Grade the Minnesota Twins’ 2022 Trade Deadline!

[cHawk]

It’s literally Christmas in Twins Territory right now, yet it is currently 90°F+ outside & no snow in sight.

Key Acquisitions
 •  RHP Jorge Lopez
 •  RHP Tyler Mahle
 •  RHP Michael Fulmer
 •  C Sandy Leon

Questions for Discussion - please stick to the realm of these questions
 1.   What grade do you give Falvey & Levine for these moves?
 2.  What do you think of what was done? Does it make the team better? Why or why not?
 3.  Are the Twins better suited to make the postseason this year? If they make the postseason, are they better suited to win a game and (possibly) a series if/when they get there?
 4.  How do these moves change the outlook for 2023 and beyond?

[PseudoSABR]

It's an A for me.  Three pitchers, with two of them under team control, gave up very little in terms of the top 10 prospects.  

[Reptevia]

B. It does make the team better. Probably locks up the division for them. 
They’ll probably still get swept in 1st round. 
They might actually have a reasonable rotation next year. 

 

[CRF]

Solid B.

[Rosterman]

What makes it a plus is that the Guardians and White Sox were basically inactive.

Yes, I shudder when the Twins starting outfield tonight is Cave, Gordon and Contreras with a bench of Beckham and Hamilton, and Archer and his four innings is on the mound.

Two unknown pitchers from the DSL/FCL. One with exceptional promise, but aren't they all at that age.

Povich and Hajjar will be quickly replaced by current draft class members.

Gipson-Long is behind Balazovic, Henriquez, Sands, Enlow, Varland, Canterino at best.

Steer would be a wonderful reserve infielder, perhaps moreso than Gordon. But the Twins also have to think about Helman in an already crowded potential 40-man roster field.

The Twins got rid of two "hypens" and CES was one showing great punch. He will be one to watch.

With all the action also comes other casualities. Sanchez, Cotton and one other member of the 26 will be gone in a day. Godoy was designated. All the players back in trade are better than others currently on the roster. That is what counts. Even L:eon would be a great defensive catcher behind-the-plate (someone has to contribute to the 27 outs each game), so Sanchez can DH more now that the Sano issue has been...solved.

The weakest division saw just one team attempt to make improvements. And that was The Minnesota Twins!

P.S. The Twins now have 10 players on the 60-day, at least half will be retained on the 2023 spring roster. Can they get healthy, stay healthy, and play healthy?

[Brandon]

I give a solid A.  The only concern I have from today is why the Twins DFA'd Cotton instead of Joe Smith? He seems to be done, the way he has pitched lately.  He was unscored upon in his first 12.33 innings and has given up 14 Earned Runs in his last 14 innings with 7 HRs allowed.  Cotton on the other hand has pitched pretty well.  He has given up 7 HRs as well but over 35 innings and he has fewer hits allowed and fewer runs with more strikeouts.  

Also I wonder if the Twins could have traded for the Cubs C since no one else did.... while I don' t think he would be good defensively, he would have hit better than anyone else we have for C.

Outside of that, Today was flawless.  

[bunsen82]

The Twins did well today.  It tells you a few things, one they are confident in their drafting ability and the 2022 draft class, and they were able to convert their bats into some strong pitching.  
 

Fulmer for Gipson-Long.   Sawyer has some ability, but likely not MLB talent. He would have been needed to be added to the 40 man or had the potential to be lost in the rule V draft. That you found a viable reliever seems like an extreme steal for me.  

Lopez also seems like a player we got for quite a few prospects but only one that was possibly in our top 20 prospects. For a closer that we have for 2 1/2 years this seems like a very good deal.  One of the prospects might hit for Baltimore but This was a major area of need for the Twins.  One this tells me is there wasn’t as much demand for Relievers as past years.  The Twins did really well improving their biggest weakness. 
 

Mahle for Steer, CES and Hajjar.  Steer looks like a solid MLB player to me but was likely blocked at the MLB level.  CES I was a tad disappointed but due to the lack of a defensive position and his strike outs there is some question marks.  Hajjar looks like he has talent but will take a few years to be a finished project. It was a lot for 1 1/3 seasons of Mahle, which means they really like him and his talent.  Maybe he can be our future #1 pitcher we can sign to a long term deal. 
 

 

[cHawk]

29 minutes ago, Rosterman said:

What makes it a plus is that the Guardians and White Sox were basically inactive.

I wasn’t even thinking about this when I made the OP. They did NOTHING.

The AL Central should be ours

[Richie the Rally Goat]

1) I voted B, would have gone B+ were it an option

2) a good controllable starter, 1 very good reliever, 1 solid setup man and a backup catcher. They did a surprising volume of transactions all at the tail end. A better setup man and another good starter (one better transaction, one additional) would have made it an A. The team is in a better position for this year and next, but didn’t give up the whole farm.

3) definitely better suited to make the post season, Sox and Guardians did nothing, so if the Twins don’t win the division, I’ll be very disappointed. Need some health and to catch fire to make waves in the post season.

4) they plugged some bullpen and rotation holes for 23, which improves my outlook for next year too. Beyond, prospects are such a crapshoot that I couldn’t form a coherent opinion.

[wsnydes]

A for me.  They bolstered the pitching staff without giving up any of the top prospects.  Two of them are under control after this season.  I was very pleasantly surprised with the deadline moves.

[Otaknam]

Strengthened the BP so that’s good. Disappointed they gave up Hajjar but getting a starter for next year helps. Still it’s a team with mid rotation starters and no ace. They aren’t a serious contender for the World Series until they have an ace. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'm between A/B but because they weren't able to acquire one more starter, I defaulted down to B if forced to make a choice. Either way, a very good deadline.

[bunsen82]

26 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I'm between A/B but because they weren't able to acquire one more starter, I defaulted down to B if forced to make a choice. Either way, a very good deadline.

Brock who was the other starter they were looking at Lopez?   I can't figure out how they would have gotten a deal done.  Maybe SWR headlining a package.   

[Squirrel]

13 hours ago, cHawk said:

I wasn’t even thinking about this when I made the OP. They did NOTHING.

The AL Central should be ours

The Sox did trade for a RP pitcher, I believe. According to news reports out of Chicago, their GM said that they just didn’t line up with anyone, and are as disappointed as fans that they couldn’t add more. However, we are far from pulling away from them. The Sox are getting healthy while we are still struggling with injuries. They have the same issues with an inconsistent lineup that we do.. I think it’s going to come down to who gets/stays healthy from here to the end of the season. We’d better hope that these new additions are enough.

That all said, given the landscape of the trade deadline this year, I think we did far better than I thought we would. I think the Twins did very solid.

[nicksaviking]

Wanted to give them an A, but gave it a B because two of Archer, Bundy and Smeltzer are still going to be in the rotation to muck things up.

Great trades yesterday, the FO made some surprising moves. I'm guessing they were told no though about increasing the payroll more than the couple million that the new guys cost. I would have loved to have another stable even if boring 4th starter who could competently go five innings.

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I'm between A/B but because they weren't able to acquire one more starter, I defaulted down to B if forced to make a choice. Either way, a very good deadline.

Same. But they also kept nearly all the top of the farm, and helped next year also..... I'm definitely in the B+ range. 

[Number3]

Meanwhile the Twins actually played a game last night. Tigers won 5-3.  I admittedly am an out of touch old fart boomer but I simply do not understand the volume of chatter about how to manage the roster none of which actually happens. The acquired players can fog a mirror but that is about it and none were ever mentioned by the GMs on this board as possible or desirable acquisitions as I predicted.

[Squirrel]

15 minutes ago, Number3 said:

Meanwhile the Twins actually played a game last night. Tigers won 5-3.  I admittedly am an out of touch old fart boomer but I simply do not understand the volume of chatter about how to manage the roster none of which actually happens. The acquired players can fog a mirror but that is about it and none were ever mentioned by the GMs on this board as possible or desirable acquisitions as I predicted.

Actually, that’s not true. There were a couple of threads, and many mentions about the potential addition of Mahle, And López was also a frequent mention. Both the Reds and the Orioles have been mentioned throughout the season as trade partners and posters commented on who from both teams might fit here. Of course the most often mentioned pitchers, Castillo and Montas, were probably highlighted more on these boards, but given the price we paid, I’m very satisfied with the trades the Twins made. And I never high on Montas so wasn’t disappointed about that one. Do you actually have any specific comments about these trades, which is what this thread is about, or are you just here to make very generalized ‘poo poo on everything’ comment and claim some kind of superior know,edge? And I’m not sure what you predicted, but if your prediction was the Twins would do nothing and acquire no one of significance, your prediction was wrong. Even if we still don’t make the playoffs, your prediction on the trade deadline was wrong, if indeed that’s what you are saying you predicted.

[Brock Beauchamp]

55 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Brock who was the other starter they were looking at Lopez?   I can't figure out how they would have gotten a deal done.  Maybe SWR headlining a package.   

They were really in on Rodon. The fact he didn't move at all is telling about what the Giants were asking.

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

They were really in on Rodon. The fact he didn't move at all is telling about what the Giants were asking.

That was my theory.... Maybe they sign him next year! 

[Brock Beauchamp]

20 minutes ago, Number3 said:

Meanwhile the Twins actually played a game last night. Tigers won 5-3.  I admittedly am an out of touch old fart boomer but I simply do not understand the volume of chatter about how to manage the roster none of which actually happens. The acquired players can fog a mirror but that is about it and none were ever mentioned by the GMs on this board as possible or desirable acquisitions as I predicted.

Um, that's just patently false. There has been hype all over this site about Mahle, Lopez, and Fulmer for months. Maybe you didn't see it but that doesn't mean it didn't exist. Hell, I started a thread with a billion comments about Mahle just a few days ago.

https://twinsdaily.com/minnesota-twins-trade-rumors-targets/twins-more-interested-in-reds-mahle-than-castillo-r10

[bunsen82]

14 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

They were really in on Rodon. The fact he didn't move at all is telling about what the Giants were asking.

Ok,  that makes a little more sense.   

[baul0010]

14 hours ago, PseudoSABR said:

It's an A for me.  Three pitchers, with two of them under team control, gave up very little in terms of the top 10 prospects.  

I'm thinking a B to B+.  They didn't give up too much for the MUCH needed pitching help.  I wish they could have pulled in one more capable starting pitcher.  It would have been an A++ from me then.  

[MMMordabito]

I give them an A due to the upgrades made and circumstances navigated.  Injuries and underperformance really limited the pool from which they could deal. 

If CES becomes the next Kyle Schwarber, we can all play the hindsight game, but you can't assume that with prospects.  

[AceWrigley]

16 hours ago, Rosterman said:

Steer would be a wonderful reserve infielder, perhaps moreso than Gordon. But the Twins also have to think about Helman in an already crowded potential 40-man roster field.

This.

[LA VIkes Fan]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Same. But they also kept nearly all the top of the farm, and helped next year also..... I'm definitely in the B+ range. 

Same here. The pitching adds were an A or A- when you compare what we got for what we gave up. It's still a B+ for 2 reasons. The lesser reason is that I would have liked to see them get a better 2nd C than Sandy Leon. Minor quibble. Jeffers should be back by 9/1 or so.

The bigger issue is that they didn't get another impact bat. We have 4 quality hitters - Polanco, Buxton, Arraez and Correa. We need 2 middle of the order bats to supplement those 4. Miranda looks like he may be one. We don't have the 2nd one - Urshela and Kepler are nice players but both are best suited to hitting somewhere between 7 and 9, 6 if one of the top 4 is getting a rest day.  Those 2 and the catcher are the bottom 3 in a good order. Whose that number 5 or 6 guy? Sano is done. Kirilloff is a next year contributor, if that. Larnach is hurt and  question mark on production when he returns. The best hitter in the minors is Jake Cave, of all people, and Contreras is not and may never be ready.  Gordon? Better than I thought but hitting 5 or 6? Hard to see that one. 

We need a bat. LF and DH are open and available. Maybe Gordon keeps improving, maybe Cave reverts to the 2018/2019 version, maybe Larnach is the "good" Larnach when he gets back rather than the "I can't hit breaking stuff" Larnach.  Maybe Urshela or Kepler all of sudden raise their OPS by 20-30 points and start producing more runs. All fun to hope for, all less than 50/50 possibilities, some less that 30/70. Or Maybe we can find a guy from the Minors or a DFA/buy out guy from another team to take on that role. With these additions, were a good team with a 50/50 or better chance to win our division and make the playoffs. We add a solid 5 or 6 hitter to what we have now and we are dangerous in those playoffs. 

[MTV]

The Twin’s 4 issues at the deadline: Bullpen, Rotation, Catcher, Outfield. 
 

Bullpen-A plus. You got exactly what you needed, 2 high-quality arms (and for fairly little I might add)

Rotation-B. You added Tyler Mahle, who will be a key component in your rotation for 2 years. could’ve used another 4th starter but this is alright.

Catching-B-. You didn’t need a lot, just a backup you can live with for a month or 2. Did want a slightly bigger acquisition though.

Outfield-F. With Kepler, Kirilloff and Larnach injured, you needed to go out and get 1 solid outfielder, maybe a Anthony Santander or a Joc Pederson or even a Ben Gamel, yet you stood still, and now we have to deal with Jake Cave and Mark Contreras until September.

Overall deadline grade: B

[Dman]

I gave it an A as they got one of the top tier pitchers on the market. They got an All Star closer and another Jax type pen arm in Fullmer.  They also grabbed a veteran defensive catcher for the price of a reliever they might not have been able to keep and who never made it to the 40 man.

To recap they enhanced the very weakest areas of the roster which if left unaddressed gave them little to no chance at winning the division.  As a bonus they also set themselves up well for next year.  If Correa is gone next year they have a good chunk of money to spend in Free Agency as well.

Could it have been better? Sure it always could but addressing all of those area's at the deadline is pretty darn impressive.  If that is not A worthy then the bar is pretty darn high.

[Battle ur tail off]

4 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Wanted to give them an A, but gave it a B because two of Archer, Bundy and Smeltzer are still going to be in the rotation to muck things up.

Great trades yesterday, the FO made some surprising moves. I'm guessing they were told no though about increasing the payroll more than the couple million that the new guys cost. I would have loved to have another stable even if boring 4th starter who could competently go five innings.

Yes, I'm with you, but I am looking towards the playoffs if we make it.(I think we will)

 

Gray, Ryan, Mahle        Long relief - Archer, Bundy, 

Jax, Duran, Lopez, Theilbar, Fulmer, Pagan, Duffey

 

I can live with that and it is a heck of a sight better than what it looked like before yesterday.

[MABB1959]

I definitely think it will help this season but I went C.   We needed another top starter to get any where in the playoffs unless this team turns into the 87 Twins.  They should not have been without a closer this year to start with.  The starting pitcher will pitch about 10 games this year that could bring us the AL Central title.  Not sure how often a closer comes in and that will help.  It will help but I think they needed another starter that would be a 2 or 3.