Alright guys, here is the question. What player in the Twins organization would bring back the biggest haul? Im curious to see some of the answers here because I am stuck. There seems to be an obvious answer but now I am not sure. If you just want to put a name of Twins player that is cool, or even what you might think they could bring back. Lets hear it..

It was Willingham....we missed the boat on that one. As usual.

I still think its Span. If not Span... You have to take the opposite approach and say Sano.

I believe it would be Willingham (no contest). He is also the most valueable to the Twins as their main right handed power hitter. He alone has made the lineup more dangerous, by splitting up Mauer and Morneau so a lefty specialist has much less affect on the Twins. This would make him the hardest piece to replace and why TR wanted the most for him.

Willingham is a great answer. I still think Joe Mauer has alot of value especially if the Twins were to help out a team with his salary. I think Glen Perkins would also bring back a very very quality player. Lefthanded reliever that throws 95 and is signed for a reasonable salary over the next several years.. pretty enticing. Look at what the A's got for Andrew Bailey! I think Perk is just as good if not better. Or do I need to remind everyone what the Nationals got for their closer at the deadline a few years ago.....

Willingham is a great answer. I still think Joe Mauer has alot of value especially if the Twins were to help out a team with his salary. I think Glen Perkins would also bring back a very very quality player. Lefthanded reliever that throws 95 and is signed for a reasonable salary over the next several years.. pretty enticing. Look at what the A's got for Andrew Bailey! I think Perk is just as good if not better. Or do I need to remind everyone what the Nationals got for their closer at the deadline a few years ago.....

 

If the Twins can add contract relief to the equation... It's Mauer without question.

Willingham in the majors and (realistically) Hicks/Arcia in the minors. (Don't see Sano being put on the market but I could see one of those two being moved).

I would say Ben Revere. Young, cheap, controllable, elite up the middle defender and developing into a legit leadoff guy.

1. Mauer

2. Sano

3. Willingham

4. Morneau

5. Hicks

6. Span

7. Revere

8. Arcia

9. Buxton

10. Parmelee/Rosario

 

Note not a pitcher in the bunch, though Berrios would be soon.

And Gibson.

And Gibson.

 

Yes, hopefully he joins that list after bouncing back in 2013 . . . .

 

I almost see it as pointless to include pitchers in any kind of trade talk, unless it involves a MR type.

Yeah, I think there's a zero chance of the Twins trading away a young pitcher. No real point in even discussing it.

It was Willingham....we missed the boat on that one. As usual.

 

Yeah... by not trading a guy just a few months into his deal we missed the boat. How do you expect to convince guys to sign here long-term without NTC's if you trade them away at the midpoint of the first year of a multi year deal?

 

Willingham's value hasn't plummeted... and could still be traded in the future.

Sano, Hicks, and Arciaare not in the conversation. We are a bottom 5 team. Those guys are the guys that will get us out of the cellar. I think the conversion should be abou the guys that will get us prospects back. The hammers value is diminishing as his age and lack of defense hurt. Span's value has taken a hit as he has been injury prone for 2 years now. He will be the guy to go, but Reverre has better value to a team. He is not a leadoff man as he walks far too little. He will be a good number 2 hitter. I see him as the two and hopefully Hicks keeps progressing as a textbook leadoff guy who has a high OBP and can swipe some bases here and there. Also, Perkins and Burton have some good value as hard throwing guys at the back of a bullpen. Mornie, if we eat some of that salary next season, may have some value to a team as a middle of the order basher.

 

Mauer really has little value beause that contract is restricted to 3 maybe 4 teams in the majors. His value is in the number of fans that he brings in to Target field and we NEED him if we want to keep attendance over 40 grand a game.

1. Mauer

2. Sano

3. Willingham

4. Morneau

5. Hicks

6. Span

7. Revere

8. Arcia

9. Buxton

10. Parmelee/Rosario

 

Note not a pitcher in the bunch, though Berrios would be soon.

Morneau is definitely not higher than most of those guys. 1yr/14 mil is not good value even if he returns to elite form. 3 years of span or 5 years of revere for very cheap is way more valuable. The same could be argued for the 6-10 guys

Span and Willingham because of production in relation to contract. Sano, Hicks Arcia, because of prospect status. Mauer (if salary compensation is included)

Willingham...decent contract.

Doumit...has shown that he can catch and continues to hit.

Mauer will always be in demand but basically unaffordable.

Morneau...teams are going to wish they had overpayed for him in July.

Perkins...has a reasonable contract and can be a lefty or possible closer.

Revere is over Span right now. Span's value is when a team is desparate for a replacement player. Twins missed it not trading him in July.

Deduno has come out of nowhere...but would have to be packaged with, say, a Plouffe or Parmelee.

How about our whole front office? The "haul" would be ridding the team of this mess (and dumping it on a different team) and bringing in fresh blood that the organization desperately needs. Probably more valuable than anything the Twins can acquire via trade.

 

(I'm only half kidding...which means I'm also half serious)

No Twin player on the major league roster will get you a "haul". Overpriced or aging players do not get you a haul. Above average outfielders do not get you a haul. At best in a straight up trade any Twin player will get you a b- prospect. If you are paying part of the contract, then you are buying the prospect.

Revere no doubt about!

Morneau trade target one: Boston Red Sox

 

Potential players in return (MLB new prospect rank): 5. RHP Allen Webster: ETA 2013 and 10. 3B Garin Cecchini, ETA: 2014. (with possible Anthony Swarzak throw-in)

 

Boston is not going to be comfortable with James Loney, and who knows about David Ortiz. While Boston is all over the place with their pitching, I would expect them to sign one top SP in the offseason, so Webster is more expendable. Cecchini is promising, but blocked.

Mauer has no trade value as evidenced by zero waiver claims. A singles hitting DH owed 100 mil will net you at best a Vernon Wells contract in return. Sadly, Blacky is just as likely as Mauer to net a prospect.

Mauer has no trade value as evidenced by zero waiver claims. A singles hitting DH owed 100 mil will net you at best a Vernon Wells contract in return. Sadly, Blacky is just as likely as Mauer to net a prospect.

 

The vitriol never stops with you toward Mauer, does it? Zero waiver claims has NOTHING to do with whether or not a trade would happen. If you don't understand that you know nothing about revocable waivers.

 

29 doubles, 3 triples, and 9 homers this year so far. .860 OPS.

 

68 games catching, 27 at 1B, and 35 at DH this year.

You dont understand waivers. If anyone thought it was a fair contract they would claim and hope the Twins outright release him for free. No one wanted to chance that thus Mauer has zero trade value.

 

Mauer is a great hitter but a part time catcher making huge dollars has no trade value.

No current Twin has much trade value. Mauer has way too big a contract. Morneau has a one year ($14 mill) big contract and a concussion history (one more and he will retire like Koskie), Span has proven to be injury prone, Revere may be the best but doesnt walk and has poor arm, Willingham is a DH playing LF, Doumit has injury history (though not this year), Plouffe may have value if he has another year like this...

 

The biggest trade value probably go to Sano and Hicks--but you dont trade your best projects (also true for Parmalee).

No. No one is stupid enough to believe that the Twins would "outright release him for free." It would have been a COMPLETE waste of time for any team to bother and they ALL knew that.

 

Just about the whole roster is put on revocable waivers to muddle things up and disguise true trade interests.

 

Yikes.

 

You are just wrong about Mauer's trade value. It's 6/$138 million remaining, correct? Teams often sign players to such deals knowing that the latter half to 1/3 of the contract is going to be dubious. The point is that those teams want to win and win every year.

 

The Red Sox would throw a lot to get Mauer, for instance. They have several shortstops and pitchers in the system, and I think two of their top 10 prospects are actually catchers. I could see four top 15 Boston prospects coming quite easily.

 

It would still be a mistake for the Twins to do it (unless they were unloading . . . everybody), but to deny this reality is quite strange.

No. No one is stupid enough to believe that the Twins would "outright release him for free." It would have been a COMPLETE waste of time for any team to bother and they ALL knew that.

 

Just about the whole roster is put on revocable waivers to muddle things up and disguise true trade interests.

 

Yikes.

 

You are just wrong about Mauer's trade value. It's 6/$138 million remaining, correct? Teams often sign players to such deals knowing that the latter half to 1/3 of the contract is going to be dubious. The point is that those teams want to win and win every year.

 

The Red Sox would throw a lot to get Mauer, for instance. They have several shortstops and pitchers in the system, and I think two of their top 10 prospects are actually catchers. I could see four top 15 Boston prospects coming quite easily.

 

It would still be a mistake for the Twins to do it (unless they were unloading . . . everybody), but to deny this reality is quite strange.

 

I want what this guy is smoking if he thinks any team would take Mauers contract AND give up a prospect!!!

Yeah... by not trading a guy just a few months into his deal we missed the boat. How do you expect to convince guys to sign here long-term without NTC's if you trade them away at the midpoint of the first year of a multi year deal?

 

Willingham's value hasn't plummeted... and could still be traded in the future.

 

Selling high is selling high. Players follow money - you can still lure free agents. Trading Hammer wasn't exactly going to shutter the windows in the offseason.

 

And a 33 year old on a career year is a threat to plummet in value at any point. Hell, look how much you could argue Span's value plummeted in just the last year.

No. No one is stupid enough to believe that the Twins would "outright release him for free." It would have been a COMPLETE waste of time for any team to bother and they ALL knew that.

 

Just about the whole roster is put on revocable waivers to muddle things up and disguise true trade interests.

 

Yikes.

 

You are just wrong about Mauer's trade value. It's 6/$138 million remaining, correct? Teams often sign players to such deals knowing that the latter half to 1/3 of the contract is going to be dubious. The point is that those teams want to win and win every year.

 

The Red Sox would throw a lot to get Mauer, for instance. They have several shortstops and pitchers in the system, and I think two of their top 10 prospects are actually catchers. I could see four top 15 Boston prospects coming quite easily.

 

It would still be a mistake for the Twins to do it (unless they were unloading . . . everybody), but to deny this reality is quite strange.

 

I want what this guy is smoking if he thinks any team would take Mauers contract AND give up a prospect!!!

 

Were the reasons I gave you not adequate? Especially with a team like Boston? The team that just unloaded a bunch of money in Crawford, Beckett, and Gonzalez? The team that is likely not going to pay David Ortiz $12 million or whatever next year. The team that has Jarrod Saltalamacchia (sp?) to catch the rest of the games that Mauer doesn't? The team that plays in a stadium that would likely produce a significant increase in Mauer's offensive production? 15-20 homers and 40 doubles would not be out of the question with that short right field and that Green Monster.

 

Do you really think that if Mauer were a free agent that the Red Sox wouldn't pay him $138 million over 6 years? Without that option, trading from prospect depth isn't a huge extra burden.

 

The Red Sox are not the Twins. The expectation there is to win the World Series each year.

By the way, it is something like $57 million dumped by the Red Sox between Gonzalez, Crawford, and Beckett for the next 2 years, and $41+ million for Gonzalez and Crawford for the next 5 or six years.

 

Adding $23 million would still allow them to spend mightily.