It’s been rumored that the Twins have offered prospects Wilson Ramos (C) and Aaron Hicks (OF) to the Mariners for ace Cliff Lee. If a deal in going to be worked out, it could happen soon.
This would be a solid start, as the Mariners are going to want more for Lee.
Ramos is the Twins top prospect, but is blocked by Joe Mauer. He’s seen a little MLB time this season, but there is no place for him in the future. I had him ranked 39th on my pre-season Top 100 prospects. He’s played well enough to move up on the list though. He’s what I said in March:
Ramos is one of the under the radar catching prospects. He’s got raw power that should translate to actual power. He makes good contact and has decent speed (for a catcher). He does need to work on his walk and strikeout rates. He’s also solid defensively and shouldn’t move from behind the plate.
Hicks is right there with Ramos in terms of potential. I ranked him 33rd in the pre-season, but he’s probably behind Ramos; that’s not because of his playing though. Here is my pre-season thoughts:
Many scouts like Hicks’ arm when he was drafted, but the Twins gave him a shot in the outfield. His debut was pretty good. Last year was his first full season in the minors and he didn’t do bad. He’s very patient, which is great for a player of his age (19). He’s projected to have good power and good speed. In the field, he’s just as good; his arm is strong and his speed allows him to cover a lot of ground.
To get this deal done, they’ll probably have to consider adding 1 more low level prospect, someone like Chris Parmelee would fit the bill. He’s a 1B/DH type, which the Mariners could use. He ranked 10th for the Twins in my rankings:
There is no question about Parmelee’s power; he can rake. He’s also very patient and will take a walk. It’s the remaining areas of his game that concern scouts. He can’t field very well, so he’s a DH in the making. If he can keep his power numbers up, he could move Jason Kubel back to the outfield by the end of the year.
Lee would be huge for the Twins. They need a true ace, which would take the pressure of Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano. It would also bump Nick Blackburn and his 6.00 ERA out of the rotation. It’d also give them the best rotation in the Central and would make them favorites.
