Predicting the Twins trade deadline plans two months out

It wasn’t that long ago we were all poking the Minnesota Twins with a stick wondering if they’d ever do anything. That could describe either the limp way the team started the season or the frustrating way the front office spent the offseason. 

Everyone knows the story by now: Minnesota cut payroll and as a result dashed hope that had been built up over the course of a postseason run. It wasn’t just that the Twins went to the ALDS and finally looked like contenders, it was the most successful postseason run since 2002. Royce Lewis was hitting home runs at a historic clip, Pablo Lopez established himself as the team’s ace, and Carlos Correa proved why he’s worth every penny of the contract he signed. 

To have that chased by the team subtracting more than it meaningfully added was insult, a textbook definition of a buzzkill. 

Minnesota has historically been a frugal franchise, so the lack of spending wasn’t totally surprising. The context in which it took place was what made it a hard pill to swallow, but there’s still time for the team to make up for what it failed to do this winter. 

After a sluggish start, the Twins seem to have figured things out. The offense is alive, the bullpen is great, and the winning ways have returned. Unlike what happened this winter, the Twins can capitalize on the good vibes and fortify the roster at the trade deadline. 

How should the Minnesota Twins approach the trade deadline?

We’re still a few months out so things can change, but it’s not that hard to read the tea leaves on what the Twins might do at the deadline. 

The first place to start is the possibility of trading Max Kepler. He was routinely mentioned alongside Jorge Polanco this winter as players who could be traded together, but that didn’t end up happening.

Minnesota has reaped the benefit, as Kepler is off to one of the hottest streaks of his career and seems to have a firmly established place in the lineup. That could also mean the Twins try to capitalize on his success and flip him at maximum value since he’s in a contract year and might not be back in 2025.

Where that idea falls apart is how it might hurt the team, as Kepler’s offense has been huge and trading him at the deadline to get ahead of losing him in the winter — assuming he won’t be back — is loser’s mentality. It’s also, unfortunately, something believable the Twins would do.

Even if Kepler isn’t dangled at the deadline, the Twins have two areas it should look at but probably will only focus on one. Bullpen help is always needed and there’s a chance the Twins pick up some low-risk players to add depth, while starting pitching might end up being a bigger need by the time the deadline rolls around.

There’s also the possibility of looking for someone to add power to the lineup. Carlos Santana and Manuel Margot haven’t lived up to expectations, but the Twins have invested money they seemed unwilling to spend in both of those guys which might be why they don’t cut bait and reinvest more resources to replace either one.

Starting pitching remains the biggest need, though. Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan have been great and Bailey Ober is coming around, but the back of the rotation remains a major question mark. There isn’t a ton of confidence that this is yet a playoff rotation outside of the top two or three guys, and that could be a final missing piece for the Twins when the trade deadline rolls around.

That’s the thing, though. We’re still two months out from the deadline so anything can happen between now and then. If things keep going the way they are, though, the Twins will be well positioned to keep their foot on the gas and make some additions to put them over the top.

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