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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 Taylor
    The Twins may be one of the busiest teams in baseball over the next 48 hours. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, multiple contenders are aggressively pursuing Minnesota as a trade partner. The Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Mariners have all been in regular contact with the front office, showing serious interest in a wide range of players.
    Among the most talked-about names are Joe Ryan, several key bullpen arms, Willi Castro, and Harrison Bader. That level of widespread demand suggests the Twins could be busy over the next few days. With such a deep list of in-demand assets, Minnesota is suddenly positioned as a potential centerpiece of this year’s trade deadline.
    Whether the front office chooses to fully lean into selling or sticks to it's impending free agents remains to be seen. Either way, the next move could shift the tone of the season.
    Where do you stand on it? Drop your thoughts below.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Jorge Castillo of ESPN has written that both New York teams are interested in acquiring Twins outfielder Harrison Bader, who has emerged as one of the most sought-after position players this deadline. In 93 games for the Twins, the 31-year-old right-hander is batting .254/.337/.439 with 12 homers and a .776 OPS. FanGraphs has him at a .340 weighted on-base average and a 118 wRC+, while his 2.0 wins above replacement rank among the top 30 major-league outfielders. Statcast credits Bader with +5 Outs Above Average, underscoring the defense that has defined his career. He has logged innings in left, center, and right this season. 
    The Yankees are monitoring Bader closely as they seek a right-handed bat to stabilize their outfield after placing Aaron Judge on the injured list with a flexor strain on July 27. Manager Aaron Boone has patched together playing time for Trent Grisham and Oswaldo Cabrera. Still, the club lacks a true center fielder.
    Across town, Mets president David Stearns is evaluating upgrades in the same spot. FanGraphs Depth Charts list Tyrone Taylor, Starling Marte, and prospect Jett Williams as the current center-field options, a trio that has combined for modest production. Bader is owed roughly $2 million for the remainder of a one-year, $6.25 million contract that carries only a mutual option for 2026. 
    Matthew Lenz
    The Minnesota Twins are reportedly "seriously listening" to offers on their expiring deals - namely, Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, and Danny Coulombe. However, the rumor mill has been fairly mum regarding any of those names.
    In recent days, the New York Yankees have reportedly been interested in Willi Castro, but that's really the only rumor swirling, excluding Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, and Griffin Jax.
    Now, Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that the Los Angeles Dodgers have expressed interest in Harrison Bader.
    Bader has appeared in 88 games this season, holding a .251 batting average with a .330 OBP and a .435 SLG. He has hit 12 home runs. He was named an SIS Defensive Player of the Month for March/April 2025, leading all players with 7 Defensive Runs Saved and all outfielders with 9 Good Fielding Plays during that period. His defensive play has included diving catches. His wRC+ is 114, and his wOBA is .335.
    Matthew Lenz
    Byron Buxton, in the midst of an MVP caliber season, has also been having the healthiest year of his career.
    While we don't know a lot of information at this time, the Twins.TV broadcast reported that Buxton exited Saturday's game in the top of the seventh inning with soreness in his left side. Trevor Larnach replaced Buxton, which in turn shifted Willi Castro to left field and Harrison Bader to center field. There didn't seem to be any specific play that led to Buxton being pulled from the game. One silver lining is that it doesn't sound like it's a lower body injury, which has plagued Buxton for a majority of his career.
    Buxton has been on a tear this year with an OPS of .951, including 23 home runs. He's added 17 stolen bases and continues to contribute platinum glove level defense. If he were to miss time, it would almost certainly force the Twins hand to sell their expiring contracts - something that has been rumored but to this point there's been just one report indicating a team is interested in one of those players.
    Stay tuned to Twins Daily for updates on Buxton's status.
    Matthew Lenz
    There haven't been a lot of verified rumors regarding the expendable contracts on the Minnesota Twins roster. Teams are extremely interested in Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, and Griffin Jax, however not a lot has been rumored regarding the likes of Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, or Danny Coulombe. Until today.
    Chris Kirschner of The Athletic is reporting that the "Yankees have expressed interest in Minnesota Twins utilityman Willi Castro."
    In 81 games, Castro has an OPS of .765. He has hit 10 home runs and has accumulated 45 runs scored and 27 runs batted in. On the basepaths, Castro has been a threat, recording 8 stolen bases. His ability to play second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots will provide significant defensive value to any team acquiring him.
    What do you think the Twins should get for Castro? Join the conversation in the comments?
     
    Matthew Lenz
    Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax have not been officially made available to clubs, although the Minnesota Twins are reportedly open to offers on both players. Moreover, it has been reported that the Twins are seeking at least multiple top-100 prospects for either of the relievers, if they were to be dealt.
    Alden Gonzalez of ESPN took things a step further yesterday, reporting that "the sense is one of [Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax] will be traded." Aside from Cleveland Guardians' closer Emmanuel Clase, Duran and Jax are the two best relievers potentially available on the market. In addition to elite production, both players are controllable through the 2027 season, which makes their value that much more significant.
    Through 46 appearances and 46.1 innings pitched, Duran boasts an impressive 1.94 ERA with 16 saves plus holds to boot. The fire baller has maintained his high-strikeout, relatively low-walk profile with a K% of 26.4% and a BB% of 8.3%, resulting in a solid K-BB% of 18.1%. Notably, he allowed his first home run in more than 76 innings pitched (dating back to 2024) against Shohei Ohtani earlier this week.
    Jax's surface-level stats are still recovering from a tough start to the season, but the righty carries a 4.09 ERA of 44 innings with 20 holds on the season. He boasts a K% of 37.9% while maintaining a strong BB% of 5.6%, which results in an outstanding K-BB% of 32.3%. 
    Do you think the Twins should trade one, both, or neither of there elite relievers. Join the conversation in the comments!

    Matthew Taylor
    The Minnesota Twins have begun locking in their 2025 draft class, announcing the signings of three of their top selections, including their first-rounder, just days after the MLB Draft.
    Marek Houston, the Twins' first-round pick at No. 16 overall, has officially signed for $4,497,500, slightly under the assigned slot value of $4,929,600. Houston, widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop in the class, brings elite glove work and advanced instincts to the organization. Though questions remain about the bat, his athleticism and polish make him a potential fast mover in the system.
    Joining him is Riley Quick, the Twins' supplemental first-rounder out of Alabama, who signed for his full slot value of $2,692,000. A hard-throwing righty with a deep pitch mix, Quick profiles as a potential rotation mainstay with multiple plus offerings and a competitive SEC pedigree.
    Second-round pick Quentin Young, the nephew of former Twin Delmon Young, also signed for full slot value at $1,761,600. One of the more intriguing upside plays in the class, Young brings raw but electric tools, boasting elite athleticism and massive power potential. If the Twins can refine his approach, he could become a high-ceiling force in the lineup down the line.
    The Twins are expected to announce additional signings in the coming days as they work to finalize the rest of their 2025 class.
    Stay up-to-date on the 2025 MLB Draft with Twins Daily's draft tracker.
    Matthew Lenz
    Yesterday, Jon Heyman reported that the Minnesota Twins are seriously listening to offers regarding some of their rental players. However, those players are far from the best assets on the club.
    In his latest, Jeff Pasan of ESPN identifies Jhoan Duran as the teams most valuable asset, assuming that Joe Ryan is largely unavailable unless the Twins are completely swept off their feet by an offer. In the same breath as Duran, Passan identify jacks as another high-end asset who would require multiple top 100 prospects in return for either of the reliever services.
    While it may be all but official that the twins will be sellers at the deadline, they still have decisions to make on what the future of this team looks like. Do they think the core of this team can be a playoff contender and just needs to be retooled for 2026? Or, are they thinking a larger rebuild may be necessary? While we won't get in an explicit answer to those questions, how they navigate this trade deadline will provide a pretty clear direction for the club.
     
    If they retain all of the names mentioned above, that's a signal that they believe in the core of this roster to compete in 2026 and beyond. If they move any of the pieces above, especially Ryan, then they are essentially waving the white flag for 2026 and maybe even 2027 as they await the next wave of prospects.
    How do you think the Minnesota Twins should approach this deadline? Join the conversation in the comments!

    Matthew Taylor
    According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post and MLB Network, the Twins are now “seriously listening” on several of their rental players, including Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, and Danny Coulombe. Given the team’s inconsistent play and recent slide heading into the deadline, this shift is hardly surprising.
    Heyman also notes that Minnesota is willing to listen on bigger names like Joe Ryan and Jhoan Duran, though it would take a significant offer to pry either away — especially Ryan, who’s under team control through 2027.
    This doesn’t appear to be a full-scale fire sale, but it’s a clear sign the Twins are preparing to pivot if their deadline outlook continues to dim. With no extension talks brewing for their rentals and a tough stretch of games underway, the front office looks ready to retool if the right offers come along.
    What do you think the Twins should do? Leave a comment and start the conversation!
    Brock Beauchamp
    Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Dodgers are pursuing high-leverage relievers and have called the Twins on righties Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.
    It's not surprising the Dodgers are pursuing pitching. Between injuries and underperformance, what looked like an untouchable staff has been rather pedestrian thus far in 2025. Tanner Scott, owner of a shiny new multi-year deal, is pitching to a 4.00 ERA and has a handful of blown saves.
    Duran and Jax will be costly. As two of the most elite late-inning relievers in baseball, both will be highly sought after if the Twins decide to sell at the deadline. Both Jax and Duran are under team control through the 2027 season and have displayed late-inning dominance for multiple years, along with relative health. As far as relievers go, they're both the entire package with few flaws to detract from their trade value.
    What would you ask for in return for either Jax or Duran?
    Brock Beauchamp
    Jon Heyman reports that the Mets have checked on Twins left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe, a move that aligns with New York’s deadline priority of adding a high-leverage lefty out of the pen. 
    Coulombe, 35, has been one of the American League’s most efficient relievers in 2025. Through 26 2/3 innings he owns a 0.68 ERA and a 1.70 FIP, pairing a 27 percent strikeout rate (9.8 K/9) with only 6 percent walks (2.4 BB/9) and zero home runs allowed across 35 appearances. His 0.9 fWAR already matches last season’s total. 
    Coulombe's return would not be enormous for the Twins, but given his sheer dominance and left-handedness, there should be multiple suitors calling on him should the Twins decide to sell.
    To get up to speed on the Mets' system, here is their top-30 rankings via MLB Pipeline.
    Matthew Lenz
    With the 2025 MLB draft behind us, many prospectors will be updating their prospect lists. Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic is one of the first to do so.
    Of the 21 Minnesota Twins draftees, three of them make Gleeman's top 20 from jump.
    Marek Houston, the Twins' 16th overall pick, cracks the top 10, coming in at number 7 on the list. Currently, he looks to be a glove-first shortstop, though his hit tool improved over three seasons for the Wake Forest Demons.
    Riley Quick, drafted 36th overall (1st round comp pick), rounds out the top 10. He's been compared to 2023 Twins draftees, Connor Prielipp, as a drafted out of Alabama with big-time stuff but injury concerns.
    Quentin Young, drafted 54th overall, comes in at number 15. A prep infielder, Young is extremely young, raw, and projectible.
    Other notable movement in his top 20 includes SP Dasan Hill jumping from 20th to 6th, OF Gabriel Gonzalez from 21st to 8th, and SP Jose Olivares from 35th to 20.
    Be sure to check out our 2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker for in-depth scouting reports and articles on the most recent group of draftees.
    After you do, let us know what you think of the Twins draft in comments!
    Billy Mock
    With the 149th pick in the draft, the Twins selected their fifth pitcher in seven picks, keeping up with a pitcher-heavy draft. They selected Matt Barr, a JUCO product from Niagara County Community College. Barr was the highest-ranked JUCO prospect in MLB's draft rankings. 
    After spending his freshman year with Niagara, Barr committed to Tennessee for the 2026 season. Still, it became pretty clear he wasn't making it to campus as he continued to rise on draft boards throughout the cycle. In 57 innings across ten starts, Barr struck out 94 hitters while posting a 1.74 ERA. 
    Barr is an athletic 6'6" and 195 pounds, and is still very projectable at 19 years old. The feel to spin the ball stands out here as all three of his offerings come with high spin. He throws a mid-90s fastball with a lot of ride, and complements it with a sweeping slider and a more traditional curveball. The mix has the potential to be a nightmare for right-handed hitters, and he has also flashed a cutter as a more platoon-neutral offering. He has yet to develop another arm-side pitch, which should be in the cards for the Twins as he has the upside to be a big league starter. The command also requires further development, but his delivery and athleticism suggest his command could emerge as average to above-average. 
    Billy Mock
    The Twins selected their third pitcher of the draft with their fourth-round pick. Reitz is an Oregon product and ranked 191st on MLB Pipeline's draft rankings. A 20-year-old junior set to turn 21 in a little over a week, this spring was Reitz's first year with Oregon after he spent his freshman and sophomore years at Saint Mary's.
    Reitz made 11 starts and 16 total appearances for the Ducks this spring, posting a 3.50 ERA while striking out 73 in 64 1/3 innings. What immediately stands out about Reitz is his height. At 6'11", Reitz is easily the tallest player in this year's class, and surprisingly moves fairly well. However, his long levers have made it harder for him to repeat his delivery and command the strike zone with consistency. His command has improved throughout his college career, but there's still a lot of progress to be made before you can start dreaming of him as a big league starter.
    It's a four-pitch mix right now with Reitz throwing a fastball, cutter, slider, and a changeup. His fastball has reached the upper-90s but actually doesn't create a whole lot of extension. Suppose the Twins can get him down the mound further, that fastball can become quite the weapon. He is pretty reliant on his mid-80s cutter, which has the potential to be an above-average offering, as does his slider and changeup. Aside from his height, there isn't too much that jumps off the page here, but there is definitely a high enough floor for the Twins to work with, potentially turning him into an effective starter at the next level. 
    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!
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