Top 50 MiLB Prospects for 2008 (41-50)

Hey all! Well, last week was quite eventful with the Winter Meetings. There were plenty of rumors, but only one blockbuster trade occurred, but many talked about. The Twins were silent in the Rule V Draft last Thursday, and unfortunately, they lost a few players, most notably Garrett Guzman who was set to start the '08 season with the Rochester Red Wings before being selected by the Washington Nationals in the draft. Twins reliever Tim Lahey was the first pick in the draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, he was later sold to the Chicago Cubs.

For the next week, I'm going to try and give my readers a little relief from all the rumors. So I'm going to start my "Top 50 Prospects" series with a little twist from my last one. Instead of just examining the Twins minor leagues, I'm going to give my top 50 prospects throughout the entire league. And incase any of you are wondering, I figure to have my "Top 50 Prospect" list for the Twins finished sometime next month, but it'll definitely be up before the start of Spring Training.

And just a clarification, the ages I list are going to be for the Twins opening day which is on 3-31-08. The reason I chose that date is because everyone knows that's when the baseball season "officially" begins! So lets get started!

Top 50 MiLB Prospects for 2008

#50 | Scott Elbert | Los Angeles Dodgers

Position: Pitcher
Age: 22
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Ht: 6'2''
Wt: 190 lbs.

Elbert had a rough 2007 season. He developed tendinitis in his left(throwing) shoulder in May and ended up having surgery on is in June. He's been going throw rehab without any setbacks, and could be a possible option to start the '08 season with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns. He and pitcher Clayton Kershaw (who you'll definitely be hearing about later) figure to give the Diamondbacks two of baseballs best two southpaw pitchers. Hopefully for the Dodgers and Elbert, both can make it to the big leagues without any more injuries so they can see that dynamic duo at work.

2007       G     W       L       ERA     IP       K    BB       K/9

A+         3     0       1      3.86    14.0     24    10     15.43

ETA: 2009


#49 | Jason Heyward | Atlanta Braves

Position: Outfield
Age: 18
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Ht: 6'4''
Wt: 220 lbs.

Heyward was selected by the Braves with the 14th pick of the 2007 draft. His frame for his age is remarkable considering that he already has a great deal of power in his bat. He'll only get better as long as he can stay healthy. His speed and glove skills are average, which may limit him to becoming a first baseman in the majors. But he definitely has a big powerful bat which will only get better with age. He'll likely start the 2008 season with the Class-A Rome Braves.

2007      G      PA      AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR    RBI

R         8      27     .296     .355     .556     .910      1      5

R         4      16     .313     .353     .375     .728      0      1

ETA: 2012


#48 | Matt LaPorta | Milwaukee Brewers

Position: First Base/Outfield
Age: 23
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Ht: 6'2''
Wt: 212 lbs.

LaPorta was drafted by the Brewers with the 7th pick in the first round of the 2007 draft. He played college baseball with he Florida Gators and his .328/.438/.696 with 28 home runs and 79 RBI helped powered the Gators to the College World Series, but they lost to the Texas Longhorns in the Championship game. LaPorta was injured in his junior season at Florida and decided to come back for his senior season, which proved to be the right move. His position isn't exactly known just yet, but he did play catcher and first base in college. His knee injuries make him a likely DH or first baseman, but without the DH in the NL and with Prince Fielder already set to cover first base for what they hope is the next 10-15 years, it looks like LaPorta will be forced to find another position. Right now, the Brewers have him in the outfield, but we'll see how his knees hold up. He may be a candidate to move to first base at some point, as the Brewers are not high on Ryan Braun's defense at the hot corner. He'll probably be with the Advanced-A Brevard County Manatees to start the '08 season.

2007      G      PA      AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR    RBI

R         7      27     .259     .286     .519     .804      2      4

A-       23      88     .318     .392     .750    1.142     10     27

ETA: Late 2009


#47 | Max Scherzer | Arizona Diamondbacks

Position: Pitcher
Age: 23
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Ht: 6'3''
Wt: 190 lbs.

Scherzer was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2006 draft. After being the last first rounder to sign, he didn't get any experience of professional baseball in '06. But that didn't faze him in '07 as he started in Advanced-A and was quickly moved up to Double-A. Scherzer is a good strikeout pitcher, but he struggled in Double-A by walking 4.89 batters per 9 innings. But he is definitely on the fast track to the Majors. He could start in Triple-A with the Tucson Sidewinders or in Double-A with the Mobile BayBears. It's really a toss-up where he'll start.

2007       G     W       L       ERA     IP      K     BB       K/9

A+         3     2       0      0.53    17.0     30     2     15.88

AA        14     4       4      3.91    73.2     76    40      9.29

ETA: Late 2008


#46 | Tyler Robertson | Minnesota Twins

Position: Pitcher
Age: 20
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Ht: 6'5''
Wt: 220 lbs.

Robertson had a fantastic season for the Class-A Beloit Snappers. The 19-year-old southpaw had a fantastic 3.7 K/BB ratio in just his second season of professional baseball. Robertson was a third round for the Twins in 2006 pick out of Bella Vista High School in California. He figures to start the 2008 campaign in Advanced-A Ft. Myers Miracle.

2007       G     W       L       ERA     IP      K     BB       K/9

A-        18     9       5      2.29   102.1    123    33     10.82

ETA: 2010


#45 | Chris Marraro | Washington Nationals

Position: Outfield
Age: 19
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Ht: 6'3''
Wt: 210 lbs.

This 2006 draft pick has started to become a recognized prospect throughout baseball. At just 19 years-old, some think he could already have enough time at Advanced-A to justify a start to the 2008 season in Double-A with the Harrisburg Senators. His young age and raw power potential make him a great young prospect. He does have bad plate discipline, but that's not unusual for a player his age, especially at his level. He should probably start the 2008 season in Advanced-A with the Potomac Nationals, but that's not a certainty. But with the Nationals acquiring both Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes in the last week, I don't think they need to rush him.

2007      G      PA      AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR    RBI

A-       57     222     .293     .337     .545     .882     14     53

A+       68     255     .259     .338     .431     .769      9     35

ETA: 2010


#44 | Jose Tabata | New York Yankees

Position: Outfield
Age: 19
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Ht: 5'11''
Wt: 160 lbs.

This name should be familiar with readers, as I've mentioned his name in some of the (you know who) rumors recently. Tabata is a very young, athletic outfielder who could develop all 5-tools to become a future All-Star in the majors. He's been moved slowly through the Yankees system as he learns both the game and the new country. The Yankees signed him as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela. He has pretty consistent numbers from the Rookie League up through Advanced-A. He'll likely start the 2008 season with the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

2007       G     PA       AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR    RBI

A+       103    411      .307     .371     .392     .763      5     54

ETA: 2010


#43 | Daric Barton | Oakland Athletics

Position: First Base
Age: 22
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Ht: 6'0''
Wt: 225 lbs.

Barton is one of the best all-around hitting prospects in baseball. He was originally drafted as a catcher by the St. Louis Cardinals, and later was traded with a couple players, most notable Dan Haren, to the Athletics in the Mark Mulder trade. Barton had limited time in the majors in '07, but he really made the most of it in his late-season call-up. He'll likely be with the Athletics come opening day. Where he'll be playing is another question.

2007       G     AB       AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR    RBI

AAA       136    516     .293     .389     .438     .827      9     70

MLB        18     72     .347     .426     .639    1.067      4      8

ETA: 2008


#42 | Anthony Swarzak | Minnesota Twins

Position: Pitcher
Age: 22
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Ht: 6'3''
Wt: 195 lbs.

Swarzak had a very bad start to the 2007 season. After a miserable first 2 starts for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats, Swarzak was suspended for 50 games after testing positive to a drug of abuse (it was not steroids). After he returned, he made 3 starts with the Advanced-A Fort Myers Miracle and he dominated his opposition in those three starts which warranted his call-up back to New Britain. He continued his late season success by going 5-2 at New Britain with a sub 2.69 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 76 innings. He's a potential #2 starter, but with the Twins, he may never be more than a #3 pitcher, because of the depth the Twins have in the minors, which is a good thing for Twins fans. He'll likely be the staff "Ace" for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings to start the 2008 season.

2007       G     W       L       ERA     IP      K     BB       K/9

A+         3     0       0      2.30    15.2     18     5     10.34

AA        15     5       4      3.23    86.1     76    23      7.92

ETA: Late 2008


#41 | Wladimir Balentien | Seattle Mariners

Position: Outfielder
Age: 23
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Ht: 6'2''
Wt: 190 lbs.

Balentien has been a very underrated player in terms of "Top Prospects" since he was assigned to the Mariners Rookie League in 2003 as an 18 year old. The Mariners originally signed him in 7 days after his 16th birthday back in 2000. But through 2007 or 5 seasons in the Mariners organization, Balentien already has hit 104 home runs in 1898 at bats. That's extreme power. Of course he has some flaws which include a very bad K/BB ratio which would make Adam Dunn look like Joe Morgan. But even with that, he has a respectable .274 average and .344 on-base percentage throughout the minors. He's likely going to be with the Mariners to start the '08 campaign. But whether it's as a starter or on the bench, will remain to be seen.

2007       G     AB       AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR    RBI

AAA       124    477     .291     .362     .509     .871     24     84

MLB        3       3     .667     .500     2.000    2.500     1      4

ETA: 2008




Let me know what you think!

Rule V Draft Thoughts

Good morning, I'm breaking away from the you know who talk today (finally), and instead I'm going to focus on the Rule V Draft which took place yesterday morning as the Winter Meetings came to an end.

The Twins didn't select any players in the draft, which was surprising since they have a few spots on the 40-man roster which could be filled, but it leaves speculation that they could be saving it in anticipation of a trade revolving around you know who. But although they didn't select any players, that doesn't mean they weren't "involved" in the draft. In fact, the first pick in the draft came from the Twins system.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected reliever Tim Lahey with the first pick, but later sold his rights to the Cubs for what's reported as $150,000. Other Twins selected in the Major League phase of the draft were outfielder Garrett Guzman (Nationals) and newly acquired pitcher R.A. Dickey (Mariners).

Obviously, the loss of Guzman was anticipated, but with the number of outfielders already on the Nationals roster, I think it's unrealistic to see him stay with the club all season on their 25-man roster (unless they move a couple in a trade). Seth had a great Q&A with him back in September.

Lahey isn't a great reliever, but he is fairly consistent and his loss was also anticipated by many. Seth also did a Q&A with him back in September as well.

R.A. Dickey is a 33 year-old starter who doesn't have the best numbers in the minors, and was signed just to fill a spot in the rotation in Rochester. I don't think the Twins mind loosing him as much, but it does mean that they'll have to find a replacement for him.

In the AAA portion of the draft, the Rays selected New Britain outfielder Rashad Eldridge with the first pick. Eldridge is a 26-year-old center fielder who's solid bat and defensive skills could give him a spot on the Rays bench at sometime in the foreseeable future. The Twins probably are upset at the thought that both Guzman and Eldridge were taken away on the same day as one another. It's hard because the Twins lack outfield depth at the AA and AAA levels.

The Pirates later selected pitcher Joshua Hill later in the AAA portion of the draft. Hill has been in the organization 6 seasons and was in AA for most of last season after being promoted from High-A. He doesn't have a lot of success in the minors, but his numbers are respectable with a 4.00 ERA, 7.9 K/BB ratio and a 28-25 record. I didn't see him having much of a future with the Twins, but he could've been a serviceable reliever at some point, if he ever made it to the Majors.

Pitcher J.P. Martinez was taken by the Baltimore Orioles in the AA portion of the draft. He has been a reliever in the Twins system since the team drafted him in the 9th round of the 2004 draft. He put up good numbers as a reliever with a 16-14 record, a 3.01 ERA and a 9.44 K/BB ratio. He shouldn't have been added to the 40-man, so as much as I would've liked to see him stick around, I'm not sad about the thought of having a roster spot on a 25-year-old reliever in AA.

Overall, I'm sad to see the Twins lose some fairly consistent players through the draft, especially with Guzman and Eldridge gone. But it could've been worse. Pitcher Yohan Pino and infielder David Winfree were both available, and nobody took chances on either of those two. I have to think the Twins are definitely relieved neither of those two players were chosen.

The Twins 40-man roster currently sits at 38 players and it could be 37 soon if the Twins decide to non-tender Craig Monroe, who's roster spot may be in jeopardy as the Twins already have 9 outfielders on the roster.

If the season started today, I'd personally rather see us give a spot on the 25-man roster to a guy like Darnell McDonald. Jason Pridie and Denard Span are others I wouldn't mind seeing make the club out of spring training. Although I'll add that I do think the team would benefit most if Span started the season out in AAA or spent most the season there, unless he shows a lot of improvement in Spring Training. I just think he has a few things he should continue to work on before moving up to the big stage.

McDonald, a 29-year-old outfielder was acquired last season from the Washinton Nationals in June. He batted .297/.362/.424 in 491 at bats in 134 games. He hit 29 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs and also stole 33 bases. He has a solid glove in the field, and I think he's a pretty exciting player to watch. Unfortunately, he didn't "show up" in his limited time with the Twins last season (1-10 with 3 K's), and although it's an extremely small sample size, the team may be more willing to give a spot on the 25-man roster to a younger player.

Pridie and Span are younger, and may offer more upside, but I think McDonald would replace be a good replacement for Lew Ford on the bench. If Spring Training started today with the Twins not having a clear starter in center field, I see the Twins giving Span, Pridie, McDonald and Jason Tyner all even chances to prove themselves in Spring Training. Although I think Tyner would probably have the immediate "upper hand" since he's been a fairly good outfielder for us the last couple years.

Something that should make some of you happy is that it's only 72 more days until the pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Fort Myers. And it's 115 days until the Twins opening day (and the "official first game" is in Tokyo between the Red Sox and Athletics and it's 109 days from now).

Sigh.

Johan trade speculation

Again, as I write this, Johan Santana is still a member of the Minnesota Twins. It's actually starting to look like the Twins plan on keeping Santana for the foreseeable future. Weird how things seem to change every time you go on the internet.

Usually, I love listening to rumors, because it's always fun to speculate, but I need a break. At least right now, it's nice to think that Johan Santana may end up being a Twin after all, but I guess I'm just sick of hearing different reports that are totally opposite from one another.

But regardless, I'll try to give my thoughts anyway I can.

Right now, the "buzz" is that no trade will happen with Johan Santana during the meetings, instead the team will contemplate the offers they've received and they'll try to look for offers from other teams.

La Velle E. Neal III posted in his blog the following:

...here’s what I know about clubs interested in dealing for Johan Santana:

Mets: Interested

Yankees: Still interested

Angels: Not Interested, but have talked to Twins about other players. Twins keep hearing that the Angels MIGHT change their minds on Santana.

Boston: Still interested

Texas: Interested, but would Santana go there?

Seattle: Interested, but would Santana go there?

It appears unlikely a deal will be reached this week.

I like the fact that just 24 hours before he posted this, that the only feasible option looked like the Boston Red Sox. So it's nice to see more clubs interested in him.

Here are a few deals I'd like to see happen, if the Twins decided that trading him was the right route to go:

Mariners: Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow, Jeff Clement & either Matt Tuiasosopo or Yung Chi-Chen.
Thoughts: Jones is a potential Torii Hunter clone, but is far more developed than Hunter at the same age. Morrow in my opinion is a very underrated pitcher who could develop into a good #2 pitcher. Clement is a possible option to move to third base or become a good designated hitter. He could also spell Mauer at catcher if he needs a day off (and if the Twins want a left-handed hitter in the lineup instead of Redmond). Tuiasosopo has slipped a little in the "top prospect" status, but he's still only 22 years old and he's going to be in AAA next season. Originally a shortstop, he's been playing third base a lot as well. Chi-Chen has emerged as a good all-around hitting infielder who the Twins could really use in their minors for a couple seasons before he's ready to play in the majors.

Rangers: I'd probably demand Michael Young, Jarad Saltalamacchia, and Brandon McCarthy.
Thoughts: Well for starters, I don't see the Rangers accepting this deal, but if they were truly interested in Santana, then I think Michael Young is the must-have in the deal with Salty as another guy who should be included. McCarthy would probably be the "tossup" as the Rangers would probably want a rotation with both of them in it together.

Mets: Jose Reyes and Carlos Gomez or Mike Pelfrey
Thoughts: I just don't see the Mets being in reconsideration without giving up Reyes. I like Fernando Martinez, and I like Carlos Gomez, but I don't see Omar Minaya trading both in the same deal, which is what it'd require at the least. Pelfrey is still young enough for me to forget about his major league numbers for the time being.

Boston: Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie
Thoughts: I just don't see the Twins accepting quantity over quality. It's intriguing what the Twins could do if they did acquire 5 players for Santana, but when the highest potential player you have in return is Justin Masterson who could some day be a good #3 starter, is not acceptable, and I hope the Twins do see that (which I'm thinking they do). Lester is a good story, no doubt and I do see potential there, but he's not a centerpiece to a Johan Santana trade. This deal would give the Twins a shortstop prospect who may or may not be ready to play everyday in the bigs with his questionable defensive abilitys, and it'd also give the Twins the two players they want in Ellsbury and Lester. I don't see the Twins budging from their demands on those two players.

Yankees: Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera and Jose Tabata
Thoughts: The more and more I've thought about Hughes' potential, the more and more I cringe that we didn't get a deal done for him. Cabrera is a good defensive center fielder with a decent bat. Tabata doesn't seem to be on the Twins radar, but I've like his potential for a while now, and I think the Twins would be ridiculous to go after Austin Jackson based off of 1/2 of a season's numbers.

I know the Angels aren't rumored to be in it, but here's a potential deal I'd do with them:

Angels: Sean Rodriguez, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver or Nick Adenhart, and Reggie Willits
Thoughts: Weaver would be nice, but I don't know who they'd rather hold onto between him and Adenhart. Kendrick is one of the best young all-around hitters in the league. Rodriguez intrigues me more than Brandon Wood because although his defense isn't fantastic, it's not a liability up to this point. Willits as I've mentioned is a great fit for the Twins in center field. I also don't see the Angels doing this, but I think it's a possibilty.

What other trades would you consider for Santana to be worthy of moving the 2-time AL Cy Young Award winner?

Waiting...

As of right now, the Twins and Red Sox have not made a trade for Johan Santana. But, the feeling I'm getting is both teams want this thing to get done tonight and they'll probably be working on it until very late in the morning with possibly an agreement coming by the time many of you read this.

The Twins supposedly have to offers on the table from the Red Sox, and the Twins are still undecided which to choose. Here's a look at the reported offers:

1) P Jon Lester, OF Coco Crisp, 2B/SS Jed Lowrie, P Justin Masterson and OF Ryan Kalish.
2) OF Jacoby Ellsbury, 2B/SS Jed Lowrie, P Justin Masterson and perhaps another prospect, although I haven't heard anything that would support this.

I'd prefer the 2nd offer if it includes Michael Bowden or possibly Manny Delcarmen in the package as well. But really, I still don't think the Twins are getting enough. Quantity is nice, but I prefer quality.

YOU DON'T TRADE IN 2 NISSAN'S FOR A MERCEDES!

I'm not going to really post anything new, as there isn't a ton of new news. The biggest news from today was the emergence of the Angels in a Santana rumor, but that came and was gone in the blink of an eye. Angels GM Terry Reagins said that the Angels have not spoken to the Twins regarding Johan Santana, but they have talked to them about an outfielder. Possibly Reggie Willits? (fingers crossed)

I personally think (alright, hope) the Angels would just like to keep it "hush hush" as they usually do in regards to deals (ei. signing Torii Hunter). The Angels definitely have the most to offer the Twins in terms of young players, so I can see them making a play for Santana.

Jayson Starks said that the same names in the Twins-Angels talks, were the same being mentioned in the Marlins-Angels talks, which would be: 2B Howie Kendrick, SS/3B Brandon Wood, P Nick Adenhart, OF Willits. The Twins would probably prefer Jered Weaver to Adenhart as he's ML ready (well he's a proven pitcher) right now. Another prospect that would intrigue me is SS/2B Sean Rodriguez. But besides that, nothing new really.

Oh, except that even if the Twins added any player in baseball and still got to keep Johan (lets say Alex Rodriguez) they still probably wouldn't be able to beat the new look Tigers after they pulled off a huge blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins.

The Marlins will send (gasp) Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit, and in return will receive 6 prospects including top prospect outfielder, Cameron Maybin.

The Marlins will also receive pitchers Andrew Miller, Eulogio De la Cruz, Dallas Trahern, Burke Badenhop, and catcher Mike Rabelo. Yikes. Both the Tigers are getting better, and it also gives the Marlins some young players they should feel optimistic about heading into the next few seasons.

But regardless, take a look at this lineup:

CF - Curtis Granderson
2B - Placido Polanco
RF - Magglio Ordonez
3B - Miguel Cabrera
1B - Carlos Guillen
DH - Gary Sheffield
SS - Edgar Renteria
LF - Jacque Jones
C - Ivan Rodriguez

You know you're stacked when you have Ivan Rodriguez batting 9th! Lets see, thats 7 right handed batters, 1 switch hitter and 1 lefty. And the Twins can't find another right-hander to save their lives! Although I shouldn't complain as I think Delmon Young will be a great hitter in the near future.

For updated news on the Santana talks, I recommend these sites:
• La Velle E. Neal III's blog
• Joe Christensen's blog
• Rotoworld.com
• Winter Meetings blog from ESPN.com
• MLB Trade Rumors.com

I'll try to update as much as I can, but those are some good sites to go to as well.

All Quiet on the Santana Front

• Update 2:05 pm: The Angels have reportedly made a trade offer for Santana which would include Jered Weaver in the deal. I think that's a good deal for the Twins. Weaver is a potential #2 pitcher, and I imagine that either Howie Kendrick or Brandon Wood would also be in the deal. Reggie Willits would also be a nice addition to a package. Kendrick/Wood, Weaver and Willits would make for a great return. Sean Rodriguez is another intriguing prospect, but he's a couple years away.

There's no news what the Twins think of this offer, or if it's in fact true, but I'd be elated if the Twins could swing a deal with the Angels with those players in return.

This could also push the Red Sox to ultimately include Jon Lester with Jacoby Ellsbury and possibly Jed Lowrie in order to get a deal done. The Red Sox should not be reluctant to part with him now if the Angels are in it, reason being is that the Angels already have one of the best teams in baseball (with possibly the best rotation) and they have a lot more to offer than either the Yankees or Red Sox. Or at least, they're probably willing to offer more.

• Update 11:15 am: La Velle E. Neal III is saying that what he's hearing is that the Twins and Red Sox are discussing a potential deal with Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson coming in return for Santana. I'm hoping it's not true, but we'll probably find out sometime today. I think the Twins would be foolish to trade for Lester. He's a good guy, and a decent pitcher, but his upside is limited and the Twins are overrating him. Jacoby Ellsbury or Clay Buchholz are who we should be going after. Ellsbury, Lowrie, Masterson and possible Michael Bowden would be fine with me if we had to choose between the two deals.

• Update 6:35 am: According to boston.com and it's also reinforced by ESPN's Buster Olney. The deal would send the Twins Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson for the 2-time Cy Young Winner in Santana. If this is true, I'll be irate with this trade. It means that the team is wanting to move Santana for less than what he is worth and less what they want. It also gives the Twins ZERO #1 prospect or young player to help in the future. I'd personally rather go with a Yankees offer with Melky Cabrera coming in return. Jon Lester does nothing for me.

I'm hoping that this trade is not true, or at least that it is Jacoby Ellsbury, and not Coco Crisp.

La Velle E. Neal III, sounded as if the Twins were not close to any deal, but didn't mention the Red Sox as the leader or anything regarding this deal.

The Newardk Star-Ledger is saying that the Twins are sleeping on an offer from the Red Sox that would send the Twins Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson. Ummm, I doubt this is accurate. If the Red Sox would include Lester & Ellsbury, I doubt any other prospect would be included. And it'd also give the Twins 2 center fielders and the Red Sox none. Don't get me wrong, I'd actually like this deal, but I think it's inaccurate.

So we'll have to wait and see.

• Update 11:10 pm: According to a Red Sox official, he believes a deal is "very close" between the Twins and Yankees. If so, who caved? Did the Twins lower their asking price? Did the Yankees include Kennedy or another "untouchable" prospect such as Austin Jackson?

But according to Jayson Starks of ESPN, the Twins and Yankees are "getting nowhere" in trade talks.

Good morning.

Well, another day and still no trade. I'm starting to wonder if anything will ever get done. Don't get me wrong, I don't want Johan Santana gone, but after all the hype that has surrounded this topic for the last month or so, I've just been preparing myself for what I've thought was the inevitable.

Nothing new really transpired yesterday, in regards to the Yankees or the Red Sox. Although as I posted in my updates yesterday, we did find out that Johan Santana's agent disputed any rumor that his client wouldn't accept a trade to any team either than the Red Sox or Yankees. And he also didn't give into the rumors that Santana wouldn't accept a trade mid-season.

We also found out that the Twins are not phased by any of the pressure the Yankees are putting on the Twins in terms of their Monday "deadline" that they had set. La Velle E. Neal III said that there was not a "hard deadline" set for a deal with the Yankees.

I'm still torn between which rumored deal I like more. The Yankees are offering us the best player in either trade in Phil Hughes, although I'm not a fan of Melky Cabrera his overall production potential is not that far off of what Jacoby Ellsbury's is probably going to be. And he's also younger. The Red Sox would probably be sending the Twins one of my favorite prospects in Jed Lowrie (as well as Ellsbury) which would help us fill a hole at short stop.

Besides those players with the Yankees, the Twins still want pitcher Ian Kennedy, and from the Red Sox, they still want pitcher Jon Lester. Neither team has obliged, and the Twins seem to have the same firm in their demands. And with the demands of the Twins, the Yankees may pull out of contention to land Santana, and may try to go land another pitcher such as Joe Blanton or Dan Haren of the A's, Erik Bedard of the Orioles, or Ben Sheets of the Brewers. All are thought to be available in trade talks.

I've been thinking about it, and I still can't decide which I'd rather see the Twins take. But something that could sway the Twins decision is a report that the Twins are considering filing tampering charges against the Yankees' Hank Steinbrenner for his comments made on Sunday night:

“As much as I want Santana, and you can make that clear — for his sake, to know that I do want him — the fact is that I’m not going to play the game.”

An opposing teams officials can not discuss a particular player in regards to their interest. when he said that "I do want him" and Santana in the same phrase, it was what Joe Christensen said "blatant tampering".

I doubt the Twins do it, but they could use that as leverage to increase a Yankees offer for Santana. Although that is called "blackmail" which also carries a serious offense.

The Twins were going to talk to both the Red Sox and the Yankees in private meetings to discuss the offers that are on the table. The Twins could choose one of the deals, or they could just walk away from them and decide at a later point. Possibly tomorrow, next week, month or possibly even in July. They could also try contacting other teams to part with some of their top talent, such as the Dodgers or Angels, both who have been thought to have interest in acquiring the left-handed hurler. The Twins will not rush any decision, despite what a certain blogger (me) may think. And that's the reason why I'll never be in a front office, at least anytime soon. :)

A couple potential deals the Twins could do, if they end up holding onto Santana are:

Trade for Edwin Encarnacion of the Reds.

Encarnacion has been in the "doghouse" for a while in Cincy, and although he might be out, he hasn't been treated with the respect that he'd like and he'd definitely like out. And I think the Reds would move him if they can get a starting pitcher in return. Another interesting player on the Reds who could be on the block is center fielder Josh Hamilton. He's definitely a feel-good story and I think he'd be a good fit for the Twins in center as he's a left-hander, and the Twins would finally have a good mix of left and right-handers in the lineup, if they acquired both Encarnacion and Hamilton. To acquire both would probably cost Scott Baker and Boof Bonser, but it's an option. For each, it would probably just require Bonser.

Trade for Austin Kearns of the Nationals.

Kearns may be the odd man out with the Nationals new acquisitions in "Bad Boys" Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. He was acquired a couple years ago along with shortstop Felipe Lopez from the Reds for a few relievers. Unforunately, Jim Bowden the Nat's GM is extremely hard to work with and usually wants top talent in return for his players. So I see him asking for a guy like Kevin Slowey or Pat Neshek, which won't happen. Both Lopez and Kearns may be available, and both could help the Twins. Unfortunately neither excelled like they were thought to upon arriving in Washington, but that may be due to the "pitchers park" that they played in. Perhaps a reasonable deal could be Nick Blackburn or (may I say his name again?) Boof Bonser.

As always, I'll try to update anything as any news comes out.

Have a great day.

Santana trade update

• Update 3:55 pm: According to a "high-ranking source" with the Twins, the team is "in no hurry" to trade the hurling left-hander and the club doesn't seem phased by New York's "deadline" that they've set for today.

This is a risky move in my opinion. If the Yankees drop out, they loose a lot of leverage that they have with the Red Sox. I personally don't see the Twins getting what it is that they feel is a good return for Santana, and I also don't see the team ponying up the money to re-sign him, so I think the team would be best suited to just trade him now for the best offer and move on. The sooner the better in my opinion.

I understand that the team shouldn't trade him just to trade him, they need to get something in return, but I think that it's unrealistic for their wants to be matched and I don't want to see the team walk away with just a couple of draft picks.

They have two offers on the table. One gives them the player with the highest potential in either deal in Phil Hughes, and an adequate major leaguer in Melky Cabrera. The other deal probably would fill more holes that the Twins have, as I don't think the team should be desperate to find a pitcher in a deal for Santana. Ellsbury would handle center, and Lowrie would be a fine replacement for Jason Bartlett.

I shouldn't be surprised if they don't choose to trade him. The Twins have never been associated with blockbuster-type deals, so it's not that big of a surprise if it doesn't happen. I just thought that under new GM Billy Smith, that things would be a little different. But don't get me wrong, I will not be upset if we don't trade Santana, I like him, but I don't see the team keeping him long-term.

• Update 1:10 pm: According to Buster Olney, there are "whispers" of the Twins holding onto Santana in order to give themselves a 1-2 punch with Francisco Liriano returning. I could see the Twins doing this, as it doesn't seem like they are happy with either of the offers from the Red Sox and Yankees.

• Update 11:15 am: The Yankees are set to re-sign pitcher Andy Pettitte. I'm not sure if this plays a part in the talks with Minnesota regarding Santana, but it might. It'll give the Yankees 6 starting pitchers if they trade for Santana, even if they trade Hughes.

According to La Velle E. Neal III, Johan Santana has not told them that he won't only waive his no-trade clause if it's to New York or Boston. Neal also said that the Twins are "not happy" with Hank Steinbrenners comments on Sunday, and tampering charges are possible.

• Update 12:30 am: Besides telling the Twins that he won't waive his no-trade clause mid-season, reports are that he is now telling the Twins that he'll only waive it if it's to either to New York or Boston. This further pushes the Twins to make a deal sometime Monday as it eliminates teams such as the Dodgers, Mariners and Angels from discussions.

As of 11:59 pm on Sunday night, the Twins have not made a trade with any club involving Johan Santana. That's not to say it couldn't still happen tonight, I just want to mention that as of right now, nothing has happened.

The last time I posted, I responded to the reports of the Yankees including Phil Hughes in an offer for the Twins left-handed hurler. Also rumored to be in that deal is 22-year-old outfielder Melky Cabrera and another unnamed third player. Most likely a prospect.

The Twins are considering that deal, as well as a new offer from the Boston Red Sox that would bring the Twins 24-year-old outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and probably an assortment of prospects that could include shortstop Jed Lowrie, and pitchers Justin Masterson and/or Michael Bowden. Ellsbury is a speedy outfielder who has demonstrated very good on-base skills and has been a big threat after he's been on base to advance by stealing. He has also displayed great defense and was a catalyst to the Red Sox successful post-season in '07 which resulted in them winning their second World Series title in the last 4 years.

Which deal would I prefer? As much as I like Phil Hughes' potential, I have to go with the Red Sox offer. Pretty bad considering that all I know is Ellsbury is the centerpiece. It could be Ellsbury and Julian Tavarez coming in return for all I know, but the rumor is that Ellsbury will probably be on the table as is 2 or 3 of the prospects I listed.

I think that the Twins would have a very exciting young lineup next season, and for the better part of the next decade if they make that deal. Ellsbury would be a great fit in center and would help fans cope with the loss of Torii Hunter. Lowrie is not a high-profile prospect, but his .291/.386/.488 stats through 1,072 MiLB at bats, is very promising. According to SoxProspects.com, his MLB comparison is Carlos Guillen, which is the exact player I had in mind when I though of his comparison.

I would like the Twins to get Jon Lester in a deal as well, but I can't envision them giving him up. But I do have a little beef about that. As smart as they might be, if they can get a deal without trading Lester, I think it's very foolish to let that stand in the way (at the moment) of a potential blockbuster. The Red Sox have one of the best rotations in baseball, with or without Santana. And Lester probably will be nothing more than a #5 starter for them with Josh Beckett, Diasuke "Dice-K" Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, Curt Schilling and Santana in the rotation and Bowden & Masterson (Who they'd probably keep at that point) in the wings for '09.

I know that the Red Sox would like to do a deal without him, I just think the Twins should wait until the last minute to accept a deal without him.

And speaking of the "last minute" to make a deal, the Yankees have given the Twins a deadline set for Monday afternoon (haven't heard of a specific time) to accept or decline the offer on the table, thus ending talks with the "Bronx Bombers." I wonder if this "deadline" is the same type of situation when they said that they wouldn't negotiate a contract with Alex Rodriguez after he opts out of his contract, and now he has all but signed a new record-breaking contract that could make him over $300 million.

I have a hard time believing that this is set in stone, despite what Hank Steinbrenner has to say.

The hard part for the Twins, is that if the Yankees do move on, they loose all the leverage they had with the Red Sox who would probably turn around and make a very low offer. So the Twins will probably make their decision on what they plan to do with him by Monday night at some time.

And just another reason to push for a trade, according to Ken Rosenthal, Johan Santana has informed the Twins that he would not wave his no-trade clause in the middle of the season. That means one of two things; trade him sometime soon and right now would probably be the best time with the best offers, or try to work out a deal with him to keep him in a Twins uniform past the '08 season. The Twins do have another option of letting him leave as a free agent after next season and acquire some draft picks, but I really don't think the Twins prefer to do that.

A good deal from the Red Sox if they do not want to give up Jon Lester could be to add 25-year-old reliever Manny Delcarmen along with Ellsbury and a prospect or two. Delcarmen, Ellsbury, Lowrie and Masterson would be a great return in my mind for Santana. It gives the Twins another young arm if in the future they decide to trade closer Joe Nathan.

Stay tuned, I expect a lot of questions to be answered later today and I will be giving my thoughts to anything that transpires.

Just a few things worth mentioning

• First thing's first, head on over to SethSpeaks.net to see a few questions he asked me about my thoughts on the Twins off-season and the team in general. And while you're there, scroll down to see some other Q&A's with some other Twins bloggers & even a player!

• The newest rumor is that the Yankees are now putting together an offer that does include young pitcher Phil Hughes, despite rumors that they were reluctant to do so. This definitely rises price for Santana, to a pretty considerable amount. The Twins are very high on Phil Hughes, and he is a big upgrade over Ian Kennedy, who was originally being offered. Also rumored to be involved is young center fielder Melky Cabrera (nothing new) and there's also another prospect involved, although it will probably be a lower-prospect than what we are thinking.

The deal will probably not be back in Boston's hands. Either they try to improve their current offer, or they substitute either Jon Lester with Clay Bucholz, or Coco Crisp with Jacoby Ellsbury. I think that the Red Sox will have to add one of those two prospects to make a better deal than what the Yankees could be offering.

If the Red Sox do offer one of those two players, I think the next step for the Yankees would either to package both Hughes & Kennedy (with others) in a package, or to make Robinson Cano available. But it could be a while before things could get to that point.

This probably won't be resolved until after the winter meetings, unfortunately, Santana's value may prove to be too high at that time and teams may lose interest in him and may start focusing on a guy like Dan Haren or Eric Bedard.

What Now?

With Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett now in Tampa Bay and Delmon Young and Brendan Harris now in Minnesota, the Twins will now continue to focus on a trade for Johan Santana and possibly Joe Nathan.

The talks yesterday morning were that the Mets were considering a swap for the 2-time Cy Young Award winner for young All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes and others.

The rumors were quickly shot down by Mets GM Omar Minaya who said:

"I like going after the big fish, but I can't rob Peter to pay Paul. I'm not getting rid of Jose Reyes.''

I would love to see Jose Reyes in a Twins uniform, but I don't believe the Mets will do it. Despite the fact that they would still have a very good offense without him, the fact that Reyes is signed for a very reasonable contract makes him likely off-limits (at least for now) in any Johan Santana trade.

Then in the afternoon, a report that our friend Shooter Charley Walters reported in the morning of the Red Sox moving into the lead for a Johan Santana trade picked up steam. The rumored deal reportedly would give the Twins left-handed pitcher Jon Lester as the centerpiece. Joining Lester would be outfielder Coco Crisp, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie and a pitching prospect which would either be Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden.

From a Twins perspective, I really don't like this trade. Lester although has potential, probably won't ever be more than a back-of-the-rotation starter, Crisp isn't anything special, and Bowden nor Masterson are ready and both don't have that high of ceilings. Lowrie on the other hand is a great shortstop prospect who I do hope the Twins trade for since Jason Bartlett's departure leaves the Twins with yet anyother hole in the infield. Lowrie would be ready to take over on opening day and would become the Twins short stop moving forward. He gets on base at a very high frequency and is an ideal #2 hitter for the Twins. He also has a solid glove which the Twins would also like to have at shortstop.

Unless the Red Sox substituted Jon Lester with Clay Buchholz or unless they substituted Coco Crisp with Jacoby Ellsbury, I don't see the Twins accepting this offer. Although crazier things have happened.

There is no current speculation of where Nathan may or may not end up, but I have an interesting proposal. But before I explain it. I want people to know that I'm just thinking a little outside "the box" and I do realize that these two deals may be a little far fetched.

Lets just hypothetically say that the Twins hold off an any deal and the Red Sox and Yankees continue to drive the price up for Santana. Finally the Yankees offer Robinson Cano (and yes, I do know that he's untouchable at the moment), Ian Kennedy and Jose Tabata. The Twins reluctantly accept the offer and get a replacement for Santana in Kennedy, an all-star in Cano and a very good outfield prospect in Tabata.

The Twins then turn and trade Joe Nathan to the Red Sox who could possibly look to move Jonathan Papelbon to the rotation as they lost out on the Johan Santana sweepstakes. The Red Sox then turn and trade Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Manny Delcarmen for Nathan.

The Twins then receive their new center fielder for '08 in Crisp, their short stop in Lorwie and a good bullpen arm in Joe Nathan. It may be appealing to the Red Sox who would like to move Coco Crisp and would have enough pitchers to make Delcarmen expendable.

The Twins new lineup is as follows: CF - Coco Crisp, SS - Jed Lowrie, C - Joe Mauer, LF - Delmon Young, 1B - Justin Morneau, RF - Michael Cuddyer, 2B - Robinson Cano, 3B - Brendan Harris, DH - Jason Kubel.

I personally think that is a very strong lineup with a ton of potential.

What do you think? Am I nuts (probably)? Or do you think a deal like this could be realistic at some point?

Twins acquire Delmon Young from Rays

As I posted yesterday, the Twins and Rays have now agreed on a deal which would center around outfielder Delmon Young of the Tampa Bay Rays and pitcher Matt Garza of the Minnesota Twins.

This shouldn't sound too new to any readers as I've mentioned this deal a few times on this blog over the course of the off-season. Although, I never mentioned any other players being involved in a deal. At least, nobody specific.

The deal is now a 6-player swap which will also bring the Twins infielder Brendan Harris and outfielder Jason Pridie. In return the Rays will receive short stop Jason Bartlett and relief pitcher Eduardo Morlan.

The original deal was the same, except the Twins were sending Juan Rincon instead of Eduardo Morlan. But the Rays were discouraged with Rincon's arm injury, which resulted in the Twins sending Morlan in his place.

Obviously, the original deal is more appealing from the Twins standpoint as Juan Rincon's numbers have dropped significantly over the last few seasons. But either way, the Twins didn't let a minor league pitcher stand in the way of acquiring a very good offensive talent in young, which gives me some optimism for this off-season with new GM Bill Smith, that's something that I don't see happening if Terry Ryan were still the GM.

Delmon Young was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2003 with the first overall pick in the draft. After only a 3-year stay in the Rays minor leagues, Young finally made his major league appearance as a 20-year-old in 2006. Young was hit by a pitch in his first major league appearance. After striking out in his second at bat, he hit his first major league home run.

There may have been some motivation to why Young was hit by a pitch in his first at bat. Earlier in the season, Young was involved in a situation in which after he was ejected in a AAA game, he tossed his bat at the home plate umpire which resulted in him receiving both a 50-game suspension and a bad reputation throughout baseball. And since being promoted to the majors, he hasn't really shined away from being "immature" after many disagreements with Rays management, which could be the reason why the Ray's dealt him.

Regardless of the bad reputation, Twins fans should be ecstatic about the potential that Young brings to our lineup. His minor league numbers show that he is very capable of putting up insane numbers which could one day lead him to the hall of fame.

Level      G      PA       AVG      OBP      SLG      OPS     HR     RBI

A         131     513     .320     .386     .536     .922     25     155

AA        52     228     .285     .303     .447     .750      6      28

A         84     330     .336     .386     .582     .968     20      71

AA        86     342     .316     .341     .474     .815      8      59

As you can see, even with Young's "Demons" in his head, he still has a ton of upside and could give the Twins a reliable bat to place between Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau in the order for possibly the next decade or so.

A little problem with this deal for the Twins is that it still doesn't give them a reliable player to put in center field to replace Torii Hunter, who signed a 5-year $90 million with the Los Angeles Angels last week. Young has experience of playing center field, but his lack of range and powerful throwing arm would probably best be served in left field or right field. And with Michael Cuddyer already in right, it looks like left is the most likable spot for him.

As for the other players we received, Brendan Harris is a pretty good hitter who will probably serve as our second baseman to begin 2008. I'd say short stop, as that's what he's played most of, but the Twins like having a player with a lot of range at that position, and unfortunately Harris doesn't posses the range of a guy like Nick Punto or Alexi Casilla. In fact, his career zone rating of .755 at short stop is significantly lower than Punto's .850 ZR at short stop. If the Twins can acquire one more bat, I honestly wouldn't mind seeing Punto in the lineup as our shortstop. The 27-year-old Harris hit .286/.343/.434 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI's last season in 521 plate appearances for the Rays.

Jason Pridie might be a player that some of you have heard of before. And you're probably correct. Pridie was selected by the Twins in the 2005 MLB Rule V draft. But after he didn't make the team out of Spring Training, he was returned to the Rays. In 2007, Pridie split time between AA and AAA. In AAA he 10 home runs with 39 RBI's in 245 plate appearances. As a 24-year-old outfielder, Pridie will probably serve as the teams 4th or 5th outfielder, if he makes the team out of ST. The move could mean the Twins will non-tender Craig Monroe which would make him a free agent.

Matt Garza was sent packing after just 3 years in the Twins system. The Twins drafted him in the first round of the 2005 draft out of Fresno State. After pitching 108.1 innings for the Bulldogs in '05, he pitched an additional 75.2 with the Twins between Elizabethton and Beloit. After starting the 2006 season in Fort Myers, he quickly excelled through the Twins organization up to the Major Leagues. As a 23-year-old in 2007, Matt Garza frustratingly started the season in AAA Rochester. After a few months of whining and mediocre pitching, he finally made his way to the Twins rotation and actually proved to be a fairly good pitcher for the Twins down the stretch. He has a very good fastball, with a pretty good 12-6 curveball. His biggest flaws are that he too has had his moments of immaturity and he needs to really work on his off-speed poitches if he wants to develop into a potential #2 starter for the Rays.

Bartlett had a rocky season for the Twins in '07 after he played a very important role in the Twins playoff-run in 2006. He hit .265/.339/.361 in 510 plate appearances. He also tied Ryan Braun for the most errors in the league with 26. He has very good range, but needs to work on routine plays and his accuracy with his throws. But I think that he'll be a fine addition to the Rays. Although, he will probably have to switch positions at some point as the Ray have top-prospect Reid Brignac most likely starting next season in AAA. So he should be arriving in Tampa at some point next season, which would most likely result in Bartlett moving to second base, as long as he has his defensive woos worked out.

Morlan is probably the biggest problem with this deal for the Twins. At just 21-years-old, Morlan was on the fast track to potentially become an important player in the Twins bullpen around the time they open the new stadium. The Twins are now rumored to possibly be willing to trade closer Joe Nathan before next season, because he is set to become a free agent after the season. With this deal, the Twins dealt away one of the top relief pitchers in baseball and potentially their future closer. I don't want to whine about us trading a pitcher, because we've all been asking for it for a few years, but I just don't know how it could go from Juan Rincon to Eduardo Morlan. I'm just not sure how that worked out, unless the Rays thought that Rincon's value is higher than it actually is. We may never know.

Even with this big trade, I know people are still wondering what this means for a potential Johan Santana trade. And my response is this: Nothing. This deal does absolutely nothing for the Twins in a potential Santana trade, except it raises the priority of pitching being involved. The Twins may now being more willing to trade Santana for more pitching, instead of more offensive talent. I'm sure they'd like to acquire a center fielder, and I'm sure they still will, but it makes pitching the #1 priority in a trade. With the Red Sox and Yankees seeming to be the front-runners to land Santana, the price for him may go up which could result in one of the following:

A) The Twins get a boat load from the Yankees including (possibly) Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Melky Cabrera and one of Jose Tabata or Austin Jackson. It could also lower their stance of holding onto both Joba Chamberlain and Robinson Cano.

or

B) The Twins get a boat load from the Red Sox (possibly) including Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury and perhaps one of Jed Lowrie, Jon Lester or Manny Delcarmen.

Of course, any of these are the high-end in terms of return, but I could see one of the teams driving the price up that high.

If the season opened today, I see our lineup as follows:

CF - Jason Tyner
2B - Brendan Harris
C - Joe Mauer
RF - Michael Cuddyer
1B - Justin Morneau
LF - Delmon Young
DH - Jason Kubel
3B - Brian Buscher
SS - Nick Punto

Of course, the big question marks are still at center field and third base, but at least this deal gives the Twins at least one hole filled in either DH or CF. It'll just depend on where the Twins choose to play Young. And by the way, I don't feel Young will bat 6th for very long, I actually see him and Cuddyer switching. But I don't think anyone would be surprised to see Cuddyer start next season in cleanup.

Tomorrow, I will further speculate the Joe Nathan and Johan Santana trade rumors.

Twins close to acquiring Delmon Young

In a rumor that has been floated around for weeks, the Twins are now close to getting Delmon Young from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Matt Garza in a 6-player deal that could be finalized as soon as today.


La Velle E. Neall III broke the story and said that the Twins would also part with short stop Jason Bartlett and reliever Juan Rincon. The Rays would also part with outfielder Jason Pridie and infielder Brandon Harris.

It's not known if the Twins plan on playing Young in center or if they're still in the market to acquire a new center fielder, but this definitely gives the Twins a great right-handed bat to go between Joe Mauer & Justin Morneau for the future.

This may have an affect on a trade regarding Johan Santana, but it's not known to what effect. I'm sure the Twins could have a close offer with a team that could bring back at least one ML-ready pitcher. I've seen a couple rumors about the Yankees offering both Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy (along with prospect or two) for Santana. That would do it in my opinion.