The Minnesota Twins decided to shake up their organization at last year’s trade deadline, sending 10 players from the major league roster packing during a fire sale. While the decision to blow up the roster brought some mixed feelings, the Twins still have a way to benefit.
Each deal brought a wave of new talent into the organization and other deals may have been a win, even if they didn’t get a viable player in return. It creates an interesting exercise to see how each of these deals played out almost one year later and decide what moves could shape the franchise and which ones fans would like to forget.
9. RHP Louis Varland and 1B Ty France to the Blue Jays for LHP Kendrys Rojas and OF Alan Roden
If you ask a Twins fan about the worst deal in the fire sale, Varland is at the top of the list. After joining the Twins as a starting pitcher during the 2022 season, he successfully made the transition to the bullpen, posting a 2.02 ERA in 51 appearances. It felt like Varland, a St. Paul native, would be in Minnesota for years to come as he wasn’t eligible for free agency until the 2030 season.
Still, that didn’t stop former president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey from sending him to Toronto and watching him become the American League version of Mason Miller. In 48 innings this season, Varland has posted a 0.94 ERA with 18 saves, 66 strikeouts and 13 walks and Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman threw more superlatives, declaring it “one of the greatest trades we ever made” during Toronto’s run to the World Series.
This sounds like a player who could help the worst bullpen in baseball. Instead, Falvey went for the mystery box with Rojas and Roden. Rojas has potential, but his control is a problem with 16 walks in 18.1 major league innings. Roden also has upside and hit .272/.397/.512 in 33 games at Triple-A St. Paul before his call-up and a walk-off hit in his debut this week. But he’s hitting just .196/.267/.294 with two homers and 11 RBI in 57 career games in the majors.
Maybe Rojas and Roden can chip into the gap as their careers mature. But dealing an ascending reliever with years of team control is something that could haunt the Twins even more than it is right now.
8. RHP Brock Stewart to the Dodgers for OF James Outman
While the Twins whiffed on the Varland trade, both sides whiffed in the deal for Stewart. The Twins knew they were holding onto a ticking time bomb due to Stewart’s injury and it was smart to get what they could for him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t much as the Dodgers offloaded Outman, who looks like a Quad-A player that was out of minor league options.
Outman hit just .151/.224/.302 in 86 games for the Twins, and while he was a solid defender who could spell Byron Buxton in center field, his anemic bat forced him to be designated for assignment last month.
Meanwhile, Stewart has only appeared in 12 games for the Dodgers since the trade, and while he was recently activated from a bone spur in his left foot, it may not be long until he goes back on the shelf, making this a true “This helps no one,” trade.
7. RHP Danny Coulombe to the Rangers for RHP Garrett Horn
Like Stewart, Coulombe was a disposable piece as a free agent the following year. Going into his late 30s, he wasn’t going to fetch much of a return, and the Twins haven’t gotten that from Horn during his time in the organization.
Horn has been good when healthy, posting a 2.70 ERA in six appearances (five starts) this season. The problem is he can’t stay on the mound, landing on the injured list twice this season due to a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, Coulombe has imploded since leaving Minnesota. After posting a 5.25 ERA in 15 appearances for the Texas Rangers last season, he’s posted a 4.95 ERA in 28 appearances this season with the Boston Red Sox.
At age 23, Horn still has time to make the most of this trade. But as of right now, neither side is really getting much out of it.
6. UTIL Willi Castro to the Cubs for RHP Sam Armstrong and RHP Ryan Gallagher
Like most of the players who were traded, Castro was a free agent and had value as a former All-Star. Unfortunately, that version didn’t show up for the Chicago Cubs as he hit .170/.245/.240 with one homer in 34 games.
After Castro signed with the Colorado Rockies in free agency, the Cubs clearly didn’t get value out of the deal. But Armstrong, who is already 25, is 2-8 with a 5.20 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A Wichita this season.
The Twins’ best chance of getting something out of this deal is Gallagher, but he has hit a speed bump after a strong start to the season, going 2-4 with a 7.44 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) since he was promoted to Double-A Wichita.
While the early returns are disappointing, there is some room for more, and that’s something the Cubs can’t say after making this trade.
5. RHPs Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak to the Detroit Tigers for C Enrique Jimenez
When this trade was made, fans were probably surprised they got something for Paddack. Arriving in one of the worst moves of the Falvey era, Paddack was only 3-9 with a 4.95 ERA at the time of the trade and flamed out with the Tigers with a 6.32 ERA in 12 appearances. Since then, Paddack has been designated for assignment three times in 2026 and is currently looking for his fourth team as a free agent.
It’s also surprising that the Twins were also able to get rid of Dobnak in this trade. After a strong surge to begin his career, Dobnak spent most of his time injured or in the minor leagues and while he’s back in the majors with the Kansas City Royals, he’s also 31 and on the back nine of his career.
Getting anything for two questionable arms is a solid return. But the Twins got something extra in Jimenez, who is 20 years old and has shown decent power with five homers in 102 at-bats. If he keeps developing, it could establish some catching depth the Twins haven’t had in a while and give them an easy win in this deal.
4. SS Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros for LHP Matt Mikulski
Of all the trades that happened a year ago, this was probably the most infuriating. Signed in free agency as a franchise cornerstone, Correa decided he wanted out of Minnesota when most of the veterans around him were sent packing. His no-trade clause also pigeonholed the Twins into one destination and Correa was sent back to the Astros for Matt Mikulski.
Mikulski will be a trivia night answer for Twins fans after posting an 8.44 ERA in six appearances for High-A Cedar Rapids and getting released after the 2025 season. The move was also a straight salary dump, which makes Twins fans even angrier toward the Pohlad family.
But in the end, trading Correa may have been the right move. After performing well down the stretch for Houston last year, he hit .279/.369/.410 with three homers and 16 RBI before suffering a severe ankle injury in May. That injury may have been the reason the Twins were able to re-sign him after he had two blockbuster deals negated over his physicals before the 2023 season and his contract, which has him under control through the 2028 season with a vesting option for the 2029-32 seasons, has aged as well as a gallon of milk in the Field of Dreams.
With Kaelen Culpepper and Marek Houston coming through the organization, getting Correa out of the way may have been a long-term benefit for the Twins – even if it reminds fans of cheap ownership.
3. RHP Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies for RHP Mick Abel and C Eduardo Tait
Like Varland, the Twins let an All-Star out of their bullpen with this trade. Duran has been spectacular since landing in Philadelphia, posting a 1.72 ERA over 56 appearances and he’s posted the highest strikeout (40.7%) and lowest walk rate (4.9%) to earn his first trip to the Midsummer Classic this season.
The difference here is that the Twins may have gotten an adequate return. Abel struggled in his first stint in Minnesota, posting an 8.36 ERA in 14 innings last season. But he had a strong Spring Training and flashed upside with a 10-strikeout performance in a win over the Boston Red Sox on April 14.
While Abel is on the injured list with an elbow injury, he could be a fixture in the rotation as he’s set to turn 25 next month. But the Twins got an even higher upside piece in Tait, who is hitting .215/.279/.421 with 15 homers and 51 RBI at High-A Cedar Rapids at 19 years old.
Both Abel and Tait have the talent to be part of the Twins’ future and it could turn the Duran trade into a deal that helps both sides down the road.
2. OF Harrison Bader to the Philadelphia Phillies for OF Hendry Mendez and RHP Geremy Villoria
The Twins may have raided the Phillies farm system as part of the fire sale and came away with their biggest heist in Mendez. Enjoying a breakout season in the minors, Mendez is hitting .305/.395/.469 with eight homers and 43 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A and looks like another candidate to join the logjam of left-handed outfielders.
While Villoria is only 17 years old and playing in rookie ball, it’s a sweet cherry on top as Bader has fallen off a cliff since the trade.
Bader played well for Philadelphia, hitting .305/.361/.463 with five homers and 16 RBI in 50 games. But after signing with the San Francisco Giants last winter, he managed a .170/.198/.358 batter’s line with five homers and 14 RBI in 30 games.
It’s quite the fall from grace for the former Gold Glove winner, but also something the Twins can reap the benefits from if both prospects continue their upward trajectory.
1. RHP Griffin Jax to the Tampa Bay Rays for RHP Taj Bradley
Like some of the other trades on this list, this has the potential for both teams to go home happy. The Rays have made the most out of it as they’ve taken Griffin Jax from the bullpen to the starting rotation and the results have been solid, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.89 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 15 walks in 56 innings as a starter this season.
But while the Rays are doing what the Twins were reluctant to do with Jax, they got a more dynamic pitcher in Bradley. The 25-year-old has had his ups and downs, but it’s hard to argue with his upside. In 95.2 innings as a Twin, Bradley has gone 8-3 with a 3.67 ERA, 112 strikeouts and 38 walks and looks like a potential ace as he continues to develop.
The Twins will have a decision to make soon as Bradley has two more years of team control before hitting free agency after the 2028 season. But right now, it looks like a no-brainer to at least consider signing him to an extension to keep his price down. Of all of the trades, the Jax-for-Bradley swap seems to have the most upside and could change the top of the Twins’ rotation for years to come.
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