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IF The Twins Become Buyers, Who Should They Pursue?

The Minnesota Twins are in the very early stages of a magical run to the postseason. Which means it’s time to start thinking about how they are going to get over the hump (if you’re a true believer).

Waiting for Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Joe Mauer, and the entire bullpen to heat up is one strategy, but hitting the trade market might be the quicker option.

With the non-waiver trade deadline approaching at the end of July, plenty of talented players are about to be made available. Who could the Twins reasonably pursue?

Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard

This idea was explored. It’s just as exciting and as unlikely as before.

Tyler Clippard and/or Seunghwan Oh

Because they play in the same division as the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Blue Jays have even smaller dreams of making the playoffs than the Twins. With the Twins in need of some bullpen help, they could easily poach from the Blue Jays’ pool of relievers.

Clippard and Oh are both veteran relievers with solid careers to their name. Both are signed cheaply for just this season. Both have ERAs in the low threes this season. They could go a long way in shoring up the back end of the games for the Twins or at least give the Twins some extra depth.

Manny Machado

With the Orioles in the worst shape of any team in Major League Baseball, their star on his expiring contract is going to be the most sought-after player in the league.

The Twins have a great chance of getting him.

Zach Britton

Once the best reliever in baseball, Britton has lost some his sheen after recent injuries. Unlike Machado, the Twins have the means to actually obtain Britton. If other teams are hesitant to pursue a potential liability — Britton has a 5.59 ERA in 9.2 innings this season — the Twins could swoop in and get him for cheap.

Tyson Ross

Like the other teams on this list, the San Diego Padres have minuscule hopes of making the playoffs. One of their best starting pitchers is Tyson Ross, and he’s a free agent after this season. Ross has made a career of pitching for bad teams and being injured. But when he’s healthy, he’s actually quite productive.

Every time he’s pitched what could be defined as a full season, he’s been better than league average. He’s on track for one such season this year. If the Twins could benefit from the rest of it, that would be great.

Robinson Chirinos

Outside of pitching, the Twins could use some offensive help. Mitch Garver and Bobby Wilson have improved offensively lately, but catcher is still a liability for the team. Chirinos is in the last year of his contract with the Rangers, who are not likely to make a run past the Mariners and Astros. Texas is also moving toward younger players, and Chirinos, who recently turned 34, does not fit that description. His average leaves something to be desired, but his 11 homers would look nice.

JT Realmuto

Speaking of catchers, arguably the best hitting one is a possible trade target. Realmuto was left in Miami after Derek Jeter traded everyone away. He isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season. He’ll be much more expensive than anyone else on this list, but if the Twins feel really good about him, it is at least within the realm of worldly possibilities.

 

So there are some potential trade targets for the Twins. With two wins over the Orioles, the Twins are inching closer to actually being on the market for these guys. Hopefully, they continue on that path.

Charlie Gillmer

Charlie Gillmer is a lifelong Twins fan who spends most nights dreaming of learning a knuckleball and pitching them to a World Series victory.

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