On a beautiful night in downtown Minneapolis, Alex Kirilloff was ready to make his biggest sale. The Minnesota Twins first baseman turned real estate agent had sold countless houses since retiring last winter. However, none was bigger than the showing he had planned for this night.
A potential buyer for the Twins (we’ll just call him Mr. Munny) was touring Target Field, seeing all the ins and outs of his potential new home. Standing in the owner’s box, Kirilloff showed Mr. Munny the view of a beautiful sunset going down to the right side of Minny and Paul before he asked to see the clubhouse.
Kirilloff nervously pointed out the hues of red and orange in the sky, but Mr. Munny insisted that he see the clubhouse. When they got there, they saw the foundation of a 49-53 team that was already out of the AL Central race and falling further away from a wild card berth. However, just as Mr. Munny looked to take his interests elsewhere, he noticed a golden hue in the floorboards. After prying them away, he saw trade chips like Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran staring him in the face.
As it stands, the Twins have a solid foundation led by several superstars. However, cutting corners means the team should sell by the deadline to build a more sound structure under new ownership.
Think about the last house you bought (or even the previous apartment you rented). There may have been some nice features that make your neighbors jealous. But there have also been some corners cut to reduce costs that may require a deeper examination.
For the Twins, those oohs and ahhs come from Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, and Carlos Correa. Those three players represent the foundation of the team, and they should make up the middle of the Minnesota lineup for at least the next few seasons. The problem has been that the Pohlads have “right-sized” the business and reduced the talent around them.
Minnesota’s pitching staff has been one of the biggest areas of concern. Two years ago, the Twins had a similar foundation on the mound with Pablo López, Sonny Gray, and Joe Ryan. However, the trio took a massive hit when Gray left for the St. Louis Cardinals in free agency. While Ryan has graduated to the No. 2 starter, the back end has been in constant flux with Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, and others struggling to become consistent starters.
Some of that has to do with injuries, but the rest is key players not being ready to contribute. The organization will vouch for Zebby Matthews and David Festa as pitchers who could step up to fill the void, but they haven’t shown they’re ready for significant roles in their limited time in the majors.
There are also concerns with what’s around Buxton, Correa, and Lewis in the lineup. The Twins had a talented core, including Matt Wallner and Brooks Lee, but both players have struggled to replicate the form they showed in the minor leagues, leaving holes throughout the lineup.
The Twins could sit around and hope that things get better. But a rotting foundation or bad plumbing rarely fixes itself. It takes an investment to turn things around, and the Twins might find theirs in the bullpen.
Jax and Duran are the two most coveted pieces at the deadline and for good reason. Both pitchers are among baseball’s best in chase, whiff, and strikeout rates and would have a contending team drooling to add them at the deadline. However, they could also help the Twins if they experience a resurgence after the deadline and over the next two seasons, before they become eligible for free agency in 2027.
That validates a report by ESPN’s Jeff Passan that the Twins are looking for “multiple top 100-caliber prospects” in exchange for the bullpen duo and bring the type of value that Minnesota can use to upgrade its “property.”
Imagine if the Twins could find a slugging first baseman. Or some much-needed speed in the corner outfield spots. A starting pitcher could turn into the next version of the Ryan-for-Nelson Cruz deal or a valuable utility player who could fill in when injuries strike.
These are the things that Twins fans clamor for when they talk about the Pohlads’ decision to slash $30 million in payroll after the 2023 season, but also something they could address with a couple of shrewd trades. While Mr. Munny may open up the pocket books to keep the core around, there may not be as much value as one would think in investing in a core that is on track to miss the playoffs for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
It’s something that throws a variable into Derek Falvey’s thinking before the trade deadline and likely has him debating how to upgrade his assets right before the team is shown to a prospective buyer. While Kirilloff may not be part of this process, his current occupation shares many similarities and should inspire the Twins to consider selling when the deadline approaches.