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Report: Minnesota Twins Planning for Quiet Trade Deadline
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- Report: Minnesota Twins Planning for Quiet Trade Deadline
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It took a historic Home Run Derby-style "swing off" to decide a winner, but the 2025 MLB All-Star Game is officially over. While the Minnesota Twins will not resume their season until Friday, team president Derek Falvey, along with executives across the league, will now turn their full attention to the July 31 MLB trade deadline.
At the last two trade deadlines (2023, 2024), the Twins — who considered themselves buyers — did all of their shopping in the clearance aisle, and it didn't go well. Last year, their only move was a modest addition to the bullpen, in RHP Trevor Richards , who posted a 4.15 ERA and 1.462 WHIP in 14 innings pitched.
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In 2023, the Twins did even less. In fact, their only move was an attempt to undo a failed trade from the 2022 deadline, dealing a mentally broken Jorge Lopez to Miami , in exchange for RHP Dylan Floro , who is no longer in the organization.
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Minnesota Twins have low expectations for MLB trade deadline
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But this is a new year, right? Well, not really. In all likelihood, the Minnesota Twins' current situation, both on and off the field, probably means we are heading into another inactive MLB trade deadline for our favorite baseball team.
With the Twins sitting right around .500, at 47-49 , and the Pohlads actively in talks to sell the team, reports suggest buying teams are interested in top talents like Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan .
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Dan Hayes (The Athletic) , however, doesn't see that happening. Instead, the MN Twins insider expects Falvey and his front office to stand-pat, opting not to buy or sell big.
The realistic answer to their most significant question is that not much is likely to occur at the trade deadline. Don't expect the Twins to buy big. Nor does it seem as if they'll sell, either.
Given their current position, the Twins are unlikely to spend much prospect capital improving the roster with impact talent…As difficult as the road to playoff success would be playing as a wild-card team, it's hard to see the front office punting the season and regrouping for next year, not with the team up for sale.
What the Twins have little interest in doing, attests Hayes , is shipping out any of the organization's top minor league talent. In other words, whether those calling Falvey's line are buyers or sellers, the MN Twins have very specific interests, none of which include trading away talent they see as impactful for the future.
Twins dangling backend relievers, Jax, Duran and Stewart
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From the sounds of it, if the MN Twins are going to make waves at the deadline, it'll be done by selling one of their back-end relievers, like Griffin Jax , Jhoan Duran or Brock Stewart , in order to fill lineup weaknesses. Reports over the past couple months have the Twins in search of another lefty bat in the corner outfield.
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But if Falvey is going to try and add that outfield stick, or improve any other weaknesses on the roster, he'll likely do it by sending out established MLB talent, probably one of the aforementioned bullpen arms, all three of which are unlikely be on the team beyond 2027 .
It's conceivable the Twins could trade one of their talented team-controlled relievers, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax or Brock Stewart. However, it would be shocking if they traded any for prospects unless they received a massive overpay. The likelier path to parting with one of their relievers is by adding a major-league bat they think could immediately help the team. Essentially, they'd be trading from a strength to fill a weakness.
Before fans kick and scream about the Minnesota Twins' unwillingness to make deals at the MLB trade deadline, it's worth looking back on the last time Falvey & Co. did take the deadline seriously. Because if you'll remember their aggressiveness backfired.
Last time MN Twins bought big at trade deadline… it backfired
Back in July 2022, the MN Twins made multiple deals to bulk up a pitching staff that was lagging behind the offense. The headliner was a trade with Cincinnati that landed starter, Tyler Mahle . He made only four starts for the Twins that season, and nine total between 2022 and 2023, due to recurring injury issues.
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By the time Mahle left town, he had pitched just 42 total innings over the course of two years, posting a 4.72 ERA, 117 ERA+, 1.048 WHIP and 4.72 FIP. To reel in Mahle, the Twins sent then prospects (OF) Spencer Steer , (RHP) Steven Hajjar and (1B) Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the Reds .
THREE HOME RUNS FOR SPENCER STEER! pic.twitter.com/5JnSFq1syH
— MLB (@MLB) June 28, 2025
That same trade deadline, Minnesota also traded top pitching prospect, lefty starter Cade Povich , to the Orioles, in exchange for righty reliever, Jorge Lopez, a deal that arguably turned out even worse for the Twins than the Mahle trade.
Immediately after arriving in Minnesota, Lopez struggled and quickly became unreliable in high-leverage situations. In 58 total innings pitched between two seasons as a Twin, Lopez posted a 4.81 ERA, 88 ERA+. 1.414 WHIP and 5.30 FIP.
Since the 2022 deadline, Steer and Encarnacion-Strand have combined to play 559 big league games in Cincinnati. Cade Povich has looked good in the minors, but has yet to find his footing in the big leagues.
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Spencer Steer( 2022-25 ): 431 GP| .247 BA | .751 OPS | 56 HR | 225 RBI | 4.7 bWAR
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Encarnacion-Strand( 2023-25 ): 128 GP| .233 BA | .679 OPS | 21 HR | 72 RBI | -1.3 bWAR
Related: Joe Ryan Wouldn't Mind Being Traded by MN Twins
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Cade Povich( 2024-25 ): 5 starts| 5.18 ERA | 75 ERA+ | 4.48 FIP | 1.462 WHIP
Twins fans and players want front office to help them out
The 2022 Minnesota Twins finished 78-84 and missed the postseason. Mahle's injury in 2023 left him unavailable for Minnesota's 2023 playoff run to the ALDS. Jorge Lopez was a complete disaster and Michael Fulton was gone the next offseason.
Fans, along with some of the players in the clubhouse, are sure to be upset when the trade deadline passes and the Falvey does next to nothing. Nonetheless, that appears to be the most likely outcome.
Instead, it seems likely the Twins will sit by idly. Still, adding anything of consequence would play far better in the clubhouse than last year's deadline effort, which left players disappointed .
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