Twins Sign Another Ex-Astro, D-Backs Busy

The Twins signed 1B/3B Mike Lamb today to a 2 year deal with an option for 2010 (not sure if it's player, club, or mutual). The deal is worth $6.5 million for the first two years, and I'm not sure about the option. Lamb is certainly an offensive improvement at 3B, but I've read that his defense is pretty poor. Anyways, this trade makes me even more worried that the Twins are going to try to compete in 2008 with Johan Santana, but this team is not nearly good enough to go into the season with Santana on the roster (unless he's re-signed, which I really don't think is going to happen). If Bill Smith does trade Santana for some young guys, then maybe he is actually trying to compete in 2008 as well as 2010, and is doing a pretty good job of it. I was skeptical about that comment at first, but now it seems it might actually be possible, though "competing" in 2008 would probably just be a .500 record, depending on the return for Santana.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been busy today, pulling off three trades, including a big deal for Oakland ace Dan Haren. Arizona sent 6 players- pitchers Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland, and Greg Smith, outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Aaron Cunningham, and 1B Chris Carter- to the A's in exchange for Haren and pitcher Connor Robertson. Gonzalez was rated as the #1 prospect in the D-Backs' organization by Baseball America just last week, while Anderson, Cunningham, and Carter were #3, #7, and #8, respectively. Eveland and Smith are also decent prospects. Robertson, the other player who went to the Diamondbacks, is 26 and has only thrown 2 major league innings in his career, but has put up decent numbers in his minor league career. The Diamondbacks also traded Jose Valverde to the Astros for Chris Burke, Chad Qualls, and Juan Gutierrez and sent second base prospect Alberto Callaspo to the Royals for pitcher Billy Buckner (good thing he doesn't play for the Red Sox!).

The Cubs have interest in Joe Nathan. Who could the Twins get? Carlos Marmol? Felix Pie? Those guys would be nice, but might be too much to ask.