The Minnesota Twins plan to be buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
Recently, Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said the organization planned to add to the roster.
This comes one year after the Twins traded 11 players in a massive firesale.
Still, Minnesota’s postseason chances are not guaranteed. They are three games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central, and 1.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.
Players like right-hander Joe Ryan and catcher Ryan Jeffers could help surge the Twins into the postseason. But Jeffers, an impending free agent, may have a lot of interest in the trade market.
“The truth about the Twins is that they’re not going to add just to back up a mandate from owner Tom Pohlad that they compete. They’re going to be judicious,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote. “Jeffers still could go, but just not necessarily for prospects. If there’s a big-league-for-big-league trade to execute, Minnesota won’t hesitate.”
MORE: Yankees are ‘leading candidate’ to trade for Twins’ Ryan Jeffers
Teams like the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays could use an upgrade at catcher, and Jeffers fits the bill.
He has nine home runs and a .928 OPS in 47 games this year. In 58 at-bats against lefties, Jeffers is hitting .310/.437/.500 with 13 walks compared to just eight strikeouts.
Minnesota could capitalize on Jeffers’ strong season without giving up on its playoff hopes if it can acquire Major League talent in return, as Passan detailed.
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