M LB teams shedding salary − whether it be midseason at the trade deadline or choosing not to extend certain players − shouldn't be new for MLB fans. But as Minnesota Twins fans watched a team just 5.5 games back of a wild-card berth get stripped for parts, it wouldn't be unreasonable to simply ask: "why?"

Making nine trades and jettisoning nearly 40% of their team before the deadline the previous day meant there were plenty of new faces in the visiting clubhouse when the Twins began their three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians.