Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Twins have traded catcher Ryan Doumit to the Atlanta Braves for left-handed pitching prospect Sean Gilmartin. Some fans in Minnesota may question why the organization would trade a solid asset on offense for an unproven pitcher. However, this is definitely a win-win for the Twins.
Atlanta will take on all of Doumit’s $3.5 million salary for the 2014 Major League Baseball season. That means Minnesota not only cleared up a roster spot but also dumped salary, which could be very beneficial if they still intend to go after a top-notch pitcher in free agency.
On top of that, Gilmartin is someone that has shown some potential here and there. The fact is there’s no reason to believe he can’t pan out at some point. It may take a couple more years until he has a shot at the majors, but he definitely could turn out to be a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher for a Twins team that could use it when the time’s right.
The 23-year-old is considered to be one of the top prospects in the Braves’ farm system. He struggled mightily across three levels in 2013, but he had some success in years past. This past season, he posted a 4-8 record with a 5.06 earned run average, 81 strikeouts, 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.45 strikeouts per walk in 21 games (20 starts). His fastball is said to have good movement, which he combines with an above-average slider and changeup.
Minnesota essentially got a solid piece in return for a player they desperately wanted to move anyways. I would say that’s a great job by management on both sides.
