Minnesota Twins Getting Serious as Trade Deadline Sellers

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Minnesota Twins Getting Serious as Trade Deadline Sellers

Willi Castro, Minnesota Twins — Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Ted Schwerzler · Minnesota Sports Fan

Tue, Jul 22, 2025 ·

4 min read

Jon Heyman says opponents are circling Minnesota Twins rentals

To what extent the Minnesota Twins decide to sell remains to be seen. It's pretty straightforward for a team to part with impending free agents. Minnesota currently has six of those and MLB insider Jon Heyman notes that three are drawing real interest.

As of today, the Twins are now seriously listening on their rental players, including Coulombe , Bader and Castro. While they will listen on All-Star starter Joe Ryan and star closer Jhoan Duran they'd have to be blown away, especially for Ryan.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 22, 2025

Harrison Bader has been one of the MN Twins best players this season. He owns a 1.8 fWAR which is second-best amongst hitters on the team. Willi Castro was the team MVP and an All-Star last season. His 1.4 fWAR is still plenty productive. Danny Coulombe has been every bit the needed lefty bullpen arm that the MN Twins hoped for and his 0.65 ERA (1.75 FIP) is a career-best.

Even though the trio are all free agents at the end of the season, they have produced enough to generate a real return in trade. Bader's $8 million is the most expensive contract of the bunch, but an acquiring team would be paying roughly one-third of that. Castro checks in at $6.4 million while Coulombe has a $3 million deal.

None of this group will return a top 100 prospect, but it's beyond fair for Minnesota to seek a prospect within an acquiring team's top ten. Bader may wind up being the best all-around outfielder available, and Coulombe could be the best southpaw in relief.

Heyman does touch on controllable assets for Minnesota. Relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax may be those that generate the most smoke. Starting pitcher, and 2025 All-Star , Joe Ryan could be among them as well. None of that group is going to come cheap .

If the Twins are going to sell, and that appears to be the direction, there's less than zero reason for them to hang onto any of this group.

What about the rest of the MN Twins impending free agents?

Heyman notes the Twins top three free agents but obviously keeps Christian Vazquez , Chris Paddack , and Ty France out of the equation. Minnesota would certainly allow all of those players to be dealt too, but a market has to materialize.

Among them, Paddack seems like the most logical to draw interest. He is making $7.5 million this season and has a 5.14 ERA (4.50 FIP) but as a back-end starter for a contending team he can eat innings. Paddack has never found the stuff that propelled him to a 3.33 ERA as a rookie, but has shown a capability of good stretches.

France may be movable due to the fact he is making just $1 million. Unfortunately he's been a negative asset at the plate, and if he isn't dealt, then DFA'ing him after the deadline and running other guys through the position makes sense.

For almost the entirety of his three-year, $30 million contract, Christian Vazquez has been terrible. The defensive value and clubhouse presence means something, but he's simply incapable as a hitter ( 41 OPS+ ). Minnesota would love to see someone interested in taking the final payments of his $10 million this year on.

There's little the Minnesota Twins can expect to gain in parting out this group. It might be addition by subtraction though, and at the very least it impacts the Pohlad's bottom line . That's something ownership can always get behind.

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