Surprise: MLB Trade Deadline Buyers Targeting MN Twins Pitchers

The Minnesota Twins have been one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball for a month now. This week, the outlook hasn’t gotten any better. After losing two of three in Detroit, the Twins kicked off their latest series in Miami with a 2-0 loss to the Marlins, foiling yet another magnificent performance by Joe Ryan.

MLB buyers eyeing up Minnesota Twins relievers

Now sitting at 40-45, the 2025 season is in danger of getting away from manager Rocco Baldelli and those in the Twins organization desperately trying to keep the season afloat. A couple of weeks ago, MLB pundits and rival executives saw Minnesota as a trade deadline buyer, but that is quickly starting to change.

In fact, former MLB general manager turned insider for The Athletic, Jim Bowden, came away from his latest sweep of executive phone calls surprised by how many teams seem to have their eyes on two Minnesota Twins relievers, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, as the July 31 trade deadline creeps ever closer.

Duran, 27, is under team control through the 2027 season. He’s having an excellent season with a 1.69 ERA over 39 games, 12 saves, and 42 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings. Jax, 30, is controllable through 2027 and has a 4.08 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 35 1/3 innings. In his breakout 2024 season, he logged a 2.03 ERA over 72 appearances. The Twins are faltering but I was surprised that both of these relievers were mentioned by execs. Wishful thinking by some contending teams?

Jim Bowden – The Athletic

Why would Twins trade Jhoan Duran and/or Griffin Jax

I’m not sure why Bowden is so surprised to hear that league executives are floating Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax as possible trade targets this month. If the Minnesota Twins slide much further, they’ll have no choice but start selling.

Once they reach that point, Duran and Jax seem like very logical pieces to dangle in front of teams like the Dodgers and Mets who might be willing to overpay for a back-end reliever that they feel can put them over the top in the 2025 MLB Postseason.

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While they are two of the most talented players Minnesota has on roster, the Twins have never shown an appetite for paying their bullpen help. And if the plan is to move on from both Duran and Jax some time before they become free agents (after 2027), then their value may never be higher than it will be in July 2025.