The Minnesota Twins could be at the center of this year's trade deadline. Given its middling record (49-52) and current standing on the periphery of the American League postseason chase, the Twins have a decision to make: to buy or to sell.
Should they opt to be sellers, Minnesota possesses plenty of enticing trade chips, most notably in its pitching staff. The likes of flame-throwing closer Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax would quickly be among the top relievers available should the Twins decide to trade them. Contending clubs would also find starter Joe Ryan (2.63 ERA, 132 strikeouts) to be an enticing addition for a postseason push.
But there's a catch.
Since MLB added a third wild card to each league back in 2022, the trade deadline market has become more condensed. More and more teams have a shot—or more importantly, think they have a shot—at making the postseason once the trade deadline rolls around.
That means there are far more buyers than sellers. So a team like the Twins, should they decide to sell, could largely dictate what rival clubs will need to cough up, in terms of prospects, to acquire their trade chips.
And it appears Minnesota's asking price is, understandably, high.
The Twins are seeking at least two top-100 caliber prospects in exchange for either Duran or Jax, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Passan goes on to note that such an exorbitant asking price has made teams reluctant to approach the Twins about a potential trade for Ryan, a top of the rotation starter two years away from free agency.
Duran, who can regularly touch 100 mph with his four-seam fastball, boasts a miniscule 1.94 ERA. Jax, meanwhile, owns the sixth-highest strikeout rate among MLB relievers.
The MLB trade deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Twins Sporting Steep MLB Trade Deadline Asking Price for Pitchers.