Cody Pirkl

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

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Perhaps in a different timeline, Andrew Morris is in the back end of the Twins’ rotation, filling in for their many starting pitching injuries. Instead, he was one of the first starting pitching prospects to pivot to a bullpen role, where the team has been desperate for help all season. As the sample size grows, he looks like he can be the next great internal reliever the Twins develop. Morris has posted an unimpressive ERA so far, just below 5.00. Taking a look under the hood, however, there's much more to like. From xERA to FIP to xFIP, he looks like a pitcher with a low-2s to mid-3s ERA in his first taste of bullpen action. An unfortunately high batting average on balls in play, as well as a below-average stranded runner rate, have held him back, but he’s still posted a solid performance with even more to like the deeper you dig. Morris still uses what would be considered a starting pitcher’s repertoire, with five pitches he throws at least 10% of the time. Each of these pitches has drawn a whiff rate of at least 20%, giving him the ability to turn to them in all counts. Only his sinker has been truly punished by opposing hitters, and we’ve already seen him decrease the usage from almost 15% in April to under 9% so far in June. The four-seamer remains his most used pitch, and we’ve seen him dial it up to 100 mph when he’s needed it. The most interesting development in his repertoire is the increase in cutter usage. So far in June, it’s Morris’s second-most-used pitch and has drawn a 30% whiff rate. When hitters do connect, an average launch angle of -12 degrees allowed has resulted in plenty of ground balls. If this pitch can continue getting the whiffs and weak contact, Morris has a legitimate plus offering to build the rest of his repertoire around. Once considered a low-ceiling starting pitching prospect, Morris is already flashing signs of being a true impact, late-inning reliever. Forming his pitch mix around his new role, drawing more whiffs than ever, and showing increased velocity, this is exactly what you hope for when you drop a starting pitcher in the bullpen. Time will tell whether Morris can become the next Taylor Rogers, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, etc., but what he’s already shown has been plenty for this Twins team that quite simply had nothing in the way of upside relievers headed into 2026. There’s still a chance that the Twins chose to move him back to the rotation at some point, but as things currently stand, Morris can spend the rest of this season positioning himself as one of the Twins’ high-leverage relievers in 2027. It’s been a strong debut for Andrew Morris. He has an opportunity to position himself atop the Twins’ 2027 bullpen with more development down the stretch in 2026. Do you agree? View full article

Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images The Twins currently have a revolving door at shortstop, with journeyman utility players they can’t keep for much longer—if for no other reason, then because none of them fit that role well enough to lock it down. Having one such player is understandable, but the Twins are currently rostering three. One is likely to go when Kaelen Culpepper debuts, and the Twins would be wise to get rid of at least one more at a later time to better utilize the 26-man roster. Who has the best chance of sticking around? Orlando Arcia An All-Star for Atlanta in 2023, Arcia has been a true super utilityman, playing all four infield spots in his brief time with the big-league club. He posted a .932 OPS for Saint Paul before his promotion, but has posted a sub-.700 OPS in a small sample, which is in line with his production over the last two seasons. While Arcia’s defensive flexibility is helpful, it’s worth wondering what else he has to provide at this stage in his career. At 31 years of age, it’s hard to envision him holding onto a role beyond 2026 with the Twins, making him especially expendable if the team continues to fall further under .500. He has also only been trusted a handful of times to start games at shortstop, and if the Twins put him behind Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler on the shortstop depth chart, his utility in 2026 is worth questioning. He may be the first to go when Culpepper gets the call. Tristan Gray After winning a bench job in spring training, Gray got off to a hot start in 2026 and has been an above-replacement-level player on the season. He started eating into Royce Lewis’s playing time at third base, where he played regularly until Brooks Lee shifted over full-time. His hot start and handful of clutch hits have carried him, but his slightly below-average .697 OPS is more than acceptable production for a bench player who can fill in at shortstop. The problem is that Gray doesn’t appear to be a trustworthy option now that he’s been exposed to more playing time up the middle. As bad as Lee was defensively at short, Gray has matched him, with -5 Outs Above Average in a fraction of the time. It’s looking more and more like Gray is not a viable option at shortstop, even as an emergency fill-in. He may get more time since the Twins liked him most out of spring training from this group, but his utility will come into question when the Twins get an everyday shortstop on the roster. He's also leading the majors in a rather dubious category: no one misses by more, on average, when they whiff on a swing. Ryan Kreidler Kreidler has been a pleasant surprise offensively, posting a .761 OPS and already clubbing a career-high 3 homers this season. Brought in as a glove-first utility player, the glove has actually been the disappointment so far. Before 2026, Kreidler was an average or better defender across several infield and outfield spots, including shortstop and center field. At 28 years of age, it’s hard to imagine that Kreidler has suddenly lost a step. It’s more likely that we see things even out for him defensively as the year goes on. Kreidler’s age and subsequent team control make him the most interesting option to keep on the roster moving forward. If his glove evens out, that alone may be enough to utilize some of his five remaining seasons of team control. If his bat can keep up this pace to any degree, he becomes a valuable player in the Willi Castro vein. This long-term upside, however remote reaching it may be, should be enough for Kreidler to be the last man standing if the Twins decide to purge their current veteran super-utility group and look toward the future. The Twins can’t continue to waste 26-man roster spots the way they have been, especially if they continue to fall further out of contention. Lewis himself is sliding into this role, too, further muddying the picture. If their sights turn toward 2027 and beyond, the current super-utility infielder group should be the first place to look when it comes to swapping younger players in. Which, if any, of these three names should stick around? View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Matt Wallner) Matt Wallner had posted a slash line of .167/.259/.292 when he was sent to St. Paul last month. It was a deserved demotion and was immediately justified when he struggled to begin his time in Triple-A. More recently, he’s looked a lot more like the hitter he was expected to be, and it’s possible he finds himself back with the big-league club very soon. As recently as May 24th, Wallner was hitting .171/.250/.229. Then he had a 10-game hot streak during which he put up a .275/.383/.500 line with the Saints, and that was before crushing three homers on Thursday night. More encouraging was that he had posted a 21.3% K rate in that stretch, as the whiffs had become untenable at the big-league level. Even in the friendly confines of CHS Field, Wallner’s production has been noteworthy. Through Saturday, he's hit in each of his past seven games. In that stretch, he is 13-for-31 (.419) with a double and five home runs. The first five of those games were multi-hit games. Overall, he is hitting .275/.359/.538 (.897) with six doubles, five homers in 20 Saints games. It’s not the greatest feather in his cap that Matt Wallner has had to be sent down for a similar reset before, but it’s worth something that he’s done so in the past and returned to the big leagues able to carry over his production. Whether his adjustments can last is a real concern, but at 28 years old, there isn’t much reason for the Twins to keep him in Triple-A if he’s producing like this. Making matters easier for the Twins, the big-league roster hasn’t done much to keep Wallner stuck in St. Paul. Austin Martin’s production was cited as a driving factor in Wallner’s demotion. He’s backed up the Twins’ decision by going .149/.203/.230 since he became a full-time player on May 14. Martin may be best served as a short-side platoon player, and while Wallner’s struggles were widespread, his numbers were undoubtedly dragged down by facing lefties. The ideal scenario may be a straight platoon pairing these two players to bring out the best in each. Wallner’s defense has become a major problem this season, but there should be at-bats available in the DH spot now that Buxton is playing center field again. Josh Bell has posted a .635 OPS and has no chance of being a part of the Twins’ future. Either he turns things around and is traded, or the Twins cut bait at some point. Either way, there’s plenty of opportunity on the horizon for Wallner to get another shot. Matt Wallner has done his part by working in St. Paul and putting up encouraging numbers. The MLB roster is struggling, and other outfielders who were also in the minor leagues being injured have kept the door open for him. He’ll always be a streaky hitter, and both fans and the Twins themselves will likely look at him more questionably moving forward, but as for right now, he’s likely earning himself another opportunity. How long should Matt Wallner need to continue tearing up Triple-A before he earns another shot? Should the Twins give us one at all? Let us know below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Royce Lewis was in need of a total reset when the Twins demoted him to Triple-A. He’s mashed since he arrived for the Saints, but the Twins likely aren’t in a hurry to declare him fixed, despite his strong performance. They’ll have to make a decision over the next few weeks and months. What should they do with Lewis if he keeps dominating in the minor leagues? Back To Third Base Royce has strictly played third base and DH in the minor leagues this season. It’s made a lot of sense at this point, as the priority is for him to find his swing again, and the Twins likely don’t want to add more to his plate. It’s possible his long-term defensive fit remains unchanged, and that whenever the Twins determine he’s ready to return to MLB action, he immediately slots back in at the hot corner. The problem is that the Twins have overhauled the left side of the infield since Lewis’s demotion. It appears the Brooks Lee shortstop experiment is over, as he’s shifted to third base full-time in favor of Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler at shortstop. Lee struggled at third base defensively last season, but his skillset should make him a plus defender there, and the defense at shortstop from the two journeymen has been a massive upgrade. Were Lewis recalled and slotted in at third again, there would have to be another position switch afoot for Lee, instead. That feels unlikely. Lewis Plays a New Position The Twins could always shift Lewis to a different infield spot. Luke Keaschall is far from a lock at second base defensively at this point. Lewis could also move all the way down the defensive spectrum to first base, where the Twins lack a reliable right-handed option. The latter, in particular, could make some sense, especially if they give up on Josh Bell, which would open the DH spot to keep Lewis in the lineup even when Kody Clemens is in the field. If the Twins have this in mind, we’ll know pretty quickly, as Lewis will probably get his feet wet at a new position in Triple-A first. The problem here is obvious. Lewis might not be a big fan of changing positions. The Twins tried to add second base to his repertoire a few years ago, and he made it known publicly that he was not in support of this. Perhaps with time to get comfortable at a new spot in St. Paul, he would be more receptive, but it’s difficult to say how flexible Lewis is willing to be for this organization at this point in his career. Mutual Parting Of Ways If Lewis doesn’t fit in the Twins’ plans as they move forward—or if he doesn’t want to—there’s a world where the Twins find a trade partner to make everybody happy. While going on an offensive tear in Triple-A doesn’t have nearly the impact of showing he can still do it in MLB, it’s better than being demoted and struggling, which would wipe away all trade value. It’s not impossible that another team sees an adjustment Lewis can make and would make an offer that can help the Twins in some way, even if the value isn’t anywhere near what it was two years ago. This would be a disappointing end to Lewis’s tenure with the Twins, but it can’t be ruled out. Even if Lewis himself doesn’t want a fresh start elsewhere, the Twins are likely pondering whether they foresee him returning to the status of a potential core player for this team. If they’re uncertain about this belief, the continued quotes blaming the organization for his nearly two years of struggles likely aren’t helping the case for keeping him. Derek Falvey is gone, and the remaining front office is not the same one that drafted Lewis first overall in 2017. Anything could happen. Lewis has taken a big step back in status and priority level within the Twins' plans. The Twins have several options for moving forward with him should he continue to produce in Triple-A. Which option would you prefer they take? View full article