Core or Out the Door: Twins Trade Away Candidates, 6-10

[Cody Christie]

The Twins can’t afford another collapse like the one that transpired in 2024. This forces the front office to reevaluate the team’s building block players and decide whether they should be part of the core or pushed out the door.

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

As the Minnesota Twins gear up for the 2025 season, the focus shifts to their core group of players who form the backbone of the roster. Some players have cemented their place as long-term building blocks, while others could be valuable trade assets. In this article, we rank the Twins' most important pieces at the big-league level, considering their impact and the likelihood of them being traded before the 2025 season.

10. Brooks Lee, IF
Pros: Lee has shot up the prospect rankings and made his major league debut late in 2024. His bat-to-ball skills and mature approach at the plate make him one of the most promising hitters in the Twins’ system. Lee’s future as a middle infielder or third baseman gives the Twins flexibility, and his potential to develop into an impact hitter at the big-league level is sky-high.

Cons: Lee is still unproven at the MLB level, and the team will need to see how he adjusts to major-league pitching. He showed signs of struggling during his rookie season (64 OPS+), but he might have also been playing through an injury. His defensive position is also unclear, as he could end up at third base if Royce Lewis moves to a different position.

Trade Likelihood: Low 
Lee is one of the team’s top young players, and it’s unlikely they will part ways with him before seeing how he develops in 2025.

9. Matt Wallner, OF
Pros: Wallner’s power potential makes him a compelling piece for the future. His left-handed bat gives the Twins a middle-of-the-order threat, and his defense in the corner outfield is serviceable, especially with an elite throwing arm. Wallner’s combination of power and athleticism gives him a high ceiling, especially with Max Kepler likely departing in free agency.

Cons: Strikeouts are a concern, and his consistency at the plate needs to improve. Minnesota sent him to Triple-A after a brutal start to the 2024 campaign, but he was resilient as he hit his way back to the big-league level. He’s still developing, and the Twins will need to see if he can avoid prolonged slumps in 2025.

Trade Likelihood: Medium
Wallner is under team control and could be a core outfield player, but his trade value is high enough that the Twins could consider moving him in the right deal.

8. Bailey Ober, SP
Pros: Ober was one of the Twins' most consistent starters in 2024 (104 ERA+). His imposing height and ability to locate his pitches make it difficult for hitters to square up. He set a career-high with 9.6 K/9. Ober’s durability improved in 2024 with a career-high 178 2/3 IP, and he’s proven himself as a solid mid-rotation starter with upside.

Cons: While Ober has been effective, he has had workload concerns as recently as 2023. The Twins might be cautious about relying on him long-term, especially given the depth of their young pitching prospects.

Trade Likelihood: Medium 
Ober’s breakout makes him an attractive trade piece, especially if the Twins want to add an impact bat. His high value could lead the Twins to explore moving him.

7. Jhoan Durán, RP
Pros: Durán is one of the most electric relievers in baseball. His triple-digit fastball, devastating off-speed pitches, and ability to close out games make him an essential part of the bullpen. During his career, he has posted a 2.30 ERA with a 12.3 K/9 in save situations. As a young, cost-controlled closer, Duran is a player the Twins can build their bullpen around for years.

Cons: Durán showed some kinks in his armor last season, and his velocity dropped on all his pitches. Relievers can be volatile, and there is always the risk of overuse or injury with such a hard-throwing pitcher.

Trade Likelihood: Medium to High 
Durán seemed untouchable as a trade candidate last winter. However, the Twins may want to capitalize on his remaining trade value before he gets more expensive through the arbitration process. 

6. Griffin Jax, RP
Pros: Jax was arguably the Twins’ best pitcher during the 2024 season. His ability to handle high-leverage situations and get key outs made him a valuable part of the Twins’ bullpen. In 72 appearances (71 innings), he posted a 2.03 ERA with a 0.873 WHIP and a 34.4 K% (Top 3% of MLB). With his mix of pitches, Jax has the potential to solidify himself among baseball’s top relievers next season. 

Cons: Like all relievers, long-term success can be fleeting, especially in limited sample sizes. It’s hard to imagine him having a better season than he did in 2024. Like Durán, he will begin to cost more through arbitration and the front office has stayed away from investing in bullpen arms. 

Trade Likelihood: Medium to High 
Jax might be one of the most valuable trade assets on the roster. It seems likely for the Twins to try to move either him or Durán this winter before either loses value through injury or ineffectiveness. 

The Twins have a strong core of building block pieces for 2025, but that doesn’t mean they won’t explore trades to reshape the roster. Lee and Wallner are young, foundational players the team will likely build around, while others like Ober, Duran, and Jax could be moved to fill other needs. The offseason will be critical as the front office balances improving the team without disrupting its future success.

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Will any of the players above be traded this winter? Which player is the most critical building block? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

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[Whitey333]

Man̈y of the current prospects and young players have a lot to prove.  So far they are suspects rather than prospects.  With how the Twins choked the last several weeks anything should be open if a good deal can.be made.  I would hesitate moving Ober, Duran, or Jax unless you get a deal you can't pass up.  If you are looking to get younger and better I would look at dumping Lewis, Buxton, and Correa.  Yes no trade clauses can be negotiated to facilitate a trade.  Go Twins!

 

[Maybebaby]

Ober should absolutely, not be moved.  He is questionably the teams' ace at times when Pablo struggles.  Affordable pitching is an absolute must to cost conscious (Twins) teams! What fans would give to have a George Steinbrenner type step up to buy the team and just spend, spend, spend.  Hello Soto!

[Otaknam]

An Ober trade would be indefensible. Number 1-3 starters are the most difficult players to find and develop. Ober was their most effective starter and one of three mid rotation starters remaining, along with Ryan and Lopez. Festa, Matthews, and even SWR still have a lot to prove. And the minor league depth for starters is unproven. Nyet to an Ober trade! 

[Major League Ready]

Just opinions but there is close to zero chance Ober is traded.  Converting Jax back to a starter is more likely than him being traded.  Lee is not traded because his significant struggles at the ML level would probably mean selling low at this point.  I could see it with Wallner given the arrival of Rodriquez is on the horizon, but it would seem far more likely after Rodriquez gets established.  

[jmlease1]

It's hard to see any of these as real trade candidates; the most likely are Jax & Duran, because a) relievers are the most fungible, and b) they're getting more expensive. But dealing either of them right now would almost look like surrender, because it would weaken the bullpen so severely it would be hard to look at it as a positive or having the capacity to be a weapon in the playoffs.

Lee has significant upside still, is young and cheap, but after an injury and unimpressive debut, it's not exactly selling high. Wallner would be selling high, but would leave the team really needing Rodriguez to be ready immediately or the offense would be missing a critical element. Ober is a rotation stalwart; you'd have to be very convinced that Festa, Matthews, Lewis, etc are ready to perform at his level right soon or again...surrender.

I'm sure some people want to deal Wallner because they can't stand his Ks and would rather dump him, but he's been incredibly productive and I want his LH thump in the lineup.

[Doctor Gast]

Our biggest problems were philosophies, not filling in holes (if you don't fill holes the boat sinks) & was made weaker. I wouldn't look to trade any of these. because they are necessary to have a good team. Holes that need to be filled are minor so we can accomplish it without using any of these players. We have been very lucky with the health of our catching tandem. We need very much a future catcher & they are not cheap so I might consider trading any of these but I'd try to trade Julien & Gonzales or any redundant prospects 1st.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

I think that in order to improve this team, some trades will need to be made and that means that we will need to trade someone that we would rather not.  For a 6-10 list, this seems reasonable, but I’m anxious to see 1-5 as well.  For me personally, Brooks Lee would be higher on my list of players to trade because I’m not convinced that he’s going to be as outstanding as some think he will be, and Matt Wallner would be lower because he’s the best true slugger that we have. 

I would rather not trade Ober, but for the right offer, I’m willing.  Since Ober, Ryan, and Lopez all become free agents at the same time in a couple of years, moving one of them now to stagger that impact might be a good idea — particularly if we can fill another need by doing so.  

The pair of Jax and Duran.  I think we definitely should trade one of them.  Not sure who has the higher value.  Jax had a career year last year while Duran had a bit of a down year, but Duran has the track record of being ridiculous.  Having both is a nice luxury, but capitalizing on value now might help the team a bit more.  Unfortunately, no one is going to give us a big haul for a relief pitcher, no matter how good they are, so we should be prepared to be disappointed for the return (which means that they may not be dealt after all).  

My 5-1 looks like this. . .    Lopez AND Ryan occupying one spot at 5  (both medium, like Ober).  Only one of the three would be dealt, but I think Lopez and Ryan are ever so slightly more likely than Ober.  Next at 4 would be Julien AND Larnach (both high).  They both have potential but might be the odd man out of the team’s plans.  Return for either of these guys wouldn’t be huge. Number 3 is Vasquez (very high).  They will try to trade him, but finding a team to pick up a lot of his salary will be difficult. This trade will only be made possible by another, bigger trade for a young catcher.  At number 2 I have Paddack (boiling high)  He can be a serviceable pitcher, but his price tag and the availability of young pitching makes him an easy trade candidate.  I think Willi Castro (the hydrogen fusion heat of the sun)  is the number 1 candidate to be traded, which makes me sad because I really like him.  His return could be medium-ish, but with a player or prospect added, I think could bring a piece of at least some impact.  

These guys aren’t all going to be traded.  My over-under number is 2.5 on this list. Who will be traded is all entwined with who else is traded and who is acquired.  For example, if we make a “big” trade and get a catcher of the future, Vasquez is as good as gone.  If we don’t, he’s probably back, even at that price tag.  

I think there are certainly prospects that could be traded for some good value as a part of a package..  Luke Keashall comes to mind, as would one of our lower level pitchers.  If one of Hellman or Kiersay makes the team next spring, I think the other one will be dealt.  I’m sure there are others that would be candidates as well.

If my list frustrates you, remember that I’m the guy who wanted to trade Max Kepler for a bag of used baseballs in the summer of 2023 right before he got really hot.  So. . . What do I know?

 

[LambchoP]

Trading any of these guys, especially the pitchers, would just create new holes to fill. I think Vasquez, Paddack, Castro and Larnach could be more realistic trade candidates. 

[Patzky]

16 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Our biggest problems were philosophies, not filling in holes (if you don't fill holes the boat sinks) & was made weaker. I wouldn't look to trade any of these. because they are necessary to have a good team. Holes that need to be filled are minor so we can accomplish it without using any of these players. We have been very lucky with the health of our catching tandem. We need very much a future catcher & they are not cheap so I might consider trading any of these but I'd try to trade Julien & Gonzales or any redundant prospects 1st.

I'm wondering/guessing whom the top 5 will be. Probably Paddack - Vazquez - Jeffers - Lewis - Julien?

[Schmoeman5]

In the 1st sentence you say the Twins can't afford another collapse like 2024. OK I agree. So to avoid this you're creating a list and the probability of players being traded. What's the return? Are you expecting high prospects in return? Mid prospects? Or are other teams just going to give the Twins better players because they're so nice? If they trade the " core" players and get little in return then there won't be a collapse. There will be a battle with the White Sox for the cellar spot.

[twinfan]

I don't see the Twins trading any of these players though we are a small market team who doesn't pay when players become expensive. A lot depends on why this team collapsed in the final 30 games. Was it fatigue as it seemed? Was it that we really weren't as good as we thought? The front office will have to decide. And are the Royals, Tigers and Guardians as good as they wound up this season? And what about teams like the Rangers and Mariners who never really got started? There aren't many free agents to sign as many are getting on in age or have big questions and I don't think Soto is in the mix for us. It's going to be an interesting winter.

[Jim wyllie]

The only one I would consider trading is Jax, as he has also stated he would like to start games again.  Given what garret crochet did this past season transitioning from the pen teams will probably jump at the chance to get someone who could be the next crochet.  Increasing Jax's value

[dogman]

Time to bring up the guys from the minors and re-build...Past time actually.   

[TopGunn#22]

I would say that for an article like this to have more meaning, we need to see some sort of example (or 2 or 3) of what trading Wallner could bring and an explanation of what hole would be filled.  Or if Ober were traded, what's the return and how does that balance out the roster.  THEN we can have a chance at more informed responses.  Otherwise, guys that respond with a comment only have about 25-33% of the information they need.

Not that any of these trades would work, but it needs to be something like:

Twins trade Vasquez and Wallner to Miami for Jesus Luzardo and Ryan Weathers.  This opens up a hole in RF and at catcher, but allows the Twins to consider trading a SP.  Twins shed $11 million in salary and take on Luzardo $6 million and controlled for an additional 2 years and Weathers (salary ? but it can't be more than 2.5 million).

Twins trade Ober to the Red Sox for Tristan Casas.  Hole at 1B filled.  Ober's spot in the rotation is filled by Luzardo.  

Twins trade Griffin Jax and Chris Paddack to the Dodgers for Dalton Rushing C and Dustin May SP.  Rushing fills the hole at C and forms a tandem with Jeffers.  Paddack's $7.5 million off the books.  Dodgers get a rotation candidate or bullpen guy in Paddack and their new closer in Jax.

Twins sign Tyler O'Neill to play LF and spell Buxton in CF occasionally.  

This is very disjointed because I'm babysitting grandkids and someone wants me to play a game with them.  But someone could do a better job with some more realistic trade scenarios.  Unless you have some sense of what you'd get if you traded someone, it's all just Hot Air.  

 

[tony&rodney]

Knowing who can be acquired this offseason is nearly impossible. We all know that pitching is always important. My belief is that the Twins put out a below average defense on the field. This hurts the pitchers in multiple ways, particularly with increased pitch counts as outs become hits due to a generally weak defense. Thus my optimum trades would improve the team's ability to turn batted balls into outs.

The Twins simply do not have anyone on their 26 person roster that is off limits. This offseason, with the value of multiple players lower than last winter, may be more difficult to complete transactions. However, it doesn't look promising to roll back the same crew and hope for a different result. The key will be in matching up another organization's needs with ours. 

While I have no idea how Falvey evaluates the roster, I see Correa as a good shortstop and Buxton is still ok in centerfield. The other six positions need help.

[mrcharlie]

Of this bunch Wallner is the most sensible trade piece.  He carries the most upside which if he is marketed well by the FO can bring a good return.  Teams with shorter Rf fences who need a fourth outfielder (Bosox?) I'm thinking.  A good return I believe has to include pitching... MLB ready.

[AKTwinsFan]

All these names will NOT be traded. I'm not sure who writes these but it's unthinkable to trade any of these impactful players. Not with how much $ they are making vs. their value.

[tony&rodney]

I'm not sure where people on Twins Daily sit regarding the 2025 roster. A few (myself included) of us believe the team needs change, although there will certainly be differences in those change. Others believe Falvey only needs to add a couple of fringe relievers or something, although with minimal change to the roster. Either way, it is just an exercise because Falvey will pick his club. In other words, I don't think people, myself included, should get too worked up over any comments.

[tony&rodney]

20 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

I would say that for an article like this to have more meaning, we need to see some sort of example (or 2 or 3) of what trading Wallner could bring and an explanation of what hole would be filled.  Or if Ober were traded, what's the return and how does that balance out the roster.  THEN we can have a chance at more informed responses.  Otherwise, guys that respond with a comment only have about 25-33% of the information they need.

Not that any of these trades would work, but it needs to be something like:

Twins trade Vasquez and Wallner to Miami for Jesus Luzardo and Ryan Weathers.  This opens up a hole in RF and at catcher, but allows the Twins to consider trading a SP.  Twins shed $11 million in salary and take on Luzardo $6 million and controlled for an additional 2 years and Weathers (salary ? but it can't be more than 2.5 million).

Twins trade Ober to the Red Sox for Tristan Casas.  Hole at 1B filled.  Ober's spot in the rotation is filled by Luzardo.  

Twins trade Griffin Jax and Chris Paddack to the Dodgers for Dalton Rushing C and Dustin May SP.  Rushing fills the hole at C and forms a tandem with Jeffers.  Paddack's $7.5 million off the books.  Dodgers get a rotation candidate or bullpen guy in Paddack and their new closer in Jax.

Twins sign Tyler O'Neill to play LF and spell Buxton in CF occasionally.  

This is very disjointed because I'm babysitting grandkids and someone wants me to play a game with them.  But someone could do a better job with some more realistic trade scenarios.  Unless you have some sense of what you'd get if you traded someone, it's all just Hot Air.  

 

We tend to agree that some changes need to occur, thus I like to read your ideas even if I might see things slightly differently. 

Some ideas I have thought about but am not married to:

* Brooks Lee for Jeferson Quero, with a thought of adding Ryan Jeffers for Devin Williams.

* Jhoan Duran for Jordan Lawler, with. a thought the Twins may need to add a little.

I have played around with some other scenarios as well and fully realize that most people would reject some of these suggestions. Among them are a Royce Lewis and Chris Paddack for Bryce Miller deal. I also like the thought of taking a shot at Miami's guys, Alcantara or Luzardo. Wallner for Alcantara? Ober or Ryan for Kyle Teel?

It is the offseason and time to push forward some thoughts.

 

[Vanimal46]

This roster needs a serious re-tool, and the best method is going to be trades. And that’s the problem with discussing the Twins. I have no idea who’s available to trade for. But I’m open to trading anyone on the 40 man roster or from our supposedly loaded farm system to acquire impact MLB players. 

[Vanimal46]

The worst path the Twins can choose this offseason is running it back with the same core of players expecting better health/results. We’ve seen this core of batters disappear for weeks at a time. They’ve “run out of gas” with more than a month left in the season. 

[Reptevia]

42 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

I would say that for an article like this to have more meaning, we need to see some sort of example (or 2 or 3) of what trading Wallner could bring and an explanation of what hole would be filled.  Or if Ober were traded, what's the return and how does that balance out the roster.  THEN we can have a chance at more informed responses.  Otherwise, guys that respond with a comment only have about 25-33% of the information they need.

Not that any of these trades would work, but it needs to be something like:

Twins trade Vasquez and Wallner to Miami for Jesus Luzardo and Ryan Weathers.  This opens up a hole in RF and at catcher, but allows the Twins to consider trading a SP.  Twins shed $11 million in salary and take on Luzardo $6 million and controlled for an additional 2 years and Weathers (salary ? but it can't be more than 2.5 million).

Twins trade Ober to the Red Sox for Tristan Casas.  Hole at 1B filled.  Ober's spot in the rotation is filled by Luzardo.  

Twins trade Griffin Jax and Chris Paddack to the Dodgers for Dalton Rushing C and Dustin May SP.  Rushing fills the hole at C and forms a tandem with Jeffers.  Paddack's $7.5 million off the books.  Dodgers get a rotation candidate or bullpen guy in Paddack and their new closer in Jax.

Twins sign Tyler O'Neill to play LF and spell Buxton in CF occasionally.  

This is very disjointed because I'm babysitting grandkids and someone wants me to play a game with them.  But someone could do a better job with some more realistic trade scenarios.  Unless you have some sense of what you'd get if you traded someone, it's all just Hot Air.  

 

Wow!  You value our players WAY higher than I think the league does. Why does everyone on this site think teams will trade good MLB players for our flawed AAAA players?

[tony&rodney]

35 minutes ago, mrcharlie said:

Of this bunch Wallner is the most sensible trade piece.  He carries the most upside which if he is marketed well by the FO can bring a good return.  Teams with shorter Rf fences who need a fourth outfielder (Bosox?) I'm thinking.  A good return I believe has to include pitching... MLB ready.

Wallner should have decent value to any number of teams. The size of the park is relatively irrelevant for him due to his ability hit the ball well over any MLB wall. Boston is short down the line (Pesky Pole) but very deep in right center and in centerfield. I'm not sure which teams are asking about Wallner. The Red Sox are deep in outfielders though and their sole offseason search is for pitching. Boston has a young catcher at AAA, Kyle Teel, that would be of interest to the Twins and perhaps the Red Sox would trade an outfielder or Casas (1B) as well if the pitcher returned interested them.

[bean5302]

Trading Wallner feels like a colossal mistake in the works. You're talking about one of the most dangerous hitters in all of baseball with the physical tools to be a plus fielder in the corners who is still pre-arb. If Wallner hadn't slumped out of the gate this year, he'd probably be viewed similar in a lot of respects to early Giancarlo Stanton who went on to win an MVP in 2017.

Wallner needs to be more consistent?
'23
AAA Apr 75 PA, .268/.453/.500 OPS .953 wRC+ 149
AAA May 69 PA, .323/.348/.615 OPS .963 wRC+ 131
AAA Jun+ 161 PA, .286/.404/.489 OPS .892 wRC+ 127
MLB Jul .209/.306/.512 OPS .818 wRC+ 122
MLB Aug .208/.322/.481 OPS .803 wRC+ 121
MLB Sep .284/.411/.514 OPS .925 wRC+ 156

'24
All Apr 77 PA .136/.247/.273 OPS .519 wRC+ 43
AAA May 121 PA, .198/.306/.436 OPS .741 wRC+ 88
AAA Jun+ 132 PA, .342/.417/.726 OPS 1.143 wRC+ 189
Jul .364/.451/.818 OPS 1.269 wRC+ 253
Aug .273/.398/.558 OPS .956 wRC+ 173
Sep .243/.333/.405 OPS .739 wRC+ 115

In his sophomore season, Wallner definitely slumped hard to start the year. He was focused on cutting down his weakness to inside pitches, which meant changing his approach at the plate. The slump carried into the first part of May. Apart from that, Wallner has consistently hit well to excellent every single month of the the past 2 years.

His K rate is too high, but for hitters as dangerous as Wallner is at the plate, it's not uncommon to see an improvement in plate discipline as they get more experience. Aaron Judge K'd over 30% of the time for his first 3 seasons. Another commonly trashed player around TD historically is Brent Rooker. Rooker's K rate dropped below 30% last year on his way to the most impressive full season hitting campaign the Twins have seen since 2019's Nelson Cruz, but Wallner has better physical tools than Rooker.

There is a reason Wallner's trade value is neck and neck with the most valuable 26 man guys the Twins have. Right with Lopez and Jax, above guys like Lee and Lewis. Wallner's ceiling might be Stanton's 2017, though I don't think he'll get there, but the number of players with a wRC+ 150 bat in MLB is awfully small. Around 10 qualify per year. Last year all of them had at least 4.7 fWAR.

Teams with little to no depth looking to remain competitive do not deal from pre-arb players who project as likely elite contributors. If the Twins are looking to punt/tank on 2025-2026... I guess. But then guys like Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Jax, Duran, Lewis, Buxton, and Correa are all preferable to move...

[Blyleven2011]

Number 10 , proved he needs more seasoning at AAA  ,  no trade ...

#9 , boy can he hit the ball hard when he connects and rocco needs all the lead off hitters he can get ,  high trade...

#8  ,  #7 , #6 ,,,  you got to be kidding  , trading pitching as good as these 3 when you have no proven additions to fill the loss , the FO would be on the hope parade again  , no trade ...

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, Reptevia said:

Wow!  You value our players WAY higher than I think the league does. Why does everyone on this site think teams will trade good MLB players for our flawed AAAA players?

I'm not sure what you read or look at but Ober, Jax, and Wallner all have significant value across the league. This I can tell you. There are so many ways to evaluate a player. Bailey Ober was #5 in MLB for WHIP and #8 in BA against. Jax is among the top relievers in baseball. Wallner is among the leaders in hard hit rate and a slugger, which most any team likes. The type of return can be discussed but there are a few Twins with solid value. 

If anything, TopGunn#22 has proposed trades that swing in favor of the other teams. Maybe Miami just doesn't want Vazquez but all of the other ideas would go through from the view of the other teams. I do not believe the Twins make those deals.

[bean5302]

I suspect the Twins will wait to see what the arbitration/contract values look like for Ryan, Ober, Jax and Duran before making any trades. Given Falvey's lack of willingness to spend on the bullpen, I think Jax or Duran could be moved, but I don't think Ryan or Ober will be moved until the deadline (if the Twins are out of it) or after next season.

Brooks Lee's consistent ineptitude at the plate along with the confirmation of his lack of physical tools will scare off most teams from investing heavily. Lee's also pre-arb so it's not expensive to keep him around and hope he gets closer to his ceiling.

[Major League Ready]

19 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

The worst path the Twins can choose this offseason is running it back with the same core of players expecting better health/results. We’ve seen this core of batters disappear for weeks at a time. They’ve “run out of gas” with more than a month left in the season. 

They need to make some changes but I would also point out that Cleveland ran back the same team and went from 76 to 92 wins.  They made no significant trades or free agent signings.  Ther point being that teams don't assume the same results.  I would bet they anticipate improvement from certain players.  Of course, those are the players other teams want in trade.   

[tony&rodney]

5 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

They need to make some changes but I would also point out that Cleveland ran back the same team and went from 76 to 92 wins.  They made no significant trades or free agent signings.  Ther point being that teams don't assume the same results.  If would bet they anticipate improvement from certain players.  Of course, those are the players other teams want in trade.   

Cleveland has players who can catch the ball, run the bases, put the bat on the ball, and they are a younger team. FWIW, they also hit more home runs than the Twins and they had many more injuries to their pitching staff. 

Going into the 2024 season I picked the Twins and Guardians to both win 83-87 games. Their young players developed more than expected. 

C-Jeffers/Vazquez, 1B-Miranda, 2B-Lee/Julien, 3B-Lewis, SS-Correa, LF-Larnach, CF-Buxton, RF-Wallner with Castro and Martin plus whomever as utility. They could potentially hit but the defense would continue to bleed and the slog around the bases would remain the same too. Of course we can always hope for everything to go perfectly and we do, but it doesn't seem like much of a plan. I am pretty high on the pitching staff though.