The talk around moving Brian Dozier has seemingly coincided not only with his heating up, but also the incidental cooling of the Minnesota Twins. For instance, in Dozier’s last 18 games, he’s got 12 home runs and a triple-slash of .346/.400/.859, and the Twins are just 2-16 in that stretch.
Add to that the fact that the Twins at least appear to have a ready-made replacement at second base in Jorge Polanco (though he’s looked better at short lately), and that Dozier a. turns 30 next year and b. only has two years of contract control left, and it’s easy to see why fans and analysts alike are dreaming what kind of a return their increasingly valuable second baseman might bring to a team that desperately needs help in other parts of the roster.
That’s where you come in.
Flash forward to this winter, and you’re in the GM chair in the executive offices at Target Field. Other teams’ GMs are calling you making offers on your prized second baseman.
What would it take for you to part with Dozier?
The popular answer is a No. 1-2 starting pitcher, and that makes a ton of sense considering the Twins have the worst rotation ERA in baseball.
Another possible answer would be a starting catcher. That’s also a good answer, as Kurt Suzuki’s deal is up at the end of the season, and Twins catchers on the whole have hit a collective .260/.301/.389 this year. There’s certainly room for improvement — especially defensively.
That doesn’t mean those are the only answers. Certainly another outfielder could be on your wish list, or maybe even a shortstop if you want to effectively hedge against Nick Gordon not panning out. The only wrong answer is no answer, and we’d like to foster some discussion.
Furthermore, if you are targeting a starting pitcher, who?
Some who come to mind include:
Kevin Gausman
A healthy Zack Wheeler (this does not exist)
Julio Teheran
Jose Quintana
Chris Archer
…..and there are countless other options. If you’re moving Dozier, who are you targeting?
Please continue discussion in the comments below!
