2 Twins trade rumors we hope come true, 1 we hope doesn't happen
The trade deadline is finally here. Here is hoping that the Twins don't find a way to screw it up.
The trade deadline is finally here and the Minnesota Twins have some tough choices to make. Normally being just one game over .500 this time of year can be cause to consider selling off pending free agents and looking forward to next season, but the AL Central is truly terrible this year and the Twins find themselves with a half game lead in the division somehow.
However, this is a Twins team that is not playing well right now. As of Monday night, they have lost five straight games and while it is tempting to go all-in with a shot at the playoffs in sight, the smarter play may be to be selective buyers with an eye on the future instead of betting the farm on this season. The division isn't getting any better, so why push harder than they need to?
So far, that seems to track with the trade rumors surrounding the Twins right now. They aren't connected to any big names at the deadline really and there are even rumblings that they could sell some pending free agents by the time the deadline rolls around.
Here are 2 Twins trade rumors we hope come true and 1 we hope that doesn't
Trade rumors this time of year can be a crapshoot. A lot of the time, they are purely speculation from baseball writers that just look at a team's needs and pull corresponding players out of a hat. However, there are some rumors that seem to have kernels of truth to them and those will be the focus here. At the end of the day, anything could happen as information is particularly imperfect around the trade deadline.
Let's take a look at some trade rumors that would be sweet to see come to fruition and one that we really hope doesn't.
Lane Thomas would be a great investment in the Twins' future
The Minnesota Twins' offense needs some help if they want to hang on at the top of the division. Their team 102 wRC+ is middle of the pack and one area that is a glaring weakness at the moment is right-handed bats that hit lefties well. The Twins have been shopping pretty aggressive to find a player that fits that mold and one that would be a nice investment is the Nationals' Lane Thomas.
The Twins' interest in Thomas is understandable as he has put together the best season of his career so far in 2023 with an .805 OPS and 16 homers in 451 plate appearances this season. Thomas mashes lefties particularly well and given that he is under club control through the 2025 season, trading for him would help the Twins down the road even if the 2023 season ends up going sideways.
There are some issues in getting a deal done for Thomas, of course. The Nationals are pricing Thomas very highly at the moment and while Minnesota does have the prospect capital to get a deal done, they don't have the deepest of farm systems at the moment. Trading for Thomas would be a significant investment and given his platoon splits, there is a pretty strong argument that those resources could be better spent in an offseason trade or to hang on to altogether.
If the Nationals are putting a crazy value on Thomas then sure, pass on him and look for more reasonably priced options. However, Lane brings a lot to the table offensively even if his numbers against righties aren't amazing and if the Nationals can be reasoned with on him, adding Thomas is a worthy risk.
Minnesota trading away Sonny Gray would be a mistake
Given how heavily the trade market currently favors sellers right now, it is fair for the Twins to at least poke around and see what they could get for their pending free agents. If the current reporting is any indication, sellers are asking for a LOT for their pitchers right now and contenders may be forced to pay a premium to get the quality pitching depth they want.
However, one rumor that has popped up recently that should absolutely not happen is that the Minnesota Twins were listening to offers for Sonny Gray. Gray is a pending free agent and this market is very tempting to be sure, but Minnesota needs to avoid moving him unless someone throws a crazy offer at them.
While the Twins aren't a particularly inspiring team at the moment, they are still leading the division and their chief competition at the moment, the Guardians, just traded away one of their best pitchers in Aaron Civale for some reason. It would make no sense for the Twins to do Cleveland any favors and do the same when the division title is ripe for the taking.
Sure, trading away a guy like Kenta Maeda who is less of an impact arm is a perfectly rational idea. He isn't doing much for the Twins this year and could help restock Minnesota's farm system. However, Gray is a Cy Young candidate this year and trading him away when the Twins are in the driver's seat for a playoff spot would be a terrible signal to send to the clubhouse. Never say never because everyone has a price, but the Twins need to get their hair really blown back to consider trading Gray.
Tommy Pham could be a nice righty bat for the Twins to add at the deadline
Turning back to the Twins' need for a bat, there are some interesting rental options available that should help balance their lineup out without having to commit top prospects to acquire them. One such option that the Twins have been keeping tabs on is the Mets' Tommy Pham.
Pham seems to be available at the deadline every single year no matter where he is playing. His previous three seasons were decidedly lackluster as he average just a .696 OPS with the Padres and Reds, but he isn't that far removed from being a 3+ WAR player and he has put up an encouraging .268/.348/.472 line with the Mets this season.
The Mets are clearly in sell mode right now and as a pending free agent, Pham should be able to be had for a reasonable price. While his splits this year against lefty pitchers haven't been great, he has typically hit them better than righties with a career .846 OPS against southpaws. A deal for Pham as nice value pickup feels like a very Twins move.
That being said, some sort of rule against intersquad fantasy football may be needed if Minnesota does trade for Pham. He takes it very, very seriously and the Twins don't need any more injury problems.
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