Article: To Tender Or Not To Tender

[DaveW]

 

 

I'm in the camp of non-tendering Milone. Whether he's at $4.5 million up to $7 million, the amount is still going to be significant enough where he will be favored over a younger player such as Berrios, Duffey, Meyer, etc. That's been the argument this whole time with Nolasco, Hughes, Santana, etc. that they're making too much money not to be in the rotation. 

In a perfect world he would be in the same role he was last year; in AAA until an injury happens. But the Twins will not operate like that with his pending salary next season.

This is an excellent post/point.

 

Add May to that list as well, he was favored over Trevor May this year who was booted from the rotation for no real good reason. If the Twins want to contend, they need guys with upside to step up in 2016, if they want to hover around .500 and not make the playoffs, then having guys like Milone take those starts instead of May, Duffey or Berrios is the way to go.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I'm in the camp of non-tendering Milone. Whether he's at $4.5 million up to $7 million, the amount is still going to be significant enough where he will be favored over a younger player such as Berrios, Duffey, Meyer, etc. That's been the argument this whole time with Nolasco, Hughes, Santana, etc. that they're making too much money not to be in the rotation. 

In a perfect world he would be in the same role he was last year; in AAA until an injury happens. But the Twins will not operate like that with his pending salary next season.

 

Technically, Milone is out of options, and with over 3 years service time, he can now refuse an outright assignment to AAA even if he clears waivers (although maybe that's what you wish was different "in a perfect world").

 

I know I've made this non-tender argument about Fien, but I'm not quite sure I'd extend it to Milone yet.  We're not likely to sign or acquire another SP this winter, so Milone's presence isn't preventing that, and while his value isn't high, I think he's easily tradeable as a LHSP making only $4.5 mil coming off a 106 ERA+, should we need to move him.  (And I would be looking at trading a starter, especially if we can sign a reliever and give May another shot in the rotation.)

 

I fear Fien, like Duensing before him, might simply be untradeable for awhile.

[Vanimal46]

 

Technically, Milone is out of options, and with over 3 years service time, he can now refuse an outright assignment to AAA even if he clears waivers (although maybe that's what you wish was different "in a perfect world").

 

I know I've made this non-tender argument about Fien, but I'm not quite sure I'd extend it to Milone yet.  We're not likely to sign or acquire another SP this winter, so Milone's presence isn't preventing that, and while his value isn't high, I think he's easily tradeable as a LHSP making only $4.5 mil coming off a 106 ERA+, should we need to move him.  (And I would be looking at trading a starter, especially if we can sign a reliever and give May another shot in the rotation.)

 

I fear Fien, like Duensing before him, might simply be untradeable for awhile.

 

The fact that he's out of options cements my stance of not offering arbitration to him. Unless there's a pending deal in place to trade him this winter, then fine, offer arbitration. Personally I'd rather have an open competition between all of the young guys for the #5 spot this spring. And best case, I'd like to see Berrios up ASAP once the service time loophole has passed. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The fact that he's out of options cements my stance of not offering arbitration to him. Unless there's a pending deal in place to trade him this winter, then fine, offer arbitration. Personally I'd rather have an open competition between all of the young guys for the #5 spot this spring. And best case, I'd like to see Berrios up ASAP once the service time loophole has passed. 

But I am pretty sure you can unload Milone and his salary in spring training, or early in the season, or basically whenever you need to.  So you can still have your 5th starter competition, look to call up Berrios early, etc, and Milone's lack of options really shouldn't matter.

 

If Milone sticks around the rotation longer than that and blocks anyone, I suspect it would be the effect of locking May into the pen rather than the cause.  Which would be bad too, but again, the root cause of that situation, or first domino if you will, would be locking up mediocre relievers like Fien and Cotts and passing on real relief upgrades in the FA market.

[kab21]

I don't see a reason not to tender Nunez a contract.  The Twins are almost guaranteed to carry two backup IF'ers and he can actually hit alright for a bench player that can play multiple IF/OF positions.  He would pair nice with Danny Santana because the Twins could then keep a bat first bench player which I have always wanted to have on the team.

 

Fien and Milone are dependent on what else the Twins plan on doing this offseason and how serious they are about putting May into the rotation. 

 

If May is in the rotation then they are 6 deep plus they need a place to stash Nolasco if he makes the team.  Berrios goes to AAA and Nolasco is either in the rotation or long relief.  There simply isn't room and not a great need for an 8th starter.  You can still tender him a contract but I would trade him for anything.

 

Fien depends on May, Nolasco/Milone (in long relief) and if the Twins go after another RP'er.  There are only so many bullpen spots available.

 

In addition to this tendering contracts depends on what kind of spending the Twins have planned.  If they are mostly standing pat and don't need money then they might as well keep all of the players.  If they are planning to make a mid sized splash somewhere then they might want the financial flexibility.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I don't think non-tendering Milone is settling on a 5 man rotation.  Even without Milone in house, you have Hughes, Santana, Gibson, May (options), Duffey (options), and Nolasco (like it or not, he's in this picture). As well, you have Berrios in Rochester who is basically major league ready.  On the 40 man, you have a major league ready (with much lower upside) guy in Rogers as well as a wildcard in Meyer.  I don't think the team's depth is hurt by trading Milone.  I'd most certainly do it.  I do agree that if there's no deal in place, he'd be non-tendered.  He doesn't have options, so you cannot stash him in Rochester.  I would think though that someone would trade something for him. Milone is a reliable 5th starter who isn't terribly expensive. That has value, maybe not a ton, but given what some teams have trotted out there every 5th day, someone will take him off our hands, for likely a better return than Sam Fuld.

[TRex]

 

<snip>

someone will take him off our hands, for likely a better return than Sam Fuld.

Remember that we signed Sam Fuld off waivers, which is, by definition, someone who has no trade value!

 

But seriously, is Milone really worth more now than when we acquired him? He is closer to FA, more expensive, and no longer has options remaining?

[sane09]

It's all epidemic (that is intentional) now!

According to the STRIB:

"The Twins offered 2016 contracts to each of their six arbitration-eligible players by Wednesday’s 11 p.m. deadline. Eduardo Escobar, Trevor Plouffe, Eduardo Nunez, Kevin Jepsen, Tommy Milone and Casey Fien could have become free agents if the Twins had chosen not to tender contracts by the deadline"

[mikelink45]

Move Fien and move on - he had his upside days and relievers are not consistent year by year, however the K trend is a real indicator.  We have other options.  Nunez is another question mark.  He does just enough good to think he has something, but the key is his low cost so he will be kept. 

Milone and Plouffe should be sign and trade candidates.  The Twins have some players for a multi-player trade!