Minnesota Twins Trading for Offensive Help Would be a Surprise
The Minnesota Twins should be expected to operate as buyers when the MLB trade deadline rolls around. What they add remains to be seen, but finding room for someone in the lineup seems a bit difficult at this point.
At some points this season, Rocco Baldelli has wanted more from his lineup. With Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton all missing time, the team has occasionally had to scramble to backfill for its best players. Veterans Manuel Margot, Carlos Santana, and Kyle Farmer failed to step up, and probably shouldn’t have been expected to do so.
Right now, though, finding a place for an offensive addition doesn’t really work. Sure, Daulton Varsho might make sense as a corner outfielder who prioritizes defense. What happens to Trevor Larnach in such a case, though? Max Kepler has been league-average, and produced to a greater extent when going great. Matt Wallner is raking at Triple-A, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. could arguably do the same thing. Oh, and the Blue Jays’ guy is left-handed, too.
The outfield situation is also why a recently proposed acquisition of Mark Canha from ESPN’s Jeff Passan just doesn’t make sense.
Maybe the Twins would like to add Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Pete Alonso. Guerrero, at least, should be available, and even with Santana now going great at first base, either could be argued as an addition. Alex Kirilloff isn’t going to factor in at the position, and both would lengthen the lineup. What happens to Santana, though? He’s been great defensively, and he owns a .910 OPS over his last 43 games. More playing time, not less, is the key there.
At some points this season, Rocco Baldelli has wanted more from his lineup. With Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton all missing time, the team has occasionally had to scramble to backfill for its best players. Veterans Manuel Margot, Carlos Santana, and Kyle Farmer failed to step up, and probably shouldn’t have been expected to do so.
Right now, though, finding a place for an offensive addition doesn’t really work. Sure, Daulton Varsho might make sense as a corner outfielder who prioritizes defense. What happens to Trevor Larnach in such a case, though? Max Kepler has been league-average, and produced to a greater extent when going great. Matt Wallner is raking at Triple-A, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. could arguably do the same thing. Oh, and the Blue Jays’ guy is left-handed, too.
The outfield situation is also why a recently proposed acquisition of Mark Canha from ESPN’s Jeff Passan just doesn’t make sense.
Maybe the Twins would like to add Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Pete Alonso. Guerrero, at least, should be available, and even with Santana now going great at first base, either could be argued as an addition. Alex Kirilloff isn’t going to factor in at the position, and both would lengthen the lineup. What happens to Santana, though? He’s been great defensively, and he owns a .910 OPS over his last 43 games. More playing time, not less, is the key there.
The left side of the infield is set with Lewis and Correa, while both have immediate insurance in the form of Brooks Lee. José Miranda has had a resurgent year playing the hot corner, and Willi Castro has been Minnesota’s best player.
Casting off a veteran rotational player, either Farmer or Christian Vázquez, would definitely improve the overall roster. Eating a $7 million deal for the second baseman, or what’s left of two years and $20 million for the catcher, doesn’t seem likely when dealing with an ownership group whp scaled back payroll by $30 million this season.
Any available trade asset would be an upgrade to Farmer, but there aren’t many straightforward catching suggestions. Short of promoting prospect Jair Camargo and hoping it works, the position isn’t exactly ripe with alternatives. Maybe Derek Falvey could talk with Tampa Bay about getting Ben Rortvedt back, but that’s more comical than it is logical.
One could scour the entirety of the Twins’ 26-man roster, and you can bet the front office will, but the most straightforward way to supplement the group is pitching. The franchise failed to invest in something that replaced Sonny Gray, and they did nothing to resemble the depth brought by Kenta Maeda. With Chris Paddack getting a reset, and Louie Varland having already been demoted, the rotation is hanging on thanks to Simeon Woods Richardson. Maybe David Festa is the guy, but that’s a big ask when needing to get it done in October.
