BREAKING NEWS: Twins Acknowledged That Acquiring Star Was A Total Misstep

As Minnesota Twins fans watch the team vie for a division title in the season’s final stretch, they’re also haunted by how much smoother it could have been. The offseason saw the Twins cut payroll by $30 million instead of investing in the team’s future. Now, with Minnesota just 2 games out of first place in the AL Central and a depleted roster, the consequences are clear. The bullpen, in particular, has struggled, reflecting the neglect of the roster. The team’s only trade at the deadline, for Toronto’s Trevor Richards, was underwhelming and has already been deemed a failure.

 again and designated Richards for assignment to make room on the roster. Tonkin will get both Richards’ 40-man roster spot and his place in the bullpen, while the Twins are forced to wipe egg off their face. again and designated Richards for assignment to make room on the roster. Tonkin will get both Richards’ 40-man roster spot and his place in the bullpen, while the Twins are forced to wipe egg off their face

It’s not as much egg as we’ve seen in the past, an amount that has likely scared the team away from making big splashes. The Twins traded a haul for both Jorge Lopez and Tyler Mahle back in 2022 and both were off the roster within a year; this deal with Richards isn’t as bad as that from a cost perspective but it stings almost as much given what it represents.

On Tuesday, the Twins re-added Michael Tonkin to the roster and designated Richards for assignment to free up space. Tonkin will take over Richards’ 40-man roster spot and bullpen role, leaving the Twins to deal with the fallout. This move isn’t as costly as past failures like the trades for Jorge Lopez and Tyler Mahle in 2022, but it still stings due to what it signifies. Richards struggled from the start, with poor stats and ineffective performance before his departure. The frustration stems not just from Richards’ performance but from the Twins’ failure to adequately invest in a competitive roster, reflecting a pattern of prioritizing financial concerns over building a true contender.