ancestral

Teams would want Liriano not as a starter (this year) but as a middle-relief/situational pitcher. The fact that he is left-handed is perhaps the biggest reason to trade for him. Not sure where he ranks in the league this year, but lefties are batting .154 against Liriano.

Two part question, really: What are the odds the Twins are unable to orchestrate any trades before the end of the month?If that happens (and understanding there’s still the possibility of the waiver trade deadline), will it be regarded as a large failure of Terry Ryan?

No. No teams want these players. And things can change so quickly, in a heartbeat. If Dozier, Casilla, Carroll or Plouffe gets injured, Valencia could get called up. If Dozier slumps and Valencia keeps hitting well in AAA he could still be on his way up. Things have a tendency to change quickly in the Majors.

Did you forget to check your calendar? This isn’t 2011, or 2010. There’s nothing wrong with Justin.

Not sure why anyone would want Valencia unless the Twins needed to sweeten a deal and throw in a player. Again, buyers want veteran players. As sellers, we’re going to be the ones to take the Valencias other teams throw in with a prospect.

Conventional wisdom dictates that summertime gives hotter temps, which help carry the ball further. Another theory is perhaps Twins players (and opposing teams) are understanding how to hit at Target Field now. Personally, I just think our pitching hasn’t been so great, and out hitting has been picking up as of late, as to partial reasons why it’s up this year.

Everyone knows the All-Star break is a popularity contest judged by the fans, and players know this too. About the only thing it’s good for is it looks better on a player’s résumé. Big names win, which is why Mauer is going. It’s also why Cal Ripken, Jr. went to the All-Star game batting .212 at the end of his career.

I don’t think Plouffe is going anywhere, at least not this season. The priority for the Twins is to unload expensive players, contracts they would not consider picking up next year that they can get a return on by trading them. Plouffe is making $485k. Also, teams who are buyers trade for veteran talent. They want to add players who have either been in the playoffs before, or have years upon years of service to rely on when it comes to reaching the postseason. Plouffe has neither. Edit: Here’s a list of salaries for the Twins, according to ESPN: http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/salaries/_/name/min/minnesota-twins