Table of Contents
The Minnesota Twins acquired right-handed pitchers Anthony DeSclafani, Justin Topa and Darren Bowen, and outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez from the Seattle Mariners, in exchange for infielder Jorge Polanco.
DeSclafani, 33, pitched in 19 games (18 starts) for the San Francisco Giants in 2023, going 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA (99.2 IP, 54 ER), 20 walks, 79 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP, while ranking in the 95th percentile in baseball in walk percentage (4.8%). He was traded from San Francisco to Seattle earlier this month after spending three seasons with the Giants from 2021-23. The Freehold, New Jersey native was originally selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida and has pitched in parts of nine major-league seasons with the Miami Marlins (2014), Cincinnati Reds (2015-20) and Giants, going 54-56 with a 4.20 ERA (942.2 IP, 440 ER), 251 walks, 830 strikeouts, three complete games and a 1.27 WHIP in 180 games (169 starts).
Topa, 32, made 75 relief appearances for the Mariners last season, going 5-4 with a 2.61 ERA (69.0 IP, 20 ER), three saves, 24 holds, 18 walks, 61 strikeouts and a 1.14 WHIP, setting single-season career highs in virtually all categories. His 75 appearances were tied for second most in baseball. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander ranked in the 97th percentile in the majors in barrel percentage (3.0%) and in the 94th percentile in expected ERA (2.97). The Binghamton, New York native was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Long Island University and has pitched in parts of four major-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Mariners, going 5-5 with a 3.81 ERA (87.1 IP, 37 ER), 23 walks, 78 strikeouts and a 1.28 WHIP.
Bowen, who turns 23 on Saturday, went 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA (55.2 IP, 24 ER), 25 walks, 59 strikeouts, a .182 (36-for-198) opponent batting average and a 1.10 WHIP in 19 games (15 starts) for Low-A Modesto in 2023, his first season of professional baseball. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound native of Newton, Massachusetts was originally selected by Seattle in the 13th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Gonzalez, 20, is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Seattle organization and 79th in baseball per MLB.com. He split the 2023 minor league season between Low-A Modesto and High-A Everett, hitting a combined .298 (142-for-477) with 23 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 84 RBI, 36 walks, 10 stolen bases, 78 runs scored, a .476 slugging percentage and an .837 OPS. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound outfielder ranked second among all Mariners farmhands in hits and was tied for fifth in RBI, ninth in home runs and tied for ninth in triples. He began the season with Modesto, hitting .348 (103-for-296) with 19 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 54 RBI, 23 walks, eight stolen bases, 51 runs scored, a .403 on-base percentage and a .933 OPS in 73 games prior to being promoted to Everett on July 14, and was named a California League Postseason All-Star, a Baseball America Low Class A All-Star and an MiLB.com organization All-Star for his efforts. A native of Carupano, Venezuela, Gonzalez was originally signed by Seattle as a minor league free agent on February 5, 2021.
Polanco signed with the Twins as an international free agent in 2009 out of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic and played parts of 10 seasons with Minnesota from 2014-23, hitting .269 (849-for-3156) with 181 doubles, 20 triples, 112 home runs, 447 RBI, 443 runs scored, 305 walks, a .334 on-base percentage and a .780 OPS in 832 games.
