The Houston Astros have been in the rumor mill for the vast majority of the offseason, specifically as teams kick the tires on third baseman Isaac Paredes. Earlier this week, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that the team “is seeking an outfielder who hits from the left side in any potential package for Paredes.” Unless you’ve been buried under a rock since last year’s trade deadline, you’re well aware that the Minnesota Twins have an excessive amount of left-handed hitting outfielders.
They have high-value prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez who will likely debut in 2026. They have middle-of-the-road veterans like Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach, who have some upside but also come with their fair share of warts. They also have lower-value options like James Outman, Alan Roden, and Hendry Mendez, of whom Outman and Roden are ready to compete at the big league level (Outman is actually out of options). Finally, right or wrong, the Twins have an owner who believes they’ll be competitive in 2026.
While the Twins have a plethora of options to meet the needs of the Astros, you now may be asking yourself, “But isn’t Royce Lewis our everyday third baseman?” To which I’d say, “meh, I guess”.
While Lewis is penciled in as the team’s primary third baseman in 2026, I simply think he no longer has the leverage to demand where he plays. Additionally, as a client of Scott Boras and someone who has made multiple questionable remarks publicly, I no longer care to try to keep him happy. He’s under team control through the 2029 season, and I already think it’s a long shot that he re-signs with the Twins without a dramatic turnaround within the clubhouse and organization as a whole. If we turn to the productivity on the field, his inconsistencies at the plate have led to a career .762 OPS and a 110 wRC+, both buoyed by a 2023 breakout.
Since the start of 2024, those numbers have dropped to .705 and 94, respectively…I guess you can’t call it a slump if that’s what you typically produce. Moreover, he’s played a passable third base, but not to the point where moving him to second (we’ll get to Luke Keaschall next) would make the infield meaningfully worse than it’s already going to be. Simply put, adding Paredes bat to the lineup would more than make up for the downgrade in defense at the hot corner, and it would help Tom Pohlad meet his unrealistic expectations for the 2026 season.
Of course, if Lewis shifts to the keystone, then Keaschall gets booted from his primary position. However, there are already questions on whether second base can be his long-term home. While he exploded on the scene at the plate in 2025, he finished T-14th among second basemen with at least 150 attempts with -2 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2025 (he barely met this threshold with 156 attempts). So, then, where does he go, you ask? To the corner outfield. While his experience was limited to just 173 ⅔ innings across 20 games, Keaschall has patrolled centerfield for both the Double-A Wichita and High-A Cedar Rapids in 2024. In the long run, many baseball minds think he’s destined to call the outfield grass his home, and a trade for Paredes could open a spot sooner rather than later.
However, a left-handed hitting outfielder is not the only match the Twins have. The Astros have been tied to catchers Joey Bart, Christian Vazquez, and Victor Caratini this offseason to back up Yainer Diaz. While no reports have suggested the Twins are set on moving Ryan Jeffers, the signing of Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal ahead of Jeffers final year of team control seems to suggest that’s a distinct possibility. If they were to move Jeffers, that would make Caratini the primary backstop ahead of Alex Jackson. Paired with one of the mid or low value outfielders named earlier, the Astros could solve both of their needs while giving up Paredes and a mid-level prospect.
Again, this is all under the assumption that Pohlad realizes this team, as-is, cannot truly compete in 2026. By acquiring Paredes, the Twins add a reliable bat to an offense that has been anything but.
Do you think the Twins can compete in 2026? Do you think they should kick the tires on Paredes? Join the conversation in the comments!