MLB Insider Names Minnesota Twins Most Likely Trade Candidate

It has not been a good start to the season for the Minnesota Twins. At 7-15, Rocco Baldelli & Co enter the day ranked fourth in the AL Central, and coming fresh off a series sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves.

Those three losses over the weekend dropped the Twins down to fourth in the AL Central, behind only the lowly Chicago White Sox, who finished the 2024 season with the worst record (41-121) in Major League Baseball since the 1962 Mets (40-122).

Chicago White Sox in town with cure for Minnesota Twins

Thankfully, those bottom-dwelling South Siders arrived in the Twin Cities Sunday with a much-needed get-right opportunity for the struggling home Twinkies. Not only did the 2024 White Sox help their division rival Twins get back on track multiple times last season, but they’ve already helped steer the Twins’ 2025 ship back in the right direction already once this year.

Earlier this month, after suffering an opening series sweep in St. Louis at the hands of the Cardinals, Minnesota flew to the South Side of Chicago to get right, which they did, taking two of three on the road vs the Sox. Since then, the Twins have gone 5-11. In other words, this series couldn’t have come at a better time.

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The Twins’ biggest problem has probably been the batting lineup. That said, there is plenty of blame to go around. No team’s pitching staff has a worse WPA (win probability added) than Minnesota’s -1.6. The starting rotation has been disappointing, but the bullpen (somehow) has been even worse.

Jhoan Duran named selling Twins’ top trade candidate

If the Minnesota Twins don’t find some wins against the White Sox this week, then parlay that into a better run of baseball, this team is on the fast track to being one of the first trade deadline sellers in the American League.

Given how much talent is on the Twins’ 2025 roster, the rest of the MLB would love nothing more than to see Minnesota continue their nosedive. Among those who buying teams would have the most interest in, is flamethrowing right-hander, Jhoan Duran, who’s already drawn trade interest recently.

In fact, MLB insider David Schoenfield (ESPN) has Duran as the most obvious trade candidate on a talented roster full of valuable assets that would probably hit the market, should the MN Twins’ continue to lose games like they have to start this season.

“The Twins had the best preseason projection of this group but haven’t played well so far. If they’re out of the running, they could make the trade deadline a lot more interesting if they’re willing to deal some of their controllable players, such as Duran. As a rookie in 2022, he looked as if he would turn into one of the league’s top relievers. It hasn’t quite happened, but he still throws 100 mph and could be added to the late-inning pitching mix for a playoff team. From Minnesota’s perspective, even though Duran is under team control for two more years, he’s making $4.125 million this year and will get a raise next year — which, for the Twins, might mean he becomes a trade candidate.”

David Schoenfield – ESPN

Duran is off to a nice start this season. Through 10 games, the flamethrowing righty has a 0.96 ERA and owns a 9/4 K/BB ratio across 9 1/3 innings. He has allowed only one run all season, on four hits. Of course, Duran only has one save on the season… but that’s a Minnesota Twins problem, not a Jhoan Duran problem.

Duran, 27, doesn’t isn’t due to hit free agency until 2028, but — as Schoenfield notes — the Twins would love to cut out some of the $4+ million owed to him in 2025, a number that is sure to jump again in 2026, when he takes his next jump in arbitration.

Jhoan Duran, 100mph Fastball and 98mph Splinker, Overlay.

That's fair. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/yo0EY8faV7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 6, 2025

A buying team needed to add heat and playoff experience to the bullpen would love to get its hands on a high-end reliever like Jhoan Duran, whose only now entering the prime of his career. It’s disappointing to think that a dominant reliever making $4 million this year and under $10 million by 2027 is too rich for the Twins, but that’s reality under Pohlad ownership.

Minnesota has also seen Duran somewhat reinvent himself. His 100.1 mph average fastball velocity is a career low, but he’s adjusted to throwing more of his offspeed pitches like the slider, knuckle-curve and even a brand new sweeper.

It can be tough to get a major return haul in any trade for a reliever, but the Twins would have plenty of suitors for Duran, which would help drive up his price at least a little bit.

If selling, the MN Twins will have multiple trade candidates

But if the MN Twins continue to fall out of contention, then we can expect a lot more talent to be dealt at the deadline than just Durant. In that case, Falvey would probably blow the whole thing up, especially if Carlos Correa agrees to waive his no-trade clause..

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Among those at the top of the Twins seller list, even ahead of Correa, would be Chris Paddack, Harrison Bader and Christian Vazquez, veterans who do not have term remaining on their contract after this season.

Rocco Baldelli and Derek Falvey need to figure out how to turn their 2025 sinking ship around fast or this will be the reality Minnesota Twins fans are living in for the next 5 months, more concerned about who is being traded away than what is unfolding on the baseball field.