Twins Video
For days, now, the focus for most Twins fans has been on the tantalizing possibility of snagging a difference-making playoff starter, like Yusei Kikuchi or Jack Flaherty. Kikuchi was traded to Houston Monday, though, and Flaherty might be a tough get, given the price Kikuchi commanded and the extra hurdles that pop up when teams consider high-stakes intradivisional trades. Tanner Scott is an obvious fit for Minnesota, too, but there will be a bidding war for him over the next several hours.
Let's talk, instead, about a few players you might not have thought about much, but who could fit into the Twins' plans and make a positive difference at a low cost.
Joe Ross, Brewers RHP
Due back this week after a prolonged rehab assignment in the wake of a lower back strain in May, Ross is as low-profile as players come right now. The 31-year-old righty made nine starts before being shelved, totaling 42 innings pitched, and notched a 4.50 ERA. That comes with a 3.94 FIP and 0.6 FanGraphs WAR. He's on a one-year deal worth a total of just $1.75 million, so he'd be a feasible addition even for the cash-strapped Twins, and because the Brewers still face a roster crunch, he'd cost virtually nothing. That said, he'd also be a bare-minimum stabilizer for the back end of the rotation. He'd help the Twins get that far, perhaps, but it's unlikely they'd want to turn to him in the postseason.
Tanner Banks, White Sox LHP
Theoretically, he's controllable for another four years after 2024, so the White Sox could elect to hold onto Banks. Pragmatically, he's a late bloomer who's already 32 years old, and he's unlikely to be good enough to make it through his years of team control without being waived or non-tendered.
In the moment, though, he's a tough lefty, with a mid-90s fastball, a sharp slider and a big roundhouse curveball that has the zip of a typical sweeper. His changeup is lousy and righties crush him, but left-handed batters have a .492 OPS against him this year. He'd be dirt-cheap financially, but perhaps a bit pricey in terms of prospect return, given what he is.
Scott Alexander, Athletics LHP
The wily 35-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal worth $2.25 million, so he's financially affordable at this point. He doesn't miss bats--like, at all--but he also doesn't walk people, and everything is on the ground when he's going right. He boasts one of the league's heaviest sinker-slider-changeup combos. Like Banks, the splits are huge, and he was more valuable before the three-batter minimum came into play, but he could still have tactical value if expertly deployed. The cost should be low.
LaMonte Wade Jr., Giants 1B
Bring. Him. Home. The Giants have signaled that they're in sell mode. Wade has just one more year of team control after this one (time flies!), and the team might look to move him amid his most impressive OBP-crazy season yet. This one would take some real talent moved in return, and the degree of the team's need for him is slightly debatable--but Carlos Santana's platoon splits say it would be awfully nice to have a left-handed bat who can deepen the lineup from the top, rather than the bottom.
Drew Smyly, Cubs LHP
Smyly isn't on as cheap a deal as Ross, but the Cubs would be willing to pay down a portion of the money left on his contract just to get any value in return for the veteran. He's a good clubhouse citizen and a master of the sneaky high-rise sinker, with a deceptive curveball to pair with it. Stretched out for long relief, he's capable of sliding into the rotation for a turn or two as needed, but he'd probably be a traditional left-handed reliever for the Twins. That's fine. They need just such an arm, and he'd be almost a free upgrade to the last spot on their pitching staff hierarchy.
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