Not a huge Suzuki guy......but it won't kill me if they extend him. 

Beane's trades in and of themselves are not typically great and he's been fleeced on such trades as Matt Holiday and Carlos Gonzalez, in which he litterally had nothing in MLB production to show for those players. He's also spent $10M on Ben Sheets to not get a MLB pitch out of him. BUT, what Beane has done that very few GMs have done is not get 'nothing' ouf of his pending FA's or players going to Arbitration (more a Tampa Rays trait than an Oakland trait though).

 

Let's hope the Twins can do the same with Suzuki, Willingham, Correia, etc. IF they're a player you want and can't sign to an extension or a player that a team may want, get something in return. That's the art of Beane. He minimizes his losses. He doesn't lose outright.

 

Take in point with Lester - he's not going to resign him - or highly unlikely - however, he'll gladly lay down a $14.1M (or $15-ish) qualifiying offer for Lester. If he returns, one of the best playoff SPs in baseball is on the team for another playoff run, if not, sandwich pick in the 1st round of the 2015 draft.

It doesn't work like that anymore.

 

• Jerry Crasnick

  #Twins and Kurt Suzuki still "very far apart'' in extension talks, says a BB source.

eric.karabell

Hard to believe the Twins want to extend Kurt Suzuki. I know he made the All-Star team, but still. Kurt Suzuki? They should see what Josmil Pinto can really do back there.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/notebook/_/page/tradedeadline_countdown/mlb-countdown-trade-deadline

 

 

Karabell is a fantasy guy. People in national media who say this about Pinto haven't seen him play.

 

I'm not against it, but it sets the team up for a huge hole next year if Pinto can't catch.

I don't think Duensing is traded until after Miller is traded.  After he's gone, I'm thinking TR will get some calls.  He may have already received some from teams just to get things in place so they can pull the trigger after Miller is off the table. 

 

I agree. I also think the return for Duensing is very light.

I agree. I also think the return for Duensing is very light.

I don't think it'll be a great return, but I think it will surprise a few people.  He's having a good year and there isn't a whole lot of LHR's available and a lot of contenders need a LHR.

He can't do a qualifying offer for a player traded mid-season. This is a pure rental.

Ah!! Good call! - that was a change at the last bargaining agreement...or one of the more recent.

 

So a hefty price to pay...

Karabell also says Milone sent to minors and "he's really not that good, Twins fans"

A silly rumor being spread is Price and Zobrist to the Tigers. Now that would be something! Do the Tigers have that much in their system to do this?

 

I'm going to keep thinking it's silly talk.

Ah!! Good call! - that was a change at the last bargaining agreement...or one of the more recent.

 

So a hefty price to pay...

If they get a WS tittle out of it, I'd say it was well worth it. At this point, they are going to be extremely tough to beat.

A silly rumor being spread is Price and Zobrist to the Tigers. Now that would be something! Do the Tigers have that much in their system to do this?

 

I'm going to keep thinking it's silly talk.

 

1. Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 2m

   Intriguing development: Rays officials have scouted Tigers farm system extensively in recent days, source says.

Karabell also says Milone sent to minors and "he's really not that good, Twins fans"

 

I agree with the comment about Karabell being a fantasy guy.  Milone's numbers on the FA market = $10m a year

The Twins still need a catcher going forward, external options for next year aren't great. If Pinto is legit he'll get his time.

 

Unless you have great hope in Herrmann or Fryer.

Freely admit that my imagination is limited, but it can't come up with any realistic scenario where the Twins accomplish something memorable because Kurt Suzuki was a key part of it.  Again, ok player, good guy, over 30, rebuilding, turn the page, even if the next page is (gasp!) gambling on Pinto.

 

FA options are always limited to some extent.  That being said, the Twins entered the season without a major league center fielder on the 25 man roster, and today traded away one acquired on waivers for what could be argued is their new number two starter.  So my feeling is that Twins should reject the drive for mediocrity that a Suzuki extension represents, and focus on rebuilding that involves actual rebuilding.

I agree with the comment about Karabell being a fantasy guy.  Milone's numbers on the FA market = $10m a year

I highly doubt that. 

highly doubt that. 

 

 

A silly rumor being spread is Price and Zobrist to the Tigers. Now that would be something! Do the Tigers have that much in their system to do this?

 

I'm going to keep thinking it's silly talk.

I would love for the Tigers to make that trade and completely dismantle their farm system. 2016 would be all ours!

I would love for the Tigers to make that trade and completely dismantle their farm system. 2016 would be all ours!

I wasn't really aware that the Tigers has a farm system to dismantle anymore. 

1. Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeymanCBS 32s

   Cards getting lackey

    

I'm just picturing John Belushi chanting:

 

'Vargas, Vargas, Vargas.'

 

And it makes my day.

I agree with the comment about Karabell being a fantasy guy. Milone's numbers on the FA market = $10m a year

If this was true, the A's would have been able to deal him for a lot more than Sam Fuld. He could easily be another Worley or Nolasco, guys that are made better by their situation, but that aren't really very good...at least for the Twins.

And it sounds like the Cards have acquired Lackey.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/07/cardinals-acquire-john-lackey.html

 

1. Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeymanCBS 32s

   Cards getting lackey

    

 

I need to learn how to read.  For some reason I thought it said "getting close".  

 

Damn this Lysdexia.

Why shouldn't Nolasco's situation be good with the Twins? He is in a home park that suppresses home runs to left handed hitters. He has thrown every pitch to a veteran catcher that Perkins and Hughes love.

If you have built from trades of your existing players and from your farm system then you have "built from within".    Milone at 3.8 ERA in the American league has a better career resume than Nolasco, much less Pelfrey and Correia.   3.8 AL ERA for career and 3.55 ERA this year do not make him median or a 4th or 5th starter.   If he even gives us his career ERA it is at minimum solid 3.    It would put him around 55 among starters in all of baseball which consist of 30 teams so you can do the math.  Plus we know his ERA as an AL pitcher puts him above similar or better NL ERA's.    If May and Meyer pan out to be 4 ERA or better guys this could be more than just a solid rotation.

Prediction for an august trade:

 

The A's need Fuld because their CFs are injured again.  In a few weeks they will be fine (I am guessing)

 

Fuld for Willingham after August 15th. 

Milone's resume and numbers only look mediocre on the very best staff's.   On most teams they would look very solid.  8 quality starts and 6-0 in his last 11 starts. 

Fuld for Willingham after August 15th. 

 

That would be several levels of hilarious.

Wonder if we could put Nolasco on trade waivers.

 

You want him, come get him!!

 

For "Cash Considerations" aka a bag of balls.

Trading Nolasco now would be a blunder I think.  Today's Lackey trade is evidence that FA disasters can turn it around and become quite valuable.

If any other team had interest in Milone, they easily could have acquired him for very little. The guy just isn't very good.

Wonder if we could put Nolasco on trade waivers.

 

You want him, come get him!!

 

For "Cash Considerations" aka a bag of balls.

I'm pretty sure that most teams put most of their players on trade waivers every August.  Most of good players probably get claimed and pulled off of waivers again and no one ever hears about it.  There's no penalty for putting a guy like Nolasco on trade waivers.  Maybe someone offers you something great, but not very likely.  If a team makes a claim and they aren't serious, you pull them back off of waivers and nothing happens.  No big deal.  

Nolasco would go unclaimed.   He could be dealt anywhere, but I highly doubt teams would go for him.