Reacts Results: Twins Pitcher Trade Targets

A few weeks ago, I wrote two posts detailing some likely Twins targets at the trade deadline. The offense is good, and could be even better if Miguel Sano shows signs of life, but the pitching needs help. Most pressing is the bullpen, but I believe the Twins also need a front-line starter for the playoffs who can match up with the likes of Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander.

Frankie Montas has long been the desire of Twins Territory, and if they can pick him up, he could be the difference maker in a series against the elite teams in the AL. There has been reports linking Montas to every contending team in both leagues, and with an additional year of team control, he won’t be cheap.

Perhaps more urgently, the Twins also need help in the bullpen. While Tyler Duffey has looked significantly better in his last few appearances, Emilio Pagán still looks like a lost cause, Joe Smith’s and Jharel Cotton’s respective FIPs are even worse than Pagán’s, and Jhoan Duran has started to look more mortal as the season has progressed.

The people have spoken, and it’s time to bring David Bednar to Minnesota. Bednar has had a few rough outings since we polled Twinkie Town, and he revealed that he’s been dealing with some lower back issues, but the first-time All Star is still in his pre-arbitration years, and has four years of control remaining. Pittsburgh may be rebuilding, but an elite reliever with that much team control is going to have a steep price.

Nobody knows what the future holds, but the Twins may only have one season of Carlos Correa. With him, and Byron Buxton’s relative health, the Twins have a lineup that can compete with anyone. They have deep farm system to put together trades, even if it’s lacking in talent at the very top. It’s time to push all the chips to the center of the table.