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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

Monday's 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers marked the 100th game of the Minnesota Twins' 2025 season. We take a look back at how a team projected by some to win the division ended up as potential sellers at the trade deadline. View full video

Byron Buxton is having the healthiest and best season of his professional career. Where does it rank amongst some of the best seasons of all-time? View full video

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! View full rumor

The Minnesota Twins head into the All-Star break as a roughly .500 club, though it's been a rough first half aside from a 13-game win streak. Should they buy, sell, or retool at the deadline? View full video

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

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! View full rumor

With the July 31st trade deadline looming on the horizon, urgency will begin to mount for many Major League Baseball teams. While some clubs are firmly entrenched in playoff contention and will be looking to bolster their rosters, there is a distinct group already facing the reality of a lost season. So, who are the likely sellers from the National League? What valuable assets might they put on the market, and how could the Toronto Blue Jays leverage these opportunities to their advantage? Let's delve into the teams poised to ignite the hot stove and the potential impact on the Blue Jays’ playoff aspirations. Colorado Rockies The Rockies are on pace for all sorts of records - and not in a good way. The Rockies don't have much in the form of rentals, with starters German Márquez (6.62 ERA) and Austin Gomber (just returned from a shoulder injury) the only expiring deals, but that's not to say they don't have trade chips. Most notably, I anticipate many teams will be calling about starter Kyle Freeland (controlled through 2026) and third baseman Ryan McMahon (controlled through 2027). Freeland’s surface numbers are heavily inflated by pitching in Coors. On the road, the lefty has a 3.64 ERA (3.31 FIP) and a 14.6% strikeout minus walk rate. Concerning McMahon, Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs have already shown interest in the 30-year-old. Like Freeland, McMahon’s surface stats are also impacted by Coors - a .739 OPS overall drops by nearly 200 points on the road. Other less notable names that could be available are infielders Thairo Estrada and Kyle Farmer, who both have mutual options for 2026. Miami Marlins The Marlins are 15 games under .500 and well outside of the playoff picture. However, they are the youngest team in Major League Baseball, which makes it a challenge to know how much they're willing to sell. Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby, and Agustín Ramírez have all been great, but they're also in their pre-arbitration years. Would the rebuilding Marlins really sell what looks to be a solid core of hitters? I doubt it. On the other hand, starting pitchers Cal Quantrill (a free agent at season's end) and Sandy Alcántara (controllable through 2026) could be attractive “buy low” options at the deadline. Quantrill has an ERA minus FIP of 1.27 and Alcántara, a former Cy Young award winner, has underperformed his ERA by 2.43 runs. However, both have well below average strikeout minus walk rates, suggesting their upside might be limited with some tweaking of their pitch profiles. The Marlins have gotten some good production out of their bullpen from guys like Ronny Henriquez, Janson Junk, and Patrick Monteverde. While these guys are controllable, it would make sense for the Marlins to listen to offers on any relievers. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates are in a race for second worst team in the NL with the Marlins. There's been (mostly sarcastic) speculation that they may trade starter Paul Skenes, but I don't think they will do that - for now. Instead, they have a few assets who will likely have a market over the next month and a half. There's already been rumors floating around regarding infielder Isiah Kiner-Faleda, who has a solid (but empty) .714 OPS. Other solid players on expiring deals include outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham, as well as starter Andrew Heaney, and reliever Ryan Burocki. Aside from Burocki, whose peripherals suggest some positive regression, all players have been more than serviceable this season. However, the most valuable realistic trade chip is current closer David Bednar, who is controlled through the 2026 season. In 20 appearances, the righty has a 3.42 ERA, 2.14 FIP, and a 29.2% strikeout minus walk rate. He may end up being the most sought after reliever on the market. Twins' Needs The Twins' inconsistent offense continues to drive their up-and-down performance this season, and now they're dealing with a whole lot of uncertainty from their rotation. With Royce Lewis' latest injury, a third base solution might be on the shopping list, though Luke Keaschall's return could offer an internal option and more roster flexibility. Interestingly, second base, despite lacking a clear starter, has been productive, ranking ninth in OPS across MLB. Catcher, however, remains a weakness, but a trade for a new backstop seems unlikely without moving either Jeffers or Vazquez—a tough sell. A full-time designated hitter doesn't fit the Twins' current roster design. Offensive improvement is needed, but it likely means trading a current contributor without adding to the payrolls On the pitching side, what was once a potential strength to trade for hitting has become precarious; one more injury )like a Bailey Ober hip issue) would put them in a dire situation. And of course, this all overlooks the financial implications. All that being said, I think it's fools gold to think the Twins will make noise at the deadline. Expect them to be quiet due to financial limitations, a move they can easily justify with Pablo López's return from injury. What is the ceiling of the Twins current roster If they stand pat? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

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! View full rumor

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. View full rumor