The Bones Of Minnesota's Future Are Still In Place

July 31, 2025, will be seared into the minds of Minnesota Twins fans for the foreseeable future, as they must grapple with the dark reality of where their team stands at this moment in time.

Before the MLB Trade Deadline, the Twins traded 11 players, or 40% of their current roster. Gone are Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart, Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Chris Paddack, Danny Coulombe, Ty France, and Randy Dobnak.

The Twins were supposed to contend for a playoff spot in the AL Central this season. Instead, they just completed one of the most embarrassing and soul-wrenching fire sales we’ve seen in recent history.

There's no mistaking it anymore.

The Twins are headed into a rebuild.

Don’t just take it from me. Listen to the man the Twins paid $33 million to get rid of.

“When he told (me) that we were going to go into rebuild mode, I said then I deserve to go somewhere where I have a chance to win and my kids can watch me go out there in the playoffs and perform,” Correa said. “He agreed with me, and he said out of respect for me, he would get to work.”

It’s been a slow and toxic ride for the fans of Twins baseball since the team broke the two-decade playoff curse in 2023. Immediately after that electric season, ownership slashed the Opening Day payroll by nearly 20%. Then, we learned that the Pohlad family was selling the team, and everyone can feel the effects of an owner with a foot out the door right down to the foundation of Target Field.

“The sale process,” Falvey said, “continues to be an ongoing reality for our organization.”

The reality is that the Twins were a struggling baseball team that appeared to have the talent to contend but fell too far under .500 by the deadline. It also seems that the Pohlads purged the roster to keep the books as clean as possible for the new owners and potentially a new front office.

There’s also a third reality. A reality that in the wake of this betrayal, this pain, this mourning period that may be difficult to see, but it’s there.

I’m here to tell you there’s more than meets the eye with this waving of the white flag. The light at the end of the tunnel is already visible.

For starters (literally), the Twins didn’t trade Joe Ryan despite the Boston Red Sox’s efforts to land him in the waning moments of the deadline. In addition to Ryan, Pablo López is only one season removed from being an elite starter for Minnesota. Those are both guys you feel confident in starting a playoff game.

It’s less certain behind them, but with a new staff and a season of madness behind him, Bailey Ober could return to form and be a serviceable middle starter. Behind him, you have the young developmental pitchers in David Festa, Zebby Matthews, and Simeon Woods Richardson, who could all develop to take rotation spots.

Minnesota’s new pitchers could blossom with a change of scenery. Taj Bradley, whom they got from the Tampa Bay Rays for Griffin Jax, has put up decent numbers (4.61 ERA in 111 innings) in the bigs but has dominated Triple-A.

Mick Abel came over in the Duran deal and is a similar pitcher. The 23-year-old has better numbers in Triple-A and mixed MLB results. Still, he sits at No. 92 on the MLB top prospects list. Bradley and Abel could easily develop into No. 2 or 3 starters.

The Twins can convert whoever from that group doesn’t cut it as a starter in the bullpen as a way to supplement the losses they suffered. While it won’t be easy or happen overnight, there’s no lack of talented arms in Minnesota’s system for the starting rotation or the bullpen.

In the field and behind the plate, Byron Buxton is finally healthy and playing at an MVP level. If he can stay healthy and consistent, Royce Lewis is one of the more exciting players in baseball. Ryan Jeffers is a solid power catcher who gave the Twins a lot over his time here. Brooke Lee has been disappointing, but he’s still only 24 years old. With a clear spot for him at short, he could have enough runway to deliver on his promise as a prospect.

The Twins signed Bader, Coulombe, and France as free agents at the start of this season. They weren’t sticking around or helping with a playoff push, so acquiring the assets the Twins got back added to the organizational depth, even if they won’t generate many wins above replacement. The Twins added three of their top-30 prospects with these moves.

Castro was a free agent at the end of the season. Getting a pitcher who slots into your top 20 and could make an impact in the next few years in return is another good deal.

James Outman is a post-hype prospect, but he can play big league defense and has shown his potential (2023 Rookie of the Year finalist). He may thrive in a new home where expectations are lower, and he has nothing to lose. He’s a solid get for Stewart, who’s 33 with an injury history.

The Twins needed depth at catcher. Offloading Dobnak, who was a fun story when he came up, but has mostly pitched at Triple-A, and Paddack is a solid move. Neither was in Minnesota’s long-term plans.

Alan Roden also came over from the Blue Jays, and he could use a change of scenery. As an outfielder with solid metrics at the plate, who knows what he could become in Minnesota? As recently as this season, he was named one of Toronto’s top-five prospects.

Ultimately, Minnesota added one of the top-50 prospects in baseball, two of the top-100, and six new prospects in their pipeline top 30 after today: Nos. 4, 6, 7, 16, 20, 24. That’s a meaningful boost to a system that needed some more depth.

The other Twins prospects aren’t far behind or are already here. Luke Keaschall raked in Minnesota before suffering an injury. He will undoubtedly drive winning. Walker Jenkins has crushed baseballs at every level, and he could be here as early as next season to be an outfielder. Emmanuel Rodriguez has been terrific in St. Paul and deserves an outfield spot on Opening Day next year.

New ownership often brings in some cash to demonstrate good faith moving forward. That’s some cash to spend on free agents to bolster the depth of the roster further. Add a reliever or two, and the Twins are right back in it.

Looking ahead, the Twins could have a roster that resembles this very soon.

Starters:

López, Ryan, Bradley, Abel, Festa

Bullpen:

Sands, Matthews, Ober, Woods Richardson, Travis Adams, Andrew Morris, Free Agent (x2-3)

Lineup:

1B: Keaschall

2B: Edouard Julien

SS: Lee

3B: Lewis

C: Jeffers

LF: Jenkins

CF: Buxton

RF: Rodriguez

DH: Matt Wallner/Trevor Larnach/Buxton

That’s a much more fun and promising group than what the Twins are trotting out the rest of this season. There’s no guarantee it will work out this way, because Minnesota has many more decisions still to be made before Opening Day 2026. Still, I don’t hate the way it looks.

It’s impossible to say that July 31 was a good day for the Minnesota Twins. Still, in the chaos of it all, the fallout is not all bad. There’s a path forward, reasons for optimism, and hope for Minnesota’s future.

All stats and data via MLB.com unless otherwise noted.