Cubs Offering Murton For Relief Help

by MagikLair on May 22, 2007 4:52 PM EDT Comment 22 comments

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/05/cubs_offering_m.html
if this is true, the Twins should consider making a deal for Murton. The Twins need a replacement outfielder and here's a guy that is pretty cheap, good offensive player. Yes, I know the Twins have some questionable pitching relief right now. Too bad this opportunity didn't come a month ago. The Twins have some tough decisions to make and this could be one of them. Any thoughts...

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Would love him...

and even with the state of our bullpen currently, I wouldn't hesitate to include anything up to Rincon for him, as long as we got something else minor in return. I think Murton would be a great fit on this team, and we'd have DH/LF fully set between him/Kubel next year, and cheaply.

That would just leave 3b to fill, and CF if Hunter is gone.

by djskilbr on May 22, 2007 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

But what......

do the Twins do with all the other cogs in the field. If you add Murton...can you move Ford, Tyner, Rabe for example.

Any trade of pitching for offense almost ahs to coincide with trading the offensive bench-warmers for...something.

Luver of Twins history, cards and the minor leagues.

by twintown on May 22, 2007 5:01 PM EDT reply actions

Or

sending them on assignment. I'd like to keep Ford or Tyner, not both. Rabe could be sent back to Rochester I believe.

by Jesse on May 22, 2007 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd

I'd definitely keep Ford. Him and Tyner are a little different behind the late, but come up with pretty equal production at the end of the day, and Ford is a much better defensive outfielder. Ford is great at the corners and average to solid in center IMO.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 22, 2007 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd

I'd like it. He could split time with White and Kubel at LF/DH this season and be the guy with Kubel at LF/Dh next year. He's a good young hitter.

I'd still rather have Encarnacion, because of the position he's at, but a bat is a bat, and Murton is that. Perhaps more importantly, they are overtly offering him up and the Reds haven't gone so far with Edwin yet.

Do you think Reyes would retain any value for trade? He is having a tough year, but we could pass it off as a result of the shoulder problem (which he will return from soon). Could we get him for a package like Reyes/Blackburn (a good AA-type prospect like that)?

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 22, 2007 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

rincon

seems to me like it would take Rincon, and I'd do it if that's what it took. Rincon is getting more expensive, but this season seems like a lost cause and they have had better luck developing bullpen arms than legit hitters, that's for sure

by tmm on May 22, 2007 7:05 PM EDT reply actions

Encarnacion

yes...Encarnacion would be a dream. He's back on the team after someone went on the dl, he was hitting .419 triple a. TR is all about pitching, too bad we don't have someone for the offense part of it. How many years have we needed a big bat in the lineup? Ron dl was a great signing. He's played what, one game.

by MagikLair on May 22, 2007 10:24 PM EDT reply actions

With Crain out

The Twins can't afford to trade any more relievers if they hope to get back in the race. Perhaps if they are out of it altogether, it makes some sense to trade short relief for a bat. But it's way too early to say they're out of it.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 22, 2007 11:18 PM EDT reply actions

I know...

but just think of it.

Encarnacion and something for Perkins and Ford/Tyner.
Rincon for Murton.
Ortiz/Silva for whatever the heck you can get.
Re-sign Hunter, since we've solved LF/3b very cheaply.

Casilla-2b
Murton-DH/LF
Mauer-C
Cuddyer-RF
Morneau-1b
Hunter-CF
Kubel-LF/DH
Encarnacion-3b
Bartlett-SS
Bench: Punto, G. Jones, Tolbert, Tyner, Oetjen? Span?

Santana
Garza
Liriano
Slowey
Boof/Baker
Pen: Nathan, Neshek, Crain, Guerrier, Bonser/Baker, Mijares/Manship/Barrett

That's a heck of a group with STILL a lot of pitching talent waiting the wings.

by djskilbr on May 23, 2007 2:27 AM EDT reply actions

Oh, and...

the only guys of that group you're REALLY spending money on are the core guys of Mauer/Morneau/Hunter/Cuddyer/Santana/Nathan. EVERYONE else is still at the minimum or close. That should be a workable payroll since we're fully saving on DH/3b/the rest of the rotation.

And also, I completely forgot to add Redmond to the above, instead of probably Tyner, with Span/Oetjen likely filling the 4th/5th OF role.

by djskilbr on May 23, 2007 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions

If they could trade Ortiz or Silva....

...I'd say go for it. I would trade Ford, Tyner, or Punto in a heart beat, with Silva or Ortiz to get a right handed bat with some pop. Maybe Krivsky would take Silva and Punto for Encarnacion. Then he'd have both sides of his Eric Milton trade on his team.

But I wouldn't want to trade Perkins or Rincon right now, especially with all the injuries in the bullpen. We still could turn this thing around. It's earlier than it was last year and we're not as far back.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 23, 2007 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions

If

If we pulled those other two trades, i'd look to trade one of those starters for a decent reliever.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 23, 2007 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn't count on Crain

Until 2009 at the earliest, if at all.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 23, 2007 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

2009?

Why 2009? I know this is a painful injury, but he should be back piching next year and near full steam again by the midway point.

Or at least as much is possible.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 23, 2007 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

History

I have no doubt he'll be back on a mound at some point next year. But it typically takes a year from the time you first start throwing off a mound to when you have your usual velocity back. This is not like the elbow, which allows you to throw hard as soon as your rehab is over. Shoulder injuries just take longer, in most cases.

Matt Fox is a typical example. Fox had a similar procedure after the 2004 season. He missed all of 2005. In 2006, he took the mound for the first time in June, but didn't hit 90 all year (he threw in the low to mid 90s in college). This year, he is said to be back to his old self velocity-wise.

The odds would be better if it were just the rotator cuff. But add in the labrum, and he has a long recovery ahead of him. He might come back towards the end of the 2008 season, but I wouldn't bet on it. 2009 is the most likely time frame.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 23, 2007 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

I'll

I'll buy that. Actually, I did, but I'm trying to be a little optimistic about it...

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 23, 2007 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Crain and rumors...

The one thing with Crain, there's not a lot of moment on is fastball. If he falls behind in the count, it always seems that he goes to the fastball and that has been costly at times. Some other rumors regarding the Twins are:

Trading Luis Castillo, management under fire and dealing some higher priced guys at the deadline.

http://gothambaseball.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=14663#14663

Yes, there just rumors...

by MagikLair on May 23, 2007 2:06 PM EDT reply actions

NYC

New York media already predicting every team not directly in the race with send it's best players to them forthwith?! What a new development!

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 23, 2007 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

ha!

My local paper has Gardy #2 on the managerial "hot seat" behind Jerry Narron - which shows a short memory and a limited understanding of how the Twins organization works.

What would Gardy have to do to get fired at mid-season? Wear a Yankee hat? Sex scandal with clubhouse girls? Call Hubert Humpherey a "lousy senator"?

by wcooley on May 23, 2007 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmm

"Sex scandal with clubhouse girls?"

I think that would be the one.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 23, 2007 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions