The All-Star break brings about my favorite time of year – trade rumor time – and I’m a junkie for trade rumors.  With the Minnesota Twins sitting 11 games back in the American League Central Division, it’s somewhat safe to call them sellers.  I say somewhat because I’ve been a Twins fan long enough to know you never count the Twins out, but with the starting rotation in ruins, this team isn’t capable of making a run like the Twins of 2009.  With that said, here’s a list of trades the Twins should consider.

Francisco Liriano

Liriano has to go.  He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year, and the Twins will not be offering him a contract.  I don’t care how well he pitches until July 31, he’s been enough of a headache for Rick Anderson and Ron Gardenhire, and isn’t worth the hassle or the money he’ll get in free agency, so we might as well get something for him while we can.  There’s speculation that the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees are interested in Liriano.  Toronto would rather trade for someone locked up for multiple years like Wandy Rodriguez, but the Braves have had a scout at Liriano’s last two starts.  If Liriano throws like he has recently (2.74 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 24 walks in 49 1/3 innings in last eight starts) he should bring a hefty hull of young pitching talent.  It would take at least 3 or 4 prospects for me to part with Liriano, but they could be anywhere from A ball to AAA and have high to moderate upside.

Denard Span

I was ready to deal Span to the Nationals last season.  Ben Revere has shown he’s a better hitter (.320/.355/.369 to Span’s .274/.340/.381 clip) and defender than Span (1.000 to Span’s .995), despite his weak arm.  Frankly, I’d be happy to see Darin Mastroianni roam right field.  He can hit effectively behind Revere (.269/.355/.358) and is a terror on the bases.  I’d expect at least one sure-fire top of the rotation starter that’s nearly ready for the bigs out of this trade.

Justin Morneau

If Morneau continues to hit lefties like he has the past few days, his value will continue to climb.  By the end of July, he could be worth quite a bit to a team looking for a lefty bat, though the Twins will probably have to pay some of the salary due to him this year and next.  I’d have no problem paying Morneau half his salary to play somewhere else.  He’s a walking injury and might retire after the season if he doesn’t feel like he’s effective.  To put it in perspective, Ryan Doumit is hitting 40 points higher than Morneau and has put up a better on base percentage and slugging percentage.  Plus, we’ll need to make room for Mauer to play first next season, though I’d love to see him play third.  Toronto has expressed interest in Morneau, and I think that’s a nice fit for him since he’s from Canada, and he’s sure to see good pitches to hit in that lineup.  For Morneau, a mix of prospects that can start and relieve would make me more than happy.

Matt Capps

I never wanted him in the first place, but I think Terry Ryan should be proud of signing him and creating some value for the club.  Capps, if he retains his effectiveness after returning from injury, should draw a lot of interest.  He’s an effective closer, though I wouldn’t want him on the hill against the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, or Rangers late in a playoff game.  I expect him to move to the National League, and perhaps work as a setup man.  In return for Capps I’d be happy with a few hard-throwing relievers in AAA or AA or an iffy middle of the rotation type starter.

Jared Burton or Glen Perkins

I don’t know that I would move either of these guys, but I have to applaud Terry Ryan for signing Burton and Gardy for using him sparingly.  Perkins may have more value despite his recent disaster in Texas just because of his team friendly contract.  He’s signed through 2015 and is making roughly $3.5 million per year, but I would move Burton first only because he may never be worth this much ever again.  Getting another starting prospect out of a minor league deal on Burton would make Terry Ryan a miracle worker.

So here’s my post-trade-deadline lineup and pitching staff:

1. Ben Revere (CF)
2. Darin Mastroianni (RF)
3. Joe Mauer (C/DH/1B)
4. Josh Willingham (LF)
5. Ryan Doumit (C/DH)
6. Trevor Plouffe (3B)
7. Chris Parmelee (1B/DH)
8. Brian Dozier (SS)
9. Jamey Carroll (2B)

Bench:

• Alexi Casilla (2B)
• Drew Butera (C)
• Danny Valencia (3B)
• Matt Carson (OF)

Starting Pitchers

1. Carl Pavano
2. Scott Diamond
3. Brian Duensing
4. Cole De Vries
5. Nick Blackburn

Relievers

• Anthony Swarzak (Long Relief)
• Jeff Gray
• Samuel Deduno
• Casey Fien
• Kyle Waldrop
• Alex Burnett (Setup)
• Glen Perkins (Closer)

I know the pitching staff is uglier than it is now, but Twins fans better be ready for another long season.  Keep in mind this is considering the Twins receive no MLB-ready players in return for the trades, so those prospects will hang out in the minors for a while.  The future will be bright if all or some of these moves are made, and it’s safe to say the current roster isn’t going to get it done.  If you fast forward to next year, though, Kyle Gibson is throwing for the first time after Tommy John surgery, so that’s good, and there are tons of good starters hitting free agency at the end of the season.  I’d love to see Brandon McCarthy in a Twins uniform.