Not just yet, says Jason Churchill of (Mariners) Prospect Insider, but there have been reports in the past 12 hours that either the Twins have offered both prospects to the Mariners, or that the Mariners have requested both players in exchange for Cliff Lee, and the Twins haven't said no.
There is, of course, a major difference between those two reports.
Just in case, however, let's review the backgrounds of both Aaron Hicks and Wilson Ramos, the two Twins' prospects that would almost certainly have to be involved in any trade that led Cliff Lee to Minnesota.
Hicks was a first-round pick (14th overall) by the Twins in the 2008 draft, and according to scouts at the time, would have been a first-round pick as either an outfielder or a pitcher. The Twins chose to let him hit and play centerfield, and thus far there is no reason to think it was the wrong decision. In fact, the biggest negative surrounding Hicks is that he has failed to live up to the tremendous expectations that he set after posting a .900 OPS in the Gulf Coast League immediately after signing as an 18-year-old in 2008. His performances since then include a .735 OPS as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League in his first full professional season (average league OPS that year was .702), despite being among the youngest players in the league, and this season's repeat performance at Beloit in which he's improved in every offensive category (including plate discipline) and raised his OPS to .779. Any disappointment with Hicks' development thus far is a product of the unrealistic expectations that were set for him after his debut season. Twins' fans would certainly rather see a career path closer to that of what Mike Trout is doing in the same league, but every prospect develops differently and Hicks is still very much the potential all-star outfielder he was when they drafted him. The big question for Hicks is whether or not the power develops (just 13 HR's in 842 minor league PA's), but scouts believe that it will as he fills out.
Ramos is on many fans' radar after he collected 7 hits in his first two major league games during an early-season cameo filling in for the injured Joe Mauer. The 22-year-old Ramos is the kind of prospect the Mariners are looking for - one that is close to the majors or could even be inserted into their lineup immediately. Many fans are quick to knock Ramos' prospect status this season, almost exclusively thanks to his .208 batting average. But Ramos is virtually the same hitter he was in his first 4 professional seasons. His line drive, fly ball, and ground ball rates are right in line with his career averages, as are his strikeout and walk rates. The difference? A .237 BABIP on the season that is around 90 points below his career average and 120 or so points below his previous lowest full-season average. When a BABIP dips like that in his first exposure to Triple-A pitching, the first assumption is that the advanced pitching exposed his weaknesses. This is a worthy assumption, and if true would almost certainly be reflected by a drop in line drives hit, and a spike in either ground balls or fly balls that don't go for home runs. Neither is the case for Ramos.
Even if this year's struggles can be chalked up to some bad luck, however, Ramos is far from a sure thing as a prospect. His walk rates, while along his career norm, are still very low. For his professional career, Ramos has walked just 82 times in 5 seasons, spanning over 1400 plate appearances and coinciding with 242 strikeouts. Without the power to compensate such free-swinging tendencies, Ramos will have to hit for a high average in the majors in order to avoid being an out-making machine. Whether or not he is able to adjust to major league pitching and curtail his tendency to hack away at the plate will ultimately determine his career path as a major leaguer, but his Mendoza Line-straddling batting average this year in Triple-A is no more a prediction than was his red-hot major league debut.
Are Hicks and Ramos enough of a return for Lee? Depends on what the Mariners are looking for. Ramos will be a major leaguer, but could be a potential all-star or a career backup. Hicks on the other hand, may never see Minnesota or Seattle. It's unlikely, but for a player in A-ball, it's always a possibility. He's would also be the most talented player involved in any of the Cliff Lee deals - more so than any of the quartet the Phillies sent to Cleveland or the trio they got back from Seattle. It is likely that Hicks will have a major league career to some extent (remember, if hitting fails he can still reach the mid-90's as a lefty on the mound), and has the potential to be a perennial all-star outfielder. If the package of Hicks and Ramos had been offered to the Phillies this off-season, they likely would have taken it over the one they got from Seattle (or at least they should have), so it certainly seems that this package is enough for a 3 month rental.
