Article: Is There A Market For Morneau?

[Nick Nelson]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1961-Is-There-A-Market-For-Morneau

[RodneyKline]

We have two fricken consistent hitters and you want to trade him! Sign him to an extension. Even young teams rebuilding desperately need veterans to watch and learn from. Don't underestimate how valuable his defense is also.

[Thrylos]

We have two fricken consistent hitters and you want to trade him! Sign him to an extension. Even young teams rebuilding desperately need veterans to watch and learn from. Don't underestimate how valuable his defense is also.

 

I suspect that this might be trolling, esp after that Billy Buckner imitation tonight...

 

On the other hand, this might be an exact indication why someone will (over)pay for Morneau: If you look at batting average and RBIs and evoke the ghost of Morneau's past, oh yeah he does have value and some GMs will bite.

 

At this point here is the realistic equation:

a. The Twins will have to pay him $7ish million for the rest of 2013 after July.

b. They will not make a qualifying offer for him after this season, so there will be no compensations

c. The Twins will not make it in the post-season in 2013.

 

Add a + b + c and a warm body + $7M beats it, esp. if there might be some future in that warm body

[Kwak]

Trust in Pohlad--Morneau is a goner. But on a more serious note, Justin's best days are long gone and there are other options. Consider, Sano continues to impress, and is promoted to the Twins in 13 months, Sano and Plouffe man the corners, one at 1st the other at 3rd. Collabello can get a second tryout. Parmalee is another option, include Doumit for next year as a possibility. I expect the FO is already picking their new car out awaiting the extra bonus they can get by moving Morneau off of the payroll.

[howieramone1406390264]

I wouldn't pay anyone to take Morneau. He's still a big part of a small offense. If Parmelee can't beat him out, he doesn't deserve to play 1B. As I've posted before, at some level the Twins are still trying to compete. Parmelee is no rookie, time to make himself indispensable.

[Rosterman]

Since he is an unsignble free agent, the team will offer up something like Pedro Hernandez and an Escobar for him, perhaps. Maybe the Twins can highball any low bidders in free agent land, but doubtful, then.

[Physics Guy]

I wouldn't pay anyone to take Morneau. He's still a big part of a small offense. If Parmelee can't beat him out, he doesn't deserve to play 1B. As I've posted before, at some level the Twins are still trying to compete. Parmelee is no rookie, time to make himself indispensable.

 

If Parmalee can't beat him out? Morneau currently has a .725 OPS and Parmelee a .703 with very sporadic playing time of late. Let's remember that Parmalee has been learning a new position and has played more than acceptable defense out in RF. I'm honestly not sure we would have a drop off in production if they just inserted Parmalee as the full-time 1B.

 

Here's a Fangraphs article regarding Morneau:

Dumping Justin Morneau | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

[BD57]

We wanted Morneau or Parmelee and preferably both - to have big years.

 

If Morneau did, then we'd have something to build on if we kept him & something of value to trade if we didn't.

 

If Parmelee was having a good year, we'd have more options re: keep Morneau or trade him.

 

But, to date, neither of them are having a good year. And the Twins lineup looks like Swiss Cheese - way too many holes.

 

Morneau's performance doesn't merit the money he's getting. Problem is, we really don't have anyone to plug into his spot - as mediocre as he's been compared to other 1st basemen, he's the best we have.

 

Morneau isn't himself; Parmelee hasn't shown he's capable of being an "average" 1st baseman.

 

We got issues.

[Mike Sixel]

No reason to keep him, but you are not getting anything for him either. So sad, one of my favorite players and people on the twins.

[Physics Guy]

No reason to keep him, but you are not getting anything for him either. So sad, one of my favorite players and people on the twins.

 

I agree with this completely. I keep pulling for him to get hot and start driving the ball, but I just don't see it happening.

[mudcat14]

Don't cry for poor Justin. He's got about 75million reasons to keep his chin up, whether the Twins dump him for marginal prospects or he signs an incentive-laden FA deal with a new team in the off-season. Contending or not, I have no doubt that Parmelee & Colabello can assume Morneau's AB's with at least similar run production. Besides, it's important to see if either or both can fill the 1B spot as a stop gap until either Sano, Vargas, D. Hicks, Harrison or whomever is ready to stake their claim on the position. Justin will NOT be returning next year, so why leave things in limbo going forward? I guarantee that the Yankees would give up something of potential value, even if that player may be years away from contributing.

[LaBombo]

No.

[Monkeypaws]

Count me in the minority, but I think he will come around to being more than a shell of himself. If the Twins were able to extend him like the Wild did Backstrom, I'd be happy to watch him wind down his career here, like Hrbek.

[twinstalker]

Contending or not, I have no doubt that Parmelee & Colabello can assume Morneau's AB's with at least similar run production.

Once again a commenter assumes Gardenhire would use a platoon. I love it.

[fairweather]

The twins have no choice but to try and package Morneau and move him. No one is going to take him on alone considering his salary. Likely they will get stuck with him and claim loyalty.

[Thegrin]

Let Morneau play out the year and hope he will sign a reasonable contract. He's still got some good years left in him.

[mini_tb]

He's still got some good years left in him.

 

What have you seen that convinces you he has some good years left in him? I love Morneau and hope you are right, but all I see are a lengthy injury history, an empty batting average, and tons of RBI opportunities.

[Gernzy]

Let Morneau play out the year and hope he will sign a reasonable contract. He's still got some good years left in him.

 

At this point I wouldn't be suprised if we do that. Since Morneau is not having a good year we should be able to sign him for less then what he would have recieved before the year started.

[markos]

No team that is within range of first place in its respective division has gotten worse production from first base than Morneau has given the Twins.

 

Colorado's firstbasemen (primarily Todd Helton and Jordan Pacheco) have managed an OPS of only .663 AT COOR'S FIELD. They are only 3 games back of the Diamondbacks for the division lead, so they may be interested in a 1B upgrade.

[silverslugger]

The Twins are in a bad situation with this one. Most if not all of us on here are hyper-serious fans and understand/analyze the game way beyond the typical/casual fan. The problem for Twins management and ownership with Morneau isn't so much that they may only get a marginal prospect for two months of Morneau. And that's certainly debatable. The problem is that the typical/casual fan doesn't pay to get into Target Field or tune into FSN or turn the dial on the radio to watch or listen to what Chris Colabello is doing for the Twins at First Base. Chris Colabello is not a prospect and we've argued plenty on this sight whether or not Parmelee still has prospect status. No, the problem for management and ownership is that they KNOW the casual fan will want to watch Justin Morneau play 1B and bat 4th in the Twins lineup in August and September regardless of our record.

[silverslugger]

Additionally, if your Morneau and the Twins don't move you at the deadline and don't sign you in the offseason, do you simply walk away from the game? Morneau has been on record as stating that he seriously considered not coming back and risking further concussions at one point in his recovery process. Could this be the end for Justin Morneau?

[JB_Iowa]

I, too, have always been a Morneau fan and what has happened to him makes me sad in the same way that I am sad about Corey Koskie.

 

But I really believe that with young players coming in, the Twins need a "changing of the guard". There has been a stench of losing attached to this team for the last 3 years and unfortunately, it is a strong stench.

 

They'll pretty obviously keep Mauer so that's one veteran left. Plus they'll probably keep Perkins (absent some really spectacular offer for him). I doubt they'd get much for Willingham so that's probably another veteran around for next year (plus some other miscellany from the pitching staff). And I think Doumit will probably still be in Minny next year as well.

 

So there will still be a small veteran presence (plus a few of the young guys will have a couple of years of experience). I can't see them getting much for Morneau (even if the Twins pony up most of the rest of his salary). So let him play out the rest of this year with dignity and then part gracefully.

[Winston Smith]

It doesn't seem likely that the Twins can expect to get much value back in July for any of these guys. If all you'll do is save a little money keep Morneau for the rest of the season.

The idea of trading Perkins, likely the best trade chip, seems to turn most fans off. However if the Red Sox offered Xander Bogaerts, a top SS prospect, for Perkins would you do it?

[Kwak]

Public outcry over the loss of Morneau? Do you mean like the one over Cuddyer? It would be short and soft. The FO defenders would get mobilized and we would be barraged with "Trust in Terry" and "wow we got some great players in the minors who will be here soon", and "we don't want to 'block the young studs' from the Twins roster". Trust me, the Twins will survive the loss of Morneau.

[Oldgoat_MN]

I, too, have always been a Morneau fan and what has happened to him makes me sad in the same way that I am sad about Corey Koskie.

....

I can't see them getting much for Morneau (even if the Twins pony up most of the rest of his salary). So let him play out the rest of this year with dignity and then part gracefully.

 

Classy approach.

I agree.

[troyhobbs]

Morneau should be in competition with Mauer more so than Parmelee for 1B of the future, in which case he has no chance. It'd be great to get him back as a DH/backup 1B for 1/4 of his salary but that won't happen. Don't see him bringing anything of value in a trade either.

[DaveW]

The Yankees will take him

[stringer bell]

Public outcry over the loss of Morneau? Do you mean like the one over Cuddyer? It would be short and soft. The FO defenders would get mobilized and we would be barraged with "Trust in Terry" and "wow we got some great players in the minors who will be here soon", and "we don't want to 'block the young studs' from the Twins roster". Trust me, the Twins will survive the loss of Morneau.

Well the "trust in Terry" people will be right, in respect to Morneau. It seems to me that many perfectly rational people lose all objectivity with the Big Canadian. He is not having a good year, and he is not the Twins' second best hitter.

[twinsnorth49]

Public outcry over the loss of Morneau? Do you mean like the one over Cuddyer? It would be short and soft. The FO defenders would get mobilized and we would be barraged with "Trust in Terry" and "wow we got some great players in the minors who will be here soon", and "we don't want to 'block the young studs' from the Twins roster". Trust me, the Twins will survive the loss of Morneau.

 

Who said anything about public outcry? Everybody knows the Twins will survive without Morneau, the thread is about whether there is any value in him with regards to a trade. I for one believe very little right now, unfortunately. The bigger issue is if the club can't move him and know they are not going to offer him a qualifying offer, what do you do with him for the rest of the season in order to get guys like Parmelee more playing time.

[cmathewson]

I too had thought he'd return to form when he could work out regularly and get his strength and vision back. But he hasn't. And with each passing day, I lose a little faith that he ever will. I am not without hope, however, that he can somehow find himself again. Until he does, it makes no sense to even try to trade him. Let him play out his contract and hope for the best. If he shows something in July or August, he might still fetch a prospect. If not, it was nice rooting for him.