What's the latest on the Twins' options ahead of the trade deadline?
The Minnesota Twins are expected to be active at this year's trade deadline and their biggest focus will be to bolster their pitching staff.
After allowing 17 runs in a two-game sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers, it won't surprise anyone that ESPN's Jeff Passan listed the Twins among several teams looking for arms ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline.
If Twins fans had their way, this would include a deal for top starters Frankie Montas and Luis Castillo.
Passan predicts that Montas and Castillo "will almost certainly move in the next week," but didn't list the Twins as one of the top candidates. Instead, the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees are the "hottest" teams after the duo with the Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres "on the hunt for pitching."
That could mean sliding down to the next tier which includes Tyler Mahle. The 27-year-old has gone 4-7 with a 4.48 ERA with the Cincinnati Reds this season. Another two names on the market are rental options Jose Quintana and Noah Syndergaard.
Quintana resembles more of a depth option than a top-of-the-rotation starter, going 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA. Syndergaard is also an intriguing option but isn't the flame-throwing starter he was at the beginning of his career. Statcast has logged Syndergaard's fastball at 94.2 mph this season and his 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings and his 2.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio are the lowest of his career.
Of course, most fans will wonder what the Twins are going to do in the bullpen. Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Brewers featured four runs, five hits and four walks in five innings of work by Twins relievers. The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman believes Minnesota will add at least one reliever at the deadline.
"If the Twins are at all serious about winning the division and snapping their historic playoff losing streak, they need relief help," Gleeman said. "Count on at least one addition that alters the late-inning bullpen hierarchy."
Some names the experts are floating including Cubs right-hander David Robertson, Tigers teammates Michael Fulmer and Andrew Chafin, Miami's Anthony Bass and the Royals' Josh Staumont.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden also believes the Twins are interested in Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar and fellow Royals reliever Scott Barlow.
The one name Twins fans might want to keep an eye on, however, is Carl Edwards Jr. Edwards is of note because Passan believes he could be moved with first baseman Josh Bell and Bowden said that he wouldn't be surprised if the Twins made a run to acquire Bell.
Bell is hitting .304/.388/.494 with 13 homers this season for the Washington Nationals and could be a boost to a lineup that ranked tied eighth in runs per game entering Wednesday.
It should amount to an intriguing week leading up to the deadline, but the Twins definitely won't have a lack of options.
