The Minnesota Twins may have found their most useful 2026 trade deadline move in a deal that barely made a ripple at the time.
On July 31, Minnesota sent outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Dean Kremer, and the right-hander wound up giving the Twins 10 starts over the stretch run. That alone mattered. Even more important, those innings could carry real weight in 2027, when Minnesota has to sort through how much to lean on its young starters.
Kremer finished the year with the Twins still under club control, and that gives Minnesota some flexibility. He is arbitration-eligible, and MLB Trade Rumors projected a $6.5 million salary for 2027 if the team tenders him a contract. That kind of price point could let the Twins patch a rotation spot without spending heavily while they handle other offseason needs.
The move also looks better when measured against what Minnesota knew about Kremer at the time. He had struggled badly in Baltimore, posting a 6.50 ERA in seven starts, and a right quadriceps strain had already wiped out more than two months.
But the Twins weren’t buying only the short-term stat line. They also had his 2025 workload in view, when he led the Orioles with 171.2 innings.
Once he got to Minnesota, Kremer settled in. He put up a 3.48 ERA over 54.1 innings, and the home run issue looked more manageable too: six allowed for the Twins after giving up 12 in 36 innings with Baltimore.
He finished strong, too, tossing six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels and then allowing one run over seven innings against the Texas Rangers in the season finale. Starts like that would take pressure off a bullpen that has to cover fewer outs.
Reyes, meanwhile, was no throw-in. MLB Pipeline had him ranked No. 24 in Minnesota’s system when the trade went down.
The 18-year-old had hit .296/.409/.541 with seven home runs in the Florida Complex League before struggling to a .217/.325/.245 line in 28 games with Single-A Delmarva after joining Baltimore’s organization. The Orioles got a young power bat to develop, while Minnesota kept the arm closest to helping its rotation.
That kind of pitching depth matters with Pablo Lopez working back from elbow surgery and hoping to be ready for Opening Day. Prielipp made 22 starts in his first Major League season and logged 125.2 innings for Minnesota, well beyond his previous career high.
Rojas, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2025 trade deadline, struck out 34 hitters but walked 22 in 29.2 innings as a rookie. With Kremer in the rotation, manager Derek Shelton can give Prielipp a shot to win a job in camp. And if Rojas needs more time to clean up his command, Minnesota can keep him on a starter’s schedule at Triple-A and bring him up when he’s ready.
In Other News...
Twins Prospect Kyle DeBarge Is Forcing A Bigger 2027 Conversation
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The bigger question now is how quickly that progress translates once the games count again. DeBarge is expected to open the 2027 minor league season at Double-A Wichita, with Triple-A St. Paul within reach if he keeps forcing the issue. For a Twins organization always sorting out the long view in the middle infield, his rise is creating a conversation that reaches beyond the usual prospect chatter and into what kind of timeline Minnesota may need to plan around. [Read more 🡒]
Byron Buxton Is Forcing A New Twins Debate About His Future
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What makes the next phase interesting is not whether he belongs in the organization, but how the Twins can best use him going forward. After hip surgery in September, he is expected to be ready for spring training, and the club is already considering ways to keep his bat and athleticism in the lineup more often, including a possible move to a corner outfield spot. For a player whose talent has never been in doubt, the real debate is how Minnesota protects that value while keeping him on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Wallner Faces A Bigger Twins Question Than Just A Return
Matt Wallner opened the 2026 season as the Twins right fielder and cleanup hitter, but his year quickly turned into a reset when the club sent him to Triple-A St. Paul in May. The move reflected more than a short-term slump. Wallners bat never settled in the way Minnesota needed, and the organization was left weighing what his role looks like when he is ready to come back.
Wallner has also sounded uncertain about whether that return is straightforward, which is where the bigger question begins for the Twins. Even if he gets another shot in the majors, he may have to fight for at-bats in an outfield mix or carve out time at designated hitter, rather than simply sliding back into the job he lost. For a player whose power has long been his calling card, the challenge now is proving he can still force his way into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]