Trade season is in full force and the Minnesota Twins will find themselves right in the middle of it all.
The Minnesota Twins have numerous trade chips and it’s almost reaching the point that this team needs to unload some players. The recent performance of Lance Lynn has him gaining value with every start.
Although Lynn was terrible to begin this season, his ERA was 7.47 through eight starts, he has turned things around over the last two months. Lynn has a 3.67 ERA over his last 10 starts and brings a ton of playoff experience along with him.
That is the reason Minnesota will have plenty of calls about Lance Lynn. This is the time of year that contending teams are looking for Lynn-type pitchers to upgrade the rotation.
How much value does Lynn have?
Lynn has been pitching like he had in the past while playing with the St. Louis Cardinals. His stock is on the rise and his career speaks for itself. With the Milwaukee Brewers currently showing interest in Brian Dozier, this is the time for the Twins to strike.
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The Minnesota Twins would be wise to try to include Lynn or even Jake Odorizzi in any deal for Dozier. The return will be a lot more significant in that scenario instead of trading Dozier alone. The Brewers have a need for starting pitching, as well as other contenders, and Lynn can fill that need.
Lynn has 79 wins and a 3.54 ERA during his career. Excluding the season he missed due to injury, Lynn has five straight seasons with more than 10 wins and more than 30 starts. Although his walks per nine innings have skyrocketed during this season to 5.4, he has a very respectable 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
Playoff experience is where he brings the most value. He has appeared in 24 games, starting seven, and has a 4.50 ERA during his career in the postseason. Although his numbers are nothing to be excited over, he is used to the pressure that comes along with October baseball.
Next: Should the Twins trade Jake Odorizzi?
Minnesota has a chance to stay competitive through the end of this season with or without Lynn. Trading him will help keep this team competitive for the near future. It has been a rollercoaster ride during Lynn’s time in the Twin Cities. However, that time may be coming to a close, we’ll just have to wait and see.