5 players the Twins might be tempted to trade this winter
Minnesota's anemic approach to the payroll might force them to trade away some otherwise key players.
Minnesota Twins fans are bracing for what could be another bumpy ride this winter. Even though the Pohlad family has mercifully decided to sell the team, they still control the purse strings until someone else buys them out -- something that could take another year to happen.
Until the Pohlads are gone, the Twins seem doomed to live by their frugal standards. Last winter was an utter embarrassment, as ownership bizarrely squashed fans interest at hits height and smothered any momentum the team had by cutting the payroll by $30 million. The powers that be pretended like that didn't have anything to do with the historic collapse that happened at the end of the season, but that suggestion was yet another insult hurled the way of fans hoping for better.
That's the mindset heading into the winter, as the Twins badly need to upgrade the roster to keep pace with an AL Central that took strides this season. Everyone outside of the historically bad Chicago White Sox and the Twins got better, and this offseason is one the team can't afford to screw up.
With little-to-no money at their disposal, the front office might have to get creative and make the trade market the place where improvements and upgrades are found. That, of course, will come at a price fans might not want to see paid.
5 players the Twins might be tempted to trade this winter
Jhoan Duran, RP
The idea of Minnesota trading one of its most electric pitchers goes to show just how frustrating the payroll situation has become. The Pohlads refusing to spend more than they have to creates a situation where Duran is potentially on the trade block as he represents one of the Twins' more valuable trade chips to flip and try to gain assets that could otherwise be acquired through more competent means.
Of the players Minnesota might trade, Duran is one who straddles the line of logic. On the one hand, he's one of the most exhilirating closers in baseball and is a capital-F Flamethrower. He's also prone to mistakes, something that has become more apparent over recent years.
Duran's ERA has ballooned to 3.64 this past season, which is up from his 1.86 ERA during his rookie season. More concerningly his velocity dropped this past season, although it's worth noting that it went from 101.8 MPH to 100.5 MPH.
That's where trading him is a tough sell to fans who are expecting a winning product on the field. Duran on the mound is always a white-knuckled joy ride, but he's an elite arm capable of shutting down opposing batters in the clutch. Selling high on him gives off loser mentality, but it also weakens a bullpen that needs all the help it can get.
However, as Matthew Taylor from Twins Daily pointed out, it's hard not to look at the haul the Miami Marlins got for Tanner Scott and not think about how Duran might command as much or more.
Chris Paddack and Christian Vázquez
These two might not be packaged together but the Twins have similar reasons for trading them both. Minnesota stands to save around $17 million between the two players if they’re moved this winter, but the trick will be finding someone willing to take on their entire contracts.
Joe Ryan, SP
This would be one of the most painful and frustrating trades to see the Twins make. If the team feels it’s in a financial bind, though, then trading Ryan unfortunately becomes a card the front office can play. He’s probably the most attractive trade chip the Twins have to cash in, as Joe Ryan is just 28-years old and has pitched on an All-Star level the last few seasons.
Last year was perhaps his best step forward. Ryan held opposing hitters to a .223/.275/.409 slash line and set a career high in fWAR. A similar case could be made for the Twins trading Bailey Ober instead, as both pitchers are up for arbitration this winter.
That’s ultimately what this comes down to. If the Twins don’t want to add to the payroll and don’t want to spend in free agency, then trading Ryan might be the best way to acquire assets to improve. It’s a deeply stupid way of going about that, though, as it’s such a loser’s mentality to trade away perhaps the best pitcher in the rotation to avoid spending.
Jose Miranda, 1B/3B
Fo a stretch of games over the summer, Jose Miranda wasn’t just the best hitter on the Twins’ roster he was among the best hitters in all of baseball. Miranda’s turnaround was phenomenal to watch as he went from a guy on the fringe of the roster to a valuable everyday player.
The question here is whether the Twins see him as a key piece of the future. If not, then selling high might be the way to go. It’s a situation nobody could have seen a year ago, when Miranda’s value couldn’t have been lower. He was coming off a season where he battled injuries and poor play, something that coincided with the rise of Royce Lewis.
Miranda both seemingly fits the roster but also doesn’t. He’s not going to start over Lewis at third and won’t fit as a replacement for Brooks Lee at second if he move around the infield. The only logical spot for him is at first base, but it’s unclear if the Twins will want to put him there long term or find someone else to fill in — perhaps bringing back Carlos Santana.
There’s an arguement to be made that Miranda fits at first base enough to stay, and it’s a compelling one to make. If the team is truly set on not spending a penny more than it needs to, then Miranda’s best value could be as trade currency this winter.
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