The Minnesota Twins were the talk of baseball after posting an 18-8 record in May. It was a month that changed the conversation of the Twins' season, with the perception of the team being sellers ahead of the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline shifting to the team being viewed as a potential buyer. It seems, however, that the perception may change once again.
June has been a disastrous month for the Twins. Injuries to Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews have rocked the starting rotation, and Royce Lewis landed back on the IL with a hamstring strain. On the field, the Twins have felt the impact of those losses. After being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, the Twins now have a record of 6-14 during June.
The division race is an afterthought for the Twins, entering Monday, 11 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central. The Twins are only 2.5 games out of the Wild-Card race, but losers of 9 of their last 10 games have them trending in the wrong direction.
The Twins are collapsing, and considering where the season is, chances are the selling conversation may pop back up ahead of the deadline.
Twins’ awful June could force these 3 players out
- Willi Castro
For teams looking for a super-utility player ahead of the deadline, Willi Castro may be near the top of their shopping list. With an ability to play the infield and outfield, Castro offers the type of versatility that contending teams love to have on their bench. Through 218 plate appearances, Castro is slashing .280/.362/.456/126 OPS+.
- Jhoan Durán
If the Twins are selling at the deadline, there will be plenty of interest in Jhoan Duran. Duran has emerged as one of the best closers in the American League, and high-leverage relief pitchers are always in demand at the deadline. Also under team control for multiple seasons ahead, the Twins would be in a position to get a haul for their current closer.
- Harrison Bader
As teams look for speed and defense on their bench, Harrison Bader's name will likely come up in trade talks if the Twins become sellers at the deadline. Bader was an offseason steal for the Twins, but unless they turn around their recent struggles, he will likely be playing elsewhere after the deadline.