2012 Twins trading

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2012 Twins trading

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A recurring post spurred on by a recent bout of trading previously untouchable guys so that I can look back and say (a) that's where I made a bold gamble that worked or (b) that's where I screwed up.
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1-24-12

Twins get: Brandon Gomes, Dylan Axelrod, Chris Herrmann
Diamonbacks get: Louis Coleman

I did not see this trade coming but when Jagger messaged me with this deal, it was too good to pass on. At this time, I was hurting for starting pitching and Axelrod, with his 96 ERA+ would have been my #2 SP. Add in Gomes, an older (though still only 27) reliever who put up almost identical numbers to the 25-year-old Coleman, and I was sold. Herrmann was just icing on the cake.
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2-4-12

Twins get: Andrew McCutchen, Josh Collmenter, John Stilson
Tigers get: Matt Kemp, J.A. Happ, Chris Herrmann

Not an easy trade to make at all, as Kemp had been on my roster since 2005 when he was signed as an undrafted free agent. He was at the time, the longest-tenured player on my team. But I was motivated by a distinct lack of pitching (the Collmenter part) and the promise of McCutchen who profiles as a rising star who is two years younger than Kemp. I figured that I was not going to truly compete this year, so picking up McCutchen for Kemp wasn't a bad move, especially when you add Collmenter (projected to be above average in 2012) and Stilson (who I think has a ton of upside) in exchange for two guys who probably would have been cut eventually. It was a gamble worth taking.
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2-10-12

Twins get: Nicholas Kingham, Clayton Schrader
Tigers get: Christian Colon, Kyle Weiland

The second trade within a week with Pat G and his Tigers, I was looking for pure upside power arms. Kingham and Schrader fit the bill rather nicely, though who knows what will happen to them in the minors. Colon has lost his shine since being drafted a year and a half ago, though i still have some faith in him. Still, I felt that he was expendable in this type of deal.
Last edited by Nationals on Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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2-15-12

Twins get: Andrew Cashner, Scott Van Slyke
Mets get: Michael Cuddyer

It hurt to trade away Cuddyer, another long-time Twin. But just as he left the real Twins, so too must he leave my Twins. Besides, if my target window is going to be a few years down the line, the odds are that he won't be of as much value then anyhow (and as Bavasi said, it is better to trade a player a year early than a year late). I'm satisfied with the return--Cashner has a cannon for an arm and like his cohorts Collmenter and Axelrod, he too could slot into my rotation this year to provide better-than-average coverage. Van Slyke seems like a nice little project guy--he doesn't seem to profile any tools but he's always produced (and he has the bloodlines!). happy trails to you, Cuddy.
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3-1-12

Twins get: Mark Trumbo, Ryan Lavarnway, Jerry Hairston
Rockies get: Allen Craig

I like Allen Craig and his versatility. But when approached with a deal in which I can get a haul like this back for a 28-year old, injury-prone player, I have to listen. As a result, this deal makes me a bit deeper (Hairston), gives me a nice little trading chip (Lavarnway), and a replacement for Eric Hosmer (Trumbo). This deal is a small step back for this year, but I think it could turn out well down the road (unless Trumbo can't learn to control the strikezone and maxes out as a AAAA player--that would suck).
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3-1-12

Twins get: Jonathan Singleton, Julio Teheran
Gianst get: Eric Hosmer

I will say now that if I didn't have the Trumbo deal on the table, I wouldn't have made this trade. I have a massive mancrush on Eric Hosmer (as in I would go to Kansas City and kidnap him mancrush...well, that might be a bit much, but you get the idea) and I think he'll be awesome. BUT to pick up Teheran who has legitimate ace stuff, I felt like I had to take a gamble. I'm not at all certain about Singleton (I think Lancaster inflated his numbers last season), but he has reasonable Hosmer-esque upside. So I'm gambling here. This could be the deal that sinks my team if Teheran flames out and Singleton never becomes anything close to what he can be, but for that chance (and I think it's a reasonable one) of greatness, I'm all for taking a shot.

Also, this deal probably finished my renovation of my rotation from having only Bumgraner and a bunch of stiffs to Bumgarner and an impressive collection of young arms that have usable sims that won't embarrass me (and lowers my need to depend on Montgomery and Gibson to come back from their respective setbacks last year). Of course this spate of trading has hurt my offense in the short term, but it should be okay in the long run. Maybe.
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