The Twins Need to Cash in on Kody Clemens Right Now

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Kody Clemens has been one of the Twins' most unexpected success stories this season. When Minnesota acquired him last spring, expectations were modest. Clemens had bounced around organizations, never establishing himself as an everyday major leaguer, and he looked more like a depth piece than someone who would become a key contributor in the middle of a lineup.

Fast-forward to June 2026, and he's become exactly that. He’s hitting .247 with a .785 OPS, and the numbers suggest his breakout is legitimate. In fact, the underlying data paints an even better picture than his traditional statistics.

His average exit velocity sits at 92.5 MPH, placing him in the top decile among major-league hitters. Among Twins hitters, only Byron Buxton owns a higher hard-hit rate than Clemens's impressive 44.2% mark. Overall, he's among the top quartile of big-league batters, generating 7 runs above average with his offensive production.

He’s been playing his best baseball recently, too. Since the beginning of May, Clemens is hitting .270, with 17 extra-base hits across 30 games. His OPS during that stretch sits at an excellent .857, and his 135 wRC+ indicates he's been 35 percent better than average offensively. As a result, he's worked his way into the No. 3 spot in Minnesota's batting order.

But what's made Clemens particularly valuable isn't just the bat. He's also shown significant defensive versatility. While first base remains his primary position, the Twins have increasingly used him across the outfield over the last month. He's appeared in left field in seven games and right field in five games. More notably, he's even spent time in center field. With Byron Buxton dealing with various bumps and bruises recently, Clemens and James Outman were splitting center field opportunities. That's not something many would have predicted when the season began. He can also handle second base, giving Minnesota flexibility all over the diamond. And when he's on the field, he's been an above-average defender.

The point here is simple: Clemens has been very good. He's been productive at the plate, he's been versatile in the field, and he's become one of the Twins' most valuable everyday players. Which is exactly why Minnesota should seriously consider trading him.

At first glance, that might sound counterintuitive. Why would a struggling team move one of its better players? The answer comes down to timing. Clemens recently turned 30 years old. While he's having the best year of his career, the Twins appear unlikely to emerge as serious contenders in 2026. By the time Minnesota realistically expects to compete again, the odds are high that Clemens won't be producing at this level.

That doesn't diminish what he's accomplished this year. It simply creates an opportunity. While Clemens probably wouldn't hit third for many contending teams, he absolutely fits the profile of a player contenders seek at the trade deadline. He's a left-handed power hitter who can play multiple infield spots, he can move around the outfield, and he's producing offensively. He doesn't just hit the ball hard. he lifts it enough to do damage, as evidenced by his .626 slugging average on contact (SLGCON). Those players tend to attract interest.

While several teams could use someone with Clemens’s skill set, a couple stand out in my mind: the Padres and Diamondbacks.

Not coincidentally, both teams reside in the NL West and currently find themselves chasing the Dodgers in the division race. They're in similar positions, trying to close the gap and/or hold onto position in the Wild Card chase while addressing roster weaknesses ahead of the trade deadline.

Both lineups lean heavily right-handed. Neither has gotten a significant amount of extra-base production from the bottom half of its order, and both clubs could benefit from an upgrade in left field while also utilizing Clemens's versatility on the infield dirt. It's easy to envision him fitting into either roster.

That doesn't mean the Twins should expect a massive return package. Clemens is having a career season, but he's also a 30-year-old player without an extensive track record of this level of production. Teams generally aren't surrendering elite prospects for that profile. A top-100 prospect return feels unrealistic.

At the same time, Clemens has more value than a typical rental player. He still has two additional years of team control after this season; he won't reach free agency until the end of the 2028 season. That extra control gives acquiring teams multiple years to benefit from his production, rather than a few months. That should meaningfully increase his trade value. He should command at least what the Twins got for Willi Castro last summer, and Castro netted them a solid pitching prospect.

If Minnesota were sitting atop the division standings and positioning itself for a playoff run, the conversation would be different. In that scenario, Clemens is exactly the type of versatile contributor you'd want to keep around for October. But that's not where the Twins are.

Instead, they're a team that needs to maximize assets wherever possible, and right now, Kody Clemens may represent one of their best opportunities to do exactly that. He's playing the best baseball of his career, his value is likely at its highest point, and contenders around the league have clear reasons to be interested. Sometimes the smartest move isn't holding onto a breakout player; it's recognizing the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot.

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[Patzky]

Any reasonably sure thing needs to be replaced with a doubtful thing in order to help us win in two years? Clemens won't get a Jeffers return. We could probably get a similar return for Josh Bell at the trade deadline that we would get for Clemens right now. 

Not down with this proposal..

[RpR]

Yep the team is trending towards the bottom of a pile, so, get rid of the good players so it becomes garbage in a trash heap - brilliant.

At the All-Star break, those who want to rip the team apart will have more to fill their bill.

[Sjoski]

Trade Kody to Toronto for a pitching prospect.  Develop him for 3 to 4 years, then ship him back over the border.

--- 

The Minnesota Twins: Proudly operating as a highly specialized, non-profit finishing school for the Toronto pitching staff since 2021.

[Vanimal46]

Lol okay. Cash him in for what? Holy over reaction to a solid 25 game stretch. 

I’m old enough to remember when we should have cashed in on Chris Paddack in early June last year as well. 

[Major League Ready]

He will only have value if he continues to play at or near this level for the next 6 weeks.  I doubt there will be much support for moving him if that's still the case.  Of course, if a team offered a return consistent with a player with 3 years of service remaining who was expected to continue to perform at that level, that would be a different story.  That just does not seem to be a likely scenario.  Great but unlikely.

[roger]

Will any team ever get to be really good if they keep trading their good players, players who should continue being good for several years, for a couple prospects two or three years away?  Add the fact they have been searching for a first baseman seemingly forever and he will be cheap for another two years and this makes no sense.

[h2oface]

Aren’t they cashing in right now? Isn’t the point to have a player improving and provide good performance? Or is to always trade away a player for worse? 
The til tok world. Always getting rid of your performing players to get hope dreams, most that will be worse or never even make it. Constant strangers and failures. 

[Patzky]

Faith hope and love. I got no faith they'll get a useful cog with a trade. I hope they actually think potential trades through. And I love the runs Clemens has saved by his play at first.

[Danchat]

I know it's an unpopular take, but I'm in total agreement. Selling high on a guy who is probably at the peak of his value is a wise move to make before his play inevitably decreases because he's a 30 year old utility player. Obviously it depends if he continues to hit to the deadline, but with how much hitting is down around the league I wonder if they could get a decent package for him given he has 2.5 years of control left. 

If the return is similar to what they got for 2 months of Castro (at the time a non-top 30 prospect from the Rangers), then I will decline. I'm not advocating for giving him away for very little as if he's a rental.

1 hour ago, Patzky said:

We could probably get a similar return for Josh Bell at the trade deadline that we would get for Clemens right now. 

Huh? How is a 33 year old DH hitting 77 OPS+ with 2 months of control left the same value as Clemens assuming he's still hitting above average and has 2.5 years of control left?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

The big difference between Castro and Clemens, is Castro hit above league average for 2.5 seasons before being traded, where Clemens has hit above league average for about 8 weeks.

Clemens is older than Castro, so I highly doubt anyone believes that Clemens 8 weeks is sustainable but if the similar offer comes, pull the trigger! It won’t….

[CRF]

Cash in?🤣

[Vanimal46]

Just now, CRF said:

Cash in?🤣

That rookie ball SS won't be available for long! 

[Dman]

If the price is right I am on the trade bandwagon.  Definitely not giving a versatile player with cheap years of control away for a marginal return even if he is 30.  When looking at the 26 man it sure looks like there is room for Kody next year.  Jeffers will be gone along with Bell, Gray and likely Arcia.  I know they love Kriedler, but if he is back to not being able to get any hits he could be gone.

So even if you add Culpepper, maybe Ben Ross and maybe Mendez if he keeps on hitting there is room for Clemens,

Still for the right overpay in an effort to help this team get younger I'd be OK trading him. To everyone else's point about keeping him it is a good one.  You look at qualified hitters with his OPS and he is in the top 60.  You are one of the better hitters in baseball if you can OPS 800 or above.  Clemens has been pretty streaky though and his high point in OPS was around mid June last year as well and he fell off considerably.  

We'll see how he looks as a trade candidate come the deadline.

[Vanimal46]

10 minutes ago, Dman said:

If the price is right I am on the trade bandwagon. 

What is that? Realistically.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

21 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

The big difference between Castro and Clemens, is Castro hit above league average for 2.5 seasons before being traded, where Clemens has hit above league average for about 8 weeks.

Clemens is older than Castro, so I highly doubt anyone believes that Clemens 8 weeks is sustainable but if the similar offer comes, pull the trigger! It won’t….

@RpR why do you disagree?

do you disagree that 1996 comes before 1997?

do you disagree about hitting assessments?

do you feel that Clemens should not be available at any price?

please elaborate 

[Brandon]

How far from contention do you think we are?  We seem to have good starting pitching, even with several starters out.  Our lineup is solid, and we are working on the solutions.  We have some good ones in AAA right now.  The bullpen .... Oh yeah we do need a few relievers to step up.  I think we are close to contending now... We do need a few relievers and maybe a bat or two which we have in AAA right now.  There is no need to trade a low cost value add player.

[LyleCole]

13 minutes ago, Dman said:

If the price is right I am on the trade bandwagon.  Definitely not giving a versatile player with cheap years of control away for a marginal return even if he is 30.  When looking at the 26 man it sure looks like there is room for Kody next year.  Jeffers will be gone along with Bell, Gray and likely Arcia.  I know they love Kriedler, but if he is back to not being able to get any hits he could be gone.

So even if you add Culpepper, maybe Ben Ross and maybe Mendez if he keeps on hitting there is room for Clemens,

Still for the right overpay in an effort to help this team get younger I'd be OK trading him. To everyone else's point about keeping him it is a good one.  You look at qualified hitters with his OPS and he is in the top 60.  You are one of the better hitters in baseball if you can OPS 800 or above.  Clemens has been pretty streaky though and his high point in OPS was around mid June last year as well and he fell off considerably.  

We'll see how he looks as a trade candidate come the deadline.

I think the team control is a bit overstated in that he will be Arbitration-1 eligible for next season.  I would estimate he is going to get around $2.5 million in arbitration for 2027 tripling is current salary.  Then assuming a similar season, around $4.5 million (See Trevor Larnach).  While in modern professional sports contract values that is not a huge amount, I think it is for Kody Clemons.  

But I also agree with those who state that the price has to be right.   Its still a cheap contract, and that adds value to the team who is acquiring, but if you can't get a guy that at least has some potential of being a MLB player there is no sense in trading him.  Just keep him as a versatile veteran presence who has some pop in his bat.

The value in trading him is not just getting a propsect back, but clearing the way for some of their AAA players.   

I would really, really like to see them give Aaron Sabato a chance with enough time left in the season to give him 150 plate appearances.   Aaron has paid his dues since being a first round draft pick in 2020.  He has obviously worked hard and has seemingly improved.  He has cut his K% down somewhat, he ha a .360 OBP and .615 SLG%.  He is 27 years old so his opportunity window to make the Major Leagues is getting close to being shut.  If he strikes out 78 times in those 150 PAs, which is a distinct possibility, you saw him strike out 78 times but still gave him a chance.   

I think it is important to the organization to give opportunities to draft picks like Sabato who have moved up the organization and got better each year.  Otherwise, why even have these players in your organization.  

[twinstalker]

Definitely should explore.

[Vanimal46]

9 minutes ago, Brandon said:

How far from contention do you think we are?

Pretty far. Still think this is a 90+ loss team... Especially when we trade Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers at the deadline. 

[nicksaviking]

3 hours ago, Patzky said:

Any reasonably sure thing needs to be replaced with a doubtful thing in order to help us win in two years? Clemens won't get a Jeffers return. We could probably get a similar return for Josh Bell at the trade deadline that we would get for Clemens right now. 

Not down with this proposal..

Why? In what scenario is Kody Clemons part of a Minnesota Twins World Series run?

I mean, getting rid of him (and the temptation to start him), to give real reps to players who could possibly help compete in 2027, 2028 or 2029 should be a win in and of itself.

[strumdatjag]

It’s way too soon to give up on 2026.   
the difference between trading Clemons and st the trade deadline doesn’t justify giving up now. 

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, CRF said:

Cash in?🤣

Cash considerations. We just struck gold again tonight. 🤧

[Patzky]

36 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Why? In what scenario is Kody Clemons part of a Minnesota Twins World Series run?

I mean, getting rid of him (and the temptation to start him), to give real reps to players who could possibly help compete in 2027, 2028 or 2029 should be a win in and of itself.

There are plenty of reps available for these pipedreams without removing one of your only competent hitters and fielders 

[DJL44]

I doubt anyone gives you much for Kody Clemens but if some gets irrationally exuberant you trade him. 

[bean5302]

Getting expensive, mediocre, approaching free agency: Sign him to an ill advised extension right away!!!!

Pre-arb, team controlled through 2029, hitting well with good advanced metrics: Trade him now for a bag of White Castle sliders!!!!

There is no reason to expect Clemens to turn back into a pumpkin, but he doesn't have enough track record to get much back. He's finally been giving regular playing time and he's thriving. xwOBA says he's legit. Teams which are retooling don't generally trade good pre-arb position players because it defeats the entire purpose.

 

[h2oface]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

In what scenario is Kody Clemons part of a Minnesota Twins World Series run?

Now THAT is funny. A World Series run, eh?

[Dman]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

What is that? Realistically.

It probably wouldn't be realistic, but I'd want more than what they got for one half year of Castro.  Likely not a top 100 prospect, but maybe a guy somewhere just outside that with some other pieces.  If he keeps hitting like this until the deadline with his position flexibility and years of control it would need to be significant to move him IMO.

If that OPS drops into the low .700 range then you likely aren't going to get much.  You could then decide to move him for a lessor return, but you could just as well keep him too. He needs to make another believe in him to get the value I'd like to see.