Minnesota Twins Acquire Outfielder Manuel Margot in Trade With Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded outfielder Manuel Margot to the Minnesota Twins, MLB.com's Juan Toribio reported Monday afternoon.
Margot was slated to be in the Dodgers' lineup for their Cactus League showdown with the Colorado Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET, but he got scratched when the deal became public less than 30 minutes earlier. He was set to bat sixth at start in center field.
Through two Spring Training games, Margot was 0-for-6 with a strikeout.
The Twins are sending shortstop Noah Miller back to the Dodgers, according to The New York Post's Jon Heyman. ESPN's Jeff Passan added that shortstop prospect Rayne Doncon would join Margot in heading from Los Angeles to Minnesota.
The Dodgers acquired Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays in December. He was one of two players who went back to Los Angeles as part of that trade, with the other being starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
Margot, 29, is due $12 million in 2024. He is scheduled to hit free agency next winter.
Prior to his four-year stint with the Rays, Margot spent four season with the San Diego Padres. He was once a top prospect in the Boston Red Sox's farm system, before he and three other players got shipped in San Diego for All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel.
Margot is a .255 hitter with a .694 OPS in his career. Across 788 appearances, he has racked up 52 home runs, 283 RBI, 91 stolen bases and a 12.2 WAR.
Injuries limited Margot to 89 and 99 games the past two seasons, respectively. Between those two campaigns, Margot hit .269 with eight home runs, 85 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .693 OPS and a 2.2 WAR.
Margot was going to have to fight tooth and nail for at-bats in Los Angeles, considering the club's other options in the outfield. James Outman placed third in NL Rookie of the Year voting last year, while veteran Jason Heyward re-upped with the club in the fall.
Teoscar Hernández also signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers a month after they added Margot. On top of those three, Los Angeles has utility man Chris Taylor on the roster, and they are rumored to be pursuing a reunion with utility man Kiké Hernández.
Minnesota may not have as much outfield depth as Los Angeles, but Margot likely won't be guaranteed an everyday role there, either.
Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are virtually locked into starting roles in center and right field, respectively. Willi Castro and Matt Wallner entered Spring Training as the Twins' top options in left.
Buxton has only played more than 95 games one time in his nine-year MLB career, though, while Kepler has missed an average of 40 games over the past three seasons. Margot can serve as a viable injury replacement for those two, and can fill the Twins' fourth outfield role in the meantime.
Minnesota dealing away Miller – their No. 23 prospect, per MLB Pipeline – in order to acquire Margot suggests they see the veteran outfielder as a notable piece of their roster this season. Finding a way to add Doncon – the Dodgers' No. 23 prospect – just happens to make it a much lower-risk move for the Twins' front office.
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