The 2026 trade deadline isn’t until August 3. Still, the Minnesota Twins are in the playoff hunt, and the front office could show fans they’re serious about competing this season by buying at the deadline.
If that becomes the case, the team will want to focus on upgrading positions that need it while also looking to the future.
Who should the Twins target, and why should fans be excited if they come to Minnesota?
Trey Gibson
Starting pitching looked like a potential strength coming into the season, but it has become a massive need for the Twins due to injuries and poor play.
Therefore, they should ask the Baltimore Orioles about starter Trey Gibson to help bolster the rotation.
The 24-year-old rookie right-hander is having a decent start to his MLB career, starting in two of the three games he’s been in. He’s currently 1-0 and has a 3.65 ERA with five strikeouts and seven walks.
Gibson would give the Twins another needed starter or bullpen arm who can eat up innings and give the Team one more value arm to help propel this team down the stretch.
If the Twins end up in the playoffs, Gibson can take over in the middle of a game. If the Twins are eliminated, Gibson is a right-hander that they can further develop and potentially build a rotation around.
Noelvi Marte
The Twins have a lot of left-handed corner outfielders. They have Kody Clemens, Trevor Larnach, and James Outman in the big leagues and Alan Roden, Matt Wallner, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Walker Jenkins in the minors. The number of left-handed corner outfielders the Twins have can make it challenging to set a lineup that will exploit opposing pitchers.
Noelvi Marte, 24, is a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder in the Cincinnati Reds organization who has shuffled between Triple-A and the majors for multiple seasons.
Marte has slashed .249/.290/.390 in the majors with 35 walks, 84 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, and 21 HRs. Last season, he hit 14 home runs, a career high. The league suspended Marte for PEDs in 2024. However, he’s a top-end prospect with above-average speed who could help a team in need of outfield depth.
The Twins may not need depth; they could use a right-handed platoon bat that can swing the bat and be quality in pinch-hitting or running situations.
Mark Vientos
Once Ryan Jeffers went down with a left wrist injury, an already short-handed first base depth got that much shallower. Jeffers’ injury pushed Victor Carantini to a more daily catcher role, leaving this to be for Clemens or Josh Bell.
The Twins could use someone who could be an everyday first baseman to give the team more leniency not only with first base, but also with catcher.
That’s where Mark Vientos could offer value.
Vientos is a power hitter for the Mets who strikes out more than he walks but still swings a powerful bat. He’s also a good friend of current Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson.
He has a .237/.290/.430 career slash line with 371 strikeouts, 85 walks, 60 homers, and 140 RBIs. Vientos will be arbitration-eligible next season. He could be a vital addition to the Twins, who need first base depth.
The Twins should show they’re serious about competing
The Minnesota Twins are in a position where they can make early decisions to propel them in the back half of this season and to improve their future rosters. Gibson, Marte, and Vientos would make great additions to this franchise, no matter what position they find themselves in on August 3.
While they are all young players, even grabbing one of these three will show Twins fans that the team is trying to stay competitive in 2026 and for years to come.
