On Wednesday, the Twins optioned Carson McCusker back to the minors after a short stint in the majors. That decision wasn’t paired with a corresponding roster move. Byron Buxton will likely return Friday, but Thursday’s off day gave the Twins cover to delay his activation by 24 hours.
Why make the move a day early? It’s simple. By doing so, the team saves roughly $4,200 in salary and a day of service time. That’s the daily rate for a major leaguer making the league minimum (compared to about $200 per day for a triple-A player). To McCusker, who climbed from indie ball to the majors and likely isn’t long for an extended big-league career, that day meant everything. To the Twins and their ownership group, it amounted to a rounding error.
This isn’t a one-off decision. The McCusker move is the latest in a clear and troubling trend. So far in 2025, the Twins have repeatedly executed this kind of roster manipulation, and did the same last year. They send players down on the eve of an off day and delay the promotion or recall of a replacement until after the break. Ryan Fitzgerald, Mickey Gasper, David Festa, Eiberson Castellano, and Edouard Julien have all been subject to this strategy. (Hat tip to Greggory Masterson, who’s been tracking these decisions.)
Technically, it’s legal. Across the league, the practice is becoming more common. But no team seems to embrace it as eagerly or as frequently as the Minnesota Twins.
The motivation is clear: money. But the cost isn’t zero. These small-sum savings, $4,000 here, $4,200 there, might protect the club’s books, but they undercut its culture. That missing service time and Major League salary matters, especially to fringe players who may never build enough days to qualify for arbitration or earn pension benefits. And the message it sends is that the organization prioritizes savings over people.
This isn’t just about McCusker. It’s about the perception the Twins are creating across the baseball world. Prospects, minor-league free agents, and indie ball standouts pay attention. They see who treats players like people and who treats them like payroll liabilities. The more the Twins act like the latter, the harder it becomes to attract high-character depth options in the future.
Major League Baseball already has a history of poor treatment toward non-union players in Triple-A. Facilities are worse. Accommodations are worse. Salaries hover around $200 per day. Players who don’t crack the 40-man roster are largely on their own. And when they finally get the call, it’s a coin toss whether they’ll be held up as a feel-good story or used as a financial lever.
The Twins’ off-day demotion strategy may be within the rules, but it is outside the spirit of the game. It reflects a mindset that prioritizes marginal gains at the expense of human beings. That’s a bad look for the front office. Over time, it could become a bigger problem for the franchise than the pennies they are saving are worth.
What do you think? Is this just smart roster management, or is it a short-sighted move that damages the Twins’ reputation? Leave a comment below and start the conversation.