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  • Report: Darvish Decision Expected This Week, Twins In Consideration

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Free agency has been slow moving this off-season. Few of the top free agents have signed and there has even been talk about collusion among MLB’s teams. Realistically, teams are smarter about the way they spend money and this year’s crop of free agents has plenty of flaws.

    The Twins have been tied to Yu Darvish from the beginning. Minnesota’s front office hasn’t been shy about mentioned their intentions of trying the hook the biggest fish on the free agent market. A thrilling conclusion could be coming and Twins’ fans could have an answer as early as this week.

    Image courtesy of Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

    Twins Video

    Darvish Decision Looming

    Jon Morosi of Fox Sports and MLB Network is reporting that Darvish is expected to make his decision this week. He also adds that the Twins are one of the teams still in discussion with the star pitcher.

    https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/956199322433064960

    It is interesting that his only note about a current team is the Twins. However, there have been plenty of other teams connected to Darvish in recent weeks. The list of teams includes the Twins, Cubs, Rangers, Dodgers and Brewers.

    Gimenez Signing

    Former Twins catcher Chris Gimenez signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs this week. Sporting News compared this move to when the Cubs brought in David Ross to be paired with Jon Lester in 2015. Gimenez worked with Darvish in Texas and helped the pitcher on his way back from Tommy John surgery. Darvish has also called Gimenez his “all-time favorite catcher.”

    https://twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/955616565264879617

    Five-Year Offer

    Darvish will turn 32 next August and he has only pitched one season of more than 200 innings. This might make it tough for team’s swallow a long-term deal. With many big free agent signings, there is some “dead” money at the end of the deal where the player isn’t playing at the same level as prior to his contract signing.

    According to reports, Darvish has at least one five-year offer on the table. There are still multiple teams in the mix for Darvish’s services but it sounds like his decision will be made by the end of the week.

    https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/955526201686323201

    What are your thoughts on the latest Darvish news? Will he be in a Twins uniform by the end of the week? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    PseudoSABR

    PseudoSABR 4,815

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Wolfson has a few tidbits in this podcast.  Says the Twins offered either a 4 or 5 year offer to Darvish, unwilling to go 6.  One of the most aggressive teams.   Napoli likely to receive offer from Twins, who is actively recruiting Darvish.   Maintaining regular contact with number of free agents, and with the Tampa Rays about Archer and others, with Kepler perhaps as the center piece.

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    Vanimal46

    Vanimal46 28,724

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

     

    Wolfson has a few tidbits in this podcast.  Says the Twins offered either a 4 or 5 year offer to Darvish, unwilling to go 6.  One of the most aggressive teams.   Napoli likely to receive offer from Twins, who is actively recruiting Darvish.   Maintaining regular contact with number of free agents, and with the Tampa Rays about Archer and others, with Kepler perhaps as the center piece.

     

    giphy-downsized-large.gif

     

     

    The stove is HEATING up! 

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    Hosken Bombo Disco

    Hosken Bombo Disco 15,870

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    I'm thinking a Napoli contract is valued at one year, mid single digits, and I wonder if the Twins are prepared to offer that sixth year to Darvish. Getting him for five years would seem almost too good to be true.

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    Squirrel

    Squirrel 37,605

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

     

     

    All things being equal (a huge assumption that's almost certainly not the case), $5m for Napoli at the front of the deal is A LOT better than $20-25m for Darvish at the back of the deal.

    Yeah ... I'd have to see what we'd be offering and what everyone would sign for. I was always a Napoli fan in his heyday, but if it meant we would sign Darvish, I'd do a one-year, reasonable amount deal for him. But not sure where I'd put him ... I guess bench bat/DH ... can he even play 1st anymore? Guess he'd be a back up there? And if we signed him, I guess Vargas would lose his spot? I can't even think of the roster shuffling. It just seems like a piece we don't need. But ... for Darvish ... don't know. Again, I'd have to see the deals and numbers involved.

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    Mike Sixel

    Mike Sixel 41,021

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    All things being equal (a huge assumption that's almost certainly not the case), $5m for Napoli at the front of the deal is A LOT better than $20-25m for Darvish at the back of the deal.

    Except for the impact on the 25 man roster..... He was not good at all last year. He can't field. What does he do when Mauer or Sano DH? I wasn't talking about the money at all

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    Brock Beauchamp

    Brock Beauchamp 39,328

  • Administrator

    • Posted

     

    Except for the impact on the 25 man roster..... He was not good at all last year. He can't field. What does he do when Mauer or Sano DH? I wasn't talking about the money at all

    I don't want him on the roster but he was capable against lefties last season (.750 OPS), despite his bad overall numbers. The Twins can work with that profile and get him plate appearances.

     

    If Napoli somehow brings the Twins Darvish, the loss of Vargas - who I don't think will amount to much in MLB - isn't going to worry me much. With Rooker expected to fly through the system with relative ease, one year of Napoli likely won't hurt the Twins much in the long run.

     

    We're talking about a one year contract to an aging DH and potentially losing another DH who *might* be serviceable but not much more than that.

     

    It's the easiest thing to replace in baseball on a yearly basis. Finding a one year DH for $5-8m every season is not hard to do, even if Rooker falters for a bit.

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    Mike Sixel

    Mike Sixel 41,021

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    People sure have a lot of eggs in the Rooker basket.....and I am talking about this year, not next year or some future year. Napoli is not a good player. Adding him subtracts from the bench, because he can only DH. 

     

    Sano can DH vs lefties.....or Nunez. Nunez hit better than Napoli, and can "play" positions. 

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    Brock Beauchamp

    Brock Beauchamp 39,328

  • Administrator

    • Posted

     

    People sure have a lot of eggs in the Rooker basket.....and I am talking about this year, not next year or some future year. Napoli is not a good player. Adding him subtracts from the bench, because he can only DH. 

     

    Sano can DH vs lefties.....or Nunez. Nunez hit better than Napoli, and can "play" positions. 

    And my point is that it doesn't really change much this year, either. What is the net gain/loss from swapping Vargas and Napoli? I don't think it's much either way. Given an option free of strings, I'd choose Vargas but I don't really care much either way.

     

    The Twins don't need Nunez. They have Escobar and Adrianza to cover positional needs around the diamond. They have Granite to back up the outfield defensively, though it'd be a lot nicer to have a RHB available instead of Granite. But Nunez isn't good against lefties anyway so he brings more of the same to the table.

     

    Nunez is redundant on this roster. The Twins need a slugger who can hit RHP and it'd be nice if he could play the OF but neither Napoli nor Vargas can play the outfield so, eh, whatever. Pick your poison, I'm not sure it matters much.

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    Borealis

    Borealis 86

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    Napoli was playing with a torn ligament in his right hand for much of last season, and man it sure showed up in the eye test in watching his ABs. Despite his age, I see a healthy Napoli as a bounce back candidate - perhaps even in a big way.

     

    As many of have noted, a Napoli signing would probably displace Vargas. I’m in the camp that would have liked to have seen him do his thing for a full season but some of not getting to do so is on Vargas himself (as opposed to circumstance and discord with Molitor). Perhaps instead of daily moonshot competitions with Sano his time could have been better served working on his overall plate approach - just saying.

     

    I think the tiebreaker for me in a Napoli vs Vargas sense, is the scaring the hell out of the opposing manager thingy. I sure like the idea of having a healthy Nap available for late inning damage despite this age of short benches.

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    nicksaviking

    nicksaviking 26,755

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

     

    Except for the impact on the 25 man roster..... He was not good at all last year. He can't field. What does he do when Mauer or Sano DH? I wasn't talking about the money at all

     

    I don't want Napoli, but if he's a requirement to get Darvish I can find enough half full glasses to make me less shy about him.

     

    Like his obscenely low .225 BABIP last year, what looks like a career outlier in terms of BB% and his spray chart looks a lot like Brian Dozier's and Target Field tends to help that profile a ton.

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    diehardtwinsfan

    diehardtwinsfan 14,830

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

    I like Vargas, but I'm losing sleep over losing him either. You can argue he was jerked around by MN, but at the same time, he's had plenty of opportunities that he has not capitalized on.

     

    The case built for Napoli got a lot more interesting with regards to his injury. I honestly didn't realize he had that injury. The flip side though is that this is his age 36 season and he's been bad for 2 years. Perhaps has a bench bat, he could have some resurgence with a bit less play who knows...

     

    But.. if that's what it takes to get Darvish... I'm quite fine with that.

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    howieramone2

    howieramone2 1,198

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Napoli is a win now move. There has been some talk on the board, which I don't agree with, that we are pointing to 2019 or beyond. Signing Napoli is a clear sign we are looking to ring the bell this season. I wonder if there will be a more valuable 24th-25th man in The Show this season. He needs to hit somewhat over the Mendoza Line and give us 25-30 bombs. If he still owns a glove, he may be the emergency catcher, that gives Garver an opportunity to be used differently.

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