Around 3:30 pm on July 30, the Minnesota Twins became the last team in the league to make a pre-deadline trade by acquiring right-handed reliever Trevor Richards from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league infielder Jay Harry. The trade deadline concluded at 5:00 pm, and the Twins had added only one player. The 31-year-old Richards is an intriguing addition and is expected to rank fifth in the bullpen hierarchy behind high-leverage arms Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Jorge Alcalá, and Cole Sands.
However, the acquisition of only a medium-leverage reliever disappointed some fans who hoped for frontline starting pitchers. This led to criticism that Minnesota’s ownership group had let them down again. Initially, I also felt discontent when MLB.com reporter Do Hyoung-Park confirmed that the Twins did not make any additional moves beyond trading for Richards. Yet, as more details emerged in the following days, much of that frustration was alleviated.
On the evening of July 30, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that the Twins were “in serious discussions with the Toronto Blue Jays about (Yusei) Kikuchi when Houston blew their offer out of the water late Monday.” Additionally, Hayes noted that the Twins faced high demands from in-division rivals. The Tigers and White Sox asked for top prospects like Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins, and Emmanuel Rodriguez in exchange for pitchers Jack Flaherty and Erick Fedde, which the Twins considered too steep a price.
Hayes elaborated on these challenges in a later appearance on the Foul Territory podcast.
Details on Twins Erick Fedde trade talks from @DanHayesMLB:
• White Sox wanted to start convo w/Walker Jenkins, Brooks Lee or Emmanuel Rodriguez. Twins said no.
• Twins were willing to trade Luke Keaschall but White Sox talks never advanced. Didn't want to trade in division. pic.twitter.com/OguMpNl7T7
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 1, 2024
In the video above, Hayes reaffirms the steep asking prices from the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. He mentions that any potential trade would have centered around utility prospect Luke Keaschall, Minnesota’s fifth-ranked prospect at FanGraphs, rather than the untouchable trio of prospects Jenkins, Lee, and Rodriguez.
As the clip concludes, Hayes states that Detroit and Chicago didn’t want to see the Twins succeed, driven by ego. The Tigers and White Sox implemented an “intra-division tax,” making it nearly impossible for Minnesota to trade for Flaherty or Fedde without giving up one of their top 50 prospects. This stance highlights why Detroit and Chicago have struggled as baseball franchises over the past decade. The Tigers acquired prospects Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Flaherty, while the White Sox received post-hype position player Miguel Vargas and 19-year-old prospects Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus in the three-team trade that sent Fedde to the St. Louis Cardinals. None of these prospects appear on Baseball America’s Top 100 list, while Keaschall ranks 54th.
It’s frustrating that the Twins didn’t make significant moves at the trade deadline. They might have pursued Kikuchi more aggressively, but if Hayes’s reporting is accurate, the front office attempted meaningful trade discussions with the Tigers and White Sox. The refusal of these franchises to trade within the division is not Minnesota’s fault but indicates which organizations are serious about winning.
With the market not favoring the Twins, the team faces uncertainty regarding their fourth and fifth rotation spots. Simeon Woods Richardson has a 3.74 ERA and 3.75 FIP over 91 1/3 innings pitched this season, but his underwhelming peripheral numbers (3.95 xERA and 4.32 xFIP) and a poor recent start against the New York Mets have raised concerns. Meanwhile, fifth starter David Festa performed well in his last two outings against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Mets, allowing only three earned runs and striking out 13 batters over 9 1/3 innings pitched.
The Twins rely on rookies Woods Richardson and Festa as they aim to catch the Cleveland Guardians for the AL Central crown while fending off the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners for one of the final Wild Card spots. Although the Twins’ decision to stay idle at the trade deadline highlights their rotation’s weakness, given the steep asking prices, it was a prudent move.
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