The Minnesota Twins are struggling, and the timing of their recent slump isn't a complete surprise. With Pablo López and Zebby Matthews on the IL, the Twins haven't exactly gotten consistency from their starting rotation they once had. No surprise, the Twins are currently riding a four-game losing streak, and have lost 8 of their last 10 games.
The Twins' slump could not come at a worse time. In the American League Central division, the Detroit Tigers have all but locked up the race. With a record of 46-27, the Tigers have a 9-game lead over the Twins for first place. It's the largest lead for any current first-place team in Major League Baseball.
In the Wild Card race, as of Monday, the Seattle Mariners have leapfrogged the Twins for the final spot in the American League. The good news is that the Twins are only a half-game back of the Mariners for the final Wild Card Spot. The even better news is that the Boston Red Sox just traded Rafael Devers, and moving forward, they are a worse team than when they entered Sunday morning with Devers on their roster.
Twins are watching their deadline blueprint unravel in real time
Entering June, the Twins had the impression of a clear buyer. No, there wasn't a scenario where the Twins would make a move for Rafael Devers, but the assumption was that they would be in the market for stabilizing the backend of their rotation and potentially, adding a boost to their offense.
If the Twins' losing ways continue, the idea of Minnesota's front office having a buying approach ahead of the deadline can likely be tossed out the window. The conversation would shift from who the Twins will be adding to their roster to who the Twins will be moving off their roster. Given the bullpen arms the Twins could offer, there would be no shortage of interested teams who would come calling.
Making things ever worse for the Twins is the brutal stretch of series they have to end the month. The Twins have a series against the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Mariners, and Detroit Tigers to close out the month. We've talked about the success of the Mariners and Tigers already, and for the other teams, they are all above .500 and contending for a postseason spot.