When Justin Morneau was first talked about as a trade possibility, the Dodgers were immediately connected. The Dodgers are in contention, but they’ve gotten a .661 OPS out of first base, which isn’t nearly good enough. Could the Dodgers, with their deep pockets and their positional need, figure out a way to land Morneau from Minnesota?
Dodgers No Longer A Possibility For Justin Morneau?
Well maybe not:
#Dodgers no longer a fit for Morneau. They sent their only suitable young starter, Nate Eovaldi, to #Marlins in Hanley Ramirez trade.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2012
The Twins supposedly want starting pitching in return for Morneau. Eovaldi was the Dodgers’ most available young starting pitcher, and he’s gone. Here’s the weird thing: Morneau is due $14 million in 2013. He owns a .780 OPS with a 2012 FanGraphs WAR of 0.6. How demanding can the Twins really be? Shouldn’t it be a high priority to just shed Morneau’s salary, given his modest production?
If the Twins are going to stick to their starting-pitcher demand, then perhaps the Dodgers aren’t a fit anymore. But perhaps the Twins’ demands could change, perhaps the Dodgers could build a package around a different starting pitcher, or perhaps the Dodgers could work out a three-way trade. It’s amazing the amount of things that are possible, as very few things are impossible.
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