The trade: The Twins acquire LHP Jorge Lopez from the Orioles for LHP Cade Povich, RHP Yennier Cano, LHP Juan Rojas and RHP Juan Nunez.
After a hectic day before trade deadline day, the actual deadline day kicked off with a deal between a team scrambling to hold onto a narrow division lead and a team scrambling to relinquish its unexpected status as a postseason contender.
How did Minnesota and Baltimore fare in this swap of pitchers?
The Twins have struggled to find the right back-of-the-bullpen mix since the beginning of the season, when on the day of the postponed season opener against Seattle, Minnesota shipped Taylor Rogers to San Diego in a deal that brought back starter Chris Paddack and reliever Emilio Pagan.
The loss of Rogers is water under the Stone Arch Bridge by now -- he's already moved on from San Diego, as part of the Josh Hader deal on Monday. Paddack was injured early on and hasn't been a factor. (Oh well.) Pagan, at least, leads the Twins in save opportunities and average leverage index, but he has struggled since -- a 4.75 ERA, 4.48 FIP and just nine saves in his 15 opportunities. They're filling in the gaps with rookie Jhoan Duran, who has looked dynamite, but he was developed as a starter and the Twins like to space out his appearances. In the end, the Twins rank second-to-last in save percentage.
Minnesota has still managed to maintain an unsteady perch atop the very winnable AL Central for most of the season and to stay there, the addition of a high-leverage reliever seemed to be an imperative.
