Twins Could Get Creative by Shopping 3 Former Top Prospects at the MLB Trade Deadline

The 2025 trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the Minnesota Twins are in a complicated spot. Hovering below the .500 mark with an outside shot at the Wild Card, the team could feasibly go in multiple directions. If things break right over the next week, they might buy a piece or two. But if the wins don’t pile up, selling or retooling becomes a more realistic path.

The club doesn’t seem eager to part with top prospects like Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, or Luke Keaschall, especially with the team trending in the wrong direction. At the major league level, it’s hard to see them subtracting from the core unless it’s part of a broader shakeup. That leaves them with an interesting middle tier of assets. These are players who were recently seen as major league building blocks but now find themselves stuck in St. Paul.

It’s not a traditional selling move, but moving on from former top prospects, such as Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda, and Austin Martin, could be a way for the front office to get creative. All three have spent much of the season at Triple-A, and while each has his strengths, none has done quite enough to force his way back onto the big-league roster.

Here’s a look at each of these potential trade chips.

Edouard Julien: Power, Patience, and a Lot of Strikeouts
There was a time when Julien looked like a long-term fixture at second base. His breakout 2023 season featured an .839 OPS as a rookie, showing elite on-base skills and sneaky power. However, the strikeout issues that plagued him in the minors persisted and worsened in 2024 (33.9 K%). By mid-May of this year, he was back in St. Paul after struggling to start the year with a 72 wRC+ and a -0.5 fWAR in 29 games. 

To his credit, Julien has continued to walk and hit for power in Triple-A (119 wRC+), but his strikeout rate remains above 27 percent. With the Twins increasingly focused on defensive versatility, Julien’s profile no longer fits the front office’s preferred blueprint.

Still, teams in need of left-handed pop and willing to take a chance on upside may see Julien as an appealing buy-low target. He brings years of team control and a skill set that can be hard to find. He is not likely to headline a major deal, but he could be a key secondary piece.

Jose Miranda: Flashes of Potential with Lingering Doubt
Few Twins players have been harder to evaluate over the last three seasons than Jose Miranda. At his best, Miranda looks like a pure hitter who can square up just about anything. He made an impression in 2022 with a strong rookie campaign (114 OPS+) and carried real expectations into 2023. But inconsistency, injuries, and poor plate discipline led to his demotion. The Twins sent him back to Triple-A in 2024, and he’s been there ever since.

This year, Miranda’s Triple-A production has failed to live up to the flashes he has shown in the big leagues. He’s not hitting for average (.196 BA), which had been his calling card as a prospect. But the slugging (.308 SLG) hasn’t returned to previous levels, and his defensive limitations make it tough to pencil him into an everyday role.

For another organization, Miranda could be a classic change-of-scenery candidate. There is still a version of him that hits .280 with 20-plus home runs and holds his own at third base. That kind of bat carries value, especially for a team looking for inexpensive upside.

Austin Martin: Versatile, but Still Waiting to Break Through
Martin’s story continues to be a study in potential versus performance. Once viewed as a possible number one overall pick, Martin arrived in Minnesota from Toronto as the centerpiece of the José Berríos trade. He had the reputation of a high-contact hitter with plus speed and defensive versatility. However, his development has been uneven. The power has never arrived (.424 SLG at Triple-A this season), and the hit tool hasn’t produced the expected results.

Despite those concerns, Martin brings things to the table that Julien and Miranda do not. He can play center field, shortstop, and second base. He has shown the ability to steal bases with 15 steals between Triple-A and the MLB level last season. His path to a full-time role may be uncertain, but he is athletic enough to contribute off the bench right away.

For a team looking to build depth or maximize roster flexibility, Martin could be an attractive addition. He may not headline a deal, but he could be included in a multi-player package or flipped in a low-wattage move.

There is still a scenario in which the Twins get hot over the next week and decide to make a move at the deadline. A right-handed bat or a bullpen arm would make sense. However, even in that scenario, these former top prospects could still play a role in reshaping the roster. 

None of Julien, Miranda, or Martin has forced his way back to the majors in 2025. At the same time, most of their prospect shine has worn away. That combination of stalled momentum and remaining upside is what makes a potential change-of-scenery trade make sense.

There’s also a tough question the Twins need to ask themselves. Would trading one, two, or even all three of these players now, even for a minimal return, be more valuable than simply holding onto them and waiting for another opportunity that may never come? With roster spots becoming more competitive and younger prospects pushing up from Double-A, it’s possible Julien, Miranda, or Martin could be designated for assignment after the season anyway. The front office might prefer to act now, even if the return is light, rather than risk losing them for nothing or settling for a marginally better deal in the offseason.

The Twins don’t need to blow things up or sell off core players. But if the front office wants to stay flexible and explore creative paths at the deadline, it may be time to gauge what the market thinks of their former top prospects.

Should the Twins try to trade any of this trio? Leave a comment and start the discussion.