Let’s Make A Deal? Maybe not!
As the Major League Baseball trade deadline nears, there are many nervous fans who are hoping — perhaps demanding — that the Twins make some kind of a deal.
I am not one of them.
I like the current makeup of the Twins and have always been a firm believer in loyalty and team chemistry.
I also look back at the huge mistakes the Minnesota franchise has made in its trading history.
True, getting a couple of pitching additions could be helpful, especially another left-handed reliever. But lefties Devin Smeltzer (five innings) and Lewis Thorpe (two-and-two-thirds innings) both looked sharp last week against the mighty Yankees.
Lots of fans are anticipating getting Madison Bumgarner — a proven post-season left-handed ace — away from the now-surging San Francisco Giants. Bumgarner has not had a great year with the Giants, but his performances in October, including the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series, make him a prospect worth seeking.
But who do you trade to get him?
Let’s look at a few of the “bonehead” trades made by the Twins. We can start with last year’s — maybe all-time worst — deal which traded away popular all-everything utility player Eduardo Escobar to the Arizona Diamondbacks. I don’t remember which prospects the Twins got in return for Escobar who was having a banner season and was popular with his teammates as an all-around hustling leader.
Oh, that’s right … Escobar could be traded away to make room for would-be slugger Miguel Sano. For years, we’ve all heard so much about Buxton and Sano, Buxton and Sano. I am so glad that fans this year can certainly see there is more to the Twins than just Buxton and Sano.
How’s Escobar doing in Arizona? While playing every day as the Diamondbacks third baseman, Escobar is hitting .289 and has driven in 79 runs — tied for the third-best RBI total among all 30 major league teams. Imagine the Twins if they still had Escobar?
Two years ago, in Minnesota’s strong 2017 season, the Twins dealt away closer Brandon Kintzler (to the Nationals) right at the trade deadline — much to the disappointment of players and fans. The year before, during the 59-win 2016 campaign, the Twins sent its only All-Star player, shortstop Eduardo Nunez, to the Giants for several unknown prospects. It turned out good for Nunez who was later traded to the Red Sox and earned a World Series championship ring with Boston last October.
Those are three recent examples of trades which I didn’t like.
What about Aaron Hicks — who played such a big role for the Yankees in last Tuesday night’s dramatic 14-12 win at Target Field? Hicks hit a ninth-inning home run which gave the lead back to the Yankees and then he clinched the victory with a sensational running — and diving — catch in the bottom of the 10th.
Just when Hicks was finally getting good (he was a bit like Buxton and Sano — lots of talked about potential, but hadn’t done much yet), he was traded to the Yankees on November 11, 2015 for backup catcher John Ryan Murphy. Who got the better deal in that trade?
The Twins have had a history of bad deals. Remember both David Ortiz (released after the 2002 season) and Graig Nettles (traded to the Indians on December 10, 1969) were both with Minnesota before becoming repeat All-Stars — Oritz with the Red Sox and Nettles (six times) with the Yankees.
True, the Twins did a great job this past off-season in picking up players through free agency. Nelson Cruz, C.J. Cron, Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Schoop have each been big-time contributors all season. The year before things didn’t pan out so well.
How about the trades? Last year, the Twins beat the deadline by trading away reliever Ryan Pressly (to the Astros). Pressly pitched well during post-season action last October and was chosen for this year’s All-Star game.
How many former Twins have excelled after being traded? The list goes on and on. I think it’s time for the Twins to stop being a “farm team” for the rest of the majors and keep their own guys together.
Let these team-oriented players — who they have already acquired and developed — continue striving to win, which those guys have been doing in 2019 way more often than not.
