Projected 2024 26-Man Roster

[GKuehl]

So much is up in the air with the 2024 roster, especially considering we have yet to get answers to some of our most important questions related to our top prospects. Is Matt Wallner a legitimate starting OFer? Was Jose Miranda's 2022 season a mirage? Is Edouard Julien going to be able to stick at 2B? Will Royce Lewis stay healthy enough to be a fixture in the lineup? Will Alex Kirilloff's power return? Is Trevor Larnach a building block? Will Austin Martin hit enough to be more than a utility player? 

Here's my projected 2024 Minnesota Twins 26-man roster. Please comment, add suggestions, or disagree with me altogether!

Position Players

C. Ryan Jeffers/Christian Vazquez

1B. Alex Kirilloff

2B. Jorge Polanco/Edouard Julien

3B. Royce Lewis

SS. Carlos Correa

OF: Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, 

Utility: Willi Castro/Austin Martin

I'm counting on the Twins bringing back Kepler and Polanco on their team options -- the front office has shown that it cares about value above all else, and they clearly continue to value Max Kepler. While both are blocking younger players to an extent, if Buxton is able to play some OF and Joey Gallo departs as a FA, there should be more DH and corner OF ABs available for guys like Wallner, Julien, and Larnach. 

I also don't think Nick Gordon will have a role on this team when he comes back from the IL. He's a candidate to be traded at the deadline for a low-level prospect to a team like the Nationals that could give him everyday playing time. Willi Castro provides everything that Nick Gordon does and then some -- Castro is a better/more versatile defender, he steals more bases, and he has a longer track record of adequate MLB production for a utility guy. 

In this scenario, Kyle Farmer was moved in a comparable trade to the Gio Urshela trade with one year of arbitration eligibility. 

Starting Rotation

1. Joe Ryan

2. Pablo Lopez

3. Bailey Ober

4. Lucas Giolito (FA Acquisition to replace Sonny Gray)

5. Chris Paddack

The Twins take the comp. pick for losing Sonny Gray and let Maeda walk as a free agent. Louie Varland and Brent Headrick are the next men up. 

Bullpen

1. Jhoan Duran

2. Griffin Jax

3. Brock Stewart

4. Matt Moore (FA Acquisition)

5. Caleb Thielbar (hopefully he can stay healthy)

5. Jordan Balazovic

6. Jorge Lopez 

7. Jovani Moran

8. Matt Canterino

The bullpen has a lot of options/moving parts. It feels in need of one trustworthy backend reliever, but we say that every off-season. Since I was in charge, I went out and got Matt Moore in case Thielbar isn't able to stay healthy in his age-37 season. I could also see Woods-Richardson, Henriquez, and Sands factoring into the bullpen mix. 

 

[SwainZag]

8 minutes ago, GKuehl said:

So much is up in the air with the 2024 roster, especially considering we have yet to get answers to some of our most important questions related to our top prospects. Is Matt Wallner a legitimate starting OFer? Was Jose Miranda's 2022 season a mirage? Is Edouard Julien going to be able to stick at 2B? Will Royce Lewis stay healthy enough to be a fixture in the lineup? Will Alex Kirilloff's power return? Is Trevor Larnach a building block? Will Austin Martin hit enough to be more than a utility player? 

Here's my projected 2024 Minnesota Twins 26-man roster. Please comment, add suggestions, or disagree with me altogether!

Position Players

C. Ryan Jeffers/Christian Vazquez

1B. Alex Kirilloff

2B. Jorge Polanco/Edouard Julien

3B. Royce Lewis

SS. Carlos Correa

OF: Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, 

Utility: Willi Castro/Austin Martin

I'm counting on the Twins bringing back Kepler and Polanco on their team options -- the front office has shown that it cares about value above all else, and they clearly continue to value Max Kepler. While both are blocking younger players to an extent, if Buxton is able to play some OF and Joey Gallo departs as a FA, there should be more DH and corner OF ABs available for guys like Wallner, Julien, and Larnach. 

I also don't think Nick Gordon will have a role on this team when he comes back from the IL. He's a candidate to be traded at the deadline for a low-level prospect to a team like the Nationals that could give him everyday playing time. Willi Castro provides everything that Nick Gordon does and then some -- Castro is a better/more versatile defender, he steals more bases, and he has a longer track record of adequate MLB production for a utility guy. 

In this scenario, Kyle Farmer was moved in a comparable trade to the Gio Urshela trade with one year of arbitration eligibility. 

Starting Rotation

1. Joe Ryan

2. Pablo Lopez

3. Bailey Ober

4. Lucas Giolito (FA Acquisition to replace Sonny Gray)

5. Louie Varland

The Twins take the comp. pick for losing Sonny Gray and let Maeda walk as a free agent. Louie Varland and Brent Headrick are the next men up. 

Bullpen

1. Jhoan Duran

2. Griffin Jax

3. Brock Stewart

4. Matt Moore (FA Acquisition)

5. Caleb Thielbar (hopefully he can stay healthy)

5. Jordan Balazovic

6. Jorge Lopez 

7. Jovani Moran

8. Matt Canterino

The bullpen has a lot of options/moving parts. It feels in need of one trustworthy backend reliever, but we say that every off-season. Since I was in charge, I went out and got Matt Moore in case Thielbar isn't able to stay healthy in his age-37 season. I could also see Woods-Richardson, Henriquez, and Sands factoring into the bullpen mix. 

 

I like the topic and the thinking, but this seems a extremely, extremely premature topic.

[GKuehl]

24 minutes ago, SwainZag said:

I like the topic and the thinking, but this seems an extremely, extremely premature topic.

Agreed, it’s definitely premature, but I figured it could be a fun thought exercise. 

[stringer bell]

Paddack will be under contract and take a starting role if healthy.