Major League Baseball (and the Minnesota Twins) are exactly four weeks away from the 2025 trade deadline. At this point, the Twins are within striking distance of a playoff spot. The problem is that when they haven’t been playing well, the performance has been very discouraging, which makes “buying” hard to endorse—and, as we will explore here, makes one wonder if the Twins have a core ready to compete for the playoffs, let alone make a deep run. With that in mind, it may be prudent for the front office to consider tearing down what was expected to be the core of this team and forming a new one for future seasons. 

Not everything will happen overnight. A core rebuild could happen quickly, as the Twins do have some quality pieces and would need to look to supplement that group better than they have been currently. A core rebuild likely cannot happen in full by the end of the month, but the Twins can get a strong start on the process.  

The most obvious thing that can happen immediately is a series of marginal moves: trading away players on expiring deals. Willi Castro, Chris Paddack, and Harrison Bader top that list. When we consider establishing a new core, this group and their trade value may not be enough, but the trades could prove valuable as a source of organizational depth that can develop into regulars, future trade targets, and, of course, the chance of a high-performing wild card acquisition. Moving someone like Bader out could also force the team to get a longer look at Austin Martin or DaShawn Keirsey Jr., accelerating the evaluation process (and perhaps, over the next year, accelerating turnover) for those prime-aged players on the fringes of the roster.

Changing the core, however, would require bigger and riskier moves, too. Here are some moves with larger consequences that the Twins could consider—ones that would shake up the core and help establish a new one.

Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner
As the two lefties came up through the minors, it always seemed it would be a miracle if both were genuinely able to work long-term on the Twins roster together. This deadline may be the perfect time to part with one player to find value in another. With the Twins’ organizational depth, no player acquired for one of these two would need to replace them on the roster. 

For one, Wallner or Larnach would still exist on the roster, and would fill the role of a left-handed corner outfielder. Some well-regarded prospects could fill in at their positions (looking at you, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez) soon. This move also creates room for the Twins to identify a right-handed bat to insert into the lineup, something that this club desperately needs, and has needed for some time.

As far as which lefty to send out, that feels like a toss-up. While both are left-handed, Larnach and Wallner bring slightly different skill sets to the table. Wallner appears to have the highest chance of being a game-changing power bat, which may tip the scale for the Twins. Taking the best package available in this scenario is the best way to go. 

Royce Lewis
We know this story all too well. Royce Lewis can’t seem to stay healthy in a Twins jersey, or their affiliates’ jerseys. Lately, even when healthy, he has struggled to produce. Lewis is just back from his most recent stint on the IL, and if he can regain any offensive form, it could be the prime opportunity for the Twins to part ways with him and reshape part of their core. 

A change of scenery could jumpstart Lewis’s career. Moving him would also give the Twins more freedom to think about the future on the infield. If this sort of move works for Lewis, the Twins front office will undoubtedly hear about it for ages. (Anyone heard about this David Ortiz guy?) At the same time, there are currently plenty of question marks surrounding Lewis, and instead of reacting in fear, the Twins need to decide if they can afford to wait on Lewis and watch him not regain form. 

Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax
A trade of one of these two is the most obvious possibility this month, among the major options. At the same time, it may cut to the heart of fans the most, because these two have been largely blameless during the team’s recent spiral. Relief pitchers are the most expendable players on any non-playoff roster, but they’re also the easiest players to slot into contending ones.

Out of these two, I would have to believe the Twins would prefer to part ways with Duran. He would likely fetch the best package, and we must not forget that the decline in the top end of his velocity has been a concern over the past two seasons. Those concerns could be unwarranted, as Duran is putting together an excellent season. 

While Duran’s strike rate is down, his 1.69 ERA and 12 saves will undoubtedly catch the eye of a contending team looking to add a lockdown closer to the back end of their bullpen. Jax would be easier for many fans to stomach trading away, since he seems to have these blips where he gives up a series of games in a row before becoming a dominant reliever again. 

Last season, Tanner Scott was part of a package that netted the Marlins a top-50 prospect, along with three other Padres prospects. Lucas Erceg also found his way onto the Royals at the deadline in exchange for three prospects, including MLB.com’s number four-ranked prospect in the Royals system. Relievers can still fetch good packages at the trade deadline. Contenders want to be able to lock down games with as much certainty as possible. Duran has proved he can do it.

Where are you at? Is it time to rebuild part of this core, or do you still have confidence in it? What moves would you make? Make it heard below!