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TAMPA — The Twins traded for some insurance on Monday, adding the productive and versatile Manuel Margot to an outfield unit that is recovering Byron Buxton from injury.
Margot, 29, was acquired from the Dodgers, who acquired him and right-hander Tyler Glasnow from the Rays in December. Margot has a .255/.309/.385 line with 52 home runs, 91 steals and 283 RBIs in eight MLB seasons with the Padres and Rays.
Minnesota also received infielder Rayne Doncon in the deal. Doncon, 20, who was rated the Dodgers’ No. 23 prospect by MLB Pipeline, signed for $497,500 out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 and spent last season at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he slashed .215/.283 /.368 in 107 games.
The Twins dealt infield prospect Noah Miller, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft who was ranked Minnesota’s No. 23 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Miller is the younger brother of Brewers utility man Owen Miller and has a .644 OPS with 12 home runs and 36 steals in 250 minor league games, outscoring High-A Cedar Rapids last season.
Margot’s two-year, $19 million contract expires at the end of the season, but there is a team option for 2025 worth $12 million.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said he learned of Margot’s acquisition during Monday’s 9-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field.
“I think it’s an addition that can really help us,” Baldelli said. “Margot can complement your lineup very well against left-handed pitching. She can play center, but she can also go to a corner and play well in left field.
“I’m quite familiar with him. He’s a guy we’ve been watching for a while. You could call it a directed movement. We always talk about filling out our team with the right type of players. He is that type of player: a great character off the field and in the dressing room, and a guy who can do a lot of things for the team.”
Baldelli said Buxton, a former Platinum Glove winner, will make his Grapefruit League outfield debut Tuesday against the Phillies in Fort Myers. Buxton, 30, was limited to designated hitter duties in 2023 due to knee issues that led to surgery in October.
Buxton’s last field game? Just 554 days ago.
“Getting back on the horse in the outfield… that part of this is real for him,” Baldelli said. “It will take him a few games to feel comfortable out there again. But once he does (he gets comfortable), I don’t think it will take him that long (for Buxton to get back into form).”
The resurgence of Buxton, the potential of prospect Austin Martin and the acquisition of Margot create plenty of stories in the Twins outfield. However, Baldelli said he believes Minnesota improved on Monday.
“I think Austin Martin will help us in different roles in the future and he is also a very valuable player,” Baldelli said. “But being able to add that depth where we have things covered, regardless of what’s happening in the outfield or in a lot of different scenarios, I think is great.
“Margot is a guy that when you ask him to play regularly, he will be up to the task and help you in many ways. She is still running very well. At her age, some guys are really slowing down. Her foot speed is literally pretty close to what she has been. It’s difficult to add quality athletes to your Major League roster. There just aren’t many of them in the game to pick and grab. She’s still one of those guys. And when we have periods of time where we ask her to play against everyone, she will be excited about that.”