When the dust settled on this year’s trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins looked like a team in transition, but not necessarily one that had been truly overhauled. On the surface, dealing 10 players from the 26-man roster sounds like a seismic shake-up, but most of those moves involved expiring contracts, bullpen arms, and one high-priced veteran who had long since failed to live up to his contract.
Relievers often burn bright and fast, and then (just as quickly) flame out. We’ve seen this before in Minnesota. Tyler Duffey was an indispensable piece of Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen for a short stretch, before he became expendable. Taylor Rogers rose to All-Star status, only to be dealt when the shine wore off. It’s the cycle of relief pitching, with high volatility and short shelf lives. The Twins cashed in on most of their current crop while they still had value.
The headliner, of course, was moving on from Carlos Correa. It’s difficult to frame it as anything but a salary dump. Correa seemed relatively healthy this season, with a chance to match his superstar paycheck. Instead, he turned in another year of inconsistency and nagging health issues. From a roster-construction standpoint, the Twins are probably better for reallocating those dollars.
But does that really constitute shaking up the “core?” Not exactly.
The Real Core Problem
If Minnesota truly wants to change its long-term trajectory, the team can’t stop at moving veterans and relievers. The elephant in the room remains a group of once-promising, now-underperforming position players: Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda, and Trevor Larnach. All are still in their mid- to late 20s. All have flashed stretches of MLB productivity. And yet, none have proven they can be cornerstone-caliber players over a 162-game season.
The Twins have banked heavily on these players to fill everyday roles, but the return has been wildly inconsistent. Larnach’s power has always been enticing, but his approach leaves too many empty at-bats. Miranda has contact skills, but too often puts pitchers’ pitches in play, and now is stuck at Triple-A, even in a lost season. Julien’s bat is supposed to carry him, but holes in his defense and streaky offense leave questions about his long-term fit. And Lewis, who still flashes the tools of a star, has struggled to live up to his numbers from earlier in his career.
Some of the career numbers below are sufficient, but all four of these players are trending in the wrong direction. Lewis has an 83 OPS+ in 2025, Julien and Miranda have a negative WAR, and Larnach is going to cost even more through the arbitration process. At this point, none look like long-term core pieces.
Player
OPS+
WAR
WPA
Royce Lewis
112
3.9
-0.05
Edouard Julien
99
1.6
-1.37
Jose Miranda
101
2.0
-2.80
Trevor Larnach
101
3.2
-2.08
A Developmental Reckoning
All of this leads to a larger question: can the Twins actually develop their top young players once they reach the majors?
Prospects are drafted because of raw tools and potential. But turning tools into production requires consistent coaching, development, and refinement at the big-league level. This has long been a weak point for Minnesota. When Derek Falvey arrived from Cleveland, his reputation was as a pitching guru, someone who could spot and develop talent as well as anyone in baseball. The Twins have, indeed, made strides in pitching depth, from drafting college arms to maximizing trade acquisitions.
But the organization’s track record with position players leaves plenty to be desired. The list of recent homegrown hitters who turned into actual core pieces is short, and the jury remains out on whether this current crop will ever get there. Matt Wallner and Luke Keaschall have shown promising signs, but there is a long way to go before either can be considered a star, rather than another promising bat—in an environment where that promise feels a lot like a threat.
What Comes Next
So, did the Twins really shake up their core at the trade deadline? Not yet. They shed bad contracts, moved relievers at peak value, and cleared a few short-term veterans off the books. Those were necessary steps, but they weren’t revolutionary.
The actual test of this front office’s vision will be whether they stick by Lewis, Julien, Miranda, and Larnach or finally decide to move on from players who may never reach the heights once expected of them. There is little to no value left in these players, so the front office may have to trade them for underwhelming returns. Until that happens, the so-called “core” of the Twins remains essentially unchanged.
Do you believe the Twins shook up their core at the trade deadline? Which player’s leaving would signal a true shake-up? Leave a comment and start the discussion.