Are the Minnesota Twins prepared to replace Max Kepler if he is traded?
By Nate Palmer
Free Agents and Trades
There is always the chance the Twins could look to make another move in order to fill Kepler’s void in the outfield. The splashiest move that the Twins could make would be to sign the big bat of the 2018 free agent class, J.D. Martinez.
The Twins were willing to spend money on the high-priced pitcher Darvish. Now with Archer filling the starter void, the Twins could be willing to shift those financial resources to the lineup. Since becoming a mainstay in Detroit, Martinez has been an offensive force. Last season Martinez hit .303/.376/.690 with 45 home runs.
The other option would be to strike another trade to bring in some outside outfield help. An obvious trade partner, in that case, would be the Milwaukee Brewers who currently have an embarrassment of riches in outfielders they are looking to deal.
Domingo Santana appears to be the trade chip they would most like to move. The 25-year old hit .278/.371/.505 and added 30 home runs and 29 doubles. Santana could also prove to be that right-handed power bat the Twins have lacked with a 2017 split against left-handed pitchers of .286/.385/.508.
Within the same organization, the Twins could even look at guys like Brett Phillips who is young and has upside but not nearly as established as Santana. Another option would be to see if the Twins would be able to try to help Keon Broxton finally put all the tools he has together and become a productive major league player. This is just one team the Twins could look to deal with but the Brewers may have the most intriguing outfield options that are available.