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Twins stay in contention for AL Playoff spot into All-Star break
The Minnesota Twins beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-2 on Sunday to win their fifth straight series. They're 48-49 heading into the All-Star break, and in contention for a playoff spot with 65 regular season games left. Manager Derek Shelton, pitcher Taj Bradley and catcher Ryan Jeffers spoke from the clubhouse after Sunday's win.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Major League Baseball’s trade deadline comes at 5 p.m. Monday, and the Minnesota Twins have a decision to make on the 2026 season.
The Twins have an off day on Monday before starting a three-game series at the Kansas City Royals Tuesday night. They’re 56-57, and remain in the thick of chasing a playoff spot. Will they add players, stand pat or trade players for prospects?
Twins and trade deadline
What we know:
Unlike last year, the Twins have no reason to be sellers at Monday’s deadline. With 49 regular season games to play, they’re three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central Division. They’re one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final AL Wild Card spot.
They head to Kansas City having lost two straight games in walk-off fashion. Saturday night, Royce Lewis made a mental mistake at first base on a non-force play, and his throw home was too late, allowing the Mariners to score the game-winning run. Sunday, they rallied from down 6-0 to tie the game 6-6, only to lose on a ninth inning single.
Last year, they traded away nearly half of their roster, out of contention and not knowing where the franchise was headed with an uncertain ownership situation. To say the fanbase was frustrated is an understatement.
Twins add pitching, what’s next?
Why you should care:
The Twins have already made moves to acquire pitching, a sign they might do more to bolster the roster ahead of Monday’s deadline. They added starting pitcher Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles. He made 106 starts from 2022-25 with the Orioles and had a 3.95 earned run average. This year, he’s struggled with a 6.50 ERA in seven starts.
Earlier in the week, they made a move for veteran reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets. He has a 2.88 ERA in 20 playoff appearances, and won a World Series in 2021.
The reality for the Twins is they’ve overachieved so far this season. That’s without Pablo Lopez after Day 1 of Spring Training, and now Byron Buxton is on the injured list.
What's next:
The Twins are in contention, so the next 24 hours will be interesting both for the rest of this season, and for the long-term future of the franchise.