The Minnesota Twins didn’t make any moves at the Winter Meetings but while Carlos Correa’s potential availability was the biggest storyline, Derek Falvey and his staff may have been motivated by the Milwaukee Brewers' decision to trade Devin Williams to the New York Yankees.
The Brewers netted starter Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin in exchange for Williams on Friday. While it may be a tough decision, Milwaukee’s return could force the Twins to consider trading one of their top relievers, Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran.
The Milwaukee Brewers got a ton for Devin Williams
Trading Williams wasn’t an easy decision for the Brewers. A two-time All-Star and Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award winner, Williams has been one of the best relievers in baseball, posting a 1.83 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings in six seasons in Milwaukee. While a back injury limited Williams to 21.2 innings last season, he was still effective, posting a 1.25 ERA and 1.4 wins above replacement.
But after Williams blew a 2-0 lead to the New York Mets in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series, the Brewers declined a $10.5 million option for the 2025 season and were slated to pay Williams $7 million in his final season of arbitration.
Keeping Williams would have provided some value on the back end of the Brewers bullpen, but Milwaukee was wise to see what they could get on the open market.
Cortes is a valuable starter, posting an ERA under 4.00 in three of his four seasons with the Yankees and went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 174.1 innings before landing on the injured list with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow.
With the cost of starting pitching rising, Cortes, who was projected to make $7.7 million in arbitration this offseason, would have been a worthy return. But the Brewers also received Durbin, a speedy second baseman who stole a record 29 bases in the Arizona Fall League this year and hit .287/.396/.471 with 23 doubles, 10 homers and 60 RBI at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season.
With Cortes in the rotation and Durbin on the left side of the infield, the Brewers got a haul for a player who was likely to leave after the 2025 season and it may have the Twins thinking creatively with their top relievers.
Why the Minnesota Twins should consider trading Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax
Jax and Duran don’t have the same resume as Williams, but they could command a strong haul on the trade market.
After two strong years to open his career, Duran had his worst season in the majors, watching his earned run average balloon to 3.64 and seeing his strikeout rate drop from 12.1 in 2023 to 10.9 per nine innings in 2024. Duran’s chase rate also dropped from 30.1 percent in 2023 to 28 percent last season, which may represent a concern going forward for the 26-year-old.
Jax is in a better spot after posting a career-low 2.03 ERA in 71 innings last season but he could also be a trade candidate just to the high variance of relief pitchers. While Jax’s strikeouts per nine innings jumped from 9.4 in 2023 to 12.0 last season, the pendulum could swing the other way leaving the Twins feeling disappointed in his age-30 season.
The Twins don’t have to trade either reliever as both are projected to earn modest salaries in moderation (Duran at $3.7 million, Jax at $2.6 million) and won’t hit free agency until 2028. But teams can get crazy in their pursuit of relief pitchers with Aroldis Chapman ($10.75 million with the Boston Red Sox), Aaron Bummer (two years, $13 million with the Atlanta Braves) and Blake Treinen (two years, $22 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers) already cashing in.
With Cole Sands stepping up last season and the healthy return of Brock Stewart, the Twins could have enough arms in the bullpen to make up for the loss of Jax or Duran and have room for others in the system to step up and claim a spot.
In fact, a report surfaced that the Twins were “listening” to trade offers for Duran at last year’s trade deadline as they looked to clear payroll to make a move to improve the roster.
It wouldn’t be a popular decision to trade one of their best arms but it could pay huge dividends as the Twins continue to find a way to improve this offseason.