It would be an understatement to say Brian Dozier has been on a tear since June.
Dozier has been hitting home runs at nearly record pace and as the Twins enter play Tuesday night he has a 22 game hitting streak – a career best. He’s been the lone bright spot in a dreadful Twins season, so he hasn’t really been able to enjoy it with the team’s struggles.
“It doesn’t really sit very well, I can tell you that,” Dozier told MLB.com. “It is what it is. I couldn’t care less, to be honest with you. We didn’t get enough of them today. So that’s pretty much it.”
Would Minnesota ever consider trading Dozier in an effort to rebuild the team?
Maybe.
In fact, the Pioneer Press’ Mike Berardino suggests the hotter Dozier’s bat is, the more likely the Twins may consider dealing him – noting that Dozier’s value may never be higher.
“True, he is under contract for two more seasons at the bargain rate of a combined $15 million. But that only makes him more valuable should the incoming baseball-operations administration choose to make him available to the open market.
And yes, he had a starring role in the 3 1/2-minute marketing video the Twins sent out to their sagging season-ticket base in recent days. But that only increases his appeal to teams seeking a popular, outgoing presence around which to build a marketing campaign.”
Another reason that Dozier could be a popular commodity during the post season is because this year’s free agent class seems to be pretty thin.
Call To The Bullpen says with only Yoenis Cespedes, Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo as power hitters on the free agent market, the Twins might be in position to land some top-notch prospects.
Obviously trading Dozier would be a tough pill to swallow for the organization and fans, but it also could help to lead the team out of the hole they are in.
The deciding factor might be who the Twins end up hiring to run the front office.
