The Minnesota Twins have successfully completed a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays to acquire veteran reliever Trevor Richards, as reported by Dan Hayes of The Athletic.
Richards, a seven-year MLB veteran, is known as a “swing guy” who has transitioned from starter to reliever and has played for four teams. This season, he has served as an opener for the Blue Jays. Despite his career ERA of 4.51 and a 4.64 ERA this year, Richards is valuable due to his “reverse splits,” making him effective against left-handed hitters. He will become a free agent at the end of the season.
The Twins’ bullpen has been generally effective this year, with right-handers like Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Jorge Alcalá, and previously Brock Stewart, securing close games. However, their three left-handed relievers have been unreliable in such situations. Although Richards is right-handed, his pitching style is effective against left-handed hitters, filling the gap where left-handed pitchers typically perform.
Richards primarily relies on two pitches: a high-rise fastball and a fadeaway changeup with significant vertical break. His changeup, which heavily pronates out of his hand, is particularly effective against left-handed hitters, who are batting just .156/.256/.250 against him this year. However, right-handed hitters have had more success, with a batting line of .200/.294/.391 and nearly 5% of their plate appearances against him resulting in a home run.
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Jay Harry, a 22-year-old infielder, was traded to the Blue Jays. Harry was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft and has posted a .655 OPS in 340 plate appearances at High-A Cedar Rapids. He is not among Twins Daily’s Top 20 Prospects. To make room for Richards, the Twins designated Josh Staumont for assignment, ending his tenure with the team after injuries and control issues hampered his performance. Richards is expected to be a slight upgrade over Staumont, especially given the Twins’ current struggles with left-handed relievers.
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