Around Baseball 2022

[jerb]

 

Jeff Passan

@JeffPassan

 

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.

 

Jeff Passan

@JeffPassan

 

Catcher Ben Rortvedt is headed to the Yankees along with Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, sources tell ESPN. Catcher Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela are going to Minnesota.

[jerb]

 

Joel Sherman

@Joelsherman1

 

#Yankees are taking on all of the $50M that Donaldson is owed.

[Grant77]

I don't know if this makes them that much better, but I hate the idea of JD playing for the Yankees.

[Stangstag]

I don't know if this makes them that much better, but I hate the idea of JD playing for the Yankees.

 

Same

[Jays24]

This breaks my heart seeing Donaldson with the Yankees

[jaysguy44]

I don't know if this makes them that much better, but I hate the idea of JD playing for the Yankees.

Likewise

[Ehjays]

 

Jeff Passan

@JeffPassan

 

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.

 

Jeff Passan

@JeffPassan

 

Catcher Ben Rortvedt is headed to the Yankees along with Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, sources tell ESPN. Catcher Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela are going to Minnesota.

 

Watch The Twins sign Story now

[Sammy225]

I would like to see coles and Donaldsons first conversation lol

[Stangstag]

Guess this means the Yankees will go hard after Freeman instead of Correa now?? Unless they plan on having a jammed infield or making more trades…

[jerb]

 

Bob Nightengale

@BNightengale

 

The Minnesota #Twins wanted to dump third baseman Josh Donaldson's contract. He is owed $50 million over the next two years, and they now will try to find a taker for catcher Gary Sanchez, who they have no interest in keeping.

[Stangstag]

 

Bob Nightengale

@BNightengale

 

The Minnesota #Twins wanted to dump third baseman Josh Donaldson's contract. He is owed $50 million over the next two years, and they now will try to find a taker for catcher Gary Sanchez, who they have no interest in keeping.

 

Lol roasted

[Grant77]

This trade brings up a lot of questions for me.

 

The Twins don't even want Sanchez according to sources. Did the Yankees tender him, find no takers, and dump his salary?

 

Who catches for the Yankees now? Giving up your starter at this juncture is puzzling to say the least.

 

I have to believe that IKF and Urshela have similar value. We believed that Donaldson had negative trade value, but that clearly isn't the case. It appears to be pretty neutral to me. Any different takes?

[L54]

Donaldson is like the chick you had a great summer with and at the end you went your separate ways and there were no hard feelings

[Stangstag]

This trade brings up a lot of questions for me.

 

The Twins don't even want Sanchez according to sources. Did the Yankees tender him, find no takers, and dump his salary?

 

Who catches for the Yankees now? Giving up your starter at this juncture is puzzling to say the least.

 

I have to believe that IKF and Urshela have similar value. We believed that Donaldson had negative trade value, but that clearly isn't the case. It appears to be pretty neutral to me. Any different takes?

 

I was thinking maybe Urshela/Sanchez were not Vaxxed and they preferred to offload them while securing an everyday SS in the process. Donaldson also still has the potential for a 4-5 WAR season if he remains healthy

[Krylian]

lol... how you figure that?

 

Kikuchi was a FA signing. No compensation.

 

If Gray is the preferred target, and we're saying Hoglund is probably a comparable asset for what it took to land Gray, you lose Hogland and the Jays don't sign Kikuchi... That gets you Gray.

 

No Hogland + No Kikuchi = Gray.

[saskjayfan]

This trade brings up a lot of questions for me.

 

The Twins don't even want Sanchez according to sources. Did the Yankees tender him, find no takers, and dump his salary?

 

Who catches for the Yankees now? Giving up your starter at this juncture is puzzling to say the least.

 

I have to believe that IKF and Urshela have similar value. We believed that Donaldson had negative trade value, but that clearly isn't the case. It appears to be pretty neutral to me. Any different takes?

 

That was Bob Nightengale speculating. Several reporters have come out and said that is false. Sanchez will stay with the Twins. I feel like we could have traded Grichuk for Donaldson. Donaldson had elite batted ball stats last year. He's a bit scary with the Yanks, but he's a massive injury risk, as is Stanton and Judge.

[Laika]

This breaks my heart seeing Donaldson with the Yankees

 

Well you might not see much of him in pinstripes let's be honest

[Dick_Pole]

Maybe this is too much of my Yankee hate in me being hopeful, but I don't see Donaldson meshing well with them or in the New York media.

[Terminator]

Not a fan of this for the Yanks. Talent wise it’s fine but they are taking on Donaldson’s deal when they presumably don’t have a whole lot left spend.

[Terminator]

Maybe this is too much of my Yankee hate in me being hopeful, but I don't see Donaldson meshing well with them or in the New York media.

 

If he mashes they’ll love him but if he gets hurt or sucks it could go south

[Laika]

Yanks dump the useless Gary Sanchez, get a good stop gap SS/C in Falaffle, and a lotto ticket at a difference maker in Donaldson.

[Grant77]

I was thinking maybe Urshela/Sanchez were not Vaxxed and they preferred to offload them while securing an everyday SS in the process. Donaldson also still has the potential for a 4-5 WAR season if he remains healthy

 

I thought the same, but Jon Heyman reports that they are still trying to sign an unvaccinated Anthony Rizzo. I wonder how much teams are letting vaccination status inform their decisions, if at all.

[Grant77]

Yanks dump the useless Gary Sanchez, get a good stop gap SS/C in Falaffle, and a lotto ticket at a difference maker in Donaldson.

 

And gave up an equally good stopgap SS in Urshela.

[Laika]

And gave up an equally good stopgap SS in Urshela.

 

came up as one but he has almost no MLB games there so I think he's just considered a 3B now

[Ray]

Isiah Kiner-Falefa OAA at shortstop in 2021: 4th percentile.

[Key22]

Isiah Kiner-Falefa 3.7 WAR

Josh Donaldson 3.2 WAR

 

Yanks get 6.9 WAR

 

Gio Urshela 0.6 WAR

Gary Sanchez 0.7 WAR

 

Twins get 1.3 WAR

 

Yanks Net Gain 5.6 WAR (based on 2021 Baseball-Reference)

 

Since money doesn't much matter to the Yankees they can overpay on some contracts.

 

In the end - they're a lot better than they were yesterday.

 

Now it's Shapiro and Atkins turn to counterpunch.

 

Trade for Ramirez (6.7 WAR)

Sign Freeman (4.7 WAR)

Put Vladdy in right field (any idiot with an arm can play right field - Vladdy has an arm)

Sign Ryan Tepera (1.8 WAR)

Sign Collin McHugh (1.9 WAR)

Sign Villar (1.7 WAR)

 

Total 16.8 WAR - we win done deal. 100 win season in a walk.

 

Springer ® CF

Ramirez (S) 3B

Vladdy ® RF/1B/DH

Freeman (L) 1B/DH

Bichette ® SS

Teoscar ® DH/RF

Villar (S) 2B/3B

Lourdes Gurriel Jr ® LF

Kirk/Jansen/McGuire C

 

Bench: Biggio/Grichuk/Espinal

 

Get er done Ross.

 

[Laika]

Haha that would be insane.

[saskjayfan]

If he mashes theyÂ’ll love him but if he gets hurt or sucks it could go south

 

Josh will mash. I have no doubt, but there's a high likely hood he gets hurt. They should be used to that in Yankee land. IKF is Espinal who runs better, but has a worse bat. He has 2 career FWAR in 392 games.

[BTS]

Kiner-Falefa seems like the kind of guy who goes to NY and hits 25 HR out of nowhere.

[Dr. Dinger]

Confused about this deal from the Twins perspective. They gave up Garver for Kiner-Falafel only to flip him for Gary Sanchez, who they don’t even plan to keep, but meanwhile they are acquiring Sonny Gray. Which direction do they think they are going? Edited March 14, 2022 by BTS