The Minnesota Twins recently picked up the 2024 options on both Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler, but that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be in Twins uniforms next season.
That’s according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, who says that one or both could potentially be used in trade negotiations over the offseason.
Polanco is the most likely of the two to leave, Morosi says, given the rise of Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis in the Twins infield.
“He is someone who is available and people around the industry think there is a very strong chance that the Twins will in fact move Jorge Polanco this winter,” Morosi said.
.@jonmorosi has the latest on the Twins and the potential availability of Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/U1lGSjdXDD
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 10, 2023
MLB Network shared a recent interview with Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, who went asked about the team picking up the Polanco and Kepler options, said: “We fully expect that are established major league players especially with young players coming up behind them, that they are going to be targets of other clubs, we value them too, you know ultimately they fit for us as well.
“Those are part of the conversations we’ll have every offseason.”
The potential for trading the two veterans is made more likely by the uncertainty over the future of Sonny Gray, who is expected to reject the Twins’ qualifying contract offer and test the free agent market for the first time in his career.
If Gray doesn’t return to Minnesota, the Twins will be looking for another starter to replace him.
“Max Kepler was a very affordable option this year, an easy pickup for the Twins,” Morosi said, adding that it could also be easy to move him.
“From a rostering standpoint you could move or package [Kepler] and/or Polanco to bring back the innings that you’re missing should Gray sign elsewhere.”
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