MINNY MAKES A MOVE, GETS ODORIZZI
The Minnesota Twins acquired pitcher Jake Odorizzi from the Tampa Bay Rays for infielder Jermaine Palacios.
What does it give the Minnesota Twins
Minny needs quality starting pitching depth and Odorizzi can provide it. While he was not exactly excellent last season, Odorizzi is entering his prime as a pitcher and has the talent to be a strong regular in the rotation. At the very least he gives the Twins an above-average No. 3 or No. 4 option in their top five, and he might even surprise and be ace-like. At the very least he provides Minnesota with a steady veteran to hold things down while Ervin Santana (finger) heals up. In a corresponding move, starter Michael Pineda (elbow) was moved to the 60-day DL.
What does it give the Tampa Bay Rays
Above all here the Rays save some money by moving Odorizzi's contract. He is set to earn roughly $6 million in the coming season, and replacing his salary with that of minor leaguer Palacios frees up a lot of dollars. For his part, Palacios is an intriguing (if not stellar) prospect who brings infield positional versatility and a solid bat. Now aged 21, Palacios should be in the mix for big-league duty a season or two from now. The Rays have several talented young pitchers who can step in this season to replace Odorizzi in the rotation, so he was deemed expendable.
Fantasy impact
Odorizzi's fantasy fortunes probably do not change much going from Tampa Bay to Minnesota, since both teams look to be fairly equally competitive in 2018. For the Rays, expect Matt Andriese and Brett Honeywell to possibly see more starting rotation assignments early in the coming campaign, with Honeywell a player to watch for a potential breakthrough. Palacios has solid talent, but at this point he is not fantasy-relevant except in the deepest of keeper leagues.
