Twins Hot Stove: Dozier-to-Dodgers at an ‘Impasse,’ Cleveland Lands Encarnacion

If you were hoping to have a fresh batch of prospects to hash over while avoiding relatives this weekend, you may have to resort to Plan B (get your brother going about politics so your stepmother starts crying and you can sneak out to Mortimer’s).

Per Jon Heyman of the unfortunately-named Fanrag Sports, discussions between the Twins and Dodgers regarding Minnesota All-Star Brian Dozier “are at a standstill.” The sticking point, as has also been noted by almost every beat writer and podcast in town, is who Los Angeles would part with besides top pitching prospect Jose De Leon. The Twins want another blue chip prospect from the deep Dodgers system, while L.A. is apprehensive.

(My proposal of asking for Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig instead, just to see what happens, has been laughed at by my entire family, my dog, and local city council members.)

Elsewhere in the Central, Cleveland landed Toronto 1B/DH/masher Edwin Encarnacion for three years and $60 million. Nowhere in any of the stories does Encarnacion or his agent say that “getting to face the Twins starting pitching 19 times a year” was the motivation, so maybe things have already started turning around at Target Field.

Finally, friend of the blog, video chronicler of Twins ineptitude, and all-around good dude Parker Hageman went Christmas shopping yesterday. Here’s how the trip ended up:

Wear your seat belts, friends.

As usual, if anything happens of note with Dozier or anything else, we’ll let you know.