The Twins have spent the past several weeks making this decision harder, and more interesting, than it looked a month ago.
They’ve won seven of their last eight series and climbed from seven games out in the AL Central to just two back. They’ve also put themselves back into the thick of a wild card race that looks wide open. At the same time, the one series loss in that stretch was a sweep by the Dodgers, and even though those games were competitive, they were a reminder that Minnesota is not operating on the same level as baseball’s elite.
That tension is what makes the Aug. 3 trade deadline such a big call for the Twins. Do they add?
Stand pat? Or start moving pieces out with an eye toward 2027 and beyond?
The case for buying is pretty straightforward: this is an ascending team, not a finished one. Minnesota just took two of three from Cleveland, and it has done that while dealing with major injuries in the rotation and a bullpen that has been a real problem.
The Twins are 46-48, which usually would leave a team buried. But this season hasn’t separated the contenders the way most years do.
In the American League, nobody has created much distance in the Central or the wild card chase, and that gives Minnesota two routes instead of one.
The bullpen is the glaring weakness. The Twins traded away their five best relief pitchers at last year’s deadline, did not do much to rebuild that group before this season, and now own the worst bullpen ERA in MLB at 5.28.
That’s a hole that can be addressed more easily in July than almost anywhere else on the roster. Relief pitching is often available, and it is usually far simpler to acquire than starting pitching - something Minnesota already showed last year from the other side.
There’s also the ownership angle. Tom Pohlad is new to the job, and he’s learning how frustrated and disconnected the fan base has become after the underperformance and last year’s teardown.
He has said he wants to be aggressive and add if the team earns it. If the Twins do make moves, it would make sense both on the field and in terms of how the organization presents itself to its fans.
The argument against buying is just as real. The Twins are still a sub-.500 team, and they’ve been in that neighborhood since April.
Hot stretches are nice, but they don’t guarantee anything. Trading away assets for a playoff push that could end quickly - or even collapse before the deadline - would be a bad bet for a club that still has to keep one eye on the long term.
And that long view matters. Minnesota’s best days are probably ahead of it, not right in front of it. The lineup has real promise and leads the AL in runs scored, but the bigger breakthrough may have to wait for the next collective bargaining agreement after this season.
So what should the Twins actually do? The cleanest path may be to add two medium-to-high leverage relievers on expiring contracts without touching the most prized names in the farm system. In a weak AL, they’ve done enough to justify that kind of move.
There’s also a possible middle ground. Ryan Jeffers is expected back as soon as Friday from his injury, and the Twins have played better than expected without him. Since he’s set to become a free agent after the season, Minnesota could potentially use him to help solve the bullpen issue without leaning as hard on prospects or adding payroll.
Elsewhere in Minnesota sports, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell appeared on The Dan Patrick Show this week from the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. The conversation touched on the Vikings’ quarterback situation, but O’Connell also had a funny line about his own NFL playing career and advice he received from Mark Brunell: “Once they figure out you can’t play, try to get two more years in,” O’Connell said.
In Other News...
Former Twins Reliever From Polanco Trade Resurfaces In AL Central
Justin Topa has resurfaced in the AL Central after a rough stretch that pushed him out of Minnesota earlier this season. The right-hander, once part of the return in the Jorge Polanco trade, was released by the Blue Jays and has now landed in the Royals organization, a familiar kind of move for a reliever trying to get his footing back in a division where every bullpen arm seems to matter.
For the Twins, the more immediate point is that they moved on and kept searching for help, while Kansas City is trying to patch together innings of its own. The Royals have one of the leagues most troubled bullpens, and that kind of need can create a quick path back to the majors for a pitcher like Topa if he shows he can stabilize things in Triple-A. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Be Running Out Of Time With Tristan Gray
Tristan Gray opened the season as one of the Twins surprise roster stories, and for a while it looked like he might be more than a short-term fill-in. He gave Minnesota some early pop, hit .273 with three homers through the first month-plus, and even delivered a grand slam in the home opener, enough to make his place on the roster feel earned rather than merely temporary.
The problem is that the shine has worn off quickly, and the Twins are now having to weigh whether the early burst was a real foothold or just a fast start. Grays offense has backed up, and the defensive side has become harder to ignore as well, leaving Minnesota with a familiar roster question at a time when the club would love more certainty from the left side of the infield. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Sent A Clear Deadline Message About Their Bullpen
The Twins added another arm to a bullpen that has spent much of the season searching for stability, acquiring right-hander Tommy Nance and international bonus pool space from Toronto in exchange for minor leaguer Ryan Sprok. Nance brings five years of major league experience and has worked to a 3.82 ERA this season, giving Minnesota a veteran relief option as it tries to stay in the race.
The move also fits the way the front office is approaching the stretch run, with the club still intent on contending rather than stepping back before the deadline. Minnesota will need to clear a spot on the 26-man roster to make room for Nance, and that kind of decision can say plenty about which arms the Twins trust most as they try to steady the late innings. [Read more 🡒]