Minnesota Twins Potential Trade Targets: Starting Pitchers

The Minnesota Twins could trade for a starter to solidify their rotation. Here are some name that the Twins might want to pursue.

The Minnesota Twins are back at it with their display of power this season, starting off atop the AL Central. Less than 20 games into the season, the biggest surprise for the Twins may be their pitching. Their starters have held up incredibly well thus far despite several injuries to Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill, and Homer Bailey. This leaves veterans Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda at the number one and two spots atop the rotation.

Despite the strong start, the back-end looks to be lacking true depth. Randy Dobnak has been a pleasant surprise for the time being, but I don’t see Dobnak and Devin Smeltzer anchoring the bottom of the rotation moving forward.

My colleague Otto Johnson alluded to the Twins needing that coveted ace in the rotation to make their World Series push. 2020 has been the weirdest season yet and I think it will only get weirder, so because of that, here are some unconventional targets the Twins may look for as the trade deadline looms.

Teams may be more reluctant to trade away players with the shortened season and with the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Regardless, I believe a true ace would be the most beneficial, but included are other options to help solidify the middle of the rotation to add depth. Here are four pitchers that I think the Twins should consider adding to their rotation.

Minnesota Twins Potential ‘Middle of the Rotation’ Targets

Andrew Heaney: Heaney has had his fair share of growing pains throughout his career as his career ERA is hovering around the mid 4s. However, he may have found his stride late in his career and is on an enticing one-year, $4 million contract. If the Angels fall out to contention, they may be willing to part ways with the righty before he hits free agency.

Joe Musgrove: I’ve become a big fan of Musgrove’s potential, as he’s 27 years old, but has shown flashes of elite stuff in his young MLB career. His 2019 FIP (fielder independent pitching) of 3.82 suggests he got a little unlucky. If he can bring down the walks, I think this can be a breakout pitcher in the making. Another one-year contract guy, Musgrove may be worth the cheap gamble.

Minnesota Twins Potential Ace Targets

These targets may be more wishful thinking than anything, but if the Twins really want to go up against the likes of the Yankees, Astros, and potentially the Dodgers they will need an ace. Here are some guys that Twins fans might want as an early Christmas present.

Patrick Corbin: This would be a tough one to pull out for the Twins, as the Nationals are still in contention mode. If they are going to deal one starter, I would go with Corbin. Corbin would bring some playoff experience to the table and he is coming off two consecutive seasons with an ERA under 3.50.

German Marquez: This name may not stand out as your typical ace, but I’ve been on the Marquez train for two seasons. Marquez is only 25 years old and in 2018, he flashed an impressive 3.77 ERA in Coors Field with a 10.56 K9 and a 2.62 BB/9. Impressive ratios for a 23-year old at the time.

Digging deeper, Marquez’s career home/road splits point to him needing to get out of Coors. He does not have any playoff experience though, so this may be a bit of a gamble for a team looking for a ‘true’ ace. However, this may be a cheap gamble, as he is under contract until 2023 and is owed $8.6 million on average.