One day, you're a fringe playoff team. The next, you're emptying out lockers like it's the last day of school. That's pretty much what happened to the Minnesota Twins this week.
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In what can only be described as a full-scale roster purge, the Twins traded away nine players from their 26-man roster in the final 24 hours before the MLB trade deadline. It was the most aggressive sell-off of any team in baseball, and it has left fans stunned and wondering what exactly the long-term plan might be — assuming there is one.
The headliner of the frenzy was shortstop Carlos Correa, who is heading back to the Houston Astros in a blockbuster deal. Correa, the two-time All-Star who once helped lead Houston to a World Series title, was supposed to be the face of Minnesota's rebuild. Now, he's part of their reset.
One day before that, the Twins moved All-Star closer Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies. That might've been enough to cause a stir, but it was only the beginning.
By Thursday afternoon, the Twins had also sent outfielder Harrison Bader to Philadelphia, reliever Danny Coulombe to Texas, utilityman Willi Castro to the Cubs, Brock Stewart to the Dodgers, Griffin Jax to Tampa Bay, and both Louis Varland and Ty France to Toronto. Oh, and pitcher Chris Paddack was traded to Detroit earlier in the week, just to round things out.
So why the mass exodus? According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Twins are reportedly saddled with over $400 million in debt. The team has been quietly up for sale since last October, but the financial baggage has scared off more than a few prospective buyers. Unloading contracts and trimming payroll could be a way to make the franchise more attractive on the market.
The Twins were 51-57 at the time of the fire sale and fading fast in the AL Central. A playoff run seemed unlikely. Still, the sheer scale of the sell-off has raised eyebrows across baseball, especially considering several of the players traded were under team control beyond 2025.
What's even more surprising? It could have been worse. The Twins reportedly held back a few players who were also drawing interest, suggesting there was a limit to how deep they were willing to cut — at least for now.
Minnesota now enters uncharted territory. With the fanbase reeling and the roster resembling a Triple-A club, the hope appears to be that a slimmer payroll and a stockpile of prospects will bring new ownership and, eventually, new direction.
In the meantime, Twins fans might want to hang onto those scorecards. They're going to need help remembering who's even on the team.
