With the Twins reeling since the All-Star Break and the trade deadline looming, Minnesota could turn into sellers by the end of the month.
MLB insider Jon Heyman reported on Thursday that the Twins are listening for offers on the following players: Ervin Santana, Brian Dozier, Brandon Kintzler and even Jaime Garcia – who they just acquired via trade this week.
Santana and Kintzler have been drawing interest for the majority of the season, while Dozier’s name was floated around last offseason. However, the fact they’re listening to offers for Garcia is certainly intriguing. He’s set to make his team debut on Friday when the Twins open up a three-game series in Oakland.
Who’s most likely to be moved?
Of the four names listed above, Kintzler is the one who makes the most sense to move. He was an All-Star this season and is among the league leaders in saves. Although he’s been effective this season, he could be due for a regression. He’s struck out just 26 batters in 44.1 innings. Usually closers have nastier stuff than that. He’ll also be a free agent at the end of the season. Playoff bound teams always need relief pitching and even if he’s not closing games, he could serve as a viable option for a team in the back end of bullpen.
Who would gather the biggest return?
Dozier would probably net the biggest return. He’s projected to finish with 26 home runs and he’s a year removed from a 42 homer campaign. Plus, he plays Gold Glove caliber defense while being under a team-friendly contract. It would be a tough pill for Minnesotans to swallow because Dozier is fan favorite but any team would love to have his services. So if ownership were to part ways with Dozier, they would likely command a lot in return.
The Twins are off on Thursday. They currently sit six games back in the AL Central Division and four games back of a Wild Card spot.
The MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 3 p.m. central time.
