BREAKING NEWS: Minnesota Twins Officially Acquire Top Outfielder In Trade with NL West Division

The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded outfielder Manuel Margot to the Minnesota Twins, MLB.com’s Juan Toribio reported Monday afternoon.

Margot was supposed to be in the Dodgers’ lineup for their Cactus League game against the Colorado Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET, but he was scratched after the move became public less than 30 minutes earlier. He was scheduled to bat sixth at the start in centre field.

Margot went 0-for-6 in two Spring Training games, striking out once.

According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Twins will trade shortstop Noah Miller back to the Dodgers. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Margot will travel from Los Angeles to Minnesota with shortstop prospect Rayne Doncon.
The Dodgers acquired Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays in December. He was one of two players that returned to Los Angeles as part of the trade, the other being starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow.

Margot, 29, is due $12 million in 2024. He is expected to enter free agency next winter.

Margot previously played four seasons with the San Diego Padres before joining the Rays. He was a top prospect in the Boston Red Sox farm system before being sold to San Diego with three other players in exchange for All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel.

Margot’s lifetime batting average is.255, with an OPS of.694. In 788 appearances, he has 52 home runs, 283 RBI, 91 stolen bases, and a 12.2 WAR.

Margot has only played 89 and 99 games in the last two seasons due to injuries. Between the two seasons, Margot batted.269 with eight home runs, 85 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a.693 OPS, and 2.2 WAR.

Margot would have to fight tooth and nail for at-bats in Los Angeles, given the team’s other alternatives in the outfield. Last year, James Outman finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, and veteran Jason Heyward re-signed with the team in the fall.

A month after Margot joined the Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández signed a one-year contract. In addition to those three, Los Angeles has utility man Chris Taylor on the squad and is rumoured to be looking to reunite with utility man Kiké Hernández.

Minnesota may not have as much depth in the outfield as Los Angeles, but Margot is unlikely to play every day there either.

Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are essentially cemented into starting positions in centre and right field, respectively. The Twins’ primary left-handed options entering Spring Training were Willi Castro and Matt Wallner.

Buxton has only played over 95 games once in his nine-year MLB career, whereas Kepler has missed an average of 40 games over the last three seasons. Margot can serve as a plausible injury replacement for those two while also filling in as the Twins’ fourth outfielder.

Minnesota’s decision to trade Miller, their No. 23 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, for Margot signals that the seasoned outfielder will be an important part of their club this season. Finding a way to add Doncon, the Dodgers’ No. 23 prospect, is a lot less risky move for the Twins’ executive staff.