First of all, the timeline is a bit off. The idea was to trade Lopez, Jeffers and Ryan in the offseason. There's was very little value for Ryan at this year's deadline, and apparently other GMs and owners were wise to the illusion that Larnach has finally broken out.
Do those trades make the Twins a "real contender" in 2026 or 2027? Of course not. They take their lumps. They give an awful lot of innings and plate appearances to an awful lot of near-ready prospects and waiver claims, You see what you have, you trade what you can and you draft high.
You build a base around elite, promising players. Meanwhile, you revamp training facilities and minor league coaching staffs.
Does the league need financial parity? Sure. But can a smart team (like Cleveland, like Milwaukee) give themselves a fighting chance even under the old revenue framework? Clearly yes.