The Twins waved the white flag at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, stripping away veterans and leaving fans to slog through a frustrating second half. But a funny thing happens when the roster gets thinned out, because that’s when opportunity knocks. Some players stumbled with their extra runway, while others seized the chance to remind everyone why they’re part of Minnesota’s long-term picture.

Three names, in particular, have used the final two months to build real momentum heading into 2026: Taj Bradley, Austin Martin, and Cole Sands.

Taj Bradley: Electric but Inconsistent
August-September 2025 Performance: The Twins spoke highly of Bradley when they acquired him from the Rays for Griffin Jax. The 24-year-old joined the organization with over 350 big-league innings, and it seemed natural that he could jump right in and be part of the team’s long-term rotation plan. 

Bradley has been precisely what you’d expect from a talented young arm with equal parts excitement and exasperation. His fastball has lived in the upper 90s, blowing by hitters when well-located, and his cutter has flashed wipeout potential (31.2 Whiff%). In some outings, he’s looked untouchable, piling up strikeouts and giving the Twins rotation a jolt of energy. In others, shaky command has cut his night short. That volatility is why his ERA looks pedestrian, but the raw stuff jumps off the screen.

His first start was a disaster, as he allowed seven earned runs across five innings to a lowly White Sox lineup. However, he bounced back nicely and held the playoff-bound Padres lineup to one earned run with six strikeouts in his next appearance. In his last three starts, he has posted a 4.41 ERA (3.64 FIP) with 18 strikeouts and six walks across 16 1/3 innings. 

2026 Role: Minnesota didn’t bring Bradley in to be a depth piece, and it’s clear that he’s firmly in line for an Opening Day rotation spot. The front office is betting that another offseason of refinement will help him trim the walks and trust his full arsenal. If he takes even a small step forward in consistency, Bradley has the ceiling of a playoff-caliber starter. At the very least, he’ll be a big part of the team’s plans from Day 1.

Austin Martin: Fitting the Team’s Future Style
August–September 2025 Performance: Martin was (somewhat surprisingly) left off the Twins’ Opening Day roster, but there was still hope that the former top prospect could be an impact player at the big-league level. He likely would have been up earlier in the season, but a hamstring injury sidelined him for a large chunk of the season. Now that he’s healthy, the Twins are seeing what he can mean to the lineup as the team transitions to a new style of play. 

Since the trade deadline, Minnesota’s coaching staff has made it clear that players can be more aggressive on the bases. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has spoken openly about wanting his team to take the extra base, go from first to third, and force the defense to make the play behind the runner. There will inevitably be mistakes with this type of aggressive approach, but Martin’s skill set should thrive in this environment. 

Martin has been quietly but tremendously productive since the deadline. A .295/.397/.393 line with six steals tells the story of a player who knows his strengths. He controls the strike zone, makes plenty of contact, and forces pitchers to work. While he still lacks impact power, his on-base skills have played well, and he’s looked serviceable in left field. He’s not flashy, but he’s been reliable, which has value in a lineup full of inconsistency.

2026 Role: Martin is walking the fine line between future regular and bench piece. For now, the latter feels more likely. His on-base ability and speed give him a skill set that fits a fourth outfielder role, and the Twins could use someone who grinds out at-bats in the bottom third of the order. If he shows more defensive versatility next spring, his stock goes up. If not, his everyday gig depends on his ability to keep getting on base at an elite rate. If his OBP stays this high, there’s no keeping him out of the starting lineup.

Cole Sands: The Bullpen’s Only Hope
August–September 2025 Performance: Sands was in a complicated spot this season after a tremendous 2024 campaign. The Twins likely thought he could be penciled into a middle-inning relief role, with a few late-inning opportunities mixed in for good measure. Instead, he struggled through different parts of the season and had a 4.11 ERA with a 36-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 46 innings through the trade deadline. 

On August 1, Sands woke up and was arguably the last man standing, after the team traded away Jhoan Duran, Jax, Danny Coulombe, and Louis Varland. Sands was the de facto closer, with Justin Topa being the lone other option for high-leverage situations. His performance hasn’t been perfect since the deadline, but the Twins have few options for critical innings in the stretch run. 

To be clear, Sands’ last two appearances were dreadful, as the Arizona lineup tagged him for six earned runs over two innings. Remove those appearances, though, and Sands had a 2.95 ERA (2.44 FIP) with 22 strikeouts and five walks over 18 1/3 innings since the trade deadline. Relievers often work in small sample sizes, and Sands must find a way to avoid the blowups he had against the Diamondbacks.  

2026 Role: With nearly every spot open in next year’s bullpen, Sands has carved out a real lane for himself. He may not have the ceiling of some of the arms that left via trade, but he’s been closer to the 2024 version of himself over the last two months. At worst, he enters next season with the exact expectations as this past spring. At best, he’s a late-inning weapon in a bullpen that desperately needs one.

The 2025 Twins won’t be remembered fondly, but the back half of this season hasn’t been completely wasted. Bradley showed flashes of a potential frontline arm, Martin proved he can contribute at the big-league level, and Sands reminded everyone he still belongs in the bullpen conversation. In a season defined by subtraction, these three gave Minnesota something to add back for 2026.

Which player’s performance stands out the most? What will their roles be on the 2026 squad? Leave a comment and start the discussion.Â