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

Exactly what the Minnesota Twins will do at the trade deadline remains anyone's guess. With just a week and a half remaining before the August 3 deadline, the Twins continue to hover around the 20% mark in playoff odds. A good week could convince the front office to add pieces for a postseason push. A bad week could just as easily send them toward selling. There is still plenty left to decide.

If the Twins determine they are buyers, the biggest needs are fairly obvious. Starting pitching and relief pitching both stand out as areas that need reinforcements. One need that has received much less attention, however, is another right-handed bat.

For what feels like the fifth consecutive season, the Twins simply have not been able to hit left-handed pitching. Entering the deadline, they rank 28th in the majors with a .227 batting average against southpaws and 27th with a .677 OPS. It has become one of the biggest flaws in an otherwise solid offense, and has left opposing managers free to lean heavily on left-handed pitching late in games.

The two spots where a right-handed hitter would fit best are corner outfield and second base. Trevor Larnach has become an important top-of-the-order bat against right-handed pitching, but the production disappears when a lefty is on the mound. Larnach owns just a .588 career OPS against left-handed pitchers. Austin Martin has received many of those starts this season and has done an admirable job, but much of his production came very early in the season, and even at his best, his lack of power is limiting.

Second base presents another opportunity. Kody Clemens has been one of the better stories of the Twins' season, but he's still best utilized in a platoon role. While Clemens owns a respectable .733 OPS against lefties this season, his career numbers paint a different picture. He has just a .628 career OPS against southpaws and managed only a .482 OPS against them a year ago.

The Twins do have an intriguing internal option waiting in Triple-A. Kaelen Culpepper has the versatility to play all over the infield and could eventually provide the right-handed bat Minnesota is looking for. However, injuries have interrupted much of his season, making it difficult to know exactly what the Twins can expect from him over the final two months. If the front office isn't comfortable relying on a rookie returning from injury to make his debut during a playoff race, adding a veteran infielder becomes a much more appealing option.

If Minnesota decides to buy, these three players should be among the names at the top of their list.

Lane Thomas, OF, Royals
DiamondCentric's Trade Candidate Rank: 55

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In his walk year last season with Cleveland, Thomas was just never right. He played through injuries at times, and couldn’t even manage to do so at others. That cast him out into free agency under the worst possible circumstances, and he found a home that has proved unhappy in Kansas City. He’s hit well for that moribund outfit, rediscovering the ability to make contact in the zone that deserted him after a wrist injury in 2025. He’s no great slugger, but he’ll mash lefties, can acquit himself at all three outfield spots, accepts a walk, and is beloved by teammates. That profile is easy to fit into playoff-caliber teams at this time of year.

Lane Thomas has long felt like a natural fit for the Twins because of his ability to punish left-handed pitching. For his career, Thomas owns an .848 OPS against southpaws and has continued that success this season. He has also been swinging one of the hotter bats in baseball lately, posting an .843 OPS since June 1.

His defensive versatility only adds to the appeal. Thomas can handle either corner outfield position while also filling in at center field whenever Byron Buxton needs a day off. Perhaps most importantly, Thomas is scheduled to become a free agent after the season, meaning he should be obtainable without an overwhelming prospect package. He checks nearly every box Minnesota should be looking for in a deadline addition.

Taylor Ward, OF, Orioles
DiamondCentric's Trade Candidate Rank: 48

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Everyone knows that you have to swing to be a good hitter. What Taylor Ward dares to ask is, what if you don’t? He got one look at the strike zone compressed by the advent of ABS this season and said, “Well, that’s my job done.” And he’s basically been right. He was a dangerous power hitter with the Angels over the last two seasons; that part of his game has been neutered by the shift toward extreme patience at the plate. But he’s running one of the game’s highest walk rates, and doing it in very sustainable fashion. He’s a complementary piece for a great team, but a strong one, capable of mashing lefties but not someone you need to platoon altogether. The Orioles won’t want to give him a qualifying offer this winter, anyway. They need to get something for him while they can.

Taylor Ward offers many of the same qualities as Thomas, with perhaps even more offensive upside. Ward has been one of baseball's better hitters against left-handed pitching throughout his career, compiling an .835 OPS against southpaws. He has been even better this season, posting a .900 OPS against lefties.

A natural left fielder, Ward would fit perfectly into a platoon with Larnach for the remainder of the season. Shelton could continue starting Larnach against right-handed pitching while turning to Ward whenever a lefty takes the mound, giving the lineup considerably more balance. Like Thomas, Ward is set to reach free agency following the season, making him an attractive rental option for a Twins club that may not want to sacrifice premium prospects.

Gleyber Torres, 2B, Tigers
DiamondCentric's Trade Candidate Rank: 56

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Torres’s rehab from an oblique strain needs to continue to go well, but if he can get on the field for a fortnight before the deadline (and if the Tigers don’t surge back into serious playoff contention) (and if Torres continues to hit as well as he has when healthy this year), he could be a very nice pickup for any team needing to lengthen their lineup. There always seem to be a lot of ‘ifs’ around Torres, and that’s still true this summer. Here’s one more: If Detroit does end up more seller than buyer, Torres will almost certainly find a new home, because he’s already playing on a qualifying offer and will surely leave via free agency this winter, anyway.

Intra-division trades don't happen often, but they aren't unheard of, either. The Twins and Tigers have completed deals before, most notably the Michael Fulmer trade, and could be willing to do business again if Detroit decides to move veterans.

Torres has built a career on hitting left-handed pitching. He owns an .852 career OPS against southpaws and continues to produce offensively with a .787 OPS this season. He is also just one year removed from an All-Star campaign, proving there is still plenty of offensive value in his bat.

The biggest question surrounding a move like this is Kaelen Culpepper. If the Twins believe Culpepper is healthy enough to come up and contribute during the stretch run, they may choose to stick with their top prospect. But if injuries have created enough uncertainty that the organization isn't comfortable counting on him in a playoff race, Torres becomes an intriguing alternative. He would give Minnesota a proven right-handed bat who could platoon with Clemens at second base while also receiving regular at-bats at designated hitter.

None of these players would solve every problem facing the Twins. Starting pitching and bullpen help would still need to be addressed if Minnesota hopes to make a legitimate postseason run.

Still, adding another proven right-handed bat could quietly become one of the most impactful moves the front office makes. The Twins' struggles against left-handed pitching have been impossible to ignore, and each of Thomas, Ward, and Torres would directly address one of the roster's biggest weaknesses while fitting naturally into the Twins' lineup.

Which right-handed bat would you like to see the Twins target? Is there another player you think deserves to be on this list? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!