Is There Anything Left For Kansas City?

In a flurry of moves before the August 31st waiver trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins have quietly been putting together a curious ten day stretch.  Monday August 15th the Twins traded Delmon Young to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for prospect LHP Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.  Just ten days later on Thursday August 25th the Twins swapped the newest member of the 600 home run club, Jim Thome, in exchange for a player to be named later.  News also broke on Thursday August 25th that the Chicago White Sox put in a waiver claim for OF/DH Jason Kubel.  Just an FYI, the American League Central is comprised of the 1st Place Detroit Tigers, 2nd Place Cleveland Indians, 3rd Place Chicago White Sox, 4th Place Minnesota Twins, and 5th Place Kansas City Royals.  Kansas City must really feel left out right about now. 

Just a quick aside, I’m not exactly sure why there is such hysteria on August 1st once the non-waiver trade deadline has passed when your favorite contending team has failed to pick up a big-time rental player.  Why not reach a compromise and make the firm waiver/non-waiver trade deadline August 15th?  Word has recently broke that Heath Bell was claimed on waivers by the San Francisco giants with flamboyant closer Brian Wilson (and his beard) going on the disabled list on Sunday.  Are you going to tell me that’s not a big time transaction? Chicago White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams could be the driving force behind abolishing the waiver trade deadline especially with outright claims such as Alex Rios in 2009 and Manny Ramirez in 2010, what an avoidable waste of money!

It is precedent in Major League Baseball that the last trade you want to make is one with a team in your division.  So far the return for the two confirmed trades: a Class A Advanced south-paw prospect and two players to be named later.  With Target Field having opened just last season, this flurry of moves may have come out of necessity.  In a very small market, a team such as the Minnesota Twins needs to develop players and make smart transactions to be successful.  The Twins have been one of the best teams in baseball at doing the abovementioned so it seems even more peculiar to me that they would unload so many potentially impactful bats within their own division.

The Twins have operated well enough over the past decade to receive the benefit of the doubt, but I am going to make a brash assumption that the Twins believe the salary relief they are being provided by unloading these players would be more beneficial financially than having these three players in the line-up regularly to draw attendance.  I admit Thome has picked his play up as of late, but it is no coincidence that the Twins waited until his 600th home run before they traded him.

It seems all but certain to me that the Tigers have the AL Central locked up, but tell that to the 2009 Twins who overcame a three game lead with four to play forcing their way to a one game playoff and an eventual playoff berth.  The White Sox might be hoping for more of the same with the addition of a Twins player who had a key part in making this catastrophic meltdown a reality.