On Wednesday, the New York Mets acquired All-Star right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Williams, a shortstop, is MLB Pipeline's No. 30-ranked prospect, and Sproat, a right-handed pitcher, is now the Brewers' No. 6-ranked prospect.
Since Peralta is only under team control for next season, surrendering prospects as highly-regarded as Williams and Sproat seems pricey for the righty. But the Steve Cohen-led Mets are always in win-now mode and always have money to spend, so the deal made sense for them.
Then, on Thursday, the Texas Rangers acquired Nationals lefty starter MacKenzie Gore, who is under team control through 2027, for an even crazier haul, surrendering five prospects: shortstop Gavin Fien, right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario, first baseman/outfielder Abimelec Ortiz, infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald and outfielder Yeremy Cabrera. The New York Post's Jon Heyman was first to report that Gore was dealt to the Rangers, while The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported the Nationals' return.
You may be asking, why do these trades matter to the Twins? Hopefully, they don't end up mattering. However, there's a good chance they will.
Twins' potential return for Joe Ryan, Pablo López just got a lot better following shocking Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore trades
As of now, the Twins are reportedly planning to keep star pitchers Joe Ryan and Pablo López, despite trade rumors surrounding the two aces being rampant all offseason. But after seeing the packages surrendered for Peralta and Gore, Derek Falvey may consider dealing one of the aces, or even both, before the season begins.
Even if the Twins don't trade Ryan or López this offseason, they'll likely trade one, or both, once the trade deadline nears if they aren't confident they can make the postseason. Peralta and Gore are both among the league's best pitchers, and the league likely values Ryan and López just as much as the two recently traded pitchers.
The Twins now know that they can receive a massive haul for Ryan and/or López this offseason or at the trade deadline, barring injuries. There could be contending teams desperate for starting pitching help once the trade deadline nears, and would be willing to give up some highly-touted prospects for Ryan or López.
However, that doesn't mean Twins fans want Minnesota to trade Ryan and/or López. Ideally, the Twins head into the season with both righties and cannot justify trading one of them at the trade deadline due to the team's spot in the standings. Still, if the Twins struggle next season, fans can at least look forward to their favorite team receiving a massive haul for one or both of their aces.