Roster Crunched But Needing Upgrades, Twins Could Shop These Names This Week

As things stand, Rocco Baldelli’s club is in the thick of an AL Central race. They are seeking an opportunity to repeat as division champions, and while the Cleveland Guardians' schedule gets tough down the stretch, the Twins need reinforcements to track them down.

The lineup is in a good place for the Twins, and it should only get better as Minnesota gets healthier. Royce Lewis and José Miranda will return this weekend, and Carlos Correa could be fairly close behind them. With a couple of additional options at Triple-A, there is little reason or room to add a bat. Pitching is a different story, though. They do need more depth on that side of the roster, but finding room for that upgrade is difficult.

Derek Falvey has a full 40-man roster, and more than a handful of big-leaguers are on the injured list. Justin Topa will eventually need to come off the 60-day injured list, and players like Kyle Farmer or Alex Kirilloff could get healthy and become options, as well. Wherever possible, then, the Twins have to look for ways to trade players at the back end of their current 40-man roster over the next six days. Here is a list of theoretical candidates.

Matt Wallner
A rumored trade candidate for weeks while he mashed on the farm, Wallner going now would be a more difficult sell. He has returned to the big-league lineup and been an asset. With Max Kepler's free agency looming and Wallner's bat hot, a trade of the young slugger feels unlikely, but teams will certainly be asking about him.

Alex Kirilloff
Currently on the injured list with a back issue, Kirilloff doesn't have much of a future with the Twins. The relationship between both sides here can’t be in a great place, and a change of scenery could be beneficial for everyone involved. The value isn’t going to be substantial, but freeing up the roster spot would be valuable, in itself.

Yunior Severino
After showing enough high-minors thump to earn a roster spot last season, Severino was abysmal to start the year. He has since turned it around, and owns an .806 OPS on the season for Triple-A St. Paul. There's big power potential here, if he can hit enough to get to it. Severino is a first baseman, and not great with the glove. There isn’t room for him with the Twins at that position this season, and he could be passed over next year, as well. With significant team control left, though, and at just 24 years old, he could appeal widely to sellers looking to rebuild their offense.

Josh Winder
Previously debuting as a starter two years ago, and then working out of the bullpen last year, Winder's career has been a mixed bag. He was hurt to start the season, and he hasn’t been great at any level. His value isn’t going to be high, but he could be a throw-in, based on team control and future projection.

Ronny Henriquez
Acquired in the Mitch Garver trade with Texas, Henriquez made it back to the big leagues after a tough Triple-A season last year. He’s been solid for the Saints in 2024, but has been shuttled back and forth as relief depth. If there’s a better relief acquisition to be made at the deadline, and especially one with future control, then sending Henriquez out (even if it be a simple DFA) would make sense.

Matt Canterino
There are few players with better stuff to dream on in the organization than Canterino. It all remains a dream, though, because health has continued to escape him. If Canterino isn’t sent packing (his value would likely be nonexistent), then continuing to hold him on the 40-man only gets more difficult.

Kyle Farmer
Since the demotion of Edouard Julien earlier this year, Farmer has been better against lefties. Providing veteran leadership and hitting southpaws is what he is on the roster for. Moving someone from the 26-man in the midst of a playoff run is always tricky business. This would save the Twins some money, though, and that’s something they’ve been looking to do all year. He could go the other way in a trade that sees the team take on a player with a significant contract, to ease both roster and money math.

What 40-man options do you see the Twins dangling in trade talks?