Preemptive Strike?

ESPN reports on an interesting deal, supposedly imminent. If the Twins trade Matt Garza for Delmon Young, a rightfielder, would they then also trade Santana? If they acquire Young, do they still have any interest in Coco, Jacoby, or Melky in their outfield? Will this move signal to the Yankees and Red Sox that prime pitching prospects, not position players (except maybe Robinson Cano), are the way to the Twins FO's heart? Or does this move actually hurt Minnesota's negotiating position, since they have now limited the roster of players that might be available to them for Johan?

Comments

[Tyrel SF]

I don't see this as precluding a trade for a CF - Delmon has the body type and the (potential) bat of a RF. And this deal certainly seems to open a spot in their rotation for Buchholz or Lester...

[John - YF]

Here's the deal:

Delmon Young, Jason Pridie and Brendan Harris

For

Matt Garza, Juan Rincon and Jason Bartlett

Pridie is the Twins future CF'r if this goes through.

[SF]

Pridie already was the Twins CF of the future, he was a Rule V draftee by Minnesota who was returned to the Devil Rays, now going back to the Twins for the second time. He had a nice year last year in AA/AAA, it will be interesting to see if he really sticks. He's 23 and already shuttled between two organizations twice.

[John - YF]

Not to say that he (Pridie) will have any impact on a Santana trade. Don't know much about him other then he had a good 2007.

[SF]

Kazmir, Shields, Garza. Tampa is getting better. Look out above!

[Adam (SF)]

I bet the Orioles finish 5th next year. I think the Twins care about defense too much to put Delmon in CF, so they should still be in the market for Melky/Coco/JE.

[AndrewYF]

This is always the story with the Rays. Fact is, their pitching is awful and their offense not far from it. They didn't even score 800 runs last season, and that was with Pena's and Upton's breakout seasons. They are not suddenly an 85-win team. They're probably not an 80-win team, unless they get unbelievably lucky with a lot of their players. They're still a bad team with a lot of promise, which is what they've been for years.

[YF]

I'm with SF here. With this deal and Percival, I think the Rays will leapfrogg the O's. This is the deal we've been waiting to see from them for years: trading some of their overstock of young talent for pitching.

[YF]

Also worth noting MiLB.com is listing their top 50 prospects. They've got 11-50 up right now. Austin Jackson is 49, IPK 26, Ellsbury 13. Presumably Joba and Buchholz will be in the top 10, and we'll see who else.

Worth noting that the Rays have a pair of top 20 pitching prospects. I think this might be the year they start to turn things around down there.

[YF]

Excuse me. Three top 20 pitching prospects, icluding last year's #1 pick. (Who's probably a good half season at least from MLB)