The Best Player the Twins Could Acquire at the Trade Deadline

[Matthew Taylor]

The Minnesota Twins are in need of hitting help and could consider using the trade market to bring in some help. One player stands above the rest in regards to a target this July.

Image courtesy of Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Several interesting names figure to be available on the trade deadline, names that will be covered extensively by Twins Daily throughout the month of July. But the player who would make the biggest impact to this Twins team is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

The Minnesota Twins have struggled at the plate all season. They rank 20th in baseball in both OPS and runs scored. With a pitching staff that has been outstanding all season, it has been their hitting that has kept the Twins from running away with the American League Central. 

Enter Paul Goldschmidt.

Paul Goldschmidt is quietly having yet another outstanding season at first base for the St. Louis Cardinals. Through 329 plate appearances, Goldy is slashing .287/.377/.493 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI. Goldschmidt ranks in the 95th percentile in both average exit velocity and hard hit percentage. Additionally, the right-hander is great at handling the strike zone, with a K% of just 21.6 and an excellent chase rate of just 24.3%. 

Goldschmidt’s bat would fit perfect with the Twins for a few reasons. First of all, as a right-handed hitter the reigning NL MVP would help the Twins immensely with their struggles against left-handed pitchers. On the season, the Twins rank second-to-last in all of baseball against southpaws. While Goldschmidt has actually hit better against right handers this year, over the course of his career he has proven that he is much better against southpaws. Over his 13-year career, Goldy owns a 1.032 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Adding that right-handed bat into this lineup, especially against lefties, would be a total game changer.

Another reason that Goldschmidt would be the best possible addition for the Twins at the trade deadline is that he would fit perfectly into the Twins’ lineup. With Goldschmidt playing first base, the Twins would be able to move Alex Kirilloff to left field (or right field depending on what the Twins do with Max Kepler). Left field has been the worst position for the Minnesota Twins this season, receiving a lowly .596 OPS from the position this season, worst in the majors. By adding Goldy, the Twins would upgrade their first base position as well as left field, and would be able to move on from a struggling Joey Gallo.

Finally, Paul Goldschmidt would be an excellent addition to the Minnesota Twins because he is a darn good baseball player. The slugger has produced an above average OPS+ in every single season of his career and never posted an OPS lower than .821 in a full season. While Goldy is already 35-years-old, he is showing no signs of slowing down as he is coming off of an MVP season in 2022 and is continuing to hit at his career rates.

With the St. Louis Cardinals mired in a season-long slump, they just might consider trading away their all-star first baseman. Currently, the Cardinals are last in the National League Central with a 31-45 record and stand more than 11 games back of a playoff spot. Goldy is owed $22M this year and next year before becoming a free agent in 2024 and the Cardinals may be looking to recoup whatever assets they can get as they begin a new rebuild.

The question that the Minnesota Twins will be asking themselves over the next handful of weeks is “should we be trading away future assets for a team that may or may not be destined for greatness?” The answer to that might be no, but there’s also a decent argument that if you can make the playoffs (no matter how poor your division), you should construct the best roster possible because anything can happen in the postseason. And for the Twins to construct the best possible roster, a trade for Paul Goldschmidt would be a great first step.

Do you agree that Paul Goldschmidt would be the best addition that the Twins could make at the trade deadline? Leave a comment below and start the conversation.

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[Karbo]

Depends on the cost. Twins have traded away a lot of their young assets recently, and with the way the team is playing this year I would be cautious about losing high quality prospects, and I would guess that's what it would take.

[DJL44]

This team is not one player away from a championship. They should be shopping the clearance aisle, not the window display.

[USAFChief]

I'm in.

[Parfigliano]

5 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

This team is not one player away from a championship. They should be shopping the clearance aisle, not the window display.

They shouldnt be shopping at all.

[Major League Ready]

Time to invest in the future rather than throw away future assets on a short term run for a very mediocre team.  Get Wallner and Larnach up here and invest in the development of long-term assets.  Give Winder and Balazovic a shot too.

[DJL44]

9 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

They shouldnt be shopping at all.

They have some minor leaguers who they probably won't protect next December that other teams may be interested in. If they don't shop those players at the trade deadline the alternative is giving them away for nothing.

[LastOnePicked]

Sadly, we know exactly how a Goldschmidt trade would go, though. He'd get his ankle crushed by a freak collision at 1B in his first inning in the field. The prospects the Twins lost would go on to become stud rookie All-Star candidates in 2024. No thank you. This FO has angered the gods - we've already gotten too much proof.

[weitz41]

29 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

This team is not one player away from a championship. They should be shopping the clearance aisle, not the window display.

100% agree with this. Maybe a middle reliever or a depth piece. A big and costly addition seems like a waste at this point. If suddenly they start playing a lot better overall, then maybe. 1 player won't fix the team that played yesterday. 

[Riverbrian]

For those who are waiting to be better before trying to get better. 

Our pitching staff is pretty dang good. 

Getting them some offensive breathing room is a good idea. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Major League Ready]

35 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

They have some minor leaguers who they probably won't protect next December that other teams may be interested in. If they don't shop those players at the trade deadline the alternative is giving them away for nothing.

Who are you thinking they can't protect?  There are 7 players with expiring contracts.  Plus, Celestino, Sands, and Henriquez could come off and be not much of a loss.  There just are not that many players that need to be added next year that I see this being a problem.  I guess you could trade the three I mentioned but that would not bring back anything that would make a difference.

[TwinsDr2021]

He is signed for another 1 1/2 at around 39 million. So IMO it would take somebody like Larnach/Miranda and probably a pretty decent prospect, unless the Cards start picking up Money, then it will cost more.

I personally don't see the Twins doing that, I am kind of done with Larnach so if it was him and Martin. I would say do it.

He is the type of player that completely changes a line up for the better and if you can get him for assets you don't believe will help in the future you do it.

I don't see a Twins team that has Wallner and Larnach as starters, so IMO one can and should go to upgrade some place else.

[DJL44]

2 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Who are you thinking they can't protect?  

The list is Camargo, Bechtold, Severino, Prato, Williams, Laweryson, Funderburk, Schulfer, Scherff, Kiersey, Soularie, Peguero, Grace & Hidalgo. I don't know if they want to protect any of those guys.

[CRF]

Not gonna happen. 

[Major League Ready]

25 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The list is Camargo, Bechtold, Severino, Prato, Williams, Laweryson, Funderburk, Schulfer, Scherff, Kiersey, Soularie, Peguero, Grace & Hidalgo. I don't know if they want to protect any of those guys.

I see four guys that need to be protected for sure.  Camargo, Severino, Prato, Soularie.  Maybe Kiersey too given the position he plays.  They could protect 2-3 others.  Take your choice.  If you could pick up a BP arm for one of the others that would be great.  I don't see any of the others bringing an impact bat.

[roger]

Seems you believe a major reason for going out and getting Goldschmidt is because he is a right handed bat.  Have a better answer, go out and get two of who many believe are are amongst the best players in baseball and they hit right handed.  Who?  Buxton and Correa.  If they start playing like expected, you won't need a big right handed bat.  If they don't, one more bat won't make a difference.

[DJL44]

Just now, Major League Ready said:

I see four guys that need to be protected for sure.  Camargo, Severino, Prato, Soularie.  Maybe Kiersey too given the position he plays.  They could protect 2-3 others.  Take your choice.  If you could pick up a BP arm for one of the others that would be great. 

They need to protect Martin, Salas and Rodriguez. I think they will want to add Urbina but he might be able to wait another year. Enlow is a possible add. That gives them max 2 spots for everyone else.

[TwinsDr2021]

40 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The list is Camargo, Bechtold, Severino, Prato, Williams, Laweryson, Funderburk, Schulfer, Scherff, Kiersey, Soularie, Peguero, Grace & Hidalgo. I don't know if they want to protect any of those guys.

I only see two Camargo and Severino, most the rest of those guys are really too old for their current level to worry about, that could change over the next couple of months,

[USAFChief]

I don't think there's much future in playing for the future.

Thinking past the current season in big league baseball is wishful thinking. 

Got a chance? Go for it. Prospects are Prospects. Most won't end up being big losses and there's always more Prospects.

 

[Dantes929]

We haven't had Polanco, Miranda, Correa, Buxton, Kiriloff, and Lewis on the field at the same time much less hitting like they are capable.    Baseball is a game of streaks and if they can stay healthy I feel pretty good about the lineup's potential.  Sadly, when I saw the headline of this post the player I thought of immediately was Arraez.   He would do wonders for this offense.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

This team is not one player away from a championship. They should be shopping the clearance aisle, not the window display.

 

1 hour ago, weitz41 said:

100% agree with this. Maybe a middle reliever or a depth piece. A big and costly addition seems like a waste at this point. If suddenly they start playing a lot better overall, then maybe. 1 player won't fix the team that played yesterday. 

If you don't believe that a player can make a difference, then you are correct and the Twins shouldn't trade for Goldschmidt (or anyone else).  If a big and costly addition won't matter, then trading for a middle reliever or a depth piece will make even less difference. 

HOWEVER, for the first time in recent memory, the Twins have an actual legitimate pitching staff.  Back in 2019, no matter how many home runs the team hit, no one would have confused the pitching staff with a WS winner.  Right now our starters are so good that we are complaining about our top ten-ish bullpen.  Additions on the offensive side of the team can make a pretty big difference when the rest of the team is a in good shape.  A player of Goldschmidt's caliber could actually make a huge difference.  At 35, with plenty of accomplishments and achievements, he would be an instant clubhouse leader, even for the other big names on the team.  He is still hitting well enough to more than carry his weight.  The question would be cost. . . Realistically, the Cardinals are completely out of contention and probably won't compete next year, in his last year under contract, so they may be ready to deal.  He's expensive from a salary standpoint, but it's not my money, so I don't care.  If Larnach/Miranda + Winder (or similar) could get something done, I say let's go for it. It's a heavy price, but those are players that may not fit the team in the future anyway.   He's definitely the kind of hitter that moves the needle. 

[chpettit19]

Goldy is absolutely the type of player that this team is missing. And I'd be willing to give up quite a bit to get a year and a half of him. I'm not sure I really think the Cards are selling, though. At least not him or Arenado. They aren't really a franchise that does true rebuilds. They reload. And, even if they do sell those sorts of big bats, they need pitching. I don't see the Twins as a good fit as they don't really have young, controllable pitching that is good enough to bring back an MVP type bat. SWR, Jordy Blaze, Winder, etc. aren't the types of guys the Cards would want. So I don't really see a good trade match here. Even if I'd love Goldy on this team.

[Brandon]

What would it take to trade for him?  They desperately need controllable starting pitching so Ober and Woods-Richardson and Julien and Marco Raya or David Festa could work if Saint Louis is ok with those pitchers.  But that is what it would take to get him.

Also Saint Louis is playing better.  so unless we trade them controllable starting pitching I doubt they would be interested.  

[Major League Ready]

34 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

They need to protect Martin, Salas and Rodriguez. I think they will want to add Urbina but he might be able to wait another year. Enlow is a possible add. That gives them max 2 spots for everyone else.

I did not realize Rodriguez was eligible and I forgot about Martin because I had already added him to my list.  Nobody is taking Salas but you still have a point.  There are quite a few possibilities.  

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Karbo said:

Depends on the cost. Twins have traded away a lot of their young assets recently, and with the way the team is playing this year I would be cautious about losing high quality prospects, and I would guess that's what it would take.

They are only presumed high quality , what they might bring would show if that presumtion is shared by other teams.

[Stew]

It will take using some prospects and maybe a major league player. Would the Cardinals need an outfielder. Gallow or Kepler could go, not both though. We have outfielders and infielders in abundance. The first issue is always will the other team trade. Second do we have anything they need or want. Then we can consider weather we can get it done. Remember the twins hang onto players too long. Then when they reach the majors they end up being paid too much for the twins pocket books. Then the player gives us 2 or 3 serviceable years and they are gone. My idea is unless the team has a losing record. Trade some pcs. and make a run at it. We could also use a lefty in the bullpen. Enter Chapman?  What players does everyone think would get the card"s player?

 

 

 

[Riverbrian]

9 minutes ago, Stew said:

It will take using some prospects and maybe a major league player. Would the Cardinals need an outfielder. Gallow or Kepler could go, not both though. We have outfielders and infielders in abundance. The first issue is always will the other team trade. Second do we have anything they need or want. Then we can consider weather we can get it done. Remember the twins hang onto players too long. Then when they reach the majors they end up being paid too much for the twins pocket books. Then the player gives us 2 or 3 serviceable years and they are gone. My idea is unless the team has a losing record. Trade some pcs. and make a run at it. We could also use a lefty in the bullpen. Enter Chapman?  What players does everyone think would get the card"s player?

 

 

 

The Cardinals would not need an outfielder nor would they need an infielder.

They have a long list of major league ready players and a decent list of prospects behind them. 

The Cardinals would need and most likely ask for pitching in return.  

 

[Jocko87]

3 hours ago, DJL44 said:

This team is not one player away from a championship. They should be shopping the clearance aisle, not the window display.

While I agree they aren't one player away, they live in the clearance aisle.  Thats kinda what has us in this frustration loop. 

At least Goldy is a proven player with little risk of his arm falling off.  I'd flip for Julien for him and bet the Cards move him to 1st base.

No chance of that happening so and I don't really see a big move this year.  This feels like the year of addition by subtraction.  The best trade will be making room for Wallner and adding a reliever. 

 

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, Dantes929 said:

We haven't had Polanco, Miranda, Correa, Buxton, Kiriloff, and Lewis on the field at the same time much less hitting like they are capable.    Baseball is a game of streaks and if they can stay healthy I feel pretty good about the lineup's potential.  Sadly, when I saw the headline of this post the player I thought of immediately was Arraez.   He would do wonders for this offense.

Arraez would be one more guy left on base at the end of an inning.

[PatPfund]

Love the target, but if the return is young controllable pitching, this team can't afford it. Seriously, their biggest problems on offense are the presence of supposed key pieces who are underperforming (Correa at the plate, Byron, Gallo, Kepler) who the team cannot or will not move to make way for potential in-house solutions (like Wallner, Miranda, Larnach).

Solutions that can't sit forever unused, because they will need to be protected or dealt or exposed, and they are all at an age where they should be getting some run. I get it with Carlos, I get it a bit with Byron (though they go to ridiculous lengths to keep him off the IL with serious negative impacts on the offense), and I don't get it at all with Kepler and Gallo. They've had almost half a season to show they are critical (and they aren't), there is almost no chance they are here next year, and Wallner/Larnach/Stevenson/Celestino could almost certainly replace them at the plate, and mostly in the field. I don't think it is bailing on the season to dump Kepler/Gallo; you are just taking a chance on one or more youngsters catching fire. And if they don't, the Twins need to know before the season is over. Clear the deadwood, look in-house for hitting, bolster the 'pen, and take your chances.