For Twins, it’s go big or go home

The Twins return to the field Saturday after the All-Star break and nobody can quite grasp what's up with this team.

State of play: They're in first place, but have lost seven of their past 10 games. Their bullpen is a mess and their starting rotation is falling apart.

Between the (foul) line: The Twins have three options as the MLB trade deadline approaches on Aug. 2.

• Go all-in. Trade for an ace pitcher and two good relief pitchers. This would involve letting go of several of the organization's top prospects.
• Sell and build the team for next year. Trade Carlos Correa, Max Kepler and any other veterans not part of the long-term plans.
• Stay the course. Don't make any big moves — perhaps trade for a couple of mediocre pitchers and keep all the top prospects.

💭 Nick's thought bubble: The Twins front office should choose option 1 or option 2. But this team, as currently constructed, will either fall apart down the stretch and miss the playoffs, or make the playoffs with little chance of going on a deep run.

• Correa — one of the best baseball players in the world— is likely only going to be here for this season. It would be silly to waste a year of his prime by surrounding him with bad pitching. Either get an ace or trade Correa.

Names to watch: The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman has a list of top pitchers who the Twins could acquire via trade, headlined by two aces — Oakland's Frankie Montas and Cincinnati's Luis Castillo.

What's ahead: The Twins are on the road for the rest of July, starting Saturday in Detroit. They return to Target Field Aug. 1 for a series with the Tigers and Blue Jays.