Continuing on with the frenetic pace they’ve set in recent days, the Twins have been discussing trade possibilities with the Athletics, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Minnesota and Oakland have discussed scenarios that would send lefty Sean Manaea or right-hander Frankie Montas to the Twins.
The Twins and A’s were logical trade partners coming out of the lockout, given Minnesota’s dire need for rotation help and the fact that Oakland had at least three starters expected to be available: Manaea, Montas and the since-traded Chris Bassitt (who was dealt to the Mets this weekend). The Twins have already upgraded their starting staff by plucking Sonny Gray from the Reds in Sunday afternoon trade, but there are still clear holes to fill in a rotation that presently includes Gray, Dylan Bundy and youngsters Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan.
Either Manaea or Montas would further deepen a rapidly changing Twins roster. The former figures to be more attainable and have a lower price tag than the latter, as Manaea will be a free agent at season’s end. Montas, meanwhile, is controlled through the 2023 season via arbitration.
A former No. 34 overall draft pick, the 30-year-old Manaea has come roaring back from 2018 shoulder surgery to reestablish himself as a quality big league starter. Since returning late in the 2019 season, Manaea has tossed 263 innings of 3.73 ERA ball with an above-average 24.8% strikeout rate and a fantastic 5.2% walk rate. Manaea made 11 starts during the Covid-shortened 2020 season and took the ball 32 times last year while racking up 179 1/3 innings, so the shoulder issues that derailed his 2018-19 seasons look to be in the past. He’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $10.2MM this coming season.
Montas, who’ll turn 29 in a week, just wrapped a career year with the A’s. The 2021 season was the first time in Montas’ big league career that he crossed the 100-inning threshold, but he nearly jumped all the way to 200 frames, racking up 187 innings of 3.37 ERA ball to go along with a 26.6% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate. Montas averaged 96.6 mph on his heater and posted huge marks in swinging-strike rate (13.7%) and opponents’ chase rate (35.9%). He’s projected to earn $5.2MM in arbitration this year.
It should be noted that Montas did miss significant time in 2019 after being hit with an 80-game PED suspension, and he struggled considerably in his return to the mound in 2020 (5.60 ERA in 53 innings/11 starts). That said, Montas has consistently posted strong strikeout and walk rates in his big league career and would, as is the case with the recently acquired Gray, give the Twins a key rotation piece for at least the next two seasons. Accordingly, the cost to acquire him figures to be higher than the cost to acquire Manaea.
Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey has said in the hours since completing last night’s Josh Donaldson deal with the Yankees that Minnesota has many irons in the fire, and talks with the A’s figure to just be one of many possibilities they’re exploring. Minnesota has, in the past few days, traded Mitch Garver to Texas in a deal to acquire Isiah Kiner-Falefa; traded pitching prospect Chase Petty to the Reds to acquire Gray; and traded Kiner-Falefa, Donaldson and catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Yankees in a deal that netted Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela and upwards of $40MM in salary relief. They’ve since been rumored to have interest in free agent shortstop Trevor Story. That, paired with the acquisition of Gray and talks with Oakland, show that even amid a dramatic roster reshaping, Minnesota is aiming to contend in the AL Central for the 2022 season.
Twins think they can make the playoffs maybe with the new structure
Jesus Twins are going nuts, where was this last offseason?
I’m guessing Polanco or Kepler (or both) are trade pieces.
Who plays 2B if Polanco is traded?
IKF, when he gets traded to the Twins for Gary Sanchez. I mean, the Yanks do need a catcher.
Well who is currently penciled at SS is a better question!! They have a laundry list of middle infielders who would be classified as AAAA players. Royce Lewis, Gordon, dude they got in the Toronto trade.
Nick Gordon
Probably Luis Arraez. Nick Gordon is around too, plus they have their usual invitee suspects (like Tim Beckham) for a look..
I was trying to answer the “who plays 2b” question, sorry. But Twins won’t move Polanco anyway..
Not to the A’s. Kepler’s hit arb and Polanco will next year.
This website listed each teams off season Arbitration Eligible players and listed Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey, Mitch Garver, Caleb Thiebar, Jharel Cotton & Luis Arraez – no mention of Kepler or Polanco.
I recall they both signed contracts with the same number of years (I could be wrong on this)
Kepler and Polanco are both playing on contract extensions that run through 2024 and 2025, respectively.
The A’s would want pre-arbitration big leaguers and prospects as the centerpieces in any deal for Manaea or Montas. Neither Kepler nor Polanco is going to be included in a deal like this. (And Polanco, in particular, isn’t likely to included in a deal of any kind.)
So what kind of trade package would the A’s be looking for in a deal like this?
No worries neither of those players will be traded to the A’s since they cost as much as Manaea. A’s are looking at top young prospects who have not close to 2nd year in MLB. A’s do not want to take on more payroll.
@Baldkid- yeah trade pieces not going back to Oakland for Montas or Manaea. Their good players just to expensive for the poverty stricken A’s that need to move.
I doubt that Polanco will be traded. He’s on a very friendly salary and was the team MVP last year. Arraez, I think, could be offered as he doesn’t have a real position and is a great hitter.
polanco isn’t going anywhere, wouldn’t mind Kepler going.
Wouldn’t shock me if they both went to
Minnesota, considering the fire sale already expected by Oakland.
I can’t imagine the cheapskate A’s would want those guys.
well if it’s some sort of scenario of the Twins paying 1/2 remaining salary (or something like that), I believe it would entice them.
@taito2000- keep in mind the A’s won’t even take back Luke Voit or Gleyber Torres because they say their too pricey. Polanco and Kepler are worse as far as their salaries. Polanco is a player that would interest every team out there. The Twinkies would be wise to hold on to him.
I could see Twins taking the Andrus contract from Oakland as a salary relief move in a package deal. Minnesota has payroll space and it would be a short term plug for their hole at SS.
It’s almost like the Pohlads said “go ahead and baffle them with all the B.S. you want, as long as, at the end of the day, the payroll is lower than it was when you started. The F.O. obliges, because knowing they never put a decent staff together they need to make things so convoluted that no one can really figure out what the plan going forward is.
Oh yeah, that’s the reason.
10000 lakes…..such a tired argument….about the “cheap Pohlads”
I guess we’ll see at the end of the day, won’t we? Every move so far has lowered the payroll. New ‘starting ace’ of Sonny Gray (a #3 at best on other team) $10M this year, $12M next. Ooohh, going “all in”.
Ask yourself, how does trading Donaldson make the team better? And if the answer is “well, it frees up money to…..” you’ve proven my point.
Money ‘was a factor’ in Twins trading Josh Donaldson to Yankees
startribune.com/money-was-a-factor-as-twins-deal-j…
Grab both pitchers from the A’s instead of signing Story. The Twins have plenty of infield options between Arraez, Polanco, Ursula, Miranda, Lewis, Gordan and Martin. Heck make a huge trade and get Olson or Chapman in the deal.
The moves has been not so much confusing as nuts. Sanchez is awful. IFK was so so. Gray is a solid move. Urshela doesn’t fit any particular need.
just don’t let him catch, and let him work on his hitting
I think the Twins could grab both pitchers and get Story.
The Twins are a confusing bunch. But I’ve actually liked what they’ve done so far.
What is happening with the Angels? Is the front office and owner sleeping? Where are the trades for pitching? Do they really believe a 189 hitting SS is the answer? Watching the Twins make the moves the Angels should be pisses me off.
Failvyhastogo said it right. Either scenario sounds great
At first the Twins moves in a vacuum didn’t really make sense to me because it seemed like mixed messages in terms of competing or rebuilding. Now if this is the ultimate continuation of that, then it’s starting to come together because they would basically be trying to build a rotation by clearing out their position player depth, it’s just taking numerous transactions to accomplish that goal.
Twins are so unbalanced right now in terms of the offense being way ahead of the pitching that if they can use the money they’re saving to obtain starting pitching, then all of these moves might pay off. Makes way more sense to spend that savings taking on pitching salary rather than on like Story.
I would guess Larnach, Martin, Duran, Lewis, Sabato would be the types of players that would be discussed. At least one or two good pitching prospects would probably have to be sent to Oakland. Love to see a package deal both directions..
Maneaa is represented by Boras. He will be a one and done. No chance for any extension.
Montas S/B the primary target, but could also take Maneaa as well. Offer to take back SS Andrus & OF Piscotty to further help the A’s LOWER THEIR PAYROLL.
I like it, can’t wait for more. pitching (we need relief too) a
nd Story(if his arm is ok to play short)
I can see Manaea going to MIN this offseason. Montas probably gets moved at the trade deadline.
Bidding against the Yankees so I won’t hold my breathe