Chicago White Sox: 3 Minnesota Twins to consider via trade
The Minnesota Twins are the most disappointing team in Major League Baseball this season. We thought for sure that they were going to be one of the powerhouse teams in the American League and have not been good at all. At 27-41, they are in last place of the American League Central and trail the Chicago White Sox by 15.5 games for first.
They likely won’t be a team that comes in 30th as the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks look poised for that race but things aren’t great for Minnesota right now. They were never able to get going in the early months of the season and now they are in a tremendous hole. There are a lot of good players there but they haven’t been able to put it together for any stretch of time.
Minnesota is talented enough to go on a little bit of a run over the summer but if they don’t see it soon they might start selling off players. It isn’t really a place we expected to see them even next year but it is what it is. Nobody knows what the long-term future of the team is but sending away some older players might be in their best interest.
There is a lot of discussion about the White Sox making a big trade to help them cope with some of their injuries. Would these two teams ever make a trade with one another? If they were smart, they would. If the Twins truly aren’t going anywhere this season then the White Sox should not be scared of them at all. In reverse, the Twins shouldn’t mind if the White Sox try and go for it if they won’t be competing themselves. These are three players the White Sox could try and pry away from them:
. DH. Minnesota Twins. Nelson Cruz. 23. player. 2
Nelson Cruz would be a big-time bat in the middle of the Chicago White Sox lineup.
During the 2020-21 MLB offseason, it sounded like Nelson Cruz had his list down to two teams. Those teams were the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox. Based on the records, it looks like he made the wrong decision. It is an uphill battle for Minnesota that doesn’t look like they are going to be able to overcome. The White Sox are in good shape to avoid any issues with them for the rest of the season. If the White Sox were able to get Cruz, it would solve an issue that appears to be looming.
If Eloy Jimenez is going to be out for another month or more, they might want to add another bat. Yermin Mercedes has come down from the start of the season that he had and the fun might be over. He is still a good player that can be a good platoon option but he is no longer a game-breaker. Nelson Cruz has the potential to be that with his bat in a designated hitter role.
Cruz is 40 years old and is still one of the best pure hitters in all of baseball. He has a slash line of .296/.369/.552 for an OPS of .921. He has 14 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 31 runs scored. If he played a defensive position, he would be right in the middle of the MVP conversation with those numbers. He would look really nice putting them up in a White Sox uniform.
P . Minnesota Twins. Michael Pineda. 35. player. 2.
The Chicago White Sox are going to learn that you can never have enough pitching.
The Chicago White Sox is a team loaded with starters. Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel, Lance Lynn, and Carlos Rodon form one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball. They also believe that Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet are going to be starters in short order. However, it wouldn’t hurt to bring another starter into the mix at this point. Especially if you use him in the bullpen.
Michael Pineda is certainly going to be on the block for the Minnesota Twins. He has been a starter for them for three years now but his time might be coming to an end there. He is just signed through this year and the Twins will probably try to look to trade all players like that if they can. It probably wouldn’t cost the team acquiring much either which makes it intriguing as well. If there were an injury or something like that, Pineda would be a great fill-in.
Right now, Pineda is on the injured list but that won’t last. On this bad Twins team, he is currently 3-4 with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP in 11 starts. He also has 51 to only 15 walks as well which is not a bad ratio at all. If he is put on a good team once healthy, he may be able to thrive. It will certainly be interesting to see if one more arm is something the White Sox consider at the deadline.
2. . SS. Minnesota Twins. Andrelton Simmons. 9. player
The Chicago White Sox may look for some defense at this year’s trade deadline.
The Chicago White Sox has an elite shortstop in Tim Anderson. He is one of the best offensive players at his position in the sport and his defense is getting so good after years of that being his only knock. However, it doesn’t hurt to have someone there backing him up in case of injury or if a need for another position arises. Who knows, maybe he can even play some second base in place of Nick Madrigal.
Simmons is the type of defender that gets considered for the Gold Glove Awards. In fact, he has four of them and one is a Platinum Glove. 2021 has been his first year with the Minnesota Twins after spending the first nine years of his career with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels. It has been a good career for him so far and he would probably like a chance to be on a playoff team, whether that is as a backup shortstop or a starting second baseman.
Simmons’ bat is best described as okay. It certainly isn’t bad but you wouldn’t necessarily say it’s good either. He has a slash line of .241/.320/.316 for an OPS of .636. He has two home runs, 14 RBIs, and 18 runs scored so he is capable of being on a winning team at this point in his career.
light. Hot. The Chicago White Sox should be scared of this Astros hitter
The White Sox are not currently involved in any rumors but you never know. With all of the injuries that they have sustained, there is little doubt that they will be taking calls up until the deadline. Hopefully, whatever they do, gives them the best chance to be the last team standing in the fall.