Interview Minutes
- He expects some frustration on behalf on his players (aka Johan Santana), but wants to let the seasonal situation play out.
- If Ryan thinks the Twins have a chance to win, he'll try to do something to help the cause. Pitching is the strong point, but when trying to get a hitter "you'd be surprised" what people ask for when they know you're looking for a hitter. Prospects don't always buy one MLB-ready player.
- Castillo's departure has nothing to do with monetary issues. Ryan insists he would have made this deal regardless if Castillo had been under contract for 2008 or not.
- Ryan weighed the option of keeping Castillo in the hopes of getting a sandwich pick by offering arbitration, but felt the balance was better by dealing him for the two Mets prospects.
- "We're very close yet very far away." It was a hard position to be in: buyer/seller. Had things been closer he might have tried to go elsewhere. All things considered, moving Castillo was the best option.
- Ryan felt the Twins could have been a buyer or a seller at the deadline. He had deals on the table but nothing came to fruition.
- He doesn't see how moving Castillo was different than moving Lohse. "If you have the ability to replace a guy, it gives you flexibility." Replacing Castillo with Casilla was a move he thought the Twins could take.
- In regards to waiver trades, Ryan says "you'd be surprised how many players are out there already". It will be tough to move a player, but there will be moves made (stated in the vague general way, not in the Twins-specific way).