With the trade deadline 10 days away, the Minnesota Twins are in the thick of the postseason race. Currently, the Twins are 2 1/2 games out of the final Wild Card spot and 4 1/2 games back of first place in the American League Central.
How the Twins perform from now until Aug. 3 will likely determine the direction the club will take at the trade deadline. That said, the performance of several other teams could impact the Twins' trade deadline plans.
5 MLB teams Twins fans should be watching as the trade deadline nears
Boston Red Sox
Boston may be the team Twins fans want to keep the closest eye on. The Twins are 2 1/2 games back of the Red Sox for the third American League Wild Card spot with a 51-53 record.
The Red Sox finally lost a game on Wednesday night after shocking the MLB world by winning 15 straight, which tied the franchise record. Boston is set to begin a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Friday night. After that, the Red Sox will begin a seven-game road trip, with a four-game series against the Athletics followed by a three-game series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are the only team between Boston and Minnesota in the Wild Card standings, sitting two games back of the Red Sox.
Before the trade deadline, Seattle has a four-game series against the Texas Rangers and a three-game set against the Dodgers before a three-game series against the Twins at T-Mobile Park.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers have just a half-game lead over the Mariners for first place in the American League West. So if the Mariners win this weekend's series against the Rangers, Minnesota fans may need to watch Texas more closely than Seattle.
After the Rangers play the Mariners, they have three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.
Chicago White Sox
While claiming a Wild Card spot seems more attainable than winning the division for the Twins, they are just 4 1/2 games back of the White Sox for first place in the American League Central. A hot streak for Minnesota and a losing streak for Chicago could quickly change the outlook of the division.
The White Sox have a tough stretch before the deadline, with series against the Astros, New York Yankees and Rays.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are between the Twins and White Sox in the AL Central standings, so Minnesota fans will want to watch them closely. Coming off a series split against the Twins, the Guardians have series against the Rays, Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks before the deadline.
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