Jul 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Yankees Starting to Annoy Twins With Trade Calls

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The New York Yankees are adopting an aggressive approach at the trade deadline despite their prolonged skid , which has seemingly included calling the Minnesota Twins to the point of annoyance.

On Tuesday, former MLB general manager and current The Athletic analyst Jim Bowden reported that the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are "speed dialing" Minnesota at a maddening level in hopes of hammering out a deal for one of the club's many enticing players.

The #RedSox #Yankees #BlueJays #Phillies and #Mariners are speed dialing the #Twins at an annoying level with continued interest in Joe Ryan, basically their whole bullpen, Willi Castro and Harrison Bader. Twins could end up being the headliner at the deadline as talks heat up…
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) July 29, 2025

ESPN's Buster Olney connected New York to right-handed hitting outfielder Harrison Bader on Monday, whom played parts of two seasons for the Bronx Bombers in 2022 and 2023, while the club's interest in switch-hitting utility man Willi Castro has been well-documented over recent days and weeks.

The Yankees have already acquired a pair of offensive position players in Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario, but with Aaron Judge out for the time being and Anthony Volpe's struggles remaining an issue, the team is pushing for further lineup upgrades despite owning the best OPS in the league at .783.

Pitching is where things get murky for New York, however, as it has logged the second-worst ERA across baseball since July 1 at 6.03. While any club would love to add an All-Star starter like Joe Ryan from the Twins, who's put up a 2.82 ERA in 121 1/3 innings this season, the Yankees would be better suited using their assets to land one, or perhaps several, of Minnesota's top relievers.

Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax and Danny Coulombe are all names that should, and have, piqued New York's interest. Duran is one of the most dominant closers in the game with a 2.01 ERA and 16 saves this year while averaging over 100 mph on his four-seam fastball, and Jax strikes out hitters an absurd 36.9 percent of the time with a 3.91 ERA and 2.00 FIP.

Durán and Jax are both under team control through the 2027 campaign, raising their values to an almost astronomical level. Coulombe, on the other hand, is a rental, but the 35-year-old left-hander has recorded a 1.16 ERA and 1.96 FIP in 31 innings this season.

It comes as no surprise that the Yankees are acting with such fervor in their pursuit of the Twins' top trade chips. They almost landed right-handed pitcher Chris Paddack from the club before he was sent to the Detroit Tigers on Monday, and perhaps they'll find a way to close a deal with Minnesota before the July 31 deadline passes.

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