While players like Carlos Correa and Griffin Jax had seen enough and wanted out, Byron Buxton never wavered. He has shown that he is the hero this franchise needs, and one the Pohlad’s don’t deserve.

While multiple teams inquired about his services, just as they would have lined up for his free agency, he knew right where he wanted to be.

Minnesota Twins weren’t ever able to trade Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton made it clear during the All-Star Game festivities that he wasn’t interested going anywhere else. That didn’t stop the vultures from circling the Pohlad’s fire sale. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes says they came hot and heavy.

Byron Buxton never needed to invoke his no-trade clause, but his representatives routinely waved off interested clubs in July, including through Thursday’s shocking trade deadline.

Minnesota’s two-time All-Star center fielder confirmed Monday that teams engaged with his agent to gauge Buxton’s interest in waiving his no-trade clause before speaking with the Twins front office. Multiple sources confirmed at least six teams contacted Buxton’s agent, B.B. Abbott, about the possibility, including early in July before it was clear whether the Twins would be buyers or sellers.

One source said the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets showed the most interest in Buxton.

The Athletic

The Minnesota Twins had something of a choice to make when they signed Buxton to his seven-year extension for $100 million. Unlike superstar Joe Mauer before him, Buxton’s injuries came before his payday. They provided reason for pause, and a contract needed to be constructed around those realities.

Related: Byron Buxton is the Leader Carlos Correa Couldn’t Be

Minnesota made the decision to show their former first round pick just how much they wanted him. It’s clear he hasn’t ever forgot that.

“It’s always good to be wanted. Don’t get me wrong. But the only place I want is Minnesota. All of my choices are easy. I ain’t got but one place on my mind. That’s how it’ll be.”

Byron Buxton – The Athletic

The Twins had Buxton join them on the road trip to Cleveland. He’s currently on the injured list dealing with rib cartilage irritation after crashing into the wall for a catch. His presence is a steadying one though, and despite the teardown, he wants to finish the final two months strong.

Byron Buxton has plenty to play for

The Minnesota Twins currently own a 52-60 record. It’s likely to get uglier the rest of the way. Byron Buxton has plenty to play for on his own though. He is having the best season of his career and should surpass 100 games played in consecutive seasons for the first time.

Across 85 games Buxton has hit .282/.343/.561 with 23 home runs. He’s within sniffing distance of his career-high 28 homers from 2022, and he should earn legitimate votes for the MVP award. His contract provides million-dollar incentives as long as he finishes within the top 10.

Related: MN Twins Interested in Former (Familiar) Top Reliever

How Buxton chooses to complete the season should set the tone for 2026. The Twins may have already seen their fate be sealed, but if the leader isn’t giving away opportunities then no one should be.

It’s rare that a player is indebted and aligned with a franchise like Byron Buxton has been. Maybe he learned that from Joe Mauer before him. Unfortunately for both, neither has been appreciated enough.

It left the sport and fans in awe. Maybe not surprisingly, it sent shockwaves through the clubhouse as well. While veteran Byron Buxton did what he could to provide a steadying presence, the implications will be felt for far longer.

It got so bad that players who had futures seemingly already outlined with the club started bowing out. Carlos Correa took the first opportunity to leave. Griffin Jax said enough as well.

Griffin Jax requested trade from Minnesota Twins

It always seemed possible that the Minnesota Twins would move Griffin Jax. He is among the best relievers that was made available at the deadline. That became less straightforward when Jhoan Duran went first. By the time 38% of his teammates were sent packing, Jax had already said he was ready to be out.

With a mass exodus underway, Griffin Jax requested a deal of his own Thursday, one the Minnesota Twins granted only minutes before the clock ran out.

Derek Falvey said, “In Jax’s case, a lot of the other conversations we were having weren’t quite there. … But then the conversation with Tampa bubbled into a discussion about Taj Bradley, who, a very short time ago, was one of the highest-profile young starters coming up to the big leagues in all of baseball.”

Once the teardown was underway Thursday, including the shocking deal which sent Correa back to the Astros, Jax asked his representative to put in the trade request, multiple league sources confirmed.

The Athletic

As The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported, Jax wasn’t initially certain he would be traded. He didn’t even necessarily want to be. While he was irate with Rocco Baldelli’s usage of him in the 13-1 drubbing against the Boston Red Sox, that wasn’t enough to request a trade. With the carnage unfolding around him though, there was clearly no reason to stick around.

Despite being under team control through the 2027 season, one of the best pitching success stories in recent franchise history had seen enough. Jax put up a 4.50 ERA (2.02 FIP) with Minnesota across 46 innings this season. He has been a top-five reliever in baseball by fWAR and his sweeper is among the nastiest pitches the sport has seen.

Griffin Jax, Wicked Sweepers…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/MEteME6Hkm

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 29, 2025

Ultimately that was enough for the Tampa Bay Rays to be interested. Falvey laid on praise of Taj Bradley a bit thick, and Minnesota certainly is buying low on the starter. That said, they have shown an ability to get more from pitchers.

Related: Rival MLB Owner Talked Pohlads Into MN Twins Deadline Fire Sale

It’s sad it came to this for Jax, but it’s also hardly a result of his own doing. He was mad about a game he was used where his individual performance was cast aside amidst an otherwise laughable effort. He was mad about his individual worth being non-existent on a team that clearly does not care about winning in the present.

This is the road that all leads to.

The individual returns Minnesota got for gutting its big league roster were mostly on the light side, and thanks to Bob Nightengale (USA Today), we now know why. For weeks, the Twins front office had a plan that was well-known around the league.

Minnesota Twins did not plan their trade deadline fire sale

Team president Derek Falvey’s message was clear. Minnesota was going to deal away expiring contracts (Castro, Paddack, Coulombe, etc), along with one or two back-end relievers, then get ready for another run at the playoffs in 2026.

In fact, when the Houston Astros first called on Correa (demanding the Twins pay most of his salary and include another big leaguer), Falvey laughed and hung up the phone. So did Carlos Correa’s agent, Scott Boras.

Astros GM Dana Brown telephone the Twins to inquire if they would be willing to trade Correa and one of their outfielders to the Astros. Oh, and could they pick up about $50 million of the remaining $103 million on Correa’s contract, too? The Twins laughed, and hung up.

When USA TODAY Sports contacted Correa’s agent Scott Boras to inquire whether Correa would waive his no-trade clause, he laughed, too. Correa loved Minnesota, he said. The Twins loved him. Besides, there was no way, he said, the Astros would take on that kind of money.

Bob Nightengale – USA Today Sports

Given the troubling season Correa was having with the Twins (.267/.319/.386), offloading him back to Houston isn’t the worst idea, even for an organization that cares about winning. Of course, we found out pretty quickly that winning anytime in the near future was not on the Pohlads’ radar.

Everything changed for MN Twins after the Carlos Correa trade

Because once they dealt Correa, everything about the Minnesota Twins deadline plans changed. Whether players wanted to be traded or not, Falvey started accepting cents on the dollar for some of the organization’s most expensive assets.

“[The Twins] said they were going to just trade players on expiring contracts. They were going to re-visit the other stuff in the winter. Then, they started selling off everyone.”

The GM spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity in order to freely analyze the trade deadline.

USA Today Sports

Related: Minnesota Twins Sale Reportedly Gaining Steam… with Some Doubters

But what changed in the hours between Falvey laughing and hanging hung up on Astros GM Dana Brown and the Correa deal officially being consummated? Well, Nightengale has that answer too.

We found out over the weekend that it was Jim Pohlad and Houston’s owner Jim Crane who handled the final Correa negotiations directly. In the end, the Minnesota Twins agreed to pay down $30 million of the $90 million remaining on Correa’s contract, along with 26-year-old single-A pitching prospect Matt Mikulski.

Astros owner Jim Crane convinced Pohlads to give everything away

According to Nightengale, however, Crane’s involvement in the Twins’ 2025 fire sale went way beyond finalizing the Carlos Correa deal. Instead, he seems to be the sole person who convinced the Pohlads into their deadline actions last week.

The Astros owner reportedly called up Jim Pohlad and used the impending sale of the franchise as a way to convinced him that selling off as many salary assets as possible was the best way forward for the Pohlad family and the future owners,

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane…perhaps lit the first match in the fire sale in a casual conversation at the Leatherstocking Golf Course. He mentioned that they might try to pursue All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, and with the Twins so deep in debt – about $440 million – that Minnesota may have no choice but to dump him.

While some were dismissive of the idea, Crane refused to blink. He wanted to make sure the Twins understood the severity of their financial woes. The Twins are deep in debt. They are trying to sell the team for $1.7 billion. The team will be more attractive to every suitor, Crane said in talks with the Pohlad family, if their payroll was slashed. Correa’s contract happened to be the biggest financial commitment.

The Pohlad family got back to Derek Falvey, Twins president of baseball operations. They suddenly were curious. Correa, who left the game early Tuesday with a migraine, suddenly felt good enough to sit down with Falvey, himself. If the Twins indeed are rebuilding, he said, he’d gladly waive his no-trade clause for a chance to get back to Houston.

Bob Nightengale – USA Today Sports

How incredible is that? The Pohlad family strikes again, allowing a rival owner obviously trying to pry talent away on the cheap, talk them into one of the worst baseball business decisions in Minnesota Twins history, and that is saying something.

Again, it’s not that difficult to convince a Twins fan that it was time to end the Carlos Correa experiment. Had they deadline selling ended there, nobody would be mad.

Related: Byron Buxton is the Leader Carlos Correa Couldn’t Be

But in the hours between the Correa trade and the 5 pm deadline on July 31, Minnesota proceeded to give away Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax and Louie Varland for incredibly questionable returns, which shocked opposing front offices, as executives lined up for the Twins’ garage sale.

And now, the big league cupboards are bare and everyone in baseball is laughing at the Pohlads yet again.

In the midst of the worst season in his 11-year MLB career, Minnesota offloaded about two-thirds of Correa’s remaining contract by trading him back to the Houston Astros, where he became one of the best players in all of baseball from 2015-2021.

The move was a straight salary dump. Minnesota got a pitcher back in the deal, but he’s 26 years old and yet to make it beyond single-A. More details of Correa’s departure have come through, since the trade was completed.

Of course, nobody was surprised to find out that the Pohlad family quickly jumped on their first opportunity to trade the 30-year-old World Series champion, after the Astros first called and showed interest. The trade also moves Correa to 3rd base, something he had been requesting with the Twins for years.

What most do not know yet, however, is that it was actually the Pohlads who were called out of the negotiating bullpen to close out the Correa blockbuster, in place of team president, Derek Falvey.

Minnesota Twins owner Jim Pohlad closed Carlos Correa deal himself

In fact, according to longtime local columnist, Patrick Reusse (Star Tribune) on a recent episode of “Reusse Unchained” (SKOR North), Mr. Jim Pohlad himself got on the phone with Astros owner Jim Crane, who he convinced to take on a larger chunk of Correa’s remaining money.

It was that final owner-to-owner phone conversation that got the trade done. Meanwhile, Falvey and the newer face of Pohlad ownership, nephew Joe Pohlad, watched from their chairs in the corner of big Jim’s office (okay i made that very last part up).

Reusse: “[Astros owner] Jim Crane called and made it happen, apparently.”

Judd: “So he called Jim Pohlad?”

Reusse: “Jim Pohlad, he called Jim Pohlad. He did not call Joe [Pohlad]…he called Jim Pohlad and they negotiated the money.”

Judd: “So, literally the adults above Falvey decided to work this deal out and told young Derek, ‘You’re gonna [sit this one out]’?”

Reusse: “Yes. Jim [Crane] called [Jim Pohlad] up and they wanted [the Twins to pay] half [of Correa’s remaining money] and [Jim Pohlad] got them down to a third, basically.”

Patrick Reusse – “Reusse Unchained” – SKOR North

Only time will tell how this trade will work out, in the end. If the nearly 31-year-old Correa can’t recover from his horrid 95-game start to 2025 (.264/.315/.381) and continues to decline, as he ages, then the future will look fondly back on the fact that Minnesota was able to offload most of his remaining salary back on Houston.

Should he recover, however, and start looking more like the Carlos Correa of old — who was on pace to be the greatest postseason performer in MLB history when he first left the Astros — then the Twins will look like jackasses. But what’s new?

Why would Pohlad need to close out the Correa deal?

I’d imagine that this started when reports were coming out that the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros were still far apart on the money involved in getting a Carlos Correa trade deadline blockbuster done.

Both front offices had their terms in which they were allowed to pull the trigger. When those directives did not align, it was time for the adults to take over, as Judd Zulgad so eloquently put it.

Related: Minnesota Twins Sale Reportedly Gaining Steam… with Some Doubters

In a normal scenario, this wouldn’t surprise me. Most MLB organizations these days have a “president of baseball operations” running their front offices, a few still employ general managers as their head baseball honcho.

Depending on the team, an owner might want to step in and massage things, when necessary. But Derek Falvey is supposed to be above that. Not only is he president of Minnesota Twins baseball operations, but he’s president of business operations too, the only MLB executive right now to hold both titles.

Not every move was done with such disregard for baseball competitiveness though. The MN Twins swung a couple of deals that should have impact down the road.

Ultimately it seemed like the overall return was light for what they gave up. When it came to Eduardo Tait though, they got the second best player moved at the deadline.

Eduardo Tait highlights Minnesota Twins deadline haul

The Minnesota Twins got 13 players back for the 11 that they traded. Each has a differing level of value, but it is Eduardo Tait who paces the group. Acquired alongside Mick Abel for Jhoan Duran, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel called him the second best piece acquired.

“Tait is an electrifying prospect with massive raw tools from the enticing demographic of an 18-year-old lefty-hitting catcher. He has some of the biggest raw power in the entire minor leagues, even if you don’t adjust for his age. He hit a ball 116.2 mph this season; the average max velo for an 18-year-old minor leaguer is between 103 and 106 mph, depending on how you’re qualifying it. And yes, that 116.2 mph rocket was hit 424 feet to the pull side, exiting the entire stadium. Tait has a solid feel for bat-to-ball, but there’s a concerning amount of chase, which is in keeping with the power-based, high-effort pull-and-lift approach.

Beyond that, Tait has plus-plus arm strength behind the plate, posting some insane pop times in games but also rushing and losing his mechanics at other times, so his caught-stealing numbers are merely good instead of great. The subtle art of framing is another area where Tait excels — particularly at the top of the zone — but his ball blocking and agility suffer as he often can sell out to frame a pitch or set up for a throw to second.

I can see a scenario in which his raw tools carry the profile and he doesn’t improve much more, with a career similar to that of Gary Sanchez. Or Tait could really take a step forward and be a future 30- to 40-homer stalwart who also is a solid catcher — that is to say, a potential star.”

Kiley McDaniel – ESPN

Tait was a good get, and coming in second (among 97 prospects that were traded) to the 3rd overall prospect in baseball (Leo De Vries) is not a bad place to be. He’s just 18 years old and there is a lot of exciting projectability. Minnesota has shown an inability to develop hitters, and this is where it needs to change.

The Panamanian played for the Phillies in the All-Star Futures Game this season. Recently promoted to High-A, Tait had 75 games in Single-A where he batted .251/.322/.436. He hit 11 home runs but also carried a 64/30 K/BB.

Quick note on pronunciation:
Eduardo Tait = “tie-eet", not “tayt" as many Twins folks are saying.
File this one away.#MNTwins received Tait from the Phillies in the Jhoan Durán trade. Should be a key part of the team's future roster. pic.twitter.com/9iW0uIz5DS

— Talkin' Twins (@TalkinTwins) August 1, 2025

There is plenty to refine at the dish. Command of the strike zone is a must, and that’s not new for most young hitters. Behind the plate too, Tait will need to develop tools beyond just pitch framing, which will be somewhat neutralized by the incoming ABS challenge system.

Related: What to Make of the Craziest Trade Deadline in Minnesota Twins History

Prospects are exciting, but the ambiguity of their outcomes makes the process difficult to master. Minnesota needs to make sure they get this one right.

Opinions differ on the MN Twins deals

While Tait was the second-best prospect to be moved, that doesn’t mean the Minnesota Twins did well overall. For the most part, the returns felt a bit underwhelming. The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbit ranked the Twins amongst his “losers.”

“Well, they sure incinerated that roster…The Twins acquired talented prospects, but it’s not yet time to celebrate organizational depth.”

Stephen Nesbitt – The Athletic

Former general manager Jim Bowden, who also writes at The Athletic, gave the team a “B” grade for selling. The positioning of it should not sit well with fans, however.

“They were able to shed a lot of payroll while also adding significant talent to the farm system, which sets the organization up for future success and its eventual sale.”

Jim Bowden – The Athletic

Both Bradford Doolittle and Alden Gonzalez called it fake news that the MN Twins made their future better at the deadline. Doolittle said, “I don’t know — it looks to me like a case of moving things around and not necessarily ending up in a better place.” Gonzalez followed it up well suggesting, “This was a bad day for Twins fans. Painting it any other way would be a disservice.”

Related: Confirmed: Cheap Pohlads Ordered MN Twins’ Deadline Demolition

Maybe Tait becomes a cornerstone star in the future. Right now though, it’s pretty hard for Twins fans to pick up the pieces. Assuredly though, that’s what Derek Falvey and the Pohlad’s will sell as the logical step forward.

Derek Falvey parted with a whopping ten players from the MN Twins active roster. That’s 38% of the 26-man roster, and five-of-eight relievers represent 63% of the bullpen.

How Rocco Baldelli fills out a lineup on Friday night in Cleveland remains to be seen. The expectation that multiple familiar faces should return from St. Paul is logical. The rest of the season now becomes a proving ground.

Catching up the Minnesota Twins transactions

While we wrote about all of the moves the MN Twins made, the speed in which they came in at was likely hard to keep up with. 11 players leaving for a boatload of fresh faces means plenty of guys will need to make introductions in the next few days.

If that looks like a lot to process that because it is. Players in the clubhouse had to know that the team was going to be sellers. They were probably unaware that the franchise was going to strip things down to the studs.

Said one #MNTwins player: "Now no one wants to stay if they are selling like this."

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 31, 2025

He and Jeremy Zoll are flying to Cleveland tomorrow to meet with staff and players in person to discuss the direction of the team.

— Declan Goff (@DexsTweets) August 1, 2025

The majority of the MN Twins acquisitions will be assigned to different runs of the minor league system. While a few are major league ready, it remains to be seen who will be chose.

St. Paul played on Thursday night in Toledo. That’s just a two hour drive from Cleveland, and multiple players from the roster should be expected to join the Twins at Progressive Field.

Who are the winners for the MN Twins?

First and foremost is the Pohlad family. The most substantial monetary move of the day came when they obliged Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros interest in one another. After just two-and-a-half seasons the sides called it quits. While ownership is paying $30 million to not have the shortstop, they get out from over $70 million still left on his deal.

This was less than 2 years ago.

I’ll never forgive the Pohlads… https://t.co/kcfVRXF3RP

— Matthew Taylor (@MatthewTaylorMN) July 31, 2025

With the departure of Correa, Brooks Lee is now the present and future at shortstop for the Twins. That’s a for better or worse scenario. The 24-year-old has just a .252/.291/.382 slash line across 89 games this year, and his 83 OPS+ is well-below league average. There have been periods of positivity, but there’s no more room to hide.

Related: Minnesota Twins Draw Rave Reviews for Duran Deal

The holdovers and next wave will get their shot sooner. Expect to see Edouard Julien and Austin Martin back with the Twins in earnest. Jose Miranda hasn’t earned a trip back, but he could surface down the stretch. Pitchers like Festa should be joined by Ohl, and Adams. Marco Raya and Connor Prielipp could be on the way too.

The losers of the Minnesota Twins trade deadline

There are no bigger losers in any of this than the fans. It has been the case since 2023 ended, and became most apparent today. The Pohlad family has never cared about engaging the fan base. The dialed back payroll after their best postseason performance in years. Now they have a product that is nameless, and it only helps them on the bottom line as they work towards a sale.

Asked Derek Falvey tonight what he can offer for a #MnTwins fan out there who just saw 40-percent of the active roster traded away.

Plenty more ahead at 10 on @KSTP after a wild day saw eight players (a total of ten this week) depart the team. pic.twitter.com/HNwPBU6YB9

— Chris Long (@ChrisLongKSTP) August 1, 2025

Joe Ryan saw his name floated in trade rumors. He mentioned being excited by the premise, but also preferred to stay. This isn’t the team he has pitched for though, and it’s not the same group he was in front of when getting to an All-Star level. He will now be trotted out the rest of the way with a fate much like that of the Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes.

Nobody has been more unwavering about his commitment to the Minnesota Twins than Byron Buxton. He is in the midst of a career-year, and should return to set records. He’ll do so with a rag tag roster around him. All season long his performance has went wasted, and no he’ll have to go through the motions in a clubhouse that the organization stopped caring about.

Thursday’s 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline will go down in history as a day MN Twins fans never forget. Regardless of what happens to the prospects, or their development along the way, the sheer volume of moves and exodus will have ripple effects forever.

What about the returns for the Twins?

Although the speed and frequency in which the Minnesota Twins operated made it feel like a $5 swap meet, they did get some nice talent back. The Duran deal obviously paces the pack as Abel and Tait both have top 100 prospect status recently. Tait is a long term play as he’s just 18 and in High-A, but Abel should be a developmental project immediately.

James Outman has struggled to find the consistency of his rookie season at the big league level. He hits for lots of power, but strikes out a ton too. The defense is legit and he’s a usable piece. Stewart had team control, but has always been a ticking time bomb when it comes to health. That felt like selling high on an uncertain commodity.

Taj Bradley, Filthy 82mph Curveball…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/KhfLJWKNF7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 29, 2025

The Jax for Bradley deal is potentially the most intriguing. It isn’t the return Duran netted, but Jax is already 30 years old. Bradley has three seasons of big league experience, and is just 24 years old. He’ll need to be refined, but if the Twins can make him look like the last arm they got from Tampa Bay (Joe Ryan) that’s a great come up.

Of course the most non-existent return was Matt Mikulski. The Astros had to give the Minnesota something for the salary dump that was Correa’s move. They chose a 26-year-old non-prospect that was signed a month ago and has a 7.63 ERA in Single-A. You couldn’t sugar coat that move more if you were a baker.

Quite possible the most frustrating move was dealing Varland to the Blue Jays. That felt like a reflection of Toronto missing out on the top-tier bullpen arms. He’s under team control through 2030, a hometown kid, and like never going to cost much. While Rojas was the Blue Jays fifth best prospect, there didn’t seem to be reason for moving a guy you turned into a workhorse with triple-digit stuff and a 2.02 ERA.

Some returns were better than others. The Twins have received good reviews on their deals for Jhoan Duran and Louie Varland. Trading away Correa was nothing more than a salary dump. All Minnesota got back from Houston in that reunion deal, was a 26-year-old prospect who has yet to advance beyond single-A.

Pohlads called for Minnesota Twins roster demolition

But in an article at The Athletic Friday, the real reason for the Minnesota Twins’ 2025 roster demolition project came down to one thing — the cheap Pohlad family.

According to Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal, Falvey was given strict orders in the final 48 hours before the deadline to “make the best possible trades for the organization’s long-term benefit”.

It was merely a prelude to an even more consequential day on Thursday, which Falvey began intending to fulfill ownership’s request of making the best possible trades for the organization’s long-term benefit. Once he started, to the shock of fans, his players, and his industry colleagues, he did not stop.

Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

Related: Details Behind Red Sox’ Failed Attempt to Pry Joe Ryan from MN Twins

That’s Falvey’s way of spinning the real conversation he had with the Pohlads. This team is costing them money and, now that they’re in full-sell mode with the organization, they wanted to do the same thing with the roster.

So, that’s what they did, saving $70 million in future salary payments and clearing the books for whoever the next owner is. One of the first to know of the new Pohlad directive was Carlos Correa.

Falvey offered Carlos Correa a way out of misery

According to The Athletic, Falvey was honest with the 30-year-old shortstop, letting him know that the Twins were no longer interested in fulfilling their end of the original promises made when Correa signed here the second time around.

Winning in Minnesota is no longer a priority. So, when Correa’s former team called, he agreed to waive his no trade clause, something he reportedly would not have done for any other organization.

“When he told (me) that we were going to go into rebuild mode, I said then I deserve to go somewhere where I have a chance to win and my kids can watch me go out there in the playoffs and perform,” Correa said. “He agreed with me and he said out of respect for me he would get to work.”

Falvey got to work, all right. And when deadline day was complete, Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, referenced the nickname of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh to describe the Twins’ maneuvers to slash payroll.

“Apparently the Big Dumper has a Twin.”

The Athletic

Related: Trade Gives Carlos Correa Long-Desired Position Change Twins Couldn’t

Carlos Correa is in the midst of the worst season of his Major League Baseball career, batting .267 with a .704 OPS and a 92 OPS+. But I have little doubt those numbers will quickly turnaround back in Houston, with an organization that prioritizes winning over all else.

That’s not something any Minnesota Twins player can say, especially after Thursday’s deconstruction. The only hope now for Twins fans is that recent steam that a sale could be imminent turns from rumors to reality and that this team is sold to someone who cares as soon as possible.

Until that happens, there is no hope on the horizon in downtown Minneapolis. Lucky for Correa, he was able to escape just in time. We aren’t as fortunate.

The most jarring move of the day, one initiated by the Houston Astros and Carlos Correa, sent the shortstop back home. Minnesota paid $33 million to get rid of him, and effectively got nothing in return.

Correa though, got his wish, both on and off the field. He returns to an organization clearly willing to spend, and he’s going to make a position change to facilitate it.

Hot corner for Carlos Correa as he leaves Minnesota Twins

When Carlos Correa signed a free agent contract with the New York Mets, he was going to move to third base. Francisco Lindor was already on the roster, and the veteran knew that time would come anyways. After the deal got ripped up and he landed in Minnesota, shortstop was back on the table.

The Twins have struggled to develop the next talent at short, and that had Correa playing the position at 30 years old and with bad feet. He’ll move to a less demanding role with Houston and told The Athletic that has been the goal.

“I’ve been asking the Twins to play third base for the last two years. But it was not aligning because of how we were constructed. When (Twins general manager Derek Falvey) told me the Astros wanted me for third base, I was like, that would be perfect.”

Carlos Correa – The Athletic

Correa opened the door to the hot corner two-and-a-half years ago during free agency. That at least had to get the wheels in motion. As he’s gone through injury since, especially to his lower body, it only has to have increased that desire.

The Twins saw Correa play 135 games during the first season of his new contract. He did it playing through pain and it resulted in just a 94 OPS+. Last year he managed the issue better, owned a career-best 151 OPS+, and was named an All-Star. The downside is that he was available for only 86 contests.

Related: MN Twins Shock the World: Carlos Correa Back to Astros

Houston now gets a guy that hasn’t had any foot issues this year, and can play alongside of a star shortstop that took over his position in the first place.

Correa teams up with protege Jeremy Pena

The only reason Houston opted to let Carlos Correa walk in the first place was because of the emergence of Jeremy Pena. A former third round pick, Pena reached the majors in 2022. He earned rookie of the year votes and immediately won a Gold Glove.

Pena is returning from an injury now, but across 82 games this season he is hitting a career-best .322/.378/.489. Pena was named to his first All-Star Game, and is still playing Gold Glove level defense.

Related: Details Behind Red Sox’ Failed Attempt to Pry Joe Ryan from MN Twins

At 30 years old Correa can continue to mentor the 27-year-old. He’ll get to do so standing next to him on the left side of the diamond. There was one place the former Twins shortstop was willing to go, and this represented the perfect fit.

Having already made a plethora of moves, the Twins president of baseball operations sent two more relievers packing as the clock struck zero.

Griffin Jax and Louie Varland both have new homes. That means Minnesota sent out a whopping five of their eight relievers to new teams prior to the deadline.

Griffin Jax goes from MN Twins to Tampa Bay Rays

It was expected that Griffin Jax could be traded along with closer Jhoan Duran. The latter went first to the Philadelphia Phillies. The former was held onto until the waning seconds, but he’s now headed to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Minnesota Twins are getting Taj Bradley in the Griffin Jax deal, per source,

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025

Jax is 30 years old and under team control through 2027. He is making just $2.37 million this season, and despite a gaudy 4.50 ERA, he owns a 2.00 FIP and has been as dominant as ever.

With a 1.5 fWAR, Jax has the best mark among Twins relievers, and is actually above the 1.3 fWAR owned by Jhoan Duran. The tally makes him the 5th-best reliever in baseball by fWAR.

The Rays sent Taj Bradley to the Minnesota Twins. He’s a former fifth round pick (2018) and was a top 25 prospect in baseball as recently as 2023.

Taj Bradley's 7th K pic.twitter.com/EDk6q7Z559

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 12, 2025

Bradley has made 69 appearances (67 starts) across three seasons at the big league level for the Rays. The numbers haven’t worked in his favor yet, though. He owns just a 4.70 ERA (4.33 FIP) and his 9.6 K/9 has been watered down by a 3.3 BB/9 and 1.5 HR/9.

Related: Twins Move Lefty Reliever Danny Coulombe to Texas Rangers

Minnesota will look to push his development towards the player that owns a 2.90 ERA across 366 1/3 minor league innings. Bradley is not arbitration eligible until 2027 and is under team control through 2030.

Blue Jays grab Varland and France from MN Twins

It wasn’t just Jax that was traded up against the deadline. Louie Varland and Ty France both found themselves headed elsewhere, and they’ll need their passports to get there.

LHP Kendrys Rojas and OF Alan Roden are going to Minnesota, per source. #BlueJays https://t.co/7oB4MSdbli

— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) July 31, 2025

The Varland inclusion is an interesting one. Toronto was in the market for a leverage bullpen arm, and after missing out on other options, they apparently approached Minnesota about the remade starter. Ty France had little value as a first baseman with an 86 OPS+, but his $1 million contract was easy to throw in.

It’s jarring to see the Minnesota-native Varland, who’s under team control through 2031, leave. He owns a 2.02 ERA (2.89 FIP) this season and has been used a ridiculous 51 times already. A true development story, that one should sting a bit.

Kendrys Rojas is a left-handed pitcher and the fifth best prospect in the Blue Jays organization per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old Cuban reached Triple-A this season. He has 11 appearances (10 starts) across four levels in 2025 and owns a 3.46 ERA. In 252 2/3 minor league innings he has a 3.31 ERA with a 10.6 K/9.

Related: MN Twins Shock the World: Carlos Correa Back to Astros

Alan Roden is a Wisconsin-native that made his big league debut this season. He was third-round pick out of Creighton in 2022. The left-handed outfielder has a .204/.283/.306 slash line in 43 big league games this year. In 32 games with Triple-A Buffalo he owns a .918 OPS, and he has an .866 OPS across 298 total minor league games.

Twins president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, was always going to sell every single impending free agent he could, and without a doubt, left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe was among the best of those expiring assets. It took some big name relievers coming off the board, but the southpaw now has a new team too.

Minnesota Twins send Danny Coulombe to Texas

Danny Coulombe signed a couple of minor league deals to stay with the Minnesota Twins from 2020 through 2022. Then he joined the Baltimore Orioles for a pair of seasons before returning on a three-year pact this offseason. Now he’s going to the AL West and joining the Texas Rangers.

The Texas Rangers are acquiring left-hander Danny Coulombe from the Minnesota Twins, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025

This season for the Twins Coulombe owns a career-low 1.16 ERA (1.96 FIP) across 40 games. He has a 31/9 K/BB in 31 innings, and has been among the most unhittable lefties in the entire game.

Coulombe is not a velocity guy as he sits just 90.4 mph on his fastball. He utilizes a deceptive delivery and significant spin to overpower hitters and it has worked to an extreme extent in recent seasons.

Related: MN Twins Shock the World: Carlos Correa Back to Astros

The Texas Rangers are currently 57-52, which is tied for second in the AL West with the Seattle Mariners. They are both trying to chase down the Houston Astros or at worst secure a wild card berth.

Coulombe is cut from a similar cloth as former Minnesota Twins southpaw reliever Caleb Thielbar. While the latter was a Minnesota-native, they both reinvented themselves to carve out a notable second-half of their career. Just like Thielbar did, Coulombe thrived this season with the Twins. Now, the Rangers hope he can do the same for them.

Official: Rangers acquire LHP Danny Coulombe from the Twins for LHP Garrett Horn.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 31, 2025

Horn is the return for Coulombe and he was the Rangers sixth round pick in 2024. He pitched for Liberty at the collegiate level and has spent 2025 at rookie ball and Single-A. Horn has made nine starts professionally and owns a 2.92 ERA with a 34/6 K/BB across 24 2/3 innings.

He is already 22 years old so ideally the Twins can push him aggressively. Minnesota has been able to develop pitching prospects, so the new landing spot for Horn should be exciting.