The Minnesota Twins are in the thick of the American League Wild Card race and are in striking distance of the American League Central. But if they fall out of contention in the next month, it’s almost a given that Ryan Jeffers will be traded.
Several teams will be interested if the Twins start shopping Jeffers and USA Today’s Bob Nightingale reported that the New York Yankees could have interest. This seems like a bad development as New York entered this season ranked 26th in MLB Pipeline’s organizational rankings. But the Twins could make out well in a deal that brings top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Jace Avina to Minnesota.
Yankees could make strong partner if Twins choose to trade Ryan Jeffers
Lagrange and Avina doesn’t seem like a massive haul for Jeffers, but there are a couple of things working against the Twins. The first is that Jeffers will be a two-month rental player as he hits free agency next winter. While he could work out an extension with the team he is traded to, he would be foolish to pass on the Brinks truck that some team will send to his house, limiting the type of investment that team would want to make to acquire him.
The other is that Jeffers is recovering from a broken hamate bone. While he should be able to return this season, there could be some rust as he returns, giving more risk for an acquiring team.
That being said, Lagrange is the type of prospect the Twins should center a deal around. Ranked 72nd on MLB Pipeline’s list of top 100 prospects, Lagrange is a 6-foot-7, 248-pound flamethrower nearing a debut in the major leagues. His numbers at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre haven’t been dominant this season going 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA, but the 23-year-old has struck out 80 batters in 61.1 innings thanks to a fastball that averages about 97 to 99 mph and peaks at 103 mph.
Control is an issue as he’s walked 31 batters this season. Last season was also the first time he threw 100 innings in a season, which could hint at a future in the bullpen. But for a group of relievers that has struggled this year, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to add a high-upside arm.
Avina’s inclusion in the deal could also pay off big for the Twins. While Minnesota has a surplus of outfielders looking to get into the majors, Matt Wallner, Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alen Roden are all left-handed bats. Gabriel Gonzalez is a right-handed bat that could fill the role but Avina could provide depth with some power.
The 23-year-old has smashed 65 homers in 405 career minor league games and is having a big season at Double-A Somerset, hitting .295/.377/.594 with 15 homers and 38 RBI in 52 games. Even if the pop goes away, Avila has shown the ability to play all three outfield positions and could prevent the Twins having to use Kody Clemens in center field to spell Byron Buxton.
The Yankees might grimace at the thought of trading Lagrange, but throwing in Avila would allow them to keep Spencer Jones or Jasson Dominguez for an even bigger move. But it may also be necessary considering Yankee catchers ranked 28th with a collective .536 OPS entering Monday.
In the end, this deal serves both sides and may be something the Twins can stomach as they approach an unfortunate reality.
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