MLB Trade Deadline Tracker 2023: Every AL Central deal and how it impacts the Twins (Updated August 1st)

With the MLB Trade Deadline just days away, teams are beginning to finalize their plans on how to best approach one of the craziest times of the year.

The deadline is almost never quiet, and this year looks to be no exception to that rule. It was theorized that the market was a bit slower than usual thanks to the massive variable of Shohei Ohtani, and teams were waiting to see what happened with him before making any moves.

Almost as soon as the Angels pulled him off the trade block, the flood gates started to open.

The Minnesota Twins actually got a head start on the trade deadline, making a move on Wednesday afternoon that kickstarted some action across the AL Central. It appears the Twins are going to be buyers this year, but will likely approach the deadline with extreme caution given what happened last year and how things turned out.

Cleveland and Chicago followed suit on Wednesday, bringing the AL Central trade total to three deals before the end of the day. Outside of Minnesota, the rest of the division could end up being sellers — especially the White Sox — and we’re keeping an eye on every trade that happens within the division.

MLB Trade Deadline Tracker 2023: Latest AL Central deals and rumors (Updated August 1)

Note: The latest MLB Trade involving an AL Central team will appear at the top and descend in order to the first deal made.

White Sox add another top prospect in trade with Marlins

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

Chicago lands another top prospect as part of its fire sale, which is annoying. It's a steeper price than it appears on paper, as Burger was one of the most likable aspects of a generally unlikable White Sox team this season. Making matters problematic for the Twins is the Sox return for flipping Burger, as left-handed pitcher Jake Eder is Miami's No. 4 prospect.

Tigers trade Michael Lorenzen to Phillies

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

The Tigers are fully in seller mode, but are continuing a trend among AL Central teams of compiling top prospects for top talent. Lorenzen is nearing a career-high in innings pitched and has been great for a bad team. He'll be a great addition in Philly, but the Tigers are getting back Philadelphia's No. 5 prospect for the future.

Guardians add a top prospect from Rays for Aaron Civale

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

The trade no doubt weakens the Guardians in the short-term, which is good for the Twins when it comes to winning the AL Central. However, Cleveland is getting back Tampa Bay's No. 4 prospect and the No. 37 overall prospect in the entire league.

Not only is that a bit troubling for the future, but it continues to beg the question of whether Minnesota should trade Sonny Gray if these sorts of packages are what teams are getting for solid starting pitching.

White Sox trade Kendall Graveman to Astros

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

This is starting to get annoying. The White Sox are having a fire sale, which is objectively hilarious for Twins fans but the result has been a reloading of their farm system. That continues after shipping Kendall Graveman down to Houston in return for the Astros No. 5 prospect.

The more top prospects the White Sox collect at the deadline, the more that could make them a problem for Minnesota down the road.

White Sox fire sale continues, Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly head to Dodgers

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

It's not as much of a coup as the White Sox pulled off with the Lucas Giolito trade, but it's still a decent haul considering the circumstances. Chicago is having a fire sale, and it's hard to complain about getting back the Dodgers No. 9 prospect in the deal.

This shouldn't make many Twins fans groan like the Giolito trade did.

White Sox trade Lucas Giolito to Angels

It seemed like only a matter of time before the White Sox fire sale got underway.

Ironically, the team that appeared to be holding up the market helped break the gates open in more than one way. Not only did the Angels pull Ohtani off the trade block, but they followed that move by making a trade that indeed signals they’re making a serious push for the postseason.

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

Chicago is getting an absolute haul for Giolito, which is a bit worrisome for Minnesota. The Angels are sending their No. 2 and No. 3 prospects back to the White Sox, with Quero ranking at MLB.com’s No. 65 overall prospect in the entire league.

The White Sox now have three Top 100 prospects, with Ky Bush not far behind Quero, Colton Montgomery, and Noah Schultz.

Dodgers acquire Amed Rosario from Guardians

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

While the idea of the Guardians trading their starting shortstop seems good, don’t rush to celebrate the move. Rosario has been pretty awful against Minnesota this season, and now Cleveland has a chance to tryout a few younger players who could learn to terrorize the Twins down the road.

Two guys to keep an eye on as possible replacements for Rosario are Daniel Schneemann and Gabriel Arias.

Schneemann was the 33rd pick in the MLB Draft back in 2018, while Arias was acquired as part of the Mike Clevinger trade with San Diego. Both guys have the ability to play shortstop or second base which means the absence of Rosario could mean a lot more of Arias and Schneemann in lineups against the Twins.

The good news is that Syndergaard has been a total disaster this season, posting a 7.16 ERA and a -0.8 WAR in 12 games. So while the future might be bright for Cleveland’s infield, the immediate future isn’t going to get much better on the mound.

Twins trade Jorge Lopez to Miami

How Does This Trade Impact Twins?

It seems rather obvious, but a change of scenery was needed for Jorge Lopez. He just couldn’t tap into the magic he had when he was an All-Star for the Orioles last year and now gets a chance at a fresh start.

Overall the deal is a loss for the Twins due to the totality of what was given up. Minnesota essentially traded Yannier Cano — an All-Star this year — plus Jorge Lopez and two prospects for Dylan Floro.

Floro is an intriguing arm to add to the Twins bullpen, a unit that needs to get fortified at the deadline, but the takeaway is that the Lopez deal made at last year’s deadline can officially be classified as a bust.