We can't say for sure but given his production this season, it wouldn't be surprising to see teams in need of some infield pop start calling the Twins. Fox Sports' Jon Morosi speculates that plenty of the teams not willing to pay up for Manny Machado will be interested in Escobar instead.

 

 

The Twins haven't committed to anything with Brian Dozier for next season and have Nick Gordon in AAA and Jorge Polanco returning. Do you pull the trigger for the right price or is Escobar a building block?

Other GMs can see the same things I can: a super-sub approaching 30 who is having a career year at the plate. As a part-season rental, Eduardo probably doesn't bring us a king's ransom in trade. OTOH he's probably not a good value for us to re-sign, either.

 

Probably I keep him, unless a trade offer is better than I expect; but all these conflicting factors mean we're in no-man's land yet again.

Long-term, in an ideal world, Sano comes back and retakes 3rd, Polanco locks up short, Gordon slides into 2nd, and Adrianza continutes to play the way he has lately and locks up the utility role. In this scenario EE becomes expendable. 

 

However, in this far than less ideal Twins team, getting rid of the most popular guy in the room and one of a handful of productive players would leave a large void on and off the field.

Yes. Yes. Yes. This year is, sadly, irrelevant again. Nunez brought Mejia. Do that again.

Sell high if you can.

If you get a really good offer, yeah, I suppose. Hate to say that because Eddie has been one of my favorites for several years. I'd be really, really sad if he departed and there goes a big reason I even tune into some of the games these days.

Esco isn't that well thought of through baseball, I doubt. I think he's more valuable as a resign than a trade chip. Certain players always seem overrated, others underrated. Esco like, let's say, brett gardener, is the latter. Is Max Kepler like Jeff Smardzija the later?

He's a free agent, why not trade him? You can sign him in the off season

Much like the Mets are doing with deGrom and Snydergaard, we should shop the best we have while their stock is at its peak. Escobar has become one of my favorite players on this team. It would be tough to see him go. But if a team that lost out on Machado wants to bet on Escobar's current production by over paying in a trade ... DO IT!!!

Let's assume the Twins want/need Escobar next year.  I guess the question to ask is..."will the cost be significantly higher to sign Escobar if you have traded him in the interim"?  I doubt it.  Not significantly.

 

So, I absolutely trade him.  It's a sell-high opportunity.  With the understanding that...depending upon where Sano and the first-base position are...I maybe have to go out aggressively for a major-league capable 3rd baseman in the off-season.  Escobar or whoever.

There is a lot riding on the month of July. If you get a sane Sano, Polanco comes back as the late last year model, Dozier finally hitting, and Buxton doing an imitation of a good number 8 hitter the team could make a lot of noise down the stretch. Closer to reality, the Twins sales people could point out to teams that Escobar's hitting is not that far behind Machado's and their asking price would likely be one good prospect out of a system plus a spare (Ruiz or Smith from the Dodgers  rather than the likely asking price of Buehler plus another top 10 prospect plus another prospect or two for Machado)

Against all recent Twins history, sometimes it pays to sell high. Doesn't mean I like the idea or want to trade him.

Woudl the Twins even think about offering Escobar the qualifying offer to get draft pick compensation?   I doubt it.  

 

So, since he is a 29 year old free agent playing the position of our top prospect, it really doesn't make sense to sign him for the long run in the offseason and getting SOMETHING for him is better than nothing.

Woudl the Twins even think about offering Escobar the qualifying offer to get draft pick compensation? I doubt it.

 

So, since he is a 29 year old free agent playing the position of our top prospect, it really doesn't make sense to sign him for the long run in the offseason and getting SOMETHING for him is better than nothing.

Unless he falls off the map I think it’s 99% that he gets a QO. More likely that Dozier (unless he does his usual 2nd half tear)

Unlike Nunez I would offer Escobar (and Dozier) a qualifying offer. Any trade return has to clearly be above the draft pick value. If I get the offer, I take it.

 

Unless he falls off the map I think it’s 99% that he gets a QO. More likely that Dozier (unless he does his usual 2nd half tear)

 

$17.4 million?  

I agree with many of the commenters here.  I also think they will not trade him this early.  The Twins will listen, but need to hold until mid-to-late next month when we see for sure if we're out of playoff contention.  I suspect by then, Escobar will have cooled off considerably and not have very much trade value any more.  So I'd predict we keep him.

Woudl the Twins even think about offering Escobar the qualifying offer to get draft pick compensation? I doubt it.

 

So, since he is a 29 year old free agent playing the position of our top prospect, it really doesn't make sense to sign him for the long run in the offseason and getting SOMETHING for him is better than nothing.

Royce Lewis is 3 years from debut. What relevance is he?

I agree with many of the commenters here. I also think they will not trade him this early. The Twins will listen, but need to hold until mid-to-late next month when we see for sure if we're out of playoff contention. I suspect by then, Escobar will have cooled off considerably and not have very much trade value any more. So I'd predict we keep him.

They are out of playoff contention already.

 

No way I pay him seventeen million per year. You can buy one or two starters for that. You get half way to Machado for that.

I’m unsure of Polanco sticking at SS. I’m unsure of Sano sticking at 3rd. I’m unsure of Gordon sticking at SS. If Dozier doesn’t turn things around in a hurry, I don’t know if he can be extended the QO, for fear he would take it. Morrison will not be back. Can’t count on Castro for 19 as a starter. Mauer appears to still be suffering from concussions...

 

Right now Sano looks like he could be first base/DH in 19 and Polanco/Gordon are pretty solid at 2nd and utility.

 

With a world of questions at SS and 3B, it would be nice to have a backup plan locked in. God knows what this infield would be like without Escobar right now.

 

If I can’t extend Escobar by the deadline, it would be really hard to trade him away then, but you almost have to, as he’s the only expiring contract they have that will return anything of value.

Edited June 28, 20188 yr by Sconnie

 

They are out of playoff contention already.

No way I pay him seventeen million per year. You can buy one or two starters for that. You get half way to Machado for that.

 

The Twins are at 3% odds right now.  They were at 4% yesterday and 5% the day before that.  They were at 4% as of August 5 last year and still made the playoffs.  We needs a few weeks yet to see.

I'd hate to see him go but if he continues to rake you have to think about trading him. Tell him on the way out that we (Twins) want to resign him in the offseason. I'd try to get back as good of a prospect as they can and hope they are a right handed hitter.

Do the Twins ever extend anyone midseason?

I would not trade him.  I see him as an important player and one of the few this year who has played with passion.   The rest of the team should follow his lead, in my opinion.

I'd say Escobar is almost identical to Nunez? On that matter Nunez has done ok for himself with the Bosox, so it wouldn't be out of the question that Escobar could fetch something decent coming down the road here?

 

I'm usually one of the last ones to get on the sell bandwagon, and I'm still holding out some hope, but it looks pretty grim at this point.

Edited June 28, 20188 yr by Twodogs

He probably has high worth. And he will, no doubt, enter free agency. So the chances of a traded-to club resigning him after a trade could be dicey, at best. So you, as the Twins, would have an opportunity to bring him back into the fold once he finds out his worth in the free market.

 

Same with Dozier.

 

Of course, the question then is who plays third base. Or second. Except for Sano, you have no third baseman, unless you stay with Motter and/or Petit. Or Leonardo Reginatto, at this point.

 

Let's hope his value stays high thru July 20th, and that maybe he makes the All-Star team. Of course, a team would want to WANT him, that is the first priority.

 

But unless you are going to blow Escobar out of the marketplace with a 3-year $25-30 million dollar offer, or even a 2-year with a third year option (and I'm not really seeing that happen) -- then he is trade bait.

 

But like so many guys on the roster...the phone isn't ringing off-the-hook with multiple deals and high level prospects. We don't need ANYONE about to expire on a team's 40-man, but can we survive if we get more A/A+ prospects?

 

But, looking at the larger picture...the Twins SHOULD have a lot of money for buying pieces in the off-season.

 

Of course, attendance will take a total nosedive in August (if we are sellers) and a near empty stadium of unattended season ticket seats come September.

 

$17.4 million?  

 

Someone is giving him 3/45 this offseason. 

 

They are out of playoff contention already.

No way I pay him seventeen million per year. You can buy one or two starters for that. You get half way to Machado for that.

 

Half way to Machado for AAV but Esco will probably be looking for 3 years instead of 8. 

 

Two starters for $17M? Just what we need... a couple Mike Pelfreys 

Half way to Machado for AAV but Esco will probably be looking for 3 years instead of 8.

 

Two starters for $17M? Just what we need... a couple Mike Pelfreys

Starters can be hitters.... Not pitchers. I think they can find a DH and ok catcher for that price. Maybe two relief pitchers. But if they sign Escobar for that much, how many more players will they sign that matter? One? Maybe?

 

Someone is giving him 3/45 this offseason. 

 

 

I doubt it, but anything is possible.