Twins prospect listed as likeliest trade candidate ahead of deadline

We’re over two months away from the MLB Trade Deadline but it’s never too early to start thinking about what might happen when it rolls around.

For the Minnesota Twins, doing anything would be an improvement over what happened last year. Despite needing a few different things to help complete the roster, the Twins stood pat and refused to make any deals — likely out of fear that they’d blow up in everyone’s face.

It’s hard to blame the front office for taking an overly cautious approach. The year prior the Twins tried to make some splashy deals that ended up in Tyler Mahle and Jorge Lopez being acquired. Both of those deals almost immediately collpased into themselves and the price of doing business made it even worse.

The Twins also leaned on the idea that in-house talent was more valuable than what could be acquired, which might come full circle this time around.

Luke Keaschall is the ‘likeliest’ Twins player to be traded before the deadline

Bleacher Report went through every MLB team to find its likeliest trade candidate and landing on an interesting one for the Twins. Rather than throw out a notable Big League name, like Max Kepler or Kyle Farmer, prospect Luke Keaschall was picked as the guy who might get traded at the deadline.

Keaschall is the team’s No. 9 overall prospect but he’s playing like one of the top guys in the system. He’s batting .370/.455/.630 with 7 doubles, 4 home runs, 4 stolen bases, and 9 walks in 88 PA so far in May. He’s been absolutely outrageous and it’s hard to argue just how high his stock is right now and how valuable it could be on the trade market.

Minnesota doesn’t have to trade him, but it’s a conversation that might be worth having depending on what sort of return the team could get. The Twins traded Jorge Polanco due to a logjam of talent at second base, and that could be logic the team uses to move Keaschall if the right deal comes along.

Based on how well he’s playing, that deal is going to have to be pretty great.

Minnesota refused to make a deal last year because it didn’t want to dip into its farm system again and potentially lose a Spencer Steer or Yennier Cano again. Trading Keaschall would go against that, but it would be in line with the edict to clear room for Brooks Lee and other prospcts jamming up the the pipeline.

That being said, Keaschall could be part of the team’s youth movement and become one of the underrated prospects to pop. David Festa is in this category as he hasn’t been hyped like Lee or Emmanuel Rodriguez but could have just as big of an impact once he makes his debut.

Keaschall plays all of the positions that have firm commitments for the time being — Royce Lewis at third, Carlos Correa at shortstop, and Edouard Julien at second. Lee figures to fill in the gaps and Yunior Severino is another name to watch as a future infielder for the Twins. The way he’s playing now means Keaschall deserves to be in that conversation as well, but it could be that he ends up being more valuable to the Twins for what he can help bring in a trade than what he does in the lineup.