Minnesota Twins rumors: There are no surprises on the Twins’ no-trade list
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Twins will be looking for pitching at the MLB trade deadline, but it appears that their top three prospects will be off-limits.
The Minnesota Twins are at the point of the season where they need to do what they can to upgrade their pitching staff. While the starting rotation has been OK, the bullpen has left a lot to be desired and rumors have already swirled that the Twins have called multiple teams looking to make a deal.
Trade deadline deals are always a tricky situation as teams do want to enhance their present outlook while not mortgaging the future. In some cases, dealing the right pieces can cause a laugher in favor of themselves while dealing the wrong ones can set a franchise back for years down the road.
Because of this, it’s not a surprise that the Twins are unwilling to part with their top three prospects in order to make a deal happen. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal, Minnesota’s front office has told potential trade partners that they are not willing to part with shortstop Royce Lewis, outfielder Alex Kirilloff or pitcher Brusdar Graterol in any deal.
In the case of Lewis, it’s really not a surprise despite his lackluster numbers at the plate in 2019. After dealing with an oblique injury early, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick has had to make adjustments at High-A Fort Myers but is still regarded as a consensus top 10 prospect in the game. His .239/.288/.373 line isn’t going to make Twins fans demand a call-up, but there’s too much potential for the Twins to give up on the 19-year old.
Kirilloff has had a similar season to Lewis in that he’s struggled while dealing with a wrist injury that caused him to miss the first month of the season. Since then, Kirilloff has hit .277 with four home runs and 20 RBI at Double-A Pensacola but has all the tools to continue getting stronger and become a consistent power hitter as he moves up the Twins system.
If there’s one prospect that might be surprising, it’s Graterol. This is not because of his performance, where he was dominant for the Blue Wahoos with a 5-0 record and a 1.89 ERA in nine starts. Instead, Graterol has a shoulder injury that has kept him on the shelf since late May. It would be hard to imagine an organization would want a pitching prospect already dealing with shoulder issues, but with the 20-year old’s talent, it wouldn’t be surprising if a team had asked.
Next. Twins mock trade negotiations with Around the Horn expert. dark
With these three out of the picture, the Twins will likely turn to the lower-ranked prospects such as 2018 first-rounder Trevor Larnach, recent Futures Game participant Jordan Balazovic and perhaps power phenom Brent Rooker as trade chips in a deal. As the Twins have already been linked to Will Smith, Kirby Yates, Ken Giles and more, whomever Minnesota decides to part ways with will be a tough decision for the front office.