Twins Acquire Dean Kremer From Orioles During Crucial Mariners Series
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The Twins came to Seattle for a series carrying early playoff implications. So of course they added another starting pitcher before the weekend was over. They acquired right-hander Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for 18-year-old outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes. The deal happened while the Twins were facing the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
Kremer is far from an ace, and no offense, he shouldn’t be sold as one. The 30-year-old owns a 6.50 ERA through seven starts this season after missing more than two months with a right quad strain. He has a career 4.37 ERA across seven major league seasons.
The Twins weren’t shopping for a big name. They needed another starter who could take the ball for an injury-depleted rotation, and they got one who remains under club control through 2027. Kremer can handle a full workload, and led the O’s in wins, innings and strikeouts last season. Minnesota is betting that experience matters more than his ugly 2026 numbers.
The Orioles received Reyes, formerly the No. 24 prospect in Minnesota’s system and now ranked No. 20 with the Orioles. He’s a talented teenager with an intriguing bat, but he obviously won’t help the Twins this weekend or during the stretch run. Kremer might be about to do that.
Mariners and Twins Enter Trade Deadline With Different Needs
That matters to the Mariners because there are no harmless transactions when playoff contenders are packed this tightly together. Seattle and Minnesota entered this three-game series competing for many of the same October pathways.
To be clear, the Mariners weren’t a logical destination for Kremer. They have enough starting pitching. So much that they’re trying to move Emerson Hancock or Luis Castillo. The Twins might have been a theoretical buyer for one of them, but strengthening a direct AL competitor would have been a difficult proposition. The club needs a right-handed bat and another dependable reliever, and those needs have been obvious for weeks.
All this move does is turn up the pressure. The Twins identified a weakness and acted. They found a veteran who can stabilize the back of their rotation and acquired him without surrendering one of their premium prospects.
After the Mariners 5-3 loss to the Twins on July 31 the Mariners are 53-58, while the Twins are 56-55. Both teams still have a shot at their respective division titles. Kremer alone probably won’t decide the AL playoff race. But if it comes down to a wild card spot, this move and the outcome of this series could play a big role.
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Tremayne Person is the Publisher for Mariners On SI and the Site Expert at Friars on Base, with additional bylines across FanSided’s MLB division. He founded the Keep It Electric podcast in 2023 and covers baseball with a blend of analysis, context, and a little well-timed side-eye just to keep things honest. Tremayne grew up a Mariners fan in Richmond, Va., and that passion ultimately led him to move to Seattle to cover the team closely and become a regular at home games. Through his writing, he connects with fans who want a deeper, more personal understanding of the game. When he’s not at T-Mobile Park, he’s with his dog, gaming, or finding the next storyline worth digging into.
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