Not terribly surprising.

The question remains: is this meant to supplement, or substitute for, a SP trade acquisition?

 

hmmm ... guessing the A's price tag was too much? Although, they had been linked to him earlier

Meh. I'll be shocked if he's effective and healthy this year. but, here's hoping he is.

Also, I believe that tweet misspelled his name -- it's "Johnny" like Klippstein, not "Jhonny" like Peralta.

Unless we're signing a totally different guy.

5 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

Also, I believe that tweet misspelled his name -- it's "Johnny" like Klippstein, not "Jhonny" like Peralta.

Unless we're signing a totally different guy.

I hadn't thought about Klippstein in years! Second best reliever on the Twins 1965 pennant-winners!

I am only going to say this meekly as I ended up being wrong about the SS scenario but I have to believe the price is just too high right now for Montas.  If this ends up being a Pittsburgh Overpay scenario then I will be happy the Twins are out of the running.  There has to be other ways to get what we need.

1 minute ago, Dman said:

I am only going to say this meekly as I ended up being wrong about the SS scenario but I have to believe the price is just too high right now for Montas.  If this ends up being a Pittsburgh Overpay scenario then I will be happy the Twins are out of the running.  There has to be other ways to get what we need.

I think you're right. They may be asking too much for one year of Maenea as well. With Dobnak out, more depth is needed surely.

I was hoping for a 4-5 SP in Cueto or Archer. Here's hoping a trade is still on the table.

Both Arraez and Urshela are good MLB players and the Twins have Miranda too leaving a little bit of a surplus. While it would be cool if the Twins can retain Arraez and pick up a starting pitcher, I would think he would have more value than Manaea. I'm a little surprised at the difficulty of the current market. Oakland, Miami, San Diego, and Cincinnati may want to drive the market at their prices but each stands to lose if they do not make a few simple moves. Miami could move Jazz to CF. He wasn't that great at 2B and a Urshela or Arraez would boost their team as would Kepler, but the Twins need Kepler's glove. How about Arraez, Larnach, Duran, and a player from outside the 40 person for Pablo Lopez? San Diego would benefit from Kepler too and even Larnach may help them while it seems their team could use a Arraez or Urshela. Cueto doesn't move the needle much. 

A fine move, though they still kinda need to make a trade with the A's or Reds. At this point, I don't even really care who they get that much, all the options are good to great.

1 hour ago, MandM said:

I was hoping for a 4-5 SP in Cueto or Archer. Here's hoping a trade is still on the table.

The Twins should be focusing on a trade not on Cueto. Archer has much more upside and is a much better fit than Cueto. Archer could ease the pain of not getting a front line pitcher, Cueto would not.

I like this as a depth signing to supplement to a front of the rotation trade. It lets the team use Bailey Ober as trade bait to get that top of the rotation arm. 

It wouldn't be a Falvey and LeVine offseason without signing a seriously over the hill starter whose production is poised to fall off a cliff.

26 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

A fine move, though they still kinda need to make a trade with the A's or Reds. At this point, I don't even really care who they get that much, all the options are good to great.

I'm wondering if the A's might be thinking they'll get better value at the deadline when teams are more desperate.

Magic 8-ball suggests this could also mean a switch in emphasis from Montas to the (presumably) more affordable Manea, in order to have a lefty in the rotation.

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Both Arraez and Urshela are good MLB players and the Twins have Miranda too leaving a little bit of a surplus. While it would be cool if the Twins can retain Arraez and pick up a starting pitcher, I would think he would have more value than Manaea. I'm a little surprised at the difficulty of the current market. Oakland, Miami, San Diego, and Cincinnati may want to drive the market at their prices but each stands to lose if they do not make a few simple moves. Miami could move Jazz to CF. He wasn't that great at 2B and a Urshela or Arraez would boost their team as would Kepler, but the Twins need Kepler's glove. How about Arraez, Larnach, Duran, and a player from outside the 40 person for Pablo Lopez? San Diego would benefit from Kepler too and even Larnach may help them while it seems their team could use a Arraez or Urshela. Cueto doesn't move the needle much. 

For all we know the FO has floated those names around to those teams, but the teams are not agreeing.  Just because you think it is a good win win offer, does not mean the other teams GM's agree. 

I do not think even signing Cueto will mean they are out on possible trade.  However, being trade has not happened yet, I think they plan to wait it out.  The fact they pivoted quickly with Correa when story was not agreeing, shows the FO will change it up fast if needed.  I wonder if Oakland is just saying we can wait it out until maybe more teams get in the mix. 

I shouldn't be worried, because last time I was they signed Correa, but I worry there won't be more impact pitching, I like Cueto as a 5, but They still need a number 1 or 2 starter. They have the minor and major league talent to get this deal done and the Twins need to have a good season for Correa to consider returning for year 2.

 

Cueto could be a Dobnak replacement since he is now out.  maybe Ryan and Ober and Bundy are competing for 2 spots in the rotation out of the gate and we still make a trade.  Maybe we are signing Cueto because we need to include Ryan or Ober in the trade for Montas.  So many potential twists and turns.

I've always been OK with him or Pineda as an experienced, "short term" veteran to just be solid, give the team a chance, and be replaceable for one of the prospects. I would have preferred Pineda, but not going to complain here. 

I do think a trade is still very possible, but I'm no longer 100% on it. I'm probably 75-80%. And I think everyone is correct about asking prices. If you believe all the rumors put there, half the league is being linked to Oakland and other potentially available arms. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if the prices are ridiculous right now. Also wouldn't surprise me if the FO just moves on from Oakland and suddenly makes a deal with someone else. Sure wouldn't be the first time they surprised us.

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Meh. I'll be shocked if he's effective and healthy this year. but, here's hoping he is.

After the Twins luck with these deals, I'll be shocked as well.

Hopefully, he will last long enough to give the Winder types a chance to get honed in.  Regardless, I think he's still a better option than calling up Chi Chi.

39 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

I like Cueto as a 5, but They still need a number 1 or 2 starter.

This sums it up perfectly. The rotation can beginwth Gray, but when the next three are Bundy, Ober, and Ryan, there's not enough depth or experience to make the playoffs unless the front office expects to win win 50 or 60 games with scores of 9-7

If the rotation is 

Gray - Bundy - Ober - Ryan - Cueto

and then Winder and Balazovic get an opportunity to start later on this year, and then Maeda comes back in the second half of the season….I think that works.  
 

Would I prefer a trade for Montas?  Maybe, but if the cost is either Lewis or Martin, plus Winder or Balazovic, I think I’d pass on that.  I’m thinking “be careful what you wish for” and people might have misgivings if a trade comes to fruition at the actual cost.

I wouldn’t be against signing Cueto as a #5 starter, but don’t sign multiple #5 starters. It didn’t go so well for the Twins last year when they did that.

It is very possible that Cueto is a replacement for Dobnak, and that it changes nothing on the trade front.  The young arms are mostly coming off injuries, so I would expect they will have limitations on innings when they are in the bigs, so they are going to need depth.  I can't see them signing Correa and then putting out a rotation that is at least one major arm short.  As for Romero, I think they may think he has more to offer than Stashak or Thorpe.  IF the Twins trade for a pitcher, 40 man spots are likely to open up.

Down at the Fort.  Dobnack will be out for the year most likely.  Similar finger issue to what Rogers had, but hasn't healed since last year.  Just saying, if we were counting on him for a #4-5 spot...not going to happen.

53 minutes ago, AlwaysinModeration said:

Gray - Bundy - Ober - Ryan - Cueto

Last year's WAR totals

3.4 -0.3 1.1 0.4 0.9

If you project out Joe Ryan to 75 additional innings (he threw 66 more in AAA last season) that 0.4 changes to a 1.6

Chicago White Sox rotation

Lynn 5.4 Giolito 4.3 Cease 2.9 Kopech 1.3 Keuchel 0.0

The White Sox win that comparison 14 to 7.5. The Guardians also have a better rotation than the Twins.

I guess it matches up okay with the Tigers:

Rodriguez 1.9 Mize 3.2 Skubal 1.7 Manning -0.4 Pineda 1.4

Not what everyone wanted, but if the price for Montas is too high, then this could help fill out the rotation in the near term. By July, either one of the younger guys will have stepped up or they can trade for a rental. Hopefully supply will increase and the price in prospects won't be as high.

10 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Last year's WAR totals

3.4 -0.3 1.1 0.4 0.9

If you project out Joe Ryan to 75 additional innings (he threw 66 more in AAA last season) that 0.4 changes to a 1.6

Chicago White Sox rotation

Lynn 5.4 Giolito 4.3 Cease 2.9 Kopech 1.3 Keuchel 0.0

The White Sox win that comparison 14 to 7.5. The Guardians also have a better rotation than the Twins.

I guess it matches up okay with the Tigers:

Rodriguez 1.9 Mize 3.2 Skubal 1.7 Manning -0.4 Pineda 1.4

As a staff, we had a negative pitching WAR last year. Baltimore's 52 win team was nearly 2 WAR better, pitching-wise, then the Twins. 

I wonder if the Twins are waiting to clear some 40-man room. The Correa signing isn’t official and adding Cueto would require another move. They could 60-day Enlow, but then he gets MLB pay (+ service time?). Perhaps a trade including prospects for a established pitcher.