MN Twins Earn Praise for One Prospect Return

When you blow up a team like Derek Falvey did to the Minnesota Twins yesterday, you’d certainly hope to get something in return. Carlos Correa was parted out in a salary dump, and that was probably the overall goal for the Pohlad’s.

Not every move was done with such disregard for baseball competitiveness though. The MN Twins swung a couple of deals that should have impact down the road.

Ultimately it seemed like the overall return was light for what they gave up. When it came to Eduardo Tait though, they got the second best player moved at the deadline.

Eduardo Tait highlights Minnesota Twins deadline haul

The Minnesota Twins got 13 players back for the 11 that they traded. Each has a differing level of value, but it is Eduardo Tait who paces the group. Acquired alongside Mick Abel for Jhoan Duran, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel called him the second best piece acquired.

“Tait is an electrifying prospect with massive raw tools from the enticing demographic of an 18-year-old lefty-hitting catcher. He has some of the biggest raw power in the entire minor leagues, even if you don’t adjust for his age. He hit a ball 116.2 mph this season; the average max velo for an 18-year-old minor leaguer is between 103 and 106 mph, depending on how you’re qualifying it. And yes, that 116.2 mph rocket was hit 424 feet to the pull side, exiting the entire stadium. Tait has a solid feel for bat-to-ball, but there’s a concerning amount of chase, which is in keeping with the power-based, high-effort pull-and-lift approach.

Beyond that, Tait has plus-plus arm strength behind the plate, posting some insane pop times in games but also rushing and losing his mechanics at other times, so his caught-stealing numbers are merely good instead of great. The subtle art of framing is another area where Tait excels — particularly at the top of the zone — but his ball blocking and agility suffer as he often can sell out to frame a pitch or set up for a throw to second.

I can see a scenario in which his raw tools carry the profile and he doesn’t improve much more, with a career similar to that of Gary Sanchez. Or Tait could really take a step forward and be a future 30- to 40-homer stalwart who also is a solid catcher — that is to say, a potential star.”

Kiley McDaniel – ESPN

Tait was a good get, and coming in second (among 97 prospects that were traded) to the 3rd overall prospect in baseball (Leo De Vries) is not a bad place to be. He’s just 18 years old and there is a lot of exciting projectability. Minnesota has shown an inability to develop hitters, and this is where it needs to change.

The Panamanian played for the Phillies in the All-Star Futures Game this season. Recently promoted to High-A, Tait had 75 games in Single-A where he batted .251/.322/.436. He hit 11 home runs but also carried a 64/30 K/BB.

There is plenty to refine at the dish. Command of the strike zone is a must, and that’s not new for most young hitters. Behind the plate too, Tait will need to develop tools beyond just pitch framing, which will be somewhat neutralized by the incoming ABS challenge system.

Related: What to Make of the Craziest Trade Deadline in Minnesota Twins History

Prospects are exciting, but the ambiguity of their outcomes makes the process difficult to master. Minnesota needs to make sure they get this one right.

Opinions differ on the MN Twins deals

While Tait was the second-best prospect to be moved, that doesn’t mean the Minnesota Twins did well overall. For the most part, the returns felt a bit underwhelming. The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbit ranked the Twins amongst his “losers.”

“Well, they sure incinerated that roster…The Twins acquired talented prospects, but it’s not yet time to celebrate organizational depth.”

Stephen Nesbitt – The Athletic

Former general manager Jim Bowden, who also writes at The Athletic, gave the team a “B” grade for selling. The positioning of it should not sit well with fans, however.

“They were able to shed a lot of payroll while also adding significant talent to the farm system, which sets the organization up for future success and its eventual sale.”

Jim Bowden – The Athletic

Both Bradford Doolittle and Alden Gonzalez called it fake news that the MN Twins made their future better at the deadline. Doolittle said, “I don’t know — it looks to me like a case of moving things around and not necessarily ending up in a better place.” Gonzalez followed it up well suggesting, “This was a bad day for Twins fans. Painting it any other way would be a disservice.”

Related: Confirmed: Cheap Pohlads Ordered MN Twins’ Deadline Demolition

Maybe Tait becomes a cornerstone star in the future. Right now though, it’s pretty hard for Twins fans to pick up the pieces. Assuredly though, that’s what Derek Falvey and the Pohlad’s will sell as the logical step forward.