New trade proposal sees Twins swap teenage LHP for Marlins outfielder

In this proposal from Jim Bowden, the Twins acquire Jesus Sanchez for 19-year-old lefty Dasan Hill.

Jun 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Jesus Sanchez (7) reacts after hitting a two rbi double against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In proposing one "difference-making trade" for each of the 10 teams in the American League Wild Card race, The Athletic's Jim Bowden has the Twins acquiring Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez for teenage left-handed pitching prospect Dasan Hill.

"The Twins have made it clear to opposing general managers that they are looking for a left-handed-hitting outfielder," wrote Bowden, a former MLB GM. "Sanchez is one of their trade targets."

Sanchez, 27, is under contract for two more seasons beyond this one. In roughly 500 games over parts of six seasons with the Marlins, he's been basically a league-average hitter (99 OPS+). He typically hits around .250 and has an OPS somewhere in the mid-.700s. He's on pace for his fifth consecutive season with at least 13 home runs.

Best used as a platoon player, Sanchez has a career .785 OPS against righties, with 57 of his 66 home runs coming against RHP. He's a career .184 hitter with a .532 OPS against lefties. Sanchez typically has strong batted-ball metrics (things like average exit velocity and barrel rate), and when he gets a hold of a ball, it can go a long way. He also has a strong arm in the outfield, playing mostly in RF.

Hill, 19, was a second-round pick by the Twins last year out of high school in Texas. He's a 6'5" lefty who has a 1.65 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 16 walks in 27.1 innings at Low-A Fort Myers this season. He already has a mid-90s fastball and an outstanding sweeper.

Dasan Hill, the 69th overall pick in the 2024 @MLBDraft, dominated on Saturday for the @MightyMussels💥

4 IP / 2 H / 0 R / 1 BB / 7 K#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/maU9MU7yMq

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) June 9, 2025

If I were running the Twins, I'd have very little interest in making this trade. Sanchez is a solid player with some pop in his bat, but he's not a difference-maker. Hill may not make it to the big leagues until 2028, even if he develops nicely in the minors, but he has major upside with his nasty stuff. MLB.com ranks him as the Twins' No. 13 prospect, but ESPN has him 6th in the system and Fangraphs has him 7th. If you're going to part with arm like that, even considering the inherent uncertainty of prospects, you should aim higher than Sanchez. Fellow Miami outfielder Kyle Stowers would be more intriguing.

With that said, I'm a bit confused by the idea that the Twins need another left-handed hitting OF. They already have Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner in that role, not to mention switch-hitter Willi Castro and utility man Kody Clemens. If anything, it feels like the Twins could use another righty bat with pop, considering their struggles against left-handed pitching. And position-wise, they could really use a corner infielder who can produce at the plate.

I suppose the Twins' lineup could benefit from adding any high-level hitter, regardless of handedness or position. I just don't know if Sanchez qualifies as such. And I'm definitely not interested in parting with Hill to acquire him.