Minnesota Twins trade rumors: Tyler Mahle on radar yet again

The Minnesota Twins reportedly asked about the possibility a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason to acquire starting pitchers Tyler Mahle or Luis Castillo. Now, with the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, Minnesota is back knocking on Cincinnati’s door with continued interest in Mahle more than Castillo, one report says.

Minnesota Twins rumors: Can they pull off a trade for Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle before the MLB trade deadline?

According to this article by Dan Hayes of The Athletic (subscription required), the Minnesota Twins “continue to love” Mahle, the 27-year-old right-hander who is under team control through next season. It says something about the team that that “love” for Mahle hasn’t wavered since the Twins first asked about acquiring him in the offseason. Now, after Mahle’s first 18 starts, the Twins still see him as a key piece of a rotation that they hope will carry them to an American League Central crown and a deep postseason run.

In his sixth season in a Reds uniform, Mahle has posted a 4.48 ERA/3.78 FIP/1.271 WHIP in 98.1 innings this year. He’s also been durable, having just one stint on the injured list (earlier this season with a strained right shoulder) in the last three campaigns. Mahle, in fact, tied for the MLB lead in games started last season with 33 and has started 106 contests over the last four seasons, including nine during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020.

That durability is important for the Twins as injuries have Minnesota’s depth anything but deep, with Kenta Maeda and Chris Paddack, expected to be two key pieces of the Twins’ starting unit, on the 60-day injured list.

As Hayes details in his article, the Twins have pursued numerous high-level pitchers over the past few seasons (including Yu Darvish, Zack Wheeler, and Marcus Stroman) and have never landed the player they chased. Minnesota hopes that changes at the MLB trade deadline with Mahle.