If the Twins are Buyers, Part Two: Which Hitters May Be Available?

[Eric Blonigen]

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In part one of this piece, I looked at each fielding position’s offensive and defensive metrics and overall value, then looked for the intersection of greatest need and shakiest hold on an everyday spot in the lineup. To summarize those analyses: Center field and left field have gotten great production. Shortstop is locked up, even though production could be better. Second and third base are held by young members of the core. At catcher, Ryan Jeffers has been solid. The other positions, though? Could be better.

I concluded that the sweet spot for trade targets rests at the bottom of the defensive spectrum: designated hitter, first base, and right field. That's great, because these types of players tend to be significantly cheaper (in both salary and prospect capital) than guys who need defensive prowess to keep their jobs. Here in part two, I will look at the guys who are likely to be available at the deadline.

I assume that the Royals and Guardians sell, but won’t trade with the Twins. Same with the White Sox, but they add the wrinkle of not actually having good players. The Rays always make everyone available for the right price. The Diamondbacks have been sort of competitive, but are behind several better teams in the Wild Card standings. The Athletics and Braves have been bad, as have the Pirates, Marlins, Nationals, and Rockies. The Orioles will certainly sell, but only impending free agents and other players who are short-term pieces. The Angels probably think they have a real chance (they probably don’t); I don’t think they sell. The Twins also won’t take on any big contracts, unless significant money is also leaving through trade. So, who does that leave us with? Let’s dig in!

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First Base / Designated Hitter
Ryan O’Hearn - Orioles
O’Hearn plays competent defense at both first base and right field, and gives the added bonus of hitting well enough for DH, and being able to roam left field, too. He’s a pure rental, hitting the market after the season ends. He’s in the Twins' price range from a salary standpoint, owed around $3 million for the rest of this season, and likely wouldn’t cost too much prospect capital due to his relatively short run of success at age 31. He has an .834 OPS this season. The Orioles are all but certain to trade him to someone, so why not the Twins? He would be my target for an easy upgrade to the lineup.

 

Josh Naylor - Diamondbacks
Remember Naylor beating up on the Twins basically every time they faced the Guardians over the last half-decade? There’s no better way to avoid facing a guy than trading for him. He would be a natural platoon partner for Ty France, and hits well enough to justify trading France for a lottery ticket. He’s a safe bet to put up an OPS that starts with an eight the rest of the way.

Yandy Díaz - Rays
Díaz has a team option for 2026, so he wouldn’t be a pure rental if the Twins saw a fit. He hits the ball hard, makes contact, accepts his walks, and he would be a clear upgrade over France. He’s due to exit his prime soon, but could be a player written in pen on the lineup cards for at least next season. Historically, the Rays don’t trade guys on team-friendly deals. But, they always deal, and it could work.

Marcell Ozuna - Braves
Ozuna is a pure DH with an .807 career OPS, and is in his final year of team control. The three-time All-Star hits enough to still be worth 1.0 fWAR so far, even in a down year. The Twins would likely need the Braves to eat part of roughly $6 million in salary he'll earn for the balance of the season, but he would be worth starting daily at DH. Ozuna also has a history of domestic violence, though, for which he was suspended in 2021. For an organization that prides itself on their family-centered culture, it would be hard to reconcile acquiring a player with such a track record.

Right Field
Ramón Laureano - Orioles 
The Twins have needed a right-handed corner outfield bat for the past… forever, really. Laureano could be that guy. The right fielder has been a consistently above-average hitter, is owed less than $2 million for the rest of this season, and has a team option for 2026. His 140 wRC+ in 2025 could change the complexion of the lineup against tough lefties, and would give a little wiggle room in the calendar for one of the in-house outfield options to continue to develop.

 

Bonus: a few unlikely options that would reshape the lineup
Eugenio Suárez - Diamondbacks - Third Base
Yeah, I know. A poor-fielding third baseman. If the Twins were going to make a splash for a bat, though, Suárez would be the guy. His .889 OPS would slot in nicely near the top of the order, and would make the lineup much deeper. He’s got serious power. I don’t think it’ll happen—unless, maybe, the Twins felt that moving Royce Lewis to first or DH makes sense, at least for the balance of the season. He’s owed close to $6 million yet this season. A trade of this caliber would invigorate the fan base, and would significantly improve the Twins’ playoff odds.

 

Sean Murphy - Braves - Catcher
Under contract for three more seasons, Murphy would give the Twins possibly the best backstop duo in baseball. Trading for him would allow the Twins to rotate both catchers through DH, upgrading two positions. Looking to the future, it would allow the front office to feel less pressure to overpay to re-sign Jeffers, or even allow them to trade him in return at the deadline, should the market be robust. Murphy is owed $15 million a year for the next three years. That’s a lot in the current budget, but probably less so for a new owner willing to pay $1.7 billion for the team.

Ryan McMahon - Rockies - Infield
McMahon is owed just over $36 million and is controlled through the 2027 season. He’s elite defensively, and could start at first, second, or third. His offense has been more volatile. Making the constant altitude and atmospheric adjustment at Coors Field and on the road has to be challenging. With a more consistent environment, it’s possible his bat would look a little better.

So there you have it. That’s eight guys who could fit the Twins' plans, and names that could be bandied about in the event the Twins decide to be light buyers, or swap a controllable young pitcher from a position of strength to improve their hitting. How would you feel about landing one of these guys? Think it’s likely? And, is there anyone I missed that you see being a likely fit? If so, comment below.

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[cjm0926]

Id be very interested in adding Yandy Diaz to the team. His contract signed this past offseason actually guarantees $12 million in 2026 and then added a club option for the 2027 season. Therefore you could be getting 2.5 years of Diaz in a trade to lock down 1B. He is okay at first, but with Tampa having Aranda he is full time DH, so its tough to gauge his value. Its tough to know what the Rays would want, but maybe I'd start with an offer of Julien, Kala'i Rosario, and a decent rookie ball/A-ball player. I'd like to think Julien has rebuilt a little value in AAA, and some team may be willing to buy low if they think they can help him regain form. If anyone thinks they could, it would probably be Tampa, and he could be a natural cheap Lowe replacement at 2B, they have very similar profiles. As for Rosario, I think he has a chance to be a solid big leaguer some day with his power, I just don't think he will get the chance in Minnesota. And if the Rays see someone in the lower minors they like, that may be the tipping point to get them to do the deal. Not sure if this would work or be enough, but just an idea.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Thanks for making the list. I don’t really see anybody you’ve missed. The problem with this list is the problem with being a buyer in a nutshell. The guys you might actually want, O’Hern, Diaz, and Suarez, will be expensive and you won’t be able to hold them for very long. The guys you can keep, like McMahon and Laureano, just aren’t that good. Murphy is interesting but I’d have to know the price.
 

To me, the smarter move is to play the guys we got and go shopping in the off-season. I would start with getting France off the roster. He’s the same guy the Mariners thought wasn't good enough to be on their team. Play Clemens at 1B everyday or in a platoon with Sabato. I would also send Keirsey back down and bring up Martin. Play Lewis, Wallner, Larnach, and Lee five days a week down the stretch and find 3 games a week for Martin and Sabato. Recall Funderburk and lose Misiewicz. Give Ohl and Adams a shot over Topa. Get these guys out there regularly and see if they can improve. We need to know for next year.

 

 

 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Could easily see the Twins as a buyer here. Not so much as a "win now" trade, but rather a prospect for upgrade situation or a Jax/Duran for upgrade situation.

Lot's of complaints about the offense, but IMO that lies primarily on Correa, Lewis, and Wallner. Most of the guys are at or above expectations. The youth push is about here. The only real position places I can see the Twins looking to improve are Catcher #2, 1B, and possibly an OF, though they have 2 guys not too far away in the minors. Like it or not, they need to see health and progression from the prospects.

Pitching is another story. Lots of questions after Lopez and Ryan. Bullpen churn is expected.

[KnoblauchWasFramed]

I guess I will have to be the one to give the "Unpopular Hot Take" on this one, so here it is – unload almost anything and everything that you can, with some obvious exceptions. The Twins need to be major sellers and not looking to buy anyone that isn't a prospect.

If Buxton is willing to waive his No Trade Clause, which I 100% believe he would in order to get a chance to play for a winning team who is currently in position to make the playoffs this year and beyond.  It's time to move on - we have already had several years to see what he has to offer when he wasn't injured and it was still, at best, highly highly streaky.  He is already 31 years old and is at the stage where the normal regressions start even if he was a full-time injury free player.  He could be 34 the next time the Owners allow the Twins to be competitive.  And best of all, his value has literally NEVER been higher and could likely NEVER be this high again.    

The next round or players are the obvious ones like sell Ty France, Chris Paddack, Kody Clemens, Harrison Bader, and Christian Vazquez to anyone who is willing to take them on.  At best you are looking at 5-7 lottery tickets, which is fine, because they serve no real value over the next two years while the Twins figure out the ownership situation.  And I would look to grab as many Catcher and First Base prospects you can get.

The next round of players that could actually bring back a Top 100 prospect or two would be Willi Castro, Brock Stewart, and Danny Coulombe.  These guys are guys that could slip right into key roles for a playoff contention team immediately.  And, again, they have no real role in the team over the next few years and would be past their primes by the time the team is competitive again.

And then you have the big boys, the guys that should bring back 2-3 prospects each with at least one Top 10 in that haul.  Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran.  Just like with Buxton, their value would never be higher than right now for a team who is for sure making the playoffs and wants to lock down their 8^th and 9^th innings.   These guys were both former starters who got moved into bullpen roles and flourished.  There is no reason to think the Twins can’t do this again easily with other guys in 2-3 years.  They are team favorites, but in the end, they are expendable and replaceable as bullpen arms and could command a real bounty in return.

I would not look, however, to move Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Pablo Lopez, David Festa, or Zebby Mathews.  Unlike bullpen arms, the Twins had historically struggled to develop young pitchers that have major league success and to replace them with free agents is not going to happen with current ownership.  In fact, I would look to lock down Ryan and Ober with extensions that get them to age 34 range.  The Twins could have the top 4 rotation spots locked down when they are competitive again and would not need to get into the $30M a year free agent market.  Take these guys and hope that Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and Brooks Lee get it figured out along with some of the other prospects the Twins have coming up over the next two seasons.

And again – the Twins really should look to bring in some high end Catching and First Base prospects.  That it something that needs to finally be addressed since they haven’t down so in the draft.  It sucks to watch players leave but you also have to face the facts that this is not a playoff team – it’s just not.  And maybe the Twins get new owners by next season and they can further develop the younger core mentioned above and then supplement with free agents as needed.  Or, maybe some of the prospect haul develops rapidly and they Twins can use that collateral to make blockbuster trades to push the team over the top.

[Trov]

They should not be "buying" rental guys this year in my opinion.  I am fine if you want to buy longer term options, but really we need to hope our internal options can be long term fits.  I do not feel IF is a need with options of Lewis(hopefully getting out of a slump), Lee, Keashall, Maybe Culpepper next year, Julien as possible option.  Catcher or DH could be a good add but again not as a rental, unless you are moving someone else to shuffle around. 

[Doctor Gast]

Big bats look good on paper to improve the Twins' already good-looking lineup on paper, On paper, Twins haven't looked good on paper at DH, 1B & LF for some time now, so they've looked outside the organization only to make the situation worse (now I'm not saying or have ever said that Bader or France were bad pick ups). 

I'm not in favor of focusing on bats because there's a lot of hype surrounding bats so bats are too expensive. IMO, we need to focus on pitching, defense, fundamentals, baserunning & better ABs. IMO, we have the offense but they need to wake up & be more clutch.

[chpettit19]

43 minutes ago, KnoblauchWasFramed said:

If Buxton is willing to waive his No Trade Clause, which I 100% believe he would in order to get a chance to play for a winning team who is currently in position to make the playoffs this year and beyond.  It's time to move on - we have already had several years to see what he has to offer when he wasn't injured and it was still, at best, highly highly streaky.  He is already 31 years old and is at the stage where the normal regressions start even if he was a full-time injury free player.  He could be 34 the next time the Owners allow the Twins to be competitive.  And best of all, his value has literally NEVER been higher and could likely NEVER be this high again.    

 

Buxton has been more than clear that he has no plans or desire to leave. As recently as last week. He hasn't been anything but abundantly clear about this. Your "100% belief" in him being willing to waive his no trade isn't based on anything he's ever said. He's not going anywhere. He has every intention of retiring a Twin. He literally said it last week. At some point people need to start listening to what the man says and quit just making up their own narrative on this.

[Doctor Gast]

I'm more concerned about areas that are more fragile. Independent of deadline, we started the season fragile at our rotation, which was very evident when Lopez went down; the rotation unraveled almost 2 months ago & nothing has been done. INF has been, but seems to be resolved internally. The 3rd is catcher; we have been very fortunate that both Jeffers & Vazquez have been healthy. If either goes down, we'd be in the crapper. Even if both continue to be healthy, catching is a very demanding position & the grind wears them down. Jeffers & Vazquez don't have the stamina to maintain their performance to the end. So, Sean Murphy is an excellent idea. He's worth his $15M price tag, but IMO, Twins can't afford him & the prospect price will be high at the deadline. 

[jorgenswest]

The premise of the article is “If…” 

There must be another place for the discussion about “Should…”

If the Twins are buyers I think they need pitching help. The bullpen is healthy and has holes. They need another good bullpen arm minimally unless we think Paddack can take that spot when Ober returns. I would look for two bullpen arms to replace Topa and Misiewicz.

I would not look for a bat unless that bat is a top third of the order bat. It is really the upside of Lewis, Correa and Wallner that they need to show up. They need Keaschall to pick up where he left off. They have some depth in the minors that they can call on. The likelihood that they will get offensive help internally is probably similar to the likelihood that they would get help from the players listed above.

[mickster]

1 hour ago, KnoblauchWasFramed said:

I guess I will have to be the one to give the "Unpopular Hot Take" on this one, so here it is – unload almost anything and everything that you can, with some obvious exceptions. The Twins need to be major sellers and not looking to buy anyone that isn't a prospect.

If Buxton is willing to waive his No Trade Clause, which I 100% believe he would in order to get a chance to play for a winning team who is currently in position to make the playoffs this year and beyond.  It's time to move on - we have already had several years to see what he has to offer when he wasn't injured and it was still, at best, highly highly streaky.  He is already 31 years old and is at the stage where the normal regressions start even if he was a full-time injury free player.  He could be 34 the next time the Owners allow the Twins to be competitive.  And best of all, his value has literally NEVER been higher and could likely NEVER be this high again.    

The next round or players are the obvious ones like sell Ty France, Chris Paddack, Kody Clemens, Harrison Bader, and Christian Vazquez to anyone who is willing to take them on.  At best you are looking at 5-7 lottery tickets, which is fine, because they serve no real value over the next two years while the Twins figure out the ownership situation.  And I would look to grab as many Catcher and First Base prospects you can get.

The next round of players that could actually bring back a Top 100 prospect or two would be Willi Castro, Brock Stewart, and Danny Coulombe.  These guys are guys that could slip right into key roles for a playoff contention team immediately.  And, again, they have no real role in the team over the next few years and would be past their primes by the time the team is competitive again.

And then you have the big boys, the guys that should bring back 2-3 prospects each with at least one Top 10 in that haul.  Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran.  Just like with Buxton, their value would never be higher than right now for a team who is for sure making the playoffs and wants to lock down their 8^th and 9^th innings.   These guys were both former starters who got moved into bullpen roles and flourished.  There is no reason to think the Twins can’t do this again easily with other guys in 2-3 years.  They are team favorites, but in the end, they are expendable and replaceable as bullpen arms and could command a real bounty in return.

I would not look, however, to move Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Pablo Lopez, David Festa, or Zebby Mathews.  Unlike bullpen arms, the Twins had historically struggled to develop young pitchers that have major league success and to replace them with free agents is not going to happen with current ownership.  In fact, I would look to lock down Ryan and Ober with extensions that get them to age 34 range.  The Twins could have the top 4 rotation spots locked down when they are competitive again and would not need to get into the $30M a year free agent market.  Take these guys and hope that Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and Brooks Lee get it figured out along with some of the other prospects the Twins have coming up over the next two seasons.

And again – the Twins really should look to bring in some high end Catching and First Base prospects.  That it something that needs to finally be addressed since they haven’t down so in the draft.  It sucks to watch players leave but you also have to face the facts that this is not a playoff team – it’s just not.  And maybe the Twins get new owners by next season and they can further develop the younger core mentioned above and then supplement with free agents as needed.  Or, maybe some of the prospect haul develops rapidly and they Twins can use that collateral to make blockbuster trades to push the team over the top.

I would take a different approach.   Keep Buxton and build around him.    I would also keep the bullpen big three in tact with Varland/Jax/Duran - you can't win without a solid pen, and that is in place.    Coulombe has been great, but age is against him and we could part with him and Top - possibly Stewart.

I would trade Festa or Zebby.   They both project as middle of the rotation arms.    Pablo, Joe, Ober are a strong 3, and I like SWR over either of those other two.   Paddock could get traded, but won't bring back much.

I would part with Wallner and Lewis, as well as Erod if we can get something.  May have to throw in Sabato, Mirando or Julien to get there.

Castro fills so many spots it is hard to see him go, but might be our biggest chip if we keep the BP together as I suggested.   Bader brings an energy, like Paddock that can't be discounted.   If Bader was traded, I wonder if he would consider signing back next year?

C is s huge need, so that may drive some moves and force the Twins hand if they can get as close as you can get to a sure thing prospect.

France is gone - Clemens may have to stay.

Kiersey down and Martin up should be done, but I do not want to see Eeles, or McKusker

 

 

 

[LambchoP]

2 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Thanks for making the list. I don’t really see anybody you’ve missed. The problem with this list is the problem with being a buyer in a nutshell. The guys you might actually want, O’Hern, Diaz, and Suarez, will be expensive and you won’t be able to hold them for very long. The guys you can keep, like McMahon and Laureano, just aren’t that good. Murphy is interesting but I’d have to know the price.
 

To me, the smarter move is to play the guys we got and go shopping in the off-season. I would start with getting France off the roster. He’s the same guy the Mariners thought wasn't good enough to be on their team. Play Clemens at 1B everyday or in a platoon with Sabato. I would also send Keirsey back down and bring up Martin. Play Lewis, Wallner, Larnach, and Lee five days a week down the stretch and find 3 games a week for Martin and Sabato. Recall Funderburk and lose Misiewicz. Give Ohl and Adams a shot over Topa. Get these guys out there regularly and see if they can improve. We need to know for next year.

 

 

 

This exactly. See what we have in our own guys. Call up a few kids for a debut. Get an idea of who can help us next year and where we got sure need help from outside. 

[RpR]

3 hours ago, LambchoP said:

This exactly. See what we have in our own guys. Call up a few kids for a debut. Get an idea of who can help us next year and where we got sure need help from outside. 

Injudicious chimera.

[DocBauer]

It's a sound list and I can't find fault with anyone on it. The question is, can this team ACTUALLY finish strong and make the playoffs by subtracting here and there...including maybe a prospect or two in deals...and add rental bats?

We dont know exactly when Ober and Lopez will be back. IF we trade 1 of Jax or Duran for a nice haul, and then move Coulombe, we've just weakened the strongest part of the team. Now where does the team sit?

I'm more interested favor of acquiring guys with some control left, or guys ready or nearly ready, or maybe blocked by players on their current team.

EXAMPLE: I'd love to target an arm or two that has recently slipped a bit on another team's list, hasn't quite put it together yet, etc, that we can move to the pen, change their sequencing, and add to the pen next season, if not this year. 

EXAMPLE #2: A recent OP discussed a trade with the Cubs for a AAA 1B that I believe was 23yo Jonathan Long, who is currently blocked from a regular ML gig as he's a 1B/DH only. And while he's a prospect, and not a proven player, he might be a solid 1B for some time if he takes that next step, given opportunity. Likewise, is their a RH 4th OF with some pop being blocked somewhere else to be a Bader replacement, because he's not coming back. 

IF the Twins are in sell mode, I dont feel rentals are going to do anything to push this team forward to end 2025 in the playoffs. But they do have a couple 2 or 3 interesting pieces that might bring something decent back, or combine with a solid prospect, to bring back something a little better. And that's what I'd be trying to do.

Unless I'm overwhelmed by a deal for someone like Jax or Duran, or even Larnach, I really dont want to move any controllable players until the offseason gets here. Since they still have control for at least 2 more seasons, I don't believe a couple more months of service time with the Twins is going to deflate their value. And this FO has had better trade success in the offseason than they have had mid season.

Like it or not, what the Twins really need is for Lewis to adapt to injuries that have messed with him. (His own words). They need Wallner to get his head/swing right. And they need Keaschall healthy. They need Culpepper to keep raking and be ready for 2026 at some point. They need Lee to keep growing and developing. They need Rodriguez to SOMEHOW get healthy and stay healthy so they can hand him the LF job, which I think they desperately want to do. At some point, they have to give Martin another chance to prove that he can be a solid, contributing member of the bench/roster. And yes, they may even want to give a shot to Eeles or Sabato in August/September to see if there's honestly something there to work with.

The bite here is a lot of "IF's". But we're also talking about talented players who are, or have been, top prospects previously, for the most part. IMO. The next rest of the season is NOT about giving up! It's STILL about trying to win as many games as you can and see what happens. (Part of the reason I don't want to blow up the pen). Remember what Detroit did the 2nd half of last year? 

Sometimes it makes sense to stay pat because your roster is really solid, but it's just not your year. And sometimes it's the right move to start to shake things up. And right now, it's time to try and get a few players RIGHT. And it's also time to make a couple smart deals for the impending FA you have to get something of quality in return that can help you, shake things up a little, and  hopefully add something the near future. NONE of the impending FA are going to bring back a stud prospect by themselves. But solely, or in a combination with a decent prospect, you MIGHT get a solid 4th OF, or a 1B, or an arm or two that might excel moving to the pen.

That's a small "mix it up" change, that has some potential to bring something decent back. And then you start to roll through what you have on hand to see what your might have, or don't have, for 2026.

IMO, that's the smart move. And after that, it's about moving pieces in the offseason. And even THAT is an unknown because ownership and the FO are still in doubt. But I believe a retool should be in stages. Stage 1 is trying to reshape the team by moving impending FA and rolling with what you have, and taking a couple shots on other players for 2 months.

Stage 2 should be bigger offseason moves.

[JD-TWINS]

On 7/21/2025 at 12:59 PM, Doctor Gast said:

I'm more concerned about areas that are more fragile. Independent of deadline, we started the season fragile at our rotation, which was very evident when Lopez went down; the rotation unraveled almost 2 months ago & nothing has been done. INF has been, but seems to be resolved internally. The 3rd is catcher; we have been very fortunate that both Jeffers & Vazquez have been healthy. If either goes down, we'd be in the crapper. Even if both continue to be healthy, catching is a very demanding position & the grind wears them down. Jeffers & Vazquez don't have the stamina to maintain their performance to the end. So, Sean Murphy is an excellent idea. He's worth his $15M price tag, but IMO, Twins can't afford him & the prospect price will be high at the deadline. 

If Murphy is a fit as a Twin, why wouldn’t an organization like the Braves keep him for the term they signed him for originally? …… they aren’t planning on tearing anything down in Atlanta.

IMO, Twins had the least fragile rotation in recent memory going into ‘25.

Supposedly Team had 8 guys that could slot into the rotation & a couple more fringe possibilities. Paddack’s capabilities and sustainability was certainly in question. Ober - Lopez - Matthews all hurt………SWR has done his job ……. Festa is questionable, but with nice upside going forward. 7 guys competing for 5 spots going into the year and by early July, Team was  forced to pitch Travis Adams.

Buxton & Correa are here for 4 more years ……. need to make the best of this and hope for reasonable performances.

[Doctor Gast]

59 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

If Murphy is a fit as a Twin, why wouldn’t an organization like the Braves keep him for the term they signed him for originally? …… they aren’t planning on tearing anything down in Atlanta.

IMO, Twins had the least fragile rotation in recent memory going into ‘25.

Supposedly Team had 8 guys that could slot into the rotation & a couple more fringe possibilities. Paddack’s capabilities and sustainability was certainly in question. Ober - Lopez - Matthews all hurt………SWR has done his job ……. Festa is questionable, but with nice upside going forward. 7 guys competing for 5 spots going into the year and by early July, Team was  forced to pitch Travis Adams.

Buxton & Correa are here for 4 more years ……. need to make the best of this and hope for reasonable performances.

Murphy wasn't my idea, I just commented on the author's idea. Like I said Murphy is a good catcher but I don't think MN (or maybe ATL) would do it.

Twins were solid in '23 with veterans Lopez, Gray, Ryan, Ober, Maeda & Paddack. IMO, when you depend on young SPs & SPs with some arm problem history, you never have enough pitching.