How About Some Trade Talk For A Change?

It's doubtful the Twins are going to make a deal within the week. It's doubtful the Twins will ever make a trade for a big-time player. It's downright positive we should doubt the Twins would act like a lot of other teams 1-2 games back in their division and make a run ... for the World Series, and not just another division title.

Doubtful.

Sadly.

So I am left with dreams.

I dreamt a bit of Manny Ramirez or Gary Sheffield or even (gasp!) Barry Bonds hitting in the Twins lineup.

Then I woke up and pondered: Wouldn't it be something if the Twins actually were in trade talks to get the likes of Mark Teixeira, Jarrod Washburn, Hudson Street, Brian Fuentes, George Sherrill or A.J. Burnett? Dreams, I know. But think of the drama and the debating. Heck, think of the potential homeruns or wins.

I have to dream because Minnesota is NEVER in discussions for these kinds of players. To make matters more challenging, Twins fans must be creative with dreams and wish for, at best, someone we've heard of before. That's the criteria -- potential and all that. This is the reason I can't even get hopeful the rumors of Adrian Beltre (3B, Seattle, .260 BA, 16 HR, 47 RBI) coming to the Twins being more than a pipe dream.

I even dreamt up the thought the Twins could swing a deal -- one that involved another team in a three-way style that would circumvent obvious issues trading with the very team you're trying to catch. The deal is someone for oxymoronic White Sox third baseman Josh Fields (Josh Fields, um, not well). Fields is only 25 years old and hit 23 home runs last year. Joe Crede also plays third on the South Side of the Windy City, so Fields may be trade available. He'd take a bit to get. Jason Pridie and someone like Glen Perkins.

I'll keep dreaming and see what I can come up with. I'll just have to keep it cheap, keep it low-key, and keep it creative. Otherwise the Twins will want nothing to do with it.

Sadly.

Liriano wins again for Rochester

Francisco Liriano went six full innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, struck out nine and walked one in Rochester's 10-5 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Class AAA International League play Sunday night. Liriano improved to 10-2 this year in Class AAA.

TradeFest '08

Baseball blogs across the country are steaming with trade possibilities -- including searing discussions in New York involving possible Yankee trades for Jarrod Washburn of the Angels and Cincinnatti slugger Adam Dunn -- but very little real swapping seems imminent.

The chatter is all around MLB: Matt Holliday, Mark Teixeira, Roy Halladay, Hudson Street, Casey Blake, Todd Helton ... big names who are "possibly" going to some other team. History tells us most of these folks will stay on their same team six days from now.

The Twins, in particular, are doubtful to make any move that would rise above the classification of being minor. Given the team's five-game losing streak and Francisco Liriano pitching so well in the minor leagues, it makes more sense for the team to work within its own system than make a deal. The culture of the front office has been to stand pat more often than not in trade deadline deals anyway.

With only five days left of speculation, my best bet is for the Twins to deal for a relief pitcher rather than a third baseman or right-handed DH. While a name like Arthur Rhodes (Seattle) is more likely to be in Billy Smith's mind, why not take a shot at Colorado lefty closer Brian Fuentes? The Mariners don't seem to be asking much in return (one rumor had the possiblity of the Mets landing him for the very average Adam Heilman and a prospect).

Insider Trading With The Twins

Twins Shopping Span and Liriano?
The Right Deal Could Send Them Packing
With a week to go before the no-frills-attached trading deadline, a lot of discussion surrounding a possible Twins deal is being tossed about. There are some of the typical absurdities (Craig Monroe for anyone, Mike Lamb for anyone, etc.) and some intriguing thoughts (Adrian Beltre coming to the Twins, for instance). But in reality, the Twins are sitting tight looking for two spots: a setup man for closer Joe Nathan and a right-handed power hitter to bat behind Justin Morneau.

It will take a fair amount of talent to get one of those prizes. The Twins have been fielding a fair amount of phone calls, according to my sources. Certainly other GMs are inquiring about top
prospects Ben Revere (OF, Class A Beloit), Shooter Hunt (RHP, Rookie Elizabethton), Deolis Guerra (RHP, Class A Ft. Myers), Joey Benson (OF, Class A Beloit), Tyler Robertson (LHP, Class A Ft. Myers), Anthony Swarzak (RHP, Class AA New Britain), Trevor Plouffe (SS, Class AAA Rochester) and Brian Duensing (LHP, Class AAA Rochester). A quick look at that list and it's easy to see the Twins are loaded for pitching prospects heading into their unofficial target date of 2010 for a World Series run.

Surprisingly, the Twins are also asking questions to get feeling for the market for Francisco Liriano (LHP, Class AAA Rochester) and current big league OF Denard Span. With Michael Cuddyer's injury status still in limbo, the Twins may need Span, but he's been listed as a top prospect long enough that his recent success could bolster large returns in a seemingly lackluster trade market.

Word is the Twins are unhappy with Liriano, his agent, fans and the media pushing for the left-hander to return to the big league club. The entire front office is adamant they won't let anyone tell them how to run their club. Easy to say, but harder to do when Liriano goes out and tosses seven shutout innings in a 13-0 win over Toledo Tuesday (he struck out 10, allowed two hits, and walked two).

Liriano improved to 9-2 in Class AAA and hasn't allowed an earned run in a month. The Twins will either need to use his success to pull off a major trade or will need to trade someone to fit him in the current roster. Secretly, the Twins front office has been hoping for a sore arm to allow someone to go on the DL, as so often happens with young pitchers this time of year.

Is it time to check out Liriano again?

Pioneer Press writer Kelsie Smith had an interesting story in today's paper regarding Francisco Liriano. Liriano, 24, appears back on track playing for the Rochester Red Wings, the Twins' Class AAA affiliate in the International League.

Liriano improved to 7-2 with a 3.53 ERA prior to the minor league all-star break. Those numbers are impressive, but even more so when you consider how terrible the lefty was when he was first sent down to Rochester.

In his last 10 games since May 26, Liriano has gone 7-0 with a 3.30 ERA, pitched 62 2/3 innings, allowed 53 hits and struck out 64. His WHIP is a very strong 1.03. Even more impressive (considering his recovery from Tommy John surgery) are his most recent outings. Liriano hasn't allowed an earned run since June 25 and in his last three starts he's amassed 20 innings pitched, 10 hits allowed, no earned runs, three walks and 24 strikeouts. Those are dominating numbers. No if's or but's.

According to Smith's article, Liriano and his agent are getting antsy to return to the big league club. There is some dischord between the agent and the general manager's office. I guess that's to be expected -- GM's don't typically like agents dictating their jobs or implying what they should do. Agents are working for the best of their clients. In this case, it's time for Billy Smith to do the right thing and get Liriano up to spend time with pitching coach Rick Anderson. It's time to see if there is promise in the once-dead arm.

The Twins are surprising the AL Central and doing well with their pitching as is, but come on: there's room for an arm like this in the rotation (or, gasp!, the bullpen).

Scott Baker (6-2, 3.47), Nick Blackburn (7-5, 3.65), Glen Perkins (6-2, 4.14) and Kevin Slowey (6-6, 4.26) are pitching amazingly well for such a young rotation. To fit Liriano, it would leave out the aging and sloth-like Livan Hernandez (9-6, 5.44) or force the Twins to go to what the Pioneer Press said Ron Gardenhire is contemplating: a six-man rotation.

There are other spots for Lirano: Boof (3-6, 6.50) doesn't look like he belongs any longer. Brian "Smallmouth" Bass (3-3, 5.31) and Craig Breslow (0-0, 2.18) are OK. Spaz Neshek is out for the season and a setup man more dominating that Matt GRRR (5-4, 3.35) is desirable. The Twins don't like the idea of the bullpen as much as Liriano's agent. Remember when a young lefty named Johan Santana complained he didn't belong in the bullpen back in 2002? He may have been right, but you can't argue with his output since then -- I don't think his ego was shattered.

If nothing else, Liriano's .200 career batting average is only 20 points lower than Mike Lamb's season average of .220. Maybe he can fill in as a left-handed pinch-hitter who flies out to right each time up. That is, until the Twins trade Hernandez in the next few weeks ...

Blackburn, Slowey, Baker keeping Twins alive

The Twins did it again this afternoon and took 2 of 3 from the Detroit Tigers. Just when you think this team will fade away, it gears up and keeps pace with those White Sox.

It's amazing to think that Blackburn, Slowey and Baker will all be around for years to come -- the promise of building a contender for 2010 in the new stadium seems to be real. But, for crying out loud, who would think the Twins could contend right now? In the next two years we just need Glen Perkins, Francisco Liriano or another pitcher to find his way into the rotation and to keep Joe Nathan back there closing.

Plus, with the way Casilla, Gomez, Mauer, Morneau and Buscher are playing lately, those younger players should be contributors in the future as well. It makes for a much more promising future outlook.

How 'bout the Rays?

Is anyone outside of New York City or Boston not rooting for Tampa Bay? After so many years of pathetic play in the difficult AL East, the Rays changed their uniforms, team name and entire play. Considering the crappy Metrodome-like stadium the Rays play in, the team and city deserve a year in contention.

Go Rays!