Article: Twins Must Clear Infield Logjam Quickly

[Trevor0333]

I'd try to get the Royals involved in helping to alleviate this logjam. They need a temp 3B & perm 2B after DFA Infante. Their not adding payroll & maybe the rumors of them being fed up with Ventura are true. Let's say Plouffe comes back soon, E.Santana strings together a couple good starts, & Dozier's resurgence to continues. I'm going to spend some Pohlad money eating some contract money, $26M worth.

 

Offer up Dozier, Plouffe, Nunez, E.Santana, & Alex Meyer for Yordano Ventura

 

E.Santana - paying the remainder of this seasnon & 2017 (signed through 2018). $20.25M - Royals know Santana well and hopefully his mentality to strive in winning environments gives them a more reliable and less combustable #2 pitcher to make another WS run.

 

Plouffe - paying remainder of this years salary. $3.5M - Plouffe gives them a better 3B placeholder for Moustakas loss and non gauranteed insurance next year if he doesnt recover quickly. Sano slides into 3B for Twins.

 

Dozier - paying remainder of this year salary. $1.5M - Dozier is finally back to himself and has good value on a modest contract under his normal production. His bat & D would really help improve the depth of KC's lineup. Twins have out of options & mlb ready Jorge Polanco to take over.

 

Nunez - paying remainder of this year salary. $1M - Nunez adds an excellent bench bat for the team to use throughout the year and into the postseason. Hopefully taking advantage of his strong year to help them get another ring.

 

Meyer - He gives the Royals a high velocity arm they can potentially turn into a RP based on their success doing so with others. Meyer needs a fresh start in a new organization.

 

Next year they roll with
SP Berrios / Ventura / Gibson / May / Duffey
RP Rogers / Chargois / Burdi / Abad / Tonkin / Pressley 
DH Park / C ? / 1B Mauer / 2B Polanco / SS Escobar / 3B Sano / OF Rosario-Buxton-Kepler
Bench JR Murphy / Vargas / Grossman / D.Santana

Edited June 25, 2016 by Trevor0333

[jimmer]

For the love of God, let's never consider Yordano Ventura.

[ND-Fan]

Trading Plouffe would be answer but the problem is nobody is willing to take him at his cost. Nunez will be traded soon as the all star game is over. I really think they should trade Dozier now and get what ever they can for him I think his numbers are improving to point where somebody would be interested in him for the stretch run.

That would leave you with Polanco at second and Escobar at SS and Sayno at third with Danny Santanna as your backup. Dozier in my mind doesn't fit into Twins longterm plans for this team because he will be to costly and better talent is pushing for his position. Also if Escobar doesn't work Gordon is soon to be here for longterm shortstop. I also have my doubts about Sano for the future he going to have to rededicate himself if he wants to be big time baseball star. I have doubts about that now he looks to satisfied right now and wants to play in social life. Park I think needs just at bats at major league level because he's proven he can hit triple A level in Korea. I just don't see where the Twins get much return because major league baseball clubs know that they have jettison some of this talent to keep there young talent and they know Twins will never trade any of their young talent away.

[jimmer]

 

Trading Plouffe would be answer but the problem is nobody is willing to take him at his cost. Nunez will be traded soon as the all star game is over.

Nunez is going to get another contract from Ryan.

[chopper0080]

I don't believe the Dozier situation is that difficult.  You have an inconsistent player who is playing well right now.  You trade him, get what you can for him, and move Polanco into the starting lineup.  If you can raise up the return by packaging something with Dozier, that is great, but if not, oh well.  Dozier is a similar situation to what the Twins went through with Willingham, Perkins, Hughes, and Suzuki.  In all of those other situations, the Twins held onto the player because they could not get value for them.  Well, the Twins fail to recognize that you are never going to be able to get the value for these player's max production.  But you also don't want to put yourself in a position to get nothing for them (which we have been excellent at doing).  

 

Either sell for a lottery ticket prospect, or sell for a higher ceiling player whose value is low or get a vet at position where your depth is not great.  I can't imagine anyone is selling bullpen arms, but if you could get one, the Twins should do it.  The point is that something is only as valuable as what someone else is willing to pay for it.  We need to unload these players, and it is better for the Twins long term to get something and move on rather than being consumed with getting our preceived value for them.

 

I would keep our pitching unless someone wants one of the starters.  I would trade Plouffe and Dozier.  I would hold onto Nunez and Escobar because that is an ok middle infield rotation and is worth more than you would get for them in a trade.  Head into next season with Sano, Polanco and Mauer in the infield and figure the rest out.  The outfield should work itself out long term but Sano at 3B should allow the Twins to get more athleticism and cover more ground.  We should, at worst, have a solid defensive outfield with the other players we have.