Minnesota Twins: A deep dive on the Sergio Romo trade
The Minnesota Twins executed a trade to acquire major-league pitcher Sergio Romo and minor league pitcher Chris Vallimont from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Lewin Diaz.
Sergio Romo
Let’s be honest with ourselves to start this thing off – he’s not the pitcher we were all hoping for. That said, he is a very solid reliever and has an outstanding track record of success at the highest level. Romo has a 3.58 ERA so far this season and though he’s not having an outrageously successful year, he has pitched very well. He’s an upgrade over the Minnesota Twins relievers that were here to start the year save Taylor Rogers.
Romo has also had ample time as a closer throughout his long 12-year career in the majors. With 126 career saves, it’s plausible to think Romo could lock down games for the Twins when needed. Though Taylor Rogers has, for the most part, been dominant this year, it would be nice to bring the lefty in during the highest of leverage situations.
If not closing down games for the Twins, he would be a solid piece just about anywhere out of the bullpen. Romo has a career 2.91 ERA, that is the type of experienced pitcher that should work well for the Minnesota Twins. With such a long career and clear track record of success, slotting a truly professional pitcher into the bullpen should be quite easy. Though not quite the “catch” the Twins were hoping for, this Marlin turned Twin should help the club.
Lewin Diaz
First off, I want to start by saying that I’m very happy for Lewin Diaz. The ups and downs have been undeniable for the young first baseman. Injuries have also played a role in his struggles throughout his minor league career. MLB.com has him as the 30th rated prospect in the Twins system. I recently put together a prospect profile on Diaz and said that him being off the top 30 list wouldn’t last long. Though, it doesn’t stop there.
Frankly, I think Diaz should’ve been in the top 15 for the Minnesota Twins. He has been one of the best bats this year throughout the entire organization and has mashed all year long. With a .294 batting average on the year and 19 homers, Diaz has been a fantastic player for any lineup he’s been a part of this year.
His strikeout rate isn’t as high as you’d think for the power shown this year. He’s not a home run or bust type of hitter. Lewin has 27 doubles and a couple of triples to go along with the 19 homers on the year. Diaz is a boom or bust prospect that seems to be hitting his stride and is well on his way to the MLB. Lewin jumped up to 21 in Marlins top prospects system following the move.
Chris Vallimont
I haven’t had much time to look at Vallimont and only am only able to go off statistics and his prospect tools. Vallimont was rated 23rd in the Marlins system and gets pushed to 29th in the Minnesota Twins farm system. He is a solid starting pitching prospect that has the velocity to be a middle of the rotation type of guy at the next level.
While his fastball rating is 60, he has a solid slider as well that gets rated a 55. Though Vallimont is a starting pitcher, he might be tailor-made to come out of the bullpen when he gets to the major-league level. The Twins are currently trying that with a few rookies but I believe a couple of them should be starters. Chris, on the other hand, can reach back for the upper 90s when needed that should play well in a relief situation.
Vallimont was a great find for the Twins who need more depth in the system on the mound. With a few control issues to go along with his great fastball and slider, he could be a bit of a work in progress. Ending his stint with the Marlins at Advanced-A ball, I would fully expect Chris to head to Fort Myers or even Pensacola to start his Twins career. He could be on the fast track if a move to the pen is expected.
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.
Next. Twins bats asleep against White Sox. dark
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.