With the 2025 trade deadline approaching, the Minnesota Twins have made it clear that they are open for business. The assumption has been that the team would be moving impending free agents, but reports have surfaced that the front office is also listening on players with team control beyond this season—names like Joe Ryan, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Duran. That naturally leads to questions. First, should the Twins be looking to trade players who (despite the current odds) could still help push for a playoff spot this year, and certainly contend next year? But even if the answer to that question is yes—if now is the best time to move those players at peak value—the follow-up is just as important: is Derek Falvey the right person to be making those decisions?

There are two main reasons why that question matters. First, Falvey’s long-term status in Minnesota is uncertain. With the sale of the team still pending, it’s entirely plausible that new ownership will want to install their own front office. That possibility alone raises real concerns about letting a potentially lame-duck executive make trades with long-term consequences. And second, even without the ownership factor, it’s not obvious that Falvey has earned the right to continue leading baseball operations. If this year goes the way it appears to be going, the Twins will have missed the playoffs four of the last five seasons, and the roster (while not without talent) doesn’t look like the product of a visionary baseball mind. The results simply haven’t been there.

There’s a natural misalignment of incentives when someone with an uncertain future is asked to make decisions that will affect the franchise for years to come. Even with the best intentions, it’s human nature to act in ways that protect your own position. That might mean targeting players who are closer to the majors over ones with more upside but more risk. It could mean making trades that look good in the short term, but don’t truly serve the long game. It’s not necessarily sabotage, but it’s not necessarily stewardship, either. You have to ask yourself if you’d rather let the next front office make those decisions—one that will be living with them—rather than someone who might not be around to see how they play out. Ryan, Jax, and Duran will all still have significant trade value in the offseason, or even at next season’s deadline.

There’s also the matter of whether Falvey is equipped to make these decisions, regardless of his job status. During his time with the Twins, he’s made two major selling trades. The first, acquiring Joe Ryan for Nelson Cruz, was a clear win. The second, trading José Berríos for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson, is more complicated. Woods Richardson has turned things around lately, but the deal was centered on Martin, who has either been a scouting miss or a development failure. Beyond that, the record isn’t exactly inspiring. The draft has been inconsistent, acquisitions have been middling, and the team stuck with an underwhelming core too long. On the development front, names like Jose Miranda, Edouard Julien, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, and Austin Martin all flashed potential but haven’t reached anything close to consistency. That’s not just bad luck; it reflects poorly on the infrastructure. So if the front office has shown it can’t consistently evaluate or develop talent, do you trust it to execute a complex, high-leverage trade?

Of course, there’s an opportunity cost in doing nothing. The trade deadline is when contenders pay the highest prices. If you’re going to trade Ryan, Jax, or Duran, now is when you’re likely to get the biggest return. Waiting until the offseason may mean settling for less. But you also have to ask whether the return Falvey would get—while potentially greater on the surface—would actually deliver long-term value, or whether a new front office might do more with a little less. Sometimes it’s not just about the pieces you get, but how you build around them.

So what do you think? Should Derek Falvey be the one calling the shots on trades involving Jhoan Duran, Joe Ryan, and Griffin Jax? Or would you rather wait for a new front office to make those decisions, even if it means taking a little less in return? Leave a comment and start the conversation!