BREAKING: Twins Acquire Starting Pitcher Dean Kremer from Orioles

[Mike Sixel]

21 minutes ago, IndyTwinsFan said:

Not sure why so many are up in arms about this trade.  I'll admit that Kremer is no world beater, but he is a somewhat competent arm that can give the team some innings from a starter it can't get right now.  Take out the 2 blowout appearances and his numbers aren't terrible. 

Reyes, while putting up decent numbers in Low A (and the DSL before that), is really nothing more than a long shot lottery ticket at this point in time.  Maybe he makes a name for himself in professional baseball and maybe he doesn't.  There's just no way to know right now.  It's not like he was knocking on the door and we just gave up on him.

I mean, take out Matthews two awful appearances, and he's much better than this guy. 

[IndyTwinsFan]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

You think they are going to add two starting pitchers?

Not necessarily, but I don't think we can automatically rule it out right now.

[IndyTwinsFan]

5 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I mean, take out Matthews two awful appearances, and he's much better than this guy. 

How about the spot Parades had been covering, until he went on the IL, too?  Same opinion?

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, IndyTwinsFan said:

How about the spot Parades had been covering, until he went on the IL, too?  Same opinion?

I don't understand the question? I was responding to someone that if you take out this guy's two bad starts, he's good. Merely pointing out, Matthews is the same as this guy and everyone wants him out of the rotation. 

[Old Twins Hat]

1 minute ago, IndyTwinsFan said:

How about the spot Parades had been covering, until he went on the IL, too?  Same opinion?

Yeah, Kremer becomes Paredes.  That way they keep the bullpen intact.  It's a maintenance move not a game changer.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, Old Twins Hat said:

Yeah, Kremer becomes Paredes.  That way they keep the bullpen intact.  It's a maintenance move not a game changer.

I'm not really interested in guys that don't change the game. Either try to win, or don't. But I get not everyone agrees. And I'm not trying to convince anyone to change their mind. 

[AceBee]

Head scratcher!! 

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, Brandon27 said:

they probably move kremer to the bullpen and add another SP from another trade 

I think it’s Kremer to AAA to work out some things and as starting depth, back up when Prielipp needs moved to the bullpen. Either that or they think they see a flaw in his delivery that they can fix.

[LA Vikes Fan]

16 minutes ago, AceBee said:

Head scratcher!! 

They are going to need another starter for sure because Prielipp is near his innings limit for the year and they just don’t have anyone else other than Rojas. They needed to pick up a starter in this guy must have been the only thing they could find for a price they were willing to pay. Too soon to get guys like Gausman or Ray. The teams that have them will hold onto them till Monday to see if they can get more competition involved as people get injured or ineffective.

 

[DocBauer]

I guess I'm going to be in the minority here, but I actually like this trade. 

Remember when we needed IP in 2023 and turned to Dallas Keuchal and his 5.97 ERA as a street FA at 35yo? He helped somewhat, but he was limping along and throwing on guts and guile.

If the Twins did, or still do, make a move for a serious, mid rotation SP, I was worried they would send away too much for a rental. And IMO, that would be wrong to do at this point and potentially cost too much for said rental. 

Now again, if they have the means to grab someone with control still from a team that is in sell mode, I can get on board with that. But at what cost? It just seems to me those kinds of trades usually occur in the offseason. Witness Arraez for Lopez. I didn't want the Twins to over spend for a 4th or 5th SP just to finish out the season.

All I'm saying is, cool your jets, forget for a moment your imagination was going to bring in a top 3 SP on a steal from someone, and just examine this deal with a step back.

2022 through 2025 Kremer has been a decent, solid, back end SP. And he hasn't been bad in 2026 until recently. Unless there is a physical issue, the Twins obviously believe they can get him back on track again to what he was the previous 4 years. And what they are looking for...and many of us have speculated about this...is someone to stand up if anyone else gets injured, or when Prielipp hits an IP wall.

I mean, at this point, other than Rojas being used as a 3-4 IP opener...hoping for more...the next guy in line is probably Galagher. And no offense, but he isn't ready for ML duty. Kremer gives us protection from injury, protection from Prielipp hitting a wall, and a solid 4th-5th rotation option if they can right his ship back to the course he was previously on.

I don't want to see bullpen games over the next 2 months. And the cupboard is bare now at St Paul. This also might allow Prielipp to move to the bullpen in September where he could be a real weapon while controlling his IP.

Kremer lengthens the rotation if he's not broken. And he might end up enhancing the bullpen as well. I 100% understand disappointment they didn't add a Ray, or Glausman as a rental. But that's going to cost a top 10-15 prospect plus an additional top 20 probably. And the Twins didn't want to do that. And I get that.

I wouldn't do that either, unless it was someone we have control over for a couple of years. And while it could still happen, again, I think those kinds of deals usually happen better in the offseason. 

If they go out and grab another solid RH pen arm better than Nance to go along with Minter, coupled with the idea that Matthews, or Prielipp can also help the bullpen come September, they achieved a necessary goal tonight.

Losing Reyes hurts somewhat. So did losing Amick and Agbayani to a degree. But you have to give up something to get something. Trades don't come free. And Reyes might turn out to be a very good player in time. But so might Amick and Agbayani. You can't just pick and choose what lost prospect might come back to haunt you. Only time will determine that.

So far, Zoll has brought in a RHRP in Nance for nothing that helps a little. And then he brought in a solid LHRP in Minter that cost a single top 20 prospect, depending on who's list you look at. And now he's brought in a solid #4-5 SP to eat innings and keep the rotation afloat if there are any more injuries, or simply protecting Prielipp, even if said SP is currently in a funk. And it cost us an almost 19yo in the rookie league who has potential. Wanna bet against the Twins pitching staff to not get Kremer "right" again?

I'd still like another solid RHRP arm regardless. MLB.com just had an interesting article about 6 sneaky good trade options that included 32yo Michael Petersen from Miami as a late bloomer with control that might come cheap. There might be others. I'm still expecting another pen arm soon.

But I think you might be over reacting if you under sell Kremer as a solid, veteran arm to augment the rotation and get us over the finish line at least.

 

 

[puckett_34]

This team isn’t winning it all no matter what they do. That being said, I want to see this team in the playoffs even if they get bounced first game. It will be a hell of a lot better than I thought they would be this year. I will never like the Pohlads but their approach makes sense this year. Do a little to try and appease the fans after shi***** the bed last year while knowing we are a few years out from really making a run.  This trade in particular is meh, but we need innings with all the young guys on limits so it’s fine. I disagree that a Gausmann type is the right move. Doesn’t change my first sentence. Ownership is nibbling a little…maybe like a piranha. This team is actually entertaining. 
 

P.S.  I like Zebby. Improving every year and can go 6-7 innings.  Has had a few really bad games but we got a chance with him most nights  don’t send him to the pen unless it’s an innings limit methodology  

 

.

 

[Otwins]

I agree with Doc Bauer and would like to add that I like Kremer has one more controllable year.  If he pitches well he will not be that expensive for next year.  If he does not you do not have to tender him a contract. My feeling is he will help more in the regular season than in a playoff series. Need one more playoff caliber starter and push the young pitchers to the bullpen to limit innings.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

1 hour ago, darin617 said:

So this trade pushes Zebby to the minors or bullpen?

Not after 11 Ks today 

[Dman]

So how does this work for next year?  Ryan, Bradley, Lopez, Ober and Kremer?  No Preilipp, Abel, Mathews, or Rojas?  Not sure I get why they needed another year of control.  Kremer wasn't even deemed good enough for the Orioles starting rotation this year and got there due to injury.  Also I don't get the infatuation this team has with injured arms.  He's just coming back from a right quad strain and has a velocity dip.  It's another head scratching move IMO.  

I already don't like Zoll as GM.  Friedman would have got this done for Jimenez or Rosario or Olivares. prospects with lower ceilings rather than Reyes. Once Zoll is done with the Twins I don't see him in a GM chair if he is making move like this.

 

[tony&rodney]

Twins fans have wanted the org to add players at the deadline using prospects, i.e - strengthen the 26 person roster. The trades for Minter and Kremer do add. Reyes is relatively unknown but not exactly low ranking. At least one list had him at #10 in the Twins organization.

Trades can be tricky as seen when Junior Caminero was acquired for a pitcher. We need to understand that the front office is trying to thread the needle by acquiring a few decent players without giving up prospects such as Jenkins, EmRod, Tait, Culpepper, Houston, Quick, and Hill. They may also not want to lose Winokur, Diaw, Soto, Bohorquez, or Mercedes. 

My preference was for a couple of big gamble trades. However, I do know that these are extremely difficult and mostly impossible to pull off. I'm more concerned with the bats and defense than I am about the pitching.

It will be interesting to see who gets sent down when Minter and Kremer are added to the roster. It seems like the two to go might be Anderson and Rojas but both have been very good lately.

The one thing to keep in mind is that there is still nearly two months left in the season. After Monday, additions are from waiver lists and the minor leagues.

Despite the record only being 56-55, the vibe with this club is super positive. They are a fun, if not occasionally maddening, team to watch.

[darin617]

There are a couple of bright sides to the trade.

Kremer can be sent directly to St Paul and let him get his things together. 

The other one is they can just non-tender him if it doesn't work out. 

This was truly a horrible trade for a player that would be a DFA candidate after the trade deadline if he wasn't traded.

[JADBP]

55 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

I guess I'm going to be in the minority here, but I actually like this trade. 

Remember when we needed IP in 2023 and turned to Dallas Keuchal and his 5.97 ERA as a street FA at 35yo? He helped somewhat, but he was limping along and throwing on guts and guile.

If the Twins did, or still do, make a move for a serious, mid rotation SP, I was worried they would send away too much for a rental. And IMO, that would be wrong to do at this point and potentially cost too much for said rental. 

Now again, if they have the means to grab someone with control still from a team that is in sell mode, I can get on board with that. But at what cost? It just seems to me those kinds of trades usually occur in the offseason. Witness Arraez for Lopez. I didn't want the Twins to over spend for a 4th or 5th SP just to finish out the season.

All I'm saying is, cool your jets, forget for a moment your imagination was going to bring in a top 3 SP on a steal from someone, and just examine this deal with a step back.

2022 through 2025 Kremer has been a decent, solid, back end SP. And he hasn't been bad in 2026 until recently. Unless there is a physical issue, the Twins obviously believe they can get him back on track again to what he was the previous 4 years. And what they are looking for...and many of us have speculated about this...is someone to stand up if anyone else gets injured, or when Prielipp hits an IP wall.

I mean, at this point, other than Rojas being used as a 3-4 IP opener...hoping for more...the next guy in line is probably Galagher. And no offense, but he isn't ready for ML duty. Kremer gives us protection from injury, protection from Prielipp hitting a wall, and a solid 4th-5th rotation option if they can right his ship back to the course he was previously on.

I don't want to see bullpen games over the next 2 months. And the cupboard is bare now at St Paul. This also might allow Prielipp to move to the bullpen in September where he could be a real weapon while controlling his IP.

Kremer lengthens the rotation if he's not broken. And he might end up enhancing the bullpen as well. I 100% understand disappointment they didn't add a Ray, or Glausman as a rental. But that's going to cost a top 10-15 prospect plus an additional top 20 probably. And the Twins didn't want to do that. And I get that.

I wouldn't do that either, unless it was someone we have control over for a couple of years. And while it could still happen, again, I think those kinds of deals usually happen better in the offseason. 

If they go out and grab another solid RH pen arm better than Nance to go along with Minter, coupled with the idea that Matthews, or Prielipp can also help the bullpen come September, they achieved a necessary goal tonight.

Losing Reyes hurts somewhat. So did losing Amick and Agbayani to a degree. But you have to give up something to get something. Trades don't come free. And Reyes might turn out to be a very good player in time. But so might Amick and Agbayani. You can't just pick and choose what lost prospect might come back to haunt you. Only time will determine that.

So far, Zoll has brought in a RHRP in Nance for nothing that helps a little. And then he brought in a solid LHRP in Minter that cost a single top 20 prospect, depending on who's list you look at. And now he's brought in a solid #4-5 SP to eat innings and keep the rotation afloat if there are any more injuries, or simply protecting Prielipp, even if said SP is currently in a funk. And it cost us an almost 19yo in the rookie league who has potential. Wanna bet against the Twins pitching staff to not get Kremer "right" again?

I'd still like another solid RHRP arm regardless. MLB.com just had an interesting article about 6 sneaky good trade options that included 32yo Michael Petersen from Miami as a late bloomer with control that might come cheap. There might be others. I'm still expecting another pen arm soon.

But I think you might be over reacting if you under sell Kremer as a solid, veteran arm to augment the rotation and get us over the finish line at least.

 

 

Lot said here, Doc.  Yeah, at the end of the day, this is a swap of a lottery ticket for a project.  Maybe the Twins pitching staff can eke out some magic for a couple of months?  Maybe not.  Maybe Reyes flames out?  Maybe not.  

But the bigger point is that yeah, the Twins are at least doing something.  That's a world of difference from last year's nightmare!  

That said, I am still waiting for the news on Larnach, Jeffers, and Wallner.  I really just want Wallner out of the org.  Not sure he will ever play in Target field again.  And, I would hate to see Jeffers go, but it really is the only sensible path with him.  Larnach is a maybe.  

Ryan, Lopez, Lewis and all of out top AAA guys should be untouchable.  

The better news here is that these moves can help to motivate the rest of the team.  I hope it motivates them enough for some of them to sign extensions...like Ryan! 

[Western SD Fan]

Kremer is an interesting case.  If the plan is to shut down Prielipp for a month and save his arm for a September run, maybe Kremer makes sense as @DocBauer has indicated that he could be a 5th starter meant to be an innings eater with no real plans of being on a potential playoff roster.  My issue is that I'm not sure he is even better than our current options on the team.  If this was June 1st, right after we just DFA'd SWR, this type of trade could make more sense (yes, I know Kremer was hurt at the time).  We weathered that storm so I'm not sure this was the best move at this moment in time.

As for Reyes, it's a mixed bag on where I fall on this.  I can see where trading someone who is not expected to be in the majors in 4-5 years.  If you believe a playoff window is opening now and will be open for the near future, this is the type of player you trade to get the help you need.  I would have preferred him as part of a bigger package for a better pitcher.  My opinion is they traded him too early.  Although A ball guys are usually lottery tickets, if you believed in this lottery ticket, it may have been better to let him cook a little bit and build up some more value before trading him.

Tom Froemming made a great point on his reaction video to the trade.  He's a heavy prospect guy so he sees potential stars everywhere, but he is still the most knowledgeable person on our prospects that I follow.  This could be a Tom Pohlad move trying to gin up interest in the team for a stretch run knowing that, after the new CBA, they are putting the team back up for sale.  Having an 18-year-old prospect 4-5 years from the majors likely doesn't mean much if your intention is to sell the team post-CBA agreement.  Froemming's comment made a lot of sense.

Remember, many people on here wanted the Twins to trade for a controllable pitcher past this year.  Guess what?  You got one! 😉