Zack Greinke is headed back to the Royals on a one-year deal worth $13MM, but Kansas City faced some competition from a division rival in securing his services. The Twins made a “strong push” to sign Greinke before he landed back in K.C., tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North radio. Wolfson speculates that in the end, the allure of returning to his original organization may have simply proven too strong for Minnesota or another organization to overcome once the Royals jumped into the bidding.
The Twins have been one of the most active clubs on the trade market since the lockout ended, but they’ve yet to make a serious move in free agency this offseason — either pre- or post-lockout. Minnesota has added Sonny Gray, Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez via trade and rolled the dice on an affordable Dylan Bundy flier ($5MM with a 2023 club option) in free agency, but there’s still work to be done in the rotation, at shortstop and in the bullpen. They’ve been talking to the A’s about lefty Sean Manaea and righty Frankie Montas, and they’ve also reportedly been in touch with Trevor Story about a potential deal.
Here’s more from the division…
- Speaking of Greinke, the new Royals right-hander told reporters that he is not planning for the 2022 season to be his last, per Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Radio’s. It’s a welcome piece of news for fans of the enigmatic pitcher, who will gear up for his twentieth year in the Majors if he lands on an active roster in 2023. The longtime ace isn’t just looking to pad his Hall of Fame credentials either, as he’s coming off a season where he posted a useful 4.16 ERA in 171 innings. Though Greinke’s strikeout and home run rates trended in the wrong direction last year his ability to pound the strike zone and eat innings make up a skillset that will surely appeal to teams.
- The Guardians have a huge need in the outfield and a massive stockpile of high-end middle infield talent on the cusp of MLB readiness, which has prompted a good bit of speculation about them trading for some outfield help. However, manager Terry Francona told reporters yesterday that he currently plans to have 2021 shortstop Amed Rosario split his time between short and left field, which could create some additional opportunities for that surplus of middle infield prospects (Twitter link via Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer). Rosario, 26, posted a .282/.321/.409 batting line in 588 plate appearances last season — spending the vast majority of his time at shortstop. He did see 123 innings in the outfield, mostly in center, with lackluster defensive ratings. It’s still possible that Cleveland will pick up some more established outfield help one way or another, but for now it looks like Myles Straw will reprise his role in center and be flanked by a combination of Rosario, Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado and top prospect Steven Kwan in the corners.
“The Twins made a “strong push” to sign ___________________ ( fill in the blank)… the same story decades old not believable.. signing players is a win lose proposition.. you win when you sign your targets you lose when you fail… We have seen decades of major failure to put a World Series quality team on the field… and that continues..
They pushed Ron Giant off of first base in 1991. Now they’re paying for it. Their next World Series appearance will come in 2084, when they will fall to the Phillies in five games (vomit).
Hrbek made a clean play, Ron “Giant” lost his balance. The Twins were better than the Braves in 1991. The Twins have embarrassed themselves in the playoffs since then.
I wouldn’t say the Twins were better. The teams were pretty evenly matched. That’s why the home team won every single game and it’s why the series ended in a 1-0 win in the 10th inning of Game 7. One of the two teams had to lose.
That was not a clean play, Hrbek pulled Gant off first. youtu.be/MiraekmCNv4
How long are you going to whine about that? The Braves were never going to beat the Twins in 1991.. What a great series!
You forgot the second half of that. “The Twins made a strong push for _______ but they couldn’t get it done because __________ (something other than “they refused to pony up the dough)”
Lol like letting Rosario play in the outfield moves the needle in our favor. What a bunch of cheap a$$ bums
Actually dumb a$$ bum;
The team is coming out of a ‘rebuild on the fly’. One of their top prospects is Nolan Jones. He was moved to LF last year in preparation for the 2022 season. He’s a LH hitter so it appears they’ll be breaking him in as a part of a platoon in LF with the RH hitting Amad Rosario to start the season. Another top prospect is Tyler Freeman – a RH hitting SS. So when a LH pitcher is facing the team, they’ll play Rosario in LF and Freeman at SS, and when a RH pitcher is facing them they’ll play Jones in LF and Rosairo at SS…..to start the season. Then they’ll see how those players do.
Is this too difficult? Do you want we should get you a tutor?
Lmfao Jones and Freeman is who you choose to come at me with? And call me a dumba$$? Ha. Two guys who havent taken a single mlb at-bat not to even mention freemans severe lack of power and only 41 games of experience in AA and Jones .238 average in his only experience at AAA and Rosarios lack of power and lack of a decent outfield glove. I’ve never heard the term rebuild on the fly associated with Cleveland either but even if you read that on some fans only page you obv dont have much of a clue besides looking at “prospect” rankings. Those rankings aren’t going to win us games…genious.
Cleveland is re-building on the fly. Or re-tooling on the fly could be a more accurate description.
This team has an elite FO, that is trying to do something that’s rarely, if ever, has been done before. While other small-market teams tank, Cleveland, Tampa & MKE use their extreme brainpower to re-tool when needed to keep the contention train moving along.
Back to Cleveland. Starter injuries kept them from WC contention last year. If those starters are healthy this year they will challenge for a postseason spot.
Bieber-Civale-Plesac-Quantrll-McKenzie is as good or better than the Chisox rotation. Offensively, they are somewhat short, but the offseason isn’t over yet and they could always add a bat or two at the trade-deadline.
Bottom-line: Healthy starting pitching & Bullpen makes them a definite postseason contender.
Pretty big words coming from a working stiff. If you want to vent some steam, please consider doing something constructive.
What a slop fest.
I forget there were other subjects than the slop being passed off as outfielders by the former Indians (still can’t say that dumb name).
@Pickles McGee
Just call them the SPIDERS.
Pickles: If you can’t stand calling them the Cleveland Guardians call them the CLEVELAN-DIANS.
Like it better hyphenated at Cleve-Landians
Problems at
1. Owner
2. Manager
3. Outfield (Zimmer and Mercado !!! ) Really ???
Would have loved to see the Guardians get the the Japanese import sweepstakes. Conforto is the only measurable OF bat left and he will sign for more $$$.
The Twins are a total and complete mess at this point. And besides the Reds and Rockies, I don’t throw that terminology around easily. I just do not understand what they are trying to do at all. They have a very solid farm system, and after trading away Berrios, Garver, etc (instead of just extending them like they probably should have), they can’t seem to make up their mind about the direction they are heading. It seems like they want to compete and rebuild at the same time, which really only works for extremely talented ballclubs, like the Rays or Dodgers. Their trade for Sonny Gray made little sense to me, and now they want Montas? Why not just give Jose Berrios 7 years / $150 million? He was a legitimate top of the rotation guy that they haven’t had since Johan Santana. I get that Gray is much cheaper, but come on. Keep your prospects and just give your ace the contract he deserves, if you truly want to compete. Getting tired of this crap… sell your damn team if you can’t afford to make it competitive.
Because Po’lad the owners said we aren’t rebuilding… so they make believe like they are trying to keep their jobs.. .. The goal is being ” competitive” in the central… its a pretty low bar… the St. Paul Saints could be competitive..
As a Twins fan I 100% agree about Berrios. He played with passion, was great to watch, root for, and yes! is our rare accomplishment of a legit SP. Thing is he always said he wanted to reach free agency. Then the moment he’s traded signs an extension I think any team would’ve offered. Doesn’t seem as if he wanted to be a Twin.
the Po’lads don’t like to pay well.. they want big bargains.. Berrios wasn’t a candidate for a cheep deal… so he had no choice.. after all.. If they would have made the right offer he would have taken it..
I would have loved to have extended Berrios but he was nowhere near as good as Johan Santana (and I liked Berrios), I agree the Garver move and trading for Sanchez and Urshela made no sense but the Gray move was solid. There are very few teams that have and have had 5 great starters. You have to consider the economics of it all. It’s easy for you to call the owners cheapskates but it’s their money and not yours. The Twins have actually done a pretty decent job of keeping their players over the years…Puckett, Hrbek, Gaetti, Hunter, Mauer, Morneau, Buxton, Polanco, Kepler, etc.
On a separate note, Steven Kwan is going to be a stud. One of the most underrated prospects in MLB for sure.
I agree with HB. I have a very good feeling about this Kwan kid. Hope he is this years big surprise. As for the rest of those names mentioned, I think I have a better chance of making it over Niagara Falls in a canoe before they do anything.
Ramon laureano could be a fit for twins or Marlins. 4 yrs of control although has the suspension issue and has a annual DL trip every season
How is Ahmed Rosario not on the Angels already for like Taylor ward and a flier?
What do Twins fans expect? Thad Levine came from the Rangers after 11 years. He worked for one of the worst GM’s in making decisions ever in Jon Daniels. Just look at Preller in San Diego also from there. None of the 3 could decide in a direction to go ever. The meaning of Flip Flop came from those 3.
We’ve determines that EVERY team is in on Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. A’s will get the deal they want. Twins should have a ton of cash to chuck around without the donaldson contract. I wonder where they will put it to use?
profit margin
Guardians be guarding the bottom of the barrel…..
if so they will be battling the twins for that honor… because they have much better pitching..
Yankees getting yanked off the field
Cleveland top brass softening the blow of no outfield trade or FA signing by getting us used to Amed Rosario saving the day in LF! What a joke. Poverty tier payroll and apparently far too crippled with some indecision to deal from the endless good but non-elite middle infield prospects. So just gonna hoard them all and have a lineup full of soft hitting shortstops playing all over the diamond I guess. Well that’s one day to build a 4th place team…