MINNEAPOLIS-. Los Mellizos from Minnesota they acquired the gardener Dominican Manuel Margot, minor league shortstop Rayne Doncon and cash from the Los Angeles Dodgers by minor league shortstop Noah Miller.
In conjunction with the trade, the Dodgers announced a one-year, $4 million contract to retain Kiké Hernández.
Margot, 29, had just joined the Dodgers a couple of months ago along with starter Tyler Glasnow in a trade with Tampa Bay. Margot hit .264 with a .686 OPS in 99 games with the Rays last season while he played center and right field. He also covered left field.
“A guy who can complement you well against left-handed pitchers,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He helps in the center of the field. He does many things intelligently. We talked about rounding out our team with the right players and he is that kind of player. He is a great addition to the team on and off the field.”
Margot made his major league debut with San Diego in 2016 and was the primary center fielder with the Padres from 2017-19, before being traded to the Rays. In 788 games in the majors, Margot batted .255 with a .694 OPS, 52 home runs and 91 stolen bases.
“Normally at that age some boys start to lose speed, he doesn’t”; Baldelli said. “His foot speed is very close to what he has had previously and, really, he is a great athlete.”
Margot has a $10 million salary this season, as part of her two-year, $19 million contract she signed with the Rays, a deal that includes a $12 million mutual option for 2025 with a $2 million opt-out. If the exit option is not exercised, the Rays will have to pay the Dodges an additional $2 million as part of the trade for Glasnow.
Margot essentially replaces Michael A. Taylor, who became a free agent after setting a career-high 21 home runs and playing in 126 games in center field last season, while Byron Buxton was limited to struggling designated hitter duty. on your knees. Buxton is healthy again and will play center field, with Matt Wallner in left and Max Kepler in right, but the dynamic Willi Castro was the other reliable Opening Day option with experience in the outfield.
Doncon, 20, played last season at Class A Rancho Cucamonga. He was signed from the Dominican Republic.
Miller was the Twins’ 36th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft. The 21-year-old finished last season with Class A Cedar Rapids.
Hernández hit .237 with 11 home runs and 61 RBIs in 140 games with the Red Sox and Los Angeles in 2023 while occupying all four infield positions and all three outfield positions. At 33 years old, he was re-acquired by the Boston Dodgers on July 25 and became a free agent after the World Series.
Hernández played 10 seasons in the major leagues, including parts of seven with the Dodgers.
Source: AP
