While Denard Span’s trade was almost a foregone conclusion, the Twins pulled off a bit of a shocker by trading former 1st round pick, Ben Revere, to the Philladephia Phillies for right-handed starting pitcher, Vance Worley, and top minor league pitching prospect, Trevor May.
The Twins have stockpiled such tremendous center field depth over the years, that it almost seems like they were starving the rest of the big leagues until the moment was right to unload some assets and replenish the system.
Ben Revere had been blocked for years by Span, and it was widely assumed he would finally take over in center field this season. Instead, the Twins sent him to the Phillies for a take arguably much greater than what they got for Span. But perhaps Revere was the top trade chip all along, with a young player’s contract still under $1 million per season, highlight-reel defense, and a .294 batting average and 40 stolen bases in 2012.
Now, with both Span and Revere gone, they team may somewhat prematurely turn the reins over to yet another former 1st round, Aaron Hicks. Hicks is an outstanding defensive player, compared to Torii Hunter but with a better arm. His offense is also thought to be comparable, as a guy that could possibly hit 20-25 home runs in the future, as well as stealing 20-30 bases per season. His problem has been strikeouts and plate discipline, with at least 110 strikeouts in each of the past three minor league seasons.
Hicks has yet to play above AA, and the Twins typically don’t promote a prospect without at least some time and success in AAA. To help bridge the gap, the Twins also have Darin Mastroianni, who was unassumingly one of the team’s best acquisitions in 2012. Mastroianni can play good defense in center, and is very similar to Reverve in terms of stolen bases and on-base percentage. In only 77 games last season, he stole 21 bases and was only caught three times. At one point, he stole a whopping 70 bases in the minor leagues, and plays an aggressive Twins-style of baseball.
Adding to the outfield depth is Joe Benson, who was a top outfield prospect until floundering in 2012. Before this past season, he hit .285 with 16 home runs in AA, and is still considered a prospect who could turn things around in 2013. Although projected more as a right fielder, he has the athleticism to play center if all else fails.
As shocking as it may seem that the Twins gave up a young talent like Revere, his value may have been at its ceiling given the current scramble for center fielders around major league baseball. The Phillies had missed out on several overpriced free-agent options, and Revere fit in perfectly while giving them some unexpected payroll flexibility.
This deal would not have been made if the Phillies weren’t willing to part with top pitching, and they did just that. Vance Worley had an ok season in 2012 while battling injuries, but was lights-out during his rookie season in 2011, with a 11-3 record and 3.01 ERA in 21 starts. He’s a solid, young starter that is now arguably the Twins top big league starter coming into 2013.
Additionally, the Phillies gave up right hander starter, Trevor May, who has been consistently ranked as the Phillies #1 or 2 prospect over the past two seasons. May hasn’t yet pitched above AA, and has battled control issues, but has a stellar 647 strikeouts and .226 opponents batting average over 525.1 minor league innings. If he can better harness his control, May projects to be a true top-of-the-rotation power arm.
So suddenly, over the course of a week, the Twins has injected a shot of top-talent pitching that should give them a chance in 2013-14. Now, with around $30 million in payroll flexibility, the team will be looking more short-term and immediate to compete in 2013.
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