Friday, August 01

LOS ANGELES -- The Twins had plenty of chances to secure a series win and a break-even road trip in Wednesday’s loss to the Dodgers, but instead they came out of the break with a 2-4 trip and now stand four games below .500.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the front office will sell at the Trade Deadline, and it certainly doesn’t mean that their playoff hopes are dashed. There are still 60 games to be played, and an awful lot can happen in 60 baseball games.

But the calendar is the calendar, and what it shows right now is that one week and six games remain before the July 31 deadline. With a homestand coming up against the Nationals and Red Sox, here’s a look at where the Twins stand.

Barring a torrid homestand, it seems likely that the path will be what you might call a “light sell.” Yes, there are definitely reports out there of teams calling about players like Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. And almost nobody is truly untouchable if the right offer comes along. But there isn’t much indication that the front office has an appetite for tearing the roster apart.

So what you will most likely see is a willingness to trade players who are eligible for free agency this winter. That list includes six names: Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, Danny Coulombe, Ty France, Chris Paddack and Christian Vázquez. And while that list is alphabetical, it’s not too terribly far from a ranking of how desirable those players would be for other teams. Bader, Castro, and Coulombe all have the kinds of skillsets contenders like adding at this time of year.

Bader is an excellent defensive outfielder having a good year at the plate. Castro is a speedy, versatile switch-hitter. And Coulombe is a lefty who gets lefties out. Those are all players who can help contenders. France and Vázquez could have appeal as bench players but probably wouldn’t fetch as much in return. And while Paddack might have some value, until at least one other starter returns from the injured list, the Twins can’t really afford to deal anyone from their rotation.

If the Twins do get really hot between now and the 31st, they could add a piece or two, but there are two problems with that. One, it’s hard to know what exactly they would deal. It’s possible that names like Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda, and Austin Martin could hold some appeal, but there’s a reason they’re all still at Triple-A. None of them has been so good as to force his way back onto the big club.

Minnesota has four Top 100 prospects, but it’s extremely hard to imagine the club parting with any of them in order to make a small patch to a team that is fighting just to stay in contention. Besides, two of them are currently injured. Instead, the offer would likely be lower-level prospects.

The team’s biggest area of depth before the year appeared to be starting pitching, with Zebby Matthews and David Festa sent to Triple-A. Now three starters, including Festa, are on the IL. As is Andrew Morris, their most advanced starting pitching prospect, so there’s no chance of parting with a young starter.

The other is that there aren’t any really easy fixes. The Twins could probably use a second left-handed reliever, and they could use a starting pitcher who could soak up some innings. But this is a team that has few obvious, gaping holes. That also makes things more challenging.

A lot can change in seven days, and as the old saying goes, it only takes one phone call. But as of now, it does not look like an extremely eventful Deadline awaits.

The Twins announced Wednesday that they have signed all but two of their 21 selections from the Draft earlier this month. Each of their first six picks, including No. 16 pick Marek Houston and No. 36 overall Riley Quick, agreed to deals. The only players who have not yet come to terms are sixth-round pick Bruin Agbayani, who has a commitment to Michigan, and 16th-rounder Jonathan Stevens from Alabama.

MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports that Houston signed for about $430,000 under slot, while Quick, second-rounder Quentin Young and fourth-rounder Jackson Reitz all signed for slot value. Callis reports that third-round pick James Ellwanger and fifth-round pick Matt Barr both signed for over slot value. The club also signed six undrafted free agents to contracts.

Royce Lewis has been heating up lately, homering again on Wednesday to cap an extremely effective road trip. But if you’re looking for the clearest sign yet that Lewis is feeling good, it’s this: he had the green light to steal on Monday, and he took it. Lewis’ steal of second base was his first steal since 2023.

"I think he’s moving better,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “I think he’s moving more explosively, more comfortably, easier and he’s looked good.”

As an added bonus, Lewis got the steal and Wednesday’s homer in front of his family. He hails from Southern California and had a large contingent in the stands for all three games. After an extremely frustrating first two months of the season, things are going better for Lewis of late.

"It’s been fun to have opportunities, and to go from first to third, and just make the routine runs we should make as baseball players,” he said.

"And then finally getting to steal is cool. It’s just playing the game. There are lots of ways to be smart.”

As I write this, I’m sitting in the press box at Dodger Stadium. It’s almost impossible to narrow Los Angeles music down to five songs, but here are some favorites.

Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle”
Dr. Dre, “Let Me Ride”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Knock Me Down”
Jane’s Addiction, “Three Days”
Kendrick Lamar, “HUMBLE.”

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