Minnesota Twins Trading for Offensive Help Would be a Surprise

[Ted Schwerzler]

The Minnesota Twins should be expected to operate as buyers when July’s Major League Baseball trade deadline rolls around. What they add remains to be seen, but finding room for someone in the lineup seems a bit of a reach.

 

At different points this season Rocco Baldelli has definitely wanted more from his lineup. With Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton all missing time, key contributors have been out of action for stretches. There is also the reality that veterans Manuel Margot, Carlos Santana, and Kyle Farmer failed to show early consistency.

Right now though, finding a place for an offensive addition doesn’t really work. Sure, Daulton Varsho might make sense as a corner outfielder that prioritizes defense. What happens to Trevor Larnach though? Max Kepler has been league average, and produced to a greater extent when going great. Matt Wallner is raking at Triple-A, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. could arguably do the same thing. Oh, and the Blue Jays guy is left-handed too.

The outfield situation is also why a recently proposed acquisition of Mark Canha from ESPN’s Jeff Passan just doesn’t make sense.

Maybe the Twins would like to add Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Pete Alonso. Each should be available, and even with Santana now going great at first base, either could be argued as an addition. Alex Kirilloff isn’t going to factor in at the position, and both would lengthen the lineup. What happens to Santana though? He’s been great defensively, and he owns a .910 OPS over his last 43 games. More playing time, not less, is the key there.

The left side of the infield is set with Lewis and Correa, while both have immediate insurance in the form of Brooks Lee. Jose Miranda has had a resurgent year playing the hot corner, and Willi Castro has been Minnesota’s best player.

Casting off a veteran rotational player, either Farmer or Christian Vazquez, would definitely improve the overall roster. Eating a $7 million deal for the second baseman, of what’s left of two-years and $20 million for the catcher, doesn’t seem likely when dealing with an ownership group that scaled back payroll by $30 million this season.

Any available trade asset would be an upgrade to Farmer, but there aren’t many straightforward catching suggestions. Short of promoting prospect Jair Camargo and hoping it works, the position isn’t exactly ripe with alternatives. Maybe Derek Falvey could talk with Tampa Bay about getting Ben Rortvedt back, but that’s more comical than it is logical.

One could scour the entirety of the Twins 26-man roster, and you can bet the front office will, but the most straightforward way to supplement the group is pitching. The franchise failed to invest in something that replaced Sonny Gray, and they did nothing to resemble the depth brought by Kenta Maeda. With Chris Paddack getting a reset, and Louie Varland having already been demoted, the rotation is hanging on thanks to Simeon Woods Richardson. Maybe David Festa is the guy, but that’s a big ask when needing to get it done in October.

The bullpen was supposed to be great, but Jhoan Duran has looked like a shell of himself, and Brock Stewart remains in WITSEC. Griffin Jax has held down the fort, but veterans like Steven Okert, Caleb Thielbar, and a host of others have all but been cycled through.

Acquiring an arm for the rotation, bullpen, or both seems to be the greatest way for the Twins to add talent in a couple of weeks. Those players should be available, but how aggressive will Minnesota go after them?

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[bean5302]

Agreed. It'd be quite a surprise for the Twins to trade for bats at the deadline. If they did make that kind of move, I'd suspect it'd be a RH power bat which they currently lack. J.D. Martinez would be the most likely target, but I suspect the bidding for him will be pretty high.

[4twinsJA]

I agree, any player in the Twins price range, probably not a clear upgrade over present players. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

A LH middle of the order bat would be nice but there's no where to play anybody without taking away ABs from someone playing pretty well. I guess we could get someone to take Larnach's place but it's hard to see any available LH hitting upgrade in our price range. Luis Rengifo would be a great get and would really fit this roster well, IF he doesn't cost us any of the top 9 prospects. Schobel on down would be ok if we only trade one, not multiples, and I think he'll fetch more than that from somebody else. Besides, we have Lee, then Wallner, in AAA to come up in case of injury or ineffectiveness. Just don't see a need or good reason to trade for a bat unless it's a fair trade not involving the top 9. Hard to see that happening at a trade deadline where the are a lot more buyers than sellers. 

A bullpen piece would be nice, particularly a LH reliever.  Taanner Scott would be great but he will be expensive and is only  a rental. Same for Chapman and Diekman, although maybe a little less expensive. More likely that we would target a mid-level guy like Matt Moore, Jalen Beeks, or Andrew Chafin (if Det. would even trade with us).  Those last 3 might only cost a solid AA guy, not an elite level prospect.  

The most likely result IMHO is the Twins do nothing at the trade deadline. I think we roll with what we have in the lineup (plus possibly Lee, Wallner, and/or Keirsey at some point). The price for starting pitching will be waaaay too high, and I just don't see a reliever that helps and that won't cost a fortune other than those last 3.  I think there will be a lot of competition for those guys and the price will be beyond what the Twins should pay.  

[LA Vikes Fan]

One addition to my last post. I would seriously look at Tyler Anderson if we cold get him without trading on of the top 9 prospects. He's a good but inconsistent LH starter on a reasonable contract ($13m a year) with a year and a half to run. His ERA is 3.03 this year, was 5.43 last year, and 2.57 in 2022. Classic crafty lefty, not a power arm, with a pretty good SO to BB ratio. Needs a good defense behind him to be successful, which explains a lot of his inconsistency year to year. Would slot in as a solid #3, very good #4 starter. I think he's worth a top 20 prospect (not in the top 10), plus another guy in the 20-30 range - maybe a package like Cory Lewis, Rosario, or Andrew Morris, plus Yunior Severino or Ben Ross.  

[darwin22]

Twins haven't made a substantial trade to acquire a hitter at the deadline since the acquisition of Shannon Stewart in 2003------yes--more than 20 years ago.

This year will no different.

[BH67]

"Events, my dear boy. Events." This saying apochryphally ascribed to a British prime minister was demonstrated last Thursday evening in a political debate. Regardless of one's opinion of what happened, the future of this important campaign is impossible to predict even with respect to tomorrow morning. If Hurricane Beryl smashes into Texas next weekend at current strength, you'll see another.

And so revenue constraint for this year and next currently is the controlling factor for Twins trades. But there are four weeks for "events" on and off the field to intervene.

 

[Doctor Gast]

Why waste money & prospects while we have great young players begging for playing time in the OF & INF. 

The only questionable need we have surrounds Thielbar's continued effectiveness. I have my doubts. Okert has been our best offseason trade (which isn't saying much) he has had his successes but I wouldn't trust him in the final stretch nor Funderburg in high-leverage situations. Tanner Scott would be our best LHRP option but everybody will be after him. My alternative is A.J. Pukk, a LH version of Varland who isn't quite ready to be a SP but has the stuff to play out well in the BP. Mentioning Varland we need him up in the BP.

We have the rotation to take us to the dance but no success. I have my own idea of who could help.

It's funny that you mentioned Ben Rortvedt, Ted? and why you think that'd be comical to get him back. I've advocating getting him back since he left,  (LHH) Rortvedt, Gerrit Cole's personal catcher at NYY, who's known for his defense. Never known for his power but since leaving "all or nothing" MN & NYY has found success in hitting at TB. Maybe you thought that this FO would never do it or TB wouldn't be stupid enough to do it. I've made several trade offers for Rortvedt through the years at BBTV. The one I made while he was with TB, I got a comment from a TB fan saying "they wouldn't trade him." If we had Rortvedt I'd be open to DFA Vazquez & eat the money.

[Karbo]

I think they will try to get at least 1 more bullpen arm. Like the others I just don't see them shelling out for a rental type starter. Though they sure could use one.

[Riverbrian]

If they didn't try to upgrade the offense last year with one of the best starting rotations in team history.

I'm not sure why they would do it this year. 

If I had to guess... I don't have to... but I'm going to anyway. If I had to guess... I think the budget was a problem  at last years trade deadline and I think the budget was a problem this off-season and in consideration of the money due in raises next year... I assume that the budget is still a challenge to navigate. 

I still believe (with no inside information) that the Twins spent the Correa money on Vazquez and Gallo therefore blowing the available budget when Correa signed with the Giants. When Correa came back around. They had to spend money they didn't really have anymore. 

It's been "right-sizing" since then. 

Just a guess but it seems to make sense to me. 

 

[CRF]

They'll do their usual dumpster diving, that's all. Possibly pick up another pen arm. No way they go after a hitter. 

[Mike Sixel]

I can't see any reason to deal prospects for a hitter, not given what the budget is, and not given who is on the MLB roster, AAA roster, and AA roster. Now, pitching? I could maybe, maybe, see that. But, man, RPs especially are so hard to predict.

They aren't dealing for a catcher, and Farmer is easy to replace with Lee if you want. I just don't see how they could possibly deal for a hitter. As said above, LAST YEAR? Dealing for a hitter made a TON of sense....but nope. I'm guessing they add zero budget at the deadline, and the budget drops again next off season.

[Mark G]

I think the FO has every single player that could possibly be moved on a spread sheet.  After all, the computer is the FO, isn't it?  😉

But in the end, it will be determined by where we are come the deadline.  Have we caught up with Cleveland?  Has KC kept pace?  Have we had any injuries between now and then?  I could go on, but........

At the end of the day, it will depend on all of those things, and more, but also whether or not the seller is willing to pay part of the contract for whoever we want.  For the right prospect, there are teams that will pay off a part of the contract of someone who doesn't fit into their long range plans, or is a free agent at the end of the year.  Or, do we care enough to go that route?  We are going to make the playoffs, that is almost a given, but how far do we want to go, and how far are we willing to go to improve our chances?  Personally, I can't wait to see how it plays out; because I have no clue.  This should be good.  😏

[jorgenswest]

I would pay up for an everyday impact bat. Luis Robert would be expensive but he also may be a buy low. Go get him. Platoon bats or swapping out defensive catchers or back up infielders is not going to move the needle.

The same applies to pitchers. Get a starter that will be starting playoff games or a reliever that they would have confidence closing games. I wouldn’t be interested in a middle inning reliever or back end starter.

I am sure some are ready to argue that the Twins won’t pay up. I am not trying to guess what the Twins will do. I would pay up in prospects and dollars to get an impact player.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

At the moment, I’m not really seeing the need for another bat.  Sure, the Twins’ players are streaky (boy are they streaky), but the overall production has been quite good.  Offensively, the only holes are backup catcher (Vasquez) and backup infielder (Farmer).  We’re not going to eat $15M so catcher is a no go.  With all of our current positional flexibility (thank you Willi Castro!), we can replace Farmer any time we want with Lee and/or Julien, or even Wallner.  We’ve got some slumping players at the moment, but that has always been and will always be the case.  Taken as a whole, the lineup is pretty solid. 

If we are indeed going to make a substantial trade, I would save my ammo for an impact starting pitcher.  I don’t really think this will happen as there are way more buyers than sellers.  I think it is more likely that we deal for lefty bullpen arm, but that shouldn’t really cost major prospects or big bucks.  

To those saying that it’s not worth upgrading the team because it’s not good enough to win playoff series games, I would remind you that BOTH of last year’s WS teams were wild card teams that had to play on the road.  If this (or really any) team gets really hot, they can go a long ways in the playoffs.  The Twins are playing at a 90 win pace while having several starting pitchers scuffling.  Any or all of those guys could figure it back out and that would only improve the team - probably as much as an acquisition at the deadline. 

[Jocko87]

4 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

If they didn't try to upgrade the offense last year with one of the best starting rotations in team history.

I'm not sure why they would do it this year. 

If I had to guess... I don't have to... but I'm going to anyway. If I had to guess... I think the budget was a problem  at last years trade deadline and I think the budget was a problem this off-season and in consideration of the money due in raises next year... I assume that the budget is still a challenge to navigate. 

I still believe (with no inside information) that the Twins spent the Correa money on Vazquez and Gallo therefore blowing the available budget when Correa signed with the Giants. When Correa came back around. They had to spend money they didn't really have anymore. 

It's been "right-sizing" since then. 

Just a guess but it seems to make sense to me. 

 

I say again, these guys deserve all the kudos we can give them operating and thriving in this environment.  I don't care what the payroll is if the team is good and we are seeing exactly why they were only working around the edges in the offseason.
 
It's wasn't only right sizing, it's one of the deepest talent pools we've ever seen as Twins fans. 

And you are absolutely correct the overspend already happened.  A chief revenue officer that didn't work out didn't help either. 

[Joe A. Preusser]

As of right now, July 2nd, 7:39pm, I say we either:

Stand Pat.  This is a very strong team. 

Add a SP with control.  Pay for it.   Make him better and reap rewards for this year and several more years.  

End of list.

[Brandon]

10 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Agreed. It'd be quite a surprise for the Twins to trade for bats at the deadline. If they did make that kind of move, I'd suspect it'd be a RH power bat which they currently lack. J.D. Martinez would be the most likely target, but I suspect the bidding for him will be pretty high.

Exactly this 👆

[akmanak]

The owners clearly have shown they care very little about this team and they care even less about the fans. 

 

My prediction they will not pick up anyone of significant value. 

[Doctor Wu]

Maybe Derek Falvey could talk with Tampa Bay about getting Ben Rortvedt back, but that’s more comical than it is logical.

Comical indeed! Great to see Rortvedt playing well for Tampa but I don't think he's going anywhere. But back to the subject of this article, and echoing most of the other responses, I'd agree that it would be extremely unlikely for the Twins to trade for any hitters before the deadline. We have enough in the system to carry us. 

[laloesch]

Why trade for a hitter when you have Lee in St. Paul?  

[Whitey333]

I agree with the masses.  No need to trade for offense.  We have enough in the system.  We need to see if they can play MLB.  A team can always use pitching but not at the expense of top prospects.  I truly believe the payroll will be stagnant for next year or more likely will be cut again. But if our ready an̈d near ready prospects are as good as they are hyped up to be we should be in great shape.  Go Twins.

[LambchoP]

Agree with just about everyone here. We've got a good enough lineup with a few potential impact bats waiting in St Paul. With Royce going down last night, we may finally see Brooks Lee. I do think we need pitching help. Either go after an impact starter with control, or a solid lefty or set up arm. SP is going to cost a TON this year because of the market, but I don't think we have enough to do much more than a first round elimination. We've got plenty of number 3-6 type guys. We need someone at the top to start playoff games. Who that might be, I have no clue. Hopefully more teams decide they are going to sell in the next few weeks.