Deadline fantasy limbo

THIS time of the year, on the cusp of the final two months of the MLB regular season, the line between your fantasy league’s haves and have-nots becomes much more distinct. Rookie call-ups have replenished a barren waiver wire, and what you need to do to jockey for better position in your standings has become much clearer.

Everything seems to be falling in line except for one important thing: The MLB trade deadline is still a few days away. You can prep your team all you want, but there is still the risk that everything you’ve done to solidify your fantasy squad can be destroyed with one phone call by a big league general manager.

We have a good idea which players could be on the move, but there are times when that line in the sand gets blurred — buyers become sellers and fantasy owners are stuck in limbo, wondering what to do with players on teams who can’t make up their minds.

The Twins appeared to be making a playoff run when they stopped shopping their players and traded for Jaime Garcia to help bolster their rotation. But after a four-game losing streak, their front office now sounds like that conversation you have with your spouse as you leave work. “What do you want to do for dinner?” “I don’t know. What are you in the mood for?” “I don’t know. How about you?” It is as relentless as it is frustrating.

What happens to the value of Ervin Santana if he is dealt to a team that plays in a hitter-friendly ballpark? If Brandon Kintzler gets dealt, will he remain a closer? Will Brian Dozier still hit near the top of the order on a new team? None of these questions can be answered until the Twins make up their minds, and that holds fantasy owners of these players hostage at the worst possible time.

Someone needs to wake up Twins GM Thad Levine and tell him to either f ish or cut bait. Decisions need to be made. Fantasy owners have a job to do and his indecisiveness makes it awfully tough for us to win championships.