Should Brian Dozier be dealt?

Recently, reports have come out that the Twins would need to be “wowed” by an offer to move All Star 2nd Baseman Brian Dozier. There has been no shortage of analysts who have said that the Twins are right for demanding such a high premium, and some have even gone so far as to say that the Twins shouldn’t be looking to move Dozier. On their own, those statements aren’t inherently false, but at the same time, I would be disappointed if the Twins didn’t move him.

First, the Twins shouldn’t urgently be looking to trade Dozier. If teams are under the impression that Dozier isn’t being shopped, that will drive his price higher. The Twins have already said that they would need to be “wowed”to move him, which indicates that, internally, Minnesota has placed a high price tag on the second baseman. On the surface, there is a lot of intrinsic value in a competent fielding middle infielder who has recently hit 42 home runs, especially one who has 2 years left on an inexpensive deal. I’m on board with this line of thinking.

At the same time, Dozier’s value will never be higher. The Twins should be wowed by the package that teams offer for him. They also should trade make sure to trade him this off-season. His value is lost on the Twins. Unfortunately, without pitching, the Twins aren’t going anywhere in the next two years. No matter how many wins Dozier provides, they won’t be enough to push Minnesota over the top, and then he would be lost with nothing to show for it when his contract expires. If he signs an extension, he will not be the same player he is now.

The Falvey/Levine Machine is walking a delicate line, because with Dozier’s popularity and what he brings to the table as a player, they can’t just give him away. At the same time, no matter what he does in 2017, they won’t get better offers for him next year or even this summer. The front office should come away from this off-season with a Brian Dozier trade, but they need to ensure whatever deal is made was the best return they possibly could get.  How this situation is handled is the first true test of the new era in the Twins front office, and should give us some insight as to how we can expect things to go for the next few years.