The Minnesota Twins have been a pleasant surprise this year, outperforming expectations. They are in a position to potentially make a run and win the American League Central.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Twins appear more likely to be buyers than sellers. The next few weeks will ultimately dictate their direction, but if they do make moves to add to the roster, these three players make a lot of sense.

May went 5-6 with a 4.55 ERA across 18 starts during the first half. He totaled 93 innings and collected 89 strikeouts, and he is on a one-year deal, making him a rental the Cardinals could move.

The Twins need rotation depth beyond Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley, and May gives them a hard-throwing arm who has flashed real upside, including a near no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in June.

He would not cost a fortune given his up-and-down season, which fits Minnesota's approach of adding without gutting the farm system.

Minter has been dominant since returning from lat surgery, posting a 1.42 ERA, 0.842 WHIP and 17 strikeouts across 19 innings in 19 first-half appearances. He is a proven late-inning left-hander with a World Series ring and a track record of delivering in high-leverage spots.

The Twins' bullpen ranks near the bottom in MLB, and addressing that has been their clearly stated top priority heading into the deadline.

Minter directly answers that need, giving Minnesota a trusted arm that could potentially close games.

Rodriguez is enjoying the best season of his career, going 8-3 with a 2.29 ERA across 114 innings with 79 strikeouts, good enough to earn his first career All-Star selection.

That production makes him one of the more attractive rotation arms available and gives the Twins a proven left-hander to pair at the top of the rotation alongside Ryan. He is also controllable beyond this season signed through the 2027 season.

The tradeoff is that his performance this strong likely means Arizona's asking price will be steep, and the Diamondbacks would need real incentive to move a pitcher performing at this level.

All three additions would address real and pressing needs for a Twins team that is closer to contention than most predicted heading into the year.

May and Rodriguez shore up a rotation that relies too heavily on Ryan and Bradley, while Minter would immediately stabilize a bullpen that has been the biggest obstacle standing between Minnesota and a legitimate playoff push.