Minnesota Twins' Recent Trade Deadline History: Buy Low, Sell High, Hope You're Right

[DocBauer]

8 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I’m generally in agreement that we shouldn’t be trading established players for prospects except that we should either re-sign the guys on expiring contracts that we want to keep or trade them. Castro and Bader both have real value, Coloumbe and Stewart have some. Those 4 are worth trading for prospects unless you’re gonna sign them now to bring them back next year. 

I’m very much against trading anybody with value and multiple years of control for prospects, including but not limited to Ryan, Jax, and Duran. I would keep them all myself, but if you’re going to trade one of them, you must get back a controllable MLB middle of the order bat. This team is not good this year, but they’re not so far off that they couldn’t be good next year. Not a time to blow things up by trading quality players unless you get real MLB quality back.

I love this post.

The problem, IMO, isn't a bad 26 man roster, it's a few missing pieces and under production of those on hand.

ALWAYS staying neutral is not an answer. Sometimes a good season was a result of a bit of luck with certain players. Sometimes injuries just messed things up. Sometimes ownership prevents you from making a tweak or two that might push you over the top. 

Unfortunately, the Twins are in a weird place with ownership, and the status of the FO, which includes payroll for 2026. This team needs some help, and a Shakeup!

The issue is WHERE? They NEED Lewis to adjust and figure crap out. By his own admission...which I spoke about in a different thread a couple days ago...his body has changed and he's struggling to get his base and swing adjusted. He's young enough and talented enough to still be a really good player, even if he might not be the perpetual STAR player we hoped for.

I still don't believe a super smart, athletic, and hard working 30yo Correa is done. So what's the issue this year? 

Wallner has been a .800+ OPS player since his debut, and had a good April, but has stunk since his return from the IL. But we just give up on him?

24yo Brooks Lee has flashed, but is struggling right now. Do we give up on him? 

The prospects in the Twins system still has Keaschall and Rodriguez as almost ready made talents to make a difference. We've seen a glimpse of what Keaschall can do, albeit an unsustainable SSSS. And I'd dare to tell you the Twins are "desperate" to put Rodriguez in LF ASAP, but he keeps getting tweaked by injury.

And Culpepper might be ready at some point in 2026.

The proverbial "pipeline" of talent...and I'm really starting to hate that term...is actually in place. 

If I were a sudden new owner willing to spend some $ for 2026, I'd love to keep Castro and Bader on the team with a 2 year deal at about $10M per as well as Coulombe,  for another $3M. They AREN'T the problem with the roster. I'd look to add another LHRP to the pen, and look to improve 1B. I'd probably trade Larnach to someone looking for a quality LH bat.

Larnach might bring back that LHRP I really want.

My bullpen needs to lose Misiewicz and Topa and start looking at prospects to be the 7th and 8th options in the pen. They can be re-treads that my scouting department likes. Or they can be arms like Adams, Ohl, etc.

But the whole idea of remaking the roster leaves me very confused. TALENT wise, the lineup just isn't this bad, even though they have been.

Is this on the players? Is it on the new coaching staff? Is it just a one off poor season?

1B needs a MAJOR upgrade. Between Bader being gone and Larnach possibly being traded, who is in LF if Rodriguez doesn't get healthy?

I don't agree with just standing pat when you have a bad and disappointing season. But the guys we're talking about trading aren't the problem.

Sorry, I'm being long winded. 

As much as prospects are just prospects until they actually do something, they remain prospects. What stinks about TIMING with the Twins as replacements for Bader and Larnach and Castro are either in AA, or injured. Culpepper, and Schobel could be ready to replace Castro.  Despite playing different positions, Keaschall could be the Castro replacement. Despite being corner OF, Fedko, Olivar, Rosario, Gonzalez could be part of the near future of the Twins roster.

Again, that's the BITE. The Twins are in a between place where they need 1yr to get everyone ready to contribute.  So do they dare to sign Castro and Bader and look to trade them later?

I just don't see that happening. They move impending FA,HOPEFULLY make a couple smart moves to add to 2026, and continue to develop and work with what is on hand. 

But we are stuck in a potential 2026-27 of talent and improvement that I really wish could include a couple re-signs that could give 2026 some flexibility. 

 

 

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

10 hours ago, nclahammer said:

"The Mahle trade didn’t work out for either side in hindsight."  Really?  Spencer Steer had 43 homers and 178 RBI in his first two season with the Reds.  Toss in 71 doubles, 40 stolen bases and 148 runs scored and I would say Cincinnati made out like bandits in this trade with Minnesota and it's not even close.  Jeepers.

Steer is an average bat who can’t play defense. A fine second-tier starter, maybe, but not the world-beater you’re making him out to be here.

But considering the Twins got basically nothing from Mahle, even a bleh starter is a win of sorts.

Though given how the Reds had a good starter in Mahle, their player dev system failed here as well if that’s all they got. 

[tony&rodney]

Look at the current Twins roster. They are the slowest team in baseball. They are close to the worst defensive team in MLB. They do not hit and they don't run. These are all measurable facts.

Running it back is not an option. The opportunity to gain a couple of top talents should be possible. We should be hoping that several teams suffer gut-wrenching losses due to their bullpens and maybe the Dodgers lose late to the Twins. 

Running it back next year with the same old "core" players would totally guarantee that the Twins do not need Duran or Jax.

[twinstalker]

I have zero confidence the Twins understand anything about hitters or hitting.

[h2oface]

"The Twins didn’t necessarily mis-evaluate Steer; they just chose to sell high when his value peaked."

Mahle had been injured, and the Twins knew it, as the whole league did. The FO just had a stiff desire to get him from the recent past. Mahle had just had a couple of starts off the IL, or was it the DL then...... and he quickly reinjured his arm, and then again the next season quickly. 

The Twins did necessarily mis-evaluate Mahle; they chose to ingnore his injured status.

This was a dumb trade from the get go, to trade for an injured player, and they way over paid on top of it.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

As a whole,  the Twins haven't lost much in trades.  I see it more they have given up on players that had true talent.  The only trade that I think has the real potential to bite a bit is Noah Miller (again a player I felt we gave up on just as starting to turn a bit of a corner),  and  I don't think the bat will ever be good enough for the MLB level.  He is already starting to really cool off in AAA.  

The Gray and Ryan trades have been by far the best trades on the Twins ledger.  The only thing I would say is if we can get a massive overpay, on a Ryan, Jax, Duran - you could in theory take that ammo to trade for another pitcher in the offseason which 2 full seasons of a pitcher should be less than 2 1/2.  There is significant risk with that strategy.  With the comp picks any more, you really need to get immense values in these trades any more for the top players.   I still think as they get healthy this team could make a run.  I am pretty conflicted overall on what the strategy should be.  

[P Meyer]

15 hours ago, twinstalker said:

I have zero confidence the Twins understand anything about hitters or hitting.

While I feel this is an extreme statement...have the Twins successfully developed a drafted player into a quality starting position player since Buxton? I also have my concerns about the Twins development of these players because they seem (maybe not backed up by fact) that they get less contributions and growth from their players once they get to the majors than other franchises.