Minnesota Twins: 5 Most Untouchable Players in Trade Talks

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As contenders, Minnesota Twins should always be looking to make a splash in the trade market. We look at five players that are untouchable in trade talks.

The Minnesota Twins wrapped 2019 as American League Central Division Champions, and they head into 2020 in good position to repeat, with the Cleveland Indians taking another step back and the Chicago White sox looking not quite ready to compete.

Because they are primed for competition, the Twins will also be looking to improve via trade, whether it’s help for their rotation, another outfielder, or a relief pitcher. This means a lot of their roster is tradable.

Fortunately, some Twins players won’t be moved under any circumstances. These players either have too large of deals to be moved, are too valuable to the team, or just don’t have a lot of value in general. With that in mind, we rank the five players that will be the least likely to be moved.

Minnesota Twins Honorable Mentions

Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco

Reason for Untouchable Status: New Contract, Value

These two players are lumped together because they are in similar situations. Both Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco signed long-term extensions in 2019, keeping them as Twins for at least five more years. You don’t extend a player for that long with the intent to trade him.

However, if the Twins get an extremely good offer that would make them reconsider, there’s a possibility the team could look into trading one of the two, especially with Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff waiting in the wings. Trades involving them are very unlikely, but not impossible.

Byron Buxton

Reason for Untouchable Status: Value

Byron Buxton is a player who has been talked about in potential trade rumors, but is extremely unlikely to be traded away. The Twins value Buxton highly (rightly so), so the team would need an incredible deal to move him.

Buxton’s defense, speed, and solid bat make him incredibly valuable, but his injury history makes other teams shy away from trading for him. Because of this, a deal becomes very unlikely, making Buxton pretty much untouchable, but not out of the question.

Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Minnesota Twins’ Miguel Sanó

Reasons for Untouchable Status: New Contract, Value, Position

The first reason Miguel Sanó makes this list is the brand new contract extension he signed with the team earlier in the season worth $41 million and $30 million guaranteed. The Twins clearly have plans to keep Sanó around for a while.

Though Sanó isn’t without his struggles (below-average defense and batting average, lack of speed), he is a very productive run producer and slugger. He’s also just turned 27, meaning he has just entered his prime. For a team with very few first base options, Sanó also provides value there.

The Twins expect a lot from Sanó and he has mostly produced, all the while being a fan-favorite and well-liked clubhouse guy. Because of all these factors, seeing a Miguel Sanó trade any time within the next two years would be stunning.

No. 4: Minnesota Twins’ Taylor Rogers

Reasons for Untouchable Status: Value, Position

Taylor Rogers probably has the most interesting case on this list. Rogers plays a position that normally isn’t valued highly, but with analytics related baseball becoming more popular, relief pitchers have earned more respect.

Rogers has been one of the Twins’ top relievers for each of his past four years and took over as the closer in 2019, saving 30 games. In addition to that, Rogers has posted an ERA under 2.70 in each of the past two seasons, boosting his value.

Despite sometimes not being considered as valuable as his teammates, a strong bullpen is key to a deep playoff run, and Rogers is a key part of the Twins’ dominant relief corps. This makes him essentially untradable.

No. 3: Minnesota Twins’ Nelson Cruz

Reasons for Untouchable Status: Value

If the Minnesota Twins were to try and trade Nelson Cruz, that would mean everything in 2020 had completely fallen apart, the season was in shambles, and a team desperately needed a reliable DH. This is a very unlikely.

The only reason Cruz is on this list is because he is about to turn 40 and his contract ends at the end of the season. Cruz was extremely valuable to the Twins in 2019, proving to the best all-around bat on the roster and a valuable leader in a young clubhouse.

If the Twins are in contention in any way, the team would likely not even listen to an offer for the aging DH, as in just a season he has become a key member of the team. A trade would require that to no longer be the case, and we don’t see that happening soon.

Jose Berrios of the Minnesota Twins (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Minnesota Twins’ Jose Berrios

Reasons for Untouchable Status: Contract, Value, Position

Seeing Jose Berrios in this spot may come as a surprise to some people, as he isn’t a truly elite starter. He may have been named as an All-Star in each of the previous two seasons, but some Twins fans often discount his value to the team.

The former first-round pick has become, without a doubt, the Twins No. 1 starter. Berrios is nothing if not reliable. In each of the past three seasons, he has been a model of consistency, posting very similar stat lines:

25 GS, 14-8, 3.89 ERA, 1.229 WHIP, 139 K
32 GS, 12-11, 3.84 ERA, 1.144 WHIP, 202 K
32 GS, 14-8, 3.68 ERA, 1.223 WHIP, 195 K

In addition, Berrios also won’t become a free agent until 2023, making him very valuable. Very good starters are rarely ever moved unless it’s for prospects, and because the Twins aren’t looking for prospects, Berrios will stay put for the foreseeable future.

No. 1: Minnesota Twins’ Josh Donaldson

Reasons for Untouchable Status: New Contract

The Minnesota Twins just signed star, free agent, third baseman Josh Donaldson to a 4 year/$92 million contract that includes a five team no-trade clause. Does that sound like a player that will be playing anywhere else, any time soon? I didn’t think so.

Donaldson had an excellent season with the Atlanta Braves last season, helping him to become one of the best free agent hitters available. The Twins clearly liked what they saw, handing out the franchise’s largest contract in team history.

That contract alone makes Donaldson nearly impossible to move. If he lives up to the contract, then the Twins will not want to move him under any circumstances. If he doesn’t, then no one will want to take on the deal.

Because of the contract (and Donaldson’s skills and leadership abilities), Donaldson and the Minnesota Twins will be tied together for at least four years. I’m sure both the Twins and Donaldson are hoping it works out well.

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