The Twins have traded outfielder Denard Span to the Washington Nationals in exchange for hard-throwing righthander Alex Meyer.
Meyer, 22, is a former first round pick who went 10-6 with a 2.86 ERA in 25 starts between Class A Hagerstown and Class A Potomac this past season.
While Meyer doesn't solve the Twins' immediate needs for starting pitching help, he certainly is an interesting prospect. He's 6 feet, 9 inches tall and has a fastball in the mid- to upper-90's. He also throws a slider that's considered above average, as well as a change up.
He's still a couple years away, but clearly has the stuff to lead a starting rotation.
The question is if the Twins still want to contend in 2013, or if they have decided to go in another direction.
Update: Twins general manager Terry Ryan said the club is not in rebuilding mode and will continue to look to add quality arms to the rotation. But Meyer gives them the potential staff ace that every team covets.
They will have to wait a couple years for Meyer to be ready, but they feel he's worth it.
"This guy, even though he's been in pro ball a short time, has first-round status," Ryan said. "He's out of the University of Kentucky, highly touted. These guys are hard to get, and if you are going to get them it's going to be in the low to mid minors/ Once they get up to Double-A or Triple-A they are almost impossible to get."
