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Twins trade rumors: Reviewing Minnesota's market for bullpen help

As fans become increasingly impatient, the market for relief pitching is deep and wide.

By Jesse Lund
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Angels snagged Shane Victorino and the Mets acquired Tyler Clippard yesterday, but in perhaps the biggest trade deadline move in recent history the Rockies and Blue Jays swapped shortstops and a bunch of other pieces. The Rockies gave up two top pitching prospects, a third young arm, and Jose Reyes for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins, a move which doesn't answer Toronto's need for pitching or catching but certainly makes their already MLB-best offense even more daunting. Colorado, meanwhile, gets a big but shorter-term contract and a trio of pretty good prospects. I expect the Rockies will also flip Reyes to complete the shedding of payroll and to give their farm system another shot to the arm.

For the Twins, one big player was never going to be the wise move. But still in control of their own destiny, Terry Ryan knows that his team needs help. And it sounds like he'll step up to the challenge, telling Phil Miller of the Star Tribune that not only does the bullpen continue to be project number one but that shortstop is an area he is "very receptive" to discussing.

In the last couple of days there have been continued rumblings about the Twins' search for power arms for the bullpen. Here is, to my knowledge, a comprehensive list of reliever names to whom Minnesota has been tied.

There are some interesting names on that list. We're familiar with Benoit by now, but Johnson and Kelley have come up multiple times since late last week. McGee is the closer in Tampa Bay, but he'd be a fine arm to help set up Glen Perkins. O'Day and Ziegler fit Minnesota's apparent precedent for relievers with funky deliveries. Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel are probably too pricey for Minnesota's plans, which is fair considering they - like Jonathan Papelbon - will want to close wherever they go. Will Smith and Carter Capps have long been favorite targets of mine, but there has been no hard evidence linking the Twins to either pitcher.

Finishing up by going back to Miller's piece from this morning, Terry Ryan sounds confident that he'll be able to pull one or two things off before the trade deadline on Friday afternoon. Let's hope so.

Below you can hear my appearance on KATE 1450 from yesterday afternoon where I discussed the Twins trade deadline. Have a listen if you like.

Jesse Lund Previews the Minnesota Twins' Potential Trade Deadline Moves by Kate1450sports on Mixcloud

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