Twinkie Town - Minnesota Twins trade deadline historyAn online community of Twins fans mourning the death of Prince Rogers Nelson.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52554/tt_fav.png2010-07-22T08:00:42-04:00http://www.twinkietown.com/rss/stream/88101882010-07-22T08:00:42-04:002010-07-22T08:00:42-04:002000's Twins Trade Deadline History: 2007 - 2009
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<figcaption>Jamie Squire/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2010/7/20/1577349/2000s-twins-trade-deadline-history">Twins deadline history 2000 - 2003</a><br><a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2010/7/21/1579022/2000s-twins-trade-deadline-history">Twins deadline history 2004 - 2006</a></p>
<h4>July 30, 2007</h4>
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<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/MIN">Minnesota Twins</a> trade Luis Castillo to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/NYM">New York Mets</a> for <span>Dustin Martin</span> and <span>Drew Butera</span>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2007/7/30/154453/207">At the time of this trade</a>, the Twins were in a frustrating third place. In spite of having plenty of talent the team wasn't meeting expectations (sound familiar?) and so, in a bit of a surprise maneuver, Terry Ryan "sold" at the deadline by dealing their leadoff hitter. Players were upset, the fanbase was confused, but ultimately Ryan thought that these two players were better than any compensation they might get from Castillo in free agency if they received any at all. He wasn't a part of the team's future.</p>
<p>After the trade, the Twins still weren't able to shake off the gallows of third place and finished the season with a sub-.500 record for the first time since 2000. Castillo's replacements (<span>Alexi Casilla</span>, <span>Nick Punto</span> and <span>Luis Rodriguez</span>) were all terrible, each finishing with a sub-.600 OPS.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Castillo hit .296 with a .371 on-base percentage the rest of the season. After which the Mets signed him to one of the stupidest contracts in recent memory, which still doesn't expire until after next season...when Castillo will be 36.</p>
<p>Butera we're already familiar with, and was hailed as a defense-first catcher from the start. Martin was an uninspiring outfielder, but he's become a respectable piece and is now batting .259/.335/.425 as a 26-year old in Rochester.</p>
<p>Here's part of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2007/7/31/11820/5246">what I had to say at the time</a>:</p>
<p>I've never really been of a "ONE-OF-US, ONE-OF-US" kind of mentality, but it's still hard to part with a guy who played like Castillo. He didn't have any power but he did have his attributes, and he definitely wanted to stay with the Twins. You know how when you break up with a girl and you think you'll be cool with it, and then she starts to cry and suddenly there's a chink in your armor?</p>
<div class="blockquote">Castillo was on the field during batting practice when bench coach Steve Liddle tapped him on the shoulder and led him upstairs to the clubhouse, where the news was delivered...Castillo, who joined the Twins following a December 2005 trade, seemed to take the news pretty hard, speaking to reporters with watery eyes.
<p>"The hardest part for me is I think this team is still fighting -- we're still in the race," Castillo said. "I've seen this team come back 10 games before, and now we're 6 1/2 games. I think this team can turn around; we can get better. It was a surprise. I've been waiting for him to make a decision, and he made it."</p>
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<p>Dammit, Luis. YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU.</p>
<h4>August 15, 2007</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Ramon Ortiz</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/COL">Colorado Rockies</a> for <span>Matt Macri</span>
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<p>This merited such a lack of attention that I didn't write anything about it at the time. Ortiz had started the season hot for the Twins, finishing April with a 3-1 record in five starts, accompanying a 2.57 ERA in 35 innings. Over his next five starts he was 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA in 21.1 innings. He was then removed from the rotation to the bullpen, logging 34.2 innings in 18 appearances while still not being effective.</p>
<p>I remember waiting and hoping for him to be dealt. It was almost as if the Twins were keeping him on the roster not just for mop-up duty, but to hang onto any shred of trade value that he might have. The waiting game paid off (it's all relative) in the form of Macri.</p>
<p>At the time Macri was a 25-year old minor league infielder, who hadn't seen much time above double-A. Once at triple-A he initially struggled, unable to keep up with some decent numbers that he'd been able to post in lower levels. While he made an impressive stint in 18 games with the Twins in 2008, batting .324/.361/.441 in 36 plate appearances, he's still in Rochester now. This year he's hitting .273/.336/.429.</p>
<h4>August 25, 2008</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Mark Hamburger</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/TEX">Texas Rangers</a> for <span>Eddie Guardado</span>
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<p>The talks had gone on for a while, and even after they put a claim on him in August <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2008/8/22/599184/the-return-of-eddie-guarda">they didn't think the Rangers would budge</a>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2008/8/25/601003/welcome-back-eddie-guardad">But it happened</a> as the Rangers fell further out of contention in the West.</p>
<p>After a terrible year with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/CIN">Reds</a>, Guardado had experienced a bit of a renaissance with Texas. He had a solid ERA and kept the ball in the yard. Upon his move back to Minnesota, the reunion wasn't quite as sweet as a nervous fanbase had hoped. Looking for some stability is what brought Everyday Eddie back into the fold, but in spite of a better walk-to-strikeout ratio than he'd posted with the Rangers he just couldn't keep baserunners from scoring.</p>
<p>Guardado went back to the Rangers at age 38 to finish his career last season. He retired with some enduring numbers in Minnesota: 648 games, 704.2 innings, 116 saves. His peak was '01 to '03, when he recorded 98 of those saves while posting a 3.11 ERA.</p>
<p>Hamburger was a St. Paul native, who was 21 and floating around the rookie leagues. He's now in his age-23 season in high-A ball for the Rangers. He's still striking people out.</p>
<h4>July 31, 2009</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade Tyler Ladendorf to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/OAK">Oakland Athletics</a> for <span>Orlando Cabrera</span>
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<p>Remember when Billy Beane thought he was going to get <span>Danny Valencia</span> for O-Cab? Man, that was hilarious.</p>
<p>Cabrera immediately energized the entire team, starting hot and coming up with big hits in big spots. He continued this trend to the end of the season, posting positive WPA numbers and hitting a very respectable .289/.313/.430. It was even more respectable considering who the Twins had been playing at shortstop previously. He forged a bond with guys like <span>Carlos Gomez</span> and Alexi Casilla as well, and he became a clubhouse mascot and leader almost overnight. I can't say enough good things about him...we just got him at the wrong end of his career.</p>
<p>His numbers have fallen off a cliff this season with the Reds, as in 90 games he's batting just .249/.291/.334. But in 59 games with the Twins he was a legend, and the team was 35-26 after his arrival. Watching replays of his home run in game 163 still gives me shivers.</p>
<p>Ladendorf was a poor-hitting infielder. He's appeared in four games this season for Oakland's triple-A affiliate, but has spent most of his time in high-A ball at age 22.</p>
<h4>August 7, 2009</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Yohan Pino</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/CLE">Cleveland Indians</a> for <span>Carl Pavano</span>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2009/8/7/981001/twins-trade-for-carl-pavano-um-yay">This was Twinkie Town's initial reaction</a>. A lot of people believed Bill Smith gave up too much for Pavano. Obviously, those people now know they were wrong. The Twins rotation was careening and needed some stability, and Pavano provided that. He dominated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/DET">Tigers</a> and, even if he wasn't an ace, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2009/8/8/981521/does-carl-pavano-make-the-twins">he made the rotation better</a>.</p>
<p>Plus, we now know how important he's been to the Twins this season. But what about Pino?</p>
<p>Pino had always been a decent strikeout pitcher who controlled the number of baserunners he allowed. To be fair he was extraordinarily effective at triple-A last season for both Rochester and the Cleveland affiliate. This season, though, hasn't been so kind. At 26 Pino's upside is limited, and his numbers don't match those of <span>Anthony Slama</span> (for comparitive purposes). In 18 starts for Columbus he's 8-5, but also has a 5.54 ERA and has the highest walk rates of his career. The strikeouts aren't quite as impressive, either.</p>
<h4>August 28, 2009</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Kevin Mulvey</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/ARI">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> for <span>Jon Rauch</span>
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<p>The third and final deadline <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2009/8/28/1006109/twins-acquire-jon-rauch-for-ptbnl">trade for the Twins last season</a> came in the form of a man who looked like he'd rather shank you than look at you. But turns out, he's a nice guy. And he's also a work horse and a good middle reliever.</p>
<p>Unlike Guardado the season before, Rauch came in and immediately bolstered the bullpen. He managed 17 games between the end of August and the end of the regular season, striking out 14 in 15.2 innings with an impressive 1.72 ERA. Just like Cabrera and Pavano, the presence he provided to this team was just as important as the numbers he provided.</p>
<p>Mulvey was the second piece of the <span>Johan Santana</span> booty to leave the organization (the first being <span>Philip Humber</span>, who was removed from the 40-man to make room for Rauch). He made two appearances with the Twins and six with Arizona before the end of the season, and has made two more appearances this year. The numbers at the Major League level aren't impressive, but his minor league peripherals imply that he can be of value to somebody's bullpen if not the back end of a rotation, even if only on a part-time basis.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2010/7/22/1581287/2000s-twins-trade-deadline-historyJesse Lund2010-07-21T01:15:30-04:002010-07-21T01:15:30-04:002000's Twins Trade Deadline History: 2004 - 2006
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<figcaption>Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><i><b>Hopefully you enjoyed </b></i><a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2010/7/20/1577349/2000s-twins-trade-deadline-history" target="_blank">yesterday's walk down memory lane</a><i><b>, because here's a recap of the mid '00's.</b></i></p>
<h4>July 31, 2004</h4>
<h4>In 4-team trade, Twins trade <span>Doug Mientkiewicz</span> to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/BOS" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Red Sox</a>; <span>Justin Jones</span> was sent to Minnesota by the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/CHC" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Cubs</a>
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<p>People had been discussing the future of first base all season, with supporters on both sides. On one side there were the supporters of Dougie Baseball, with his high sox, no batting gloves and tar-tainted helmet. People insisted his defense was irreplaceable, took a few walks, rarely struck out and, in spite of having the worst season of his career at 30 (he hit just .246/.340/.363 prior to the trade), had still been a .290/.382/.437 hitter in his three full seasons as the team's first baseman. Additionally, he was THE first baseman for the first competetive Twins team in a decade. People had a soft spot for him as a result.</p>
<p>On the other side there were the supporters of <span>Justin Morneau</span>. He'd just turned 23 when the Twins called him up in May, and he hit .290/.370/.542 with a pair of homers in 27 plate appearances before disappearing, but the whispers only got louder...the big Canadian had raked at every level in the minors, and the organization was desperate for a big hitter for the middle of the lineup. He was called up again in July, this time for good, and played nearly everyday until Mientkiewicz was dealt to Boston.</p>
<p>We know how amazing Morneau has been for us, so there's no doubt that the Twins flipped Dougie Baseball at the right time. Mientkiewicz continued to play until last season, when he finished as a 35-year old utility player in 20 games with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/LOS" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a>. He never again hit as well as he did in '01 or '03, but the man was a professional baseball player and provided value wherever he went. His career ended with a .271/.360/.405 line.</p>
<p>The lost man in this deal is always Justin Jones. At the time of the trade Jones was a 19-year old southpaw strikeout pitcher who had retired 213 batters in 190.1 innings. Injuries stunted his growth after his arrival in the Minnesota farm system, so although he continued to have good strikeout numbers at New Britain in '06 it would be his last year with the organization. As of 2009 he was a 24 year old, in his fourth season at Washington's double-A affiliate; the strikeout rates were way down, but control was still an issue.</p>
<p>More after the jump!</p>
<h4>August 31, 2004</h4>
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<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/MIN" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Twins</a> trade B.J. Garbe to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/SEA" class="sbn-auto-link">Seattle Mariners</a> for <span>Pat Borders</span>
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<p>This was the result of <span>Joe Mauer</span> spending a lot of time on the disabled list his rookie season. He'd hung around the minors into his mid-30s, popping up when Seattle needed a guy for a couple of games. Known as a decent defender, the Twins like their veterans and acquired him on the final day of the waiver deadline. Borders played in 19 games to spell <span>Henry Blanco</span> (did anybody else call him Hank White?), hitting a pleasantly surprising .282.</p>
<p>Garbe, meanwhile, was drafted 5th overall by the Twins in '99. He didn't hit at all, was dealt for a 41-year old third-string catcher, hung around the Seattle system for a year and a half, moved onto Florida and still couldn't do anything. He flamed out at age 25, in double-A.</p>
<h4>July 11, 2005</h4>
<h4>Seattle Mariners send <span>Bret Boone</span> to the Minnesota Twins as part of a conditional deal</h4>
<p>The condition, naturally, was that he stuck. He didn't. An obvious case for how quickly a player on steroids can cease to perform without them, Boone went from being an All-Star in '03 to "just having a bad year" in '04 to just plain terrible in '05. He was struggling with the Mariners, hitting .231/.299/.385 prior to the trade.</p>
<p>Minnesota, meanwhile, was trying to stay in the AL Central race. After play on July 10th the Twins were 48-38, but somehow nine games back of the surging <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/CWS" class="sbn-auto-link">White Sox</a>. One of the bigger areas of concern was the middle infield, where <span>Luis Rivas</span>, <span>Nick Punto</span>, <span>Juan Castro</span>, <span>Luis Rodriguez</span>, <span>Jason Bartlett</span> and <span>Brent Abernathy</span> struggled with a combination of injuries and poor performance. Instead of trying to swing a big deal that would have cost a lopsided farm system to become even more depleted, the front office wanted to see how much Boone had left in the tank.</p>
<p>He had none. The Twins would falter, for a number of reasons, and finish the season in third place with just 83 wins.</p>
<p>But do you know what I really remember about the Bret Boone "deal"? <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=ursu/050713" target="_blank">I remember Bat-Girl's closer personal friend Anne Ursu writing this</a>. It still makes me laugh.</p>
<h4>June 15, 2006</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade Juan Castro to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/CIN" class="sbn-auto-link">Cincinnati Reds</a> for <span>Brandon Roberts</span>
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<p>Nobody in Minnesota was sad to see this go down.</p>
<p>Known as a defensive player with soft hands, Castro was a .226/.269/.331 career hitter before signing with the Twins in November of '04. I can only assume that, with the departure of <span>Cristian Guzman</span>, the front office needed a warm body. That warm body hit .248/.271/.357 in 456 plate appearances with the Twins over a year and a half, while playing unimpressive but versatile defense. <a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/story/2006/6/15/18512/6725" target="_blank">His departure</a> followed that of <span>Tony Batista</span>, and they both cleared roster space for Jason Bartlett.</p>
<p>In return the Reds sent Brandon Roberts who, to be fair, wasn't hitting extremely well. But he was also just a year removed from the draft. And he immediately raised eyebrows among the Twins faithful, putting up a .316 batting average and .370 on-base percentage after his affival that year.</p>
<p>Roberts continues to be a good contact hitter with a good eye and a penchant for getting on base (currently sports a .417 OBP in New Britain), but at 25 doesn't look like he will make a large impact down the line. He currently profiles as a fourth outfielder.</p>
<h4>July 31, 2006</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Kyle Lohse</span> to Cincinnati Reds for Zach Ward</h4>
<p>As if his inability to keep runs from scoring wasn't enough, <a href="http://www.bat-girl.com/archives/001496.php" target="_blank">he busted up his manager's office</a>. Time to be traded, Captain Primadonna. Especially with some kid named <span>Francisco Liriano</span> blowing everyone away and <span>Johan Santana</span> en route to his second Cy Young award.</p>
<p>At the time of the trade Lohse was still in just his age-27 season. And even though his peripherals insisted his future performance wouldn't be as apocalyptic as his 7.07 ERA, at some point you just have to go. Lohse didn't seem to appreciate the organization or how he was used, so a change of scenery was best for both sides. He'd go on to win 15 games for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/STL" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a> in 2008, but otherwise has been a combination of inconsistent and injured.</p>
<p>Ward, meanwhile, was the second '05 draft choice sent to Minnesota in six weeks by the Reds. Injuries slowed his progress with the Twins as well, and following last season is no longer with the organization. Largely this is due to his inability to avoid tons of walks.</p>
<h4>August 31, 2006</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Adam Harben</span> to the Chicago Cubs for Phil Nevin</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2006/9/1/01636/74293" target="_blank">Another one of Terry Ryan's attempts</a> at squeezing any remaining value out of a veteran, the Twins sent peanuts to the Cubs for former slugger Nevin. Nevin had, from 1999 - 2004, hit .291/.365/.515 with 147 home runs. In '05 something had obviously changed as his long-time employer the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/SDP" class="sbn-auto-link">Padres</a> sent him to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/TEX" class="sbn-auto-link">Rangers</a>. Earlier in '06, those Rangers had sent him to Chicago where (<a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/story/2006/8/31/232642/054" target="_blank">thanks in some part to some singles simply dropping</a>) he rebounded a bit. That didn't help him in Minnesota.</p>
<p>Nevin finished his career with the Twins, hitting just .190/.340/.286 in 54 plate appearances. The Twins didn't need him. They were 71-33 from June 8th onward, and <a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2006/10/2/13553/2771" target="_blank">won the division crown in dramatic fasion</a>....if you remember. It was pretty awesome.</p>
<p>Harben had just turned 23 at the time of the trade. In spite of a good ERA at New Britain, he'd gone from a strikeout pitcher to...not one...and he just didn't have much control in general. He'd bounce around the very low levels of the Cubs farm system for a couple of years before fading away last year in the Seattle system, but he was never able to consistently find the strike zone again. In fact, he was much better at not finding it.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2010/7/21/1579022/2000s-twins-trade-deadline-historyJesse Lund2010-07-20T07:00:32-04:002010-07-20T07:00:32-04:002000's Twins Trade Deadline History: 2000 - 2003
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<p><i><b>Today, tomorrow and Thursday I'll be reminding everyone of deadline deals that the Twins pulled off over the last ten years. Some of these weren't exactly "deadline", and some of them I didn't even remember, but they all went down.</b></i></p>
<h4>July 15, 2000</h4>
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<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/MIN" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Twins</a> trade Butch Huskey and <span>Todd Walker</span> to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/COL" class="sbn-auto-link">Colorado Rockies</a> for <span>Todd Sears</span>
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<p>Obviously this was a deal meant to bolster the Rockies, who had just lost their tenth game in a row. In first place on July 3rd they hit a big skid, and with Mike Lansing struggling at second Colorado shipped Sears to Minnesota in return for the manager-maligned Walker and the disappointing Huskey.</p>
<p>It's widely known that Tom Kelly wasn't hot on Walker, in spite of his ability to be a good player on bad teams. Walker was in the midst of a terrible year, however, hitting just .234/.287/.325 with Minnesota. Moving to Coors payed immediate dividends, and in 57 games with the Rockies that season he raked: .316/.385/.544. Huskey, meanwhile, wasn't matching the moderate power expectations set for him as a free agent after he'd knocked out 74 homers from '96 to '99, playing terrible defense to match his terrible .223/.306/.353 line. But, like Walker, he raked after the change with a triple slash of .348/.432/.565 in Colorado. Unlike Walker, however, Huskey never had another Major League job after that and was out of baseball at 29.</p>
<p>For the Twins, they received a guy who had been posting impressive offensive numbers in the minor leagues. He hit for average, took a good ratio of walks and racked up extra base hits in bunches. But he was also 24 in double-A. Sears never did catch on with the Twins, collecting just 86 plate appearances with the Major League team (and just 94 plate appearances in his career as a whole), even though he would go on to be a minor league masher: .296/.386/.457 in nearly 3900 plate appearances.</p>
<p><i>More after the jump...</i></p>
<h4>July 28, 2001</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Mark Redman</span> to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/DET" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Tigers</a> for <span>Todd Jones</span>
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<p>With a talented, young rotation consisting of Brad Radke, <span>Joe Mays</span>, <span>Eric Milton</span> and <span>Kyle Lohse</span>, the Twins felt they had an extra arm to spare to get some much-needed help for the bullpen. <span>LaTroy Hawkins</span> was off-and-on as the closer (at best), and veterans <span>Hector Carrasco</span>, Bob Wells and Travis Miller weren't consistently getting the job done, while a 22-year old <span>Johan Santana</span> was spending a lot of time as a swing man.</p>
<p><span>Eddie Guardado</span> would close for the Twins down the stretch, but Todd Jones put up some good numbers to help solidify the bullpen of a team contending for the first time in a decade. Jones appeared in 24 games, pitching 19.1 innings with a 3.26 ERA, 15 strikeouts and 7 walks.</p>
<p>Redman, meanwhile, would make only two starts for the Tigers the rest of the season. He'd be a serviceable pitcher for a couple seasons afterward, and won a total of 65 games.</p>
<h4>July 30, 2001</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade <span>Matt Lawton</span> to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/NYM" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Mets</a> for Rick Reed</h4>
<p>This one still makes me wonder. The Twins, in the midst of their first real competetive chance since 1992, dealt one of their best players for a veteran starting pitcher. Yes, the team probably needed another starter to pair with Mays and the Bradke if they were to head into the post-season, but the move left them with just two full-time players who would finish the year with an on-base percentage over .337. It was already an underwhelming offense. In retrospect, the Twins probably should have just stopped messing Santana around and kept him as a starter...problem solved.</p>
<p>Anyway, Rick Reed had been 8-6 with a 3.48 ERA in 20 starts for the Mets with an outstanding walk-to-strikeout ratio. After the move into the Dome, Reed struggled with American League hitters. In 12 starts with the Twins he went 4-6 with a 5.19 ERA, allowing more than one-and-a-half base runners per inning. He'd bounce back for a strong '02, before an '03 campaign that would be bad enough to put the lid on his career.</p>
<p>Lawton, meanwhile, was a different player for the Mets that season (.246/.352/.366), than he'd been for the Twins (.293/.396/.439). He'd have decent stints the rest of his career, including a solid '04, but mostly his best days were behind him...exemplified by his being suspended for PED use while with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/NYY" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a>. He limped through 29 plate appearances in '06 before calling it a career.</p>
<p>Minnesota would go on a bit of a skid after the trade, unable to take a division that nobody seemed to want to win. They fell out of first place for the final time on August 11th, and would spend every day for the rest of the season in second place...except September 30th, when they were momentarily third. The Mets would finish strong, going 28-12 to finish the year at 82-80 and in third place.</p>
<h4>July 12, 2002</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade Brian Buchanon to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/SDP" class="sbn-auto-link">San Diego Padres</a> for <span>Jason Bartlett</span>
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<p>Buck showed some promise as a minor league hitter, and as a 27-year old posted an .830 OPS for the Twins in 219 plate appearances in '01. Unfortunately he didn't pick up where he left off, hitting just .252/.294/.415 in 44 games in part-time duties in '02. And with the emergence of outfielders like <span>Torii Hunter</span>, <span>Jacque Jones</span>, <span>Dustan Mohr</span> and <span>Bobby Kielty</span> (with <span>Michael Cuddyer</span> and Mike Ryan waiting in the wings), Buck was expendable.</p>
<p>Flipped for a 21-year old infielder, Buchanon raked down the stretch for the Padres, batting .293/.363/.543. It wasn't to last, however, and while he had an okay season in '03 flamed out in '04. He was done with the Majors at 30.</p>
<p>The move for Bartlett is widely considered one of Terry Ryan's better trades, and with good reason. He'd go on to play 321 games for the Twins over 3+ seasons, hitting .272/.341/.362 and playing good defense in the process. Obviously he's still playing, even if he's having the worst season of his career as a 30-year old.</p>
<p>This trade didn't change anyone's fortunes for the season. The Padres still finished fifth, right where they were all year, while the Twins went on to win their first of five division championships in the decade.</p>
<h4>July 16, 2003</h4>
<h4>Minnesota Twins trade Bobby Kielty to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/TOR" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Blue Jays</a> for <span>Shannon Stewart</span> and <span>Dave Gassner</span>
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<p>One of the two best trade deadline deals the Twins pulled off over the last decade, if not THE best trade deadline deal the Twins pulled off over the last decade. Minnesota needed a legitimate leadoff hitter, since Jacque Jones wasn't exactly what a team looked for in a leadoff man...even if the occasional leadoff homer was awesome.</p>
<p>Kielty, 26 at the time and a promising hitter, fielder and base runner, wasn't quite having the season he'd had in '02, but his .370 on-base percentage was going to waste in an outfield boasting Hunter, Jones and a combination of plattoon hitters. He'd continue to be a useful piece for Oakland but he was flipped at the right time, and he never matched the potential he flashed in 2002.</p>
<p>Stewart, meanwhile, was still just 29. His line with Toronto that season had been a more-than-solid .294/.347/.449, but he wasn't stealing bases anymore and it looked like his elite days might be behind him (he was a .304/.371/.451 hitter from '97 to '02).</p>
<p>Instead of declining, however, Stewart went on to receive considerations from the Minnesota media for MVP. He raked, belting a triple slash of .322/.384/.470 in 304 plate appearances down the stretch and helping lead the Twins to their second division crown in a row. Minnesota went 46 - 23 after Stewart's arrival, taking first place for the final time on September 11th.</p>
<p>Stewart would sign a new deal with the Twins after the season, following up his '03 second half revival with another great year in '04. His final two seasons with the team were muddled in injuries and mediocre play due to them, however, and he hit just .279/.329/.383 in 176 games over those two years. He'd play two more seasons, one with Oakland and a final stop in Toronto, but his first year-and-a-half with the Twins were his blaze of glory.</p>
<p>See you tomorrow for 2004 - 2006!</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2010/7/20/1577349/2000s-twins-trade-deadline-historyJesse Lund