No one really knows what if anything the Minnesota Twins will do as the Major League Trade deadline approaches at the end of the month.
At 50-43, before Wednesday night’s game in Anaheim, the Twins are very much in the playoff picture, so they could be looking to add a piece or two before the deadline passes.
Different reports have tied the Twins to Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, various different relievers and has mentioned the team might be looking to upgrade at catcher, with Kurt Suzuki continuing to struggle.
I have a hard time imagining the Twins assuming the $100 million left on Troy Tulowitzki's deal or trading multiple good prospects for him.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) July 21, 2015
It’s easy for fans to get caught up in all the MLB Trade Deadline hoopla, but not every deal works out the way it was intended.
With that in mind, ESPN decided to look back at some of the more lopsided trades in Major League Baseball history. One of the deals they highlighted even included the Twins.
Our little stroll down memory lane takes us to 2004. It wasn’t a deadline trade, but an offseason move that sent then Twins catcher A.J Pierzynski to San Francisco for reliever Joe Nathan and prospects Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser.
“At that point, Nathan was nothing more than a middle reliever in San Francisco, but the Twins had bigger plans for him. Handed the ninth inning upon arriving in Minnesota, Nathan saved 260 games and made four All-Star teams before leaving to sign with the Rangers after the 2011 season.”
While Bonser didn’t work out, ESPN notes that Liriano quickly became one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and won 47 games from 2005-2011.
Pierzynski didn’t last long in San Francisco, he was released after the 2004 season, his only one with the Giants. He then returned to the American League Central Division by signing with the Chicago White Sox where he had a happier stay as part of the 2005 World Series–winning team.
