3 Marlins players the Twins could target in a fire sale at the trade deadline

It’s no secret that the Minnesota Twins squandered a golden opportunity this winter to pour it on while the getting was good. The Twins were coming off the team’s most successful postseason run since 2002 and finally had key pieces in place. 

Rather than use the offseason to add to the roster, Minnesota slashed the payroll and subtracted. Additions were marginal, at best, with the biggest move being trading away Jorge Polanco for what might end up being a Top 100 prospect and $7 million. 

Not exactly the type of stuff that inspires hope. 

The fact that the Twins limped out to a 7-13 start to the season was a surprise to no one, but things have finally started to turn around. A 12-game winning streak helped pull Minnesota back into the AL Central race, and now the team is in a position to atone for sins of the offseason. 

Another team is in a completely opposite place and could make for a good trade partner with Minnesota if the team decides to redeem itself. The Miami Marlins are in shambles, and a fire sale seems likely. Old friend Luis Arraez was traded to San Diego just over a year after he was acquired, and all signs point to Miami dumping cargo at the deadline. 

If that’s the case, the Twins should not only get involved but do so sooner rather than later to add some potentially key pieces to the roster. 

3 Marlins players who could be potential Twins trade targets if a fire sale happens

Josh Bell, 1B/DH

Two of the bigger additions the Twins made this offseason was trading for Manuel Margot and signing Carlos Santana. The idea was that Minnesota was adding big powerful bats to the lineup, but that simply hasn’t happened.

Aside from a few flashes, Margot has been a disaster and the time could soon come where he’s no longer in the picture. Meanwhile Santana hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations that he’d be a veteran slugger, even if he has found his way into the lineup regularly at first base. 

Josh Bell doesn’t check a box in the outfield, but the Twins have that covered with guys like Austin Martin, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Matt Wallner. Where Bell could come in handy is helping platoon at first base while adding another big bat to the lineup in the DH role. 

Minnesota’s offense has started to wake up, but the need for Bell still exists. He’s hitting .204/.295/.313, but that still way better than Margot and Santana who are hitting .174 and .194 respectively.

We’ve seen that streaks come and go, and assuming that things will stay this good forever is foolish. Bell can help Santana at first while also providing a parachute in the event things go south with his offense. 

Jesús Luzardo, SP

This is the White Whale of Twins Twitter, but if the Marlins are having a fire sale could it actually become reality? 

Luzardo seemed like more of a need before the season when the Twins were trying to replace Sonny Gray’s production. Things going pretty decently for the starting rotation might suggest that the Twins don’t have as big of a need for him, but don’t be a prisoner of the moment. A playoff rotation of Pablo Lopez/Joe Ryan/Jesús Luzardo is deadly and if the Twins can make it happen they absolutely should. 

Minnesota coasted through last year’s deadline and the offseason on the idea that it was good enough, but hopes and wishes have never resulted in much success. The Twins are dangerously close to lulling themselves into a false sense of security and viewing Simeon Woods Richardson and Chris Paddack as viable options over Luzardo. 

Both of those guys have improved and continue to play important roles, but their success shouldn’t be seen as an excuse to not add a frontline starter like Luzardo. To be fair it’s been a rough season for Luzardo who has a 6.58 ERA in five starts, but that might be a product of being on the Marlins and might also give the Twins a way to drive his price down.

Still, he’s exactly who the Twins needed to replace Gray but refused to pursue, and a chance to redeem that mistake might have fallen right into the team’s lap. 

Tanner Scott, RP

One area of the roster the Twins did invest in this offseason was the bullpen, but that gamble hasn’t quite paid off yet. Josh Staumont made his debut this week with a pretty stellar appearance, but the other additions Minnesota made have yet to make an impact. 

Jay Jackson has been pretty rough, Daniel Duarte is already out for the season, and Justin Topa might have suffered a setback that will keep him on the shelf for even longer. It’s clear the Twins value the bullpen perhaps more than any other area of the roster, and it’s no surprise that such invested interest has resulted in a unit that ranks near the top of the league. 

Steven Okert has shown some flashes as a valuable member of the bullpen, and he coincidentally came to Minnesota by way of Miami. The Marlins swapped Okert for Nick Gordon and the Twins could go back for more relief pitching if this fire sale is going to happen. Tanner Scott is the perfect guy for the Twins to pursue to add some more depth tp the bullpen and both give guys like Jorge Alcalá a break and allow for Justin Topa and others to get healthy.

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