Report: Yankees brought up Max Kepler's name in Twins trade talks

Kepler is a free agent after the season and Minnesota could lose him.

Jul 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler (26) catches a fly ball against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

How close were the Minnesota Twins to trading Max Kepler on Tuesday? It's unclear how intensive talks were, but according to a report the New York Yankees were sniffing around Target Field in regards to a Kepler trade.

"I did hear that if the Yankees were able to obtain someone like [Jack Flaherty] or someone of that equal nature that they'd be willing to part with Nestor Cortes," Declan Goff said Tuesday on theSKOR North Twins Show. "I had heard earlier this afternoon that Max Kepler's name did come up from the Yankees. I heard that from a couple sources that his name did come up. I don't know if it would've been necessarily a direct swap of Nestor Cortes for Max Kepler, but the Yankees have expressed interested in Kepler before and his name did come up today."

In the end, Kepler stays with the only teams he's played for during his MLB career and the only move the Twins made was sending a minor leaguer to the Blue Jays for right-handed reliever Trevor Richards.

The Yankees acquired a talented bat from the Marlins in Jazz Chisholm in addition to a pair of relief pitchers from the Cubs and Padres, respectively.

Kepler is a free agent after the season and the Twins now risk losing him for nothing.