Minnesota Twins Just Signaled Their Trade Deadline Intentions

The Minnesota Twins have gone from also-ran to playoff contender in a month. Their approach to the trade deadline has changed.

The Twins have made two trades in two days. The first was to acquire reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets. The next was to acquired Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles.

Minter shores up the bullpen. Kremer gives the Twins an option in the starting rotation, where they’re dealing with several injuries. But it did something more for a fan base looking for a sign.

The Twins are going for it.

What Twins Just Signaled to Their Fans

New York Mets relief pitcher AJ Minter throws a baseball. — New York Mets relief pitcher AJ Minter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unlike last year, when Minnesota was in complete sell mode and trying to slash payroll, the Twins may make more moves before Monday’s deadline, per The Athletic (subscription required). The Twins are still interested in another right-handed reliever and the team’s chairman, Tom Pohlad, has given his general manager, Jeremy Zoll, permission to add more payroll.

“We’ve got to be willing to make investments and make bold moves that allow us to be successful in the playoffs,” Pohlad said to The Athletic. “And I think the difference between where we’ve been and where we’re going. … This is a build and they will come situation. The fans are not going to come back based on words. They’re going to come back once they see investment in the team and success on the field.”

Minnesota has played their way into this race. Entering Saturday’s action, the Twins were 56-55 and three games back of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. Plus, they were tied for the final AL wild card berth. Last season the Twins went 70-92 and were 18 games out of first place and 17 games out of the final wild card berth.

What a difference a season makes.

It’s not all perfect. Twins slugger Bryon Buxton is back on the injured list with the same hip issue that landed him there before the All-Star break. The rotation is beat up and the Twins optioned Zebby Matthews to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, a move designed to clear space on the 26-man roster for Kremer, who is joining the team this weekend.

There is also no guarantee that the moves will help the Twins make the playoffs. The Chicago White Sox — who two years ago had the worst record in baseball history — are chasing starting pitching at the trade deadline. The Cleveland Guardians are tied for second place in the division with the Twins and are still dangerous.

Minnesota is a far cry from where it was last season. But, between these two deals and Pohlad’s comment, the Twins signaled something to their fans that was in short supply last season. That signal was hope.

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