The Minnesota Twins of 2024 are a great option for fans of streaky baseball clubs. For the 2023 AL Central winners, this season has been a tremendous roller coaster, starting with a 7-13 record and continuing through an instant 12-game winning streak and everything in between.
The atmosphere in the Land of 10,000 Lakes varies every week, but the Twins would be in the postseason if it began today. That doesn’t exactly make them a strong candidate to win a pennant, but given how much better the rest of the division has been than expected, it’s a good place to be. It’s time to strengthen this roster, though, because they have their job cut out for them if they hope to win the Central division again in a row.
We’ll examine three areas of the Twins roster that need significant work today. We’ll examine a few possible trade targets from across the league and assess how those acquisitions may impact Minnesota’s season. Take a seat with a Schell’s and a Juicy Lucy as we discuss the Twins.
Twins’ corner infield produces too little.
There were several reasons why the injury to Royce Lewis was regrettable. Lewis was largely responsible for Minnesota’s 2023 momentum, which included his two home runs in the Wild Card Series opener that enabled the Twins to win their first postseason game since 2004. The Twins have also had one of the least productive corner infield tandems in the major leagues thanks to Carlos Santana’s regular struggles as the starting first baseman.
Lewis is expected to return in the near future, but the Twins need a corner infield insurance policy, or at the very least, a new first baseman, to be serious contenders. The St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt would be the ideal addition, but sadly, the team has become more competitive as Goldschmidt has, which may force them out of seller mode.
Fortunately, there are a number of other good choices. The Toronto Blue Jays’ Justin Turner would offer invaluable veteran leadership if his team drops out of the playoff race, while the Miami Marlins’ Jake Burger, who can play both first and third, contributed to a playoff charge last season. If everything else fails, J.D. Davis of the Oakland Athletics could play both corner positions and would be a very affordable rental. The Twins must make this kind of pickup at least once.
Minnesota requires an elite player.
While none of the Twins’ starters are particularly poor pitchers, the team as a whole is not very impressive. While Simeon Woods-Richardson has exceeded expectations and Joe Ryan has been outstanding, Pablo López has been a huge letdown so far. The team would benefit greatly from the addition of another ace-caliber starter, who would push everyone back one spot in the rotation and give them more freedom to pitch.
Luckily, there are plenty of starting pitching available this year in the trade market, which is always a nice place to find players. Trevor Williams and Erick Fedde are both likely to be transferred if you’re looking for seasoned reclamation projects with affordable contracts. Jesús Luzardo is pleading with you to leave Miami if you’re looking for someone younger with ace potential. However, the Twins must make an impression and pursue the biggest fish available.
Because they are the current NL champions, maybe we aren’t recognizing it, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are only a few more poor weeks away from becoming sellers. With a 25-32 record, they have dropped to a commanding fourth position in the NL West, and they have signed some unusually pricey free agents. And a season ago, one of those signings took home a World Series ring. Yes, the Twins require Jordan Montgomery.
One bright spot for the Twins in 2024 has been Ryan Jeffers. For any MLB hitter, he has been extremely productive, but as a catcher entering the season with a 105 career OPS+, he has been extraordinary. However, Christian Vázquez, his backup, hasn’t been among the league’s best hitters. In his two seasons with the Twins, he has a.294 slugging percentage and an OPS+ of 20.
You are heard. “How much does the backup catcher position really matter?” you ask yourself. Ask Vázquez, who split time between winning two World Series as a catcher for two separate teams. The world champions from the previous season also had a raking backup catcher in Mitch Garver, who kept Jonah Heim’s legs fresh for October. Although Jeffers is having an amazing season, if he is required to play in every game of the Twins’ postseason run, his output will suffer.
Therefore, the Twins ought to take care of this issue right away and grab someone in the hopes of scoring a run. Elias Díaz of the Colorado Rockies would be a great addition, but he could want to go somewhere where he has a higher chance of making an impact right away. If the Blue Jays lose the race, they may be inclined to trade one of their two reliable catchers, and Carson Kelly of the Tigers is also a potential free agent.
