The Twins are seeking trade partners for righty Ricky Nolasco, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports on Twitter. Minnesota is “trying” to move what it can of Nolasco’s $25MM salary over the next two seasons, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets.
Needless to say, finding a taker for Nolasco will require some creativity. He missed much of last season after undergoing ankle surgery, and owns an ugly 5.64 ERA over his 196 1/3 innings for Minnesota.
Soon to turn 33, Nolasco has performed better in the estimation of advanced metrics, which have generally valued him as around a 4.00 earned run-equivalent performer since he signed on with the Twins. And his average fastball velocity has held at just over 90 mph. Nolasco has been hurt by a high .359 BABIP and low 66.7% strand rate over the last two seasons.
It’s not hard to imagine other teams having interest in taking a shot at a rebound, then, particularly since Nolasco showed enough to warrant a four-year, $49MM commitment in the first place. The Padres represent at least a hypothetical match, per Cotillo. But it seems clear that he’s not worth the remainder of his contract, so the Twins would surely need either to take another bad contract in return or eat money in any trade scenario.
Nolasco and cash for Shields?
Yeah probably not.
Why would the Twins have to throw in cash, besides the fact that Nolasco isn’t good?
Nolasco: 2/24 with a 13M option or 1M buyout
Shields: 3/63 with a 16M option or 2M buyout. He does have an opt out after next year though.
Just a guess, but I don’t think Shields would use that opt out after next year if he has another season like 2015….which would mean that the Padres would save 39 million in that trade.
Nolasco and Charlie Morton should relatively be considered the same player, and you sure as hell aren’t getting James Shields for either of them.. Money aside, by the above scenario SD would be purging him just to not pay 50% of the remaining contract. The whole point in trading him for SD is to cut some of the cost while getting a prospect or two in return. Not Nolasco’s contract.
I just know all I’ve heard since trade deadline time is that the Padres desperately want to purge money. I asked why the Twins would have to add money to the deal when the Twins are the ones who are taking on way more money in the deal New Law Era mentioned.
I understand the Twins would need to add more in terms of a prospect or something. I just don’t see money being the thing added. The money part doesn’t make sense unless the Twins are sending Nolasco and another bad contract. Which the only other bad contract is Mauer so that obviously isn’t happening..
I was kind of kidding at first but the more I look at it, the more the trade actually does make some sense for both sides.
Yes, the Twins throw in cash because Nolasco isn’t good. Essentially, the pay a little bit of $$ instead of prospects to acquire Shields. Works out for the contending Twinkies in that they upgrade their rotation with a solid innings eater who is very familiar with the division. Shields also brings solid veteran leadership the clubhouse.
For the Padres, they roll the dice on Nolasco. Most of his salary is paid. If he rebounds to a shell of his old self, the Padres potentially have an attractive trade chip at the deadline. If he stinks, they cut him.
I’m definitely stretching here but it’s not too crazy to think a deal around those two contracts could happen.
Not sure I see the Padres being so desperate that they’d only take Nolasco and some money. I think they could get a better deal elsewhere.
ya, just dont see Shields returning Nolasco. Nolasco may end up in SD but it would some other way – Dodgers signed him for the stretch run a few years back and since leaving the Marlins he has not pitched well, would hope the Padres resign Kennedy at 3 years 35mill before taking on Nolasco
I’ve been suggesting a deal with San Diego since July. Obviously it makes sense for both teams SD wants to shed the larger deal and Nolasco has said he wants to go to So Cal again.
Forget that Ricky may or may not become the pitcher he once was it all about the money. Now that the pitching free agent market has gone bonkers I’m sure SD is going to want more than just a straight cash savings.
The Twins have So Cal native in Trevor Plouffe who SD could use. Terry Ryan has said he isn’t dealing him but dumping Nolasco and putting Superstar young sensation Miguel Sano back in the infield where he belongs might be worth making a deal.
My guess is the deal if happens will look like this:
San Diego Receives: 3B Trevor Plouffe ($7.7 Million est Arb), SP Ricky Nolasco $12 Million per, & C Kurt Suzuki $6 Million per (vesting option for 2017 if 485 PA won’t happen)
2016 $25.7 Million renaming estimated $63 Million including resigning of Trevor Plouffe
Twins Receive: SP James Shields $21 Million 2016 & $65 Million remaning
Pretty good deal for both teams. Great deal for SD if Nolasco offers anywhere near his past performances in So Cal.:
Swap Billy Butler for Ricky Nolasco.. Two bad contracts. Twins save 5 million. A’s get a solid veteran pitcher for their group of young starters. Not sure who Twins have at DH but could do worse than Butler, a solid bounce back candidate.
They just have some scrub named Miguel Sano…
Twins are using Park as the DH next year, but even if they weren’t they’d likely do a Sano, Arcia, Mauer type rotation with Arcia getting most of the DH starts.
I don’t think they’d have a permanent DH (unless it was Arcia) if they didn’t have Park…so I don’t think this would be something the Twins would do with or without Park.
Yikes. Stay within the AL Central and go Danks for nolasco plouffe? Could make sense for the white sox to add a righty vs a lefty and could use 3B help. White sox would need to add another piece most likely, but would address 3B and another righty SP. highly unlikely though
Umm, what? Plouffe is good and Nolasco/Danks is basically a wash. That makes less than no sense for the Twins.
That’s basically exactly what I was going to say. You’d need at least two more players from the White Sox in that deal and it just doesn’t make sense for the Twins, especially to trade within the division.
I was thinking a swap with the White Sox would make sense, but more with LaRoche than Danks. Danks wasn’t terrible last summer, so there isn’t that same necessity to unload him, especially since he will be a free agent after this year. However, I don’t see how LaRoche even remotely has anywhere to play in Minnesota there with Sano, Mauer, Vargas.
LaRoche has got to be like the single most untradeable player in the major leagues considering how many teams non-tendered players with better stats than him for several million dollars less.
Still praying for a Hanley/LaRoche Swap. Would work for both teams to be honest.
Bud, why the hell would anyone want Adam LaRoche. Especially a team that already has Joe Maur.
Byung Ho is supposed to be a pretty good fielder at 1B and at least adequate at 3B. Sano of course in small sample size appeared he is ready to handle 3B as well.
The Twins are stuck with Average Joe Mauer and his full-no trade clause and will keep him playing 1B or part time DH. With Byung Ho likely to start opening day and with the Twins having 2 young stud OFers in Buxton and Kepler going to be playing full-time soon enough I think Sano will be in the INF soon.
Mauer, Sano, and Park Byung Ho will get all the DH/1B available time and will not take on Billy Butler or any other washed up garbage at that position.
Not too mention Arcia & Vargas at DH should someone get hurt.
For what it’s worth Mauer would be 10/5 anyway if he didn’t have a no trade clause.
Any deal with the Padres would likely income Melvin Upton.
This report has Pirates written all over it. Provided the twins eat at least 50% of his contract.
Trade him to Rockies for Jose Reyes. Twins can gamble that Reyes will be suspended long enough for the money to even out.. If not, they will at least get the better player out of the deal.
please
Can’t blame a guy for trying.
San Diego is as desperate to move James Shields as the Twins are in moving Ricky Nolasco. This would be the ideal “bad contract swap.” Of course, Shields’ deal is for a lot more money, so San Diego would have to sweeten the pot with either a relief pitcher (preferably a lefty) or a mid-level prospect. Either way, these two seem like logical trade partners. Ricky should be healthy in 2016 and he is clearly a National League pitcher. He was quite good for the Dodgers in 2013.
At its most basic level, why is Shields for Nolasco a relief for either the Twins or the Padres? If you’re already overpaying for an underperforming pitcher how is changing the name of the pitcher a solution?
That is why I have proposed Trevor Plouffe a piece SD could really use. Trevor was one of the (2) Twins to rank above average on the defensive runs saved saber-metrics and provides above average offense to boot.
Throw in the fact he is a So Cal native doesn’t hurt seems like makes too much sense for both teams.
Something else to consider here. Twins have long been rumored to like/admire James Shields over the years. Remember the Twins once signed Carl Pavano and innings eater veteran with some moxy but lacked any true dominant pitch.
I consider James Shields to be a Rich Man’s Carl Pavano. Far more durable than Pavano but like Carl is a innings eater who can give your bullpen a rest but also doesn’t really have one true out pitch.
James Shields may not have ever earned that nickname of his in the post-season but he is the kind of regular season pitcher that will overall help your staff and get you to the post-season. Yes $65 Million is far too much for what he gives you but moving Nolasco does help soften the sting of that contract.
Again, it’s just that if you’re desperate to dump Shields you’re certainly not desperate to acquire Nolasco.
I’d much rather have Shields than Nolasco so if the Padres are down for it, great.
Someone will take him on. I don’t see the Twins acquiring Shields. It doesn’t allow the Padres dump enough Salary IMO unless the Twins really sweetened the pot to make it worth their while.