Are the Miami Marlins a Perfect Trade Partner for the Minnesota Twins? – Twins
It’s hard to imagine a world where the Twins stand pat with their roster after signing Harrison Bader on Wednesday, as they’re nearing $20 million over what ownership’s preferred payroll seemed to be. Even if they have a bit more than we previously believed in terms of flexibility, they need to trim somewhere. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins have a minuscule payroll, and may want to add to their rotation. Is there a fit?
Before things fell through, the Twins reportedly talked with the Padres to shed some salary by moving Christian Vázquez’s contract. After making several additions to the major-league roster recently, they may have to revisit their options to shed salary. The Vázquez ship has likely sailed, and now it may be time to look at options with Chris Paddack.
Paddack had a disappointing season in 2024, his first full one after his second Tommy John surgery. Still, the going rate for a back-end starting pitcher in this landscape is much higher than the $7.25 million he’s owed. A bounce-back season could also be in the cards; we often see such things two years out from Tommy John. The Twins’ rotation depth may make Paddack the easiest option to save some money on, and one team could be a fit.
The Miami Marlins could be looking to add to their rotation. With a pitching staff decimated by injuries in recent seasons, they may simply be looking to add innings to make it through the season. In a marketplace where Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd each get roughly $15 million per year, though, simply going out and signing a free agent may be more of an expense than the Marlins would like, considering they plan to finish in last place. They may, instead, turn to the trade market.
In Paddack, the Marlins can get a rotation candidate to eat at least a few innings. He’s shown substantial upside at times in his career, when healthy. Not only could he be acquired cheaply, but they would also have the ability to trade him at the deadline if he returns to form. The Fish would welcome a modest addition to their payroll, considering the MLB Players Association has begun to complain about the payrolls of teams like the Oakland A’s in years past. The Marlins currently project a payroll of just over $43 million, according to Spotrac, and are also already on the union’s radar as potential violators of rules about how teams must use proceeds from competitive-balance tax payouts and revenue-sharing receipts.
Will dumping Paddack’s salary make the Twins a better team? Not unless you expect arms like David Festa or Zebby Matthews to be better rotation fillers than Paddack. Unfortunately, it’s possible that the additions of Danny Coulombe and Harrison Bader always relied on the Twins’ shedding salary. It’s a good bet to say a money-saving tactic is on the horizon. It’s also perfectly plausible that both Festa and Matthews will be better than Paddack in 2025, even if that says as much about Paddack as about the young hurlers.
Could the Twins and Marlins link again on a low-wattage, salary-dumping trade? Should the Twins even be prioritizing such a move? Let us know below!
