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  • Trade Deadline Thread: How Do the Twins Respond to the Trevor Bauer Trade?


    Ted Schwerzler

    Down in South Beach tonight the Minnesota Twins proved victorious over the hapless Miami Marlins. Sitting at a local brewery for the latest Gleeman and the Geek event, the question was whether or not the away team would cap off the night with a deadline deal. Then it happened, the Cleveland Indians sent Trevor Bauer packing. Much like his heave over the center field wall in Kansas City, Mike Chernoff flipped his pitching asset to the National League. Now, it’s your move Derek Falvey.

    Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

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    Seemingly an odd decision for the Indians to move Bauer in hopes of landing immediately usable talent, a situation presented itself in which they were able to do just that. Yasiel Puig comes to Cleveland fresh off a boxing match in Cincinatti, while Franmil Reyes and Logan Allen join from the west coast. The Indians acquire two immediate big league assets at a position of need, and two thirds of the deal brings significant team control. If you’re keeping score at home this one is a big time win for the AL Central division foe.

    With the ball firmly in Derek Falvey’s court, it’s on the head honcho of the Twins front office to decide what the response looks like. Recent reports suggest Minnesota has bowed out of the starting pitching market, and there’s been ample belief that some of the biggest relief arms are unobtainable. Only touting Sergio Romo to this point, a race again the July 31 3pm CT deadline is officially underway.

    The Big Guns

    While Bauer falls in this category he certainly wasn’t a lock to be dealt. Apparently the San Francisco Giants are listening to the Astros on Madison Bumgarner but it’s still undetermined whether the rental swaps teams. Noah Syndergaard turned in an 11 strikeout performance on Tuesday night which suggests that nothing is imminent and that he’s as dominant as ever. Zack Greinke is really the only other pitcher of this ilk and his no-trade clause is going to be a hurdle in almost any negotiations.

    https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/1156257320659066880

    Dominoes in Relief

    After the Toronto Blue Jays took pennies on the dollar for starter Marcus Stroman it appeared the market had softened a bit for sellers. Then the Atlanta Braves acquired reliever Chris Martin Tuesday, but it cost them former first round pick, and previous top 25 prospect, Kolby Allard. After a tough, and brief, major league debut last season Allard has spent all of 2019 at Triple-A. He’s just 21 years old and under team control until 2025. That’s an incredibly steep price to pay for a 33-year-old having his first dominant year.

    https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1156369227533570048

    The Answer Ahead

    I don’t know that the Twins will fill all of their current 40 man openings (presently at 37), but there’s zero doubt that a move has to be made. Romo was a nice start, but he seems to represent the floor and is only a single piece for a bullpen that needs to complete a full puzzle. Having been involved on virtually every name the market has flushed out, Falvey and Thad Levine are approaching decision making time.

    On Wednesday the Twins will need to figure out whether an arm like Edwin Diaz (reportedly an ask of Andrew Benintendi was suggested) or Kirby Yates is the move, or if they can survive with the likes of Daniel Hudson. I’m not sure that either of those avenues are the right answer, with the ideal path lying somewhere inbetween. What certainly can’t happen is that Minnesota whiffs and wastes the opportunity that lies in front of them.

    The reality is that this is a trade deadline of significant importance for the Minnesota Twins for the first time in nearly a decade. Although it’s understandable to still have a long term vision, nothing is guaranteed and opportunity currently lies in the immediate future.

    How this front office goes about the next handful of hours will shape 2019 and beyond, but it will also be a chapter in Twins history that we likely revisit often. How would you go about the next few hours? What are some hopes and expectations for the day? Where do you believe the intentions are for what lies ahead?

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    I have gained a lot of trust for the Twins front office lately, but I must say that if this trade deadline goes down how I predict it will (no moves for the twins) I will have lost all trust... I don’t get in the slightest why they refuse to move Royce Lewis... he doesn’t help us win now or next year and those are the two years we MUST win and a lot of scouts predict he won’t stick in the big leagues due to swing, defense etc... the rotation has been okay to be honest up to this point, but by September they will be taking it easy with Michael Pineda, Martin Perez is either very good or very bad and there’s no in between, and even Gibson has been a little sketchy of late.. I guess if we have to Devin Smeltzer is a decent option, but I want the twins to be as good as the Astros or Yankees or Red Sox and in order to do that we need a guy like Thor, or minor or Greinke or even Robby ray... I’m also nervous about the rotation next year cause if there scared to go get someone now they will be during the off-season too.. and I can see it now the twins rotation being consisted of berrios, Smeltzer, Thorpe, Stewart and Martin Perez on an option (that rotation makes me sick) long story short I’m mostly scared of that being our rotation next year, and I know these next two years are the twins Window the win and I DO NOT want it to pass us by... also if they don’t get another reliver, atleast one more guy like Greene, Yates, Raisel Iglesias, Edwin Diaz AND also a guy like a Daniel Hudson or nick Anderson I will lose my mind... this team is good but Falvey and Levine are cheap and for some reason they think our rotation and bullpen is good enough as is andbim just really worried about this year and next year and our lack of pitching and the front office’ lack of guts to make a deal

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    Seems like Giles is out, or at least he should be. Sounds like Syndergaard has mostly been a bluff this whole time. I've always been of the mind that AZ was too good and wouldn't actually sell, we'll see. If the Giants end up deciding to go for it and Pittsburgh holds on to Vazquez, we might not see as much activity today as everyone thought.

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    The Indians lineup just got probably better than it was last year and they significantly closed the gap between the quality of their lineup and the Twins lineup. As for pitching, we all know there's no argument to be made with the rotation. They may be the better team at this point. It would be an all time Twins move if we don't make a counter trade. We have the firepower in the minors to do it, but there's been no indication that we will. This could be an absolute disaster of a trade deadline.

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    I just don't want Puig getting pissed in an upcoming Twins/Indians series and rushing the mound at Rogers or Harper. Sano is going to have to be on "hired goon" dirty those games. 

     

    Still thinking Twins will land MadBum or Minor. 

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    There seems to be a shortage of no miss arms, and a clear path. I don't think anyone really knows what's going to happen as this FO has surprised us before, both pro and con. But I do know that no matter what, I don't want a trade made just for the sake of PR or selling tickets. I want the FO to run a baseball team and the marketing dept. to deal with tickets sales, and bloggers!

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    There seems to be a shortage of no miss arms, and a clear path. I don't think anyone really knows what's going to happen as this FO has surprised us before, both pro and con. But I do know that no matter what, I don't want a trade made just for the sake of PR or selling tickets. I want the FO to run a baseball team and the marketing dept. to deal with tickets sales, and bloggers!

     

    Yeah, I could still make a list of players I'd want who I actually think will be traded, but that list is significantly shorter than it was a week ago when it looked like half the league was for sale.

     

    Still have 6+ hours for teams to change course though.

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    I’m not sure how this is a big win for the Indians, they pick up two power hitters, who doesn't get on base, doesn't walk and can’t field.  Their combined WAR this year is 1.2.  Yasiel Puig is gone after this year so the pick-up is Reyes, who is basically a DH as he can’t field.  I guess that’s ok but the Indians traded away a really good pitcher who strikes a lot of people out, had one more year of control and has 17+ WAR over his time with the Indians. I think they just got worse.  The Indians got some Minor League depth as well and a former top 100 prospect.  The Padres got a Top 30 prospect and basically gave up a DH, that was the win.  Also Kolby Allard was the Braves 11th Best prospect coming into the season per MLB.com.  Fan Graphs has him for the Rangers at 23 and MLB.com has him at 16th.  SO... It wasn't a big haul...

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    I'm guessing we'll pull the deal on maybe one more mid-tier reliever. My prediction: Romo's the biggest name the Twins acquire here at the deadline.

     

    Right or wrong, the FO can point to the overall record and say "we're good enough as we are, we'll take our chances with the team we have".

     

    We'll see in a few hours!

     

    Crazy to see Cleveland SUBTRACT pitching while in a pennant race. Guess when you have Kluber back in 2 weeks the move doesn't look too bad.

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    ..

    5.  In Falvine we trust.  These guys have a philosophy, they're savvy, they've earned my trust.  This is not about money; this is about fit, risk/reward, short-term v. long-term, the fickleness of bullpen arms--lots of variables.  I trust these guys to figure it out, for this season and seasons to come.

     

    For me, what they do today is going to decide how much I've earned their trust when it comes to the major league team. I like just about everything they've done related to the minors and prospects.

     

    They struck out on their MLB deals last year as a whole I think, at least how it pertains to how this year has now gone. Just imagine how good this team would be Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Pressly still here. 

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    It’s so frustrating that we’re so clearly a buyer and have a great farm system and this is the stingiest deadline scenario ever.

    When we have assets it’s a dead market. When we want to acquire them it’s “buxton lewis and Graterol for this 3.79 FIP reliever with 6k/9”

    Ugh.

    This is the main problem and probably the reason why the Twins have yet to make a move other than Sergio Romo. If "making a move" for them means giving up 2 of Royce Lewis, AK, Graterol, and Larnach and getting a middle reliever in return, that's not a move the Twins should make. 

     

    Go add pieces at the deadline, but don't get fleeced while doing it. If everyone is going to be clinically insane with their asking prices, there's not much Falvey can do.

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    I’m not sure how this is a big win for the Indians, they pick up two power hitters, who doesn't get on base, doesn't walk and can’t field.  Their combined WAR this year is 1.2.  Yasiel Puig is gone after this year so the pick-up is Reyes, who is basically a DH as he can’t field.  I guess that’s ok but the Indians traded away a really good pitcher who strikes a lot of people out, had one more year of control and has 17+ WAR over his time with the Indians. I think they just got worse.  The Indians got some Minor League depth as well and a former top 100 prospect.  The Padres got a Top 30 prospect and basically gave up a DH, that was the win.  Also Kolby Allard was the Braves 11th Best prospect coming into the season per MLB.com.  Fan Graphs has him for the Rangers at 23 and MLB.com has him at 16th.  SO... It wasn't a big haul...

     

    I kind of agree with you on the hitters. They're not really that good.

     

    Nelson Cruz as a DH has over twice the WAR of them combined.

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    If the Twins are interested in Ray and Bradley from Arizona, what do you think it would take to get them?  What if the Twins, dare I say, take on some of Tomas too?  Doesnt he have like 1 yr, $17 million left? 

     

    Not that I would want them to do that but they get creative like that to lessen the prospects.

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    I’m not sure how this is a big win for the Indians, they pick up two power hitters, who doesn't get on base, doesn't walk and can’t field. Their combined WAR this year is 1.2. Yasiel Puig is gone after this year so the pick-up is Reyes, who is basically a DH as he can’t field. I guess that’s ok but the Indians traded away a really good pitcher who strikes a lot of people out, had one more year of control and has 17+ WAR over his time with the Indians. I think they just got worse. The Indians got some Minor League depth as well and a former top 100 prospect. The Padres got a Top 30 prospect and basically gave up a DH, that was the win. Also Kolby Allard was the Braves 11th Best prospect coming into the season per MLB.com. Fan Graphs has him for the Rangers at 23 and MLB.com has him at 16th. SO... It wasn't a big haul...

    Agreed! Don’t understand all the positive reviews this trade is getting in favor of the Indians. It’s not a bad haul but doesn’t overwhelmingly make them a better team.

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    I really hope the front office ignores the peanut gallery and doesn't feel additional pressure to "make a deal" or "respond" to the Bauer trade. Let the Twins focus on what they can control. If there's a good deal to be made, make it. Don't force a bad deal just because you need to be seen as doing something.

     

    Cleveland just traded away an ace-caliber pitcher for a couple of prospects and a couple sluggers of the caliber that the Twins have a bunch of, and who make Miguel Sano look like a gold glover. Oh, and one of them is about to be suspended. The deal might pay off, but it also might not. It's a big risk. The fundamental facts of both teams' remaining schedules remains the same. The Twins' three game lead remains the same. This quality Twins team remains the same.

     

    Should they being working the phones all day to make a deal? Of course. But there's no cause for the Twins to make a gamble just because Cleveland did.

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    Right now, I am so confused. I need time to sort this all out. The Wets..,errr..,Mets, make a trade for Stoman because they will now go on a tear to compete, or flip him to another team who was already interested and will somehow/someway pay more more for Stroman than before..? Or they will be more likely to deal Syndergard now than before despite his injury history and poor 2019 ERA, (just an example) because they are so deep? The Indians trade their top SP for a couple of bats but weaken their rotation? This crap is crazy! And some want to question why the Twins FO are rubbing their hands together?

     

    Twins are getting better because their competition is getting worse.

     

    Sabotage!

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    Not making any more deals doesn't equate to doing nothing.

     

    I'm sure the Twins are trying their damndest to get some pitching help, but so is just about every other contender. 

     

    I'd rather they stand pat than make a desperation trade like Ramos for Capps, or end up fleeced in what looks like a sellers market. 

     

    I believe a guy like Thorpe could be as good as some of the proven commodities being shopped around out there.

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    I’m not sure how this is a big win for the Indians, they pick up two power hitters, who doesn't get on base, doesn't walk and can’t field.  Their combined WAR this year is 1.2.  Yasiel Puig is gone after this year so the pick-up is Reyes, who is basically a DH as he can’t field.

     

    I wouldn't call it a big win for Cleveland, but:

     

    Fangraphs projects Puig and Reyes to be worth 1.2 WAR the rest of the season. And they are likely replacing Jake Bauers and Greg Allen, who were projected at 0 or slightly negative WAR the rest of the way (and have combined for -0.7 WAR already this year).

     

    On the flip side, Fangraphs projects Trevor Bauer to be worth 1.6 WAR the rest of the season. Even if they replace Bauer with a 0 WAR starter, this could be close to a wash for 2019.

     

    2020 is tougher -- Bauer projects at 3.9 WAR, vs Reyes at 2.4 -- but presumably that is where MLB ready pitching prospects Allen and Moss come into play, plus ~$20 mil salary savings and longer range prospect Nova.

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    baseballtradevalues.com has the Indians as the winner, and Reds as the loser, but I suspect they have Taylor Trammell overrated. Although that wouldn't really affect the Cleveland side of things, as they neither gave up nor received Trammell.

     

    https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/real-life-scorecard-tracking-our-values-against-the-2019-summer-trade-deadline/

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    Honest question, if Lewis, AK, and Grayerol are truly off the table, would a package of Larnach and Balazovic (or Duran) be worth landing Vazquez??

     

    Would it be worth it? Absolutely. Would the Pirates do it? I highly doubt it. In your proposal, you'd likely have to include BOTH Balazovic and Duran. That would be closer to fair value, and a pretty hard pill to swallow.

    Edited by redstorm
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    To those downgrading Trammell (myself included):

     

    Trammell is a 21 year old corner outfielder with 107 wRC+ at AA this season.

     

    Kirilloff is a 21 year old corner outfielder / first baseman with a 109 wRC+ at AA this season.

     

    Neither one is hitting for power in 2019, and have roughly equal strikeout rates. Kirilloff's advantage is in BABIP, while Trammell's is in walks and stolen bases.

     

    Kirilloff obviously was much better in 2018, and we hope this downturn is due to an injury from which he can recover -- but he's up to 287 PA on the season now, including 150 PA (with a 96 wRC+) since his last trip to the DL.

     

    If you're not crazy about Trammell, I could see why Kirilloff may not be a real attractive headliner for a blockbuster trade right now either.

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    Count me as one who isn't sure the Indians got better from this deal. Puig would have the lowest OPS in the Twins lineup and Reyes is basically a DH who has been worth .4 WAR this year and has Sano-like injury concerns. This will expose the Indians pen even more and their pen is not very good. 

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    I wouldn't call it a big win for Cleveland, but:

     

    Fangraphs projects Puig and Reyes to be worth 1.2 WAR the rest of the season. And they are likely replacing Jake Bauers and Greg Allen, who were projected at 0 or slightly negative WAR the rest of the way (and have combined for -0.7 WAR already this year).

     

    On the flip side, Fangraphs projects Trevor Bauer to be worth 1.6 WAR the rest of the season. Even if they replace Bauer with a 0 WAR starter, this could be close to a wash for 2019.

     

    2020 is tougher -- Bauer projects at 3.9 WAR, vs Reyes at 2.4 -- but presumably that is where MLB ready pitching prospects Allen and Moss come into play, plus ~$20 mil salary savings and longer range prospect Nova.

    The Cleveland rotation should be fine without Bauer though...Salazar returns Thursday and Kluber is starting a rehab assignment shortly. They will probably be rusty but there is a decent chance they will be replacing 2019 Bauer with a pitcher a bit better than 0 WAR.

     

    2020 might look something like Kluber, Clevinger, Bieber, Salazar, Carrasco/Plesac/Allen/Plutko.

     

    They dealt from strength and got a haul in return.  Reyes is only 23 years old and has a young career line of .266/.326/.519. He might not maintain that level but Matt Chapman is comparable at .263/.343/.504.  Add in Puig for 2019 and the decent prospects and it looks like a win for Cleveland.

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    The Cleveland rotation should be fine without Bauer though...Salazar returns Thursday and Kluber is starting a rehab assignment shortly. They will probably be rusty but there is a decent chance they will be replacing 2019 Bauer with a pitcher a bit better than 0 WAR.

     

    2020 might look something like Kluber, Clevinger, Bieber, Salazar, Carrasco/Plesac/Allen/Plutko.

     

    They dealt from strength and got a haul in return.  Reyes is only 23 years old and has a career line of .266/.326/.519. Matt Chapman is career .263/.343/.504.  Add in Puig for 2019 and the decent prospects and it looks like a win for Cleveland.

     

    Matt Chapman's gold glove defense at 3rd base makes him a much more valuable player.  Reyes has a nice power stroke, no doubt, but should rarely if ever see time in the field.

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