Was it good or bad for both teams?
I think the Twins nailed this trade. Not only do they get a big-league reliever in Sergio Romo who could help them win now, but they get a potential big-time reliever down the road. Something I forgot to mention earlier, the Minnesota Twins also get one of my favorite players – PTBNL. Also known as player-to-be-named-later, the Twins will receive a third player, a minor-leaguer as part of the trade.
Not only do they get help now but they increase their pitching depth in the system. The Marlins on the other hand also made a smart move. Romo was always going to be a trade piece for the Miami Marlins. Giving him up had to have been the plan from the beginning being in rebuild mode. Giving up Vallimont has to be a little difficult. What makes it easier is landing a top 15 prospect for a prospect that, at his best, is a fringe top-prospect.
I truly think Diaz will work out very well for the Marlins down the road, and it could easily be sooner rather than later. With the Twins, he might be blocked for a few years depending on how things shake out with Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Alex Kirilloff, etc. Clearly, like me, the Marlins have taken notice of Diaz’s strong breakout year and think this upward trajectory is only the beginning.
As a Twins fan, I couldn’t be happier. Well, if we’re nitpicking, I wanted to see Lewin in a Twins uniform someday. They also need to make a couple of big splashes to have this year count for anything at all. Yet, to make a small step towards a better team now and in the future was a great move for the Minnesota Twins front office. If all works out, they could make the playoffs this year with Romo and have Vallimont be a nice piece in a couple of years down the road, or sooner.