http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/ Great move here. 1 year 3 million. Sounds like a very good deal for the Twins. He offers as a backup to catcher, first base, and the outfield. Somewhat replaces Cuddyer just not with the same defense. Will be great to put him out there when Joe Mauer needs a day off. Not sure what this means for Butera. Does anyone think the Twins see him as the backup catcher or will he just be in an emergency?

Many sources say Adrian Beltre is close to a deal with the Texas Rangers. This could mean Michael Young is available. Although he is making over 13 mil next year, he would be a great fit for the Twinsif they could get Texas to pay some of his salary next year. He is a career 300 hitter andaverages around 20 homers and 40 doubles a year. He was at 3rd base last year but won a gold glove at short in 2008. The Twins could move him back to shortstop and Alexi Casilla back the super utility role. Also he could be insurance if Danny Valencia struggles and 3rd base like Parker Hagerman of Star Tribune thinks he might. We could just moveYoung back to 3rd and let Cassila play Short. To have Young bat 2nd in the lineup with Mauer and Morneau behind him that's probably the best 2,3,4 lineup in the game. All can hit 300 and all have hit 20 or more homers. He's just the right handed bat we need and with Beltre signing with the Rangers means he will most likely be traded, hopefully to the Twins.

A lot of people wanted David DeJesus to play in the outfield for the twins this year and it appears that wont be happening. He was traded to the A's for 2 pitchers right-hander Viz Marzzaro and left-hander Justin Marks. Time to start over on  a lot of the twins off season posts.

 

Heres the link from MLBTRADERUMORS below

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/11/as-acquire-dejesus-for-mazzaro-marks.html

Is anyone interested in trading for Jacoby Ellsbury? I saw on ESPN he might be available if the Red Sox sign Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford. I'm not sure where he would fit in the outfield but hes great at stealing bases and his defensive numbers have been outstanding.

I'm not sure what it would take to get him but he helps our defense and can steal 60 bases. Although he is a lefty which means at least our 1-4 hitters would be left handed but hes a career 305 hitter vs lefties and 278 vs righties. But with him and Denard Span in front of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau there would be a lot of RBI opportunities for them.

Against right handers wouldn't Span, Ellsbury, Mauer, Morneau, Young, Kubel, Valencia, Hardy, Cassila look great? Especially with Cuddy and Thome on the bench!

 

Another plus is he only made 496k last year.

 

Is anyone interested and what do you think it would take to get him?

There are many different things the twins can do that will make us a better team. We could go out and sign Crawford and Lee and then trade for Greinke, but be realistic this in my view is what our team should look like.

 

C Mauer 23 mil
1B Morneau 14 mil
2B Uggla 9 mil
3B Valencia 500k                                                                                                                                                    SS Hardy  7mil                     
CF Revere 500k
RF Span 1 mil
LF Young 5.5 mil
DH Kubel 5.25 mil
B Cuddyer 10.5 mil 
B Casilla 500k 
B  Morales 500k 
B Thome 4 mil 
SP Liriano 4.5 mil
SP Blackburn 3 mil
SP Baker 5 mil
SP Gibson 500k
SP Duensing 500k
CL Nathan 12.5 mil
SU Fuentes 4 mil
MR Mijares 500k
MR Crain 2.5 mil
MR Guerrier 2.5 mil
MR Neshek 500k
LR Manship 500k
Total 117.75 mil

 

I just love this scenario because it really gives us great OF defense which we really need and with Revere playing everyday he basically takes over Hudsons role in the lineup and we pick up some right handed pop at 2nd base. This then leaves us with 2 of Young, Cuddyer, Kubel, and Thome on the bench for most games and it gives us a better opportunity to give Young and Morneau and Span days off. Also when Mauer needs a day off we can give him a FULL day off without DH or PH. I know Ugglas glove isn't the best but our coaches are great at getting players to play good defense and with our infield already being so good we can take a little hit there to improve the outfield and make the lineup better.

 

Im not sure sure what it would take to get Uggla but hopefully we wouldn't have to give up Hicks but im not sure if thats possible. Maybe Slowey, Slama, Swarzak, Benson, Plouffe not all but a combo.

 

For those who dont want Thome back because hes too one dimensional we could spend 4 mil on Derrek Lee, Rick Ankiel, or Magglio Ordonez although im not sure how they would feel about being bench players, but they give some pop like Thome but are aslo able to play a position when asked and with Lee and Ankiel they can play their positions well.

 

Basically were playing Revere for Hudson and Uggla for Cuddyer. But it allows our bench to be so strong, although a little overpaid. We would still be around with 115 mil.

 

Lineup:

RF Span

CF Revere

C Mauer

1B Morneau

2B Uggla

DH Kubel/Cuddyer (right hander/left hander)

LF Young

3B Valencia

SS Hardy

 

PH Thome and Kubel/Cuddyer

Is anyone interested in trading for Dan Uggla? With Orlando Hudson leaving we could use a second basemen and it would be the big right handed bat we need to go with Young and Cuddyer. I know everyone is thinking then we would be pretty close to the slowest team in the history of baseball with only Span being able to steal a base, but what if we shore up our outfield defense and give someone like Revere a chance? Span is very good in right and left but not much above average in CF. On ESPN Turk Awards they had a stat that showed how crazy high Lirianos BABIP against was (340) and one reason could be because of how bad or outfielders were. If we put Revere in the outfield and Ugla at second we would have huge depth. Our infield defense would go down some but its already really good. We could resign Thome and we would have 4 huge bats (Young, Thome, Kubel, Cuddyer) to fill 2 spots in left and DH. That means many games we could have 2 huge bats come off the bench. Let Delmon play most games and platoon Thome Kubel and Cuddyer depending on if theres a right handed or left handed starter. It also gives us more flexiblity to give Morneau days off and even if Revere doesn't play well we can always send him down and just be a slower team. But even if hes only hitting 250 but steals 20-30 bases in the 9 hole with his outfield D over Cuddyers and Kubels negative UZRs it just seems to make alot of sense. Wouldnt it be nice to have Kubel start a game against a righty and in the 8th or 9th they go to the bullpen and bring in a lefty and we can call Young or Cuddy to come off our bench! Not to mention 265 and 25-35 homers coming from Uggla in the 5th or 6th spot.

The twins are close to a deal to get Matt Capps from the Washington Nationals. I dont mind this deal because Capps is a good pitcher but if the rumors are true that were giving up Wilson Ramos of him i think that is wayyyyy to much and dont not like the deal. Philly gave up less than him for Roy Oswalt! I just feel that we can get way more than Capps since everyone in the league seem so high on Ramos as he is a cant miss prospect.  What do you guys think????

 I guess its now a done deal http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/twins-discussing-matt-capps.html

Now we dont know much yet but its a little uneasy to know that morneau has exited tonights game with a back injury while missing the last month of the season last year with a stress fracture in his back....I hope its nothing too serious.... Looks like Cuddyer will play first with Young coming into left and Kubel moving over to right field. Just happy Verlander is out of there now. Liriano is dealin!.....GO TWINS!!!

 

according to mlbtraderumors he has signed! This is great news he fills our number 2 hole and 2nd base now we can just move punto to 3rd which is his best position and platoon him with harris when we need a little more pop. This can give us way more depth on the bench for pinch runners and defensive help late in the game

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/02/orlando-hudson-rumors-thursday.html

 

      According to Mlbtraderumors Garrett Atkins has signed with the orioles.

 

This is great news just because it means the Twins wont sign him.

Also this gives a better opportunity to sign someone like Adrian Beltre or Mark DeRosa at 3rd

It seems Boston is going after Adrian Gonzalez and moving the Kevin Youkilis to 3rd.

How many other teams need a 3rd basemen? It seems the Twins might get an above average 3rd basemen for cheaper than the market valued.

 

What if we Trade Joe Nathan and Delmon Young and make guerrier or Mijares the closer next year? We do got Neshek coming back. I think its time we give up on Young he could someday be a good hitter but never a great hitter...we can sign another outfielder or just give Gomez the starts in CF and then Span in CF when Mauers the DH and Kubel can play left. Nathan is getting older and has seemed to struggle a bit over the last few weeks...I still think hes good but if we can get a big arm or big bat in return along with Mijares pitching amazing lately even to right handers it seems like it could work.

 Or what about Delmon Young and a pitcher such as Liriano,Manship,Swarzak for Dan Uggla who is rummored in trades again?