Article: Three-Bagger: Park Arrives, Making Room & Zim

[Nick Nelson]

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Let's get caught up on some of the latest Twins-related offseason stories as we prepare to flip the calendar to December.* Korean slugger Byung Ho Park is traveling to Minnesota this week, where his side will meet with the Twins in efforts to hammer out a deal ahead of the December 8th deadline, which is suddenly only a week away.

 

The Twins won exclusive negotiating rights with Park in early November with a $12.85 million bid. Using the contract that Pittsburgh inked with fellow Korean Jung Ho Kang last year as a baseline, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press ballparks a prospective Park contract around five years and $32.5 million. That would represent a total investment of $45 million, which would signal a very strong belief in Park's ability. It would also mark the third straight offseason in which the Twins invest more than $40 million into a free agent.

 

All expectations are that a deal will be finalized this week.

 

* If Park does indeed sign, attention will shift to finding a spot for him in the lineup. Things have been quiet on the Trevor Plouffe trade rumor front up to this point, but that could change when the MLB Winter Meetings get underway in Nashville next Monday.

 

Bringing general managers from all 30 teams together in one central location, the Winter Meetings often serve as a springboard for trade talks. A few weeks ago we took a look at Plouffe's potential trade market.

 

Miguel Sano, who will need to move out of the DH spot in order to make room for Park, has recently missed some time in the Dominican Winter League team for what Berardino reports was a trip back to the United Sates at the Twins' request.

 

Sano was expected to return to action this week. Curiously, he has played only at DH and third base in the winter league despite Twins officials holding the line that the current plan is to move him to the outfield in 2016.

 

* The Tigers made their first big splash of the offseason this weekend when they agreed to terms with right-hander Jordan Zimmermann on a five-year, $110 million contract.

 

It's a return to the midwest for the 29-year-old Zimmermann, who hails from Auburndale, WI, and played college ball three hours east of the Twin Cities in Stevens Point. He has spent his entire career pitching for the Nationals, compiling a 70-50 record with a 3.22 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, and his control is elite. It will be interesting to see how his game translates to the American League.

 

While the Twins were adding 13 wins to their 2014 total this year, the Tigers moved in the opposite direction by adding 15 losses and missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. They needed a replacement at the top of the rotation with David Price out of the picture, and it looks like they're betting on Zimmermann, who we ranked as the No. 4 free agent starter in the Offseason Handbook.

 

Even with the addition of a premium arm, the Tigers have plenty to worry about going forward. Their roster is aging and they're not likely to get a whole lot of help from a farm system that was ranked by Baseball America in the spring as the worst in baseball (though, in fairness, was bolstered by the Price trade in July).

 

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[nicksaviking]

With the recent losses of Scherzer and Price (and in all but name Verlander) count me thrilled that the Tigers are now building around mid-to-low strikeout contact arms Norris and Zimmerman. This new look Detroit rotation looks pretty unthreatening to me.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Detroit's moves don't really make a ton of sense.  This team is on the down swing and I don't see them resurging.  Zimmerman isn't Price, and their core is getting even older. 

[HitInAPinch]

Park is now in town and the line I'm reading the most is both sides expect a contract to be signed, soon.  Also read on MLB Rumors, a Boston Herald writer predicts numbers like the 2015 version of Mitch Moreland.  I'd take that for a first season.

 

Sounds like Ryan is still set on the same course.  From this mornings Strib:  "Ryan said the Twins prefer to keep current first baseman Joe Mauer and third baseman Trevor Plouffe in those spots, but that Miguel Sano, who launched 18 home runs in half a season as the Twins’ DH, will move to the outfield to accommodate the newcomer."

 

There are some stories out there that Sano is hurt.  There are others that say his recall to MN was just a standard health eval. 

[theBOMisthebomb]

Bench Mauer if he is the worst option between Park, Sano, Plouffe, and Mauer. Why are we obligated to play old Joe because of his salary?

[Vanimal46]

 

With the recent losses of Scherzer and Price (and in all but name Verlander) count me thrilled that the Tigers are now building around mid-to-low strikeout contact arms Norris and Zimmerman. This new look Detroit rotation looks pretty unthreatening to me.

 

Per your comment on building a rotation around mid-to-low strikeout contact arms, the only Twins SP to have a higher K/9 rate than Zimmerman is Duffey on a SSS. So our staff is more "threatening" than the Tigers with Zimmerman, Sanchez, Norris, Verlander? 

[South Dakota Tom]

No, we have an unthreatening staff as well. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Detroit's moves don't really make a ton of sense.  This team is on the down swing and I don't see them resurging.  Zimmerman isn't Price, and their core is getting even older. 

What would make more sense for Detroit?  They've got commitments, some to still very good players (Cabrera, JD Martinez, plus Kinsler and Verlander finished up pretty well last year).  They're not doomed to last place or anything.  Doesn't really make sense to blow it all up (if that's even possible, given their commitments) or do little or nothing, that's a recipe for stagnation.

 

Given their question marks, a $200 mil blockbuster contract might not make sense for these Tigers, but that's not what they signed here.  They signed a very good pitcher to what looks like a perfectly reasonable deal.  It may not be enough to put them back on top by itself, but without a doubt it improves the team, nothing wrong with that.

[Don Walcott]

I just wonder if we could have had Zimmermann pitching for us instead of against us next season.  For that price, he would have been a huge upgrade in the Twins' starting pitching, and I believe he would have helped our bullpen as well.  Now, let's hope the Twins can get Cueto, Greinke or Price.  The AL Central is going to be tough.

[Vanimal46]

It would have been nice to be the first team to pounce on a pitcher this offseason. Now the market is set, and the 3 other notable pitchers are all going to want more than $22 million a season. 

[Andrew]

I just wonder if we could have had Zimmermann pitching for us instead of against us next season. For that price, he would have been a huge upgrade in the Twins' starting pitching, and I believe he would have helped our bullpen as well. Now, let's hope the Twins can get Cueto, Greinke or Price. The AL Central is going to be tough.

Doubtful we make a move on a SP (as I feel that TR believes he spent enough on the rotation), if we do though I'd want Grienke. He seems like his stuff will age well as he doesn't rely on his velocity and he seems consistant and because of this his age doesn't scare me, however Cueto and Price both worry me, one with being able to pitch at ace level in the AL and the other with the lack of postseason success. I truly believe Grienke's contract is the one that people regret the least after its all said and done. Edited November 30, 2015 by Andrew

[Ncgo4]

Jeeze, a rumor that our 280 lb rookie might have gotten injured playing 3rd base. Who'd a thunk? Silly rumors aside I'll be interested to hear what actually brought him back to the US. Everyone, in my opinion, is waaaaay too optimistic about his 2016 upcoming season. I have no doubt about his sure fire stardom, but 80 games is way too soon to draw conclusions on 2016. It will be, after all, his dreaded Sophomore season.

 

He has a lot more to learn about ML pitching than patience. It scares me to death that they might also put him into a totally strange place in the field. Hopefully this is the GM raising the price on Plouffe.

[Don Walcott]

Apparently, Cueto just turned down $20 million per year for 6 years from the D-Backs.  I understand the Twins are unlikely to be in the bidding for the top available starters.  But I think they should be.  I fear the team will regress with out a serious quality upgrade in the pitching staff.  The Tigers look like the team everyone predicted would win the division in 2015, but now they have a closer to anchor their bullpen.