Inaction Has Become the Twins' Identity

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

There’s no polite way to frame it. The 2025 Minnesota Twins are unraveling. The starting rotation is thin and battered. The lineup is inconsistent and unreliable. The bench offers nothing. And it’s all led to a season on pace to end outside the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

It wasn’t always like this. In the early years of the Falvey-led front office, the Twins didn’t shy away from bold moves. They traded Luis Arraez, a fan favorite and batting champ, to land Pablo López and immediately extended him. They aggressively pursued and landed Carlos Correa not once, but twice. They gave Josh Donaldson the richest free-agent contract in franchise history. Whether those moves worked or not, they showed intent. They showed a front office trying to win. They showed action.

But that aggressiveness is gone. Over the past few seasons, the Twins front office has settled into a frustrating pattern of inaction. Time and again, opportunities have come to shake things up or push forward. Instead, the front office has done nothing. That passivity is the common thread tying together the Twins’ latest stretch of disappointing seasons.

We’ve seen it at the trade deadline. In 2022, they were aggressive, acquiring Tyler Mahle and Jorge López. Those deals didn’t work out, but at least they took their shot. Since then, nothing. In 2023, the team needed a right-handed bat and bullpen help. Their lone addition was Dylan Floro, who quickly fell out of the picture. The team still made the playoffs and even won a series, but they looked outmatched against the Astros in the ALDS. A bolder deadline could have made that a more competitive series.

Then came 2024. The Twins were in first place entering the deadline. They needed pitching, both of the starting and relief variety. Instead, they added Trevor Richards, who was a disaster and didn’t finish the season with the team. The offense and bullpen collapsed, and so did the season. The front office had another chance to help. Again, they passed.

That shift became painfully clear in the offseason following the 2023 playoff run. After breaking their long postseason drought and winning a series, the Twins had a chance to build on their momentum. Instead, they made no major additions. They moved Jorge Polanco in a salary-clearing trade, brought in Manuel Margot, and signed Carlos Santana. It wasn’t bold. It wasn’t even creative. It felt like the front office was content to stand still. Payroll restrictions were certainly a factor, but they made no effort to think outside the box or find other ways to bring in talent.

Then came this past winter. After completely collapsing down the stretch in 2024 and missing the postseason, the Twins decided to run back nearly the exact same roster. No meaningful changes. No calculated risks. Just a belief that things would break differently. The same core, the same supporting cast, the same problems. And now, unsurprisingly, they’re getting the same results.

It’s not just trades and free agency. We’ve seen inaction hurt the Twins on the roster level too. For years, they’ve been slow to respond when players struggle. They stuck with Alexander Colomé long past his expiration date. They let Matt Shoemaker start game after game when it was clear he couldn’t get outs. They refused to move on from Emilio Pagán. And now they’re wasting spots on Jonah Bride and Dashawn Keirsey Jr., both of whom have been among the worst offensive players in the league this year. The bench offers nothing, but the team refuses to make changes. Meanwhile, there are legitimate options in St. Paul. But the front office won’t pull the trigger. Weeks go by. Losses pile up. Nothing changes.

The same mindset showed up with their decision on manager Rocco Baldelli. The Twins are slipping toward another disappointing finish, but it was revealed that the front office had already decided to extend him through 2026. No evaluation. No accountability. Just more status quo. Even if Baldelli isn’t the main problem, it’s another example of a front office that refuses to shake things up.

Would one trade or one signing have changed the outcome of 2023? Could one roster move have saved 2024? Would a more aggressive approach in 2025 have led to a better first half? We’ll never know. But what we do know is that standing still is not working. And it hasn’t been for a long time.

Other teams are willing to try something. The Padres and Mariners take chances. They make changes. Even if the results are mixed, they are at least acting like winning matters. Right now, this Twins front office doesn’t. It sends a message that they’re fine staying where they are, even as the team slides further away from contention.

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What do you think? Is the Twins front office doing enough to help this team? Or has their pattern of inaction run its course?

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[Patzky]

Even if no move was the right move, fans would be unhappy with the decision. Pretty sure it's the wrong move... Sound off. I don't think we are just one or two players away like after 2023. 

[Sjoski]

Whether it’s ownership tightening the leash or Falvey second-guessing every move, the result is the same: a FO that no longer operates like it’s trying to win.

And maybe that’s the deeper issue—maybe this isn’t about bad luck or budget constraints. Maybe the hard truth is this is as good as it gets with the current trio.

( Owner- GM- Manager) 

Look at Detroit.  It took 7 years for the Tigers to rebuild.  Beginning in 2017 by trading Verlander. 

Their process was deliberate—build the farm, install new  leadership, add targeted vets when the core matured.

Bottom line: Twins are stagnant because they're not sure what to do until it becomes obvious. 

Are we there yet? 

 

 

[Blyleven2011]

We will have to get creative  , we will have to wait and see , those are words from our FO  , NOW they are inactive and lost focus on making a winning team ...

Standing pat is not the answer , the players aren't evaluated thoroughly and remain on the roster underperforming for far to long ...

They continue to hype the prospects only to have some of them fail in our eyes ...

the loser identity is not what I am looking for ...

[LambchoP]

This team needs to figure out a true plan. Are we competing or building for the future? No more indecisive standing pat. It's clear moves need to be made. Ownership doesn't believe in the team, fine. At least recoup as much value as we can and plan for a competitive 2026. We should be able to get some value for Bader, France, Castro, Paddack, Vasquez. If we want a bigger return trade Duran if the price is right. We need more pitching, a catcher and a legit first baseman.

[mikelink45]

Too accurate and too depressing. 

[dxpavelka]

No, they've fallen into a pattern of believing in the guys they have developed in their system.  YOU might not like that and a lot of others might not as well.  If they were making moves that didn't pan out and blocking guys in their system you'd be pissed about that too. Are they making the right decisions?  Nobody knows.  Not even you.  Time will tell.  Success this year may not be the ultimate judging factor.  Deal with it.

 

[AceBee]

It is frustrating for sure. I wish they had managed to be creative and somehow keep Sonny Gray in the rotation last year even working with the financial constraints, Instead, last two years have seen FO follow same pattern in early 2010 days where nondescript pitchers the key FA additions. Wonder how much of the frustration should extend to other support staff who for some reason failed to see signs of injuries to traded players (like Sam Dyson or Mahle) and also in terms of managing injury-prone players. Royce Lewis looks like a bobblehead figurine who is trying his hand at sprinting and inevitably getting every time he runs bases when 'healthy'.  

What's more concerning is that this philosophy extends itself to playing philosophy on the field itself where we keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. 

[LastOnePicked]

1 hour ago, dxpavelka said:

Are they making the right decisions?  Nobody knows.  Not even you.

If they're spending more money than their competition and they're failing to win divisions and playoff games, then the answer becomes fairly clear. Results are a the best yardstick.

[dxpavelka]

1 hour ago, LastOnePicked said:

If they're spending more money than their competition and they're failing to win divisions and playoff games, then the answer becomes fairly clear. Results are a the best yardstick.

Opinion.  Not fact.

[tony&rodney]

If the front office believes in the team, which has been repeated often by Falvey, why would they make changes? 

[1985Fan]

Exactly as tony&rodney said; FO believes this roster is championship caliber. And Falvey has repeatedly said this. This raises questions for Falvey.

If this roster is championship level, why are they consistently playing so poorly? There are two possible answers: either Falvey is wrong about the talent level, or the manager is not getting the most out the talent Falvey/FO assembled. I believe it’s the latter as the constant fundamental mistakes by team and poor in-game decisions show. 
Stop with the constant injury excuses. Let’s hear Falvey answer these basic questions. 

[Sjoski]

5 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Are they making the right decisions?  Nobody knows.  Not even you.  Time will tell.  Success this year may not be the ultimate judging factor.  Deal with it.

That's about as straight as it gets.

The Twins are one of 30 teams—and firmly stuck in the middle of the pack. That’s MLB’s danger zone. One bad contract (Correa), two bad trades (Mahle, Pressly), or three ill-timed injuries (Lopez, Lewis, Kirilloff) can derail everything. For a mid-market team, the margin for error is razor thin, and the consequences last longer.

Time may tell—but patterns already do.

And as you said... deal with it—or go become a Dodgers fan.

[TopGunn#22]

 

I agree with Matthew's article.  The Twins FO, whether this has been a directive of the Pohlad Family (which they repeatedly deny) or not, has been famous for lacking the guts to make a move that could really help the Twins "AT THE DEADLINE."  

They have made some trades in the off season that have been good and some that have been bad, but since the early 2000's they have never made a deal that really was a difference maker for the ballclub.  

Even though they are mathematically still in the Wild Card race, this team's flaws are far too great to have any impact in the playoffs should they make it.  I would like to see a new "everything" with new ownership.  New FO, new manager, new coaching staff and new philosophy as to how the game should be played.

I would not deal Buxton, Correa, Lopez or Ryan.  But the fact of the matter is this FO should be sellers at the deadline.  Anything not nailed down to a solid future with this ballclub should have a "For Sale" sign on it.  This team has a TON of pieces they could move for either major league talent straight up, or more logically, young talent that is months or less than a year from being considered for the major league roster.

One of those possible pieces is Duran or Jax.  Auction one of them off to the highest bidder and the one remaining becomes or remains the closer for the rest of this season and beyond.  Bader, France and Castro should also be considered moveable.  Paddack should be dealt.  I'd consider moving on from Larnach in the right deal.  Julien and Miranda should be packaged for sure.  They really have no future on a Twins roster.

SWR should be in conversations. I think his future is as a 2-3 inning guy a couple times a week.  He could be very valuable in such a role.  I don't see him as a long term rotation piece.  Ober cannot be dealt because his value has taken such a big hit.  Getting him healthy and "right" is essential to future success.

The Twins can sell off a ton of players and quite possibly not see a radical fall off from their current Wild Card playoff hopes.  

[TwinsChupacabra]

I think it's actually worse than the article described.  The organization is constantly giving the fan base the middle finger.  For some reason, people don't like that. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

2 hours ago, 1985Fan said:

Exactly as tony&rodney said; FO believes this roster is championship caliber. And Falvey has repeatedly said this. This raises questions for Falvey.

If this roster is championship level, why are they consistently playing so poorly? There are two possible answers: either Falvey is wrong about the talent level, or the manager is not getting the most out the talent Falvey/FO assembled. I believe it’s the latter as the constant fundamental mistakes by team and poor in-game decisions show. 
Stop with the constant injury excuses. Let’s hear Falvey answer these basic questions. 

[BH67]

Until the Pohlad family sells the club, lather, rinse and repeat. A fixed payroll constraint explains this better than any alternative.

[tony&rodney]

21 minutes ago, BH67 said:

Until the Pohlad family sells the club, lather, rinse and repeat. A fixed payroll constraint explains this better than any alternative.

The consensus among many is for the sale of the team to be completed asap. It seems unlikely that a new ownership group would spend significantly. I would expect changes but an increased payroll would not be among the changes. 

As far as change goes, the manner in which the 2nd half of this 2025 season unfolds could ignite conversations within the management and development employees regarding basic ideas related to roster construction and winning baseball. It could happen.  However, as the article states, inaction and a  continuity of The Plan is a more likely outcome.

[Whitey333]

The Twins for the most part in the Falvey Baldelli regime have been very boring playing station to station baseball.  The are meh.  I don't expect much to change except for possible payroll dump.

[Otaknam]

We now know what this team is, and that it’s not very good. . Last year was great until it wasn’t. They thought this year would be similar to the first 120 games last year, but here we are. No trade would change this trajectory, but would cost young talent they can’t afford to lose. Injuries to Lopez and Matthews, Ober’s struggles, and lack of starter progress in AAA, has exposed this team as a pretender. Add to that the always injured Lewis, inept offense, a bullpen that suddenly is imploding, and we have the prescription for bottoming out. The only brights spots are Ryan, Buxton, and the development of Lee. And Keaschall provides some hope for the future. Otherwise it’s just a dumpster fire. It’s clear that they need to reboot this team, starting with getting a haul for closer Duran, and maybe a couple of others who are actually performing well. 

[Eris]

“They refused to move on from Emilio Pagán”

We saw Pagan pitch when the Twins were in Cincinnati. He looked really good—almost unhittable. 
 

Right now, long term improvement looks like moving on from Lewis, Correa, Larnach and maybe others. They will not bring much trade value, so the Twins will hold onto them and hope they improve.