Tom Pohlad Said "Go Big or Go Home." Now He Needs to Actually Choose.

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Winning a series at Yankee Stadium doesn't guarantee anything. It doesn't erase an inconsistent first half, and it certainly doesn't mean the Twins suddenly look like World Series favorites. But after taking two of three in the Bronx (and outscoring New York 19-10), one thing has become increasingly difficult to ignore. The Twins have played solid baseball over the past few weeks, winning six of their last seven series, four of them on the road. They've climbed to within three games of .500, sit four games behind first place in the American League Central, and trail the final American League Wild Card spot by just 1.5 games. According to FanGraphs, they now have a 33.1% chance to make the postseason. With less than a month until the trade deadline, the Twins have firmly put themselves in position to be buyers.

That reality makes it impossible not to think back to everything Tom Pohlad has said since taking over as the Twins' control person and chairman. His most memorable quote came during his introductory press conference when he said, "I'm not a half-measure guy. I'm a 'go big or go home' guy."

It was exactly what Twins fans wanted to hear after years of payroll cuts and conservative spending. Understandably, though, many didn't believe it. But perhaps the more important comment came later in that same conversation when he said, "We owe the fan base something. We owe our veteran and star players something. And we owe this organization something. And that something is hope."

Those quotes created expectations. If you're going to tell fans that you aren't interested in half measures and that you owe them hope, those words have to be backed up when the opportunity presents itself. The Twins have done exactly what ownership could have hoped for. Despite injuries, roster flaws, and a reduced payroll, they've fought their way back into contention and earned the chance to receive help.

Pohlad doubled down on that message in April. In an interview with Dan Hayes, he acknowledged that taking over ownership so late in the offseason limited what the organization could accomplish in free agency. Instead, he pointed toward the trade deadline, saying he hoped the Twins would still be competitive so they could add to the roster. In other words, he asked fans to judge him in July, not January.

Well, July is here. The Twins are exactly where Pohlad hoped they would be. They've consistently won series over the past few weeks, despite an imperfect roster, giving the front office every reason to invest in this club.

There's still plenty of time for things to change. The Twins could get hot and strengthen their position, or they could stumble before the deadline. But that uncertainty shouldn't become an excuse for waiting. Teams don't have to wait until the final day to make trades, and there are already several organizations with no realistic playoff aspirations. If Jeremy Zoll identifies a player who can improve the roster, there's no reason the Twins can't act early and give that player several extra weeks to contribute.

The timing is also ideal because of the opportunity in front of them. The American League has remained remarkably open all season, allowing Minnesota to stay in contention despite an inconsistent first half. On top of that, reinforcements are on the way. Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Emmanuel Rodriguez all have a chance to contribute later this season. Pairing that wave of young talent with meaningful additions from outside the organization could certainly have the Twins rolling in the second half of the season

No one is suggesting the Twins empty the farm system or make a reckless trade. But there's a big difference between making smart, aggressive additions and standing pat. Whether it's bullpen help, a starting pitcher, or a bat, this is the type of situation Pohlad was talking about when he said he wasn't interested in half measures.

This deadline is also about more than the 2026 season. It's Tom Pohlad's first real opportunity to build credibility with a fan base that has heard promises from ownership before. He has talked about thinking bigger, explained why the quiet offseason was a matter of timing, and repeatedly pointed toward the trade deadline as the moment he'd have a chance to make his mark. 

Making meaningful additions won't guarantee a playoff berth, but it would send a clear message to the clubhouse and the fan base that this Pohlad is different from the others. So would not making those additions; the message would just be a different one.

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What do you think? Have the Twins done enough to justify buying at the trade deadline? Should the front office wait until the deadline, or would you like to see them make a move sooner?

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[chpettit19]

Would love to hear what trades you actually think are worth doing. What future pieces are you willing to give up for current pieces on this team? Not only at the deadline, but now. Who are you trading and for what? It's easy to say they should be buyers, harder to say who they should give up for help in a season where they still haven't been able to get and stay above .500.

Pohlad's words aren't a reason for being a buyer. Only a hard, unbiased look at the roster is. Pohlad trying to sell more tickets (let's be clear that his only motivation for anything he said was to try to get more butts in seats) isn't a reason to make any roster move. Do what's best for the team now and moving forward. Don't sell a prospect for a rental just because Tommy Boy said he was a "go big" guy.

[NYCTK]

If the last decade has taught people anything, it's that you always ignore the PR from a billionaire. They are almost always lying in order to placate you. Anyone that bothered to listen to the words from Tom wasted their own time. 

But importantly, the question shouldn't be "how close are the Twins to being a playoff team" but instead "how close are the Twins from being a playoff contender". And the answer to that second question is a long way. 

That said, I'm not opposed to the Twins adding some bullpen arms, as those are usually pretty inexpensive. 

[bean5302]

Hey, what do you know? Another article calling for an analysis of Tom Pohlad's comments from January!

[Dman]

It's a bit premature to go either way right now, but as they approach a .500 record it will be hard to see them as sellers.  Cleveland has been a house of horrors for this team and they are playing really well.  If the Twins manage to take that series I'd say things bode well for them to the deadline. Still right after the Deadline they face the Cubs and Cleveland so if they come out slow it will dampen their chances.

As for what they would need if buyers it seems like pen help would be the most needed.  I don't think I would mess with the hitters as most all of them have been producing and they are a tight group.  Don't mess with what is working.

While given the injuries they might need a rotation arm I'd resist doing that as the price is so steep.  Just getting a pen arm or two at the deadline is going to be an overpay, but I think they'd get the most bang for their buck getting a shut down pen arm and another arm better than what they currently have.  It's possible they could Trade Jeffers for a legit pen arm or an arm at AAA that is close to ready from another team.

We'll see how things shake out.  They have to get to .500 or close to it first.

[DJL44]

It is clear they need to add to the bullpen to get through August and September and compete in the postseason. Spending cash on expensive relievers is better than spending prospects. 
 

So we have to find sellers with relievers who are barely worth their contract.

Sellers: Angels, Royals, Tigers, Rockies, Mets, Giants, Reds

Expensive veteran relievers on those rosters: Kenley Jansen, Antonio Senzatela, Carlos Estevez, Luke Weaver, AJ Minter, Emilio Pagan, Kyle Finnegan, Matt Strahm, Pierce Johnson, Caleb Ferguson, Will Vest, John Schreiber, Brock Burke, Jason Foley, Brooks Raley, JT Brubaker

[LastOnePicked]

13 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Hey, what do you know? Another article calling for an analysis of Tom Pohlad's comments from January!

I mean, it seems the right time to bring these back up, doesn't it? Go big makes you a buyer. Go home makes you a seller. The clock is ticking.

Go smart makes you do a bit of both, which is why I wish Tough Talking Tom had emphasized brains over "big." More than anything, this organization needs to be smarter than they've been over the last five years.

[RedLeg44]

This bullpen has been so bad it doesn’t take much imagination to view this team in a +500 light. This bullpen has easily cost them 6 games this season which would put them in 1st place in the division. 2 league average releavers here are likely the difference. 
 

Most everyone would be lobbying to buy or stand pat if that was the case. Go get two “average” relievers with minimal impact to the farm system and roll the dice. 
 

Some are saying it’s not worth it if your not a true contender…how about just giving your young guys a taste of a playoff race, maybe a first round playoff series, gain the experience and develop a true hunger to get back to that point. Build some positive momentum for a change.

There is value in that too, just harder to quantify.
 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I'll bite on actually proposing a trade rather than just dissing the owner family (who deserves it, by the way). I live in SoCal and my son in Orange County is an Angels fan, poor guy. He says Soriano and Detmers are both potentially available in trades. as are Bachman and Yates in the bullpen. The Angels contention window is at least 3 years out and they're looking for young, controllable hitting. Here are the candidates:

Jose Soriano (27 yo RHSP) - 8-5, 3.42 ERA, 111 SOs in 100 IP, 26.2 SO%, 1.32 WHIP, 4.01 FIP, Arb eligible 2027, FA 2029.

Reid Detmers (27 yo LHSP) - 3-6, 4.13 ERA, 117 SOs in 104 IP, 27.1 SO%, 1.11 WHIP,  3.08 FIP, Arb eligible 2027, FA 2029.

Sam Bachman (26 yo RHRP) - 1-1, 3.26 ERA, 39 SOs, 38.2 IP, 24.4 SO%, 1.19 WHIP, 4.40 FIP, Arb 2027, FA 2031.  

Kirby Yates (39 yo RHRP) - 0-3, 2.75 ERA, 28 SOs, 19.2 IP, 35.4% SO%, 2.96 FIP, one year deal.  

Proposed deals - Alan Roden or G Gonzalez plus Kala'i Rosario, Ben Ross, or Matt Wallner and an A or AA pitcher (Sam Armstrong?) for Detmers and one of the two relievers. Basically they can have 2 position players other than Culppeper, Jenkins, Emma or Mendez plus an A or AA guy for one of the two starters and one reliever. I like Detmers better than Soriano but would take either. Getting the starter improves the bullpen because that's where Paredes goes. I'd obviously rather have Bachman at age 26 than Yates at age 39 but would take Yates if the prospect return was lesser. 

What do you think? 

[friedbrycenbeans]

The current AL playoff picture reads a lot like that old saying about running into a bear. You don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your friends. 83 wins *should* snag you a spot to the dance.

And FWIW, the Twins have the tiebreaker vs TOR, BOS and HOU. They are currently winning the season series vs. DET, TEX, CLE and NY. 

As far as the Central division goes... CLE is on an 11-17 stretch. And CHW has certainly earned the right to be respected. But the Twins will have plenty of opportunities to bring them back down to earth.

This home stand is massive. Prove you've overcome your CLE demons with another series win vs them and take care of business vs LA. A 4-2 home stand means they'd need to go 35-30 down the stretch to get to 83 wins. Not easy. But not impossible either.

The bullpen can derail things in a hurry. But if the offense keeps humming... it's time for people to realize this team has more than puncher's chance at punching their ticket to October baseball. 
 

[LastOnePicked]

I really, really thought a trip to Yankee Stadium was going to end all this. But no, baseball is a goofy game. Should have remembered that.

Worst possible scenario is to lose key prospects while trading for ineffective arms. All while letting valuable trade chips rot away on a team that falls short of the WC.

They're headed in that general direction. Rough waters ahead.

[Possumlad]

My only real hope is that the Twins sell high on Jeffers. Whatever our hopes for the rest of this season, we simply can't afford to just let Jeffers walk at the end of this year.. There's about a 0% chance he's re-signing w/ the Twins. Cash in now. 

My overall preference is a middle ground. Sell high on Jeffers & Larnach (for some combination of pitching and/or prospects) and get something for Bell if you can. Call up Roden, Cullpepper, and either EROD or Mendez. 

[Possumlad]

2 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

I really, really thought a trip to Yankee Stadium was going to end all this. But no, baseball is a goofy game. Should have remembered that.

Worst possible scenario is to lose key prospects while trading for ineffective arms. All while letting valuable trade chips rot away on a team that falls short of the WC.

They're headed in that general direction. Rough waters ahead.

Agree - this is the absolute worst case scenario. Pohlad & Zoll need to avoid this at all costs.

[Brandon]

Boston is a great trade candidate.  They have old friend sonny Gray on the last year of his contract with Cardinals paying it down and Chapman for the pen.  To get both we would need to give up a lot.  Like E Rod and either Dasan Hill or Riley Quick.  And someone like Parades to take some innings now.  But our status as contenders go up.  

[mikelink45]

I am never interested in a big contract - like Skubal will get.  I look at all those big long term contracts like Cole, Rodon, Strasburg, Lopez.... and you buy injuries and limits to spending, but I would take rentals for this year and especially some relief pitchers.  

I see our young players develop, I am sorry we did not extend Ryan last year, but unless we just are blown away with talent he is as good as any rental on the market for the pennant push.  

I like bringing up the young players - Martin, Fedko can do down alond with Gray.  That makes room for the three you listed.  But I do not see the young arms that can fill the BP void. And what about Gonzales?

This was a TD article on top five pitching prospects - we have Prielipp and Rojas pitching on the team (hope they quit sending Rojas down) - are any of the other three ready for a pen debut?  What about Gallagher? 

 

[Brandon]

12 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I'll bite on actually proposing a trade rather than just dissing the owner family (who deserves it, by the way). I live in SoCal and my son in Orange County is an Angels fan, poor guy. He says Soriano and Detmers are both potentially available in trades. as are Bachman and Yates in the bullpen. The Angels contention window is at least 3 years out and they're looking for young, controllable hitting. Here are the candidates:

Jose Soriano (27 yo RHSP) - 8-5, 3.42 ERA, 111 SOs in 100 IP, 26.2 SO%, 1.32 WHIP, 4.01 FIP, Arb eligible 2027, FA 2029.

Reid Detmers (27 yo LHSP) - 3-6, 4.13 ERA, 117 SOs in 104 IP, 27.1 SO%, 1.11 WHIP,  3.08 FIP, Arb eligible 2027, FA 2029.

Sam Bachman (26 yo RHRP) - 1-1, 3.26 ERA, 39 SOs, 38.2 IP, 24.4 SO%, 1.19 WHIP, 4.40 FIP, Arb 2027, FA 2031.  

Kirby Yates (39 yo RHRP) - 0-3, 2.75 ERA, 28 SOs, 19.2 IP, 35.4% SO%, 2.96 FIP, one year deal.  

Proposed deals - Alan Roden or G Gonzalez plus Kala'i Rosario, Ben Ross, or Matt Wallner and an A or AA pitcher (Sam Armstrong?) for Detmers and one of the two relievers. Basically they can have 2 position players other than Culppeper, Jenkins, Emma or Mendez plus an A or AA guy for one of the two starters and one reliever. I like Detmers better than Soriano but would take either. Getting the starter improves the bullpen because that's where Paredes goes. I'd obviously rather have Bachman at age 26 than Yates at age 39 but would take Yates if the prospect return was lesser. 

What do you think? 

I like Yates.  He has a good track record.  Since we are just looking at this season, I want the better of those two now.  Also Yates is a name and the media will make that trade to be bigger than it is bringing more fans to the stands.  Or at least creating more fan interest.  

I think Anaheim makes for a good trading partner as well.  I too live in Orange county, Costa Mesa.

[MikeNC]

14 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I'll bite on actually proposing a trade rather than just dissing the owner family (who deserves it, by the way). I live in SoCal and my son in Orange County is an Angels fan, poor guy. He says Soriano and Detmers are both potentially available in trades. as are Bachman and Yates in the bullpen. The Angels contention window is at least 3 years out and they're looking for young, controllable hitting. Here are the candidates:

Jose Soriano (27 yo RHSP) - 8-5, 3.42 ERA, 111 SOs in 100 IP, 26.2 SO%, 1.32 WHIP, 4.01 FIP, Arb eligible 2027, FA 2029.

Reid Detmers (27 yo LHSP) - 3-6, 4.13 ERA, 117 SOs in 104 IP, 27.1 SO%, 1.11 WHIP,  3.08 FIP, Arb eligible 2027, FA 2029.

Sam Bachman (26 yo RHRP) - 1-1, 3.26 ERA, 39 SOs, 38.2 IP, 24.4 SO%, 1.19 WHIP, 4.40 FIP, Arb 2027, FA 2031.  

Kirby Yates (39 yo RHRP) - 0-3, 2.75 ERA, 28 SOs, 19.2 IP, 35.4% SO%, 2.96 FIP, one year deal.  

Proposed deals - Alan Roden or G Gonzalez plus Kala'i Rosario, Ben Ross, or Matt Wallner and an A or AA pitcher (Sam Armstrong?) for Detmers and one of the two relievers. Basically they can have 2 position players other than Culppeper, Jenkins, Emma or Mendez plus an A or AA guy for one of the two starters and one reliever. I like Detmers better than Soriano but would take either. Getting the starter improves the bullpen because that's where Paredes goes. I'd obviously rather have Bachman at age 26 than Yates at age 39 but would take Yates if the prospect return was lesser. 

What do you think? 

 

[MikeNC]

Love the detail LA Vikes fan!  Hopefully Twins are reading this.

[MikeNC]

15 minutes ago, friedbrycenbeans said:

The current AL playoff picture reads a lot like that old saying about running into a bear. You don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your friends. 83 wins *should* snag you a spot to the dance.

And FWIW, the Twins have the tiebreaker vs TOR, BOS and HOU. They are currently winning the season series vs. DET, TEX, CLE and NY. 

As far as the Central division goes... CLE is on an 11-17 stretch. And CHW has certainly earned the right to be respected. But the Twins will have plenty of opportunities to bring them back down to earth.

This home stand is massive. Prove you've overcome your CLE demons with another series win vs them and take care of business vs LA. A 4-2 home stand means they'd need to go 35-30 down the stretch to get to 83 wins. Not easy. But not impossible either.

The bullpen can derail things in a hurry. But if the offense keeps humming... it's time for people to realize this team has more than puncher's chance at punching their ticket to the October baseball. 
 

 

[IndianaTwin]

27 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

It is clear they need to add to the bullpen to get through August and September and compete in the postseason. Spending cash on expensive relievers is better than spending prospects. 
 

So we have to find sellers with relievers who are barely worth their contract.

Sellers: Angels, Royals, Tigers, Rockies, Mets, Giants, Reds

Expensive veteran relievers on those rosters: Kenley Jansen, Antonio Senzatela, Carlos Estevez, Luke Weaver, AJ Minter, Emilio Pagan, Kyle Finnegan, Matt Strahm, Pierce Johnson, Caleb Ferguson, Will Vest, John Schreiber, Brock Burke, Jason Foley, Brooks Raley, JT Brubaker

Particularly given that with any of these who are pending free agents, we're looking at barely a third of a season if they wait all the way to the deadline. Jansen's $11M contract, for example, is already less than $5M and trickles down even further over time. 

You've apparently looked at the contracts enough to call them "expensive." Is Jansen's the largest in this list? Who else is up there?

(I'd add that Jansen hasn't exactly been Jansen so far this year. He'd still be a significant add, however.) 

[MikeNC]

OMG you are right!  They are the "Rocky" of MLB, all offense and no defense!

[nova_twins]

The CBA looms large over the deadline. I don't think fans here or elsewhere are really factoring in how dramatically the proposed changes would impact roster construction. 

Overall I think clubs will be more cautious as a result, mostly sticking to deals around expiring contracts. 

I'm also way past the point of being interested in trading quality big leaguers for mediocre prospects. No one is going to offer enough for Ryan, for instance. 

Twins should trade Jeffers and add a couple relievers with low prospect cost and then see where MLB goes with the CBA. 

[HarmonK03]

But what does Zoll think, he is the one that should be proposing moves to Pohlad to let him say yes or no to.  Or do we want Tommy P. to pressure him into a move for the sake of making a move that may set us back.

Again we need a plan and it shouldn't just be about this year.  The White Sox in the same position a few years back decided to become sellers because they knew long term that was the best path forward.

I don't really trust Zoll or the talent evaluators i.e. the analytics staff in the front office to make decisions that will more help than hurt this team.  Other than trading Jeffers so he doesn't walk for nothing and maybe Larnach and Bell, I wouldn't be disappointed if they didn't make any other moves.

They need to clean house in the offseason and determine a direction for this team.

[LA Vikes Fan]

16 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I like Yates.  He has a good track record.  Since we are just looking at this season, I want the better of those two now.  Also Yates is a name and the media will make that trade to be bigger than it is bringing more fans to the stands.  Or at least creating more fan interest.  

I think Anaheim makes for a good trading partner as well.  I too live in Orange county, Costa Mesa.

My son is in Brea. I like Yates too but at age 39, I'm not giving up much for him. He only helps this year and maaaaybe next. Maybe GG, Wallner and Ben Ross for Soriano or Detmers and Yates? 

[LambchoP]

Larnach and Jeffers should be able to get us a few solid RP, ideally with more years of control than just rentals for this year.

[tony&rodney]

There are opportunities. LA Vikes Fan had a couple. The Sonny Gray and Chapman for Dasan Hill and EmRod is another idea. One would guess that teams may be interested in Matt Wallner. We don't know what will be required but there are possibilities. The Twins can trade Ryan Jeffers for something too. Whatever takes place there are some names the club can live without and names that could improve the Twins odds of winning.

Take a look some time at the players who will be free agents this offseason. There are, as always, a few interesting relief pitchers and some starting pitchers whose contracts will almost certainly be large. Other than that, there isn't anyone worth much more than the 13th position spot. So I hope people don't scream for the club to spend big on free agents before they actually look over the pile of mediocrity.

I'm hoping for two or three sweet trades in the next month.

[Saxophone Joe]

Fully anticipating some (many!) thumbs down for this, but I like what Tom Pohlad has done so far, given how late he came into the job. I think he gets it. Now, full disclosure: I have no clue what the best route to take is at the moment. But, you know, Tom said in spring training that this team was going to be competitive. Most fans (and Twins beat writers, podcasters, etc.) snickered and rolled their eyes. 90 games in, he's largely been proven right. 

[MMBoys93]

They didn’t spend after the 2023 season. They wouldn’t spend this past offseason.

Buying at the deadline sounds like hurting the farm potential to hopefully sneak into a wild card spot, while the team remains a bottom 10 payroll team year in year out.

So they’ll let Jeffers walk and get nothing back because they’re not going to extend and they’ll likely let Joe Ryan walk as well all because they’re Pohlad’s don’t want to lose more fans for a Hail Mary chance to sneak in as the last wild card team.

Textbook scenario of how not to manage a low to mid-market team. Don’t be shocked if we get perennial 90 to 100 loss teams down the road if this is how it works out. 

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, Saxophone Joe said:

Fully anticipating some (many!) thumbs down for this, but I like what Tom Pohlad has done so far, given how late he came into the job. I think he gets it. And I'm not sure what the best route to take is at the moment. But, you know, Tom said in spring training that this team was going to be competitive. Most fans snickered and rolled their eyes. 90 games in, he's largely been proven right. 

I don't know what is going on behind the scene but I think Tom may have encouraged the coaching staff and manager as well as the front office to make some of the moves we have seen this season. The movement of players to positions where they are more suited has significantly strengthened the defense. I don't believe those moves would have been made last year. In that sense TP may be a fresh start. We just don't know. The reflexive hatred doesn't serve a purpose though, except that some people feel better having fantom enemies. 

[tony&rodney]

5 minutes ago, MMBoys93 said:

They didn’t spend after the 2023 season. They wouldn’t spend this past offseason.

Buying at the deadline sounds like hurting the farm potential to hopefully sneak into a wild card spot, while the team remains a bottom 10 payroll team year in year out.

So they’ll let Jeffers walk and get nothing back because they’re not going to extend and they’ll likely let Joe Ryan walk as well all because they’re Pohlad’s don’t want to lose more fans for a Hail Mary chance to sneak in as the last wild card team.

Textbook scenario of how not to manage a low to mid-market team. Don’t be shocked if we get perennial 90 to 100 loss teams down the road if this is how it works out. 

There really wasn't much to buy in 2023. The two names that flooded Twins Daily were Jordan Montgomery and Rhys Hoskins. There is mythology involved. There were missed opportunities to trade players.

Jeffers could be traded or kept as they may see value in his talent on the team through the remainder of the season. Ryan is under contract through 2027 so not a free agent. There is no hurry on Ryan and it would be foolish to trade him unless the offer is a major return of talent.

I'm choosing hope for more competitive rosters. Others will cheer for losses.