Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Minnesota Twins are facing a 16-23 slump, likely triggering a second consecutive trade deadline fire sale as the team falls out of contention.
- Key trade candidates include Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers, and relievers like Taylor Rogers and Bailey Ober, all of whom offer value to playoff contenders.
- By moving these assets, Minnesota can reset their roster for the future, cashing in on productive veterans before they hit free agency.
After a hot start to the 2026 campaign, the Minnesota Twins are in freefall, currently 16-23 and dead last in the NL Central. This is hardly a surprise, as the Twins dealt half their roster (give or take) at the 2025 trade deadline. The front office tried to get back into a contender's mindset in the offseason, but clearly the Twins just weren't built for it. Especially after Pablo López's season-ending elbow surgery.
So, with another deadline fire sale on the horizon, these Twins are just counting down the days until they end up on a new team:
LHP Taylor Rogers
Taylor Rogers has compiled a career 3.38 ERA over 11 MLB seasons. The sidearm lefty, now 35, is a free agent at season's end and he doesn't align with Minnesota's rebuilding timeline. There is always interest in relievers at the deadline, and Rogers' stellar track record should help teams overlook his middling results so far this season.
Rogers has always been more of a finesse pitcher, so his sharp decline — a 4.70 ERA and 1.69 WHIP across 15.1 innings — does not come as a surprise. By that same token, he's still generating soft contact, in the 88th percentile for exit velocity and the 94th percentile for hard-hit rate, per Baseball Savant. His sweeper and especially his cutter are getting knocked around, but the sinker still works and his deceptive release means we could see the breaking stuff stabilize. Especially in a more competitive environment.
The entire Twins bullpen, give or take a couple mid-tier guys, is slumping through the first couple months of the campaign. Rogers won't close games for a contender, but he's a decent low-risk, high-reward add. Lower leverage appearances for a better team could work wonders.
RHP Bailey Ober
Bailey Ober was atrocious last season, but he has settled into a better groove in 2026. At 30 years old and with an extra year of club control left on his contract, Ober could spark interest from contenders looking to reinforce the back end of their rotation. He's not going to shove for seven innings in a playoff game, but he can eat innings in the regular season with a deep pitch arsenal and a deceptive release, which is the product of his lengthy extension at 6-foot-9.
He's another finesse pitcher, only this time in a starter's mold. Ober's changeup fades nicely and gets plenty of groundball contact as his primary pitch. His fastball is a weaker offering these days, but he's not reliant upon it.
He has a 4.19 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through eight starts, with 32 strikeouts in 43.0 innings. He's not going to light the world on fire, but as a fourth or fifth starter still in the prime of his career, Ober could be an underrated pickup for a smart front office.
C Ryan Jeffers
Ryan Jeffers was a popular hypothetical trade candidate in the offseason, but the Twins (foolishly) committed to trying to win baseball games this season. Even after tearing their roster down to the studs at the 2025 deadline. Now that Minnesota has predictably cratered, Jeffers is a uniquely productive catcher on an expiring contract. Plenty of teams will take interest.
It can be difficult to integrate a new catcher midseason — there's so much that goes into cultivating a relationship with each pitcher on a staff — but Jeffers is hitting .300 with a .928 OPS and 157 OPS+. He ranks fourth in catcher fWAR this season, behind only Shea Langeliers, Drake Baldwin and Adley Rutschman.
Jeffers is a mediocre defensive catcher at best, but he frames pitches nicely and he's just far more productive offensively than the median player at his position. The Twins almost certainly won't afford him in free agency, so now's the time to cash in and move on.
RHP Joe Ryan
Pablo López's season-ending elbow surgery was the first sign of Minnesota's imminent collapse. It also set up reigning All-Star Joe Ryan as their primary ace, a role he has shouldered with decent success. Ryan, in a contract year, has a 3.42 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through eight starts, notching 40 Ks in 38.2 innings.
At 29 years old, Ryan rides his fastball hard and often. Opponents have been able to get to Ryan's heater more this season than in years past, but he compensates with elite off-speed stuff that he can set up beautifully. He has an opposing batting average of .074 against his knuckle curve and .083 against his splitter.
Ryan doesn't give up walks and he's able to coax swing-in-miss while pounding the zone. He's liable for the occasional stinker, when his fastball just isn't deceptive enough, but Ryan's peaks are much higher than his valleys are low, and far more frequent. He will be among the most sought-after pitchers at the deadline. You can book it.
More MLB news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google