The Twins are in an interesting spot, holding a poor 42-46 record but trailing the final AL Wild Card spot by just three games and the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians by four games for first place in the AL Central. Minnesota, which has the most runs scored in the AL, could easily remain in contention over the next month, but the team could just as easily fall out of contention before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
The Twins have obvious trade candidates if they sell, such as Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers and Josh Bell, but there are also other Twins players who could be dealt at the deadline and may not expect it.
These Twins aren't safe at the 2026 MLB trade deadline
Kody Clemens, Twins utilityman
Since Clemens hasn't even hit arbitration yet, some may wonder why the Twins would consider trading him. If the goal is to reach the playoffs this year, then dealing him would be a mistake. But if Minnesota decides it needs to sell, trading Clemens would make sense, even though he has several years of team control remaining.
Clemens has broken out this year as a 30-year-old, worth 1.3 fWAR with a .241/.303/.474 (112 wRC+) slash line and 14 home runs this season. He's recorded innings at all three outfield positions, first base and second base for Minnesota in 2026.
With various top prospects, such as Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, likely in the Twins' plans for the near future, it might make sense for the Twins to get some value out of Clemens while he's hot if the team sells at the deadline. Clemens' defensive versatility makes him a valuable player, but the Twins should give the younger players opportunities to play over the utilityman if the club decides to prioritize development over winning.
Ryan Kreidler, Twins utilityman
If the Twins end up as sellers at the deadline, they should trade Kreidler, 28, for the same reason they should trade Clemens. Kreidler is having the best season of his career by far after years of struggling as a Quad-A player. In 116 plate appearances with Minnesota this season, Kreidler is slashing .279/.353/.490 (134 wRC+) with five home runs.
Kreidler can play both shortstop and center field at an above-average level. He's still in pre-arbitration. Minnesota should keep him as the starting shortstop for now, but if the club falls out of contention, trading Kreidler while his value is at the highest it's ever been would be a smart move and allow Culpepper, Minnesota's top infield prospect, to take over shortstop.
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