Minnesota Twins’ Ron Gardenhire wants his players to play, not worry about trades

and don’t go near the 2009 BTF’s 2009 Trade Deadline Extravaganza (7/31, 12-6 PM EDT) looking for your names!

Baseball’s trade deadline is Friday. The last thing Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wants is for his players, who have won three straight games, to begin acting like they’re the team’s general manager, suggesting trades.

It can affect a clubhouse.

“That’s the problem,” Gardenhire said. “When you start thinking about that stuff, it takes away from what you do on the field. Your mind’s not in the right place. We have to keep our mind in the right place, and that’s what we can control.

“They (players) can’t make a deal.”

Gardenhire has told his players it’s not their job to make or not make trades, so don’t even be concerned about it.

“All we can do is play,” he said.

Trade rumors frustrate Gardenhire.

“Everybody makes all these rumors, and we all talk about it, everybody,” he said. “And it’s ridiculous. It’s not helping us win a game. So play baseball.”