Twins wait to see how far ‘down the rabbit hole' front office goes, with first trade complete

New York Times

6 days ago

MINNEAPOLIS — Byron Buxton was placed on the injured list, and Carlos Correa exited Tuesday's game with an illness. Combined with Monday's trade of Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins players are wondering how many more holes they'll need to plug in the next few days.
A day after Paddack was traded to the Detroit Tigers, Twins players recognized how frenzied the next 48 hours could be as the team entered sell mode by dealing the pitcher to a division rival.
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As if to illustrate their point, a fake case of hug watch involving closer Jhoan Duran during Tuesday's 8-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Target Field set social media ablaze.
With Thursday's 5 p.m. CT trade deadline arriving fast, the Twins promise to be one of baseball's most intriguing teams. Not only does the active roster boast several talented free-agents-to-be, but the futures of a handful of good players with multiple years of team control have also been widely speculated about as the Twins ponder what's next for a franchise on the verge of missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
'We're still kind of in a holding pattern of seeing exactly how far down the rabbit hole we go as an organization,' catcher Ryan Jeffers said. 'I'm sure now that the ball's rolling with making a move, stuff is going to start happening.'
The decision to make things happen likely was made after Saturday's six-run loss to the Washington Nationals, a low point during a 3-6 stretch that was expected to help the Twins front office make up its mind on whether to buy, sell or stand pat at the deadline.
For weeks, players on a club hovering just below the .500 mark insisted on having enough talent in the clubhouse to push for a postseason spot even while acknowledging their uninspired play could result in a sell-off.
But Paddack's trade put everyone on alert.
Now, reliever Danny Coulombe, outfielder Harrison Bader and Willi Castro no longer wonder if they'll be traded but when.
'You don't think it's a real thing, and when one domino falls, you're like, 'OK, this is actually going to happen,'' Coulombe said. 'It's definite we're looking to sell.'
'It's not going to take me by surprise,' Castro said. 'I'm already prepared. I wish I could stay here. … I don't think anybody is going to be surprised by the news.'
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Tuesday's Buxton news — and Correa's in-game departure — hammered another nail into a coffin already being lowered into the ground.
Though the Twins originally said they received a 'good outcome' when Buxton underwent an MRI, the outfielder's irritated left rib cage wasn't progressing enough for him to return soon. The Twins opted to place the two-time All-Star on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday.
Three innings into the game, Correa, who met with trainers after he singled in the first inning, exited with a migraine.
Those developments wiped out any hope potentially gained late Monday when the Twins returned after a 90-minute rain delay and rallied for a walk-off victory over the Red Sox. Not as if one win would change anyone's minds, but the double dose of bad news makes it clearer the front office should work into Thursday figuring out how best to capitalize on its tradable assets.
Many of the team's most valuable players reside in the bullpen, which has led to nonstop trade chatter. Coulombe isn't surprised given the bullpen assembled. Still, trade rumors have become the topic de jour.
'It's impossible not to,' Coulombe said. 'Your life gets flipped upside down. You're with a different team, new city, new teammates. Not to mention all the logistical parts for wives and families. It's definitely unsettling, but ultimately, my wife is a rock star. I always joke that she has a master's in logistics. We'll figure it out. We'll make it work.'
Duran had no idea what was in store for him when he headed to work Tuesday.
Same as the rest of the group, the American League's reliever of the month for May typically spends the first few innings in the home clubhouse physically preparing for the game. The group then walks out together to the bullpen, at which point Duran uniquely greets each member of the assembled staff, a group that includes bullpen catcher Frank Nigro.
When cameras caught a view of Nigro's handsy hello for Duran, the internet ran rampant with trade speculation that the closer was hugging everyone goodbye.
Jhoan Duran was seen on the broadcast getting a hug and leaving the bullpen 👀 pic.twitter.com/nFw7DH4DAZ
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 30, 2025
'It's just something we do every day,' Nigro said.
Duran spent the next part of the game talking to former Twins reliever Jorge Alcala, who now pitches for Boston. With Duran and Alcala out of sight of the cameras, rumors of his departure only grew.
Before long, Duran returned to the top area of the Twins bullpen, where Nigro showed him a picture of their hug captured on the internet.
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'I do a different high-five with everybody,' Duran said. 'That's my high-five with him.'
But Duran had no idea the photo was accompanied by trade rumors, followed by denials from local and national reporters.
'Oh, my goodness, that's crazy,' he said.
None of the frenzy comes as a surprise to Jeffers.
He was still a rookie when the Twins engaged in their last sell-off in July 2021, a series of moves that resulted in the trades of Nelson Cruz, José Berríos and J.A. Happ. Jeffers remembers being in the Twins clubhouse in St. Louis when Happ was traded to the Cardinals and walked down the hall to join his new team before that night's game.
'It was kind of funky,' Jeffers said. 'You're in there kind of just holding your breath, watching the TVs, watching your phone. … It's always a weird time. You know your locker room is going to change. Sometimes it's going to change for the better. Sometimes it's going to change for the younger.'
(Photo of Jhoan Duran: Bruce Kluckhohn / Imagn Images)