4 Minnesota Twins players who should be on trade block before Opening Day
By Josh Hill
Kyle Farmer, UT
There was a period of time this winter where Kyle Farmer looked like a sure-fire trade candidate. He was tendered back in November, but the potential price tag on him, reflected against an anemic budget, seemed to suggest that he'd be flipped for either pitching or positional depth before Opening Day.
Instead, the Twins settled Farmer's arbitration case and will pay him just over $6M this season. With the lack of free agent additions, it seems this move was viewed as a de facto signing that offset the need to bring in any outside help. Even though Farmer has a clear role with Minnesota next season, it shouldn't take him off the trade block and out of a potential deal if a team were to ask about his services.
Farmer was a prototypical do-it-all utility player for the Twins last year, the kind that the franchise has made its bread and butter the last two decades. He slashed .256/.317/.408 last year but played in 120 games despite having missing time after taking a Lucas Giolito pitch directly to his face early in the season.
Not only was he reliable, but he played all over the place as the lead utility man in the clubhouse. Everything that Nick Gordon and Willi Castro could do, Farmer was asked to do it first which is the type of thing that could prove valuable on the trade market.
To be absolutely clear, of all the potential trade candidates the Twins have Farmer is someone the team can hang onto and feel great about. He does not need to be traded, nor should he be shopped. That speaks to his value, though, as it's been a depleted and slow market for infielders and Farmer has the sort of upside that could net a decent return.
If the Twins hang onto him they should feel great about what he can do for the lineup. If a team offers a decent return package for him, Minnesota can also feel good offloading his contract while potentially using all he can do as a way to bring help elsewhere on the roster.