The Athletics opened a three-game weekend series against the Twins in Minnesota on Friday with Jacob Lopez on the mound, a matchup that immediately tied the game to the trade deadline picture as much as to the standings. Zebby Matthews was set to start for the Twins.
Lopez arrives off a recent outing in which he allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings, a line that helps explain why the Athletics need this game to move quickly if they want to keep the series opener on schedule. The club entered at 43-59 after losing two of three in Arizona, and it had not named a starter after Lopez for the rest of the weekend series, leaving Mark Kotsay with an open question if the opener turns into a short outing.
That uncertainty matters because the Athletics are already being treated like likely sellers, while the Twins are playing for something more immediate. Minnesota entered the weekend at 51-53, 4 1/2 games back of the AL Central lead and 2 1/2 games behind the third and final Wild Card spot. The Twins have gone 3-4 since the All-Star break, but they are still close enough to stay in the hunt, and the next 11 days will decide whether that holds.
What gives the series its edge is the gap between the two clubs’ incentives. The Athletics can spend the weekend sorting out who fits beyond the deadline, and Mason Barnett’s recall to take J.T. Ginn’s roster spot points to that kind of planning. Barnett last pitched in a game last Saturday, and Kotsay may need him as a long man if Lopez does not go deep enough to cover the bullpen.
The Twins face a more awkward calculation. Joe Ryan would instantly become one of the top pitching targets on the market if Minnesota made him available, Ryan Jeffers has been linked to every team that needs catching help, and Byron Buxton is in his best season in years while saying he will not wave his no-trade clause. That leaves the Twins near a contender’s edge without much room to act like a seller, even if their record says they are still below.500. The first answer comes Friday; the harder one may arrive before the deadline does.
