Seeking outfield help, Twins acquire Monroe

[Outdoors Junkie]

Associated Press

Updated: November 13, 2007, 1:34 PM ET

 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins acquired outfielder Craig Monroe from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday for a player to be named later.

Monroe, 30, batted .219 with 12 homers and 59 RBI in time split between Detroit and the Cubs.

The Twins have been seeking outfield help, a need that may grow if center fielder Torii Hunter leaves through free agency.

[Outdoors Junkie]

Twins acquire Monroe from Cubs
Minnesota kicks off offseason with trade for outfielder
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com 


MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins made their first acquisition of the offseason on Tuesday, completing a trade with the Cubs for outfielder Craig Monroe in exchange for a player to be named later.
After helping the Tigers to the World Series in 2006 by hitting 28 home runs during the regular season and five more in the postseason, Monroe saw his production level off in '07. He was designated for assignment by Detroit in August after hitting just .222 with 11 home runs.

The Cubs then acquired Monroe in a trade with Detroit on Aug. 23. He hit .204 with one home run in 23 games for Chicago.

Adding Monroe gives the Twins another option in left field and is the club's first attempt to help strengthen their offense. Despite his struggles last season, Monroe has fared well against the Twins, batting .322 with 13 home runs in 283 career at-bats vs. Minnesota. He holds a career .304 batting average at the Metrodome in 35 games.

The trade comes as a bit of a surprise, considering that many baseball insiders viewed Monroe as a non-tender candidate. Monroe, 30, made $4.8 million last season and he is arbitration-eligible again this season. Had Monroe been non-tendered by the deadline in December, the Twins then could have bid on him as a free agent in a market already saturated with outfielders.

[Spinach]

Great job by Minnesota in getting this guy, i like this trade.

[Outdoors Junkie]

He has always killed the Twins.  Hopefully, he bounces back from the off year.