3 prospects the Minnesota Twins can use as trade bait
As we approach the end of May, we need to begin evaluating the potential roster needs of the Minnesota Twins and what moves they could make to shore things up. No, you should not expect moves anytime soon as there are just too many teams still "in it" and the market won't really open up for a month or so as things become more clear.
That doesn't mean, though, that trades aren't fun to think about. Moreover, to even begin to think about what sorts of players a team can acquire, you have to think about their budget. That means we have to look at what prospects/assets the Twins have that they can realistically part with. In an ideal world, they can make moves for impact players while not completely mortgaging their future away.
Accomplishing that is easier said than done as teams aren't going to just give good players away and you have to give something to get something. Here are three Twins prospects that the team could use as trade bait that would certainly be a loss, but one that the team could realistically absorb when looking long-term.
Royce Lewis
There is no question that Royce Lewis is an incredibly talented player. He was the #1 overally pick back in 2017 thanks to tantalizing offensive potential at the plate, tons of physical tools, and a lot of people thinking he was going to be a plus up-the-middle defender.
It is entirely possible that he will still end up being an All-Star, but the Twins have been waiting for him for a long time and may need to cash him in for some more near-term help.
The issues here are injuries and positional. Lewis is coming off his second ACL surgery on the same knee which is problematic for a guy whose speed is a big part of his game. As a result, he just hasn't played a lot the last couple of years. You also have the signing of Carlos Correa to play shortstop for the foreseeable future, Brooks Lee looking like he could be on the fast track to the big leagues, and Eduoard Julien's ascent at second base.
Sure, centerfield remains an option, but that may not be the best fit given his knee injuries now and Minnesota could cash him in to a team in need of more immediate help in the infield.
Connor Prielipp
It probably looks strange to see a guy drafted just last year as potential trade bait, but hear us out. Prielipp was one of the favorites to go first overall in 2022 before he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. However, some impressive pre-draft workouts after his rehab had teams remembering just how good that fastball/slider could be and the Twins snatched him up in the second round on a bonus approaching $2 million.
However, Prielipp is already having elbow issues again and this is a guy that really needs to be able to throw his power slider to reach his ceiling. It is entirely possible that he will end up fine down the road, but the Twins are in a position to contend right now and an arm of Prielipp's potential is going to be VERY tantalizing for the types of teams that are going to be sellers at the deadline as they are going to wanting to stack up long-term assets.
Letting go of Prielipp allows the team to keep the other three pitching prospects in their top 10 while still being able to get a big trade done (although him being their most prominent lefty certainly stings a bit).
Austin Martin
Martin is a polarizing prospect because while his pure hitting ability and bat-to-ball skills are very high, he can't seem to stay healthy and where he fits defensively is pretty unclear. The bat is the selling point here, as he hits the ball to all fields and has hit for power in the past (there is cause for skepticism with the latter, though). Teams are also likely very familiar with the sort of impact he can have at the plate as he performed well in the Arizona Fall League.
The downsides are real enough to make it a fair debate as to whether or not the Twins would be selling too low on him. He is already recovering from a UCL sprain from this spring which doesn't help his value and again, there has been little in the way of progress when it comes to his defense at shortstop.
Minnesota doesn’t have a shortage of guys that are going to play up the middle right now and Martin's value seems better suited for a team that has some time to get him healthy and potentially play him at a position like second base that doesn't put as much emphasis on his arm.