What do the Twins need ahead of the trade deadline?
To this point, the Minnesota Twins have been a success this season. They open the second half leading the American League Central and are in a position to play meaningful games down the stretch.
But they could use some help if they want to hold off the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox for the division title.
With several needs ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, it should be a busy week for the Twins. Which names might be on their radar?
Reinforcements in the bullpen
Jhoan Duran has been spectacular for the Twins, but their bigger problem has been finding the right arms to get to him in the ninth. The Twins bullpen ranks 15th with a 3.58 ERA this season but is tied for second with 55 home runs allowed.
Even if the Twins want to be conservative with their prospects, they have to know their current bullpen isn't good enough. So which arms could they target?
According to MLB Trade Rumors Top 50 Trade Candidates list, David Robertson of the Chicago Cubs and Detroit teammates Michael Fulmer and Andrew Chafin are the top options on the market, but the Twins may just settle for someone solid that can get outs, saving their top prospects for an even bigger deal.
Colorado's Daniel Bard, Washington's Steve Cishek and Baltimore's Jorge Lopez could all stabilize the bullpen, giving Rocco Baldelli a more reliable set of arms down the stretch.
A backup catcher
The Twins entered this season believing that Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez could form a solid platoon at catcher, but neither have lived up to their preseason expectations.
Sanchez has smashed 10 homers but also carries a .685 OPS. Jeffers was hitting .316 with a .932 OPS over his last 17 games, but will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a broken thumb. Caleb Hamilton was called up on July 15, but with one major league at-bat to his name, the Twins are going to need some help.
Willson Contreras is the top available catcher on the market, but it would take a massive haul of prospects to acquire the Cubs All-Star. The Twins could also target Athletics catcher Sean Murphy, but with 3.5 years of team control, he would be more of a long-term solution.
This will be the Twins' smallest need, but it's still a deal that needs to happen. Minnesota will need some kind of help behind the plate until Jeffers comes off the injured list and even then, it would help to have a more reliable bat at the position.
A front-line starter
If the Twins make a big move, it will probably involve the starting rotation. The Twins built depth this offseason by signing Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer and trading for Chris Paddack, but injuries and ineffectiveness have left the rotation thin, leaving room for a big deal.
The Twins were linked to Oakland Athletics right-hander Frankie Montas before the season but a deal never materialized. Montas has gone on to have a strong season (3-9, 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) but is currently dealing with a shoulder injury. Still, the right-hander struck out five batters in three innings in his return on Thursday night and is one of the top names on the market.
The Twins could also be interested in Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (3-4, 2.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP), who like Montas is under control through the 2023 season. The price for Castillo will be just as high, however, and the Twins may not have the capital to pull off a deal unless they part with their best prospects.
If not, it could leave the Twins in a lower tier fighting for names like Texas' Martin Perez, Baltimore's Jordan Lyles or Los Angeles Angels right-hander Noah Syndergaard. Whatever the Twins decide to do, pitching should be their top priority.
