Minnesota Twins: Ranking the 5 Most Valuable Trade Chips to Move
By Otto Johnson
![Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins bats during the fifth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins bats during the fifth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fpuckettspond-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1317791978-850x560-5393fac9b6ef8cc6be3c289022a51ef9.jpg)
Minnesota Twins Trade Chip No. 1: Michael Pineda
Return: Two Top 10 organizational prospects
The Twins have the rare opportunity of having a very strong pitcher entering free agency while the team appears out of the playoff hunt. Michael Pineda is arguably one of the best rentals available on the market at a position everyone needs: Starting pitcher.
Pineda’s best season in Minnesota came last year, but he has followed up 2021 with a rock-solid 2022, posting a 3.46 ERA (4.29 FIP), 50/14 K/BB ratio, and a 8.7 K/9 rate. No one will confuse that with an ace, but that’s at the very least a Top 3 starter in just about any rotation.
For any team that has dealt with injuries or just needs a starter for the third game of the playoff series, Pineda could be a great rental. It will hurt the Twins to lose their second most productive pitcher, but it will allow for even more arms to see a spot in the rotation.
Pineda has never pitched in a playoff game before, but that won’t mean he can’t and a team in need of starting pitching would gladly scoop him up to have him start meaningful games for them. This will mean the Twins will have the choice of offers.
I wouldn’t expect any elite prospects, as a year of Francisco Lindor didn’t net a single Top-100 prospect, but I would think the Twins could land at least one, possibly two organizational Top-10 prospects, giving the rapidly thinning farm system a needed jolt.
light. More. Minnesota Twins: 4 Things to Look Forward to the Rest of 2021