Twins Trade Speculation: Potential Landing Spots for Justin Morneau Deal

Just when you thought we were safe and didn't have to hear about Justin Morneau trade rumors anymore, here comes the waiver trade deadline.

The less-hyped trade deadline comes on Saturday, and one of the top names on the waiver trade market is the Minnesota Twins' first baseman.

Trading Morneau would be a solid idea for the Twins as they would shed his $14 million salary in 2013 if a deal went down.

The Twins also have to consider that their first baseman of the future, Chris Parmelee, is destroying Triple-A pitching and should be in line for a promotion in September along with being a key building block in the Twins' rebuilding process.

A misconception is that a big deal can't go down after the initial July 31 trade deadline, but that was proven wrong when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Adrian Gonzalez (and the Boston Red Sox's hot garbage) on August 25.

The Dodgers were considered to be one of the teams interested in the 2006 American League Most Valuable Player's services, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but here are a couple teams that could walk away with a guy who has hit .318 with seven home runs and 25 runs batted in since July 1.

New York Yankees

One of the prerequisites of any Morneau deal would be that a team would have to be willing to take on Morneau's salary for 2013. That's what made the Dodgers a legitimate bidder, and the Yankees might be willing to do the same to upgrade their offense.

The Yankees' pitching staff is starting to fall apart, and with a lack of quality pitchers on the waiver wire the Yankees may decide to try to out-slug their way to the World Series.

The designated hitter has been one of the weak points of the Yankees as they've used aging veterans at the position over the past couple of seasons.

Also, it's worthy to note that the current Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira left Monday's game after suffering a left calf strain. If he is shelved for an extended amount of time, Morneau could slip in as a replacement.

If Morneau's hot hitting continues (and the Yankees are willing to take a majority of what is owed to Morneau in 2013), he could be a piece that could offset their pitching problems.

San Francisco Giants

Is it just me or are the Giants always looking for offensive help?

The Giants acquired Hunter Pence from the Philadelphia Phillies hours before the trade deadline and people thought that would do the trick to secure the NL West from the Dodgers.

But then Melky Cabrera got suspended for testosterone use. Then the Dodgers got Adrian Gonzalez. Now the Giants find themselves back to where they started and could use one more bat to make sure they reach October.

This is where Morneau comes in. The Giants could use Morneau's bat in spacious AT&T Park and move Buster Posey back behind the plate in the process.

If the Giants get to October, they'll get Cabrera back at some point. If they throw him into a lineup alongside Morneau and Pence, the Giants may finally have the offense they need to win their second World Series Championship in three years.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are another team that would like to add to their offensive arsenal, and Morneau would fit in nicely for a young team.

Morneau does have some experience in a pennant race (despite playing in just seven playoff games), and could will the Orioles to their first playoff berth since 1997.

While first base is not a huge problem for the Orioles, Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis may not be the answer that can help them hold off the Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.

The Orioles have a bright future and may not want to trade the pieces that it would take to get Morneau in a waiver trade, but seasons like the one the Orioles are having do not happen often—and now could be the time to throw all their chips into the pot.