Twins' Falvey not focused on selling at Trade Deadline

MINNEAPOLIS – Though the Twins have lost 14 out of 17 and now stand in ninth in the chase for the three American League Wild Card spots, team president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey said Monday that the club is focused on improving, and not thinking about selling as the Trade Deadline approaches.

“[Selling is] not my focus right now by any means,” Falvey told reporters prior to Monday night’s 11-2 loss to the Mariners. “I think when you think you have the team that you believe you have, and you hope you get healthier and get guys back here soon, that you feel like this group … is capable of putting together good baseball, it’s hard for you to think like that. If we have to cross that bridge, we’ll cross that bridge later, but that is not at all our focus right now. It’s to figure out how to get this team right back to where it needs to be."

Falvey expressed support for manager Rocco Baldelli, and The Athletic reported Monday that the Twins have picked up Baldelli’s option for 2026. However, the club has not confirmed that report.

The club’s primary concern at the moment is figuring out how to get its pitching back on track. A team largely built around its rotation has a 6.81 ERA for June, worst in the Major Leagues.

“I feel confident,” Falvey said, “like we had to at the beginning of this season when we went through a tough stretch, we had to dig deep, find ways to come together, and rebound out of it. And we did. It’s rare that you can point to an actual experience in your season when you’re less than halfway through it when you did rebound and get better. I believe this group can do that.”

One piece of good news regarding the pitching staff: Falvey remains confident that Pablo López, who suffered a right shoulder injury earlier this month, will be able to be a significant contributor in the second half.

“I feel confident that, based on the diagnosis we have, the multiple opinions we have on the return, that this is pretty straightforward in terms of what we should expect coming back,” he said. “But you know, obviously it remains to be seen how he progresses. … My expectation as I sit here right now, is I have no reason to believe we aren't counting on him down the stretch this season.”

More from Falvey’s conversation with reporters:

On whether there is flexibility to add payroll:

“If we get close to the Deadline and have decisions to make, I'm always bringing those to the Pohlad family, to Joe [Pohlad, primary owner] and saying 'I think this is the right baseball decision for us or not.' We've had plenty of opportunity to have those conversations and had opportunities to add when it's the right fit. I feel confident I'll be able to have those conversations again; where they land, and what they are, I can't predict that yet.”

On the possibility of trading from the Major League roster:

“It feels like in light of 12 out of 15 American League teams [being in contention], you sometimes have to evaluate need-for-need stuff at the Major League level. They're harder to pull off, admittedly. No one likes to trade from depth at their big league level. But if we find the right opportunity overlap, we have to be open-minded to that. I don't think it's a likely path because you don't see it that often. But I think we have to at least have those conversations and be open-minded to it.”

On how the Tigers’ big division lead affects decision-making:

“They’ve played great baseball all year, no question. But I think the reality of the playoff structure right now is getting in and giving yourself a chance is a real opportunity that you don’t want to take for granted. So if we’re right in the mix for that, maybe a little further away from the division than we expected to be come Deadline time, it doesn’t really change my viewpoint on it. Certainly I’ll continue to have those conversations with ownership about where we are and what we can do, how we navigate a Deadline process, but that’s true every year. But I still feel like if you’re in a position, with the way that the playoffs are structured now, you don’t want to take that for granted.”