Fans are still waiting for the Minnesota Twins to make a move this offseason. But while trading Jovani Moran to the Boston Red Sox for Mickey Gasper didn’t captivate the imagination, the Twins could soon be in for some trade market activity after Corbin Burnes signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Burnes agreed to a six-year, $210 million contract with Arizona on Saturday morning. While the Twins were unlikely to get involved in the free agent market due to payroll restrictions, it’s still significant as more teams will begin to pivot to the trade market as a cheaper alternative.
For the Twins, that means acquiring a starter or trading one away as the reporting date for Spring Training nears.
Pablo López, Chris Paddack continue to be involved in Minnesota Twins trade rumors
Pablo López is the biggest name involved in Twins trade talks as his name was floated out by ESPN’s Jeff Passan earlier this month. While Passan mentioned that the Twins were merely listening to offers, that could progress depending on how the free agent market progressed and Burnes’s contract is an event that could put the wheels into motion.
MLB.com mentioned on Saturday that López is one of the biggest names on the market along with Luis Castillo of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego’s Dylan Cease. While López is under team control through 2026, the 28-year-old is also owed $65 million over the final three years of a four-year contract extension signed during the 2023 season.
Passan also mentioned Chris Paddack as a possible trade candidate earlier this month but it may be harder to get a solid return due to his $7.5 million salary for next season. Paddack hasn’t thrown more than 100 innings since 2021, which could give teams some pause before making a trade.
Minnesota Twins could be the next team involved in a white-hot MLB trade market
Burnes’s contract is the latest deal in a free agent market that has gotten out of control. While Burnes is a legitimate ace, Blake Snell, Max Fried and Yusei Kikuchi all received deals over $20 million this winter and top free agents such as Andrew Heaney, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will all look to get a contract around that number.
This has led teams to pivot to the trade market. Nestor Cortes (Brewers), Jeffery Springs (Athletics), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox) and Jesús Luzardo (Phillies) are among some of the names that have changed addresses this winter and with the Twins looking to operate with a payroll of around $130 million they could be the next team involved.
Will that mean dangling their ace in an attempt to land a big haul? Or will it be the salary dump trade that many have expected this offseason? The six weeks will play a key role and could shape the Twins heading into 2024.