Cup of Coffee

July 31, 2013: Trade Deadline

131 Comments

Peavy's out of the division! He's a Sawk now, though. So, are any interesting subtractions for the Twins imminent? As long as we don't see any Matt Lawton for Rick Reed type things, I'm good.

131 thoughts on “July 31, 2013: Trade Deadline”

  1. Rick Reed for Twins: 3.7 WAR
    Matt Lawton over same span of time: 2.7 WAR
    Matt Lawton over rest of his career: 3.7 WAR

      1. Wow, seriously? Lawton was an on-base machine before that though, right? I suppose I'm blinded by my love for Lawton. I also never find myself able to fall in love with flyball pitchers.

      2. I always thought that trade was weird. I didn't understand a contending team trading their leadoff hitter. A prospect for Reed would have made more sense.

    3. 2002 Twins Pitchers

      Age IP G GS WAR ▾
      J.C. Romero* 26 81.0 81 0 3.5
      Rick Reed 37 188.0 33 32 2.8
      Johan Santana* 23 108.1 27 14 2.6
      LaTroy Hawkins 29 80.1 65 0 2.3
      Kyle Lohse 23 180.2 32 31 2.3
      Eddie Guardado* 31 67.2 68 0 2.0
      Tony Fiore 30 91.0 48 2 1.9
      Michael Jackson 37 55.0 58 0 1.2
      Eric Milton* 26 171.0 29 29 1.0
      Brad Radke 29 118.1 21 21 0.6
      Team Total 28.5 1444.2 596 161 18.1

      Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 7/31/2013.

  3. While I would like to see the Twins make good moves, I'd also be sad to watch Morneau get traded for a fringy A-ball prospect. I'm really curious what will happen. And I'm actually surprised there hasn't been more steam around Jared Burton, though the returns for relievers haven't exactly been stellar so far.

      1. Plus there's this: "little to complain about other than the mystery ailments of 2011."

      2. I think that's a word-choice error. "Aberration" is clearly what he meant.
        Editor's fault, not Shecky's.
        (Although Shecky's fault for making the mistake, but an editor should catch that.)

      3. Don't tell Jonah Keri, I'd love to see him tear apart those old Souhan columns FJM sytle

    3. In terms of statistical valuation, I always turn to the great site Fangraphs.com, which calculates the obective value of a player.

    4. Mauer's real problem is he plays for a bad team. He doesn't have people on base ahead of him, and he doesn't have people who can drive him in batting behind him

      and

      He's also the Twins' only above-average position player. He's not the guy you should be complaining about.

      Start stockpiling canned goods. It really is great to see these lines on a larger platform.

          1. so, unlike certain NYC mayoral candidates, Joe seems to have a sensible publicist/communications director. JOE FOR MAYOR!

          2. True fact: my brother has attended a wedding with Souhan (well, not as his date, but a wedding Souhan was also attending). True fact: it wasn't Joe Mauer's.

            1. True fact: your brother snagged my weak pop fly to SS for the first out of the 6th last night. True fact: my firm softball team went on to beat your brother's team to end their season.

              2. I'm guessing the brother who snagged your pop fly is not the brother who went to the wedding with TJ.

      2. He’s also the Twins’ only above-average position player.

        Hitting-wise, this is true. As for fWAR, no. Florimon is tied for fifth for shortstops and Dozier is seventh for second basemen in the AL. They have combined for 3.1 fWAR while making less than $1M combined salary.

          1. really, offense isn't the problem. Twins are 10th in the AL in runs/g, 12th in runs allowed/g, allowing half a run per game more than they score. They rank tied for 13th in defensive efficiency. So, it's the combination of bad defense, mediocre offense and even more mediocre pitching that leads to bad results.

                1. This is why it disappoints me that the Diamondbacks just traded Ian Kennedy, who I think is an okay pitcher but better than most of what the Twins have, for two relief prospects and a comp pick to a division rival. I really wish the Twins would go after moves like this when they have the chance.

                    1. This is pretty hysterical.

                      In all honesty, despite knowing there's almost zero chance they do, I'd like them to go after Garza in the offseason. Next year's crop of FA starters is pretty gross, though.

        2. Are you sure about those numbers? I though Fangraphs had both Dozier and Florimon 13th at their respective positions. I was just looking at this because its pretty rare that the Twins have had top15 2B and SS. And since Carew moved from 2B to 1B only Knoblauch/Mears in 1995 and Smalley/Wilfong in 1978 were both top10.

          1. You're both right. socal is looking at AL only instead of MLB. In that case, 13th would still be above average. More generally, both players are above the 2 WAR/150 game rate, so I consider them above average regardless of positional strength.

    6. At softball the other night I was wearing a Mauer shirsey and took a lot of abuse from one of my team mates. His main level of argument was that Joe Mauer got paid for a couple of good seasons, and that it must be hard to hustle with that much money weighing him down. I pointed out that he's been producing more than they've paid him for basically his entire career. My teammate's response was that Joe is also made of glass, and is less deserving of the hall because he plays for losing teams. I gnashed my teeth, took a deep breath, and shook my head. Later that night my teammate also said that the teams that make the play offs should be the 4 best teams no matter what division they come from. Turns out dude is a Yankees fan.

      Also, he thinks Mauer was on the juice. And that hitting 325 is a sign that joe has lost a step at the plate. Which is evidence joe is off the juice. Argh.

      1. It never ends...after determining someone's perspective on Joe, I either go on to talk about the game, the prospects, the Chairman, another lost season, etc., or walk away. Even people I know to be "educated baseball fans" but who don't appreciate Mauer get none of my time.

      3. because the Yankees never pay big money to players who have a good season ? and never pay big money contracts to roiders?

        2. Right. The problem with defending Joe to any hater is that they can easily say that I'm just a home town supporter.

  6. This is kind of cool:
    .
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCmVXS_MLMg&feature=player_embedded

  7. Yadier Molina likely to DL, Cards looking for catching.
    Think they'd take one of Doumit, Herrmann, or Butera?
    Obvs the return would need to vary.

      2. sean, you were sooo close to calling this. Be happy you got it half right! I know I am.

  8. Parents and sister want to go to a game with me on August 18th (White Sox). Mom and sister have never been to Target Field. They want decent seats.

    Buy 4 tickets on stubhub or take a risk buying day of the game?

    1. Since it's your sister and parents, I say Stubhub. Getting tickets on the street for a decent price is doable but you have to work it: be willing to walk away, haggle, go from seller to seller, etc. Plus most of the street sellers are somewhat pros, it's hard to get steals.

      2. On a scale of 1-Cespedes that trot is like a 4 or 5. If he's going to show someone up I really want him to show them up.

    1. Good deal.

      Do you have to eat his salary to bring him over? Low level PTBN?

      //My mind might be on the trade deadline.

    2. Ack! I will need a presale as I will be at a lunch from 11:30 to 1:30 on Friday.

    1. My guess is that anybody the Twins would trade would probably be able to get through waivers, so something could still happen in August.

  13. Tweet from Ken Rosenthal:

    Sources: #Orioles agree to acquire Norris from #Astros for Hoes and another piece. Finalizing now.

    2. To the Dodgers, so there's decent chance he could win a WS Ring while only catching one inning and never batting, just like his dad.

      1. I love that the Dodgers couldn't risk someone else claiming him during the waiver period.

    5. I have made my fair share of Butera jokes, but the guy seemed like a good teammate and a pretty decent defensive catcher. He should do OK in the National League.

      1. pretty decent defensive catcher
        In terms of the obvious catcher stuff, he seemed okay. For pitch framing, he was ranked as below Mauer, but that could be due to Mauer being really awesome and Butera just good. I hope he gets a lot more catching PAs now so we can finally figure out how good Mauer is at pitch framing.

        1. I'm not all that impressed with Butera's defense. I have no way to quantify that, though, so it's entirely possible that he's better than I think he is.

  15. "I felt a great disturbance in the Force... as if million Gardy's suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced...

  16. @glen_perkins: Gonna eat Five Guys for lunch today so I can assure you that something will materialize by the trade deadline.

    3. Holy balls, that's the funniest thing I've read all day. Also, Five Guys sounds great right about now.

  17. Unrelated to just about everything today, this blip made me smile...the last part. Not the first part.

    While the East Coast media was focused (as usual) on A-Rod and the Yankees, Seattle manager Eric Wedge suffered what was diagnosed as a mild stroke last week. He isn't expected to return to the dugout until next week's homestand. Whether the stroke was related to stress is unclear, but managing is definitely a stressful job, particularly when the team is losing. Asked how he's learned to deal with the stress, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire joked, "Drink more beer."

  18. I'm shocked and saddened by Butera trade. How will we ever find another AAA catcher for only $700K?

    1. I also wonder if the Yankees organization is not spearheading this move just to get under that awful contract they gave Rodriguez.

      1. I suppose MLB will announce the suspensions under the cover of the enormous coverage of Drew Butera trade. Kind of like a Friday afternoon news dump.

    2. This will be interesting. I think A-Rod will win on appeal. Lets say he does but it takes a year. Who pays that $30 million? The Yanks? Or MLB?

      2. Considering the arbitrator is a guy Selig hired after he fired Shyam Das for ruling against MLB in the Braun affair, I don't think Selig thinks MLB is going to lose.

      3. I think this is basically the stupidest shit ever. And I'll be really annoyed if the Yankees get out from underneath that contract because of Seligula's witch hunt.

        1. business insider now reporting that the deal on the table is suspension for the rest of this year and all of next. I don't see it. how is he worse than Braun? the whole thing stinks. I expect the suspension to get bargained down much further.

      1. I don't think Charlie would like that so much.
        Dilute the brand. I'm sure he'd have some strong words for Alex about cheating, too. Not running out every play. Etc.

    4. I haven't spent enough time looking at the case itself to weigh in on how terrible/not terrible the stuff A-Rod did was and/or the appropriateness of any particular punishment.

      That said, just from the brief stuff I've read, it's perfectly clear that MLB is using the threat of a lifetime ban as a negotiating tactic to get A-Rod to agree to a lesser ban. This couldn't be more offensive to my baseball sensibilities. Using the threat of a lifetime ban as a negotiation tactic means you aren't given due deference to the significance of a lifetime ban. Lifetime bans should only be considered where the offense was grave enough to call for baseball death. The decision of whether to impose it or not should be contingent only on the fact of the offense, and not whether a player is willing to negotiate down. I don't want Pete Rose and the Black Sox negotiating down their sentences. I don't want A-Rod negotiating down his, if indeed his crime was so severe as to call for baseball death. That Selig is willing to use a lifetime ban as just another weapon at his disposal shows he doesn't respect the game enough.

        1. Right. It is absurd that a man who was caught leading a conspiracy to violate Federal labor laws and who then committed what a current Supreme Court Justice found to be an unfair labor practice against the Union is now invoking "the best interests of baseball" to punish someone else.

          1. So I was reading some of the testimony in which Bud Selig perjured himself before Congress and I love this nugget about Jeff Loria from Anthony Weiner(!):

            Mr. WEINER. But I have to say for the record in the context we've had this hearing I think eliminating the Twins is a horrible idea. They were an exciting fun baseball team to watch, a storied tradition, a team that by some measures has made money. As far as the Expos are concerned, you want to contract something, get rid of that owner. That owner is a disaster. Having no TV rights for the games. It just doesn't make any sense. That's a guy who seems to me to be trying to make his own argument for why his team should be eliminated.

        2. Yeah, I know. What Will said. I just think this issue alone is enough to show it, without going into the history.

      2. I don’t want Pete Rose and the Black Sox negotiating down their sentences.

        hey, now. I've seen Eight Men Out. Don't be tarring Shoeless Joe that way!!!!1111one1111!!!!

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