Trade Central: Twins, Angels Swap Pitchers

THE DEAL

Just before the deadline, the Angels and Twins swapped rotation pieces and prospects in a deal that is looking more toward next year rather than affecting this year’s pennant race. The Twins picked up veteran lefthander Hector Santiago and righthanded relief prospect Alan Busenitz, while the Angels received veteran righthanders Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer.

TWINS ACQUIRE
Hector Santiago, lhp
Age: 28

With a rotation in desparate need of help both now and in the future, the Twins went out and got Santiago—a lefty who came up with the White Sox and had been traded twice before—who is in his first year of arbitration and costs just $5 million this season.

He’s been steady if unremarkable this year, working with a five-pitch mix of fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and cutter. His fastball typically sits in the low-90s. His big bugaboo this year has been command and control, and his 57 walks lead the American League.

Ultimately, he provides a new arm for the rotation that is both steady and cheap, two qualities the Twins desire.

Club (League)	Class	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Los Angeles (AL)	MAJ	10	4	4.25	22	22	121	104	61	57	20	57	107

Alan Busenitz, rhp
Age: 25

In Busenitz, the Twins are taking a flier on arm strength. A 25th-rounder in 2013 out of Kennesaw State, Busenitz has a fastball that has peaked at 96 mph this year and a slider that flashes above-average at times. He’s dabbled with a changeup as well, and was tried briefly as a starter last year. If everything clicks, he could find his way into the Twins’ bullpen, but it won’t be in a high-leverage role.

Club (League)	Class	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Arkansas (TL)	AA	0	1	1.93	24	0	32.2	29	7	7	2	5	32
Salt Lake (PCL)	AAA	0	1	7.62	10	0	13	16	13	11	1	15	13

ANGELS ACQUIRE
Ricky Nolasco, rhp
Age: 33

In the last year of a four-year, $49 million deal (with a team option for 2018), Nolasco is essentially the cost of adding Alex Meyer. The Twins are paying roughly all of his salary for this season and are adding $4 million of the $12 million he is owed next year.

He missed most of last season with a right ankle impingement, but has put that behind him this year and made 21 starts. He hasn’t been particularly effective, but his contract was the cost the Angels had to pay to add a prospect to their flagging system.

Club (League)	Class	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Minnesota (AL)	MAJ	4	8	5.13	21	21	124.2	139	77	71	18	29	93

Alex Meyer, rhp
Age: 26

Meyer has long been a desired arm. Taken by the Nationals out of Kentucky in the first round of the 2011 draft, he was quickly swapped to the Twins in the deal that moved Denard Span to Washington.

He’s got tantalizing pure stuff but fails to find the strike zone enough to make it effective. He’s got an upper-90s fastball and a low-90s sinker in his mix, as well as a power curveball in the mid-80s. He gets plenty of strikeouts with those pitches—511 in 447 minor league innings—but his career walk rate of nearly 4.0-per-nine innings mitigates his arsenal.

He’s missed most of this year with right shoulder fatigue, but the Angels are betting that a change of scenery will do him good once he heals.