Sam Caulder

The Twins swung their second trade in as many days, acquiring Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer. Here's everything fans need to know about Minnesota's newest rotation addition. View full video

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Stop me if you've heard this before: Byron Buxton is currently injured. The Twins' star center fielder left Tuesday night's game against the Royals with right hip soreness–the same hip that's given him trouble on and off for a good portion of the season. And sure enough, it led to another trip to the injured list. Minnesota officially placed Buxton on the 10-day IL with a right hip impingement, and considering how long this issue has lingered throughout the year, it wouldn't be surprising if this ends up being much more than just a minimum stay. Obviously, the front office knows far more about the severity of the injury than any of us do. Maybe this is something he'll be able to play through after a couple of weeks, and it's just a precautionary move. But there's also a very real chance we don't see Buxton again for quite some time. If that's the case, this injury could have a MASSIVE impact. Not just on the Twins' trade deadline plans, but also on what happens with several of the organization's top prospects over the final two months of the season. Let's start with the trade deadline because this changes quite a bit. For one, if the Twins are going to be without Buxton for a significant portion of the remainder of the season, their view of themselves as legitimate contenders becomes a little more tentative. At the moment, Minnesota sits a game above .500, three games behind the White Sox and Guardians in the AL Central, and tied with Cleveland for the final American League Wild Card spot. They're right there. With a healthy roster, it's not difficult to picture this team making a run over the final two months; especially if the front office adds another impact player or two before the deadline. But doing that without the face of the franchise in the lineup becomes a whole lot more difficult. Buxton has been the engine behind so much of the Twins’ success this season. His production at the plate and his defense in center field simply aren't things you can replace with one player. This injury could force the Twins to become more conservative over the next few days. That doesn't mean the team will switch to sellers; that die is cast. But if the front office no longer believes this team has a serious chance of making the playoffs without Buxton, it becomes much easier to justify thinking about the bigger picture instead of pushing additional chips into the middle of the table. Perhaps that means being less aggressive in their trade pursuits. At the same time, there's another scenario that's become much more interesting. What if the Twins still decide they're going to be just as aggressive? If that's the case, there's now an even bigger need for another outfielder. You could argue that was already one of Minnesota's biggest needs heading into the deadline; now it feels impossible to ignore. And not just any outfielder, either. The Twins likely need another right-handed bat. Without Buxton in the lineup, Austin Martin and Luke Keaschall are the only right-handed hitting outfield options currently on the major league roster. With Tristan Gray being recalled in a corresponding move with Buxton, that likely means Ryan Kreidler will take on a bigger role in the outfield as well. The Twins also have Gabriel Gonzalez and Kyler Fedko putting together solid seasons in Triple-A St. Paul, but if you're trying to replace anything close to Buxton's production, it's hard to imagine the answer coming from within the organization. That's probably a need you'll have to address externally. As a matter of fact, fellow Twins Daily writer Matthew Taylor recently wrote about some right-handed outfield targets Minnesota could target. Even before Buxton landed on the injured list, you could've argued adding a right-handed hitting outfielder was the Twins' second-biggest need behind bullpen help. Now, that need becomes even more urgent if this team still believes it can make a postseason push. On the other hand, if the Twins decide Buxton's injury changes everything and they pull back at the deadline, that could end up creating opportunities for some of the organization's top prospects. Emmanuel Rodriguez returned to the St. Paul Saints' lineup earlier this week, and Buxton's absence could eventually open the door for his long-awaited major league debut. There's another interesting domino that could fall as well. If Minnesota eventually decides Buxton's injury requires a move to the 60-day injured list later this season, that would create an opening on the club's 40-man roster. That spot could very well be reserved for the Twins' top prospect, Walker Jenkins. In fact, if Buxton misses an extended period of time, the chances of seeing both Rodriguez and Jenkins in the majors later this summer increase considerably. That's obviously not the way anyone wants those promotions to happen, but it's a possibility worth monitoring over the next several weeks. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; this really, really sucks. It finally felt like the Twins had started building some legitimate momentum. There was reason to believe this team was beginning to turn the corner at exactly the right time, and then the worst possible thing that could’ve happened actually happened. Hopefully, this ends up being a relatively short absence, and we're looking back on all of this in a couple of weeks wondering why we were so concerned. But until we know more, it's impossible to ignore just how much this injury could change—not only the Twins' outlook for the rest of the season, but also everything they planned to do before the trade deadline. View full article

Acquiring AJ Minter from the Mets paints a pretty clear picture of how the front office views this team. They're buying, and the return they sent to New York reinforces that idea. In exchange for Minter, the Twins parted with a pair of infield prospects: corner infielder Billy Amick and middle infielder Bruin Agbayani. Neither player ranked among Twins Daily's Top 20 Twins' prospects, but both have intriguing offensive tools that made them attractive enough for the Mets to take a chance. Let's start with Amick. The Twins selected him in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and he should immediately become one of the best corner infield prospects in New York's farm system. There's a lot to like offensively. Across 86 games at Double-A Wichita this season, Amick launched 23 home runs while drawing 50 walks. That's a really appealing combination of power and plate discipline, and it's easy to see why another organization would believe there's more upside to unlock. He's split time between first and third base as a pro, although first base is pretty clearly where he fits best defensively. The overall batting average doesn't exactly jump off the page, though. Amick is hitting just .217 this season, but that number probably undersells how well he's actually swung the bat. His .239 BABIP is unusually low, especially for someone who consistently hits the ball as hard as he does. You'd expect that number to normalize over time, which should naturally push the batting average higher. Still, there's a reason the Twins were willing to move him. The bat-to-ball skills leave a lot to be desired. He's striking out at a 28.5% clip as a 23-year-old at Double-A, and that's a pretty concerning number. Ideally, you'd like to see more consistent contact against upper-level pitching at this stage of his development. And when you dig a little deeper, it becomes even more obvious. Amick owns just a 63.6% overall contact rate this year. He's also not an especially aggressive hitter, so these aren't simply the byproduct of someone constantly expanding the strike zone. He's just swinging through pitches far too often. That doesn't mean he can't become a productive major leaguer; players with his kind of power can absolutely carve out roles if they make enough contact. But his defensive profile doesn't leave much margin for error. He's probably not going to stick at third base long term, and while he's serviceable at first, that's a position where the offensive expectations are incredibly high. If the contact issues persist, his ceiling becomes much more limited. Now let's talk about Agbayani, who is much harder to evaluate. The Twins selected him in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, but he just hasn't played much professional baseball yet. He suffered a throwing shoulder injury back in May and hasn't appeared in a game since May 12. Because of that, he has just 74 professional plate appearances since being drafted. So we're working with an incredibly small sample size. But from what we've seen so far, he kind of feels like the complete opposite of Amick offensively. Agbayani already shows impressive contact skills for a 19-year-old. Across those 74 plate appearances at Low-A, he's struck out only six times while drawing 16 walks. That's an outstanding foundation to build from. He consistently puts the bat on the ball, controls the strike zone well, and has shown an ability to use the entire field instead of trying to yank everything into the pull side. The biggest difference between him and Amick is the type of contact he creates. Agbayani puts the ball on the ground quite a bit. There are flashes of pull-side power when he gets the ball in the air, and as he continues to mature physically and add strength, you'd expect some of those doubles to eventually turn into home runs. But he'll probably profile as more of a hit-for-contact type of hitter than a true power bat. Defensively, he's bounced around the infield, seeing time at second base, third base, and shortstop. Long term, though, second base feels like the most realistic fit. His range isn't particularly exciting, and his arm strength probably isn't enough for the left side of the infield. That's perfectly fine if the bat develops, but like Amick, there are still questions about where exactly he fits defensively. Overall, the Mets are getting two very different offensive profiles. Amick brings legitimate power with some swing-and-miss concerns. Agbayani offers advanced contact skills but significantly less impact with the bat. They're both bat-first prospects who come with defensive question marks, just in completely different ways. Could one of them eventually become a productive major leaguer? Absolutely. Prospect development is unpredictable, and we've seen players make dramatic improvements after changing organizations before. But if we're being honest, the odds are that neither develops into a true impact player. There's no guarantee either one even reaches the majors. The Mets clearly saw enough upside to take the gamble, and that's exactly what prospect trades are all about. But from the Twins' perspective, this feels like a worthwhile price to pay. Minter immediately upgrades a bullpen that desperately needed another reliable late-inning arm, and that's simply more valuable to Minnesota's playoff hopes than what Amick or Agbayani were likely ever going to provide. Of course, projecting prospects is never an exact science. Maybe New York helps Amick cut down the strikeouts, and maybe Agbayani develops more power than expected. Maybe one of them eventually becomes an everyday major leaguer; that possibility will always exist. But based on what we know today, I like this deal for the Twins. I love seeing this front office act aggressively instead of sitting on its hands. This team needed bullpen help, and they went out and got it without sacrificing any of their elite prospects. Hopefully, this is just the beginning. Because if the Twins are serious about making a postseason run, there should be more moves coming. View full article

The Twins were expected to be buyers at the deadline, but Byron Buxton's latest injury changes the equation. It could impact everything from potential trades to the timeline for Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez. View full video

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober - 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K (79 pitches, 52 strikes (66% strikes)) Home Runs: Kody Clemens Top 3 WPA: Kody Clemens (0.84!!), Ryan Jeffers (0.02), Andrew Morris (0.02) Win Probability Chart The Twins entered Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Royals looking to secure a series victory after splitting the first two games. For eight innings, it looked like they were headed for another frustrating offensive performance. Then everything changed. Minnesota managed just one hit through the first eight innings against Royals left-hander Noah Cameron and entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 3-0. But after the team loaded the bases with two outs, Kody Clemens delivered the biggest swing of the Twins' season, launching a walk-off grand slam into the right-center field seats to give Minnesota a stunning 4-3 victory. After looking completely lifeless at the plate for most of the afternoon, the Twins somehow found a way to steal the series. NOAH CAMERON SHUTS DOWN THE TWINS AGAIN Coming into Thursday, Cameron had already dominated Minnesota twice this season. Unfortunately for the Twins, the third meeting looked a lot like the first two. Austin Martin worked a seven-pitch leadoff walk to begin the game, but was immediately erased trying to steal second base. From there, Cameron settled into a rhythm that the Twins never disrupted. The Royals' left-hander faced the minimum through five innings, allowing just the one walk while Minnesota failed to record a hit. Even when the Twins finally created their first real scoring opportunity in the sixth, Cameron escaped unscathed. Brooks Lee worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth, before Ryan Kreidler dropped down a swinging bunt that advanced Lee into scoring position. After a wild pitch moved him to third with one out, it appeared Minnesota finally had a chance to cut into the deficit. Instead, Cameron got Austin Martin to ground out to shortstop, stranding Lee 90 feet from home plate. Ryan Jeffers finally broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the seventh, but once again the Twins couldn't capitalize. Cameron finished his afternoon with another dominant outing against Minnesota, keeping them scoreless and handing the game over to Kansas City's bullpen. Big mistake. Huge. BAILEY OBER DESERVED BETTER While the Twins couldn't solve Cameron, Bailey Ober quietly turned in another quality performance of his own. The right-hander worked around a pair of early walks before running into trouble in the third inning. John Rave lined a two-out double off the wall in right-center, bringing Jac Caglianone to the plate. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, Caglianone hammered a slider right down the middle well over the wall in right field, for a two-run homer. Justin Morneau's reaction on the television broadcast said it all, simply blurting out "wow" as the ball disappeared. That proved to be the only major mistake Ober made all afternoon. The Royals added another run in the fifth, after Rave collected his second double of the game. A misplayed relay allowed Carter Jensen to score all the way from first, extending Kansas City's lead to 3-0. Outside of those two innings, Ober was excellent. He finished six innings while throwing just 79 pitches, consistently working ahead in counts and giving the Twins every opportunity to climb back into the game. Unfortunately, much like Cameron on the other side, he didn't receive much offensive support. DEFENSE AND THE BULLPEN KEPT MINNESOTA CLOSE Even while trailing, the Twins continued making plays that kept the deficit from growing. Alex Jackson made an outstanding sliding stop down the first base line to rob Carter Jensen of extra bases in the third inning. Kody Clemens answered with a sliding catch in right field during the fourth, while Luke Keaschall made one of his own in center field to take away a hit from Michael Massey in the sixth—although he had to slide mostly because he initially misread the ball and took a poor route to it. After Ober exited, the bullpen did its job, as well. Taylor Rogers stranded two runners in the seventh after Lane Thomas was frozen on a sinker for the final out. Andrew Morris followed with a clean eighth that ended with a perfectly turned 4-6-3 double play, before Yoendrys Gómez stranded runners at the corners in the ninth by blowing a 99-MPH fastball past Carter Jensen. Every inning the bullpen kept Kansas City off the board gave the offense another chance. As it turned out, they only needed one. KODY CLEMENS DELIVERS THE WALK-OFF OF THE YEAR Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Twins needed three runs just to force extra innings. Trevor Larnach struck out to begin the inning, and Victor Caratini lined out, leaving Minnesota down to its final out. Then the rally began. Jeffers was hit by a pitch to extend the game, Royce Lewis followed with a single into center, and Josh Bell worked a terrific at-bat that ended in a walk to load the bases. That brought Royals manager Matt Quatraro out of the dugout to make one final pitching change, calling upon left-hander Matt Strahm to face Clemens. Big mistake. Huge. After falling behind in the count, Clemens got a two-strike slider left over the heart of the plate and absolutely crushed it into the seats in right-center field. Just like that, a game that looked completely over became one of the Twins' most memorable wins of the season—or any season since 2023, for that matter. The grand slam gave Minnesota a 4-3 walk-off victory, marking the second time in this series the Twins walked off the Royals. For eight innings, the offense couldn't get anything going. In the ninth, they saved their best swings for last. The Twins finish the homestand back at .500 after securing the series victory, and if there was ever a win capable of injecting some life into a club, this certainly feels like it. It also made for a pretty memorable 56th birthday present for manager Derek Shelton. What’s Next? The Twins will travel west to begin a three-game weekend series in Seattle against the Mariners. Zebby Matthews will toe the rubber for the Twins, and he’ll face off against right-hander Bryce Miller. First pitch is set for 9:10 PM CT. Postgame Interviews Coming soon! Bullpen Availability Chart View full article

The Twins don't need the flashiest bullpen arm available. Huascar Brazobán, JoJo Romero, Brennan Bernardino, and Brent Suter could all provide immediate value without costing a premium. View full video

Everyone's talking about the Twins adding pitching, but what about another right-handed outfielder? Lane Thomas, Nelson Velázquez, and Max Schuemann all make intriguing deadline targets. View full video

Image courtesy of David Frerker-Imagn Images With just under a week until the trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins still don't know exactly what they'll be. They currently sit one game below .500 and will host the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. The Royals are bringing up the rear in the AL Central at 45-62, giving Minnesota a golden opportunity to build some momentum before the deadline. If the Twins take two of three from Kansas City, they're back to .500. A sweep would put them over the mark. A strong showing over the next several days should convince the front office to become legitimate buyers—not in the sense that they're going out and trading for Tarik Skubal, but adding pieces around the margins that can make a real impact over the final two months of the regular season. If that's the route Minnesota ends up taking, the bullpen has to be the first priority. With that in mind, here are four lesser-known, under-the-radar relievers the Twins could target before the trade deadline. Huascar Brazobán, New York Mets The Mets have been a disaster this season, but at 36 years old, Brazobán has quietly put together an impressive campaign. Across 50 2/3 innings, he's sporting a 2.66 ERA while striking out 47 hitters against 22 walks. Brazobán leans heavily on a sinker-changeup combination, which has helped him produce a ground-ball rate that ranks in the 93rd percentile across Major League Baseball. He's also been one of the league's best when it comes to limiting loud contact. His hard-hit rate, barrel rate and average exit velocity all rank in the 99th percentile, making him one of the toughest relievers in baseball to square up. That's exactly the type of profile the Twins should be targeting. They don't necessarily need an overpowering arm; they need reliable innings from someone who can consistently keep the ball on the ground and avoid damaging contact. Brazobán checks those boxes, and because of his age, he likely wouldn't cost all that much in a trade. JoJo Romero, St. Louis Cardinals The Twins currently have three left-handed relievers, in Kendry Rojas, Kody Funderburk and Taylor Rogers. But with Rojas serving as a swing man and Funderburk and Rogers impossible to count on, another southpaw could make a huge difference for them. Romero owns a 3.35 ERA across 43 innings this season. That number sat at an impressive 2.07 last year, and for the most part, his overall performance has regressed in 2026. There's been more hard contact allowed and fewer swings and misses than we've seen in previous seasons. Even so, there's plenty to like. His sinker, sweeper and changeup all feature excellent movement profiles, and one area where he's actually improved this year has been limiting walks. That's an encouraging sign for a pitcher who already has quality stuff. He's also on the final year of his contract before reaching free agency, meaning St. Louis probably won't be asking for a premium return if they decide to move him. If the Twins are simply looking to add another dependable left-handed option without paying a steep price, Romero makes plenty of sense. Brennan Bernardino, Colorado Rockies Bernardino is another intriguing possibility. He's in his age-34 season, but putting together the best year of his career. Over 42 2/3 innings, he's posted a 2.74 ERA with 33 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks. Nothing about Bernardino's arsenal immediately jumps off the page. His sinker averages around 90 mph, and his pitch shapes aren't particularly flashy. But getting outs is more important than looking impressive doing it. Bernardino is a classic pitch-to-contact reliever, and the contact he allows is exactly what teams are looking for. His barrel rate ranks in the 89th percentile, while both his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity sit in the 96th percentile. He attacks the strike zone, limits quality contact, and has managed to keep his ERA below 3.00 despite pitching half of his games at Coors Field. That's no small accomplishment. Bernardino is someone I'm liking quite a bit as a realistic trade target. Brent Suter, Los Angeles Angels Apparently, I have a type when it comes to bullpen targets. Suter is 36 years old and will turn 37 in August. Like the other names on this list, he doesn't light up radar guns, averaging around 89 MPH on his sinker, and his pitch shapes aren't eye-popping. His 4.42 ERA isn't particularly appealing, but a 3.62 FIP suggests he's been the victim of some bad luck (and some bad Angels defense) this season. He's posted outstanding walk numbers over the past three years, and while strikeouts have never been a huge part of his game, he's another pitcher who specializes in weak contact. His hard-hit rate and average exit velocity both rank in at least the 89th percentile among major-league pitchers. He also generates ground balls at a healthy clip, and thanks to an average of 7.4 feet of extension, that slow sinker plays much harder than the radar gun suggests. Suter is on a cheap, expiring contract and brings a long track record of success. He's another veteran who could slide into Minnesota's bullpen and provide meaningful innings during the stretch run. None of these names would generate the biggest headlines if the Twins acquired them, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't make a difference. If Minnesota decides they’re buying at the deadline, the bullpen absolutely has to be the first area addressed. Adding one or even two reliable veteran relievers like Brazobán, Romero, Bernardino or Suter could go a long way toward stabilizing a relief corps that's been the team's biggest question mark all season. View full article

Names like Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers have dominated the Twins' trade rumors. But if Minnesota wants to reshape its roster, Royce Lewis could quietly emerge as one of the deadline's biggest surprises. View full video

The Twins could maximize Joe Ryan's trade value at this year's deadline, but Tom Pohlad has much more to consider than just the return package. View full video

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect As the Twins have stumbled out of the All-Star break, it grows increasingly likely that they will be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. After last year's fire sale that shook up the roster, the Twins once again have several names that could be on the way out over the next week and a half. It isn't the position anyone in the organization hoped to be in; selling would be another sign that 2026 hasn't gone according to plan. However, there are long-term benefits that come with moving veterans and arbitration-eligible players. One of those benefits is how much money the Twins could potentially save from this year's payroll. Ryan Jeffers, Joe Ryan and Trevor Larnach are all names generating plenty of attention on the trade market. Each would bring back a player (or multiple) that could fit into the Twins’ long-term plans, but there's another layer to the discussion that shouldn't be overlooked. The offense would almost certainly take a step back in the short term without Jeffers and Larnach in the lineup. Ryan, meanwhile, has been the anchor of the rotation, and all three have spent their entire major league careers with the Twins. They drafted Larnach in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft and used their second-rounder on Jeffers. Ryan was acquired from the Rays in July of 2021 as the headliner in the Nelson Cruz trade and has developed into one of the American League’s best pitchers. Moving on from three guys who have been around for that long is a tough thing to do as an organization. But not only would the hypothetical returns for those players help shape the organization's future; they would also clear millions of dollars from the payroll. All three are playing on one-year contracts. Ryan and Larnach each have a year of team control left in 2027, and Jeffers will hit the open market this winter. Despite the season being roughly two-thirds complete, there's little reason to continue paying those salaries if the organization no longer views this year's club as a legitimate contender. If those players don't fit into the long-term plans, there is value in moving them now rather than waiting. Looking at their contracts, Jeffers is making the most of the three at $6.7 million this season. Assuming roughly two-thirds of that salary has already been paid by the deadline, the Twins would save approximately $2.23 million by trading him. Ryan and Larnach would add even more savings. Between those two players, the Twins would clear roughly another $3.5 million from this year's payroll. Now you're talking about just under $6 million saved immediately, and that's before even considering how much will be avoided by not having to pay their next contract. The savings don't stop there, either. Veterans Josh Bell and Taylor Rogers are both playing on one-year deals and could very well be on the move if contenders come calling. Bell signed a one-year, $7 million contract. After accounting for his $250,000 signing bonus, he'll earn $6.75 million throughout the season. Rogers is making $2 million this year. Combined, that's just under $9 million in salary. With approximately one-third of the season remaining, moving both players would save the Twins nearly another $3 million from this year's payroll. And what if someone like Bailey Ober got moved? Like Ryan and Larnach, he has one more year of arbitration eligibility and could draw interest from a team looking to strengthen the back end of its rotation. Trading Ober would save approximately $1.73 million this season, and as much as I’m sure we’ll all miss his electric 88 MPH fastball, it’s tough to imagine he fits in the Twins’ future rotation plans. Put all of those moves together, and the Twins could (potentially) save around $10.5 million from this year's payroll by moving players who don't appear to fit into the organization's long-term plans. And that's before mentioning what might be the biggest benefit of all: adding another wave of young talent through trade returns. That's what this is really about. The Twins aren't simply trying to cut costs; they're trying to position themselves for the future. If the front office believes this core isn't capable of competing for a championship in 2026, maximizing the value of those assets becomes the logical next step. Looking ahead to 2027, there are even bigger financial questions looming. Nobody knows exactly what that season will look like—or whether there will even be a season—with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement set to become one of baseball's biggest storylines over the next year. The biggest component of that has centered around implementing a salary cap and a salary floor. In the league's initial proposal, the salary floor would be set at $171.2 million. The Twins are currently one of 12 teams below that figure, and they're going to need far more than $10.5 million in savings to navigate whatever comes next. Minnesota's current payroll sits at roughly $106 million, leaving a massive gap between where it is today and where a potential salary floor could eventually be established. That's why, regardless of whether the Twins believed they were contenders this season, significant roster decisions were likely coming at some point anyway. Shipping out key pieces at the trade deadline is never enjoyable. That's especially true for Twins fans, who just watched last summer's fire sale reshape much of the roster. But baseball is a business as much as it's a game. If moving players who no longer fit the organization's long-term timeline allows the Twins to save money, acquire future talent and better position themselves for whatever comes next, it's a difficult decision that may ultimately make the most sense. And once again, that's the situation the Twins find themselves in. View full article

The Twins are going to be one of the fascinating teams to monitor leading up to the 2026 MLB trade deadline on August 3. Regardless of how competitive the organization believes they are, the way this roster is currently constructed, it feels inevitable that some moves have to happen. Multiple factors are going into that. An abundance of talent in the minor leagues and a shortage of fans and revenue have created a unique situation. They have more young players pushing for opportunities than they have everyday spots available, and at some point, difficult decisions have to be made. That's why players like Trevor Larnach and Joe Ryan have been mentioned so frequently in trade rumors. Despite the Twins still having a chance to control him for one more season, moving Larnach now would clear some money off the books while also opening up major-league at-bats for the Twins' next wave of outfield talent. Then you've got Ryan Jeffers. He’s set to hit free agency this winter, and it feels very unlikely that he'll be back in Minnesota beyond this season. If that's the case, you're probably better off moving him now, rather than watching him leave for nothing in a few months. Those are the names everyone has talked about. But every trade deadline, there are always a handful of players who get moved that nobody saw coming. I think the Twins have one of those candidates this year. It's Royce Lewis. For a while, it looked like the Twins had found their next franchise superstar. Former No. 1 overall picks don't come around often, and when Lewis finally reached the majors, he looked every bit like the guy everyone envisioned. The talent was obvious, and when he got hot, he could completely take over games. He just wasn't able to stay healthy for a long while—and then, once he finally was, somethign seemed to be missing. It feels like every time Lewis has started to build momentum, another injury has sent him back to square one. Those repeated setbacks haven't just limited his availability; they've also taken a toll on his production. As a result, his numbers have cratered. This season, Lewis is hitting just .213 with a .294 on-base percentage and a .676 OPS. It's the third straight season in which he's posted a batting average below .240 and an on-base percentage below .300. It's also the second consecutive year he's carried an OPS below .700. At some point, you have to acknowledge reality. Sometimes, players and organizations need a fresh start. That might be exactly what both Royce Lewis and the Twins need. It isn't just about the offensive struggles, either. Moving Lewis would also clear up what is becoming an increasingly crowded infield picture. Lewis is no longer the young, up-and-coming prospect he once was. He's 27 years old now, and frankly, where does he fit long-term? He's already had to move off both shortstop and third base, eventually settling into a primary role at first base. That transition alone says a lot about how the organization currently views him defensively. Meanwhile, the Twins have more infield talent on the way. Kaelen Culpepper should be making his major-league debut sometime over the next couple of months. Marek Houston probably isn't far behind and could realistically arrive sometime next season. Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall are also still parts of that jam. Either way, the Twins are looking at an infield that's going to be awfully crowded over the next couple of years. If everyone develops the way Minnesota hopes (which, to be fair, they probably won’t), there won't be enough everyday opportunities for everyone. Moving Lewis could solve part of that puzzle. It might also allow the Twins to stick with someone like Kody Clemens. Clemens has shown he can play a strong first base while providing better production, and both players still have two years of arbitration eligibility. If the price tag is going to be higher for Lewis, why not keep the more productive player while clearing up another roster spot in the process? It’s harsh to say that about Lewis, and I take no pride in doing so. But that’s the cruel business of baseball. It doesn’t care about your feelings, as nice as that would be. So what could the Twins realistically get for Royce Lewis? By himself, not a whole lot. This is a 27-year-old hitter whose primary position is now first base, coming off multiple injury-plagued seasons while struggling offensively. That's not exactly the type of profile teams are lining up to acquire. At the same time, though, every front office has seen what Lewis looks like when he's feeling himself. He's shown flashes of being the type of player who can carry an offense for (literally) weeks at a time. His ceiling isn’t what it once was, but when he’s on, you don’t want to pitch to him. For a contending team looking for upside, Lewis could absolutely be worth taking a chance on, especially as part of a larger deal. If the Twins packaged him with someone like Jeffers or Larnach, not only would they clear additional money from future payrolls, but they could also increase the overall return in a hypothetical trade. Lewis isn't bringing back a quality prospect on his own. But as an additional piece in a larger package, he could make a deal more appealing for another organization. It would certainly qualify as one of the more surprising moves of the trade deadline—not because he’s a season-saving addition for a team, but because of the context. Again, this is a player who was once viewed as the future of the franchise. He delivered one of the most memorable moments in recent Twins history, with his Game 1 homer off Kevin Gausman in the first inning of the 2023 AL Wild Card (the second one was cool, too, but the first one is cooler). He had the makings of a star. But baseball changes quickly. Injuries happen–to some more than others. And eventually, there comes a point where both sides might benefit from turning the page. If the Twins decide that's the route they want to take, moving Lewis before the trade deadline would be surprising, but in my opinion, not crazy. View full article