Another thing the Twins lack? Trade bait

Ever since the Twins fell out of contention, they have been the subject of trade rumors. Some stubborn facts to contemplate as the rumors intensify:

• The players the Twins most want to get rid of are the players that other teams are least likely to want.

The teams interested in raiding the Twins roster are trying to win right now. If they trade for a Twins player by the July 31 deadline, they will have that player for a matter of weeks, plus, perhaps, the postseason. They need immediate impact from a player they think will perform well in pressurized games.

• As horrific as this season has been, the Twins are not expected to go into rebuilding mode. They want to win in 2022. So they won't be trading any players who can help them win in 2022.

• Other teams are not going to trade away quality big-leaguers during a pennant race.

This is not to say that the Twins shouldn't make trades, or that they can't acquire value that will eventually benefit them. It's just that if you read aggregators on the internet, you would think that the Twins are poised to make a series of blockbusters.

Let's look at the current big-league roster and see which Twins a contending team might want.

Catchers: Mitch Garver is injured. Ryan Jeffers and Ben Rortvedt have little trade value.

Infielders: Miguel Sano has been reduced to a platoon first baseman in the midst of what might be a career-destroying slump. A contender will not trade for him.

Luis Arraez fits into the Twins' future plans. Jorge Polanco is an offensive player with a .734 OPS a year after posting a .658 OPS while dealing with leg ailments. Josh Donaldson has about $50 million left on his contract through the 2023 season. He would be an ideal trade candidate if not for the long-term money and the Twins' need for him to be one of their best players in 2022 if they're going to contend.

Which leaves Andrelton Simmons, a poor offensive player with good defensive metrics. The Twins will likely trade him for a prospect.

Outfielders: Max Kepler is a corner outfielder with a .688 OPS. He's untradeable. Byron Buxton is injured and could be the best player in baseball next year. It makes no sense for the Twins to trade him.

Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach are the future. It's highly unlikely that the Twins will trade an outfielder.

DH: Nelson Cruz would be ideal for a contender, but he is of interest only to contending American League teams in need of a designated hitter. He could be dealt, but the list of suitors is short, and the Twins' relationship with him likely will give him effective veto power.

Starting pitchers: Jose Berrios is the best healthy trade chip the Twins have. If they decide to trade him, they could acquire valuable prospects.

But trading Berrios would leave the Twins with zero starting pitchers they can count on for 2022, and would be the surest way to keep fans from buying tickets for the 2022 season. Kenta Maeda has fallen apart. Michael Pineda is a logical trade candidate, if the team trading for him can accept frequent trips to the injured list. J.A. Happ has a 6.09 ERA.

Relief pitchers: Taylor Rogers has been the Twins' best reliever for essentially the entirety of his big-league career. Trading him, like trading Berrios, would be like giving up on the 2022 season. Alex Colome has no value. Hansel Robles has stuff but not command. Tyler Duffey could be an important part of the 2022 team and might not bring back much value now. Jorge Alcala isn't going anywhere.

Unless the Twins decide to scrap their plans for contending in the next few years, their efforts at the trade deadline will probably be even less entertaining than the 2021 Twins season.

Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at TalkNorth.com. On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. jsouhan@startribune.com