Report: Twins waiting patiently for ‘need-for-need’ trades
The Minnesota Twins were eliminated by the Houston Astros in the ALDS last October but with a few weeks until Spring Training, fans are still waiting for them to make a move to help the team in 2024.
With pitchers and catchers set to report on Feb. 14, the Twins have made few moves to bolster next year's team outside of low-risk, high-upside bullpen fliers including Matt Bowman and Josh Staumont.
While anxiety is building over the lack of big moves, Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey told The Athletic's Dan Hayes that several factors remain before the front office makes a key addition.
“One of the things I’ve gotten more comfortable with and more used to is the reality is there’s no bow on an offseason and then show up in spring training and you’re good to go,” Falvey said. “It’s not been like that for as many years as I can remember at this point. We’ll continue to evolve the way our roster looks, the way we think about it, probably going into camp. That’s just a reality of our situation and where we are.”
Hayes theorizes that one of the biggest reasons for the Twins' lack of activity is their ongoing broadcasting situation. The Twins received $54.8 million in broadcast rights fees from Diamond Sports Group last offseason but the RSN’s ongoing bankruptcy situation has removed that chunk of revenue, forcing the team to slash payroll.
Amazon invested into Diamond Sports as part of its bankruptcy plan this week, though nothing is official and the Twins remain a "free agent" as they look to figure out a way to make their games more accessible.
A look at the Twins page on MLB Trade Rumors has more about the Diamond Sports saga than actual moves they could make and it's affected several teams as the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians are also waiting to make moves as they sort out their own broadcast issues.
It's created a significant disadvantage for the Twins who have watched teams with settled broadcast situations go wild in free agency, but there are several big names still on the market. Starting pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, outfielder Cody Bellinger and third baseman Matt Chapman are some of the players teams are waiting on to find a new home. When that happens, the trade market could open up and the Twins could finally make a deal happen.
Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco have been rumored to be on the block this winter but Kyle Farmer and Christían Vazquez could also be traded when the market opens up. While the Twins will look to make room for a loaded pipeline that includes Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and top prospect Brooks Lee, Hayes reports that the Twins are looking to acquire MLB players in "need-for-need" trades.
"Multiple team sources said the Twins won’t simply dump the salaries of Polanco...or Farmer," Hayes wrote. "Nor is the team looking to move either player or [Kepler] for prospects. The Twins instead are looking to swap "need-for-need," which means the club could head to spring training or even into the season with one too many infielders."
This is a philosophy the Twins used a year ago when they shopped Kepler only to have him return in Spring Training. Although Kepler struggled initially, his presence gave Minnesota depth to push through until the 30-year-old became a key cog in the lineup, hitting .297/.368/.545 with 17 home runs and 48 RBI in his final 84 games.
But while the Twins could just keep these players, they also have several holes to fill. Starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda left in free agency leaving 288.1 innings to fill from last year's rotation. The Twins could also use more corner outfield depth behind Matt Wallner and an insurance plan for Byron Buxton, who is expected to start the season in center field after serving exclusively as a designated hitter last season.
The Twins waited until January to make trades for Pablo López and Michael A. Taylor last year but Hayes believes those talks were further along than anything that's being discussed at the moment. Perhaps a resolution in the Diamond Sports saga or free agency could trigger some movement but for right now, the Twins continue to play the waiting game ahead of next season.
