Twins Trade Deadline: Insider says Minnesota is officially listening on rentals

It appears the Twins finally accepted it's not their year.
Minnesota Twins v Houston Astros
Minnesota Twins v Houston Astros | Jack Gorman/GettyImages

Jon Heyman’s recent report suggests Twins will initiate a trade deadline sell-off

After losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that the Twins are “now seriously listening on their rental players.”

Along with Danny Coulombe, Harrison Bader and Willi Castro, Ty France, Chris Paddack and Christian Vázquez are set to be free agents following the 2025 season.

It’s good news that the Twins would have to be absolutely blown away by an offer to deal Jhoan Durán or Joe Ryan, as both are among the best players on the roster and are under team control through 2027. A team desperate for a championship, like the Chicago Cubs or Philadelphia Phillies, might overpay for one of them.

Coulombe has allowed just two runs in 27 ⅔ innings this season. Because he is also a lefty who can successfully get both righties and lefties out, Coulombe could get the Twins some noteworthy prospects from a World Series contender desperate for bullpen help. 

Bader could get the Twins at least one high-upside prospect, as the left fielder has 2.1 bWAR, his most since 2021, this season. Bader has cooled down offensively lately, but his glove and postseason experience could be appealing to a playoff contender.

Castro might be the most valuable rental the Twins have to offer, considering he can play nearly every position on the field —a skill highly valued across the league. Along with his defensive versatility, Castro has an above-average OPS of .785 this season. A team that wants an outfielder or infielder could fill its need by acquiring Castro.

The other rentals the Twins have to offer, France, Paddack and Vázquez, probably would not yield much in a trade on their own, but they could be used as part of packages to bolster a return for Minnesota

Vázquez has been abysmal offensively this year, but he can play good defense and has postseason experience, traits that could be appealing to teams in need of a backup catcher. Paddack has struggled lately, but he had a dominant stretch earlier this season. He had success as a reliever late in 2023 and the 2023 playoffs, so a team could acquire him with the intention of moving him to the bullpen. France has not been great this year, either, but plays above-average defense and is hitting .310 with runners in scoring position.

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