Twins trade right-handed starting pitcher Chris Paddack, right-handed pitcher Randy Dobnak to Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor league catcher Enrique Jimenez
Paddack is the first of many rental players the Twins are expected to trade to a playoff contender before Thursday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline.
The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal reported that the Tigers traded for Paddack, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the rest of the players involved in the deal.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2025
Detroit receives: RHP Chris Paddack and RHP Randy Dobnak
Minnesota receives: C/1B Enrique Jimenez
Paddack is 3-9 with a 4.95 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 111 innings across 21 starts this season. He has struggled lately, posting a 7.49 ERA over his last eight starts after a dominant 11-start stretch where he managed a 2.25 ERA. Even during his success earlier in the season, his peripherals suggested regression would occur.
Paddack is expected to slot into the Tigers’ rotation, which includes Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty. The team has long been without a consistent fifth starter since Jackson Jobe suffered a torn UCL earlier this year, and Reese Olson will be out for the remainder of the regular season.
The Tigers will likely use Dobnak, who is owed about $1 million the rest of the season and has a $1 million buyout for 2026, as an innings eater when needed. The Twins had Dobnak pitch 5 ⅓ innings earlier this year before designating him for assignment. He very likely will follow a similar path with Detroit.
Dobnak has logged 140 ⅔ major league innings since 2019 while posting a 4.86 ERA. His most notable moment in a Twins uniform came when he started a game in the 2019 ALDS against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. After managing a 4.05 ERA over 10 starts in 2020, Dobnak signed a five-year, $9.25 million contract with the Twins. He hasn’t lived up to his contract, as he has mainly been with Triple-A St. Paul since signing the deal.
Who is Enrique Jimenez, whom the Twins acquired from the Tigers for Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak?
Jimenez, a switch-hitter, was the Tigers’ No. 14-ranked prospect before being traded, per MLB Pipeline. The Tigers signed Jimenez out of Venezuela for a $1.25 million bonus in January 2023. At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Jimenez is known for his good eye at the plate with solid doubles power. He is good at handling pitchers and commanding the game behind the plate. In 545 minor-league plate appearances in rookie ball, Jimenez has slashed .255/.363/.413 with ten home runs, 30 doubles and 68 RBIs.