MLB Trade Rumors: Minnesota Twins May Be Looking to Buy Low on Current Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi
Twins have reportedly discussed potentially acquiring Odorizzi with the Rays
The Minnesota Twins turned things around in remarkable fashion this past season.
After losing 103 games last year, the Twins showed marked improvement in 2017 as they won 85 games and made the postseason for the first time since 2010.
There is a good chance that this past season was just the start of great things to come as well for the franchise. The team's roster is made up of talented youngsters, including outfielders Byron Buxton and Max Kepler and infielders Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Starting pitching remains a weak spot for the team, however. While Ervin Santana posted terrific numbers this year and the 23-year-old Jose Berrios still possesses plenty of upside, the Twins still need to figure out what to do with the rest of the rotation.
One way in which the Twins are apparently trying to address their starting pitching situation is through trades, as they appear to be checking out what deals can be made.
According to Twins beat writer for the Pioneer Press, Mike Berardino, the team has talked to the Pittsburgh Pirates about a potential deal involving Gerrit Cole and to the Tampa Bay Rays about possibly acquiring Jake Odorizzi.
The Twins' interest in Odorizzi is noteworthy, mainly because the 27-year-old did not have a great 2017 season. As seen in Baseball-Reference, Odorizzi's numbers last year were down across the board when compared to what he put up in 2016 and even in 2015, which is somewhat strange considering that he should be in his prime right now.
Still, with the Twins in need of starting pitchers, they may be willing to look past Odorizzi's subpar 2017 campaign and bank on him bouncing back next season.
The Twins may even be eyeing a buy-low opportunity here with Odorizzi, and if they can indeed pull off a deal that does not involve them parting with their best prospects, they could then be in really good shape moving forward.
More news about the latest MLB trade rumors should be made available soon.
