Minnesota Twins Dismantle Roster, And Relationship With Fans, At Trade Deadline

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Minnesota Twins' front office didn’t just sell at the trade deadline; they dismantled the active roster. Roughly 40 percent of it was moved in a single day, including the team's best closer in years.

Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Willi Castro, Ty France, Chris Paddack, Louis Varland, and others were dealt in a string of trades that shed tens of millions in future payroll, and with them, any pretense that the team is trying to compete in the near future.

After the deadline sell-off, the Twins’ active roster payroll dropped to $29 million, dead last among all 30 MLB teams, according to Spotrac. The current league average is $116 million.

The clearest sign of the team’s direction came in the Correa deal: the Twins sent the Astros $33 million just to take the remainder of the contract off their hands.

The only player acquired in return for the All-Star shortstop? A 26-year-old pitcher who hasn’t made it past A-ball, notes The Athletic.

What's behind the fire sale?

The Pohlad family, owners since Carl Pohlad bought the team in 1984 for approximately $44 million, announced in October 2024 that they were exploring a sale of the franchise.

The Pohlad family is reportedly seeking at least $1.7 billion for the team.

Thursday's deadline frenzy only fueled the growing perception that ownership is stepping away from any commitment to the team's on-field success.

As the trades continued to trickle in, fans shared memes of Byron Buxton (who has a no-trade clause) sitting alone in the dugout, a Spirit Halloween banner draped over Target Field, and mock graphics reading "[Expletive] You, Twins Territory,” all capturing the collective sense of betrayal and disbelief.

"When the Pohlads said they were selling the team," KFAN producer Zach Halverson wrote, "I didn’t realize they meant one player at a time."

Contrary to popular belief, the Canadian wildfires are not to blame for the smoke in the Twin Cities. It's actually emanating from a dumpster fire at 1 Twins Way.
— Zach Halverson (@ZachHalverson) July" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/ZachHalver... 31, 2025

There was disbelief, too, after the Louis Varland trade, a cost-controlled starter under team control through 2030. "Wow. I was prepared for pretty much anything today, but this one truly shocks me," wrote The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman.

By deadline’s end, Minnesota had shipped out 10 MLB players, including two 2025 starters (Chris Paddack and Louie Varland), four key relievers (Duran, Jax, Stewart, Coulombe), two position players (Ty France and Harrison Bader), utility man Willi Castro, and a catcher, exhausting nearly every role on the active roster.

In return, they received a package of prospects, few of whom are MLB-ready, with no clear roadmap from team leadership.