With the trade deadline set for Monday, the Twins are in position to be one of the more active teams in baseball’s annual roster shuffle. They have pieces other clubs want, and two names sit near the top of that list: Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers.
That’s exactly why the Twins should be careful.
Ryan would be the best starting pitcher on the market if Tarik Skubal isn’t included, and Jeffers would be the top-hitting catcher available for teams looking to upgrade behind the plate. Both could bring back a strong return. Both also matter too much to move.
Ryan, who is 6-6 with a 3.38 ERA, has taken over as the staff ace since Pablo López went down with season-ending elbow surgery. He’s a two-time All-Star, and he’s added to his pitch mix in a way that has made him tougher on good lineups.
His fastball still plays, and it still misses bats. That’s the kind of arm contenders covet.
The Twins, though, should be thinking bigger than a quick deadline payoff.
Entering Tuesday’s games, they were three games behind in the AL Central and one game out of the final wild card spot. That puts them in the middle of the race, not on the outside looking in. They should be looking for upgrades of their own, but not by stripping away one of the pitchers who anchors the staff.
Moving Ryan would create a gap the Twins aren’t equipped to patch right now. Zebby Matthews, Conor Prielipp, Bailey Ober and the rest of the group aren’t ready to step into that role and replace what he gives them.
The broader point is simple: good teams survive a season because they have starting pitching depth. The Twins opened spring training in February with as many as nine starters they could trust. That kind of depth is what keeps a team afloat when the calendar gets long and the injuries pile up.
Ryan should still be part of that picture beyond Aug. 3. The Twins need to build, not break, and he belongs in the blueprint.
In Other News...
Twins Finally Made A Bullpen Move That Changes The Deadline Mood
The Twins finally made a bullpen move ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, and it came with the kind of practical purpose this front office has been chasing for weeks. Minnesota landed left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the Mets, giving the late-inning mix a needed arm from the left side while parting with prospects Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani in a deal that says as much about urgency as it does about depth.
Minter has already made 20 appearances this season and is only recently back after surgery, which gives the Twins a useful reliever with some uncertainty still attached. The return package also reflects where the organization is in the calendar, moving two prospects whose recent playing time has been limited by injury and turning them into a bullpen piece that could matter right away as the deadline pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Two Former Twins Fan Favorites Are Suddenly Back In Deadline Rumors
With the trade deadline closing in, the Twins have already dipped into the market by adding A.J. Minter, but the bigger ripple for Minnesota fans may be the familiar names popping back up in rumor season. Two former Twins who once fit neatly into the clubs recent roster churn are now on the move radar again, a reminder of how quickly deadline conversations can circle back to players this fan base knows well.
Willi Castros situation is tied to a Rockies team buried in the standings and weighing what its future looks like, while Luis Arraez has kept producing for the Giants and remains one of the more intriguing pieces in play. For Twins followers, it is the kind of deadline subplot that mixes nostalgia with a little curiosity, especially when both players still feel connected to the recent past even as their next stop starts to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Bullpen Buzz Suddenly Comes With A Costly Family Twist
The Twins have been linked to a bullpen upgrade that would bring in one of the games more unusual relief arms, a pitcher whose low-slot delivery and knack for weak contact make him stand out in any trade discussion. For a club that can always use more late-inning stability, the appeal is obvious: this is the kind of arm that can change how a manager lines up the back end of a game, especially when the market starts thinning out.
The catch is the price tag, and it is not just about prospects. Minnesota would be taking on a contract that runs well beyond this season, with significant money attached in each of the next two years and a possible vesting option down the road. So the Twins are weighing more than bullpen help here, because a move that looks sensible on the mound could also shape how much flexibility they have to build the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]