Ervin Santana, Jaime Garcia Could Be Traded by Twins If Struggles Continue

The Minnesota Twins could transition from buyers to sellers very quickly.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the Twins, who have lost three in a row and are 4-6 in their last 10 games, may make Ervin Santana and Jaime Garcia available on the trade market if the team continues losing.

Trading one or both of Santana and Garcia would be a somewhat abrupt U-turn from Minnesota, which only finalized the deal to acquire Garcia Monday.

The move seemed to signal the Twins were focused on playoff contention in 2017. But Baseball Prospectus' Aaron Gleeman noted how Minnesota is caught in a difficult middle ground:

Should the Twins abandon their postseason push, Santana and Garcia would be natural trade candidates.

Although Santana is still under team control for two more years, he's 34 years old. He'd offer more help to a team that's aiming to win a title, rather than one that's a game under .500.

Santana's track record and contract should ensure Minnesota could receive a worthwhile return in a trade despite the fact he has a 4.93 FIP, per Baseball Reference.

Garcia, meanwhile, is a free agent at the end of the year. As a half-season rental, he doesn't provide much value to a team that's on the outside looking in on the playoff hunt.