'22 Deadline active for Twins: 'We believe in this team'

MINNEAPOLIS -- It’s been a long time since Twins fans have seen a Trade Deadline like this.

Since president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine took the reins of the team ahead of the 2017 season, the Twins have had several competitive teams -- but they had never really emerged with an aggressive haul at the Trade Deadline to make significant upgrades to those teams.

Until now.

Though the Twins fell to the Tigers, 5-3, on Tuesday night at Target Field, the main event of the evening was over nearly two hours before first pitch, when the Twins put the finishing touches on their four Deadline Day trades that brought impact starter Tyler Mahle, back-end relievers Jorge López and Michael Fulmer, and depth catcher Sandy León to the organization at the cost of eight prospects and a veteran Minor Leaguer.

“I think before the Deadline, we said we believe in this team,” Falvey said. “We said it from the get-go. We felt that way all year. We wanted to try to find a way to supplement it. We did. Hopefully, we found a way to infuse some energy in that room and a chance to go play baseball the way we want to.”

It had long been obvious that the Twins needed pitching help, in both the rotation and bullpen, to shore up a possible playoff roster. Carlos Correa knew it as he drifted in and out of the manager’s office to make his wish list known ahead of the Deadline. According to veteran starter Chris Archer, players around the Twins’ clubhouse were playing armchair general manager, too, along with countless fans doing so around Twins Territory.

Early Tuesday morning, the Twins brought in López, the former Orioles closer. Come the afternoon, they also landed Mahle, a controllable right-hander who was arguably the top starter on the market not named Luis Castillo or Frankie Montas. They finished things off 15 minutes before the 5 p.m. CT Deadline, when they had Fulmer switch clubhouses to further bolster their bullpen.

Needless to say, the Twins’ clubhouse was quite enthused by the frenetic pace of Tuesday’s proceedings.

“It was the coolest Trade Deadline I've ever been a part of,” Archer said. “We identified our needs -- we've had the needs for a while -- and we got pretty much every guy we wanted.”

“Seems like we're making the right moves to bulk up, and that's always great,” Correa said. “As a player, you want to feel like the front office is putting the best product on the field to help you win a championship. And so far during this Deadline, we feel like they're doing that. They're giving us a chance, a better chance, to go out there and compete with the best of them.”

Following Tuesday’s loss, the Twins sat at 54-49, still a game clear ahead of Cleveland in the American League Central. The Guardians stood pat at the Deadline, while the White Sox only swapped catcher Reese McGuire to the Red Sox for reliever Jake Diekman.

This wasn’t the Twins’ most glaring opportunity to press the issue with big trades; they were in much better form in 2019, when their offense set the all-time record for home runs and they won 101 games, the second most in franchise history. At that Deadline, they added only relievers Sam Dyson and Sergio Romo.

In ‘17, when they snagged a Wild Card berth, they went from buying to selling in the week before the Deadline. In ‘18 and ‘21, they sold big. In ‘20, they made no moves, even as they went on to win the division.

Why now for these big moves, then?

“It’s about where the opportunities are, too,” Falvey said. “Sometimes, they don’t line up. Sometimes, you just don’t find the player on a team that’s selling that matches up. I was a little worried about that, 72 hours ago. … But eventually, they started to come together. And then once we knew we were in target range, we knew we could go execute on those deals.”

This year, the Twins have Correa -- a playoff X-factor -- and strong clubhouse chemistry, led by veterans and youngsters alike. They found willing trade partners, and had the prospect capital to execute. They’re going for it.

“I’ve been on teams that have added,” Sonny Gray said. “I’ve been on teams that have taken away. I’ve been on both sides of it throughout my career, and it’s so much more enjoyable to be on this side of it.”