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  • Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Minnesota Twins free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Matthew Lenz
    The Minnesota Twins will enter the All Star break as a .500 club, sitting just a few games out of an American League Wild Card spot. We can assume the Twins won't be buyers, but it's not clear if they'll look to improve the team for a playoff push or look to the future - whether it be a retool for 2026 or a bigger rebuild.
    One things is for certain, there will be a significant market for bullpen aces Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies are "extensively scouting" the duo, hoping to acquire at least one of them. He notes the Twins are also receiving strong interest from the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.
    Duran has maintained an elite level of performance, recording 15 saves and 18 holds. His effectiveness is highlighted by a remarkable 1.49 ERA and a 2.21 FIP. Duran's strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%) stands at 17.8%, reflecting his ability to generate strikeouts while limiting free passes.

    Jax has also contributed significantly, registering 18 holds and zero saves. While his ERA sits at 4.02, his underlying metrics suggest better performance, with a strong 1.89 FIP. Jax has demonstrated impressive control and strikeout capability, posting a K-BB% of 32.2% (38.0% K% and 5.8% BB%).

    Do you think the Twins should deal their high-leverage relievers? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    It can be pretty well assumed that the Minnesota Twins will not be buyers at the trade deadline, though the jury is still out on whether they will be sellers. Moreover, if they are sellers, will they be looking to retool for 2026 or enter a larger, multi year rebuild?
    If they are looking at more of a rebuild, then I would think any non-pre-arbitration player could be up for grabs. Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting that Joe Ryan is being monitored "by a number of teams."
    Ryan, 29, is having an impressive 2025 season. Through 18 games (17 starts), he boasts a strong 2.76 ERA over 104.1 innings pitched. His FIP stands at 3.25, suggesting his excellent ERA is well-supported by his underlying metrics. Ryan has maintained a high strikeout rate with 116 strikeouts against just 21 walks, resulting in an excellent strikeout-minus-wall rate of 23.4% He's consistently limited walks, contributing to a stellar 0.89 WHIP - third best in all of baseball. Despite all of that, he was not elected to the MLB All-Star game. He is controllable through the 2027 season.
    What approach do you think the Twins should take at the upcoming trade deadline? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    In the latest update of the sale of the Minnesota Twins, Charley Walters is citing industry sources who say "the [Minnesota] Twins have an offer on the table."
    He goes on to say that "Major League Baseball is expected to guarantee the Twins' debt reportedly more than $400 million."
    So, why isn't this bigger news? Well, it's not been confirmed outside of an "industry source" and it's in the "Don't print that" section of the article linked in the tweet above. At this point, it's just a rumor.
    What does it mean that MLB is "expected to guarantee the Twins' debt?" Well, that answer is also a bit unclear, but our own @Peter Labuza did some speculating and digging saying "If I had to guess, MLB would "buy" the debt and then have the team pay MLB rather than the Pohlad's...?" He goes on to cite the Debt Service Rule from the Atlanta Braves public filings:
    "Each MLB Club is subject to certain MLB imposed restrictions on its ability to incur indebtedness in amounts that exceed specified thresholds. In particular, each MLB Club is generally required to keep outstanding indebtedness minus a certain amount of excludable indebtedness at or below 8.0x available cash flow (or in the case of MLB Clubs which have a new stadium, at or below 12.0x available cash flow), with the amount of excludable indebtedness for fiscal year 2023 set at $125 million and for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026 set at $100 million. This is referred to as the Debt Service Rule. MLB Clubs must certify compliance with the Debt Service Rule annually and the failure of an MLB Club to comply during two consecutive fiscal years may lead to certain remedial measures being imposed by the Commissioner of Baseball, including, but not limited to, prohibitions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness and repayment of outstanding indebtedness."
    Moreover, using the NFL as an example, Labuza says "[NFL] owners can "borrow" from the league at a cheaper interest rates than banks, etc."
    On the other hand, @John Bonnes speculates at a more simple explanation,  asking "rather than come up 1.5B cash, [maybe prospective owners] can come up with 1.1B cash and take on the $400M loan gradually?"
    While it's our speculation and educated guesses on our end, it helps provide a little bit of clarity on a somewhat vague and unclear statement from Walters piece.
    Do you have any insight on the matter? Please share in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    It's been two weeks since Royce Lewis strained his left hamstring leaving the Minnesota Twins scrambling to cover the hot corner.
    In a positive development, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic is reporting that Lewis will begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, June 27th.
    While Lewis struggled to find his bat after missing the first month of the season, but seemed to be turning a corner before his latest injury. In the meantime, Brooks Lee has been a solid replacement for Lewis and is recently enjoyed an 18-game hitting streak and his hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games.
    Once Lewis' rehab assignment is over, should he join the Twins ASAP or get extra reps in St. Paul? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    As Twins fans have gotten used to in recent seasons, it's been a roller coaster ride of a season. With a peak that included a 13-game win streak and valleys for a majority of the games before and after that winning streak. Now, sitting below .500 and 4.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot, many are wondering if the Twins would be sellers at the deadline.
    In a recent article by Matthew Leach of MLB.com, he shares that Twins President of Baseball Operations, Derek Falvey, is not focused on selling at the deadline.
    The Twins are 3-14 in their last 17 games and their starting rotation, who carried the team through the 13-game win streak, has been one of the worst in the league for the month of June. While it's clear the team needs a jump start, perhaps by adding at the trade deadline, it's not expected the Twins will be legitimate buyers.
    It's well known that the Pohlad family is not only trying to sell the team, but also has pushed back on adding to the payroll. Any likely moves made at the deadline will be similar to those of previous seasons - low impact players on cheap deals.
     
    Any meaningful reinforcements will need to come from the injured list (Pablo López, Zebby Matthews, Luke Keaschall, and/or Royce Lewis) or from their farm system. 
    Matthew Lenz
    The Minnesota Twins depth took another hit today, but this time it comes on the offensive side of the ball.
    After missing multiple games this weekend, Mickey Gasper, has been placed on the Triple-A injured list with plantar fasciitis. An issued that has plagued All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa in previous seasons.
    With the Twins in a 3-13 funk, some speculated whether recalling Gasper from Triple-A St. Paul could help the big-league club. Gasper, 30, was dominating with the Saints slashing .318/.418/.609 with 10 home runs. His production has resulted in a 165 wRC+.
    However, the same hasn't been true in his cup of coffee with the Twins this season. In 39 plate appearances, the switch hitter has a .488 OPS with just one extra base hit - a double - good for a wRC+ of 47.
    If the Twins plan to change things up, they may have to look at getting slugger Carson McCusker some at-bats, though he doesn't answer the Twins need for help on the dirt. Ryan Fitzgerald may be the next man up to fill that need, who has also been very productive for the Saints.
    Do you think anyone currently in Triple-A could help the Twins right the ship?
    Matthew Lenz
    Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic is reporting that Minnesota Twins starting pitcher prospect, Andrew Morris, was placed on the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain.
    The news is yet another pitcher injury for the Twins, who recently lost Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews to injury. In addition, Bailey Ober recently mentioned a hip issue that's impacting his mechanics, though he's been able to continue pitching.
    Morris has been very up and down for Triple-A St. Paul with five starts of four earned runs or more and seven starts of two earned runs or less. In all, it had amounted to a 4.41 ERA across 63 1/3 innings.
     
    With all the injuries, Morris was on the short list of pitchers who could be next in line to head West down 94 to Target Field.  Now, we await to learn the severity of his injury but it's safe to assume he'll be shut down for awhile.
    Do you think there is something to all these injuries or is it just coincidence?
    Matthew Lenz
    As the standings currently sit, the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Detroit Tigers are the top two teams in the American League Central.
    Major League Baseball and ESPN are rewarding them by flexing their Sunday matinee to Sunday night baseball on June 29 starting at 6 PM.
    For the Twins, this will be their first time on Sunday Night Baseball in five seasons. They last played on Sunday Night Baseball in 2020 against the Chicago Cubs. That game featured six shutout innings from then rotation ace Jose Berríos followed by three innings of dominance from the Twins bullpen. Max Kepler had himself a night going 3-for-5 with a two run blast. Also of note, Target Field has not hosted Sunday Night Baseball since its inaugural season, according to Declan Goff.
    Hopefully the Twins can play better in front of a national audience than they did in front of their own fans against he Texas Rangers. 😬
    Matthew Lenz
    After injuries to Zebby Matthews and Pablo López, we knew the Twins were going to have to figure out how to manage the pitching staff. This led to promotions of David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, Travis Adams, and Danny Coulombe. Adams has since been sent back to Triple-A St. Paul and Woods Richardson is coming off an abysmal outing against a below average Texas Rangers squad. Now, the Twins have transferred López to the 60-day IL and have claimed left-handed reliever, Joey Wentz, from the Pittsburgh Pirates to help eat innings out of the bullpen.
    Wentz, 28, has thrown 26 innings across 19 appearances with an ERA of 4.15 (3.77 FIP) and a 9.5% strikeout minus walk rate. He's a typical Falvey-esque pitcher with an extension in the 88th percentile and a mid-to-low 90s fastball that he counters with horizontal movement (cutter). He also has a curveball as his third offering.
    This is just a depth move by the Twins, who have relied heavily on their bullpen in the early going, but may also spell the end of the road for the struggling Jorge Alcala.
    Do you think this signals the end for Alcala? How long does Wentz last with the Twins? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    Baseball America released their June top 100 prospect rankings and it doesn't come as a surprise to see one name fall. While Luke Keaschall  and Emmanuel Rodriguez saw their stocks jump two spots, Walker Jenkins saw his fall two spots despite two people ahead of him in the May rankings graduate.
    It's not surprising to see Jenkins drop on the list, going from #11 in May to #13 in June, as he's been out for a majority of the season. He just returned on June 3rd in the Florida Complex League. A good month could see him back in the top 10 for the July Update.
    On the other hand, Rodriguez has been his typical "on-base machine" self with the St. Paul Saints this year carrying a .400 OBP. Along with a high walk rate, he has a high strikeout rate due to his patient plate approach. He's annually towards the bottom of the Minor League leaderboard in swing and contact rates. More than most prospects, Rodriguez is a massive wild card as to whether the prospect pedigree will turn into production at the big-league level.
    Finally, Keaschall was moved to the 60-day IL and is expected to be out for the foreseeable future although should return this season.
    Matthew Lenz
    Tanner Schobel, the Minnesota Twins second round pick from the 2022 draft, was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic.
    Schobel (who has split time at second, third, and shortstop) has a slash line of .292/.372/.465 with seven home runs in 234 plate appearances. His plate discipline has been extremely impressive with a low 14.1% strikeout rate and a high 10.7% walk rate. He's add seven stolen bases to his stat line to boot.
    Baseball America has the 24-year-old utility man as the Twins eighth rated prospect with mostly average to above-average tools, although below average power. 
    View Schobel's scouting report here:
    Do you think there is any chance we see Schobel with the Twins in 2025? Are you planning on seeing him in-person at CHS Field? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Brock Beauchamp
    In a recent roundup on MLB.com, early results on MLB television ratings were revealed. They include:
    MLB on Fox is up 10% MLB on ESPN is up 22% MLB Tuesday on TBS is up 16% Perhaps most importantly, it appears substantial gains are being made in the 18-34 age demographic, a decades-long weakness of Major League Baseball.
    This is in sharp contrast to the World Series, which has been in decline for years and is often used as a benchmark for the overall popularity of the sport. I was able to find World Series ratings dating back to 1968, and until 2007 the World Series never carried a rating under 10. That slowly spiraled until it hit its low-water mark of 4.7 in 2023 as the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks squared off.
    MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred have aggressively pushed rules changes, largely in an attempt to capture younger demographics that have abandoned baseball in favor of football and basketball.
    Is baseball on the rebound with fans or is this just a blip on the radar?
    Matthew Lenz
    Had you noticed that Byron Buxton not only played but started in the first 11 games of the season? Either way, you've probably noticed he's been out of the lineup on back-to-back. After awkwardly crashing into the wall days prior, you may have been concerned that the Twins' centerfielder was dealing with an injury. Alas, that doesn't seem to be the case after an update from Dan Hayes on Buxton's absence yesterday and today.
    First and foremost, we hope that everything is okay with Buxton and his loved ones. We don't have any information on what the personal matter may be, and frankly it's none of our business.
    While Buxton was reportedly healthy as ever coming into the season, many were still cautiously optimistic that he could play 100+ games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career. Despite making ten consecutive starts for the first time since 2021, Buxton has struggled at the plate with a sub-.500 OPS, one home run, and a 16:1 K:BB ratio across 43 plate appearances. Especially when April is traditionally one of his better months, the Twins need more production out of their 31-year-old star.
    Before that, though, Buxton needs to tend to his personal matter. Our thoughts are with him and his family.
    Seth Stohs
    The Twins traveled to Tampa to play the Yankees on Wednesday afternoon. Joe Ryan tossed two scoreless innings. Zebby Matthews came in for the third inning. He gave up a couple of hits but got an inning-ending double play to end any threat. He came back out for the bottom of the fourth inning. On his second pitch to Paul Goldschmidt, the former MVP grounded a slow roller down the third base line. Matthews raced to it, fielded it and then threw to first for the out. A very nice play. 
    However, before making another throw, Ryan Jeffers slowly walked to the mound, and a trainer soon followed. Matthews moved and stretched a little as if he may have pulled a muscle near his hip or side. He didn't appear to be in pain, maybe more discomfort. Rocco Baldelli quickly removed him from the game. John Stankiewicz came in and got the final two outs of the innings. 
    Matthews, who has been very impressive all spring, throwing hard, with a good changeup and a slider. Replay showed that his right foot slid a little bit when planting. Before going to the mound, Matthews bent at the waist, stretching his back and/or side. He walked off looking fairly comfortable, but at this stage, taking him out was the right decision. Hopefully it is nothing. 
    However, a day after Justin Topa walked off the mound mid-inning, and with the news of Matt Canterino being shut down again, keeping all of the pitching depth as healthy as possible will be important. 
    And speaking of important, Matthews will play a very important role with the Twins in 2025 and beyond. 
    Matthew Lenz
    Fresh off the heels of the somewhat surprising news that the Twins are looking for a veteran back up shortstop, Dan Hayes drops this little nugget in response to a fan's question.
    Willi Castro the first basemen? Whaaaaaat? If you're wondering, Castro has seven positions throughout his career. He's never played catcher and he's never played first base in his professional career. As in he has 0.0 (or 0 0/3 if you prefer that format) innings at first.
    In the last few days, the Twins have addressed their two biggest needs. A left-handed reliever and a corner outfield who can handle left-handed pitching. Lower in the priority list has been a first basemen to back up Miranda, but I'm not sure anyone would have guessed that Castro would be a viable option. In fact, Castro grades out as a negative defender at nearly every position he plays aside from third base. I don't know about you but I'm not thrilled that the contingency plan behind Miranda looks to be Castro (or Julien) as of right now. Maybe the need for a back up first basemen is bigger than we initially thought.
    What do you make of this news?
    Matthew Lenz
    It sounds like the Pohlad's may be ripping open their pocket books!
    *Dramatic pause for audience eyeroll*
    Seriously though, Dan Hayes of The Athletic just reported that "the Twins are believed to have some financial leeway, perhaps $5 million in the 2025 payroll" in his latest report.
    While $5 million won't net them much, it's about $5 million more than we originally thought Derek Falvey had left to play with. Coincidentally, the report comes around the time of the offseason where the "Falvine" regime has tended to cook, as the kids say. In fact, that topic was just broached today here at Twins Daily.
    The timing of Hayes' report and Twins Daily speculation cannot be overlooked. Might Falvey be prepping the meal and just waiting for his moment to cook? Only time will tell.
    How do you think the Twins should spend the $5 million?
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