3 Right-Handed Bats Minnesota Twins Should Target at MLB Trade Deadline

[Sampson5]

3 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

To clarify, we should give someone a modest prospect in order to get a rental right-handed bat?

While a lot of folks on TD suggest we trade Jeffers for a modest prospect?

it seems like it would be easier to just keep Jeffers. 

Shouldn't trade Jeffers unless it's for a starter close to mlb ready who you could have start a few times in St Paul then immediately call up to the mlb or trading him for a mlb arm . Trading him for a prospect who's years away really makes no sense unless they fold between now and the deadline and are forced to sell . Honestly if it was me id extend Jeffers and trade caratini 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I think the concept that we should trade for right-handed bat is a good one and Lane Thomas is not a bad idea as a 4th outfielder/platoon mate for Larnach. Gleybor Torres leaves me cold, Taylor Ward is decent but expensive for what he brings, and Christian Walker, Lars Nootbar (love that name), and Michael Massey can't hit left-handed pitching very well. It would be fun to have a guy named Lars Nootbar playing in Minnesota though. I mean, where else should he play?

I think if don't trade for an outfielder like Thomas, the idea of trading for a 1B or 2B makes a lot of sense to me. I watched Royce Lewis run home with the lead run yesterday and one thing is pretty damn clear, he is not fully recovered from his knee surgeries. He runs like a 40-year-old man carrying a refrigerator uphill. I've had a torn ACL and I will tell you that it takes long as two years or even more to get back to where ever it is you're going to get to and that is nowhere near as good as where you started. It also messes with your balance for a while and doesn't give you a lot of confidence in planting your legs, all of which might help explain how much trouble he's having at the plate. Football players can come back faster because it's a different type of movement. All of this means to me that having three guys that can play 1B and 2B that you can move around would be a great thing to have and I think improve the team against left-handers if you got the right one.

I've looked and frankly though there's only two possibilities, our old friend Luis Arraez and Anthony Volpe. Arraez is actually hitting 313/.336/.443 (.779) against lefties this year which is almost as good as his OPS against right-handers (about 815). He ain't cheap and he's probably gone after this year but he would help us in the short term. I would be up for if we can get him for a top 20 – 30 prospect type. Volpe is interesting in that is really not hitting great against anybody with a .657 OPS against lefties and a .666 OPS against righties but he is a good fielder and we can have a much improved defense with him at second and Clemens at first. He also gives us another shortstop if Kriedler's bat completely falls off the table, which looks like might be happening. Once again, depends on the cost. Maybe we can get him for a 15 – 30 prospect or thrown in as an addition in the trade to the Yankees of Jeffers for one other high-end pitching prospects. If we can, he might be worth it. Other than that, though, the pickings are pretty slim.

So I like the concept but it's hard to find anyone that really fits other than Lane Thomas or maybe Luis Arraez. All comes down to cost and this is an additional move, it does not stop the necessary move for pitching. My fantasy is we trade Jeffers and Roden or one of our AAA OFs other than Jenkins to Seattle for Emerson Hancock and Jose Ferrer or Gabe Speier.  We get a mid rotation starter and a 7th or 8th inning reliever, they get a starting catcher to help for the rest of this season with Raleigh injured and really not performing well at all (.573 OPS), plus a fully controllable prospect with upside like Emma, GG, or Mendez. Both have a chance to win their division or make the playoffs as a wildcard this year and both teams get immediate help and guys they can keep for a while. I would then add to that a trade of a 15-30 prospect for Luke Weaver and a similar prospect for Luis Arraez. 

[Andy MacPhail]

Twins are top in offense in the AL. A bat is not a priority, an arm is. We've been at the bottom of that category all season.