Ranking Twins Trade Candidates If They Sell At MLB Trade Deadline

[tony&rodney]

It is June 18, which means front offices are reaching out and having conversations. It isn't too early for clubs to be looking for what they can do at the trade deadline to improve their organizations.

It is too early for the articles. Why? We don't know how the prospects will be doing in mid July or if a few of them are going to be ready to be good MLB baseball players. We have no idea, for the most part, what teams are going to be looking for what specific help. By late July we will know where teams have holes due to injuries and non performance and have needs due to their expectations to make a run in the postseason. As of right now the Twins are not in a clear sell mode.

Ryan Jeffers is likely to be traded, if a return is reasonable. The return for most of Bell, Caratini, Rogers, Banda, Larnach, and Wallner doesn't look like it would be much. Gomez and Clemens are worth more in Minnesota than any expected return. Lewis should have been traded in November of 2023 but unless some team gets stupid, it is probably best to hold him now. Joe Ryan can be traded but it would be nonsense to trade him for a package of 50 grade prospects. If Ryan cannot return a top 10-20 type prospect, hold him and have further wider discussions in November.

I will think about the possibilities in late July but as of right now I'm only thinking about moving Ryan Jeffers. There are more than six weeks before the trade deadline. No reason to push away anyone yet. There are 37 more games to assess players and look through other organizations for talent. When the time comes I want to read names of players that people desire in transactions and think about if both teams would be on board.

[karcherd]

42 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Another category would be DOES ANYONE WANT THEM.  On that list would be Ober, Lawrence, Orze, Gray, Martin.

Include Bell, Gomez and possibly Clemens on that list.

[weitz41]

Buck, Clemens, Gomez and Lewis are from only if he wants it, too highly unlikely. The rest aren't going to bring any top 100-150 prospects.

The elephant in the room is to or not to trade Joe Ryan. I think the package will need to be substantial. Something in the range of a top 25 prospect and another top 100 plus 1 or 2 of a team's top 30. I don't see many teams taking that kind of hit to their prospects. If I had to guess who might, it would be the Dodgers. Trade, extend for 350 mil and march on to another title. Otherwise, I think the price will be too high.

[Western SD Fan]

2 hours ago, Andy MacPhail said:

IMO, Twins should sell & buy. To protect themselves, yet be competitive.

This is what many of the other smart teams have done in similar situations.  The Rays once sold off in a similar situation to us in the standings.  There have been Cleveland and Milwaukee teams where they have sold off expiring pieces and picked up some decent prospects and didn't miss a beat on their march to the playoffs.  This is not the Twins year to go all in so every move needs to be made for the future.  Sometimes that means holding onto a person if you don't get the haul you want.  I don't think we will get the value for players like Larnach or Clemens that they mean to this team while we are waiting for other players to come up.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

I would trade Caratini in a market that is desperate for catchers and piece something together without minor leaguers and Jackson.  Caratini is not the future of the team.  

They would probably have to eat salary to move Caratini.

[weitz41]

Wanted to add. (This is to you Mr. Pohlad and the go big or go home talk)

Because of the talk of trading Buxton. This is just my 2 cents. I would EXTEND Buxton. Redo his current contract and add 2 more years. After this season change the base from 15 mil to 25 mil give him the same escalators and no trade through the end of the contract. So, 100 mil for 4 years starting in the 2027 season. He can start it as the starting CF and end it as a corner OF or as a DH. Buries the trade talk and maybe send a little message.

My vote would be for his statue at Target field of him diving for a catch.

 

[weitz41]

Hmm double post.

[GNess]

Hypothetically what if the Twins close the gap behind the ChiSox and Guards and in so doing take the lead for one fo the Wild Card spots by the deadline? Do you still trade off current assets because you can possibly get future value from the return on players like Ryan and Jeffers?

It is understood earning a playoff berth or being in real contention for one. doesn't make a team a true contender, but it has to have some value to the organization and fanbase.