Twins Video
The Athletics are reportedly in a polar opposite position to the Twins this offseason. They risk a player union complaint if they don’t add enough payroll. While they could spend this money on free agents (as they recently did with Luis Severino), they also become a target for teams like the Twins to talk to on the trade market. Chris Paddack, in particular, seems like a name that could be involved in a win-win deal.
For the Twins, it would be dealing from the strength of their roster. They’re in a good spot with the rotation, between Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, younger arms such as David Festa and Zebby Matthews, and the top prospects waiting in St. Paul. After an up-and-down season, it’s unlikely Paddack will claim a rotation spot on Opening Day. Dealing him in the offseason would save $7.5 million and allow Paddack to remain a starter, which he certainly wants.
From the A’s perspective, Paddack is the exact kind of addition they should be trying to make. Their MLB club has plenty of room in their rotation, and their farm system lacks any immediate impact starting pitching. While Paddack has his question marks regarding injury, one could argue that he still carries a fair bit of upside another year removed from Tommy John surgery.
While the A’s may not care about Paddack winning them games every fifth day, he becomes a valuable potential trade chip for them once again at the deadline if he’s able to stay on the field. The Twins likely won’t ask for much in return for taking Paddack’s money off their books, and the A’s could quickly recoup whatever they gave up (and then some) if they flip Paddack to another contender amid a strong season. If Paddack doesn’t pan out, they’ve at least added $7.5 million to their payroll to help shield themselves from the ire of the players' union.
In an ideal world, the Twins let Paddack’s contract play out, given the upside argument one could make. His 2025 salary will likely prove to be a bargain by the time the free-agent market plays out, but the Twins are in a spot where potentially getting a deal doesn’t matter, because the front office doesn’t have the money to make needed upgrades elsewhere.
Paddack wouldn’t bring the same trade return as somebody like Joe Ryan or Bailey Ober, but trading him would leave less of a hole in the roster while shedding more money. It also stands to reason that Paddack’s trade return, while likely to be uninspiring, would bring more than that of a trade of someone like Christian Vázquez who may even require prospects on the back end to convince another team to pay that money.
The list of teams willing to take on money this winter will likely be short, with several clubs similarly dealing with changes in broadcast revenues. The A’s have emerged as a prime target to dump some money, and the Twins should check in on doing so. Do you agree?
Follow Twins Daily For Minnesota Twins News & Analysis
- Karbo, Fatbat, Cory Engelhardt and 2 others
-
5
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now