MLB Insider: Twins “Look Increasingly Unlikely to Sell”

[Cody Christie]

Just a couple of weeks ago, it felt inevitable that the Minnesota Twins would spend the trade deadline moving veteran pieces for future assets. Hovering below .500 and struggling to gain ground in the American League Wild Card race, Minnesota looked like a team headed toward another disappointing finish. Then the script changed.

A series victory at Yankee Stadium, Minnesota's first since 2014, continued a stretch of improved baseball that has put the Twins squarely back in the postseason conversation. They aren't leading the division, but they're close enough to the final Wild Card spot that selling no longer feels like the obvious path.

According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, that's exactly how the Twins are approaching the deadline.

"The Minnesota Twins... look increasingly unlikely to sell. They are only 1 1/2 games back in the race for the third AL wild card, and their new control person, Tom Pohlad, is motivated to win over his players and win back fans."

That represents a significant shift from where things stood just days ago. Minnesota has played itself back into contention, and with roughly three weeks remaining before the trade deadline, every win makes it more difficult to justify subtracting from the major league roster. Even so, standing pat doesn't necessarily mean every veteran is untouchable.

Ryan Jeffers Still Makes Sense as a Trade Chip

Rosenthal also noted that catcher Ryan Jeffers remains one player who could be moved regardless of where Minnesota sits in the standings.

"One player the Twins could move regardless of their standing is catcher Ryan Jeffers, who is on a rehabilitation assignment as he works his way back from a left hamate fracture. Jeffers is a potential free agent who could bring back bullpen help, and the Twins could replace him with Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson."

That possibility has become much more realistic over the past month. When Jeffers went down with a fractured hamate bone, Minnesota turned to Victor Caratini for an increased workload. Rather than simply filling in, Caratini has become one of the club's most productive hitters while continuing to provide quality defense and veteran leadership behind the plate.

His emergence has changed the equation. Earlier this season, trading Jeffers would have left a significant hole at catcher. Now, Caratini has shown he is capable of handling everyday duties, while Alex Jackson gives Minnesota another defensive-minded option to round out the catching tandem.

The Market Could Work in Minnesota's Favor

Rosenthal also identified two clubs that continue to monitor the catching market.

"Speculation persists that the New York Yankees will pursue Jeffers. The Tampa Bay Rays are another team interested in catching help, creating the possibility of an AL East bidding war."

That's encouraging news if Minnesota ultimately decides to move Jeffers. Quality catching is always difficult to acquire in July, and multiple playoff contenders searching for upgrades could drive up the asking price. Rather than simply receiving a lower-level prospect, the Twins could target an area of greater need.

The Twins no longer appear headed for a traditional sell-off. If they continue to play winning baseball, adding complementary pieces may become just as likely as subtracting veterans. But that doesn't eliminate the possibility of making calculated moves that improve both the present and the future.

The next few weeks will determine whether the Twins become buyers, sellers, or something in between. Based on their recent play, the most likely outcome is a club that tries to thread the needle by competing for a postseason berth while taking advantage of opportunities to improve the roster.

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[Possumlad]

Trade Jeffers, keep the rest. We're not trading Buxton (can't), and no on else outside Ryan is gonna net enough return to make much difference one way or another. I don't think anyone's giving up much for Larnach. Ryan would net a huge return, but you've lost a lot of fan goodwill in the meantime.. which is touch going in to what will already be a tough offseason & potentially locked-out 2027. 

 

[Dman]

It feels like a tough spot for the Twins to be in.  I'd still want to see them at .500 or better at the deadline before not selling.  If they trade Jeffers the only other expiring player contract would be Bell.  The rest they could trade in the offseason if they want to,

It sounds like the players really like the clubhouse vibes so shaking that up might not be a good thing. Especially after what happened last year.  It seemed to affect several players emotionally with so much unexpected movement.

Still they will likely lose value on Ryan, Larnach and Bell if they wait, but if they hang onto these guys it feels like they could have a strong team next year. They just need to keep their starters healthy and build a better pen.

[clone52]

Cool, I like this news.  Go the Rays route.

Move Jeffers if you can get a good deal that helps now and you don't know you can sign him.

Move Larnach if you get a decent deal that helps now.  I think he regresses big time.

I'd keep Bell just for the power punch.

Use depth to add where applicable.  Any of these guys on their own are not untouchable if it brings back something that helps now.  Martin, Clemens, Keaschall, any minor leaguer not named Jenkins, Culpepper or Tait.  Trading 1 major leaguer and a couple of Top 15 minor leaguers is not going to destroy chances this year or in the future.

[DocBauer]

I would prefer an extension foe Jeffers and keep him. I've been consistent all along in that regard. I just think it's too late for that. But with Caratini and Jackson as decent, viable options, it does seem like an opportunity to move him and get something if value. I'd bet they get a bigger haul from the Yankees as they probably don't see hum as a rental as they will throw him a nice resign offer and can afford it. Not sure that's how the Rays would see it.

I just don't see Larnach back for $7-8M when you have Roden and 4 other top 10-12 OF prospects sitting at AAA, PLUS Keaschall moving to the OF. (Roden just promoted of course). Now, if one of those OF is moved for a solid pen arm with some control, that changes the complexion a little bit. But Larnach is having his best season. So I also don't want to disrupt the team flow. But Roden possibly just step in to Larnach's spot and increase the team defense and speed? If his HITTING can come close to Larnach, it might be a win-win without really disturbing anything of consequence.

I doubt Larnach brings back anything to help this season, but you never know. There might be someone who could use his LH bat and offer up their version of Varland pre-breakout. Or it could be an arm just about ready to debut that could help next year.

Considering his career profile, Bell is probably going to be good the remainder of the season. He would be much harder to replace than just "throwing one of the prospects" on the roster and roll through the DH spot. He's a lot harder to replace, IMO, than Larnach. Especially if the Twins keep playing good baseball. But if you get a really good offer, you have to consider it. Perhaps Buck plays a little more DH the rest of the way? But right now, the way the team is going, I think Bell would be a mistake to move.

[h2oface]

The absolute best value Ryan could have is pitching for our Minnesota Twins!

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

You gotta trade a few of these guys, especially if it's unlikely that we can't or won't sign Ryan and Jeffers to extensions. There is a demand for their services, so the Twins NEED to listen. And trade guys like Larnach when their value will never be higher. I like Bell a lot, but if they aren't planning on signing him again next season, he needs to be moved too. 

[dxpavelka]

How about trading Caratini when his value may never be higher and keep (and sign) Jeffers?  Tom wants us to believe in him, here's a way to accomplish that.

[stringer bell]

Right now, it would be apostasy to sell. The club is playing well and they are well-positioned to not only make the postseason, but win the AL Central. Cleveland and Chicago are beatable head-to-head and the deficit is a miniscule three games. The defense is improved with Kreidler at short and Keaschall in right field. More bullpen help is needed.

Trading Ryan Jeffers for a haul could and probably should happen. He's a fine player and seems like a good guy, but free agency is out there and it's unlikely the Twins can meet his price. As long as the Yankees are in the bidding, there should be some quality brought back. 

[arby58]

1 hour ago, dxpavelka said:

How about trading Caratini when his value may never be higher and keep (and sign) Jeffers?  Tom wants us to believe in him, here's a way to accomplish that.

Sounds good in theory, but Jeffers’ agent is Scott Boros. No way he’s signing before testing free agency. The Yankees are all over him. How do you think that is going to turn out for the Twins? Answer: with Alex Jackson as your starting catcher in 2027.

[Riverbrian]

I would have traded Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers because of what I assumed to be peak value at the time. I would have been looking for young ready or near ready infielders in return because we have infield depth issues that were apparent in January and are still apparent today in July. Just imagine how bad the infield would look if Kriedler hadn't turned himself into something decent. Or if Kody Clemens was what everybody assumed he was. Even with the solid performance of Kriedler and Clemens. Culpepper isn't enough depth to get through 162 games.   

I did not believe that the trading of Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers meant the team was going to tank. I am not afraid of youth... there are plenty of young teams who are performing quite well in 2026 and the Twins have areas of strength to build around. 

They didn't cash in those chips in the off-season. They declared that they were going for it. The result of going for it... no matter how we individually feel about the current team... the result of going for it is a team that is currently in contention.

If they sell at the trade deadline with the team in contention... AT A LOWER VALUE due to Ryan Jeffers going from a full year left to a 2 month rental and if they sell Joe Ryan going from two full years to one year and 2 months.  

I will be more actually more disappointed with our current leadership for being wishy washy than I was when they decided to keep Ryan and Jeffers and head down this particular path.

Don't get me wrong... this team will need to make a sharp turn toward younger players at some point in the near future. It's inevitable. 

I expect this team to add bullpen arms and support this 2026 team. At what cost? Not sure but if we are looking for quality relievers with years left. I suppose we can look at what we got in return for Duran, Jax and Varland as a guide for what it will cost us. Rentals... there will be a few of those options and all 30 teams will be looking for them. 

Our bullpen is going to have injuries. We might think we can declare Gomez as locked in... but injuries happen all the time and it isn't out of line to believe that maybe 3 or 4 arms get hurt in our current bullpen.

This team will need to be bullpen aggressive at the trade deadline. The bullpen isn't strong enough in my opinion.  

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Trading Jeffers makes sense for a few reasons. Right now, catcher is a position of strength. Jeffers is highly unlikely to re-sign. He could be leveraged for a 'win-now' return. 

 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

I'm not sure how much Tom Pohlad cares about the fanbase or how he's perceived - however, based on his comments this off-season, I 'think' he cares at least to some extent. Trading Jeffers to bolster the bullpen or another position of need - that's understandable if not the right move. But, a full-blown sell off with the likes of Ryan, Clemens, Bell, Ober, etc. being shipped out - the attendance in 2027 (whenever the season starts) will make 2026's attendance look like the 1987 & 1991 world series in the Dome.

[The Great Hambino]

10 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Trading Jeffers makes sense for a few reasons. Right now, catcher is a position of strength. Jeffers is highly unlikely to re-sign. He could be leveraged for a 'win-now' return. 

 

That sounds nice from the Twins' perspective, but I highly doubt anyone looking to rent Jeffers would be interested in parting with any win-now pieces.  Maybe a third team getting involved could help facilitate it, but straight up? I'm not seeing it

[amjgt]

4 Weeks to the deadline, not 3

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

57 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

That sounds nice from the Twins' perspective, but I highly doubt anyone looking to rent Jeffers would be interested in parting with any win-now pieces.  Maybe a third team getting involved could help facilitate it, but straight up? I'm not seeing it

I don't know. Jeffers will be a commodity and if you're sending him to a big market, they'll likely be able to sign him long term. I think you could probably pry Fernando Cruz and old friend Brent Headrick from the Yankees. They're desperate. Both of those guys would look good in the bullpen right now - Cruz is under team control for 2027 and 2028. Headrick has multiple years of team control, IIRC, through 2031.

Gomez / Morris / Cruz / Headrick - that's not a bad back-end group and would make the Twins a lot more formidable down the stretch and they'd be building the pen for '27 and '28.

[Jeff K]

Jeffers should bring a solid relief pitcher; do it.  I would trade Larnach as he will never be worth more than now.  I think he could bring a solid relief pitcher as well.  After that, this team ought to be even more competitive.  And let's not forget that Sands should be back soon; and hopefully Abel.  It feels weird having a positive vibe & hope in the short term, vs. only looking to the future.

[Linus]

Lots can happen before the deadline. There is a good chance the proper buy / sell decision will be obvious by that time. The Twins have had a season of streaks it’s likely that a streak (winning or losing) will decide it. 

[dxpavelka]

22 hours ago, arby58 said:

Sounds good in theory, but Jeffers’ agent is Scott Boros. No way he’s signing before testing free agency. The Yankees are all over him. How do you think that is going to turn out for the Twins? Answer: with Alex Jackson as your starting catcher in 2027.

The Twins actually have a decent relationship with Boras.  Moving Jeffers means you're an injury away from Khadim Diaw as your guy as well.  Not to mention that a year ago, both Caratini & Jackson were elsewhere.  Depth can be had.  Much easier than quality can be found.

[Major League Ready]

6 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

The Twins actually have a decent relationship with Boras.  Moving Jeffers means you're an injury away from Khadim Diaw as your guy as well.  Not to mention that a year ago, both Caratini & Jackson were elsewhere.  Depth can be had.  Much easier than quality can be found.

Great.  Trade him if you can get a premium and sign him to a new contract this off-season because Boras is letting him sign now unless it's a ridiculous deal.  Boras is exactly where he hoped to be with Jeffers having a great year in his walk season.

[twinstalker]

11 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

The Twins actually have a decent relationship with Boras.  Moving Jeffers means you're an injury away from Khadim Diaw as your guy as well.  Not to mention that a year ago, both Caratini & Jackson were elsewhere.  Depth can be had.  Much easier than quality can be found.

He's the devil, and the Twins have been in bed with the devil.  He gets everything from the Twins, and the Twins get far less than they think they do.  Worst thing Falvey ever did?  Boras.  And no, it doesn't matter if you think you've sucked up to him, you don't get squat.  The only way Jeffers is here next year is if the Twins overpay.  And that's the worst thing the Twins could do other than stay in bed with Boras.

[ashbury]

14 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Moving Jeffers means you're an injury away from Khadim Diaw as your guy as well.  

Keeping Jeffers still means being an injury away from Khadim Diaw, unless you think the Twins will run with 3 catchers for the rest of the season.  They almost certainly can't stash Jackson at St Paul anymore - the whole league is starved for catching and someone would pick him up if the Twins waived/DFAed him.

[dxpavelka]

17 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

Great.  Trade him if you can get a premium and sign him to a new contract this off-season because Boras is letting him sign now unless it's a ridiculous deal.  Boras is exactly where he hoped to be with Jeffers having a great year in his walk season.

Yeah, the last thing we need is to find a way to keep a player having a great year.

[dxpavelka]

11 hours ago, twinstalker said:

He's the devil, and the Twins have been in bed with the devil.  He gets everything from the Twins, and the Twins get far less than they think they do.  Worst thing Falvey ever did?  Boras.  And no, it doesn't matter if you think you've sucked up to him, you don't get squat.  The only way Jeffers is here next year is if the Twins overpay.  And that's the worst thing the Twins could do other than stay in bed with Boras.

Don't know if you've noticed the market over the last few decades but overpaying is what the market bears.  Not doing so is how a team wins two playoff series in thirty five years.