2 Twins trade deadline deals that have impacted the 2023 season the most
Despite some trials and tribulations, the Minnesota Twins still find themselves in first place thanks in large part to the rest of the division playing some pretty crummy baseball to start the season to go along with a strong performance from the Twins' pitching staff early on.
We are still waiting for more of a positive return on the Twins' biggest move as Carlos Correa has been decidedly mediocre in 2023 after signing a six year deal worth $200 million, but a couple of the Twins' moves at the trade deadline last year are proving to be extremely impactful this season as well.
The Twins were pretty busy last July as they made four moves at the deadline to try and get over the hump. Those moves were obviously not enough as they ended up finishing third in the division and below .500 on the season, but that doesn't mean that those moves couldn't help (or hurt) the team during the 2023 season.
Not every trade is going to move the needle much, especially when you look at minor deals for rental-type players which make up the bulk of the moves we see during trade deadline season.
Here are two moves from last year's trade deadline that have altered the course of the 2023 season for the Twins for better or worse
Jorge Lopez
The most positive move from last year's deadline came in the form of the trade for Jorge Lopez with Orioles. The cost was substantial as the team had to give up highly regarded pitching prospect Cade Povich along with pitching prospects Yennier Cano, Juan Nunez, and Juan Rojas.
However, what the Twins got was a reliever that had quickly fashioned himself from a starter who couldn't command his stuff in the role to one of the more highly sought after relievers at the deadline.
It is safe to say that the Twins are happy with their end of the deal. His performance with the Twins in 2022 immediately after the trade certainly wasn't ideal as he posted a 4.37 ERA and 4.35 FIP, but he has turned into one of Minnesota's most steady relievers in a bullpen that has needed a steady hand. Through 18 appearances in 2023, Lopez has posted a 1.59 ERA and 3.43 FIP in 17 innings of work and those numbers could improve if he can get his strikeout rate more in line with his career norms.
The best part of all of all of this is that Lopez is under team control through 2024, so that removes some pressure to find guys to fill out the bullpen next season. Sure, the team is going to probably add a reliever or two at the trade deadline this year because, well, every team that is in contention tries to do that at the trade deadline this year. However, having a guy like Lopez in your bullpen that you can throw a bunch and get quality innings is a tremendous asset and has been a big help for a Twins team that doesn't have a ton of quality bullpen depth.
Tyler Mahle
Yeah, this one is gonna hurt and honestly, it isn't anyone's fault per se and only looks rough with the benefit of hindsight.
The Twins thought they were getting a reliable innings eater in Mahle at the deadline when they sent prospects Spencer Steer, Steve Hajjar, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the Reds to acquire him.
Unfortunately, that is decidedly not what happened as it was announced recently that Mahle was going to have to undergo Tommy John surgery which effectively ends his time with the Twins unless they re-sign him out of free agency. Between his post-trade appearances in 2022 as well as his 2023 up until the injury, Mahle made just nine starts for a total of 42 innings in a Twins uniform.
One of the worst pills to swallow is that the trade cost them Steer who was pretty highly regarded but hasn't lit the world on fire and, more importantly, Encarnacion-Strand who has gone Super Saiyan in his time in the Reds' organization. In 16 games at Triple-A in 2023, he has slashed .353/.378/.718 with eight homers including some absolute tanks.
Given the Twins' offensive struggles this year, it sure would be nice to have a bat like that around to provide some help for the big league roster.
Look, injuries happen and it stinks. The Twins gambled that Mahle could provide some stability in the rotation and unfortunately, the laws of physics and pitching do not always get along. You can't necessarily blame the Twins for making the move, but now the guy they spent some talented trade capital on is done for the year and probably done playing for the team altogether and we are left wondering what might have been.
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