Twins Trade Rumors: Where is Josh Willingham Headed?
Now that the All Star Game has come and gone, and the Twins are fresh off a sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, Terry Ryan has come to grips with reality it seems. The Minnesota Twins are going to be sellers at the deadline, and Josh Willingham is one of the most likely candidates to be moved.
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For the Twins, and maybe not so much the fans, being sellers at the deadline just simply makes too much sense. While the Twins hung around .500 for much of the season’s first half, a wild card spot was more than a long shot.
In looking toward next year, one that should be very exciting for the Twins and their group of up and coming talent, some veteran’s can be moved to greener pastures. Josh Willingham projects as one of the most prime candidates for the Twins.
Two years ago, and his first as with the Twins, Willingham hit .260/.366/.524 with 35 home runs and 110 RBIs. This season, he is a far cry from those numbers (.217/.365/.422), but not so much from that player.
Willingham is 35 years old, and while on the latter end of his career, still possesses a bat with a significant amount of pop. Thanks to some digging by 1500 ESPN reporter, Darren Wolfson, three teams have emerged as potential landing spots for the Twins left fielder.
Reds and Pirates two of a few teams to monitor on the Willingham trade front. Reds offered him a 2 year deal before he chose the #MNTwins.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) July 22, 2014
While Wolfson later corrected the Reds missing out on Willingham (it was actually the Indians), all three teams have potential to put his services to use.
Cleveland, the team Minnesota finds themselves currently playing, could use another bat with pop in their lineup. Nick Swisher has struggled to hit at the Mendoza Line this year, and Willingham would currently be 4th on the team in home runs, all while only playing 52 games.
The Reds and Pirates are more interesting options, because both of those teams, being in the National League, would have to put up with Willingham’s below average defense.
However, with Joey Votto struggling, and no one providing significant power for Pittsburgh (Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez are the team’s only real power bats), Willingham could be a good fit.
With the trade deadline just nine days away, Josh Willingham should find out his fate shortly, and the Twins should have more options than fans would assume.