
7. SP Matthew Boyd (Detroit TIgers)
For a rebuilding team like the Tigers, getting rid of their top starting pitcher doesn’t make sense. When the pitcher is 28 and the team seems years away from being a legitimate contender, however, this may be a good time to see what you can get.
Boyd has been having a career year for the Tigers with a 6-7 record and a career-low 3.95 ERA. While his numbers don’t scream difference-maker yet, he has shown some traits that could indicate there is room for growth such as his 6.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio that leads the American League.
While the left-hander is at an advanced age, his biggest value to the Twins could be his contractual situation. After 2019, Boyd still has three years of control and won’t become a free agent until after the 2022 season. That could inflate the Tigers asking price, but if the Twins like what they see, they may be willing to pay up for a player who isn’t a rental.
With the Twins having Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda as pending free-agents next winter, acquiring Boyd could not only be a play to bolster the rotation now but for the future.