The Minnesota Twins are back from the All-Star break at 49-49, and that record has them tied with the Boston Red Sox for the third and final Wild Card spot. That alone puts them in position to do something a lot of teams won’t be able to justify at the trade deadline: buy.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report thinks that’s exactly where this is headed. He’s not only predicting the Twins will add at the deadline, but that those moves will help carry them all the way to the AL Central crown.
“Minnesota Twins: Buy at the trade deadline, win AL Central,” Reuter predicts. "... After opting against a full-scale rebuild during the offseason, it would not be surprising for the front office to once again put faith in a roster that might be a piece or two away from a division title push."
It’s a bold call, but the case for Minnesota is there. The Twins have managed this season without Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers, two of their best hitters, for significant stretches, and they’ve done it while dealing with questionable pitching depth. Even with those issues, they’ve stayed in the race.
The postseason part of Reuter’s prediction doesn’t feel impossible in a watered-down American League. The tougher leap is the division title, though Minnesota is only 3.0 games back with plenty of season left to play.
If the Twins do make a run and decide to buy, the ripple effects could be felt elsewhere. Teams like the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies could wind up disappointed, since Buxton, Jeffers, and Joe Ryan would likely stay put instead of becoming trade targets.
For Twins fans, it’s the kind of prediction that sounds a lot more fun than the alternative. For everyone hoping to pry talent out of Minnesota, it’s the one they’d rather not see come true.
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