Why it might be a tricky Trade Deadline for Twins to navigate

This story was excerpted from Matthew Leach's Twins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

LOS ANGELES -- The Twins had plenty of chances to secure a series win and a break-even road trip in Wednesday’s loss to the Dodgers, but instead they came out of the break with a 2-4 trip and now stand four games below .500.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the front office will sell at the Trade Deadline, and it certainly doesn’t mean that their playoff hopes are dashed. There are still 60 games to be played, and an awful lot can happen in 60 baseball games.

But the calendar is the calendar, and what it shows right now is that one week and six games remain before the July 31 deadline. With a homestand coming up against the Nationals and Red Sox, here’s a look at where the Twins stand.

Barring a torrid homestand, it seems likely that the path will be what you might call a “light sell.” Yes, there are definitely reports out there of teams calling about players like Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. And almost nobody is truly untouchable if the right offer comes along. But there isn’t much indication that the front office has an appetite for tearing the roster apart.

So what you will most likely see is a willingness to trade players who are eligible for free agency this winter. That list includes six names: Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, Danny Coulombe, Ty France, Chris Paddack and Christian Vázquez. And while that list is alphabetical, it’s not too terribly far from a ranking of how desirable those players would be for other teams. Bader, Castro and Coulombe all have the kinds of skillsets contenders like adding at this time of year.

Bader is an excellent defensive outfielder having a good year at the plate. Castro is a speedy, versatile switch-hitter. And Coulombe is a lefty who gets lefties out. Those are all players who can help contenders. France and Vázquez could have appeal as bench players but probably wouldn’t fetch as much in return. And while Paddack might have some value, until at least one other starter returns from the injured list, the Twins can’t really afford to deal anyone from their rotation.

If the Twins do get really hot between now and the 31st, they could add a piece or two, but there are two problems with that. One, it’s hard to know what exactly they would deal. It’s possible that names like Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda and Austin Martin could hold some appeal, but there’s a reason they’re all still at Triple-A. None of them has been so good as to force his way back onto the big club.

Minnesota has four Top 100 prospects, but it’s extremely hard to imagine the club parting with any of them in order to make a small patch to a team that is fighting just to stay in contention. Besides, two of them are currently injured. Instead, the offer would likely be lower-level prospects.

The team’s biggest area of depth before the year appeared to be starting pitching, with Zebby Matthews and David Festa sent to Triple-A. Now three starters, including Festa, are on the IL. As is Andrew Morris, their most advanced starting pitching prospect, so there’s no chance of parting with a young starter.

The other is that there aren’t any really easy fixes. The Twins could probably use a second left-handed reliever, and they could use a starting pitcher who could soak up some innings. But this is a team that has few obvious, gaping holes. That also makes things more challenging.

A lot can change in seven days, and as the old saying goes, it only takes one phone call. But as of now, it does not look like an extremely eventful Deadline awaits.