Upper-Level Pitching (Clayton Beeter? Will Warren?) for Twins OF Matt Wallner
The Twins, per FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray, weren't blown away by overtures for their outfielders, including Wallner, Trevor Larnach and Max Kepler. The Yankees should try again this offseason.
Adding a potential massive power bat in Wallner, who doesn't quite fit into Minnesota's outfield at the moment but would fit New York like a glove, should be a top priority whenever the opportunity to talk shop presents itself.
Anecdotally, Wallner hit the loudest home run I have ever heard in my life at last summer's Futures Game at Dodger Stadium. More concretely, he sported a .910 OPS as the deadline passed on Tuesday in 62 big-league at-bats this year, supplemented by a .927 OPS with 11 bombs, 47 RBI and a .403 OBP in 254 Triple-A at-bats this season.
Is he a wizard with the glove? Eh. It's not his calling card. Is he a 25-year-old, long-term controllable bat who hits from the left side of the plate with supernatural power potential who'd dent the second deck at Yankee Stadium with regularity? Absolutely. At some point, the Yankees have to get both left-handed and younger. If they truly were "in it to win it," as Cashman claimed post-deadline, Tuesday would've been a great time to start that process. Alas.
And speaking of power...