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  • Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Minnesota Twins free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Brock Beauchamp
    Now that we're past non-tender day, the list of available free agents is as robust as it will be this offseason.
    It appears the Twins are going to be working with little money this offseason so the top names are likely off-limits. But yesterday, the Brewers were unable to trade or come to a longer-term agreement with starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff. This is a perfect Falvey moment. Woodruff will likely not pitch in 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery. He'll need a place to rehab and return in 2025.
    Woodruff is an ace pitcher nearly on par with Corbin Burnes. If he can recover from shoulder surgery, a one-year make-good deal aligns perfectly with the Twins' interests.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote in his notes today that Derek Falvey, President of Baseball Operations for the Twins, mentioned that the team would likely pursue a first baseman this winter.
    This is a surprise and also not a surprise. Alex Kirilloff had offseason shoulder surgery, though it was less severe than anticipated and he will likely be back in time for Spring Training. The Twins also have Jose Miranda, a right-handed hitter to platoon with Kirilloff, now left without a position with the return of Royce Lewis last season.
    Derek Falvey:
    Edouard Julien could also be without a position entering next spring but given he's also left-handed, it's hard to see the Twins trying to wedge him into a platoon with Kirilloff.
    Rhys Hoskins is the preeminent free agent at the position this winter but given the Twins' newfound payroll constraints, could easily be priced of the team's comfort range.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Okay, the GM meetings are full speed ahead and the offseason has begun.
    Several teams are considering trades of their frontline starters including names like Tyler Glasnow, Dylan Cease, and Corbin Burnes.
    This will be a controversial take but I'd prefer to see the Twins steer clear of Burnes. He's a very good pitcher who, when he can suppress home runs, is elite. He hasn't consistently done that since 2021, his Cy Young season. Someone is likely going to pay that "2021 Burnes" entry price and I hope it's not the Minnesota Twins.
    The Brewers themselves could move a significant portion of their roster. They have several very good players lined up to enter free agency in the next two winters: Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames after 2024 with Devin Williams the following year. Never before have I heard Freddy Peralta mentioned specifically as a trade candidate. He's a very good pitcher with an absurdly team-friendly contract and option years that can carry him through the 2026 season. He has always played second fiddle to the Burnes & Woodruff duo but is only a half-step behind them in performance.
     
    DJL44
    With Michael A Taylor a free agent and Byron Buxton perpetually injured, the Twins have expressed interest in center fielder Kevin Kiemaier, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
    Once an elite defender, perhaps the best in baseball for a time, Kiermaier is entering his age 34 season in 2024 but still posted very good defensive metrics in center for the Blue Jays in 2023. Kiermaier may not be an everyday player anymore, needing rest to stay healthy but the Twins don't seem to mind that.
    Mike Sixel
    They have permission to talk...
    Thad Levine joined the Twins as General Manager, second in command to President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey, in 2016. During his tenure in Minnesota, Levine has helped the Twins win three division championships in seven seasons, alongside one Wild Card appearance in 2017.
    Levine was born (Virginia) and raised (went to Haverford College in Pennsylvania) so a move to Boston would bring him closer to his roots. It has long been speculated that Levine wants a shot at the big chair for a MLB team and after the departure of Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox may come calling.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Well, this doesn't make me cry. The Yankees, currently in last place in the American League East, are now listening to offers on players that will become free agents at season's end.
    Most of the names don't interest the Twins; they're expensive, injured, starting pitchers, or all of the above.
    But Harrison Bader might be a name of interest to the Twins after several right-handed bats went off the market yesterday. Bader is oft-injured the past two seasons but can play center field and was an above-average bat as recently as the 2021 season (114 OPS+).
    What do you think? Out of the remaining names on the market, is Bader one that interests you?
    Brock Beauchamp
    Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors rounded up the latest Twins trade deadline rumors
    . Give that a click for more details but here are the major talking points:
    The Twins are willing to listen to offers on pending free agents Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda but the price is steep, as it will do serious damage to their postseason hopes Dallas Keuchel is dealing in AAA St Paul and can opt out on August 1st, trade interest in him has been minimal The Twins are receiving interest on their stockpile of left-handed corner outfielders A deal with the Mets may make sense, as the Mets are selling hard and have a few right-handed options that should interest the Twins What are your thoughts? Sell, buy, or both?
    Seth Stohs
    I thought this was an interesting one. It has to be relatively close. It sounds like the Mets just have to get Scherzer to waive his no-trade clause. 
    A few minutes before the news broke that the Rangers and Mets were close, Rangers beat writer Evan Grant tweeted the following: 
     Someone else tweeted that if Scherzer's getting dealt, then the White Sox aren't doing a service to themselves if they don't make Dylan Cease available. And, maybe it should mean that the Twins consider dealing a starter?
    Brock Beauchamp
    Congratulations, you've unlocked trade deadline weekend! Up to this point, the deadline has been rather quiet, as there are many teams still on the fence about selling and few selling teams have have clear upgrades at positions. MLBTR's Anthony Franco runs through the best remaining trade targets heading into the final 72 hours before the trade deadline.
    Of particular interest to the Twins:
    Mark Canha: RH OF, New York Mets Tommy Pham: RH OF, New York Mets Jordan Hicks: RP, St Louis Cardinals Josh Hader: RP, San Diego Padres Who are your favorite trade targets and why?
    Brock Beauchamp
    As most of you probably identified over the past few weeks, the Mariners and Twins share many traits: they pitch pretty well and don't hit nearly enough.
    Combine that with the dearth of true, wholesale sellers on the trade market this year and it leads to a situation where the Mariners are open to dealing their excellent closer with 1.5 years of control remaining, Paul Sewald.
    Sewald, 33 years old, has saved 52 games over the past three seasons, carrying a 137 ERA+ and over 12 strikeouts per nine innings during that time. He has some of the same allure (and dangers) of Jorge Lopez last season but has a much longer track record of success in MLB.
    The Twins have a slew of left-handed hitting corner players, at least one of which could be packaged into a deal to acquire Sewald... but should the Twins try to acquire another controllable closer after what happened at the last deadline?
    Seth Stohs
    Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Dodgers and White Sox are nearing a deal that would send Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers. If that deal would happen, it would be the second such deal where they traded one of their starters and a triple-digit reliever. They dealt Lucas Giolito and Renaldo Lopez to the Angels last week. 
    The White Sox doing their part for the Los Angeles baseball market. 
    Also, for those interested, it presumably means no need to worry about a Joe Kelly/Carlos Correa issue! (Presumably because obviously a deal is not yet complete and may or may not be imminent as Jon Heyman tweeted.)
    Who else do you think the White Sox will deal?
    Brock Beauchamp
    Well, this is an interesting development. In Ken Rosenthal's latest roundup, he mentions the Twins have a roster crunch coming up when Jorge Polanco returns to the 26-man roster. This may lead the Minnesota front office to trade away at least one of their left-handed outfield bats, though it's hard to predict which one. Trevor Larnach was recently demoted to AAA St Paul while both Matt Wallner and Max Kepler are hitting quite well for an offense that has struggled to score runs in 2023.
    That leaves Joey Gallo and it's hard to envision his trade return being significant, or even existing at all.
    The most interesting development of this trade deadline is that it's... not really happening. Nobody is trading anyone. Sure, we've seen relievers move around and some complementary players be traded but none of the larger names have come off the board. That's because so few teams have dedicated to selling. The Angels took Ohtani off the market. The Cubs can't stop winning so it's becoming less likely they will trade either Marcus Stroman or Cody Bellinger.
    As a result, teams are calling on the Twins starters, including Sonny Gray. And with a front office that somehow pivoted from Mitch Garver to Isiah Kiner-Falefa to Carlos Correa in the blink of an eye, we can't rule out this front office doing, well, pretty much anything if they think it improves the team.
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