Could the Minnesota Twins make a trade for a big bullpen piece like Baltimore’s Brad Brach? What would it cost?
This trade season, the Minnesota Twins have already made a splash for one need area, getting a reliable starter in Jaime Garcia that should allow the team to get good innings out of 3-4 of their rotation spots every turn through, which is something they’ve only been able to count on out of 2 spots each turn. They still have needs in the bullpen for sure, and that could be a target on the market.
We at Puckett’s Pond will be looking at a number of the trade candidates that the Minnesota Twins may be pursuing over the next few days ahead of the July 31st trade deadline. Today’s highlight will feature a guy that has become one of the most elite relievers in the league.
Brad Brach, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Brach is a good story of making good from a long shot beginning, having been a 42nd round draft pick in 2008 by the San Diego Padres. He made it up to the Padres in 2011 and established himself as an important part of the bullpen in 2012 for the Padres.
After the 2013 season, the Orioles got Brach for a low price of a minor league pitcher. In his first season with the Orioles, he appeared in 46 games, posting a 3.18 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, with a 25/54 BB/K ratio over 62 1/3 innings.
Brach has seemingly improved each season since, with a 2.72 ERA being his high point in the past three seasons, throwing 79 1/3 innings and 79 innings the last two seasons, posting 89 and 92 strikeouts, respectively. Brach’s 2016 line of 71 games, 79 innings, a 2.05 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 25/92 BB/K ratio set him up as one of the most elite relievers in the league.
Why the Twins would be interested
Brach is 31 years old, but he is also one of the most impressive relievers in the league right now with one more season of arbitration control left. Brach is only being paid $3.05M this season, and likely would make $5-6M in arbitration for next season, so he would be very cheap for the production he gives versus a free agent of the same caliber.
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The cost
This is where the question lies. Brach is rumored to be widely available, but the price has been the difficult thing to gauge. For an arm of Brach’s quality, the Twins would likely engage with a top 10-15 prospect or a couple high-ceiling lower-level prospects.
One thing that could intrigue the Orioles as they are in the process of possibly trading both Brach and their closer Zach Britton could be to trade future upside relievers like Tyler Jay, Nick Burdi, John Curtiss, or Randy Rosario in the deal.
I could see a deal framed around someone like a lower level player with upside like Jaylin Davis or Jose Miranda paired with one of those relief arms being a starting point. It could require multiple relief arms or a “bigger” first piece to close the deal.
Next: Twins acquire Garcia, Recker
What do you think about this type of deal? Would you want to bring in Hamels to be a veteran lefty in the rotation? Would you prefer to trade a different package of players to make it happen if so? Comment below!!