When Jeff Passan writes words about the MLB trade deadline, it tends to carry more weight than, say, Jon Morosi naming a starting pitcher, adding a team that needs a starting pitcher, and suggesting that trade talks could take place between the two teams. When Passan has intel, it's worth keeping track of, and in this case, could signal a sell-off for the Minnesota Twins.
In his latest for ESPN, Passan plays matchmaker and connects each team over .500 with the best possible trade fit. The Twins, with a record of 45-47 entering play on Thursday when the Passan article dropped, did not make the list of teams that the ESPN insider touched on. That said, the Twins were heavily involved.
If Passan is to be believed, the Twins' bullpen is about having a wrecking ball taken to it. While highlighting the Tampa Bay Rays' need for bullpen upgrades, Passan lists Twins reliever Griffin Jax as the best match. Passan also floated Jax's name for the Detroit Tigers' need in the bullpen, but pointed out that a trade between divisional rivals was not realistic.
Jax isn't the only Twins reliever that Passan has potentially on the move. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, who also need their bullpen to be stabilized, the perfect fit, as determined by Passan, is Twins' closer Jhoan Duran.
Twins bullpen might not survive the trade deadline intact
Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Twins, if they do sell, will only move pieces who are free agents after this season. Jax and Duran wouldn't fit that description, as each are under control until 2028. Trading one of Duran or Jax would suggest a deeper sell-off than the front office's track record has often shied away from. Trading both would all but confirm the Twins are planning on resetting things at the Major League level.
That may not be a terrible idea for the Twins, who seem to be stuck in the purgatory of being good, but never good enough to be a sustainable postseason contender. Moving controllable pieces such as Jax and Duran would go a long way toward the Twins reconstructing their roster and overall outlook beyond this season.