Minnesota Twins General Manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed on July 28 that the franchise intends to act as buyers ahead of Monday's Major League Baseball trade deadline.
The decision comes as the club reached a .
500 record at 54-54 following a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, keeping them a half-game out of the final American League Wild Card spot.
Bullpen Priority
Front office management and ownership, led by team chairman Tom Pohlad, are aligning to bolster the roster for a postseason run rather than selling off key assets.
Minnesota has identified the bullpen as its primary target for upgrades, though management remains open to various creative trade paths, including rotation additions or internal prospect call-ups.
"We're going to focus on finding to continue to improve the bullpen and that'll be a clear focus," Zoll said.
Zoll highlighted the squad's recent momentum as a key driver behind the front office's strategy to actively pursue roster additions.
"We're really excited about how the team has played over this last stretch. We're really encouraged about that.
In turn, we're going to use this next stretch, this next week, to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club and continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality," Zoll said.
Core Players Staying
Despite significant interest from rival contenders across the league, the Twins are taking a firm stance regarding their core talent.
Starting catcher Ryan Jeffers has drawn attention from clubs like the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays following a season-ending injury to Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, but Minnesota has expressed no desire to move him.
"But what I'll say is on Ryan specifically, he's had an awesome year.
We're really excited about where he's at, and looking forward to doing everything we can to keep the group together and put us in the best spot to keep pushing ahead," Zoll said.
To address relief depth, Minnesota could consider utilizing top prospects at Triple-A St. Paul or trading from positions of offensive strength such as Trevor Larnach, who fits interest from teams like the Seattle Mariners.
Speculation surrounding outfielder Byron Buxton also persists, particularly from the Philadelphia Phillies, but Buxton holds a full no-trade clause and has expressed a clear desire to remain in Minnesota.
Zoll noted that the broader trade market has taken longer to take shape across the league this season.
"This year in particular feels like the market is taking longer to fully take shape as teams have really used last week, this past weekend and, in some cases, these next few days to finalize their path," Zoll said.
The decision-making process involves unified communication between baseball operations, ownership, and field management.
"I feel clear on the direction and opportunity that lies ahead of us, and being in sync across the board with Tom and manager Derk Shelton, and our baseball ops group," Zoll said.
The Twins will finalize their trade moves prior to Monday's deadline.
