Minnesota Twins: 5 offseason trade targets
4. Raisel Iglesias
2017 Season: 63 appearances, 76.0 innings, 3-3 record, 2.49 ERA, 28 SV, 2 BLSV, 92 SO, 27 BB
Another player the Twins have called on is Cincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias and Minnesota would be smart to go after the 27-year-old. Coming over from Cuba in 2014, Iglesias signed as an amateur free agent and started 16 games for the Reds in 2015. In that year, he finished 3-7 with a 4.15 ERA in 18 total games.
Twins are interested in Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, per @jonmorosi. Iglesias was one of five relievers in 2016-2017 with 150+ innings and an OPS allowed below .600. The other four were Chris Devenski, Felipe Rivero, Brad Hand, and Addison Reed.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) November 13, 2017
While he performed well as a starter with Cincinnati, they decided to move him to the bullpen due to shoulder problems in 2016 and it’s worked out quite well for the Reds. Featuring a high 90s fastball and a great slider, Iglesias has thrived putting his stuff to work in the late innings of games, resulting in the full-time closer last season. A year he finished sixth in the NL in saves (28) on an awful Reds team that finished 68-94.
Consequently, the Reds may be inclined to let go of their star closer for the right price considering they are clearly in the rebuilding stage. With the Twins’ vacancy at closer, the Reds and Twins make a good match. Iglesias would give Minnesota the long-term closer they seek, while Cincinnati would receive prospects to aid in their rebuilding efforts.
It’s also worth noting Iglesias has three years left on the seven-year contract he signed in 2014. The rate is just over $5 million for next season, while he’ll receive just under $6 million the following two seasons. Altogether, that’s a steal of a deal for one of the top closers in the game.