Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'chicago cubs'.
-
After dropping a pivotal four game set with the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins pack up their bags and journey across town. Facing the Cubs at Wrigley, they’ll look to end 2020’s regular season road slate on a high not. Facing the NL Central leaders will make that tough, but it’s a momentum building opportunity.Yesteday's Game Recap CHW 4, MIN 3: Donaldson Ejection Steals the Show, White Sox Take Series TODAY Twins (31-21) @ Cubs (30-20), 7:15 pm CDT Twins Starter: Rich Hill, LHP (2-1, 3.81 ERA) Drafted by the Cubs in the 4th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft, there has to be a sense of home for Mr. Mountain. Despite pitching over 300 innings with Chicago, he’s faced them for a grand total of 13. Six starts in 2020 have generated just a total of 26.0 IP, and while the 3.81 ERA isn’t disastrous by any means, Hill would certainly like more. Coming off the surgery this offseason, Hill’s productivity was always going to be a question mark. He’s not at all a stranger to the operating table, but now he’s returning having hit 40 years old. The walks are up, strikeouts are down, and the command looks just a bit off. Download attachment: Hill.PNG Efficiency is going to need a bit of tweaking if Hill wants to find his way as the veteran option on Minnesota’s Postseason staff. He’s been doing the same type of thing for a long time, and flipping the big bender is an worthy process when all things are clicking. Cubs Starter: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (5-4, 3.29 ERA) If there’s a right-handed clone of Hill, it’s Hendricks. Another soft tosser built on great offspeed stuff, the Cubs righty has been giving the opposition fits for years. Hendricks did not start the year needing to fend of injury concern and he came out of the gates firing. With a complete game shutout against the Brewers, it would be hard to top that debut performance. Download attachment: Hendricks.PNG When looking to solve Hendricks the Twins should be keyed in on his two outings against the Cincinnati Reds. Having kept all other opponents to three runs or less, both times the Reds faced him they were able to get the right for five-plus. This will be the third start Hendricks makes in 2020 against the American League Central division. He has faced both the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, winning both of those games while being virtually on cruise control. Twins Starting Lineup: TBA What to Watch for: At the end of yesterday’s game Rocco Baldelli lifted the strong hitting rookie Ryan Jeffers in place of Willians Astudillo. Lineup construction has been a point on contention down the stretch and seeing who contributes, along with how it’s managed through, will be interesting.Byron Buxton is a man on fire. He has six homers in his last 6 starts and has four in his last three games. Had MLB not wiped out his first inside-the-park tally that would go up another digit.The Twins needed to cover three innings of work out of the bullpen yesterday. Sergio Romo blew his first save and scuffled, but Taylor Rogers should be available for Minnesota this evening.Around the AL CentralChicago White Sox 33-17 (+80 run differential) Minnesota Twins 31-21 (+45) Cleveland Indians 27-23 (+36) Detroit Tigers 21-28 (-63) Kansas City Royals 21-29 (-23) Click here to view the article -
Yesteday's Game Recap CHW 4, MIN 3: Donaldson Ejection Steals the Show, White Sox Take Series TODAY Twins (31-21) @ Cubs (30-20), 7:15 pm CDT Twins Starter: Rich Hill, LHP (2-1, 3.81 ERA) Drafted by the Cubs in the 4th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft, there has to be a sense of home for Mr. Mountain. Despite pitching over 300 innings with Chicago, he’s faced them for a grand total of 13. Six starts in 2020 have generated just a total of 26.0 IP, and while the 3.81 ERA isn’t disastrous by any means, Hill would certainly like more. Coming off the surgery this offseason, Hill’s productivity was always going to be a question mark. He’s not at all a stranger to the operating table, but now he’s returning having hit 40 years old. The walks are up, strikeouts are down, and the command looks just a bit off. Efficiency is going to need a bit of tweaking if Hill wants to find his way as the veteran option on Minnesota’s Postseason staff. He’s been doing the same type of thing for a long time, and flipping the big bender is an worthy process when all things are clicking. Cubs Starter: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (5-4, 3.29 ERA) If there’s a right-handed clone of Hill, it’s Hendricks. Another soft tosser built on great offspeed stuff, the Cubs righty has been giving the opposition fits for years. Hendricks did not start the year needing to fend of injury concern and he came out of the gates firing. With a complete game shutout against the Brewers, it would be hard to top that debut performance. When looking to solve Hendricks the Twins should be keyed in on his two outings against the Cincinnati Reds. Having kept all other opponents to three runs or less, both times the Reds faced him they were able to get the right for five-plus. This will be the third start Hendricks makes in 2020 against the American League Central division. He has faced both the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, winning both of those games while being virtually on cruise control. Twins Starting Lineup: TBA What to Watch for: At the end of yesterday’s game Rocco Baldelli lifted the strong hitting rookie Ryan Jeffers in place of Willians Astudillo. Lineup construction has been a point on contention down the stretch and seeing who contributes, along with how it’s managed through, will be interesting. Byron Buxton is a man on fire. He has six homers in his last 6 starts and has four in his last three games. Had MLB not wiped out his first inside-the-park tally that would go up another digit. The Twins needed to cover three innings of work out of the bullpen yesterday. Sergio Romo blew his first save and scuffled, but Taylor Rogers should be available for Minnesota this evening. Around the AL Central Chicago White Sox 33-17 (+80 run differential) Minnesota Twins 31-21 (+45) Cleveland Indians 27-23 (+36) Detroit Tigers 21-28 (-63) Kansas City Royals 21-29 (-23) -
Because of the expanded Postseason field in 2020 there has been talk all year alluding to the muted significance behind the regular season. That’s more than a fair argument, although it didn’t stop the trade deadline from being a feeding frenzy. As Minnesota has tread water towards the top of the AL Central for weeks now however, it’s at this point they need to go take what’s theirs. Leaving the South Side with anything but a series win was always going to be suboptimal. They’d still be looking up at competition in the standings, and things don’t get easier when venturing across town. Odds will be available on Friday morning, but you can assume that Minnesota will be dogs to David Ross’ Cubs in at least a game or two over the weekend. Wrapping up six days on the road isn’t fun and coming out ready to go will be a must against the Wrigley natives. There’s a certain level of understanding that the playoffs and Postseason represent something larger and more impactful. The Twins accomplished virtually everything they could in a regular season last year. In 2020 they want to make October waves and take that next step forward. Managing for that without ramp-up time still seems like somewhat of a foolish venture, however. Mitch Garver remains on the Injured List, as does Luis Arraez. Those two both need to get back and in a rhythm before realistically being able to rely on them over the course of a playoff run. Jake Odorizzi looked strong against the White Sox in his return to the mound, but a blister issue still ended his night abruptly. We saw Miguel Sano need to track pitches for weeks prior to settling in, and while both Garver and Arraez have action under their belt, assuming immediate production is probably wishful thinking. Before the Twins leave Chicago, they’ll need to turn the tide on this road trip as a whole. Going back home having won the last jaunt away on the season should feel like a massive victory. Baldelli’s club has fared incredibly well within Target Field, and regardless of their ability to host a brief three-game series to kick off the Postseason, they need to be clicking and confident when entering the bubble. This Twins team is more than talented enough to make real waves and cause real damage. Baseball is a sport that normalizes over time and repetition, however. Rather than trying to catch lightning in a bottle it’d be great to see this club spark its own luck the rest of the way, reinforcements or otherwise. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email -
Coming into the series against the Chicago White Sox the matchups had all the makings of a Postseason atmosphere. Then Rocco Baldelli ran out a watered-down lineup in game one, and the Minnesota Twins fell on their faces in two consecutive evenings. With just a short runway left, it’s time to kick it in.Because of the expanded Postseason field in 2020 there has been talk all year alluding to the muted significance behind the regular season. That’s more than a fair argument, although it didn’t stop the trade deadline from being a feeding frenzy. As Minnesota has tread water towards the top of the AL Central for weeks now however, it’s at this point they need to go take what’s theirs. Leaving the South Side with anything but a series win was always going to be suboptimal. They’d still be looking up at competition in the standings, and things don’t get easier when venturing across town. Odds will be available on Friday morning, but you can assume that Minnesota will be dogs to David Ross’ Cubs in at least a game or two over the weekend. Wrapping up six days on the road isn’t fun and coming out ready to go will be a must against the Wrigley natives. There’s a certain level of understanding that the playoffs and Postseason represent something larger and more impactful. The Twins accomplished virtually everything they could in a regular season last year. In 2020 they want to make October waves and take that next step forward. Managing for that without ramp-up time still seems like somewhat of a foolish venture, however. Mitch Garver remains on the Injured List, as does Luis Arraez. Those two both need to get back and in a rhythm before realistically being able to rely on them over the course of a playoff run. Jake Odorizzi looked strong against the White Sox in his return to the mound, but a blister issue still ended his night abruptly. We saw Miguel Sano need to track pitches for weeks prior to settling in, and while both Garver and Arraez have action under their belt, assuming immediate production is probably wishful thinking. Before the Twins leave Chicago, they’ll need to turn the tide on this road trip as a whole. Going back home having won the last jaunt away on the season should feel like a massive victory. Baldelli’s club has fared incredibly well within Target Field, and regardless of their ability to host a brief three-game series to kick off the Postseason, they need to be clicking and confident when entering the bubble. This Twins team is more than talented enough to make real waves and cause real damage. Baseball is a sport that normalizes over time and repetition, however. Rather than trying to catch lightning in a bottle it’d be great to see this club spark its own luck the rest of the way, reinforcements or otherwise. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article
-
Here is what the Twins Daily writers had to say when asked, “Do you think the World Series Champion in an 82-game season would be legitimate?” Seth Stohs: Of course. The NHL and NBA had 82-game seasons and then they crown legitimate champions. If it's about number of games, the NFL plays 16 games and then has a champion. If the question is because it's a shortened season, well, then there have been several shortened seasons in MLB history and those champions have been considered legit. Nick Nelson: To me, the legitimacy of naming a 2020 MLB champion is more dependent on the makeup of a season than its length. I think 82 games is sufficient, especially with expanded playoffs. But how many players aren't participating? Is it fair to call this an official season of record if numerous stars opt out, especially if some teams are disproportionately affected? I don't think so. Ted Schwerzler: It’s still a season and not just a playoff. It’s different, but sanctioned and legitimate, nonetheless. Cody Pirkl: I would say yes, but I think the public perception will be based off of what team wins it. If a team like the Diamondbacks or the White Sox won, I think people would be more likely to point out the small sample size not being legit. John Bonnes: Yes. Nash Walker: Yes! 100% yes from me. As others have pointed out, overcoming the obstacles of a global pandemic and delayed season is more impressive than a regular year. It’s gonna be different, but legitimacy won’t be a question for me. Whoever takes the cake will have earned it during an unprecedented time. Cody Christie: I think it is a strange proposition because there have been previous shortened seasons, but none that have been in the 80-game range. I think fans of the winning club will view it as legitimate, especially if it isn’t the Yankees or the Dodgers. Tom Froemming: Absolutely, assuming there aren’t any major alterations to shorten the postseason format. Matt Braun: The championship was won under the rules set forward by MLB and the players association. Yes, it would be an unusual World Series victory, but the team accomplished what they did legitimately with the same parameters as every other franchise. Cooper Carlson: While I understand there will always be an asterisk for the 2020 World Series champion, I still believe the champion will be legitimate. 82 games is enough to weed out who the best teams are and provide a solid group of playoff teams. After 82 games last year, the playoff teams would have been the Yankees, Twins, Astros, Dodgers, Braves, Cubs, Rays, Rangers, Brewers and Phillies. That group truly only has one outlier (sorry Texas) so I think 82 games will work. While 82 isn’t ideal, it’s the best we’re going to get in 2020 and that’s alright. Andrew Thares: Yes, since playoff performance isn’t as heavily correlated to regular season performance as most people think, and that is already what determines the World Series champion. Matthew Lenz: Yes, same rules and chances for every team. Teams may inadvertently be better built for an 82-game season but I still think that’s a big enough sample to figure out which team is the best. What do you think? Is the winner of a World Series in an 82-game season legit? Leave a COMMENT and continue the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email -
Twins Could Trade for a Former Free Agent Target
Ted Schwerzler posted a blog entry in Off The Baggy
After bringing back Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda the Minnesota Twins should be turning their focus solely to the top of their rotation. Madison Bumgarner is the presumed name, but Jon Heyman recently reported that former Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu could be the target. What if Minnesota wanted to go a different route entirely? There’s no denying that Bumgarner and Ryu are the best (see: only) arms left in the second tier of available starters. Bumgarner has been dissected plenty, and Ryu is essentially the flip side of what he brings to the table. Injury concerns are abundant and could be an immediate issue. He won’t command the same length in a contract, but that may not matter if you get burned on the front end. Ryu is a really nice arm, but there’s plenty of risk regarding how much time he’ll miss. For a while I’ve contended the Twins plan this winter should be to acquire a top-tier arm through free agency while also dealing for an option with some nice team control. What if it they decided to deal for the top-tier arm as well, and spend by taking on someone else’s contract? Enter Yu Darvish. Minnesota came up a year short in signing Darvish before he eventually landed a six-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. Thad Levine has in-depth knowledge of the arm having worked in the front office that originally signed him in Texas, and the parallels with Ryu run pretty deep. Chicago’s starter is roughly six months older than Ryu. He could be had on a four-year, $81 million contract today assuming the Cubs take on no salary. Although Ryu may not get four years, he’ll probably wind up somewhere between the $60-75 million range. Darvish was injury and bad a season ago, and then started slow in 2019. Across his final 20 starts last year he allowed just a .629 OPS and had a 162/18 K/BB ratio. When looking at Darvish and Ryu it comes down to what path you prefer (and if Chicago is truly motivated to move him). Ryu costs dollars and brings a strong amount of command while lacking the strikeouts. Darvish would require prospect capital, involves a similar level of injury risk, but brings arguably the best strikeout numbers Minnesota would have ever employed. If you’re hoarding prospects, and there’s reason to suggest that the Twins should be at least until the deadline this season, then spending money on Ryu or Bumgarner should be the obvious decision. If Darvish is seen as the superior option to Ryu, then engaging the Cubs in meaningful discussion is absolutely a conversation worth having. We’re at the point in roster construction where big moves are going to involve a certain level of skepticism. Knowing that there’s nothing certain about any of the options involved, a level of belief will be required with any asset acquired. I’m not sure which path the Twins will choose, and I don’t know what the right one is. I am glad we’re at the crossroads where it becomes a necessity, and these are the real discussions that we’re having. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz- 7 comments
-
- 4
-
-
- minnesota twins
- chicago cubs
- (and 3 more)
-
Let’s rewind over a half decade and land back in 2013. The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros both employed top five farm systems but were among the worst teams in baseball. Chicago won just 66 games while Houston joined the American League and punted on the season to the tune of 51 victories. The next year both clubs remained in the top five on the farm but also showed life in the majors to the tune of 73 and 70 wins respectively. Pairing their development success with what was happening at the highest level, it became evident that it was time to go. In 2015 the Cubs opened with a $106.6 million payroll, 98% increase from the $53.6 million a year prior. Houston was not as drastic, going from $41.6 million to $64.8 million (a 56% increase). Both teams jumped up in wins, most notably Chicago parlaying their 97 into an NLCS appearance (in which they were swept by the Mets). 2016 saw the Cubs fully realize their goal with a World Series victory, the first since 1908. To get there Theo pushed payroll to $161.3 million, another 51% increase, or jump of 200% since 2014. Image Credit: Forbes To be fair, Minnesota will never operate on the same revenue stream that a national brand like the Cubs benefit from. Houston is a much more feasible example though, and while they likely have a more lucrative TV deal as well, 2019 revenues highlight the gap being relatively insignificant. The Astros also saw an 86-win successful year in 2015, only to take a step backwards (84 wins) in 2016. That is largely reflective of the cycle Minnesota endured popping up for a one-game Wild Card loss. Payroll growth in Houston has been noteworthy as well. Coming out of the 86-win campaign in 2015 the Astros operated differently than the Twins (who went from $130MM in 2018 to $114MM in 2019) by increasing payroll to $75.4 million, a slight 16% increase. They finished third in the division, but the dam was clearly ready to break. Still with a top farm system, and so much big-league talent, Houston went gangbusters spending $132.5 million in 2017, a 76% increase that culminated in a World Series. Despite being an uncapped sport teams all have a spending threshold. Chicago suggests they’re near theirs and have begun to scale back. The additional funs provided them a window of five straight winning seasons, 90 wins in all but one of them, and the ultimate goal. Houston is in the midst of a stretch where they’ve won three straight division titles, 100 games in three straight seasons, and have gone to the World Series in two of the past three years. Infrastructure and development in baseball is about creating a backbone capable of sustaining excellence at the highest level. Whether prospects contribute to maturing on the biggest stage, or being parlayed into veteran talent, the goal is not a constant state of hording. Minnesota’s window is now fully open, paired with ideal opportunity around them, and the financial flexibility to make waves. You could, and I have, made the argument that significant spending would have provided marginal gains in recent seasons. That is no longer on the table, and the blueprint has already been draw up for these Twins. 2020 isn’t about dabbling at $130 million. This franchise now needs to show up at the checkout counter and make use of what it has built these past few years. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Not registered? Click here to create an account. To stay up to date, follow Twins Daily on Twitter and Facebook. More from Twins Daily 2020 Offseason Handbook Now Available for Download "Robot Umpires" Coming to Some Affiliated Parks Next Season Eyeing This Year's Most Intriguing Free Agent -
Two avenues exist when it comes to acquiring external talent in baseball. After you’ve developed your own players, bringing in reinforcements requires some sort of capital. Organizations can decide if that’s done through a cash transaction on the free agent market, or if it makes more sense to utilize a farm system and explore a swap including prospect capital. The Twins have now been presented with opportunities to go down both paths in the past calendar year and have taken neither thus far. That decision looms but isn’t yet one they should be criticized for not making. Prior to 2018 theTwins' front office offered a $100 million contract to former Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish. It went terribly in year one with the Chicago Cubs for the 31-year-old, and aside from the current stretch of strength, year two has followed a similar path. Bullet dodged or otherwise, Darvish was representative of a free agent ace that Minnesota pursued. The second path came in the form of a controllable starter. The ask for Marcus Stroman was both top Twins prospects, while the Mets wanted Byron Buxton to headline a return for Thor. Both of those proposals were intelligently declined, but the conversations are indicative of the timing trending right. Looking at the 2019 season so far, it’s fair to suggest that the Twins push all their chips forward. That notion would be shortsighted however and effectively negate much of the strong foundation built by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. The AL Central is a poor division, and Minnesota is on a collision course with 100 wins, but opportunity doesn’t seem to be tied solely to the current season. Postseason baseball is about good teams getting hot and spurning a consistent seasons-long run for the sake of an impulse buy doesn’t seem a smart move. Blueprints designed by good teams like the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros are often referenced when hoping for that next World Series trophy. It’s in truly understanding how those teams were built that outlines a process Minnesota can follow. Joe Maddon took over as Cubs manager in 2015. He was coming to an organization that had the fifth best farm system in baseball the year prior and was ready to take the next step. The North-Siders won 97 games that year (good enough for just third in the NL Central) en route to an appearance in the NLCS. They were swept in four games by the New York Mets and had a winter to mull things over. A 63-41 record at the 2016 trade deadline saw them get better as they swung a massive trade to nab Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees for Gleyber Torres. That team went on to win 103 games and take the World Series by a tally of four games to three. They have won 90+ games in the two years since and are well positioned for a fifth straight postseason in 2019. Houston went from Bo Porter to A.J. Hinch prior to the 2015 season. Hinch joined an organization coming off a 92-loss season, but with the third best farm system in baseball. The Astros popped up with an ALDS defeat following an 86-win campaign in his first year. 2016 was a slight step back winning just 84 games, and then 2017 opportunity knocked again. Owning a 69-36 record with a mature big-league roster, Jeff Lunhow struck a trade to acquire Justin Verlander. Houston won 101 games and the World Series in 2017. Another big move was made that winter when Gerrit Cole was netted from the Pirates, and Houston turned their 103-win season into an ALCS defeat. During 2019 the Astros look like the odds-on favorites in the American League. In both of those examples we can see a successful organization making an impact move. Neither of them did so prior to a strong infrastructure being in place, a level of consistency being established, and future benefit also being somewhat certain. Even after the Astros swung the third straight blockbuster, this year for Zack Greinke, they have just a 27.9% chance to win the World Series. Obviously, that’s exponentially more than most of the competition, but it still places them at less than a one in three opportunity. What that highlights is that banking on postseason success still involves a significant amount of luck. Minnesota’s front office is still going to need to decide which avenue of player acquisition they’ll be committing to. There’s a good deal of roster turnover expected to take place over the offseason, and while the core remains intact, figuring out the key additions is a must. The Twins probably aren’t ever going to be able to outspend the competition, and Gerrit Cole is likely the only arm worthy of a big payday. They could absolutely swing a big trade though, and by showing patience this year they’ll have the assets necessary at a much more opportune time. Rocco Baldelli will return as an established manager next season, his support system will remain strong, and Minnesota will have aspirations raised substantially higher than they were entering the 2019 season. Assuming everything follows suit, it’s year two in a window of prolonged contention that a dive into the deep end should be explored. Hoarding prospects is great until the system bears fruit, but then graduating or utilizing them to extend a championship window as long as possible becomes the focus. Being a team like the Astros or Cubs is far more fulfilling for a fanbase than the prospects of a pop-up title and years back in the doldrums (a la Kansas City). The time is coming for the big splash. It wasn’t this summer, but it very well may be the next. -
In 2016, Schwarber played a whopping two games for the Cubbies. Coming back from injury, he was handed five plate appearances to round out the regular season. Turning in zero hits, he was put on the shelf as somewhat of a secret weapon. Despite not playing in any other rounds of the postseason, Joe Madden turned him loose in the World Series. Across five games and 17 at-bats, Schwarber posted a .412/.500/.471 slash line in the Fall Classic. As the DH for over half the series (thanks to the American League hosting and having the sensible rule), Schwarber was able to make an impact on the series that was felt throughout the country. While at that moment, his value was at it's peak over his short time in the big leagues, it wasn't unsubstantiated either. A year prior, in his rookie season, Schwarber posted an .842 OPS for the Cubs. While not hitting for a glowing average, he showed he could get on base, and the power would play through his bat. Sixteen homers in his first 69 big league games was something to write home about, and Chicago obviously had something, even if it wasn't a catcher. Despite there being a hangover of excitement from the World Series, it immediately hit me that Schwarber wouldn't be best suited for any role he could play with the Cubs. Void of the designated hitter, Chicago would have to play him in the outfield, a position in which he posted a -9 DRS a season ago. Maximizing on his immediate success, and knowing Chicago was set to be needing pitching, it stood to reason that there was an opportunity. Obviously we know how that story played out. Schwarber is still a Cub, and Chicago will need some big pitching performances to regain their elite status atop the National League in 2018. With a .782 OPS a year ago, Schwarber has been documented as being in "the best shape of his life" this offseason due to a strenuous workout regimen. Although he still looks every bit an American League DH to me, that ship has probably sailed for the time being. Tying in Miguel Sano, it's been widely reported that his name has been floated in trade talks. There's no denying Sano is a game changing player for the Minnesota Twins. Coming off an All-Star appearance, and a trajectory that had him on pace for the team MVP through the better part of the year, Sano is one of the best young players in baseball. Despite having a rod inserted into his shin, I think the bigger question is what does he project as going forward? Finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting following the 2015 season, Minnesota's slugging third basemen had a .916 OPS to hang his hat on. Through his first 310 big league games, he's already clubbed 71 homers, and his career .348 OBP is a clear message that you should stop worrying about his strikeouts. On paper, everything that Miguel Sano is lines up to a perennial all-star, and a game changing player for an organization (namely the Twins). What isn't determined on paper however, is what the future holds. A year ago, Sano posted a -5 DRS in just shy of 700 innings at the hot corner. Among qualified third basemen, that would've been 16th, ahead of only Mike Moustakas (-8), Jake Lamb (-13) and Nick Castellanos (-14). The caveat to those numbers, is that each of them played at least 1,090 innings in the field. Although Sano wasn't an abomination at third last year, the reality is that he's limited with his range, and his arm has to make up for a significant amount of what he lacks. Whether health or physical stature remains intact going forward, both the eye test and the analytics suggest that there's little room for error before a position change comes knocking. That ends up leading us to this point: Is a first base or designated hitting version of Sano worth moving away from in trade for an impact starter in an organization starving for them? That question is the one that both Thad Levine and Derek Falvey will have to answer. I do believe that Miguel Sano has a significant impactful big league career ahead of him. He's just 24 years old, has elite hard-hit rates, and posted the fifth best HR/FB (27.5%) rate in baseball a year ago. He's the first player in a long time who appears to be able to threaten Harmon Killebrew's records with Minnesota, and that's something to salivate over. In a vacuum, I'd argue that a power hitting corner infielder (or DH) is more replaceable than a front-line starter. By that measure, dealing Sano for something of fair market value is a proposition that's hard to ignore. My gut says that the Twins hold off making a move however, and the hope would be that years from now, we can look back and call it the right one. I'm not sure that there's any denying the Twins have a Kyle Schwarber opportunity on their hands however, and that the execution of a decision either way could be franchise altering. -
Fans will get to see if the Minnesota Twins truly can hang over their next nine games. Starting Thursday, the Twins will see starting pitchers Jose Quintana (8.7 K/9, 2.47 K/B), Trevor Bauer (7 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K in last start against Twins), Corey Kluber (11 K/9, 4.71 K/BB), Josh Tomlin (9.33 K/BB), Chris Sale (12.2 K/9), Drew Pomeranz (10.4 K/9), Rick Porcello (4.72 K/BB), David Price (BOS 3-1 in his four June starts) and Jason Vargas (200 ERA+). All those games are on the road. This was originally published at FoulPlaybyPlay.com, a community of foul-mouthed, sports broadcasters providing commercial-free, uncensored play-by-play during select games. The premiere games will be when Jose Berrios takes on Chris Sale in Boston on Monday, and when veterans Ervin Santana and Jason Vargas do battle in Kansas City next Friday. The Twins have to be underdogs in just about all nine of those games, though. The Twins better hope they get some pitching reinforcements. Right now the Twins are running Nik Turley out there, but they just signed Dillon Gee, so expect him to get a start over that nine-game stretch. Hector Santiago is getting a rehab start on Wednesday for the Rochester Red Wings, and if all goes well, he could pitch as early as Tuesday against Pomeranz. That could end up being a big game for the Twins and Santiago, who has fallen and can’t get up. The bullpen could also use reinforcements, and Alan Busenitz doesn’t seem to be the answer. Phil Hughes could also pitch out of the bullpen for Rochester on Wednesday. Expect Hughes to take longer to get back to MLB ready, but he’d be a welcomed addition to the worst bullpen in baseball. If Hughes can even get through a lineup once, he would leave fewer innings for guys like Matt Belisle (5.1 BB/9) and Craig Breslow (5 SO/9). Hughes will likely be forced back up during that brutal nine-game stretch for the Twins whether he’s pitching well at AAA or not. This is the stretch of games that will turn contenders into sellers. Consider if the Twins go 2-7 over that nine-game stretch. They’d be two games under .500 at best, and with Cleveland’s offense finally taking off (and three more games coming against them) the Twins could be looking up from farther down in the AL Central than the 1.5 games they are entering Wednesday. The Twins will have 10 more games after the nine-game stretch against playoff-caliber starting pitching to avoid becoming sellers at the deadline. Regardless, you can bet new chief of baseball operations Derek Falvey will be active over his first Trade Deadline. It won’t take much for him to be as active as Terry Ryan ever was. So who do the Twins move? Santana’s value has plummeted lately, and given the Twins don’t have enough MLB-caliber pitchers to start every fifth day, it’s a safe bet anyone capable of eating innings will be sticking around. Brian Dozier’s value has dried up a bit, too, which isn’t all bad. He’s still signed through 2018, and at a very reasonable rate next season ($6 million). This offseason or the deadline next season would be a good time to shop him, depending how Nick Gordon performs if he gets a cup of coffee when rosters expand this season. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press said it’s a possibility. Gordon would likely push Jorge Polanco to second base. The most valuable players on the team aren’t going anywhere. Zach Granite can bang on the door all he wants, but Byron Buxton is going nowhere. Neither is Max Kepler, and I doubt Eddie Rosario would be moved given he’s not even arbitration eligible until 2019. Robbie Grossman is one of the most valuable trade chips the Twins have, and I expect him to be shopped. He’s not an everyday outfielder, but man, can he hit. I think Falvey really likes Grossman. But what’s not to like? His OPS+ is 112, and he’s absolutely wrecking right-handed pitching (6 HR, .435 SLG, .801 OPS). He’s not bad against lefties either (.441 OBP, .741 OPS). He still has the highest on-base percentage amongst designated hitters at .389 and should be an All-star. He has a higher OPS than Hanley Ramirez, Victor Martinez, Mark Trumbo, Albert Pujols and Carlos Beltran. Grossman will be arbitration eligible next year and would be a fantastic addition as a designated hitter for a playoff team, but I can’t expect any of the teams of the players mentioned to make a move for the position. That leaves Eduardo Escobar, who is on fire to say the least. He has hits in seven straight games and is 22-for-45 in June. His .838 OPS is fourth amongst shortstops, and his OPS+ is a team- and career-high 121. While he’s a below-average defensive shortstop, there are plenty of playoff-bound teams who would love to have a utility bat with a 1.066 OPS against lefties. And the Twins don’t need to be “out of it” in the Central to move Escobar. He’s arbitration eligible for the final time next year and will make considerably more than the $2.6 million he’s being paid this season. He’ll also be a free agent after next season. Escobar can play just about everywhere, which makes me think the Chicago Cubs would be a perfect fit. Escobar could give Addison Russell a breather against lefties (Russell is hitting .219/.349/.346 against them this season), and play the outfield for Kyle Schwarber against lefties (Schwarber has a .567 OPS against lefties this year). What should the Twins ask in return? Well, lefty starter Jen-Ho Tseng with the Tennessee Smokies (AA) is intriguing. He’s just 22, and his K:BB ratio is 3.1 and he’s striking out 7.7 per nine innings. Future relievers could include righty Pedro Araujo, 23, who has a K:BB ratio of 7.0 through 31.2 innings with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of Advanced-A ball. His teammate and fellow righty Craig Brooks, 24, is actually striking out more batters than Araujo (13.3 K/9 over 20.1 IP). If Falvey and the Twins want to take advantage of Escobar’s hot bat, now’s the time, especially with Gordon knocking on the door in AA. While Jorge Polanco has struggled in June, he is in the Twins' long-term plans. Nick Gordon is also in the Twins' long-term plans, and Escobar is not. That's why it won't matter where the Twins are in the standings come the Trade Deadline. Players will be shed to give playing time to youngsters. Escobar is the most obvious trade chip.- 13 comments
-
- 1
-
-
- eduardo escobar
- trade deadline
- (and 3 more)
-
Recent Articles
-
-
Recent Posts
-
-
-
3Hey, look here
Whoooooooo Ranked ProspectsTurangChourioQueroFrelickBillWilburSpankyEdgarJohn NOOOOOOOOOO...
By Brock Beauchamp
Last post date -
0Can Jorge López Rediscover His First-Half Success?
The Twins made a much-needed trade for an all-star reliever at last year’s deadline, but what they got fell short of e...
By Lou Hennessy
Last post date
-
-
Blog Entries
-
-
Who's Online (See full list)
- There are no registered users currently online
