When the Twins shipped Trevor Megill to the Brewers on April 30, 2023, it barely registered as anything more than a small bullpen swap. Minnesota got cash and a player to be named later, and the move made sense on paper at the time. Megill had just put up a 4.80 ERA across 45 innings for the Twins in 2022, and the club had originally claimed him off waivers from the Cubs in the 2021-22 offseason.
The problem for Minnesota is that Megill has turned into exactly the kind of arm teams spend years chasing. He followed up that trade with a 3.63 ERA over 34 2/3 innings for Milwaukee in 2023, then took over as the Brewers’ primary closer in 2024 and still owns that job now. On Friday night in Milwaukee, he collected the save in Game 1 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Since the start of the 2024 season, Megill has piled up 81 saves and 179 strikeouts while posting a 2.61 ERA over 155 regular-season innings. In the playoffs, he’s allowed only two runs in 14 innings, with 19 strikeouts and five saves.
So what did the Twins get back for a pitcher now finishing games on the sport’s biggest stage?
Right-hander Taylor Floyd.
Milwaukee sent Floyd to Minnesota to complete the deal. He was the Brewers’ 10th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, but he never reached the majors with the Twins and is no longer in the organization.
The Seattle Mariners grabbed Floyd from the Twins in the Triple-A phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. After the 2025 season, he elected free agency, signed a minor-league deal with the Cincinnati Reds, and spent this past season with their Double-A affiliate.
Floyd has not climbed above Double-A in his career. Over 377 minor-league innings, he has a 4.37 ERA with 428 strikeouts. He’s approaching 30 now, so if he does reach the majors, he’ll be far older than the typical rookie.
At this point, retirement could be on the table for Floyd, and a move to a foreign league is another possibility.
None of that changes the reality for Minnesota. The trade did not look disastrous in the moment, especially with the Cubs also having moved on from Megill. But with Megill now closing for Milwaukee in the World Series, the Twins are left looking at a return that never came close to matching the pitcher they gave away.
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