Another late-season slide has pushed the Twins to a familiar crossroads, and this one looks hard to dodge.
Minnesota fell 5-4 to the Detroit Tigers on Monday afternoon, even with Joe Ryan back in the mix, and the loss fit neatly into a pattern that has defined the Twins’ last three seasons. Since entering August at 56-56, they’ve gone 12-21 with a .364 winning percentage. Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com noted that the Twins have posted a 19-34 record and a .352 winning percentage after Aug. 1, and the broader picture is even uglier: over the past three seasons, Minnesota is 53-87 with a .378 winning percentage in August and September.
That kind of stretch should force a real reset.
The Twins have tried to avoid that conclusion, especially since Tom Pohlad became controlling owner last winter. Minnesota moved 11 players off its 40-man roster ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, but this year’s club has also been careful not to further alienate a fan base already frustrated that a member of the Pohlad family remains in charge. Still, the repeated September unraveling keeps dragging the same question back into the spotlight: what exactly is worth keeping?
Last season, the Twins looked like a playoff lock before the offense vanished, the bullpen broke down and Carlos Correa called out younger players for their lack of urgency. In 2025, the explanation was different - a deadline fire sale and a wave of young players getting pushed into bigger roles than they were ready for. This year, the collapse has taken another form, but the ending feels all too familiar.
Byron Buxton was brilliant in the first half before getting hurt. Joe Ryan ran into another second-half wall and ended up on the injured list.
The offense faded in August. The defense, as described here, has looked far removed from major league quality.
And the bullpen, built around low-cost bets that didn’t hold up, has again been part of the problem.
The Twins already made one big move on the dugout side, firing Rocco Baldelli after last season and replacing him with former bench coach Derek Shelton. Shelton has drawn strong marks for the tone he’s brought to the clubhouse, but that hasn’t stopped the annual fade.
At some point, Minnesota has to decide that the current roster is the issue.
There are players who have earned a place in the future, but there’s also a long list of veterans who could be headed elsewhere. Ryan is one of the biggest names in that group.
He’s set to get paid after the 2027 season, and even if money weren’t a factor, his profile has become clear: strong in the first half, vulnerable in the second. Moving him would sting, especially after last year’s fire sale left fans wary, but it could also bring back talent and open the door for younger arms.
Royce Lewis is another player the Twins have seen enough of to know what he is. The 2023 season offered hope, but over the past three years he has settled into a streaky hitter who hasn’t shown much adjustment at the plate, leaving him with a .235/.293/.410 line across that span.
Trevor Larnach’s late-season disappearance has also become part of the discussion. Over his last 27 games, he hit .207/.266/.379 with four homers and nine RBI. Minnesota already tried to send him to the Houston Astros before owner Jim Crane stepped in, and moving on from him would also help clear out a crowded outfield full of replacement-level options.
Even Ryan Jeffers could be part of the conversation if the Twins decide to get aggressive. He opened the year well before breaking his hamate bone in May, and his .862 OPS is his best since his .858 mark in 2023. He’s been a useful hitter with a career line of .243/.328/.430, but he also has a chance to cash in during free agency, and he has been around for these collapses too.
The biggest concern with a broad shakeup is leadership, especially if multiple veterans are moved out. But that argument loses some force when the team keeps falling apart anyway. The Twins’ latest collapse is another sign that what they’re holding onto isn’t working, and the cleanest path forward may be to finally blow up the roster and start setting up the next winter now.
In Other News...
Twins Have A Late Season Roster Decision Three Saints Are Forcing
As the minor league season winds down, the Twins are staring at one of those late-summer roster questions that can shape the final stretch of a year. Three St. Paul Saints players - Emmanuel Rodriguez, Cody Morissette and Aaron Rozek - have put themselves into the conversation with what they have done lately, giving Minnesota a few different ways to think about September help.
Rodriguez has come back from injury and shown the kind of offensive production that can force a closer look, while Morissette has taken a notable step forward at the plate since entering the organization. Rozek keeps giving the club useful pitching depth, which only adds to the calculus as the Twins sort through what kind of support the major league roster might need in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Made Their Thinking On Connor Prielipp Very Clear
Joe Ryans return from the injured list was the headline move for Minnesota, but Connor Prielipps usage against the Tigers may have said just as much about how the Twins are thinking down the stretch. The left-hander worked in relief behind Ryan, and the role change points to a team that is trying to manage his innings carefully while still keeping him in the mix as the season enters its final stretch.
For a club still weighing its playoff chances, that kind of decision makes sense. Prielipp has shown enough to stay on the mound, but the Twins appear to be prioritizing workload and flexibility over sticking rigidly to a traditional starters path. Moving him into a bulk relief role gives Minnesota another way to deploy a young arm without pushing him too hard, and it suggests the front office and coaching staff are looking at the bigger picture as much as the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Tough Ryan Jeffers Decision After His Breakout Season
Ryan Jeffers has quietly turned himself into one of the more important players on the Twins roster, and his latest stretch only reinforces why the club has a real winter decision to make. He has started eight straight games behind the plate, giving Minnesota stability at catcher while continuing to produce at the plate despite the time he has missed with injury. Among Twins position players, he leads the club in fWAR, and his overall value has put him among the better catchers in baseball this season.
The tricky part is what comes next, because Jeffers is nearing free agency and the Twins have to decide whether to extend a qualifying offer. That path could at least give Minnesota draft compensation if he ends up signing elsewhere, but it also comes with the possibility of putting the team in a hard spot with one of its most productive everyday players. Jeffers is expected to look for a long-term deal on the open market, which means the Twins may soon have to choose between trying to keep one of their best all-around hitters or preparing for life without him. [Read more 🡒]