Twins Trade Nick Gordon To Miami Marlins for Left-Handed Pitcher

By Andrew Buller-Russ |

Feb 11, 2024

Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Early Sunday morning, reports surfaced that Nick Gordon had lost his arbitration case with the Minnesota Twins. Gordon was seeking a contract of $1.2 million for 2024, but arbitrators felt differently, and now the utility man will receive $900,000 instead.

Then, later in the day, the Twins agreed to trade Gordon to the Miami Marlins for left-handed relief pitcher Steven Okert. While he’s pitched for parts of six seasons in Miami, Okert is still a relatively unknown player. Let’s dive into what this trade means for the Twins, including why Gordon was viewed as expendable.

Nick Gordon Swap for Steven Okert Strengthens Twins Bullpen

On the surface, the Minnesota Twins are losing one of their most versatile players in Nick Gordon. He played all over the infield and outfield, but he also didn’t have an obvious role heading into 2024 with the Twins.

With several other younger players seeking playing time both in the infield and outfield, Gordon’s future in Minnesota was cloudy at best. In Miami, Gordon figures to receive a lot more at-bats, and he’ll also reunite with former fan favorite Luis Arraez.

As for the Twins? Steven Okert is a 32-year-old lefty reliever who will immediately grab a role in the team’s bullpen.

Steven Okert’s MLB career stats: 194.1 IP, 3.70 ERA, 220 SO, 80 BB, 27 HR, 116 ERA+, 1.173 WHIP

Okert’s coming off a season where he had the best strikeout and walk rates of his MLB career. However, his home runs allowed rate did increase, so he’s far from a perfect player.

Now Okert joins Caleb Thielbar and Kody Funderburk as the other two left-handed relievers in the Twins’ bullpen, giving them more flexibility throughout the season. At a salary of $1.1 million, with three more years of team control, Okert should fit in nicely with his new team.