With the major league baseball trade deadline fast approaching, there has been a lot of wheeling and dealing, involving some of the top players and prospects in the game. Let's recap some of the bigger trades, some of the bigger rumors, and where the Minnesota Twins fit into all of this.
Well, let's start off with the Twins. The two names mentioned the most with the Twins and trades are OF Denard Span and P Kevin Slowey. The Washington Nationals are the team most closely tied to a Span trade, and the hang up is who the Twins want, as opposed to who the Nationals are willing to give up. The Twins want promising closer Drew Storen (5-2, 2.63 ERA, 26 Saves) to eventually replace Joe Nathan, Matt Capps, Jon Rauch, you know, whoever the closer for Minnesota might be. The Nationals don't want to include Storen, but instead have offered up Tyler Clippard, their setup guy. The Twins also want Stephen Lombardozzi in the deal. Lombardozzi's name should be familiar with Twins fans, as his dad Steve was the second baseman on the 1987 World Series Champion team. Lombo had this all-time great quote that still gives me chills: "We're no longer the Twinkies. We're the World Champion Minnesota Twins."
Interest in Slowey has been reported by the Colorado Rockies, but the Rockies don't want to give up too much to acquire him. Slowey is currently in AAA Rochester, and might be a serious consideration for the Twins rotation in light of the recent struggles of Nick Blackburn.
Elsewhere around the majors, the St, Louis Cardinals have been one of the more active players as the trade deadline approaches. They really got the ball rolling by trading five tool OF Colby Rasmus to Toronto in a five player trade, receiving starter Edwin Jackson, among other guys. Last night, it was announced that they traded for Braves SS Rafael Furcal, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports just tweeted that they are interested in starter Eric Bedard of Seattle.
Speaking of Edwin Jackson, White Sox GM Ken Williams now says he needs a starter...of which Jackson was...and he just traded to Toronto, who moved him to St. Louis. No clue as to who they might be interested in, though.
In the 'we're not sellers this year' department, the Pittsburgh Pirates, yes the hapless, loveable Pirates, are buyers. They just acquired Derek Lee from Baltimore for prospect Aaron Baker. Hey, we didn't say it was a good buy, but it's a start. Usually Pittsburgh holds their fire sale by Memorial Day.
And in the 'Rich Get Richer Department', sort of, Ubaldo Jimenez went to the Yankees Indians. HA! Suck it, Yankees! Although they are in the mix for Padres closer Heath Bell (as are the Cardianls and several teams), and Hunter Pence, late of the Astros, is now a member of the Phillies. With the addition of Pence, if the Phillies don't run away and hide from the rest of the National League, it will be an abject failure.