Jon Morosi: Sources: Twins, Athletics have discussed trade proposals in recent days that would include a starting pitcher going to Minnesota. Sean Manaea or Frankie Montas is the top candidate to be included in the deal, if it comes to fruition.
Here we go. Let's get Frankie Montas in a Twins uniform.
- Blue Jays acquired Matt Chapman from the Athletics today. That Toronto team is going to be a lot of fun and a force to be reckoned with in the AL East for years to come.
- Zack Greinke signed with the Royals today on a one-year deal. That sucks. He's still a plenty effective starter and I would have loved to have watched him pitch for the Twins. Maybe he'll be a mid-season acquisition target since I can't imagine the Royals competing this season.
- Speaking of starters, I haven't seen any report about Michael Pineda, which makes me think there's not many teams pursuing him. It makes me think he'll wind up with Minnesota on a one-year deal to revisit free agency next year. Maybe they get him to sign a two-year deal with a club option.
- It looks like the Yankees, Royals, Twins, and White Sox are interested in Frankie Montas with the Yankees and Twins also showing interest in Sean Manaea. With the Athletics already trading Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, I'd expect those two to be on the move in the coming weeks. Minnesota needs to be aggressive-yet-smart in pursuing Montas. He's a season-changing acquisition, in my opinion.
- Executives around the league tend to think Trevor Story ends up in Minnesota. He's already received offers north of $100-million, but turned them down because the team(s) that made formal offers wanted him to play a different position. He wants to remain a shortstop. The Twins look like an ideal pairing given their hole at the position and financial flexibility to make a sizable offer. I'm almost expecting this move to happen at this point.
According to Jon Heyman, the Twins are talking to the Athletics about Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. No surprise there, but he also added that Michael Conforto was a possibility. That was interesting to me. Could be a solid buy-low candidate after the disappointing season he had last year.
Camden wrote:The Twins made a "strong push" to sign Greinke before he landed back in K.C., tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North radio.
Stop me if you've heard that before. Sheesh, that would have been a very solid addition to the rotation and it would have cost next to nothing.
Well 13 million isn't nothing. If you mean you would pay that or a little more for a 1 year deal for him without much hesitation I am probably there with you. Supposedly he wanted to go back to KC. I can actually buy that to some extent.
Camden wrote:The Twins made a "strong push" to sign Greinke before he landed back in K.C., tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North radio.
Stop me if you've heard that before. Sheesh, that would have been a very solid addition to the rotation and it would have cost next to nothing.
Well 13 million isn't nothing. If you mean you would pay that or a little more for a 1 year deal for him without much hesitation I am probably there with you. Supposedly he wanted to go back to KC. I can actually buy that to some extent.
One year deal for a solid pitcher and it doesn't cost any prospects. I would have matched that offer. In the end Greinke may have had more interest returning to Kansas City, but he would have been a nice arm for Minnesota.
Camden wrote:Michael Pineda has agreed to a one-year deal with the Tigers. Nice.
1 year 5.5 million. You know what at this point I think the Twins must have something better as options if they are passing on that kind of deal. Like I have said before Pineda pitching like he has been for half a season for that kind of money would be worth it. At what point of the season it is who knows but yeah.
Camden wrote:Michael Pineda has agreed to a one-year deal with the Tigers. Nice.
1 year 5.5 million. You know what at this point I think the Twins must have something better as options if they are passing on that kind of deal. Like I have said before Pineda pitching like he has been for half a season for that kind of money would be worth it. At what point of the season it is who knows but yeah.
They signed Dylan Bundy for one-year, $4M in 2022 with a club option for 2023 or a $1M buyout. Pretty close to the same money except they got a significantly worse pitcher. Love that.
I don't think they have better options, at least in terms of what they'd have to give up. They just keep whiffing on capable arms and that's why they're in the position they're in. It's been so long now that we forget how many quality pitchers were available at the start of free agency and the only move they made prior to the lockout was signing Bundy. All those other available arms came and went.
They're now forced to bid for Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea along with a handful of other teams. That's not where you want to be at this time of the year.
