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Generally, only a few players in a given MLB organization can be considered entirely off the table. The concept of an “untouchable” player may differ from person to person, and from circumstance to circumstance. Still, it’s essential to consider how the Twins may consider this definition and who fits it within the organization.
Untouchable status deals with factors from both the trading and receiving team. What does this player mean to the Twins and how they plan to operate going forward? How much risk does the player carry for the acquiring team, and how much does that weigh into how much they're willing to pay? In some situations, questions such as these just won't line up to create a realistic deal that each team is willing to agree to. Not every GM is Jerry Dipoto willing to take on considerable risk.
Regarding an MLB-ready player, being considered untouchable often has more to do with what they could bring back in a realistic trade and whether it would outweigh the value the player is already providing to the team. Julio Rodriguez is likely an untouchable asset for the Seattle Mariners as a young, perennial MVP candidate center fielder. They could surely get a haul if they made him available in trade. Still, his value as an already-established MLB player will likely outweigh the value of just about any realistic combination of prospects who have yet to prove it in The Show. He’s also become the face of the franchise and a fan favorite, so it’s almost impossible to imagine him on the move anytime soon.
It should be even more challenging to consider prospects untouchable. This classification would be based entirely on how much value a team thinks they could have in the future. It’s a complex determination, given how often even top prospects flame out due to either performance or injury. So, which Twins are most likely to be considered untouchable?
*Note: Players with no-trade clauses, such as Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, are not considered*
Pablo Lopez
The Twins had been searching for a front-line starter for years, and they found it when they acquired López. Still just 29 years old, the team's ace is under team control at a below-market rate for four more years. The only way the Twins would even consider moving López in a competitive window would be for another impact starting pitcher, plus some significant sweeteners. It’s probably not a realistic package a team would offer.
Royce Lewis
Lewis has a lot going for him on and off the field. He’s tied to this front office as the first draft pick they made--No. 1 overall in 2017. His path to the majors has been winding, but he played a significant role in ending the dreaded postseason losing streak with his two homers against Toronto in Game 1. He appears to be the kind of player around whom you can build a championship team, and the Twins are likely to do just that. It may not be long until an extension is in place. Royce is sticking around.
Walker Jenkins
As the team’s top prospect, Jenkins was considered a candidate for the first overall selection if drafted in a different year. After utterly dominating the minors with a near-1.000 OPS across three levels in 2023, Jenkins has the upside of a legitimate superstar. At only 18 years of age, he carries plenty of risk. Still, it’s hard to imagine the type of return it would take for the Twins to ship him out without seeing more of what he can do in the minor leagues.
Brooks Lee
The Twins' top prospect before Jenkins was picked, Lee is thought of highly in the organization and within the fan base. As he nears the MLB level, he doesn’t currently have a place to play, with second and third base covered several times over. The Twins would love to see how his career plays out in Minnesota. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether his lack of an immediate position and less dominant 2023 season makes him a candidate to be included in a trade for an impact acquisition.
Edouard Julien
The Twins will undoubtedly receive calls on Julien this winter as they try to deal with their infield log jam. He’s shown an elite eye at the plate, and can hit for power out of the leadoff spot. His defense is a work in progress, but he improved down the stretch in 2023. Julien should be another core piece across the diamond from Lewis in the future, but the organization’s history of dealing elite hitters with defensive concerns is worth considering (See Luis Arraez).
Joe Ryan
Ryan would be firmly in the untouchable category if he had finished 2023 anywhere near the way he started it. He was a legitimate front-end starter with team control through 2027 before his second half went completely off the rails following injury. Still, the whole body of work was solid, and it’s hard to envision the Twins parting ways with a controllable starting pitcher who has sometimes flashed elite skills when they already need a Sonny Gray replacement.
Jhoan Duran
It takes a lot for a reliever to be considered untouchable, and Durán could be one of the few in the game in that conversation. The Twins bullpen would drop from (arguably) an above-average unit to firmly below-average without the fireballer. That being said, as important as Duran is to the team, it's hard to imagine this regime in particular holding him out of trade talks if a reliever-desperate team was dangling a starting pitcher.
Emmanuel Rodriguez
The ceiling remains sky-high for E-Rod, with an OPS over .850 in High-A in 2023, and he’ll likely start 2024 in Wichita. Strikeouts remain a huge concern, and the bust potential attached to that weakness makes it worth wondering whether the Twins would dangle him in a deal with a team that thinks highly of him. If they think he can stick in center field and iron out the strikeouts, they may have him off the table in trade talks.
In all reality, there are likely somewhere between one and three names on this list who are genuinely untouchable in the Twins' eyes. Serious teams don’t take more players than that off the table in trade talks. There are likely some shocking moves on the way, as we’ve seen from the last few offseasons under this regime, and we should expect to see a couple of beloved players sent packing. Which players in the organization are genuinely untouchable? Are there any?
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