Go ahead and sell.
That’s the message being sent from the players to the front office after the Minnesota Twins came out of the All-Star break with back-to-back losses to a Colorado Rockies team that hadn’t won consecutive games in more than a month and is headed for one of the worst records in MLB history.
Even after winning Sunday’s series finale to avoid a sweep that might have effectively ended the Twins’ season, they have a 48-51 record with just nine games to play before the July 31 trade deadline. That puts the Twins eighth in line for three wild-card spots, with playoff odds around 20 percent.
The front office might not make any meaningful deadline trades for the third year in a row. Given the uncertain ownership situation, doing nothing again would make sense from a job-preservation standpoint, compared to a sell-off that would likely result in missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
However, if the Twins decide to be sellers, they would have plenty of marketable players to shop, including six impending free agents and core pieces under team control for multiple more seasons. And any complaints from players will be heard at a lower volume than the message sent by going 17-25 since June 1.
Here’s my Twins trade deadline big board, a player-by-player look at names they could be shopping and/or getting calls about between now and July 31.
Big names with no-trade clauses
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
31
Center field
$15 million
30
Shortstop
$36 million
Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa have full no-trade clauses in their contracts, which means they can’t be traded unless they want to be. Their deals each have three guaranteed seasons remaining after this one, with Buxton owed about $50 million and Correa owed about $105 million.
In terms of potential trade value, their situations are very different. Buxton is a healthy, thriving All-Star, ranking in the AL’s top five for homers, steals, OPS and bWAR to dramatically outperform his $15 million salary. Correa is having a career-worst year, producing 0.2 bWAR while making $36 million.
If the Twins were to shop Buxton, his market would be substantial, but he’s their best and most popular player and has made it clear he wants to spend his entire career in Minnesota. Even if the Twins were to shop Correa, it could be difficult to find a taker for his contract, let alone to get value in return.
Impending free agents
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
31
Outfield
$6.25 million
28
Super utility
$6.4 million
35
Relief pitcher
$3 million
31
First base
$1 million
29
Starting pitcher
$7.5 million
34
Catcher
$10 million
Diving fully into aggressive selling mode has long-term ramifications that lame-duck owners and their in-flux front offices might want to avoid while a team is up for sale. But the Twins even dipping their toes in the sellers’ pool should involve getting any value they can for impending free agents.
There are six, none of whom seems likely to be back with the Twins in 2026 because of some combination of age, performance and cost. And if that’s the reality, why lose players for nothing in a few months just to be slightly less bad, instead of swapping them for whatever future value is being offered?
I wrote in depth about the Twins’ six impending free agents last week, but here’s the short version: Willi Castro and Harrison Bader should have plenty of value and plenty of suitors. Danny Coulombe and Chris Paddack should be movable for a low-level prospect. Ty France and Christian Vázquez will have a limited market, if that.
There is value to be had here, but keep expectations in check. If the Twins could get even one or two future major-league role players in deadline deals for impending free agents, that would be a positive outcome. Lottery tickets are better than nothing. Castro was a lottery ticket himself not so long ago.
Team controlled through 2026
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
28
Catcher
$4.55 million
35
Relief pitcher
$1 million
34
Relief pitcher
$1.25 million
Ryan Jeffers should have solid trade value because he’s a starting-caliber catcher with 1 1/2 seasons of team control remaining, and those are typically hard to acquire at the deadline. Of course, they can also be tough to replace, and the Twins don’t have an obvious “catcher of the future” waiting in the wings.
Jeffers’ defense is a mixed bag, but he’s been an above-average hitter this season and ranks sixth among all catchers in OPS the past three years. Due for a raise to at least $8 million next season via arbitration, the 28-year-old could be a post-trade extension candidate for a higher-payroll team.
Justin Topa has mostly struggled outside of low-leverage work with the Twins, but he’s a serviceable middle reliever, and a $2 million team option for 2026 might hold some appeal as cheap bullpen depth. Tonkin is 35 and hasn’t pitched in the majors this season because of a shoulder injury.
Team controlled through 2027
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
27
Relief pitcher
$4.15 million
30
Relief pitcher
$2.35 million
28
Corner outfield
$2.1 million
29
Starting pitcher
$21.75 million
30
Starting pitcher
$3.55 million
29
Starting pitcher
$3 million
33
Relief pitcher
$870,000
This seven-player group represents the biggest possible inflection point for the Twins front office. Not only is that a major portion of the team’s core — the three top starters, three of the four top relievers and one of the best bats — but each player has two seasons of team control left beyond this one.
Joe Ryan would no doubt fetch a huge return, perhaps the biggest on the roster, but trading an All-Star starter making only $3 million just 2 1/2 seasons ahead of free agency would be leaning into a multiyear rebuild. Does the front office have the patience, or the job security, to punt on 2026 and 2027?
Cashing in bullpen depth would be a much less severe approach given the year-to-year volatility of even the best relievers. This group includes one of the AL’s top high-leverage duos in Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, along with another late-inning arm in Brock Stewart, who is 33 and has a lengthy injury history.
Pablo López’s shoulder injury and the $21.75 million salaries he’s owed in each of the next two years take a chunk out of his trade value, but he was pitching at an All-Star level before getting hurt and is expected back by September. But similar to Ryan, what would trading López say about 2026 and 2027?
Bailey Ober’s trade value crashed after going 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA in June amid questions about his health, so moving him now would be selling very low. Trevor Larnach should get some bites, but the return for a plodding 28-year-old corner outfielder with a career .726 OPS figures to be pretty modest.
Team controlled through 2028
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
26
Third base
$1.6 million
28
Relief pitcher
$780,000
Injuries and extreme ineffectiveness have caused Royce Lewis’ stock to plummet compared to 12 months ago, but he’s still just 26 and under team control for three years beyond this one. Trading him for pennies on the dollar wouldn’t make sense unless the Twins are convinced he’s a lost cause.
Cole Sands has taken a big step backward after a breakthrough 2024 season, but he remains a capable, cheap middle reliever with demonstrated upside, and the Twins might need him to take on a bigger role if they trade one or more of their high-leverage bullpen arms.
Team controlled through 2029
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
29
Utility
$770,000
27
Corner outfield
$770,000
Matt Wallner has struggled since returning from a hamstring injury in late May, and his high-strikeout approach means his slumps always create long-term skepticism. But his trade value likely wouldn’t be large enough to sour on a minimum-salaried slugger with the 11th-highest OPS in Twins history.
Kody Clemens has provided a much-needed jolt of power after being acquired off the waiver wire for cash considerations in late April, but that also means he was basically free to any other team three months ago. They’d surely move the 29-year-old for any kind of decent value, but don’t expect it.
Demoted former top prospects
PLAYERAGEPOSITIONSALARY
26
Second base
N/A
26
Outfield
N/A
27
Corner infield
N/A
This is a trio of one-time top prospects who are now 26/27 and have spent most of this season at Triple-A St. Paul. Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda were demoted there in April, whereas Austin Martin failed to make the Twins this spring and has rarely been a call-up option since then due to a pair of hamstring injuries.
Trading multiple veterans at the deadline could reopen the door for Julien, Miranda and Martin, but it’s also possible the Twins no longer view them as part of the long-term plan and might just get whatever marginal value they can. Non-contending teams could target them as intriguing buy-low fliers.
(Photo of Jhoan Duran and Willi Castro: Bruce Kluckhohn / Associated Press)