Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
In a move that has left Major League Baseball’s front offices confused, amused, and deeply uncomfortable, the Minnesota Twins have officially filed paperwork to initiate the rarely used “Takesies Backsies” clause on their trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. The clause, reportedly scribbled in the margins of an old CBA draft and written in crayon, allows a team to reclaim a player if “vibes change dramatically” after the trade is completed.
Minnesota dealt right-hander Louis Varland to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline in exchange for outfielder Alan Roden and lefty prospect Kendry Rojas. The Twins were initially thrilled, with one front office source saying they “couldn’t wait to see Varland thrive somewhere else while we tried to convince ourselves it was part of the plan.”
However, after Toronto’s stunning run to the World Series, the Twins’ enthusiasm cooled. Roden hit just .158 with the Twins and Rojas reportedly gave up five runs in a simulated inning against a lineup made up of Twins employees from the analytics department. That was enough for the front office to act.
“Yeah, look, at the time we thought it made sense,” Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said, nervously shuffling a pile of old Little League rulebooks. “But then we watched the Blue Jays pop champagne on TV and thought, wait a second… that guy used to pitch for us. So, we called MLB and asked if we could, you know, undo it. They said no at first, but then we said ‘Takesies backsies,’ and they had to honor it. It’s in the rulebook somewhere. Probably.”
Varland, who pitched multiple high-leverage innings in the ALCS for Toronto and reportedly became the clubhouse dog barker, was less than thrilled to hear the news. “I just figured I was, you know, in Canada now,” Varland said. “They even taught me how to apologize properly. But I guess I’ll go back to Minnesota if they really want me. I still have the keycard for Target Field, I think.”
Toronto’s front office seemed baffled by the development. General Manager Ross Atkins appeared on Sportsnet shaking his head in disbelief. “We’ve had some tough trades before, but no one’s ever tried to use playground rules to undo one. We’re not sure if this is legal, but MLB told us to just roll with it until they find the right section of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that deals with ‘do-overs.’”
Roden was equally confused. “They told me to unpack, then repack, then unpack again,” he said. “At this point, I just want to know which team’s group chat I’m supposed to be in.”
The Twins maintain that this is not a reflection on Roden or Rojas, but rather on their bullpen situation heading into 2026. “We’re just realizing that we actually need pitchers who can get major league hitters out,” Falvey explained. “It’s something we probably should’ve thought about before trading one who could.”
When reached for comment, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that this situation is “unprecedented but technically permissible under Rule 9.2.3-B, which states that all trades can be reconsidered if the regret reaches at least a 9 out of 10 on the panic scale.”
As the Twins prepare to reacquaint themselves with Varland, the mood around Target Field remains awkward. “We’re all pretending this is normal,” one coach said. “We’re setting up a ‘Welcome Back, Louis’ banner, but we still have the ‘Thanks for Everything, Louis’ one hanging right next to it. It’s confusing for everyone.”
The team hopes to have the matter resolved before spring training. Until then, Falvey says the front office will continue to review all trades made in the last five years, “just to see if we can call any more do-overs.
“If the Brewers can reinvent themselves every season,” Falvey said, “why can’t we just rewind ours?”
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