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Twins Hoping to Continue Recent History of Successful Trades

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Pablo Lopez has shined for the Twins since arriving in a trade with the Marlins for Luis Arráez.

This past month, there have been rumors about the Minnesota Twins listening to trades for two of their best players. While possibly losing star players may be a hard pill to swallow for Twins fans, the franchise has had monumental success when it comes to moving ball players. Since the early 2000s, the Twins have had an ability to flip talent into a multitude of players. While fans worry about possible roster moves, it is important to look at the top five trades the Twins have made this century.

Looking Back at Successful Twins Trades Since 2000

Luis Arráez for Pablo López (2023)

Trading a reigning American League batting champion for a pitcher divided many Twins fans. The Twins have a history of developing young players into stars, and Luis Arráez was being developed to be a superstar for years to come. An area the Twins desperately needed help with, however, was their pitching staff. They needed an ace pitcher to anchor their rotation and be a leader for their staff, so they turned to Pablo López with the Miami Marlins. 

While the trade seemed controversial at first, López quickly won over Twins fans. His record in 2023 was 11-8 with a 3.66 ERA, and he delivered 234 strikeouts in 194 innings (both career highs). The best part was López’s performance during the playoffs. His postseason performance helped the Twins win their first postseason series since 2002. While Arráez continued his dominance at the plate by winning the 2023 and 2024 NL batting titles, López’s ability to bring consistency to the pitching staff and be a leader for the younger players made it an impactful trade that benefitted both teams. 

Eduardo Escobar from the Chicago White Sox (2012)

Francisco Liriano pitched for the Twins from 2005 to 2012. His career began with a lot of promise, and management and fans saw him as the heir apparent for Johan Santana after the Twins traded him to the New York Mets. Liriano was even an All-Star in the 2006 season. Although he had a lot of success at the beginning of his MLB career, toward the end of Liriano’s tenure with the Twins, he struggled on the mound and to stay healthy.

The Twins turned to the White Sox to trade Liriano in a package that included Eduardo Escobar. With the Twins, Escobar had a slash line of .258/.308/.421, 63 home runs, and 287 RBI in 703 games. From 2012 to 2018, Escobar turned into a reliable utility player and leader during the rebuilding years. Eventually, Escobar was traded by the Twins to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his part of six seasons with the Twins made him a core part of their roster.

Shannon Stewart from the Toronto Blue Jays (2003)

During their resurgence in the early 2000s, the Twins found themselves in a situation they had not been in for a while. They were in need of adding talent for a playoff push. Instead of holding onto their young players, they were looking to flip some of their talent for a veteran to help lead them in the postseason. Here, the Twins turned to the Toronto Blue Jays when they dealt Bobby Kielty for outfielder Shannon Stewart before the trade deadline in 2003.

Looked at as one of the best midseason trades in franchise history, Stewart hit .322/.384/.470 with 13 home runs, 73 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He helped lead the Twins to the AL Central title with his hitting, but almost more importantly, with his veteran leadership that was desperately needed for a young up-and-coming team. Stewart finished fourth in AL MVP voting while Kielty failed to play a full season in MLB.

A.J. Pierzynski to the San Francisco Giants (2003)

Having Joe Mauer waiting in the minors to be the catcher of the future for the Twins, they needed to make room by sending their everyday catcher, A.J. Pierzynski, to the Giants for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser. With Pierzynski being an All-Star catcher in Minnesota, it is rare that a team would willingly get rid of a player of his caliber at such a vital position. Only a player of Joe Mauer’s caliber could take Pierzynski’s place behind the plate as he went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

The least impactful player in the trade, Boof Bonser became a back-end starter and fan favorite due to his antics on the mound and unique name. Already mentioned on this list for his impact after being traded away from the Twins, Francisco Liriano came to the franchise with a lot of promise. His peak season came in 2006 when he was an All-Star, delivering a 12-3 record, 2.16 ERA, and 144 strikeouts. The best player from this trade was Joe Nathan. He went on to become the cornerstone of the Twins’ bullpen, becoming the franchise leader in saves (260), boasting a 2.16 ERA, and All-Star appearances in four of his eight seasons with the team. Adding the fact that Pierzynski only spent one season with the Giants, the Twins clearly came out ahead in this move.

Johan Santana from the Florida Marlins (2000 Rule 5 Draft Trade)

Considered one of the best Rule 5 Draft steals in the history of MLB, the Twins traded cash to the Florida Marlins in 2000 for their Rule 5 Draft pick, Johan Santana. Originally, Santana was a Rule 5 pickup by the Marlins from the Houston Astros, but the Marlins immediately turned the pick around to trade Santana to the Twins for cash.

Santana became one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB during the 2000s. He won two Cy Young Awards with the Twins, boasting a combined 3.22 ERA, 93-44 record, and led MLB in strikeouts and ERA in multiple years. The Cy Young winner’s time with the Twins was instrumental in them becoming perennial contenders in the mid-2000s. It would be difficult to say the Twins would have been as successful as they were during these years without Santana. Not only was he one of the best players for the Twins at that time, he is one of the best Twins players of all time.

Legacy of Trades

These trades reflect the Twins’ ability to maximize the talent they acquire through that channel. Often, they can turn short-term losses into long-term gains. Twins fans are hoping the current front office can be as savvy as previous administrations as they presently listen to possible trades for star players. It has taken moves such as these to keep the franchise competitive, and they will hopefully keep them competitive in the future.

 

Photo Credit: © Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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