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  • Twins Trade Abad To Red Sox For RP Prospect

    Nick Nelson

    By Nick Nelson

    The Minnesota Twins just announced their first deadline day move. They are sending lefty reliever Fernando Abad to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-hander Pat Light.

    Light, 25, was drafted by the Red Sox 37th overall in 2012. He's a relief prospect that can touch triple digits with his heater.

    Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, USA Today

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    The Twins have some familiarity with the new arrival. Three years before Boston drafted him out of Monmouth University in the first round, Minnesota selected him in the 28th round of his New Jersey high school, though he didn't sign.

    Light struggled during his first few pro seasons as a starter, but since converting to a relief role last year he has turned himself back into an intriguing prospect with premium velocity. In the last two seasons between Double-A and Triple-A, he has amassed 103 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings (9.9 K/9) though all the whiffs have come along with a whopping 54 walks (5.2 BB/9)

    Like many other young bullpen arms the Twins have targeted over the past few years, Light is a hard-throwing specimen with control problems and plentiful upside if he can iron them out. He's a nice return for Abad, who signed a minor-league deal during the offseason and went on to post a 2.65 ERA in 39 appearances for Minnesota.

    Abad's vacated roster spot goes to Jose Berrios, who will start tonight for the Twins in Cleveland.

    What are your thoughts on the deal?

    Nick is a co-founder of Twins Daily who's been writing about the team for more than 15 years.
    Follow Nick Nelson on Twitter: NickNelsonMN

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    Featured Comments

    Seth Stohs

    Seth Stohs 23,732

  • Owner

    • Posted

    Works for me... Light has upside yet. Team him with Pressly, May, Tonkin and Rogers, along with JT Chargois (and eventually guys like Melotakis, Reed, Burdi, Hildenberger, etc.)

     

    Abad had a nice couple of months and is a solid MLB pitcher. He was clearly the right choice over Tony Sipp and Antonio Bastardo. But dealing him now for a guy with upside is a great deal...

     

    Note - Rob Antony, 2-for-2.

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    LaBombo

    LaBombo 14,240

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    It would be interesting to know if Light just can't find the strike zone in general at times, or if it's his breaking stuff that's the primary culprit. If he's been dominating with his fastball, a good developmental system would urge him to work on his other pitches more and that might contribute to the high walk rate.

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    strumdatjaguar

    strumdatjaguar 649

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Depending on what we in return, I have no problem parting with Kurt Suzuki who could be very valuable to a contender down the stretch, so the Twins could get value in return.   However, Kintzler is 32 years old and has been successful this year.  I don't think the Twins would get much for him.  Keep him around for next year.

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    ThejacKmp

    ThejacKmp 2,978

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    I'm all right with this deal. However, disappointed more veterans haven't been dealt..

     

    We have to remember there is always still August for guys like Plouffe, Kintzler, Santana etc. I love that MLB has a trade deadline that is kind of a deadline but not really.

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    birddog

    birddog 268

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    We'll know in couple years if it was a good trade or not, but I like getting a former #1 who can reach triple digits. BBs are an issue but I like the fact we are getting more pitchers who should miss some bats and has three pitches.

     

    Guessing more deals will be made after the deadline for the Twins as our trade bait is under most team's radar and should make it through waivers. Holding my breath that Nolasco goes somewhere.

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    magiklair

    magiklair 66

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    We have to remember there is always still August for guys like Plouffe, Kintzler, Santana etc. I love that MLB has a trade deadline that is kind of a deadline but not really.

     

    Yes that's true.. But most teams are looking to upgrade their rosters now rather than August.

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    Eephus

    Eephus 184

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Works for me... Light has upside yet. Team him with Pressly, May, Tonkin and Rogers, along with JT Chargois (and eventually guys like Melotakis, Reed, Burdi, Hildenberger, etc.)

     

     

    I's like to think there's an above average bullpen somewhere some day among all those prospects.

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    Fritzderkat

    Fritzderkat 142

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Speaking of trades, can't complain on the reasoning behind Nunez for Mejia, but I for one will miss seeing Nunez around. He's come into his own this year, a career season so far, and how long he can keep it up or how it may change with the Giants and the National League, who knows? But this year, playing half a season with a bunch of flagging prospects and stiffs, he's been a breath of fresh and its been fun to watch him play, I like his style and attitude. I wrote him a letter over the weekend to tell him so.

     

    That's only the third time I've ever written a letter to a professional baseball player. The first was to Mickey Mantle, who replied with an autograph and poster, and the second was to Frank Viola, who said nothing after I ragged his ass for having a bad year with the Red Sox and ruining the pitching stafs on my fantasy baseball team.

     

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    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,320

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

     

    Note - Rob Antony, 2-for-2.

     

    That's not really a useful way of looking at it.

     

    First of all, by your definition, he almost can't go 0-for-1 on a player until the trade deadline actually passes (and even then, we'll probably hear how it wasn't really his fault that he couldn't move such-and-such player).

     

    And it's not really a hit/no-hit situation -- there are tons of outcomes between going "0-for-1" and "1-for-1" on a trade.  I'd say getting an interesting 40-man depth piece for an obvious trade candidate is something like a "league average" performance in terms of trades -- not bad, but short of the perfection implied by "2-for-2".

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    Mike Sixel

    Mike Sixel 41,021

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

     

    That's not really a useful way of looking at it.

     

    First of all, by your definition, he almost can't go 0-for-1 on a player until the trade deadline actually passes (and even then, we'll probably hear how it wasn't really his fault that he couldn't move such-and-such player).

     

    And it's not really a hit/no-hit situation -- there are tons of outcomes between going "0-for-1" and "1-for-1" on a trade.  I'd say getting an interesting 40-man depth piece for an obvious trade candidate is something like a "league average" performance in terms of trades -- not bad, but short of the perfection implied by "2-for-2".

     

    Pretty much no matter what he does, you criticize it. He got a good prospect for a RP that is a FA after this year (I think).......isn't that a good trade? I don't understand the line of thinking here at all. 

     

    I agree with Seth, 2-2.

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    TheLeviathan

    TheLeviathan 17,473

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    In 5 years we can judge the outcome, I would suggest Seth's 2-2 line was more about the idea of the trade.  We took a roster invite guy and turned him into a former 37th pick by selling high.

     

    I don't care so much about the long term results at this point, I strongly agree with that philosophy of asset management/acquisition.

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    HitInAPinch

    HitInAPinch 4,518

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Pretty much no matter what he does, you criticize it. He got a good prospect for a RP that is a FA after this year (I think).......isn't that a good trade? I don't understand the line of thinking here at all. 

     

    I agree with Seth, 2-2.

    Agree!  To get 2 high ranking prospects like Light [ for a soft-tossing lefty ] and Adalberto Mejia [ for a utility player ] is a win.

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    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,320

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

     

    Pretty much no matter what he does, you criticize it. He got a good prospect for a RP that is a FA after this year (I think).......isn't that a good trade? I don't understand the line of thinking here at all. 

     

    I agree with Seth, 2-2.

    I'm not criticizing anything -- I think this and the Nunez trades are fine moves.  But they are pretty much bog standard moves in terms of evaluating an MLB GM or FO.  Expendable veteran role players, swapped to contenders at or just before the deadline for modest 40-man roster prospects.

     

    Before I break out the applause for Antony or this Twins FO in general, I'd like to see some more creativity.  A trade for a non-40 man prospect might have been more creative; an Ervin Santana trade would almost certainly be creative; so would dealing Suzuki given the rest of our catching situation.

     

    Now, there's nothing wrong with not accomplishing anything creative in the limited time frame that Antony has been at the GM desk.  So he won't get any demerits or criticism from me.  But he also won't get "bonus points" or the "perfect score" implied by Seth's "2-for-2" comment.

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