MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: A member of the grounds crew for Target Field gets water off the tarp as rain delays the start of the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners on May 14, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Twins are finally playing the way fans had expected heading into the 2018 season. Although it’s only the second week of May, it’s never too early to look at players who could help this team this season.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at five players, who should be available on the trade market, that can help the Minnesota Twins contend for the AL Central. We won’t be looking at the potential cost for these players, rather we’ll examine the impact each can potentially provide the Twins.
As you navigate through this list you’ll inevitably notice the biggest name available is absent. The reason Manny Machado is not included is that he’s the type of player that can help ANY team and obviously Minnesota should show interest. Also, we recently covered a potential Machado trade here and will focus on a fresh group of players instead.
However, before we get into the list, we’ll look at a player Minnesota should have traded for while he was available during the offseason. Jesus Aguilar entered the 2018 season as part of a logjam at first base for the Milwaukee Brewers. However, he has become one of the Brewers more consistent hitters and the price tag for his services only continues to rise.
A missed opportunity
I hear Twins fans constantly talk about “finding the next David Ortiz“. Whether it’s about not releasing a player too soon (Kennys Vargas) or its remaining patient with a player who has upside through the roof (Miguel Sano), it inevitably comes back to Ortiz for Twins fans. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Twins missed the boat on acquiring a player surprisingly similar to Ortiz.
Much like Ortiz, Aguilar found himself designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians entering the 2017 season. Aguilar hit .265 with 16 home runs and 52 runs batted in during limited action for the Brewers during last season.
With Eric Thames already entrenched at first base, and Ryan Braun seeing action there part-time, Aguilar’s role was expected to be greatly reduced this season. However, Aguilar has forced himself into the lineup everyday with his consistent production to start the year.
Aguilar has the look of a typical DH/first base only type of player. However, he is surprisingly agile for his size while providing solid glove work at first base. He’s a relentless hitter who knows how to work the count and wait for his pitch, as evidenced by his 13-pitch at-bat that led to a walk-off home run earlier this season. Aguilar has effortless power and makes hitting home runs look easy. I’ve seen players swing harder while missing the baseball than Aguilar swings to hit it 400 feet. He has the chance to be a special player, all he needs is the opportunity.
Why Minnesota would have been perfect
Minnesota would have been the perfect fit for Aguilar to reach his potential. Robbie Grossman is usually the choice when manager Paul Molitor goes with a right-handed DH. However, Grossman brings almost nothing spectacular to the table and at times has hindered the Twins success. Aguilar is a prototypical DH with game-changing power who would have made a huge difference in the lineup. He could have provided the type of power that the front office was hoping for after signing Logan Morrison during the offseason.
When Thames returns from injury for Milwaukee, Aguilar will be back to being a part-time player again. The Brewers will almost certainly entertain offers for Aguilar as the trade deadline approaches and the Twins should definitely kick the tires. However, the cost will be much higher now than it was in January, but it’s still worth keeping tabs on.
Aguilar is unlikely to end up mashing mammoth home runs at Target Field for the Minnesota Twins. However, these next five players could easily find themselves playing in the Twin Cities before this season comes to a close.
J.T. Realmuto- Catcher, Miami Marlins
The Minnesota Twins will undoubtedly be in the market for a catcher now that Jason Castro will miss the remainder of the season. J.T. Realmuto figures to be the best catcher available and the Twins should at least find out the cost.
Realmuto hit 62 doubles during the 2016-17 seasons and has shown the ability to reach base consistently throughout his career. Miami is in perpetual rebuild mode and Realmuto has previously expressed a desire to be traded.
Why Realmuto makes sense for the Twins
Not only does Realmuto bring extraordinary offensive prowess, he also brings two more seasons of arbitration following the 2018 season. Minnesota has another year at $8 million on Castro’s contract, and trading for Realmuto would create a logjam behind the plate. Mitch Garver is a young promising prospect who has earned his opportunities too.
Realmuto has a .322/.384/.544 slash line through his first 100 plate appearances this season. He has 10 extra base hits with a good .928 OPS and has only 18 strikeouts with 7 walks. Without question, Realmuto can handle the load offensively and post even better numbers than Castro.
However, Realmuto still has a lot to prove behind the plate defensively. He has been good during his career throwing out 32% of stolen base attempts. Realmuto has allowed only seven stolen bases on 12 attempts this season, giving him a 42% caught stealing rate, and has the arm for the position.
He has also shown improvements in keeping the ball in front of him. He has allowed only three passed balls through his first 187 innings behind the dish. Castro isn’t the long-term answer at catcher, but Realmuto could be a key piece to the Minnesota Twins renaissance.
What are the chances the Twins trade for Realmuto ?
The chances of Minnesota trading for Realmuto are relatively slim. While those two seasons of arbitration are enticing, they’ll also drive the price through the roof. The cost will be far too high for the Twins consider and could lead them to the next player on our list.
Blake Swihart- Catcher, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart has not lived up to expectations in Bean Town. Following a successful debut during the 2015 season, Swihart has struggled to get on the field. The former highly touted prospect has recently made it clear that he wants out of Boston and the Minnesota Twins should show interest.
The Twins are not in a position where they absolutely must trade for a catcher to cover for the loss of Jason Castro. Mitch Garver is a young up-and-coming backstop who deserves a chance to show what he can do. Minnesota also has Bobby Wilson who is a serviceable backup catcher so there is no need to panic.
However, Garver hasn’t shown very promise defensively during his brief time in the Majors. Castro won’t be coming back during the 2018 season. If Garver is unable to handle the position adequately there aren’t many options for Minnesota to turn to within their Minor League system.
Why Swihart makes sense for the Twins
The cost for Swihart should be a lot less than J.T. Realmuto, especially with his lack of production. Not long ago, Swihart had a bright future in MLB. However, that was then and this is now, and Minnesota should pounce while the price is at its lowest.
Swihart has played in only 40 games for the Red Sox since the 2015 season. He has only 65 innings behind the plate during the last three seasons so the question remains whether he’s still a viable option behind the dish. However, if the price is right, Swihart is worth taking a chance on. A change of scenery is sometimes all a player needs to be able to put things together. Swihart has struggled with the bat in the Majors and the Minors during the last few seasons. However, he was an on-base machine early in his Minor League career.
Swihart had a .300 or higher on-base percentage in the Minors each season from 2012-14. He has never hit for a lot of power, but he was known for his offensive prowess early in his career.
However, he has done little offensively to inspire any confidence during the last two-plus seasons. He has a .219/.327/.292 slash line during 113 plate appearances since the start of the 2016 season. He has shown virtually no signs of being more than he already is, however, maybe he only needs an opportunity?
Does Swihart fit with Minnesota?
Honestly, trading for Swihart will do more harm than good or the Minnesota Twins. Garver is at a point in his development where he needs time behind the plate to refine his skills. Swihart has already proved he is not complacent with a part-time role so there’s a possibility he could disrupt the chemistry within the clubhouse.
That being said, let’s take a look at a true position of need for the Twins. The next three players on this list will all be from the Twins biggest position of need, relief pitchers.
Raisel Iglesias- Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds
Heading into the 2018 season, the Minnesota Twins bullpen was thought to be a strength for this team. However, outside of Addison Reed and Ryan Pressly, the pen has been ineffective.
As we get deeper into the season, this will be an area that needs to be addressed. One of the first calls Minnesota should make is to the Cincinnati Reds about Raisel Iglesias. The 28-year-old flamethrower successfully transitioned into the closer role last season and has picked up right where he left off in 2018.
Iglesias has allowed only three runs through his first 20 2/3 innings pitched in 2018. He has 25 strikeouts and eight walks with eight saves while pitching for a bad Reds team.
Why Iglesias makes sense for the Twins
Trading for Iglesias will allow Minnesota to move Fernando Rodney out of the closer role. Rodney has been pitching better as of late and has started to find his groove. However, Rodney is almost 40-years-old and his best days are far behind him.
The big draw in trading for Iglesias is his contract. Obviously, his ability to throw triple digits doesn’t hurt, but knowing the Twins will have him through the 2021 season is a huge draw. Not only that, but he is signed to a very team friendly contract and won’t hurt the Twins payroll flexibility moving forward.
Okay, now let’s take a look at what makes Iglesias enticing on the field. As I stated earlier, Iglesias can touch 100 MPH on the radar gun with decent command. His fastball velocity sits comfortably at around 96 MPH and generates plenty of swings and misses. Iglesias also throws an above-average changeup to go along with a nasty slider that keeps hitters off-balance.
The only issue with trying to trade for Iglesias is the cost that it will take to acquire him. Cincinnati will be asking for a King’s ransom in any prospective deal. Although the Minnesota Twins have a strong Minor League system, it will be risky to deplete the system for a closing pitcher.
Iglesius is a game-changing presence in the back end of the bullpen. However, with the price of acquiring him presumably being through the roof, Minnesota should focus on other available bullpen arms. That leads us to the next player on our list, an under-the-radar righty pitching for Miami.
Kyle Barraclough- Pitcher, Miami Marlins
As we maintain our focus on the Minnesota Twins bullpen, we once again find ourselves looking at the Miami Marlins. Kyle Barraclough has quietly been one of the most consistent relievers in MLB since the start of the 2015 season.
Barraclough has shown throughout his career that he’s capable of getting outs at any point of the game. Although Barraclough isn’t a closer-type pitcher, every team needs arms to get through the middle innings and Barraclough has shown he’s more than capable of providing that.
Why Barraclough makes sense for the Twins
Barraclough has a career 2.74 ERA across 183 2/3 innings pitched. He has been a consistently effective strikeout pitcher with a career 12.0 K/9. His career 5.5 B/9 is slightly alarming, but he makes up for that by not allowing a lot of home runs. Barraclough has a career .4 HR/9 and has never allowed more than five home runs during any one season.
For this season, Barraclough has pitched 20 2/3 innings and has allowed only four earned runs. He also has 26 strikeouts and only eight hits allowed against him. However, he already has 12 walks and will need to improve that number as this season goes along.
The Minnesota Twins have received little help from Trevor Hildenberger and the other middle relievers in the pen. However, there is still a lot of time for the Twins relievers to turn the corner and start producing. That being said, if Minnesota still wants to make a playoff push, they’ll need to address the bullpen.
Personally, I’ve yet to hear Barraclough mentioned as a player who will be made available for trade. However, he is a Marlin, and it seems nobody on that roster is untouchable.
That brings us to the final name on our list. This left-handed pitcher who plays for the San Diego Padres has been rumored to be available since the trade deadline during last season.
Brad Hand- Pitcher, San Diego Padres
Are you sensing a theme for the Minnesota Twins biggest needs yet? With even an average performance out of the bullpen, the Twins would find themselves in much better shape in the standings. Brad Hand is a reliever that would pay huge dividends for the Twins.
Hand’s contract runs through the 2020 season with a team option for the 2021 season, per Spotrac. That type of team control is hard to find and very valuable on the trade market. Regardless of the price, Hand is worth consideration.
Hand has been one of the most effective relievers in MLB since the start of the 2016 season. He has 192 inni7ngs pitched with a 2.53 ERA and 11.8 K/9 during that time. He is more than just a situational lefty and would help stabilize the current Twins bullpen.
The Minnesota Twins signed in Zach Duke during free agency over the Winter. With Duke and Taylor Rodgers, Minnesota entered the season with two solid lefties in the bullpen. However, things haven’t worked out the way Minnesota expected and changes need to happen.
Duke has already allowed six earned runs in only 15 innings pitched with a high 6.6 BB/9. Rodgers has been far worse during his time on the mound. He has surrendered an astonishing 11 earned runs in only 18 innings pitched and has been largely ineffective this season.
Minnesota entered the 2018 season with playoff aspirations and hope is not lost. Moves will inevitably need to be made and Hand should be at the top of the Twins wishlist. Although his contract will mean his cost is higher than a rental, Hand has shown he is worth having in your bullpen.
Hand has a 2.31 ERA through his first 23 1/3 innings pitched to start the 2018 season. Although he has allowed 12 runs, six earned, he is currently playing for the woeful Padres. However, it’s reasonable to think that if Hand has the superior defense of the Twins behind him, those numbers will be significantly better.
One way or another the Minnesota Twins will have to make a move to keep pace in the AL Central. These are only five players that Minnesota should show interest in. Any of these five players will help the Twins get things headed back in the right direction this season.
