According to MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Minnesota Twins have been listening to trade offers for their ace pitcher, Pablo López. Passan notes that the free agent market has cooled down and that “free agent pitching prices remain stratospheric.” With the Twins needing to improve their roster without adding too much to the payroll, they have already been noted to listen to possible trades for their star shortstop, Carlos Correa.
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— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 19, 2024
Why Teams Are Interested in Trading for Pablo López
Going after the Twins’ ace pitcher makes sense for teams who are struggling to pay top dollar for a free-agent pitcher but have something to offer with a position player or prospects. For instance, starting pitcher Corbin Burnes declined a $21.05 million offer from the Baltimore Orioles and became a free agent. Spotrac.com has Burnes projected to sign a six-year, $183.7 million contract. Offering a trade for López makes more sense for teams who can’t afford this.
Why the Twins Are Listening
It has been well-known that the Twins have a constricted payroll. To add to their roster without adding to their payroll, their only option would be through the trade market. López’s 2024 season was a successful one, with 15 wins, a 3.65 ERA+, a 1.192 WHIP, and 198 strikeouts. He is at peak value for the Twins. If they are to trade him, now would be their opportunity.
Trading López would require the Twins to rely on their younger pitchers in the future. This would mean the trade could focus on a position player or prospects. With the Twins struggling to score runs at the end of the 2024 season, this would be a means to add offense to their lineup. The Twins will have to decide if trading the ace of their rotation is worth the risk to improve their lineup.
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