Twins trade Nick Gordon to Marlins for Left-Hander Steven Okert
Dave has some quick hits on the Twins swapping out a utility player for a left-handed reliever
Here are some quick takes on the Twins trading Nick Gordon to the Miami Marlins for left-hander Steven Okert.
• Gordon, a former No. 5 overall pick, likely was going to be squeezed off the Twins roster out of Spring Training. They have better options for the bench, though Gordon is capable of playing second base, shortstop and center field. A left-handed hitter, Gordon doesn't make enough contact, or extra-base contact, and doesn't use his speed well enough on offense. And he hasn't shown the ability to be a consistently great defender, even if he can make the periodic athletic play.
• Okert, who is 32 years old, had 2 1/2 excellent seasons in the Marlins bullpen after finding his place in the majors, but his results worsened late in the 2023 season. An injury is not apparent. Sometimes pitchers just miss their spots, as they are fond of saying when things go awry. He throws a lot of sliders and is mostly effective with them. He's better against left-handed batters but he can handle righties as long as he's not overexposed. Okert has a career 3.70 ERA with 220 strikeouts and 80 walks in 194 1/3 innings over parts of six seasons with the Marlins and Giants.
• Okert gives the Twins an established left-handed option behind Caleb Thielbar, and makes Kody Funderburk apparently bound for St. Paul (unless manager Rocco Baldelli goes with three lefties out of the box, which seems unlikely). Funderburk, who was impressive in a short turn a season ago, has three minor-league options, and Okert has none. Keep in mind, it also takes a village of relievers to get through 162 games, so Funderburk should get a chance to help.
• Okert, who won't be a free agent until 2027, is set to make just over $1 million after settling before his arbitration hearing with the Fish. The Twins front office has been doing a lot of work on the margins of the active roster. They also recently added right-hander Jay Jackson on a major-league deal. Here's what the bullpen depth chart might look like to Baldelli:
Closer — Jhoan Duran
Setup — Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax
Middle — Justin Topa, Thielbar (LHP), Jackson, Okert (LHP)
If they start the season with six starting pitchers, Anthony DeSclafani or Louie Varland are additional right-handed options in the early going for long relief.
• Only 10 players in Twins history were drafted higher than Gordon and, among the eight individuals the club actually signed, only three have more WAR in a major league uniform — Joe Mauer (2001), Byron Buxton (2012), and Royce Lewis (2017). That speaks more to unfortunate drafting than Gordon being a success. After a so-so rookie season overall in '22 that showed off his speed, defensive versatility and not much contact, Gordon improved at the plate by slashing .272/.316/.427 with nine home runs, 28 doubles and four triples. It worked out to a wRC+ of 111, which means Gordon was about 11 percent better offensively than the average major league player that season.
• In '23, Gordon hit .176/.185/.319 in 93 plate appearances, his season cut short May 17 after he fractured his shin on a freak foul tip.
• The Marlins also have Tanner Scott, Andrew Nardi and A.J. Puk on the left side in their bullpen, and figured to trade one or more coming into the season. Gordon, 28, has a chance to help them as a complementary player. A different Marlins front office got what it wanted from the Twins in a trade a year ago when the Fish sent right-hander Pablo López for infielder Luís Arraéz.