At this year’s trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins made a series of deals that reshaped both the big-league roster and the minor-league system. With Jhoan Duran, Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe, Willi Castro, and Louis Varland shipped out, the organization received a wave of prospects who are already making their mark. But as Twins fans know well, talent acquisition is only step one. Development and adjustment are where organizations separate themselves.
On the most recent episode of Inside Twins, Director of Player Development Drew MacPhail pulled back the curtain on how the Twins are working to maximize these new pieces.
Eduardo Tait – The Headliner Catching Prospect
The biggest name coming over in the Duran deal with Philadelphia was Tait, a teenager who is already a consensus top-five catching prospect in baseball. Just 19 years old, Tait’s aggressive High-A assignment at Cedar Rapids has not slowed him down offensively.
MacPhail emphasized that the key for Tait isn’t reining him in, but sharpening his approach.
“I think with Tait, the next sort of step for his development is continuing to refine his approach. That doesn’t mean swinging less,” he clarified. “It’s just sort of trying to hone in on what’s your approach, given how this pitcher is going to attack you and how his pitches move. And how are you going to try and be as aggressive as possible over the heart of the plate and leave the edges to the pitcher.”
It’s rare to see a catching prospect this young thrive against advanced competition, and the Twins are letting him attack without undue restraint. In recent years, the Twins have seen a similar approach from other top prospects like Jose Miranda and Brooks Lee. Those two players have struggled to find consistency at the big-league level, but the Twins believe Tait has plenty of time to develop.
Hendry Mendez – Bat-First, with Defensive Questions
Mendez, part of the Bader deal, has been scorching Texas League pitching, hitting around .340 with Double-A Wichita. He’s younger than nearly everyone he’s facing, which makes his production stand out even more. The Twins see his offensive profile as legitimate, but they know his glove will dictate his future role.
“No question that the bat plays,” MacPhail said. “It’s about improving his route efficiency in the outfield. We are also exploring a little bit of first base with Hendry to open up his options defensively so he can find a position to stick with in the big leagues.”
It’s interesting to hear the Twins talk about a prospect shifting to first base, since the club has seen a revolving door at that position in recent years. Mendez has a bat that can fit in any position, if he learns to get the ball off the ground more. First base might be his ticket to regular MLB at-bats, and as a lanky 6-foot-3 left-handed thrower, he’s a prototypical fit for the gig.
Garrett Horn – A Lefty with Spin and Velocity
From Texas in the Coulombe deal, Horn has wasted little time impressing at Cedar Rapids. Opponents are hitting under .200 against him, and he’s showing mid-90s velocity from the left side with the ability to spin it. Coming off Tommy John surgery, he’s in a period of slow buildup; the Twins are being deliberate with his usage.
“With him, it’s focusing on continuing to refine his pitch arsenal. Throwing pitches in-zone a little bit earlier in counts,” said MacPhail. Horn already looks like a potential big-league bullpen weapon, but the Twins will stretch him as far as his command allows.
Ryan Gallagher & Sam Armstrong – Double-A Depth with Upside
In the Castro deal with Chicago, the Twins grabbed two Double-A arms in Gallagher and Armstrong, both of whom had already logged 100+ innings this season. Gallagher’s fastball/slider combo stands out, while Armstrong brings a deeper arsenal.
MacPhail noted that Gallagher’s slider, in particular, was underutilized with the Cubs.
“His slider actually gets the most miss of any pitch in his arsenal. He wasn’t throwing it a ton with the Cubs, so I think that was one area that we saw that we could uptick that in terms of usage.”
On Armstrong, it’s about sorting through the menu of pitches to find a path to more whiffs. MacPhail said,
“He has really impressive pitches, and a lot of them. I think there’s, again, as I kind of referenced with the usages, some things we can kind of tinker a little bit there to get more swing-and-miss out of him.”
Both pitchers are striking out fewer batters since coming over from the Chicago system, but perhaps the fruits of these tweaks will ripen next year.
Kendry Rojas – A Young Arm with Big Velocity
The key return in the Varland trade, Rojas has already touched the upper 90s from the left side while flashing a slider and splitter. At just 21 in Triple-A, he’s facing older competition almost every night.
For the Twins, his next step is as much about acclimation as it is mechanics.
“With Kendry, it’s being more consistent. This is a really raw talent from Cuba,” MacPhail said. “For us, it’s been having him come to the organization and get comfortable. Get to know us, trust us, and then kind of focus on January camps and start refining that arsenal a little bit.”
The Twins didn’t go for major-league reinforcements at the deadline. Instead, they stockpiled youth, upside, and depth with an eye toward the next wave. Tait headlines the group, but each of these players has a specific development plan the Twins believe will unlock more.
As MacPhail’s comments suggest, this deadline wasn’t just about adding names, it was about fitting those names into an organizational vision. At the time, Derek Falvey emphasized that the team passed on other versions of deals that would have brought them higher-upside but less polished players; they believe this group can quickly matriculate and make a difference for them. And for a franchise in constant need of impact young talent, that vision will be tested in the months and years ahead.
What stands out from MacPhail’s comments? Will the Twins be able to make the changes outline above? Leave a comment and start the discussion.
Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!