The Minnesota Twins are suddenly at the center of a trade-deadline tug-of-war, with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays both showing interest in the same group of players.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, scouts from both clubs were at Wrigley Field over the weekend to get a close look at three Twins in particular: catcher Ryan Jeffers, starter Joe Ryan and outfielder Trevor Larnach.
"Scouts from the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays were at Wrigley Field over the weekend to closely watch Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, starter Joe Ryan and outfielder Trevor Larnach," Nightengale wrote.
Catching is the obvious pressure point for both AL East contenders. Entering Sunday, Tampa Bay ranked 22nd in Wins Above Average among catchers at 0.3, while New York sat 26th at 0.0. Pitching and outfield production have been stronger for both teams, which makes the search for help behind the plate stand out even more.
Jeffers, in particular, looks like the kind of target that can draw serious attention. He has already been linked to the Yankees in rumors this season, and he’s putting together a career year. Entering Sunday, he owned a .292/.402/.547 slash line with a .950 OPS, eight home runs and a 2.0 WAR.
He also missed two months because of a broken hamate bone in his left hand, but he appears to be back on track. Since returning, Jeffers has hit .267 with a homer and five RBI in four games.
If the Twins slip out of playoff contention, they could be in position to squeeze the most out of a market where both New York and Tampa Bay are chasing the same names.
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