The Minnesota Twins are making their clearest late-season push yet, acquiring left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets for two prospects as a shaky bullpen gets a playoff-caliber rental. Minter gives Minnesota another experienced arm for the final stretch, with the Twins hovering around the American League wild-card picture and the trade deadline approaching fast.
According to the Pioneer Press, Minnesota is sending infielder Billy Amick and shortstop-second baseman Bruin Agbayani to New York. Amick, 23, is hitting .217/.338/.482 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs in 86 games at Double-A Wichita, while Agbayani, 19, has been playing at Class A Fort Myers. The deal would make Minter a potential rental because he is set to become a free agent after the season.
The trade costs Minnesota two names from its prospect pipeline, but both appeared on MLB Pipeline’s current Top 30 list. Amick is a corner infielder with power, while Agbayani is a teenage middle infielder whose development has been slowed by thumb and shoulder issues. Agbayani also carries a familiar baseball connection: He is the son of former major leaguer Benny Agbayani.
Minter, 32, has posted a 2.35 ERA across 23 games for the Mets this season and owns a 3.18 ERA over 420 career appearances, per the Pioneer Press. The 10-year veteran won a World Series ring with the Atlanta Braves in 2021 and is expected to replace Anthony Banda as Minnesota’s top left-handed bullpen option. He should join Yoendrys Gomez and Andrew Morris in the Twins’ late-inning mix.
Twins Keep Buying Bullpen Help
Minnesota has now added bullpen help twice this month, following its acquisition of right-hander Tommy Nance from Toronto. MLB’s trade tracker lists the Aug. 3 deadline for 6 p.m. Central time, giving the Twins a few more days to decide whether Minter is the final piece or simply the opening act.
The Twins entered Friday at 55-55, one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third American League wild-card berth and three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the division, according to the Pioneer Press. Minnesota is headed to Seattle for a series against the Mariners, who are also fighting for a postseason berth, so the new lefty could be dropped into meaningful innings almost immediately.
For the Twins, the calculation is straightforward: sacrifice two prospects for a proven reliever and hope the bullpen stops turning winnable games into group therapy. For the Mets, Minter’s expiring contract becomes two more lottery tickets as New York leans into the seller’s side of the deadline.
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