This week, the Twins traded:
Their most expensive player — someone who was supposed to usher in an era of championship contention; three other position players who combined for more than 1,000 plate appearances this season; arguably their five best relief pitchers; and a starting pitcher.
I have no idea what their starting lineup and bullpen alignment will look like when they resume play Friday. Nobody knows when they will be on the right side of .500 again, but it probably won’t be anytime soon.
Each of the trades they made stand on their own and as part of a collective action. Let’s try to grade them accordingly, taking into account both the trades themselves and the circumstances that led to them happening.
Trade No. 1
Houston Astros receive: SS Carlos Correa + cash
Minnesota Twins receive: Minor league P Matt Mikulski
It’s the right move for both the Twins and Correa. The team is going nowhere soon and the player was a disappointment for most of his tenure, whose play slipped and whose leadership was overblown. But it’s still galling to watch. It’s easily the largest symbol of the failures of the last two seasons, even if it will give the Twins more flexibility in the future. Mikulski isn’t a serious prospect, so this is almost purely about subtraction.
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