Per the below tweet from LaVelle E Neal, the Twins say they are not trading Ricky Nolasco.

 

 

 

Twins are not trading Ricky Nolasco. They don't want to sell low.

 

 

That's fair, but I think Nick's response  to that tweet may be more accurate:

 

 

In other words, no one offered anything.

 

So they are holding out for a pack of 1988 Fleer baseball cards and a NEW piece of gum instead of a pack of 1988 Fleer baseball cards with the original gum?

Can't fool old Terry!

haha Nick hit the nail directly on the head. The only way Nolasco's value will rise is by the time remaining on the contract. No team wants 2 more years of this headache. 

So he is in the rotation then to start the year as they will need to build his trade value for the trade deadline.  

 

So are they afraid that if they give yet another pitcher away and that pitcher does well outside the Twins org they will look even more foolish than they have in the past? or as stated above is no one interested at all in Ricky Nolasco given his recent performance?

 

Well here's to hoping Ricky gets back on track and that Twins trade him if he does.  Odds are he has decent start to the season and the Twins will think he is fixed and not trade him. 

 

Well I guess I shouldn't complain because at the time I thought Nolasco was one of the safer picks in free agency when the Twins got him.  So I was horribly wrong as well.

Edited December 9, 201510 yr by Dman

No reason to pay for him to play for another team and get nothing in return.

 

So they are holding out for a pack of 1988 Fleer baseball cards and a NEW piece of gum instead of a pack of 1988 Fleer baseball cards with the original gum?

Can't fool old Terry!

 

Fleer didn't have gum, they had stickers. Topps had the gum.

 

...

 

Well I guess I shouldn't complain because at the time I thought Nolasco was one of the safer picks in free agency when the Twins got him.  So I was horribly wrong as well.

 

 Thank you for reminding myself about this, I was excited when I learned about the signing. I just hope if he gets a spot in the rotation and he falls on his face they are not afraid to demote him to the pen.

Just because he make 12 million is not a reason to have a spot in the rotation.

 

No reason to pay for him to play for another team and get nothing in return.

Except the games we will lose when he pitches.

Yeah, that just means we called everyone and they laughed at us. 

 

I just hope we don't give him a rotation spot until he proves he is both healthy and effective.  Seems like a reasonable ask.

My suggestion:

Have Nolasco pitch batting practice without an L-screen and hope that insurance will pay off his contract.

If he is healthy in ST and pitching well, could this change everyone's thinking and time table for a trade I wonder?

And so...fine...if you aren't going to do anything and everything to get rid of him, then move him to the pen where he can throw harder and shorter. Might make him more effective. He showed a proclivity for strikeouts last season when he was actually on the mound. Might keep him more healthy pitching shorter stints. 

 

Per the below tweet from LaVelle E Neal, the Twins say they are not trading Ricky Nolasco.

 

 

 

 

That's fair, but I think Nick's response  to that tweet may be more accurate:

Who's to say, at this point, they wouldn't be selling "high". He could be even worse in 2016...

Who's to say, at this point, they wouldn't be selling "high". He could be even worse in 2016...

At least he will be owed less money.

Exactly, move him to the pen as a swingman if he can't cut it then time to eat the money.  Best thing the Cubs did with Edwin Jackson who signed a 4y/52M before they dumped him halfway thru his third season with 22M/2YR left on the contract.  The Twins have better and more viable starting arms than Ricky at this point.

 

Exactly, move him to the pen as a swingman if he can't cut it then time to eat the money.  Best thing the Cubs did with Edwin Jackson who signed a 4y/52M before they dumped him halfway thru his third season with 22M/2YR left on the contract.  The Twins have better and more viable starting arms than Ricky at this point.

 

Yep. I can see him starting but if that goes poorly, then he will get released around midseason. 

 

Best case scenario is that he rebounds and can be traded for a bag of balls at the deadline.

 

Just because he make 12 million is not a reason to have a spot in the rotation.

 

Except that this is the exact logic that the Twins are already using with Mauer.

 

Except that this is the exact logic that the Twins are already using with Mauer.

I'll admit, Mauer has not been playing to the level we expect, but it's a bit of a stretch to draw comparisons between Mauer and Nolasco...

Maybe this is similar to the whole "we don't need to trade Plouffe because we are going to play Sano in the OF" smokescreen.  One can only hope......

 

Except that this is the exact logic that the Twins are already using with Mauer.

That's different, Joe's the face of the franchise, fan favorite, and has been in the organization since 2001.  He's also due 69M/3YR compared to Rickey's 25M/2YR.

Nolasco has been injured for two years and was mediocre prior to the injury. On the open market he might get 1-2 million with incentives. That is very little trade value. Even if the Twins cover the difference, they still don't get a return of a player.

 

Essentially the Twins could offer Nolasco and pay all of his salary over the next two years and get a marginal prospect in return. Might as well keep him. If he can return to his number 4 starter level, that is better than anything they would get in trade. If he doesn't perform in spring or early on, release him.

 

Maybe this is similar to the whole "we don't need to trade Plouffe because we are going to play Sano in the OF" smokescreen.  One can only hope......

I'm not sure that is a smokescreen...

Duh. 

 

No reason to pay for him to play for another team and get nothing in return.

Getting nothing in return would be a win for the team.  If he makes the team then he takes away a roster spot from a player with more upside and Nolasco probably has more downside.  For example if Nolasco is in the rotation then May or Duffey isn't.  If he is in the bullpen then Meyer, Burdi, Chargois, Pressly, Graham (or some other hard throwing prospect) isn't.

I'm not big on the idea of Nolasco taking a spot of a younger player in the rotation or the pen just to build up trade value. If Pelfrey couldn't build any trade value during his surprising season last year, I doubt Nolasco and his worse contract could.

Well this is the Twins way. Put him back in the rotation, settle for mediocrity. I figured the only way they could have dumped that contract was package a high end prospect which they weren't willing to do.

Doesn't it sometimes feel like they Twins' brass is playing a completely different game than the other GMs?

 

Doesn't it sometimes feel like they Twins' brass is playing a completely different game than the other GMs?

Bright side is, we don't have Dave Stewart as a GM. So it could be worse.

I hope they keep Nolasco.  He started 8 games last year and the Twins won 5 of them.  That is pretty good percentage.

Who knows?  Maybe he will be great.   Everyone was way down on Perkins at one point, at May at one point, at Dozier at one point. at Pelfrey at many points.   We will get nothing for him so forget about that but at least give him a chance and yes, my huge preference would be that he goes to the bullpen.   No reason to give up on him, nor is there any reason at this point to trot him out there just because he makes a boatload of money.