Twins Trade Donaldson, Kiner-Falefa to Yankees for Sanchez, Urshela

Prediction:   Twins sign Trevor Story,  Kris Bryant, Zack Greinke, and Kenley Jansen.  Trade for Montas.  Win WS three straight years.  Year 4, we do not win WS and fans call for heads of front office.

How do you move Garver for IKF, just to ship him to New York in a salary dump? And send Rortvedt?! We have no depth at catcher with only Jeffers and one of the worst defensive catchers in Sanchez. And I don't even like Sanchez's bat, I don't think he's the hitter he once was - I can't stand Sano at times, but I'd take him 100 times out of 100 over Sanchez.

Two years of affordable control of Urshela is nice, I guess? I just don't know if he has what it takes to get back to his 2019-20 levels, and I'd rather play Miranda at 3B. And now we don't have a SS! And our catching depth is completely gone, as there's nobody close to the major league level who's any good. How on earth do you move Garver and Rortvedt for peanuts?

I don't know what this team is doing. I hate this trade. Maybe they're going to sign Story - and I'll like that - but there is no way it should have required blowing up the catcher position and trading Donaldson. And also barely upgrading the pitching staff, which was the primary reason why the 2021 season went horribly wrong... I just don't get any of this.

I was convinced that targeting IKF was consistent with what seemed to be a clear priority placed on defense... apparently that plan was nothing that couldn't change in a day.

3 minutes ago, Heiny said:

Prediction:   Twins sign Trevor Story,  Kris Bryant, Zack Greinke, and Kenley Jansen.  Trade for Montas.  Win WS three straight years.  Year 4, we do not win WS and fans call for heads of front office.

I know you are being funny, but still, while the prediction of a WS is a little crazy and those signing won't happen  ..... those contracts would all fit within a $160 million budget. Actually affordable with revenue from fans in the stands too. Isn't that crazy?

Remember that bonkers J.D. Davis rumor from the other day? The runway is clear.

9 minutes ago, Danchat said:

How do you move Garver for IKF, just to ship him to New York in a salary dump? And send Rortvedt?! We have no depth at catcher with only Jeffers and one of the worst defensive catchers in Sanchez.

Hey this way instead of watching fantastic infield plays , we get to watch Twins catchers chasing the ball all over behind the plate, BRILLIANT!

This all had to work from the angle of: "Hey, someone will take Josh Donaldson off of our hands, and his ENTIRE salary. WHat do we have to do to make this work."

Doesn't matter if these are good trades or bad? Embrace the fun of a FO gone amok?

We've wanted this for years after safe, timid Pohlad moves?

Suddenly the Minnesota Twins MLB Team is willing to throw fragment bombs into the  FA and trade discussions? Wow...stunning?

2 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Yep ... the way it stands right now we are worse at 3rd, worse at C, still a big hole at SS, 1 upgrade at pitcher ... gotta think there is more coming, but wow. And this has gotta be weird on the clubhouse right now. Just ... we'll see what happens in the next week, but so far, I'm not very hopeful

Right now Cruz is probably glad he left.

Admit? Twins Daily fans are blown away by the stunning events?

And we prided ourselves as All Knowing?

Guess What?

6 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

Serious question,  are Sanchez and Jeffers the only two catchers in the 40 man?  Quick look at mlbpipeline and we don't have a single catcher in our top 30 prospects. 

It's debatable whether we have 1 in the top 50 (probably Alex Isola). I am guessing we'll go back to the Chris Gimenez / Bobby Wilson types once they realize Sanchez can't catch and they use him at DH instead.

Overall this move makes sense if the team is trying to do a quick rebuild. Getting off Donaldson's contract gives the team more flexibility going forward.

Adding up the money in the Twins recent trades shows that the team has actually cut the payroll slightly, meaning the team is currently sitting around $40M below the payroll from recent years. The question is whether the money will be spent or if this really is a tanking/developmental year.

9 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why trade for Gray if you aren't trying to compete this year? If you are, where can they spend money at this point? 

I truly have no idea what the team is trying to do. Everything other than the Gray trade points to the team going into developmental mode with a low payroll. Maybe the Gray deal was just too good to pass up. I could see a scenario where Gray gets flipped for what the front office views as better package than Petty at the trade deadline.

2 hours ago, blindeke said:

Q: Have the Twins ever made a trade this wild?

No, but the Vikings have!

1 hour ago, darwin22 said:

Pretty hard to believe ANYTHING coming out of the piehole of Falvey after he gushed over the talent that Kiner-Falefa was bringing in as the starting SS.  Totally asinine to take on Sanchez even if for only 1 season.  Unless this deal results in the signing of Trevor Story, this deal should result in Falvey being fired.  Pohlad is also to blame.  This, as it stands tonight, is just plain horrible.

Possibly wait until you see the end product before firing?  Everyone  agreed Donaldson at his salary needed to be moved.  Stand still, or change.  I like it

Hey look on the brightside! Now we have the payroll flexibility to take on Trevor Bauer's contract in a Dodgers salary dump!

While I’m not sure I like this trade, or even that I completely understand what’s going on, I don’t think I agree with some of the comments here about where we gotten weaker and where we’ve gotten stronger. Can you put everything you’ve done together, I think we are weaker at catcher, stronger in the rotation with the addition of Sonny Gray, a little bit weaker but not much at third base since Urshela Is a better fielder than Donaldson, similar but not quite as good a hitter, and substantially  less injury prone. We also now have some payroll flexibility to either sign someone like Trevor Story or trade for a pitcher that either has a good size salary or can be extended. As we sit, we definitely have a black hole at shortstop so one has to assume we’re going to do something to resolve that. Truly bizarre. I think we’re basically halfway through the novel and still in suspense because we can’t figure out the ending. All I can say is I certainly hope we don’t end up here.

There are already reports the Twins are making a push for Story

2 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

That's my phylosphy too

What about the Chuck Knoblauch trade?  That one worked out…. Phil Hughes?

Garver wasted for Sanchez. A worse hitter and a worse fielder.  A Yankee with a bad attitude. 

Still no stud pitching, and no improvement. Gray is fading and fast. Just a place holder that gets paid too much.

Falvey and Levine are Visitors playing fantasy baseball with our team.  They think they are so smart, but took a 100+ win team and tanked them last year..

Visitors leaving a horrible ring in the tub. 

Billionaires don't really need a budget when it comes to their hobby of owning a baseball team. Just ask Steve Cohen and the Mets. He is having fun. And we have jokers playing fantasy baseball with our team.

What the Twins FO has just done in the last 48 hours is un-precedented in Twins history?

Could it be that FalVine, et al, understand the new CBA and it's ramifications for constructing a winning franchise in the next 5 years:

A: Faster than other MLB FO's?

B: Us?

1 hour ago, Wedman13 said:

 Everyone  agreed Donaldson at his salary needed to be moved.  Stand still, or change.  I like it

Statements like this are just irresponsible. No ........ not even close to everyone. Speak for yourself, please. Not everyone.

• Well I’m glad I didn’t buy any players jerseys yesterday…or game tickets for that matter…if this ends up being just a money saving move with no big salaries added with the savings I won’t be in need of either…got my hopes up with the Sony Gray trade yesterday..to wake up to this..