MLB Insider Reports Twins Will Buy at Deadline, Not Break Up Core

[Cody Christie]

With one week remaining before the August 3 MLB trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins continue to walk the line between contender and pretender. At 53-54, they have exceeded expectations and are still very much alive in both the American League Central and Wild Card races.

That reality has fueled weeks of speculation about whether Minnesota could cash in on its biggest stars. Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan have frequently surfaced in trade rumors, with rival executives wondering if the Twins would entertain blockbuster offers. According to former MLB general manager and current insider Jim Bowden, that isn't happening.

Twins Operating as Buyers

Speaking on GM Territory, Bowden shut down the idea that Minnesota is shopping either of its franchise cornerstones.

"No, absolutely not," Bowden said when asked if the Twins would trade Buxton or Ryan. "I'm being told neither one is going. In fact, the Twins are buyers right now, they feel like they're in the race as well. They feel they have a chance for the Wild Card."

That aligns with everything the Twins have shown publicly. Owner Tom Pohlad has repeatedly indicated that Minnesota would add talent if the club remained in postseason contention. Despite hovering around .500 for much of the summer, the Twins have done just enough to stay within striking distance.

The Twins trail the division-leading Chicago White Sox by only 3.5 games and sit just one game behind the final American League Wild Card spot currently held by Cleveland. In a league where few teams have separated themselves, Minnesota believes it has a legitimate opportunity to play meaningful baseball in October.

Bullpen Is the Clear Priority

If the Twins are going to buy, the biggest need isn't difficult to identify. Minnesota's bullpen has struggled throughout the season, posting a 5.03 ERA that ranks among the worst relief units in baseball. Late-inning inconsistency has turned potential victories into frustrating losses and left little margin for error.

Adding one impact reliever may not be enough. Minnesota could realistically use multiple bullpen arms capable of pitching high-leverage innings if it hopes to survive the stretch run. Bowden's report suggests that's exactly where the front office is directing its attention instead of pursuing splashier moves.

Ryan and Buxton Aren't Going Anywhere

While rival clubs would undoubtedly love to pry away Ryan or Buxton, neither situation has ever appeared particularly realistic.

Ryan has once again established himself as one of the American League's better starters, compiling a 3.38 ERA with 131 strikeouts across 114 1/3 innings. Even after a pair of uneven outings, he remains the ace of Minnesota's rotation and would leave an enormous hole if traded.

Buxton's case is even simpler. The veteran center fielder owns a full no-trade clause through 2028 and has repeatedly stated his desire to spend his entire career in Minnesota. When healthy, he remains one of baseball's most impactful players, providing elite defense, game-changing speed, and middle-of-the-order power.

Bowden also noted that Minnesota believes staying healthy (particularly with Buxton and Royce Lewis) is critical to making a postseason push. If those stars remain on the field, the Twins believe their roster is capable of competing with the rest of the American League.

Buying Makes Sense With the Right Moves

A 53-54 club buying at the deadline may raise eyebrows, but context matters. The American League has been defined by parity, and Minnesota remains firmly in the playoff picture despite an inconsistent first four months. Selling would signal surrender in a race where virtually every contender has flaws of its own.

The Twins don't necessarily need a dramatic overhaul. Their lineup has produced enough offense to compete, and the rotation has been anchored by Ryan while receiving quality contributions from the rest of the staff. The glaring weakness has been the bullpen, making it the logical place to invest deadline resources. There is also an opportunity to move Connor Prielipp or Zebby Matthews to the bullpen if the team acquires a back-end starter. 

Whether that's enough to make a deep postseason run remains to be seen. A frontline starting pitcher would undoubtedly elevate Minnesota's October outlook, but there has been little indication that such a move is on the table.

If Bowden's reporting proves accurate, the Twins have made their decision. Ryan and Buxton will stay put, the front office will search aggressively for bullpen reinforcements, and Minnesota will bet that a healthier roster and a stronger relief corps are enough to turn a .500 season into a playoff berth.

View full rumor

[MMBoys93]

Really really curious to see what happens here.

To me, buying at the deadline means holding onto Ryan Jeffers. The offensive numbers have started to slip as a team and trading Jeffers away would be too big an impact on the team. Similar with Trevor Larnach. These two have been two of the best hitters on the team and saying that you’re buying at the deadline and moving these two would be a major detriment to the offense.

With all that being said letting these two walk at free agency seems ridiculous to me for a team that that’s currently under .500.

The team has three major league catchers on the roster and something’s gotta give. I also firmly believe that Alan Roden and Matt Wallner deserve a shot to play the remainder of the year. These 2 replacing Bell and Larnach would simply make sense for the future of the org. 

I think this all in talk is ridiculous and simply an attempt for Tom Pohlad to be seen as the good guy among some Twins fans. If this is the route they take then it’s a major error.

Tampa, Cleveland, Milwaukee are the gold standard for low spend teams and none of them would make this choice.  

And before you all freak out on me about Wallner, he had an .885 ops in 500 PAs in 2023-2024, and last year had north of an .837 ops in each of April, July and August. Theres obviously some insane inconsistency but that’s a damn Twins theme these days. Letting him just walk would be a mistake.

[Sampson5]

Interested to see what they qualify as buying is it just add a high leverage reliever ? Or is it a reliever and a starter . Still think they move one of the catchers unless they just plan on eventually just dfa Jackson when they eventually decide to call up culpepper to play SS while could be the plan . Wouldn't say this means they aren't trading jeffers tho he's the best chip to actually get a good pitcher assuming they aren't trading a top prospect which I doubt they do 

[ashbury]

Well crap.  Bowden is always wrong.  So I guess we're having a fire sale.

[ashbury]

14 minutes ago, Sampson5 said:

Still think they move one of the catchers 

That's a given.  Shelton surely doesn't want to run with 3 catchers the rest of the season.  The question for the past several weeks has been which one to move.  Jackson has always been insurance, and if the Twins had fallen completely out of contention he'd stay and Jeffers would go; but if the Twins are "going for it" then we're back to the Opening Day plan of Jeffers and Caratini.  Jackson is almost dime-a-dozen, but probably would not make it through waivers without being claimed by someone.  So look for an extremely minor deal where he goes in exchange for somebody's 25-year old relief pitcher laboring in AA, plus cash or the equivalent in international signing money or used baseballs or whatnot.

[arby58]

57 minutes ago, MMBoys93 said:

Really really curious to see what happens here.

To me, buying at the deadline means holding onto Ryan Jeffers. The offensive numbers have started to slip as a team and trading Jeffers away would be too big an impact on the team. Similar with Trevor Larnach. These two have been two of the best hitters on the team and saying that you’re buying at the deadline and moving these two would be a major detriment to the offense.

With all that being said letting these two walk at free agency seems ridiculous to me for a team that that’s currently under .500.

The team has three major league catchers on the roster and something’s gotta give. I also firmly believe that Alan Roden and Matt Wallner deserve a shot to play the remainder of the year. These 2 replacing Bell and Larnach would simply make sense for the future of the org. 

I think this all in talk is ridiculous and simply an attempt for Tom Pohlad to be seen as the good guy among some Twins fans. If this is the route they take then it’s a major error.

Tampa, Cleveland, Milwaukee are the gold standard for low spend teams and none of them would make this choice.  

And before you all freak out on me about Wallner, he had an .885 ops in 500 PAs in 2023-2024, and last year had north of an .837 ops in each of April, July and August. Theres obviously some insane inconsistency but that’s a damn Twins theme these days. Letting him just walk would be a mistake.

Both Larnach and Wallner are under Twins control - neither are free agents at the end of the year. Wallner is out of options at the end of the year but cannot just become a free agent.

[MMBoys93]

7 minutes ago, arby58 said:

Both Larnach and Wallner are under Twins control - neither are free agents at the end of the year. Wallner is out of options at the end of the year but cannot just become a free agent.

Larnach’s arbitration value will be too rich for the Twins and at some point the Twins will be forced to do something about Wallner. They can’t just leave him in AAA forever without it causing issues

[TheLeviathan]

I'm more concerned that "buying" breaks up the core than I am about "selling" doing that part.

[LA Vikes Fan]

2 hours ago, MMBoys93 said:

Really really curious to see what happens here.

To me, buying at the deadline means holding onto Ryan Jeffers. The offensive numbers have started to slip as a team and trading Jeffers away would be too big an impact on the team. Similar with Trevor Larnach. These two have been two of the best hitters on the team and saying that you’re buying at the deadline and moving these two would be a major detriment to the offense.

With all that being said letting these two walk at free agency seems ridiculous to me for a team that that’s currently under .500.

The team has three major league catchers on the roster and something’s gotta give. I also firmly believe that Alan Roden and Matt Wallner deserve a shot to play the remainder of the year. These 2 replacing Bell and Larnach would simply make sense for the future of the org. 

I think this all in talk is ridiculous and simply an attempt for Tom Pohlad to be seen as the good guy among some Twins fans. If this is the route they take then it’s a major error.

Tampa, Cleveland, Milwaukee are the gold standard for low spend teams and none of them would make this choice.  

And before you all freak out on me about Wallner, he had an .885 ops in 500 PAs in 2023-2024, and last year had north of an .837 ops in each of April, July and August. Theres obviously some insane inconsistency but that’s a damn Twins theme these days. Letting him just walk would be a mistake.

First, I think you can both trade Jeffers and buy pitching, maybe even in the same deal. They are not mutually exclusive. The Twins can easily be buyers while trading Jeffers expiring contract. Also, Jeffers is a free agent at the end of the season but Larnach is not. We have another year with him so no need to trade him to avoid having him walk away for nothing.

Second, I know some people like Matt Wallner as a local kid with power but I firmly believe he will never again be a regular starting outfielder for the Twins.  He is that bad in the field. His only real position is as a DH, and his strikeout rate in the majors is over 35%! His strikeout rate it AAA this year is 27.7% and typically you add at least 5% to the AAA strikeout number to get what people are likely to do in the majors, so even if it's improving he still striking out roughly 1/3 of the time if he comes back. No team hoping to be competitive can afford to play a guy can't run, can't field, and strikes out 1/3 or more of the time. He isn't a free agent until 2030 so there's no chance that he "walks away for nothing" either. I hope the Twins give him a chance to reset by trading him to a bad team.  I seriously doubt he will be back up starting in the OF with the Twins again.

[thelanges5]

Bowden being interviewed by Bowden?!?

[mrmpls]

3 hours ago, MMBoys93 said:

Really really curious to see what happens here.

To me, buying at the deadline means holding onto Ryan Jeffers. The offensive numbers have started to slip as a team and trading Jeffers away would be too big an impact on the team. Similar with Trevor Larnach. These two have been two of the best hitters on the team and saying that you’re buying at the deadline and moving these two would be a major detriment to the offense.

With all that being said letting these two walk at free agency seems ridiculous to me for a team that that’s currently under .500.

The team has three major league catchers on the roster and something’s gotta give. I also firmly believe that Alan Roden and Matt Wallner deserve a shot to play the remainder of the year. These 2 replacing Bell and Larnach would simply make sense for the future of the org. 

I think this all in talk is ridiculous and simply an attempt for Tom Pohlad to be seen as the good guy among some Twins fans. If this is the route they take then it’s a major error.

Tampa, Cleveland, Milwaukee are the gold standard for low spend teams and none of them would make this choice.  

And before you all freak out on me about Wallner, he had an .885 ops in 500 PAs in 2023-2024, and last year had north of an .837 ops in each of April, July and August. Theres obviously some insane inconsistency but that’s a damn Twins theme these days. Letting him just walk would be a mistake.

Matt Wallner deserve a shot--    is that a joke ?

[twinstalker]

The core?

[twinstalker]

The Twins constantly make the wrong decisions.  If this "buying" means they don't trade Jeffers and Larnach, especially Jeffers, then it's good to know they haven't changed.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

2 hours ago, twinstalker said:

The core?

I'm still looking for it too!

[JD-TWINS]

15 hours ago, ashbury said:

That's a given.  Shelton surely doesn't want to run with 3 catchers the rest of the season.  The question for the past several weeks has been which one to move.  Jackson has always been insurance, and if the Twins had fallen completely out of contention he'd stay and Jeffers would go; but if the Twins are "going for it" then we're back to the Opening Day plan of Jeffers and Caratini.  Jackson is almost dime-a-dozen, but probably would not make it through waivers without being claimed by someone.  So look for an extremely minor deal where he goes in exchange for somebody's 25-year old relief pitcher laboring in AA, plus cash or the equivalent in international signing money or used baseballs or whatnot.

With experience - decent production - ability to play 1B - switch hitter - 1 more year of control……….I think Caratini gets best return and is definitely in play!

[MMBoys93]

14 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

First, I think you can both trade Jeffers and buy pitching, maybe even in the same deal. They are not mutually exclusive. The Twins can easily be buyers while trading Jeffers expiring contract. Also, Jeffers is a free agent at the end of the season but Larnach is not. We have another year with him so no need to trade him to avoid having him walk away for nothing.

Second, I know some people like Matt Wallner as a local kid with power but I firmly believe he will never again be a regular starting outfielder for the Twins.  He is that bad in the field. His only real position is as a DH, and his strikeout rate in the majors is over 35%! His strikeout rate it AAA this year is 27.7% and typically you add at least 5% to the AAA strikeout number to get what people are likely to do in the majors, so even if it's improving he still striking out roughly 1/3 of the time if he comes back. No team hoping to be competitive can afford to play a guy can't run, can't field, and strikes out 1/3 or more of the time. He isn't a free agent until 2030 so there's no chance that he "walks away for nothing" either. I hope the Twins give him a chance to reset by trading him to a bad team.  I seriously doubt he will be back up starting in the OF with the Twins again.

I understand that they can add and subtract, but if they’re serious about being a contender, then doesn’t it seem silly to move on from one of your best hitters just to beef up pitching?
 

This just brings me back to my expectation- that Jim is just doing what he can to save face. Have a chance to make the playoffs and no one will hate him. This team isn’t good enough to make a run in the playoffs and subtracting Ryan Jeffers and beefing up the pitching staff isn’t going to help that.

 

My qualm with the Wallner situation is they’re giving ABs daily to guys like Bell and Larnach who are gone next year instead of figuring out what they have with Roden and Wallner. They brought Royce back up, why not Wallner? Royce has one good stretch of 270 PAs and has been middling to bad other than that. Wallner’s had longer stretches of hitting. Wallner was awful defensively this year, no hiding that but he wasn’t anywhere near as bad before this season. Guys press when they’re struggling with the bat and it affects the entire game
 

And I have an issue with that because I don’t think this team is anywhere near good enough to do any damage in the playoffs and I don’t even think they’ll make it without bringing in a ton at the deadline. 

[JD-TWINS]

TWINS v. other A.L. Wildcard contenders, as of today, (Astros, Red Sox, Guards, & Yankees) are 17-8 for ‘26. They play 3 more with Guardians & Yankees, both at home……..have already won the other 2 series.

To me, this is a pretty encouraging stat!

Gotta make a couple REAL moves to improve!

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, MMBoys93 said:

I understand that they can add and subtract, but if they’re serious about being a contender, then doesn’t it seem silly to move on from one of your best hitters just to beef up pitching?
 

This just brings me back to my expectation- that Jim is just doing what he can to save face. Have a chance to make the playoffs and no one will hate him. This team isn’t good enough to make a run in the playoffs and subtracting Ryan Jeffers and beefing up the pitching staff isn’t going to help that.

 

My qualm with the Wallner situation is they’re giving ABs daily to guys like Bell and Larnach who are gone next year instead of figuring out what they have with Roden and Wallner. They brought Royce back up, why not Wallner? Royce has one good stretch of 270 PAs and has been middling to bad other than that. Wallner’s had longer stretches of hitting. Wallner was awful defensively this year, no hiding that but he wasn’t anywhere near as bad before this season. Guys press when they’re struggling with the bat and it affects the entire game
 

And I have an issue with that because I don’t think this team is anywhere near good enough to do any damage in the playoffs and I don’t even think they’ll make it without bringing in a ton at the deadline. 

Matt Wallner isn’t going to help them win! He wouldn’t be relegated to St. Paul if anyone thought differently. His decent stretches in ‘23 & ‘ 24 were both after extended time at AAA after failing at MLB level. That’s who he is.

Why see what Matt Wallner can do when Larnach is hitting .290 with a .380 OBP & 135 OPS+???? They are the same age. Larnach can actually play corner OF.

Roden was a throw-in along with centerpiece, Rojas. He’s getting the time he deserves.

The ENTIRE A.L. is weak, so no “better year” to make a push!! Twins are 5-1 v. Boston. 6-4 v. Guards, 4-2 v. Astros, 2-1 v. Yankees. That’s 17-8 v. other Wildcard contenders …….. Team has as good a shot in Playoffs as any of these 4 Clubs!

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, MMBoys93 said:

I understand that they can add and subtract, but if they’re serious about being a contender, then doesn’t it seem silly to move on from one of your best hitters just to beef up pitching?
 

This just brings me back to my expectation- that Jim is just doing what he can to save face. Have a chance to make the playoffs and no one will hate him. This team isn’t good enough to make a run in the playoffs and subtracting Ryan Jeffers and beefing up the pitching staff isn’t going to help that.

 

My qualm with the Wallner situation is they’re giving ABs daily to guys like Bell and Larnach who are gone next year instead of figuring out what they have with Roden and Wallner. They brought Royce back up, why not Wallner? Royce has one good stretch of 270 PAs and has been middling to bad other than that. Wallner’s had longer stretches of hitting. Wallner was awful defensively this year, no hiding that but he wasn’t anywhere near as bad before this season. Guys press when they’re struggling with the bat and it affects the entire game
 

And I have an issue with that because I don’t think this team is anywhere near good enough to do any damage in the playoffs and I don’t even think they’ll make it without bringing in a ton at the deadline. 

I think you and I have different views of whether the Twins are "contenders" and how some little success would affect the Twins past this year.  I think the Twins are absolutely contenders for the Division title or last Wild Card. All of the teams with whom they are competing are just as flawed as they are. One in, they will get a relatively weak division winner and could win a playoff series, followed by being quickly shown the door in the next series. They are not WS contenders or even ALCS contenders this year. However, with a little playoff experience and some moves for controllable players, I think they could be contenders as early as 2027 and definitely by 2028.  

But even if I agreed with you that this team is nowhere good enough and might not even have much of a chance to make the playoffs, absolutely still trade Jeffers. He's gone after the season and he's not coming back. The Twins have undoubtedly inquired about the cost of an extension and the sides must be pretty far apart. I like the guy and I would rather keep him, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep him if he isn't coming bank and if there is a decent trade package out there unless the point is to excite the fans that season. I don't think we are good enough to lose a valuable asset for nothing at seasons end to accomplish that business objective.

Hey, I don't dislike Wallner, he just can't play in the field. If the Twins trade Bell, maybe he could come up as a LH DH/emergency only OF. I just don't see that as a long-term viable role although it might help him establish some value so he be traded to a bad team in the off-season. I just think that the long-term role for him is starting on a sub .500 team as a DH or in the OF. I do not see him playing any significant role on a contending team because he can't run, is a major liability in the outfield, and strikes out more than 35% of the time. You just can't play a guy like that on a winning team.

[clone52]

19 hours ago, MMBoys93 said:

Really really curious to see what happens here.

To me, buying at the deadline means holding onto Ryan Jeffers. The offensive numbers have started to slip as a team and trading Jeffers away would be too big an impact on the team. Similar with Trevor Larnach. These two have been two of the best hitters on the team and saying that you’re buying at the deadline and moving these two would be a major detriment to the offense.

With all that being said letting these two walk at free agency seems ridiculous to me for a team that that’s currently under .500.

The team has three major league catchers on the roster and something’s gotta give. I also firmly believe that Alan Roden and Matt Wallner deserve a shot to play the remainder of the year. These 2 replacing Bell and Larnach would simply make sense for the future of the org. 

I think this all in talk is ridiculous and simply an attempt for Tom Pohlad to be seen as the good guy among some Twins fans. If this is the route they take then it’s a major error.

Tampa, Cleveland, Milwaukee are the gold standard for low spend teams and none of them would make this choice.  

And before you all freak out on me about Wallner, he had an .885 ops in 500 PAs in 2023-2024, and last year had north of an .837 ops in each of April, July and August. Theres obviously some insane inconsistency but that’s a damn Twins theme these days. Letting him just walk would be a mistake.

Trading Jeffers and Larnach do not necessarily mean selling.  Larnach is due for regression and Twins have corner OF options.  Jeffers and Larnach could be traded for current help plus a future option, especially if you include some prospects in a deal.  Or backfill the C spot with another trade.

[JD-TWINS]

12 minutes ago, clone52 said:

Trading Jeffers and Larnach do not necessarily mean selling.  Larnach is due for regression and Twins have corner OF options.  Jeffers and Larnach could be traded for current help plus a future option, especially if you include some prospects in a deal.  Or backfill the C spot with another trade.

Larnach IS current help! Look at his ‘24 stats when he was platooned, as he is this year….., they were solid. He’s gotten better. The corner OF options are great to use - TRADE Bell. have Larnach & Keaschall split the DH spot as a platoon. Roden/Martin/Keaschall in the corner spots - maybe Jenkins at some point.

IF trying to WIN, my preference would be to trade Caratini and Bell and keep Jeffers and Larnach. 

Have a back-up Catcher going forward if they extend Jackson for 2 years at some meager salary……… just used first TWO draft picks on college age Catchers. QO to Jeffers for ‘27 or get somebody else to fill job for ‘27.

[saviking]

It just dawned on me with all the wildcard spot that we actually have a reasonable chance of winning the division. Nothing would get fans in the seats more next year than being the Division Champion. 

[MMBoys93]

Sigh- I just find it hard to argue with people who think that finishing with an 81-81 record and sneaking into the wildcard counts as contending

5 teams in history have won a WS with under 90 wins. All in the 83-88 bucket. One team in 30 years has won with a bottom half payroll.

But hey if you want to hold onto Jeffers and get a comp pick and hold onto Larnach and continue to let the teams prospects waste away in AAA like the Twins historically have done just because you wanna see the Twins lose in 2, that’s your prerogative. 

[Linus]

What core are we not breaking up?

[MMBoys93]

19 minutes ago, Linus said:

What core are we not breaking up?

The incredible trio of Keaschall, Lewis and Lee of course and their combined 2.7 bWar 110 games into the season 

[clone52]

4 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Larnach IS current help! Look at his ‘24 stats when he was platooned, as he is this year….., they were solid. He’s gotten better. The corner OF options are great to use - TRADE Bell. have Larnach & Keaschall split the DH spot as a platoon. Roden/Martin/Keaschall in the corner spots - maybe Jenkins at some point.

IF trying to WIN, my preference would be to trade Caratini and Bell and keep Jeffers and Larnach. 

Have a back-up Catcher going forward if they extend Jackson for 2 years at some meager salary……… just used first TWO draft picks on college age Catchers. QO to Jeffers for ‘27 or get somebody else to fill job for ‘27.

They nearly non-tendered Larnach last year.  Let him go for nothing.  Zip, zilch.  He is massively over performing his best season, 2024.  His BABIP is through the roof, especially against RHP.  His ISO is closer to 2025 than it is 2024.

Obviously there are other more expendable pieces, but those aren't bringing back help for 2026 and 2027.  Herer is a wild idea.

Jeffers and Larnach to Rays for Hopkins and Johnson.  Two near ready RHP with lower ceilings.  Neither is a top 100 prospects.

Matthews, Rodriguez and Tait to Rockies for Hunter Goodman (backfill Jeffers)

Charlee Soto to giants for Robbie Ray and Foley.  A rental SP to backfill Zebby and a rental RP.

Twins upgrade at C.
Give up Zebby but either of the two Rays RHP may fill that spot as early as 2027.
Ray backfills the loss of Zebby in 2026

Trading Larnach is a risk for 2026, but I think it's at least 50/50 that whoever backfills Larnach in 2026 outperforms him.  An OF of Keaschall, Buxton and Jenkins with Roden, Martin and Clemens filling in probably does as well.