The Minnesota Twins faced an immediate challenge upon their arrival in Cleveland, embarking on a new series against the Guardians with a dramatically reshaped roster following a whirlwind of recent trades.

A full-fledged meet and greet became the unexpected first order of business, as the team had executed nine trades, effectively jettisoning nearly 40% of their previous roster, leading to a clubhouse filled with unfamiliar faces.

Pitcher Bailey Ober encapsulated the sentiment among the remaining players, remarking on the “business side of baseball” and the surreal experience of watching their team transform overnight, acknowledging the pain of seeing teammates from their 2023 playoff run depart.

Many players, including Ober, had spent the preceding day in their downtown Cleveland hotel, collectively monitoring the league-wide trade activity, only for the mood to shift dramatically as several received calls from Twins president Derek Falvey confirming their own transfers.

To field a complete roster for the series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Minnesota Twins promptly recalled six players from their Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul and selected the contracts of two additional Saints, prompting manager Rocco Baldelli to hold an immediate team meeting upon their arrival at Progressive Field, followed by individual discussions with his remaining veteran players.

Among the significant sports transactions, Jhoan Duran, a key reliever with impressive stats, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in a clear signal of the Twins’ commitment to selling, acquiring Triple-A starting pitcher Mick Abel and High-A catcher Eduardo Tait in return, while other notable movements included outfielder Harrison Bader, reliever Brock Stewart to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Danny Coulombe to the Texas Rangers, alongside the package deal of first baseman Ty France and Varland to Toronto.

This drastic roster overhaul comes less than 22 months after the Minnesota Twins celebrated a historic wild-card series win, closing out a sweep against the Blue Jays at Target Field, marking their first playoff series victory in 21 years and ending a prolonged postseason losing streak, a stark contrast to their current rebuilding phase.

Despite the extensive changes, President Derek Falvey has affirmed that the Twins are not aiming to completely bottom out in this rebuild, emphasizing that they retained their All-Stars and starting pitcher, who had significant interest from other teams, and remain confident in the future contributions of players like third baseman Royce Lewis and Pablo López, whose return from a shoulder injury is anticipated soon.