The Twins appear willing to add payroll at the trade deadline to make a late season push, and are setting their sites on A's shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera has been tearing it up in July, hitting .380 with 2 home runs and 6 extra-base hits. Cabrera is a career .277 hitter in the second half of the season, but has a reputation around the league of being a player who lifts his teammates game to the next level.
The Twins also have some interest in Michael Wuertz, meaning the A's could host a mini fire sale and land a pair of above average prospects in return. The A's can afford to trade Cabrera with Crosby and Garciaparra ready to platoon at short, while Joey Devine and Justin Duchscherer will be ready to man the bullpen in 2010. If the Twins offer the right prospects, they could strike a deal.
However, the Tribune says that neither team is very aggressive, mostly because the Twins are still in talks with the Pirates over Freddy Sanchez and have veteran Mark Grudzielanek in the minors gearing up for the second half of the season. One team will have to pull the trigger.