Rays and Twins talking swap

[John F]

From The Heater:

Shortstop talks heating up?

The Rays' search for a shortstop has expanded to include Minnesota's Jason Bartlett and the teams have had discussions.
Bartlett, 28, has been the Twins' primary starter the last two seasons, though he was limited by neck and back injuries last season.
Bartlett hit .309 in 99 games in 2006, but dropped off last season to .265, with five homers, 43 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. His defense also suffered last season as he made 26 errors and had a .960 fielding percentage; in 2006 he made 13 errors and had a .971 fielding percentage.
The talks could be part of a larger deal as the Twins are reported to have interest in several of the Rays prized young outfielders such as Delmon Young, B.J. Upton and Rocco Baldelli, whose status is in question due to last season's hamstring injury.
If the Rays don't get Bartlett or another shortstop through trade, they could try to sign free agent Cesar Izturis

The Rays are indeed overstocked in the OF and adding a veteran SS would be a plus instead of piece-mealing the position together with several young players as they have been the last few seasons.

[John F]

Maybe this will stir up some conversation: It's a rumored six player deal that would send Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie to the Twins for Bartlett, Juan Rincon and Matt Graza to the Rays. All this from the Minnesota Star Tribune

[DR3AMR]

Seems like a Minnesota fan pipe dream.

Delmon is probably as untouchable as it gets. Especially when TB is are getting crap in return.

[John F]

I wouldn't call Delmon Young untouchable. Crawford? Kazmir? They're untouchable. Delmon Young has a noted attitude problem and disdain for the Rays franchise. Of course, that's the old guard he used to mouth off about (Chuck"les The Clown" LaMar and Vince Naimoli) but the attitude is there.

We'll see how this plays out. The rays have been lacking a SS and have need to bolster their bullpen in many ways... They're overstuffed in the OF in any case and exploring a deal trading one of their prized prospects in order to make the club more competitive is a must.

[bedir than average]

Adding a pitcher who is a #3 or better for a single player of quality is a great deal. And though Bartlett isn't great the Rays also had bullpen issues.

This is a solid move.

[John F]

It's official -- but the third Twins player is Eduardo Morian

From the Rays MLB page:

Rays send Young to Twins for Garza
11/28/2007 10:44 PM ET
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

The Rays rotation, not so long ago one of the most conspicuous weaknesses in all of baseball, is beginning to shed its reputation. The Rays are getting younger, and the Rays are getting better.

And Wednesday night, that evolution continued.

The Rays acquired Matt Garza from the Twins in a six-player trade, dealing away prized outfielder Delmon Young for a starting pitcher with ace potential. They also received shortstop Jason Bartlett and pitcher Eduardo Morlan from the Twins, in exchange for Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie.

Garza, 24, was among a large group of Twins pitching prospects jockeying for playing time over the past two seasons. He struggled during his rookie season in 2006, but significantly bumped his stock last season after finishing with a 3.69 ERA in 15 starts and a relief appearance down the stretch. He should move from the back of Minnesota's rotation to the front of Tampa Bay's.

The deal instantly improves the Rays rotation, but it came at a significant cost. Young, 22, has long been considered among the top prospects in baseball, and this past year became a mainstay in the Rays' outfield. He hit .288 in his first full season, cementing himself smack in the middle of the team's lineup.

"We have strengthened our team by adding an impact starting pitcher in Garza and an everyday shortstop in Bartlett," said Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman. "We have capitalized on our depth in certain areas to address more pressing areas of need. Because of that, we are now a better ball club."

In Bartlett, 28, the Rays acquire a shortstop capable of hitting for average. Bartlett finished last season with a .265 mark and five home runs.

Morlan, 21, spent almost the entire year in Class A Fort Myers , where he went 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 18 saves.

Barlett should take over for Harris, who played 87 games for the Rays at shortstop this season. Harris finished with a .286 average and 12 home runs in his first full year in the Majors.

Pridie, 24, was another Minor League outfielder in a system stocked with them. He split time between Double-A and Triple-A this past season, batting a combined .297.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[bedir than average]

John, what writer can get away with this?

In Bartlett, 28, the Rays acquire a shortstop capable of hitting for average. Bartlett finished last season with a .265 mark and five home runs.

Wouldn't that be "hitting for below average?"

[DR3AMR]

Absolutely horrible trade.

This is akin to the Indians trading Manny Ramirez after the 1994 season. A five tool superstar-in-the-making for a bunch of nobodies.

[Timmer]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

Wouldn't that be "hitting for below average?"

Not for a shortstop.

Who's the starting 2B now for the Rays and where does Zobrist play? Who's the RF?

Kazmir, Shields, and Garza are a pretty good front three.

Does this decrease the likelihood of Elijah Dukes being traded? How's Baldelli's health?

Who's Minnesota's fifth starter? I have Santana, Bonser, Baker, and Slowey as their current 1-4.

Could the absence of Garza reduce the Twins' inclination to deal Santana, or at least make them insist on better pitchers in the package? Given that the Twins now appear to have a hole at SS, do the Mets' chances increase, since they have the best SS that has been talked about in connection with a potential Santana deal?

Given the Twins' acquisition of two OF, does it reduce interest in Melky Cabrera or Jacoby Ellsbury?

Say, the Twins wouldn't be interested in reacquiring Guzman, would they? Only one year left on his contract at a mere $4 million.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Timmer

Who's the starting 2B now for the Rays and where does Zobrist play?

Remember that Aki Iwamura also plays 2nd base or at least can. If Evan Longoria makes the team (as some expect him to do), he'd play 3rd with Aki moving over to 2nd. Ben Zorbist would be the utility infielder.

Who's the RF? Does this decrease the likelihood of Elijah Dukes being traded? How's Baldelli's health?

Dukes has no trade value, period. If the Rays could ahve gotten rid of him for a pack of Topps trading cards, they would ahve pulled the trigger. Rocco is ... well, tender. He may very well pull his ACL while gettign the mail this off season We'll have to wait and see on that. The early thought is that Rocco, Jonny Gomes and a kid name Riggiano would get time in Right Field or get a chance to vie for the spot. There is still a lot fo time left in this off season as well and you never know iff the Rays will pick up a more formidable and contributign RF or not.

They coudl use a veteran presence in Right or just on the field period. Someone with "Been there" experience