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A Taylor Rogers trade at the MLB deadline seemed inevitable. But a sprained finger has put him on the IL and now, the Minnesota Twins reliever’s stock has certainly gone down.
The Rogers trade rumors have certainly diminished, but that doesn’t mean a trade doesn’t happen. His injury is similar to Cleveland Indians’ Aaron Civale, who was out 4-5 weeks. That still allows Rogers plenty of time to get back and recover before the playoffs. So why not take a gamble on him?
Taylor Rogers trade: Potential destinations in 2021
Rogers, a lefty hurler, has had an All-Star season. He is 2-4 with a 3.35 ERA in just over 40 innings pitched for the Twins.
The injury is a concern, but that just means it would take less for a team to trade for him. The Rogers trade rumors had been swirling before then. A team can now jump on the opportunity to get Rogers cheaper and hope he recovers and returns to form. He’s a free agent next year too, so teams have the insurance of next season.
Here are five teams who should take that opportunity and make a Rogers trade.
Giants
Could the San Francisco Giants pair the Rogers brothers together? They already have Taylor’s identical twin Tyler as their closer.
The Giants are in full win-now mode. Their pitching has been one of the best in the league, and could improve even more by acquiring Rogers.
That would give the Giants four lefty arms in the pen, as they already have Jake McGee, Jarlin Garcia and Jose Alvarez, all who have sub-3.00 ERAs. Not a huge need for another lefty arm, but if the price is right, why not.
Reds
The Cincinnati Reds were a popular name in the Rogers trade rumors and could potentially still be. But it’s a lot less likely now.
It appears the Reds moved on from Rogers after the injury by acquiring Luis Cessa and lefty Justin Wilson from the New York Yankees. That gives the Reds three lefties in the pen between Wilson, Amir Garrett and Sean Doolittle. Rogers would certainly be an upgrade over Garrett and Wilson, but it’s no longer a desperate need.
Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are another team with a sensational bullpen this season. When it comes to their lefties, Josh Taylor has been lights out after a rocky start. Darwinzon Hernandez hasn’t been bad, but walks are a problem with him.
With the Yankees now trading for Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo, the Sox can use any lefty pitcher help they can get.
Mets
Holding the lead in the NL East, the New York Mets seemed to have somewhat solved their bullpen problem this year. It’s at least better than years past.
A Rogers trade would give the Mets another lefty arm to pair with Aaron Loup. Loup has actually been their best reliever with a 1.38 ERA in 37 games, but has now been seeing some starts. The Mets need another lefty especially with power hitters like Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper to pitch to in their division.
Braves
Speaking of the NL East, the Atlanta Braves could possibly bring in Rogers in a trade. Atlanta isn’t out of the race yet, they’re four games back of the Mets for the division lead. They especially could enlist in Rogers’ help with A.J. Minter on the IL.
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