Twins Top 20 Trade Value Series: 11-20 – Twins

Prospect lists can only provide so much insight into the future of an organization. Players at every level will impact the Twins for years to come, and it’s important to get a full picture of the organization before the trade deadline. Below is a ranking of players based on their current and future value on potential transfers, taking into account age, years of team control, contracts, and (of course) talent. That doesn’t mean these players will be traded, but they do have significant value as the trade deadline approaches.

20. Austin Martin, UTL
2024 Age: 25
Years of team control: 6
Martin has shown versatility this season and has a unique skill set at the major league level. The Twins had hoped he would develop more power, but he can use his skills and speed to become an above-average starter. Minnesota has him under control in the prime of his career, which is solid value in and of itself.

19. Gabriel Gonzalez, OF
2024 Age: 20
Years of team control: 10
Gonzalez was a borderline top-100 prospect when the Twins acquired him in the Jorge Polanco trade this winter. He missed nearly two months with back problems (muscular, not disc-related). In his first 40 games, he posted a .732 OPS while facing older pitchers in nearly 82% of his at-bats.

18. Luke Keaschall, IF
2024 Age: 21
Years of team control: 11
Keaschall is the Twins organization’s fastest-rising prospect in 2024. He was drafted in the second round last season and has shown his ability in all five tools between High-A and Double-A. In 84 games, he posted a .945 OPS overall and took advantage of 19 of 24 opportunities to steal a base. Keaschall is the type of player other teams are targeting at the trade deadline.

17. Louie Varland, SP
2024 Age: 26
Years of team control: 6
Varland struggled in the Twins’ rotation this year (6.58 ERA in 6 appearances), forcing the team to go in a different direction. He had some ups and downs at Triple-A, but the Twins kept him in a starting position. Varland has future value because he is under the team’s control and can be moved to a relief role if he fails as a starter.

16. Marco Raya
2024 Age: 21
Years of team control: 9
Raya has been a promising prospect since the Twins drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Minnesota has been cautious with his workload after he struggled with injuries in his first professional season. He has some of the best players in the Twins organization and many national media outlets continue to rank him as a borderline top-100 prospect.

15. Edouard Julien, 2B
2024 Age: 25
Years of team control: 6
Julien would have ranked much higher on this list earlier this year, but the Twins believe he can turn things around. In 2023, he posted a 130 OPS+ as part of a rookie trio that spurred the Twins’ offense. Julien struggled earlier this season, posting a 91 OPS+ in 58 games before being demoted. The Twins will need him in the second half as injuries affect the team.

14. Simeon Woods Richardson
2024 Age: 23
Years of team control: 6
Woods Richardson has saved the Twins’ rotation this season after Varland struggled earlier in the year. In 16 starts, he has posted a 3.51 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 20.9 K%. Minnesota has gone 12-4 in the games he has pitched, so he contributes enough to help the team win. He’s young and cheap, which gives him a lot of value even if he becomes a casualty of the drop.

13. David Festa, SP
2024 Age: 24
Years of team control: 6
Many consider Festa to be the Twins’ best pitching talent, as he has a lot of potential and is basically major league ready. His first few stints with the Twins haven’t been perfect, but he still has a chance to become a starter in the middle rotation. Festa needs to throw more strikes in Triple-A and can join the back end of the team’s rotation the next time the need arises.

12. Matt Wallner, OF
2024 Age: 26
Years of team control: 6
Wallner’s year started disastrously with 25 terrible at-bats in which he struck out 17 times and managed just two hits. Minnesota sent him to Triple-A, and he was a man on a mission. The International League named him Hitter of the Month for June after he batted .324/.403/.724 with 12 home runs and six doubles. Since returning to the Twins, he has had a sure hit in six of his first seven games, with four extra-base hits.

11. Ryan Jeffers, C
2024 Age: 27
Years of team control: 3
Jeffers began the year as one of the AL’s best hitters, with an .892 OPS, 14 doubles and 12 home runs through the end of May. He plummeted in June, with an OPS of .470, managing just nine hits in 56 at-bats. Jeffers has hit better in July, however, and young catchers with team control will always be valuable.

Do you agree with the rankings above? Who is ranked too high? Who is ranked too low? Leave a comment and start the discussion.