Let’s Make a Deal: Could Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Be a Trade Target for the Minnesota Twins?
The Minnesota Twins quite painfully sat out through much of the free-agent frenzy this offseason. Cutting payroll and hamstrung by ownership, Derek Falvey was forced to get creative. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would be quite the add to Rocco Baldelli’s lineup, but finding a way to make it work seems cumbersome.
Through the first quarter of their season Rocco Baldelli’s club has been consistently inconsistent. That has been evident for multiple players, but veteran free agent addition Carlos Santana is chief among them. While he has been a solid defender at first base, the bat has left plenty to be desired. The addition of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the lineup could help provide some thump, but the hurdles to grab him are plenty.
First, the Toronto Blue Jays would need to be willing to part with a player that has become synonymous with their organization. Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are staples for the Blue Jays, and Ross Atkins may not want to part with either of the franchise favorites even as they struggled to contend entering the summer.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has heard they may be open to the idea though, and that could help jumpstart something of a retooling for their roster. Recently Bleacher Report put together a list of teams that could have interest in Guerrero Jr.’s services, and with where the Twins first base situation currently stands, it makes sense that they would be on it.
Therein lies the second problem. Signed to a $19.9 million contract this season through arbitration, Minnesota would be adding a sizable chunk of the money they pocketed when cutting payroll. Despite grabbing the most lucrative television deal possible, they didn’t reinvest those funds this offseason, and doing so over the summer while underachieving to a certain extent seems curious.
Guerrero Jr. isn’t a free agent until 2026, which means his final year of arbitration still is on the table, but that isn’t going to come with a significantly depressed price tag no matter what sort of production he puts up this year. Minnesota could use him next year as well, but with contracts kicking in for Carlos Correa, Pablo Lopez, and a handful of new arbitration eligible players, the payroll is going to be in an interesting spot regardless.
