Major League Baseball's trade deadline came and went Monday without the Twins making a single deal. They spoke with clubs and checked in on some players but, in the end, decided to sprint to the finish hoping a healthier roster will be enough to get them to the postseason.
No one was sure how many blockbuster deals would be made during an abbreviated season with an expanded playoff field. Also, prospects end up being part of many deals, but many trade chips are sitting at home, and not every team agreed to share video of the players at their alternate training sites.
"Relative to other years this one was different," Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said. "It was a little bit quieter on a lot of levels. With 16 teams making the playoffs, with the National League race as compacted as it is and certainly a number of teams in the American League still fighting for position and spots, I think it was a little bit more of a hold and wait-and-see approach for a lot of clubs."
The biggest name dealt was righthander Mike Clevinger, who was shipped from Cleveland to San Diego. Yes, the Twins checked in on Clevinger — it's believed the White Sox did too — but learned that Cleveland would require a monster package to deal him within the division.
Falvey inquired about many players but was unable to build traction toward a deal. Also, there weren't other pitchers of at least Clevinger's caliber available, as the Twins likely weren't going to trade some of their nearly ready top prospects unless it was for a top-of-the-rotation force.
And Falvey said money was not an impediment to a trade, as owner Jim Pohlad has allowed him to make a case for impactful transactions, like the offseason signing of third baseman Josh Donaldson.
"We've had flexibility," Falvey said. "Jim has been very supportive if we bring those conversations."
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