MLB Trade Rumors: 2 Minnesota Twins Named As Trade Candidates

The Minnesota Twins had a disappointing finish to their 2024 season, going from an 86.5% chance of making the playoffs as of July 7th, to finishing just two games over .500, in 4th place in their division and four games back of a Wild Card spot.

Changes will be coming in the Twin Cities this offseason, and in his latest mailbag for The Athletic, Aaron Gleeman has named two prime candidates on the Twins to be dealt this winter.

I suspect the Twins will be very active in the trade market.
That doesn’t necessarily mean blockbuster deals are coming. It could be as simple as creating a sliver of monetary flexibility by trading (Chris) Paddack and/or Christian Vázquez, who are owed a combined $17.5 million for 2025.

Paddack has one season and $7.5 million left on his contract, and missed the entire second half of 2024 with a right forearm strain.

He posted a disappointing 4.99 ERA in 17 starts with a 1.39 WHIP. It was his first full season (and it wasn't so 'full') since returning from his second career Tommy John surgery. If he is healthy, another team could be willing to give the 28-year-old a shot.

As for Vazquez, the 34-year-old split time with Ryan Jeffers behind the plate for the Twins this season, though didn't produce much at the plate, with an OPS+ of just 60, his lowest in six years, and 281st out of 286 major leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances, as Gleeman notes. He's batted just .222 in his two seasons with the Twins, averaging just 6.5 homers a year.

Vazquez, the former Boston Red Sox clubhouse leader, is the fourth highest-paid player on the Twins, and has not come anywhere close to living up to his 3-year, $30 million contract he signed two years ago. With still one year left, Gleeman notes that they might even have to attach a good prospect in a trade to unload him and free up that money.