The Twins are firmly in sell mode ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Nelson Cruz has already been traded and the Twins trade rumors aren’t stopping there. There are Max Kepler trade rumors and Jose Berrios trade rumors quickly gaining traction.
Granted, it remains to be seen if the Twins will trade any of their players who are under team control beyond this season. But if they do, Kepler could be an interesting trade chip. The German-born outfielder is just two years removed from a 36-home-run season in 2019 and is on pace to hit well over 20 home runs again.
Max Kepler trade rumors
According to the latest Twins trade rumors, several teams have been in contact with Minnesota about Kepler. The catch is that Kepler is under team control through the 2024 season at a price of $25.25 million over the next three seasons, which is a team-friendly contract given his production in recent years.
Naturally, that means the price to acquire Kepler in a trade will be substantial. At the same time, not every contending team is in the market for a left-hand hitting corner outfielder.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Max Kepler trade rumors and what teams could be interested in acquiring him before the trade deadline.
Yankees
There’s no way that the Yankees can let the deadline pass without acquiring at least one outfielder.
The likes of Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner just aren’t getting the job done. On top of that, they are struggling with injuries.
Kepler would fill an immediate need in left field for the Yankees while also giving them one less position to address this offseason. As a left-handed hitter at Yankee Stadium, Kepler could increase his power numbers substantially and have a huge second half while also helping the Bronx Bombers make a serious playoff push.
Braves
With Ronald Acuna and Marcell Ozuna both sidelined for different reasons, the Braves need to acquire an outfielder before the deadline.
Even after trading for Joc Pederson, Atlanta is still in the market for an outfielder. The caveat is that with Pederson, Freddie Freeman, and Ozzie Albies, most of Atlanta’s best hitters are left-handed or switch-hitters. If given a choice, the Braves might prefer a right-handed hitter over Kepler. But beggars can’t be choosers, which means Kepler will be on Atlanta’s radar.
Mariners
If there’s a player on the trade market who’s under team control beyond this season, the Mariners are interested in him.
Seattle could still make a playoff push this season, making Kepler a significant addition given the lack of productivity from outfielders not named Mitch Haniger. But Kepler could also fit into the team’s long-term plans, making the Mariners a team worth watching if the Twins are serious about trading Kepler.
[spreaker type=player resource=”show_id=3300147″ width=”100%” height=”200px” theme=”light” playlist=”false” playlist-continuous=”false” chapters-image=”true” episode-image-position=”right” hide-logo=”false” hide-likes=”false” hide-comments=”false” hide-sharing=”false” hide-download=”true”]