The Cubs come off an excellent 5-1 homestand and play six road games before this year’s All-Star break next week. To give you an idea of how much this team has changed so quickly, the Cubs’ starting pitchers the last time they visited Target Field two years ago were Drew Smyly, Hayden Wesneski and Marcus Stroman, none of whom are still on the team.

For more on the Twins, here’s Benjamin Jones, managing editor of our SB Nation Twins site Twinkie Town.

It’s usually a bad sign when all your team’s talking points are about off-field decisions, but that’s the situation the Twins find themselves yet again in an up-and-down season. After a dreadful 13-20 start, the Twins once again rattled off the longest win streak in baseball (for now), 13 in a row, a mirror image of 2024’s late April turnaround. Unlike 2024, the Twins reverted back to their losing ways afterward and just won their first series since the beginning of June.

Injuries to Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober, and Zebby Matthews have hurt the pitching staff, but the real fault lies with the offense. The Twins have a grand total of four hitters with an OPS above league average: All-Star Byron Buxton and three players that were supposed to be in bench roles (Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Kody Clemens). Injuries and underperformance from Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, and Trevor Larnach completely tanked the lineup without a single reliable mid-order bat to speak of.

As a result, most Twins talk revolves around the trade deadline and which players will still be on the team come August 1. Even if they play themselves back into Wild Card contention, there’s a sizable contingent of fans, media members, and actual front office personnel who are ready to shake up the current core. If things don’t turn around, 2025 will be the fourth time in five seasons the Twins will miss the playoffs despite the front office trying to contend for a title. With the team up for sale and some reports trickling out that they may have a new buyer soon, POBO Derek Falvey may be auditioning to keep his job.

Contenders will be lining up for Twins pitchers should they decide to sell, the Cubs included. Veterans Chris Paddack and Danny Coulombe are free agents after this season and are locks to be dealt, along with hitters Willi Castro and Harrison Bader. All four vets are free agents after this season and turning in strong seasons. If the Twins go a step further, All-Star snubs Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, and Griffin Jax would be, arguably, the best players available at the trade deadline with each having 2+ years of team control remaining. The organization loves Ryan and would have to be blown away by an offer to move him, but Duran or Jax could likely be had with the Twins turning into a late-inning bullpen factory.

I’ll end with a final note to the entirety of baseball media: Byron Buxton isn’t going anywhere. Buck is the lifeblood of the Twins organization and is on an incredibly team-friendly contract. Even if they were blown away by an offer, Buxton has a full no-trade clause and has made it abundantly clear he wants to be a Twin for life. For now, we can all relax and enjoy a healthy Buxton at the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby next week.

Fun facts

This series will begin a stretch of five in a row for the Cubs against American League teams, all of three games. After their visit to Minnesota, they will take on the Yankees at New York, then return home to host the Red Sox and Royals, followed by a series on the South Side against the White Sox.

When the last series ends, the Cubs will have played 33 of 106 games vs. AL clubs. Their four remaining interleague series will be Aug. 1-3 at home against the Orioles, Aug. 12-14 at Toronto, Aug. 22-24 at Los Angeles vs. the Angels and Sept. 12-14 at home vs. the Rays.

…..

The Cubs are 23-20 all-time against the Twins. They are 9-11 on the road but 6-5 at Target Field, which opened in 2010. The Cubs have won three series at Minnesota and lost four. In their previous visit, two years ago, they won the first game, 6-2, and lost the next two, by 11-1 and 16-3.

They won both games there in 2021, the only time they won the first two games of a series. They were swept once, in 2006.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Tuesday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.84 FIP) vs. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP (4-4, 4.41 ERA, 1.342 WHIP, 4.43 FIP)

Wednesday: Cade Horton, RHP (3-2, 4.15 ERA, 1.385 WHIP, 4.28 FIP) vs. David Festa, RHP (2-3, 5.48 ERA, 1.359 WHIP, 4.52 FIP)

Thursday: Colin Rea, RHP (6-3, 4.13 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, 4.82 FIP) vs. Chris Paddack, RHP (3-7, 4.64 ERA, 1.221 WHIP, 4.29 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Thursday: 12:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Twins market territories)

Prediction

Hey, look! No lefthanded starters will be facing the Cubs in this series.

Since June 5, the Twins are 9-20, though they have played a bit better at home.

Still, I don’t see any reason the Cubs shouldn’t win two of three here.

Up next

The Cubs head to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees beginning Friday evening.

Poll
How many games will the Cubs win against the Twins?