Twins Rumors: Best remaining relievers Minnesota can trade for

If the Minnesota Twins are looking to upgrade one specific area at the MLB Trade Deadline, it's in the bullpen.

A unit that wishful thinking didn't make better -- to the surprise of absolutely nobody outside of the front office -- appears to be in the need of an upgrade. Even the electric Jhoan Duran is going through a rough patch, and the bullpen has been on the wrong end of blown leads far too many times this season.

Given how anemic the offense has been, the Twins upgrading the bullpen almost feels like a necessity if the team wants to be at all serious about contending in the postseason.

Twins Rumors: Best remaining relievers on trade market for Minnesota

Note: Players who are traded will remain on this list, but with information about the trade they were involved with.

• 0.90 ERA
• 2.0 WAR
• 42 appearances
• 0-1 record

This one almost goes without saying, but if the Twins are going to trade for a bullpen help then they have to consider a deal for Hader. He's the best relief arm on the market, and would instantly give Minnesota an upgrade it badly needs in late inning situations.

We'll assume that Jhoan Duran is going to stabilize after a rough stretch out of the All-Star Break, and having both him and Hader is a sure-fire way to not only hang onto slim leads from the offense but would be a dynamic duo in the postseason.

Chances of a trade: Low-ish

• 1.27 ERA
• 2.1 WAR
• 41 appearances
• 0-1 record

Among all of the relievers who have been linked to the Twins in various lists, it took a while for David Bednar to find his way onto one. It highlights how underrated he is on the relief market, but he's a guy who might end up becoming a top target as the deadline nears.

Minnesota should absolutely be in on a trade for him, not only because of what he brings to the bullpen this season.

Bednar has an ERA under 2.00 heading into the 11th hour of the trade deadline, allowing only six earned runs in over 40 innings of work. It's not a surprise that he ended up on the NL All-Star team this year, and he's just two seasons removed from finishing eighth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Not for nothing, but his All-Star selection this year is already the second time he's received the honor, pulling off the feat in back-to-back seasons.

Of course, there's lingering PTSD from what happened at last year's deadline when the Twins went all-in on an All-Star reliever only to have the whole thing blow up in their face. Jorge Lopez was traded for pennies on the dollar less than a year after Minnesota traded three prospects -- including All-Star pitcher Yennier Cano -- which is something that no doubt will dictate the front office's approach.

Bednar offers more than being just a half-season rental in the bullpen. He's under club control through 2026, which means the Twins would be able to slot him into their bullpen plans for the next handful of years. That sort of team control isn't going to come cheap, though, which is why trading for Bednar might breach a line the front office doesn't want to cross when it comes to what price to pay.

Chances of a trade: Medium-Low

• 2.37 ERA
• 1.3 WAR
• 46 appearances
• 0-1 record

We've reached the first truly realistic candidate the Twins might trade for to bolster the bullpen. It's not that Hader or Bednar are impossible options, but there's a pretty sizable reality gap between those two and guys like Brooks Raley.

That's not a knock on Raley, more a reflection of the price Minnesota would have to pay to land him before the deadline.

Raley isn't a name that jumps out, but he's been able to manage situations in late innings when he takes the mound. He boasts a 1.3 WAR, a 1.243 WHIP, and an impressive 4.5 RE24, which rates how effective a pitcher is in saving runs given a bases-occupied situation.

Aaron Gleeman mused over at The Athletic that Raley might only be an option for the Twins if they're worried that Caleb Thielbar won't be healthy enough to make a meaningful impact down the stretch.

While it's not the exact same situation as Bednar, the fact that Raley has a $6.5 million team option for 2024 certainly doesn't hurt when it comes to thinking of how he could impact the team beyond just the second half of the year.

Chances of a trade: Medium-High

• 5.35 ERA
• -0.4 WAR
• 38 appearances
• 2-4 record

Barlow feels like a Twins reliever right now, which isn't necessarily a comliment.

That being said, he was at one point boasting a 3.35 ERA with 344 strikeouts and has shown the ablity to be a guy who can be relied on.

What could end up holding this deal up is the divisional premium the Royals would ask Minnesota to pay. Given how Barlow has trended the wrong direction after the All-Star Break, it might be too much to pay even if he's under team control through 2024.

Chances of a trade: Low

• 4.21 ERA
• 0.2 WAR
• 47 appearances
• 1-5 record

Chances of a trade: Medium

Fulmer is another guy the Twins had a chance to sign during Spring Training but opted to see how their in-house options would work out instead.

As it turns out, Fulmer would have been a great addition back in March because he's back on the radar ahead of the deadline.

The fact that the Twins could have signed Fulmer and now might have to give up prospects to get him stings. It's a bit of an indictment on the front office and how much it might have blindly believed the pieces were already in place for a shaky bullpen to figure things out.

Fulmer is familiar with the Twins, though, which helps him as a trade candidate. Minnesota traded for Fulmer ahead of last year's deadline, giving up pitching prospect Sawyer Gipson–Long in return, and could find themselves rinsing and repeating ahead of Tuesday's deadline. If that happens, they'd be getting a guy who is shaky at times but has displayed control over the course of the season. He also wouldn't be expensive which might be what really leads the Twins to make a trade for him over some of the other guys on this list.

• 3.69 ERA
• 0.5 WAR
• 32 appearances
• 1-3 record

Edwards isn't a guy who has been mentioned a lot when talking about the reliever market, but he could be a sleeper to keep an eye on.

Washington is a prime candidate to sell at the deadline and likely won't ask much for a 31-year-old pitcher who is set to be a free agent at the end of the season. That helps the price side of things for the Twins, who might be able to land Edwards for a mid-level prospect and add a guy who helps upgrade the bullpen.

One thing that Edwards would bring that isn't on the stat sheet is postseason experience. He was part of the Chicago Cubs World Series team back in 2016, although he was lit up pretty badly the following year and now posts a 6.55 postseason ERA. This year he's been rather solid for an awful Nationals team, throwing 24 strikeouts in just over 30 innings of work with a 1.2 RE24. Last season he had a 9.6 RE24, which is well above league average and could suggest he can come in and help mitigate some high-leverage situations late in games for Minnesota.

Chances of a trade: Medium