The Hot Stove league has begun before people had a chance to realize the season was over. My favorite team is the Minnesota Twins and the off season has gotten off to an interesting start. You could look at the trade as a back up outfielder traded for a utility infielder. Another way to look at it is trading a valuable prospect with large potential for a past all star that was demoted to the minors this past season.
I really don’t like the trade and I am not a huge fan of the player fans call Go-Go. I think they probably gave up on him too early. Unfortunately he was the centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade after the disappointment of some other prospects. He was a very exciting player that was a fan favorite. He also had huge potential due to his blazing speed and young age. He was able to cover a lot of ground in the outfield and even showed some glimpses of power.
I can also see the reasons why he was traded. The Twins have a glut of good but not great outfielders in Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Jason Kubel, and Delmon Young. Span and Cuddyer are clear cut everyday players. Jason Kubel is a quality DH that also needs time in the field. Last the Twins are at a point where they need to make a decision on Delmon Young. He needs to play everyday to see if he can live up to the potential that made him the number one overall draft pick. There was just no room for Gomez to play everyday which is what he needs.
Another reason why I can see the trade was the frustration that Gomez caused. As gifted as he is physically it appeared that he did not grasp the little details of baseball. This could clearly be seen in the playoffs when he was thrown out at second after a hit that cost the team a run. This play along with many others showed that have the little baseball skills that should be learned in little league.
I just don’t like the trade because he was the only player that was a contributor from the Santana trade. If Deolis Guerra flames out, then the Twins basically got JJ Hardy for one of the best pitchers in baseball. It also seems like the classic Twins move of picking up a player who was good 2 years ago and hope that he can be good again. At least he is relatively young because this strategy worked out so well with Rondell White and Brett Boone amongst others.
I also think the team could have gotten something better for Gomez. They sold too low. They should have tried to get some more pitching help instead of a player who spent his last year in the minors. This also probably means Orlando Cabrera is not coming back and he seemed like a good fit for this team. It will be interesting to see what other moves the team makes because if this is it then the fans can look forward to Joe Mauer wearing pinstripes in the near future.
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