There are a lot of things that the Minnesota Twins are, leading up to the MLB trade deadline. They are playoff and division contenders. They are pitching deprived. And they are broke. Well, not technically broke. But, essentially.
What we don’t know yet is whether or not they will be deadline buyers. They should be, but it’s tough to buy when your owners won’t give you any money to do so. President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey isn’t letting that stop him from at least trying to find the type of pitching help this team needs, if they are to make any sort of playoff run.
Minnesota Twins focused on pitching at MLB Trade Deadline
Falvey confirmed with Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune) what all of us already knew. That the Twins need pitching help, and that is what they are focused on during trade negotiations right now.
“We’ve been focused on [pitching]. Everyone is always looking for pitching, right? If there are ways to add to your pitching group because of the realities of health and some of the challenges you deal with, that would be a hope in terms of how you navigate this.”
We know the Twins front office, along with players in the clubhouse, want pitching help. Everyone knows that’s exactly what Minnesota needs to be a World Series contender. But that doesn’t mean Falvey will be able to find one that fits the budgetary restrictions he’s facing.
With Chris Paddack back on the injured list, the starting rotation could use help on the front and back end. But it’s important to remember, while a four or five starter would alleviate a weakness in the short-term, it would not help their playoff rotation, which should be the main focus.
What do Twins have to offer at deadline?
It’s unlikely they move a Brooks Lee, but the depth they have with young, big league caliber sluggers — Eddie Julien, Matt Wallner, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach — are all realistic candidates to be traded, which is exactly what the Twins GM told Nightengale.
No trade is imminent, Falvey said, but the Twins have the prospect capital to swing a deal with one of baseball’s best farm systems. They’ll have some major league position player depth when Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda and Correa are activated from the IL, creating another potential avenue for a trade.
The hardest part of Falvey’s job over the next week will be trying to find a trade partner willing to take back matching salaries on anything they send to the Twins. But there is no doubt they have the prospect capital to make a big move.
On Friday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins will play a getaway noon game at Target Field vs the Philadelphia Phillies, a series that is currently tied 1-1. Then, they’ll get Thursday off before hitting the road for a three game weekend series in Detroit.
It’s a crucial stretch for this organization, both on and off the field. Not only do they need to have a successful trade deadline, but the Twins must also win enough games while Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa are sidelined, as to not fall too far behind in the division race and stay in-tact as a AL wildcard team.
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