3 Twins who could get traded to help create some payroll space this offseason

We've reached the offseason, which means there's some decisions the Minnesota Twins will have to make regarding what the roster looks like next season. An anemic payroll complicates things, as the Twins are expected to be around the $127-$130 million range, a mark that the roster as it stands now already meets.

That means if the Twins are going to make any additions, there will need to be some subtraction.

A handful of players already elected free agency, but that doesn't save the Twins the type of money they'll need to justify making moves. If Minnesota wants to meaningfully add to the roster, which is something the front office wants to do even if ownership is making it impossible, then trades are going to be the way to go.

3 Twins who could get traded this offseason to create payroll relief

Chris Paddack, P

There was some hope last season that Chris Paddack would be able to help offset the loss of Sonny Gray, specifically in making up his innings production. It was a strategy that never really landed, and ended with Paddack once again on the IL with an injury.

He missed the last two months of the season, becoming one in a long line of Twins players who were unable to help the team avoid a historic collapse in September. Paddack ended up finishing the season with 4.99 ERA in 88.1 innings of work and 17 starts. It's not exactly the season anyone wanted him to have and now he finds himself potentially on the outside looking in.

If the Twins move him they'll save $7.5 million, but the trick is finding a trade partner willing to take that money on.

Christian Vazquez, C

One of the more furstrating parts of the last two seasons has been trying to figure out how Christian Vazquez fits into the mix. He's an excellent defensive catcher but lacked offensive firepower the team needed.

Last year Vazquez hit .221/.248/.327, which isn't exactly ideal and was below where Ryan Jeffers finished offensively. That's not why the Twins have him around, though, but it's also an indication that the team isn't getting its money's worth out of what is one of the bigger contracts on the books.

Vazquez is entering the final year of his $30 million contract, which means he's on the books for $10 million this season. For a team like the Twins looking to be as anemic with the budget as possible, shedding that salary would go a long way in alleviating some stress.

It ultimately comes down to this: if the Twins are going to pay $10 million to someone, they'd probably rather it be a first baseman or outfielder who can help more than Vazquez. That's not to say he doesn't have value, because he does, rather moving his money would be a reallocation of funds rather than fulfilling a need to replace him.

Willi Castro, UT

This one would potentially sting the most out of all the players the Twins could potentially trade this offseason. Castro developed into a fan favorite last season as he turned in the best season of his career so far. He made the All-Star team and was the player that Minnesota was hoping Kyle Farmer would have been based on how much they paid him.

Farmer's failure to live up to the hype might factor into the Twins using Castro as trade bait. Minnesota gave Farmer $6 million last season, but he ended up becoming a total liablity all over the place. It was an unfortunate turn of events, but Castro is arbitration-eligible this offseason and due for a deal that would exceed Farmer's from last year.

Unlike Paddack and Vazquez, though, Castro's money isn't on the books. It's all theoretical, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't count. If anything, shedding Castro's contract is better than the other two because it isn't actually on the books yet. What it would be is a commitment to spending $7 million to add a player, which could go a long way on the market.

Then again, it would be adding to a payroll that the Pohlad's don't seem willing to add to, which complicates things. Castro is in a weird spot for the Twins, but it wouldn't be stunning to see him dealt -- perhaps in a package deal with one of the other two guys -- to save some money.

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