The Minnesota Twins are willing to trade batting champion Luis Arraez if it helps them acquire some high-end pitching.
The Twins could lose both Carlos Correa and Luis Arraez in the same offseason. That is, if Minnesota does indeed trade the 2022 AL batting champion.
Per Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the Twins are willing to move Arraez for the right front-end starter. Minnesota, like most small-market teams, has shied away from the free-agent pitching market as the prices are sky high.
Arraez, who is definitely an asset with three years left on his deal, could very well fetch the kind of impact pitcher the Twins are looking for. Minnesota is selling high on a player who had struggled to stay healthy for much of his career up until last year, when he played in 144 games.
MLB rumors: What teams could trade for Twins star Luis Arraez?
For Minnesota, two teams jump to mind in terms of potential trade suitors with the frontline starters available to land a player like Luis Arraez.
While the Milwaukee Brewers have been consistent in their insistence that they will not trade Corbin Burnes or Brandon Woodruff, that was well before Arraez was made available and prior to dealing Kolten Wong, who was previously their second baseman.
Arraez isn’t the best defensive second baseman, as Minnesota moved him to the outfield last year, but he has experience there and could fill that void. He more than makes up for his lack of range on the offensive side of the ball, given his .316 batting average.
The Marlins could be a suitor as well. While they won’t part with Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez is very available. Lopez has been linked to the Dodgers and other contenders, but with Arraez available, these two mid-market teams could swap good assets instead.
If Arraez is dealt for anything short of an ace, there will be hell to pay amid the Twins fanbase. Milwaukee and Miami are, for now, the best opportunities to get such a deal done.