Twins Trade Deadline Primer

The Plouffe situation is a mess, as the Twins have to ask themselves...will they offer him arbitration or not. I'm sure we will have to wait to see what can happen with Plouffe (and Suzuki and Nolasco) as the season winds into August and players are put on waivers. The Twins then have the option of making a deal or letting someone walk. Plouffe only has value (as does Suzuki) if he can replace temporarily an injured party for the remainder of the season and then given walking papers to explore free agency in the fall. Dealing both for anything can be a plus, as the Twins would then be in a position to resign, if the need or desire IS there.

Of course, any of the Twins waiver wire, minor league free agent guys could be flipped for something...depending on what the Twins see as depth from the minors happening next year.

Don't forget that Escobar could also be a candidate as a team is looking for a solid utility guy.

But most of the players mention will just bring minor league depth, maybe a prospect of two still a bit raw that COULD develop into something usable in the majors. We don't need anyone out of options or who demands a 40-man spot...unless they are truly major league ready and just blocked on another team's depth list.

I say part with Santana, especially if YOU DON'T have to eat salary, and better to invest that money elsewhere, or down the road.

I think Joe Mauer will pass thru August waivers unclaimed, sadly. 

Kintzler might be of some interest.

I like the idea of selling high on Nuñez. Hopefully this is a sell high time for Dozier too, due to his recent hot hitting streak. Hopefully the Twins can trade him before opposing pitchers make an adjustment & send him into another prolonged slump.

Plouffe should be traded this offseason. Hopefully, he comes back strong and has a good last two months of the season. But it's a bummer they didn't trade him last offseason.

My guess is that the Twins trade Abad, Suzuki and Santana at the deadline, with an outside shot of trading Nunez to give Polanco playing time this season. They end up waiting on Nolasco, Dozier and Plouffe until the offseason. But I wouldn't be surprised if most of these players aren't traded over the coming months. I don't have that much faith in the current regime, but I think it's obvious this team needs to make some trades.

There has been a flurry of July 4 action, but nothing of great interest.  It did catch Twin fans attention and this would be the time for an aggressive team to capitalize on that and move on.   A marketing of the Team for the future is better than watch our team try to avoid 100 losses. 

The problem I see is that the FO and many Twins fans over rate our players.  For example Plouffe, we have grown up with him and he has been a nice story, but nothing special in the eyes of the rest of the majors.  Think about the 3B transactions from last year and Plouffe is not going to be worth what we think.

Since pitching is the name of the game and teams like the Yankees and Dodgers are desperate right now we can move the huge Santana and Nolasco contracts if we work it out right and those teams would not blink at what we consider outrageous sums. 

Plouffe IMO will be an August salary dump, or play more of a bench role until he's let go in the offseason. The time to trade him was last offseason. We'll never know if there was real or manufactured interest for him last December.

I'd also add Milone to the pitching list. Though I would think the most likely scenario is a DFA/salary dump...

Salary dumping Plouffe wouldn't surprise me, either. But I still say they trade him this offseason for a marginal prospect. Agree with you that he should have been traded last offseason. 

And Milone gets released or is relegated to mop-up duty. Also possible that they keep him as a warm body. 

Bottom line is this team is a damn mess. 

Plouffe is going to be a non-tender this offseason, he won't have trade value then.  A salary dump now is probably best for all parties

Maybe. But I bet someone takes him on for a marginal, low-level prospect. 

Either way, it illustrates the team's mistake in not trading him in the offseason. 

I'm going to bet Polanco is traded w Santana or Nolasco to get a higher end pitching/catching prospect.

I hope the Twins keep Nunez to mentor Sano and Polanco. I doubt they get much in return for trading him since he will be a pending free agent next season.

Playoff contenders are always looking for catchers and relief pitchers after the All Star break.

Abad is slowly falling back to earth.  Get on the Bat Phone as quickly as possible.  Guessing some teams will be calling on Buddy Boshers, too. Besides, Taylor Rogers is ready for a larger roll;  more that just a LOOGY.

Suzuki will be a prize catch for a playoff bound team in need of a catcher.

When taking a "redo" on a team, you just can't get rid of all the veterans.  You need some around to prevent the young players from hanging themselves during a bad streak. 

I'm a keeper on Dozier.  I don't think you'll get much in trade. And from what I'm reading, the book is still out on Polanco.  His AAA stats are nice, but not the picture-book kind you'd want to see before a callup.  On the other hand, I believe he will be called up. 

I'm also a keeper on Nunez.  He's been hitting at a consistent rate.  As a fielder, well, he hasn't injured himself too badly.

Just like the regular players, you need a veteran presence on the pitching staff.  Santana seems the only real logical choice.  Nolasco is a 5-6 inning pitcher.  The only thing that's consistent about him is the strain he puts on the bullpen.  Hughes is on season-ending DL.  If even remotely possible, I'd trade Nolasco even if I had to cover part of his salary.  Hughes:  contact agent, try to get a buy-out deal.

Overall:  the tryouts have already begun and there's more to come.

Almost forgot about Plouffe: He's had more than a few health issues this year.  Now he has a broken rib.  Let the market decide.

I'm sure this has been answered somewhere around here before but didn't Nolasco sign a 4 year deal the year before Santana? How is Nolasco owed $24 million yet and Santana only $27 million? Shouldn't it be Nolasco $12.5 million plus the rest of this year and Santana $27 million + the rest of this year? 

Not that it makes much of a difference, still way more money than either should be paid.

Plouffe has to go. I would put Abad in the has to go category as well. The rest have some strings attached. If you keep Dozier Polanco should get moved for value and vice versa. I would keep Santana as they need all the starting pitching they can get. I would trade Susuki if I could get something for him. If not I would sign him for cheap to be Tha backup next year.

I wanted 4, but with injuries am sure it will be less.  Dozier I want to trade, he will not be here for the next very good Twins team, so just move him.

Is the trade counter already at 2? Arcia and Jepsen were part of the opening day roster. Arcia has been moved. Jepsen is yet to be resolved. The return is minimal but similar to what we might expect from Nolasco or Plouffe. Space is cleared on the roster.