Coming off two consecutive losses, the Minnesota Twins find themselves sitting 29-35 and slipping out of the playoff picture. They are seven games out in the AL Central, and there have been whispers that they could decide to trade off their top aging stars and expiring contracts before the MLB trade deadline in August. One of those stars who could be on the move is catcher Ryan Jeffers.
Jeffers is currently on the 10-day IL, but is expected to be back in July. Prior to going on the IL, he was batting .295 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs, while boasting a .949 OPS in 37 games this season. He could bring a big boost to an offense in need of a catcher who can hit.
San Diego Padres – Minnesota Twins Mock Trade
San Diego Padres Receive
C- Ryan Jeffers
Minnesota Twins Receive
RHP – Tucker Musgrove (Prospect)
INF – Lamar King Jr (Prospect)
Fantasy Impact
Despite the Padres being the worst offense in the league, the idea of dropping Jeffers in a lineup with stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill should do wonders for Jeffers fantasy value. However, none of those stars are playing anywhere close to their potential, and we can’t just assume they’ll turn things around.
In theory, this should be a great move for Jeffers, but the numbers this season don’t tell us that. We’d still expect that things have to get better for the San Diego offense as a whole. Players tend to regress to their averages over the course of 162 games.
It also always helps when a player is playing on a team playing for a spot in the playoffs. It motivates the player and the team, and assures they’ll be doing everything it takes to win.
As far as the prospects go, they should have a much quicker path to the majors on a team that is in a rebuild. It is much more difficult to get brought up on a high-payroll team full of stars competing for a title most seasons.
Why The Trade Makes Sense For The San Diego Padres
While their pitching has been solid, the San Diego Padres are near the bottom of the league in every offensive category, and their 235 runs scored is the lowest total in the league. They are always aggressive in the trade market and are in desperate need of some offense.
Despite having the worst offense in baseball, they are still 32-29 and currently just 0.5 games out of a playoff spot. We expect them to make a big move, and Jeffers could be a top target.
Why The Trade Makes Sense For The Minnesota Twins
It could be time for the Twins to blow up this iteration of their team. Jeffers is 29 and on an expiring contract, while a star like Byron Buxton is 32 and could be on the move as well. They need to reload and build up their farm system for another run, probably a few years away.
This is just how low-payroll teams have to operate. If they don’t turn their season around by the time Jeffers returns from the IL, he’ll more than likely be traded.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Padres Acquire Ryan Jeffers From The Twins, Raising His Fantasy Ceiling In MLB Mock Trade.
