Time to sign Stephen Drew

[DaveW]

The Twins through the first two series have shown that perhaps they do have the bats to somewhat compete this year:

 

The one glaring, obvious, ugly weak spot with zero help on the horizon: SS, Florimon just is not going to flat out cut it. The Twins still have money, and Drew at some point is going to HAVE to take a deal, I'd still like him on 2-3 years, but at this point, give him a one year deal, lose the 2nd round pick this year, and then you will probably get a 1st or 2nd round pick the following year (or you can sign him longer)

[Joe A. Preusser]

Too early to make a knee jerk reaction...but boy am I coming around fast. Maybe hold out until after the draft?

[twinscowboysbulls]

Sign him. Drop Bart. Send down Escobar and call up Mastro?

[Joe A. Preusser]

Sign him. Drop Bart. Send down Escobar and call up Mastro?

 

Wouldn't that leave Flori to be our primary backup INF? I think Escobar is better suited for that role.

[DaveW]

Sign him. Drop Bart. Send down Escobar and call up Mastro?

 

Sign him, send Florimon down. Keep bartlett around since you need the back up CF...for now. I think you live with Bartlett as the backup CF/super Util until Buxton comes up in June/July. (Then Hicks is the every day LF and back up CF) I have never been a huge Escobar guy...but meh, keep him around in that case as well I guess..

 

Ideally you get Bonaficio to be the new super UTIL guy though.

[DaveW]

Wouldn't that leave Flori to be our primary backup INF? I think Escobar is better suited for that role.

 

Yeah, I think Florimon would be best suited to be in AAA, able to fill in at SS if Drew gets hurt.

[drivlikejehu]

Looking at Drew is not a "knee jerk" reaction. The Twins do not have a legit shortstop on the team and knew that going into the season. The issue is the same as before - the Twins aren't contenders and don't want to give up a draft pick. Ordinarily I would agree with them, but it's such a huge hole.

[Trautmann13]

I was never too high on Drew, but Getting him for 3 years would be such an upgrade. I also feel like it is a little soon to react so against Florimon. Yes, he can't hit and likely never will. But 6 games this year is not a good sample size for anyone. Yet if we heard they had a real shot at him with a 3 year deal I would personally buy a ticket to New York for Pedro.

[pierre75275]

If he is still available after the draft i think the twins should sign him....if floriman and all other available options are not panning out....which i think will be the case. I also think he should be signed for 2015 as well

[Mr. Brooks]

If he is still available after the draft i think the twins should sign him....if floriman and all other available options are not panning out....which i think will be the case. I also think he should be signed for 2015 as well

 

I don't think we'd be able to get him after the draft.

Once the draft passes he'll have a lot of teams interested in him (for the same reason you want to wait).

[Thrylos]

Signing Drew at this point might make sense only if one thinks that the Twins are close to be contending and Drew will push them over the top. Drew will not sign a long term contract, just a single year.

 

Otherwise, it is a lose-lose situation (Spend $ and don't make the post-season and lose a draft pick.)

 

I'd rather see what Escobar and Danny Santana (in that order) can do at this point...

[DaveW]

Signing Drew at this point might make sense only if one thinks that the Twins are close to be contending and Drew will push them over the top. Drew will not sign a long term contract, just a single year.

 

Otherwise, it is a lose-lose situation (Spend $ and don't make the post-season and lose a draft pick.)

 

I'd rather see what Escobar and Danny Santana (in that order) can do at this point...

 

How do you know Drew would only sign a singe year contract? IIRC he was looking for a long term deal all off-season.... you shouldn't speak in unfounded absolutes as it unfairly misdirects the thread to fit your personal narrative. It was known and reported that Drew was only looking for a one year deal, then your point would have weight, but as it stands IMO it just sidetracks the discussion at hand.

 

Additionally if indeed it is only a year contract, as I mentioned above, then the Twins have a pretty decent chance of getting a 1st or 2nd round pick back in the 2015 draft (or keeping Drew for additional years)

 

The Twins would always have the option of trading him later in the year as well if it was a one year deal and somehow Santana stepped up. Or if they fell out of the race.

 

If Kubel, Colabello, Hicks all step up this year the offense suddenly becomes not too shabby, the rotation also has the potential to be decent as well, though not a huge contender, the possibility exists that they could stay in the race longer than many people thought, that is enough of a reason IMO to go out and spend some cash to booster the team, losing a 2nd round pick (when you could probably get one back if he did leave in a year) isn't something to keep you from doing that IMO.

[snepp]

Additionally if indeed it is only a year contract, as I mentioned above, then the Twins have a pretty decent chance of getting a 1st or 2nd round pick back in the 2015 draft (or keeping Drew for additional years)

 

A player signed after the start of the season won't be eligible for compensation.

[DaveW]

A player signed after the start of the season won't be eligible for compensation.

 

Ah, got it, didn't realize that. Well I'd still like to bring him in for a 2-3 year deal anyways. Hell, even at the right price for one year would be fine by me, losing a 2nd round pick isn't going to kill this franchise IMO, and as mentioned if he plays like he can, you could still net a solid return in the trade market should the Twins ship sink.

[snepp]

Well I'd still like to bring him in for a 2-3 year deal anyways.

 

That would be my preference if you're going to go ahead and sign him now. Get a couple of years out of him for the pick you're giving up.

[TheLeviathan]

The Twins through the first two series have shown that perhaps they do have the bats to somewhat compete this year

 

They've also perhaps shown their pitching is going to be godawful again. Mayhap we should sign Drew for his own merits and not judge anything by a 6 game sample size.

[jokin]

I don't think we'd be able to get him after the draft.

Once the draft passes he'll have a lot of teams interested in him (for the same reason you want to wait).

 

A player signed after the start of the season won't be eligible for compensation.

 

 

Exactly. The big teams are playing chess on Drew in just this way. If you are a team like the Twins, your chess move was signing him in March-especially when Florimon went down with the appendectomy, by June you'll be checkmated by at least a half dozen other teams for Drew's services.

[DaveW]

They've also perhaps shown their pitching is going to be godawful again. Mayhap we should sign Drew for his own merits and not judge anything by a 6 game sample size.

Well, I for one have been saying all year that we should sign Drew based on his own merits and based on the 6+ year sample size that Florimon has shown us in the minors and majors for hitting.

[jokin]

Well, I for one have been saying all year that we should sign Drew based on his own merits and based on the 6+ year sample size that Florimon has shown us in the minors and majors for hitting.

 

This is Florimon's 9th year as a professional. And all we've had confirmed thus far is, the only thing worse than Florimon at the plate the last 8 years, is post-appendectomy-Florimon at the plate in his 9th year.

 

Unfortunately, the time has probably passed for signing Drew, as Boras is probably lining up the June bids for his services as we speak.

[deanlambrecht]

Signing Drew at this point might make sense only if one thinks that the Twins are close to be contending and Drew will push them over the top. Drew will not sign a long term contract, just a single year.

 

Otherwise, it is a lose-lose situation (Spend $ and don't make the post-season and lose a draft pick.)

 

I'd rather see what Escobar and Danny Santana (in that order) can do at this point...

 

First, I agree with VodkaDave's points above. In addition, because we have no shortage of cash and nothing to spend it on at the moment, grabbing Drew on a 1 year contract and getting another "name" and a few more wins would put more butts in seats.

 

It might be worth the 2nd round pick loss this year. Not sold entirely, but I don't think it's out of the question.

[snepp]

Exactly. The big teams are playing chess on Drew in just this way. If you are a team like the Twins, your chess move was signing him in March-especially when Florimon went down with the appendectomy, by June you'll be checkmated by at least a half dozen other teams for Drew's services.

 

Yup, a team like the Twins is kind of in no-man's land right now. Not a lot of sense in giving up the pick for just a single year, and not likely to have much leverage post-draft when there may be more attractive playoff-bound teams calling.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Too early to make a knee jerk reaction...but boy am I coming around fast. Maybe hold out until after the draft?

 

It's not a knee jerk reaction. Going into the season, Florimon had south of a 5% chance of posting an acceptable OPS. The fact that he's not doing it is the opposite of shocking.

 

Imagine the (quite valid) consternation over Suzuki put toward someone even more deserving.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Yup, a team like the Twins is kind of in no-man's land right now. Not a lot of sense in giving up the pick for just a single year, and not likely to have much leverage post-draft when there may be more attractive playoff-bound teams calling.

 

Yeah. Yeah. At this point, I'm surprised Detroit hasn't picked him up. It doesn't make sense for the Twins to sign him, as unfortunate as that is.

[Reider]

Based on what I have seen so far, Florimon has done a great job defensively, but is absolutely painful to watch at the plate. I'm not sure if it's due to a late start at spring training, a slow start to the regular season, or if his hitting is going to take a step back this year.

 

As painful as he is to watch at the plate, I'd like to give him a couple of months and see how things are going once we get into warmer weather and he has a chance to get into a groove. This is not to say that the Twins should not be looking to improve their team. I think it only makes sense that the Twins pay close attention to Drew's availability / situation and perhaps other trade options etc.. I just think we should give him more than 6 games given the circumstances (late spring start, strong defensive play, the fact that the Twins are scoring lots of runs).

 

I don't think we need to panic yet, but I do agree with keeping close tabs on things and considering all of our options as the season goes on. I'm not against making some kind of move if he is still this painful to watch at the end of May.

[Mr. Brooks]

Based on what I have seen so far, Florimon has done a great job defensively, but is absolutely painful to watch at the plate. I'm not sure if it's due to a late start at spring training, a slow start to the regular season, or if his hitting is going to take a step back this year.

 

As painful as he is to watch at the plate, I'd like to give him a couple of months and see how things are going once we get into warmer weather and he has a chance to get into a groove. This is not to say that the Twins should not be looking to improve their team. I think it only makes sense that the Twins pay close attention to Drew's availability / situation and perhaps other trade options etc.. I just think we should give him more than 6 games given the circumstances (late spring start, strong defensive play, the fact that the Twins are scoring lots of runs).

 

I don't think we need to panic yet, but I do agree with keeping close tabs on things and considering all of our options as the season goes on. I'm not against making some kind of move if he is still this painful to watch at the end of May.

 

Well if you want to wait a couple of months to evaluate his bat, that is fine I guess, (though I'm not sure what else he has left to show you), however bear in mind that at that point Drew is no longer an option.

If they target Drew it would have to be soon, because the closer it gets to the draft, the harder it will be to sign him.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Based on what I have seen so far, Florimon has done a great job defensively, but is absolutely painful to watch at the plate. I'm not sure if it's due to a late start at spring training, a slow start to the regular season, or if his hitting is going to take a step back this year.

 

As painful as he is to watch at the plate, I'd like to give him a couple of months and see how things are going once we get into warmer weather and he has a chance to get into a groove. This is not to say that the Twins should not be looking to improve their team. I think it only makes sense that the Twins pay close attention to Drew's availability / situation and perhaps other trade options etc.. I just think we should give him more than 6 games given the circumstances (late spring start, strong defensive play, the fact that the Twins are scoring lots of runs).

 

I don't think we need to panic yet, but I do agree with keeping close tabs on things and considering all of our options as the season goes on. I'm not against making some kind of move if he is still this painful to watch at the end of May.

 

Honest question. Where and why do you expect Florimon to improve?

 

He's good defensively, not going to improve much there.

 

He's bad offensively and has been his entire career. He actually was a WORSE hitter as 2013 progressed. He's 27 years old.

 

What improvement does anyone see in him as a player?

[Dman]

If it wasn't a deep draft I would be more willing to give up a second round pick for Drew but given signing him doesn't help us make the playoffs I don't see giving up the lottery shot of a second round pick for him.

 

Once we don't lose the pick I would hope the Twins go hard after him because if they can get him by paying more than they should to get him hopefully they can get value for him somewhere down the road.

[Seth Stohs]

So wait, you're saying the offense is just fine, so let's minimally improve the offense and hurt the defense and the pitchers? Not sure I'd jump into that decision.

[drivlikejehu]

Florimon just cannot hit. As MLB pitchers see him more, I think it's only going to get worse because he has so many weaknesses to exploit at the plate.

[Mr. Brooks]

So wait, you're saying the offense is just fine, so let's minimally improve the offense and hurt the defense and the pitchers? Not sure I'd jump into that decision.

 

You only consider Drew a "minimal" offensive improvement over Florimon?