The Twins didn’t swing for the fences when they landed Dean Kremer from the Orioles, and that’s exactly why the move is starting to look so sharp.
At the time, it felt like a pretty modest deadline-style deal. Kremer wasn’t the headliner type Minnesota fans were dreaming about, especially with names like Kevin Gausman and Casey Mize in the mix around the market.
He wasn’t Tarik Skubal, either. But the Twins had a need in the rotation, and they got a right-handed starter who comes with team control through next season.
That part matters, especially now that Minnesota is very unlikely to make the playoffs.
Kremer’s first stretch with the Twins hasn’t been spotless. In seven starts, he’s put up a 4.79 ERA over 35 2/3 innings.
The underlying numbers paint a better picture, though. His 3.99 FIP suggests he’s been a little better than the ERA says, and he’s logged a 1.23 WHIP with 31 strikeouts and 14 walks.
The results have come in waves. He’s had a few outings that got away from him, including two starts in which he allowed four runs and another where he gave up five.
But Minnesota has also seen the other side of him: four starts with two runs or fewer allowed. His most recent outing, against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Tuesday, was one of the better ones.
Kremer gave up two earned runs on five hits and a walk over five innings and picked up the win.
He doesn’t look like an ace, and nothing in this stretch says otherwise. What he does look like is a pitcher who can settle in as a useful back-end rotation arm for Minnesota in 2027. And after this season’s injuries hit Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Mick Abel and Taj Bradley, the Twins have gotten a clear reminder of how valuable pitching depth can be.
The other part of why this trade is aging well for Minnesota is the price. The Twins gave up only 18-year-old outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes to get Kremer from Baltimore. MLB Pipeline doesn’t project Reyes to reach the majors until 2030, and he’s currently the Orioles’ No. 24 overall prospect.
Reyes has had a rough run since joining the Orioles’ system, hitting .217/.325/.245 with 29 strikeouts in 106 at-bats over 28 games with Single-A Delmarva. It’s still a tiny sample, and a short stint in Single-A doesn’t close the book on a young player. But it does underline the point: Minnesota moved a long-term lottery ticket for a veteran starter with more than a year of control.
For the Twins, that’s starting to look like a smart piece of business.
In Other News...
Twins Face A Real Derek Shelton Debate After A Year Of Change
Derek Sheltons first season in the Twins dugout has already given the organization plenty to consider as it weighs the next step. After a year of change, Shelton has been judged not just on wins and losses, but on how he handled player development, navigated late-game decisions and fit into a club still adjusting to life after Rocco Baldelli.
Some of the signs have been encouraging, especially with several players taking clear steps forward and the pitching staff being managed in ways that looked familiar to the previous regime. Even so, the bigger question remains whether Shelton gets the chance to keep building, or whether the Twins use this uncertain stretch around the organization to make another change before his second season can even begin. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Roster Has A Warning Sign Fans Shouldn't Ignore
The Twins have spent much of this season trying to patch together a lineup that has rarely had everyone pointed in the same direction at once. FanGraphs WAR leaderboard tells part of the story: no Minnesota player has gotten to the 3-WAR level, a mark that usually separates a good regular from a true difference-maker. For a club built with playoff aspirations, that is a reminder that the roster has not produced enough high-end impact across the long haul.
Ryan Jeffers, Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan each looked capable of pushing higher before injuries or second-half drop-offs changed the picture. That is the warning sign for the front office as much as for the fans, because it suggests the Twins cannot just count on internal improvement to solve everything. If Minnesota is going to look more like a contender than a team stuck in the middle, it will need more players who can sustain that kind of value over a full season. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Be Heading For A Tough Ryan Jeffers Decision
Ryan Jeffers has become one of the more interesting names in the Twins offseason picture, and not just because of what he has done at the plate this year. The catchers strong offensive season has raised his profile around the league, and if Minnesota does not bring him back, he figures to draw real attention as one of the more appealing options in a thin market.
One team to watch is Cincinnati, where CBS Sports Mike Axisa has identified the Reds as a possible landing spot if Jeffers reaches free agency. From the Twins standpoint, that kind of outside interest only sharpens the pressure on a decision that already looks complicated, since moving on would mean replacing a productive bat at a position that is rarely easy to fill. [Read more 🡒]