If the 2024 MLB season started today, the Minnesota Twins’ starting rotation would include Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack and Louie Varland. But according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, the Twins would “likely prefer to have Varland begin 2024 as the No. 6 starter.”
That begs the question: Will the Twins make a trade for a starting pitcher?
“It’s not going to be the same rotation. But you start adding Chris Paddack in there, you start looking at Louie Varland. We have some guys. And we’re going to stay open-minded and see if maybe we can even add to the group,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Monday at the league’s winter meetings in Nashville.
Twins boss Derek Falvey said “theres’ been a lot of interest in a number of different players” on the roster but they’re “still in that early feeling-out phase.”
Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune says the Twins would like to add a starter who can “compete” with Varland for the fifth spot in the rotation. Nightengale also says the Twins could look outside of the organization – a la a trade or free agency – for a first baseman because Alex Kirilloff and Jose Miranda are both rehabbing shoulder injuries.
Nightengale mentioned Rhys Hoskins, 30, who slugged 30 homers and slashed .246/.332/.462 in 156 games with the Phillies last season.
The biggest names reportedly available for trades include Tyler Glasnow, Corbin Burnes, Shanes Bieber, Logan Gilbert and Dylan Cease. All of them will command big money in 2024 and some will require contract extensions to avoid being one-year rentals. Because the Twins are trimming payroll from last year’s franchise record $156 million, it stands to reason that the only way one of those names is possible is if the Twins shed significant salary elsewhere on the roster.
Prime trade candidates include infielder Jorge Polanco ($10.5 million), outfielder Max Kepler ($10 million), utility man Kyle Farmer (estimated $6-$7 million) and catcher Christian Vazquez (owed $20 million over the next two years).
If the Twins can trade all of them, it would trim approximately $36 million from the 2024 payroll. Could the Twins turn that savings into a front-end starter who commands $25+ million annually?
