Home Run Hunting: Exploring Trade Prospects to Bolster the Minnesota Twins' Offense

Santander is a a hole in the defense; Soto cost far too much and the other two are going nowhere.

Soto is a thing worth a phone call. The money, the one year and done, and his defense are problematic but why not just get in the conversation. Every team wonders how Soto would look in their colors.

I can't see the others as being Twins but crazy stuff happens and putting the list together is worth a thread.

Soto would be a fantastic addition but it'll never happen due to the Twins throwing money away. Between C4 and Buck it's hard to over-come a waste of nearly $50M per season when those 2 can barely hit their weight. That pretty much handcuffs the Twins for the next 5 years on bringing in someone of Soto's caliber. But it's always fun to have those dreams after drinking the Kool-Aid.

I'm in on Bellinger before any of the above mentioned (obviously for Soto it's because of cost and not ability). I do think we trade some major prospects for a big name hitter this year.  Just don't think any of the above will make that much of an impact on this team. 

Soto and Alonso are not realistic  , no team control , FO would never consider a trade would they , had they won the world series this year then I could see the FO  trading for either of them to defend a title for 2024 ...

Santander is a switch hitter but do we have the pitching to trade for him , he's had a few decent years  ...

McCormick strikes out to much , we don't need that even with 3 years of control  ...

We already have strikeout artists we don't need another one ... 

I still think they should try to lure the Nootbar from the Cards. He's an excellent defender; he hits lefties and righties equally well, and he makes more contact than many of other options available....and I want the Pearson Candy Company to offer the Noot Bar as a snack...noughat & nuts (Noot...get it), chocolate and whatever else it takes to make it tasty. Then, we can have Noot Bar night as one of the special events at Target Field. Besides that, he is just a very nice guy. (He's been making glasses commercials here in Japan for quite a spell. He is loved here!!)

10 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Big improvement in offense could easily come from stressing making more contact thereby cutting down on non-productive outs via K.

The two teams in the World Series exemplify that statement. Unfortunately the concept of productive at-bats is lost on the Twins front office and dugout.

7 hours ago, Aerodeliria said:

I still think they should try to lure the Nootbar from the Cards. He's an excellent defender; he hits lefties and righties equally well, and he makes more contact than many of other options available....and I want the Pearson Candy Company to offer the Noot Bar as a snack...noughat & nuts (Noot...get it), chocolate and whatever else it takes to make it tasty. Then, we can have Noot Bar night as one of the special events at Target Field. Besides that, he is just a very nice guy. (He's been making glasses commercials here in Japan for quite a spell. He is loved here!!)

I love Noot. He’d be a fun addition. He has a bunch of team control left, so we would  have to give up a haul.

11 hours ago, rv78 said:

Soto would be a fantastic addition but it'll never happen due to the Twins throwing money away. Between C4 and Buck it's hard to over-come a waste of nearly $50M per season when those 2 can barely hit their weight. That pretty much handcuffs the Twins for the next 5 years on bringing in someone of Soto's caliber. But it's always fun to have those dreams after drinking the Kool-Aid.

It seems somewhat  likely Correas plantar fasciitis is gone in 2024, which would make me expect that he is back to being one of the best shortstops in baseball on both sides of the ball. Of course it’s harder to be optimistic about Buxton, but he’s the much smaller portion of the money going to those two. Either way, I’d love to see ownership increase payroll, despite the TV deal issues- which feels highly unlikely. They would then be able to add one more big contract. 

I would like Paul Goldschmidt more than any of these 4 dudes.  I think in terms of 2-3 years in the baseball world.  PG would help immensely in this timeframe.

The only one I would be that big on for a trade would be Soto, except for the cost of trading for him, also knowing we would not resign him.  I do not know the contract he is looking for but reports he turned down crazy money with Nationals before they dealt him.  He is young and will demand possibly the biggest contract in history, we will not give that up. If you could get him for 1 season for a couple of mid-level prospects I would be all in on it, but my guess if Padres move him it will be to a team willing to give up more than that as they would expect to get an extension. 

13 hours ago, rv78 said:

Soto would be a fantastic addition but it'll never happen due to the Twins throwing money away. Between C4 and Buck it's hard to over-come a waste of nearly $50M per season when those 2 can barely hit their weight. That pretty much handcuffs the Twins for the next 5 years on bringing in someone of Soto's caliber. But it's always fun to have those dreams after drinking the Kool-Aid.

Soto would be a one year rental in his final year of arbitration. They would then offer him a qualifying offer and get a compensation pick after the first round when he signs his mega deal somewhere else.

The payroll will be in the $110-$120 million range after picking up arbitration and option salaries. It was $158 million this year, so even if payroll decreases next year, they still have room for a one year contract at $33 million. Especially if Kepler is part of the return to San Diego and the difference in payroll would be more like $20 million.

So they are not handcuffed financially, the question is more would they be willing to pay the prospect price for a one year rental. I think a reasonable deal might be headlined by Emmanuel Rodriguez. I could see something with Kepler (to replace Soto on the Padres next year) ERod as the big future piece, and a couple lower level throw ins.

Most likely this discussion is all moot, as the Padres probably won't actually shop Soto. But the Twins would have the financial and prospect capital to pull it off.

Should they? Normally I'm not too keen to give away long term pieces for one year return, but Soto would significantly change the shape of the lineup. I think there's a good argument that next year is the best time to go all in on a "win now" strategy with the new young core in place. I think the front office should at least be considering deals like this.

6 minutes ago, 2wins87 said:

Soto would be a one year rental in his final year of arbitration. They would then offer him a qualifying offer and get a compensation pick after the first round when he signs his mega deal somewhere else.

The payroll will be in the $110-$120 million range after picking up arbitration and option salaries. It was $158 million this year, so even if payroll decreases next year, they still have room for a one year contract at $33 million. Especially if Kepler is part of the return to San Diego and the difference in payroll would be more like $20 million.

So they are not handcuffed financially, the question is more would they be willing to pay the prospect price for a one year rental. I think a reasonable deal might be headlined by Emmanuel Rodriguez. I could see something with Kepler (to replace Soto on the Padres next year) ERod as the big future piece, and a couple lower level throw ins.

Most likely this discussion is all moot, as the Padres probably won't actually shop Soto. But the Twins would have the financial and prospect capital to pull it off.

Should they? Normally I'm not too keen to give away long term pieces for one year return, but Soto would significantly change the shape of the lineup. I think there's a good argument that next year is the best time to go all in on a "win now" strategy with the new young core in place. I think the front office should at least be considering deals like this.

I agree that the Twins could manage adding the money required to pay Juan Soto for one year. I also agree that discussions concerning Soto (across all teams) are almost certainly moot because the Padres believe they will win next year with him in the lineup. I don't believe that the Twins will trade any of their top prospects for Soto. If they have discussions they would be around one or two MLB players (likely one pitcher, which the Twins cannot really afford) and 3-5 prospects from guys ranked below the top ten. But as you say, a Soto deal is highly unlikely. Every team likes the idea of his bat though.

I think Mark Canha could be pretty similar to Santander and cheaper in terms of the ask by the Brewers, who might move him for a modest return in order to help them make their payroll target.

I don't necessarily think moving Kepler would be a prerequisite for obtaining either.

The Soto or Alonso trade for one guaranteed year only makes sense if they are the missing piece of a serous World Series contender, which they might be. But I wouldn’t trade Brooks Lee or Walker Jenkins for one year of Soto or Alonso. That said I don’t think the FO would do it. 

Great article Adam !  These are all interesting possible additions.  I agree with you that Correa is likely to have a big bounce back season compared to 2023 offensively.  

Soto is obviously the cream of the crop and he will be VERY expensive to extend.  If he was 28 years old I probably wouldn't be interested at all.  But he's 24 years old!!  Imagine a 10-year contract with him in the #3 hole with Lewis, Lee, Correa, Jenkins, Julien, Jeffers and Kirilloff?  The biggest question is how could they fit him into their payroll 5 years into that 10 year contract when guys like Lewis, Lee, Julien, Kirilloff and Jenkins will need to be paid and guys like Correa and Buxton will still be in their contract status?  And that doesn't even address where we might need to be with the pitching staff.  

Alonso has power and would provide a much needed RH bat.  What would be a reasonable contract extension for him?

I like that Santander is a switch hitter and could play either corner OF.  He's a better hitter than Kepler...much more consistent.

The real sleeper on your list is Chaz McCormick.  He is a far superior player to Taylor, who won't come close to replicating his 2023 stats in 2024 or ever again.  McCormick would be great CF insurance and would give us a solid glove in LF if Buxton was in CF.  Guys are clamoring for Nootbar, and he's great, but the Cardinals aren't trading him to anybody.  If we acquired a Cardinal OF it would most likely be Tyler O'Neill.  McCormick has power and speed and kills LH pitching.  With Dusty Baker retiring, maybe McCormick would be better appreciated in Houston.  But I'd be on the phone with them figuring out what McCormick would cost.  

Acquiring any of these players makes picking up the options for Kepler and Polanco necessary and then trading them to restock whatever talent we have to use to put together a trade as well as shedding $20+ million in payroll.  

Basically the only untouchables right now are Correa and Buxton.

The "it would take a perfect trade" guys are Duran and Lewis.

Everybody else has a level of availability if the Twins thought it would improve their team.

After the dealings with Correa and Buxton, we-as-fans need to re-evaluate how the front office looks at things.  I don't think any available player, either FA or trade candidate, is off the table.

2wins87, tony&rodney, 

BBTV's actually has Soto and Wallner at equal value, if you can believe that.  Most of that is the affordability of Wallner for the next 5 seasons and the cost of Soto in 2024 and beyond.  Wallner straight up or throwing in a SWR or Winder theoretically could get it done. 

Soto in our lineup in 2024 would be a sight to behold.  Would it be worth it to give up Wallner to make it happen?  Maybe.  A lot of that "maybe" depends on the progression of Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins.  It's possible that BOTH Rodriguez and Jenkins could be playing for the Twins in 2025.  Even if it's only Rodriguez, Jenkins will be up in 2026 guaranteed. 

I like Wallner.  But this is a classic "sell high" moment if you want to make a play for a bat like Soto.  Much like trading Arraez was made possible by having Polanco and Julien (with Lewis, Lee and others) having Rodriguez and Jenkins makes the unthinkable idea of trading a young power hitter like Wallner a real possibility. 

I don't think the Padres are close to competing at all next season.  Their payroll is maxed out and they are going to lose Blake Snell and Josh Hader.  Manny Machado wants out.  Darvish is going to be what, 36 or 37 next year?  Who will be in their rotation after Joe Musgrove?  And Musgrove is currently on the 60-day I.L.  He's not even listed on their roster at this point.  The Padres are going to be sellers this off season.  They will build around Tatis but anybody else is fair game.  

Teams will make trade offers for Soto.  He seems like a classic Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Phillies kind of acquisition.  But for one year?  He certainly COULD be a TWIN.  He's just so darn consistent though, that offering a 10-year $400 million dollar contract extension doesn't seem crazy.  Chaz McCormick is a much lower risk in my opinion.  But Soto!  Man would that be exciting.  

Well, you can cross Chaz McCormick off that list if you go by BBTV's.  McCormick had a nice season last year but he's 29 years old and his value is 47.2.  That would require a trade of either Joe Ryan 44.8 or Brooks Lee 48.2 and neither of those is going to happen.  I think BBTV's needs to "reevaluate" the value of a 29 year old OF who had a good year last season but had been a below the radar guy before that.  

Is Soto really on the market? I'll believe it when I see it, kinda feels like a "if you completely mortgage the future for him, we'll listen" scenario, and I don't think the Twins are interested in that...nor should they. He's a special bat and would improve the team's offense, but I'm guessing that means Brooks Lee would need to be headlining the deal...and SD is going to want more besides. He's an elite talent, but the financial fit and the opportunity cost seem off for the Twins, and frankly I'll believe he's truly available when I see it.

Alonso fits the Twins needs better, but the Mets are a mess which sometimes makes it hard to deal. but even coming off a down year he's going to be pricey. Unclear to me that they're going to do a full tear down in NY; the guys they moved at the deadline in 2023 were all old. Alonso looks more like a guy who you extend and see if a quicker rebound is possible with him, Lindor, and Nimmo as the offensive core for the next 2-4 years. So I don't think he's going to be all that available.

Santander's going nowhere, and isn't much of an upgrade. He's still cheap enough even for the Angelos family (if you think the Pohlads are bad go talk to O's fans, who would kill for our ownership group these days) and they're right in a window of contention. Is he likely to be a better offensive contributor than Kepler next season? Probably, but how much? we can be sure he's going to be much worse defensively. Santander doesn't save you any money either; he's likely to get as much or more than Kepler's $10M deal.

McCormick would be more interesting to me if I thought the Astros were stupid enough to let him go for anything other than a monster package. Would he be a great fit for the Twins? Sure would, but why would the Astros let him go? They need him too and just because Dusty Baker (who is retired) didn't trust him against the Twins for...reasons doesn't mean the organization is going to move on.

So I see 4 players here that I think are only gettable if you make massive offers to pry them out, not guys that a team is truly looking to move on from or do a salary dump. I don't think an overpay is the best move for the Twins.

Severino in LF is best power acquisition or at DH or everyday utility player.  He doesn’t cost more than league minimum and we can horde talent.  
 

Soto at 33 million is too much.  If not resign Gray and have a strong rotation again.  Soto would cost Wallner and Varland and something like Winder as the Padres would want major league talent so the can use that and 33 million in savings to get Gray….. I mean a starting pitcher or two and be able to compete next season.  

10 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

If you can get Juan Soto for a package built around Wallner I think you have to do it, even just for 1 year. 

Alonso would be a really nice fit, too, if you believe his BA is going to bounce back. Have him split time between 1B and DH while locking him into the 3 or 4 hole for 162 games. 

Santander is an intriguing option. Wonder what it'd take to get him. I wouldn't be looking to trade any of their top handful of prospects for him because he's not a clear step up for the offense. This offense doesn't need more 120ish OPS/wRC+ bats, they need 140+ OPS/wRC+ bats.

I have no real interest in McCormick. I think he's more likely to return to being a 110ish OPS/wRC+ bat than to stick as a 130ish OPS/wRC+ bat. 110 is certainly serviceable, and a useful player, but not somebody I trade real assets for because he doesn't improve the top of the lineup, and that's where the Twins need improvement.

I think there's 2 real needs for this team this offseason. 1. Replace Gray at the top of the rotation with a controllable arm. 2. Find an elite bat that you can plug in somewhere in the 2-4 spots in the lineup everyday. To fill both of those needs it's likely going to take a painful decision or 2 on someone who's been really good for this team for a long time (Polanco) or someone a lot of fans have great hope for (Wallner, Lee, or Rodriguez). The Twins look to have a really nice group of legit, young MLB talent ready, or near ready, to take over certain spots. The Twins don't look to have many truly elite bats, and they need to find them, even if it means giving up someone we like.

You have a 5 year window coming up where you're already invested in winning now. You have Buxton and Correa signed for that window, and your new, young guys are coming up to help form the core. The young guys have a couple more years of being very cheap so you should be able to add an impact arm or bat for this stretch without too much concern over finances. Adding a legit top talent to a team that finally broke "the streak" should do nothing but help the bottom line as you'd be selling more tickets and merch. The fans are invested again. Now is the time to strike. Coming out of this offseason without an addition to the front of the rotation, or top of the lineup, would be such a travesty, and a horrible business decision. You can't take a step back now. The kids are key to the future success of this organization, but adding a proven veteran is vital, too. I know people are excited to see all the kids come up and succeed, but it's a huge risk to not add to this team and rely almost entirely on the youth to all succeed and take steps forward.

General agreement on the two needs. While signing a pitcher via free agency would be sweet (not my money), a trade does seem more likely. Last night, Mark Polishuk (MLBTradeRumors) posited the notion that the Twins could trade Royce Lewis as opposed to Brooks Lee. 

Soto is clogging up every fans' mind right now. Nobody really knows if Preller is even open to the idea yet much less what the Padres want in return. They need pitching, outfield help, and salary relief. They did average 40,000+ for 81 games as far as attendance. It is unlikely to see a prospect laden return work. I think BTV is interesting. I get the idea of controlled time, etc., but we can put up dozens of ridiculous trades that show similar value. Is Griffin Jax really close in value to Juan Soto? If San Diego would trade Soto for Wallner plus several prospects in the #10-30 range, the Twins would have to think long and hard. Then again, is Wallner going to become the batter that showed in Wichita in 2022 and in St. Paul in 2023? What is the ceiling for Wallner? He seemed to have several holes in his swing and was initially clueless on breaking pitches. We saw some real growth by Wallner in closing those holes and improvement on recognition of off speed stuff. Wallner still has a ways to go before he becomes a middle of the order bat. Can he close the gap? How quickly? These are how Falvey, Preller, and others earn their pay.

Pass for me.  We ranked in the top 10 for HR didn't we this past year?  With the uncertain financial situation we will be in due to Bally's - lets keep our prospects in-house as we may need cheaper talent in the next few years. 

9 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

It'd be one heck of a bold move by the FO to trade the new fan favorite after what he just did in the playoffs. Not saying it'd be the wrong move (depending on the options), but it'd take some real guts to move Lewis at this point.

I cracked up when I read the comment because I thought that TD would tip over if Lewis was traded. I don't see it. Later in the Q & A, Polishuk backpedaled on making a guess what the Twins would do, hinting that he didn't want his box full from irate Twins fans. LOL.

1 hour ago, farmerguychris said:

Pass for me.  We ranked in the top 10 for HR didn't we this past year?  With the uncertain financial situation we will be in due to Bally's - lets keep our prospects in-house as we may need cheaper talent in the next few years. 

We were 1rst I think in team HRs