Twins Open To Trading Liriano

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [February 10 at 10:21am CST]

 

Twins officials are open to the idea of trading Francisco Liriano, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Liriano, who avoided arbitration with the Twins on the weekend, is on track to hit free agency after the 2012 season if Minnesota doesn't lock him up long-term.

 

The Twins don't plan to sign Liriano to an extension, according to Christensen. Long-term talks "went nowhere" and Liriano hinted at a three-year, $39MM extension when the sides discussed a deal, according to Christensen.

 

There would be demand for the left-hander if the Twins made him available. Liriano posted a 3.62 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 191 2/3 innings last year. He appears to have recovered completely from Tommy John surgery and makes just $4.3MM in 2011.

 

found this over at ESPN's forums, take it with a grain of salt of course

Earlier on Baseball Tonight, Olney said they were prepared to trade him perhaps as soon as spring training starts.

It's unfortunate they wouldn't trade him to us. I would love to have him. Maybe we make a run at him in FA after Danksy is gone.

 

Wouldn't mind them trading him out of the division though.

so I imagine Cashman almost had a heart attack when he got wind the Twins could deal him, wouldn't be surprised if he hurt himself running for the phone.

I don't see it happening. The reason they'd deal him is because they want to avoid what happened with Santana where everyone knew they were going to deal him and were forced into taking a mediocre package and his injury history throws up a huge red flag. All they are doing right now is floating his name around to see if anyone is willing to give up a huge, huge package for him (and I'm thinking it would include Montero plus more if he were going to be traded to the Yankees).

 

 

Earlier on Baseball Tonight, Olney said they were prepared to trade him perhaps as soon as spring training starts.

 

This is exactly what a lot of baseball people said would happen and something I defiantly agreed upon at the time. The $23M annual salary for Mauer would have consequences for this mid market team. The Twins are going to have a $110M+ payroll in 2011 and perhaps even higher in 2012. You have $49M committed to 3 players in Mauer/Morneau/Nathan for both 2011 and 2012. This is one of the consequences to signing Mauer (and Morneau) to those large extensions, you cant afford the escalating price for a guy like Liriano. Though hes salary is only about $4M this year it will escalate above $10M+ in the next couple years. Liriano proposed a 3 Year $39M extension to the Twins which they promply said no thank you and have thus being exploring a trade. Twins nation wanted Mauer locked up at all costs, well they got it, and are quicly going to realize that there are consequences to such actions in a mid market team.

This is exactly what a lot of baseball people said would happen and something I defiantly agreed upon at the time. The $23M annual salary for Mauer would have consequences for this mid market team. The Twins are going to have a $110M+ payroll in 2011 and perhaps even higher in 2012. You have $49M committed to 3 players in Mauer/Morneau/Nathan for both 2011 and 2012. This is one of the consequences to signing Mauer (and Morneau) to those large extensions, you cant afford the escalating price for a guy like Liriano. Though hes salary is only about $4M this year it will escalate above $10M+ in the next couple years. Liriano proposed a 3 Year $39M extension to the Twins which they promply said no thank you and have thus being exploring a trade. Twins nation wanted Mauer locked up at all costs, well they got it, and are quicly going to realize that there are consequences to such actions in a mid market team.

 

You can also question their choice to sign a mid-30s closer to a contract worth over $11mil a year. Nathan is an elite closer, but a mid-market team may be better served spending that money on several relievers, or one closer and other players.

yes, please! send him somewhere out of the AL Central, or, preferably, out of the AL in general!

This is exactly what a lot of baseball people said would happen and something I defiantly agreed upon at the time. The $23M annual salary for Mauer would have consequences for this mid market team. The Twins are going to have a $110M+ payroll in 2011 and perhaps even higher in 2012. You have $49M committed to 3 players in Mauer/Morneau/Nathan for both 2011 and 2012. This is one of the consequences to signing Mauer (and Morneau) to those large extensions, you cant afford the escalating price for a guy like Liriano. Though hes salary is only about $4M this year it will escalate above $10M+ in the next couple years. Liriano proposed a 3 Year $39M extension to the Twins which they promply said no thank you and have thus being exploring a trade. Twins nation wanted Mauer locked up at all costs, well they got it, and are quicly going to realize that there are consequences to such actions in a mid market team.

 

Nathan's contract expires after this season, though their is a club option worth $12.5 million or a $2 mill buyout. Liriano is also a free agent following next season, so while you are correct in stating that his salary will be above $10+ mill over the next couple years, he will only be under team control for one more. I also think he's going to at least have to have another year similar to last season for his salary to jump 250% next season.

 

Beyond any of that, Joe Mauer is one of the most valuable players in the game today and is a player who can pretty much literally win you a division title on his own. You don't let that go, consequences be damned.

Nathan's contract expires after this season, though their is a club option worth $12.5 million or a $2 mill buyout. Liriano is also a free agent following next season, so while you are correct in stating that his salary will be above $10+ mill over the next couple years, he will only be under team control for one more. I also think he's going to at least have to have another year similar to last season for his salary to jump 250% next season.

 

Beyond any of that, Joe Mauer is one of the most valuable players in the game today and is a player who can pretty much literally win you a division title on his own. You don't let that go, consequences be damned.

 

Yup. Mauer and Pujols are probably the only two players in baseball you go all out for and not worry about future repercussions ( I think Longoria will be another one of those guys once he becomes a FA).

Edited February 11, 201115 yr by Jordan4life

The Twins staff is a lot of mediocrity after Liriano. Please let this happen.

I wouldn't want them to deal him. In the short term, it may hurt them. Yet the young talent they could get in return could stock them for the next 5 years at a few key spots, would probably be better for the Twins in the long term. Kind of like the Tigers Granderson deal for Austin Jackson. It seemed like a sell off. Yet it helped them get younger and better.

Yup. Mauer and Pujols are probably the only two players in baseball you go all out for and not worry about future repercussions ( I think Longoria will be another one of those guys once he becomes a FA).

 

I don't know about Mauer. Those knees are a disaster waiting to happen.

So do the Twins have anything on the way up in terms of minor league starting pitching? It seems like they've had the same batch of 5-6 guys as their starters since at least 2008.

The Twins staff is a lot of mediocrity after Liriano. Please let this happen.

 

 

I agree with this 100%. Which is why I think they will find a way to keep him.

I agree with this 100%. Which is why I think they will find a way to keep him.

What's really going to decide if they can keep him or not is if they can keep packing their brand new stadium.

 

If that stadium stays packed like last year (possibly because they stay winning) then a gigantic payroll, $120 million even, is certainly possible.

 

If that big attendance boost they got from the stadium drifts away, they might not be able to handle their current payroll level.

 

Frankly, I don't know that anyone has a good prediction for how that's going to turn out. There are so many variables. Supposedly a great park, but not in the biggest area. Supposedly the fans love the idea of cold weather baseball...but do they really love it or do they just like to brag and go to one cold weather game a year. What happens if they get a series of snowy years in a row and lose a full series? What happens if they have a legitimately down year and don't compete, how much does that eat into their fanbase?

What's really going to decide if they can keep him or not is if they can keep packing their brand new stadium.

 

If that stadium stays packed like last year (possibly because they stay winning) then a gigantic payroll, $120 million even, is certainly possible.

 

If that big attendance boost they got from the stadium drifts away, they might not be able to handle their current payroll level.

 

I don't see their attendance taking a hit this year. It's still a new stadium and they just won the division.

I wouldn't want them to deal him. In the short term, it may hurt them. Yet the young talent they could get in return could stock them for the next 5 years at a few key spots, would probably be better for the Twins in the long term. Kind of like the Tigers Granderson deal for Austin Jackson. It seemed like a sell off. Yet it helped them get younger and better.

 

If the White Sox have this window of a couple of years to win it all again, I definitely want the Twins to trade Liriano immediately. They would likely only reap the benefits by the time our window has closed, and it would greatly hurt their chances of competing within our window.

What's really going to decide if they can keep him or not is if they can keep packing their brand new stadium.

 

If that stadium stays packed like last year (possibly because they stay winning) then a gigantic payroll, $120 million even, is certainly possible.

 

If that big attendance boost they got from the stadium drifts away, they might not be able to handle their current payroll level.

 

Frankly, I don't know that anyone has a good prediction for how that's going to turn out. There are so many variables. Supposedly a great park, but not in the biggest area. Supposedly the fans love the idea of cold weather baseball...but do they really love it or do they just like to brag and go to one cold weather game a year. What happens if they get a series of snowy years in a row and lose a full series? What happens if they have a legitimately down year and don't compete, how much does that eat into their fanbase?

 

Before I thought of any of that, I thought of his elbow. If you give him a big contract, you could risk losing him for a year to two years of it with his injury history and potential. I think it would be easier to sell Liriano leaving than some other guys.

So do the Twins have anything on the way up in terms of minor league starting pitching? It seems like they've had the same batch of 5-6 guys as their starters since at least 2008.

 

Kyle Gibson.

It's not the worst idea to sell high on Liriano. For all I know, he could hurt himself again next season. Pitchers with bad mechanics should be sold high on.

Nathan's contract expires after this season, though their is a club option worth $12.5 million or a $2 mill buyout. Liriano is also a free agent following next season, so while you are correct in stating that his salary will be above $10+ mill over the next couple years, he will only be under team control for one more. I also think he's going to at least have to have another year similar to last season for his salary to jump 250% next season.

 

Beyond any of that, Joe Mauer is one of the most valuable players in the game today and is a player who can pretty much literally win you a division title on his own. You don't let that go, consequences be damned.

 

And what of Mauer's 2010 line of .327/.402/.469 with 9 HR and 75 RBI is deserving of $23M. I agree he is a tremendous hitter, but there are quite a few other guys I would rather pay $23M for. I think by the numbers Carlos Gonzalez and Robinson Cano would be much more deserving coming off their 2010 seasons.

What's really going to decide if they can keep him or not is if they can keep packing their brand new stadium.

 

If that stadium stays packed like last year (possibly because they stay winning) then a gigantic payroll, $120 million even, is certainly possible.

 

If that big attendance boost they got from the stadium drifts away, they might not be able to handle their current payroll level.

 

Frankly, I don't know that anyone has a good prediction for how that's going to turn out. There are so many variables. Supposedly a great park, but not in the biggest area. Supposedly the fans love the idea of cold weather baseball...but do they really love it or do they just like to brag and go to one cold weather game a year. What happens if they get a series of snowy years in a row and lose a full series? What happens if they have a legitimately down year and don't compete, how much does that eat into their fanbase?

 

One thing that definitely swayed in their favor last season attendance-wise was the unseasonable warm temps and fair weather they had from April thru September/October. Quite the anomaly IMO. Let's see how many fans show up in 35-40 degree crappy weather in April and September.

It's not the worst idea to sell high on Liriano. For all I know, he could hurt himself again next season. Pitchers with bad mechanics should be sold high on.

 

Its a great move by the Twins IMO.

And what of Mauer's 2010 line of .327/.402/.469 with 9 HR and 75 RBI is deserving of $23M. I agree he is a tremendous hitter, but there are quite a few other guys I would rather pay $23M for. I think by the numbers Carlos Gonzalez and Robinson Cano would be much more deserving coming off their 2010 seasons.

 

Because Joe Mauer hit .327/.402/.469 and it was generally considered by the greater baseball community as a down year.