A Successful Twins Trade Deadline that's Idealistic but Also Realistic

By now, you’d think I’d have exhausted all avenues for Minnesota Twins-related trade deadline content.

Not so fast.

We all know what fans want the Twins to do, which is something along the lines of trading for Frankie Montas, Tyler Mahle, David Robertson and Joe Mantiply. And while the number of pitchers coming in from this scenario is reasonable, the list is by no means feasible.

So how do the Twins manage to improve their team enough to pull away from the Central and hopefully make some noise in October? And how do they do it based on what we already know about how they typically build their team?

I call them the “we can fix him” Twins for a reason. They’re usually looking to be the team that starts with a “before” and turns that player into the “after” though the results on that process, to this point, are middling at best.

Are they as dedicated to their process as Joe Mauer was to taking first-pitch fastballs down the middle for strike one? For now — until we see otherwise — we almost have to assume that they are, right?

In assuming so, here’s how the Twins can set themselves apart at the deadline without moving too much of their prospect depth — which has admittedly been thinned recently by graduations and some stagnance on the pitching side.

Let’s talk to it (all trades accepted by Baseball Trade Values, for whatever that is worth):

Trade IF Will Holland and IF Wander Javier for RHP Nathan Eovaldi and RHP Ryan Brasier

In this case, the Twins trade a couple of lottery ticket infielders to the Red Sox for an expensive starting pitcher with a home run problem and a nearly 35-year-old reliever with an ERA near 6.00.

Hear me out though.

Eovaldi is just a year removed from being nearly a plus-6.0 win pitcher according to Fangraphs, and his biggest/primary issue has been keeping the ball in the park. The 1.99 HR/9 is not just unsightly, but nightmarish — but we should consider one thing: through his first 10 starts, Eovaldi allowed 16 home runs. In his last five, he’s allowed just two.

He’s still been hit relatively hard in that five-start stretch — though a tough outing in the 28-5 loss to the Blue Jays inflates that a lot — but I just think this is a chance for the Twins to take on the rest of the prorated $17 million Eovaldi is owed without having to give up much in the way of prospects.

Eovaldi is still hitting 96 mph on the gun with regularity. He’s still getting swinging strikes at a rate near 13 percent. I think a change of scenery could do him some good. And if he pitches well, maybe the Twins have the leg up on signing him this offseason, like the Red Sox did when they traded for him and won the World Series in 2018.

Brasier has been one of the most unlucky relievers in the game this season, with a 5.63 ERA despite 9.6 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 and a reasonable home run rate of 1.17 per nine. His strand rate (58.7 percent) and BABIP (.364) both suggest he should have been markedly better than he has to this point, as does his 3.86 xERA and 3.30 FIP. Somehow, this is an upside play on a guy who’s in his mid-30s. He also has another year of control left.

Trade RHP Blayne Enlow and OF Alerick Soularie for LHP Martin Perez

Would Perez start a playoff game for the Twins? My gut says not to entirely rule it out. And while that wouldn’t seem all that sexy for Twins fans, it shouldn’t be lost on them that Perez has been really, really good this season. He’s striking out hitters at a rate (20.9 percent) which, while still not any thing special is still the highest of his career. He’s walking nobody and keeping the ball in the ballpark while inducing grounders at a 52.4 percent rate — which is his highest mark since 2016.

Is his 2.52 ERA legit? No, not really. But his secondary peripherals are not bad at all (3.07 FIP), and at the very least he gives the Twins a sturdy No. 4 starter who may not get the Twins through October, but will definitely help get them to October. That still matters in a three-team race.

Twins fans should have no qualms giving up Enlow, the team’s No. 17 prospect via MLB.com and Soularie, the team’s No. 20 prospect, in a trade like this. Enlow clears up a 40-man spot for Perez, and also gives the Rangers some desperately needed pitching depth that’s near MLB-ready.

Soularie shows potential and is relatively toolsy, but that kind of player can easily get lost in a system of guys who can really hit.

Trade OF Mark Contreras for RHP Mychal Givens

Givens hasn’t given up a run in more than a month (since June 16) and brings a wealth of experience from his days as a setup man with the Orioles. He’s lowered his ERA from 4.63 to 2.66 over his scoreless stretch (entering Sunday), and brings the kind of high-strikeout stuff the Twins could use down the stretch (11.3 K/9).

The rental market just isn’t that hot for solid relievers, though. Teammate Chris Martin was traded for a 27-year-old utility guy in Zach McKinstry. In Contreras, the Cubs get a 27-year-old who can capably handle center and would make for a pretty good fourth outfielder/part-time starter on a team in transition. He’s got good speed and takes some walks, but his numbers this season (.221/.311/.399) aren’t quite as good as they were last year in St. Paul (.248/.335/.493).

Again, though, the rental market for relievers just isn’t as robust as people might expect.

Each of these trades would not be deemed sexy in any way, shape or form but would help seal some of the cracks around the edges that an otherwise good team has.

The Twins need to get to October before they can worry about doing damage in October.