Headlines

  • Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft
  • 2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results
  • Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day IL Due To ACL Tear
  • Astros Promote Brice Matthews
  • Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow
  • Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Twins Rumors

Diamondbacks Listening To Trade Offers On Andrew Chafin, Joe Mantiply

By Darragh McDonald | August 1, 2023 at 11:40am CDT

11:40am: Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds the Cubs and Twins as fits for Chafin. The Cubs have Anthony Kay as their only traditional lefty reliever right now. The Twins have Jovani Moran and Caleb Thielbar, the latter of whom just returned from the injured list.

11:06am: The Diamondbacks made a big addition to their bullpen yesterday when they acquired Paul Sewald from the Mariners. It seems they have at least some openness to now subtracting from their relief corps, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports they have fielded offers for lefties Andrew Chafin and Joe Mantiply, with the Brewers listed as a team with interest in Chafin.

On the surface, it’s a little bit curious to see the Diamondbacks considering this path, as they just parted with infielder Josh Rojas, rookie outfielder Dominic Canzone and infield prospect Ryan Bliss in order to upgrade their bullpen with Sewald. They are currently tied with two other clubs for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. To now turn and remove pieces from the group would be a bit of an odd move, though listening on offers doesn’t necessarily mean the club will indeed make a move, as front offices are generally open to listening on all offers in order to gauge the market.

Chafin, 33, has long been one of the better lefty relievers in the league, with a 3.31 career earned run average over 519 appearances. Over 2021 and 2022, he made 135 of those appearances, posting a 2.29 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 47.9% ground ball rate. The Diamondbacks were able to bring him aboard on a one-year deal this offseason, guaranteeing him $6.25MM in the form of a $5.5MM salary plus a $750K buyout on a $7.25MM club option. There’s also $1MM in bonuses available, with Chafin getting $250K at 55, 60, 65 and 70 appearances, then another $250K bonus if he’s traded.

He has already made 43 appearances on the year, putting him close to triggering those bonuses. His 4.19 ERA in that time is obviously a drop-off from his recent work, though there’s still some decent numbers under the hood. His 35.4% grounder rate and 12% walk rate are less than ideal, but his 32.7% strikeout rate is easily a career best. A .350 batting average on balls in play has probably helped some extra runs across the board, leading to a 3.13 FIP and 3.38 SIERA.

Left-handed relief is always in demand and there would likely be plenty of clubs willing to look past Chafin’s ERA, especially given his long track record of success and intriguing strikeout bump. Rosenthal says the Diamondbacks are still looking for starting pitching, something that general manager Mike Hazen has long been open about. They might not be able to flip a reliever like Chafin for meaningful help in the rotation but it makes sense that they would at least listen to see what’s possible. They would still have Kyle Nelson and Tyler Gilbert as lefties in their bullpen even without Chafin.

Arizona listening on Mantiply is far easier to understand. He had a really solid showing in the previous two seasons, posting a combined 3.07 ERA in 2021 and 2022, getting selected to the All-Star game in the latter season. He struck out 23.6% of opponents in that time while walking just 5.5% and kept the ball on the ground at a 50.5% pace.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to carry that into 2023, as he has a 5.74 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. He’s been on the injured list twice, once due to left shoulder inflammation and then a right hamstring strain. He’s been sent to Triple-A Reno on optional assignment twice, the second of which is currently ongoing. He has a 7.30 ERA down at that level. But his rate stats are still decent this year, with poor strand rates and some extra fly balls leaving the yard perhaps making things look worse than they actually are. If any club is willing to bank on Mantiply’s past results and hope for a bounceback, it would make sense for the Diamdondbacks to hear that out since he’s not even on their active roster at the moment.

The Brewers have operated with one lefty, Hoby Milner, for most of the year. They had Justin Wilson come off the injured list this week after over a year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but he quickly landed right back on the IL due to a lat strain. They’re a fairly sensible landing spot for a southpaw reliever as they battle with for the Central division title or a Wild Card spot in the National League.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Andrew Chafin Joe Mantiply

23 comments

Twins Notes: Gray, Maeda, Keuchel, Larnach, Kirilloff, Thielbar

By Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2023 at 7:12pm CDT

A five-game losing streak has dropped the Twins’ record to 54-53, and their AL Central lead has shrunk to a half-game advantage over the Guardians.  Caught in an unusual position of both trying to win the division and perhaps reload the roster for a better shot at contending in 2024, the Twins appear to be flexible with their plans heading into the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reports that the club is at least listening to offers about starters Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda.  However, “they’d need to be blown away to make a deal that potentially harms their own postseason chances,” Hayes writes, since starting pitching has been such a key plank of the Twins’ success this year.

Reports from earlier this week suggested that Minnesota had at least considered moving Maeda, and that the Twins were getting interest in general about their rotation depth.  Since it would count as a major shock if any of Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, and Bailey Ober were traded, pending free agents Gray and Maeda seem like far more viable trade candidates, even if the odds of either moving don’t seem too high.

As Hayes notes, there’s no harm for Minnesota in testing the market for Gray or Maeda, just in case a team desperate for starting pitching is willing to overpay as other options are removed from the board as the deadline approaches.  Re-signing both Gray and Maeda this winter doesn’t seem likely whatsoever, and it seems quite possible that the Twins might let both veteran pitchers walk in free agency.  Ergo, exploring trade opportunities now is a logical tactic, especially if another team is willing to offer the right-handed hitting or bullpen help that the Twins are currently looking to obtain.

Dallas Keuchel has looked great for Triple-A Saint Paul since signing a minor league deal with the Twins back in June, as the former AL Cy Young Award winner has a 1.13 ERA over 32 innings.  Since Keuchel has an opt-out clause in his contract on August 1 (trade deadline day), some kind of decision is coming soon, and Keuchel could be the logical replacement if Minnesota did move Gray or Maeda.  In terms of Keuchel himself as a trade chip, Hayes writes that there is only “minimal interest” from other clubs, which isn’t surprising given how Keuchel’s MLB results have so badly tailed off in the last two seasons.  The southpaw has a 6.35 ERA over 222 2/3 Major League innings since the start of the 2021 campaign, and he has yet to see any big league action in 2023.

Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said earlier this week that the club’s left-handed hitting outfielders were drawing interest, and Hayes reports that Trevor Larnach in particular has been on the radar of the Mets and Padres.  Larnach is only a couple of years removed from being a top-100 prospect, though he has a modest .223/.315/.380 slash line over 669 career plate appearances.  This lack of performance and a season-ending core muscle surgery in 2022 have kept Larnach from really establishing himself in the majors, not to mention how the Twins’ outfield depth has led to Larnach spending a lot of extra time at Triple-A.

Since Larnach is only 26 and has a limited sample size of MLB experience, it makes sense why the Padres, Mets, and probably several other teams would want to bet on a post-hype breakout.  It’s worth noting that Larnach hadn’t hit very much in Triple-A prior to this season, and even his .234/.363/.431 slash line over 157 PA for Saint Paul in 2023 is only decent, rather than a clear sign that Larnach has nothing more to prove in the minors.

With the Mets already looking ahead to 2024, a hypothetical New York/Minnesota trade package could include a right-handed hitting outfielder like Tommy Pham or Mark Canha, or reliever Brooks Raley.  All would essentially be rental pickups, though Canha and Raley are controllable through club options for the 2024 season.  Raley has pitched well enough that his $6.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) looks like a good bet to be exercise by the Mets, Twins, or whatever team might own his rights after the deadline.

Of course, injuries can always change the equation for any team as the deadline approaches, and the Twins placed Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list today due to a right shoulder strain.  Caleb Thielbar was activated from the 15-day IL in the corresponding move, with the left-hander returning after missing close to two months with an oblique strain.  This came on the heels of a previous IL stint due to another oblique problem, resulting in Thielbar making only one big league appearance since May 6.

Kirilloff has been trying to play through the injury for several days, as manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) that Kirilloff was hurt diving for a ball.  Kirilloff is “just not able to swing the bat right now because he’s feeling some weakness in his shoulder,” Baldelli said, so the decision was made to put the first baseman on the IL for a full rest.

Wrist problems have plagued Kirilloff in the past, and his recovery from a wrist surgery last year delayed his 2023 debut until May 6.  Finally healthy and given an extended chance to play, Kirilloff looked to be having a bit of a breakout season, with a very solid 124 wRC+ to show from his .270/.357/.442 slash line over 258 plate appearances while mostly playing as Minnesota’s regular first baseman.  Donovan Solano and Joey Gallo are likely to be platooned at first base while Kirilloff is out, and if the Twins get any indication over the next two days that Kirilloff might be facing an extended absence, first base help might be added to the club’s deadline checklist.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins New York Mets Notes San Diego Padres Transactions Alex Kirilloff Caleb Thielbar Dallas Keuchel Kenta Maeda Sonny Gray Trevor Larnach

37 comments

Twins’ Starters Drawing Trade Interest

By Darragh McDonald | July 28, 2023 at 10:44am CDT

The Twins have a strong enough rotation that rival clubs are expressing interest in their starters, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. That’s not to say that the club is shopping any of those pitchers or seriously considering the incoming offers, but it seems it is an avenue that could be available to them prior to the deadline.

The Twins lost Tyler Mahle earlier this year when he required Tommy John surgery and have been without Chris Paddack all season due to him undergoing the same procedure last year. Nonetheless, they still have a five-man rotation of Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Pablo López, Bailey Ober and Kenta Maeda, all of whom are generally pitching well to varying degrees. Maeda is the only one with an ERA above 4.13, and his 4.62 mark is skewed by a 10-run drubbing he suffered earlier in the year just before landing on the injured list.

The club would be under no pressure to move anyone from that group. Their 54-50 record is strong enough to put them atop of the American League Central, a game and a half clear of the Guardians. But the interest might be a symptom of this year’s strange market. The expanded postseason and some tight divisions have made it so few teams are clear-cut sellers, which seems to be leading to more trades between contenders. The Twins already made one such trade, as they and the Marlins swapped relievers earlier this week.

With so many other clubs looking for pitching, perhaps the Twins would consider trading one of those five aforementioned names in order to address a different part of their roster, then leaning on a depth starter. They have veteran Dallas Keuchel in the organization on a minor league deal, who has an ERA of 0.69 in Triple-A with an opt-out opportunity on deadline day. They have some other depth options on the 40-man roster like Louie Varland and Simeon Woods Richardson, though neither are having especially dominant seasons. Paddack could also potentially return in September, with Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reporting as much back in June.

The Twins have been reported to be seeking bullpen help and right-handed bats, while they are getting trade interest in their outfielders and now their starters. Perhaps that will put them in a position to make a “baseball trade” or two in the coming days, one that sees them upgrade for the pennant race by parting with major league pieces and keeping their farm system relatively intact.

As to which pitchers they could move, Ryan and Ober are young and haven’t yet reached arbitration, meaning it would be a shock to see them moved unless it were part of a very large deal. López just signed an extension in April and seems to be a long-term piece in Minnesota. Both Gray and Maeda are impending free agents, however, so perhaps Minnesota would have some more openness to a trade there.

Maeda, in particular, seems like he could be a sensible candidate. Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Twins gave some thought to trading him and giving his rotation spot to Keuchel. However, that’s still a tough decision since Maeda has been so good since returning from the injured list. It’s only been six starts but he has a 2.48 ERA, 34.4% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate in that time. Even when considering a “baseball trade,” it’s tough to subtract someone pitching that well.

Gray has a strong 3.15 ERA for the year but has hit a small rough patch of late. He had a 2.50 ERA until a couple weeks ago but allowed 13 earned runs in his past three starts. He has a long track record of success, so it would surely be difficult to trade him as well. The Twins picked up a $12.5MM club option on his services for this year, which will leave just over $4MM left to be paid out at the deadline, before he reaches free agency at season’s end. There’s been nothing to suggest the Twins have considered moving him, but it’s likely other clubs are interested.

Maeda’s contract is a bit more complicated as he has a $3MM base salary but huge performance bonuses each year. He gets an extra $1MM for reaching 15 and 20 starts per year, followed by $1.5MM for starts 25, 30 and 32. He also gets $250K for reaching 90 innings pitched and that same bonus every 10 innings after that, all the way to 190, before a $750K bonus at 200 innings. His injuries have limited him to 10 starts and 48 2/3 innings so far, but he still has time to trigger some of those incentives, in addition to having about $1MM of his base salary remaining at the deadline.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins

58 comments

Twins, Marlins Swap Jorge López, Dylan Floro

By Darragh McDonald | July 26, 2023 at 4:45pm CDT

The Marlins and Twins have swapped right-handed relievers, with Dylan Floro heading to the Twins and Jorge López going to the Marlins, per an announcement from the Twins. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reported the deal prior to the official announcement.

Jorge Lopez | D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY SportsThis appears to be something of a “change of scenery” deal on each end, as both pitchers are having poor results this year compared to their previous bodies of work. López, 30, had been a fairly mediocre starter for many years but thrived in a move to the bullpen with the Orioles last year. He tossed 48 1/3 innings with a 1.68 earned run average, striking out 27.6% of opponents while walking 8.7% and getting grounders on 60% of balls in play.

The O’s still had two and a half years of club control over López at last year’s deadline but decided to sell high, flipping him to the Twins for four young pitchers. That was a questionable move at the time from Baltimore’s perspective since they were above .500 and flirting with contention, yet traded away one of their most effective relievers. But in retrospect, it looks like a big win for the Orioles since one of the four pitchers they got back was Yennier Cano, who’s having a breakout season with a 1.82 ERA through 44 appearances this year.

López, meanwhile, has not been able to maintain his own Baltimore breakout. After the deal last year, he had a 4.37 ERA for the Twins, with all of his peripherals moving in the wrong direction. Things have gotten even worse here in 2023, as has a 5.09 ERA through 35 1/3 innings. His 7.1% walk rate is fine and his 48.6% grounder rate is still solid, but he’s only getting strikeouts at a 17.4% rate. The long ball has also become a problem, as he’s let seven go over the fence already this season after just four last year.

He can still be retained via arbitration for another season but it seems the Twins didn’t have much faith in getting him back on track, as they’ve now swapped him for another struggling reliever, but one who is an impending free agent.

Floro, 32, had a 3.15 career ERA coming into this year, working exclusively as a reliever for the Rays, Cubs, Reds, Dodgers and Marlins. In 277 1/3 innings prior to this year, he struck out 21.2% of opponents, walked 7.5% and kept the ball on the ground at a 51.1% clip. That even included some high-leverage work, as he notched double-digit saves with the Fish in each of the past two seasons.

The results haven’t been as good here in 2023, as his ERA has jumped up to 4.54. It’s possible there’s some bad luck to blame, as his peripherals are actually better than his career marks. He’s striking out 24% of hitters, walking just 6.4% and keeping the ball in the dirt 55.1% of the time. His 2.78 FIP and 3.15 SIERA suggest he’s actually been pretty close to the pitcher he’s always been, with a .397 batting average on balls in play and 62.9% strand rate pushing some extra runs across this year.

Both clubs are contenders this year. The Twins 54-50 and currently hold a two-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central. The Marlins, meanwhile, are 55-48 and half a game back in the NL Wild Card race. It seems each club feels they can get more out of their new pitcher than they were getting from the old one.

Financially, there’s not a huge difference between the two, though López has an extra year of control. Floro is making $3.9MM this year and is slated for the open market in a few months. López is making $3.525MM and can be retained via arbitration for next year.

It’s been speculated by many observers that this year’s trade deadline might be unique, with the expanded playoffs and some tight divisional races making few clearcut sellers. It’s been suggested that this summer might see more “baseball trades” wherein two contenders swap win-now pieces. This appears to be one such example, with each club relinquishing a struggling reliever in order to take a shot on a different one.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Miami Marlins Minnesota Twins Newsstand Transactions Dylan Floro Jorge Lopez

134 comments

Twins Eyeing Bullpen Help, Right-Handed Bats

By Steve Adams | July 26, 2023 at 12:16pm CDT

The Twins are the only team in the AL Central above .500, and president of baseball operations Derek Falvey unsurprisingly tells Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic that they’ll accordingly operate as buyers at this year’s deadline. Bullpen help and right-handed bats are the primary areas of focus for Minnesota between now and next Tuesday’s deadline.

One club the Twins have spoken to has both to offer. Darren Wolfson of SKOR North Radio and 5 Eyewitness News tweets that the Twins have talked with the Nationals, who have been scouting Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul. The Nats are just one of many teams the Twins have spoken too, of course, but the presence of outfielder Lane Thomas and surely available relievers like Kyle Finnegan present some obvious fits.

Falvey suggested that the Twins will be in the market for more “complementary” pieces, which might take someone like Thomas off the table, though as a lefty-mashing outfielder with multiple seasons of club control remaining beyond the current year, he’s an on-paper fit at the very least.

Falvey noted, however, that he’s amenable to trading for rental players. The trade market figures to have plenty of righty-swinging options who fit that bill — Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, Mark Canha and Adam Duvall potentially among them. (Canha has a 2024 option.)

The Twins are hitting just .219/.293/.369 against left-handed pitching this season, thanks in no small part to a glut of left-handed-hitting outfielders that at one point looked likely to lead to an offseason trade. That never materialized, however.

[Related: Twins’ Outfielders Drawing Trade Attention]

Many of the Twins’ offseason acquisitions who were added with an eye toward bolstering the lineup against southpaws have fallen shy of expectation in that regard. Christian Vazquez, Donovan Solano and Michael A. Taylor all have some past success against lefties, but none has been more than average against southpaws in 2023. Kyle Farmer has hit lefties well but not up to his prior standards.

Incumbent righty bats like Byron Buxton and the previously optioned (and now injured) Jose Miranda, meanwhile, have struggled against southpaws. Royce Lewis and Jorge Polanco have hit lefties well, but both are on sitting alongside Miranda on the injured list. Polanco has been out since early June. Lewis hit the IL in early July and isn’t expected back until next month.

Similarly, the Twins are missing some key contributors in the bullpen. Left-hander Caleb Thielbar has quietly become an excellent setup man since his 2020 return to the big leagues after a five-year absence. The 36-year-old has pitched to a 3.10 ERA with a 30% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate since 2020 but has just 10 1/3 innings this year due to a pair of oblique injuries.

Brock Stewart, another diamond-in-the-rough find for the Twins, returned to the Majors for the first time since 2019 this year and has posted a 0.70 ERA and 35.4% strikeout rate for the Twins. However, he’s been out since late July with an elbow issue. Stewart threw his first bullpen session today and will throw another Saturday, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (Twitter link), but it’s not yet clear just when he’ll be back in the Twins’ bullpen. The absence of both Thielbar and Stewart was felt last night when the Twins’ relief corps squandered a four-run lead and strong start from Pablo Lopez in a game they eventually dropped to the Mariners by a score of 9-7.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins Washington Nationals Brock Stewart Kyle Finnegan Lane Thomas

25 comments

Twins’ Outfielders Drawing Trade Attention

By Anthony Franco | July 25, 2023 at 8:17pm CDT

The Twins have gotten calls on their left-handed hitting outfielders, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told the beat this evening (relayed by Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Falvey suggested the front office is willing to consider offers but unsurprisingly said the club would have “a high bar” to clear to move any of those players.

Minnesota’s left-handed outfield depth has been a subject of some attention dating back to the offseason. Minnesota didn’t pull the trigger on a deal over the winter, though, instead carrying five lefty-swinging outfielders (plus first baseman/corner outfielder Alex Kirilloff) on the 40-man roster. Nick Gordon has been out for a couple months after breaking his right shin but the rest of the group remains.

Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner stand as the most viable possibilities for a deal. Kepler is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. He’s making $8.5MM, while the club holds a $10MM option for next year. The 30-year-old has a league average .230/.295/.439 batting line over 75 contests on the season. He’s been on a tear of late, though, hitting .299/.351/.493 since the start of July.

Larnach and Wallner are less established but more affordable younger players. Larnach is a former first-round pick and top prospect who hasn’t found his stride in parts of three MLB campaigns. He’s a career .223/.315/.379 hitter. Larnach has plus exit velocities and solid grades for his defense at both corner outfield spots. Swing-and-miss has been the big concern, as he’s gone down on strikes in over a third of his plate appearances. The Twins have bounced him on and off the active roster this season. He’s hitting .213/.311/.400 in the majors and .230/.351/.467 in a very hitter-friendly Triple-A setting.

Wallner, 25, only has 37 big league games under his belt. That’s in large part thanks to the Twins’ outfield surplus, as he’s acquitted himself well in that limited look. The Southern Miss product carries a .250/.370/.390 batting line at the MLB level and has mashed at a .291/.403/.524 clip through 67 games in Triple-A this season. Prospect evaluators have raised concerns about his range in the outfield, although he has elite arm strength.

Minnesota doesn’t have to move anyone in the group, of course. The Twins lead the AL Central by four games. If they did seriously consider dealing any of that trio, it stands to reason they’d want MLB help in another area of the roster.

The rest of the Twins’ outfield options seem unlikely to move. Kirilloff has taken over as the everyday first baseman and is hitting .282/.371/.465 in 66 games. There’s little reason for Minnesota to consider dealing him. They’d probably be hard-pressed to find much interest in Joey Gallo, who is playing the season on an $11MM free agent deal. Gallo got off to a scorching start in the Twin Cities but is hitting .149/.237/.391 while striking out in almost half his plate appearances since the start of June, bringing his overall batting line to .176/.295/.452. Gordon’s injury takes him out of the equation, while the switch-hitting Willi Castro frequently draws into the lineup against left-handed pitching as a utility option.

Interestingly, the outfield isn’t the only area of the roster in which Minnesota has apparently given some thought to dealing from its depth. Britt Ghiroli of the Athletic reports the Twins had given some thought to dealing Kenta Maeda earlier in the season. That would’ve presumably been to make way for Dallas Keuchel in the starting rotation, as the former Cy Young winner is having a strong year in Triple-A after signing a minor league deal.

It doesn’t seem that’s likely at this point. Maeda has been excellent in six starts since returning from a triceps issue. The veteran righty has worked to a 2.48 ERA with a massive 34.4% strikeout rate in 32 2/3 innings. Relinquishing that kind of production while the team tries to hold onto a division title would probably be too risky. Keuchel forewent an opportunity to opt out of his deal last week but can do so again on Tuesday. Ghiroli reports that he’d be guaranteed a prorated $2.05MM base salary if Minnesota calls him up. The Twins could bring him up for a multi-inning role out of the bullpen if they don’t feel there’s room in the starting staff at present.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins Dallas Keuchel Joey Gallo Kenta Maeda Matt Wallner Max Kepler Trevor Larnach

25 comments

Twins Sign First-Rounder Walker Jenkins

By Darragh McDonald | July 25, 2023 at 2:51pm CDT

The Twins have announced they have signed Walker Jenkins, their first-round pick from the recent draft. Jenkins will receive a signing bonus of $7.1442MM, slightly north of the $7.1397MM slot value for the fifth overall pick. Jenkins is the last of the first-rounders to get a deal done, with the deadline being 4pm CT today. Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic had previously reported that a deal was close and Jim Callis of MLB.com relayed the figures prior to the official announcement.

Jenkins, 18, is a left-handed hitting outfielder who was selected out of South Brunswick High School in Southport, North Carolina. Coming into the draft, there was broad consensus that the top three players available were Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford, with each of Baseball America, MLB.com, ESPN, FanGraphs and Keith Law of The Athletic having those guys in the top spots in some order. There was also consensus about the next tier, as each of those five outlets had Jenkins and Max Clark in either the #4 or the #5 slot.

All the outlets have praise to dish out for all facets of his game, as he’s considered a quality bat-to-ball hitter who will also be capable of having 30-homer power someday. His speed, defensive acumen and arm strength all point to him being an above-average defender in right field, with a chance of sticking in center field not entirely off the table.

The fact that a talent such as his was available to the Twins is thanks to the new draft lottery system. MLB and the MLBPA agreed to implement a lottery as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement. Minnesota benefited more than any other club in terms of jumping spots, as they had the 13th-worst record last year but jumped all the way up to get the fifth pick.

Skenes and Crews ended up going first and second, as many expected. The Tigers could have taken Langford third, but instead opted for Clark and signed him to a below-slot deal. That allowed the Rangers to take Langford with the fourth overall pick, signing to an above-slot deal. With four of the consensus top five players off the board, the Twins took the last of that remaining group in Jenkins. Though the negotiations were pushed to the last day, he’s now put pen to paper and will jump into the club’s system. Baseball America already considers him the #17 prospect in the entire league whereas Kiley McDaniel of ESPN said that Jenkins would immediately get his #21 ranking once he signed.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

2022 Amateur Draft Minnesota Twins Walker Jenkins

16 comments

Dallas Keuchel Has Second Opt-Out Date In Twins Deal

By Darragh McDonald and Steve Adams | July 25, 2023 at 11:50am CDT

July 25: Keuchel’s contract with the Twins contains a second out clause on the day of the trade deadline, MLBTR has learned. That likely played a significant factor in his decision to forgo the first opportunity; he can continue pitching with the Twins’ Triple-A club for now and then decide on his second opt-out once he has a clearer idea which teams might need immediate rotation help in the wake of the trade deadline.

In the meantime, the veteran lefty continues to pitch well. He tossed six shutout innings in his most recent start for the Saints and is now sporting a 0.69 ERA, 18.5% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate and 60.5% grounder rate in 26 innings with the Twins’ Triple-A club.

July 21: Keuchel will not trigger his opt-out clause, reports Darren Wolfson of SKOR North (Twitter link). He’ll remain with St. Paul and will not occupy a spot on the Minnesota 40-man roster for the time being.

July 19: Left-hander Dallas Keuchel signed a minor league deal with the Twins about a month ago and it seems they will have to soon make a decision about whether or not to give him a roster spot. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that the southpaw can opt out of that deal on Friday.

Keuchel, 35, was once one of the better pitchers in the league, winning the American League Cy Young award in 2015 by posting a 2.48 earned run average over 232 innings for the Astros. He continued to serve as an effective starter for years after that, even registering a tiny 1.99 ERA in the shortened 2020 season. The two years after that were rough, however, as his ERA shot up to 5.28 in 2022 and then a grisly 9.20 mark last year.

Those struggles last year saw him bounce from the White Sox to the Diamondbacks and the Rangers, as each club tried and failed to capture the previous form of Keuchel. He got some interest as a free agent this winter but ultimately lingered on the open market until last month, when the Twins signed him. At that point, it was noted that Keuchel had been working with Driveline Baseball in order to restore some of his lost velocity and movement.

If the recent results are any indication, the revamp of his arsenal is working. Since joining the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, Keuchel has tossed 20 innings over four starts with a 0.90 ERA. His 19.8% strikeout rate isn’t especially impressive, but the lefty has always been a grounder specialist and is keeping the ball in the dirt at a 55% clip so far this year.

The Twins’ rotation currently consists of Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Pablo López, Kenta Maeda and Sonny Gray, all of whom are generally pitching well to various degrees this year. Maeda is the only one with an ERA above 4.25, and his 5.50 mark is largely skewed by a miserable 10-run outing just before he landed on the injured list. Since getting healthy and returning, he has a 2.70 ERA in four starts.

That could make the decision somewhat difficult for Minnesota, as they may not have an immediate need for Keuchel but they also might not want him to get away. Given his past track record and his strong results this year, he could surely find another opportunity elsewhere if he were to trigger that opt-out.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins Dallas Keuchel

66 comments

Derek Falvey Discusses Twins' Deadline Plans

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 7:45pm CDT

  • Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey shared his own wishlist during his own appearance on the Front Office (Twitter links), as Minnesota is looking at “ways to fortify the middle of” the bullpen, and possibly “more options late in the game.”  Falvey also said the Twins would like to add a right-handed hitter to a mostly left-handed lineup, but he praised the contributions of Donovan Solano and Kyle Farmer (both righty-swingers) to the roster since Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton have “struggled at times.”
Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago White Sox Cleveland Guardians Detroit Tigers Minnesota Twins Notes Tampa Bay Rays Lance Lynn Spencer Turnbull

75 comments

Twins Release Aaron Sanchez

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 5:19pm CDT

The Twins released Aaron Sanchez, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page.  Sanchez has spent the entire season at Triple-A St. Paul after signing a minors deal during the offseason.

The results just haven’t been there for Sanchez, who has a 5.30 ERA over 73 innings and 18 games (16 of them starts) at the Triple-A level.  While his 49.8% grounder rate is solid, Sanchez has only a 16.8% strikeout rate and a garish 15.6% walk rate, with almost many free passes (53) as strikeouts (57).  Even after a part-time move to the bullpen, Sanchez has still allowed multiple runs in each of his last seven outings, translating to an 8.00 ERA over his last 27 frames of work.

An All-Star with the Blue Jays in 2016, Sanchez never again hit those heights due to a variety of injuries.  Blister and fingernail problems hampered his next few seasons in Toronto, and a shoulder injury kept Sanchez out of action for the entirety of the 2020 campaign.  Sanchez has pitched for five different teams since the start of the 2019 season, including an initial stint with the Twins, who first brought him into the organization on another minors deal in June 2022.  Over 60 total innings with Washington and Minnesota in 2022, Sanchez had a 6.60 ERA.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins Transactions Aaron Sanchez

19 comments
AJAX Loader
Load More Posts
Show all
  • Top Stories
  • Recent

Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft

2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results

Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day IL Due To ACL Tear

Astros Promote Brice Matthews

Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow

Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers

Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help

Orioles Trade Bryan Baker To Rays

Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu

Trevor Williams To Undergo UCL Surgery

Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Bobby Jenks Passes Away

Braves Release Alex Verdugo

Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

Rangers Option Josh Jung

Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft

2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results

Padres Interested In Korey Lee

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Alcantara, Cabrera, Fried, Gil, Garcia, Rodriguez

Eight Teams Showing Interest In Luis Robert Jr.

Tigers Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Minor League Contract

Brewers Designate Drew Avans For Assignment

Mariners Agree To Sign First-Round Pick Kade Anderson

Blue Jays Interested In Zac Gallen

Cardinals Activate Ivan Herrera, Place Lars Nootbaar On 10-Day IL

MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

Latest Rumors & News

Latest Rumors & News

  • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
  • Luis Robert Rumors
  • Alex Bregman Rumors

 

Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

MLBTR Features

MLBTR Features

  • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
  • Front Office Originals
  • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
  • MLBTR Podcast
  • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
  • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
  • Contract Tracker
  • Transaction Tracker
  • Extension Tracker
  • Agency Database
  • MLBTR On Twitter
  • MLBTR On Facebook
  • Team Facebook Pages
  • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

Rumors By Team

  • Angels Rumors
  • Astros Rumors
  • Athletics Rumors
  • Blue Jays Rumors
  • Braves Rumors
  • Brewers Rumors
  • Cardinals Rumors
  • Cubs Rumors
  • Diamondbacks Rumors
  • Dodgers Rumors
  • Giants Rumors
  • Guardians Rumors
  • Mariners Rumors
  • Marlins Rumors
  • Mets Rumors
  • Nationals Rumors
  • Orioles Rumors
  • Padres Rumors
  • Phillies Rumors
  • Pirates Rumors
  • Rangers Rumors
  • Rays Rumors
  • Red Sox Rumors
  • Reds Rumors
  • Rockies Rumors
  • Royals Rumors
  • Tigers Rumors
  • Twins Rumors
  • White Sox Rumors
  • Yankees Rumors

Navigation

  • Sitemap
  • Archives
  • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

MLBTR INFO

  • Advertise
  • About
  • Commenting Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top

Register

Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version