Antony discusses possible moves ahead of Trade Deadline

MINNEAPOLIS — With one week until the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, Twins interim general manager Rob Antony knows how important this week could be for the future of the franchise and his potential to remain the club’s full-time GM.

Antony, named the interim GM when Terry Ryan unexpectedly stepped down on July 18, has full discretion to make trades. Antony has been with the organization since 1987, serving in a variety of roles, including one as Ryan’s right-hand man as an assistant general manager since 2007. Despite the fact that the Twins are mired in last place in the American League, he was just as surprised as everyone else when Ryan stepped down once he was informed by owner Jim Pohlad he would not return as GM next year.

So while Antony is a disciple of Ryan, he doesn’t share the same extensive background in scouting, and he is more open to analytics, as the Twins have built their own internal database with the help of their analytics department led by Jack Goin. Antony has said he’ll use advanced statistics as the first tool to evaluate players before relying on the club’s scouts.

Antony spoke with MLB.com during Minnesota’s series in Boston for a question-and-answer session on a wide range of subjects, including his thoughts on the upcoming Trade Deadline, the likelihood of Ervin Santana being moved, when he believes the Twins can compete again and his views on sabermetrics.

MLB.com: It’s a big week for you and the organization. What’s it been like so far? And what are you anticipating?

Antony: It’s been busy. In kind of an awkward way, it’s been an opening for people to call me and wish me luck, and then segue into what they might have interest in our club, and vice versa. There’s been a lot of conversation, but sometimes it takes a while for things to come to fruition. We’ll continue to talk and discuss and stay in touch with our people and determine what we would need back. But we have a game plan of what we’d like to accomplish and what we’d like to acquire. We just have to see if we can get something done.

MLB.com: How tough is it to straddle the line between being aggressive and making a deal just to make a deal?

Antony: You don’t want to make a deal just to make a deal. Sometimes you make a deal just to shake things up, but we’re not at that point right now. If we can leverage our assets of some people who might not figure in long-term with us, I’ll listen …

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