The MLB trade deadline is just a few days away, and the Minnesota Twins’ fortunes continue to change.
Plot twists are being thrown at fans who want to see the team do something at the deadline that will increase the squad’s prospects of contending in October. Starting pitching has been identified as an area where the Twins could invest resources at the deadline, but it comes with some irritating limitations.
While it has been obvious that Minnesota will be buyers if anything happens, ownership is not interested in acquiring players who will increase the future payroll. Furthermore, it has been claimed that the Twins may explore dumping salaries around the deadline in order to offset the cost of taking on money.
Both of these are frustrating updates, but they appear to be dictating how Minnesota’s trade deadline plans are perceived, potentially influencing which players are dealt.
Twins have heard offers for Jhoan Duran and Max Kepler.
In the latest trade deadline twist, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported that the Twins had ‘listened’ to proposals for future free agents Max Kepler and Jhoan Duran. While that is surprising to hear, it does not appear that Minnesota is serious about transferring either of them unless it receives a large haul in return.
Hayes writes:
“At the very least, team and league sources say the Twins have considered offers for impending free agents Manuel Margot and Max Kepler, as well as reliever Jhoan Duran. However, the cost of Kepler and Duran is thought to be exceedingly high, as the Twins appreciate both guys and what they bring to the clubhouse.”
This appears to be due diligence rather than an actual attempt by the front management to move any of those players. If Kepler or Duran were moved, it would send the incorrect signal to a club that is determined to compete for the World Series this season.
The $30 million question is whether the clubhouse will receive any assistance from ownership.
That is how much money the Pohlads cut from Minnesota’s payroll this past winter. It’s still an open wound for supporters, one that has been drenched in salt and massaged with sandpaper since learning that money is determining what moves may be made.
Fans are irritated by the Twins’ unwillingness to look beyond the bottom line, not because they want to add a lot of salary. Even without the financial issues, there aren’t many big-money deals that make sense for the Twins, but the fact that the thought process shifts to finding ways to save money rather than improving the team is where the line has been drawn.
Minnesota has previously worked in the shadows, so until the deadline passes without a substantial deal, we must give Derek Falvey the benefit of the doubt. Twins fans have been duped before, and it’s hard to blame anyone who hears that players like Kepler and Duran are being touted as payroll dumps for being anxious about how things will turn out.
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