Upon the conclusion of the Major League Baseball Draft next month, it would seem that for most teams, the focus will shift to the trade deadline. Derek Falvey has pushed back against the idea that the Minnesota Twins will be sellers at the deadline, but as it stands, it seems that is the direction the team is barreling towards. Among the trade chips who could be on the move for the Twins is Willi Castro and Kody Clemens.
Of course, draft plans and deadline plans are not often married together, but in this case, chances are the Twins could be drafting someone in the first round who could be an eventual replacement for one of the players dealt. In Bleacher Report's latest mock draft, the selection for the Twins at No. 16 is Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen. Recent mock drafts have pushed the Twins in the direction of adding a middle infield prospect, with Marek Houston of Wake Forest being another prospect linked to them in the draft.
Like with Houston, Kilen has a contact-oriented approach. The belief is also that Kilen could be a fast riser through his journey to the Major League level. In his time at Tennessee, Kilen has split time between second base and shortstop. Considering the Twins don't quite have a long-term answer at second base, and Carlos Correa is getting older with each passing day, Kilen would give them a nice safety net.
New mock draft pairs Twins with prospect who solves a big problem
In 245 plate appearances with the Volunteers this past collegiate season, Kilen slashed .357/.441/.671 with 15 home runs. Kilen had an uptick in power this season, so there is a chance that continues to develop once he makes the transition from college to the pros.
Given the circumstances of the Twins' season, the draft is quickly looking to be one of the few remaining bright spots for the team between now and the end of the season. Drafting in the middle of the first round, there's an opportunity for the Twins to find the steal of the draft.