Twins trade 3 prospects for Reds starter Tyler Mahle
Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Mahle throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Cincinnati, Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
The Minnesota Twins have added a new starting pitcher ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
The Twins acquired Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle in a deal Tuesday afternoon, the teams announced.
Mahle, 27, is 5-7 this season with a 4.40 ERA, 114 strikeouts, 39 walks and a 104 ERA+ across 104.1 innings this season for the Reds. He also is under team control through next season via arbitration before hitting free agency in 2024.
In exchange for Mahle, the Twins sent the Reds prospects Spencer Steer, Steve Hajjar and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
Steer, an infielder who was drafted 90th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, is rated by MLB.com as Minnesota’s No. 7 prospect; Hajjar, a left-handed pitcher who was drafted 61st overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, was rated No. 18; Encarnacion-Strand, a corner infielder who was drafted in the fourth round in the 2021 MLB Draft, was rated No. 23.
Pitching has been a major issue for the Twins this season and the club focused on addressing that on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Minnesota acquired All-Star closer Jorge Lopez in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
The MLB trade deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday.