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Phillies Trade Rumors: 3 Twins Players to Target

By Gabrielle Starr

Jun 1, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Alex Colome (48) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 1, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Alex Colome (48) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michael Pineda’s trade value won’t be high, making him an affordable option for the Phillies.

In addition to making headlines for globs of pine tar on his neck when his name literally has the word ‘pine’ in it, Pineda is also a solid pitcher.

The Phillies desperately need to upgrade both their bullpen and starting rotation, and Pineda could bring them some stability. He only pitched in five games for the Twins in 2020, so setting that small sample size aside, this is his best season by ERA since 2014.

Pineda was an All-Star in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners, and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, he’s pitched for the New York Yankees (2014-2017) and Twins (2019-present).

In 13 games so far this year, Pineda has a 3.93 ERA and 58 strikeouts over 66 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate is down, but his walk rate has improved. His fastball velocity being down to a career-low 90.8 mph should be of concern, but he’s still having a better season than most of the Phillies arms.

Compared to Chase Anderson, Matt Moore, and Vince Velasquez, Pineda is an upgrade. He’ll be a free agent after this season, but considering his age (32) and the fact that he’s been injured (thigh and forearm) this season and throughout his career, his trade value won’t be out of the Phillies’ reach. He’s also only owed about $3 million for the remainder of the season, so he wouldn’t hurt the Phillies’ wallet too much.

As with pretty much everyone the Phillies are interested in, they’ll have competition for Pineda. The Padres are one of the teams that have made their interest clear, but Darren Wolfson notes that scouts from multiple teams will be watching Pineda’s Monday night start.

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