The Twins did more than talk about adding help last week - they actually made a couple of moves, sending out prospects to bring in veteran pitching in AJ Minter and Dean Kremer. Those deals weren’t seismic, but they were real, and they gave Minnesota something concrete to show for a deadline approach built around trying to push forward. Whether the front office has anything else up its sleeve today is still an open question.
On the field, the Twins picked up a win in their Royals series and got the kind of moment that sticks with a team for a while: Kody Clemens launched an incredible walk-off grand slam in the third game. The momentum didn’t carry over into the Mariners series, though, where Minnesota got walked off twice. Even with that rough turn, the Twins are still just one game out of the last wild card spot, and with the deadline clock ticking today, there’s still room for the roster to change in a meaningful way.
Around the team, there’s plenty to catch up on. The Feed is up for fans to jump into discussion, and a new Daily Questions segment is asking for opinions and debate.
Game threads and recaps are also back, giving everyone a place to ride the highs and lows together. Elsewhere, Zach Koenig looks back at the birth of one of the most legendary teams in Twins history, the Piranhas, while Aidan O’Brien checks in on 2025 first-rounder Marek Houston and his climb through the minors.
Ben Jones also breaks down the many paths still available to the Twins as trade deadline day arrives.
There’s more outside the Twins beat, too. Dan Hayes at The Athletic dug into the relationship between Trevor Larnach and Derek Shelton after Astros owner Jim Crane blocked a trade that would have sent Bryan Abreu to the Twins for the outfielder.
Anya Armentrout at the Pioneer Press followed St. Paul Saints mascot HaMelo Ball through a day on the job, and Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage focused on the progress Kody Clemens has made this season.
One deadline-related casualty was Zebby Matthews, who was sent down to AAA after striking out 10 in five innings against the Mariners; Matthew Leach at MLB.com examined that move back to St. Paul.
And across baseball, the deadline has already started reshaping things. Alden Gonzalez at ESPN took a look at how the Dodgers went about trying to acquire Tarik Skubal and how they responded to the public reaction around the deal.
In Other News...
Astros Trade Deadline Push Just Took Another Unexpected Turn
Houston spent part of its deadline chase kicking the tires on a few different pitching upgrades, including a run at Detroits Tarik Skubal before he wound up with the Dodgers. The Astros search also reached Minnesota, where Trevor Larnach was discussed as part of a possible swap for reliever Bryan Abreu, a reminder that the Twins have been drawn into the broader market even when the focus is on arms and not bats.
The interesting part for Minnesota is how close these talks apparently came to crossing the finish line before they fell apart. With the deadline still driving the market, Houston has shifted its attention elsewhere and is now linked to San Francisco left-hander Robbie Ray, who is expected to move before time runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Nearly Made A Trade That Says Everything About Their Bullpen Search
The Twins search for bullpen help has apparently been active enough to reach the point of a serious conversation with Houston, and the player involved on Minnesotas side tells you plenty about how far the club was willing to go. Trevor Larnach has been in the best offensive stretch of his career, giving the Twins a left-handed outfield bat with real value, while Bryan Abreu has been a more complicated target after a rough season despite the dominance he showed before that.
It was the kind of deal that made sense on both ends for obvious reasons: Minnesota wanted relief help, and the Astros were looking for more stability in the outfield. Even though the talks got close, they never crossed the finish line, leaving the Twins still searching for answers in a bullpen that clearly remains a priority. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Deadline Push Could Put Trevor Larnach In The Spotlight
With the Twins still locked into a crowded AL Central race, the front office has kept working the edges of the roster after already adding pitchers A.J. Minter and Dean Kremer. The focus remains on the bullpen, and Trevor Larnach has emerged as one of the more watchable names in the process, with Minnesota exploring ways to turn an outfield piece into another relief arm before the market tightens.
Larnachs status has not been resolved, but the talks around him have added another layer to a deadline push that is about more than just short-term pitching help. Minnesota has continued discussing possibilities with other clubs, including the Padres, and if the Twins do ultimately move him, the ripple effect could reach beyond the bullpen chase and into the outfield mix, where a top prospect is waiting for a larger opportunity. [Read more 🡒]