The Minnesota Twins enter play today with a 52-39 record and have a double-header against division foe Chicago White Sox today. They currently are five and a half games behind the Cleveland Guardians and hold the first Wild Card spot as we wind down the first half of the season. As the July Trade deadline nears I wanted to look at a few potential targets for the Twins to target to add to their rotation for the playoff push.
LHP – Garrett Crotchet – Chicago White Sox
Let’s get this one out of the way, first sure he should be a target, but the asking price is going to be higher than I would like to see the Twins pay, not to mention some teams will be willing to offer more in my opinion. Crotchet the converted bullpen arm has been impressive this season. He is an All-Star and is leading the majors in strikeouts with 146 in 105.1 innings worked. He has six wins and six losses in 19 starts this year. He has a 3.08 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP, while only walking 23 batters. The White Sox do not need to trade him but stand to receive quite the return of prospects if they do choose to part ways with the left-hander.
LHP – Tyler Anderson – Los Angeles Angels
Anderson is another left-hand starter on a team in the Angels that will most likely be sellers. He has started 18 games this year with eight wins and eight losses. In 112 innings he has a 2.81 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He has 77 strikeouts and 47 walks on the year but has only allowed 35 earned runs in his time this season. He is not a flashy power arm, but he has been effective for the Angels this year and could be a nice fit among the Right-handed arms currently in the rotation for the Twins.
LHP – Yusei Kikuchi – Toronto Blue Jays
Kikuchi could be available, but it’s uncertain if the Blue Jays will go full rebuild mode or rebuild to contend in 2025. If they try to compete in 2025 the likelihood of him being traded falls off a bit in my opinion. He has only won four games this year in 19 starts but has a 4.00 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. In 101.1 innings he has 111 strikeouts, 23 walks, and allowed 45 earned runs. Again another lefty that could fit in at the bottom of the rotation after Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, and Bailey Ober for the Twins.
RHP – Chris Bassitt – Toronto Blue Jays
As I just mentioned it is uncertain the route the Blue Jays will take when the deadline comes, but regardless I think Bassitt is the more likely of the two mentioned Blue Jays starter to get moved this year. The veteran right-hander is under control through 2025 and would make a great trade candidate this year. He has seven wins and seven losses on the year in 18 starts. He has a 3.43 ERA in 102.1 innings of work. He has struck out 94 batters while walking 41. The veteran could add value to the Twins rotation if other targets above are too costly.
RHP – Zach Eflin – Tampa Bay Rays
Eflin, is an attractive trade target, the only issue is will the Rays try and compete or will they sell? They are currently 45-46 on the year and five and a half games out of the wild card. More than likely they will be moving parts and if so Eflin is a target worth watching I am the Twins. In 16 starts this year he has five wins, five losses, and a 4.19 ERA. In 92.1 innings he has 72 strikeouts and eight walks.
Overview
The Twins currently have the 19th-best ERA in the majors at 4.16. The current rotation is without a left-handed arm, so for me, my focus would be to try and obtain one of the mentioned as my priority. Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Chris Paddack are all right-handed arms. my top target would be Tyler Anderson followed by Yusei Kikuchi to try and secure a left-handed arm to replace Chris Paddack in the rotation. I would leave Simeon Woods Richardson in the rotation as he in my opinion has earned the spot over Paddack. I left Crochet out simply due to the overall cost and because he currently plays within the division. With that all said if the price was right and the White Sox were willing, I wouldn’t even think twice about pulling the trigger on him. If Kikuchi and Anderson go elsewhere or remain with their current teams, I would grab the cheaper of the two between Eflin and Bassitt, personally adding another right-hander to the rotation seems like wasting assets in my opinion. In the end, the Twins have a lot of potential rolling into the second half of the season, and if they can keep the offense rolling and healthy any addition to the rotation would be welcome as the playoff push nears.
