How Much Would Local Kid Max Meyer Cost Twins at Trade Deadline? Too Much.

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Max Meyer
Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

There is plenty of reason to suggest the Minnesota Twins will be buyers at the trade deadline. While they are still looking to catch the Cleveland Guardians atop the AL Central, their 6-game winning streak has pushed them ahead of the Kansas City Royals for 2nd place in the division.

Prior to the 2023 Major League Baseball season Derek Falvey and the MN Twins found common ground with the Miami Marlins in a deal that landed Pablo Lopez and shipped out fan favorite, Luis Arraez.

Now, with just over a month until the MLB trade deadline, it sounds like the Twins once again are hunting the trade market for a starting pitcher. Yet again, the Marlins have multiple available, including a former Gophers standout and Minnesota native, Max Meyer.

What would Max Meyer cost the Minnesota Twins?

A consensus top-100 prospect, Woodbury’s Max Meyer was taken third overall during the 2020 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He debuted with the Marlins back in 2022 but missed all of last season as he underwent Tommy John surgery.

After three really impressive starts in April (17 IP, 2.12 ERA, 0.824 WHIP), Miami demoted the 25-year-old in attempt to manipulate his service time. He made it known at that point that he wasn’t happy and he’s expected to be dangled at the trade deadline, for teams who might be interested.

According to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press, the price for Minnesota to bring back their golden boy is pretty clear… and it isn’t cheap: “the pitcher-needy Twins probably could have former Woodbury-Gophers ace Max Meyer, 25, from the Marlins, who are desperate for hitters if they were to give up Brooks Lee and either of Trevor Larnach or Edouard Julien.”

Related: Charley Walters Pleads for Twins to Save Former Gopher Max Meyer from Marlins

Lee seems like a logical trade piece this summer for Minnesota, if there is a belief in Julien’s ability to rebound from a disastrous slump that landed him back in Triple-A. Pairing those two together seems unlikely, and how Larnach is handled may depend on what the future of Matt Wallner looks like, or if he is dealt before the deadline.

Does trading Brooks Lee for Max Meyer make sense for the Minnesota Twins?

Meyer is certainly seen as a promising arm, but it remains uncertain what his immediate impact would be. Yes, he had a hot start to the 2024 season, but since being stashed at Triple-A, he owns a 6.46 ERA while walking 3.9 per nine and allowing nearly two homers per nine innings.

Giving up Brooks Lee for a young, unproven pitching prospect seems like way too big of a risk for a team that needs a blockbuster like this to help them win games immediately. If Minnesota is dangling Lee, you have to think they could get a more reliable arm back than Max Meyer.

Related: The Jorge Polanco Trade is Falling Apart from All Ends

But clearly, Max did not appreciate being sent down after such a great start this season, which is why Charley Walters has been incessantly writing about the Twins trade for him the last couple months.

Meyer is under team control through 2028, and would represent a serious upgrade to the pitching depth and sustainability long term, but he may not be an option that represents a higher water level than either Simeon Woods Richardson or Chris Paddack currently.

Why are the Twins in this situation? Because last offseason, they let Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda walk, and created a major hole in their playoff rotation. Instead of going out and finding a less expensive version of Sonny Gray, someone who could plug in as a legitimate third playoff-caliber starter, they signed Anthony DeSlafani.

He quickly landed on the IR during spring training and is unlikely to ever step foot on a mound for the Minnesota Twins. It’s the sort of thing that happens when you are more concerned about shedding payroll than you are about winning games.

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