Minnesota Twins: Top SP Trade Candidates for the Twins to Target

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The Minnesota Twins remain atop the American League Central, holding a solid lead over the Cleveland Guardians. The team is buoyed by a strong (though often inconsistent) offense and the ability to cruise through a weak division.

Unfortunately, if the team wants to compete in the playoffs and end their streak of 18 consecutive playoff losses, they need to go after three or four positions to upgrade the team. To help look at some options, we’re going to pick some players the team can go after.

When looking at different players, we aren’t looking at players from contending rosters. So this means all current contenders and most potential contenders were off limits (sorry, no Kyle Gibson). Over the past couple of days, we’ve taken a look third base and first base, continuing on with starting pitching today.

We rank the Top 8 Starting Pitchers for the Minnesota Twins to go after before the trade deadline.

Unlike with the first two parts of the series, where we were advocating for trading for players that would be luxuries, we’re instead talking about a position of true need for the Minnesota Twins. Their rotation has been overall solid thus far, but it could use an upgrade.

Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray are both playoff-ready starters, but a playoff rotation needs at least three starters for the team to be a real contender. Devin Smeltzer has been good, but isn’t someone you’d trust to get the ball in Game 3 of the ALDS or Wild Card series. Same with Bailey Ober.

Dylan Bundy is in the midst of a really good stretch, but he’s not the guy either and is best suited as a fifth or even sixth starter. Lastly, Chris Archer has shown he can’t last in games past the fifth inning, so the Twins should look to add another arm to facilitate his move into a long relief role.

All this adds up to the fact that the Twins should add at least one more arm to their starting rotation, even if it’s just a guy to help give the group a little more depth and take some pressure off the bullpen. Let’s get going, starting with the back end additions.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zach Davies throws a pitch during the first inning at Petco Park. (Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 8: Zach Davies, Arizona Diamondbacks

The first three pitchers on our list represent a modest upgrade over the likes of Smeltzer, Bundy, and Archer, but an upgrade all the same. They’re all solid arms, but not guys you would want starting Game One (maybe not even the answer for a third playoff game (you’d probably want to roll with Bailey Ober instead), but they’ll get the job done until you get there.

Zach Davies is the perfect example of that very solid pitcher. Over the last eight years (with the exception of 2021), Davies’ ERA, FIP, strikeout, and walk numbers have all been very similar. He won’t wow anyone with elite strikeout totals, but he consistently will put together five or six solid innings and will keep his team in games.

No after saying all this, it’s pretty understandable if no one is in love with Davies. He’s not the dream trade target that some of the other pitchers on this list might be. That’s okay. The Twins have other, more pressing, needs to address. Adding Davies would allow them to focus more on those other needs.

He’s very reliable, would be boosted playing at Target Field, is on a cheap deal, and is only under contract for this season, so the Diamondbacks would likely part with him for cheap. If he comes back strong from his current IL stint and the Twins want to make a big splash elsewhere during the trade deadline, the team would be wise to add Davies as an extra arm.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Kuhl delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 7: Chad Kuhl, Colorado Rockies

Chad Kuhl is right in the same mold as Zach Davies. He’s been fairly consistent throughout his career, doesn’t offer much in terms of raw stuff or elite numbers, and is pitching on a one year contract.

Where I give Kuhl the advantage is the fact that his numbers are slightly better, despite the fact that he’s been in Colorado all season. A notoriously tough place for pitchers to succeed, Kuhl’s numbers have been very good. He also proved himself against tough competition when he put together a three hit shutout win against the Dodgers a week ago.

Similar to Davies, he’s not gonna magically fix the rotation and i’d hesitate to make him a starter in the playoffs, but he’d be a strong addition to the team that allows Chris Archer to work in a role that’s better suited for him.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 6: Jose Quintana, Pittsburgh Pirates

The final pitcher in this first group is Pirates starter Jose Quintana. Quintana is different from the other pitchers on this list in that he’s a little older, has some playoff experience, and has performed better than the other two this season

Quintana is on a cheap, one year deal with the Pirates and has bounced back in a big way, posting some of his best numbers since 2016 when he was considered a tried and true frontline starter for the Chicago White Sox.

If he continues pitching like he has in the first half after he’s inevitably traded, the Twins (or whichever team that lands him) will likely have their third starter for a playoff run. He’ll cost a little more, but it’ll be worth it.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Wade Miley delivers against the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 5: Wade Miley, Chicago Cubs

Wade Miley‘s situation is unique from any other pitcher the Twins will take a look at during this trade deadline season in that there’s no assurances we’ll see Miley pitch again before the deadline. Miley, who’s been out since June 11th with a shoulder strain, has started just four games this year. So why him?

Well, in all of 2021, Miley was excellent, going 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA (3.95 FIP), and striking out 125 batters over 163 innings. He continued that success to start this year too, posting a 2.84 ERA (3.28 FIP) and while his xFIP was high, he looked like his typically very good self.

Miley has also been a very good playoff starter too, so if he returns to good health, a playoff rotation of Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, and Wade Miley would look really strong for a team that’s had questionable playoff starters in the past.

The last thing Miley has going for him is his price tag would probably be pretty cheap given his lack of a track record in 2022 and the fact that his contract expires after 2023. If the Twins feel comfortable with his medicals, he’s worth the risk to get a legit starter for cheap.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 4: Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

We’re now reaching the part of the list that if the Twins wanted to get any of these pitchers, the team would have to commit some serious assets to get, starting with Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly.

For the past few years, Kelly has always been billed as a pitcher that had some talent but wasn’t quite reaching his potential as a top of the line guy. This year, he’s found a way to make it there. So far this year, he’s 7-5 with a 3.46 ERA (3.41 FIP, 3.57 xERA).

His baseball savant numbers are good too, backing up what’s been a breakthrough year for him, and he’s under contract through 2024 with a team option for 2025. The only issue for teams trading for him is just how much he’ll cost.

For a pitcher with three years of team control posting near-frontline numbers, any team that tries to land him will have to surrender a lot of assets to do so, and it’s pretty unlikely the Twins would be interested in that. With that being said though, i’m including him on this list because he’s got real talent, and the Twins would be wise to at least check in on him.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves. /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 3: Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds

The last pitcher in this tier of starters is Tyler Mahle. I won’t beat a dead horse too much here, as I’ve wrote time and time again about how Tyler Mahle is the perfect trade fit for the Twins in 2022.

He’s been a frontline starter for the past three years and is stuck on a team that’s desperate to trade everyone that isn’t tied down. For those teams that don’t want to (or can’t afford to shell out for the last two names on this list, Tyler Mahle is the best pitcher available.

It’s all there in terms of what the team is looking for. He’s got excellent stuff, is under contract through 2023, and would be a great fit in a playoff rotation. If the Twins don’t at least inquire about his price tag, the team is missing out.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo delivers against the Chicago Cubs. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 2: Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds

We’ve finally reached the pitchers on this list that are tried and true aces. These two pitchers are guys that the Twins would be adding and expecting them to start Game One of the playoffs and help end the playoff drought.

The first pitcher of this pair is Luis Castillo. The ace for the Cincinnati Reds for the last few years (with that one Trevor Bauer stint excluded), Castillo is (in my opinion) the most talented starter on the market this season.

Armed with a lively fastball and a great four pitch mix, Castillo has posted excellent numbers year in and year out striking out batters at a rate of at least 9.2 K/9 every year for the past four years and posting ERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP numbers sub-4.00 in every category in every season.

He’s been worth a total of 11.7 fWAR over that time and is under contract through 2023, so it would cost a king’s ransom to bring him to Minnesota (one that I don’t know if the Twins can pay), but if they can pull it off, the team would have a truly fearsome playoff rotation.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas pitches against the New York Yankees. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports) /

Minnesota Twins Starting Pitching Trade Target No. 1: Frankie Montas, Oakland Athletics

The final pitcher on this list has been the number one trade target for the majority of teams ever since Oakland began their big sell-off during the offseason: Frankie Montas. Despite thinking Castillo may have more talent, Montas has been a monster over the past two seasons and has turned himself into a legitimate ace in a league where are only a few of them.

Montas doesn’t allow a lot of baserunners, goes deep into games (averaging 5.94 innings per game), and leads the league in games started over the past two years. He’s everything you’d want in a starter and it’s easy to see Montas being a good fit here.

The Twins have long been linked to the Oakland starter, and have a willingness to go get him. The only issue comes down to assets. The Twins don’t have many top prospects that are performing at a high level right now, and the team would have to give up Spencer Steer as a START to get the conversation going.

If the Twins can land any of these starters, the team can make themselves a better contender come playoff time. If they can get Castillo or Montas, they can start thinking about making a real run in 2022.

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