Minnesota Twins: Trevor May first to leave, signing with the New York Mets

After being with the Minnesota Twins since he was traded for Ben Revere in the 2012-13 offseason, Trevor May moves to the east coast for his future in MLB.

The Minnesota Twins have several key players entering free agency in the 2020-21 offseason, and the first one of those free agents has left the franchise. First reported by SNY’s Andy Martino on Twitter, Trevor May now becomes a former member of the Minnesota Twins, as May comes to a two-year agreement with the New York Mets.

The deal is still unofficial as it pends a physical, reported by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, May was the second-longest tenured Minnesota Twin on their roster for 2020 behind Jorge Polanco, and a well liked player by the fans.

The move is not an unexpected one, as my colleague Otto Johnson wrote that May had about a 30% chance of returning to Minnesota. That chance is now officially down to zero, as the former Phillies acquisition is off the board.

The Minnesota Twins acquired May from the Philadelphia Phillies on December 6, 2012, along with starter Vance Worley for the rising center fielder, Ben Revere. May is the only active player remaining from this trade as both Worley and Revere retired after the 2017 MLB season.

Looking back on that trade in December 2012, it looked very questionable to trade away a player who appeared to be the teams centerfielder of the future. Just prior to that, Denard Span was traded a week earlier to the Washington Nationals for Alex Meyer.

Now, in 2020, as May proved to be one of the Minnesota Twins top relievers over the past three years, the Twins were clear winners in this one. We take a trip down memory lane for the top prospect turned elite reliever.

May was called up as a starter for the Minnesota Twins back on August 9, 2014. His first ten games in the Bigs were a struggle, as he posted a 7.88 ERA in his 2014 season and took six losses in nine starts.

2015 would prove to be much better for the then 25-year old May. He split time between the rotation and bullpen, making 16 starts for the Minnesota Twins in 2015 and 32 relief appearances. May posted an even 4.00 ERA (with a 3.25 FIP) that season and struck out 110 batters in 114 2/3 innings pitched.

May became a full time reliever the next year, but it still turned out to be a woeful season for him. In 44 relief appearances, May posted a 5.27 ERA, but improved his strikeout rate greatly, having an impressive 12.7 K per 9 innings pitched, and put together an excellent 3.80 FIP.

During spring training of 2017, it was revealed that May needed to undergo Tommy John surgery in his right elbow. May would miss the entirety of the 2017 season and not return to the Minnesota Twins bullpen until July of 2018. That return was the start of his dominance as a reliever.

Over the last three seasons, May made a total of 113 relief appearances for the Minnesota Twins, posting a 3.19 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.08 WHIP, a 12.2 K per 9, and saved seven games for the team in that time.

Now, May moves onto a new team with the New York Mets, where his success is likely to continue, and Minnesota Twins fans can look back fondly on the time May spent in the Twin Cities, and remain hopeful for a future reunion.