The Twins have checked in with the Reds about a trade for closer Raisel Iglesias, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports (Twitter link). Iglesias is one of several relievers Minnesota is “performing due diligence on” as the club looks to upgrade its bullpen for next season.
Iglesias stands out as a logical target for any team in the market for saves, given that a closer is a luxury on a rebuilding team like Cincinnati. Working as a full-time reliever for the first time, Iglesias just completed the best of his three MLB seasons, posting a 2.49 ERA, 10.89 K/9 and 3.41 K/BB over 76 innings. Iglesias closed out 28-of-30 save opportunities while generating a career-high swinging strike rate (13.9%) on the strength of an excellent slider and a 96.4 mph fastball.
Iglesias, who turns 28 in January, brings value both as a strong closer now and as a long-term asset who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season. As per the terms of his original seven-year, $27MM deal with the Reds, Iglesias had the right to opt out of his guaranteed salary (with the Reds still retaining team control) in any offseason once he became eligible for arbitration, in order to chase a potentially larger payday through the arb process. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects Iglesias to earn $2.8MM through arbitration salary next season, so it is likely Iglesias will remain in his current deal for at least one winter, as his contract guarantees him $4.5MM in 2018.
Iglesias is also slated to earn $5MM in both 2019 and 2020 if he doesn’t opt into arbitration, and then he’ll have one final arb-eligible year as a Super Two player in the 2020-21 offseason. So while Iglesias’ price tag could potentially grow if he continues to rack up the saves, he’ll still be a cost-effective acquisition for a mid-market team like the Twins, particularly since Minnesota has very little salary on the books past the 2018 season.
Brandon Kintzler and Matt Belisle handled most of the ninth-inning duties for the Twins last season, though Kintzler was traded at the deadline and Belisle is a free agent, leaving Minnesota in search of a new closer this winter. The Twins didn’t get strong relief pitching in general in 2017, so it isn’t surprising that they’re looking at Iglesias and other notable bullpen arms on the trade and free agent fronts. We’ve already heard that the Twins have checked in with Kintzler about possibly bringing the free agent righty back to Target Field.
The Reds were only interested in hearing big trade offers for Iglesias last summer, and that asking price almost certainly hasn’t changed. The Twins’ farm system is middle-of-the-pack in terms of prospects to offer (Minnesota was ranked 19th in Baseball America’s post-deadline organizational ranking) since they were a team that seemed to be headed into a rebuild themselves before their surprising AL wild card finish in 2017 changed their outlook. If comes down to a prospect bidding war for Iglesias’ services, Minnesota might not have the young talent to meet the Reds’ needs.
They giving up Gordon or Lewis?
Why would they do that with Lewis?
You’re talking small market to small market
They took that kid what number 1?
Iglesias isn’t going to be cheap. Most likely you have to give up one of those two guys to get him. What does market size have to do with anything
If I remember correctly they have tons of infield depth they were clearing space for
Wouldn’t the need me more for outfielders and pitching?
Be*
What does market size have to with anything?
Really dude?
Trade away the future?
Get out of here
Can’t trade Lewis until next year, so that’s not happening any time soon.
I hope they find a real match for him. Reds could really use a very positive trade to fill a few gaps. Don’t need a closer when you lose 90+ games, yet.
Iglesias makes sense for several teams so I think that the Reds will listen to offers before accepting the very first offer of the off season.
The Cards could use him , but I doubt that happens in the same division .
Twins have nothing to trade for Iglaesis. Would be bad trade drone Reds point of view. Certainly listening to offers but not one from Twins.
Nothing to trade for? That’s laughable
Not a fan of trading prospects for relievers. Never have been a fan of that. Obviously it would be a good get, but it would probably cost too much in prospects. I’d rather they sign 1-2 RP via FA. There are plenty available this offseason and if they don’t turn out, it only costs money.
Lots of FA relievers being available would at least somewhat diminish his trade value. Doesn’t necessarily mean the reds will take what they can get (look at twins holding on to dozier) but if the reds ARE trying to rebuild they have to know it’s a buyers market until some of those free agents disappear
The Reds will not move Iglesias unless the deal is too good to pass up. They are not actively shopping him, but are listening to offers. They have control of him thru 2020.
He has tremendous value and probably won’t be around for the Reds’ next window. If they’re not shopping him then they’re not doing their job.
I’m sure the Reds have seen the cost of relievers go up dramatically and would want a big return back. The Twins probably have 4 top 100 guys right now – Lewis, Gordon, Romero and Gonsalves – and a few lists will add a few others. (Baddoo is a big sleeper). I think the Reds would probably ask for two top 100 guys and I think the Twins should probably turn that down and find different ways to improve the pen. I’m not sure that the reliever trade market that we’ve seen the big money teams create the last few years will be affordable to the Twins. If they were going to move multiple top 100 pieces and/or others, I think they’d do better to focus on starting pitching and see if cheap free agents and young arms (Tyler Jay is looking good in the AFL) can hack it instead.
I think two fairly high top 100 guys and a secondary prospect would be enough to get a deal for Raisel. Reds don’t at all need to shop him but might as well strike while the iron is hot. Botching the Chapman trade sure has set them back. Imagine getting back what the Yanks got.
Twins making the next Ken Giles trade
Why would they trade him? And for that matter when are the reds planning on spending money? They have a ridiculous offense they only need pitching.
“Why?” is the right question.
The Reds’ offense is stout. Peraza slides into the hole left by Zack Cozart’s departure. Sure, there are a couple spots that could be upgraded, but that offense – as it stands – is enough to contend.
There’s enough starting pitching on the roster to get it done. Those guys just have to stay healthy.
What has killed the Reds over the last couple years has been the bullpen. WHY would you trade the one and only good reliever?
Makes really good since to do a deal with the Rangers
Look but don’t touch!
I don’t see the Twins as a likely candidate to give up what it’ll take to get Iglesias. Maybe they have the prospects to make such a trade, but it’d empty out their whole system. Other teams’ farm systems are better suited for such a blockbuster.
Don’t have the prospects. I am confident Twins will not want to give up a young potential starting player or 2.
It would be great, but I wouldn’t want them too go too crazy especially with the free agents out there. The bullpen is such a mess in MN, just this one move wouldn’t fix it.
Teams focus way too much on closers. They aren’t bred ,they are found. Close today, middle relief tomorrow. Look how Houston used Giles
Reds just feel like he iglesias is too fragile to start And no because of that they can move him without hurting their future, especially if they can get a huge return
Know