On Saturday, MLB reporter Michael Marino reported that the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros had agreed to a trade that would send left fielder Trevor Larnach to Houston in exchange for right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu. However, Astros owner Jim Crane vetoed the deal. The Athletic's Dan Hays later reported that a "nearly completed trade fell apart late in the process," but didn't offer specifics on the team or players involved.
Sources: The Astros and Twins had agreed to a trade that would send Bryan Abreu to the Twins for Trevor Larnach. In the 11th hour, Astros owner Jim Crane nixed the trade. It is currently unclear if those talks will be revisited.
— Michael Marino (@MarinoMLB) August 1, 2026
Larnach heard about the rumored failed deal, per Hayes.
“It was a first for me,” Larnach said.
Larnach didn't let the rumor get in his head. During the Twins' 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, the left fielder hit a solo home run.
Trevor Larnach makes it a one run ballgame! 👀
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 1, 2026
📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/47jGjOtaep
Larnach, who is under team control through next season, has been a key part of the Twins' offense as the main leadoff hitter this year, slashing .284/.373/.450 (133 wRC+) with nine home runs and 39 RBI in 92 games. However, trading him for Abreu still could've improved the Twins' active roster.
Minnesota has already addressed its pitching woes by acquiring right-hander Tommy Nance from the Toronto Blue Jays, left-hander A.J. Minter from the New York Mets, and right-hander Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles. But the Twins could still use more help in the pitching department, specifically the bullpen. Minnesota's bullpen has been much better lately but has struggled overall this year, posting a 4.85 ERA, which ranks 26th among all 30 MLB teams.
Abreu, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, has had a rough year, recording a 4.62 ERA over 39 innings. However, he was one of the top bullpen arms in baseball from 2022-25 and has a 2.49 ERA over 21 2/3 postseason innings. Just last season, Abreu recorded a 2.28 ERA in 71 innings. The Astros right-hander has looked much better lately as well, allowing just two earned runs over his last 14 2/3 innings. He has an elite strikeout rate of 28.7% and a whiff rate of 31.5% this year.
Twins should strongly consider trading Trevor Larnach for bullpen help
Moving Larnach for Abreu would've not only improved the Twins' bullpen but also would've cleared room for top prospect Walker Jenkins, FanGraphs' No. 4 overall prospect. While replicating Larnach's offensive success immediately after joining the big-league squad would be a difficult task for Jenkins, he would be a defensive upgrade at the very least. Despite Larnach's strong offensive season, he has been worth just 0.5 fWAR so far due to his poor defensive metrics.
And the ceiling for Jenkins, 21, is enormous. He has long been viewed as one of the best prospects in baseball. Since being drafted fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by Minnesota, Jenkins has hit .294/.398/.467 with 25 home runs and 132 RBI across 247 games. He is often injured, which is cause for concern, but when he's healthy, he is almost always the best player on the field.
The Twins still may look to trade Larnach for relief help ahead of the deadline to improve the bullpen and make space for Jenkins. The Twins lead the American League in runs scored, so moving Larnach for a reliever would subtract from a strength to address a weakness. If you think about it, trading Larnach for a reliever would almost be like trading for bullpen help plus Jenkins, who has All-Star potential.
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