Jon Heyman said the quiet part out loud while talking about what the Minnesota Twins may do at the MLB trade deadline. Byron Buxton put an end to any trade speculation on Monday, saying that he has no interest in waiving his full no-trade clause. However, Heyman notes that the deadline could see the Twins move high-leverage relief pitchers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.
"If the Twins fall further, they might listen on star closer Jhoan Duran and setup man Griffin Jax. As a team for sale, finances may be affecting things."
It's the second time this week a national insider has suggested that Duran and Jax could be on the move ahead of the deadline. Last week, a report from Philadelphia suggested that the Twins would listen to offers for Jax and Duran. The Phillies are among the teams expected to have the most interest in Griffin and Jax ahead of the deadline.
Twins trade deadline plans may signal a quiet white flag
Assuming the Twins are willing to move Jax and Griffin at the deadline, it would essentially signal the front office giving up on the idea of contending this season. It would also be a fair assumption that the Twins would look to move Danny Coulombe at the deadline. Coulombe, sitting with 0.68 ERA on the season, is a free agent this offseason.
However, Heyman's intel speaks to a larger point that may be suffocating the Twins' plans at the deadline. As things stand, the Twins will enter play on Friday four games out of the final Wild-Card spot in the American League. Not a terrible position to be in, but two games under .500 with a pending ownership change, chances are there won't be much of a green-light for the front office to add money at the deadline in an effort to keep their contention hopes alive.
If anything, the pending sale of the team could lead to ownership dictating to the front office that they should trim money where they can. Moving Jax and Duran would serve that purpose. However, it would also set the Twins up to receive a haul of prospects at the deadline, considering each are under control until 2028.