Considering the Twins’ season turnaround, it’s probably time to put the Pablo López trade rumors to rest and start thinking about adding for the present as opposed to subtracting an ace for the future.
If the Twins end up buying at the July 31 trade deadline, young players in the organization will be headed elsewhere.
Before the season, it appeared the Twins needed another starting pitcher, with Chris Paddack and Simeon Woods Richardson rounding out the rotation despite questions surrounding their effectiveness. But considering the Twins currently lead the American League in pitching fWAR with 9.3 due to Paddack’s newfound success and the dominance of López, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober, along with possessing arguably the best bullpen in baseball, their most likely addition would be on offense.
If the Twins end up acquiring a big name or two at the deadline in pursuit of winning the 2025 World Series, who would they trade away?
3 players who could be on the trade block if Twins are buyers at the deadline
Right-handed starting pitchers Zebby Matthews or David Festa
The Twins could move Matthews or Festa in exchange for offensive help, but if so, at least one of them would certainly stay with the organization. If Minnesota trades one away, it would still have the other, along with Woods Richardson and promising starting pitching prospects Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, Andrew Morris, Charlee Soto and Dasan Hill. Therefore, the Twins could afford to lose a young starting pitcher.
Matthews is currently at the major league level, and Festa has been in the past. They both have had their fair share of struggles in the big leagues but have dominated the minor leagues and have a ton of upside. A struggling team in need of a starting pitcher for the future could very well be willing to give up a top hitter in exchange for Festa or Matthews, along with a prospect or two.
Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez
Rodriguez would demand a lot of value in return if traded away, as he is MLB Pipeline’s No. 32 prospect.
In regards to outfielders, the Twins already have Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, and Trevor Larnach, with MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 prospect Walker Jenkins in the minors. Also, outfielder Carson McCusker, who earned the call to the majors following Buxton joining the concussion list, has dominated at the Triple-A level this year.
Rodriguez has struggled to hit for power for the St. Paul Saints this year due to a thumb injury, slugging .410, but has an elite .403 on-base percentage in 149 plate appearances. So why would the Twins want to move him?
They definitely don’t want to trade away Rodriguez. But, if there is a real opportunity to win the World Series this year, the Twins could potentially part ways with him, especially given his high K%; Rodriguez, 22, has struck out 356 times in 1165 career minor league plate appearances. However, he has still been outstanding overall in his professional career, slashing .248/.420/.497. If the Twins trade Rodriguez, the return must include a star player to justify the move.