what about there farm club??? Do the Twins have any lefties relievers or SP...or even a young Catcher that they'd want to get rid of for: Bush or Vargas? Twins are jonesing for a SP and I think that the Crew could land some decent prospects from them.

Your thoughts?

[Katuluu]

They'd probably be interested in Capuano or maybe Bush, but they are pretty loaded with young starting pitching right now. They have abunch of relievers as well, but I doubt we'd be looking to acquire many more at this point.

[JohnBriggs12]

They're reportedly talking with Josh Fogg and don't forget they'll get another starter candidate in Humber.

[brewtank34]

I'd rather have Vargas, Cappy or Bush than Josh Fogg.....nonetheless, it doesn't sound like a pot of gold is waiting for us with the Twins....thanks for the feedback.

[jwaltz]

Starting pitching is not something the Twins are in need of. They have a lot of promising pitchers. Remember, Liriano's back and Slowey's pretty much ready to be given an extended shot. That right there is a big boost to their rotation. A rotation of Bonser, Liriano, Baker, Slowey or Humber, and Fogg is solid. And if Slowey proves he can be a good starter they can move Fogg or Bonser to the pen and Mulvey should be ready sometime halfway through the season. By the end of the season they could potentially have a rotation of Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Humber, and Mulvey. I don't see them needing any pitching at all. They also have good relievers in Nathan, Neshek, Perkins, Guerrier, and Reyes.

 

One concern with the Twins is their infield hitting. 2nd, 3rd, and SS will be manned by Everett, Harris, Punto/Casillas. Only one of those four can hit . They other three can't hit worth a lick. Everett's defense is fantastic and that plus his contract means he's there to stay so they could really use an upgrade from Punto/Casillas. Either that or hope Casillas all of a sudden learns to hit.

[Katuluu]

Mike Lamb will be their starting 3B. Harris will probably be the 2B, while Punto will be a super sub.

[jjfanec]

Their pitching is not solid. The best ERA last year of the guys you mentioned was Baker with a 4.26, then Slowey had a 4.7 and then Bonser had a 5.1. That does not seem solid to me. Liriano is a stud IF he bounces back well. If they do get Fogg he had a 4.9 ERA.

I would think the Twins would make decent training partners. I just dont know what they have to offer us other than prospects but since they are in a semi-rebuilding mold I dont know how much they would give up.

[jwaltz]

Well, Cappy, Bush, and Vargas all had worse or equal seasons last year ERA-wise than any of the pitchers you mentioned. So how does any of our three represent an upgrade for them? The Twins have plenty of options when looking at starters.

[jjfanec]

Well they dont have Fogg yet. I am pretty sure Cappy and Bush have more value than Bonser at least they do in my mind. And I still dont see how you can say they have plenty of options. Who do they have outside of the four already mentioned? Perkins, Humber, Mulvey, Swarzak? I think Bush and Cappy are better number 5 options than any of those guys and are relatively cheap. Gardenhire has never shown a tendency to rush pitchers into the rotation who are not ready. They waited to bring up Liriano, Garza, and Slowey for the likes of Ramon Ortiz and Sindey Ponson. So I do think they make sense as a team looking for cheap pitching with a solid upside which both Bush and Cappy have.

[ILuvDaBush]

I wouldn't call $3mil CHEAP, especially to a low budget team like the Twins. I would think that they would be content to rebuild this year and see what they have in their bevy of young pitching, rather than spend $3mil AND give up value to fight with the Royals (and maybe the Sox) for last place in the division. If Liriano were to come back, however, I would be amenable to...

 

Neshek

Liriano

Kubel

 

for

 

Braun

Parra

 

Fantasy trade....but we would get a closer-in-waiting, from Madison, a replacement for Braun or a place for LaPorta, and a pitcher whose ceiling is the best pitcher in baseball....with injury concerns.

[billyhallfan]

i would never do that trade, that is nonsense.

[jjfanec]

I actually think 3 million is pretty cheap right now for the Twins. There payroll is well below last year and this is the same team that gave Ramon Ortiz 3 million or more last year so I think they would look to make a trade if the price was right. The problem is I just dont know what they have to offer. They dont have a great 3rd base prospect. Their current number 5 prospect is a catcher by the name of Wilson Ramos so that would be intriguing. They have some young pitchers as well in their top ten.

[mothershipconnection]

No way would I trade Braun for ANYONE coming back from major arm surgery - even a young Santana. He'd have to be back for awhile and looking great again before I'd ever think about trading a rising star for a rising star with an injury to a critical part of his body who may never be good again.

 

Granted, Neshek and Kubel would be nice to grab, but if Liriano isn't good, the trade looks worse than Braun's defense at third.

[MNBrew]

1. Boof Bonser was completely horrid last year. Stats don't fully tell that story. He was in such crummy shape that they had to prescribe and later enforce a workout regimen for him. Bonser is guaranteed nothing as far as a roster spot goes.

 

2. The bullpen is one of the Twins' strengths. Guys like Neshek and Guerrier aren't going anywhere. They're very solid and extremely inexpensive, relatively speaking.

 

3. What the Twins don't have in their rotation is anything in the way of a time-tested ("proven") major-league starter. That's why they're looking into Josh Fogg. And they wouldn't have to give up any players to get him. If I'm the Twins, I should be realizing that proven innings eaters (theoretically Capuano, definitely Bush) are there for the plucking only 350 short miles to their southeast.

 

4. The Twins probably do have enough solid low-level pitching prospects that you could probably get one of them for a proven starter in the right deal. And from the money end, the Twins do have some wiggle room because they just sent a $13M salary to the Mets in exchange for no one assured of an Opening Day roster spot.

 

5. Pat Neshek grew up mostly in the Twin Cities even though he was born in Madison. He played little league in and attended high school up here in Brooklyn Park, a near-NW Mpls suburb that's the town where our one-time loud-mouth over-the-top-personality former pro-wrestling former governor was once mayor before his 2nd career (politics) really took off.

 

I'd still guess the odds of something happening with the Twins aren't great, but there's at least real validity to the notion that they profile as good trading partners in a few ways that few other teams really do.

[TooLiveBrew]

I really think the team that'll end up taking Vargas is a non-contender that needs a place-holder or one-yr. solution for the middle/back of their rotation. San Fran. comes to mind perhaps, or maybe Fla.? Many other candidates, just two examples.

[DrWood]

Bonser is a good pitcher, last year's results notwithstanding.

[Brian the Automator]

1. Boof Bonser was completely horrid last year. Stats don't fully tell that story. He was in such crummy shape that they had to prescribe and later enforce a workout regimen for him. Bonser is guaranteed nothing as far as a roster spot goes.

For what it's worth, on XM the other day they had an interview with Ron Coomer, and he had been keeping tabs on Bonser this offseason. He mentioned that he had really made an extensive effort to get into better shape this offseason. From what I hear, it's Bonser's spot to lose, but he'll be on a short leash.

[fondybrewfan]

Isn't it that time of year where supposedly every MLB player has lost 15 punds? I'll believe it when I see it. Bonser looked like a white Ruben Quevedo last year, although with much more talent

[Brian the Automator]

Apparently, he's already dropped 20.

[DrWood]

Bonser looked like a white Ruben Quevedo last year

 

"white"? um. Unless Quevedo came from a native american tribe, I think some sensitivity training is in order.

[MNBrew]

Bonser looked like a white Ruben Quevedo last year

"white"? um. Unless Quevedo came from a native american tribe, I think some sensitivity training is in order.

Sensitivity training? Wow. Race certainly can be referenced in a neutral or non-controversial way.

 

Ruben Quevedo is Venezuelan and has darker skin than Bonser. Bonser is caucasian, for which "white" is frequently substituted (ironic, especially since it's often considered non-PC to use "black" but the use of "white" is rarely questioned). Anyway, race was not used in any derogatory way. The negativity in the reference is to Quevedo's playing weight and conditioning, not his skin color. The skin color is used to make a parallel.

Fondy could've said Bonser looked like a right-handed Terry Forster or David Wells, but neither or those are as Brewers-relevant as Quevedo.

The Twins often had trainer-types running WITH Bonser in the 2nd half last year because of how out-of-shape he had become, and he wasn't in good shape in the first place when he reported to spring training!

 

Responding to your earlier post, too, Dr.Wood, I watched Bonser pitch a lot last year and the fact is that he was not very good at all. He only pitched a half-season in the bigs the year before, and even then he was only really strong for about two months of that time. Two months of solid pitching, most of a year and two months being below average to just plain lousy. (Sounds like a pitching version of Marc Newfield.) Bonser does have a spot that's mostly his to lose, but only because the Twins have relatively little veteran starting pitching depth. Some of Bonser's numbers aren't all bad, and he could be a very solid ML starter. But Boof just wasn't very good at all last year.

 

[DrWood]

Would you call a spaniard "non-white"? That's the point. Some hispanics don't like to be viewed as something other than caucasian, because that's exactly what they are.

[sbrylski]

Would you call a spaniard "non-white"? That's the point. Some hispanics don't like to be viewed as something other than caucasian, because that's exactly what they are.

I click on page two to read the most recent posts... This thread is waaay off-topic.

[sbrylski]

Would you call a spaniard "non-white"? That's the point. Some hispanics don't like to be viewed as something other than caucasian, because that's exactly what they are.

Ture. Italians didn't used to be considered "white". Irish or Spanish either. Now Hispanics are beginning to get phased into "white", IMO. Where will it end!!

 

But let's talk baseball...

[And That]

I'm putting a line beneath the words I type here. Beneath this line, the topic of racial sensitivity will no longer be discussed. Thanks!

 

 

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