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12-20-2013, 10:35 PM
Twins To Sign Kurt Suzuki
The Twins and free agent catcher Kurt Suzuki (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukku01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) are in agreement on a one-year deal, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The deal is pending a physical, which is scheduled to take place later today, she adds (Twitter (https://twitter.com/susanslusser/status/414056804545359872)*links (https://twitter.com/susanslusser/status/414057558530203648)). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Suzuki will have a $2.75MM base salary, and his contract contains incentives as well (Twitter link (https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/414059093876551681)). Suzuki is represented by the MVP Sports Group.
Originally drafted by the Athletics, Suzuki was traded from the A's to the Nationals in 2012. This past summer, he was traded from Washington back to Oakland. The 30-year-old batted .232/.290/.337 with five homers between Washington and Oakland. Suzuki has seen his power dip over the past two seasons, but he did average 14 homers per season from 2009-11.
Suzuki has thrown out 26 percent of opposing base stealers throughout his career, though that number fell to 12 percent in 2013. He was significantly better in 2012, when he picked off 30 percent of potential thieves. In 2013, he was above-average (http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8259&position=C#fielding) in blocking pitches, per Fangraphs, and was average (http://statcorner.com/CatcherReport.php) in terms of pitch-framing, per Matthew Carruth's report at StatCorner.
**w that concussion issues have forced Joe Mauer (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mauerjo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) to first base on a full-time basis, Suzuki will split time behind the dish with rookie Josmil Pinto (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pintojo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). The 25-year-old Pinto burst onto the scene in 2013 with a huge mi**r league line of .309/.400/.482 between Double-A and Triple-A. He followed that up with an even more impressive September cameo in the Majors, slashing .342/.398/.566 with four homers in 83 PAs. However, Pinto has been hampered by shoulder issues in Winter Ball and is **t considered a strong defender behind the plate yet, so Suzuki could see a significant amount of time in the Twins' lineup.
Minnesota recently traded one of its primary catching options (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/braves-acquire-ryan-doumit-for-sean-gilmartin.html), Ryan Doumit (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/doumiry01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com), to Atlanta in exchange for lefty Sean Gilmartin (http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi**rs/player.cgi?id=gilmar001sea&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). Though Suzuki doesn't hit as well as Doumit, he's a superior defender, which the Twins likely wanted to acquire given Pinto's inexperience and injury. In adding Suzuki, they've effectively upped their catcher defense in exchange for some offense while saving $750K.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?d=yIl2AUoC8zA (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?a=ncqGUay3oNA:5ccsIJe9YTY:yIl2AUoC8 zA)
The Twins and free agent catcher Kurt Suzuki (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukku01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) are in agreement on a one-year deal, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The deal is pending a physical, which is scheduled to take place later today, she adds (Twitter (https://twitter.com/susanslusser/status/414056804545359872)*links (https://twitter.com/susanslusser/status/414057558530203648)). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Suzuki will have a $2.75MM base salary, and his contract contains incentives as well (Twitter link (https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/414059093876551681)). Suzuki is represented by the MVP Sports Group.
Originally drafted by the Athletics, Suzuki was traded from the A's to the Nationals in 2012. This past summer, he was traded from Washington back to Oakland. The 30-year-old batted .232/.290/.337 with five homers between Washington and Oakland. Suzuki has seen his power dip over the past two seasons, but he did average 14 homers per season from 2009-11.
Suzuki has thrown out 26 percent of opposing base stealers throughout his career, though that number fell to 12 percent in 2013. He was significantly better in 2012, when he picked off 30 percent of potential thieves. In 2013, he was above-average (http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=8259&position=C#fielding) in blocking pitches, per Fangraphs, and was average (http://statcorner.com/CatcherReport.php) in terms of pitch-framing, per Matthew Carruth's report at StatCorner.
**w that concussion issues have forced Joe Mauer (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mauerjo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) to first base on a full-time basis, Suzuki will split time behind the dish with rookie Josmil Pinto (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pintojo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). The 25-year-old Pinto burst onto the scene in 2013 with a huge mi**r league line of .309/.400/.482 between Double-A and Triple-A. He followed that up with an even more impressive September cameo in the Majors, slashing .342/.398/.566 with four homers in 83 PAs. However, Pinto has been hampered by shoulder issues in Winter Ball and is **t considered a strong defender behind the plate yet, so Suzuki could see a significant amount of time in the Twins' lineup.
Minnesota recently traded one of its primary catching options (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/braves-acquire-ryan-doumit-for-sean-gilmartin.html), Ryan Doumit (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/doumiry01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com), to Atlanta in exchange for lefty Sean Gilmartin (http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi**rs/player.cgi?id=gilmar001sea&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). Though Suzuki doesn't hit as well as Doumit, he's a superior defender, which the Twins likely wanted to acquire given Pinto's inexperience and injury. In adding Suzuki, they've effectively upped their catcher defense in exchange for some offense while saving $750K.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?d=yIl2AUoC8zA (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?a=ncqGUay3oNA:5ccsIJe9YTY:yIl2AUoC8 zA)