MLB Trade Rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Will Smith

3. Minnsota Twins

By this point of the season, the shock has worn off and the rest of the league has come to terms with the fact that the Minnesota Twins baseball team is an absolute wagon. The Twins roster is short on household names, but features a lineup that leads the AL in home runs and OPS and a pitching staff with the second-best ERA in the league. Rookie manager Rocco Baldelli has a legitimate World Series contender on his hands.

Not content to sit on their hands at the deadline, the Twins have already openly expressed interest in both Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith. The talks are still in the preliminary stages, but the Twins are one of the few teams who could be interested in making a package deal with the Giants for both pitchers. Adding Smith to a bullpen that already features four relievers striking out more than 10 per-nine would give the Twins an absolutely deadly relief corps.

The Twins don’t necessarily have to be in a hurry to make a deal for a reliever, but the Cleveland Indians are creeping up on them. Minnesota’s division lead is down to six games and the Indians always find a way to come on strong in August and September. The Twins do benefit from playing a very weak schedule, so it may be difficult for the Indians to make up ground in big chunks.

Of the teams linked to Smith, the Twins do fall on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to need for a reliever. Of course, that doesn’t rule them out of the conversation, but they may only make a deal if the price absolutely suits them.