The Minnesota Twins have been keeping their eye on the trade market all winter but have yet to pull off a major deal. While they acquired Mickey Gasper and Diego Cartaya in the past month, they haven’t had a move that would have a huge impact on the major league club and fans are still waiting for a deal that could bring some excitement into spring training.
But in three months there will be plenty of hindsight on players they should have moved on from and others they’re glad stuck around. In this article, we’ll look at two trade chips that should have been moved this winter and another the Twins will be glad they held onto this season.
The Twins will regret holding onto Willi Castro
Castro had a career year for the Twins making his first All-Star appearance and making MLB history in 2024. However, some underlying themes make him a sell-high candidate.
Castro hit .247/.331/.385 with 12 homers, 60 RBI and 14 stolen bases. But he had a better line in 2023 when he hit .257/.339/.411 with nine homers, 34 RBI and 33 steals. Castro also slumped terribly in the second half of last season, hitting .219/.298/.329 with five homers and 30 RBI in the final 62 games.
Rocco Baldelli is a big fan of Castro’s versatility in the field but at $6.4 million, the Twins probably could have used some consistency at the plate. On a team that doesn’t have many assets they want to trade, Castro could have gained a sizeable return.
The Twins will regret not trading Jose Miranda
Miranda is expected to be part of a first base platoon with Edouard Julien to open spring training and his bat suggests he can play that role.
Like Castro, Miranda had a career year in 2024, hitting .284/.322/.441 with nine homers and 49 RBI. He posted a career-high 1.7 wins above replacement and got past the shoulder issues that forced him to have a down year in 2023.
But the biggest concern with Miranda is his defense. Miranda was a decent fielder at third base with one defensive run saved last season but the plan to put him at first base seems ill-fated with -6 DRS in 77 games during his rookie season in 2022.
An offensive player like Miranda has value but the Twins prefer defense at first base in the wake of Carlos Santana’s departure. For a player that has value, Miranda could have fetched something in return.
The Twins will be thankful they held onto Chris Paddack this offseason
Many are surprised that Chris Paddack is still on the Twins roster. But it shouldn’t be a shock considering his track record.
Paddack is a two-time recipient of Tommy John surgery and hasn’t thrown 100 innings in a season since 2019. The Twins haven’t received a suitable offer for Paddack, probably due to their inflated opinion of the right-hander, but keeping him may turn out for the best.
One of the Twins’ biggest issues last year was rotation depth and trading Paddack would thin out the pool. While Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober have the top three spots locked down, trading Paddack would put more pressure on Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews to take the final two spots.
There’s also the issue of injuries, which sabotaged the Twins season a year ago. If one or two pitchers get hurt, Minnesota could be looking to Louie Varland or other prospects such as Andrew Morris or Marco Raya to step up.
While Paddack isn’t a lock to stay healthy, this feels more valuable than trading Paddack for a random prospect or cash considerations and could help the Twins be more competitive in 2025.