Cody Pirkl

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Trading Joe Ryan was certainly on the table last offseason after the trade deadline sell-off. The team chose to stay the course and aim for contention in 2026. It's worked; Ryan has been an anchor for the Twins so far as they’ve hung around in the wild card picture. But when the organization doubled down on setting their sights on the postseason, the annual questions about Ryan’s ability to help in the second half became impossible to ignore. The Twins have been put in a difficult spot. Ryan’s season took a complete 180 in his last three starts, allowing 16 earned runs in 15 ⅓ innings before heading to the injured list with a glute strain. This ostensibly minor injury could explain Ryan’s downturn, but the context of his historical struggles in the second half of the season is concerning. As the team continues to hang around in the playoff picture, they’re now without their ace, and even if his IL stay is short-lived, it’s fair to wonder what version of Ryan shows up whenever he is activated. The Twins had enough concerns in the rotation without Ryan’s notorious second-half splits showing up again. The team’s acquisition of Dean Kremer as rotation depth is now a necessity. Even with the innings Kremer will add to the rotation, it’s difficult to imagine the team making the postseason without Ryan returning to form. Ryan’s sample size of struggling in the second half has grown to such a point that it’s as much a part of his story as the back-to-back All-Star appearances. The team was fortunate to be in a reasonable spot to buy at the deadline, as Ryan allowing six homers to Cleveland on July 20th would have raised some eyebrows from potentially acquiring teams. That may be irrelevant now, but if Ryan either spends an extended amount of time on the IL or returns as a shell of his first-half self again, skepticism will only grow stronger. The Twins may very well have Ryan penciled into their 2027 plans, and there is a strong argument that they should. If that’s the case, they may need to give special consideration to making sure they have the starting pitching depth and talent to make it through the second half. Injuries in the pitching staff can happen anytime, but Ryan’s drop-offs late in the season are becoming something worth planning for. Even if he's in their plans, the Twins may be open to listening on calls regarding Ryan in the offseason in case another team wants to blow them away. It seems far less likely for that to happen than it has in past years. As the second-half struggles rear their ugly head again, teams are certain to question whether Ryan can be counted on during the most important stretch of the season. The Twins had previously asked for two top-100 prospects in return for Ryan, with some teams reportedly ready to meet that demand. It’s worth questioning whether the Twins would get anything close to that return at this point. The Twins are in a bad spot now as a contending team in need of their ace. They also likely don’t have nearly as much flexibility this offseason if they are open to trading him. Joe Ryan has been a massive addition to the rotation the last several years, but his pattern of second-half struggles threatens to put a real damper on the tail end of his Twins career. How should they move forward? What would you advise? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (photo of Tommy Nance) We watched the Derek Falvey-led front office operate for years. We saw them work with the Pohlad family and came to understand what to expect. With Tom Pohlad taking over public-facing ownership duties, and Jeremy Zoll replacing Derek Falvey at the head of the front office, we may be seeing a change in the team’s philosophies. Three pieces of evidence in particular stand out from the deadline. Buying Early Between free agency and the trade deadline, patience has been key for Twins fans. The Falvey-led Twins preferred to wait out the market and see what's left at the end rather than targeting specific players. Ironically, it could be argued the Twins could have taken this path at this deadline. Names like A.J. Minter, Tommy Nance, and Dean Kremer weren't at the top of the trade target rankings. The way the Twins acquired them, however, is notable. It's likely the Twins paid a premium to acquire these three pitchers as early as they did. They could regret it down the road. That being said, for better or worse, they identified who they wanted, and they went out and got them. They didn't wait until right before the deadline hoping they'd still be there for a slight discount. Say what you want about the Falvey era Twins, aggressiveness is not a word you would use to describe any facet of their operations. The idea of seeing even just a little bit more of this decisiveness in the future is interesting. Spending Money The Twins took on a franchise record amount of money at this trade deadline. After years of no payroll flexibility, ownership was finally willing to invest at least a respectable amount in a roster that had plenty of needs and realistic playoff hopes. Though the Twins didn't catch the biggest headlines at the trade deadline, this is the most they've been willing to spend in some time. One could make a fair argument that the Twins should have sold at this deadline. They're still a flawed team with shaky playoff chances. They chose to buy, however, and they could have done so by including more prospect capital in the same moves and taken on less money. After Tom Pohlad identified the importance of investing in the roster earlier this season, the Twins showed a willingness to increase payroll for the first time in years. Hopefully this trend continues into free agency. Targeting Relievers The Twins have rarely invested in the bullpen since Falvey took over, and this has especially been the case in the last few years. Perhaps their bigger investments in names like Addison Reed, Alex Colomé, and Jorge Lopez jaded their view. They've been able to develop elite bullpen arms internally, but trading away the arms they did at the 2025 trade deadline without investing in any replacements during the offseason was a major mistake. The bullpen is finally starting to take shape, but rather than hoping that trend continues, the Twins made sure to invest in reinforcements. Even giving up middling prospects for Tommy Nance and A.J. Minter is noteworthy, but the investment in Jeff Hoffman should raise an eyebrow for Twins fans. The Twins made a financial investment in a reliever to a degree we haven't seen in years. They also took a risk in trading away a prospect package that included high upside lefty Dasan Hill. It feels a little ridiculous to be investing these resources in controllable relief help after trading so much of it away last year, which is exactly why it’s a sign that things are changing in the front office. Would Derek Falvey have ever invested these kinds of resources into a bullpen? It’s pretty safe to say no. The Twins operated like a completely different team at the trade deadline. We’ll have to see more, particularly in the offseason, before giving them too much credit, but some of the changes in philosophy are exciting to see. Are you buying into this trade deadline being the new normal when it comes to how the Twins operate? Let us know! View full article

Image courtesy of Denis Poroy, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Twins’ bullpen has been an obvious weak spot since before the season even began. Even a few weeks ago, the hope was that the team could stay in contention long enough to acquire several relievers at the trade deadline. While acquiring at least one more reliever may be wise, after acquiring left-handed reliever AJ Minter on Friday, it can be argued that it’s no longer the Twins' number one priority. The Twins prided themselves on their ability to find relievers internally or without spending much after trading away much of the controllable bullpen at last year’s trade deadline sell-off. It took some time, but we’re seeing some signs of this. Yoendrys Gomez has been a savior in the closer role after being claimed off waivers. Andrew Morris has been as good as any reliever in baseball over the last month. Recently acquired Tommy Nance has served as a setup man, and lower-level relievers such as Travis Adams and Jack Anderson have started to show flashes. Add in Minter, who is arguably now the third-best reliever in the bullpen, and things are starting to look up. The Twins are still in the bottom five in bullpen ERA in baseball, but things are trending in the right direction. If another deal like the one for Minter presents itself, they should jump at the opportunity. Perhaps that shouldn’t be the team’s number one priority, however. On the flip side of the bullpen, the starting rotation is suddenly riddled with enormous questions. Bailey Ober is struggling to hit 87 mph on his fastball in the middle innings of starts. Zebby Matthews does not look like the pitcher who shot through the minor leagues a few years ago and has been blow-up-prone lately. Connor Prielipp has already surpassed his career high in innings pitched in a season. Joe Ryan’s historical second-half struggles suddenly appear front and center. Perhaps the Twins’ number one priority should be starting pitching. The level of starter the Twins look to acquire can be flexible. If the market for playoff-caliber starters is too costly, even a back-end arm to ensure they have the innings covered the rest of the way could make all the difference. If they find a deal they like for a starting pitcher with multiple years of team control, they could certainly benefit from another rotation member beyond 2026 as well. There is no shortage of options when it comes to starting pitchers currently on the trade block. While even uninspiring options will cost more than a good reliever, there are plenty of realistic arms that can be brought in. Someone like Robbie Ray would be incredibly cheap if the Twins were willing to eat the remainder of his contract (approximately $8.3M for the rest of 2026) as they did with Minter. The same could be said for someone like Dustin May or Brady Singer if the Twins are concerned with filling innings. If they choose to pursue the more expensive route in search of arms that can help beyond 2026, several names should be available. The Twins have long been rumored to be interested in Angels LHP Reid Detmers. The Mariners have been telling teams Emerson Hancock is available amidst a breakout season. The prospect capital would be higher, but the Twins need MLB-ready rotation options both now and into 2027. Whatever path the Twins take, if they’re buying, they should strongly consider adding to their rotation that appears to be on the brink of the wheels completely falling off. Perhaps grab another reliever, but make sure the team has the starting pitching to turn the ball over to an improved bullpen with a chance to win. Do you agree? Got some other names the team should target? Let's hear them in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Zebby Matthews has been a win for the Twins' pitching development, even if his stock has dropped since his debut. After speeding through the minors on his way to his big-league debut in 2024, he's struggled with consistency. The Twins don't have other options in the rotation for the rest of 2026, but where will he be in 2027 and beyond? An 8th-round pick in 2022, Zebby Matthews is already a successful pick from that draft. He added velocity after the Twins took him, which he paired with impeccable control to dominate the minor leagues. His overall results at the big-league level so far leave plenty to be desired, with an ERA over 5.50 in just under 200 innings. There's always a chance he can improve, but there are signs that his best role long-term isn’t in the rotation. Matthews has a diverse arsenal, throwing five pitches at least 10% of the time in 2026. His best two offerings, by far, are his two breaking balls, an 89-MPH slider and an 87-MPH curveball. His fastball remains his most-used pitch and has been hit hard, with a .366 wOBA allowed while not drawing nearly enough swings and misses. His heater is also down to 95 MPH, from 96.2 last season. He throws a changeup and cutter as well, though neither has been particularly successful. Depending on the rotation depth the Twins have in 2027, they may have to ask themselves some difficult questions regarding Matthews. Can he improve enough to be a consistent starting pitcher? Can he transition to a relief role and become an impact reliever? As the sample size of innings in the rotation grows, these questions are starting to get louder. Matthews looked like a master of control and command in the minor leagues, but this hasn’t played out at the MLB level. His walk rate in the big leagues is still good, but it’s a far cry from the control he showed in the minors, where filling the strike zone didn’t lead to nearly as much punishment. What we’ve seen with Matthews is that while he’s capable of throwing plenty of strikes, he lacks the command to locate his pitches where they won’t be crushed. This is on full display when watching him while ahead in the count. Instead of putting hitters away by leveraging advantage counts, he far too often throws a hittable pitch, allowing opposing hitters to bail themselves out. He's flashed high-level stuff at points in his young career, but saw a slight decline in 2025 and then again in 2026, particularly with his fastball. It’s possible he lacks the command to be a consistently successful MLB pitcher with this diminished level of stuff. If it’s not going to come back in a starting role, it may be worth seeing if he can harness it out of the bullpen. The most recent example of a fringe starting pitcher turned impact reliever is Andrew Morris this season, but we've seen the Twins utilize this route plenty in recent years. A move to the bullpen would allow Matthews to trim his arsenal and utilize his best pitches more often in shorter stints. He shouldn't need to rely on his fastball as often as a reliever, but history tells us that there's a chance that he could reclaim the velocity he once flashed that approached triple digits. While starting pitchers of any type are valuable, Matthews reestablishing the stuff he flashed a few years ago could make him an impact reliever. While it would be great for Matthews to become even a back-end starting pitcher, there are other paths to him being an impact arm for the Minnesota Twins. Perhaps we need to see a bit more before committing to Zebby Matthews in the bullpen, but if he continues to struggle for the rest of 2026, the question may have to be asked. Is Zebby Matthews’ future in the Twins’ rotation? View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images A surprisingly potent offense, paired with a weak American League as a whole, has the Twins positioned to make a run in the second half of the season. Perhaps it’s not the best team to invest significant prospect capital into trade assets, but that shouldn’t stop the team from making big improvements. Tom Pohlad has repeatedly expressed a willingness to invest in this roster if given a reason. The team has done its part, and if ownership is true to its word, there are some high-impact trade candidates the Twins can get for a reasonable price if they’re willing to spend some money. Sonny Gray A reunion with Sonny Gray could be in the cards if the Twins are serious about a playoff push. The teams’ lack of depth in the rotation is an underdiscussed red flag for the stretch run. Pablo Lopez isn’t coming back this season, and Mick Abel looks unlikely as well. Meanwhile, Connor Prielipp is about to surpass his career high in innings pitched, and Mike Paredes remains in the rotation. It’s hard to imagine this group holding up throughout the rest of the season. Gray has remained a playoff-caliber starting pitcher since leaving Minnesota and has posted a sub-3.00 ERA so far this season. He’ll have just under $15m left on his contract this year, with a $10m buyout on a $30m mutual option for 2027. It’s a high price to pay, and it's difficult to envision given the level of investment we’ve seen since 2023. The Red Sox have also reentered the playoff hunt in recent weeks. Things would have to come together perfectly, making Sonny Gray more of a dream target, but if it lines up perfectly for a Twins team that’s willing to spend, the prospect capital shouldn’t take a bite out of the team’s future. Kevin Gausman Should the Blue Jays sell, Kevin Gausman presents another option for the Twins to solidify their rotation depth. A free agent in 2027, Gausman has a bit over $10m left on his contract. Given the price of starting pitchers and the fact that his cost doesn’t reach into 2027, Gausman will still command a decent prospect package in return. Not every team can afford to take on his salary for just a few months, however. A few factors, such as stranded runner rate, HR/FB rate, and BABIP, have led to a rockier year than usual for Gausman. Overall, he still looks like the same playoff-caliber starter he’s been for years now. He would be a rock for the rotation for the remainder of the season, and would slot nicely into the number two spot of a playoff rotation if the Twins can find their way into the October mix. If the Twins ownership is willing to pay for the rest of Gausman’s deal, they’d be able to acquire him without including any top-tier prospects. Pete Fairbanks The bullpen is the obvious weak spot on the Twins roster, and relievers always carry an inflated price tag at the trade deadline as every contender could use an extra arm or two. There will likely be bidding wars on affordable names such as Luke Weaver, who’s posting a career year. The Twins should certainly be involved in any and all relief arms at the deadline, but if they’re willing to spend money gambling on the most volatile position in baseball, they could strike gold. Peter Fairbanks is still averaging 97.4 on his fastball at age 32, and while his peripherals are a bit inflated from years past, he’s looked like a much better pitcher than his ERA just under 7.00 indicates. An inflated BABIP and HR/FB rate have hurt him, but he’s striking out over 30% of opposing hitters. He’ll be due roughly $6m on the rest of his contract, an amount that even a competitive Marlins team may be happy to dump with little prospect capital in return. Fairbanks has plenty of setup and closing experience, and gambling on him at this cost could pay off in a big way. The Twins being big spenders at the deadline still seems like a pipe dream, but what if Tom Pohlad’s comments about investing in this team turn out to be sincere? The Twins have done a great job of hanging around in the playoff picture, but they need help to finish the job. Impact additions at the trade deadline can cost a ton, but if they’re willing to invest financially, they can hold onto their top prospects and maintain their future. Are there any expensive trade candidates you’d like to see them acquire? Let us know below! View full article

Pick any bottom of the barrel reliever they're thrown out there this year and replace them with Varland. Even if he was his 2025 self, he's the best pitcher in this bullpen. They have a bottom of the league bullpen ERA, which has knocked out plenty of save opportunities by games getting out of hand before they get to the later innings. There's no math needed to say that Varland at the top of the hierarchy would push everyone else down a peg and not only convert a higher percentage of saves, but create more save opportunities. Thats just common sense. And the thing about praising their plan to trade away all the relievers while hating that they did nothing to replace them is that completing step 1 but not step 2 makes it a bad plan. If I sold my car today for more than I paid for it, but don't buy another one to get to and from work everyday, the price I got for my car is pretty irrelevant.

Except they'd be in a playoff spot right now with even just Varland still in the bullpen. I get that they have to be fluid and build internally, but they should have had to be blown away to punt on the 2026 season by completely gutting the bullpen. If they were, they may just not be very good at talent evaluation. They clearly think very little of Alan Roden and think far too much of Kendry Rojas if that offer was too good to refuse. I also find it extremely ironic that you point out that we aren't getting any younger while also downplaying the fact that they essentially punted on 2026 when keeping just one reliever at last year's deadline would have them in playoff position.

As I mentioned, Varland doesn't have to pitch this well here if they kept him. If he were just his 2025 self he's their best reliever and a transformative piece of the bullpen mix. Maybe Roden can be useful, but its impossible to say because they don't see him worthy of MLB playing time so far. If Rojas becomes a starting pitcher then the Twins should win in terms of value. Thats not looking likely so far though, and the Twins needed help this year and aren't getting it from Rojas. Also theres no evidence of Varland wanting out, in fact theres quite a bit of evidence that he was devastated when he was shipped out. If he wanted an opportunity to start, that's also not going so well for him.

The thing is a lot of the trade returns at the 2025 trade deadline were for players that were either fully or near MLB ready so they could help in 2026 when the team called themselves contenders. For the historic amount of trades the team made, Taj Bradley is the single player who has really made any impact at all in 2026. That includes 26 year old Alan Roden, who was half of the Varland trade and was a terrible return the second it was announced because of his age an position. My response to the "its too early to judge" take is that if Kendry Rojas, Alan Roden etc. were making an impact right now, people who hated this trade when it happened would be getting dunked on for their overly negative takes. Instead they've been proven absolutely correct so far and they're not supposed to comment on it at all for the next six years? Nah

Image courtesy of © William Liang-Imagn Images The Twins’ frenzy at last year’s trade deadline had plenty of understandable sell-offs, but by the end, it seemed that they leaned into their willingness to deal relievers a bit too far. Dumping Louis Varland at the last minute of the trade deadline felt like the front office was a bit too confident in themselves. Almost a year later, that deal doesn’t look any better. The return for Varland was immediately worth questioning. The Twins cited Kendry Rojas as the main piece that pushed them over the edge. A borderline top 100 prospect, Rojas was coming off back-to-back seasons considerably shortened by injuries. That, paired with some flashes of control concerns, had already flagged him as a reliever risk. His high 90s fastball from the left side, paired with a plus slider, gave him upside, but the floor was difficult to ignore. Rojas debuted with the Saints immediately after the trade and posted a 6.59 ERA in 8 starts. He surprisingly made his MLB debut this season, but it was interrupted by a triceps injury that cost him a month. In his 16 innings of big league action, his 18.3% walk rate has kept him from helping the Twins’ pitching-needy roster. He’s since been demoted back to Triple-A. The other piece of the trade was even more of an eyebrow raiser. Perhaps the one position in the organization that could be considered a legitimate log jam was left-handed hitting outfielder. The Twins couldn’t help but feed their obsession with collecting this type of player, and acquired Alan Roden (bringing the total to three lefty corner outfielders acquired at the deadline). Unfortunately, he was injured immediately after being acquired and did not make the 2026 opening-day roster. He missed even more time with a shoulder injury this spring and hasn’t played at the MLB level this offseason despite a near 1.000 OPS as a 26-year-old in St. Paul because there’s simply no room for him. The Twins went on to declare themselves contenders for the 2026 season, and that has arguably played out, given the American League's weakness and their high-scoring offense. Their biggest issue has been the bullpen, which they chose to almost completely ignore in the offseason after their bullpen fire sale. Trading Varland always seemed like one step too far. It left the 2026 roster with absolutely nothing to turn to in the bullpen, and the team’s payroll and hubris regarding relievers have made the group a flammable mess that has undoubtedly cost the team countless games so far in 2026. While nobody expected Varland to be one of the best relievers in baseball this season, even if he performed at his 2025 level, he would have been the anchor of the Twins' bullpen. There was no reason to trade Varland unless they were blown away by an offer. That offer turned out to be a position player they didn’t need and a high-variance pitching prospect who very well may be bullpen-bound before long himself. The organizational belief that relievers don’t matter was on full display with the Varland trade, and it has immediately cost them in a season where the rest of the league has allowed them to hang around in the wild card standings. Simply not having a bottom-five bullpen in baseball would have this team firmly positioned in a playoff spot. Perhaps the Twins will trade away assets to bring in relief help, an ironic outcome that would further paint the Varland trade as a mistake. Maybe Rojas can stick as a starting pitcher long term and make the trade a net win in value for the Twins. That won’t change the fact that this deal was a major self-inflicted blow to their ability to compete in 2026, which was their self-stated goal. If Rojas sticks as a starting pitcher over the course of his Twins career, the Twins can come out on the other side of this deal as winners down the line. They’ll still have taken an immediate hit in 2026, and what we’ve seen from Rojas so far doesn’t make this scenario look particularly likely. Perhaps Varland wouldn’t have been enough to hold this bullpen together. At the very least, his performance this year would have been worth more in trade if the Twins hadn’t decided they had no choice but to dump a controllable player at a position they needed for whatever they could get. There’s no way around it: The Varland trade looks bad. There’s still a path for it to turn around if Rojas sticks in the rotation, but that was not a sure thing when he was required, and has only looked less likely since he came to the Twins. The Twins took things one step too far at the 2025 trade deadline, and an immediately unpopular trade has only looked worse since. Too harsh? Fair? Share your reaction in the comments. View full article