Twins and Rays..

[Willy]

Trading Nathan would bring more pieces to the puzzle. Honestly guys, Johan is a great pitcher and so is Nathan, but there is noone on this board that can say they both didn't have down years for themselves last year.

Maybe we are getting out at the right time. Johan's slider is done and he is a 2 pitch pitcher right now. Teams with a good gameplan seem to rap him around in the early innings. Let's stack up and win the whole thing first year in the new park and then do like Cleveland and lock all those guys up when they are young and inexpensive. Then when the need to add that extra starter or hitter for the playoff push is upon us, there will be some money to spend and we might finally have enough to get it done.

We have had plenty of years of Johan, Torii, Nathan, and it it has not got us farther than a 5 game walloping in the ALCS. Maybe it's time for a different game plan.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Willy, I agree. I like what they are doing.

As a fan it's going to suck for a while watching Cleveland and Chicago win the division. That's the downside. The upside is that it's looking like a team build up for a serious shot the first year or 2 in the new park.

[Maximum12]

Man, I thought I was a homer & Twins optimist! You guys are nothing short of delusional (& I mean that in the kindest, most non-judgemental, PC, delivered with a smile, kind of way).

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Johan's slider is done and he is a 2 pitch pitcher right now.

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Wrong. I can't begin to say how wrong. Everyone who follows Major League Baseball would disagree with that statement.

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do like Cleveland and lock all those guys up when they are young and inexpensive.

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What do the Twins have now? A bunch of young guys. How locked up are they? The Twins haven't had much luck signing that Morneau guy, or the Cuddyer guy, or Nathan, or Santana either. Mauer. 1 for 5. Players are getting wise to this & are opting to hold out for more "market value". Also recall the Rich Becker/Scott Stahoviak days when they signed a bunch of promising young stiffs to multi-year deals that never panned out. Point: young guys are a risk. Always.

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I hate to see the potential of Garza go, but at this point all we are losing is potential. Young however gives us immeadiate offense, and huge star potential.

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Immediate offense? I agree Young has upside, big upside, but so does Garza. Hate to say, but if you project his numbers out over Young's ABs for 2007, Jason Kubel was a 18HR, 88RBI, .273 guy. I don't see anyone touting Kubel as the answer to our offensive woes!!

And Garza's ERA in the second half of 2007, plus being minor league player of the year in 2006, makes him as close to a sure-fire front-of-the-rotation starter as there is with a young, untested arm.

My point? I do have one. I, too, am happy that we have a GM who's finally not afraid to pull the trigger on a deal, even one I'm not wild about. But the Twins have/had the architecture to be strong playoff team, RIGHT NOW. They just needed some pieces. Instead, Smith seems to be intent on rebuilding the team.

This is a huge risk. The Twins had a core of superb talent. Like it or not, replacing knowns with unknowns could put the Twins out of contention for years. When gambling on young players to put you in the playoffs, you're going to lose more than you're going to win. I was hoping the Twins would build on their solid foundation, but instead they seem intent on creating a new foundation & tossing out the old one.

[jigging-matt]

I really like the trade, especially if they fill in the holes like they should. I think Young should play left and leave Cuddy in Right. If you read the article on MSN that Gopherman talked about, You get the feeling that our new GM might have a real good plan on making the Twins a contender for years to come and not just a one year push.

[PierBridge]

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Let's face it, the Twins are going to be in the cellar for the next couple of years.

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I don't see that happenning.

[maros91]

I like the trade. You have to give up something to get something. I was never really high on Bartlett. Looks like the Twins are getting young and affordable contracts before the new ball park. I remember the Phillies leading up to their new ballpark. They got young before the park opened and a year before it opened they signed Jim Thome. I can see the Twins doing something like this. We still have a hole at 3B. It would be nice if we land Miguel Cabrera. He is only 24 and is not eligible for free agency until 2009. Give up some young pitchers for him. Then deal Santana and get back some young pitchers. Who knows, I like what we are doing so far.

I don't see the Twins finishing in the cellar either.

Thank god we have Kansas City in our division.

[Bobby Bass]

I am not so sure that the Twins don't have the opening of the new stadium to dovetail with a youth movement here. New Stadium and a good solid team, increase revenue bet Poland gets a nice sale.

[Coach1310]

I don't love the trade, but at least we were willing to do something for a change. Like has been said we have always had loads of top prospects, but instead of rolling the dice and trading them to fill holes, we always hung on to them. I think Garza is gonna be a #1 or #2 for a lot of years, but the Twins did fill a need with an everyday outfielder, above average defensively with scary upside at the plate. I didn't care for Bartlett, but I am suprised they gave up a highly touted relief pitching prospect. Smith said Young isn't gonna play center, so if they put him in Left and keep Cuddy in right we still have a big hole in center and at 3rd. It will be interesting to see what happens from here. If they deal Nathan now, who are his biggest suitors??? Just wondering what you all think.

[Cicada]

I think you have to keep Nathan. He's still one of the best in the business. The only flaws in his numbers from last season came in games in which he wasn't pitching in the role they got him for. Neshek was fun to watch and really pitched very well but tired and fell apart in late August or early September. If you are going to contend, that is when you need the closer to dominate. I really like Neshek but any talk of him being the closer is just wind coming out of your butt.

[SledNeck]

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I think you have to keep Nathan. He's still one of the best in the business. The only flaws in his numbers from last season came in games in which he wasn't pitching in the role they got him for. Neshek was fun to watch and really pitched very well but tired and fell apart in late August or early September. If you are going to contend, that is when you need the closer to dominate. I really like Neshek but any talk of him being the closer is just wind coming out of your butt.

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Neshek would make a better closer than 80% of the guys closing in MLB now.

[Coach1310]

The bottom line is the Twins won't pay Nathan what he demands and what he will get on the free agent market. Why keep him then??? Use up this final year of his contract to close for an up and coming team that just rebuilt itself and looks to have a great product when the new stadium opens??? Nathan is gonna get dealt, but it may not be until the deadline or when a big teams closers struggles or gets hurt. You have to deal him because they are not gonna sign him. I think he is as good as there is in the business, but we might as well get something for him.

[Cicada]

"Neshek would make a better closer than 80% of the guys closing in MLB now."

But not on the team he plays for. I hope they keep Nathan. If only to protect the staffs egos. If they work hard and put the team in a postion to win, it would bite if the closer didn't finish the deal. Who knows, show a little potential and he may want to stay. Is Nathan moving something that's been published or is this just speculation of posters of this sight?

[Down to Earth]

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"Neshek would make a better closer than 80% of the guys closing in MLB now."

But not on the team he plays for. I hope they keep Nathan. If only to protect the staffs egos. If they work hard and put the team in a postion to win, it would bite if the closer didn't finish the deal. Who knows, show a little potential and he may want to stay. Is Nathan moving something that's been published or is this just speculation of posters of this sight?

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I'm guessing they'll hold on to Nathan at least through this year. I either read or heard just this past week, that those in the organization don't believe Neshek is ready to step into the closer role yet. Wish I could remember where I saw it.

[SledNeck]

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I'm guessing they'll hold on to Nathan at least through this year. I either read or heard just this past week, that those in the organization don't believe Neshek is ready to step into the closer role yet. Wish I could remember where I saw it.

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And David Ortiz isnt ready to fill the DH role And Justin Morneau has questionable fielding skills and we'll miss Eddie Guardado.

[IFallsRon]

Eddie G. is available:

Cincinnati Reds

Declined to offer arbitration to LHP Eddie Guardado and LHP Eric Milton.

[blue_healer_guy]

Neshek was exposed because teams fiquired out that delivery of his later in the season. Keep Nathan, trade him at the deadline. He will be just as valueable to a contender as he is now.

[PierBridge]

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Neshek was exposed because teams fiquired out that delivery of his later in the season. Keep Nathan, trade him at the deadline. He will be just as valueable to a contender as he is now.

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those in the organization don't believe Neshek is ready to step into the closer role yet.

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I think its ridiculous to think Neshek can step in and be anything remotely close to Nathan as a closer.

[not_nuf_time]

Neshek may be alright as a closer, one of the reasons he wore down at the end of the year, is that in his position of set up man he came in more often and pitched longer (multiple innings) in games were as a closer would generally pitch only one or less innings. I think if you can get good talent for Nathan, trade him. I think Neshek would be alright. Not willing to wager the house but...never know.