Deadline Day: Where Things Stand for the Minnesota Twins

[TheLeviathan]

2 hours ago, Peter said:

they won’t make any moves- Jeffers/larnach/ryan will be released off season 

I think the first half is wrong - they will make moves.

I think the second half is probably right about Jeffers and Larnach.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

2 hours ago, Coach said:

I sure would like to read that Marek Houston is untouchable.

I know its early but with his defense,  I think I would have him rated higher than Culpepper.  

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

41 minutes ago, S Bart said:

It is even more stunning to view the amount of days that he has missed over the last ten years as well as the multitude of types of injuries.

I think you could get Bader for cheap next year 😉.  Question is what condition is the foot after getting run over by the fire truck.   

[Mike Sixel]

52 minutes ago, Patzky said:

If Kremer can give us what Mahle or Paddack actually did that's a win.

I'll be shocked. 

[Mike Sixel]

48 minutes ago, Danchat said:

It's kinda stunning how often this team has failed to have a CF to back up Buxton in the past 10 years.

They have one, they refuse to call him up. 

[saviking]

The waybthe Twins work, Emmanuel Rodriguez being out of options next year will garuntee he will get his chance and will remain on their roster the entire year .. 

[Mike Sixel]

Great writing Nick.

I see almost no way Jeffers goes. I think they deal for Call, who hasn't put up 1.5 war, is 31, and short side platoon.....

I think they get one more bad starting pitcher. 

They call up neither Jenkins or Culpeper. 

[saviking]

2 hours ago, LeatherAntenna said:

Some story on this website yesterday said the Twins should sell if they can’t be sure they contend or be able to sign their growing stars or future solid players.  Well, when will they ever be able to do that if not now, is there some guarantee in the future that can resign their Ryan’s and their Jeffers?  If you can’t or won’t sign you’re growing stars or future solid playersthen you resign yourself to mediocrity

Well, if they get swept in Milwaukee this week which is more than possible they will wish they had .. 

[saviking]

2 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

The injury issues of Buxton (he was never going anywhere, but he's vital to Twins success) and the "tired arm" of Joe Ryan have really messed up the Twins deadline.  So far, they've added a solid RP in Minter and a SP in Kremer who has struggled the entire season, but has shown to be a competent #4 or #5 in past seasons.  

It certainly seems like something bigger is coming, but finding out about E-Rod being hurt AGAIN takes a tantalizing prospect off the table for the Twins.  Not trading Jeffers to either the Yankees, Cubs or Dodgers/Red Sox would be FO malpractice.  With Joe Ryan off the table, Jeffers is clearly their best trade chip.  It's too bad the Larnach for Bryan Abreu trade fizzled.  Abreu, even though he's having a down year, would have been a great arm to have in the bullpen.

Jeffers and Larnach remain the Twins best chance to bring something good back by dealing from organizational strength.  Maybe the trade of Larnach for Abreu can be revived.  I expect both Jeffers and Larnach to be traded today.  To fail to do so would be disappointing.  2026 is slipping away with no Buxton in the lineup and Joe Ryan has to get right for the Twins to have any chance of a playoff spot.     

And a potential sweep in Milwaukee next. 

[umterp23]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Great writing Nick.

I see almost no way Jeffers goes. I think they deal for Call, who hasn't put up 1.5 war, is 31, and short side platoon.....

I think they get one more bad starting pitcher. 

They call up neither Jenkins or Culpeper. 

So we can classify the twins as buyers if this is what they do? Penny pinching trade deadline day version 2026. I don’t disagree with you, it could be just more hollow words from mgmt.

my thought on Jeffers since everyone wants the QO pick when turning down offer post season, is we get what a 2nd or 3rd round comp pick? So wait, 4-6 years on that pick to mature into a potential big leaguer, or potentially get one maybe two either ready for bigs or almost ready guys via a trade. This team was 3 big swings away from a having a winless week vs Royals and M’s. Not primed for post season baseball.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, umterp23 said:

So we can classify the twins as buyers if this is what they do? Penny pinching trade deadline day version 2026. I don’t disagree with you, it could be just more hollow words from mgmt.

my thought on Jeffers since everyone wants the QO pick when turning down offer post season, is we get what a 2nd or 3rd round comp pick? So wait, 4-6 years on that pick to mature into a potential big leaguer, or potentially get one maybe two either ready for bigs or almost ready guys via a trade. This team was 3 big swings away from a having a winless week vs Royals and M’s. Not primed for post season baseball.

I mean, we agree. But we aren't the owner and GM. 

[Patzky]

13 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

I think you could get Bader for cheap next year 😉.  Question is what condition is the foot after getting run over by the fire truck.   

Oh the promotional possibilities though..

[Saxophone Joe]

My day will be made if Trevor Larnach is still a Twin in 6 hours time. Not feeling great about the odds. Fingers crossed. 

[USAFChief]

I doubt the Twins trade away anything from the current 26 man roster. Rightly or wrongly, I'd be shocked if they dealt Jeffers.

I think they add 1 relief pitcher, of little importance. 

I believe they correctly view recovering some good will and interest with the public as the most important current outcome possible. 

A few hardcore fans will view keeping Jeffers as a negative. Same with Ryan and Larnach. The vast majority of Twins fans won't see it that way. And if they can stay in contention through the end of the season, bonus.

I guess we'll know soon.

[howeda7]

9 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I doubt the Twins trade away anything from the current 26 man roster. Rightly or wrongly, I'd be shocked if they dealt Jeffers.

I think they add 1 relief pitcher, of little importance. 

I believe they correctly view recovering some good will and interest with the public as the most important current outcome possible. 

A few hardcore fans will view keeping Jeffers as a negative. Same with Ryan and Larnach. The vast majority of Twins fans won't see it that way. And if they can stay in contention through the end of the season, bonus.

I guess we'll know soon.

Right or wrong, both last year and this year the business side is impacting the baseball side at the trade deadline, just in opposite directions. Last year turned into a PR disaster. If they were to sell and trade Jeffers, Ryan and Larnach while being 1 game out of the play-offs it would be another PR disaster. And they can't afford that, especially with a likely work stoppage looming. The Twins are as unpopular with their fan based as they have been since the early 80's and they need to make it better, not worse.

[Woof Bronzer]

7 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I believe they correctly view recovering some good will and interest with the public as the most important current outcome possible. 

 

Are fans really going to say "Oh boy we got Dean Kremer and AJ Minter, the Pohlads totally redeemed themselves"???

[RpR]

Oh boy we got Dean Kremer and AJ Minter,

[umterp23]

Seattle, Cleveland’s and white Sox are pushing chips in, the twins keep calling and then folding at moment

[USAFChief]

7 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Are fans really going to say "Oh boy we got Dean Kremer and AJ Minter, the Pohlads totally redeemed themselves"???

I said "some."

And the point was they didn't sell off. They in fact added, and made an effort to get to where we all want.

Selling Jeffers might be correct...might not. But it will absolutely be a huge PR disaster. 

[howeda7]

3 minutes ago, umterp23 said:

Seattle, Cleveland’s and white Sox are pushing chips in, the twins keep calling and then folding at moment

Seattle has sold and bought. Cleveland's additions are no more inspiring than the Twins. The White Sox appear to be all in, which they should be since they're in 1st place.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, S Bart said:

Wallner.. uugghh... 😞 sorry...Wallner fans. I guess he has been doing okay in St. PAUL LATELY. One more chance...This MTS shuttle with players seems so rampant this year. I hope that I am wrong, but not sure if the magic wand has enough gusto to produce a playoff team. As much as I want them to keep Jeffers, it is the biggest trade value on the block and question if they will pay him the desired number in the off season. Buxton receiving shots in his hips is not an encouraging sign. Brewers, Phillies ahead...fingers crossed. Good additions this year with Shelton and Hawkins. Good team positive notes include Royce with and his ever present smile. ...Kody and his hustle.

After his first 5 games in AAA from 5/21 onward - .285/.387/.604 OPS .991 wRC+ 147, and from June on .292/.388/.649 OPS 1.037 wRC+ 156.

That's "okay"? There's reason to believe he's AAAA, but to say Wallner has been "okay" lately is just BS.

[umterp23]

17 minutes ago, howeda7 said:

Seattle has sold and bought. Cleveland's additions are no more inspiring than the Twins. The White Sox appear to be all in, which they should be since they're in 1st place.

You have to sell to buy, the buy has to be meaningful. I don’t believe the twins buys are meaningful enough. Guardians can see what Twins have done and haven’t had to push anything outrageous yet. Mariners are doing something meaningful in my opinion. They have the right balance. O’s and Red Sox might be doing something meaningful with Adley, so that is interesting as well. PR hit for doing c grade trades is ownership telling we are buyers. Nit good enough. Offense is heavy home run ball related, no balance. Gray on team isn’t showing urgency to improve.

[Woof Bronzer]

13 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I said "some."

And the point was they didn't sell off. They in fact added, and made an effort to get to where we all want.

Selling Jeffers might be correct...might not. But it will absolutely be a huge PR disaster. 

I'm not sure your "we" includes all of us.  I want the Twins to be legitimate contenders.  We've been making Dean Kremer like moves for decades and it never works.  Losing Jeffers for nothing is definitely not going to help us get there either.  If we want to have some of the success of the Brewers, Rays, etc we might want to ask ourselves what they would do in this situation.  The Brewers traded their closer a few years ago while they were leading the division!  I'm sure it was a brief PR disaster, but that trade led to them getting Wilson Contreras and they have absolutely been legitimate contenders for the past 2-3 years now.  I bet you'd be hard pressed to find a Brewers fan mad about that trade in hindsight.  

To get where "we" want the Twins have to raise their ceiling, not their floor.  

I'm surprised, Chief - you don't seem like the kind of fellow who would prioritize PR over smart baseball decisions.