After entering the year as AL Central favorites, the Minnesota Twins did not look like playoff contenders early in the season. Through three weeks, the club was six games below .500 and only ahead of the lowly Chicago White Sox in the division. The Twins have since turned things around.
Minnesota has the second-best record in baseball since April 22, winning 44 times since then with just 26 defeats. With the MLB trade deadline approaching and a six-game gap still to make up in the AL Central, Minnesota will look to add more talent to bolster their postseason run. Here are three Twins players who must be on the trade block ahead of the 2024 MLB deadline.
Byron Buxton (Outfielder)
There is no denying that Byron Buxton is one of the great talents in the game. Since the start of 2021, Buxton has averaged 39 homers and 15 stolen bases per 162 games while posting a .839 OPS. He is also one of the best defensive centerfielders in the league, ranking in the 86th percentile or better in range, arm value, and arm strength.
The issue for the talented outfielder is staying on the field. Buxton has played 100 games in a season just once in his 10-year career, averaging just 79 games played in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The 30-year-old is already close to eclipsing that mark in 2024, with 68 games played and only one short IL stay in the beginning of May. Buxton is playing well this season, but his home-run rate is down, and his expected batting average is 22 points lower than his batting average.
Can the Twins trust Buxton to stay healthy for an entire season? Minnesota is best off flipping Buxton to improve a struggling pitching staff, leaving another franchise to gamble on the star centerfielder's health.
Emmanuel Rodriguez (Outfielder)
Three of Minnesota's top six prospects are outfielders, giving the club some flexibility when making deals ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Emmanuel Rodriguez, a 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is the third-ranked prospect in the Twins farm system. He offers an intriguing combo of power and speed, registering 16 homers and 20 stolen bases in just 99 games at the High-A level last year.
This year, Rodriguez has been on fire, posting a 1.100 OPS with 22 extra-base hits in 37 games at Double-A. He also has an above-average arm in the outfield. The one concern with the 21-year-old is durability. Injuries have limited the youngster to just 183 games across three seasons, and he has been out since late May this year.
While he is an immense talent, Rodriguez's history of injury at such a young age is a sign the Twins should trade the talented centerfielder while his value is still high.
Charlee Soto (Pitcher)
Along with outfielders, Minnesota has many right-handed pitching prospects — with four such players among their top 10 prospects. Charlee Soto is the most intriguing of these minor leaguers and the furthest from the Majors. Soto was a first-round competitive balance draft pick of the Twins in 2023, entering the pro ranks having recently converted to pitcher.
The 18-year-old, 6-5 prospect offers a 98-mile-per-hour fastball to go with a solid sinker and good cutter. Soto has yet to consistently find success at the MiLB level, posting a 6.39 ERA in 43.2 innings this year — his first against professional competition. Yet the youngster still manages to strike out 11.1 batters per nine innings.
Charlee Soto has the arm to be a solid big-league starter. But with so much development ahead of him, Minnesota should look to trade the minor-leaguer for an established MLB player who can contribute now.
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