Twins Land Gold Glove Infielder in Trade With Rangers

The baseball world has been buzzing with transactions ever since the 2021-22 MLB lockout came to an end earlier this week. Now, the Minnesota Twins have joined in on the activity, acquiring a Gold Glove infielder from the Texas Rangers.

The Twins acquired infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and right-handed pitcher Ronny Henriquez on Saturday from the Rangers in exchange for veteran catcher Mitch Garver.

Twins Trade

Kiner-Falefa was the Rangers' starting shortstop in a 2021 MLB season that saw him set new career highs across the board. He finished 25 doubles, eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 635 at-bats while slashing at a .271/.312/.357 rate.

Despite his solid play, the Rangers no longer had a spot for Kiner-Falefa after signing infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to monster long-term deals back in December. Nevertheless, Texas' loss is Minnesota's gain.

The Twins also received some pitching depth in Henriquez. The 21-year-old Dominican spent last year between Double-A and High-A. He made 21 appearances (16 starts), ending with a 5-7 record, 4.71 ERA and 1.100 WHIP.

Meanwhile, Garver racked up 13 HRs and 34 RBIs in 207 at-bats with a .256/.358/.517 slash line last season. A former silver slugger, the 31-year-old catcher adds an important slugging bat to Texas' lineup.

It's been nearly 18 years since the Twins last won a playoff game, so they'll need Kiner-Falefa to be at the top of his game to help the return to the postseason. As it stands, FanDuel Sportsbook is listing Minnesota as having +6500 odds (No. 19) to win the 2022 World Series.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.