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The Minnesota Twins have been off to a strong start in 2022 and hold a comfortable lead in the AL Central through the first half of the season. While the Guardians are still a threat, the Twins' primary focus, if they want to win a World Series this year, will be to keep up with the likes of the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. In order to do that, Minnesota may need to be active at the trade deadline in order to shore up some holes on the roster.
The Twins' lineup is solid all the way through, and they don't have any glaring needs for an upgrade. That said, if the Twins are serious about contending, putting Alex Kirilloff in more of a platoon or depth role and acquiring a more experienced outfielder could be a viable move. While Kirilloff boasts plenty of potential, the Twins may be better off bringing in a proven contributor if they're looking to make a deep playoff run. Of course, getting at-bats for Kirilloff will remain important, but he may be somewhat of a liability at the plate down the stretch.
Additionally, adding a solid back-end member to the rotation could be a strong move for the Twins, while pursuing an experienced bullpen arm will also be important.
With that in mind, here are the three top trade targets for the Minnesota Twins at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
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Twins Targets At 2022 MLB Trade Deadline
3. David Bednar
While David Bednar has multiple years of team control on his contract, and therefore would not be a rental by any means, his fit on the Pirates remains unclear. The best reliever in Pittsburgh by a wide margin, Bednar is simply too talented to be stuck on a lowly Pirates team with little-to-no playoff aspirations.
While he may require a solid haul of prospects to land, there isn't a reliever on the open market who is more valuable than Bednar. The Twins would have to sacrifice some assets, but Bednar is under team control until 2026, which means the Twins could get three-plus years of his reliable service in the bullpen, before having to think about extending his contract or losing him in free agency.
Bednar would instantly become of the top arms in Minnesota's bullpen and would be a great addition to the cause as the Twins look to make a push in October.
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2. Paul Sewald
Despite the positives we've seen from the Seattle Mariners this year, they once again figure to miss out on the playoffs. Paul Sewald has been a bright spot for Seattle this year, registering a 2.73 ERA and logging 9 saves since taking over as the closer. The veteran may be keen on a move to a contender at the deadline, and there's little reason the Mariners shouldn't explore that option.
The 32-year-old right-hander could be valuable high-leverage reliever for the Twins, joining the likes of Jhoan Duran, and Griffin Jax as the most trusted relief arms in the Twin Cities. Getting a boost to the bullpen will be an important move for the Twins, and if they don't feel they can stomach the cost of trading for Bednar, Sewald would be a solid and less expensive option. While he'd likely be a rental, he could provide Minnesota with some important innings out of the bullpen.
1. Trey Mancini
Trey Mancini's time in Baltimore seems to be running thin, and he could be a solid addition for the Twins if they do decide to upgrade from Kirilloff. Trevor Larnach is sidelined by injury, and while he'll likely return in the second half of the season, the Twins may be more inclined to add a veteran slugger to take over in left field.
Mancini has served as a first baseman, a right fielder, and a left fielder this year, so his versatility would be useful for the Twins. Slashing .277/.353/.423 this year, Mancini has launched 8 home runs and driven in 31 RBI. Those numbers would be even better if the Orioles hadn't altered the wall out in left field, making it more difficult to hit home runs at Oriole Park.
He'd have a far easier time going bridge in Minnesota, and Mancini is probably eager to join a contending team after several years of being in the AL East cellar. While Larnach and Kirilloff remain important pieces for Minnesota's future, if the Twins want to contend for a title this year, they'll need an upgrade over those two, and Mancini represents exactly that.
