Just before bed time here in Florida on Monday night I saw the news that the Minnesota Twins were in the process of finalizing their trade of Jorge Polanco the switch-hitting second baseman who has been a regular part of the Twins infield since 2016 to the Seattle Mariners for four players, two experienced major league players and two minor league players and cash. The will get right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani and reliever Justin Topa, and two minor leaguers, outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez and pitcher Darren Bowen. The Mariners will also send cash (rumored to be $8 million) to the Twins, the teams announced.
The Twins second second base job has multiple suitors and the soon to be 31 year-old Polanco was slated to make $10.5 million this season. Polanco was liked by his teammates and his fans alike and will be missed in Minnesota. But I have the feeling that we have not seen the last of the franchise leader in home runs by a switch-hitter and longest-tenured Twins player.
Polanco was signed by scout Fred Guerrero for the Minnesota Twins in 2009. On March 18, 2018, he received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for the banned old-school steroid, Stanozolol. Polanco claimed that he had consumed the steroid inadvertently, as he thought he was taking a simple vitamin supplement in his native Dominican Republic. In 2019, “Chulo” was the first player to hit for the cycle that season. This marked the start of an outstanding first half in which he was the Twins’ best offensive player while they were the best team in the American League. He was in turn elected as the starting shortstop in the 2019 All-Star Game.
So let’s take a look at what the Twins got in return, They got starter Anthony DeSclafani who will turn 34 in mid-April and has made 61 starts over his last four seasons, while with the Reds and the Giants. The Giants traded him to Seattle earlier this month. Will he start he be in the Twins rotation for long or will he be moved again soon? He does not seem to be the type of starter the Twins FO is looking for.
The Twins also received reliever Justin Topa who blossomed as a 32 year-old reliever for the Mariners in 2023 appearing in 75 games after appearing in just 17 big league games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020-2022. The side-arming Topa struck out 61 batters in 69 innings with a 2.61 ERA and a nifty 1.145 WHIP. Again, not what the FO seems to admire but maybe he will fit right in to the Twins pen just because he is unique. I just don’t know how much faith you can put into a 32 year-old reliever who has has one good season.
That takes us to the two minor league players the Twins received. The first being right-handed hitting outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez. Gonzalez just turned 20 earlier this month and is 5’10” and 165. The Mariners considered Gonzalez one of the top players in the 2020-21 international class and signed him for a $1.3 million bonus out of Venezuela. Gonzalez has played pro ball for three years and in 2023 was promoted to A+ Everett where he appeared in 43 games but struggled a bit hitting .216. He was rated the Mariners third best prospect and 79th overall. Some articles have Gonzalez as the jewel in this trade.
Then there is RHP Darren Bowen who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of North Carolina at Pembroke (Pembroke, NC) 12 picks after the Twins selected PHP C.J. Culpepper that year. Brown has played one year of pro ball at the A level for the Mariners and was ranked as their 25th best prospect. Baseball America states “Bowen was one of the better athletes in the Mariners’ system, and it’s that athleticism that gives hope that he’ll refine his presently below-average control. If he can, he has the stuff to work as either as a starter or reliever. He has a 92-94 mph fastball with run and ride that should continue to improve as he gets stronger. He throws a sweepy slider that could end up as an above-average pitch and his cutter that needs a little more separation from his slider. His changeup has some deception and sink, but he doesn’t yet command it well enough for it to be a weapon.”
After a couple of days to ponder the trade it just seems to me that the Twins traded away one of there more valuable trading chips but didn’t necessarily solve any of their problems which is to get another solid starting pitcher nor a solid piece for the bullpen. I don’t see Anthony DeSclafani as that solid fifth starter though he has experience on his side. My biggest concern with him is his health. The bullpen piece, Justin Topa to me is a high risk piece who has just one year of solid bullpen experience and he is going on 33. If he is a late bloomer and can pitch like he did in 2023 for Seattle than he is a good addition, if not then he will be a Saint soon. What is interesting to me about him is his unique side-arm pitching style that can induce groundballs which could be a nice weapon for Rocco when he needs a double play ball. Gabriel Gonzalez seems to be the jewel in this trade and he is highly ranked, already ranked number four in the Twins system and 79th in overall MLB. In addition to these players, the Twins received a reported $8 million.
Although we don’t know what the future will bring, at this point in time it appears to be a nice trade for Minnesota maybe more so in the long run than for 2024. I would have preffered a solid starting pitcher but they are not easy to find. I just can’t get it out of my mind that the Twins traded quality for quanity. I’ll miss Jorge Polanco and what he brought to this team but it is always best to trade someone a year to early versus a year to late and I wish Polanco the very best with the Seattle Mariners.