Stock Rising: Three Twins Players Emerging from the Deadline Fire Sale

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

 

The Twins waved the white flag at the deadline, stripping away veterans and leaving fans to slog through a frustrating second half. But a funny thing happens when the roster gets thinned out, because that’s when opportunity knocks. Some players stumbled with their extra runway, while others seized the chance to remind everyone why they’re part of Minnesota’s long-term picture.

Three names, in particular, have used the final two months to build real momentum heading into 2026: Taj Bradley, Austin Martin, and Cole Sands.

Taj Bradley: Electric but Inconsistent
August–September 2025 Performance: The Twins spoke highly of Bradley when they acquired him from the Rays for Griffin Jax. The 24-year-old joined the organization with over 350 big-league innings, and it seemed natural that he could jump right in and be part of the team’s long-term rotation plan. 

Bradley has been precisely what you’d expect from a talented young arm with equal parts excitement and exasperation. His fastball has lived in the upper-90s, blowing by hitters when located, and his cutter has flashed wipeout potential (31.2 Whiff%). In some outings, he’s looked untouchable, piling up strikeouts and giving the Twins rotation a jolt of energy. In others, shaky command has cut those outings short. That volatility is why his ERA looks pedestrian, but the raw stuff jumps off the screen.

His first start was a disaster as he allowed seven earned runs across five innings to a lowly White Sox lineup. However, he bounced back nicely and held the playoff-bound Padres lineup to one earned run with six strikeouts in his next appearance. In his last three starts, he has posted a 4.41 ERA (3.64 FIP) with 18 strikeouts and six walks across 16 1/3 innings. 

2026 Role: Minnesota didn’t bring Bradley in to be a depth piece, and it's clear that he’s firmly in line for an Opening Day rotation spot. The front office is betting that another offseason of refinement will help him trim the walks and trust his full arsenal. If he takes even a small step forward in consistency, Bradley has the ceiling of a playoff-caliber starter. At the very least, he’ll be a big part of the team’s plans from Day 1.

Austin Martin: Fitting the Team’s Future Style
August–September 2025 Performance: Martin was somewhat surprisingly left off the Twins’ Opening Day roster, but there was still hope that the former top prospect could be an impact player at the big-league level. He likely would have been up earlier in the season, but a hamstring injury sidelined him for a large chunk of the season. Now healthy, the Twins are seeing what he can mean to the lineup as the team transitions to a new style of play. 

Since the trade deadline, Minnesota’s coaching staff has made it clear that players can be more aggressive on the bases. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has spoken openly about wanting his team to take the extra base, go from first to third, and force the defense to make the play behind the runner. There will inevitably be mistakes with this type of aggressive approach, but Martin’s skill set should thrive in this environment. 

Martin has been quietly productive since the deadline. A .295/.397/.393 (.790) line with six steals tells the story of a player who knows his strengths. He controls the strike zone, makes plenty of contact, and forces pitchers to work. While he still lacks impact power, his on-base skills have played well, and he’s looked serviceable in left field. He’s not flashy, but he’s been reliable, which has value in a lineup full of inconsistency.

2026 Role: Martin is walking the fine line between future regular and bench piece. For now, the latter feels more likely. His on-base ability and speed give him a skill set that fits a fourth outfielder role, and the Twins could use someone who grinds out at-bats in the bottom third of the order. If he shows more defensive versatility this spring, his stock goes up. If not, he may have to hit even more to stay locked into a roster spot.

Cole Sands: The Bullpen’s Only Hope
August–September 2025 Performance: Sands was in a complicated spot this season after a tremendous 2024 campaign. The Twins likely thought he could be penciled into a middle-inning relief role with a few late-inning opportunities mixed in for good measure. Instead, he struggled through different parts of the season and had a 4.11 ERA with a 36-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 46 innings through the trade deadline. 

On August 1st, Sands woke up and was arguably the last man standing after the team traded away Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Danny Coulombe, and Louis Varland. Sands was the de facto closer, with Justin Topa being the lone other option for high-leverage situations. His performance hasn’t been perfect since the deadline, but the Twins have few options for critical innings in the stretch run. 

To be clear, Sands’ last two appearances were dreadful as the Arizona lineup tagged him for six earned runs over two innings. Remove those appearances, and Sands had a 2.95 ERA (2.44 FIP) with 22 strikeouts and five walks over 18 1/3 innings since the trade deadline. Relievers often work in small sample sizes, and Sands must find a way to avoid the blowups he had against the Diamondbacks.  

2026 Role: With nearly every spot open in next year’s bullpen, Sands has carved out a real lane for himself. He may not have the ceiling of some of the arms that left via trade, but he’s been closer to the 2024 version of himself over the last two months. At worst, he enters next season with the exact expectations as this past spring. At best, he’s a late-inning weapon in a bullpen that desperately needs one.

The 2025 Twins won’t be remembered fondly, but the back half of this season hasn’t been completely wasted. Bradley showed flashes of a potential frontline arm, Martin proved he can contribute at the big-league level, and Sands reminded everyone he still belongs in the bullpen conversation. In a season defined by subtraction, these three gave Minnesota something to add back for 202

Which player’s performance stands out the most? What will their roles be on the 2026 squad? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Rod Carews Birthday]

Interesting article.  I’m definitely with you in saying Taj Bradley is tantalizingly interesting for the future.  He definitely has the makings of a very good rotation piece.  I also concur that Austin Martin has come on very nicely serving as a bit of a catalyst for the offense.  Whether he is a “starter” or bench piece won’t matter much because if he hits like this, he will certainly play.   I’m less sure about Cole Sands, however. He certainly has a spot in next years bullpen, but in a GOOD bullpen, he should probably be #5 or #6, and not #2 or #3.  Reality would seem to suggest that next years bullpen will be mediocre at best without some major additions or surprises, so that higher leverage spot is likely where he will be, at least at the beginning of the season.  

[LA Vikes Fan]

Agree on all three. Bradley is in pen, not pencil, for the 2026 rotation in either the 4 or 5 spot, with SWR and Matthews fighting for the other. This assumes of course that Lopez, Ryan, and Ober are all on the team. If one or more is traded, all 3 make the rotation. Sands is in the 2026 bullpen, with only his role undefined. He can be a late inning option if he shows he can handle the role. 

I have one disagreement - Martin is a starter, not a bench piece, and he hits in the top 3, not the bottom 3. The guy has a .295 average with a .393 OBP this year, .266/.344 for his career. That guys bats 1st or 2nd, maybe 9th in a stacked lineup, something we don't have. His OF defense is getting better and he's very athletic so it should be at least average if not better. I think you saw the preferred lineup last night at the front end, Buxton, then Martin, then Keaschall. I'd love Buxton to hit 3 with Martin 1 and Keaschall 2 to take advantage of Buck's power and give him more RBI opportunities but you can't argue with his success in the leadoff spot. Martin is your opening day LF next year. He's earned it and, let's face it, there isn't anyone else. Emma hasn't performed that well, and I'm not sure they will start with either Jenkins or Gonzalez in the OF out of ST and if they do, it should be at the expense of Wallner who can learn 1B or DH.  

Here's what I'd like to see out of the gate or at least by May 15 - an OF of Buxton in CF, with Martin, Jenkins, Roden, and Gabriel Gonzalez manning the corners. In case no one noticed, Gonzalez is hitting .315/.362/.508(.870) in 135 AAA ABs, .329/.397/.515 (.912) for the year mostly between AA and AAA. Oh, and by the way, he's all of 21. Hmmm, maybe we did get something from the Polanco trade. Jenkins and Roden can both play CF when Buxton is off and one of the 4 not playing is the DH. Wallner or Larnach moves to 1B and one moves on, probably Larnach, in a trade for a decent relief pitcher or blocked quality 1B prospect. Add 4 of those 5 to the lineup with Wallner (1B), Keaschall (2B), Lee (SS), and Lewis (3B), with Jeffers catching and you can see the outlines of a good lineup. Will it be good out of the gate next year? Maybe, maybe not, but it will be by mid-2026 or 2027 and that's what we should be playing for. No mediocre stop gap vets, no Outman, no Keirsey. These guys are the future. Let's find out if they can play.  

[Patzky]

13 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Interesting article.  I’m definitely with you in saying Taj Bradley is tantalizingly interesting for the future.  He definitely has the makings of a very good rotation piece.  I also concur that Austin Martin has come on very nicely serving as a bit of a catalyst for the offense.  Whether he is a “starter” or bench piece won’t matter much because if he hits like this, he will certainly play.   I’m less sure about Cole Sands, however. He certainly has a spot in next years bullpen, but in a GOOD bullpen, he should probably be #5 or #6, and not #2 or #3.  Reality would seem to suggest that next years bullpen will be mediocre at best without some major additions or surprises, so that higher leverage spot is likely where he will be, at least at the beginning of the season.  

These three guys have recency bias but pass the eye test too. Martin gets a stable position (like Lee) and it can only help his game. I'm not sold on Sands but the sieve has found few gems. Guess he will be around and leverage. 

Taj gets first name mentions like Pablo does. That says something. Wouldn't it be something if he winds up better than Abel over the long haul. 

[old nurse]

You forgot El Gasoline Funderbutk  from the first half of the season who has given up only 2 ER since the trade deadline. Since the criteria is throw out the two worst games, Funderburk hasn’t given up a run.  

[Patzky]

1 minute ago, old nurse said:

You forgot El Gasoline Funderbutk  from the first half of the season who has given up only 2 ER since the trade deadline. Since the criteria is throw out the two worst games, Funderburk hasn’t given up a run.  

Funderburked and found out!

[LambchoP]

I love a lineup starting with Martin, Keaschal then Buxton. If we can ever find a power hitting first baseman it would really lengthen the lineup. Maybe Fedko works out there. My guess is we'll be seeing Clemens at first next year....

[BillyBallLives]

 I don’t buy into the mulligan philosophy — baseball doesn’t let you delete box scores.

It's probably become the front office’s favorite stat filter.

Mulligans don’t change the fact these players are who they are.

[Robert Gauthier]

Austin Martin’s recovery from the twins trying to remake his swing is been interesting. I often wondered why they tried to turn him into a power hitter when that wasn’t his game. I hear echoes of Brent Rooker, was certainly going on to have a very productive pro career after leaving the twins. Lamont Wade had a couple of years of good play after leaving the twins also. He’s regressed back since, but since he’s so far away, we don’t know if it’s injuries or what. I think this organization does not know how to make hitters. They have an analytics driven approach that means everyone has to fit one size. I’d like to see some accountability for this miserable performance. 

[Mike Sixel]

Martin going back to what made him a great prospect seems to be working. Too bad they played him at short, and changed his swing. Hopefully they let him be and stick him in left until the yute are ready. 

[Danchat]

Sands has a 5.31 ERA since the trade deadline... I'm not impressed with him. He's a middle reliever at best.

Glad to see Martin hitting and getting on base, but it would have been nice to have him up before August back when the team could have used a hitter. Coming up with a plan to fix/mitigate his defensive inefficiencies should be a major focus over the offseason.

[rdehring]

4 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Agree on all three. Bradley is in pen, not pencil, for the 2026 rotation in either the 4 or 5 spot, with SWR and Matthews fighting for the other. This assumes of course that Lopez, Ryan, and Ober are all on the team. If one or more is traded, all 3 make the rotation. Sands is in the 2026 bullpen, with only his role undefined. He can be a late inning option if he shows he can handle the role. 

I have one disagreement - Martin is a starter, not a bench piece, and he hits in the top 3, not the bottom 3. The guy has a .295 average with a .393 OBP this year, .266/.344 for his career. That guys bats 1st or 2nd, maybe 9th in a stacked lineup, something we don't have. His OF defense is getting better and he's very athletic so it should be at least average if not better. I think you saw the preferred lineup last night at the front end, Buxton, then Martin, then Keaschall. I'd love Buxton to hit 3 with Martin 1 and Keaschall 2 to take advantage of Buck's power and give him more RBI opportunities but you can't argue with his success in the leadoff spot. Martin is your opening day LF next year. He's earned it and, let's face it, there isn't anyone else. Emma hasn't performed that well, and I'm not sure they will start with either Jenkins or Gonzalez in the OF out of ST and if they do, it should be at the expense of Wallner who can learn 1B or DH.  

Here's what I'd like to see out of the gate or at least by May 15 - an OF of Buxton in CF, with Martin, Jenkins, Roden, and Gabriel Gonzalez manning the corners. In case no one noticed, Gonzalez is hitting .315/.362/.508(.870) in 135 AAA ABs, .329/.397/.515 (.912) for the year mostly between AA and AAA. Oh, and by the way, he's all of 21. Hmmm, maybe we did get something from the Polanco trade. Jenkins and Roden can both play CF when Buxton is off and one of the 4 not playing is the DH. Wallner or Larnach moves to 1B and one moves on, probably Larnach, in a trade for a decent relief pitcher or blocked quality 1B prospect. Add 4 of those 5 to the lineup with Wallner (1B), Keaschall (2B), Lee (SS), and Lewis (3B), with Jeffers catching and you can see the outlines of a good lineup. Will it be good out of the gate next year? Maybe, maybe not, but it will be by mid-2026 or 2027 and that's what we should be playing for. No mediocre stop gap vets, no Outman, no Keirsey. These guys are the future. Let's find out if they can play.  

One of the best posts I have read in a long time.  Couldn't agree more with everything you have said.

And Cody threw me a curveball.  By the title I thought the article would be about three of the players the Twins picked up at the trade deadline.  Wasn't that, but was an excellent post Cody.

Add me to those who want to see Martin work very hard on outfield defense this winter.  With his athleticism and speed, he should be a solid outfielder.  Or better.

[JADBP]

49 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Sands has a 5.31 ERA since the trade deadline... I'm not impressed with him. He's a middle reliever at best.

Glad to see Martin hitting and getting on base, but it would have been nice to have him up before August back when the team could have used a hitter. Coming up with a plan to fix/mitigate his defensive inefficiencies should be a major focus over the offseason.

Wait…whaaaattt?  “Coming up with a plan….” is not something that this coaching staff seems to do. Ever.  Never. Never ever!  
 

Fire Rocco fast! That’s accountability!

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Patzky said:

Funderburked and found out!

If he stays good they will have to play AC/DC Thuderstruck.  I am sure the crack AV team can modify the lyrics   With a save, after the final out you could find a Brian Johnson clone to screech “You’ve been Funderstuck, Yeah Yeah Yeaaaah “

[Jacksson]

Sands has failed to step up since the bullpen housecleaning.  He really stunk it up against the Diamondbacks.  He's a middling middle reliever.  Can't be used in high leverage which means the back of the bullpen has to be completely rebuilt for next season.

[Blyleven2011]

4 hours ago, rdehring said:

One of the best posts I have read in a long time.  Couldn't agree more with everything you have said.

And Cody threw me a curveball.  By the title I thought the article would be about three of the players the Twins picked up at the trade deadline.  Wasn't that, but was an excellent post Cody.

Add me to those who want to see Martin work very hard on outfield defense this winter.  With his athleticism and speed, he should be a solid outfielder.  Or better.

I thought the same thing  , I'm thinking who did we get that is impressing from the deadline trades , Bradley is the only one I came up with ... 

What will we have next season is anyone's guess , we have a off season yet to either subtract or add for 2026 , it's not up to the fans , FO and Rocco and crew and scouts will sit down at the table and put together something  , good would be better...

Martin has played well , Sands and funderburk should make opening day next year if they have a good spring , but even if they don't have a good spring you can expect FO and Rocco to select them for opening day ...

Funderburk has performed since allstar game with a few clunkers in there  ....

I'd prefer larnach over wallner at firstbase , I'm just not convinced wallner is going to be very good , bad defense , hits it along way when he connects , has a arm but I haven't seen it to be accurate all that often , has some speed ,  power is his only solid tool only when he makes contact ...

Wallner could use a different approach , he makes no adjustments during an at bat  , maybe a new batting stance , shorten the swing up some , still the homeruns should come but not be hit as far , he needs help and driveline is calling or he is going to have a short career and bounce around from team to team for a few years ...

Kepler signed with Phillies and that hasn't gone well with the bat so I've heard , I can't see him getting more than a minor league contract next year ( the only ex twins i follow are arraez and Polanco )

[mikelink45]

6 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Agree on all three. Bradley is in pen, not pencil, for the 2026 rotation in either the 4 or 5 spot, with SWR and Matthews fighting for the other. This assumes of course that Lopez, Ryan, and Ober are all on the team. If one or more is traded, all 3 make the rotation. Sands is in the 2026 bullpen, with only his role undefined. He can be a late inning option if he shows he can handle the role. 

I have one disagreement - Martin is a starter, not a bench piece, and he hits in the top 3, not the bottom 3. The guy has a .295 average with a .393 OBP this year, .266/.344 for his career. That guys bats 1st or 2nd, maybe 9th in a stacked lineup, something we don't have. His OF defense is getting better and he's very athletic so it should be at least average if not better. I think you saw the preferred lineup last night at the front end, Buxton, then Martin, then Keaschall. I'd love Buxton to hit 3 with Martin 1 and Keaschall 2 to take advantage of Buck's power and give him more RBI opportunities but you can't argue with his success in the leadoff spot. Martin is your opening day LF next year. He's earned it and, let's face it, there isn't anyone else. Emma hasn't performed that well, and I'm not sure they will start with either Jenkins or Gonzalez in the OF out of ST and if they do, it should be at the expense of Wallner who can learn 1B or DH.  

Here's what I'd like to see out of the gate or at least by May 15 - an OF of Buxton in CF, with Martin, Jenkins, Roden, and Gabriel Gonzalez manning the corners. In case no one noticed, Gonzalez is hitting .315/.362/.508(.870) in 135 AAA ABs, .329/.397/.515 (.912) for the year mostly between AA and AAA. Oh, and by the way, he's all of 21. Hmmm, maybe we did get something from the Polanco trade. Jenkins and Roden can both play CF when Buxton is off and one of the 4 not playing is the DH. Wallner or Larnach moves to 1B and one moves on, probably Larnach, in a trade for a decent relief pitcher or blocked quality 1B prospect. Add 4 of those 5 to the lineup with Wallner (1B), Keaschall (2B), Lee (SS), and Lewis (3B), with Jeffers catching and you can see the outlines of a good lineup. Will it be good out of the gate next year? Maybe, maybe not, but it will be by mid-2026 or 2027 and that's what we should be playing for. No mediocre stop gap vets, no Outman, no Keirsey. These guys are the future. Let's find out if they can play.  

I liked everything but Roden - Rodriguez takes that spot for me.

[jorgenswest]

5 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Martin going back to what made him a great prospect seems to be working. Too bad they played him at short, and changed his swing. Hopefully they let him be and stick him in left until the yute are ready. 

He might be going back but he is hitting the ball to the opposite field less and hitting more line drives than he was last year or in the minors with Toronto. Like Clemens he has increased his bat speed this year. I suspect that bat speed wasn’t something he returned to but rather something new he has added.

I don’t have inside knowledge but launch angle may have been something that the Twins tried to change. If true, that didn’t work. He kept working though and hopefully made the tweak necessary to be a major league starter.

[David HK]

"To be clear, Sands’ last two appearances were dreadful, as the Arizona lineup tagged him for six earned runs over two innings. Remove those appearances, though, and Sands had a 2.95 ERA..."

Sadly, we can't erase them.  They happened, and cost us 2 winnable games.  He's had the chance to step up in everyone else's absence, but he really hasn't.  I maintain that the guys left in the BP are the ones absolutely no one wanted.  

[David HK]

7 hours ago, Danchat said:

Sands has a 5.31 ERA since the trade deadline... I'm not impressed with him. He's a middle reliever at best.

Glad to see Martin hitting and getting on base, but it would have been nice to have him up before August back when the team could have used a hitter. Coming up with a plan to fix/mitigate his defensive inefficiencies should be a major focus over the offseason.

I concur, Dr. Dan. Yesterday's catch notwithstanding, I'm very much unimpressed with Martin's OF defense.  But just like Keaschall at 2nd, I'm willing to stick him there, and work his @$$ off to make him competent, instead of shuffling him around to multiple positions and batting order spots.  We need those young bats and those young wheels to score runs.  Just quit messing with them and lessen the number of jobs they have to learn.  

[Derojo]

Agreed on Taj Bradley. Cole Sands has had a rough time after All-Star break. Really, Austin Martin is a baller. He has great at bats. He has good speed for Left field, and he makes plays. I don't care if he doesn't have home run power. Buxton has home run power and he's been chasing that outside pitch since the break. Austin rarely does what Buxton has been doing; getting himself out by swinging at crap. That's not his game. If he can hit the gap as he did last night, that's all the Twins need. We need more players that consistently make the opposing pitcher, and Austin is that. (If Buxton had the plate discipline Martin has he would be top five, maybe top three in the American League.) That's the truth of it. I admire players who make the most of what they have, rather than lacking discipline. Did Mauer ever give outs away? Did Puckett ever give outs away? Ok, more than Mauer, but Puckett didn't get himself out much. Keaschall is good too at not giving away at bats. I like watching Martin because you're watching the best of what he's got to give. Whatever happened to excellence?

[High heat]

I have to disagree like many other on Sand….. he looks to be the same guy he was before the deadline…..a 6th or 7th guy in a good bullpen, a major leaguer but not a high leverage guy. 
 Martin I think needs to be a semi regular player to be productive.  So guys can’t just play 2 or 3 days a week and be productive.  

Im going to give two other guys who I think have shown they are worth consideration for bench spots in 26.

Ryan Fitzgerald -  as the 26th man or last guy on the bench he has show he can play 1 or 2 days a week and have a professional AB.  He can back up the infield including SS and can play the OF as well.  It’s not sexy but a lot of guys can’t play that sparingly and give good AB and defense. 
 

Mickey Gasper - the guy still hasn’t hit at all but I’ve been suprised at his defense behind the plate. I think he has shown he can do more than just moonlight as a catcher.  I think he has a shot to stick on the 40 man and could be the backup catcher or provided depth as the 3rd catcher in AAA.

[bunsen82]

I honestly wish they would have given Pereda more opportunity in August.  Pereda appears to be working himself into the backup catcher role.  Performed very well in AAA.  In an extremely small sample size has done well in MLB for the Twins.  He has shown much more than someone like Gasper.  I see very little warts or things I dislike with his profile.  Solid defensive catcher with what has been an above average bat at AAA.  If the bat begins to translate maybe just maybe we have a twist in fate of Rooker.   

 

[P Meyer]

I have zero issues with Austin Martin getting the Brooks Lee treatment for now. He was a top 5 pick for a reason and he should play until another player comes around that proved to be better than he is. Hopefully Jenkins and Rodriguez battle for spots on the roster next spring and suddenly you have to figure out how to play Martin, Buxton, Jenkins and Rodriguez as much as possible. Only good things come from that.

[Trov]

I wrote that this offseason will be telling on what the FO thinks of Martin and not being a power hitter going forward.  For years the FO clearly sought the 3 true outcome guys and wanted more pop from everyone, if they could get it.  It does seem like they may be looking for some better base running guys that can steal and get on base.  I have always been one you need a balanced line up, not to many pure HR guys and not too many just .OBP guys.  

[stringer bell]

8 hours ago, Trov said:

I wrote that this offseason will be telling on what the FO thinks of Martin and not being a power hitter going forward.  For years the FO clearly sought the 3 true outcome guys and wanted more pop from everyone, if they could get it.  It does seem like they may be looking for some better base running guys that can steal and get on base.  I have always been one you need a balanced line up, not to many pure HR guys and not too many just .OBP guys.  

I think it is too simple to say that the Twins "sought the 3 true outcome guys", but they have placed a premium on guys who hit the ball hard and can pull, generating home runs. Austin Martin is not gonna hit many homers, but he is showing he can get on base and has also seemed to improve his defense (at least in left field) and base running.

He had another good series this week against the Yankees, making plays in the outfield, aggressively running the bases as well as reaching base five times in the series. I see that he threw a runner out and he very nearly had another assist at home plate in the first inning.  Maybe he has enough to offer to be a factor next year.                              

[Doctor Wu]

On 9/17/2025 at 12:20 AM, rdehring said:

By the title I thought the article would be about three of the players the Twins picked up at the trade deadline.  Wasn't that, but was an excellent post Cody.

I was confused too. But agree, and agree!

[David HK]

13 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

I was confused too. But agree, and agree!

I was confused, but for a different reason.

I don't think there ARE 3 guys we picked up that are worthy of consideration.  😂