5 Offensive Trade Targets On Expiring Contracts

Some potential big names on the trade market include Shohei Ohtani, Paul Goldschmidt, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso. However, there is no guarantee teams will move those players before the trade deadline. Here are five players on expiring contracts with teams out of contention. They will likely come with a lower acquisition cost while helping the team in the final two months. 

Tommy Pham, OF
Pham is a 35-year-old veteran with ten years of big-league experience, including 15 postseason games. He’s in the midst of a career year on an underperforming Mets club. In 73 games, he has hit .274/.359/.479 (.838) with 15 doubles, nine home runs, and a 132 OPS+. He’s posted an OPS above .800 against righties and lefties this season, but he mashes southpaws with an .889 OPS. He has an .847 OPS against lefties for his career, so this isn’t something unique to this season. Pham is a unique personality famously known for punching Joc Pederson over a fantasy football dispute. The Twins might not want someone with his personality upsetting the clubhouse vibe.  

Hunter Renfroe, OF
The Angels must decide if they are buyers or sellers before the end of the month. Renfroe is a likely trade candidate if they sell because of his expiring contract. During the 2023 season, he has hit .244/.301/.441 (.741) with 21 doubles and 15 home runs in 89 games. His OPS this season is 15 points higher against righties than lefties, but that doesn’t follow his career trend. He has an .878 OPS for his career in over 800 at-bats against southpaws. His 2023 season hasn’t been outstanding, but the Twins might be able to utilize him in a platoon role down the stretch. 

Andrew McCutchen, OF
During the winter, some speculation swirled about McCutchen being a good fit for the Twins. McCutchen decided to return to Pittsburgh on a discounted one-year, $5 million deal to finish his career where it began. In 77 games, he has posted a 118 OPS+ with a .782 OPS against lefties. There are a few issues with trying to acquire McCutchen. First, he has been playing nearly all his games as a DH, a position usually occupied by Byron Buxton for the Twins. Second, he might want to avoid being traded at this point in his career. He has never made it past the Division Series round, so a long playoff run might be something he wants to experience before he retires. 

C.J. Cron, 1B
Cron is a familiar name to Twins fans, having played 125 games for the team in 2019 with a 104 OPS+. Since leaving Minnesota, he has hit .263/.336/.493 (.829) with a 115 OPS+ in 357 games. His OPS has dropped over 20 points this season compared to last year, but it has been a decrease in walks with the same slugging percentage. He has an .814 OPS against left-handed pitchers for his career, but this season, that total has dropped by over 70 points. Also, Cron can’t play in the outfield, so the Twins would need to move Kirilloff to a corner outfield spot when CJ Cron was in the lineup at first base. 

Jeimer Candelario, 3B/1B
Candelario might not be a household name, but he could be one of the most sought-after players at the trade deadline. MLB Trade Rumors ranks him as the number two player on their top 50 deadline trade candidates, ranking behind Lucas Giolito. Candelario was non-tendered by the Tigers and signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Nationals. In 89 games, he has hit .259/.334/.485 (.819) with 27 doubles, 15 home runs, and a 127 OPS+. He will come with the highest cost of any player on this list, so the Twins might stay away for that reason. He also is a better hitter from the left side, which isn’t currently a need for the Twins. 

Which player is the best fit for the Twins before the deadline? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.