The Twins Could Be Buyers at the Trade Deadline
After looking like surefire sellers heading into the season, the Twins could flip the script and add at this year's trade deadline in a wide-open AL.
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Most of the so-called experts in baseball expect the Minnesota Twins to be sellers once again at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline. And probably with good reason. They have been in a free fall since 2023, when they reached the American League Division Series.
The owners of the Twins, the Pohlad Family, tried to sell the team last year and have refused to fund it at a competitive level.
Moreover, the 11-player exodus at the 2025 trade deadline broke the backs of many long-term Twins fans. But 2026 has been a surprise, as the team is 38-41 and within a game of the final AL wild-card spot.
Reports surfaced on Monday evening that the front office would like to sell pieces at the deadline to accelerate the rebuild, but owner Tom Pohlad has expressed a desire to buy given how weak the American League has been.
It would make sense for the team to cash in on some of its most valuable trade chips. But there are compelling reasons why a soft buy could become a reality.
Stats were taken prior to play on June 22.
Twins Suffer Major Injuries and Unexpected Demotions
If someone had told me that Twins ace Pablo Lopez would miss the entire season with an elbow injury and starting catcher Ryan Jeffers would be out for a month and a half with an injured hand, I would say this team is in big trouble.
Add to that starting pitcher Bailey Ober‘s one-month absence due to an elbow strain and relievers Cole Sands and Kendry Rojas missing significant time with forearm and elbow injuries, and wisdom would say you have a recipe for disaster.
And with promising hurler Mick Abel on the shelf with elbow inflammation, I would conclude the Twins were on a direct flight to 100 losses.
Then there’s the unexpected demotions of Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul. That might lead me to believe that this team was headed to exceed the record for most losses in a season set by the 2024 Chicago White Sox (121).
That’s every Twins fan’s worst nightmare.
But even through all that adversity, they still manage to find themselves in the postseason hunt nearly halfway through the season.
Perseverance at Its Finest
Here we are near the tail end of June, and the Twins still aren’t out of it.
The team is buoyed by ace Joe Ryan throwing bullets and Byron Buxton turning back the clock on his fragile body. And a manager in Derek Shelton, who doesn’t panic and nurtures his team into believing in themselves.
Add a power burst from newcomer Josh Bell, the blossoming of infielder Brooks Lee, and the versatility and sudden power surges from Kody Clemens and Trevor Larnach, and you have an offense that knows how to put runners on and drive them in.
The Twins rank sixth in MLB in runs scored (388) and RBI (367); eighth in slugging percentage (.412) and OPS (.735); and 10th in home runs (97).
Pitching and Defense Need Help
Starters Ryan, Taj Bradley, and Ober have pitched well, as have relievers Yoendrys Gomez and Rojas. But injuries and the exodus of their top five relievers at the 2025 trade deadline have taken its toll.
The Twins’ bullpen ranks dead last in MLB with a 5.22 ERA. They also rank dead last in MLB in defensive runs saved with -30 and 25th in outs above average with -17. The Twins have been especially leaky in the infield. But some position shifts should help, and they still have the sensational Buxton roaming center field.
However, for Shelton and his squad, help is on the way. They activated Rojas from the injured list on Sunday. Ober and Sands are expected back in early July, and Minnesota is still awaiting word on Jeffers and Abel.
Wallner is tearing the cover off the ball for St. Paul. In 32 games, he has smashed 11 home runs, driven in 33, and is carrying a slash line of .288/.358/.598. And shortstop Kalen Culpepper had hit 14 homers, driven in 43 runs, and stolen 15 bases before going down with a glute injury last week.
They both are primed to be called up at any moment.
Will the Twins be Buyers at the Trade Deadline?
All of this leads me to believe that the Twins could add considering how wide open the American League is. Even with so much going wrong for Minnesota this season, they’re still within striking distance of a playoff spot.
Most so-called experts will say they’d be crazy to buy. They have Jeffers headed to New York to put on a Yankees jersey. The rumor mill is heavy with talk of Ryan headed to the Braves, Cardinals, or Cubs. Other prominent names being bandied about are Bell, Gomez, and reliever Taylor Rogers.
But what if they’re wrong? What if the Twins keep hitting? What if some of their injured starters return and prosper?
There’s a world in which Wallner, Culpepper, and perhaps top prospect Walker Jenkins (JB No. 8 overall) make the jump from St. Paul to energize the club.
Add a couple of mid-tier relievers, such as A.J. Minter from the Mets and Antonio Senzatela of the Rockies, and you may just have a team with real playoff potential. At 38-41, the path to the postseason is wide open if the Twins so desire.
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