2 Twins trade rumors we hope come true, 1 we hope doesn't happen
By Eric Cole
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.