Former Dodgers World Series Champion Could Be Trade Deadline Target
Last November, Anthony Banda participated in a World Series parade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second time in as many years. In February, he was traded to a team at the opposite end of baseball’s riches-to-rags spectrum.
Might Banda be traded again?
The left-handed reliever is quietly filling a valuable role for the Minnesota Twins, whose hot start to the season has quickly faded. At 27-33 through the end of May, the Twins are two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final American League Wild Card berth.
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It’s too soon to throw in the towel, but not too soon for rival general managers to express interest in the Twins’ best players if the team continues to struggle before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
General manager Jeremy Zoll can probably expect a call or two about Banda if he hasn’t received them already. The veteran left-hander has a 5.40 ERA in a team-leading 28 appearances through May 31.
Banda, 32, still has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining. He can’t be optioned to the minors without clearing waivers, which is one reason why the Dodgers were willing to trade him in February in exchange for international bonus pool money.
Despite his ERA, Banda’s durability and pitch mix suggest he could help a contending team short on left-handed relief depth.
Banda still possesses a 94.2-mph fastball (per Statcast) that’s only yielded four hits to right-handed batters this season. Against lefties, his signature slider has been even more devastating (two hits allowed, 41.5 percent whiff rate).
Armed with the right game plan, it’s not unreasonable to expect Banda to perform to the lofty expectations he established in Los Angeles.
In two seasons with the Dodgers, Banda went 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA in 119 appearances, striking out nearly a batter per inning. In 2024, he appeared in four of the five World Series games against the New York Yankees and did not allow a run.
Banda won’t be the best player traded between now and Aug. 3, if he’s traded at all. But he is the kind of role-filling reliever with postseason experience teams covet at the deadline - and of little help to the Twins if they finish out of the postseason picture for the third consecutive year.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 6:42 PM.