The Minnesota Twins were close to landing a big name at the MLB trade deadline. Starting pitcher Erick Fedde was a key piece of the haul for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Twins were very close to grabbing him, according to Dan Hayes from The Athletic.
“They wanted one of those three, Walker Jenkins, who is the number 6 prospect, Brooks Lee, who is number 13, and Emmanuel Rodriguez, where depending on where you look he's 30 to 40 between multiple services,” Hayes reported on Foul Territory TV. “That was the starting piece. The Twins, that's a non-starter for them. They were not going to touch those guys. I think if they wanted to do something it would have been surrounding Luke Keaschell who is looking like a really good player. But talks did not advance at all.”
The Twins did end up with a new starter, acquiring Trevor Richards from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for shortstop prospect Jay Harry, who is outside the top 30 in their pipeline. Fedde is having a much better season than Richards but the Twins needed the help so they will make the best out of Richards.
The Twins could have done more to surround Richards with new reinforcements at the trade deadline. Will they be able to make a deep playoff run with their current roster?
Twins outlook after MLB trade deadline
The Minnesota Twins enter Thursday's action tied for the second Wild Card position with the Kansas City Royals. They are two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, who represent the first team out. With Chris Paddack injured and Simeon Woods-Richardson in his first full season as a starter, pitching was a need. But other holes were not addressed at the deadline.
The Dodgers took another player that would have been a great fit for the Twins in Amed Rosario. The utility infielder can play second base, third base, and shortstop and hits for average. With Royce Lewis having played only 30 games and Carlos Correa on the shelf, Rosario could have slotted in nicely.
The Twins are going to be in the thick of a playoff race for the remainder of the season. Fangraphs has their odds of making the playoffs at 80.7%, with just a 22.9% chance of winning the American League Central. If the Cleveland Guardians continue to pull away, the Twins will be battling for one of those final spots.
Considering their standings position, the Twins should have paid up for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. They have made the playoffs four times since 2017 but have not made the American League Championship Series since 2002. With the new playoff format necessitating so many wins to make it, the Twins need starting pitcher depth. While Richards does provide that, Fedde is having the better season and would give them a better chance at advancing.
The Twins have an extended playoff window considering their commitment to Carlos Correa and young pieces around the diamond. While the 2024 trade deadline was underwhelming, expect the Twins to be a story at trade deadlines moving forward.
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