The MLB lockout has put a lot of teams in a bad position, including the Minnesota Twins, who have plenty of work to do if they want to compete in 2022. The Twins are in the heart of the offseason, and their big free-agent move has been adding Dylan Bundy on a one-year deal. In addition to filling out their rotation, the Twins also need to find a shortstop after the Andrelton Simmons disaster last season.
The freeze on player movement limits what the Twins can do this offseason, but they can still talk to general managers behind the scenes. Although trades can’t become official until the lockout ends, they can lay the groundwork for deals and announce them once MLB lifts the freeze.
So who should the Twins be calling?
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The A’s always seem to be in a weird spot due to budget constraints, but this offseason has been bizarre for them. They let Bob Melvin walk like a mid-major college football coach jumping to a Power 5 school, and they could be ready to unload some of their top players to avoid paying them.
The Twins would be wise to start by asking David Forst about their pitching. Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, and Frankie Montas are pre-arbitration players and could fill a void at the top of the rotation. Minnesota also has some intriguing assets like Max Kepler, who could provide an upgrade over Stephen Piscotty and Chad Pinder at the corner outfield positions.
If the Twins really wanted to swing for the fences, they could try to land Matt Chapman or Matt Olson, who will command massive contracts in the future. Oakland may not be able to pay either, which could entice them to make a move. Maybe a deal involving Royce Lewis, Austin Martin, or Trevor Larnach could get it done. But it would have to be a blockbuster, and the Twins would be taking on substantial risk.
SEATTLE MARINERS
The Mariners crossed one big item off their shopping list when they signed Robbie Ray, but they still need to do something about their offense. Seattle ranked 23rd in runs scored last season. An extra bat in the lineup could have been the difference between making the AL Wild Card or sitting at home like they did last year.
Seattle could trade some of their starting pitching if they wanted to get something done. Marco Gonzalez, Chris Flexen, and Logan Gilbert all ranked in the top 100 of FanGraphs’ overall power rankings. With first-round picks George Kirby and Emerson Hancock in the pipeline, the Mariners have the assets to make a deal.
It would require the Twins to take on some salary, but Seattle could be a good landing spot for Josh Donaldson if they choose to deal him. Miguel Sanó or Kepler could also be an established bat in the lineup who could build a deal that’s beneficial for both sides.
CINCINNATI REDS
The Reds were moving toward being a contender but suffered a big blow when Nick Castellanos opted out of his contract. Cincinnati still has five former first-round picks in the lineup (and another on the bench in Mike Moustakas), but it’s unclear which direction they’ll decide to go.
If the Reds want to rebuild, the first name the Twins should be calling about is Luis Castillo. The right-hander led MLB with 16 losses last season but still posted a respectable 3.98 ERA. Hitters had trouble barrelling him up. Castillo posted a 4.5 percent barrel rate that landed in the 93rd percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
Like many teams on this list, we’re looking for a club that needs offense. Dealing Sanó to Cincinnati would give Twins fans headaches thinking what Sanó (35 projected HR) could do in the Great American Ballpark. But Minnesota would need to give up something to get a pitcher with tremendous upside.
COLORADO ROCKIES
The Rockies are basically on autopilot right now. They acquired nothing in the Nolan Arenado trade and gave the St. Louis Cardinals $51 million to have him go away. They also decided to let Trevor Story walk for nothing this offseason, which means this team could be ripe for a fleecing.
Once again, this is all about looking for pitching. German Marquez and Kyle Freeland are both intriguing trade targets and could benefit from getting out of Coors Field. It’s the same reason why Jon Gray would have made sense. But it’s not hard to imagine the Twins striking a deal where they don’t give up as much as they should.
MIAMI MARLINS
Like the A’s, the Marlins love operating on the cheap. It always seems like they’re rebuilding, and because of that, they have a copious amount of pitching.
Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Rogers, and Pablo Lopez all ranked inside FanGraphs top 100 of their overall power rankings last season. They also have reinforcements coming with Sixto Sánchez, Edward Cabrera, and Max Meyer at Triple-A heading into next season.
The Marlins would love to put all of those arms in the same rotation, but they’re going to need some offense. A team that ranked 29th in runs scored last season will require some bats to contend and the Twins should be making a call to see if they’re interested.
