Twins listed as 'potential landing spot' for 7 top trade targets

It feels like the season started yesterday, but we're already through the All-Star Break and nearly to the MLB Trade Deadline. Unlike last year it's starting to sound like the Minnesota Twins are going to be active, at least that's where the winds of the rumor mill are blowing.

As far as needs are concerned, starting pitching seems to be at the top of the list for the Twins. Pablo Lopez has struggled at the No. 1 starter and there's no clear-cut No. 3 starter to round out a playoff rotation with Joe Ryan.

That's something Minnesota is rumored to be looking at as the deadline approaches.

Whether or not that actually happens is another story. The Twins were linked to trades last summer but ended up not making a single move. There's more of a dire need to improve the roster, though, and there seems to be a few options in the market that make sense.

Twins listed as 'potential landing spot' for 7 top trade targets

The Athletic put together a trade deadline primer and among the top 50 players who could be traded, the Twins were listed as 'potential landing spots' for more than a few targets.

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B - Blue Jays
• Pete Alonso, 1B - Mets
• Nathan Eovaldi, P - Rangers
• Yusei Kikuchi, P - Blue Jays
• Frankie Montas, P - Reds
• Luis Severino, P - Mets
• Jordan Montgomery, P - Diamondbacks

This surpsiringly isn't the first time the Twins have been mentioned alongside Vlad Jr., but it still doesn't make a ton of sense for Minnesota to make a move. If a trade is made, chances are the front office will invest those resources in adding starting pitching help rather than a hitter.

That's why names like Nathan Eovaldi, Frankie Montas, and Luis Severino stick out with some intrigue. Yusei Kikuchi has been linked to the Twins in recent weeks as a potential trade target, which aligns with the idea Minnesota is targeting pitching at the deadline.

Again, whether that happens is a different story but unlike last year there isn't a crutch for the front office to lean on when it comes to players coming back from injury or up through the farm system. David Festa, the team's top pitching prospect, had a lackluster debut and Zebby Matthews is rising but still seems raw.

That could be why the team is motivated to get involved in some capacity when it comes to scoping out the market. Any trade that happens will require Minnesota to part with some top prospects, a move that the team is still reeling from after what happened two years ago.

The Twins' roster is hardly complete, though, and something needs to happen if the team is serious about making another run in October. It might not be a blockbuster acquisition, but it's clear that something needs to happen before the deadline passes.

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