The Minnesota Twins are heading into a critical stretch, and the timing could hardly be more intense. As they open a series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday evening, first-time general manager Jeremy Zoll is already deep into the kind of phone work that defines this part of the baseball calendar.
With the August 3 trade deadline drawing closer, talks around the league are starting to heat up. Zoll said before Sunday’s 10-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs that the break after the All-Star Game and the amateur draft has kicked the market back into motion.
“We’re starting to have everyone kind of pop their heads back up and start to get organized, checking in,” Zoll said. “Everything remains extremely congested on a day-to-day basis around the league.
I still think there’s going to be a lot of sorting out around the league for this coming week. But everyone is trying to get organized. … We’ll be busy on the phones.”
For now, the Twins are still operating as buyers, which is the stance Tom Pohlad has pushed for over the past month. But that plan is far from locked in.
Minnesota is sitting at 49-51, and after dropping its final two games in Chicago over the weekend, the team needs a strong showing against Cleveland to keep that buyer’s posture intact. Another rough week could quickly send the deadline conversation in the other direction.
The biggest need is clear: pitching. And not just one area of the staff.
Minnesota is looking for help in the bullpen, but the injuries have made the rotation a major concern too. After news surfaced Sunday that both David Festa and Mick Abel are likely out for the season, the Twins will need to add at least one top-three starter if they want to be taken seriously as playoff contenders.
At the moment, Minnesota has only four healthy starters, with rookies Mike Paredes and Kendry Rojas moving between the bullpen and emergency starts. That leaves Zoll searching for arms of all kinds if the club decides to stay in the market.
There is at least some reason for optimism on the roster front. The Twins are hoping Byron Buxton can return during this series in Cleveland, possibly even as soon as Monday. With a 5:40 p.m. first pitch, a lineup should be available by late morning.
The financial side also gives Minnesota some room to maneuver. Since two-thirds of the season is already in the books, the Pohlads would only be responsible for one-third of the salary on any player acquired at the deadline. That matters when the market includes starting pitchers making $15-$25 million a year, because Minnesota would only need to absorb a slice of that cost, roughly $5-$8.5 million in that range.
And with payroll sitting at $100 million, about $60 million below where it was three years ago, a deadline push of $10 million to $15 million for pitching help - maybe a couple of good relievers and one starter for a playoff rotation - would not be out of reach.
That kind of move could reshape how the Twins are viewed in the American League race. It could also change the conversation around Tom Pohlad with this fanbase.
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