As the Twins navigate the choppy waters of another MLB season, the ghosts of past trade deadlines hover ominously. With Pablo López out, and Zebby Matthews following him onto the injury list, the starting rotation looks pretty bare-boned. The lineup? Not exactly setting the world on fire either, with several positions crying out for an upgrade. Yet, even as they hunt for a postseason berth, fans might want to dampen their expectations for any earth-shattering moves come trade deadline.
Flashback to 2022, a year when the Twins decided to go big at the deadline. They added Tyler Mahle, Jorge López, and Michael Fulmer to bolster their roster. While Fulmer delivered as a solid setup man, the other two did not live up to expectations, leaving the Twins to nurse the wounds of a deadline swing and miss. The prospects they parted with haven’t turned into stars, but the sting lingered, especially as Mahle and López didn’t quite deliver dividends.
By 2023, the team again faced gaps—most notably a need for a right-handed bat and bullpen arms—with Jorge López unraveling and Brock Stewart’s injury timeline growing murky. Their solution? Trading López for Dylan Floro, who made little impact. Yet, in a twist of fate, the Twins’ tepid moves didn’t hinder their progress, and they snapped their playoff win drought.
Fast-forward to 2024, and the script read almost the same. Injuries to Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton, and Carlos Correa put the brakes on their momentum, yet the team held on until mid-August, when things went south. Their only deadline transaction was snagging Trevor Richards, who was soon designated for assignment. This time, doubling down on the roster didn’t yield the fairy-tale ending.
So what about 2025? Well, this year carries a new set of challenges and considerations. While the team has definite needs, the financial and ownership landscape paints a complex picture. With the Pohlads possibly on their way out, there’s not much appetite for pouring money into a late-season splurge unless it somehow sweetens their billion-dollar exit strategy.
The directive might just be to keep the ship steady. Unloading prospects to chase high-profile talent carries too much risk, especially with ownership talks possibly in the background. A botched trade involving top prospects could become a bargaining chip in sale negotiations, and the front office could be forced to play the long game again this year.
With the Twins’ front office showing a penchant for caution at recent deadlines and a financial ledger that doesn’t encourage big spending, blockbuster moves at the 2025 trade deadline seem unlikely. Any significant deals would either strain the wallet or demand premium prospects, options neither the team nor ownership appears eager to pursue given the current debt situation.
