Just Sell

I have just returned from my second visit to Target Field (the other was Friday), and I think I have officially jumped on the sell bandwagon. I'm still disappointed that the Twins didn't take the rumors of trading Cuddyer to the Giants more seriously. The Twins have a backlog of outfielders/DH/first basemen, and I think Trevor Plouffe is for real. Similarly, Kubel could be moved without much harm to the team, as he is basically a slightly better fielding version of Jim Thome. Both of their contracts come up at the end of the year, so getting some value for them now will help the team long term. If the right offer comes for Kevin Slowey, that move should also happen.

The best case scenario is that the Twins heroically win the division and bomb out in the playoffs. We've all seen this script. I have very fond memories of the 2006 regular season, but I don't believe that is worth potentially further sacrificing the farm teams for a post-season flame-out. 1987 isn't happening again as much as we all would like it to. The Twins minor-league system has already slipped some, and a new batch of prospects could greatly improve things. AAA win-loss records aren't perfect indicator of the talent level of a system, or of the AAA squad, but the Rochester Red Wings haven't had a winning season since XXXX. With the exception of core pieces like Mauer, Mourneau, Valencia, and (yes, I'm on that bandwagon) Revere, the Twins should listen to offers for basically anyone. This team has sustained enough injuries that I am not certain trading away a few pieces would greatly reduce the chances of a division championship, but the long-term value from additional prospects could improve the chances of the ultimate goal in future years.